A "C.J. Lawn Service," update.

A couple weeks ago I got a new email from our not-so-bright lawn guy. As you may recall, they continue to work on our yard, despite the fact that we've never paid them. Not from lack of trying, but from our guy's inability to retain our contact info, no matter how many times we give it to him. So, this was his email:

"Christy,
I was wondering why I havent seen your emails sent while back. They was going to bulk folder. (junk mail folder) That has been changed now.
If you would, please provide me again with your first & last name, address,phone # so I can update my system also send out the invoice & agreement so we can get on the right track to a better looking yard."

I especially liked the "They was." At least he didn't ask for my email address again.

Well, I sent off all the info...again (this must be at least the 5th time)...and he got back to me yesterday with a contract. The only problem was that none of my programs open up his attachments. Not Word. Not Adobe. Not anything else I have. It's a mystery as to what he used. This kid just can't catch a break. I emailed him back, but who knows how long it will take to get this one squared off. It's a crap shoot with good ol' C.J.

It is time for me to post another collection of random, quirky comments that my kids come up with. I jot them down until I have a bunch of them to write up, so they aren't in any particular time-line or order.


I gave a motivational speech regarding Santa to the twins today. You know the one...where you tell kids that Santa is only coming to good boys & girls...not naughty ones. This was the conversation I over heard a few minutes later.

Austin: I'm a GOOD boy, too! Santa is happy to me.
Alaina: I'm a good girl, mama.
Austin: Santa is coming today!
Alaina: We is good! We don't eat people!
Austin: No, we don't eat people. We have to play hide and seek with Santa.
Alaina: I'm hiding here. (she get's behind a couch)
Austin: When he comes we can say "Surprise!"
Alaina: Yes...he's coming now!
Austin: Santa's a boy! He coughs. He says "ho ho ho." Like that. That's his name, "Santa Coughs"
Alaina (from behind the couch) He coughs?
Austin: Yes. Santa...he coughs, "ho ho ho!" I like it. Santa Coughs.
Alaina: Oh. Yes. I like it too! (she comes out from behind the couch) He says, "ho, ho, ho!
Austin: Yes...that's what I said, "ho, ho, ho."
Alaina: NO...like this. (she pats her tummy) "Ho, ho, ho!"

The proper intonation and hand motions are discussed for the next 10 minutes.


While making dinner, I got a whiff of an awfully suspicious smell and seeing Ethan nearby, I asked him if he had a little accident. (Ethan had been having some random accidents during that past week and I had constantly been asking him if I could check his undies) Ethan gave me his maniac grin, twisted his hip out and jerked his bum high up on one leg. Looking back at me, over his shoulder and with one hand on his hip he called out, "Check it!" And image of a sassy teenage cheerleader flashed in front of my eyes. He was just missing a wink and a flip of his hair. That kid!


I was busy patting myself on the back for being award-winner mother as the warm smell of baking cake filled the air, when Austin entered the room. Ahhh...the praise that little boy would give me. The adoration. I lovingly bent down to one knee, ready to soak in the sun-drenched praise that was about to pour from my sweet baby's mouth. And on cue, that lover-boy put his chubby hands on my cheeks and said,
"Mama! I smell cake. It stinks my nose! (dramatic pause) Get it out of my nose!"
What just happened to my moment? It was cake! How could cake not smell good?


Lolo & Mark wrote a little book for the kiddies for Christmas. I think we can safely say that at least Austin liked it because yesterday when I asked him what he wanted me to read to him, he replied (all in one breathe, I might add):
"Maybe we could read our favorite. And that book Lolo and Mark gave to us. With Austin, Ethan and Laina. And I turned blue! And Austin's hand was blue. And I was upside down and turned blue. Our BEST book. Maybe we can read that book."
Yeah...he loves it.

Merry Christmas!

Today is Christmas for all of you, but we were lucky this year because Santa came a few days early for us. He must have known that Lora and Mark were leaving Christmas Eve and wouldn't be here for the big day. So on Friday we had our Christmas Eve. I had pulled a bunch of recipes from allrecipes.com and made sure I had all the ingredients before we started. Robert only had to go back to the store once for something I forgot. Lora and I spent the entire day cooking up our masterpieces. Robert spent the day cleaning the dishes we dirtied and hanging out with the kids with Mark. We had dinner on by 6:30 and it was really delicious. I couldn't believe that everything turned out so well.
After we ate so much we couldn't move we got the kids ready for bed and then read them stories. Mark and Lora had written and illustrated a story book about the kids for the monster's Christmas present. It is really something. The story line was all about the kids playing in the park and using their imagination and the illustrations were so fun and colorful. I should really just take pictures of every page and post it. Hmmmm....maybe I'll do that later... After that story, Robert read The Night Before Christmas and then we acted out the Nativity story. (That is one of the Jones' Christmas traditions we hope to make our own.) After that we left our cookies for Santa and shooed the kids off to bed. Alaina protested the bedtime by saying, "But I love Santa. I miss him! I want to see him!" Ah...thou doth protest too much...

And that just left us the clean up and Christmas set up. Mark and Lora really helped us get ready. Mark somehow put together the boy's sailing ship and Lora and I got the doll house together. Actually...that was mostly Lora while I watched. But 1 a.m. it all looked pretty great. Now, why didn't we get to bed at that time? I don't know when we got to bed, but I do know that Christmas came too early. The times I did sleep, my dreams were filled up with rotten Christmas scenarios...like Robert getting 5 dogs and a cat for us for Christmas or not being able to find the presents. What ever happened to sugar plums dancing in my head?

Christmas morning was so much fun. The kids were so excited to see what they got. Alaina was a little grumpy that Santa didn't hang out and wait for her, but she soon got over it when she saw her "dolly house." The boys loved their pirate ship and everyone loved all of the Christmas presents that family sent to us. Thank you! We played all day long together. It was really a wonderful Christmas.

The day after Christmas we spent the majority of the day playing Settlers of Catan. I'm afraid we were rather addicted to it. (Thanks Nathan & Lindi) While we played we let the kids rot their brains by watching a couple of movies. (Thanks Craig & Robbyn.) At one point there was a bit of commotion from the Living Room. We ran in and found Alaina defending her doll house, quite effectively, from Ethan. I guess she really didn't want him playing with it. That girl is flexible!

Later we found the boys in the living room, pushing around a special present.

Last night we said a sad farewell to Lora & Mark. It was so much fun having you here! It was good to get to know Mark a little more (even if Austin insisted on calling you Uncle Ron.) Come again soon. We'll make a Christmas meal for anyone else who would like to visit as well. Come one...come all!