Lullaby

I don't know why but Gabriel has been sad lately. He has never cried after Roger or I like most children do after their parents but all of a sudden that's what he is doing. He isn't sad everyday but when he is, I feel helpless. He woke up today from his nap and started crying. Not a big BOO-HOO, just a lip quivering with big tears. I can't ask him what is wrong because he just doesn't understand how to tell me. All I can do is rub his back and tell him it's okay.
You know, I tell that same thing to Katherine and Matthew when they get hurt or cry..."Are you okay? It's gonna be okay..." If Gabriel were to fall down or get hurt he would get up and look at me and say, "you okay?" I guess that's what he thinks your response should be when you get hurt. YOU OKAY???
He just started all this last week but if he keeps it up I am going to take him to the doctor and see if I can find out what's going on.
As most of you know, Gabriel likes music. Katherine got the DVD "Grease" the movie last weekend and has been watching it A LOT. Gabriel now likes Grease also. ESPECIALLY the songs . One of his favorites is, "We go together", (not many of you know that I am a Grease Freak. I have loved it since I was 7 or 8 years old. So OF COURSE I know ALL the songs). Tonight when he started to cry I started singing to him. If I even tried to sing a sweet lullaby he would probably hit me so instead I sang...

"We go together like ramma lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong
Remember forever shoo-bop sha whada whadda yippidy boom da boom
Chang chang changity chang shoo bop that's the way it should be
Waooo Yeah!
We're one of a kind like dip da dip da dip do whap de dobby do
Our names are signed like boogy boogy boogy boogy shooby shoo
wap shoo wap
Chang chang changity chang shoo bop we'll always be like one
Wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-one
When we go out at night oh-oh
And the stars are shining bright oh-oh
Up in the skies above
Or at the high school dance
Where you can find romance maybe it might be oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

-lots of Ramma ramma words-

We're for each other like womp bop a looma a womp bam boom
Just like my brother is sha na na na na na na na yippity dip da do
Chang chang changity chang shoo bop we'll always be together
Waooo Yah!

We'll always be together
-50 more times-

Can you believe it worked? SOUND ASLEEP!
And it's true... Gabriel and I will always be together
A mama's boy.
The funny thing is that he is built just like Roger was at 5 and looks just like Roger did too. I think he's going to be this foxy autistic dude that girls are very attracted too. (remember in "RAINMAN" when the hooker tried to pick-up Raymond in Vegas?) But I need not worry...after he picks his nose and puts it in his mouth they'll walk away... I'll tell them...
Go get a HICKEY from KENICKIE!
Boogy boogy boogy boogy shooby shoo wap shoo wap!

6 Months Yesterday (except for Loala who was born in the a.m!)

Can you believe it has been 6 months (and a day- my daughter just informed me they were born on the the 25th NOT the 26th) since the puppies were born? They are all now bigger than their mother and only half-way grown! I didn't know if the other puppies were as bothersome as Bartholomeu, so I emailed everyone with one of MY BABIES and posed 2 questions to them:

1.) I LOVE MY DOG BUT HE/SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY WHEN__________.

2.) MY DOG HAS FINALLY LEARNED TO__________.

I started laughing when almost everyone said that their dog had issues with peeing in the house! More than half said they had ISSUES with the dogs getting in the GARBAGE! I feel like I am running a scientific study on twins when they are separated at birth. They both pick their noses and wipe it on their left elbow even though they have never seen one another since birth. These dogs MUST have been pre-programmed- BUT I DIDN'T DO IT! And even though they aren't peeing where their supposed too, they have all learned neat tricks like sitting, rolling over and shaking their paw...

I have something to say to each of you who got a puppy...

Caddy's mom (Snow)- Could a dog BE more spoiled? The dog throws bones, toys and water from her bowl EVERYWHERE...jumps in puddles of MUD...you give her a bath, clean up after her and the next thing you see is the DOG laying all over the plump sofa or sitting up to the table in the kitchen to eat -adopt me, please! I also hear the song, "She's a beauty" by the Tubes when I see her...

Luna's mom (Autumn)- We nicknamed this dog "THE BLUE EYED DEVIL" and it was all in fun! She has a big beautiful blue eye and she was always the first to beg, tear up paper or cry, which is how she got her nickname but you just COULDN'T figure out WHY we EVER called her THAT...which you told me more than once...which means you love her, adore her, and DEFEND her, even from my name calling -HA!- GOOOOD, I did my job well because my baby has a good home with YOU. (Personal- you could pass her off as a pitbull to keep all the boys OFF your beautiful daughter!)

Davidson's mom (Casper)- So glad I got to meet you! Not only did you get my husband's pick of the puppies but you named the dog the last part of the motorcycle company I am trying to keep him away from! Roger says, "They got my dog and they've got Harley's too, NO FAIR!" HEY EVERYBODY- these people have another Boxer too! Her name is Harley! Get it...Get it... Harley Davidson ...Get it? Oh...never mind! Hey Jaime, aren't you glad you didn't give in to YOUR HUSBAND either and name the dog BRUTIS!?

Isis mom (Harvest)- Hey! What gives! How am I supposed to put an "'s" on the end of that name? Isissss'ss??? Are you trying to confuse me? (SHORT TRIP) So glad my dog lives with you and gets in your clean bed sheets dirty! So glad she gets in your trash can too SINCE YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO SEEMS TO HAVE A DOG WHO ISN'T STILL PEEING IN THE FLOOR... Which makes me pose the following question... Who is your "BABIES DADDY"?

Dooley's mom AND dad (Pumpkin)- Sure glad my cousin Amy got us in contact or I might not be writing this blog about puppies! I seem to have a really hard time with reproduction since it took me 4 years to figure out how to have my daughter, Katherine, and about 7 or 8 days of trying to get my dog Patch to LOOSEN UP. She "DIDN'T WANT NO BOYFRIEND", but after talking to you guys and you explaining the MOOD music I needed to play for her and the toys I needed to buy from the adult bookstore... well she had puppies right away! I wonder how dogs get pregnant in the wild...Hummm, I guess there are some questions I will never have answers to. Thanks for letting me call you at 2:00am. Personal to Dooley- start paying attention to where you are going so you don't dislocate a shoulder! How are those beagles treating you...

Loala's Mom's (Loala's name was picked out seconds after birth) So glad this experience brought us a friendship too! Thanks for loaning out such a stud of a daddy (even though he kept spilling puppies everywhere...) I can't believe Loala fools my brain EVERY TIME I pull up to your house. She comes running and my first thought is, "Why is my dog Patch over here?" I ALSO want to tell everyone that I thought you'd be the FIRST to answer my questions but you were the LAST (which is why I was still up at 2:30 am writing this blog)!!! I guess it doesn't matter though since I talk to you or email you ALL THE TIME and I really know all the answers to my questions about Loala anyway... like getting in the garbage and being "HAWK BAIT" when she was little. But guys... you really need to draw the line at giving her a pacifier to suck on...IT WILL RUIN HER TEETH.

Last but not least BARTHOLOMEU. Everytime I look at him I think about how much I love him. No matter how many times I have had to pick up garbage in the yard, (and chased him with the broom) had to replace flip-flops he chewed-up, or cleaned up a gallon of pee off the kitchen floor, I still CAN NOT resist those big beautiful eyes. Would you believe I am not a BIG animal lover? Don't get me wrong... I love my dogs but BIG dogs just AREN'T my thing. I don't much care for other people's dogs (or cats, ferrets, lizards, birds, ect...) You know how some people come up to your dog when your out somewhere and pet them? THAT'S NOT ME. But these puppies have got my heart... I love them all. If something happened to any of them, it would really up-set me and even though Bartholomeu spends ALOT of time outside (because of his peeing habits) I would be in the INTENSIVE CARE UNIT if something happened to him.

Patch was in HEAT about 3 weeks ago. Yes, I thought about it. It's a big undertaking caring for puppies though. I can't stand Not taking care of them. Just like I won't let my kids leave the house with their hair not fixed nice. It has to be in a style. They HAVE to look cute (well... except for Gabriel who has the whole curly 70's thing going on). I just didn't have the energy... so now Patch and Bart will get "fixed" because their mother and son and I can't have that whole North-East Georgia brother-sister-cousin-mother-son thing going on. What do you think this blog is? Jerry Springer or Maury Povich? NOT YET...

www.wheresgabriel.com

I went through a fast food drive thru the other day and got this ten dollar bill. On it was written a web address- www.wheresgeorge.com . I think I've seen one of these before but I never visited the site. This time I kept it so I could. You go on and register your bill and it tells you where all it has been. For those people who are SUPER BORED you can have your own stamp made and stamp and register all your bills and see where they go. Mine started out in Sarasota, Florida. I took it to the gas station and bought Gabriel some BUBBLICIOUS bubble gum in "Lebron's Lightning Lemonade" flavor. (it's in a yellow pack and very tasty) I needed change for the library printer because I waited till the last minute to print out a bunch of tax documents that I did for everyone. That's right, I have a cool camera and a laptop but no printer...well I do HAVE a printer but it is only for professional photographs not simple printouts. I did have a printer once but Gabriel harassed it to death and then tried to feed it something and it went out with the garbage one morning... I don't know what he has against certain electronics and appliances but he has it in for my washer and dryer. He got mad at Matt the other morning because he took the DD-MOTE (DVD Remote) away from him. Gabriel ran in the kitchen and ripped the washing room door OFF. I grabbed it before it fell and put it in my minds list of more things for Roger to fix. Later that day I went to the bathroom (only #1, sorry, but I couldn't have you picturing me doing #2) and he got a 120 load bottle of DOWNEY FABRIC SOFTENER and poured it all over the kitchen floor. The smell alone about killed me as I can't smell perfume without getting a killer headache. I walked directly to the kitchen cabinet and got the ADVIL out and took some. I then stood there looking in disbelief - not knowing WHERE to start. I wanted to start my own website... www.wheresgabriel.com

The Easter Angel on "American Idol"

Happy Easter! Here are a couple of the pictures I took of Kat, Matt and Gabe for Easter. This year I thought it would be neat to have Gabriel sleeping in the pictures- you know, little angel-Easter ect... I didn't let him nap that day and he was ready to hit the hay by the time we got to the park. I had visions of Katherine cradling him and what pretty pictures they would make. All my ideas for pictures usually look great, but with Gabriel -as usual- things are unpredictable. He is really too heavy at this point for Katherine to hold for long and although she did manage for a bit, he kept turning his head around where I couldn't see him. I think I still took some good pictures but I wonder if this is just my opinion. I KNOW how Gabriel is. I know how he talks non-stop and hits ect... You see, I have a personal LIMO WINDOW in my mind. When I have had ENOUGH my mind rolls up the window. He can sit and yell, slap, and hit me and I seem oblivious to it. I have to remind myself that not everyone has a LIMO WINDOW for Gabriel. Because even though I can function ABOVE his shenanigans, most people can't get past the things he's doing at that moment to concentrate on anything else. So maybe these pictures of the children are like Picasso art, you like it but you just can't get past the look on Gabriel's face.
Someone from University of South Florida came to the house a couple of days ago and had me to answer a bunch of questions about Gabriel's behavior. They are doing a study on children with disabilities like Gabriel's whose behavior is similar to that of Al Qaida terrorists (destructive and mad just because they WANNA BE) and they, so far, have been successful in correcting these behaviors. They asked me questions like, "If your child eats green eggs and ham and sings the anthem will he/she jump up and down and rap like MC Hammer?" I answered MOST DEFINITELY YES! Anyway Gabriel put on a little show for the man that came. He sang, "White Wedding" by Billy Idol, Wanna Be, and The Sugarhill Gangs "Rappers Delight". Oh, and how could I forget Boy George's "Do you really want to hurt me". He learned most of these songs off "The Wedding Singer" movie. The man commented that he wished he had his video camera, which MADE ME THINK. The next time AMERICAN IDOL is in town for audition's I should take Gabriel. If the weird Chinese guy could sing so bad and get a label THEN so could Gabe. Then I really could get a LIMO WINDOW. Note to Simon: Be nice! He spits and hits without REGARD...

LENT

Our trip got delayed a bit for our God son's Baptism because of LENT. This is where Catholics give up something they really love for 40 days .At this time there are no baptisms, so the new date is at the end of May. I asked Lucie what she gave up for LENT, she paused and said, "Nothing, I haven't been a good Catholic". I have news for her. She HAS given up a lot and not just for LENT. Since becoming a mom she has given up sleep, freedom, material things for herself and all the love in her heart. So in my opinion this is the best LENT Lucie has every had.
I told her when we came up there that I needed...I couldn't think of the word... and she said, "I know, I'll get you a little gift". "No", I said, "I want one of those little flowers to wear on my blouse- no actually I am getting a t-shirt made that says, "I'M THE GODMOTHER". I plan to wear this with a pair of blue jeans into the church, I am pretending to be Catholic and am giving up dress clothes for LENT - (Personal to Brenda, Just kidding!)
I didn't know it, but one of the Godparents have to be Catholic. I guess Roger will have to qualify us for that. I mean his family IS Catholic, most of them are just the kind that only go to mass when someone gets married or dies. And he WAS baptized, only it was after we got married and joined a Baptist church. And in the end what does it really matter? I love the Lord, I am saved and go to church. I don't hold the rosaries but I pray everyday. I have a relationship with Jesus, and isn't that all that really matters?
I'm a pushy Baptist too. By the time Hayden is 5, I'll be calling Lucie at 6:15 am on Sunday mornings and telling her, "Get up and get that Boy to Sunday school!" Oh wait... Catholics can go on Saturday mass too... Hey, maybe there are some other things I need to know. I need to get one of those books called, "Catholicism for Dummy's". After all, I am making a promise to help him be a good little bapti...uh...Catholic. CHRISTIAN. A good little CHRISTIAN!
FYI- I now attend a non-denominational church. I'm not Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian or Pentecostal. I am a Christian -short and to the point. AMEN!

Kid for Sell

See this? THIS is my bathroom floor. Notice the shine? No, I didn't clean it till it shined. It's water.
Yesterday Matt and Gabriel made a tent in the dining room and my mother and I were about seven feet away, that's it. Not mom, me, Matthew or Katherine noticed when Gabriel walked out of the room. BUT HE DID. I don't know if he got super powers like Violet in "The Incredibles" and was able to become invisible or what... but he decided to go to the bathroom and "reappear" in the tub. He preceded to take off all his clothes, turn the water on and pour anywhere from ten to fifteen BIG-GULP (you know-from "7 Eleven"?) drink cups of water into the floor. He also had Comet cleaner and Katherine's zit cream in there with him. Didn't really find anything on the labels that said these two products would blow-up if you mixed them though... He also didn't PUFF out any Comet powder so most of the damage was cleaning up the mess.
FUN.
And ya-know he really seemed to be have a good ole' time- really hated to break-up his little party. He was jumping in the tub, laughing. Couldn't much blame him. I am sure the look on my face was something to see. So were my pant legs after cleaning up the mess because they had an inch or two of wet marks going up the leg after "wading" in the water "so to speak". That's one cool thing about this old house. You can't see it with the naked eye but there is a dip in the bathroom floor because of the wood floors, so all the water stayed in the bathroom floor. Just like in the kitchen when Bartholomew would pee. When I would go to clean it up, I would notice he peed in one spot but it would flow a little to the middle of the room.
Oh yeah, He also spit a Capri Sun Juice bag all over the wall and peed on the sofa. So now there is no cushion on the sofa and I am getting the covers dry cleaned.

Cute Kid! Curly brown hair. Brown eyes.
REALLY SMART (disclaimer- no common senses)
Acts like a puppy (likes to chew)
Great memory (resites movie parts, books ect...)
Sings, good eater.
DON'T LET OUT OF SITE
Taking bids, starting at $1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
Call 867-5309 (remember that song?)

Riding the Buggy

A few weeks ago I took the children to see the movie "Nanny McFee". It was a trip! It made me wish I had magical powers like the Nanny. She taught those naughty children lessons FAST! For instance, the children didn't want to get out of bed and said they were sick. They went so far as to put red spots on each others faces! She knew they were full of it and hit her cane on the floor (which is the equivalent of Samantha on Be-Witched wiggling her nose) and the kids were stuck in the bed as if their butts were glued down! They stayed in the bed all day STUCK. So when kids want to be bad and disobey, it would be cool to FORCE them to DO exactly what they think they want...for a long, long time.
Which is exactly what I did...
Every time we go to any store, Matt jumps on the back of the cart. Pushing 80 pounds around on the back of a cart will break your back. I have told him OVER and OVER not to do it, but he always does it anyway. Well after the movie we went to Wal-Mart. AND not just to do regular shopping -grocery shopping too- with my mother. When you go shopping with my mother, it takes FOREVER. She is the QUEEN of reading labels. Anyway as soon as we went into the store I got my buggy and OF COURSE Matt jumped right on. But this time I didn't tell him to get off. I told him HOLD ON TIGHT! I refused to allow him to get down. After 1 hour of holding on to that cart for dear life, he was begging me to get DOWN! He keep asking if he could GET DOWN... NO! He also stuck his tongue out at Katherine and I told him," Oh, don't worry about putting it back in your mouth". So we were walking around Wal-Mart with Matt holding on to that cart with tight fists and his tongue stuck out his mouth! (He kept his head down so no one saw) Guess what? Matt NEVER jumps on the back of the carts anymore and the tongue thing was only the last 10 minutes or so, but I can't remember the last time he did that either.
These kiddie movies, they can be REAL educational for ADULTS...
Nanny McFee gets 5 stars!