You think you are still subscribed.....

So...... you think you are still subscribed to sandi's blog,  but in truth you aren't because I SUCK,  and I couldn't just transfer the feed from this blog to the new blog.  So the new blog has a separate feed and you are going to need to subscribe to that feed to get the latest and greatest.   So for the technically illiterate (I fall into this category)  here is the step by step.

1.  Type http://luckythirteenandcounting.com into your web browser of choice

2.  click on the orange subscribe button (it's a square in the upper right hand corner with the word subscribe next to it)

3.  Choose your subscribe option of choice

4.  Enjoy your new feed.

Sorry again that I couldn't just handle this for you.  Happy Reading.

Brandon

technically illiterate guest blogger

I AM NOT HERE

Please visit the new blog at http://luckythirteenandcounting.com

See you there.

Hold the balloons, the confetti, and the housewarming gifts....

I am not going to flip out at the people that told me, on Thursday, my new site was ready to go.  I won't come completely unglued that, after she mentioned we could go live anytime on Thursday, she took friday off and didn't get back to me until yesterday,  Saying again  "Lets go live, we are ready."  I shot back an email.  "I'm ready. Let's do it."  and then I waited and waited.  

I checked my site at least 5900 times yesterday.  NOTHING.  I sent emails and got no response. I had proofed, I had paid, and I had approved everything.  I got NOTHING! 

By 7:00 pm last night I was in a full blown panic attack.  My anxiety went through the roof and by 9:00 pm I was unable to take a full breath of air and was contemplating calling the hospital for an inhaler or something.  Brandon wanted to take me out for a quick drink to chill me out.  I just wanted to breathe.  I didn't want alcohol.  I was pissed that I paid an insane amount of money for this new design and after they had my every dime they disappeared.  

This morning I received an email with an apology that they lost power and wouldn't have my site up until tomorrow morning.  I'm trying to be calm, and I'm sorry you are still looking at my same one wall.  Now, lets all cross our fingers and pray hard that tomorrow this fancy web design company in New York buys a damn generator so they can deliver what was promised!  

Am I the only one that thinks this all sounds a little fishy?  The proof is in the pudding they say.  If you still see this site tomorrow, you can all rest assured that shit is about to hit the fan.  I've been looking for a reason to go to Manhattan.  

This is it blogger

This is my last day here.

My new Wordpress design is completed and ready to go live.  

Change and I don't always see eye to eye.  But I have taken this nice and slow, and called most of the shots in this process.  It will take some getting used to, so hang in there with me while I adjust to the new place.  

I hear you all asking why I'm switching.

Even though I have only been blogging for 9 months, and I have only had readers for six months,  I have experienced, quickly, the shitty side of blogging. Not all of my readers like me.  In fact, I have some that despise me, and they want to make sure I know it.  Even with the comment moderation turned on, I still have to read the hate they spew at me.  This switch to Wordpress, and my own URL,  is going to allow me the ability to block IP addresses.  I am a one strike mom.  You piss me off, you lose a privilege.    That's the way it goes.  I don't need your shit anymore.  With fourteen kids, I get enough of it here.  I don't need it on my blog.  You have been warned.  

To all of my nice readers and lovely comment leavers, ignore the above message.  It's intended for the idiots that want to push my buttons, and read me, because they don't have a nice life of their own.  

I am a little bit nervous, and have a tiny bit of anxiety.  I hope I don't hate it at Wordpress. There are definitely more bells and whistles and buttons to push.  I hope I can learn the tricks.  

If you don't see me for a few days then Brandon lost you again.  This is always Brandon's fault.  I don't know how to take you from point A to B.  He has to point things here and there and redirect feeds and stuff I don't have a clue about.  So, I will give you his phone number to call if I drop out of your reader or inbox.   Just kidding.  I will be freaking out at him if I lose you lovely people. 

I am hoping we lose a few trolls in the process.  

See you later in my new digs.  

luckythirteenandcounting.com

Old habits are hard to break

I have been trying to get Ellie to move into her big girl crib for three months.  She, however,  had other plans.  She wanted nothing to do with her brand new, beautiful crib, filled with gorgeous bedding, that I had to have from pottery barn.  NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!  When I would start heading towards her “new” room, she would cry.  If I laid her down in her crib, she would cry herself hysterical until I placed her back in her port-a crib in the nursery in my room, with boy bedding I might add. There she would fall fast asleep.   This is the game we’ve been playing for the past few months.

 

This is how I found her often.

I am happy to share that, this past week, she finally realized the jungle bedding in her port-a crib wasn’t quite as cute as the gorgeous stuff in her big, roomy crib in her new room, and she made the switch! 

This isn't the best picture, but you can see, she fits much better.

In an effort to not fall into old habits of putting her to sleep in her old crib, I knew I had to take the nursery in my room down. 

As happy as I was about moving her out of the nest, I was heartbroken about putting all the baby stuff away.  Is this it?  Are we done?  Brandon and I have wandered around here all weekend asking the same question in a hundred different ways.  Is Ellie the last?  Are we done?  Is this it? 

As we carry the swing to the garage-

 

“Should we update our homestudy?”

 

As we move the rocker out of our bedroom-

 

“Should we make an appointment with the IVF clinic?”

 

As I slide the changing table down the hall to the laundry room-

 

“Should we wait a year and then decide?”

 

So, my happy weekend of spring-cleaning turned into a deep ongoing discussion about our future and when, and if, we want to add more to this family, and if so, how are they coming? 

 

At the writing of this post, all we know is we aren’t done.  There is more coming, but we don’t have a clue how or when.  So for now….. I am going to enjoy having wild sex in my room without waking a baby.  We’ll see how long that lasts.

HAND-ME-DOWNS

**Update**

I need to find a family to take Girls size 3T

I need a family for Girls size 10 slim 

I need a family for Boys size twelve pants.

I need a family to take 3-6 months baby boy summer outfits.  

I will ship these.  Please let me know if you are in need of any of these, ASAP.  These clothes are taking over my house!!

Week in Pictures

I am beginning to think every one of the weeks are looking exactly the same.  We sit outside, shoot hoops, and ride bikes and ripsticks.  We eat, we play, we take pictures.  I am determined to add some new activities to this families photo library.  

Until then, more of the same stuff. 

She is getting so close to crawling.  She gets up and rocks and rocks, then lunges and face-plants.  

Ty wanted the whole world to see him pop a wheelie. 

This is Ty's version of that.

We sit outside to supervise the Saturday car-washers.  Nothing is more fun than watching someone else wash your car.  

Ellie is happy to see them too.

She is waving at them.

I'm too tired to get up and think about lunch, so 

Hadley brings the veggies and the bagels and we 

do the impromptu picnic

Since the kids were so good last weekend

I took them to the beach down the street

for a change of scenery.

I don't love this beach.

It's Capo beach and it's nothing but ROCKS!

The kids don't seem to care.

I am going to try and forget the fact that, while Dalin sat right next to me building this amazing rock tower, he shit his pants.  He blows my mind, at least once a month, with this stunt.  

I am currently shopping butt plugs for our outings.   




...and finally on Thursday, I sat for hours at the salon while Kate got a new hair-do.

She looks fabulous!  

FRIDAY FLASHBACK

This photo was taken four years ago.  I am in shock and awe, to see first hand, with my own eyes, that these two particular kids have NEVER been able to play together without raising HELL! 

NEVER-

If something bad is going down in the house, or this neighborhood, I don't have to talk to many faces to figure out who was behind it. 

 Jasmine and Dalin- 

The broken branches on the tree- Check

The writing/coloring on the wall- Check

The broken outside faucet and flooded yard-Check

The missing drill bit- Check

The flooded toilet- Check

The broken Nintendo - Check

Broken radio- Check

Flooded basement- Check

Broken trampoline-Check

Makeup on the floor, stained carpet- Check

Broken garage door- Check

Toys outside on the grass, left overnight to be watered- Check

Dug up the flower garden in the front yard and piles of dirt in the street- Check

That is just a few things, from their ever growing list of shit, that they've managed to do, on my time, in the past year.  

Dalin and Jazzi are notorious for causing trouble. They play so good together, they are best friends. but no matter what they are playing so nicely and quietly, they always end up doing damage.  ALWAYS!  

I had to chuckle at this picture, that even way back when, (Jasmine is two in that picture) they were raising cain.    

BIG NEWS

Test results are in- NEGATIVE! 

We are celebrating and crying tears of relief and joy.  

I have no idea why the results got here so fast, but that in and of itself was a blessing.  

Thank you all for your kind words and prayers.  

Now, I will go have a much needed melt-down!