At least they were asleep before midnight...

I went upstairs last night to get ready for bed, and this is what I found. 3 boys had already invaded my bed, and were sound asleep. Rather than move them...crane anyone? Dave and I decided to leave them there for the night. Dave got to sleep in Ty's bed, and I bunked with Izzi, and Samson. Apparently he thought he was missing out on some action and wanted to be with us. Needless to say, the only people that slept well were the boys and Samson. The rest of us...not so much.

Happy Thanksgiving

Ours is going great so far. That's whipping cream. The chunks used to be the bowl. I didn't get pictures of the tragedy 30 minutes prior, wherein I found out that sweet potato peels can't go down the disposal. They do however, spray out underneath the sink along with some nasty looking water. Gallons of water. Now I know how to put the pipes under the sink back together. This is what I am grateful for. I'll be even more grateful about 10pm tomorrow. Or when the Xanax kicks in, whichever.

Truer words were never spoken...

Those of you that know the family will completely understand.

28 Days!!!

No, I'm not talking about THAT! I'm talking about 28 days till New Moon! I have the sweetest husband ever. I sent him to the store for chocolate chips, and not only did he bring those home, he brought me home these tasty little tidbits...
Jacob and Edward chocolate truffles! It's so nice to have an understanding husband that didn't freak out when he found out how much I paid for my midnight showing in the Fang theater of New Moon, and one that feeds my addiction to both chocolate and everything "Twilight". He won't make himself sparkle though. It doesn't wash off in time for work. The Edward one, which will be eaten, savored, and enjoyed, all by myself, is cold mint flavored. Ahhh, chocolate, mint, and Edward...pure heaven! The Jacob one, which will sit on a shelf looking pretty (kind of like Jacob in the books, actually) is warm raspberry flavored. Which makes me gag to think about. The only fruit that chocolate should be paired with is orange, like in these tasty little gems...

I've eaten them since I was a kid. I start stalking stores about mid-August looking for them. Walgreen's and Rite-Aid have never let me down. (This little interruption brought to you courtesy of my ADD. We now return you to our regularly scheduled program).

Anywho, I have several orders already for Edward truffles, from my cousin up North who doesn't have a Macey's grocery store. I also have to buy one for my own little Bella. I showed them to her and said "Look Iz, Jacob and Edward truffles!" She didn't even bat an eye, she just said "I want the Edward one". I've taught her well.

Happy Anniversary!

12 years ago today...

• It was about 80 degrees. I'm freezing my arse off today.
• The Braves were in the playoffs, coming off their tear inducing championship season of 96. Well, I cried. I'm crying this year because they TOTALLY BLEW IT!!
• The world was still reeling from the death of Princess Di. Today, some people still are.
• I had no idea the Internet even existed. Well...duh!
• Dave and I got married!

Wow. 12 years! Seriously, it seems like yesterday. Ok, not yesterday, but not 12 years!!!! I'm pretty sure 12 years is a record for the Snyder family too. I love you Dave. I wouldn't change a minute...well maybe that weekend last September, but hey...

Happy Birthday Kate!

Since I'm not allowed to post any actual pics of Katie on my blog, this is the best I could do.
I'm Thelma, she's Louise.

• She is the best sister ever.
• She knows the importance of driving miles out of our way for a "good" coke
• She'll always go ambulance chasing with me,
• She is the only person I know that can out movie quote me.
• She is also the best Aunt/Mom to my spawn. They love her with all their little black hearts.
• She lives by the motto "it's only fun until somebody gets hurt, then it's hilarious".
• She's always up for a good time
• She is the only person I can properly share a Hostess cupcake with (she eats the frosting, I eat the cake).
• She loves shoes. Best of all, if they don't come in her size, she'll buy them for Izzi.
• She is the best companion to take along to the ER. She hits on the hot doctors and/or nurses, makes sure they take good care of my kids, and makes tasteless jokes right along with me.
• She's a lot better sister wife than that Nikki chick on TV.

We love you Kate. Thanks for all you do. Thanks for putting up with us. Thanks for staying with us. Thanks for staying medicated. Thanks for improving your decision making skills with regards as to whom you bring home :). We are proud of you. You make our crazy, odd, probably slightly illegal, family complete.

Karma baby...

So we all remember the unfortunate incident that took place last year, when Ty was playing golf in the backyard and Jack walked into the club on the back swing. Yes, that's two black eyes and a broken nose.
Dave took the boys miniature golfing a few weeks ago, and Jack, aka "Happy Gillmore" teed one off and managed to hit Ty square in the temple. Lets be honest, it is a big target, but the kid had a lot of force behind this one. The pics not so good, but it was a perfect golf ball sized red bump, complete with dimples from the ball. This was Jack's reaction when I showed him the damage he had created. He felt bad for about a second, but then told Ty it was Karma paying him back for last year.
That Karma, she's a real...well, you know.:)

P.S. For those keeping score, from June till September Tyler had...

• a broken thumb
• a toenail viciously ripped off by the rock holding down the redneck slip and slide
• a sprained foot
• a torn neck muscle
• golf ball to the head

As I told my dad, I can't even take him to the ER anymore, I'm one visit away from them calling in DCFS and investigating me. No worries though. Andi, my family therapist/cousin says she'll totally stand up for me. Or at least tell them that everything was justifiable.

The Drug Free Assembly

When I pulled up to the school yesterday to do my weekly Wednesday folder duty, I noticed a man leaving the school carrying all sorts of boxes and a pet carrier. Did I mention the man had on a vest made out of various colored star fabrics? Yep, a magician. I've always placed magicians in the same category as clowns; they both dress bad, are creepy, and they are a little too closely related to Satan for my tastes.
When the kids got home that afternoon, Ty told me that they had a magician come for an assembly, and he did cool tricks and talked about why the kids shouldn't do drugs. Later on, I asked Izzi if she liked the magician that was at the assembly. She informed me that there wasn't a magician, just a guy that did magic tricks. I asked her if he talked about drugs, and she got a puzzled look on her face and said "No, but he had a cute bunny." Jack waited to tell us about the assembly till he was laying in bed with Dave and I that night (he was cold). He started of by saying that the musician at the assembly did cool tricks, and he had a little statiue (spelling intended, that's how he says statue) and that the statiue found a joint...he paused here to make sure I knew what a joint was. When neither Dave or I could respond properly because of the giggles we were suppressing, Jack continued triumphantly "It's marijuana. And if you smoke it, you'll be stupid". He lost me after that point, the bed was shaking too hard from our laughter and I couldn't really understand what he was saying except that if you smoke pot, you head will turn into a balloon with a mean face on it, and the balloon will pop from all the drugs you do, because that's what happened to the statiue.
Thanks Mr. Magician. I'm sure at least one of my children will remain drug-free because of your presentation.

Be Jealous

So I get this text from Dave two nights ago:
"I am here!"

That's Dodgers Stadium for you "I don't follow baseball" types. Me? I was at home listening to my kids, boys included, argue over who got the Hannah Montana washcloth as a Bingo prize. Jack won.
So did the Dodgers, in 13. Why can't I go out of town on "business"?

First Day of School, 2009

Summers over...or so says the school district. Personally, I'm not ready to call it yet! Regardless, the kids started back to school today. The boys were up by 7, on their own, and ready by 8:30. I'm taking bets on exactly how long this will last, I'm thinking by Monday I'll be dragging them out of bed at 8:30 and shoving a pop-tart in their hand on the way out the door.

So, here are the traditional first day pics...

No, it's not cold. Not in the least. I think these are his comfort items. Ty is starting 5th grade, and is sooo over the first day excitement, and my documenting the event. To make sure I didn't embarrass him, he made me drop him off as soon as we pulled onto school property.


Jack, on the other hand, was totally excited, he ate breakfast (a first), got dressed, AND did his own hair!
And then there was Miss Iz. I've been struggling with the thoughts of her being gone to school all day, she's my baby! It's been 10 1/2 years since I haven't had someone with me during the day, and while I thought I would be excited at my freedom, it turns out I was really, really sad.Here she is in her sparkly pink peace shirt that grandma got her, she's had the outfit planned for weeks!
And there she goes, for the next 6 hours.


I totally got over being sad when Mom and I went to lunch at the Pizza Factory in Lindon. I'd like to extend a special thank you to the large group of women with all their under 5 spawn that helped me to recover. Having them there made every one's lunch such a quiet, relaxing experience. My ears are still ringing.

Happy Birthday Jack!

Jack turned 8 on Monday. I can't believe it's been 8 years since that little peanut was born. It doesn't seem like it's been that long...and yet in some ways, it's been a loooooonnnng 8 years. Jackson has had many nicknames through the years...Jackjack, peanut, peanut butter, badger milk boy, and hemorrhoid (because he's such a pain in my butt!)

Hard to believe that we've gone from this...6 weeks

To this...9 monthsTo this...almost 1. I think he looks like Oakley here.and now this...armed and dangerous!

We celebrated at an Owlz baseball game. Who would've guessed, right?

Jack used some of his birthday money and bought a broken bat signed by Braulio Pardo, the Owlz catcher who took Jack on the field for "Field of Dreams".

I told Jack he couldn't play with the bat, because it would break more. Sleeping with it was totally ok though. He's slept with it in his bed every night since. Cutest thing ever.

Besides a bb gun, he got a few other things too. A new bike from Grandma and Kate (he finally outgrew the toddler bike), some lego sets, and a shirt. Here he is with his lego's from Izzi...

and his reaction when I told him she really wanted to buy him a boy Barbie. We love you Jackjack! Hope you had a great day. We are proud of you everyday! Thanks for being such a sweet little boy and a great brother.

Orem Owlz

We've been spending a lot of time this summer supporting our local minor league baseball team, the Orem Owlz. They are the single A affiliate for the Los Angeles Angels...thus the boys wearing Angels gear.
Izzi, who has been drug to baseball games since she was a baby now proudly proclaims baseball as her favorite sport. She got the hat during a 7th inning stretch promotion, and she got the bat by begging Grandma, her second favorite sport.

Ty looking way to cool. He hates having his picture taken lately.

One night at the ball park, Izzi insisted on bringing her purse in. I didn't know why until later when I discovered her pink camo baseball glove inside. A girl must always be prepared!
Iz trying to catch a foul ball. She discovered later that it's much easier to just look cute and be the only girl at the wall, and the players will give her baseballs that they have signed.
Izzi and the Owlz mascot Hootz. He's getting married this week, to Holly, but she scares me, so we don't have any pics yet.
Thanks to the Orem Owlz for providing so much entertainment this summer!

Free At Last!

Look Mom, two thumbs!
Ty telling his smelly splint how he really feels.

After a long, hot 8 weeks, Ty finally got the OK to take his splint off. He was so excited. Before we even went to the doctor he told me he didn't want to go because he knew they would just tell him he still had to wear it. Boy was he excited to hear different!
We had to pick up Izzi from Lexi's after the appointment, the girls dared Ty to celebrate by sliding headfirst into the pool. They didn't think he would do it...

But he did. First on his tummy...

Then on his back for good measure. The girls were in awe.

Ty says now if his toenail that he ripped off completely playing on the redneck slip and slide that I rigged up would heal, his summer would quit sucking.

Brothers Don't Shake Hands, Brothers Hug!

Saturday night Dave and I took Izzi and went to the car cruise in AF. While we were on our way home, I got a call from mom saying that the neighborhood bully (whom I have already told to stay away from my kids and off my property) who we will call Prictor, and his little sidekick were being mean to my boys. They had all been at a church party when Prictor started chasing them and throwing things at them, with it culminating when Prictor shoved Ty off his bike and he landed on his still broken thumb. Tyler told Prictor in no uncertain terms that they were no longer friends (I later told him that under normal circumstances we don't use the word he did, but it was ok just this once) and came home. A few minutes later, Ty remembers that his little brother and friend Kaden are still out there, so he gets his baseball bat, and went back to help Jack and Kaden. Don't worry, he didn't use the bat. I told him he shouldn't have taken it, but he said he just did it to scare Prictor. It worked.

So, two very good things came out of this whole ugly situation. One, Jack came home and asked Grandma for some Rescue Remedy, he told her he was very angry but was trying not to throw anything or hit anyone. Second, when I got home and was talking to the boys about what happened, Jack came over, threw his arms around me and started sobbing. He kept saying "Ty really loves me, he came back to take care of me, he was worried about me". It broke my heart. I think that with all the teasing and fighting that goes on, sometimes the boys forget that they actually do love each other very, very much, and that they would go to the ends of the Earth for each other. I was actually very proud of them, neither one of them fought back, they took the high road and were better off for it. Also, they finally understood what I have been telling them for years. Friends come and go, but your brother will be your best friend for life.

Swimming

Ty and Bones

Jack and his noodle

Ty, Izzi, Jax, Jack, and Dylann on the raft

Esther Williams

Gotta have the floaty in that 6 inch water

She doesn't understand why I can't take pictures IN the pool, and why after 3 hours I'm tired and want to go home. Izzi's wish of being a mermaid just might come true, she can spend more time in the water than anyone I know!