Cousins

Keith and I were talking last night about the size of my family. My immediate family is quite small. My dad, my mom, my brother, my sister, me, my husband, my 3 kids and my grandmother. Those are the people that I consider my immediate family. Family gatherings are fun and focused 100% on my kids...it's all about making sure they have fun.

However, my extended family is quite large. There are 31 first cousins (1 is deceased and 1 will be born in May, 3 are not blood and therefore have not been with us since birth, but they are accepted just the same). I know every single one of them by name and can mostly tell you the order they were born. There was a baby boom and I think 4 or 5 of them were born within months of each other and I sometimes get those confused, but I'm pretty close. Me and my first cousins are now having kids. So, that makes those kids my 2nd cousins. And those kids and my kids would be 3rd cousins. That's how it works right? I am close, and my kids will be close, to those 2nd and 3rd cousins. Did I mention that this extended family is all on my mom's side of the family? I have no 1st cousins on my dad's side as me and my siblings were the only kids born on that side (which leads to extra spoiled great-grandkids).

So, let me briefly describe Christmas' with my extended family. My mom has 10 brothers and sisters. All are married. So that is 22 adults right there. Then there are the previously mentioned 31 first cousins (minus 2). 6 of us are married, and 2 have their almost husband's attend. Keeping up yet? That makes 59 people right there. Add the third generation of kids and that is 9 more people. 68 people. And counting. Our generation is still having kids and many aren't even married yet.

So right at this moment I have 68 people in my extended family. I know them all, I love them all, and while closer to some that others, I feel close to each and every one of them. I love my extended family. I love getting together with my extended family. I love being a "grown up" and being able to sit back and laugh at the simplemindedness of some of my aunts and uncles.

But most of all? Most of all I love the fact that my kids are going to grow up with this 68 and counting extended family and love and be loved by each and every one of them. I love that they are going to be close to their THIRD COUSINS, and possibly their fourth and fifths. I can't even name some of my third cousins. I'm not close to them, and the ones that I am close to number many already.

I don't always tolerate my extended family. I don't always agree with them either. But I love them. And I know them. And I'm glad that the closeness of family and a strong family unit is something that my kids will know. I can't imagine a Christmas Eve without 68 (and counting) people crammed into a 20 x 20 living room opening presents, running around, and being loud.

**edited to add the 1st cousin that is a cousin by marriage, but in our family, it doesn't matter. she's just like a blood cousin**
**edited again because there were 2 cousins by marriage that I forgot about, plus I didn't include my parents in the brother/sister adult count. math is not my forte :)**

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

2008 Recap:

1. Destiny broken arm (2 trips to ER, 3 to ortho)
2. Brendan bruised elbow
3. Keith broken leg, bed rest for 4 months, surgery, huge deductible paid WITH TWO WEEKS LEFT IN THE YEAR.

Hopefully, 2009 brings us better luck in the whole broken bones department. Regardless, I've realized that the high deductible health plan is not in our best interest for 2009. So I switched us back to the PPO plan. At the end of this year I will do a cost comparison to see which plan is actually better.

Also, some goals for 2009:

1. More patience with my kids
2. More time spent doing family activities that do not revolve around sports
3. TAKE A REAL VACATION!
4. Drink more water, eat less McDonald's
5. Play with Wii Fit at least 30 minutes per day and at least 3 times a week
6. Save more, spend less. More specifically, put aside at least $20/check out of both Keith and I's checks...when he goes back to work.
7. Cook more, eat out less. More specifically, plan weekly meals and cook accordingly. I'm often caught in the trap of getting home late from work, tired, aggravated from traffic, and don't feel like cooking. So we eat out.
8. Plan more one on one time with each child
9. Devote more time to myself, even if it means going in the bathroom and locking the door for 15 minutes everyday.

I'm thinking these are more goals, and not necessarily resolutions. These are things that I should strive to be better at for more than just this year.

SNEAUX DAY 2008

We braved the cold to play in the snow yesterday! I have never seen it snow so much in south Louisiana...it was insane! The kids had fun playing in it for about 5 seconds then they were disgusted with how cold and wet it was. Regardless, I was able to snap a few pictures!

Twigs v Full Grown Trees

So by the title you may think that this is a post about the beautiful weather outside or how the trees are changing colors.

You're wrong.

Recap of the conversation in my house last night:

Setup: My washing machine broke, flooding my house with water (yeah, I don't even wanna talk about it) so I had to take the morning off and bring all my soaking wet clothes to the laundromat. Fast forward to when I get home and ask Brendan to go through all the folded clothes and put them in piles according to who they belong to.

So there is this mysterious pair of uniform shorts. Bren asks who they belong to. They are obviously too big for Des, but really too small for him. I look at the size. It's 14H (14 husky). So I determine that they are probably his and tell him to try them on.

He puts them on and looks like poindexter. They are somewhat tight, but not squeezing his legs. Think cowboys and Wrangler jeans. They come about an inch above his knees. Keith looks over at him, and the conversation goes like this (Nic and Desi are at the kitchen table eating supper and me, Keith and Bren are in the living room--they're side by side)

Keith: Zip them up and lets see if they fit.

Bren: But dad there is No Room!

Keith: No room for what? They look like they fit.

Bren: Daaaad! You know what I mean (wink wink)

Me: His twigs and berries Keith!

Bren: Twigs and berries? I have a FULL GROWN TREE.

(Cue laughter, gut wrenching, fall on the floor laughter from me and Keith)

Desi: Ewwww. Could y'all shut up PLEASE! I'm trying to eat.

Nic: Daddy! Daddy! I got a full grown tree too!

More laughter from us and gross sound effects from Des.

I just don't know what's more disturbing. The fact that my 12 year old really does have a full grown tree, or the fact that my 9 year old daughter and 5 year old son knew exactly what we were talking about.

Presidential Election 2008

I'm not a political person. I have my favorite candidates and I vote for them. I don't always vote along party lines (registered Republican by the way) I don't feel strongly about who you vote for, and sometimes I wonder if my 1 measley vote counts (technically it doesn't in a presidential election, but whateva)

So, presidential election 2008. I really don't give a shit. I don't like either candidate. I think that some people feel that voting for Obama is the "cool" thing to do. He has only served 143 days in the Senate. 143 DAYS. This amount of time does not make a presidential candidate. And who is Joe Biden?

John McCain. He's an old fart that sounds like he's reading from a cue card most times and whistles his "s". For this reason alone I could not watch an entire debate. Sarah Palin--she's cute as can be. But would she make a good president if McCain kicks the bucket? Not in my opinion.

But, really, what does a President do? Nothing. Meet people and sign bills. The House and Senate does all the work. And there are "advisors" that tell the Prez what to say and what not so. So really, in my opinion, the presidential election is just a popularity contest.

So, I think I decided that I'm voting for McCain. But if Hillary would have won the nomination, then I probably would have voted for her. She did a good job her first time around.... :)

Dusting off and trying again...

I don't have time to blog. I really don't. But I also don't have time to keep up with my friends, so this seems like the best solution. So I'm dusting it off and trying again.

We're turning into our parents aren't we?

I haven't had time to blog much. For example, this is my day today...AFTER I work 7.5 hours and drive an hour home from work...

5:45 - Nicolas at ballpark for team pictures
6:00 - Brendan honors ceremony at school (by invitation only so you HAVE to go)
6:30 - Brendan baseball practice (think we're gonna skip it today)
6:30 - Destiny AllStars softball practice
7:00 - Nicolas T-Ball game

So see, that's why I haven't blogged. Every stinking day has been like that this month. Well, except for the weekends....where we spend the whole time AT THE BALLPARK.

Anyway...the title of this post. I always took pride in the fact that I wasn't going to be like my parents. I was going to do things differently! I was going to pioneer this whole parenting thing. That is, until yesterday.

Yesterday I came to the realization that I am not my mother (thank GOD!) and I am not my father. BUT, rather, I am a happy medium between the two of them. I think that I take the best qualities from both, along with some of the worst to be honest. But the best prevail.

I would part the seas and jump the clouds if that's what I had to do to make sure they were happy. I have been faced with some of my worst fears regarding parenting and I think that we have made the right decisions regarding those problems. I guess only time will tell.

Anyway, I just think that I'm doing the same things my parents did with us. Maybe not specifically, but wholly. I am doing the best that I can. And my children should be lucky.