MORE Mouths to Feed!!!

Not too long ago I wrote of all the mouths we have to feed around here. Well, the mouths continue to multiply. This time we have added to the number of hungry critters in this house by 21. Yes! You read that correctly 21 (at last count). We were so excited last month with the arrival of our 4 baby White Molly fish and they have grown to look just like their mother. I was happy that I was able to breed, raise and keep these little guys alive. Upon going to feed them this morning I noticed that we have been blessed again. This time with a school of them. Curious about how this happened (since dad kicked the bucket and went for a toilet swim a few weeks ago) I did a little research on this particular fish. Apparently, a female can have babies every month for up to six months with only one fertilization. AAAAAAHHHHHHH!
The moral of the story: girls be thankful we don't breed like White Mollies!!!

P.S. I left my camera at a little league game and so far it has not been returned. I may be searching for a new camera. Any recommendations???

My Baby Is A Little Boy!!

It has been a crazy few weeks around this place but none of us have forgotten our little "Taters" who has turned three. Being the youngest of three he got the standard "I got Jipped" birthday party. In fact there was not really a birthday party at all, just a cake. None the less he was tickled to have a "Tommy choo-choo" cake and loved to dig into the frosting!



I am hoping this will not come up in therapy later in his life. My sister says it will so for now maybe we will start planning his 4th Birthday!!

3 Kids, 2 Dogs, 1 Cat and Counting

Although sometimes my kids can act like a bunch of animals I have now put a temporary ban on the number of mouths I feed in this house every day. We added a new puppy to the house back in Feb. and since then I have had many conversations with the kids about more pets. Makena would love a kitten, Bryden would love a turtle, and Hayden would take anything that would let him actually catch it.
We now have a ten year old cat that only emerges from the basement when the kids are in bed and two dogs, which includes a puppy that remains to be potty trained. It is going to be a race to see who can be potty trained first, Hayden or the puppy. I have my money on the puppy. This is why when Blaine and I returned from a night out together and Bryden shared his "new pet" with us it was with a heavy heart I had to talk him into letting it go. Luckily he caught it in the front yard so it was easy to convince him he needed to go back to his home.

Meet Froggie!!!



So with one possible catastrophe diverted I learned only fifteen minutes later that Grammy Monica had taken Bryden to the pet store earlier that night and bought him a couple of fish for the fish tank she got him for his Birthday.........
and three days later one of the fish started having babies. So far we have four and apparently they can have them every month for up to six months with only one fertilization!!!!!!

Meet Fishy, Fisher and T.J.

Luckily they do not eat a lot but I am hoping that the additions to the family will come to a stop for a little while.

Who Runs This Household

We are up and running! Cause of the malfunction-Capri Sun straw stuck in the CD Drive. No one seems to be owning up to this but my money is on the little guy.

All is still crazy in this house but we do have a new toy that has become a huge hit in the neighborhood. THE TETHER BALL!!! Makena is up with the sun and outside playing as soon as she can before school. I am hearing a lot of new gossip coming from the tether ball playing field. Words that bring back many of my old tether ball memories such as ropes, holds, lines and even some new ones like the jack hammer. It is all about being able to beat a fifth grader or a (Celery Stick)is what they call them. Second graders are pea pods and when a pea pod beats a celery stick it is all over the school. I just love that the kids are once again outside and enjoying the nice weather.

We do have one minor problem with the tether ball though. Hayden likes to be in the middle of everything. Below I am providing my evidence of his helpfulness.

Until We Blog Again! (Again)

Yikes! My laptop is on the fritts and I am lost with out it. We had to send it back to HP and of course it has all my pictures and everything on it. So until I get it back I am at a lost for anything to say with out pictures. Imagine me speechless!!! Who knew. We will be back soon!!
The Dodson 5

What Will They Learn

When you take your children on vacation you always wonder what they are going to get out of the journey. Will it be great family memories, new fears, or will the trip be a learning experience for them. After our latest family trip I often wonder just what they will remember the most about the vacation.

Having Hayden spend the week around all of his family members he learned to say every ones names, he learned how to get back to our room from almost any place on the boat, how to play BINGO and most importantly about magnetism. We all know that "in physics magnetism is one of the phenomena by which materials exert attractive or repulsive forces on other materials". Hayden only knows this phenomenon in two cases. Either your Thomas the Trains will stick to the ceiling of the cruise boat or in the case of the ceiling in his bedroom they do not!!!


Hayden was quick to learn the the ceiling above his bed in our room was metal and he loved to hang his trains from there. Since we have been home he has become very frustrated with the fact that they do not stick to everything. He has tried to hang them from everywhere. WE will keep trying though.

Just a Few!!

We have flown, we have sailed, we have swam, we have eaten and eaten and eaten, and WE SURVIVED!!! I am sure that anyone that has traveled with small children can attest that you are on a TRIP, not a vacation. However, it was a great trip with many highlights. I forgot my camera many days and will have to collect pictures from everyone else. Here are a few pictures I can share for now.

Makena during our mustering drill on the first day. I think that she is practicing jumping in the water but I might keep this move in mind down the road for a hostile child.
This was our vessel. The Golden Princess (Bryden did not like this name and renamed it the Golden Boy). 2,700 people plus a crew of 1,100. Basically, a city on water. It was great.
These were our two favorite guys of the week. Martin and Daniel our dinner hosts. They basically got us what ever we wanted at any time. By the end of the week they had what we wanted at the table before we even got there for dinner. Including having Hayden's chocee ba bas lined up two deep every night. This picture is now hanging in my kitchen with a sign that says "They do not live here! Get it yourself!"
Of course a picture of Hayden and his room service french fries!!!! Oh I think that he could get used to this life. I think we all could have!!!!