Trey's first sleep over

Trey stayed with a friend last night for the first time since we have been here.  It is very quiet this morning.  I am one of those over protective parents so I don't let the kids sleep over very often.  I went over last night and met his friend's family, they were nice and their home was clean and pleasant, but I had trouble sleeping without all of my kids at home.  I watched way too many of those tv shows about missing kids and cold cases, so I will probably be a basket case until Trey shows up this morning.  Rick had no problems letting Trey go spend the night, he was just going to a note with our phone number!  I am trying to relax and let the kids be more independent and free, but I foresee a lot of sleepless nights ahead for mom.  Valium anyone?  LOL

What the heck is this?!

Found this in Chandler's hair just now, any idea what it is?  When I squished it it had blood, like a mosquito.  I asked our neighbors and they have never seen one before.

Please say hi!

I am gathering readers from all over the globe, it's very exciting!  Please take a moment and type a message to us.  Just click on comment and say hi, please include your first name and the country you are in.  it would be so much more fun for me to know who is out there!  I really look forward to getting to know you all.

Washed Out to Sea

Don't panic, it wasn't a whom but a what!  Chandler's beloved life jacket, the one he brought with him from the States, the one he won't go in the water without, met a tragic end today.  He was splashing in the shallows up by the split, so he took off his life jacket and carefully put his shirt and ball on it and set it up on the concrete wall that separates the shallow from the deep.  Somehow it got knocked off into the deep and the current started to carry it away.  Trey, being a good brother made a desperate rescue attempt, but the current was stronger than he was.  We bid a sad farewell to our faithful friend and constant companion.  Our little man is going to have to conquer his fear of the water now and learn how to swim.  Mommy may need some Valium because in all honesty I think that life jacket eased my fears every bit as much as it did his...

Isn't it always something?

We were well on the way to fine tuning the budget, stretching every cent so thin you could see through it, and what do you think happens?  Our propane tank runs out of gas!  I started to make breakfast this morning and the stove wouldn't light.  Rick went down to investigate and our tank was smack dab empty.  So now not only do we have to pay to ship it to the city and to get it filled, we have to feed everyone until we get it back.  Days like this I wish we had a microwave.  LOL  I hope everyone REALLY likes peanut butter sandwiches!  Go fast barge, go fast!

Haha, BTL missed a VOIP in their ban!

Yes they have blocked Skype, yes they have blocked Magicjack, yes that have blocked Vonnage and all the rest, but if you need a VOIP in Belize, they forgot to block Google+ Hangout.  I tried it tonight with my brother and it works my friends!  I know, I know, Google+ isn't great, but if it works it works.

Sushi update

The sushi prices were really good.  Rick and I had two rolls and two drinks and split a brownie for $36 BZ, which is $18 US.  Even including the tip, we celebrated 18 years of marriage for $20 US.  The sushi was ok, not bad but not spectacular.  We had a very romantic walk down the beach, and I put make up on for the first time since we left the states.  All three of the children successfully spent the night over at Grandma's house which has never happened before.  I am expecting them home any minute, and won't really be surprised if they tell me that they aren't allowed at Grandma's house anymore!  Haha!  Chandler has never successfully stayed the whole night anywhere within walking distance of Mommy.  He used to try and stay the night with his brother and sister when they would have sleep overs across the street back in Georgia, until we got tired of him sneaking home in the middle of the night.  He has tried to stay at Grandma's house a few times before, but with the same results.  Ok, took a few pictures last night with the phone, going to try and attach them for you.

The rednecks have arrived in the islands...

Ok, so I was getting our stew chicken on to cook for dinner tonight (very Belizian) when I saw the gizzards and got a little homesick.  Anyone from above the Mason-Dixon line who doesn't understand that, just go ask your Southern friend.  I decided to fry up those gizzards for lunch bubba!  Since I only had the one chicken, I didn't have much in the way of gizzards, so I grabbed the breadfruit that Trey brought home yesterday and fried THAT up too.  (Didn't taste like chicken haha) That came out kind of like french fries or sweet potato fries.  So even here, trying to live and eat like locals, I am still a Southern girl at heart!

Happy anniversary to us!

Today is our eighteenth wedding anniversary.  Eighteen years married to a wonderful man who has been by my side through so much.  Very simple plans for today, I am going to fix my hair, put on make up and a dress and we are going to walk the beach and hold hands.  If all goes well and prices aren't too high, we think we are going to try the sushi place here on the island.  They only serve sushi from 3-9 on Saturday and Sunday (again it's weird not to have fish just EVERYWHERE on an island isnt it?) so I am not really sure how good it will be.  I will let you know what happens, and try to get some pictures with my phone for you.

Paul and Lenore

Paul and Lenore are back on Caye Caulker again, we had so much fun with them when they were here last month I was so pleased to run into them again!  Sadly, the reason for their visit this time was that Paul's father, who has been a long time resident of Belize, passed away last Friday.  I was sad for the reason for their visit, but glad to see them anyway.  I don't think I told you about Paul and Lenore last time they were here. They are a great couple who live in San Fransisco, CA (Paul is originally from Holland) and he works in clean energy and she is a nurse.  Rick and I got an education in beer and the proper way to drink it on their last visit.  Turns out we have been drinking beer wrong ever since we were old enough to drink beer!  Anyway, it was good to see them again, even if they only came to the island for one night.

A Public Apology...

To a everyone involved in raising me, I apologize for being a brat.  I didn't even realize what a brat I was until I had children of my own.  In case you are wondering, God has repaid me threefold for my evil doings.  Nights like tonight are difficult at best.  They were just playing off of each other and egging each other on, until I was reduced to a strangled scream through my teeth.  Trey and Sierra either escaped to Grandma's house or were banished to Grandma's house depending on how you look at it.  I really hoped that Chandler would calm down after they left, but I believe he actually got worse.  He is the only one of them to get a spanking tonight, but now he is asleep and all is quiet.  I was sitting here remembering how angry I got as a kid, and SWEARING that if I ever had children I would be so much NICER and never yell or spank or act unfairly.  Now I have three little angels of my own, who I swear to God plan out their days just to vex me, and I realize now that parents of multiple children don't give a rats behind about fair, they just care about SILENCE.  That's it, just silence.  We don't care which of you pushed the other, or who made a face at whom, we probably wouldn't care if you knocked each other unconscious, if you just did it SILENTLY!  But instead, you scream when your brother crosses his eyes at you, you scream when your sister sticks her tongue out at you, you scream when they move that piece of paper you love SO much that you left it laying in the middle of your bedroom floor...  You scream, whine, tattle, beg, stamp your feet and act like you NEED me to come beat your little behinds, and yet...  And yet you ARE my precious little angels;  my sweet Sierra who is a little me, who is so smart and beautiful and kind.  Trey, my big boy, who brings home cocoplums and coconuts, and stays out all day fishing to bring home dinner (another story there) and wakes up early just like mommy and wants to snuggle.  And last but not least, let's not forget Chandler.  My baby, who hangs out of my hip pocket, who wants to go be a big boy (as long as mommy comes too) but who still wants to sit in my lap and sleep in my bed.  Why can't you behave to each other like you do to me when we are alone?  You love each other so much, but are convinced that the other two hate you, if you could just see yourself through their eyes for a brief moment, your life would be changed forever.  I realize that I started this blog as an apology and derailed it into a blog more for me than for you, but knowing you the way I do, I think you got far more from the way it ended up than from the way I had originally intended on writing it.  I was so angry with them when I sat down to write this, now I love them so much I am crying.  I am such a push over!

Becoming an islander, finally!

About 10 minutes ago I asked Rick if he could feel the storm coming in.  He said he didn't, then checked out the window and said it was all clear.  I told him to get ready because a storm was coming in fast.  I think he thought I had lost my marbles until just now, when the storm hit!  LOL. I think I am becoming an island girl!