Regular, with half and half and raw sugar

New blog!

2011-01-29T20:07:00.002-06:00

Time to retire this one
Head on over to www.justfinishstrong.blogspot.com to find me!

Oh. My. Goodness

2010-08-15T18:30:00.002-05:00

It has been soooooo long.

My apologies. How the heck was summer?? Full of swimming, vacation, and heat
Things to note:

Zak learned to officially swim, including the diving board and slide. So proud.
Paige is trying to run the family. She's quite bossy, and actually says the things I would say to correct her brother and sister. While I'd love to just sit back and watch her run things, I try to remind her, she's just the sister.
Rene' - oh Rene'. Nap time today produced blue marker all over her body, hands and mouth, oh, and her brothers bed.
Andy's started a new part time job in the evenings at UPS to get him out of the house.

Schools starting and my house is bustling! Promise I'll be back more often!!

Okie

2010-05-22T14:54:00.001-05:00

You know you live in Oklahoma when your kids play "tornado" and can be seen running to the couch screaming "take cover, take cover" and throwing blankets on themselves. Only to go running away screaming again "thats not safe enough, we have to find somewhere else, hurry, hurry".

Writers Block

2010-05-15T16:33:00.001-05:00

I've got it.

Bedtime

2010-05-03T07:41:00.003-05:00

Bedtime at our house is very routine. Sometimes there's a bath. Sometimes there's crying. But every night, there's some singing by mom, and prayers by dad. I don't know about you, but bedtime is when my kids open up. When Zak asks his most pending heartfelt questions about life, tells me about something important that happened during his day, and seems way too old for his age. He insists on me singing "Dream a Little Dream" every single night. I try really hard to get it out of it, but the reminder that someday, he is not going to want me to sing it, makes me do it. The girls aren't quite there yet, but the singing is of utmost important to them. We have our standby songs. Rene's right now is "twinkle, twinkle". And last night, she told Paige and I not to sing, and that she would sing it by herself. As I sat on her bed, listening to that little 3 year old voice, I told myself to remember it. Remember her shiny, freshly washed hair, the little red bump on her lip, her running her fingers through the holes in her favorite purple blanket, and most of all, that little voice singing her little heart out to the tune of twinkle, twinkle little star.

That's what its all about people, that's what its all about.

Things you might find in your tennis shoe

2010-04-27T22:00:00.002-05:00

a plastic chicken wing
a large clear ball with a shark floating in it.
a leapster cartridge
a green bracelet
a sheep magnet
the lid to your son's tooth tin

And then, when you get to work, and are in the locker room putting on your tennis shoe and you feel something in the toe, you pull out a pink fluffy bootie.

Rene' totally made my day today.

Not your everyday conversation

2010-04-18T21:36:00.003-05:00

Its 8:30 - mom's in the bath tub, Paige is taking care of her business in the bathroom too.

Paige: Mom, who makes panties?
Me: Huh?
Paige: who makes panties?
Me: people who work at the panty factory
Paige: But how do they do it?
Me: they take some fabric, cut it out, and sew it.
Paige: That is so cool

silence

Paige: Can I go there someday and watch them make them?
Me: Um...sure. Someday.

Hope she doesn't hold me to that one.

The fun of being 7

2010-04-17T09:26:00.004-05:00

I may be biased, but it doesn't get any cuter than that.

The front 2 teeth out look is a classic

Now its too bad the tooth fairy forgot to come last night......Whoopsie

The push

2010-04-07T13:26:00.004-05:00

This is really a post for my running blog. But I'm going to be a rebel and post it here. I'm back in the running groove after completing my first ever half marathon and then taking a little time off to nurse my "runners knee". If you care to relive my entire experience from training to marathon, you can click here. I wish I could make everyone who says to me "I could never run" understand that I was that girl, just over a year ago. I seriously was. Then in 11 months I was running a half marathon. And I was that girl who never finished anything either. Especially if it didn't come easy. And running did not come easy.

I've settled back into my usual 3 miles, 3 times a week. I'm doing a 7 mile leg for the Memorial Marathon in a couple of weeks and I hate to say it, but my training has been sub par. My neighbor/running partner Jen runs with me a couple of mornings a week, if we make it. Yesterday, I got a text from her at 448am that it was too windy and we should skip. I happily obliged and plopped myself back into bed, running clothes and all. So that meant at work, I was going to need to squeeze in a run at lunch. Which is actually, a great break for me in the middle of the day. So as "fighter" by Cristina Agulerra played, I thought to myself how I hadn't challenged myself enough lately. So I had this crazy idea to run my 3 miles faster than I normally do. Just to see what happened. See here's my little secret - you can run forever, as long as you don't run fast. When you kick up the speed, that's when you lose me. So, with deep breaths, I cranked that treadmill up to 6.5. I checked the pace, just to see how fast a mile that would be for me. 9.15. I run a 10-11 min mile. And I'm really happy there. So I told myself to zone out to the music, and I covered the timer with a towel. It was really hot in the gym, and I was sweating buckets, but man, did I feel good. I made the whole 3 miles at a 915 pace. That may not be fast for some, but that's the beauty of running! You can run against yourself and its really the only thing that matters. So I beat myself yesterday.

All of this to say, if you don't challenge yourself, your really missing out. Whether that's in sports, a hobby, work, or life in general. How do you know if your better, if you don't push yourself to find out?

Dinner

2010-04-06T08:02:00.002-05:00

Dinner begins. Kids are sitting at the table, I'm in the kitchen getting drinks. Andy's still cooking

Paige: poopy butt
Me: Paige - to your room
Zak: ohhh I don't think I'm going to like this. (We are having cheeseburgers.)
Me (at the table now): Rene' how do we eat our food?
Rene': with our spoon
Me: ok, so why are you eating your applesauce with your fingers????
Zak: how much do I have to eat?
Me: I only gave you a half of a mini burger
Zak: I know so how much?
Me: Half of the half. That's a quarter (trying to sneak in a quick math lesson)
Zak (whiny): ohhhhhhh

Paige yelling at the top of her lungs: Can i get up yet????
Me to Paige's room - Paige - when we're at the table, you don't use potty words. Want to try again?
Paige: yes

Back at the table
Zak pulling up his shirt and squeezing the skin around his belly button making it talk and laughing, which in turn makes his sisters laugh hysterically
Me (rolling my eyes): Zak, don't do that at the table.
Me: I don't think any one's getting candy because everyone has such bad manners tonight.
Paige: not me
Me: yes, you just got sent to your room for saying poopy butt
Rene' : poopy butt
Me: Rene', to your room (she must have felt left out)
Me: Andy - are you about done cooking????
Zak: Mom, I can not eat the rest of this
Me: Zak, its meat, cheese and bread - yes you can
Zak: its gonna make me yak
Me: yak away.

I'm going to spare you the rest. That was just the first 5 minutes.

The elevator

2010-03-31T06:51:00.003-06:00

There's an elevator where I work. There are 4 floors. I started out on floor 2. I never took the elevator. I thought it'd be a little embarrassing to take it just one floor up. So I became a stairs girl. Well, a few weeks ago, I moved to the 4th floor. Feeling ambitious, I decided, I was going to continue to take the stairs. Another opportunity to burn a few extra calories. That lasted a day. 4 flights of stairs, with full coffee cup, workout bag, and heels is NOT pleasant. I'm not that tough. And I'm not going to pretend to be tough. So, the elevator it is.

And boy, was I missing out. The elevator provides me some comic relief. I didn't realize how much I was missing!! So I'm going to describe just a few elevator moments for you.

You have the morning person in with about 10 non morning people. Morning person has a vase of flowers from her garden and is humming. It was all I could do to not laugh at the blank, or annoyed stares she got.
The awkward silence ride. This happens more often then not. Just 2 of you, in an enclosed area, each of you hugging the opposite wall. I usually try to small talk it when I'm in this situation.
The talk your leg off ride. That's where one person is telling you waaaaay too much information in a short amount of time.
The cell phone guy. For some reason, I've gotten on with him like twice a week. He's talking REALLY LOUD and everyone is listening to his conversation because they are a captive audience. Really, people, no cell phone conversations on the elevator.
And the no manners person. This actually happened to me. I had my bagel on a plate from the cafeteria. During our short ride to 4, no manners person sneezes. And fills the elevator with her sneeze spray. Now here was my delima. I was STARVING. Do I trash the bagel or just eat it? I'm leaving that one open ended.
The people who hate each other ride. I watched 2 people, who I knew had had an altercation, awkwardly get on the elevator together. It gave me a chuckle.
And finally, the ride by yourself hair and makeup check. This is a personal fav. The entire backside of the elevator is mirrors. So if I am lucky enough to get an elevator all to myself, I wait until the doors close and then immediately spin around to check my hair and makeup. Multitasking at its best.

When I need a break at work, forget the break room. I'm riding the elevators.

The Battle

2010-03-25T06:42:00.003-06:00

Now I'm not one of those parents who makes their kids eat all their dinner. I'm not knocking them at all. Its just not my style. My rule, is the "no thank you" bite. That means, you take at least one bite of what is on your plate. And if you don't like it, you say no thank you. My theory is that they'll be hungry the rest of the night and the kitchen will be closed and that is how they will learn to eat their dinner.

Rene' is 3 now. Terrible 2's - don't hit my children. Its the 3's where you wonder why in the world you took on child rearing. Its not pretty for some reason, when my kids turn 3. Dinner last night was a simple tortilla wrap. Kudos to Andy for these - I could have bought mine in a deli for $5.95, it was soooo good. Turkey, cheese, avocado, sunflower seeds, lettuce, then lightly heated in a skillet to warm - delicious!!!Now the kids was a little more tame. Turkey, cheese, tortilla. Not asking much for a no thank you bite there - right? Wrong. Rene' was having none of that. She gobbled up here tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar. And even had 2nds and 3rds on those. But I cut her off at 3rds and said she needed to eat her turkey wrap. This produced a dramatic shove of the plate and an emphatic "no". So we drug out the chips. Whoever ate their wrap, got chips. Zak and Paige happily scarfed down their wraps in order to get chips, while Rene' sat and cried. "Just one bite, Rene', that's all it takes to get chips". Another plate shove and "no". So we all finish dinner. Rene' has tried to get down from her chair about 20 times, and I've just put her back each time. I decide, this is a battle of wills. And I am soooo not losing. Then we break out the ice cream. We all sit at the table, with Rene' and eat our ice cream, while she is crying because she STILL will not take one bite of her wrap. So then I had to ponder my next move. Since I am not going to lose this battle, what do I do? Do I make her sit at the table, even if its hours, to produce one bite? She's tired, I know this, because she didn't take a nap. So I changed my strategy. I said, ok, Rene', if your done, that's fine, but your going to bed. Right now. It was 6. Through tears she screams "I want to go to bed". So I whisked her off, while the other kids got to go outside and play with dad. She got her bath, 3 books, and was in bed by 630.

Now I don't know if I won that one or not. I guess we'll see at dinner time tonight. If we have the same song, 2nd verse, I just might be coming back here to ask for some advice on this one.

Big Daddy

2010-03-22T14:00:00.002-06:00

So Paige starts calling Andy "Big Daddy". She was holding out the TV remote to him yesterday and was getting annoyed that he wouldn't take it. Then she was like "HERE Big Daddy". The look on Andy's face was priceless. I started laughing so hard. So then at bedtime, I'm in with Carson, and Andy's in with the girls - Paige is like hey mom - while Dad was praying, I just said "And thanks for my Big Daddy". So Andy's taking it personally. I think she picked it up somewhere, because she says it with such enthusiasm.

Not so impressed with Princess and the Frog. Too much Voo Doo stuff. So Paige and I are having a conversation about it and she says, why do they have to put that scary stuff in? Zak chimes in, matter of factly "All Disney movies are like that, it makes for a good story". Wow. So true Zak, thanks for that 7 year old perspective

So Zak comes in and tells Andy he's going to open a store where everything is just a dollar - like good stuff, like DS's, Wii games, etc. (he didn't say etc, that was me). Andy says, you won't make any money. He says, "Dad, I don't care about the money, I care about the people". Who the heck is raising these kids???

Zak - reading the yogurt container "99% fat free"
Paige - "don't you mean debt free?"
Now I know that one is thanks to the Dave Ramsey radio show on in the van on the way home from school.

Kids are fun sometimes.

Crack or no crack - he was taking care of business

2010-03-18T21:24:00.003-06:00

Ok - I've been formulating this blog in my mind all week. Because this happened last Sunday. And I really want to do it justice in word form. Because I need to paint just the right picture for you. It was a normal Sunday morning at church for us. Great music, great message, and people taking care of business at the altar. Now I'll let you in on a little secret. I cant keep my eyes closed the entire time when a prayer time is any more than 3 minutes. So I was taking in the candle light, acoustic band, and general spirit led mood.

Until.......

My eyes fell across the large bald man at the alter. Now normally my eyes would pass without stopping on this scene. Except HIS CRACK WAS SHOWING. And I need to fill in this word picture for you. It was not a little tiny bit of crack. It was not an inch, it was not 2 inches, it was not 3 inches. It was 4 INCHES PEOPLE. I know, because I made sure I looked at my ruler when I got home to accurately gauge it.

Now getting tickled in prayer time is torture. Because I felt like when I was a little kid and wasn't supposed to be laughing, so it made it even worse. So I of course jabbed Andy in the side with my elbow. He had his eyes dutifully closed. So he looks at me with a dirty look and a sharp "WHAT". I point up front and giggle to myself. Well, Andy's face made me laugh even more. So he is laughing - giving me stern looks and telling me to be quiet - and then laughing again. I keep looking down, and then up again, because I think to myself - Can he SERIOUSLY not feel that????? So then some men go up to pray with him and I'm like - thank goodness - surely one of them will stand behind him and at least block it.

NO. They didn't. Which made me even more tickled. Because I couldn't get out of my mind what a funny picture that would be. With the candles in the background - people all around him praying - but no one blocking the crack.

So then Andy jabs our friend Jeff who is next to him - points - and then Jeff says "I can't believe you guys would crack a joke like that".

So others start to leave the alter - I'm like surely this guy is about done. But he ends up being the LAST one up there. I'm seriously about to leave because I know I'm being totally disrespectful. Well he finally get up and DOESN'T EVEN PULL UP HIS PANTS.

God really does know what everyone needs. He knew I needed a laugh after a hard week at work. And he gave it to me.

The things people miss out on when they don't go to church.

Here you go, Amber

2010-03-04T21:09:00.003-06:00

My friend Amber was kind enough to remind me I hadn't posted in awhile. So Amber, this one's for you! You might regret requesting one....

I am flat worn. out. I'm going to try my best to not let this post be too...hmmm.....how shall i say it. I'm usually a glass half full girl. For the most part. But the past 2 weeks have moved me to the other side, I'm afraid. Lots of things are cyclical for me. I'll feel one way really strongly, work through it, only to find myself there again in a few weeks, months, or years - whatever the cycle is. So its like all those cycles I have going, are all hitting the "glass half empty" side of me at the same time. I'll be the first to say, a lot of it is my fault. Anyone who has ever read this blog knows I'm no stranger to over committing. But here's the problem with that. I really, really do, want to do everything. I want to be super mom for my kids, the best wife ever to my husband, the friend who's always there for you, the party planner, the most efficient at work, the one who sends little cards/gifts to everyone who means something to me in my life, exercise an hour a day, alright - I do believe you got the point. But the past 2 weeks, I've had quite a few people and or things, burst my bubble. And I don't like it. So what's a girl to do about it?

Well tonight - I'm going to go pop some popcorn, and watch "The Office" and hope tomorrow's going to be the beginning of either an upswing, or the day I figure out how to do all that.

Motivation

2010-02-22T07:43:00.003-06:00

I'd just like to thank the following songs for getting my through my 3 mile treadmill run today.

No Surprise - Daughtry
Ignigtion - Toby Mac
Stars - Switchfoot
Tonights gonna be a good night - Black Eyed Peas
She Wouldn't be Gone - Blake Shelton

Bullet points

2010-02-20T13:59:00.002-06:00

I am dying to try Bare Escentuals makeup. The problem is coming up with and justifying the $60 to spend on the starter kit.
I need to run. Its drizzling today. Would I enjoy that? Idk
I just ate some key lime pie, and now I don't feel so good.
Just because your an accountant, doesn't mean you do taxes people.
Trying to explain to my 4 year old about the body dying and spirit going to eternity was mentally taxing. That funeral procession started a 30 minute conversation.
If you purchase shoes at DSW next weekend, you get the CUTEST tote bag free. I heart tote bags.
I'm seriously ready for Zak's Star Wars phase to end. But since his dad is the one egging it on, I'm afraid its not a phase....
I'm going to take a nap now.

Because, lets be honest, only about 3 of you read this

2010-02-11T07:43:00.003-06:00

Which is fine with me, by the way. This is my outlet. And today, I'll be using it. To complain about my outlet.

It is so easy to get lost in the world of blogs when you have a spare hour or so, which I absolutely do not have these days. But when I did, it was fun. Its like you can snoop in all these people's lives and they are letting you, but have know idea your doing it. Then there's the flip side. I find myself feeling inferior, not spiritual enough, not fun enough, not busy enough, not friendly enough. And that's when I know its time to stop reading the blogs. When every one's perfect world starts to invade my reality, and give me the wants, I know I need to take a step back. So that's what I'm going to do as of today for at least a week. I'm going to nix the blog reading. I'll still try to blog myself during my little hiatus.

I do want to say to my 3 readers, I hope I never make it look like I have the perfect family, friends, or life. Because, well, that's just not life.

Here's to keeping it real.

Getting Soft

2010-01-26T07:39:00.003-06:00

I am the bedtime Nazi. Bedtime is at 8, if not sooner. And don't be getting up cause you'll be sorry you did. My kids need the sleep, and Andy and I need the alone time. But Sunday night, I got soft. Zak and Paige had already fallen asleep, and Rene' had taken a very long nap that day. So when she came down the hall, dragging her purple "lankie", I didn't scoop her up and whisk her back to bed, I grabbed her and sat her on the couch with Andy and to watch the rest of the football game. I let her sit on my lap for a few minutes, then said, "ok, next commercial, your going to bed". Andy said, "oh let her stay up and watch the rest of the game, mom." I couldn't say no. She was all cuddled up between us, asking why those guys were pushing each other down. It was a moment, you don't get very often at all with child #3. And had I broken out the bedtime Nazi persona, I would have missed it. And I'm so glad I didn't.

Monday

2010-01-18T07:39:00.002-06:00

Yeah. Its Monday. And I can SO tell. Woke up this morning to Rene' wanting to get in our bed. So sleepily, I let her. Then 2 min later I realize she's wet. Nice. Potty training with Rene' has not gone well. So I get her up, put dry clothes on her and tell her she has to go back to bed because my bed is wet. I lay her in her bed, that is not just wet, its soaked. I get her back up and take her back to our room and put her in bed with dad and whisper that her bed is wet so she's going to sleep with him. (Still in a whisper), oh and btw, don't roll over to my side of the bed because its wet too. Andy shot up, clearly mad, ranting and raving about the potty training issue, steps on her wet clothes in the dark bathroom (whoopsie, forgot to take those to the laundry room). So now, he's really mad. After finally settling him down and settling him in on the couch, I finish getting ready and head off to work.

Enter work, where first thing I have 3 emails from the Auditors needing information from me, a looming deadline today that is not going to be met, for reasons beyond my control, and a person I am needing to avoid.

Happy.
Monday.
to
me.

The Apple doesn't fall far from the tree

2010-01-11T07:43:00.003-06:00

When it comes to Paige, my 4 year old, I can't seem to relate. First of all, she doesn't like jeans. HATES to wear jeans. She insists on "stretchy pants" or dresses. Jeans are a staple girl, especially a really good pair that always make you feel good in them. Next, she's an imagination girl. I don't know which side of the brain is creative and which is structure, but I got the structure, type A side and she got the carefree spirit, no need for rules side.

But Friday night, I was looking at myself. We went to some friends house for pizza and misc. Rock Band broke out on the Wii, which is a personal fav of mine. I don't care about playing the drums, or guitar, I want to sing. There has always been something magical about holding a microphone in my hand. Now I don't have a fabulous voice, but I can pick out some harmony, and stay on key. As a young girl, I had dreams and aspirations of being a professional singer. As a side note, I lived the dream one time at a girlfriend's bachelorette party where me and my friends went to a bar, had no alcohol, and owned the place in karaoke. I had the entire place up on their feet clapping over their heads to me singing Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name". I'm sure I know why God didn't give me a phenomenal voice. I would have gotten wrapped up in fame and fortune and never made it back to reality. Ok, back to Rock Band. So Jake, who is a drummer, is on the drums, Andy on the guitar, and Zak on the guitar. Paige and I decide to take the mike. We're doing a personal family fav of Taylor Swift's. Well, as the song progresses, I find myself pulling the mike closer to me, because I wanted to make sure we got all the points, right? Well then Paige starts pulling the microphone her way, because she's my daughter and wants it all to herself. It started a little microphone battle that ensued the entire song. Me. And my daughter. Fighting for who gets to hold the microphone.

Did I just say that?

The After Christmas Math

2009-12-29T07:39:00.002-06:00

Lets talk about it. What happens after Christmas. Because I just need to talk about it. Lets start with the house. Christmas Eve was picture perfect when it comes to the house. It was clean, really clean, and all lit up. I can see it in my mind. And it makes me smile. After Christmas house, I don't want to live in. The toys, boxes, and kitchen stress me to the MAX. Going on day 4 and I still don't feel like picking it all up. Next is the after Christmas body. If I could run, and I can't due to my blasted runner's knee, I would run from post Christmas body. Except since I haven't run in a month, I probably wouldn't be going very fast, or very far, so what does it matter. I took a little class at lunch at work yesterday. Arms and abs. Today, I went for the traditional stretch in my office chair first thing this morning, and I about cried out in pain from the little arms and ab class soreness. All that fudge, chex mix, and pie I ate, I'm thinking were not worth it today. Now this next one, not everyone can identify, but some can. The after Christmas snow. Our little BLIZZARD on Christmas Eve has wreaked havoc on our poor city who is completely ill prepared for an event like this. I actually laugh to myself as I drive on dry pavement, then hit sheer ice, then hit two rows for your tires and a mountain of snow in the middle that high centers your car. Its completely and utterly ridiculous. And we're getting another inch or 2 today. Oh yeah, and last but not least is the post Christmas children. These are the children who are sleep deprived, coming off sugar highs, and bleary eyed from all the Wii playing that Santa brought.

Here's to melting snow, getting back in shape, sugar detox.

White Christmas '09

2009-12-24T21:58:00.003-06:00

Happy Christmas Eve!

We had big plans tonight to have my dad's side of the family over for snacks, gifts, and fun. But we ended up with this

Snow drifts that were as high as Carson's chest. So its my first white Christmas I think in OK that I can remember. After the disappointment of not having company set in, I was glad that the party was going to be at my house, because I was prepared with lots of food. So we were lucky we had dinner. Every major highway is closed in the state, and people are stuck on the roads everywhere. I have to say, I am so glad we are in our cozy little house, with the fire roaring. Now if my 3 little ones would just close their sleepy eyes, Santa's elves could get to work.

Hoping the roads are better tomorrow so we can at least make it to my moms for dinner. If not, we're having pie. Because thats what I was supposed to bring tomorrow.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Ahhhh The Week of Christmas

2009-12-22T07:54:00.003-06:00

Its my last day of work for the week. And obviously, I'm not working. I'm blogging. In fact, today when I woke up, I decided I'm only going to work 1/2 a day today. Its ridiculous for me to be at work. I'm getting nothing done, my focus is not on why I'm off $5380 in account 1106. My focus is on making 2 pies, painting my living room, and wrapping gifts in the next 2 days. Don't ask about the painting my living room part. I'm slightly neurotic. And I can't have my family over on Christmas Eve with 2 areas where we "tested" paint.

My entire side of the family is coming into town starting Thurs and I absolutely can't wait. We've got game nights, snack nights, cookie decorating parties - oh I'm giddy thinking about it.

On another note - today I am going to the Dr for my MRI results regarding my knee. I am hoping and praying he says I can resume running. For some reason, my husband thinks I'm cranky when I don't get to run. Hmmmm. Call me crazy, but all I want for Christmas is a 3 mile run, under the stars, at 5 in the morning with no wind.

And that was a totally and completely random post. My apologies.

Let the Christmas fun begin!

Dinner Conversation

2009-12-16T07:41:00.001-06:00

Rene' : I dropped my apple on the floor

Me: Zak, can you get that off the floor for your sister

Zak: She doesn't want to eat that off the dirty floor

Me: Daddy mopped yesterday, our floor is clean

Zak: well today at school, I ate a pancake off the floor

Me: (stunned) Zak, that floor is so dirty, your going to get sick now

Andy: He's probably going to miss his class Christmas party because he's going to be sick

Zak: lots and lots and lots of crying

Me: Thanks Andy. Good one.

Irony

2009-12-12T20:10:00.002-06:00

I came home Thursday night to Paige crying. Which honestly, is nothing new. But when I took a few steps in the door and heard Andy ranting and raving, I thought it a little out of the ordinary. Only to take a few more steps into the living room and see the half gallon of taupe paint spilled on the carpet. By Paige. Who had attempted to carry it across the living room. I stood and assessed the situation. Realizing that the carpet in the middle of the living room was probably ruinded, and also realizing that Andy just might need some "alone time" to mourn the fact, I swept the girls into the van and ordered a pizza. I made sure I took a really long time getting back, too. Good thing the pizza place was busy. So after about a hour and 16 gallons of boiling water and a shop vac, Andy conquered the paint on the carpet. The really good news is that is was just a couple shades darker than the carpet, so if there is still some left on it, it just blends in with the brown flecks.

We made it through the evening with apologies exchanged for words said. The next morning I am on my way out the door to work and realize we didn't check the kids school bags. So I grab the papers out of Paige's bag and skim through them, only to halt dead in my tracks at the last note. Seems Paige has been chosen for the Sensational Citizen Award, and oh, by the way, it will be presented to her at morning roundup, Dec 11th. I ran to the kitchen calendar. Sure enough, it was Dec 11th. That meant I had to call my boss to tell him I was going to be an hour late, and that Karly couldn't ride to take the kids to school in her pjs and bedhead. It was quiet the scramble. But we made it.

I found it ironic that she got the award, which is partly given for making good choices, the morning after her little paint mishap. And really, it just put it all in perspective for us. Don't sweat the small stuff. Paint on the carpet, ok, maybe not that small. But still, in 5 years it makes for a great story.

My morning routine

2009-12-10T07:46:00.004-06:00

Its funny how routines just happen. Well, most do. My morning routine has just "happened" and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Its takes some evening prep work. But that's just how I roll. I need to "prep". This morning routine has only been into affect for about 4 weeks. Andy has started a morning workout routine, which I am so very proud of him for. He gets up at 5:45 and heads to the church, which is a mere 3 min away, and works out with 15 other guys doing the P90X workout. Because I have learned the importance of a workout both mentally and physically, I'm happy to pick up the slack. I get up at 6, get myself ready, wake the kids at 645 and get them going on breakfast. I do the girls hair while they eat, and then Andy is usually home at 705, where the car has been warmed up for me and is ready to go. I whisk out the door with kisses to all and start my 20 min commute to work. I then find myself at my south facing cubicle by the window. I am switching departments in January, so my time is limited in my cubicle by the window. I won't have that luxury at my new "home". But until then, I will enjoy every minute of it. Its quiet, the sun is coming up, and I have my cup of home brewed coffee. I log in, check my email, the news page, and a few Runners World blogs. Then its diving into my world of accounting.

I love my morning routine. I love waking my kids up with a kiss. I love that my car is all warmed up when its time to go. I love my husband for being brave enough to tackle the world of kids, schedules, and meals, for a season. And I love my cup of coffee in my quiet cubicle watching the sun rise on another day.

Conversations

2009-12-08T07:36:00.002-06:00

Last night:
Me to Paige: Well honey, some people don't celebrate Christmas
Paige: Really, like who?
Me: Well........
Paige: like Obama?

At breakfast this morning:
Paige: I am getting a DS for Christmas
Zak: You don't know that
Paige: I do. I asked Santa for it, twice
Zak: So
Paige: When I sat on his lap at the mall, he said I could have one, and then when I sat on his lap at school, he told me again that I could have one
Zak: Paige, you don't know if that is the real Santa or not
Paige: Yes I do, he moves and everything.

When I came home yesterday:
Rene': Mama, I pooped on the potty today
insert hands in the air and lots and lots of twirling

I think daddy feels the same way about that Rene'

PS - Santa is not bringing a DS. Now what do I do about that?

Can you believe it?!?!?!

2009-12-04T07:51:00.002-06:00

I'm actually posting on my blog.

Amazing. I know. I haven't been too far away though. I've been over at Not A Runner Who Runs, chronicling my Half Marathon adventure. Which was a success and is now over. So I'm back.

Now what prompted this post is funny. Because my blog name is how I take my coffee. I was late to work this morning, but had not had coffee. And I sure wasn't going to get some in the cafeteria at work because they have powdered creamer. GASP! So I stopped at Starbucks. And bypassed the drive thru and went in. I walked into a winter wonderland filled with coffee, mugs, people, and Christmas music. I was seriously in my own personal heaven on earth. I don't know what it is about Christmas, but it releases endorphins in me like nothing else. Especially places full of people, Christmas music and the smell of coffee. It started my day out like nothing else could.

Except if I had run 3 miles under the starts this morning. Now that would have made the perfect morning.

a little change

2009-08-22T20:50:00.004-05:00

So I'm training for this half marathon and it is consuming me a little. So much that I am suspending this blog for a few weeks, and have started a little running blog to chronicle my journey. I apologize if you don't care about running. If that's the case I'll be back in 16 weeks.

If you want to follow me, here's the link.

Wish me luck!

The Half Marathon Challenge

2009-08-08T12:37:00.003-05:00

I was at the fitness center yesterday at work and a couple of girls were talking about doing a half marathon. One said "Amy, you should do it too". My initial response was like - yeah right. The longest I've run is 5 miles. How in the heck could I do 13.1? Then as I sat at my desk the rest of the afternoon, I really started thinking about it. One of the girls emailed me a training plan and told me again I should do it with them. The more I thought about it, the more I got excited about it. So, I have officially decided to run the Tulsa Route 66 Half Marathon in Nov. Everyone needs a challenge every once in awhile. And honestly, if something doesn't come easy for me, I quit. This will not be easy - and I am ready to push myself. I'll be deep and call it personal growth. So, I've got 15 weeks to train. Here goes nothing.....

Date Night Co-op

2009-08-01T09:58:00.002-05:00

I can't take credit for this idea. I wish. It is sheer brilliance. We just started a Date Night co-op. Here's how it works. There are 3 families. We each take turns watching all the kids on Friday nights. The other 2 couples get a date night. 2 1/2 hours, no paying a babysitter. You get 2 date nights and 1 babysitting night, with the 4th weekend off. It is working beautifully. The babysitters feed the kids, too. Last night was our first babysitting night. On the menu was mac and cheese and grapes (Chilis to go for Andy and I ). I have to say, we have the best mix of kids. They all played so well together. My kids, of course, were the worst. But all in all, it was easy, fun, and most of all free. Our newest idea is the off week, we're going to split the cost of a babysitter and all go out together. Here's to many free babysitter nights and much needed time alone with your spouse!

Flashback

2009-07-07T10:55:00.002-05:00

I'm playing stay at home mom today for half the day. We woke up bright and early and hit the blackberry patch one more time. We love that place. And the blackberries were seriously the biggest we've EVER seen. It rained over the weekend and produced the most gorgeous crop. Now we're hanging out at home and the kids are playing with their 2nd cousins. I'm getting ready to make them a nutritious lunch then I'm off to work this afternoon. I have to say - I do miss the leisurely life of days filled with nothingness in the summer. My grey cubicle that I'm lucky enough is next to a window, is going to be soooooo hard to go to this afternoon. Until Andy calls me with a question and I won't be able to hear him due to all the screaming in the background.

Running and magazines

2009-06-25T16:11:00.003-05:00

For those who don't know, I've taken up running. I want to first of all say - I used to LOATHE running. And I'm not exaggerating. I really hated it. I was a sprinter in high school track. I'll run really fast for 100 yards, but then I'm done. I'm also okay with admitting that I really needed to lose some weight. Like 3 kids worth. Once I started my job, I of course didn't know anyone well enough to do lunch, so I took myself down to the fitness center every day, hopped on the treadmill and watched some HGTV. I decided to issue myself a little challenge. Run for a minute then add a minute every day. Well, in a few months time, I worked up to my 30 minutes on the treadmill in a full jog. No to mention, I shed 25 pounds doing it. Thus the obsession has started. I'm now getting up at 5:30 3-4 days a week and hitting the fitness center first thing. Mainly because I wanted more time in the treadmill to see if I could go farther. And I wanted my lunch hour back to run errands etc. Which brings me to magazines. Today, was a rough one. And I needed off campus in a bad way. Lucky for me, there's a Barnes and Noble 2 minutes away. So I headed over there, found a large comfy chair and read Runners World magazine. It was just what I needed. Seriously - there's nothing better than being able to sit and read, then put it back, and leave. So I've decided that's my new thing now. At least once a week, I'm going to head over there and catch up on my running, parenting, and Martha magazines. But now due to Runner's World - I have the half marathon bug.......can I really do it?!?!?!

Annual Blackberry Patch Picking

2009-06-20T10:21:00.014-05:00

Today we hit our favorite Blackberry patch for some blackberry picking. This is one of our favorite things to do in the summer. But we needed to start the morning out with some donuts first!

The boy table. Check out that bear claw uncle Chris is eating!

Buckets in hand and ready to go.

Andy is the most serious picker of all. Wispering to Carson on how to find the best ones so that others don't hear his secret. I better not share it here.

Pregnant Aunt Lana decided to park it under the shade tree. So Uncle Chris was left on his own.

Some of the haul. We ended up with 6lbs. Not too bad

Proved to be a tiring day for the girls. It was only 9:15am too.

A bad day

2009-06-04T18:11:00.002-05:00

It starts with me getting dressed at work because I got up early and hit the fitness center before work. Its the first day of the month which translates to crunch time for accountants. Its going to be a very busy day and I have got to plan my time strategically to get it all done without being there till 9pm. The "suits" are here from out of town and we are all to be on our best behavior. As I am buttoning my dress, one pops off. Right at the bust. Nice. I strategically make it to my desk without many seeing me and then begin asking those around me for a sewing kit. Note to self - I have got to bring up a sewing kit. Anyway, found one, sewed it on quickly and am ready to start the day. Enter problem employee who is telling me she has messed up yet ANOTHER thing. On the last day of the month. When everything has got to be in. On time. (Insert silent scream) Proceed to spend 4 hours on something that should have taken 1 hour. After lunch, as I'm walking, I hear a crack and am instantly 2 inches shorter. Yep, the heel of one of my shoes has completely broken off. Completely. I peek around the corner to make sure the execs aren't seeing me head down the hall barefoot. I seek out Judy who I know has everything (hoping for superglue), who told me to ask Ken, who told me to ask Jane, who told me to ask Shannon for the glue. None of these people sit by each other so I am peeking around cubicles, again to make sure the coast is clear before the CFO sees me barefoot. No luck on the superglue. Note to self, add super glue to the list that has sewing kit on it. But I scored some spare shoes from Collette. Didn't quite go with the dress, but at this point, really, who cares? Somehow I managed to get out of there about an hour and a half after quitting time. Not too shabby for the kind of day I've had.

There it is. A day in my glamorous life.

Don't' be jealous.

FYI

2009-05-20T13:47:00.003-05:00

My husband is so manly, he can fix my car when its broken, and then turn around and fix my girls hair better than I can.

Trouble at 2

2009-05-18T07:26:00.003-05:00

Rene' is fiercely smart. And I'm not just a proud mother. She really does scare me with her smartness. When she's doing something wrong she hides, she speaks very long sentences, and she knows just how to get her brother and sister's goat.

Last night, Andy and I were in the living room around 9:30. Andy hears something and goes to check on the kids. I see him go into our room and say "Rene'....." I laugh to myself because this is not the first time we've found her way past bedtime in a room other than hers, playing like its not big deal. Then I hear Andy groan. Curiosity gets me off the couch and I head to our bedroom where I see silver permanent marker all over our office chair. She is standing there in her adorable nightgown with her hair all in her face, talking about the markers she found.

Just 15 minutes before this happened. Andy was trying to talk me into having another baby.

I won that one.

Miscellaneous

2009-05-15T15:23:00.003-05:00

My kids. They make me cry. They make me laugh.

Zak needs everything orderly. He gets that from his mother. Yesterday he wasn't letting his sisters put the trains on the track until he got the entire thing built, all the way down the hall, into my bedroom and the bathroom. That's torture for a 2 and 4 year old. So they ignored him. And it sent him into a tail spin. Life is so simple at age 6.

I'm going to try to describe this next bit to the best of my ability because it was hysterical. Still at the scene of the tracks and trains, I hear a swooshing noise made by some little mouth. Then I hear "Hey Rene', go do that to Zak". (that was Paige) So in comes Rene' to my bedroom where Zak is diligently building his track and she sticks her train in his face and starts moving it in circular motions while making swooshing noises with her mouth. This pretty much was the undoing of Zak for the rest of the evening. He couldn't recover. And he was off to bed early.

So i took the afternoon off the other day to go to Paige's last day of preschool picnic. It was a nice family outing. Then we went to pick up Zak at school and I was being a little bossy I guess about the pick up line and how Andy should move through it. He replied "This is no longer your turf. Its mine. So back off." (snicker). Guess he told me. He pointed out the moms who chronically cut in line, the moms who dress up a little too much, the ones who don't dress up enough, and then carried on a nice long conversation with the teacher.

He's the best.

Another deep one.

2009-04-23T22:05:00.002-05:00

There Zak sat at the table, crying his eyes out. And it wasn't just tears, it was like major sobbing. I can't remember exactly what the problem was. I'm sure it had to do with some sort of technology that I wasn't letting him use, like the computer, TV, or PS2. But that is beside the point. Its what he said that I haven't been able to forget. With his arms crossed and hot tears streaming down his face he said "If you 'd just give me what I want, mom, I wouldn't be so upset. If you'd just give me what I want!" I'm going to let you draw your own spiritual parallel, because it is plain as day. But I'll give you a hint: Zak gave me a little glimpse of what I look like to someone else (someone larger than life itself) when I don't get what I want.

Ouch.

oh to be 2 again

2009-04-16T21:41:00.003-05:00

Rene' has been cracking us up. She's really starting to talk in full sentences which is fun because we've never heard her do it before. She's doing some funny things too. At the church nursery someone wrote her name on her diaper. She thought it was the coolest thing in the world. So everytime we change her now, she asks for her name on her diaper. I protested the first time. Then she got really upset, and I thought, whats it going to hurt. Every diaper since then has had her name on it. Today, Andy was looking for her and found her in her room with the tube of Desitin. She kept saying "on my baby". Andy found the baby with Desitin smeared in the appropriate spot. It makes a mother proud. When I was talking to Andy on the phone today, I heard, "Hey dad". I thought it was Paige, but it was Rene'. What 2 year old says dad instead of daddy? I should be sad, but I'm not. I'm looking forward to in a few months when we are officially through with diapers!!!

I'm back and its deep and maybe controversial

2009-04-10T21:05:00.004-05:00

I'm just going to admit it. I have an issue with pride. I think my way is the best way. Really. But you see, since I'm a Christian, that means I give God full reign to correct me. And He does. Often. Most of the time, if I am judgemental regarding someone or something, it comes back to haunt me. Pre-children, I believed my children would behave because I would spank them. And it was as easy as that. Then I got a child who doesn't care whether she's spanked or not. That is example #1. And I have about 20 of them. I'll spare you. But I will share the latest. I thought that staying home was the only way to raise children, the best way. And I was prideful about it. In my heart, not out loud. And here I am now, a working mom. A working mom who loves her kids just as much as she did when she stayed home with them all day. And who (shudder) actually likes going to work. (most of the time) I haven't tired yet of dressing up everyday!! I am living what I said I'd never do. And it is working for our family. Very well. And what annoys me the most is that I get the very sympathetic "So how is your job going?" - insert look of pity - from some of my stay-at-home mom friends. They feel sorry for me because I "had" to go back to work. And I can't chastize them for it, unfortunately, because I was one of them a few months ago. Love you girls! So here is the lesson learned for me. Never say never. Its cliche', I know. But as soon as I learn that, maybe, just maybe, I will learn to stop critiquing others (to myself of course) because most likely I will either become it, or someone I know and love will. And it will rock my world. And I will be a better person because of it.

The "green" award

2009-02-14T21:55:00.003-06:00

Alright - I've missed you all terribly.

Work is going very well. I'm taking advantage of the fitness center and the days are actually going by very fast, for the most part. Rene' is sucking her thumb a LOT more, which I am hoping isn't due to me working, but I'm trying to ignore it. She turned 2 on Monday. Wow. I can't believe my baby is 2. But I am also happy my baby is 2. I love it when they can start carrying on conversations with you. It makes parenting a little easier.

Now to a good story. Today, I'm running errands and one of the things I need to do is run by the paper recycle bin. We have 3 large bag that have been sitting in the back of the van for way too long - but we won't hold that against the stay at home dad. Anyway, it is in the parking lot of my church which is on a very busy highway. So as I am throwing bag #3 into the dumpster, it rips. That's right - paper everywhere. I thought for just a second I'd jump in my car and drive away really fast. But quickly decided I needed to do the right thing and pick it all up. So I start scurrying on the side of the highway and pick up all the blowing paper. I stepped on something that I was picking paper up off of, look down and it is a very old, dead animal. Which makes me jump, and then loose all the paper I had just smashed against my body so efficiently. So I had to do it all over again, with many people watching while they waited for their stoplight to turn green. I didn't dare look up, so I just kept my head down and finished the job. I think I've decided if it doesn't bother Andy to leave the paper in the back of the van for weeks, it doesn't bother me. I won't be heading to the recycle dumpster any time soon.

Behind

2009-01-25T13:36:00.002-06:00

I miss blogging. I promise. But it is really at the bottom of the list these days. I've been having a lot of internal dialog as to whether or not I should take a big blogging break. I tell myself I don't need the pressure when I feel like I'm not posting often enough for my readers. But then I think of how I really wanted this to be something my family could look back on in years to come and remember. I also know how much I enjoy reading others blogs who I never get to see, but still feel like I know them since I read their blogs. But after sitting at a computer for 8 hours a day, then coming home and doing some more work on the computer for my brother, I just can't bear to sit and type up a post. So for now, the verdict is that I will not put any pressure on myself, and when I have a minute, and the desire, I'll sit down and blog. It might be short lived, it might not. I can make no promises. Just know I miss you all!

Tornado GeeGee

2009-01-18T16:17:00.002-06:00

It was my Grandmother's 90th birthday this weekend. And we lived it up. It started with all my family in town - minus my brother in Dallas - we missed you Matt and Jo. The cousins haven't all been together in years. So it was a very rare occasion. The festivities began Friday night where we all piled into Limos and headed to an old house turned restaurant where we had the 2nd floor to ourselves. We all got dressed up and enjoyed a swanky meal and lots of family pics courtesy of our hired photographer. My grandmother's gift from all the grandchildren was the photographer and we are going to put together an album of the festivities. Then the next 2 days have included lots of game playing, eating, and reliving old times. Needless to say my entire family is spent. But it was all worth it. Once I get the pics, I'll be sharing them with you. Really, there's nothing like watching your kids create memories with their cousins, while you and your cousins sit and remember yours.

Some things I liked about my weekend

2009-01-11T21:01:00.003-06:00

spending time with my girlfriends
catching my youngest behind the couch with a box of cheez its.
I love my church
catching up with an old friend from a few years ago
I love that my kids love our friends - they run up to them and give them hugs. That is the best.
Taylor Swifts new CD about 14 times
All American Pizza
staying up late
sleeping in
hanging out with the best husband ever
Zak's new spiky haircut
Neely trying to fix my hair

Somthing else I didn't do

2009-01-10T08:55:00.003-06:00

Now, I'm really not trying to be an annoyingly "bragging" parent. We all know them, the parents whose kids are the best at everything, yada yada yada. The intent of this post is to pass along a great tip. So keep that in mind.

Zak ended up getting a little math award at school. He told us he was the only on in his class getting it (granted, he's only in kindergarten - how can you get a math award when they don't really do math??) Anyway, Andy and I were proud of course and that yet again took away my guilt of letting my kids watch more TV than I think they should. As long as they are doing well in school - I say, let them watch. So as Andy and I were talking, we were like - "do you work with him on math?" "No, do you?". We couldn't figure it out. Then we heard in the background him playing his Leapster. Now, for those of you who don't know, a Leapster is a handheld gaming toy. But every one of the games is educational. And they're fun. We figured out that he's learning Math from that toy. Google Leapster and if you have a preschooler who doesn't have one - go buy it. Its an investment in your child's education!

Life

2009-01-06T21:32:00.004-06:00

I was craving structure. I thrive on it. So this week of back to the schedules was just fine by me. I think the kids do better when we have one anyway. So Andy is back to making fabulous meals. Tonight was nice homemade beef enchiladas. Last night was homemade buttermilk pancakes. Then he proceeded to tell me how he saw my friend at the tag agency, then my other friend called him to work out the class volunteer schedule. It make me chuckle. Its like he's living my life, and I'm living his. Its making me laugh. My world is growing on me. I'm up at 6, out the door by 7, and at work by 7:30. I usually hit the fitness center at lunch time and eat lunch at my desk, then head home at 4:30 to dinner on the table and my kids overly excited to see me. Is this really my schedule?

What fashion designer shall I thank for this one?

2009-01-03T20:16:00.003-06:00

I needed a new pair of jeans. I have one "nice" pair that I wore to church or just out. I had 2 pairs that both have a hole in the same knee (I think I must bend down on that knee all the time to help the kids). And that was the extent of my denim wear. So I began a hunt for some jeans. I would categorize myself as "borderline trendy". I know what is in style. I don't always choose it, or I go for the cheap knock off version. But I'm not completely out of touch with society. Now Andy is very in tune with style and is quick to tell me if something I am wearing needs to be retired. As I began trying on jeans - I noticed that the majority are low rise. There is low rise, ultra low rise (yeah right - I've had 3 kids and I can't afford a personal trainer), mid rise, etc. I talk myself out of the classic fit, because I want to ramp up the style. I end up going with the low rise. My very first pair of low rise jeans. I thought they fit nicely. So I bought them. Then I wore them all day. If you have never worn a pair of low rise jeans, I'll let you in on something you apparently need to know. You will constantly check your waist because it feels like they are falling off. All. day. long. To add insult to injury, as I sat on the floor playing with my kids, my "very sensitive to body parts" son was all to quick to point out he was seeing something he shouldn't. It's hard to come to terms with the fact that I'm not as "hip" as I once thought. I don't know if I'll purchase another pair of low rise jeans or not. But I can be sure I'll be more careful so as not to scar my son emotionally by mooning him with my low rise jeans.

Bring it '09

2009-01-01T13:04:00.002-06:00

I think its good to make goals for oneself. But you know, '08 proved to pretty much rock my world. Inevitably, when I plan something, it doesn't meet my expectations and I end up hurt, annoyed, or disappointed. So this year, its no goals for me. I'm just going to see what happens and roll with it. That will be my motto. When something begins to stress me, make me cry, annoy me, or excite me, I'm going to - you guessed it - roll with it. I'd like you all to consider adopting this motto this year. How much more relaxed would you be? Lets be honest - your not in control of your life - God is. Sit back and relax, and roll with whatever he sends your way.

The Help Desk

2008-12-29T17:21:00.006-06:00

So I work at the headquarters for a global company. What I didn't know is that the IT desk is literally on another continent. All I needed was someone to reset my password for my application. In the "olden" days - you'd just call down to your IT department and they'd fix you up in about 2 minutes. Today - I learned what has changed in the 6 years I've been out of the corporate world. When I first started my job and they told me it'd be a few weeks to get all my logins and passwords because they outsourced IT, I scoffed. Who's ever heard of waiting a month to get your logins once you start a new job. They weren't kidding. It took 3 weeks. Now that I have my logins and passwords, they don't work. And my buddy down in IT wasn't there to help, because he now lives in India. I had to call halfway across the globe to get the help desk, spell my last name somewhere close to 10 times to the man who barely spoke English, and wait on hold close to 20 minutes. All of that to generate a trouble ticket that will go to the next tire of the help desk. To see why my password won't work.

Does it really cost that much less to outsource your IT dept? And let me add, is it worth it?

Dinner

2008-12-27T20:36:00.003-06:00

So as a part of the switch, I make out the meal plan for the week, which I love to do, by the way. I heart cookbooks. I love to settle down with 4 or 5 of them and just look at the pictures and read the recipes and try to put together a week of interesting food. I even made a great weekly meal spreadsheet. Yes, that's right, I said spreadsheet, and I am not embarrassed. Back to my story. Oh wait - I didn't even start my story yet. Okay. So - all Andy has to do is look on the menu/spreadsheet and see what is for dinner. In the morning, I set out the recipe and pull out any ingredients I don't think he can find (since he still needs the pantry orientation). The other day, all I had on the menu was chicken and a veggie. No recipe. I told him to just use the bottle of Italian dressing and bake it in the oven. This wasn't satisfactory to him, and I just didn't have any other ideas so I told him he was on his own. When I got home, I was pleasantly surprised. He had jumped on Martha's website and found some recipe and had in the oven baked chicken with whole garlic cloves (that we later spread on bread) and roasted asparagus. Now what is funny is that the entire time we contemplated this whole switch places thing - his biggest concern was cooking. I'm slightly annoyed that he just might show me up. But I think I'll just enjoy the nice dinners after a long day of work. And now I will leave you with a picture of Mr. Martha. (that's my apron, not his)

The cliche' Christmas post

2008-12-27T09:22:00.004-06:00

I had it all written out with pics and everything. Then I hit post and for some reason lost it all. So I'm going to settle with our family Christmas pic and try again another day.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!!

Rene'

2008-12-17T18:59:00.002-06:00

She makes us laugh.

This is where we found her the other day.

She got up there all by herself.

Tonight I realized I hadn't seen her in awhile. When I called her name, she came running out from behind the living room chair with a half opened present.

Christmas with kids is the best!

What will I do with my expectations

2008-12-14T21:29:00.003-06:00

Seriously - I should not be blogging.

But I feel so completely disconnected from my family and friends that it is going to be therapeutic.

So - the job is going well. Every day gets better. I even instigated some departmental Christmas decor and the planning of the department Christmas potluck. They hadn't even thought about that. Can you believe it?!

Andy is doing amazingly well in his new role. Although he said he feels like he's on vacation. Friday he officially had a crazy day. Paige was sick and had a Dr's appt and then he noticed Rene's eardrum had erupted. He was slightly freaking out of the phone so I called my wonderful mother to accompany him to the Dr with 2 sick kids. They made it. And it was secretly nice to just go about my business, knowing my kids were going to be well taken care of.

I am mourning the fact that I am not going to get the homemade gifts out to my friends, that I didn't get to host my annual dinner party with my high school girl friends, that my greenery to make a wreath is STILL in my garage on the floor, and that I can't just sit at home and enjoy the Christmas music. But I am very aware of how blessed I am to have a job, and that my husband is loving spending time with his kids.

Life gives you lemons - you make lemonade.

Since everyone's asking.....

2008-12-03T20:54:00.002-06:00

Okay - so much for my blogging break.

I have to just let everyone know how my first day went. It was a typical first day. Including orientation, tour of the building, lunch with the boss, and lots and lots of information I will not remember.

Here are the things from the corporate world, I had forgotten, and was promptly reminded of. Coworkers with stinky breath, coworkers who think I will be piling their desks with work, therefore telling me they are swamped, coworkers telling me their grievances about other coworkers, and coworkers flaunting their pay grade.

All in all, I think I will like it. I just need to stop comparing it to the best job ever that I had at Focus on the Family.

Andy is finishing out the week at his job and starts at home next week. And I can't wait. I have to say that getting the kids up and ready to go to the babysitters is for the birds. My evening is full of getting ready for the morning. Then my evening is gone. For those who have to do that every singe day, you are my hero as I am a wimp.

And there is the first day in the first chapter of my return to the corporate world.

Change

2008-12-02T10:10:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is the big day. I start my new full time job. It comes with a lot of emotions. This is Andy's last week of work. He'll be home next week full time. You might remember us in prayer this week. I'm also going to take a little blogging break for a week or so. I'm going to have to find a new routine, because I thrive on routine. So in order to work out the kinks and give everything else the time it deserves, something has to go. And its the blog. But I'll be back, with lots of stories, I'm sure. I'm going to try to talk Andy into starting a blog. That would be entertainment for sure. Here's to change, and better days!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T21:27:00.003-06:00

We're here in Colorado and I'm enjoying myself a lot. Our Thanksgiving started out with the Juniper Valley Ranch tradition of target practice at the dump. It consists of shooting bottles, toilets, microwaves, whatever papa can find. It is a fun tradition and Zak's first year to participate. Then its off to a yummy meal, then lots of lounging and sleeping by the wood burning stove. We were even lucky enough to get some snow in the evening. Then today the girls did a little shopping and it was game playing the rest off the afternoon. I'll leave you with a few pics of our festivities.

A belated "Thank you!"

2008-11-24T19:45:00.003-06:00

My good friend Cristina over at "Baby its Cold Outside" gave me a blog award last week. And I am late in thanking her. So Cristina - Thank you!! And the fact that it was for having a creative blog makes it even more special since I profess to have not an ounce of creativeness in my body. Its my ability to find and copy ideas that make me look good every once in awhile.

Now, I'm going to pass this one along to Kelly at From Kelly's Kitchen. I have not only had the pleasure of tasting her amazing food, but I have gotten to copy a few of her ideas and recipes as well. She'll never disappoint. Thanks Kel! Wish I had some of your warm cheesy bread right about now......

Random thoughts - its as good as I can do

2008-11-24T11:39:00.002-06:00

My mind is in a whirlwind.

We're headed to CO for Thanksgiving this week. I'm excited. Its always a good time. And it looks like there's some snow in the forecast. Not so great for traveling, but I'm hoping to get a great family shot in the mountains for our Christmas cards.

When we told the kids that I would be going back to work and daddy would be staying home, Zak said "Mom, I have always wished that and now my wish is coming true." Wow - guess I won't worry about the transition for him.

My house is half decorated for Christmas. It is driving me nuts. We always get a real tree and we can't get it until after Thanksgiving, since we'll be gone. I feel like I'm trying to be in the Christmas spirit but not.

I am mourning the fact that I'll most likely be in a cubicle for my favorite season of the year. I'll just have to bring the Christmas spirit to work.

I am, although, super excited that I need to buy a new wardrobe in order to work. Oh yeah!

I'll try to update over the holiday and give you some pics.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Non-traditional

2008-11-21T09:24:00.003-06:00

Everything about my life is traditional. And I like it that way.

Until now. Andy and I have made some big decisions and are about to make some big changes in our life. I just took a new full time job. And Andy is going to come home with the kids. There are over 250,000 stay at home dads in the US alone, and the number in other countries can be higher. I won't lie - we are scared out of our minds. But we know this is what needs to happen for our family right now. And while we're scared, we're super excited too. Andy will get a much needed extended vacation (kind of), the kids will get some incredible "dad" time, and I can jump back into the corporate world, where I feel like I excel. This probably isn't a long term thing, but we'll see where it takes us. Our new adventure starts after Thanksgiving. Wish us luck!

Sisters

2008-11-18T22:05:00.003-06:00

Good Times

And bad

(that knot is courtesy of little sister's head)

And I do what with that?

2008-11-13T22:01:00.006-06:00

I'm not going to lie. When I get mad, it feels really great to slam the door. I've done it since I was little. I think maybe I even broke a door off the hinges (gasp). The Lord has done some work with me since then - don't worry.

Which brings me to Paige.

For those who don't personally know Paige - I wish you could meet her.

For those who don't know Paige very well - you'll find this shocking.

She, at her wee age of 3, can slam doors better than I could ever dream of. Today, as I walked her into her room because she was screaming about something, I saw fire in her eyes. My usual routine is to take her in her room and make her throw her fit by herself. She usually ramps it up once I've put her in her room. Once I hear that she's quiet, I'll go in and ask her if she's done. I can be guaranteed her response is "no". To which she slams the door in my face and give out one more long, loud scream. With that, she exits her room and is usually her sweet self. It happens every time. But today - it was war. Before I could shut her in her room fast enough she looked at me with some fierce eyes, a red face, and let out the most passionate scream I've ever heard from her. And I've heard a lot of them. I will never forget that face. I went back to the living room and seriously thought - that girl can't be mine. She stayed in her room extra long, and I didn't go check on her at all. Finally after about 15 minutes she emerged in her dressy shoes, red sunglasses, and plethora of beads, and acted like nothing happened.

I decided, the next time I am having a bad day, maybe I need to try that.

True love in the form of an ax

2008-11-09T21:27:00.004-06:00

My grandad is no longer with us. He was the sweetest man I ever knew. One of my favorite memories of my grandad was that he made the best fires in the fireplace in the wintertime. I remember him wadding up countless newspapers to get the fire going, and playing games and eating popcorn by the fire. Great memories.

I'm all about ambiance. I want my house to exude warmth, and welcome. My husband is the opposite. He's practical. He thinks the fire should be a heat source and not just for looks. And in theory, that's great. We did that when we lived in CO and I loved it. But it kills him for some reason to burn a fire in the fireplace, with all the heat getting sucked up the chimney. And me, well, as long as it is warm and welcoming, who cares?

So we've had a few arguments this year about the fireplace. He thinks we need to get it cleaned before we burn it (we've been here 3 years and burned the fireplace about 10 times), he's from the country where you chop your own wood and doesn't believe in paying someone for it, and he thinks its impractical. I had to start thinking of ways to place candles in the fireplace and how we could make s'mores.

The other day I was rounding the corner to see a truck in my yard and the gate open. There was my husband and a coworker, unloading wood. Free wood. Its not often that the sight of your husband unloading wood makes your love grow for someone, but for me it did. He had put aside all his arguments and gotten me some wood. The plus for him, is that he didn't have to pay for it, and he got to get his ax out and chop it. Something he did all the time growing up. So I'm going to leave you with a picture of my sweet husband doing the most romantic thing for me....chopping wood.

Score One for the TV

2008-11-06T14:08:00.003-06:00

Some routines just develop, without you even trying to create one. Our morning routine doesn't vary at all. Once the kids are up, they get their cup of juice for the day, with a vitamin sitting on top of their lid. Its funny how if I don't have the vitamin sitting on their lid, it throws them off. If I hand it to them directly, both Paige and Rene' will put it on their lid, then eat it. Weird. Then its usually cold cereal, unless I'm in the baking mood for muffins or pancakes. Anyway, the TV is turned on to PBS kids and thus starts their morning show routine. If their up early enough its Curious George, then Sid the Science Kid, then Paige and Rene' stick around for SuperWhy. Zak's usually off doing chores. This is what happens at our house every day between the hours of 7 and 8:30am.

I've often felt convicted about the amount of TV my kids watch. I'd love to be doing crafts, taking nature walks, putting on puppet shows, etc. But that just isn't a regular occurrence at my house. I need a shower. And I need my sleep. So I'm not getting up early to get a shower. Therefore, the TV is always on in the morning.

Yesterday I helped in Zak's class. We were all at the library where the Librarian was reading a story about the life cycle of a pumpkin. As she was reading about how the pumpkin was rotting, my son raised his hand and said, "There is another word for rotting - its decaying.". The librarians looked up with surprised faces, the teachers were laughing, and I was a proud parent at that point. I didn't teach him about decaying, Sid the Science Kid did. And I'll be letting Sid the Science Kid teach him every morning ...........without guilt.

Lets move on

2008-11-05T11:01:00.002-06:00

I will not blog about how scared I am for my children/family today.

Instead we're going to talk CHRISTMAS!!!!!

I've got the candles going today, the Christmas music blasting, and I am planning my Christmas. From food, to decor to presents. My plan is to have all my shopping done by Thanksgiving so I can sit back, relax, and enjoy the Christmas parties and traditions.

I'm planning lots of Christmas activities for my family this year. One is advent calendars. I am always too late on getting these, and then the cute ones are sold out. I have also explored ways of making some. I can't find where I've seen this, but you take 25 gift bags, decorated for Christmas and then string them on a line with clothespins, fill them, and then open one each day. Or I just might buy them. Either way, I need to take care of this now.

Every year, I say I'm going to make gift baskets for my neighbors. This year, I really am going to do it.

I am also going to plan some service project for our entire family to do. I haven't decided what this is yet, so if there is anything you and your family do for others during the holiday season, I'd love to hear it.

Come Dec 1st I hope to turn this blog into a Christmas Extravaganza!

One in 1000

2008-11-01T17:26:00.002-06:00

This is just one of the 1000 posts, I'm sure, of children in their halloween costumes. So here you have it!

Rene' won 2nd prize at a costume contest. Everyone thought she was a skunk. She was supposed to be a kitty.

My mom and I made this pumpkin costume as a very last minute effort a couple of years ago for Zak. It was an orange pillow on clearance that we took the stuffing out of and then made a face on. It has served its purpose well.

Darth Vadar passing out hugs.....classic.

Famiy Night

2008-10-28T11:20:00.004-06:00

Last night was family night. It was nice and cold so we had a hot meal, then went outside for s'mores, then back inside for pumpkin carving.

Uncle Chris started us off

Aunt Lana keeping warm

Can you believe this was 90 year old GeeGee's first s'more?!

4 generations

Grandpa's turn

The fun aunt and uncle

Uncle Chris and Zak were the only ones who cared about carving the pumpkin.

It is out of control

2008-10-27T08:40:00.003-06:00

So everyone talks about the TV show "The Office". We have never gotten on "The Office" bandwagon. And would say to each other - that show looks so stupid. We would also say, why do people buy TV shows on DVD - that is so dumb.

Well, last weekend, when there was nothing to rent at the Red Box, we succumbed to watching "The Office season 1" on DVD, that we had borrowed from my brother.

We didn't go to bed until 1am that night. We watched the entire season. Then we called my brother the next day for season 2. For the next 10 days we have watched 3 episodes every night after we put the kids to bed. I am not exaggerating. Every. Night. I am suffering from some serious sleep deprivation.

On Saturday, we started season 3. Its our little thing now. We pop popcorn, and watch "The office" every night.

We had a babysitter on Saturday night to go to a birthday party - we couldn't wait to come home and watch "The Office". We were home by 9:00pm.

If you every wondered what marriage after 11 years is - this is it.

Thank you Chris and Lana for buying the DVDs of a TV show. We will no longer chastise you.

"I don't have time" Cinnamon Rolls

2008-10-23T13:21:00.002-05:00

When you don't want to spend forever waiting for your rolls to rise, cook up my cinnamon rolls in about 30 minutes from start to finish. Click here to find out how.

Life is too short

2008-10-18T13:09:00.003-05:00

I've been mulling a few things around in my head lately. I am usually a VERY productive person. I've been driven since I was a little girl. I like my world organized and predictable (for the most part). I feel like when I had my 3rd child, everything went haywire, and I am just now getting back to being the "self" that I know. Sleepless nights, tight budgets, and selfishness have all been a hurdle to what I want to be doing. So now, I'm going to do some things that I've been wanting to do, and just haven't.

At least one family activity a weekend, whether it be a movie, a walk, or an outing - somthing where we are all together and have each others undivided attention.

Dinner on Thursday nights for friends - whether the house is clean or not! I'm usually cooking anyway, why not double it and have some company.

Creative, intentional, educational activities with my kids at least once a week.

Date night with my hubby once a week (don't worry family, I'll rotate the babysitters)

What are some things you want to be doing, but aren't?

A shameless plug

2008-10-18T12:46:00.002-05:00

Alright, I have to plug my dear sister-in-law's new Etsy shop. If you've never visited Etsy, your missing out. Everything for sale has to be hand crafted. It is so fun to browse. I love hand made things, and was not given the creative gene, so I really admire those who do.

Anyway, Tricia is super talented and I was actually recently on the receiving end of her talent. She made me this adorable apron for my birthday. She has one that is the same style for sale so check it out quick before its gone.

She'd appreciate it if you'd stop by her shop and browse - and of course, buy something!!

The day from you know where

2008-10-16T17:50:00.004-05:00

Its cliche'. I know. But it really was. We have had rain for the past 2 days so that means grey skies, and cooped up in the house. Today was the first day of sunshine in 3 days and Zak comes down with a fever. There go our "fall break" plans. And they were big.....going to the library. At least it was an outing. So we are stuck in the house for yet another day. This is when the toys are old, the TV is always on, and your just trying to get through minute by minute. I'm sure none of you other super moms have had these days. So I end up having to cancel our totally cool dinner plans at 4:00pm because Zak's fever isn't gone and Andy calls to tell me he just threw up. Now I have nothing planned for dinner, because we were going to some friends house, my husband would be of no help, and I am about to lose it. Then the call from Bethany. It was nice to hear from the outside world, if I could have heard. I couldn't hear due to the screaming of my children in the background. I moved from the bathroom, kids rooms, and then my closet - everywhere of which my children found me and continued to be loud. I got a nice "hang in there" from Bethany, hung up the phone, and proceeded to lose it. My kids were sent to their rooms until their sick father came home. I made them call Bethany back, apologize, and told them anytime the phone rings again, they have to automatically go to their rooms until they can learn to have manners. All the while doing this with Rene' on my hip, sucking her thumb. Because that is all Rene' does, all. day. long. Want to be held and suck her thumb.

While all of this is going on, I hear Lisa Whelchel in the back of my head, from the bible study I'm doing, telling me to teach my children's hearts, not just their behavior. I thank God for the reminder, with gritted teeth, and decide everyone is going to bed at 7:00pm.

Zak

2008-10-11T21:12:00.002-05:00

Zak,

Every time I look at your face, and see those cute, tiny, freckles, I can't help but smile. You turned 6 this week. (I'm late - sorry). I remember hiding the pregnancy test in the cabinet, and then checking it later to see if that faint pink line, was any brighter. Obviously it was.

You are the kid, who everyone wants to be their friend. You make everyone laugh with your enthusiasm, that is quite contagious. You do everything with 110%, never less. You love Star Wars, puzzles, Scooby Doo, Honey Nut Cheerios, space, and your family. I think its so cute when you tell me you "don't like Paige right now, but you still love her." I see a lot of myself in you, and I wish I could spare you the mistakes I made. But I know you'll learn from them, like I did. Sometimes I just watch you interact with others, whether its on the soccer field, at school, or at church. You make me proud. But it makes me sad, too. I realize more than ever that your growing up. I can't wait to see the man you become. And my prayer every day for you is that you grow to be a man of integrity, character, and substance. And most of all that you make God the single most important thing in your life.

This year, your 6th year of life, I hope your eyes are opened to a few more things that you are good at, that you learn to become a better friend, that you trust God a little more, that you know how much your dad and I love you, and that you make memories that will last you a lifetime.

I love you,

Mom

I haven't forgotten you~

2008-10-11T13:18:00.001-05:00

Its been a busy week with company and birthdays - I promise I'll be back by the end of the weekend with Zak's Bday party pics and Paige stories!

Why did I wait so long to get away?

2008-10-06T16:02:00.005-05:00

Lets be honest. There's really nothing like getting away with the girls to eat, laugh, and shop. It fills the soul. And that's just what I did last weekend. 3 of my favorite people and I hit the road and headed to Dallas, where we stayed with my generous brother and shopped Canton Trade Days, and various Dallas hot spots. I'm pretty sure this will be happening again very soon, well, after my budget can replenish itself.

Breakfast early in the AM before shopping

A small glimpse of Canton Trade Days - one of the largest outdoor flea markets in the US

Even Amber braved the crowds, broken leg and all, with a scooter, of course. Although the little dog who she almost ran over would have rather her not.

shopping.......

Lunch at Ikea - you know its a serious store when there's a cafeteria in it.

Last stop, one of Oprah's favorite things - Sprinkles cupcakes.

The Posse (Left to Right) Bethany, me, April, and Amber

A much Needed break!

2008-10-04T06:43:00.003-05:00

I'm on one!

I'm getting ready to hit Canton Trade Days with 3 of my girlfriends. I'm so excited, my stomach is all nauseous.

I'll be back with pictures and a few of my great finds (hopefully!)

A little Nostalgia

2008-10-01T19:48:00.003-05:00

I don't consider myself overly sentimental. But lately, a little bit has been creeping in. My mom has some very old black and white pictures on her wall of her grandmother as a child and some other old relatives. I found myself looking at them the other day and realizing it was my heritage. I decided once my kids get bigger, I'm going to do some family tree research.

My mom, in her first year of retirement, is on a cleaning rampage. In a matter of weeks I have acquired my old school yearbooks, pictures, and stuffed animals. I love getting them - I just have no where to put them. I guess she doesn't either. Anyway, she brought over some old cookbooks, knowing I'm a sucker for a cookbook. As I sat down to go through them, I realized it was a treasure trove! I found cookbooks of my grandmother's that have her handwritten recipes stuck inside, newspaper clippings from 1976 with recipes on them. One had her inscription on one that was to a couple getting married, then she scratched out their names and wrote that they didn't get married. Those, to me, are priceless. And my grandmother is still living! But those are the things that some day, when she is gone, I am going to be so happy I have.

I'm afraid in the hustle and bustle of life these days, we forget all that great stuff. A time when convenience foods were almost non-existent. People went out to eat as a rare "treat". It makes me want to bring a little of that back into my family. When times were simple. And the food was always homemade and tasty.

Snap out of it!

2008-09-27T17:10:00.003-05:00

I love to entertain. I love to cook, make the table pretty, and spend time with friends and family. But there's just a small problem. Well, actually, there's 3 small problems, named Zak, Paige, and Rene'. I find myself tired at 3:00 every single day. Then its just a countdown until I can plop myself on the couch and do absolutely nothing. I have been realizing that either I'm lazy, not eating right, or just a wimp. Its probably a combination of all three. And if I was remotely "hip" I'd down a Red Bull at 3 and power through the evening. But the truth is, I'm scared of that stuff. I want to have people over, lots of people, all the time. My initial thought on this is that the house has to be clean. It is a no-brainer that cleaning with three kids is like shoveling snow in a snowstorm. But recently we've had a couple of dinner invites from people who don't feel like everything is perfect at their house. And you know what - its refreshing. And I'm going to copy it. I'm not going to worry that everything is perfect. I'm just going to have company and enjoy it. Life's too short, people.

I've got big problems

2008-09-23T14:51:00.004-05:00

**** Edited to add: Just so you know - I recorded Biggest Loser, caught the last hour of Dancing with the Stars, and watched 90210 in its encore presentation on Wed.

I have major problems tonight. Not only do we have dinner plans, but this is the best night of TV in a long time. I am embarassed to admit we don't have a DVR. I realize how ridiculous this is. But its just how it is at the moment. So here's the problem. 3, count them 3 of my favorite shows are on AT THE SAME time tonight. For those who have forgotten about the trusty VCR - you can only record one show at a time. So I am stuck. Do I record, The Biggest Loser, DWTS, or 90210?

Family Night

2008-09-22T14:23:00.002-05:00

Tonight is family night. We just instituted this in our family since my mom retired. Every Monday night we rotate houses and get together for a large extended family meal. We get to all connect every week and of course 2 people get the night off from cooking the main dish. Some things we've done at our family nights are a game of freeze tag in the yard (some of the adults had to be convinced), playing the Wii (thanks to Aunt Lana and Uncle Chris), and of course reliving old times. If you have family that live in the city and find it hard to get together, I would encourage you to have yourself a weekly family night.

Just a small beef....

2008-09-20T13:33:00.002-05:00

What's funny about this small tirade is that I was on the other side of it just a few years ago.

I have been helping out in the nursery at church. I have to admit. I've always thought I didn't have the gift of being a nursery worker. Therefore, I never volunteered. Because sometimes, other people's children scare me. I'm sure this goes the other way as well. Anyway, I was asked a couple of years ago to teach the pre-k class and I thought it was time to get involved so I jumped in. And I actually enjoyed it. The kids were so funny, and I felt like I was contributing to the spiritual realm of things. Since then, I've been a constant helper, minus a few months after I had a baby. Well, lately, I've noticed how shorthanded our nursery is. That the same people are working every weekend. Not only are they working every weekend, they are working multiple services. I've seen and heard the constant pleadings of our children's department for more helpers, and am astonished at how many people will drop off their children, weekend after weekend, seeing the same people working, and never once darken the door of the nursery to help. I began to get a little angry after I was in charge of the entire nursery for one weekend. Not because I had to be there all weekend, (because I'm not there near as much as some people) but because I saw how much work it is and how few people are willing to step up and help.

So this is my plea to all - if you have ever had the luxury of dropping off your children at the church nursery - think about volunteering once a month to let someone else have the time off.

Friday

2008-09-19T11:48:00.001-05:00

Your thankful its Friday when you have just finished shaving one leg, drop the razor, break it, and find there are no more razor blades.

Whats for dinner?

2008-09-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

Click here to find out

2008-09-17T09:13:00.001-05:00

Return of the M&M jar

2008-09-16T14:35:00.002-05:00

I think one of my very first posts on this here blog was regarding the M&M jar. It so revolutionized my life at the time I just needed to share it. Well, it served its purpose for a few months and was then put away. Now that Paige is 3, it has made its return. When your tired of spewing words that get ignored with your 3 year old, this just might do the trick. We begin with one large jar of M&Ms set so the child can see it all the time. To each side there is another jar. ONe with a happy face on it, and one with a sad face on it. When Paige does somthing that makes someone else unhappy (usually her siblings or me) she has to put an M&M in the sad jar. And of course, when she does something that makes other happy, she puts one in the happy jar. At the end of the day, if there are more in the happy jar, than the sad, she can eat the ones in the happy jar. If not, they all get poured back into the main jar and I remind her that tomorrow is another day. This is one of the most effective tools I've ever used with my kids. Use it, share it, thank the Lord for it.

2008-09-12T16:11:00.003-05:00

My mom gave me the pleasure of an afternoon to myself. So I of course spent half of it at Target. Now, some people have their Dr. Pepper they have every day, or their coffee (that's me), or some other guilty pleasure. My new one, is premium soda. Specifically Hansen's Pomegranite Green Tea soda.

I have only found this at Target. And you get a whopping 4 cans for $3.29. I stood in front of this for at least 5 minutes at the store, debating on whether or not to get it. On a budget like ours, Hansen's soda has no place. But I talked myself into it stating that it was less than a dollar a can. And some people have a cup of Starbucks everyday for $4. I took my prized soda home, with the intention of kicking back and watching a little Guiding Light and quenching my thirst. I grabbed my can and began to place it on the counter when it slipped out of my hand. For those who have never experienced contents under pressure, this is what it did. It fell to the floor, leaving a gaping hole, and began to spew and spin in a 36o degrees circle. That meant, I had Green Tea soda all over every inch of my kitchen. This is not an exaggeration. It was literally on the walls, dishwasher, windows, microwave, cabinets, cookbooks, basically anything that was sitting out. Once it stopped, I realized not only, did I just lose one of 4 sodas, they were now, over a dollar a piece, and the rest of my afternoon was going to include moping. Not what I had planned. I tried to get away with just wiping it up off the floor with a wet rag, hoping our feet wouldn't stick. No such luck. And that, my friends, was my Friday afternoon.

This is what I'm dealing with

2008-09-12T10:57:00.004-05:00

Just a little snack of an ENTIRE box of Nilla wafers and some Dora

She looks at me as if to say "What?"

An expensive use for diapers

2008-09-10T11:56:00.003-05:00

So I was driving the kids home from school yesterday, when Zak made a comment that there was a spider web on his chair. I thought that was interesting and then thought about the stroller that had been in the garage that was now in the back of the van. About 5 minutes later Paige yells "a spider! a spider!" I look on the roof of the van at some interesting looking bug, but was not convinced it was a spider. So as I am driving I am trying to get a good look at it. I decide it needs to be killed. So I start looking for the Pirates of the Caribbean box of Kleenex that has been in my van for months, to be his final resting place. Well, I can't find it. And all the sudden he begins to crawl towards me, so I grab the fastest thing, which turns out to be a diaper and smash him against the top of the car. When I look again (because I am also trying to keep my eye on the road) his is running towards me, now. It is most definitely a spider, and he has left his sack of eggs behind - He is a she and SHE WAS LAYING EGGS on the roof of my van. I open up the diaper and smash with all my might, and she is finally dead. I am officially freaked out. Then, I'm super annoyed that I wasted a completely good diaper on a spider.

Am I really not 18 anymore?

2008-09-09T13:54:00.004-05:00

I went to the mall for the first time in a few months. Its pitiful, really. I forgot how much I loved the mall. And I should have just walked around and enjoyed being there instead of actually shopping for clothes. Having a post children body, 3 times over, is just not a very encouraging thing. I seem to remember the glory days when I could try on anything and it looked good on me so all I had to do was decide what I liked best. Those were the days. Its not like I can't get that body back. I'm pretty sure I can. Its finding the time, motivation, and will power to quit making cookies when my kids ask. Now that Rene' is 18 months and I'm sure I'm done birthing children, I will be giving myself a pep talk. Its time I didn't just quit because something doesn't come easy to me. A little hard work never hurt anyone. So self, gear up, baby. Its time to crack the whip. (she says as she pops 3 peanut m&ms in her mouth)

A quiet Saturday

2008-09-06T12:37:00.002-05:00

Andy is at work. Zak went with Grandma and Grampa to a cousin's birthday party in Dallas for the weekend. And here I am, while my girls sleep. Its a nice quiet afternoon at our house. I have a "to do" list a mile long. But today, I'm going to take a nap. Because every day has a 'to do" list at my house. So I won't know the difference tomorrow.

Some issues in our house that need attention

2008-09-04T13:08:00.003-05:00

This is a post to make everyone feel really good about their family and their house. Or it just displays how utterly lacking we are.

Rene' turns her light on after we put her to bed and is seen reading a book. We could rearrange the whole room to move her bed away from the light switch, but its pretty funny - and she turns it off when she's finished. She is so the 3rd child.
Rene' getting into the pantry and eating all the food is an issue. All it would require is a childproof something or other, but we seem to keep forgetting to pick it up at the store.
Our washing machine is broken. Our dryer vent that is inside the wall is broken. We are going to be getting a new "free" washing machine (thank you Lord) but the catch is it is coming from Colorado and won't be here until October.
The desk area in my room - where I work - an utter mess. I can't get it to look clean or organized and its DRIVING ME CRAZY! I just want to build on an office.
Paint. That is what I am asking for, for my birthday. This house needs some paint on the walls.
I just need a personal trainer, then I can get skinny.
I'm going to have to start working at the library in order to pay my fines.
The computer - I will now be starting the timer when I get on, and getting off the computer when the timer goes off. I do this with my 5 year old. And I have to do it with myself. Sigh.

A post about a rest stop

2008-09-03T09:36:00.002-05:00

I'm coming off a trip where we spent 24 hours in the car both ways. So forgive me that this post is about a rest stop. But once you see and understand, you'll know why.

Lets talk about rest stops. I don't normally like them. I'd rather enter the bathroom of a gas station and take my chances. Because after all, gas stations have candy and lots of it. Unlike rest stops. But when you need a place for your kids to frolic and play, the gas station parking lot isn't your first choice.

We fell in love with the rest stop in Trinidad, CO a few years ago. It is new, clean, and has a great view for a picnic. But it has since moved to 2nd on my list. The rest stop close to the border of Texas and OK has won. Not only does it have very nice clean bathrooms, it has interactive information inside about old Route 66. And then - the smartest thing of all time. A play area. Why in the world don't every rest stop in the country have play areas. We stopped about 30 minutes before it got dark, and the kids acted like they had never played on a play gym before. They were ecstatic.

Oklahoma - I love you. You have friendly people, and I have very fond memories of growing up there. But really - your rest stops are put to shame. I mean shameful. They are old, disgusting, and not exciting. Oklahoma - you need to step it up. You have a pro basketball team now. Its time to ramp up the rest stops. Texas, my hat is off to you. You did it right. And I will pass by my beloved Oklahoma's rest stops any time - in order to get to yours.

Labor Day weekend

2008-09-02T12:42:00.002-05:00

First I must say thanks to all those commenters who made for great election discussion on my last post. Wow. I have 12 readers!

We got back too late last night from a marathon trip to CO for Andy's brother's surprise 40th birthday luau. It was worth the 24 hours of driving in 4 days to spend some time with family and friends. I got to hook up with Kelly who I hadn't seen in over 2 years!!! And we were a great surprise for Andy's brother. The weather was perfect and scenery as gorgeous as ever. We crammed so much family time into those small hours, I wonder how long it will take for everyone to recuperate. So I will return later with many pics of our good times.

The Obama Train

2008-08-26T16:30:00.005-05:00

I've read a lot of blogs on Michelle Obama today. Seems she was the highlight of the convention last night. I'll be honest - I didn't watch. Nor will I watch the Republican convention. Politics wears me out. It just ends up making me mad. So I just don't watch any media on it. I look at the candidates voting records and then make my decision. It's as simple as that. I don't want to hear their promises because lets be honest - that's all they are. They're voting records tell me who they really are, minus the fluff of a campaign. And there's pretty much one issue I can't seem to get past. Abortion. I think it is the moral compass of a person as to whether they vote for it to be stopped or to not. Now, do I think John McCain is a great person? No way. But since he is standing up for the voice of the unborn - he's my vote. I realize there are other issues. But the economy will forever go up and down, we're committed to the war, but we can stop the murder of unborn babies in a terribly painful way. I just want to quote Obama and something he said at the Saddleback debate. When asked when a human life begins, his response was that "it was above his pay grade to answer". Let me ask - Doesn't the President of the United States have the highest pay grade possible? Isn't it an issue that will come up and he will have to make a decision on it? Is there a box he can check that says "its above my paygrade to make this into a law or not?" That , my friends, was politics at its finest. And because of his pathetic dodge, and his voting record of course, he will not get my vote. I'm sure he will become the next President, and life will go on - for those who aren't aborted anyway. But my conscience will be clear. For those who will be voting for Obama, which is pretty much everyone I know, your still my friends and I still love and respect you. To each his own.

Equal face time

2008-08-25T20:26:00.003-05:00

Might it be a problem that I put her in the afternoon class and she fell asleep on the way to school?

Racing upstairs with Maggie

All smiles and ready to go - sitting with Abby

Science at its best

2008-08-24T21:16:00.002-05:00

I think I've posted on here about our library trips. Although I did have a few months where I didn't have to pay them a dime in fines. But I'm afraid I've made up for it the past 2 weeks. Why I can't seem to get the books/videos back on time is beyond me. Anyway - when I go, I am watching 3 kids while grabbing books off the shelf, flipping through them to see if they are on my kids level, then stuffing them in my bag. Because of this method - I've gotten some doozies. Its so funny to see some authors political agenda in their children's books. And then some, I'm wondering if I should become an author because I'm positive I could have written one more interesting. So tonight during the bedtime reading, I hear Andy and Zak giggling. I guess somehow I had gotten a book on dung beetles. And to a 5 year old - that is some funny stuff. As I kissed him and tucked him in bed, he was begging me to let him tell all his friends and teacher at school tomorrow. I, of course, said "sure". He went to sleep smiling. I have a feeling all of tomorrow's conversations will revolve around the dung beetle.

Meet my friend Jeff

2008-08-23T14:40:00.003-05:00

The coffee Junkie

Dana - its a good thing your there to set him straight.

Jeff, just remember where you got your start, on this little blog.

Thanks for the laugh.

The first day of school

2008-08-20T12:36:00.004-05:00

The traditional picture in front of the front door.

Greeting his friend

His buddy Hailey
Heading into class

Ready to go!!!

I'm all out of titles

2008-08-18T21:45:00.002-05:00

My eyes are blurry - but I will stay up and watch the rest of gymnastics. And I will regret it tomorrow.

We hit the parent meeting tonight for Paige's new Preschool. Its the one that Zak went to so really, we didn't need to go. But it was fun seeing all the parents. Some were taking notes. I talked through the whole thing much to my husband's chagrin. But my friend Kim and I caught up on a whole summer in 30 minutes.

Rene' has started a few new things. She brings me her snack bowl and something out of the pantry about every hour. I can't keep her full. She is also bringing me the Dora videos. Note to self: I think we watch too much TV. But I'm starting to worry about her speech. She says words legibly, but she says sentences of nothing.

Why do the runners in the Olympics wear sunglasses? Are the rays of the fluorescent lights too hard on their eyes?

Why is it so hard to loose weight?

What will I get my son for his upcoming birthday? Oh wait. All I have to do is look at the list that is on his wall that has 24 items on it.