The Side Ponytail is back!!!

For those of you with girls, have you noticed a recent comeback of the side ponytail? Just like Deb's from Napolean Dynamite? My girls have tried, but they haven't been able to pull it off yet, their hair is just a little too short. But I have been taking a poll, and 3 of Emma's friends have come to our house wearing one in the past week. I ask them questions like, "Do you want to borrow my crimper?" or "I think I've got a banana clip somewhere you can borrow" and I got a "what?", "huh?". We've not truly reverted to the 80's yet with out the crimper and banana clip. And I PRAY that we won't truly revert back. I don't know if I can afford that much hairspray.

I'm hoping the side pony will die out before my girls hair grows out. Is this just a RI comeback or is it nation wide? Maybe I should buy stock in Aqua Net before we completely revert back....

Happy 10th Birthday Sarah!! Emma spent all afternoon Sunday making this coupon book for her sister. It was very thought ful. Only drawback: she couldn't get them to print small, and printed each page on a full sheet---there were about 15 coupons, all on color, pictures, etc!! Drained the new color cartridge! Oh well, life's too short I guess...

Sarah got a new Ipod Nano, she'd shopped around for me on ebay forever for one. I finally bid on one, won, then had to lie and tell her I lost the bid. It's a lot of fun, I may be borrowing it during the day while she's at school!

We had breakfast at Ihop. Let me say, that was VERY BRAVE of me. Me, alone, with 6 kids, yes, Sarah's friend Taylor too. It may have been my gut, not my head thinking. I had gotten up early and run my long run, and was starved. They all did pretty good though. I do have to say that my 2 yr old did better than my 11 1/2 yr old though...how does that happen?

After brunch, we went to a reptile petting place in Providence. My friend Gigi came w/us. Yes, that is an aligator Sarah is holding, with a little piece of electrical tape holding it's mouth shut.

The kids were not afraid of anything. I was much more afraid than them. The girls had a huge boa constrictor wrapped around their shoulders at one point, no pictures of this though because they charged extra for them. I'm thinking I should have just forked over $5 for one though, it would have made a good pic.

On the way home we hit the mall, Sarah wanted to pop in Justice with her birthday coupon (which we'd actually forgotten! But they were nice and gave her the discount anyway.) She picked out a cute swim suit and cover-up. The one I'd been too is not my most decisive child---which on to get? they are all so cute, and then even after I helped her decide on one, she was totally second guessing her decision down at the other end of the mall! We were not going back though.

Gigi made us a fabulous octopus dinner. Mmm, hot dogs taste so much better when someone else boils them up!

Sarah was pretty easy, she just wanted brownies, with fudge sauce, ice cream, and hard shell on top. Emma busted me on forgetting to buy candles though, thanks Em. Doesn't that look like a #10?

Ta-da, the winning swim suit and cover-up.

Friday night I very bravely took the kids iceskating. The boys are both taking lessons on Saturday (against their will--we have to stop at Dunkin Donuts on the way home after each lesson as a reward) and I thought they might finally be to the point where we could actually all go skating as a family. (minus Luke, left him home asleep w/my neighbor) It was a lot of fun! Except for the fact that Jake started running a fever and so after about a half hour I had to sit in the warming room with him. I'm about done with all this winter sickness! It was fun, but I'm hoping the pond freezes over again good at least one more time, I want to try my new skates out over there!

Whatever, Jake!
My mother-in-law called a few days ago. As I mentioned last post, I've been having sleep issues--so I had layed down for a few minutes for a little nap. Jacob answered the phone. She talked to him for a few minutes, then asked for me. He told her, "She's asleep ........(pause) ...... she'll wake up to make dinner". WHAT? Ya, I just sleep all day and wake up to make dinner! I wish! What a nut. 2 1/2 weeks left till Adam gets home!!! (aprox, we don't really know the exact day, and if I did, I wouldn't tell the kids, seeing that things never go as planned, planes get delayed, etc. They'll find out a few hours before.

Today is my last day of peace!!!! The kids have tomorrow off for parent-teacher-conf, and then the entire next week off for "winter break". Winter break is a New England tradition. They used to close the schools for a week during the coldest week of winter to save on heating costs. Now it is just a tradition. If you asked me, I think it's lame! We just had Christmas break, and let's just get out a week earlier and have a summer break!! When it's warm enough we can actually ENJOY the break!! Oh well, guess no one asked me.

I will not rest until I post this picture!!!
Isaac built this today. He loves to build. Begs me to print out math worksheets off the internet for him to do. Future engineer?
Anyway, after taking this picture, he's been asking me all afternoon, "Mom, did you put my picture on the blog yet?"

I chopped my hair last week. It was a drastic, much needed, fun change. Big foot got neutered this week. The kids babied him like no other.

So I don't know what my problem is, but I keep having anxiety/insomnia at night. Any ideas?????? I have ambien, but don't want to get addicted and try to use it as little as possible, and even then sometimes it doesn't do the trick. I went to the doctor this week, she did all kinds of tests, and suggested taking up yoga. I picked up 2 yoga dvd's which are sitting by the tv....one more thing to try to fit in....

3+ weeks till Adam gets home!!!!!!!!! Whew! I'm ready!!!!!