The Fair

We went to the Pickaway County Fair last night. Daddy was at work, so me and the girls jumped in the van and headed down to Circleville. It was a surprise for them. A little fun-time. I wasn't sure how it was going to go. I asked Vanessa and Harley to get dressed while I fed Adrienne. Harley had trouble with her shoes. I explained that I was feeding Adrienne and couldn't help her at that moment. Anyone who has a 4 yr old knows, there is no concept of "waiting". This led Harley to say "I think you only like the baby!". I threatened not to take them to their "surprise". However, it's the very reason they need some fun-time.

It turned out to be a great evening. We arrived and they were so excited. I paid to get in and we all got shamrock stamps on our hands. The girls thought that was so cool.

We bought tickets for them to ride 5 rides each. They rode down the big slide twice. "It goes REALLY fast!!" was their summation of the ride. The big slide is their favorite ride anywhere we go. Then they rode a mini-ferris wheel. They rode the "crazy bus" (I think I have a permanent pass for that bus...). I don't really think "crazy" was an accurate description. It just went around in a circle a few times, then backwards a few times. I should have taken pictures but didn't. I used my phone to take a video of the Giant Slide, but the quality is not that great.

Then we took a break for dinner. Vanessa had a slice of pepperoni pizza. I had a fantastic stromboli. Harley had a very tasty, and very messy, soft taco. We at on a bench watching the fair-goers.

Then it was off to the animal barns. I wasn't sure how this would go over. They love animals. However, they are very against flies and bad smells. We saw cows, pigs, horses, llamas, sheep, goats, ducks, rabbits and roosters. Of course we had to make the animal sounds as we walked past each cage. Though we couldn't determine what sound a llama makes so we just "hi".

After the animals, we went down to watch the Combine Demolition Derby. The idea just sounded really funny to me. I was right. It's a bit slow, but still funny and destructive. Harley absolutely loved it. We each picked a combine to root for. None of ours won.

After the derby they rode one last ride, the motorcycles. Then we got some ice cream and sat on a bench to watch the people. We picked up some fair food for Daddy and called it a night.

A wonderful summer evening!

VIDEO - ADRIENNE

This video is from over a month ago. Adrienne is trying very hard to figure out to get her shirt in her mouth. She's working hard to get those hands to get the shirt up there, it just isn't working.

VIDEO - VANESSA AND HARLEY HULA HOOPING

This was taken probably 2 months ago. Vanessa and Harley are getting the hang of hula hooping. Keep your eye on both of them, they're pretty good.

4-MONTH CHECK UP

My baby girl had her 4-month check up yesterday. She weighs 13.9lbs (still not as big as my brother when he was BORN). She is 26 in. long. That put her in the 97th percentile for height! She's very long. I will be so jealous if she stays long and lean into her adult years!

She rolled over on Sunday. She is so strong and wanting to sit up by herself. I started over the weekend trying to get her to eat rice cereal. She wasn't liking the spoon. She loves it in a bottle though. I tried again last night. I made the cereal thicker. She was chowing down and then all of a sudden she started screaming. I thought I got all the bones out, must have missed one. We're going to try some vegetables this weekend. It seems way too soon though...was she JUST born?!

ADRIENNE - 3 MONTH OLD PICTURES

She had her eyes open this time!! Yea!

How You Doin'?

Not an offical picture, but it makes me laugh so I had to add it.

SO, SUPERNANNY.........

How DO you make a defiant 4-yr old go to bed early when she doesn't want to?

1. Tell her sternly, but politely. Check. Didn't work.

2. Give her the consequences of her actions for not following the rules. Check. Didn't work.

3. Yell at her. Check. Didn't work

4. Spank her. Check. Didn't work.

5. Physically carry her to bed and put her in it. Check. Didn't work.

6. Tie her to the bed and lock the door. Oh wait, that's "illegal". Can't do that one.

She didn't go to bed early. She actually apologized for not listening. She got to stay up with Vanessa and go to bed at their scheduled time.

After my blood pressure went down and my migraine ceased, it occurred to me..... she deserved to go to bed early for the way she had been acting. She needed something different. Yes, Lord, I see the similarities now. Sorry.

A Night In The Life

Let me just give you a glimpse into the thrilling, exciting life of the Woods' family.

Tony left for work. Vanessa and Harley were in the dining room playing with play-dough. Adrienne was laying on a blanket on the floor in the living room with me while I was watching Ellen and eating Cheez-Its Duoz. ~side note, the best idea Cheez-Its has had in a long time! Duoz!~

Whenever I put Cheez-Its in mouth, Adrienne would go nuts. She would get so excited and laugh and throw her arms and feet around. So I decided to make our own Cheez-Its commercial.

I set up the camera, paused the TV - we don't need to hear that on the tape- and start recording. Sure enough, Adrienne performs for me. I eat Cheez-Its, she gets excited. Now up until this point, Vanessa and Harley have not cared about what I was doing in the least. But since I paused the TV and hit record on the camera suddenly they're interested. They start yelling "What are you doing?!" over and over. I give the universal signal to zip it. They then start yelling "why why why why WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY"

At one point you can even hear my fingers snap as I try to get them to stop. But nooooo, I can't make my private Cheez-It's commercial without someone ruining it! hahahahaa

Drive Thru Beer Run

It's not as seedy as it sounds. It felt like it, but it's not.

I was trying out a new recipe, Buffalo Chicken Chili. It called for 6oz of beer. We don't drink beer.

I asked some friends at work. Most didn't drink beer. The ones that did either had a flavored beer that would have ruined the recipe or they forgot to bring in a can Friday.

So I was on my way home from taking Vanessa to ballet Saturday morning. I wasn't sure if grocery stores sold individual cans of beer and frankly I didn't want to get out and walk into a store to find out.

I have seen others go through drive-thrus when I have gone through for a Diet Pepsi and chips. So at 11am Vanessa and I go through a nearby drive-thru for a can of beer.

The smallest they have is 16oz. From the back Vanessa is shouting requests for M&M's. So I also ask the drive-thru dude for 2 bags of M&M's.

I pull up to pay. Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't carry cash on my like I used to. I pay for most things with a plastic card. I had a $5 but used it to buy a pop at ballet. The machine gives change in gold dollars and quarters.

The total for my beer and M&M's is $3.70. I'm not handing a drive-thru dude a card. I don't trust him. So gather $3.70 in gold dollar coins and quarters, he puts my beer in a brown paper bag and hands me the M&M's. I drive away feeling like an alkie!

Pray for me....

Oh, where do I begin?

I was getting a bottle for Adrienne in the kitchen. Vanessa and Harley were at the table coloring. I overhear Vanessa say to Harley: "I'm going to marry Luke. And when I'm done with him, I'll let Brianna have him."

So I screamed (in my head) WHAT?! I laughed and laughed. Vanessa asked what I was laughing about, I lied. When I was able to compose myself, I asked her why she would say that. She didn't know, but said again that when she was tired of him she would get rid of him. *help me* I tried to explain simply that wasn't nice and when you marry someone it is forever.

Then at dinner the conversation turned back to love and marriage. Harley's idea of "true love" (which is actually what she keeps calling it, "true love") is between 2 girls and a boy. No,no,no,no,no,no. Since when did my children become Mormon?!

So all during dinner I tried to stress (as kindly as possible) that "true love" is between ONE boy and ONE girl.

This concept was going completely over their heads. I may as well have tried to explain the theory of relativity to them. Without actually saying it, their attitude was pretty much "whatever".

So it looks like home schooling (moving to a remote wooded region of Canada, never letting them out of the house, etc.) is in my children's future!!

Before all the distrubing conversations about boys and girls I noticed an odd smell in the house. I said "something smells funny." Harley says "It's daddy. He stinks up the place." How hilarious!

So to sum things up: Vanessa will use men and toss them aside. Harley will join a cult. Tony stinks.

Remembering your childhood

Vanessa taking a ride down memory lane...

Harley Quinn Woods striking a pose...

Things that make you think "is that really my child?"

Vanessa has a mouth fixation. She is constantly sticking things in her mouth. Usually it's her hair.

Yesterday I came home from work and she shows me a bruise on her upper arm. She says excitedly "Guess how I got that!" I asked how. She grabs her arm and starts sucking on it!

The girl gave herself a hickey!

I just put my head in my hands and took a deep breath.

Chicas Locas

Harley's Soccer Game

I'd like to get an "action" shot, but unfortunately this is what she does on the field.

Adrienne and her sisters

"I wasn't ready!"

"Let's give them 'the eyes'"

The Many Faces of Adrienne

"SWEET"
"SILLY"

"SOPRANOS"

Easter

So it's a month late, shoot me.
What Harley is thinking: "I am so cool…."

What Vanessa is thinking: "I’m trying to hold her AND look cute!"

What Adrienne is thinking: "Get this OFF of me!!!"

Glamour Gals

Harley-ism

I was watching a DVR'd performance by Prince on The Tonight Show.

Harley comes in the room, starts dancing and says, "This song makes my behind move!"

Awwww

Sunday Afternoon

Stylin' Gal Larry, Curly and Mo