Getting ahead

So Meridian won the Jazz Read-a-Thon (for like the millionth year in a row :)...

Which means a Jazz player (Mr. 6' 5" pictured to the left) stopped by the other day to read to the kids...

And Tehani (correction, Tehani's head) ends up pictured in the paper looking something like the headless horseman, only in reverse...

That's my Tehani--always a head (and shoulders) above the rest!!

Oh, the places you'll go

So I've been wanting to get a big map of the world to put up in Kobe's room. I figure then he can mark all of the places that he would like to go (you know, so Grandma knows where to take him if she ever makes it back from Tahiti :) I can only hope that the kids get to go to half of the places that I was lucky enough to travel to... Egypt, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Austria, Turkey, Hungry, Poland, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, England, The Netherlands, Iceland, Tahiti, Samoa...

OK, I'm not really sure this list covers all of the many lands I've been to but I don't feel like diggin' out my old passports to figure out which countries I left off the list. (And I wouldn't normally boast by listing off all of my travels but I know it aggravates my sis since I've been more places that she has :)

Anyway, my decorating plan for Kobe's room had been thwarted because I couldn't find a big map (meaning one that covers the whole wall) that didn't cost an arm and a leg. I thought my problem had been solved when a co-worker (Thanks Marcus!) gave me a map the other day. That was until I got home and put the map up...
The travel gods have spoken--and apparently Kobe will only be travelling domestic :)

It doesn't smell dirty

So today is a WOW day at the kid's school. This means they get to wear whatever they want instead of their uniforms--which apparently is a pretty big deal when you are between the ages of 8 and 10 years old...

Anyway, last night when I got home from class I made sure to help the kids get their "regular" clothes out so we don't accidentally wear uniforms on the one day we don't have to (we've done this before--it's not good.) Tehani, of course, wants to wear the cool shirt that Auntie Kelly and Uncle Raymond got her for Christmas (It's her fav!) I told the Hanimonster that I was pretty sure the shirt was dirty but next thing I knew she had it out of the hamper and laying on her bed. When I tried to remind her that this was dirty, she told me it was ok because the shirt "didn't smell dirty."

Grandma would be so proud :) I'm thinking I could start cutting down on all of our laundry--at least for a bit--if I implemented Tehani's scent test.

PS--Don't tell my mom but I'm letting her wear the shirt...

Wordless Wednesday

Maybe stress is a good thing?

Hubby says I am stressed...so he has taken me on a weekend getaway to Las Vegas. The trip is all inclusive (meaning the kiddos came with us :) but I'm actually excited for this much needed break.

Its also a good thing for me that "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" because I plan on getting really wild and crazy--I didn't even take any stuff from work or homework to work on!! Watch out world, Laura's lettin' loose!

Maybe I should trying being stressed out more often?

Flashback Friday

This is what happens when your brother works for the police department... and is asked to babysit your kids for a few hours.


These flashback pics are from 2004.

Seems like it was only yesterday when Kobe still had enough curly locks to make all the girls jealous...

And Tehani would talk, and talk, and talk...and no one could understand a word she was saying.

So thanks to my baby brother Raymond. This flashback is for you!

Wordless Wednesday

This could happen to you

This was Kobe's homework this past weekend. I don't plan to post all of his assignments but this was too funny to not post...

Mainly because if he EVER gets the bad idea to try either one of these "extra curricular" activities when he is older, I can show him this...

(This would of course be after I got done grounding Kobe for life--and giving him a good spanking :)

Sorry Francis (not sure how Kobe came up with that name) Hope you R.I.P.

Flashback Friday

Cynthia, Raymond and I had the idea one year to fly home and surprise my mom for her birthday. (We've done the whole "surprise" thing a few times since then--though I don't know how many times you can do a "surprise" before its not a "surprise" anymore) Anyway, here's the pic--circa 1990's--from the CRAZY J's ORIGINAL BIRTHDAY SURPRISE!!Cynthia, Raymond and I were living together at the time (in a scary house down by the railroad tracks.) I don't remember a lot of the details from our trip except for the fact that my mom was mad that we didn't call her to tell her we were coming. She apparently doesn't understand that is how a "surprise" works (she said she didn't get to change the sheets since she didn't know we were coming :)

It was still fun (dirty sheets and all) and another reason why I still love United!

Wordless Wednesday