A letter about Jacob

Today I received a letter from the principal at the middle school. He was telling me what a great guy Jacob was. Apparently Jacob told Mr Davis that he was very glad he was principal this year(as it is Mr. Davis' first year). Mr Davis said after 14 fights thus far this year, it was nice to know someone was glad he was there...lol. The letter was very complimentary. Jacob is a good guy...and apparently encouraging too!

It sure feels like Monday.

Today has been full of craziness:) This morning Granny Holt called and she needs more depends, which we keep stored in the storage room. Carlton needed socks....which I have a huge tub with extras in the storage room. Three kiddos needed a light jacket for thier classes which are sometimes cold....I have plenty and they are all in the storage room. All these things divided and nice due to Chelsea's work this summer. So when I ran to get what I need....someone (who remains un-named) used a tool of some sort and broke the door knob....and in the process locked the door which does not have a key....but it really does not matter, because the place where a key should go is now gone....broken....destroyed....ect.... By the "un-known, not me, someone else, I don't know, I did not do it" person who really really does live here! I was very frustrated.....can you tell??

So kids who needed socks wore flip flops. Those cold will just be cold today. Granny? Seth and I ran to Wal-Mart and bought more. Still irked because I have about 10 bags in my storage room! We ran home, put dinner in the crockpot and groceries away.

Then we ran to see Granny...we did enjoy our visit with Granny Holt. My Uncle Jerry and his wife Kathleen were here visiting for the night and we were able to see them for a little while....along with my Dad who came by.

Seth and I ran to Fred's to buy cleaning products.....stopped in the parking lot to visit with my friend Lois Ann. I love Lois Ann! While standing there talking Scott calls to remind me that Carlton had a counseling appt. ......one minute ago! I thought it was at 12:30....but it is apprently at 10:30!! We leave the parking lot and go get Carlton, make it to the church building for counseling only 6 minutes laters. Thank goodness Fred's is less than a mile from the middle school, Scott had called ahead and Carlton was waiting. The church is less than a mile from the school as well!

So I visited with Mr. John Redden, touched base on Carlton....Carlton visited....a hour and a half passed. Seth being a really good camper! We ran and picked up Carlton a burger and took him back to school...

We then went BACK to Fred's to buy the things I needed. About the time we were finishing up, Scott called and asked Seth and I to meet him for lunch. We did. Had a nice catch up meeting!

Then I felt that Seth (though mostly mom) REALLY needed a nap...lol. As Seth would say,"A very very little one"! He holds up his fingers to indicate the size and it is pretty small...lol

We woke to the phone (ofcourse)....but now are approaching time to to "pick up our kids" as Seth would say!

Did I mention that alllllllll day Seth has followed me in his clopping clanking stomping boots? He would say they are "Made of skin!" He always forgets the snake part...lol. Although it does not matter as I am very sure the "skin" is 100% plastic!

Now, finally my day begins! I heard a stay at home mom say one time that her work day began at 2:30 and lasted until 10pm. Yep...sounds about right. Anything done this far does not touch the day that is to begin at my house in less than an hour!

Court again

Yesterday the boys (Sam, Zack and Carlton) all went back to court. They talked to thier lawyer, and he asked that the boys case be dropped in 6 months, after they had paid restitution, contiued couseling and maintained good behavior. The Judge said he was not willing to "drop" the case in 6 months. He spoke to the boys of the seriousness of their actions. That is running from the police they had put the officer and the community in danger. The boys are to go back in 6 months and hopefully they will have good behavior to report at that time!!

Scott

Scott is such a good dad! He is (almost always) the calm reflective thoughtful one(as in one parent). I am the talk you to death parent. I do not let them go until I know they are on the same page with me (agreeing is not nesseccary....understanding is)!

The kids and I made this for Scott the year before last. I am picturing it because I forget what it looks like, as it hangs in his office at work, and if it is here I can see it:)

ps...The picture says "You are the world to us Dad"

These boots were made for walkin'

I don't know why that old country music song always pops into my head when thinking about boots....but it does:) This morning I spent about an hour in two different dig stores looking for boots for my 4 third graders. Thursday is "cowboy" day and they all have reminded me about a million times since they found out....yesterday! Even Scott will admit I am not exagerating! LOL.. A persistent bunch of kiddos I do have!!

An apple a day....

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away.....well, we should not have to go to the doctor until 2020! I keep apples on the table in a tub(the picture). I let the kids pick them up and eat one when "starvation" is upon them! It looks like this tub full of apples should last a while....but I will be lucky if it has any left this time tomorrow. Apples are one of the foods EVERYBODY loves! My biggies and littles alike will pick them up until no more remain!

Jacob's backflip

Jacob is somewhat obsessed with learning to do a standing backflip. I have tried to get him to wait until Chelsea comes home. Not only can Chelsea do them, she can spot as well. I took these tonight. The age-old question in my head....do you watch or not?? I did spot him, but I am not the bestest spotter.

My new camera would not use it's high shutter speed mode in the twilight...so I only have the beginning and end...lol...perhaps that is best.

Stuart is working:)

Stuart is really working as Senior this year. He has our dear friend Rana Hardin for English IV. He wants to do well for her (a big plus) and he is really working. He said he had never had to study as much for any class. I think what he means is that he has never had to READ as much for any class. I am so glad he has Rana! She will certainly prepare him for college....while making learning a joy!

Tonight I caught this of him studying!

Stuart and Tasha

Tonight Stuart, Tasha and Sarah sat at the bar with me while I was cooking. Tasha being the cut up! She was telling us that Stuart has said she would be a good cross country runner. Apparently she told him she could "run forever". I guess if that is the case, she would be a great cross country runner. She then began to pretend she was running....I do wish I could remember her little "running running running" song....was pretty funny!

Are there words?

My Tasha is such a funny girl! There really are not words to aptly describe her personality! Silly, giggly, goofy.....competitive, rough, athletic....smart, witty, sarcastic(a bit much for a 9 year old at times).....kind, helpful and loving...not that I think these all contradict one another, It just seems that Tasha's personality is way FULL...lol!

Scott the grill master:)

Scott sitting outside watching the grills as the little run around. He is making sure the littles do not get to close! He and our friend Thomas sat outside in the chairs giving of thier time to keep little ones safe:)

Happy 16th Birthday Joseph!!!

Today is Joseph's 16th birthday!! WOW! Hard to believe how much he has grown....physically, mentally and spiritually!! He is a great guy:) I love birthday pictures! We did not cut the cake. Joseph's favorite meal is steak and we grilled and had french fries and soda until no one could think of eating cake...lol. Joseph decided we could have it for breakfast tomorrow...a big chocolate kickstart for my bunch:)

A "smotherman family" quirk with birthdays is the VERY LOUD singing (more screaming) of Happy Birthday! In one picture Joseph is trying to plug his ears. It is actually a very positive sign to have your song be REALLY loud....much like have a standing ovation...only with our singing your ears just ring for the next 30 minutes!!

Happy Birthday Joseph!! (And many many many more!!)

Daniel's grades!

Daniel is really shining so far this year at school. One of my high risk for FASD he is proving to be a good solid student! I say all this knowing we are just a few weeks into school, but he is really working hard. He is still into everything, he is everywhere...lol! Bedtime is a bear with him and Ryan....yet success in the arena of school only gives me hope that Dan will pull that success into all his life!

Surrounded by some of my good guys(if not totally boy boys!) he has the advantage of good peer realtions.

When we adopted this sibling group, we knew they would be tough. We felt it in the boys best interested that we did not have other boys around Carlton, Zack and Sam's ages. Now I wonder if it might have been better to have had strong peers with them. Although who's to say that they would not have totally overwhelmed peer brothers?? But, it does seem that Daniel has come so far with Ryan and Micheal on his heals. He tries to be, and succeeds, in being a good play pal to Seth.

Daniel is doing great:)

The dentist

I spent an hour and 40 minutes in the dentist office this morning with my Sethie. I lost part of a filling last week and they had me on the waiting list. I had hoped to get called on Tuesday while Seth was at school, but needed to go bad enough to take Seth with me. He was about as good as a little boy can be!! Colored, wrote "letters" and played game boy at my feet the entire time! Not a peep! He is a neat little guy! We lunched at Wendy's as his special treat, he had a happy meal (I was only too happy to buy) and I a baked potato:)

Parenting on the go

In this crazy world (although I think it is somewhat unique to the United States) people are always in a hurry. Seems that parenting on the go is a way of life. While the pace of life is certainly something to be concerned about....the car riding captive audience is sometimes a good thing. I have always loved car time with my riders who are close to me (as in talking distance). It is a time to chat and hear about activities. I have always loved picking up my children from school. They are always eager to tell the days happenings as they get in. It seems that time away from school dulls that desire. I have to "lead" them to retell it to Dad at dinner.

I read an article the other day that said working mom's only spent 19 minutes a day with thier children. Another 25 minutes with kids while they cooked, did laundry or whatever. That's it! I really did not agree at first. In our community that does not have to be so.....mom's do not commute for hours and such. But it does seem that, as parents, the one on one time with kids is dwindling away(working moms or not!). Kids have way to many toys that keep them from the craving of mom time, and mom's have way too many resposnibilities that keep them from seeking out the attention of kids who are quietly doing something. Kinda the "do not wake the sleeping baby" mind set!

Each day we lose valuable time with our children. I can say that I am up to my eyeballs in my children...lol! They do go to school and my time with them is limited. But this year, we have instated some rules that take away the 'clutter'. Clutter being the things that build up and take us away from each other. After school I do not allow any TV until after dinner. Seems I had become a little lax on my TV rules. After dinner there is only an hour until quiet time and it seems to be really working well for us. I have a few minutes to get the kitchen team working and preparing for the night. Our twilight hour...the hour the children are to be in their rooms getting ready for bed, reading, finishing any rediculously long homework, brushing teeth, and so on....is a great hour to throw out there for my kids. They come to me and tell me all the things that sometimes wait until bedtime and I do not like to hear when they are suppose to be asleep! Afternoons are still a nice time for my homeworkers and barstool sitters. Without TV there is no reason to hurry through our work. And my barstool sitters act like the "kitchen cooking network" is a spectator sport! I have decided that I feel like I am on Cheers(minus the alcohol), the barsitters are a laugh a minute and the information gathered there is always interesting!!

It is so important, and I speak to myself, that I not let a single minute of time slide away!!

Fellowship dinner for Morris Family!

Sometimes sadness can be sad, and sometimes it can be glad sad. Like when you daughter goes to college and you are so sad to have her gone, and yet so glad she has "arrived" there safely and happily. Chuck and Natalie are now, I guess, officially "gone" from our church family and joining another. I am so very sad for my own personal loss and that of my family, and yet at the same time, so very glad that they have "arrived" in a new mission field to do God's will!

Looking back Chuck, Natalie and thier girls have been such a big part of our lives. Chuck baptized Joseph just a few months ago!! A tremendous blessing for Joseph and us all! It has been so sweet to watch the growth our children have seen in Christ, not all due to Chuck(as God did play a significant part:), but still Chuck has been the cornerpost for my children's teenage years .....a strong, steady, reliable, example of Christianity!! What a loss we are suffering, and what a blessing to his new church family!

Natalie I love. There are just no better words. I cry when I think of the loss. I, this crazy silly mom, who has so little time to talk to friends, I always knew Natalie'c calm reasoning was there if I needed it. I must simply resign myself to long distant calls:)

The picture above is of Chelsea with Claire, Katie, Mia and Kara Hanes. Not a great picture of any of them. But it shows exactly what I have just said. Chelsea was on the Homecoming court at FHU and who was there? The Morris family. With encouragement and love. They have just been such a part of our family! They will be prayed for much and loved forever!

Running fast

This is what happens when you cannot run fast enough to get away from little sisters!! LOL...or intentionally sit down and let them because you think it is funny!! Jacob and his buddy Griffin allowed the girls to "fix" thier hair. They are planning to wear it like this on tacky day and were getting a trial hair job. Tacky is right!!

Tasha's cows

This likely not funny to anyone but me....We were driving across the leavy a week or so ago when we saw this pond....which has a small island on it....and at the time (not in this picture) ALL the cows were all standing on the island. Tasha looked and said, "Oh Mom, that is SSOOO mean!!" lol...thinking someone had deposited those poor cows out there all alone! I explained that the cows could all walk across and they were not trapped!! We took this on the way home the other day....I will likely never see them all out there again!

Lunch with Chelsea and Annie

Littles and I met Chelsea and Annie in Selmer Saturday morning. Chelsea needed some medicine so we met her half way. Annie her roommate came too! We lunched at Burger King:)

Chelsea's.. Home Sweet Home

I went over to Freed on Thursday to see Chelsea and take her some things she needed. A fridge (lol...as pictured), and odd things. Her dorm room has really changed for the better in the last week!! Neat and tidy! The girls(the five) all share a living room, one side is couches and one side is "kitchen". They are pretty well stocked:)

While I titled this Home Sweet Home....I do need to add "for the school year!". We sure do miss her!!

Zackery's control issues.

Zackery has really been getting worst at the screaming fits. Especially when HE is the one who is at fault!!! He yells and screams and rants and just acts awful. He can turn it off at the drop of a hat. He CHOOSES to behave in this way. It is a defiant behavior. When he is in time in with me, like today, it really grates on my nerves....but I cannot let him know! I have found a way to control his control issue though:) My camera. It has a video button, which I have played occasionally for my ranters....they can see how silly they look. Today, as I cooked dinner I just kept my camera near-by....he would begin to scream, and I would pick up the camera....he stopped. A frustrating thing to have to hold the camera, but it makes my world much quieter!!!

So, for the moment, I have a way to control Zackery's controling behavior....I do not expect it to last long....but for the moment it is very quiet at my house!

Too sweet!

Sometimes the kids do the funniest things...and sometimes they are just sweet!! This afternoon, as I was fixing dinner, Lita and her friend (and our next door neighbor) Meagan, were trying to find Meagans phone number in the phone book! I really wish I could convey the conversation and giggles by way of blog....but it just isn't the same! They laughed at names and wondered at how many there were of one name or the other. I was most in awe of the fact that she is growing up and it is rolling in a little too fast! Although the confidence I see in her is really wonderful. What a neat little girl!

FBI or Insurance Salesman??

Chelea found this suit and Micheal loved it! We do not wear suits to church, but Chelesa told Micheal he could have it for "dress-up".....and dress-up he does...EVERYDAY he dons this suit and walks around (WITH the sunglasses!). I cannot decide if he is going to be an FBI agent or a Insurance Salesman...lol....either way, suits are likely in his future....he LOVES them!!

Happy Birthday Mercedez!

Today was a really nice day. I picked Mercedez up from school at 12. We went out to lunch at Long John Silvers(her favorite). Then went to pick out and purchase CoCo. We had CoCo all set to meet the family by the time school was out.

Mercedez had her friend Linda come to watch Cheetah Girls and have cake with us. Linda is my friend Shannan's sweet daughter! Linda and Mercedez are pictured eating cake while watching the Cheetah Girls.

Hello CoCo

Our newest family member is just a pig:) A guinea pig that is! She is six weeks old. Her name is CoCo and she is a sweetie! Mercedez will be sharing her room with her new friend. Hello CoCo and Happy Birthday Mercedez:)

Why I blog?

Why do I blog? I like it. I forget so much in the day to day.....I actually enjoy looking back and reading about silliness.

But likely one of the biggest reasons for me....is for my kids. My biggies read my blog. They laugh....fuss....shake thier heads....fume...make fun of....and they all read! If nothing else, it is my thoughts, in writing. They have usually already heard me....now they can "see". But yahoo's definition a blog is "a frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts". I frequently have a couple of thoughts(my thoughts can be as long winded as my mouth!)...lol. Many thoughts I do not put here. This is not a personal diary. It is a frequent, chronological publication of my thoughts on family and lots on the happenings here at the Smotherman house.

It is for my enjoyment and that of my kiddos:)

PS...The picture has nothing to do with the subject....just a great picture of John taken the last week of Mid South.

Model Model Model Model

Model Model Model Model and more Modeling.....it cannot be said enough! But it certainly cannot be DONE enough! Good behavior is a good thing....why it is called "Good" duh! Everyday I see myself doing things I wish I had done differently....don't we all? Hope I am not alone! Actually know I am not! But somethings we need to be modeling are just more serious!

This morning on the way to school John was in the front seat beside me. I have to say, if you have read my blog you know that I feel driving to school is a serious time to show kindness and patience ....never a time to race or rush! But this morning John was getting really frustrated having to wait at the redlight. He was saying things about other cars and so on. I finally turned and said, "John, you may never drive a car." He looked up. I then said, "You have Road Rage and you are a passenger!" I cannot knowingly allow a child who rages behind the wheel of a car! I then talked about time not being that important. It isn't. We did arrive at school before it started. But even if we had not, so what? I am very rarely late for school. Perhaps only a time of two a year.

John does have to take his insturment to the band room and walk to the other side of the building. Sometimes he is just gonna have to hurry. Sometimes he is going to be able to stop and visit along the way. But always he needs to have a good attitude.

Road rage is such an issue in our country. More today because people cannot seem to find enough hours in the day! They race here and there. I may or may not rush my 'people' in the house...but once I get behind the wheel, I slow down. It is a MUST! I sure do hope my kids learn this one lesson!!

Jacob's search:)

Jacob had to find and take a picture beside Henry Burke, drummer for the Union Army at the Battle of Shiloh. Henry was from Ohio. He was about the same age as Jacob. Jacob made a poster of his "search". I did not post all the pictures, but a few:) I thought the pictures were cute ...so here they are!

It all began right here......

I looked left.....

I looked right.....

I looked in fields......

I looked in cannons.....

I looked like monuments...

I found the cemetery....

I read Lincoln's address.....

A bench...I need a rest!

Henry Burke at last!

Jacob and Tori

The sweet life!

Our "baby" is growing so quickly!! This is the sweetest picture! What a sweet time! I do know that Scott and I are both enjoying the last child:)

Melt down

Samuel just cannot do competitive sports. Our backyard ball IS competitive, but it is never a life or death thing! Sam cannot help but take it all way to seriously. He soon looses his temper and either is too aggressive or too verbally asaultive. He cannot see that he is the one having a hard time....that everyone else is just having fun. Tonight I had him sit down to "calm down" but he was so worked up he ended up having to go inside. I keep hoping that the day will come when he can play and be happy!

Yard shots

I took these during the football game:) Ryan's face:) The one of my three little girls! They are so silly!! The empty swing set, everyone was play ball:) Micheal swinging!