3rd Post in One Day!

Yes, this is my 3rd post. That is becaue I'm tired and don't feel like doing anything else. It's not just because Jon was gone this weekend. In fact, I was asleep by 7 last night! Then at 10 on the dot Will woke up. He keeps doing that, wide awake at 10 and won't go back to sleep. We tried to get him back to to sleep. He'd fall asleep in our arms and as soon as we lay him down start screaming like crazy. We were up until 1. Then he woke up again at 1:30. I finally just held him all night. I know that's spoiling him, but I had to sleep. So, today I'm in the recliner with my laptop watching a Monk marathon and blogging. Nice and relaxing, but the big kids will be home soon so relaxing time almost over- boo hoo!

Still, I want to tell the funny conversation I had with Jackson last night. While we were eating last night he said, "Mommy is dang it a bad word?" I said it wasn't the worst word but not one I wanted to hear my 6 year old saying. He calmly replied, "Yeah, it's not as bad as damn I-T." He said the bad word and spelled the word it! When I almost choked he said, "Well, if you can't spell damn just say it!" Definately not my proudest parenting moment, but my funniest! And no, he didn't hear that from us!

I know this is a little late, but I just downloaded the cutest pictures of what Santa filled (and I do mean filled) my stocking with:

Hi, My Name Is Tonya Dodd and I'm Addicted To...

Webkinz! For those of you who don't have kids old enough to be into Webkinz yet, they are cute stuffed animals that come with a code. When you enter it on their website, they become a virtual pet. You have to feed it, decorate its room, play games, oh the fun never ends! Unfortunately, I'm addicted. After the kids go to bed at night, I am usually playing their Webkinz. It's gotten so ridiculous I even planted a garden and water and weed it every night. OK, actually I planted 3! Jon says I have a real problem when I'm up playing past 11! My kids love them too. The most effective punishment in our house right now is to put their Webkinz in time-out. Sadly, when they can't play their Webkinz I get online to feed and care for their pets. Why should the innocent pets suffer just bc/ the child misbehaved? So, now you know my guilty pleasure (I know there are more moms out there lurking in Webkinz world. It's not kids logging on at midnight with me). See the cute picture with me and my 14 grand-Webkinz!
Ashton even dresses in her best attire to play hers: Sharpay dress, Wonder Woman gold belt, Ariel crown, Easter bunny socks, and pink lay. Can my girl accessorize or what?

The sad part is addicts pass on their addictions to their children. In this case at 4 months! Hey, the babies need more tummy time so what better way than hanging out with sissy and bubba playing some games! They actually like this. Usually they cry during tummy time.

The kids racked up at Christmas. Ashton got 6, so now she has 7! Do you think she likes them?

Jackson got 5 and couldn't be more excited. Added to his previous 2, he now has 7.

Thank goodness, they now have the same number! All kidding aside, Webkinz are really great. They have really learned a lot from the games and having to take care of soomething. Not to mention, budgetting their money. It's funny to see how a boy and a girl play differently. Jackson mostly wants to play the games. He hoards his money and won't spend anything if it makes his total go below 3 thousand! He also is really learning math by adding up his totals and subtracting it from his amount, all in his head! He's learning to save up his money for something big. Then there's Ashton. As soon as she gets 1 dollar, she spends it! She only wants to decorate her house and shop for new clothes. She really wanted to buy a yard, so I tried to earn her some money. She kept spending it and couldn't grasp the concept of saving up for something! She has really learned a lot too. She can manipulate that website like nobody's business. I think she can use the computer better than a lot of adults! Any way, we love our Webkinz. Jon and love that they are the cheapest toys they got and what they love the most!

Let the crazy fun continue, and I'll try to work on my addiction, maybe!

Fun at the Dodds

Want to see what we did while the kids were out of school? Ashton wanted to have a tea party so she got out a blanket, dishes and the babies' Bumbo seats. When she handed them a cup they held it just like they've been going to tea parties all their lives! It was so cute. We laughed and laughed and had the best time. This is probably one of the first things they have all 4 played together. Things like this were why we all enjoyed their break so much.
Wesley has this sad look and is turning his cup upside down. I think he needs more tea!

Will doesn't seem ashamed at all to be using the pink Barbie cup!

However, the funniest moment came when I went into the kitchen to fix a bottle. When I came back, Jackson had turned the babies to where they were facing each other. He said, "Look Mommy, Will's Oprah and Wesley's her guest." How funny is that?

Update

Happy drugs wore off. Babies took turns crying and sleeping. Ironed clothes for Jon for hours as his b-day gift. Jackson begged me to watch him play video games. Ashton spoke only in whine and repetitive phrases at each screeching volume. Mississippi is far, far away. Me tired, go to bed now.

I think I'm being drugged!

So, most of you know that Jon is out of town on a 4 day hunting trip. I think he's drugging me! First, to the surprise of all, I agreed to let him leave me and 4 kids for 4 days. Secondly, I haven't been upset about him leaving besides the fact that I'm really going to miss him. Thirdly, the night before he left I cooked his favorite meal, and we were treating him like he was leaving for charitable work instead of fun! I couldn't even believe how laid back and not upset about it I was either, so I accused him of drugging me! Of course, in the interest of full disclosure (and because I know it will be on his blog when he gets back), he did arrange for his mom to watch the kids so I could go to Bunco and for the big kids to spend the night at Donnie's tonight. In addition, I agreed as his birthday gift (his birthday is Tuesday!). Plus, he felt so guilty for leaving us that I milked it all week with comments like, "Since I'm going to be all alone it would help if you gave the babies their bath. I'll be so stressed out with the kids by myself if the house isn't clean!" So, 24 hours in, and I'm actually enjoying it. It's nice being kind of to myself (the twins are alseep right now). Of course, those nice feelings probably won't last all weekend. I'm admitting up front that I'm not brave enough to bring them to church by myself. I wouldn't even know how to get them in the doors! I feel so guilty about that, but they've been sick so I don't really feel comfortable taking them to the nursery. My poor Sunday School who has had to listen to us teach for the last 2 weeks with babies in tow and those who sat around us in big church when we had to leave a dozen times, will probably be glad I stayed home! So, here I sit with Will waking up, dreaming of them cooperating and being able to even scrapbook tonight (probably wishful thinking). Pray for me :) When Jon left I told him, if you are drugging me PLEASE just keep it up until you get back!

I Love My Blog!

I was trying to journal on a scrapbook page I did months ago of Jackon getting baptised. I knew he had said something amazing, but I couldn't remember what it was. Luckily, I started blogging the very month he was baptised and wrote it down. When I asked Jackson that day what it felt like to be baptised, he said, "It felt like God touched me." That still gives me goosebumps. How could I have forgotten that amazing moment? Thank goodness I recorded it and so much else from our lives on this blog. It's such a great melting place for my 3 hobbies: scrapbooking, photography and writing. I never make time to write in my journals any more or even write stories or poems which was who I was for so long. Everyone knows how addicted I am to taking pictures but am so far behind getting them developed. Like many of you, I am years behind in my scrapbooks (because of before-mentioned picture addiction!). Therefore, this current blog allows me an outlet for all of those. And, like I discovered I can use it to remember for when I do get around to getting the pictures developed, the scrapbook layout done and the writing started! So, in short- I love my blog (and my sweet friend AJ who got me first addicted to hers and convinced to try my own, I can't wait to get it published like hers:). Now, all of you be inspired to start your own so I'll have that many more to stalk like I do Heather, Sonja, Ashley, some stranger in Virginia, Deanna, and now J-Rae's!

Older Brother & Sister + Camera Crazy Mom=

I put this hat on Will and commented that he looked like a pirate. Jackson went on his own and got the hook which Ashton helped him hold at first. Then he started holding it on his own. We were all laughing hysterically (and of course I was snapping pictures) as he started waving it around.

Now if only he had a matey to change his bootie- wow, that was really bad. I apologize! I guess it could have been worse, I could have said do you know what his favorite letter is? RRRRR...I think maybe I should go to bed now before I lose all my faithful readers by acting like Jon with his silly jokes.

Speaking of Jon, he has decided to start his own blog to tell, as Hannah Montana his favorite singer would say, "The Other Side" of the Dodd story! I'll keep you posted as to his progress!

PIRATE BABY...