Wow! Its been a long time!

Where have you been? Its been a while. Sit down and enjoy these pictures from the last couple of weeks. My baby boy is now six years old. And in some of the pictures you can actually see the new tooth coming in!
Our excursion to the New Zoo in Suamico last sunday. One of the rare times that all the animals are facing the same way and looking at the camera.

What a whopper! I'm not sure when this was taken. Jacob has been fishing a few times with daddy. Hopefully they will get to go this weekend too.

My baby....

My baby will be six is just a few days. His birthday party is tomorrow and he asked to decorate the house in the "flag" colors. How patriotic! But makes for cheap birthday party supplies when I have to buy just red and blue stuff.

I cannot believe that its been six years since he was last in my stomach. We were looking at a United States map tonight and Jacob was asking me what states he's been to. Unfortunately he's not well traveled, but its just two. Wisconsin and Minnesota. He pointed to several states that he wanted to go to. Florida because that's where two of his classmates went this spring break. He also chose Washington State (Anne, I'm sending him your way this summer), Maine and Nevada.

He was disappointed that he had only been to two states. Unfortunately on a state employees salary, we get great benefits, but the pay isn't so great. I did explain to him that when he was in my stomach, he traveled to Nevada, Michigan, and New York. He thought that it counted then and now its five states he's been to.

Funny how a young man thinks.

Happy Birthday baby. And many many more!

Soap box

Alright, one thing I've had enough of lately is people giving me advice that are no way qualified to do so.

Don't kick a person when they are down. If I'm telling you I'm having a bad day or I'm frustrated, I told you so is not the correct response from any friend, relative or acquaintance. Or better yet, they have no children or one child and tell me how much harder it is when they get older "you just wait!".

Being a mother of four children is one thing, being a mother of 3 year old triplets is a whole different ballgame.

If you can't say anything nice (or positive) don't say anything at all.

Faux Paus

Did you ever just have an embarrassing moment and really wish that you could rewind time? Luckily I can laugh at myself most of the time because well, I think God has a pretty good sense of humor and is looking down at me laughing too.

Some of my more memorable moments.

• When I walked into a pole at work after just coming back from Cancun in 1995. Two of my co-workers witnessed it. I was hungover and wasn't watching where I was walking.
• When I showed up for a job interview for the above job late because I had come to work that morning with one black shoe and one navy shoe.
• When I walked out of the bathroom at the old Shakey's with toilet paper coming out of my pants. Scott and our friend Aaron were there to witness that incident.
• Last Sunday when I went to Jacob's t-ball practice with my shirt inside out and didn't notice it until I got into the car AFTER practice.

Yeah, Scott, I know you're saying I told you so. We have this argument that has been going on for oh, 10 or so years. He thinks I should turn my shirts outside in (the right way to wear them) vs inside out. After years of analysis and agreeing to disagree, I've found that I take off my shirts from the bottom and they end up inside out in the wash. And they stay that way when they are in my closet. I usually don't look too much in depth when I pick out a shirt, just one that is complimentary to my pants. So, this is why I wore an inside out shirt and why everyone who was sitting behind me probably wondered what the heck is with THAT woman.

The triplets are driving me NUTS. O.K. truthfully its just Brooke and John, but I think in general its three things. They are 3, they are out of their cribs and they have stopped taking naps.

I am about to tie them down at bedtime. I'm so sick of Brooke getting out of bed and turning the light on or shutting and opening and shutting the door over and over. No amount of angry glares, shushing, yelling or swats stops her. Same thing with John. He bounces on his mattress, is running around the room, wrecks the blinds while looking out the window and makes it really hard for Matthew to fall asleep. And then on occasion, Matthew will join in on the foray and then everyone gets yelled at. Tonight it took 90 minutes for everyone to get settled.

By the time they go to bed, I am ready for peace and quiet. Three has been very challenging so far. Its not like I can put a shock collar on them and hit a button when they don't listen or run out of the yard. Its really wishful thinking and I would probably get social services at my door.

Then tonight as Brooke came out of her bedroom because she was wet, I changed her diaper and went into the bathroom to wash my hands and use the facilities. I look to my left, the wall, and right next to the toilet paper, is this (cringing) big gigantic thing. Its not moving. Its got about 50 legs and this really long body. It was so freaking scary I almost peed in my pants. Good thing I was already in the right area. I squashed it and flushed it down the toilet. And when I squashed it, I could feel the meaty part of the body breaking. Ewww. It was so big that I think it would supplied enough protein for a small child.

Kids are sick. Matthew got sick last monday night with a fever and cold, then Brooke with a cold, and then John with a fever and cold who still has one and then Jacob with a cold. Scott is also got some type of bug. I'm the last one standing.

Lies, lies, lies

I'm not in panic mode about this swine flu. There was a report on the news that 36,000 in the U.S. die annually from the good ol' flu. If we all use common sense and wash our hands and stay home when we are sick, I think we'll be o.k.

If not, I've got some Tamiflu left over from last years Influenza A epidemic that occurred in the Callaway household. I am willing to sell it on the black market at very high prices to pay for my children's schooling. I'm not above that. But I do have limits.

Like, for instance, a couple of my pet peeves. People that lie. You know you lied, people around you can verify what really happened, just tell the truth or God will strike you dead in your tracks. O.K. probably not that dramatic, but God knows what you did or didn't do.

Another pet peeve of mine, or would be if I were a boy, is getting kicked in the privates. Last night while working, a girl, all the age of 11, kicked a boy, age 10 in his tenders. For nothing. No reason.

Speaking of lying. Jacob just lied to me. He took some Lego figures away from Matthew and he said he didn't. It was still in his hand. Hello? Get rid of the evidence if you don't want to get caught in a lie.