The Kilpatrick's

We're alive!

2012-01-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

I interrupt this blogging absence to let you know we're alive and well! Life is good and we are staying busy.

We spent the weekend in Covington!

My 4 Monkeys!!

Hopefully I can post again soon!!!

A Super-productive weekend!

2011-08-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

We had quite the weekend here in Stonewall...as far as never ending home improvement projects go! My sister has a good friend in New Orleans that is an AmAzInG artist. My sis is all about murals and wanted Kelly to paint a shark scene in Caleb's room. Don't forget Caleb is a shark-aholic and has been obsessed with them since birth. He was beside himself and HE got to pick which sharks he wanted on his wall. He wanted a Mako and a Tiger shark. He also wanted a jellyfish.
This is what it started like...a boring brown wall.

Drawing it out!

Kelly at work!

The Shark Room! They look VERY real!!!

On Saturday we went to Canton, Tx to see my mom and mother in law (who drove in from Austin).We were on a mission to find old, blue mason jars for Leslie's wedding. It was also time to pick up my tv thing that I had made for my living room.:)
While there, I stumbled upon these guys that were 1/2 off! They look GREAT in the new kitchen!

I got my TV thing. Alrighty, this house had a giant alcove where you HAD to have something huge. So mom recommended her friend Mike that has a store in Canton. I did the measurements, sent him a pic of the alcove, and another pic of some of my furniture and he did this!

I love it! I had several mini panic attacks on the way home worried that it wouldn't fit. I'm not known for my tape measure skills and Eli was in charge of holding the other end of the tape measure. It fits perfect though!
Next thing on the list, paint the mantle. That may come right after "get classroom ready". School starts in 2 weeks:\

My Chair, Micah's Hair, Maci Claire

2011-07-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Mom and I reupholstered my old chair a few weeks ago.
Micah Man had to get his first big boy haircut (per school rules). I didn't recognize him for a few days...but I'm getting used to it.
May-May is almost 11 months old:) She and Micah are pals.

Roadtrip? Really? This is dragging out.

2011-07-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

I despise blogger.
The picture poster seems to be up and running. But this is its last chance.

Alrighty, back to Friday, we went to the cute little park in Tyronne and rode horses at Seth's house.

Caleb driving:)

My little Cowboy...

The happy couple! We donated the boys' sports pillow to Norman since he peed all over it in the car.

Early Saturday morning all of us loaded up and drove 2 1/2 hours to Hershey...home of the chocolate factory and Hershey Park.
Not too many pics here because of the craziness. Eli walks in and looks up, he immediately wants to ride the tallest rides at the park. Seth and I got our roller coaster fix and mom and Robin who aren't coaster fans got to babysit the baby girls.
Meeting Mr. Reese's

On the chocolate factory tour...loved it!

Hershey park is HUGE it has a mini zoo, the chocolate factory, the amusement park, and an enormous water park (with absolutely freezing cold water). It was a fun day for all. We left around 10 that night and headed for Amish Country.
I'm gonna skip over the scariest night ever in the roachiest of roach motels. The cold water didn't work in my room:\. Strange. Showers were interesting. I was scared to touch the carpet with my bare feet. And I don't want to talk about the visible stain on the mattress. I was happy to leave the next morning and drive to Intercourse. Yes, that is the bizarre name of a large Amish town in PA. Someone didn't think that through. The town right next to it is called, Bird in Hand. THAT sounds like an Amish town.
Enter "Kink in plan #2": We visited an Amish town on Sunday. Not much open. But we did see all of the Amish coming and going from church. We also go to see their homes and absolutely beautiful gardens and farms!

A silo! I want one.

Amish parking.

One thing I noticed in Intercourse and all throughout PA is that the houses and barns are VERY close to the road. If you are hitting the shoulder you are likely going through a barn.

The last leg of our trip was Gettysburg. I was super excited about Gettysburg! We did the movie, museum, cyclorama, cemetery, and auto tour (sort of). I loved the Cyclorama. It was my first time even hearing about it. It is an ENORMOUS circular painting done by a French artist in 1883. The way it is done it looks 3D. The boys asked me more than once if it was real...it looks like you are there in the battle. My other favorite thing was watching the kids take musket loading lessons. Eli got it in the head by Randee's musket a couple of times.

Caleb and Reece in Charleston.

The Cemetery.

Well, wouldn't you know it. The picture loader is no longer working. I know you are probably thankful:)
The trip is almost over anyway. The auto tour was a blur (literally). My brother drives right at 20mph over the speed limit no matter where he is, where he's going, or what the terrain and/or road conditions call for.
After that, we headed home. Surprisingly...we stayed on major roads the whole way! It was a great trip! The only thing that would have made it greater is if Jordan could have come:) We were ready to see him.

Our Roadtrip....finally!

2011-07-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

Finally, a chance to sit down! We are smack in the middle of our mini Kitchen remodel. It is exhausting and if I never go to Lowes again it will be too soon. I can't wait til it's done:) Pics to come....
Anywho, on to The Roadtrip. This trip was planned on a whim 2 weeks before we left. My mom wanted to go up to Pennsylvania to see my brother and his family. She asked if the kids and I wanted to tag along. Sure we did! I am tired of doing new house stuff anyway. So I planned our trip up to Houtzdale, Pa. It is near State College which is where Penn State is (about 1300 miles from here). So on Monday, 5 hours after our planned departure time...we hit the road...(major kink in plan).
Me, my mom (Maggie is what the kids call her),4 kids and one cute (but not potty trained) piggy named Norman (or Normal as Caleb kept calling him) were on our way! *Sidenote* Norman was my mom and brothers' idea, I had no say in this. Norman is to be Beulah's husband. Beulah is my brother's pig.

For my plan to work we needed to be in Chattanooga, Tn on Monday night. Not happening. We made it to Tuscaloosa Monday night and then to Chattanooga the next day.

The original plan was to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, NC and then ride it up to Roanoke, Va. Realizing we would be too late for Asheville we headed for Boone, NC. The Boone area is absolutely beautiful!
Appalachain State University...

We finally got on Blue Ridge Parkway about an hour and a half or so before dark. For the short while we drove on it we had to stop for an entire herd of cows that were loose, we went the wrong direction for about 30 minutes, and there were SEVERAL deer in the road. I don't have a great rapport with deer that like to hang out in roads. There are also no street lights on the BRP or bathrooms for that matter. I quickly realized we weren't riding this puppy to Roanoke at night with 4 kids and Norman with his pea sized bladder. Enter GPS.
I can honestly say the rest of the trip up was one geographical surprise after the other and we CERTAINLY did not need the Blue Ridge Parkway for the scenic route. What we could have used was an Atlas or something with a little more perspective than the 3 inch partial map the GPS provides. We were on the curviest, most mountainous, backroads EVER for most of the rest of the trip up. We were actually on a gravel road at one point. I would have never thought to jump on Hogback road to get to Pennsylvania from Louisiana...but we did. And let's just say there is no cell service in the town of Mouth of Wilson, Va. We went through Virginia and to West Virginia on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, we went through Maryland (we were on the gravel road when we entered Maryland) and finally into PA. Pennsylvania is stunning. The farms look like they belong on postcards. We finally made it to my brother's new house Wednesday afternoon. While there I got to meet Murphee, my newest niece. She was born at 32 weeks and is just a little peanut of a person.

That day the kids chased the chickens then we had a bonfire and made smores.
The next day it rained so we went bowling in State College and had ice cream at Penn State's famous creamery.

On Friday, we went into town and had I had a Philly Cheesesteak at a place that makes the best bread ever. We went to a super cute park that had chipmunks everywhere and then we rode my brother's horses and his ranger around his land.

Alrighty, the picture thing is no longer working. Stink. To be cont'd....again!!!

The Traveling Kilpatrick's

2011-06-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

We're back! Roadtrip 2011 was a huge success. We were certainly glad to be out of the car...but so glad we did it!
First though, the weekend before our road trip we were in St. Francisville for our annual Kilpatrick Reunion. We swam and had lunch and then headed back home. It was a fun day for all.
Me and my man!

Return of the Super-suit since I wasn't lifeguarding.

Sweet swinging girl!

My baby boy!

On our way back from St. Francisville we got to cross the new bridge! Yes, only a true Louisianian can get excited about a bridge but HoLy MoLY! it is beautiful. Until now, if you wanted to go from St. Francisville to New Roads you had to load up on a ferry for a ride across the Mississippi. No more, now you can just drive over this guy. It is the longest suspended bridge in North America. I couldn't get over how pretty it was. From a distance it looks like it is made of gold.

I know...I need to get out more.
On to our roadtrip.
Or not, I'm actually going to do a whole different blog about it b/c for some reason this one won't save.
Traveling Kilpatrick's...to be continued.

All in one! It's a long one!

2011-06-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

We made it! It was the longest and hardest 10 weeks ever, but we did it. Quick trip down memory lane... Jordan took a job in Shreveport and started the first week of March. I stayed back with the munchkins to sell the house, finish out my school year and pack. Jordan came home on the weekends. It was brutal and I think I've blocked quite a bit of it out. I do remember showing my house 6 times and all that entailed. Thank goodness we sold it fast or that may have done me in. I unexpectedly had a tooth extracted that took 3 hours. Part of my bone had to be removed and the root was in my sinus cavity. OUCH. I was awake for the whole thing. I then proceeded to have an allergic reaction to my much needed codeine. Jordan had to do an emergency trip home. I was still in a ton of pain the next weekend...Easter. I went back to find out I had a dry socket and also found out that hydrocodone makes me throw up...a lot.
My life for 10 weeks. It was a wreck.

At the beginning of April we did a trip up to Little Rock to see my grandparents. A family friend of ours, Mrs. Lesa, had been doing some house hunting for us and told us about a house in Stonewall. Seriously, it was the first and only house I stepped foot in. I loved it. It is in a great neighborhood and has a HUGE yard. We had a contract on it that week. A few pics...
This could be a dining room but I'm using it for a little sitting room/office space.

My sister and I did this mural in Maci's room. And guess what...She sleeps in it...finally! I painted 3 of the 4 bedrooms the first week we were here. I'm pooped from painting.

I love the bathrooms. The kids cabinet has claw feet on it. We said farewell to the sharks and made it more neutral for Maci!

I LOVE my bathroom too. I painted my room this same color.

The living room is huge. Here are the kiddos watching star wars. Poor Maci. I'm having a guy in Canton build me a big thing for my tv to go in. Hopefully it'll be done in July. I have to re-upholster my chair and find another one...this room is going to take some time.

We came up for spring break so I could do some job interviews. Last week I signed my contract to teach 2nd grade at Calvary Baptist Academy next year. Hurray! That is the school I was hoping for. The boys and Maci will all go with me.

In May, the week before we moved we planned a quick trip to Florida. (Sidenote *No pics b/c a while back I forgot to unpack the camera out of my suitcase and it lived in the attic for a while then it was thrown out of the top of the attic by Jordan. Not sure what did it in. But it's done. I got my new camera after our Florida trip.) Anywho...Florida was beautiful. But before we left for Florida Jordan came home a day early to surprise us. He wasn't going to make the Florida trip b/c he had some outside things to do but he came home early so he could come. He was about a mile from our house and a drunk driver pulled out in front of him. Jordan was going about 45mph and nailed him. He was pulling a trailer that we were going to use to move and there was no way he could stop. He didn't even have time to hit the brakes. He was okay (thank goodness) but his new truck was TOTALED. To make things more wonderful the drunk guy took off running and he was also uninsured. Awesome. He was caught and jailed but it left us in a huge bind. We ended up renting a car for a while and then we had to rent ANOTHER moving truck. Then when we got up here me and the kids had to bring Jordan to and from work...4 trips a day...he works about 30 minutes from here...for 2 weeks. Thankfully we had comp. coverage on the truck and our insurance paid it out. Of course they don't pay what the truck is worth if you buy it retail so now we have a lovely car payment that we didn't have before. I HATE drunk driving. This has been such a headache and expensive. It could have been worse and I am so grateful Jordan wasn't hurt badly.
We celebrated our 8th anniversary on June 7th! Us about 8 years ago. Jordan's 'fro.

My sweet girl, who is not so sweet right now b/c she is growing her 2 front teeth, is 9 months old today! She crawls everwhere, pulls up onto her knees, and says da da da da da all day long. She bounces when she hears music and claps her hands. She is always making us smile.

Micah Man turned 5 on the 29th. We celebrated by going to see Kung Fu Panda 2...which I loved btw...and then to eat at a Mexican rest-er-knot (as Micah says). He is our sweet guy.

A cute one of Hunny (Jordan's mom) and Eli!

This week we have been taking advantage of Mrs. Lesa's pool.

Eli has officially outgrown his spidey swim suit:) He remembered how to swim yesterday so hopefully he won't need it anymore.

Next week me, the kids, and my mom are going on Roadtrip 2011. We are going to Pennsylvania to see my brother and new niece. We are taking the "scenic route" and making a big trip out of it. The boys can't wait. I'll post pics when we get back!
Finally...this blog is ending!

We Moved!

2011-05-26T21:02:00.001-07:00

We have made the move to Shreveport! Blog post coming soon (with pictures)!

An Update!

2011-05-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update from us!!! Things are moving right along! We got a contract on our house within 5 days of putting on the market...hooray. We have found a house in Stonewall, La (which is just south of Shreveport) in Desoto Parish. It was actually the first and only house we looked at. We are set to close on everything at the end of May.

Milestones I haven't blogged about: Eli turned 6 in February. Maci has turned 6, 7, and almost 8 months. She has 2 beautiful teeth and is getting lots of hair. I call her Rapunzel. We did her first ponytail a few weeks ago:) She is on the move. She has mastered the army crawl. She absolutely refuses to sleep in her own bed. I am going to make that a goal when we move.

I had a horrific tooth extraction experience not long ago. I'll blog about that later. Around the same time I did discover that I am in fact allergic to codeine.
Easter was nice. We spent it in Covington with my mom and sister. It was a little hazy for me since I popped 2 Tylenol PM right before heading into church. I was still recovering from my "dry socket" and didn't notice the teensy, tiny PM on the bottle. It was all I could do to stay awake through church.

We JUST had our spring break last week. We spent the week in Shreveport. I had 2 job interviews (say a quick prayer:). We were in the path of some of those bad storms. We hunkered down in the stairwell. Some tornadoes hit around us but we did not get one. We did however lose power...for 3 days. Maci and I headed over to Canton to visit my mom and Jordan and the boys did a "man weekend" with friends in Texas. It was a nice little break.

We have had to miss out on sports this Spring b/c we have too much going on. Jordan is LOVING his new job.

We only have 2 1/2 weeks of school! It is going to fly. I promise to post pics eventually!

Chapters.

2011-02-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

If my life were a book I'd have some very distinct chapters. I'd have SEVERAL chapters just since we've been married.
The "Little Boy Babies and Us Frantically Finishing School" chapter. That chapter is really a blur and there would be a lot of unfinished sentences and many exclamation points. Oh yeah and lots of laughs and even some tears. And you'd think it'd go on forever...but it wouldn't. Matter of fact it would end not too long after Katrina.
(The picture that best describes this time in our life is not blog friendly, but I will describe it. It is a family picture...with two tired parents, 2 eager toddlers, and,oh yes, me breastfeeding baby Micah. Why would I even volunteer to take a picture exposed? Most likely because that was ALL I did for 4 years. So here's this one instead.)

The next chapter would be our "Arkansas" chapter. Still a tough chapter to get through. No family close by. Jordan getting his master's degree. The baby boys are getting bigger. This chapter would be intense...kind of on the edge of your seat at some points. But it is marked with lifelong friendships an incredible church and some much needed growing together. If not for that chapter I'm afraid the rest of the book might be a little scary:)

The next chapter I would title "Home". This is the chapter that even though we loved Arkansas and had applied for mapping jobs all over the country...God brought us home. This chapter would be a little less intense. We are closer to family and grateful for that. We'd buy our first home. I'd start to teach. Life is a little easier as the boys get a little older and start school. We'd say goodbye to diapers...finally. In this chapter I will take my first nap while the boys are up and I wake up to find them all alive and well.

Then of course we have the "Baby Girl" chapter. Yep, when you live with this many boys you get your own chapter. So far it has been filled with giggles and smiley faces...diapers too, but they aren't so bad after a year or two off. That chapter started only months ago.

Now...a new chapter. We'll call it "The Shreveport Chapter". This week Jordan accepted a job offer in Shreveport, La. Shreveport is actually where I am from. I moved from there when I was 8. Jordan's dad's family is from there too. We have good friends there and family as well. This job is with an energy company and is an EXCELLENT opportunity. I am so proud of Jordan. He will start in March and me and the monkeys will move up in the spring/summer.
I imagine the beginning of this chapter will be a little trying with the distance and goodbye's. We have loved our time in Baton Rouge and we are excited for what God has in store! I know that He will work out the details. If you get a chance pray for a job for me...I can't imagine loving a school more than the one I'm at now...but God knows that. Also, pray for our house to sell pretty quick, the boys transition, and the fact that my mom will not be in Shreveport (we are working on that).
When I look at all of our chapters, one leading to the other, I realize how true Jer. 29:11 really is...

Celebration Month!

2011-02-21T17:37:00.001-08:00

As always, February is a CRAZY time for us. This Feb. has been no exception. Jordan's mom's birthday, Valentines and my birthday are back to back and then throw in Science Fair week, dress up days, parties, Eli's big day, Mardi Gras parades and the like and you just get chaos. Fun chaos.
To celebrate the big 31 this year me, mom, Maci, and my aunt who just moved down:) went on a girls shopping spree. We started early Sat. morning...wait let me rewind. Friday Eli was complaining of ear pain. I took him to my home away from home, the ENT, and discovered he had a fungal infection from the hearing aids. Yucky. So early Sat. morning he woke up crying and in lots of pain. So I headed to walmart and loaded up on meds for Eli...then the shopping began. Natchez, MS first for the Kelly's Kids sale. It was craziness. But between the 3 of us we snagged some great things for all the girls.
Going through our pile!

Guarding our pile!

From there we drove down to St. Francisville for a yummy lunch and more shopping. I took Maci for a walk while mom and Karen antiqued. It was such a pretty day.

I LOVED this weather vane!

From there we shopped around Baton Rouge for a bit and then called it a day. That night we all headed to Covington. A few weeks ago Jordan and I had seen a restaurant on DDD (food network) called Louie and the Redhead Lady. It was in Mandeville (just mins from Cov). In Covington they have Louie and the Redhead Lady too! That is where I wanted to go eat brunch on Sunday with the whole fam. It was yummo. The fried green tomatoes were the best I've ever had.
Just look at Eli...he acts a lot like Jordan. This actually looks like a St. Patty's day pic and Joel is looking very Irish.

Me and my man.

On Tuesday...my actual birthday I got to wear jeans to work:) then headed to the ENT with Eli after school to discover that his tubes had come out. He wanted to do set #5 ASAP b/c of Eli's hearing loss....
(to be continued)

Maci's Favorite New Toys

2011-01-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

Well,
She is grabbing, pulling, and sucking on anything she can get her hands on these days. I had to fish her hand out of my milk glass the other day and save Micah when she had fists full of his hair. Her newest and most favorite toys are these.

Her piggies...

And him...

As is the case with all of our children...the feeling is not mutual. Olive does give her cat calls.(He knows a pretty girl when he sees one) Did I ever mention that we discovered Olive was in fact a boy? It was a little strange at first especially for Jordan since their was no doubt that Olive viewed him as his 'significant other'.
Anyway...Maci would LOVE to get her hands on him!

Quick post by way of blogger guilt!

2011-01-20T17:58:00.000-08:00

Maci Claire is 4 months old. A quick pick of our cutie patootie!

And my other "cutie patooties" all dressed up for a wasp hunt! They keep me laughing!!

Mama and her girl!

2011-01-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

I can't believe she is almost 4 months old!

See my Christmas post below!

It's been too long!

2011-01-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

Well,
Once again I have fallen off the bloggin' wagon. Two reasons really 1) Laundry has taken over my life. 2) I went back to work...
Right after Thanksgiving, Maci was 12 weeks old. I was not thinking clearly when I ended my maternity leave right before Christmas. My 3 weeks of school were filled with door decorating contests, overly involved crafts,bulletin boards, program practice, parties, and, oh yeah...teaching. It was nuts. Maci got her first taste of staying in the nursery. She is just across the parking lot from me and I get to see her and nurse her throughout my day. But the first few days were rough (for me, not her).
The Christmas Season was crazy as usual. The boys were in 3 different Christmas programs. One at our church and 2 at school. They did a great job. After school let out on Friday we packed up and left for Austin Saturday morning. We spent nearly a week at Jordan's parents house and did our Christmas with them and his brothers. It was a nice break. We did Christmas morning at home and then headed to Covington for Christmas with my brother and sisters, mom and dad. The day after Christmas we headed up to Ruston for Christmas with the entire Kilpatrick family. (We don't want to travel anywhere for a while.) It was a great time and we are so blessed to have so much family to spend time with. I think the boys were thrilled with all of their Christmas gifts. Caleb said something pretty cute. My mom got him what he had asked Santa for and when he realized it wasn't under the tree Christmas morning he said "How could Santa have made such a big mistake?" He was thrilled to get it later at Mom's. Here are a few pics of what's been going on...
Maci's first Thanksgiving. We didn't travel this year. She is one 'smiley' girl!

First day or two in the nursery. She loves to be swaddled and swinging.

Tree decorating. Ignore my no make-up. The cowboy tree lives on.

Crazy boys!

More Crazy boys!

Christmas at Mom's.
All the cousins...minus Maci who is taking a nap.

Love this one of mom.

The video spy watch...one happy boy.

Micah and his toys.

My dad got Eli a pogo stick. I love it. Eli calls it a "pobo" stick.

Somehow I managed to NOT get pictures of: 1)Maci in her beautiful Christmas tutu 2)Christmas in Austin 3)Christmas morning (at our house) or 4) Christmas in Ruston. I have got to do a better job:) I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year!

christmas card 2010

2010-12-01T15:17:00.001-08:00

All Wrapped Up Christmas Card

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Maci is 2 months.

2010-11-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

I vaguely remember Maci's Dr. appt. on Tuesday. I was not myself yet but insisted on going with Jordan to take her b/c she got her 2 month shots. She was a trooper and hardly cried at all. She is now 23 inches long and weighs a whopping 13.6 lbs. She is covered in rolls.
She is the "queen of this castle" for sure.

She is also "queen of the cankle".

Daddy kisses.

And on a random note...Micah watching tv with a breastpad on his head.

An IUD story!

2010-11-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

So, on Wednesday (Nov. 3)I got my IUD. I nearly passed out when it was put in...but apparently that is not uncommon. I managed to get home and get some ibuprofen in me but I was not feeling good. I checked the internet, my main source of medical genius, and felt pretty confidant that everything was normal. I started feeling a little better but was having some pretty intense shooting pains. Also, not unheard of with the IUD. (sidenote: I had one for 4 years and never had a lick of trouble) Finally, on Sunday, the pains weren't going away. So I called my Dr. She said either to come into the ER or to her office in the morning just to make sure it was in the right place. Jordan and I talked it over. The plan was to get all the kids down and for me to go to the ER by myself and get it taken care of so Monday could be a normal day. (Life of a mom.) So I head on to the ER around 8:30. I was checked in right behind the scary guy in handcuffs. I didn't have to wait...they ushered me on back to begin my myriad of exams. About an hour into my visit an ultrasound was ordered. A 40 minute ultrasound...not the comfy kind. I had a feeling things weren't good. An hour after that a CT scan was ordered. I knew things weren't good then. The fam was put on call. After the CT I was ushered back to the partial room I shared with a 9 year old boy. I waited and waited and waited. Finally, the news came at 12:30am. They found the IUD hanging out in my lower abdominal area...no where near my uterus. I had a hole in my uterus and possible holes/tears in my intestines. They told me I was going to have emergency surgery to get my IUD out. The kid on the other side of the curtain burst into tears. He was sobbing saying that he didn't want to have surgery to get his IUD out too. I was then moved into a private room. My Dr. got there and explained that if my intestines were torn I was having major surgery and coming out with part of my intestines removed and a temporary colostomy bag. HOLY COW. Jordan got there with the baby and I was wheeled off to surgery. Thank goodness my intestines were not perforated and I was able to have laproscopic surgery to get the thing out. I did have to be intubated and catheterized but all in all it was not a bad surgery. It only lasted about an hour. The anesthesia knocked me on my rear and I threw up a bazillion times. Jordan loaded me and my throw up cup into the car and we were home by 5am. I've had a groggy week...but I am feeling much better now.
Jordan was my hero this week. It is actually his birthday today! He did a great job being Mr. Mom. So thankful for that man!

Halloween :Part 1

2010-10-31T20:57:00.001-07:00

So I think our official Halloween is tomorrow. But who knew? We got all dressed up on Halloween night and nobody was passing out candy. It was strange. I'm assuming it was moved either b/c the Saints were playing or it was Sunday. Anyway, I got a cute pic of my 4 sweet babies...all dressed up and no where to go!

Maci and I had our first girls' weekend. We went to see my mom in Canton, Tx. She has a super-cute booth/store over there. Hello shopping! We met up with my sis and her friend in Ruston on the way and while I was there Jenn (our cousin) came and took some pics of Maci in her costume. Here are some of my faves!

Also...meet Patrick. Mom's new pig. His mom wouldn't feed him. I see pig-sitting in my future.

Pumpkin Patch and Maci is 6 weeks (and lots of pictures)

2010-10-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

The other weekend my nieces (Andi, Lainey, and Lucy) were in town for the weekend. These are my kiddos double first cousins. They are 4,3, and 2 and the boys always look forward to seeing them! On Friday they played hard all day and then that night everybody dressed up and we went to the Haunted Swamp. No pics b/c I forgot my camera. But basically we walked on a trail and stopped and different stations to touch nocturnal animals. The boys touched a madagascar hissing cockroach (yuck; it was huge), alligators, snakes, rats and fun things like that. At each station they got to trick or treat. They also had an animal morgue and one of those things where you stick your hand in and feel "brains", "leeches", "worms", and other nasty things. It was fun.
The next day we all headed to the pumpkin patch in Folsom. We were there for about 3 hours. Between me and JR we did get some pics from the farm.
Feeding a calf its bottle...

Found a big guy...

Maci wore her overalls to the farm...

Andi Rose...

So many to choose from...

Love this one of Lucy and her pumpkin...

Lainey and JR...

That night Micah Man got to go to his first ever LSU game. A right of passage for a Kilpatrick boy:)
In other news our Maci girl is 6 weeks old!

Fun with Pictures

2010-10-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

My mom made a really cute tutu for Maci's pictures and I thought it was too cute to use just once. So this is what we did at 7:30 this morning.

Maci is one month!

2010-10-10T16:00:00.001-07:00

Yesterday our sweet baby turned 1 month old! She went in to get weighed and she is a chunk. She is 10 lbs. 2 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long. She is miss 75th percentile. I'm loving all of her rolls. She is a smiley girl and oohs and aahhs at everybody.

Micah singing her a song...

Maggie and Me...

And a quick shot of my two muskateers (in costume, of course)!

Happy Birthday Caleb!

2010-10-10T15:11:00.001-07:00

Oh, how we love this guy. He turned 7 years old on the 7th. Again, I can't believe he is already 7. Where does the time go? He is always making us smile with that sweet spirit and inquisitive nature. He knows things about animals that the average adult does not know. He asked me the other day when he would learn about the animal species (yes he says species) that live in the Andes Mountains (how does he know about the andes mountains?). I let him know that wasn't likely going to be covered in the 1st grade. He is playing soccer and into watching football these days. He watches ALL the games with Jordan with football in hand. He sometimes says he's a Gator fan (uh, oh) but that is because of his love of swamp animals:) He told me that. For his big day he had a friend over to spend the night and then the whole fam came for pizza, cake and the opening of presents. The theme this year was Iron Man 2. Then we all loaded up...even little sister...and headed to Celebration Station. What we didn't know that it happened to be "get in free night" for some East Baton Rouge Parish schools. Hello. It was absolutely packed and complete craziness. The kiddos had a blast though. Happy Birthday Caleb! We love you!

A pic from the past.

Our Growing Girl!

2010-10-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pics of Maci. She's almost 4 weeks old. This past week was a big week for her. She was introduced to the shopping experience, soccer games, and getting pictures made. Life is rough for baby #4.
Her most favorite things to do though are snuggle with mom, take a bath, sleep, eat, and suck her thumb...if she can catch it. She's a sweet girl!

Calebette?

2010-09-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Maci went for her 2 week check up today. She weighs 8lbs 2 oz and is now a whopping 20 1/2 inches long. She has gained 1 1/2 lbs. If the hospital measured correctly when she was born she has grown 1 1/2 inches. Sheesh!
As of now she is keeping pace with her eldest brother Caleb who was dubbed "Michelin Man" as a baby because of his many, many, many fat rolls. He was enormous.
My new double chin...

Sleepy Kilpatrick's

2010-09-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

These last few weeks the boys have missed out seriously on some camera time. In my defense: 1. They despise having their pictures taken. 2. It is much easier to take a picture of something that can be still for more than 4 seconds.
But the other night I did get this rare opportunity to photograph 3 Kilpatrick boys all at one time.
I have no idea how people can sleep like this. Eli actually got in there last. The child sleeps anywhere and I mean anywhere other than his own bed.

And of course...a sleeping Kilpatrick girl!

I'm 11 days old!

2010-09-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

I'm 11 days old now! I spend most of my days being held by mom...and eating. I am chubbing up already. I had about 20 visitors this weekend. I've met most of my family except for the uncles...I have only met 1 of my 5 uncles. I've gone for a few car rides and today I went to the dentist with my brothers. I'm a sweet girl and I love to sleep!

I do get lots of love from daddy and the brothers!

Our Maci is Here!!

2010-09-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Well,
The 5 of us are madly in love with our new baby girl. She is precious and we are so blessed that God has given us this sweet little splash of pink! Her daddy is in TROUBLE! We have anxiously waited for her to arrive and she finally did on September 9th at 3:08am. She weighed 6lbs 11oz and was 19 inches long.
Interesting note: All 4 of my kids have arrived at some point in the 3:00 hour. Caleb and Micah at 3pm and Eli and Maci at 3am.

I had been having contractions forever and was dilated to 3cm so when I went for my appt. on Wednesday my midwife went ahead and stripped my membranes. She said if Maci was ready we'd probably meet her in the next few days. The second I left the office I started having some intense pain in the upper back of my legs. It was strange, but Maci was posterior so I knew that back labor was in my future. I started contracting a little more regularly so I went for a few walks to see if I could get things going. They weren't really strong or consistent but my mom was on her way back into town and my sis wasn't busy so I told them to come on just in case. Around 11:30 I was getting sooo sleepy. So I made the announcement that we are either going to the hospital to see if anything has changed or I'm going to bed. At midnight, we decided to head to the hospital. The second we walked into the hospital my water broke. Off we went to labor and delivery. I have had all of my kids naturally (no drugs) and was excited about the hospital I delivered in because they just opened their birthing center and the rooms had birthing tubs. I was interested in a water birth. I was hooked up to the fetal monitors at first and Maci's heart rate was dipping with contractions so I had to stay in the bed for a little while and get some fluids. Her heart rate evened out and I was at 7 cm when I got to get in the tub around 2:30am. It was WONDERFUL! It took the edge of my contractions and I was able to relax a little more and she immediately dropped and turned to an anterior position. It was only a few contractions after that and I was ready to push. I actually got to catch her and hold her in the tub with me for about 20 minutes or so right after she was born (cord still attached and all). The water helps regulate their temperature and we got some good immediate snuggle time. It was a great birth experience!
During a contraction...

Got her...

Perfect and looking a lot like Micah right at first.

Daddy's girl!

Meeting the brothers. One of the sweetest things I've ever seen. They have been counting down the days for a VERY long time. It was finally time for them to meet their baby sister.

Sweet Girl!

Going home in my cute bonnet..

...and pretty dress!

37 weeks!

2010-08-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

Really ready to hold this baby girl in my arms instead of in my belly!

Eli's 4th set of tubes!

2010-08-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

Today Eli got his FOURTH set of tubes.

He got his first at 18 months and me, mom, and Jordan all went with him. I cried. He got new toys and jammies from everyone in the family. It was an event.
The second time Mom and I went. He got new jammies. I held it together, but we did make a fuss.
The third time my sis came with me to help out. We brought medical play toys and explained exactly what would happen to avoid versaid because we realized it really makes him a grouch when he wakes up. He did wear some fairly new jammies.
This time...it was he and I. He wore pj's that are covered in lint and mismatched socks. He told ME what was going to happen.
Next time, I might just drop him off:)
Hopefully, their won't be a next time. These are different tubes that should last 2 years. He did great through the surgery and I always imagine how differently his world must sound when their isn't any water in his ear!

My Big Boys

2010-08-16T19:16:00.001-07:00

We all started school last week and I can't believe how fast my boys are growing up. Caleb is in 1st this year (right next door to me), Eli started Kindergarten, and Micah Man is in the Pre-K 4 class. Where has the time gone? I'm loving watching these little guys' grow. They are always making me smile!

Good News?

2010-08-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

My little Eli's ears have been an issue since he was 9 months old. He has had infection upon infection and we are now on his 3rd set of tubes. He has had 5 hearing tests to make sure that all of this hasn't affected his hearing. On his last test we got some grim news that he now had a moderate loss of hearing in his left ear:( It was a huge loss from his test the year before. So back to the ENT we went and my Dr. found that behind the left eardrum he has fluid of a glue-like consistency. Actually, good news! That is what is likely causing the loss in that ear. So...we are back on antibiotics for a week but there is a good chance that we'll be getting another tube in that ear. All this on top of his first week in Kindergarten! Poor guy.

35 Weeks!

2010-08-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Only 5 more to go!

It's done!

2010-08-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Mom and I got Maci's curtains made. Her room is finished. Just 3 months ago this was a blue pirate room. We have come a loooong way. I still have to get some small stuff for the walls and a lamp, and maybe a shelf. But the big stuff is done.
Introducing Maci's room!

Sea Turtles!!

2010-07-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

We are N.O. Aquarium experts. Even Micah knows EXACTLY where every exhibit in the place is...but they never get tired of going. Caleb could actually give tours. But nevertheless, Caleb has been begging for us to go b/c some of the Kemp Ridley sea turtles that have been rescued from the Gulf are rehabilitating at the Audubon Institute. (A fact I learned from Maci's new Kalencom diaper bag. It is a N.O. based company and some of their proceeds go to the Audubon Institute and their bags are wonderful. Kalencom.com for more info) Anywho...we saw 4 of the sea turtles. They were so pretty and were desperately trying to escape.

Frosty the owl enjoying a mouse.

Today Micah Man was practicing rocking Maci. They CANNOT wait for her to get here!

I have almost finished her nursery. I'm waiting on the knobs for her dresser to come in and I've got to get her curtains up, find a lamp and then I.AM.DONE. Pictures to come!!

Austin (July 4th)

2010-07-26T20:17:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd finally put our Texas pics up. (Better very late than never I guess!) We went to visit Jordan's Mom and Dad (Hunny and Pops) in Austin for the 4th. We happened to visit the same weekend Hurricane Alex did so we had some rain, but hey, it wasn't scorching hot.
On Friday we went to Sea World! Heaven for my sea animal lovin' boys! Micah is doing his "Miss America".

We watched a couple of shows! Eli was cracking up.

What I'm feeling like these days!

Shamu!!

Saturday we hung out at home. We hiked around the mountains, hunted for bugs, had a huge lunch, and the boys swam and swam!
Looking for the enormous bug Eli just through over the ledge. This is seconds before Micah shoves Eli over the edge for losing said bug.

Speaking of bugs...I became my boys' hero during this weekend. I was stung in the arm by a scorpion while I was asleep. Terrifying. I knew something had stung me but we couldn't find anything and there was no mark on my arm so I went back to sleep. When I woke up my lips and tongue were numb, my arm hurt, and later I found the scorpion in the bathroom. Terrifying. We called poison control and they said that Maci and I would be fine and that I should get feeling back in my lips within the next few hours. I did. I'm the only person I know that has been stung by a scorpion. The boys introduce me as their mom "who got stung by a scorpion". Love it.

On the 4th we went to the Natural Caverns. They were neato. They are 180 ft. underground. What I didn't think through was the 185 stairs we climbed coming back up. Exhausting. There is one point in the tour where they turn out the lights. It is pitch dark and no noise whatsoever. It is then that Micah says, "Are my eyes open?" It was so cute! Eli asked if we were about to watch a movie. After some cave exploring the boys' mined for arrowheads and fossils. It was a fun day for all!

Our summer thus far!

2010-07-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a fun summer thus far! A little warm...but we've managed to find ways to stay cool!!
Right off the bat this year Caleb took swim lessons through summer camp at our school. Caleb is a very good swimmer. This year he has NO fear...it has made all the difference.

We were supposed to go back to Florida in mid-June but the oil beat us there. We are so sad for our beautiful Pensacola/Perdido Key beach but are grateful we got to go in May. Instead of Florida we drove up to North Louisiana for the Kilpatrick reunion. It was on lake D'Arbonne. We stayed in cabins on the lake and had a great time swimming, catching up, catching bugs, and trying to catch fish. Caleb was in the midst of a poison ivy reaction...that is why he is looking a little weird. This is my only picture from that weekend. How sad.

For Father's day my dad came in town. He closed on his new house in the New Orleans Garden district. It is my favorite part of New Orleans and the house is neat too. It was built in 1914. They aren't moving back from D.C. just yet but eventually they'll retire here. We went and ate at Mandina's. YUMMY! I was so excited they still had oysters. I LOVE fried oysters. A lot of places are running out and there won't be anymore for who knows how long. We ended the day eating snoballs with Leslie and JR.

Dad's house.

We've spent a lot of time in our backyard. We got the boys this little pool. Last years lasted almost 2 weeks. I meant to get the bigger one but didn't realize I got the wrong one til it was up. The boys obviously didn't care and played in this thing for HOURS everyday. This one lasted nearly 3 weeks. It wasn't the liner this time...it was the pump. Fortunately, Jordan's parents had a gotten a big one for the boys at their house and just sent it back with us.

We have loved watching my garden grow. My flowers are beautiful and the peppers, cucumbers, and okra are plentiful. The tomatoes are a different story and have actually provided a little entertainment for the summer. Prepare to be grossed out. My neighbor helped us figure out that we had rats...yes rats eating our tomatoes. She kept finding my half eaten green tomatoes in her yard. We started setting rat traps and between our neighbors and ourselves have killed 10 rats. Nasty. But the boys love it. It seemed that we had wiped out most of the rat population and then the rain came. I thought my tomatoes were gonners. They looked so sad. But low and behold after poking holes all around them, they came back. They are now producing sickly looking tiny red creole tomatoes. I actually ate a few and they don't taste bad...but it is hard for me to get past the rats.

We celebrated Jordan's brother's 20th birthday and have loved having him hang with us before he heads to basic training in August.

Olive the bird is probably ready for the boys to start school. We thought we were going to lose her after Eli brought her in from a "flying lesson". It was really hot outside and we aren't sure how many times he threw her up in the air. We are glad she's still with us. She now whistles the LSU fight song and Andy Griffith. Jordan is so proud!

We've been doing baseball since April. Caleb's season just ended last week. The little guys did t-ball and Caleb played coaches' pitch. He did really well.
Eli...never a dull moment.

Caleb playing catcher!

For the 4th we went to Austin to visit Jordan's parents...but that's a whole 'nother blog!!

Complete Home MakeOver...sort of.

2010-06-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

We are in the throes of trying to make Maci a little girl spot amidst boyland. We put the boys all in one room. (We may never sleep again.)
We went ahead and did the transition so we can all start getting used to it. I sold our pirate stuff and construction stuff and we switched to a baseball theme. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. For the boys room I only had to paint their closet (because it was disgusting) and redo their dresser drawers. Oh yes, and buy a new bed.(Everyone in the house got a new bed...including me and Jordan.) Their bed is a full with a trundle underneath. My sis found some great lockers for me on craig's list too! And now introducing the boy room!

A pic of their new closet color!

I actually am not lovin' how the dresser turned out. I envisioned it a little differently in my head. But I don't hate it enough to change it. This was my first knob painting experience and I think they turned out pretty cute. They are baseballs.I also want to spray paint the lockers eventually. This is a decision I made after we bolted it to the wall (of course). So it will have to be an "inside" job. I'm gonna wait to do it after Maci is here so we can escape the fumes.

I just have one more piece of furniture to redo for Maci's room. I am making her curtain rod out of a tree limb. I found the perfect limb...now to get it painted and hung. (I have learned that tree limbs are a hot commodity in this house and if you have one it must be protected well. The boys keep stealing it and using it for their boy games.) Here is a sneak peak of her room color and crib. Her closet is bright pink!

The Water Park!

2010-06-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today we met some friends at the Tickfaw State Water park. It was a great day to be in the water since it was no less than a bazillion degrees outside. Here are some cute pics of the kiddos!

7 years!

2010-06-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

On June 7th Jordan and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary. Sometimes I can't believe it has been 7 years and other times I feel like it has been 27 years. We've had lots of adventures, lots of laughs, lots of moves, and lots of babies. I'm so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man and thankful for him everyday!
To celebrate we went out on Saturday since we had a t-ball party and baseball practice on the actual day. We went to a super yummy restaurant downtown called "The Little Village" and then to see the Robin Hood movie. It was a fun night.
7 years ago...

And now...

Jordan took this one of me and Maci by the river...

Memorial Day and Micah's Birthday!

2010-06-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day weekend we took a family road trip! On Thursday we went up to Ruston, after we left the After Hours Emergency room (of course). Detour...On our way out the door (literally), Caleb announces that his finger hurts. I take a quick look and notice that I can't see his fingernail on his pointer finger. Some sort of huge blister had taken over and his finger was enormous and red with red streaks going down it. Bad sign. Off we went to wait our turn in the after hours clinic. Two and a half hours later with a cellulitis diagnosis and a giant bottle of antibiotics we were on our way! We went to Ruston first and spent the night with Josh and Leigh and the little girls. On Friday morning, after a yummy pancake breakfast, we drove up to my grandparents house in Little Rock. We had a great time catching up and eating lunch. The boys filled their pockets with bugs and then we drove up to Fayetteville. We stayed with our good friends Nate and Alicia and their 4 kiddos.
Saturday was Micah Man's Birthday. I can't believe my baby boy is 4. He wants to "grow" so bad so he is pumped to be a 4 year old. He opened some presents and then we left to go rafting on the Elk River.
The Birthday Boy!

We rafted most of the day. It was beautiful. The water was a little chilly for my Louisiana blood but we had a great time!

Relax, it's your birthday!

Caleb was a little nervous about the whole rafting thing but he eventually warmed up to it. He wouldn't get in the water b/c there were a bazillion turtles and since the turtle attack he's been a little nervous about them.

On Sunday we went to church, and then had some slip and slide fun while the boys played golf. We went to feed the ducks at the park and then to dinner and then coffee with some good friends. It was a marathon day and these moms' were TIRED.

Early Monday morning we headed South. We had a wonderful trip and it was so good to see our Arkansan friends.
Friday we celebrated Micah's birthday with the fam. No pictures of course b/c my camera was safe at home. We were going to go to the water park but we had a torrential rain that day so instead we went to Covington and celebrated at chic-fil-a with the cow and then to see Shrek Forever After. He had a wonderful day! Happy Birthday Micah Man!!

Lately...(another long one)

2010-05-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been on the go as usual and I just realized that it has been nearly a month since I posted last. School has ended:) And now I REALLY get to enjoy being a teacher. No work...but the pay checks keep rolling in. We have been getting ready for a baby GIRL. She has an ever growing pile in my room. We are going to attempt to put all three boys in one room and Maci (that's her name)...Maci Claire...will have her own room. Consequently, everyone in the house is getting a new bed and a room makeover. I'm going to have a busy summer. I've started with the baby boy clothes in the attic and will go from there. We have had something just about every weekend.
Andi and Lainey (our nieces) came for a visit.

Gymnastics!

The next weekend was Mother's day weekend. I had some painting to do for a friend of my moms so we spent the weekend in Covington. The boys swam in the river and camped out in mom's new tent in her back yard. She slept out there with them. I told her she should be up for some sort of 'Grandmother Award'. We had lunch on Sunday with Mom, Nana, and Buddy. It was a fun weekend.
The weekend after that we went to Florida! I am sooooo glad the oil hasn't made it there. We met Josh, Leigh Ann, and the girls. It was a beautiful weekend. The perfect beach weather. The booms were up on the bay side, but I'm assuming just as a precaution.

The next day on the Gulf side in Perdido Key the red flags were up. The waves were ENORMOUS. I couldn't get in b/c they were too rough. Jordan had a blast with the boys though. He took them out one at a time.

We headed home on Sunday and we had graduations on Monday night and Tuesday night. Eli graduated from Pre-K and is headed to Kindergarten next year.

Caleb graduated the next night and he had his own little speaking part. It was so cute. Last year he wanted to be a chameleon hunter when he grew up and this year a biologist. He's staying on track.

We had a few firsts this week. Caleb got his finger bitten by the biggest red eared snapping turtle I have ever seen. Jordan was holding it and Caleb was trying to get it to bite some grass. He underestimated the length of its neck. He was a hysterical person but eventually was able to shake it off his finger. He got a nasty cut and asked if we could call the police to come shoot it.
The little boys have learned a new trick. Eli can carry Micah on his shoulders. It is the funniest thing I've ever seen (next to the snapping turtle episode). I'm assuming they do this to reach things they probably shouldn't be getting into. But even when they are piled up they only come up to my belly.
That is all for now; we are looking forward to our trip to Arkansas this weekend to see friends and my grandparents and then back to Florida after that (stay away oil). The boys will do summer camp at school on Tues. and Thurs. to give me some time to get things done around here.
So sorry about the forever long post!

It's a GIRL!

2010-04-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today we found out that after having 3 beautiful baby boys we are going to be blessed with a sweet baby girl. We were shocked. Jordan comes from 5 boys and his dad comes from 3 boys. I was certainly expecting another little boy. We are excited and "the brothers" as they call themselves are thrilled too.
I asked Micah the difference in a boy and a girl, he said, "Girls wear bows". Sadly, I think that probably is the extent of his female knowledge.
Eli isn't thrilled at the prospect of having anymore siblings at all and when I told him he was going to have a sister he says,"I don't need a sister!" and spit on the ground. MY BOY of BOYS!!!
Caleb is my sweetheart and wants to move into the room with the other boys so I can start painting a fairy room because "girls believe in fairies". We took him to the ultrasound today and he loved looking at our little "skeleton" as he called it. He was hoping for a baby sister all along.
Here is the first picture of our little girl...

Disney!!!

2010-04-23T16:53:00.001-07:00

We spent a long weekend at Disney World with my Dad and Maria last weekend. It was a blast...exhausting, but so fun! We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Resort and could watch giraffes out the window. Our days started early and ended at midnight. We rode every ride possible. And my big boys LOVE roller coasters...the big kind.
The only downside was the return to reality where right off the bat my luggage was lost. It was found and fedexed to the house 3 days later. But I had packed my few maternity clothes so those 3 days were an adventure in style. I also managed to get my short hair into a pony tail since my blow dryer and chi were packed away as well. I did insist on going to Target and buying some make-up and toothbrushes so I wouldn't scare my students. Enjoy the pics!!

Easter and Spring Break 2010

2010-04-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

So this is the final day of our Spring Break. So sad...but happy to get back into the routine and finish up the year. I am happy to announce that other than some final touches on some furniture; I did it! My garden is planted, my yard looks beautiful, I am slightly more tan than I was when I started, and I slept until nearly 8:00 most mornings. Success. Other than yard work our week was fairly uneventful. I had a dentist appt. on Tuesday so I brought the boys up to school for a little bit. On our way home I saw a HUGE cloud of smoke towards our house. I called my neighbor to make sure my house wasn't on fire (I can never remember to turn off the straightener). It wasn't the house but this was the view from my front yard when I got home.

We live less than 2 miles from a chemical plant. It produces soap for large ships and oil for cars. It exploded. We didn't hear the initial explosion but it burned for more than 12 hours. There were several smaller explosions and helicopters were everywhere, sirens were constant. I imagine that is kind of what living in a war zone must be like. Jordan could see the smoke from downtown BR...20 miles away. They evacuated everyone within a mile of the plant. The wind blew all the smoke in the opposite direction of the house, we were grateful for that.
On Wednesday we went to the Capital and had a picnic lunch with Jordan. The Capital grounds are beautiful and there is a lake/pond with all sorts of wildlife. Sadly, it is not the kind of wildlife you want to eat near. We saw 3, yes 3, huge water moccasins. It was hard for me to enjoy lunch after that...but of course the boys were in heaven. We also saw a bazillion ducks and lots of nutria rats. Rat gives them a bad name, but they really are cute. They look like little otters...sort of. But we saw a baby one and it was my fave.
Here is the lake/pond. The only shot I got before my camera battery died (of course).

We did eggs on Sat. night. I found a "monster egg kit" at the store and grabbed it. It was lots of fun.

The Easter Bunny came...

After church we went over Covington for lunch at Jordan's grandparent's house. My mom, sis, and JR all came and ate. It was a WONDERFUL lunch. I made about 20 attempts at a good easter pic of the boys. I didn't get any. Micah was pouting about something and the other two are just goofballs. I handed off the camera to JR, a professional, and he got some good egg hunting shots.
Taking a picture shouldn't be this difficult.

Egg hunting...

After that we took the boys to see "How to Train your Dragon" it was cute. Caleb is really into prosthetic limbs right now. Who knows why...I'm sure it was either on a commercial (he is a sucker for marketing) or Animal Planet. Anywho, the movie was right up his alley. Although, someone needs to request 3D glasses for kids. ALL kids movies are in 3D now and those glasses are big for MY head. Micah doesn't stand a chance.
Well, I will ramble no more. I now realize I could have made this giant post into about 9 little posts...but too late.

Third time's a charm!

2010-03-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

Well, we are officially on Spring Break and I'm loving it. My only goals this week are to sleep past 7:00, plant my garden, catch up on painting furniture, and try to get some sun on these white legs. The boys goal...to sleep past 7:00.
Yesterday we went in at 5:30 am (yes on my spring break) for Elijah to get his 3rd set of tubes put in. We've been struggling with infections and fluid in the ear since early February. Poor thing kept telling me he had "big water" in his ears, how miserable. I am glad he got it done. My sister is in nursing school and is a child life specialist as well. It is handy since this is Eli's 4th surgery and 4th time to be intubated in his 5 years. He is very prepared.
Playing with his medical equipment...

Fixing my mom...

Showing me how he's an astronaut...

Hopefully the third time's a charm and this will be our last set of tubes.
Other than the surgery we haven't been all that busy. Jordan's mom and dad were in town for a few days. My dad came down too and we spent the day with him at city park in N.O. It was beautiful...but I forgot my camera.
We have our first broken window. Caleb thought it'd be a good idea to play "javelin" with his baseball bat.They are no longer allowed to play NEAR the windows or with the baseball bat.

I also made the best bbq shrimp in the world...if I say so myself. I even took a picture.

We are gearing up for our trip to Disney in a couple of weeks and the easter bunny has to go shopping. Other than that we are LOVING some down time!!

Eli Day!

2010-03-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we celebrated Eli's birthday. We let him pick where he wanted to go for the day. He chose the Audubon Zoo. It turned out to be a beautiful day! We ate lunch at the wonderfully yummy Babylon cafe and did presents and cake.

After that, we headed around the corner to the zoo. Eli immediately ran in and stuck his head in the dino's mouth. A fairly odd tradition.

The other boys hopped on its back, like I'm pretty sure you are supposed to do.

The boys were chosen to part of an animal 'life enhancement' show. They did well. They had to find a treat in some sort of dog thing. The host asked them what treat they would like to find. Caleb announced that he would like to find a crawfish. The boy loves some boiled crawfish.

We hung out at the zoo until it closed. Eli insisted on doing the dino exhibit. I don't know why...because he is TERRIFIED of it. This is how he looks at the dinos, hiding behind my sister. And then, hiding in a tree.

He finds this exhibit the most terrifying and runs past it as fast as he can.

The big dinos outside don't bother him as much.

While there, Caleb discovered his new favorite animal.

After the zoo, we headed across the lake and had dinner with Nana and Buddy. I think he had a great day!

In other news, I have not posted about Caleb losing his 1st tooth! It was fairly unsentimental for a 1st tooth. He told us one night it was loose and he pulled it out himself the next day at school. He wanted to throw it away but his teacher reminded him about the tooth fairy and convinced him to save it. I drug out the picture of when he got that tooth in. He said he was glad to have it out because it was getting "old". Boys. The one "next door" as he says, is loose now and I'm sure he'll pull it out soon.

On Sunday he was baptized. (pics to come) He was so big and spoke into the microphone and told everyone why he was getting baptized. He was prepared for everything except going down backwards. His feet flew up out of the water. I hope the photographer got a picture of that!
Not to much going on with the Micah Man these days. He is rotten. Here is a pic since he didn't get in any at the zoo...he was a grouch.

In baby news, I am officially 12 weeks and praying for morning sickness to go away soon. Last week I got to hear a little heartbeat...that always makes me smile.

Happy Birthday Eli!!

2010-02-26T19:16:00.000-08:00

The wild man turned 5 today! You can't convince him of that though. We had a king cake a while back and he wanted it to be his birthday cake...we humored him and sang happy birthday. He swears it was his birthday party and he has already been 5 and now he is 6. So according to Elijah, he is 6. He is such a mess and always keeps us on our toes. At 5 years old if he is quiet, there is trouble. Eli amazes us in so many ways. He still can't walk in a straight line but he can unlace and relace shoes. The child can fully operate the blu-ray, surround sound, wii, and now I've seen him hanging around the washer and dryer trying to figure that out. Eli pulled a classic "Eli" at school the other day. I walked in the cafeteria and saw him standing by his teacher with his head hanging. I could tell he was in trouble and went over to check it out. Apparently, Eli untied all of his friends shoes (12 of them), he told them all he would tie them back. Except, he can't tie shoes! He keeps us laughing and is such a joy to us.Tomorrow is "Eli Day" we are taking him to N.O. to do either the Zoo or Insectarium then out to lunch.
Some of my faves of Eli! (in no particular order)

Happy Birthday Big Guy!

It Sneauxed....again!

2010-02-13T18:36:00.001-08:00

We had ANOTHER snow day on Friday. That is two this year. That has to be some kind of record. We got about 2 inches or so. It was so pretty but it was very, very wet this time and the boys couldn't go out and play in it for long...due to lack of appropriate snow-wear. If these winters keep up I'm going to have to invest in some real snow clothes. For now they go Louisiana style that is they wear Jordan's hats', footed pjs, socks, shoes, and some more socks on their hands. They are soaking wet in like 3 seconds and come in and change the whole outfit. They do this for a while until they are slipping and sliding around my muddy house and I can take it no more. Then they are banished to watching it snow through the windows. So that is why my pictures have no happpy children in them.

I did play it nice and let them make snow "ice cream". It actually tasted nothing like ice cream, but it tasted exactly like a New Orleans style sno-ball. It was a nice treat in February.

And here is a pic of Jordan confusing our already "confused" bird.

Nine weeks and showing....what?

2010-02-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

It's official: I am showing at 9 weeks pregnant.

Here's why.

Who Dat?

2010-02-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

Needless to say the last two weeks have been unique in South Louisiana. I'm from Louisiana so I've always been a "saints fan" but like everyone else I never expected much from them except maybe to blow a good lead in some embarrassing way. I consider myself an optimistic person, but I have NEVER been optimistic about the saints. I've even been to a few Saints games and I have yet to see them win in person. Last night changed it all. In my neighborhood outside of Baton Rouge an hour away from New Orleans...people were running down the streets screaming, fireworks were booming, airhorns were blowing, and we had a full blown block party. A jazz musician from N.O. made a good comparison about the saints winning the superbowl. He said, "It is like waiting 43 years for someone to say 'I love you' back." So "GEAUX SAINTS"!
We had a Louisianian weekend all around. We had a Saints tailgate party at school on Friday and then on Saturday we headed to Covington for my favorite Krewe of Olympia parade. It was like one big Saints tailgate party. It was freezing cold so we headed to Cafe du Monde after for some beignets and cafe au lait. We had 9 kids under 6 with us...lets just say the Cafe du Monde people are going to be cleaning up powdered sugar for days. The boys had a blast at the parade and Mardi Gras is alot more fun now that they "get it". We are thinking about taking them to some bigger parades in N.O...but we'll see. I mean are we gluttons for punishment or what?
I realize that this post would be so much more fun to read with some visuals...but I am now in the market for a new camera that doesn't rely on me to replace the batteries every time I want to take a picture.

Baby #4

2010-02-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

On Friday I went for my ultrasound. I am officially pregnant! I am almost 8 weeks and due on September the 15th. I watched it swim around and got to hear its little heartbeat. Morning sickness has officially set in and I'm feeling queasy round the clock...which is always nice. It makes teaching quite interesting too, my only goal is to NOT throw up in front of my class!

Cousins!

2010-01-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we got to spend some time with my nieces Reece and Randee. My brother (and fam) have lived in Wyoming the last few years and now they are moving to Pennsylvania. Maybe a tad closer...maybe not. But we LOVE hanging out with the little girls.

We got our first king cake of the season. We did a first ever...A FRIED KING CAKE!!! It was incredible...probably incredibly unhealthy. But oh, so good. It was so moist in the middle for as long as it lasted. If you are interested and in the area, they have them at Mary Lee's. Eli got the baby and Caleb confiscated it shortly thereafter. He tells everyone at school that his new baby is as big as a king cake baby.

Sweet Reece...

The littlest gladiator and half naked brother (upside down breastplate and all)....

As of Late...

2010-01-13T18:14:00.001-08:00

We haven't been up to much around here lately. We have begun to adjust to the absolutely FREEZING weather. I am grateful for our time in Arkansas where I invested in some coats! We have certainly needed them. We've gotten back into our school routine. I had pink eye and we found out that I am pregnant with baby #4!! I haven't even been to the Dr. yet. I'm too tired to go. I think I'm only 6 weeks...maybe. I should be due in September. I'll update after I go to the Dr.
Caleb is thrilled about being a big brother again (and actually being old enough to remember it this time) and Eli shows me his "baby" everyday. He raises his shirt and rubs his belly. Micah announces at least once a day that "he does not want any brothers"...he and Eli have a love/hate relationship, so I don't blame him.
Here are a few pics from the last week or two. Jordan went on a duck hunt. They got 5 ducks and he kept them all. The boys were glad to help clean them.

Caleb fixed his own breakfast the other morning. This is how much my 6 year old boy eats for breakfast. He'll usually eats a granola bar too. I hope we can afford him when he is 16.

And finally...I leave you with a sweet sleeping pile of little boys.

Christmas and New Years in a nutshell...with a few pics.

2010-01-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

Let me just start this post by saying if I'm not taking pictures...pictures aren't happening. We had 6 Christmases (7 including Santa) and I have 8 pictures. I was not on the ball with the camera this year:( I did get to play Santa twice which I really enjoyed.
Anyway, we are so blessed to have such big families...we always have big Christmases that go on and on. I love it. This year was no exception. It was a little different this year because Jordan's mom and dad live in Texas now. So the weekend before Christmas all of the Kilpatrick's met in Ruston. We did our Christmas with Jordan's mom and dad and brothers at my sisters house. Jordan and I got a blu ray:) The next day we did Christmas with his entire family at his aunts house. That is always a great time and great, great food. On Sunday Jordan's mom dad and brothers left and came to Baton Rouge with us. We walked in my house, got dressed, cooked, and left for our 3rd Christmas of the weekend in Gonzales. Jordan's mom's family does a gumbo Christmas. Once again the food was incredible. The cousin whose house we have it at is a gator hunter and has some great stories and incredible pictures.
Jordan's family left late Monday. Jordan and I did gifts on Tuesday because he was playing golf with my dad on Wednesday and I wanted him to wear my present. An LSU golf shirt and a new LSU hat! Jordan had a much better year. He got me some rings from Grandmothers Buttons, my fave jewelry store in St. Francisville (check it out...they are online). All of jewelry is made from beautiful antique buttons.
Anywho, on Christmas eve we woke up and let the boys open presents from us since we leave on Christmas morning. Oh and yes...this is when I took pictures.

The boys played with their new toys for a while and then we drove over to Covington. Jordan's grandma fell the week before and broke some bones in her face, she had to have surgery so mom and I cooked Christmas dinner for them and brought it over. Jordan had the task of putting together the new bikes mom got the boys for Christmas. Josh and Leigh got in with the girls, we visited a while and then headed home. On our way home we looked at Christmas lights. Jordan and I do a "worst Christmas light award" sadly this year the worst christmas lighter was in our own neighborhood and even worse on our street.
And the winner is...

These are net lights that are made for (and should only be used for) putting on bushes. This guy strung them up across his front porch. And they blink no less.
When we got home we tracked Santa, put out the reindeer food, and milk and cookies. Caleb was really into it this year. When he went to be he devised a plan that if didn't cover up Santa would give him his coat so he wouldn't be too cold. How cute. The boys were up early and loved all their gifts. They played for a little bit we packed up and headed to Covington for Christmas with my family.
My mom has 8 grandchildren between the ages of 6 and 1. Christmas is WILD. We had a great time and more great food. My dad and Maria came over to mom's in the afternoon and we had our final Christmas.
The theme of Christmas this year is tiny pieces. Everything the boys wanted has like 200 pieces. I invested in a closet organizer thing. Caleb did get a level 5 transformer...Jordan is still trying to figure it out.
We spent the night in Covington and the next day met up with my dad and took the kids to the aquarium and lunch in the french quarter. That afternoon we went shopping. We came back home that night. The next day 3 of Jordan's brothers and a friend came in from Texas. It's been fun having them in and out.
Jordan and I actually went out for New Years this year. We went with a bunch of friends to Ruffino's (a yummy Italian restaurant). New Years Day we did nothing. It was wonderful.
Well, I'm off to paint. One of my New Years resolutions is to not ever let my carport look the way it does now. I've got ton's of furniture calling my name.

Christmas Things

2009-12-17T15:50:00.000-08:00

The three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are torturous for teachers. I cannot describe the amount of stuff that has to get done. And let's just go ahead and say that 6 year old's are not ready for glue...this is also a good time to say that no matter how much elmer's is used, beads do not stick to a pine cone. Hot glue works though. And although my fingerprints have been burned off; Pine cones decorated with beads, glued to a plate, surrounded by cotton, and sprinkled with baby powder do make a cute gift for parents. I was to tired to remember to bring my camera to take a picture (you'll have to imagine the cuteness).
Speaking of cuteness...the "Cowboy Christmas" lives on. We got the tree up a while back and the boys were actually interested in decorating this year. That has its ups and downs. The down being the broken ornaments and the fact that they are ALL hanging on the same branch. I rearranged after they went to bed. I'm sure there is an up, maybe it is just the sweet memories:)

Jordan was on the ball this year with the outside lights.

The first weekend in December it snowed again! We were in Covington at my mom's that night. It didn't start snowing til late. We let the boys stay up and we had a quick snowball fight. Mom made homemade hot chocolate...it was yummy. The snow was gone when we woke up the next morning.
We've done 2 Christmas programs. Caleb was in one and the two little guys were in a separate one. Caleb was a general choir member, but our music teacher choreographs every song. So they had to dance the whole time they sang. It was so cute (and so funny)!
Before the show...

With J.R. ...

In his spot...

In the little guys program Micah was an angel and Eli was a choir member. Eli dug in his ear for most of the program but every now and then he'd dance and sing. Micah kept taking his "crown" off, but he was such a sweet angel. I don't have any pictures of their program since my camera was left at home.

I decided to do something a little risky this year. Homemade teacher gifts. I think they turned out cute...I hope they like them. I could have taken the easy way out and bought something, but my mom convinced me to enter the world of decoupage. So at 2:00 in the morning we were working on these. Sorry, my kitchen cabinets aren't ideal backdrops.

Tomorrow we have parties and a half day of school and then "Let the Christmases Begin"! This weekend we will have 3 of our 6 Christmases!

Thanksgiving and more!

2009-12-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit of a blog slacker lately. We have been crazy busy the past month. Here are some of the things we've been up to.

For Thanksgiving we went to Austin, Texas for a week to see Jordan's parents and brothers. We had a blast. The boys loved crawling around the yards collecting cactus and deer skulls. They rode the four wheelers to their heart contents. We are thankful for all the uncles that drive them wherever they want to go! The area where they live is beautiful. Sadly, I have no pictures of it. I'm not sure why I didn't remember I had my camera until Thanksgiving day when we drove to Jordan's uncle's house in Houston and reconnected with Ricochet. We hadn't seen him in almost 5 years. He is an enormous, moody, 11 year old parrot. We took lots of pictures of him, here he is with Caleb.
In mid-November we went to Ruston/Shreveport for a wedding...a greek wedding. It was the real deal. It was beautiful and we had a blast. We are sooo happy that Marcus is now officially part of the family. We stayed at our sis and brothers house in Ruston and met Kaylee for the first time. She is a now 4 month old baby girl that our sister and brother are fostering. She only weighs about 8 lbs. She was a preemie. She is a cutie and the kids love her.

While we were there the boys also went on their first squirrel hunt with daddy. They got one. Caleb was thrilled...and slightly grossed out.
In early November we wrapped up our soccer season. Eli did not really take it seriously, 4 may be a little young for soccer. He played in the dirt most of the time and made new friends on the sidelines when he was supposed to be on the field. That is what life is all about for him...friends and dirt, and vacuuming...that's new:) Caleb was a little more competitive and did well. He scored a couple of goals and had a good time.

Well, at least 10 loads of unfolded laundry are calling my name. So is bed, Christmas gifts that need to be wrapped before the boys stumble into my closet, papers that need to be graded, and the cold grilled cheese I am eating for dinner. What to do first?!

Fall Pictures

2009-11-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

It is so nice having photographers in the family. Last month Jordan's cousin Britton and his wife Jenn came in town and did some family pictures for us. We did it by the water which made it extremely difficult since the boys and Jordan suddenly became obsessed with throwing rocks...it happens when they see water. Anyway, after Jordan finally threw a rock to the far bank across the lake and the boys were bribed with candy Brit and Jenn got some great shots. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy.

The Sweetest Thing!

2009-10-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

As a mom I got to do the most precious thing I've ever done today. I got to lead my little boy in asking Jesus into his heart. It was awesome. He's really had a strong conscience here lately. He is a very sensitive kid but lately I've found him in his room crying if he gets in trouble. I'd ask him what is wrong and he'd say "I just can't believe all the bad choices I'm making". I had a pretty good idea that we were getting close. So the boys and I are in the car on our way to the Fall Fest at church and Caleb says, "What are dumbbells made of?" Needless to say I had NO IDEA where this conversation was headed. I told him they were made of metal (who knows if that is true). He asked me what they are for. I tell him to make you strong and your muscles big and they make fat go away. He says, "Will they make my sins go away too?" I said, "No baby, how do you think that your sins go away?" He replies, " I need to ask Jesus into my heart." I asked him if he was ready to do that and he said yes. He even teared up a little. I asked why he was crying and he said he wasn't sure how to pray. I told him I'd help him out. I lead the prayer and he repeated it, I asked him if he meant it and he said yes. It was wonderful and he was very excited. I've prayed for this everyday since the day he was born. It is the most important decision of his life.

Here are my 3 ninja's before heading out the door!

Cotton Mouth Birthday

2009-10-08T09:28:00.001-07:00

On the 7th our sweet Caleb turned 6 years old. It is hard to believe we have a 6 year old. I think that he had a great birthday. It all started last Friday when he had a little boy from school come and spend the night. This was his first sleepover and they had a great time. The highlight was jumping on the trampoline with ice on it. Yes, I have figured out a way to make an already not so safe activity even more not safe. But...they were happy and occupied for about 2 hours and I was home by myself while Jordan was at the ball game...so it was definitely worth it. (Sorry about the dark pictures)On Saturday we had our first soccer game. Caleb and Eli are both playing. I broke my own "no sports 'til your 5 rule" for Eli, but technically I don't consider soccer a sport. (Don't tell Jordan) It was cute and Eli got the most Christlike award...Jordan figured it was because he was laying hands on everything. If the ball came to him he'd just pick it up and run. Caleb scored some goals, one for our team and a few for the other team. Here they are in their GIANT uniforms. The blond kid isn't Micah, the do have the same hair though. Micah can't play 'til he is 4 (upward rules) and he is livid about it.After the game we hoofed it back to Denham and headed to the bouncy place for Caleb's Birthday party. The party was a cotton mouth snake theme. Yes, you read that right. At his 5 year old party last year he announced that he would like a cotton mouth snake party when he is 6. I tried to get him to broaden that to at least reptiles in general. He wouldn't budge. But it just so happens that I work with a girl that makes cakes and she made this for me.

I was amazed. Caleb and the kids loved it! The birthday boy got to eat the head. The cake tasted wonderful!
My mom came and surprised Caleb with this...We needed a bird right? The boys love her but I can't say that the feeling is mutual. Her favorite person in the world is Jordan. She is still a baby at just 4 months old. We think she is a she. One breeder swore she was a he but then another swore she was a she. We named her Olive just in case. Oliver or Olivia? But we do call her a she and it is nice to have another girl in the house.
For Caleb's actual birth day mom made the cutest cupcakes ever for his class and he was king for the day.Can you believe I found a chameleon puppet? Chameleons are his favorite animal!
We had one last birthday gift today.
You may ask why I am blogging in the middle of the day and why I'm not teaching. Caleb woke up with fever and our sweet spend the night friend has been out of school this week with Swine Flu. I brought him in and he tested negative for both strains of flu and strep. YIPPEE! He has a cold. I was so worried. Mostly because I have to go to Florida for a training next week and there is NO WAY Jordan can handle sick kids! So...all of you coming in for the Florida/LSU game...leave your respiratory masks at home and come on...just don't be surprised if you leave with a cold!

Froggy Friday

2009-10-03T00:47:00.000-07:00

So today began like any other crazy Friday. We all get to school, go to our classes, and my students start piling in. Friday is always exciting because we have a special lunch thing, computer class, and show and tell.
I have 1 rule for show and tell as of now...”it has to fit in your backpack”. That is my only rule, I figured it would solve a lot of show and tell problems. But, I have kids that bring an extra backpack to fit their show and tell in and last week, sweet Brennan, brought his guinea pig and its giant cage. I reminded him of the backpack rule and he said, “Brownie will fit in my backpack, but he’d probably be dead for show and tell.” Good point, so I didn’t argue. I liked Brownie anyways.
So today, Brennan hauls in a giant clear plastic tub with a snap on lid that is duct-taped down. It has some murky water in it and lots of grass. We had to run off to computer so I didn’t really pay it much attention other than a quick glance. He did mention to me that it was a frog and I didn’t think much about it after that...until show and tell time that is.
So Brennan is first because the kids are asking to see the frog. I get the container and bring it up front. I couldn’t really see inside of it very well because the container was all foggy inside. So Brennan hands me this little flashlight. He proceeds to tell me that his mom said you can take the lid off and shine this light in his eyes and he will be still and everyone can look at him. “Well sure”, I thought. I actually kind of like frogs...tree frogs. I put my little surgical gloves on just in case I end up touching the thing. I sat the cage down on my cabinet and my whole class piles in around me. So I begin removing the duct tape (which was difficult with my gloves already in place), I then notice something, the eyes on this guy are pretty darn big for a frog. I unsnap the lid and then notice his long, muscular frog leg. I had a quick mental picture of the times I've eaten frog legs and realize these legs are comparable. I start thinking this through and began to ask Brennan how big this guy is. Right about that time, BOOM. I look, it has jumped up and knocked the lid off. Then before I can blink, it leaps out of its box and is headed right at me. HE IS ENORMOUS. I panic, he lands on my cabinet and then plops on the floor. He is jumping everywhere. I scream and take off running for the door (with my entire class on my heels). I stop. I realize I am the teacher here, I have to do something. The frog is jumping up and down and he can jump really high. I tell everyone to sit at their desk and remain calm. The frog is now hopping around behind my desk. Matter of fact, I am standing in front of my desk (far away) and I can see him because he is jumping higher than my desk. The kids want to know what to do if it comes by them. I tell them all to put their feet up, but seriously, this thing could clear them easily. I run next door to get my teacher friend. I simply tell her I need her help catching a frog right quick and she might want some gloves. We run back in my class and she sees it behind my desk jumping halfway up the wall. “What is that thing?”, she asks. “It’s a large frog”, I tell her. She says there is no way she’s touching him. I radio for help. The maintenance guy is off campus. Uh, oh. But three other women came running in with another guy and they are all in awe at the size of this thing. I quickly gathered that none of them were going for him.
Then behind them comes my sweet husband. He is at school to eat lunch with Caleb and was coming up to complain because I forgot to tell him he was supposed to bring his own lunch. He scopes out the situation and walked right over and picked up the frog with his bare hands and put in his cage. My Hero!!!
Needless to say, I didn’t get my class under control the rest of the day. Many of them told me that this was the best day of their lives. A small sacrifice for the heart attack I nearly had!! Today will be remembered as Froggy Friday.

Late Labor Day Post

2009-09-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

As usual things have been nuts around here and I haven't had time to post since we got back from our fun D.C. trip. This weekend my sister, Jordan's brother and the little girls were in for the LSU/Vandy game. (Which was very wet and yucky, but still pretty fun.) I've also been struggling with clogged ears...which stinks. I've had a nasty cold, that I'm sure I can thank my 1st graders for, and when we flew in on MONDAY (yes 6 days ago) my ears clogged up and haven't come undone yet. I was so stressed about Eli's ears I didn't give mine a second thought. (Speaking of Eli...his ears are all better:) We went for our last recheck on Tuesday.) Anyway, I went to the Dr. alone with my 3 boys on Friday night because I just couldn't take it anymore. He gave me an antibiotic and told me a story about how his ears clogged up once for 5 days. He wouldn't talk until the boys were completely quiet. Needless to say, we were there awhile and I left frustrated with my chatty kids and clogged ears. I'm going to go nuts. Anyway, since I can't hear much I thought I'd go ahead and post about our D.C. trip.
We had a great time. My dad lives in Alexandria, Va...which is beautiful. He lives in a little house that was built in the 1930's. It is a little tiny place so we've dubbed it "the keebler house". He lives near T.C. Williams high school from "Remember the Titans". He's also just a few minutes from D.C. We were able to do ALL the tourist things. We walked quite a bit and became pros and riding the metro. Here are lots of pics, probably too many!

The airport: This was the first time for the boys to fly. They all did great. Caleb's favorite part was taking off and Eli's was landing. Micah talked the ENTIRE time.

The backyard at Dad's...The boys played on this stump forever. Only later did we discover it had quite a bit of poison ivy around it. Have I ever mentioned Caleb's unnatural poison ivy allergy? I've never seen anything like it, yep a Dr. visit was involved (once we got home). He's on a steroid. His face is getting back to normal.We went for a walk around Dad's neighborhood...The mall area and the Natural Science and History Museum (or as Caleb calls it "the battle of the Smithsonians")...One of my faves, Caleb's reflection in the Vietnam memorial wall...
Caleb and Papaw walking by the reflecting pool...
My baby hippo...
This picture cracks me up...Caleb was disappointed all the animals at the museum were dead, but he has always wanted to see an angler fish, a cookie cutter shark, and some kind of gigantic jellyfish that he knows the scientific name of. He got to see all three and was thrilled. My little left brain.Well, it is time for my 3rd nasal/sinus irrigation of the day so I'm going to head out. Maybe this is the one that will unclog me. My Dad is mailing me another CD of pics from the trip...so there may be more to come.

Remembering Katrina

2009-08-29T14:06:00.001-07:00

Four years ago today we were waiting and watching...in Shreveport, La. That is where we stayed for the next 3 1/2 weeks until our power was back on. Our phone/cable/internet was out until after Christmas. Caleb was 1 1/2, Eli was 6 months, and food for thought...Micah was born May 29th, 2006 (do the math).
And this is what we came home to:

Our sweet little rental house was spared. We lived in a heavily wooded area near a river. We were surround by HUGE trees and a ton of them fell. Not one on the house though. Between Caleb and I there was a huge transformer.We lived across the street from St. Tammany Parish Hospital and were on their electric grid. So we were to be one of the first grids powered up. When they lit us up our house caught fire because some lines had crossed during the storm. Fortunately, someone saw it and they powered us down. We were then put at the end of the "power list" as an individual house.

Our shed was not spared. But honestly this is what about 1/2 of the HOUSES in Covington looked like including Jordan's grandparent's. Our shed had 3 trees on it.

In New Orleans this is what most houses looked like if not MUCH, MUCH worse. This house shows the water line and has been pushed into the house next door.

This house was very close to a levy breach and has water line too . The writing means: Not evacuated, 9/? (the date they inspected it), and 0 (the number of dead found). Notice the tree?

St. Tammany parish was changed forever receiving 70, 000 new people. Infrastructure/ construction is still being done now to accommodate. New Orleans will never be the same but much of it is coming back. So, today we are remembering Katrina.

It's not what it seemed.

2009-08-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

So, I only thought that last Thursdays day of doctors was a LONG day. Little did I know what was in store for my little crew. We made it through the weekend without incident. The boys and I went and stayed with my mom for the weekend and I got LOTS of painting done. On Monday Eli's ear was still yucky and he was telling me he couldn't hear. He needed me to turn the TV up and his preschool teacher moved him to the front of the class but he still couldn't keep up with what was going on. He has a slight hearing loss from all of the ear problems in the past but it shouldn't affect him day to day. I had scheduled Micah to get his stitch out on Tuesday so I called and they said they could get Eli in at that time too. So, my Dr. tells me it isn't good and gives me a referral to our ENT. She also takes a sample from his draining (now VERY smelly) ear and does a staph culture. Wednesday we go to the ENT and he suctions his ear out and puts drops in and says we need to be back in 24 hours for him to see it again. PANIC. I hardly slept last night after doing a quick internet search of effects of a prolonged ear infection. It's not good (it never is on the internet). So we go back today and my ENT tells me that his ear is slightly better. It is a tad less smelly and draining a little less. He seems to be hearing a little better too. Anyway, he wants us back on Monday afternoon. All in all, in the last 7 days I've seen 5 doctors. I'm taking my puppy to the vet tomorrow and Eli has to be back at the ENT on Monday. Oh yeah, the boys' have a dentist appointment earlier that same morning. So, if you think about it say a little prayer for my little Eli. While Dr. offices are always a little stressful I am so grateful for ALL of our wonderful Drs. I'm hoping all will be well before our trip to D.C. on Friday.

A Day of Doctors

2009-08-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

So things have been crazy busy around here. We all started school on the 7th, we are getting into a good routine. The boys are all at the school I'm teaching at...which is wonderful! It is so good to see them throughout the day! I'm enjoying teaching first grade, 6 year old's are interesting.
A real downside of school is all the new germs that come with it. So of course all of my boys immediately get colds. Yesterday I took Eli in because he is a snot bucket and one of his ears is draining (which is a good thing) and it is messy. We left right after school and Eli's Dr. confirms that his tube has come out of one of his ears and is full of fluid we go back for a recheck in 2 weeks, if it isn't better we'll do our 3rd set of tubes. So we are out of there around 5 we hit the store and go home and I make dinner.
Then Caleb comes out playing Dr. which is so cute since our Dr. kit is for infants and he has the stethescope squeezed onto his face. Then he says his funny thing for the day. "Mom is this how this goes; In your ears like this?" I say yes. "Does it go in ears so that the Dr. can listen to the voice in my heart?" He is always making me laugh!
Then I hear the crash...not unusual in my house. I listen for abnormal crying. Everything sounds good. I keep cooking. Then my sister comes around the corner with a bleeding Micah. He has either been pushed or fallen (Eli keeps changing his story) off his bed, which he was probably jumping on. In the process he has bitten through his lip. Yep, through it. Yuck. We ice him down and get it to stop bleeding.

So now it's around 7. We eat dinner and notice that when Micah eats he bleeds more. My sis works at a hospital so she calls and the ER Dr. says we can come through the back and she'll see if he needs stitches. Jordan gets home from the football game he was at around 8:30 and me my sis and Micah head off. The dr. takes a look and says yep he'll need ONE. So we wait for a while and he gets his stitch. We get home around midnight.

This is our first set of stitches and just being one I don't know if it counts. Needless to say we were (and some of us still are) pooped. And that was our long day of Doctors!

Buddy's 81st Birthday

2009-08-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

On the 30th Jordan's grandpa (Buddy) turned 81. We met for dinner and had a little party.

For Buddy's birthday we let him sit by Eli for dinner, that will always make your day a little more interesting.
Nana and Buddy...I hope I look that good when I'm 81!!
Jordan is practicing very hard to smile with his mouth open (instead of his usual closed mouth smile)...very nice.
Jon Marc, this pic is for you.
And here is an update on our littlest guy. He's growing up so fast.

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Ruston & Shreve, My new Kitchen, and a yummy dinner!

2009-07-17T19:42:00.001-07:00

The boys and I took a mini trip this week. It was my first official week of summer...even though I had a school meeting today...maybe I won't really have a summer. Anywho, we went up to Ruston to see the girls. Josh and Leigh Ann are on a mission trip in NYC and my mom and mother in law were watching the kiddos. On Tuesday we went over to Shreveport to visit some friends. It was a good time. All in all their were 11 kids there b/t 6 years and 6 weeks and we were all swimming. It was crazy! On Wednesday we headed home.

Jacob and Elijah...

Double first cousins...
Princess Eli (don't tell Jordan)...
Eli and Andi are best buds...
My 3 sons...
Lainey Claire turned 2 this week so we had a little party for her at Johnny's Pizza. She loved her new bike...
Lucy enjoying a cupcake...My new kitchen...
I have been hoping and praying that my yucky old decrepit stove would die a natural (under warranty) death. But I have had no such luck, only a close call that cost us 75$. It was revived. So I could no longer put it off. I got a new stove and dishwasher to match and a new freezer for the next time I run over a deer with my car...or for the off chance that Jordan gets one while hunting:)
Here is the old stove that burns one side of all of my food...

and the new stove that does not...
And while I had the camera in the kitchen this is the first yummy meal I cooked on my new stove, Pineapple chiptole something something meatballs, courtesy of Rachel Ray. They were good.And I leave you with this...a trip back to boyland...or maybe this is just Calebland. These are "piranhas" that he caught with this "push pole" in the Amazon (aka: my fountain). Can we say one to many trips to the Bass Pro?

Boyland

2009-07-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

You know you live in Boyland when...

This is not unusual (it is pouring down rain).

When the family rubik's cube is known as the "all spark".

When you walk outside and see this in your birdfeeder,

And this is underneath it (a huntin' camp complete with a sad huntin' dog).

When you buy one of these for your backyard (oh yes, it is 7 feet tall). I'm trying to deter them from my furniture.

You really know you live in boyland when your toilets look like mine. But since I don't want anyone "tossing their cookies" on account of my blog I'll spare you the pictures!

Changing the subject:
We had a fun 4th! We spent the weekend in Covington. Seth was in from Wyoming...it was great seeing him. On Friday we picked up Reece and took her and the boys to see Ice Age (it was my favorite of all the Ice Age's). And we did it! We took the kiddos crabbing. I am proud to announce that no one fell in the water and only Jordan got pinched by a crab. We came with 4 kids and left with 4 kids, it was nothing short of a miracle. We caught 5 crabs (3 infants and 2 adults). We lost 3 of our 5 nets...that was about when we called it quits. But overall it was a successful crabbing trip and the boys and Reece had a blast.

The boys and Reece by the pond...

Crabbing in Lake Pontchartrain...
And yes...we did feed the gators on Lake road again. The good news is that he does not like meat. We tried feeding him some of our chicken (for the crabs) and he would have nothing to do with it. He only ate the marshmallows...a real gators' favorite food.

I know I said I'd try to limit the pictures...oh well.

Free Fun in South Louisiana

2009-06-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the boys and I went over to Covington for my sis in laws birthday party. She and the girls are in town from Wyoming. After dinner we took the boys and my niece, Reece, down the road to Madisonville (which is one of my all time favorite towns). There is bridge there where you can usually see alligators. They did not disappoint this time. This guy saw us and made a beeline. We fed him our leftover cheesecake, but he didn't seem impressed. He just hung out for a while. Two more came by but they didn't get as close.

The road the alligators are on ends at a wharf on Lake Pontchartrain and you can go crabbing. We didn't crab this time but we let the kids see what everyone else was catching. These people will be eating good tonight.

We promised the boys we go next week. That should be very interesting. They'll be wearing their life jackets.

Milestones (Warning: Too many pictures ahead)

2009-06-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Finally, an update! To say we’ve been busy is an understatement. We’ve been out of town nearly every weekend for the last 2 months. We’ve been to Florida (twice), Little Rock, Ruston, Covington (a lot), and New Orleans. I’ve started my 7 week summer class. Three weeks down...only 4 to go (hurray). I am teaching in an inner city school 4 days a week and I’m in class on Fridays. My summer won’t officially begin until July 11th!
While we’ve been so busy we’ve had several “milestones” to celebrate.

First was Caleb’s Pre-K graduation. He was the only one in his class who wanted to be a “chameleon hunter” when he grows up. How cute. He practices everyday. He will begin Kindergarten next year at Amite Christian. (Jordan is praying this won’t be the only purple and gold graduation gown he wears.)

Next was Micah Man’s 3rd birthday on May 29th. He had a special day. We took him to a yummy Mexican place where they sang to him and then we went to see UP (which was super cute). Then on Sunday we went over to Covington and had a little family swim party at Jordan’s grandparents’ club. He had a great birthday!

We are so glad Micah is 3 years old and POTTY TRAINED. Jordan and I got a little pay raise that week. We don't have any kids in diapers. We have bought diapers religiously for the last 5 1/2 years. I just smile when I pass the diaper aisle in Walmart.

June 7th was our 6th anniversary. Time flies when you’re having fun. I can’t believe it’s already been six years. This year we went to a nice B&B in New Orleans. It is in The Marigny which is a great part of town. We ate dinner at Irene’s in the French Quarter and it was PHENOMENAL. If you are within driving distance of Irene’s you need to go. That night we went and heard a swing band play. On Sunday we went to the D-Day museum (Jordan’s fave). We ate at Mulate’s on our way out. It was a great weekend. Here we are about 6 years ago...

La Maison Marigny (the b&b)...

When we got back we had our very first vegetable from our sad little garden. Our first homegrown cucumber.

Then last week Caleb was awarded his first trophy for t-ball. He's upset because I would not let him sleep with it.

This past weekend we did another quick trip to Florida. Jordan couldn’t make it but we took his youngest brother Jacob. Last month when we went we saw 2 stingrays, this time we saw dolphins. There were 5 or 6 of them and they were jumping up out of the water and everything. The water was beautiful...

At the Naval Air Station Museum in Pensacola.
Eli in a Blue Angel...
Caleb's favorite airplane...a shark of course.
They have added a lot to the museum. This is part of the new WWII exhibit.
Eli went up to all the manequins, told them "hello", and then either shook their hand or gave them a hug and a kiss. I don't know if he ever realized they were not real.
I know...picture overload. We are home for the next few weeks so I'll try to be a more efficient blogger!

Our latest addition

2009-05-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

We got a new puppy. He is so cute and was so free. A lady was handing out puppies at Caleb's t-ball game. He is half golden retriever and half Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog. The Catahoula breed was created in Central Louisiana and they are known for there catlike ability to climb trees (hence the word leopard). I'm not thrilled about the tree climbing but he is a sweet little thing. We named him Bandit. We have Smokey and now we have The Bandit.

Eli can swim?

2009-05-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

Finally, a minute to update. The boys have been taking swim lessons for the past 2 weeks. I found a lady from the school that teaches swim at her house. Her husband was helping out with the boys the last two days. He described Eli as a "saltwater cork". I don't know that Eli has mastered his swimming technique...but he's pretty entertaining to watch. Here is a clip, first it's Caleb then Eli.

T-Ball Time

2009-05-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

Being the mom of 3 boys and married to a sports maniac I made the rule that the boys can't start sports until they are 5. I figure it'll occupy a good hunk of the rest of our lives so what's the rush? But I have to say I'm glad that t-ball is here and Caleb is playing. Oh, and Jordan is the head coach (I signed him up for that). He'll look back on this and laugh...one day.
We are the "MEAN GREENS". The first game went well except for the one kid on our team that tackles everyone. It adds an element of surprise and a few tears from those taken by surprise. The "tackler" didn't make it back for the second game and it went a little more smoothly. During the second game a little girl on our team was running the bases and stopped to field the ball while running from second to third. Fortunately, the other teams first baseman was preoccupied with the grass and missed the ball. Here are a few pictures of our little South Paw!

Dad helping him get his feet just right...

He's so serious, he stays in this position for the whole game...

Looking at mom!

Eli is quite the goofball during the games.

Here he is kissing his dragonfly...

And here is the dragonfly after it was loved to death...

That reminds me of a funny dragonfly story. I don't know how the boys catch these things but apparently dragonflies are not smart or they aren't fast or both (who knows). Anyway, the boys catch them all the time. So Caleb went to grab one the other day and killed it. I kind of gave him a "why in the world did you do that" look and he looks at me and says "Mom, it was my first big kill!". Jordan has brainwashed our children.

Pictures from Easter (Part 2)

2009-05-01T19:56:00.001-07:00

I finally got the camera. Here are a couple more pictures from Easter. Enjoy.

Elijah...

Jordan looking so good all dressed up. It was torturous for him.

I have no idea what Micah is doing in this picture or why this sentence is coming out underlined. Oh well.

And I don't know what to say about this. That's my son.

Our Trip to Arkansas

2009-04-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

First, I promise Easter Part 2 is coming. My sister’s boyfriend is a photographer and took some great pics of the boys hunting eggs. I just have to get them from my mom. Easier said than done.
Meanwhile, this is from our trip last week to Arkansas. I would have posted sooner but we took home a little souvenir called Strep. We’ve been recovering this week. It’s nasty little virus. And for some reason it made Caleb throw up like 900 times...mostly in my car. I was ready to stop by a dealership on the way home and just get a new car. But nope, I persevered and donned my giant gloves and mask and scrubbed the heck out of my car when we got back. It only smells a little like throw-up now. Nice.
Anyway, on with my post. While we were in Arkansas we stayed with our friend’s Nate and Alicia and their 3 1/2 kids (Alicia is pregnant). This pic is from a wresting match one night.

On Friday we went to Silver Dollar City in Branson. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time.

On Sunday we went to church and it was SOOO good to see everyone. We miss y’all!!!
On Monday we headed home. We stopped in Little Rock on the way down to visit my grandparents. My Papaw is going to be 80 years old next week.
On Tuesday after we got back all the kids went in and got shots for Strep. Good times.
And on the next day I got strep and then for the first time ever I took my children with me to MY Dr. appt. I believe “torture chamber” were the good Doctor's exact words to describe being stuck in that small space with my boys and nothing but rubber gloves to entertain themselves. I was miserable and didn’t have the energy to get onto the boys so I just took pictures instead.

Anyway, we are all well now and the Strep was well worth the trip. Can’t wait to see everyone again!!

Easter '09 Part 1/Parade and Baking

2009-04-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

We had an eventful Easter this year and it all started on Thursday with our Easter parade at Preschool! Like I said it was crazy...but fun for all. On Friday we finally made it to the Audubon Zoo with some friends and EVERYONE else in the city of New Orleans. It was crazy. There must have been at least 15 tour buses there. I had no idea the zoo was the place to be on Good Friday, obviously it is. But hey, at least it didn't rain (yea!) , I am afraid won't be posting any pictures from that great trip though because I forgot my camera at home. Oh, well.
On Saturday we went to a petting farm in Covington to hide eggs and see the baby animals. Then we went over to my moms and did some baking. It was a mess but the boys enjoyed it. Today after church we went back over to Covington for our big lunch and easter egg hunt at Jordan's grandparent's house. It looked like it was going to rain any minute, but it held off until we were on our way home. It was a great Easter!
Here are some pictures from the parade and baking. I'll post pictures from today and the zoo later. The last picture is of the float we made for the Parade.

Micah and the Trampoline

2009-04-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

We always find the boys sleeping in weird places. They tend to fall asleep under their beds and in closets and doorways, on the dog...but this was the first time on the trampoline. His hair is just crazy.
Today was our last day of school and now we are officially on Spring Break. Hurray! We are going to Fayetteville next Thursday. (Make room Brown's) Tomorrow we are going to New Orleans with some friends. We are going to try to do the zoo thing again, but I think it is supposed to rain. Of course. We may be going to the Aquarium instead.
Today the kids had an Easter Parade at school. It was chaotic...but cute. Kids totally ran over each other with their floats and the 1 and 2 year olds paraded right out the open door and into the parking lot. Like I said it was chaos. I'll post pictures of the craziness soon!

Our Lady of the Lake

2009-03-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

Check out this video! It is being used by OLOL to raise money for a free standing children's hospital. This is where my sis works and where Eli had his dental surgery. This blog is Jenny's from the Christian group Addison Road. Leslie is in the first shot. I had to grab some kleenex. Enjoy!

http://jennysimmons.blogspot.com/2009/03/our-lady-of-lake-childrens-hospital.html

Papaw's visit

2009-03-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

My dad came in from D.C. last weekend and got a good visit in with the boys. He took them to the Bass Pro (aka: Heaven). He got them these giant fish/gator pillows. They've played with them every minute since.
I also took my first Praxis exam last weekend....and passed. Hurray! I was really concerned about the math, since math is not my forte' (understatement). But it is behind me now and I take the second exam in April. And then I don't ever plan on taking another test! Here are some pics of my dad and the kiddos!

2009-03-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's from 3 little Kilpatrick's!

Dinosaurs at the Zoo!

2009-03-16T13:12:00.001-07:00

The N.O. zoo has a new Dino attraction and it is neato. We went on Saturday and I do have to say we didn't get the whole experience; first of all because my camera died right after this picture (which happened to be the first picture), then about 5 mins. after this picture the monsoon began. We were soaked...like see through all of our clothes soaking wet. I probably couldn't have taken anymore pictures anyway because the camera would have gotten too wet. This was the first day the exhibit opened and the signs all say how "temporary" the exhibit is. Turns out it will be here all through the summer.
The dinos look SO real. One will even spit in your face...very nice. Leslie's boyfriend got it in the face, he was already so wet though he hardly noticed it. The boys (who love dinosaurs) were terrified. They did get new dinosaur t-shirts though, mostly because I had to get them something dry to wear for the ride home. We'll have to take them back when it's not raining like mad and my camera has batteries!

Future Mr. October

2009-03-09T11:12:00.001-07:00

It is time to start practicing for T-ball. Caleb is going to play this year...I'm so excited! I've waited for this for 5 years! Anyway, Jordan came home with the practice T and the boys are loving it. Micah has really taken to it and by the look of his little stance he may be a future Mr. October!

Happy Birthday Eli!

2009-02-25T22:04:00.000-08:00

Today (Feb. 26th) my little boy is 4 years old. Eli was born at 3:30 am on a rainy Saturday morning. He was a tiny little thing weighing 6 lbs and 9 oz.

We are so blessed that Elijah is in our lives. He seriously makes us laugh everyday. He absolutely loves to wear costumes...he wears them all day long and because we FORCE him to wear jammies to bed he sleeps with his costumes at night. He could eat candy all day and all night, a trait he truly gets from his daddy. Eli didn't walk until he was 19 months old...yes 19! He simply did not want to walk. He bear crawled everywhere and when he needed to pick something up he would balance on his head. We called him tripod. When he did finally start walking he was everywhere and into everything all the time...he still is. He could fully operate a DVD player by the time he was 3. I usually put him in charge of movies. He prefers to be upside down. The child has NO fear! Those are just a few fun facts about our little middle man. Everyday is an adventure with him! We are so thankful for you Eli!!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the last 4 years.