Ticks, red eyes and blood...oh my!

This week Austin got his first tick.  The first tick I'd actually seen ever, on anyone.  On his back.  Nasty.  Duane tried burning it off, Austin was horrified. But luckily it came right off with a pluck of the tweezers.  Ew.

So here's the story with Captain Redeye.  Right before family pictures, literally 15 min before we're supposed to meet Jean, Austin runs into Ashley's room where I'm dressing her and he has RED LIPSTICK all over his face.  Not just any lipstick, but my only RED COLOSTAY-8 hr lipstick on his face.  Eye lids, lips, cheeks, eyebrows, forehead.  It was horrible.  He thoughts it was funny looking.  Of course on the day we take pictures!!!  So I take a washcloth and soap and start to scrub on his little face.  I got it all off, and the pics are great.  However, that night Austin had what I thought was pink eye.  So I treated it.  But then 2 days later Austin woke up with BLOOD EYE pictured above. Yikes. Pink eye gone bad.

I took him to the pediatrician and she asked what happened, Austin replied, "My mom hit me."  I looked at him shocked, then he said, "okay, she didn't hit, she really just flipped me with her fingers."  WHAT?@?  She then asked Austin what exactly happened and he said, "she rubbed my eye really hard and this is what happened!"  Oh dear.  The Dr. then asked if he was yelling and asked me to stop and of course he was yelling!  I was trying to rub colorstay lipstick off his face!  She told us to see an opthamologist.

Went to a fantastic opthamologist, and he said it was conjuctival hemorrhaging.  Only bursted/broken blood vessels.  Like bruising.  It goes away.  I did this to my child.  And Austin tells EVERYONE.  I'm still waiting for child protective services to knock at my door.  Note to all moms out there---be super super gentle while washing your kids face.  You never know what might bruise!  It's just horrible.  It look like I used steel wool on his eyes.  But really, I didn't!  Sorry buddy!

Tooth #4

Ash loves playing her Caillou games on PBS sprout, and sesame.org!!!

Wet street rats

Last night, I pulled out Austin's 4th tooth!  I love pulling teeth.  He pulled his first two, he's allowed me to pull out the last 2.  I love my little toothless wonder.

A picture of Annie smiling compliments of Jean Allen!

Austin saw a pillow in our trash can.  He took it out and when I was cleaning up his room while he as at school, I noticed he drew a smiley face and put "Pop" his grandpa on there.  They napped w/each other while he was here.  He sure loves Pop!

Daddy's Home for GOOD!

On Memorial Day, we were very thankful for the service members that have served and currently serve our country and their families.  We also were thankful for the homecoming of Daddy!  He's been in Palo Alto CA since January 20th protecting the past Secretary of State, but now they're free of each other.  She no longer needs protection and Duane is home!  Phew!  He had only been home 15 days since January.  UGGGH!  

So we have him all of June and he leaves for a final CSI training July 12 till the end of July.  So July 12 is when we'll say bon voyage, farewell, adios, hasta luego, kwaheri.  Don't have too much fun in Baghdad baby.

For now, it's DIVINE being together as a family.  

Summer summer summertime...time to sit back and unwind....

New bar stools!  Great yard sale find.

Ash loves her some mexi food.

Is it bad that I still love my kids to match even though they're boy and girl?  (It's REALLY bad that I have matching shirts for Jonathan and I too!)

I love this time of year.  The heat.  Grilling. BBQ's.  The pool is open.  Guacamole.  Fireworks. Smell of suntan lotion.  Children coming in with that outdoor smell.  Nostalgia of childhood playing outside till dark.  Summertime.

BOYS

Austin's buds.  Cameron, Dylan, and Evan.  All great boys.  All adventurous boys. 

All make Austin happy.

SOUR PUSS

Sour puss face.  That's Ash's new face.  It obviously shows discontentment, ill will, and non-compliance.  Yes, a very common face these days.

Sour puss at the Dr.'s office.

But we're happy when we're eating.  The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree in the Toler home.

Little Tiger

Ashley or  Queen Sheeba?

Too tired from putting a few times. This is what sports is about to Austin.  

Pop Here!

Pop came for a visit last week and we of course had so much fun!  Austin stayed with him in a hotel the first few nights, then we'd join them in the afternoons going swimming and drinking "Hampton Inn" Cocoa.  Much tastier than ours.

Pop spoiled us all.  Ash got fairy wings, princess dresses, garden tools from Lowe's and lots of love from Pop.  Austin got a swift kick in the tail from Pop.  But still lots of love.  And I was spoiled most of all.

Dad took me out on many Daddy/Daughter dates.  Including a special night at Cheesecake Factory.  We even enjoyed hours sitting upstairs at Wegmans, talking about life and eating cheese and olives.  

He did everything he could to minimize my stress and to help out so I didn't have to do as much.  Getting kids from the bus, taking the dog out, doing my garden, dishes, making breakfasts, the list goes on.  

But mostly I'm spoiled because I'm thankful that I have a Dad that cares so much about me that he wants to help.  And it goes both ways.  I want him to help.  It's a two-way street, relationships.  Thanks Dad for letting me be a little girl again and stress free for a little while!

Mother's Day 2009

Jonathan was of course travelling for Mother's Day, but he did surprise me with an Edible Arrangements!  Yum.  He never skips a beat.  

For Mother's Day this year, Austin lost his 3rd tooth!  And unfortunately, the Tooth Fairy had NO money.  No quarters, no dollars, only a $10 bill.  I had no choice.  He was astounded when he woke up.  In fact, the tooth fairy wrote a note saying that Austin had to split the money, that he was only intended to have $5, but I didn't have the heart when he came bouncing in my room the next morning with the bill tightly clenched in his little hand, his toothless face smiling and ecstatic.  Fat chance that will ever happen again.  

DUKE

 Over the weekend of May 8, we took a 5 hr road trip to Raleigh Durham N.C and attended the graduation of my younger brother Aaron "Rocco" LaBarbera.  He got his MBA from Duke WHILE being seminary teacher, WHILE working for a top 5 accounting firm Deloitte and Touche in Los Angeles, WHILE being married.  He took his MBA via the executive route so he traveled to NC every 3 months for 2 years for this feat.  

Upon the completion of all the commencements, Aaron and Reghan took us all out to the BEST BBQ restaurant I've ever been too.  "The Shack" and we all ate like little BBQ pot-bellied pigs!

Do you see who spoke at the Duke ceremony?  See that lady waving up there?  Oh yeah, yes it ladies, it's OPRAH!  My lady.  She did a great job.  Very cool.  I was about ready to get up there on stage and do my "Who let the Dogs Out" dance like I did at her pre-show when I saw her in Chicago!  (Remember Kendra?)

Duke has some of the most beautiful old stone buildings on their campus.  Very old, very traditional, very beautiful.

Future MBA grad.  Rock on Austin and Rocco.

CONGRATS ROCCO!

2 Handsome Blue Devils!

And CONGRATS to Reghan who did all the supporting and behind the scenes work.  She is an amazing wife to Rocco.    

I am very thankful for my family.  We are extremely tight and close.  We all talk to each other many times a week/day, etc.  I'm glad that I come from a family that I know always has my best interest in mind and would do absolutely anything for me, anytime.  Truly.  

We live in different parts of the U.S. Miami, Boston, Florida, L.A., Charleston and DC.  But that doesn't stop us from visiting, talking and staying deeply involved in our big extended family's lives. 

Something else I love about my family is that we always stand up for one another.  You don't turn your back on them.  No matter what, we're there for one another.

I want to raise my kids the way I know, which is nothing is more important than family.  

I love you guys.  

Austin's Kindergarten class are the "Penguins".  This week we had lunch with him a couple of times and he's wanted Ash to come each time!  What a good brother.

This week at Mountain View was "Mufins for Mom's" in preparation for Mother's Day this weekend.  After going through the line Austin touching about 4 donuts before finally putting one on his plate and thoroughly disgusting  everyone behind us, we sat down and had a wonderful little breakfast in the school gym!

For some reason the kiddos posed this way --maybe showing their pinkies is like the new 'west side pride' symbol.