This week we had a previous governor pass. In honor of him, there was a 'lie in state' visitation/memorial at the Capitol (across the street from where I work) and following that,his funeral. These soldiers were part of the Artiliary Squad ( I hope I got that right) and it was their duty to fire the canons after the service. Before the services this group was lounging around the the Capitol but all went to this monument and stood for the longest time and it gave me goosebumps because they were reading the Ten Commandments..... Can we really have a division of Church and State
Does anyone remember the movie BeBe's Kids????? It was the late Robin Harris' movie, animated? The rapper Tone Loc (Letzzzzzzz do it) was the voice for the chunky baby boy that walked around in a diaper??? This little pile of cuteness reminds me of that character so freakin' much!!! He talks in this gargle baby chatter and its always random. Our first meeting I got onto him because he walked up to me and tried to grab a bottle of water out of my hands and after that...he steered pretty clear of me. Two weeks later (the day of this picture) I took him and his brother to the park to play and they had such a blast. So much that when I took this picture, he was walking to me to give me a random big hug...no smiles...just a hug. I guess that was his way of saying 'you alright with me....'

That's Jalil in the front, Okoye is on the right side, chasing the little boy that's on the left side of the picture. Nothing special accept I do believe this is the first picture I've taken of my new car. Say hello to the folks BB (Burgundy Berry). And yes, I name my cars...sue me

*sigh*...first day of school shots...and they are growing up so fast....i dont care if its the last year of college, I WILL get a first day of school shot every YEAR....bite me

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jalil!

Today is my babies 14 birthday….I do believe I will make it through the day. I know I can. Well…I think I can. But this smile…right here…makes my day, my life so much better. Even when I’m getting on him about something, he can flash it and even though I’m getting on him, I’m laughing, smiling telling him ‘stop it. Right this instant!’ People think Okoye have me wrapped around his finger…whew… you have no idea.

This was their first day at being at a public daycare...tomorrow is the first day of school....sigh....it goes by entirely too fast

Most times…I have no concerns about my kids and the ability to think through things. I think they are well adjusted. For the most part. When they sauté white onions and green onions in butter, fry bacon and mix it into ramen noodles (yes, Hell’s Kitchen strikes again…) I know that if they are hungry…they can feed and sustain themselves. But when I come home to find the wet vac in an unusual place…I have to question it…

Me on the phone with Okoye: why is the shopvac in the living room?
Okoye: whats a shopvac?
M: the red round thing that looks like a vacuum
O: oh…Miyagi pooped
M:
O: mom???
M: miyagi pooped….andddddd….what???
O: I vacuumed it up….

Yes. He vacuumed up dog poop with my wetvac. Lord help me….

School starts next week, which I thought was early but according to some people (Laura for example) they have already started. I gotta tell you…when the supplies start coming out, I get pretty giddy. I love new paper and pens. LOVE.IT. I go and stock up before I even know what I need. But once that ‘hit’ passes…ehhhh….I start thinking along the lines of a 14 or 16 year old kid and begin to think ‘where did summer gooooooooooooooo???!’ I am not ready for school. Sad to say…I’ve even started a countdown to Thanksgiving, Christmas and the end of the school year….

Today was enrollment for school. One, Okoye is going to The High School this year. The other, Jalil, is in his last year of middle school. To events in time hat have got me, of course, ready to laugh like a hyena at one minute and ready to break into tears the next...
　
When you are an adult time goes incredibly fast now. When the boys mentioned how fast summer flew by I said 'yeah, as you get older time doesnt take its time at all' and then I stopped. They knew time goes fast. I didnt know that time went by too fast until I got older. And it hit me, really hit me...my kids are growing up and THEY know they are growing up. They still want to be kids, dont get me wrong but they are already ready to do adult things like get jobs. Help Mom with bills. Pay for their own way. WTF??? what happened to my babies....

Could they also be...gulp....dare I say it...young MEN???
　
But at the same token I look at them and smile because they are good people. You know what I mean by good people? Dont get me wrong....sometimes I want to smack them upside their heads, and ummmmmmmm I have done so...but overall, they are good people. Respectful. Grateful. Sensitive. Caring. Intelligent. Wholesome. Hard-working. Thank God for all that.

But, back to what I was starting this post with and that is summer is OVAHHHHHHHHHHHH people and it is now time for a new school year. To all the teachers out there...God Bless You!!

I AM ALMOST 40 FREAKIN’ YEARS OLD…

This is the thought that I screamed in my head this weekend…

I screamed, out loud, as my body was being hurtled through space, feet dangling in the air, praying to God while I was on the Batman Rollercoaster

But

I was having fun…so much fun….