New Years with the Morgans

Wow. My last post of the decade!!! I remember when I was young thinking that when 2010 got here I'd be OLD. I guess I am. LOL. We had a great time. Granny taught the kids how to play spoons and we laughed and laughed. Granny had a pot of chocolate fixed and we dipped all kinds of goodies in there including fruit and marshmallows. The kids also played bingo for prizes. We brought 2010 in with lots of love and laughter...and okay...a little bit of kid squabbling....made a little bit of kid hitting, crying and name calling. But over all a good start to the New Year. LOL.

Crime Scene

I walked into the kitchen yesterday and discovered this ugly crime scene. Death by a Barrell of Monkeys how gruesome!!!


Carlie cracks me up.

Blizzard of 2009

We knew the bad weather was coming and we left a day early so we could get to Oklahoma before it hit. On Christmas Eve we were leaving the Pool's house to go to my Grandma Obie's. We'd only been there a short time when the blizzard hit. It's was only 40 miles back to the Pools so we headed back there. It was dark as pitch and white out conditions. The only way we could tell where the road was by following in other car tracks. What should have taken 40 miles took two hours. It was scary, but we made it there safely. On our way home we were shocked at the number of cars that were off in the ditches along I-40.

When we got home, the kids made a snow man.

Domestic Goddess - NOT

I have always said that I did not inherit the domestic gene. Nevertheless, I keep this house running, assigning chores out to each family member. Libby has been folding the laundry lately. This morning, I asked her to fold a load of clothes. She came and got the basket and was watching me load the washer, and she said "Mom, do you need me to explain to you how to use the washer?" I go "Libby, I wash clothes all the time....been washing them since before you were BORN." And she said "Well, I've just never seen you use it!!!!" Grrrrrr.

Christmas at our House

She's Not Tough Enough

Granny got JoLynn and I a set of pjs exactly the same color and a set of three different colored fuzzy sockes. We each put on our pjs and came out wearing the same set of socks. Our kids couldn't tell us apart. LOL. JoLynn finally said "Dang, I couldn't handle being you. Your kids keep stopping me every two seconds going Mom...Mom....Mom...Mom."

Funniest Picture of the Holidays

Charlie looks like he's growling, JoLynn looks like a blind girl, Libby looks like she's singing into a chocolate microphone and Frank is scowling at his cookie. LOL

The Two Divas

The Two Divas of the family. LOL.

Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter

It's weird how much Carlie and Morgan are alike. When their heads were together they have the same exact shade of hair color. They are both left handed with fair skin. They both talk like little adults and love to pretend. Morgan's new thing is to pretend to be a cat. She was a cat named chocolate Chip most of the weekend. And Carlie was her cat friend named Peanut Butter.




Morgan found the cat's bed and got in that when she needed a "cat nap". And of course every kitten needs her princess attire.

Just Like You Mom!

Libby and Madi and I were taking JB to his job at the Benton gas station. We were in the median of a busy highway, when Libby notices that there is a remote control car on the side of the road. She points it out, and I look. Sure enough that's what it is. Libby goes "Remember when we were little and acting ugly and sometimes you would roll down the window and through our toys out?? I bet that's what happened with that car!!!" LOL.

Christmas with the Morgan Family

We had a great time. Everyone was in a good mood and the kids all played so well together.










The little kids played Dirty Santa this year too. Since Morgan was a big young to play, but is sharp as a tack, we rigged it so that she had the last number and told the big kids to not pick her special present that she would like. She waited so patiently while the other kids had their turn. And she was so excited with her present she "won".

If it's not picked up I'll throw it away

We've been having a hard time getting the little girls to clean their room up. They both claim that the other one is not helping to clean, they fight, they play, they complain....pretty much everything EXCEPT clean. So last week, I'd had it. I went in there and picked up everything that was not put away and put it in trash bags, including Carlie's precious stuffed dog 'Trudy" and Madi's favorite stuffed monkey. They bawled and squalled. They said they couldn't survive without their favorite stuffed animals. so I told them if they kept it cleaned up for a week, they could earn back ONE toy. So far, they made it the first week and got a toy back. We'll see how long it lasts. They were absolutely shocked when I came in there with my trash bag. LOL.

Manic Monday

I was gone to Dallas last week, and this week I knew that I'd have to go to Corpus Christi on Monday. So all day Sunday I spent getting my presents wrapped up. They looked so pretty under the tree. Sunday night I packed for my trip, and I was really tired.

I woke up at 5am on Monday morning with four hysterical kids in my bed screaming something about presents. It took me a minute to get woke up enough to understand what they were telling me. During the night our cat had unwrapped half of the presents. Ugggggh!!!

I think he got mad because all of the presents I wrapped on Sunday covered the white cloth under the tree. He seemed to think that we put the tree up just for him.

I didn't have time to do anything about it then so I just piled the unwrapped presents in a corner of my room. Someone suggested that my kids might have done it. But I told them that if the kids had done it, they'd done a wonderful job of imitiating little cat bites and claw marks!

I'm flustered and running late, and Libby comes into the bathroom and says "Mom, you are a La Conata." And I go WHAT? And she said it again. I asked "What are you talking about....what does that mean?" And she says "It means pussy in Spanish." I said "WHERE did you hear that?!?!?!?" And she said Frank told her. So I go into the living room and he is looking up dirty words on the internet in SPANISH on an English to Spanish translation website. NICE!!!

So I checked in at the office for an hour or so before I headed to the airport. The flight was late, so we missed our connecting flight from Houston. But luckily we were able to get on another later flight and made it into Corpus Christi at a pretty decent hour.

Hopefully my traveling is done for a while. I got home today and the house was trashed!!!

When I got home today, Carlie said she had slept in my blanket while I was gone because it smelled like her Momma :0)

Faked Me Out!

I pick the girls up from their afterschool program. Sometimes if I don't have heels on, I'll race them to the car. They shout "Last one there is a rotten egg!!" Madi almost always beats Carlie. So a few days ago, I grabbed ahold of Madi and told Carlie to take off. She beat us both to the car, but I was still wrestling with Madi. So I pushed Madi behind me and took off running. I hear squalling back behind me, and I turn around to see Madi laying on the sidewalk bawling with tears streaming down her face. So I go back and put my hand out to help her up. As soon as she was on her feet she darted around me and beat me to the car. I'm going to take that child to hollywood. It's pretty hard to fake me out!!!

It's Basketball Time!!!!

Here are some of my fav pics of the High School. The little kids haven't started games yet. I've really enjoyed my sports photography this year, and I've gotten alot of compliments on my pictures.

Happy Pills

I get anxiety around noises and crowds, so when we were getting ready to go to Thankgsiving at my Mom and Dad's house, I had packed an anxiety med to take with me. We'd carefully gotten all the kids packed, made sure Madi had pull ups, made sure we had Frank's meds, made sure we had the food we were planning on bringing. We made sure that we had the two dogs and cat loaded up too. We got to Mom and Dad's house and discovered that we'd left Bob and I's full packed bag on the bed. I grumbled jokingly "well, that's a bad thing 'cause my happy pill was in that bag!!!"

Later on the next day the house was noisy and the kids were screaming. Carlie was belting out a Hannah Montana song. I go "Carlie, would you quit singing so I can hear what your Granny is telling me?" She looks at me and says "Well, I know you forgot to take YOUR happy pill today. But I remembered to take mine and it makes me feel like singing!!!" :-P~~~~~~~~

Telling Liars

When the kids were little and someone was lying, they'd say that they were "telling liars".

Well yesterday was a hectic day. I was running late getting home from work. Libby had to be picked up at basketball practice at 5pm, and the little girls had to be picked up from after school care. Then the little girls had basketball practice at 6:30pm, and the big kids had their Christmas concert at 7pm. So I was trying to get them fed and dressed appropriately and the phone rang.

It was Madolyn's teacher...you know Madi...the one who NEVER gets in trouble. And here is how the conversation went.

"Mrs Pool, I have a concern about Madolyn. The first thing I need to know is Have you lost any family members recently?"

"Ummm...No."

"Madi didn't have a grandmother who died last week?"

"Ummmm....No"

"Well she came into school before Thanksgiving and she was just crying so hysterically. She told a teacher in the lunch room that her Grandmother had been killed that morning. They asked her how her grandmother died and Madi said that a tree had fallen on her car and crushed her.

"ohhhh...my."

"So, that's not true?"

"Ummmmm....no."

She said that Madi had told a whole bunch of adults at school about it, and she'd even asked if she could tell her class about it at sharing time. The teacher told me that she was going to send me a sympathy card!!!

Then she says "Mrs Pool...does Madi have a pet snake?"

"Ummmm....no."

"Well she told us this week that her pet snake had bit her on the arm, and she showed me a red spot. I asked her if her parents were there when it happened and she told me that her Dad was there, but he didn't say anything. And again she told about this during sharing time."

Finally Madi got a little wild with it and told them that she had 10 puppies at home and one of them got in the neighbors yard.

The teacher confronted Madi and asked her if she was lying. She said Madi just looked her right in the eye with a blank look and said she wasn't. She finally got her to admit she was lying and made her tell the class that she had told them lies.

I was TOTALLY mortified. The longer we talked the more I wanted to slide under the desk!!!

We asked Madi why on earth she'd told such big whoppers. She didn't have a good answer. She cried such big crocadile tears the whole time we were talking to her. Bob spanked her just like he does the big kids. Hopefully we won't have any future problems. Maybe she'll grow up to be an actress!!!

All My Chicks At Home

JB asked me if I would come and pick him up from his grandparent's house on Sunday so he could watch football with us. He even offered to cook. It was nice to have all my "chicks" at home.

"The girls and I are watching the movie "A Dog Named Christmas" and the three boys are downstairs whooping and hollering over the Steelers game. And I am smiling."

Thankful

I am Thankful for my sweet 7 year old daughter who brought me this paper from school this morning.

I am most thankful for ......Happy Thanksgiving!! There are three things that I am thankful for. Our backyard is very fun. My family loves me. I am thankful for my Mom. Thanksgiving is almost here.

Thanksgiving with Granny and Pawpaw

We had a great Thanksgiving with Granny and Papaw. The girls helped Granny cook. They made a batch of deviled eggs, but ate them all before we ever sat down to eat Thanksgiving dinner!!! We watched movies and football and took naps. And just enjoyed each other's company. We have alot to be thankful for. Here are my two favorite quotes from the day.

My Dad won't ever answer us kids 'cause he's too lazy to talk!!! - Libby Pool.

House full of kids. House full of dogs. Good food. Days like these are what makes life worth living!!! - David Morgan

P.S. I pitched in and tried to help cook the Mashed Potatoes....one simple little thing...and they tasted like crap. LOL. WHO can mess up mashed potatoes!!! Me. That's who!

The Crazy Discussions My Kids Have

We were in the car this week...and for whatever reason they start talking about Mammals. They are arguing about what is and is not a mammal. So Frank, a knowledgable sixth grade spouts off "You can tell it's a mammal because it has live babies." Carlie, my first grade, quickly corrected him "Actually Frank, that's not true. The exception to that is the Platypus which IS a mammal, but lays eggs!!!"

The Blind Side

My family and I went to see the movie "The Blide Side" this weekend. It's about a wealthy Memphis family that took in a large black boy who was homeless and he became an NFL football player. It's actually the true story of Micheal Oher.

I loved the movie and so did my family. Reminded me so much of our situation with JB. But so far we don't have the fairy tale. My high school football player that we took in just pled guilty to a felony and will have to toe a straight and narrow line for two years to stay out of jail. But ...I haven't given up on him. So much of the movie I related to....the strange big kid suddenly showing up in the family Christmas picture...and the questioning relatives. My grandma warning me about taking in a teenage boy in a home where I had small daughters...and driving around on the wrong side of town looking for him after we'd had a "fight". But also a proper hug.

After the movie, I sent him a txt just because I was thinking about him. He wanted to know what I'd been up to, and I told him about the wreck last weekend. He was outraged that I hadn't called and told him about it when it happened. I sent him a text back that I didn't think he cared that much, and I wasn't hurt anyway. And he sent back "Well I expect you to tell me when anything bad happens to any of you in the future!!" He cares. I hope he can work out his issues.

Family Nursery Rhymes

These were rhymes my Mom taught me when I was little. I've never seen them in any Nursery Books :0)

I'm just a little girl...with just a little figure.
Go away boys....til I get a little bigger.

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When I was a little girl..about this High.
Mommy'd take a little switch and make me cry.
But now I'm a big girl, and Momma cain't do it.
So Daddy takes a big switch and hops right to it.

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Ooey Gooey was a worm,
a mighty worm was he.
He climbed upon the rail road tracks,
the train he did not see.
Oooooey Gooooey.

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Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear,
Fuzzy wuzzy had no hair,
Fuzzy wuzzy wasn't very Fuzzy...was he.

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Adult says *Who fired that shot?*
Child says *I fired it...I fired it*
(Play on words..often comes out *I farted...I farted*)

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How many chucks could a woodchuck Chuck.
If a woodchuck could chuck wood.


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My Momma told me...if I was goody,
that she would by me...a rubber dolly.
My Auntie told her...I kissed a soldier,
now she won't buy me...a rubber dolly.

3, 6, 9...the goose drank wine,
the monkey chewed tobacco on the street car line.
The line broke and the monkey got choked,
and they all went to heaven in a little row boat.
Putt Putt.

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I'm sorry little playmate,
I can't come out and play.
My Dolly has the flu,
Boo Hoo, Hoo, Hoo, Hoo.

Climb up my rainbow,
slide down my cellar door,
And we'll be best of friends,
for ever, more, more...
More, more, more, more.

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Bumbely, Bumbely, Bumbely Buck,
How many fingers do I have up?

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Coca Cola went to town.
Pepsi Cola knocked him down.
Dr. Pepper fixed him up,
and now he's drinking 7-Up.

*************************************

Hi, My name is Joe.
I have a wife and three kids,
and I work in a button factory.
One day my boss came to me,
and said *Joe, are you busy?*
I said *No*
He said *Turn the button with your right hand*

(Make button turning motion...repeat with both arms legs, head, etc)

Then end with:

Hi, My name is Joe.
I have a wife and three kids,
and I work in a button factory.
One day my boss came to me,
and said *Joe, are you busy?*
I said *Yes*

Well They Both Said Yes!!!

I went down with my Mom and Dad to my cousin Matt's wedding. I look Libby with me because she PROMISED she'd not talk to much and she'd work and help decorate. Well when we got there the church was too dark for me to use my built in flash.

So my Dad and I went in search of one in his car. We ended up going all tbe way to Tulsa. I was driving. My Dad's cell phone wasn't working, so he had his cell phone out to find my Uncle's number and he was trying to dial it into my cell phone. We were stopped in our lane of traffic when WHAM we are hit from behind. I heard the tires squeal before we were hit, but there wasn't anything that I could do. We were the first car in a three car chain. Both the cell phones in Dad's hands went flying as well as the glasses off his face. My head slammed back against the head rest. We got out, and a young girl hadn't been paying attention and had rear-ended another car which then was pushed into us. Thankfully no one was hurt.

But it was the full works, police, firetruck, etc right in the middle of the busiest part of Tulsa.

By the time we got the wreck cleaned up and cars towed, and a rental car, we missed Matt's wedding completely!! While we were at the rental car place, the agent goes "Mr. Morgan will your wife be driving as well?" (while looking at me). I go "I" am his DAUGHTER. And he goes "Oh". So needless to say we had a hard time fitting my Dad's inflated head into the rental car. LOL.

All the time we were waiting, we were trying to call my Mom's cell phone to let her know what had happened. Later we found out that her purse...along with her cell phone...was in the car. Along with the clothes she and Libby were going to change into for the wedding...and the wedding presents. Oppps.

I asked Libby how the wedding went. She thought about it a second and said "Well it was really pretty....and they BOTH said Yes!!!"

BTW, Mom said that Libby did work really hard. She decorated and cooked and served food. I was proud of what a good helper she was.

The truck of Mom and Dad's car was just blown apart. We are waiting to see if it is totalled.

Old and Sterilized

Frank and Libby just came back from the "health" field trip where they learn about the birds and the bees. Frank went on Wednesday and Libby went today. So last night, Bob was asking Frank about what he'd learned. Frank was mortified and didn't want to talk about it.

So they moved on to other things, and Frank was telling Bob that one day he's was going to grow up to be big enough to beat him up. They were just joking around....boy stuff. And Frank says "Well I may not be able to beat you up now...but some day you'll be old and sterilized...and I'll get you then?" We both go "STERILIZED??!?!?" And Frank says "Yeah, you know....where you can't move any more....sterilized." LOL. So we explained to him the diffence between sterilized and paralyzed. Bob told Frank "Oh MAN, you KNOW this is going on facebook!!!" LOL

Discipline in a Modern World

You know when I was a kid, if I wouldn't clean up my room, my Dad would threaten to spank me and that was enough to get me motivated.

However, the world has moved on. Yesterday Carlie and Madi were to clean up the room they share....and it was a PIT. Madi went in there and worked a while, but Carlie wouldn't help her. So finally I told Madi she'd done enough and Carlie would have to finish it herself.

She threw the most awful tantrum. I told her that she wasn't going to get to eat dinner until her room was clean. So she laid in her bedroom floor and screamed "I guess I'll just have to eat alot at breakfast in the morning since I'm not going to get any dinner tonight." and better yet "I guess I'm not going to get to eat until I get in High School." or "I'm going to starve to death."

I went in there and spanked her and that didn't work either.

Finally I heard Frank mutter under his breath "Geeze, if that had been me throwing a fit like that you'd have taken pictures and sent them to everyone." And he's right. I have some SPECTACULAR videos of him throwing tantrums when he was little and some pretty recent pictures of big boy tantrums.

So I got my camera phone out and made a video of Carlie throwing her fit. I told her she had 15 minutes to get the room cleaned up, or I was going to post it on Face Book. That did the trick. She had that room cleaned up in a heartbeat...all the while squalling..."No, don't put it on facebook where everyone can seeeeeeee!!!!"

Ahhhhh....kids these days.

Hard Questions

Mr. Robey came to Winfield to watch Frank's last regular season football game. Frank was on the field, and I was taking pictures of the team. Libby was sitting by Mr. Robey. When I came to check on them, Mr Robey goes "Man, Julie, don't ever do that to me again?" I go "What?" He said when you left Libby started grilling me with hard questions "Why didn't you keep me?" "Are you still married to my Mom?" "How many tattoos does she have?" "Is your grown up son in jail?" "How many tattoos does HE have?" "How old are you anyway?" "You've been with your girlfriend for five years, so why haven't you married her yet?" "Are you gonna marry her?"

Boy, she nailed him in true Libby fashion. LOL. To his credit, I think he did a pretty good job of answering her questions. He told her that we all decided at the time that the best thing for Frank and Libby was to live with us, and she should be very glad she has such a great home. I told him I thought he did a fine job....all we can do is tell them the truth.