Feels Like Home

The truth and nothing but the truth

2010-03-04T08:22:00.006-05:00

True story. Yesterday afternoon I was on the elliptical watching Oprah in our master bedroom.

I really was, I swear. But that's not what makes the story true. The truth about the story lies in the fact that while I'm exercising, I'm watching Jessica Simpson explain to Oprah that she really wears a size 4 and sometimes a 6, and she really did eat a corn dog before that infamous "fat" picture of her went circulating around of her singing at some fair. They also accused her of wearing Mom jeans. Now I have to admire Jessica for being happy and feeling beautiful no matter what size she is. She made me proud the way she handled all the "weight issue" questions. And although I feel that Jessica Simpson certainly doesn't have any "weight issues", she tells Oprah that the size of the jeans she was wearing when that picture was taken was a 4.

Jessica, if those jeans were a size 4 you were wearing that day, then there's no way I was 205 lbs when I delivered my second child and I currently weigh 125 lbs.

And listen, far be it from me to give Jessica a hard time about her jeans since I haven seen a size 4 since middle school, but let's not stress so much on the numbers here. God designed us to be size 2's, 10's, 16's and everything in between. Let's start focusing on our inner beauty before we start worrying about what size pants we wear.

*step's off soapbox now*

Now the point of all this is that while I was engrossed in listening to Jessica Simpson on Oprah, my daughter was in the room kneeling by the pile of clean laundry that I had just folded. I giggled when she turned around wearing my bra and I ran to grab my camera to sneak a few shots. What I wasn't expecting was what she was about to tell me regarding her bra wearing experience.

"It feels like I'm wearing a purse with two babies in it..."

The End.

Just keeping it real

2010-02-19T13:07:00.008-05:00

Listen.

I probably don't need to tell you that I have a very silly family.

As a matter of fact, I probably don't even need to share any silly stories or pictures as proof that we are indeed a very silly family.

But that just wouldn't be much fun, would it?

It all started on a dark and stormy night. Except that it was sunny and still late afternoon. I was upstairs ~~reading updates on facebook~~ cleaning when it dawned on me that for the last 20 minutes or so I'd been hearing some sort of commotion going on downstairs. It sounded like some plastic paper being crumpled, some scratching, some clanking...maybe from furniture?

And then some really eerie silence.

Im not sure why it took me so long for my brain to process the noise? Okay that's not really true, I was VERY busy cleaning remember?

So I decide it was time to go downstairs to check things out. I get half-way down the stairs and this is what I see...

MmmmmmHmmmmm..yes it is. It's an entire roll of those small garbage bags that I just purchased the day before and the kids totally "toilet papered" my kitchen while I was upstairs.

It's okay though because I got the oldest back with a spatula full of refried beans to the face at the dinner table.

It's just another example of the classiness and grace that I convey as a mother.

The same classiness and grace can be seen by my grandmother in a recent lunch date for her birthday.

And honestly, if you cant have fun making french-fry moustache's with your family, then you're really not living. Because as far as Im concerned, these are the moments that actually keep us grounded.

Speaking of grounded, that's exactly what will become of these kids if I ever find my kitchen to be covered in trash bags and looking like a roped off crime scene again.

Sympathy is overrated anyway

2010-02-12T12:52:00.005-05:00

Is anybody out there?

So it's no secret I don't update the blog as much as I used to. I just can't seem to find the time. I do, however, have lots of time to spend on facebook and the internet catching up on Real Housewives of Orange County recaps and watching full Modern Family episodes.

I also want to let the cat out of the bag and tell you that for a long time I referred to my husband as only "T" but his name is really Tom. Actually it's Billie with an "ie", like a girl and his middle name is Thomas. Hence Tom. So, I'm not sure if I was trying to protect his privacy, copying the reference from another blog, or if I was just tired of typing his name because its sooo long, but his name is Tom. That is how I will refer to him because he deserves to have a name instead of an initial. Plus, he never reads my blog so I'm sure privacy is not a concern. And for that matter, I'm not sure how many people do read my blog anymore.

I realized over the weekend that while I may be approaching 30 yrs old, I handle being sick as well as the kids do. Which is not good. I found myself in the mist of a stomach flu, all alone in my bedroom. I was laying on the bed dying of nausea and stomach cramps when my husband came in. Relieved, I thought he was going to come sit with me, maybe offer a cold rag or something. He literally took one glance at me and shut the door. Angry with the lack of sympathy I crawled to the bathroom floor where I decided to make my moans heard throughout the house.

I waited. I waited some more.

Nothing.

I crawled out of the bathroom and peaked out of my door and found my two children and the man who promised to take care of me through SICKNESS and in health eating chicken wings and watching the Superbowl.

Desperate for attention I do the only thing that I knew to do.

I called my Nana.

She understands me even when the world abandons me. I could just see her nodding in agreement as I'm describing all the injustice.

"I take care of EVERYONE around here when they are sick," (sob, sob, gasp) and this is the way they treat me!? They just leave me in here to DIE!?"

Well hello dramatic, it's nice to meet you.

Would you believe that I actually started to feel better after I got off the phone with her? If that wasn't bad enough it was only a few hours later that my poor son came down with the same thing. The Superbowl was still on.

My husband put our daughter to bed and nursed Kyle and I (while trying to watch the game) for the rest of the evening. He even stayed up with Kyle until the wee hours of the morning, long after I had crashed for the night. I guess he does take that whole in SICKNESS and in health thing a lot more serious than I give him credit for.

Did you know that Virginia turned into Antarctica over the last couple weeks? Uh huh..it's true.
We've had a lot of snow and we've been stuck inside for many days. Kyle hasn't been to school in two weeks and getting to work has been very tricky. But it's all good, ya know why?
I told myself at the beginning of the year that God made snow and cold weather (in case you hadn't heard) and so if He made it, I was going to make the best of it. So while I don't really enjoy it, I can certainly appreciate the beauty of it.

Amen.

Do you know what else I can appreciate?

Sigh. I certainly do.

Last but certainly not least today is my Nana's birthday! I love you so much Nan and you are such a blessing to me. Thank you for your unconditional love and support:)

2009

2009-12-31T09:21:00.012-05:00

It's been a year already? WOW!

I thought about listing all my New Year's resolutions but I don't want to set myself up for failure, and there are some which I think should remain for me and God. I know that one of my New Year's resolutions is to update this dang blog on a frequent (meaning more than once a month) basis. Remember, it's facebooks fault. I told y'all that a month ago. You know, when I last updated.

To recap this year, I think I will start with a few of my most favorites moments.

First is the birth of my nephew Landon. He has brought us so much joy this past year and watching him grow before my eyes is just like watching one of my own children. Watching him reach all his first year milestones and, ahem, grow in size has been such a blessing for me!

Celebrating my Grandparent's 50th Wedding Anniversary was such an awesome experience. It was nice to gather with all of our extended family and friends and celebrate the inspiring love between between my Nan and Pop.

Kyle graduated preschool in June and we celebrated at Great Wolfe Lodge!

We bought a boat. We sold the boat. I may or may not have used a Luggable Lou.

We spent an incredible vacation in Myrtle Beach thanks to my hard working husband!

Kyle started Kindergarten. *Sniff* *Sniff*

The above picture still scares me.

Kyle turned 6. We celebrated with friends and family at the bowling alley.

Alyssa turned 30, I mean 3. We celebrated with a party at a gym with her friends from daycare and then back to the house to open presents.

We had a wonderful Christmas and for the first time in my life, I actually understood and reflected on the true meaning of Christmas which is the birth of Jesus, our Savior.

The best thing that has happened this year by far, is my renewed relationship with God. The church we attend has been wonderful for our family and it's been great to surround ourselves with a community of believers. Attending the women's conference left me feeling excited and yearning to learn more about the Bible and reading God's word. My husband and I have even made changes for our family by monitoring the music and t.v shows that we watch. It's amazing to see the changes that you actually want to make because of the example you wish to lead. My hope is that I can continue to follow where the Lord leads me on this walk, and that I can be a disciple of Christ's love. I mean, how awesome is it to know that He still loves me after all of the mistakes I have made!? I will never be good enough,and no matter how many "religious acts" I perform I will never earn my way into heaven. I now know that it is by God's grace alone that I get to spend eternity with Him.

Phew..that is so freeing.

I don't know what 2010 or 2050 will have in store for us but I know that He is faithful and by our side. May He receive all the glory, for it is His story to tell.

Happy New Year to all my friends and family!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so
that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
Romans 15:13

It's all in the Genes

2009-11-19T09:39:00.006-05:00

Oh sure, she may look like me.

LOOK! TWINS!

But... BUT... this girl has inherited many of her Daddy's genes.

Let's take this as example. This is her Daddy's toothbrush.

Now this my friends, is Alyssa's toothbrush.

I told you, it's all in the DNA. Somewhere floating around their bodies is this genetic instruction to press so hard when they brush that it mangles, separates, and spreads those perfectly innocent nylon fibers. It's like Moses himself has parted their toothbrush bristles.

I wonder if Alyssa will inherit a strand of my jiggly belly chromosome? Gosh, I hope not.

Not even Moses could help make this stomach flat again.

Three

2009-11-16T09:09:00.006-05:00

My Lissy Mo's has turned three today. That means three years have passed since she exited the birth canal. That is hard to believe.

I wasn't so sure of her when we first brought her home. She had this really bad poltergeist throw up problem. It was so bad that one night while she was in the room with us in her bassinet, we heard her choking on her own vomit and it scared her Daddy so bad that he literally moved her to her crib and placed a kitchen chair in front of it and stared at her all night long. Whew, those were some tough times. I'm glad I wrote that down because now I can come back and read this when my ovaries start to tingle for another baby.

When I start to think about all the things I love about her and how special our relationship is I get a little teary because I think it is such a blessing to have a little girl. Don't get me wrong, it is an equal blessing to have a little boy, but the lovely, wonderful, "girly" things that come with having, well, a girl is so very sweet.

She's the only one in the house that tells me she likes my shirts, or notices when I have my toes polished. She goes where I go. If I walk to the kitchen, she's walking right behind me. If I go to the store, she's going with me. That makes me smile, because I always went where my grandmother went to. If it was a Saturday and she was in the car, you better believe I was in there with her.

I love to smell her long and full head of adult hair. I love when I wake her in the morning and she puts her hands around my neck. I love how she tells me it's just "us girls" when we ride to daycare in the morning. I love how she points out every letter "A" she sees and she tells me it's her name.

I love watching her with her Daddy. Her Daddy is her big strong protector (as he is mine) and I'm happy she has a Daddy that will always be a part of her life when there are so many of us who grow up without Dad's in our life.

Happy Birthday my sweet baby girl! I wish you could stay little forever, but I look forward to our days together and I anticipate watching you grow up to be the wonderfully sweet, smart, and considerate person that I already see today!

Questions for God

2009-11-06T13:31:00.002-05:00

I have a lot of similar questions myself...

Matthew Paul Turner-On Questions from Cross Point Church on Vimeo.

Leaves

2009-11-04T11:37:00.007-05:00

One of the nicest beds I know

isn't a bed of soft white snow,

isn't a bed of cool green grass

after the noisy mowers pass,

isn't a bed of yellow hay

making me itch for half a day

but autumn leaves in a pile that high,

deep, and smelling like fall, and dry.

That's the bed where I like to lie

and watch the flutters go by.

Halloween

2009-11-01T20:41:00.004-05:00

Here is a recap of our halloween weekend....

The end.

Around the Homefront

2009-10-29T08:52:00.013-04:00

Fall is in full swing and although it isn't my most favorite time of the year, it sure has been purty around here.

Things around the home front have been busy as usual. Kyle is wrapping up fall soccer, Alyssa is getting ready for a ballet performance in the Nutcracker, and Tom and I have officially become "those people."

Kyle has developed this quirky habit of climbing up on my kitchen counter evening to smell each of my spices.

And Alyssa, well she's just Alyssa.

A fully potty trained almost 3 yr old that likes to wear diapers and dressy shoes to dinner.

And tell me that she wants a bowl of "Crapin' Crunch for breakfast. And that my nails are pretty. Which I love because none of the other men that I live with ever notice things like that.

Except for Kyle who told me I had whiskers on my legs.

When we are not running to activities, the kids are usually at home playing outside. Usually, they play very well together.

Except for when they're not getting along and then they each want a new brother or sister and even the occasional new Mom or Dad.

But overall, everyone plays nice most of the time.

We are BLESSED beyond words!

Happy Birthday Kyle

2009-10-05T20:36:00.006-04:00

Six years ago today I gave birth to a boy that completely changed my perspective on life and the world as I knew it. Oh sure, people told me there would be sleepless nights but I never fully grasped that concept until our first night home from the hospital. I remember one of the nurses hugging me with tearful eyes of pity because she too was a single Mom and I remember thinking I have no idea why this woman is crying. I was getting ready to be a Mom! I can handle this!

Boy oh boy if I only knew.

Tonight I watched Kyle at our dinner table blowing out his candles with the help of his sister and his friend that lives across the street. I was fighting back the tears thinking I have a kid who is old enough to have friends that live across the street. Wasn't I just a kid that had friends across the street? Weren't we just at his first birthday party watching him devour his birthday cake while wearing a cute red plaid shirt and dark denim jeans?

Nope. We are here. Six years later. He's still up playing his new Nintendo DS and I'm in the computer room having an emotional breakdown. I sit here wondering if Kyle will ever get a chance to read this and thinking that if he does, I should probably apologize for some crummy things I've done to him these past six years. Six to be exact.

1. I'm sorry I let you scream for 5 hours straight because I had no idea that nipples came in different sizes and the one we had was too small and you weren't getting any formula from it.

2. I'm sorry for sticking that thermometer in your butt no less that 15 times because I had no idea why you were crying for 5 hours straight. Now I now it's because of reason #1.

3. I'm sorry for swinging you around by your arms in a circle at Grandpa's farm and accidentally letting go of you. You hit the gravel really hard and I felt terrible. I still have no idea what possessed me to let you go.

4. I'm sorry for not taking you to the emergency room when you fell and cut your forehead open on the dresser. It looked like a deep gash but I didn't want to be one of those freak out Moms who take their kids to the hospital for every little thing. I mean, I used to be an EMT for crying out loud, you think I would know if something needed stitches or not. Well anyway, it probably did need stitches because you have a bad scar there now. I'm hoping you will either grow out of it, or by the time you actually care about your appearance they will have a great scar removal in which I will personally buy for you.

5. I'm sorry for making you dress like a chicken for Halloween when you were two but I just couldn't help it. You were the cutest chicken I evah seen!

6. I'm sorry I was too busy looking at paint samples to realize you were running on my roof. That was by far the scariest day of my life and if I catch you opening that upstairs window ever again you are grounded for the rest of your life. I don't care how old you are.

I hope you know how much I love you Kyle Michael, and I want you to know that I wouldn't trade a single sleepless, scary, sick, frustrated, tantrum infested day or night for anything in the world!

Happy 6th Birthday Kyle!

Love,
Mommy

When we go from scrambled eggs to pop tarts

2009-09-24T10:32:00.006-04:00

I was allowed the opportunity to begin working a part-time schedule once Kyle started school. This allows me to get him on and off the bus and it's the next closest thing to being a stay at home Mom. When I first approached the idea to my work last May and it was approved, I started envisioning my new morning routine with the kids. Our mornings (in my dream) included sleeping in a bit longer, watching cartoons, and walking Kyle down our driveway to the bus stop. But none of this would happen before (in my mind) I prepared a delicious hot meal consisting of eggs and toast washed down with a glass of orange juice.

So the first day arrived and while I didn't exactly sleep in (blaming it on the nerves) I did prepare a delicious hot breakfast consisting of eggs and toast, washed down with a glass of orange juice.

The day after the first day arrived and while I didn't exactly sleep in (afraid of Kyle missing the bus since the bus forgot to pick him up the day before) I did prepare a delicious hot breakfast consisting of frozen pancakes.

My friends, the days of a hot breakfast have come and gone. This morning and every morning this week I have prepared a breakfast consisting of cookies and cream pop tarts. In my defense, I do offer to cook a healthier breakfast selection for the kids EVERY morning and I get turned down. Apparently eggs have nothing on a nutritionally void, sugar laced, breakfast pastry.

I have also used the word breakfast no less than 39 times in that last paragraph.

So this dream of mine isn't exactly turning out the way I had expected. I actually get up earlier to prepare a mediocre breakfast, watch 3 minutes of cartoons, and then I walk Kyle down to the bus.

Things have become more hectic then they have ever been. We've always been a very busy family, but between T's work schedule changes, Kyle's soccer, and Alyssa now being old enough to start an extra curricular activity, I'm pretty tired.

As I took my walk yesterday, I was listening to"Here I am to Worship" by Hillsong and I felt God really talking to my heart yesterday about priorities. It's so easy to feel so sorry for myself and talk about how tired my kids make me feel until I think about our little cousin Matthew who has been in the hospital for a week now. I bet his parents would love to feel tired from running their kids to sports rather than sit in a hospital wondering why their son is having medical issues.

I also thought about my issues with good intentions. How did my breakfast go from eggs to pop tarts? How did my church attendance go from every week to haven't gone in 3 weeks now? How did I go from excited and ready to join a bible study to just waiting until the next study because my life is too busy now?

Thankfully God knows my heart and I am saved through his grace. I will never become this perfect person who does everything the way I am supposed to. However, that doesn't mean that I shouldn't stop working to put God first in everything I do and striving to be the mother that I want and need to be.

"Here I am to worship" is not a new song for many people but it was for me. I have heard it many times now and I still cant listen to these words without having tears in my eyes.

"I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross."

To think that Jesus died for me, an undeserving sinner who does nothing but continue to do mediocre things everyday really makes me want to do better in my life, strengthen my relationship with God, and turn that outward to my friends and family.

God's given me more than I need or deserve and I am so thankful.

Friday's reason I had kids part 12

2009-09-11T07:30:00.003-04:00

I love teaching the kids how to play classic games like hide n seek, peek-a-boo, and what's up your cousins dress.

New beginnings

2009-09-09T09:01:00.011-04:00

Yesterday was the first day of school and it had me so exhausted I had to drink a bud light lime just to calm my nerves. As supposed to the other days I come home and drink one when my nerves are just fine. And just to be clear, I drank the bud light lime after school as opposed to drinking before he got on the bus like I wanted to. And when I say before he got on the bus, I really mean before I drove him to school because the bus totally forgot to pick him up.

You cant even make this stuff up people.

But at least the bus dropped him off at the right spot and time that afternoon.

This morning, Kyle decided to go all drill sergeant on us for fear that the bus was going to leave him again. He kept rushing us and looking out the window to make sure the bus hadn't passed our house. I walked outside to load some stuff in the car and I hear a bus. I run inside and yell "Kylethebusishereputyourshoesonfast!" as loud as I could and run back outside and flail my arms around in a pathetic attempt to stop the bus. He actually waves at me and continues to drive past my house. I catch a glimpse of the bus number and relieved I realize it's not his bus.

It's not even a bus for the same school district.

So now that Kyle's got my nerves on super sensitive mode, we decide the best thing to do is walk to the bus stop 15 minutes early and just wait.

So we did. 15 minutes later, she pulled up.

And Kyle boarded the bus. I'm cant be sure but I think the bus driver is either telling him to turn around or welcoming him to his nightmare.

As anxious as I was before this day, I have to say that I handled everything much better than I thought I would. I even dug out his baby pictures the night before and chased T around the house with a pregnancy picture saying, "Look! Can you believe this baby who was once in my womb will be boarding a bus for Kindergarten tomorrow!?"

I think all the frustration of the first morning masked my sadness because I was actually smiling when I loaded Kyle on the bus this morning.

So there you go, all that panic for nothing. God is so good.

In other new beginning news, Alyssa started ballet and it was just as cute as you would think it to be. My mother-in-law even came to watch her dance and I think I even saw her wipe a tear from her eye with all the nostalgia from Katie's dance years.

Now if only time could slow down so I can enjoy each of these new beginnings before they are not so new anymore.

So what have we been up to

2009-08-31T14:44:00.012-04:00

As summer comes to an end and my anxiety over Kyle starting Kindergarten begins, I thought I would take some time to recap some fun times we've had over the last few weeks. I really, really enjoy the summer but experiencing today's low humidity 75 degree day, really gets me excited for fall. We have had a very fun and very busy summer and we have been blessed to be able to take the kids to some really cool places this year.

So what has Alyssa been up to lately?

Well I'm so glad you asked! I have really enjoyed spending some "one on one" time with my daughter and watching her become so "girly."

I love how she watches me put my heels on for work and gets upset because she cant wear hers to daycare. She has developed a love for high heel shoes and it makes me all warm and tingly inside.

She goes no where without her purse and her sunglasses. She must have her sunglasses positioned on her head when not in use and she insists that I do exactly the same.

She is also a lover of rocks and I have to check her pockets every night because she seems to always come home with "baby rocks" from the daycare. She matches and sorts them by color and she loves using the word "similar" when describing her rocks.

She's gotten really good at pedaling her tricycle down our driveway and she loves racing Kyle on his bike every afternoon when we get home. It can be 117 degrees outside with 100 percent humidity, and she will want to be out playing in it.

I know she wont always feel this way, but at least for now, she is my best friend and I am hers. She is truly my breath of fresh air.

So what has Kyle been up to lately?

Well I am so glad you asked! I have watched Kyle grow up right before my very eyes this summer. He is becoming quite a little man lately I really love how he is showing his new found independence.

Sometimes.

Still very active, he started playing soccer again this year and he loves it! He skills have definitely improved since last spring.

I look forward to the start of school and all of what fall has to offer us!

Friday's reason I had kids a nephew part 2

2009-08-28T05:00:00.000-04:00

Not even my own kids think I'm this funny

Blame it on facebook

2009-08-16T21:05:00.003-04:00

Facebook has taken over my life. It is very sad. It has caused a major cramp in my blogging and there isn't a night that goes by that I don't log on to see what's happening in "facebook land."

Seriously, it is really fun to catch up with old friends and chat with your family, but I really love "blog land" more, so I'm trying limit my facebook intake to only 12 log on's per day.

I didn't even tell you that I was mentioned on a very popular blog last month did I? Mckmama (who gets about a million hits a day, no joking) will sometimes hold a "name that photo contest," where one of her kids are doing something cute and the best entry wins a prize. Well, I didn't win the prize (which just happened to be a GOGIRL) but I was mentioned as one of the entries she liked! I entered under Jenkyle, Check it here.

Seriously, how cool is that.

It's hard to believe that summer is coming to an end and Kyle will be starting Kindergarten in just a few weeks. He is really excited. I'm hoping it stays that way. I know every parent says this but, I can't believe how fast time has gone. It seems like I dreamed of this day happening since Kyle was a baby. I wondered what he would look like, what things he would be interested in. I remembered when he turned one thinking, "well I made it an entire year without doing anything to screw him up, maybe I can do it again for another year." At that time, I couldn't believe that I could be responsible for taking care of another human being. And not only was I taking care of him (basic diapering, feeding, etc) but he was thriving. He was learning because I was teaching. He was loving others because I was loving him.

At the time I had Kyle I was a single Mom. I remember looking at him while we rocked in the rocking chair and through tired eyes and tears flowing from my cheeks I made him a promise.

I will never make you feel like you were a burden to me.

I chose this and I wanted you. There was never another option. I was his Mom and he was my son and with one look from his big blue eyes, I knew that I would give my life for him.

And now that boy who once fit between my cradled arms, will be boarding a bus and journeying into uncharted territory.

And he will do just fine.

And I will stand and wave from the road as the bus pulls away. As I wipe the tears from my cheeks, I will think about how lucky I am to be his Mom, and thankful that he has made it this far without me screwing anything up.

More importantly, I will whisper silently to myself a tweaked version of the promise I made to Kyle almost 6 years ago.

I will never make you feel like you were a burden to me. You have made my life worth living since the moment I first laid eyes on you. You are a gift from God, and each day I am the lucky one who gets to unwrap a present.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to log on to facebook to see if I have any pending friend (i.e person you havent seen in 10 plus years that only wants to be your friend so they can look at your pictures to see if you've gained any weight, had kids, or gotten married) requests.

Friday's reason I had kids part 11

2009-08-14T07:00:00.002-04:00

I just couldn't wait for the day she was old enough for us to really play in the snow together!
I can't even begin to describe all the fun we had that day...

Friday's reason I had kids a nephew part 1

2009-08-07T09:24:00.004-04:00

You never know when you'll need someone to watch your back.

"You think these cheeks are just going to grow themselves!?"
"Say it again and watch what happens!"

Vacation recap part 2

2009-07-29T11:24:00.018-04:00

So we arrive in Myrtle Beach and we officially begin our vacation!
We stayed at the Avista Resort in North Myrtle. So did a lot of other people.

The lazy river was Kyle's favorite place to hang. I use the term hang because I'm sure its a word that all the cool kids are saying these days. I know this because we vacationed with my cool niece and her friend who were able to keep me up to date with all the latest happenings.

For the most part, we spent the day walking between the beach and pool. Kyle, Amber and her friend Ashton played in the water while I hung back and took pictures.

And this was about as far as I was willing to get into the ocean.

I have a strange fear of swimming with fish and I don't think that apple falls far from the tree.

I watched my children enjoy their days playing in the sun, swimming and relaxing. A big change from their early morning rush to daycare. I firmly believe that just as we need breaks from work, children need breaks from daycare and thankfully, we were able to do just that.

We ate at a restaurant where they tied bibs on our heads and made us wear funny hats with questionable things written on them. We had to keep lying to the kids about what was said on the hats.

Kyle: What does Ashton's hat say Mom?

Me: It says that she loves rainbows and butterflies, honey.

What the hat read:

Oh dear. I don't like lying to the kids, I really don't. What's a Mom to do? She wouldn't actually take one of these questionable hats and place them on her 5 yr old son to wear, would she?

Maybe.

Let's move on shall we?

Summer love was in the air for my niece Amber and her friend Ashton. It didn't take long for these two cougars to find some boys to wave at from the balcony and take nightly walks on the beach with.

Oh, and they would text message the boys while they were walking with them. Yes, two girls and two boys walking on the beach and text messaging each other, standing right next to each other.

(Shakes head and says out loud, "I just don't understand kids these days.")

I caught Amber sitting with her "boyfriend" while I was up on our balcony so I ran in and grabbed my other lens so I could get a closer shot.

Because I'm old, out of touch, and have nothing better to do.

I think she sees me here.

I apologize for the haze but I couldn't get the lens to clear fast enough from the cold/heat change. What I do not apologize for is the awesome "For Massage" sign in the background.

Your welcome.

So I went inside, got a drink, came back out, and look what I saw?!

They're holding hands! That's going to make text messaging a little akward, don't ya think? They'll have to be like, "I'll get A, S, D, F and G if you get H, J, K, L and ;."

Or maybe they could actually talk to one another.

Or maybe not.

But one thing's for sure, they will probably remember this vacation for ~~a few weeks~~ the rest of their lives.

And so will we!

Or, maybe it will just be me that does the remembering.

Friday's reason I had kids part 11 back on Friday!

Vacation recap part 1

2009-07-27T13:19:00.011-04:00

We're back! We had a wonderful vacation and I was a little sad to come home. A week is never enough time to spend at the beach. I went to sleep with the roar of the ocean in the background and woke up to it every morning.

I also woke up to all the idiots lining up at 8 a.m to reserve chairs with their beach towels until they moseyed themselves back to the pool later in the day. I guess it's the price you pay for staying at a resort with a gazillion other people.

I did everything I wanted to do. I layed on the beach, I swam in the pool, and I drank bud light limes. But before we even made it to the resort, we made a (5 hour out-of-the-way stop because we cant read maps and thought that it would only take a few hours to get to Myrtle from Kitty Hawk but we didn't take into consideration the fact that the van doesn't float through water so we would have to head west before we could head south) pit stop to the Outer Banks. We stayed in the dirtiest hotel you could ever stay in which reminds me that I need to go on Trip Advisor and leave a comment because you know, the one comment from me is really going to be the deciding factor of weather or not a person to decides to stay at this flea bag hotel.

So 7 a.m on Friday the 17th, we packed up the van and headed south.

We only made it 10 minutes before we needed to stop for breakfast where Kyle chose a red apple (I did give birth to him right?) and Alyssa grabbed a doughnut.

That's right baby girl. You just look at that apple like it's a space alien and enjoy that doughnut for your Mama's sake okay?

We only made it 40 more minutes before one of the kids had to pee, and only a few hours before we found the place that made Kyle's heart get all tingly inside.

Grave Digger's Dungeon. You know, the Monster Truck?

Kyle and T even rode on a Monster Truck. They were on cloud nine.

We made it to the dirty hotel in Kitty Hawk where we swam in a dirty pool and were forced to hang out in the dirty hotel room because of a thunderstorm where I went all Kate Gosselin on my family and made them wear socks in the hotel room for fear of catching a foot fungus.

So, we played with a shower cap, jumped on the beds, and took pictures of each other. In that exact order.

The room had two double beds so T and Kyle shared a bed and Alyssa and I shared the other. I will never sleep with that girl again. She kept me awake all night with her restless sleeping and snoring. Whoever thought a 2 yr old could be so noisy? After a sleepless night, we packed up our stuff and headed to a real beach.

Myrtle Beach, S.C.

To be continued..

We're getting ready to leave!

2009-07-15T10:23:00.003-04:00

We will be heading to Myrtle Beach in 2 days! I don't know what I am going to do without my daily dose of Big Mama or MckMama for 10 days.

Oh, that's right! I will be laying in the sun, playing with the kids in the pool and drinking bud light limes. I almost forgot! Except I wont be doing all these things at the same time. You know, for safety reasons. I would hate for one of the kids to spill my bud light lime with all that splashing.

My brain is all in a fog with trying to remember the things I need to pack, plus throwing a little birthday party for my sister on the eve of our vacation. I hardly have time to even remember simple daily tasks.

For example:

This morning, as we are driving along in the beautiful sunshine (we've been in the car about 7 minutes) I hear a bit of yelling from the backseat.

Kyle: MOM! WE'VE BEEN IN THIS CAR THE WHOLE TIME AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE MY SEAT BELT ON!

Me: WHATTHEHECKKYLE!? PUT IT ON QUICK!

Oh dear. Now granted, He's almost 6 and I don't have to buckle him in because he can certainly do it himself, however, I always double check before we leave for fear that he may forget one day. Like today. The day I didn't check. Brain=Fog. I'm glad he realized he wasn't wearing it because his mother is certainly no use to him sometimes.

I'm sure I will have plenty of pictures to share when we return, so in the meantime, check out some of the other blogs I read on a daily basis located on the right hand side of the page. The funnest part about blogs, is you never know where one will take you!

Enjoy your week!

Friday's reason I had kids part 10

2009-07-10T06:00:00.002-04:00

I hate scrubbing the porch.

Excited

2009-07-07T11:16:00.009-04:00

Summer is my absolute favorite time of the year. Going outside requires simple attire, we can step outside barefoot, and we can eat popsicles and watermelon while being attacked by mosquitoes. We are busy every weekend and most of that time is spent with our families.

They say that summer's all downhill after the 4th of July, but to us, it doesn't start going downhill until we return from the beach.

THE BEACH.

I have been counting down our trip to the beach since we booked our place in February. I think we were at 154 days or something like that when I started and now we are at 10.

10!? This is my favorite spot to be in and I wish the time would slow down because although I want so badly to be at the beach now, the anticipation is so exciting. Kyle is at a cool age because he actually remembers pieces from last years vacation and he is just as excited to leaving as we are.

Apparently he's even worried about my beach attire as evident by our conversation the other morning.

Kyle: Mommy are you going to wear that black shirt when we go to the beach?

Me: I don't think so.

Kyle: Good, cause you look like a little oprhan girl.

Whatever that means. I guess orphan girls shop at the Gap.

This past weekend, my sister in law Katie moved into her new home and it was so exciting to see how excited she was. This will be a great place for her little family and I'm glad we got to travel to Baltimore to help them get settled.

We also celebrated T's birthday with a little party at the house where things started to get a little heated over the new Wii.

Luckily we had a remedy for those kind of situations.

Not for Amber of course. And not that it would have mellowed her competitiveness. Girlfriend does not like to lose.

We did almost set Lissy's hair on fire.

Thank goodness for my mother-in-law's quick reaction skills because apparently I felt that good pictures were more important than burnt hair.

See?

Her hair would have grown back eventually.

Happy Birthday Honey!

2009-07-02T14:21:00.005-04:00

Today is T's birthday and although it would be cute if that were me in this picture, it's not.
Its actually his cousin, but I thought I would post it because he looks so lovey and innocent eating his popsicle.

He's a wonderful husband, a great father, and I am so glad I gave him a chance 12 years ago.
I was even happier when he finally asked me to marry him after ~~begging~~ waiting patiently over the years.

He is the fixer of my car, the catcher of my bugs, and the beat in my heart. I love him more each day.

Have a wonderful birthday darling!

Nothing just happens

2009-06-29T08:13:00.003-04:00

Three years ago I was working at a job I despised. I worked for an apartment management company where I was in charge of doing evictions. It was a very cruel but necessary job. The stress level was very high, and I was constantly arguing with tenants and being cussed out on a daily basis. It was during this time that we became pregnant with Alyssa, and we were building a new house. When I went out on maternity leave, I was really enjoying my time with the kids and the anxiety of returning to work was almost to much to bear. I pleaded with God to help me find a way to either stay home or find another job. 12 short weeks later, my prayer left unanswered, I returned to work. Three weeks later, I left the company.

While I should have been relieved that I no longer had to work for that company, the circumstances revolving my departure were terrible. I wanted to wait until I had another job before I left, but it didn't happen that way. I had a new baby, a new house, and no job. It was a very low point in my life.

I laid in bed last night thinking about this time, and the series of events that happened shortly after. Although I couldn't see it at the time, God was opening so many more important doors in my life after he had closed the one that I didn't want closed in the first place.

I was able to land an interview with the help of a very special friend, which in turn got me the job with my present company. The company that also happens to be 20 minutes away from my home when I used to commute over an hour to my previous place of employment. I just happened to find a Daycare (that the kids and I love) that's approximately 4 minutes away from my work, and I just happened to meet some of the kindest people who did nothing but look out for my best interest since I began working here 2 years ago.

Most importantly however, is through my friendship with two very special people, I just happened to have renewed my relationship with God. And I just happened to be invited to a Church where we actually anticipate going to on Sunday mornings.

Hindsight can be an amazing tool sometimes because it allows you to actually go back in time and see the series of God driven events that bring you to where you are today. At that time, I couldn't see the good in leaving that job. I was afraid to be without income, and I wasn't sure how we were going to get through. I met and worked with people who were selfish and judgemental.

The women I started working with at my new company were filled with kindness and understanding. Yesterday at church we learned about being a "salty christian." Very simply put, salt makes you thirsty and Jesus is the living water. We should be thirsty for Jesus. If you imagine standing with your friends and someone is pouring the salt on your head, more than likely the salt with land on those around you. If you express kindness and joy, they will rub off on other people. People will see your love for Jesus, just by the way you act. With my new friends, I could see that love by their actions towards me.

I wish I could have trusted him a few years ago, but I couldn't see past the fear. I'm still learning and growing in my journey with God, but I know without a doubt, that I am right where he wanted me to be all along.

And I couldn't be more grateful.

Friday's reason I had kids part 9

2009-06-26T12:07:00.003-04:00

Because one of us had to test out the high chair to make sure it was safe for Alyssa to use.

I've got love in my tummy

2009-06-22T10:47:00.013-04:00

I had no Friday's reason I had kids part 8 posted on, well Friday.

So today I present Monday's Friday's reason I had kids part 8.

Because you can make the older child dress up like the Easter Bunny to pacify the younger child and save both time and money.

Since I'm usually posting pics of kids, I thought I would take a break and talk about my next favorite subject, food. You know, the natural order of things exactly the way God had designed, God-Family-Coke Zero-Food.

Ahem

1. Nutella

Oh, if loving you is wrong Nutella, I don't ever want to be right. This stuff was made in heaven and sent straight aisle 6 at Food Lion. Nutella's website claims that it's part of a healthy balanced breakfast since it's mostly made from hazelnuts, skim milk and cocoa, but I am interested in approximately none of that. The mere fact that I can spread something on my warm toast that melts and tastes like chocolate makes me want to stock my pantry with it. And you know, the kids will eat anything that appears to be nutritionally void.

Hence the fact that my daughter ate chicken nuggets 3 times in two days last week.

2. Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.

Oh my goodness, put this on a cracker and it's delicious. I know that they come in other flavors but I've really only tried the roasted red pepper, and it's seriously like a party in your mouth. Except, only you are invited because inviting other people to your hummus party would be gross.

3. The Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese Wedge.

Pretty self explanatory what you do with this, but it's delicious and is low fat/low calories. Sometimes (like today at lunch) I put some cheese and a little bit of Hummus together and it's delicious!

I'm not a big fan of fruit (it's a texture thing) so I normally don't venture past apples, bananas and grapes. However, while we were out Saturday we passed stopped by a local produce stand and decided to get some fresh veggies for dinner. While T and I were browsing, we caught Alyssa eating a few cherry's. The woman running the stand told us not to worry about it, but we felt bad so we picked up a carton of cherries. Besides the maraschino cherries we put on our ice-cream, no one has eaten a real cherry in out home. Let me just tell you, they were delicious! We also had to buy the carton of plums that Alyssa knocked over. I'm not going there with the plums, but Alyssa loved them.

Oh and speaking of natural laxatives, let me throw in a favorite snack of mine.

4. Fiber One Bars

They are delicious and I highly recommend them. Except I do not highly recommend eating them after eating say, Tacos. I also do not recommend you eat Tacos and Fiber One bars on the day that you have to visit the GYN for your annual.

I'm just saying.

Happy Snacking!

June happenings

2009-06-15T11:46:00.011-04:00

Already half-way through June, and I've had about as much fun as one person can take. Not to mention the fact that Kyle starts "summer camp" this week so I have to start packing his lunches everyday. For someone who procrastinates, this has been my dread ever since I found out that not only do I have to start packing his lunch every day, our weekly Daycare cost goes up seventeen bucks.

And, if I miss a USDA food component to his lunch, they are going to charge me a dollar per missing component.

I sure hope pickles count as a vegetable because that's about the only vegetable I could convince Kyle to eat for lunch.

That and potato chips. Afterall, a potato's a vegetable right?

I don't ever remember vegetables being packed in my lunches. Nutty Buddy's? Yes. Cucumbers? Not a chance.

I guess this only prepares me for Kindergarten. Although, at least in Kindergarten I can choose not to pack a lunch and he can buy from the school. Now my only other option if I forget, is the threat from the daycare to fix him a peanut butter and jelly and then charge me a hundred and seven dollars for missing all of the USDA food components and risk being known as the slacker Mom.

Speaking of someone that is not a slacker Mom, my sister-in-law Katie has the healthiest baby boy I know.

And he does not

love

the pool.
He also does not love squash.

Alas, we found something that he does love.

She is really doing a wonderful job with Landon. She is very patient even when I can see she's tired. The last person to get her plate of food this weekend, she has fully embraced her Mommy role. Landon's lucky to have such a great Mommy.

And I'm lucky I got to hang out with this beautiful babe.

Lori and Amber

2009-06-15T07:54:00.005-04:00

Today is a very special day for two very special people.

My niece turns 14 today. 14 really? That's what I kept hearing her Mom say over and over again Saturday. When T and I first started dating, she was 2, and she had a few pronunciation issues with her L's and Y's. I can still see her in her little princess nightgown and her short blond hair, asking me if I wanted to play with her yittle tea cups. And don't even get me started on the way she pronounced yellow-LELLOW.

But my most favorite memory of Amber? The way she called me Ginny.

And now she's all grown up. She's incredible smart, has lots of friends, and excels in school. It has been my pleasure to watch her grow into the beautiful young lady she is, and I love her so much.

And, I will always be her Ginny.

My Mother-In-Law Lori has a birthday today too!

She has been so supportive to me and she is a woman who has devoted her life to her children . She is always there when you need her.

I love watching the way she is with her grandchildren and I admire the relationship she has with Katie. I know that her and Katie have always had a close relationship, but as they have gotten older, I now see that the bond she has with Katie is the same that shared with her Mom Peggy. They truly are best friends, and my hope is that Alyssa and I will share this same bond as she gets older.

Plus, she sews all our buttons back on and mends all the tears in our seams.

And for that, I couldn't be more grateful.

Happy Birthday Lori and Amber!

Friday's reason I had kids part 7

2009-06-12T09:30:00.006-04:00

Because nothing says family fun like forcing your screaming 2 yr old to sit next to her spider man not-so-enthused painted faced brother, while you tell them how much fun they are having and snap pictures.

Preschool Graduation 2009

2009-06-10T09:52:00.004-04:00

Kyle's Preschool Graduation 2009 followed by a celebration at Great Wolfe Lodge!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Pop

2009-06-08T07:00:00.004-04:00

This is my Grandfather.

I call him my "Pop". He is the grouchiest most sensitive man I've ever met.

But Jen, how can you say that your Pop is both grouchy and sensitive at the same time?

Because he is.

Lets start by explaining this picture.

That is a marshmallow in his beer. It was put there by my Uncle. Pop had been grouchy all day even though it was his birthday. I really can't blame him though. I would be grouchy if I wasn't able to see any of the people who were there celebrating with me.

You see, my Pop has Macular Degeneration. It a disease that affects his eyesight and its basically like having a blind spot in the center of your eye and side vision is limited. So he can see, but it's very poor. He can tell that it's Kyle and Alyssa by their size but if it was me or my sister he would probably have to ask.
Although my sister is 100 lbs lighter than me, so I don't think you would need Macular Degeneration to tell us apart.

Back to the marshmallow. My Uncle placed it there trying to be a slickster. They have a very playful relationship and they are always playing little tricks on each other. Even with the poor vision, my Pop knew it was there. He is no fool.

In fact he's probably one of the smartest people I know. In his younger days I would watch as he drew me pictures, or built things out of wood. He could build anything, and he was always doing projects around the house. He loved being in the woods searching for a perfect walking stick or working down by our creak clearing the area or building a bridge so we could cross it. His imagination and creativity is endless. I swear I can see the wheels turning in his head and he can precisely plan and vision a project without ever writing it down. We would work on crafts together and he always helped with my school projects. To this day if you mention the words Rube Goldberg, I am flooded with nostalgia as I invision one of the greatest times in my life. Pop and I working in the garage on my Rube Goldberg challenge. Not only was it a brilliant working chain reaction science project, I also won first place in our science fair. My Pop was so proud and he took great pride in everything I did. Everyday, from middle school up until I graduated High School there was a note placed in my lunch from him. From motivational quotes to smiley faces, he always signed it, "love, Pop". And love me he did.

He always asked me about school, inquired about my friends, and he took pride in my band achievements. I was not good at sports and he knew how intimidated I was during gym class in middle school so everytime we learned a new sport, I had a new piece of sports equipment at home so that he could practice with me. He didn't even care that I wasn't good at anything athletic, he just didn't want me to be upset. The finest example of unconditional parenting love I have ever known.

He even taught me how to drive.

Except for this one day, my grandmother (Nan) had to ride with me as I drove to practice my parallel parking at the local school. All was going well and we were just about to pull into the school when I heard her yell from the passengers seat.

Nan: Why the hell are you using both feet to drive an automatic car!?

Me: What do you mean?

Nan: You have your left foot on the gas and the right foot on the break!

Me: That's how Pop taught me. That's how he drives.

And that's how he continued to drive until he stopped driving a few years ago.

He is very sentimental and he gets choked up easily.

He is very safety conscious. Doors and windows are always locked, things that shouldn't be touched are out of sight. He worries about us driving on the roads (still) and he always made sure he knew the exact route we were traveling, just in case he needed to come find us. I know it drives T nuts that I display this same behavior, but I can't help it. I'm a chip off the old Pop.

He also has a unique sense of humor that I understand and appreciate. Dry with a touch of smart-arse.

He is the only father I have ever known and it's probably through his love and willingness to be so involved with me that I have no voids in my life. He is a shining example of the way a Father should be and I am forever thankful for our relationship.

Friday's reason I had kids part 6

2009-06-05T07:58:00.002-04:00

By allowing my children to wear Bud Light and Kubota Koozies on their feet, it allows them to express their creativity and independence.

And it's stinkin funny.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

2009-06-02T07:40:00.013-04:00

Oh my, it's been a while hasn't it? I never even posted my Friday's reason I had kids. Wanna see the one I was going to post?

I knew you would.

~~Friday's~~ Tuesday's reason I had kids Part 5

Because these grass stains aren't exactly going to scrub themselves.

Want to see how Kyle acquired these grass stains?

I knew you would.

Hyper kid meets fresh cut grass. Oh to be little again and not worry about ruining your clothes or being eaten alive by blood thirsty mosquito's.

Saturday was quite an adventure. After being stuck on our bridge for an hour, driving 40 minutes to catch the Metro, and riding the Metro for another 40 minutes, we finally arrived at the Zoo!

Poor Katie, Nick and Landon had been waiting for an hour and a half before we arrived but we had a great time and we ~~smelled~~ saw lots of animals.

We saw Tigers.

A baby Panda

Gorgeous Lionesses with neatly styled maines

A stealthy Komodo Dragon

A wannabe Komodo Dragon

Flying squirrels

And they even let us take the baby panda home as a souvenir as long as we promised to love him and feed him.

Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem.

A wondering mind is easy to waste

2009-05-27T21:28:00.011-04:00

Is it really Thursday already? I hate to wait so long in between posts, but my camera needed recharging (I kept forgetting to do it) so the pictures from our Memorial day are minimal, and I really have nothing exciting to blog about. If you have something else to do, now's the time to do it.

Last Friday was not a good day for me. I think it all started with the allergic reaction to the trail mix bar I ate. Feeling like my throat had been taken over by red ants, I went on search in my office for someone who might have an extra Benadryl. The good news is that my friend Karen had a Benadryl, the bad news is that it expired in 2005. 2005 must have been a good year because in no time I was feeling better and it was time to head home.

I arrived home, threw a hissy about T not understanding my needs, yelled at Alyssa for being 2 and laid in the bed for an hour. When I finally got up, I threw another hissy about T not knowing exactly what I wanted to do for dinner, and continued to be irritated with Alyssa because she's, well, 2.

Once T told me to get my grouchy butt in the car and took me to dinner, I felt much better. I explained the allergic reaction and taking the Benadryl and I think he understood why I was acting like such a schmuck. We had ice-cream and you know, ice-cream always makes things better. I told Lissy that night that I was sorry and she deserved better. She kissed me on the cheek. All was right with the world.

Glad I bought this book a few months back. I saw it on another blog and I ordered it. I don't think that I have anger issues, but I do think that I can be a bit snappy when I want to be. Any how, I think it's time to start reading it.

The rest of the weekend was much better! Yard Saleing and boating. Couldn't ask for more.

Sunday, was the day that Alyssa became inducted into the world of the terrible twos. It's a very lengthy story, and I'm already falling asleep while writing this post, so lets just say that it involved pen throwing, Bible scribbling, throwing herself on the floor under the pew, kicking the pew, prying Communion from my hands, and spilling grape juice. I'm sure you guessed we were at Church and I can tell you this. I don't exactly know how/where this nursery is/works, but we are going to find it/out about it and her little butt will be there on Sunday.

Memorial Day, we visited the Westmoreland Berry Farm to pick strawberries and we finished the day with a few games of bowling since it started to rain. Kyle would bowl all day if we let him. I think at one point in the game he was actually beating all of us. I swear, he is a jack of all trades. He even helped Lissy bowl by putting her ball on the "walker" (insert technical term for thing that little kids use to push their ball down that looks like a "walker" with an elephant trunk). We ended the day with our strawberries on angel food cake topped with whipped cream.

Delicious.

Now the week is almost over (and thankfully so is this post) and we're supposed to go to the Zoo Saturday with Katie, Nick and Landon. Hopefully I will get lots of good shots and have interesting things to write about after this upcoming weekend.

And since I really don't like to post without pictures, how about a little shot from Myrtle Beach last year to get us excited about summer.

Ah, I love the summer. Pools, flip flops, and sun kissed babes eating chips in their bed after a long summer's day.

We still have 51 days until we leave for Myrtle Beach so until then, I have to settle for looking at these pictures and smelling my Sun and Sand candle from Yankee Candle to bring me comfort.

And if you seriously have never smelled it I urge to run and not walk to your nearest Yankee Candle and get it because it smells just like sand and suntan lotion and it will make you feel oh so good on the inside.

Friday's reason why I had kids Part 4

2009-05-21T21:39:00.004-04:00

Because it's just not as funny when adults try to hide under the table with concealed after-dinner mints.

*Note: Technically Alyssa would be a 32 yr old adult concealing after dinner mints in this picture, since there is a minor issue with the date stamp. However, no one I know reading this blog (Karen) would have even noticed it because you are all are non-perfectionists who would have just let it slide.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend everyone!

Ninny Free

2009-05-18T12:54:00.013-04:00

My baby girl is not really a baby anymore.

Friday night after dinner, we talked to Lissy about not needing her "Ninny" (aka a pacifier) anymore since she was a big girl now. I should mention that I personally am in no hurry to be gone with the ninny being as Kyle was 3 before he finally threw his in the trash without my interference. I just felt like it was the right time for her and since she mentioned it, I thought we would go with it.

She stared at us for a minute and then told us she was going to give them to Landon. Going on this theory, we decided to go through the house and find all the ninny's and since Landon lives in Baltimore, we were going to have to mail them to him.

So that's just what we did.

We gathered all the Ninny's, called Nana (Landon wasn't home) and bagged em up.

We put our shoes on.

We posed for pictures.

We walked down the driveway.

We put them in the mailbox.

We waved goodbye.

And then posed for more pictures.

She went to bed without a fight and (more importantly) without her ninny.

Saturday morning she was a bit ~~evil~~ grouchy and with tears welled up in her eyes she begged me to call Landon and please get her ninny's back.

It done broke my heart. And it took everything I had not to walk straight out to that mailbox and retrieve my poor baby's ninnys.

But I didn't and a few minutes later she forgot all about it. She's only mentioned it a few times but I do see her frustration when she has to calm herself down or when she gets tired. All in all, she's done a great job and I am so proud of her.

Potty trained and ninny free. Where has my baby gone?

Saturday we did some yard saleing in the morning and the sun finally came out around noon so we headed for the boat to catch up on some much needed relaxation.

Without being too gross I must confess another milestone in my young daughters life.

Ahem

She took a number two in the Luggable Loo.

Kudos to Daddy for handling that situation better than I did(I couldn't see past the tears of hysterical laughter) especially since we A. didn't have any toilet paper and B. didn't have any water in the Luggable Loo.

*Shudder*

I'm sure it was just like all the other dreams I had of Lissy while I was pregnant with her.

Reading her stories. Check.

Buying her first purse. Check.

Holding the Luggable Loo while she takes a number two. Double Check.

Tippy Toes

2009-05-18T10:39:00.004-04:00

I'm not quite ready to post an update regarding the major milestone my baby girl has surpassed this weekend. I have some really cute pics to post with the milestone news, but I seem to be having technical difficulties, meaning I can't find the camera cord to connect to the computer. What I will do, is leave you with a little video of Landon that Katie just sent me that I will proudly title, "Tippy Toes."

Enjoy!

Friday's reason I had kids Part 3

2009-05-15T07:30:00.002-04:00

Because it's always fun to make em' sweat a little.

Then and Now

2009-05-13T20:25:00.007-04:00

Well Kyle's sickness came back again. Not so much the stomach issues as before, but the whole fever/achy/chills illness. Let's just say that as I was on the phone with his pediatrician making sure Kyle didn't have the Swine Flu, I was really regretting joking about me coming down with it.

I guess my payback was getting these awful leg cramps that started while I was at Landon's Baptism this weekend. It was enough to wake me up out of a dead sleep Saturday night with charlie horse pains.

Maybe the Swine Flu traveled to my thigh.

Anyway, it looks like a regular old virus for Kyle. Which is good because I tend to get a little nervous about those things, and I hate when the kids get sick. So the sooner he gets rid of this thing the sooner we can all go back to worrying about catching the Swine Flu again.

It was lunch time, the weather was beautiful, and Kyle was in a motrin induced coma, so we took advantage of the moment and decided to have a picnic outside. We grabbed a blanket and I went to work on creating the finest culinary cuisine for this special occasion.

On the blanket we dined on doritos's, cup of noodles, raisins and trail mix bars. We topped it off with a coke zero for me and a capri sun for the sick kid. I grabbed my camera and before I took a picture of Kyle outside on the blanket, I remembered our very first picnic and had an epiphany for a great blog photo then and now.

Then

Now

Five years later, this boy who once couldn't sit up without the support of a boppy pillow, or even engage in any time of conversation, sat with me on a blanket and had me roaring with laughter.

This same boy went with me today as I signed him up for Kindergarten.

We were a little early and it was the end of the school day, so we sat in the school parking lot and watched the kids head for their buses. He watched from the front seat of the car before heading inside, and I could tell he was intrigued by how old the kids were. Once inside, I watched as he kept staring into the cafeteria and he kept telling me how big the tables were. I put my arms around him as he shyed away from the teachers helping us register. I know he's just overwhelmed and he doesn't feel good, but I can't help but feel a little anxiety about this transition. I just don't think I'm ready to send him out into this world yet.

I had no idea when I took that photo, that it would one day stick out in my memory enough to blog about it. Not that I knew what a blog was then anyway, nor did I have this picture on the computer. No, I had to find it in the photo album. Scan it. Save it. Upload it, and then blog about it. Geesh, what a difference 5 yrs makes.

The point is, Kyle is going to do GREAT in Kindergarten. He will be apprehensive, yes, but once he settles in his routine he will be fine. He makes friends easy, is the funniest person I know, and has a kind heart. He is eager to learn and he catches on quickly. His heart is so pure and he sees no flaws. It's such a weird feeling to be heartbroken that your little boy is growing up, but excited to see his future, simultaneously.

And really, that last paragraph is just for me to read over and over again before September.

So here's to the Summer. 3 whole months to be a Mom with her little man before he heads off into ~~this big scary world~~ Kindergarten.

And just think, I haven't even made it through Pre-School graduation yet.

Baptisms, Blue Crabs and Mom's.

2009-05-11T08:36:00.018-04:00

While Kyle was recovering from his stomach issues and Alyssa was just in the beginning stages of her ear infection, we traveled 2 hours north to witness the Baptism of our nephew, Landon. Or Langdon as my father-in-law with his southern drawl affectionately calls him. The pictures I took of all three of them together turned out not-so-good, so they got chopped, cropped, and separated.
Anyhow, here he is with my sister-in-law Katie, a.k.a Landon's Mom.

Here he is with my future brother-in-law, Nick, a.k.a Landon's Dad.

And here is the little guy after a much needed nap and bottle.

R-E-S-E-R-V-E-D?

That's what I thought is said.

Mother's Day was such a peaceful day. The weather was warm with a nice breeze and after eating breakfast, I opened up my Mother's Day presents with T and the kids. I've waited 5 1/2 years for the day when I would receive my very own Mother's Day coffee mug.

My daughter picked this out from the Daycare Mother's Day store and she was so proud of my her purchase. I don't drink coffee but she kept reminding me that "you dwink you coffee in dare, Mommy!" It was really sweet. Kyle knows me a bit better so I he gave me lavender scented hand lotion. My wonderful husband gave me beautiful hanging baskets for our porch, and it really made the porch come alive with colors. A little later that afternoon, Kyle and I headed to a Blue Crabs baseball game to meet up with my Mom, Nana, Pop, Sister, Uncle, and Nephew. Lissy was still feeling bad, so she stayed home to play with Daddy. It turned out to be okay because it's not to often that Kyle and I get to hang out together one on one. I almost forgot that he goes to the bathroom by himself as evident by him yelling at me to use my own toilet when I tried following him into his. I also realized while I was still in the stall and he was out washing his hands, that he is probably a little to old to be in the girls bathroom with me. I did send him into the boys bathroom by himself at the game but I got a little nervous as I stood outside as he was taking a long time. I was just about to go in when I saw him walk out with my nephew (who I had no idea was in there). It was at that moment that I realized that I am probably not ready for him to use the men's bathroom either.

I guess he'll have to Luggable Loo until we work out our bathroom issues.

Here's the family before the game.

My handsome man.

The handsome man with his Mom.

The Mom's Mom with the Mom's Sister.

The Mom with her Nana

The Mom's Uncle and Nephew.

You know, baseball is really not that entertaining for a 5 yr old, so about the 4th inning or so we ventured over to the play area so Kyle could have some fun.

We climbed.

We slid.

We conquered.

I laid in bed last night thanking God for making me a Mother. I'm humbled that God chose me to love them and take care of them. And how incredible, that this was his plan all along.

I also thanked him for all the wonderful women in my life. My Mother who always stands up for me, and my Nana who stands behind me. A Mother-In-Law who loves and supports me like her own daughter. A sister who is thoughtful and will make a wonderful Mother someday, and a sister-in-law who is a great Mother and best friend. Another Sister who is a wonderful Mother that I don't get to see or talk to nearly enough. And last but not least, a daughter, who brings me such joy and with who I share a bond unlike no other.

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. I know I did.

Friday's reason I had kids part 2

2009-05-08T08:40:00.003-04:00

Because it's nice to have a Q-Tip readily accessible.

14 useless pieces of information in numerical form.

2009-05-06T09:43:00.007-04:00

1. I wear a tank top/undershirt thing every day and it doesn't matter if I am wearing a shirt or a dress. It hides my muffin top insecurities.

2. I played the Trombone for a better part of my life.

3. I have small black worms growing in my shower. Whatsupwiththat?

4. I go to Starbucks once a week and I always order a Grande Iced Caramel Macchiato with Skim because I enjoy sounding like a professional Barista.

5. I procrastinate. Why put off today what I can put off tomorrow?

6. I scrub my children's tennis shoes every night with 409 and a toothbrush.

7. I watch Jon and Kate Plus Eight and sometimes I actually enjoy it.

8. I drink an Ensure every weekday at 9:30am because I feel like it will help ward off the germs that my children bring home from Daycare.

9. I actually enjoy doing the laundry and I love folding towels. I don't think my Mother In Law

knows this, but, the only reason I know how to properly fold towels is because of her. I would

watch her carefully as she folded towels when T and I first started dating and I couldn't wait for the day when I would have my own home so I could fold towels like her.

10. We sponsor a child through Compassion and his name is Make. He lives in Burkina Faso, Africa, we pray for him every night, and my children know him by name. He also shares my birthday!

11. I grew up in Maryland and I have no idea how to pick a crab. I don't even like Seafood.

12. I love the beach but I don't get in the Ocean. To many small fishy/crabby/jelly/ things that can crawl between your toes.

13. Snorkeling would be my worst nightmare. I cant even imagine snorkeling in my head without getting the heebeejeebees.

14. I never finished College because I was too homesick but my Nana would tell you I was actually "lovesick." I guess it was for the best because I ended up marrying my disease.

15. I have set hair washing days (every other) and I rarely deviate. Unless it's a special circumstance. I try and make it set to the exact same days of the week so that my regularly scheduled T.V watching is not interrupted. It takes a long time to blow dry this mop.

I guess you are wondering why there are 15 useless tidbits listed and only 14 are useless? Or maybe you are already asleep?

Number 10 is very important and if you have some time today, stop by and read some stories of a group of bloggers who just traveled to India through Compassion and read their heart wrenching stories. Maybe, you could even sponsor a child of your own?

Purses and Birthday's

2009-05-05T07:35:00.014-04:00

This weekend recap is a little late because I have to do these other things like working and being a parent, so it really tends to put a cramp in my blogging. It's also been raining for 4 days straight, and I think I'm coming down with the swine flu.

Friday we headed to the mall and did a little Mother's Day shopping. Not for me, but for our actual Mothers. On our way out we noticed a Claire's, and through the window I noticed lots of girly things that I thought Alyssa would enjoy, being that she is now at the ripe old age of 13 2. I headed for the purses and she headed for the lip gloss. We compromised on a Hello Kitty chapstick. And a purse. Although, I think I pushed the purse on her a ~~lot~~ little bit. I can't even begin to describe how happy I was that we were arguing over which purse I thought she should have. I kept pushing her to buy the tote but she was going for the clutch. Girlfriend just doesn't understand the endless storage capabilities that a tote provides versus the clutch. But I guess when the only thing you keep in your purse is your pacifier and a dried up fruit snack, you really don't see storage as a necessity.

She picked her purse and as we started to leave the mall, I made her stop so I could take a picture. I swear to you, I had to pull myself together because I felt like the tears were going to fall. There is something so wonderful about having a little girl. Before Lissy came, I lived in a boys world. My days were filled playing tractors, solders, and cars. Kyle would eat sand while I made pathetic attempts to imitate Monster Truck sounds. And while I enjoyed all those things with Kyle, there is just something different about a girls love for lip gloss and purses.

Saturday, we headed to Kyle's game where he lost 7-1. Whoo Hoo! I say "Whoo Hoo" because the first time they played this team, they lost 12-0. That is major improvement people. And, Kyle almost scored a goal!

Saturday's have been so fun for us lately! His games are usually in the morning so it gives Lissy and I just enough time to do some "Yard Saleing" before the game. I try to get Kyle to go with me but he would rather stay back and do "stuff" with T. Reason number 162 why I love having a girl.

That evening was Janet's birthday. We went to dinner and came back to her house to have cake and ice-cream.

Alyssa sat on Janet's lap while we serenaded her with the Happy Birthday song. All of a sudden, something went terribly wrong.

T said he feels that exact way when I sing to him.

Fortunately, she got over the meltdown in enough time to blow out some candles.

And eat some cake.

It was a GREAT weekend!

Friday's Reason I had Kids Part 1

2009-05-01T08:53:00.004-04:00

Because something has to be done with left over bubble wrap and packing tape.

Blessed

2009-04-30T09:01:00.010-04:00

**** I realized that I had the Comment Section set to "registered users" only. I adjusted the settings so that anyone can leave me a comment without having to create an account. You can also be "anonymous" if you wish. Now you have no reason not to leave me a comment!****

The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him.

Pablo Casals

Sunday's

2009-04-29T14:03:00.003-04:00

After posting the picture yesterday of whether I may or may not have been using the Luggable Loo, I figured it wasn't the opportune time to talk about my Sunday.

Sunday, the day we are supposed to rest .

Sunday, the day I would have to leave my Grandparents house when I was little.

Sunday, the day I get to pick up Kyle from his Dad.

Sunday, the day T would have to leave my College and head to his.

Sunday, the day when you prepare for the upcoming week.

It seems like Sunday's have always been full of weird emotions for me, ever since I can remember. Some great emotions and some not so good. And it's like I start to feel the emotions of Sunday on Saturday evening. It's like the day is shorter somehow too. I always think of Saturday as a full day and Sunday seems like half of one since you have to go to work the next day.

I have been having different feelings about Sundays lately.

I have also been visiting a new church.

Gulp

That was hard to write.

I bet that's even harder for my Grandmother to read.

And I have really enjoyed it. And so has T.

I have been Catholic all my life. There are many things I love about the Church. I love the history, the tradition, the beauty, the smell of burning incense, and the beautiful Christmas Masses we celebrate every year.

My grandparents worked hard so that I could attend a Catholic High School and I was a sophomore before I made my first confession. My children are Baptized in the Catholic faith, and I married in the Catholic Church.

I have many wonderful memories of the Catholic Church, and while I'm not sure where visiting this new Church will take me, I know this for certain.

My love for Jesus has gotten stronger but my growth and understanding of him is not.

I don't in any way want this post to seem as a bashing to the Catholic Church. I am still on my quest to finding a church that's right for me and my family and if that leads me back into another Catholic Church then that is fine with me. I take great pride and joy in all my years attending our Catholic Church, and all the traditions that have become part of our family. There is great beauty in receiving Holy Communion and participating in a Mass.

However, for the past year or so I have felt a change and pulling of my heart to explore other Church's to see what they can offer as far as my spiritual growth. As much as I talked about wanting to do it, I was nervous. The Catholic Church is all I've known. How can I walk into a new church full of strangers and participate in a service to which I have no understanding of? Where am I going to sit? What is the music like?

Easter arrived. What a perfect opportunity to try something new. Lot's of people will visit other church's at Easter. No one will ever know we are strangers?! No one except for the twenty six people from my work that attend regularly!

So we do as all new-comers do at any Church. We head for the back. WAIT! That's too obvious. Lets sit 3/4 of the way back. That will fool them. No one will know we are here.

Oh Look there's Karen! Hey Lori! Look, there's the Pastor's wife Beth, I've met a few times! What's going on, Jim? You want us to sit closer, Karen? Where do you sit? Way up there? Nah, we're okay here but thank you.

We were spotted. Like a thief in the night.

Now we meet and greet? No problem. The people here are very friendly. Okay we are back to our seats. Who is rocking out on the drums? Drums? In church?!

Awesome.

We were totally relaxed. We clapped. We sang. I now know the meaning of Praising Jesus. We did it. I did it. We listened to the Pastor. I caught myself nodding my head in agreement and understanding. I am understanding this?

You betcha.

It was time to go. More praising, more fellowship, more worshiping. All words I never fully comprehended until now.

And now I'm excited. I'm excited because I know that there will never be a perfect Church, but I know that you don't have to remain at one where you are not spiritually growing. I have no idea, if this is the Church where God wants us to become committed, but I do know that he calls each of us to be accountable and committed somewhere.

For now, I am happy. I have enjoyed myself the last few weeks and so has my family.
I am confident that God is leading me to great things and he has helped me step out of my comfort zone and into a place where people are overcome with joy to be sharing in Gods Love.

And they rock out on drums.

God is showing me that Sundays are all of the things I mentioned above. They are a time for rest. They are a day to anticipate the upcoming week. And, they will always be connected to me through various emotions.

More importantly, it is the day to Worship.

To give thanks to a gracious God from an undeserving sinner. Saved by the death of his Son Jesus.

Luggable Who?

2009-04-28T09:18:00.016-04:00

Last weekend was probably the funnest weekend I've had in a long time. Friday through today's (Tuesday) weather has been sunny and in the high 80's-low 90's so there was plenty of time to be spent outside enjoying life.

Friday we cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill and prepped for our action packed Saturday.

Saturday, Lissy and I headed to some Yard Sales while T and Kyle got ready for Kyle's Soccer game.

The whole family came to cheer Kyle on! Katie and Landon came down with my Niece Amber. My grandparents were there, as well as T's Mom Lori! You guys have no idea how much it meant to him (and us) that you came.

After the game, we realized we had a few hours before heading to a birthday party so, remember that Pontoon Boat I talked about?
The day had finally arrived for us to test drive our new boat!

What a glorious day it was!

Unfortunately, I don't have any good pictures of my hubby to post! I guess that's what happens when you're too busy having fun and other people have to worry about less important things like driving boats safely across the Potomac River.

So I guess you are wondering what we did when we had to, ahem, go? Did I end up purchasing one of these? Did we just hold it?

Why of course not! We used a Luggable Loo!

The big question is, would I actually be brave enough to post a picture of me using the Luggable Loo?

I can neither confirm or deny.

But I can leave you a picture for you to decide, if you choose, if I would or would not be brave enough to actually post a picture of me using a Luggable Loo.

I think I'll talk about my Sunday on another post since this one has obviously gone down the toilet.

Resurrection

2009-04-22T14:31:00.003-04:00

I get goosebumps every time I hear it. And I've listened to it a lot.

Her son died of SIDS when he was 3 months old.

I'm sure this song means a lot more to her now then it did before Luke died.

It sure means a lot to me.

I hope it touches you.

Fun with a little bit of cuteness

2009-04-21T07:50:00.011-04:00

T said that I officially became a "Soccer Mom" this weekend, and I think he's right. Although, as condescending as that term has become, I really enjoyed and embraced my new role watching Kyle play his first soccer game this weekend. I said a few posts back, I wasn't sure if Kyle really understood the concept of soccer, but it really doesn't matter. As I went through my pictures from the weekend, I realized that Kyle was smiling in almost every single picture. He is really having fun and he has made new friends and that really is the point, isn't it?

Take a look.

Is that where I kick it coach?

I got it! I got it!

Hey, in 15 more minutes we can go to McDonald's okay?

Is that Optimus Prime?

I'll take this, thank you.

Everybody now, Y M C A!

I can't believe I am at this point in my life with Kyle. It is going by way too fast. I can remember rocking him when he was an infant dreaming of the day I would be able to get to do all these fun things with him, and the time is really here. This year is going to be so ~~heartbreaking~~ exciting for us! First it's team sports, then it's Kindergarten. The next thing I know, I will be labeling his towels and underwear before sending him off to College.

And what exactly was Alyssa doing during the game you ask?

Well being cute, of course!

Speaking of cute, you will never believe what I said to the nice lady at the Health Fair that we attended before the game!

Nice Lady: Aw, she looks just like you!

Me: Thank you!

Me: I mean, not thank you, but yeah she does look like me. I'm sorry I thought you said she was, er, nevermind.

Bit conceded eh?

How embarrassing.

Reunited

2009-04-14T14:55:00.009-04:00

Have I mentioned that I love Coke Zero's? Well since the Lenten season ended Easter Sunday, I have been able to resume my daily consumption of Coke Zero's.

Being reunited with my Coke Zero was probably something similar to a contestant on the Biggest Loser getting kicked off the ranch and heading straight for the McDonald's drive through.

Anybody singing "Reunited and it Feels so Good" by Peaches and Herb?

Anybody?

And now I feel bad for typing that because I really like the Biggest Loser and I watch it EVERY week. I also like the contestants and I feel like there's nothing wrong with eating McDonald's in moderation.

Or whenever you want.

And speaking of Biggest Loser, T and I watched last night and I wanted to share some of the conversation we had regarding the "makeovers" the contestants received. If you have never watched the show, it's basically a reward for the contestants making it this long on the show and a way for them to see how much weight they have lost while sporting pretty clothes and new hair styles. We had just watched Helen walk down these grand ballroom stairs looking all fancy, and being reunited with her husband whom she hasn't seen since losing 88 lbs.

Me: "Aw, that's really sweet that he's crying and giving her lots of kisses."

T: (laughing)"Yeah, it must be nice to drop your old fat wife off at the ranch and come back to a nice new skinny one."

Me: (not laughing)"I meant it's sweet that he loves her so much and he's proud of her."

T: "Yeah, that's what I meant to."

I blogged yesterday about the fun Easter weekend we had with our families, and when we finally came home to clothes laying all over the living room, hair rollers in the kitchen, Easter baskets in disarray, only one thing was for certain. We realized we were going to have to fire the maid.

And then I realized that was me.

So instead of starting on the massive pile of Laundry that has taken over our household, I took a picture of it.

I blogged about it.

And then I laid on the couch.

Being reunited with this pile of laundry does not feel so good.

Easter

2009-04-14T14:00:00.013-04:00

We had such a lovely Easter weekend filled with lots of family togetherness from all sides of the family. We spent Friday night at Pancho Villas hanging with the Grandpaw/Janet/Shelia/Amber Weedon's and before dinner, Kay Kay and Landon came for a little visit.

I-LOVE-THIS-KID

My kids were all over this kid. As much as I love this little guy, and as much as my ovaries hurt a little when he's around, this weekend definitely confirmed the fact that T and I are finished having children.

Maybe

Ahem

Saturday morning, Kyle headed to his other set of grandparents for the rest of the weekend, and Alyssa and I headed to a baby shower. That evening, Grandma, Tab, Kay Kay, Landon and us Weedon's went to Robertsons for dinner. Which was nice, except that Robertsons was closed.

Possibly for good.

So we headed next door to Billy's where the steamer was broken so we couldn't get crabs or king crab legs.

But they had beer so all wasn't lost after all.

Sunday we found our way to Nan and Pops after church where we got to spend time with the Nan/Pop/Maw/Frank/Jaime/Leo/Lisa/Josh Peter's. We had a delicious lunch and hid Easter eggs!

Here are some of our Easter highlights!

Alyssa is a little fuzzy in this picture but I still think it's a sweet shot of her and her Daddy.

And just to add a little comic relief, I just want to share this picture properly titled, "I told you so."

Can you hear me now?

2009-04-08T07:39:00.004-04:00

I found this on another bloggers website and it had me very curious. This blogger couldn't hear it and I'm assuming she is over 25. So I decided to try it to see if it was a hoax or something, like maybe there really is no sound, but I really can hear it. And I'm over 25. So give this a whirl and leave me a comment letting me know if you can hear it or not.

And don't LIE

Created by Train Horns

Williamsburg

2009-04-06T09:37:00.012-04:00

This past weekend we sent the kids to their respective places and T and I headed to Williamsburg. It was very relaxing weekend filled with shopping and lots of sight seeing.

The weather was beautiful so we grabbed some Starbucks and sat at a bench across from the William and Mary Bookstore. As cheesy as this sounds, I could have set at this bench with T for hours.

This picture makes me laugh because I think of stress (kids, work, life) as making you feel "shackled down" sometimes and this truly represents us. We may be shackled, but we're shackled together.
I love you honey and I'm so thankful we were able to get away for a few days. We are so grateful to my Mom and Jaime for watching Lissy for us. I know Lissy had a great time because she was still wrapped in her towel from getting out of the bath and she fell asleep while I was picking out her pajamas!

I'm only sorry we didn't get to spend more time with Kay Kay and Nick. Those young bucks were living it up at Busch Gardens while T and I were sight seeing. We did meet up for dinner and headed back to their place to hang out for a while, but by 10pm were were SO TIRED that we decided to take our geriatric butts back home for some sleep!

And maybe for our next weekend getaway we can play all day at the local BINGO hall before comming home to clean our dentures.

There's a crack in the system

2009-03-31T07:16:00.002-04:00

We decided to take advantage of the 80 degree weather Sunday and play outside! We got so caught up in all the playing and relaxing that we decided to call a couple of professional car washers to come and clean our cars!

Wait?

Is that a?

Washer's Crack?

Girlfriend has gotsta get a belt...

David Beckham has met his match?

2009-03-30T09:42:00.010-04:00

Hello!

How have you been?

I'm not sure if it was the staying up late watching the series finale of Jon and Kate Plus Eight, the late run of Biggest Loser, my one day of work travel, or just that fact that I have two small children but I was EXHAUSTED last week! Not only that, but I had an issue downloading pictures and without pictures I am like a house with no windows.

Or something like that.

Anyway, I promised all three of you blog readers of mine that I would blog frequently and I have let you down. Let me start by saying that I promise (again) to be better at updating my blog. And let me also say that when I make a promise, I mean it. Just like my promise to God to give up Coke Zero's for Lent. Honestly, I almost gave in on Saturday when we stopped at Wendy's because it is one of the very few fast food chains that sell Coke Zero's. If it wasn't for the Holy Spirt and a 20min pep talk from T, I would have given in. As I am typing this I have a big smile on my face because I only have 13 days until I can be re-united with a Coke Zero.

Let me recap last week for you...

Kyle finally started his first day of Soccer! It was supposed to start at the beginning of March but the snow and rain set us back. It was still a chilly day so we bundled up for the big practice.

Here's what I think about Kyle's athleticism. Kyle can run VERY fast. He can continue to run for minutes without stopping or being out of breath...

I also know that he can kick the ball while running and he's great at stopping and controlling the ball.

Unfortunetly, Im just not sure he knows how to put it all together...

I love how is is looking at me like what did you just sign me up for?

What I love about Kyle is that even after being slugged in the stomach with the soccer ball he was still willing to get back out there and chase after the ball with the other kids.

On our way home Kyle said he was quitting soccer. I will have to take the blame for passing this gene down to Kyle because 1. There's not an ounce of athletic ability in me and 2. I quit everything that doesnt work the way I want it to. Using this as a chance to practice my parenting skills in hopes that none of the kids turn out like me, we discussed important things like not giving up, doing your best, and not tackeling your sister when she walks in the living room. I guess it worked because he decided to give it another shot. Of course it rained Thursday when we were supposed to have practice, so tomorrow will be the first day back in a week. He must have forgotten all about our conversation or the fact that he hated soccer because this morning he woke up thinking we were heading to practice and was bummed when I told him it was only Monday. He even grabbed his soccer bag and placed it by the door this morning!

The bright side is, if Soccer doesn't work out with Kyle we may have a chance with this one..

A Golden Day

2009-03-20T13:53:00.003-04:00

For the past few months our family has been planning a surprise 50th Wedding Anniversary party for my grandparents! They married on March 7, 1959 but due to some scheduling conflicts we couldn't have the party until the 21st. And it was so hard keeping the party a secret and not being able to blog all the planning adventures since my grandmother is fully aware of this blog.

Here are a few pictures from our wonderful day and since these pictures are of low amateur quality, please feel free to access this site for our professional pics. Family and friends can also order their own pictures here! Look for the Peters 50th caption.

http://www.caughtintimephotography.smugmug.com/gallery/7681863_d8Xxr#4963264

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Hope you had a wonderful day Nan and Pop! Here's to many more years to come!

You go Girl!

2009-03-19T07:30:00.004-04:00

I told you we bought a new pontoon boat right? If you missed it you can read it here. But seriously, I just posted it Monday so I probably didnt need to add the Mr. Linky feature for the three of you that read my blog.

Don't get me wrong I am very excited about cruising in the potomac river, however, I have a phobia about swimming in water that I can't see through and that contain live organisms. I love the beach but I dont "play" in the water. If you see me in the water, Im peeing. It's that simple. And the only reason I feel comfortable peeing in there is because I can still touch the bottom and run outa there fast if I feel something fishy.

Oh I kill me sometimes.

So, the dilemma lies in the fact that cruising around all day in the Potomac river plus my very weak bladder means that I will need to potty. And I am NOT getting in the river.

You can imagine my excitement today when I saw this little invention..

I hope it's dishwasher safe.

I'm just sayin.

Not all waxing is created equal

2009-03-18T09:26:00.005-04:00

I have been an eyebrow waxer for quite a few years and I prefer to visit my local nail salon for the waxing since, in my opinion, nobody waxes like my friend Ehuang. Over the years, in my 2007 Weeding Photo's, and specifically this picture of Kyle and I......

I have begun to see dark hairs on my upper lip. I don't know if they have always been there and people were kind enough not to mention it? Although, now that I think about it, I have always wondered why after getting my eyebrows waxed, my friend Ehuang would politely ask, "You want lip too?"

No I don't want my lip waxed because there isn't any hair there.

Okay so there is hair there ,but ever since high school I have had a phobia about waxing/bleaching my upper lip. You see, T and I met in high school and we knew a girl who had a very dark stash. Poor thing tried everything she could to make the hair less noticeable but all the bleaching made her upper lip hair very blond and she still looked like Groucho Marx.

Honestly, I very rarely think about it. I was very content with the few dark hairs I had, and I was determined to keep them there until absolutely necessary.

T, picked me up at my work yesterday and took me to lunch. On the way back from lunch I lean in to give him a kiss goodbye and he says, "Geez, I can feel your mustache!"

Hello absolutely necessary.

I knew it was time for my regular eyebrow waxing, so after work I went to the salon and signed in for a "eyebrow waxing" only. You know, to keep it low key. I lay on the table and I whisper to Ehuang, "I need my upper lip waxed too." She smiles with a, I have been telling you that for months smile, and proceeds with the waxing.

Eyebrows? No problem. Now I feel hot wax being slathered onto my upper lip. It burns. It burns really bad. She takes the cloth strip, presses it onto the hot wax/hair combo and then...RRRRRRIIIIP!

I swear it didn't hurt that bad giving birth to Kyle without an epidural.

The tears have now begun to fill my eyes, but I must remain brave. She begins to lather on the hot wax and press the cloth strip down. I do the only thing I know how to do when faced with horribly horrendous situations.

Dear Jesus... I know I haven't been the best.....RRRRIIIIIP.

It's over. My face is on fire and I look like I have been sucker punched. I have paid and I am getting ready to walk out the door when my phone rings. It's T and it's an emergency. We are out of pancake mix and I need to get some before I come home. Great, now I have to run into the store looking like I got stung by a bunch of bees.

In the end it was all worth it. The kids ate pancakes for dinner and my upper lip is smooth like butter. Not wanting T to be remiss of all the excitement, I run to give him a kiss to show off my new hair free upper lip. He gazes right into my eyes and says, "It's like kissing a woman again."

A Special Birthday

2009-03-17T10:21:00.004-04:00

We miss you Chandler, and we can only imagine the birthday party being thrown for you today in heaven!

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Revelation 21:4

Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody!

Potty's and Pontoon Boats

2009-03-16T11:47:00.004-04:00

For anyone that cares about my daughters progress in potty training she has been diaper free since last Wednesday! We had an accident on Saturday while we were running the roads and one on Sunday that I will blame on T, but other than that, she is a diaper free girl!

It was a very rainy weekend here in VA and T and I had plans to take the kids down to our friends house to LOOK at a Pontoon boat he has for sale. Well if anyone knows my husband, you know "look" really means, "Jen I have been researching pontoon boats for the past few weeks and I have already decided that we are going to buy it, so lets bring the truck so we can haul it back and the boat will be ours FOREVER". And when I say forever I mean until we get tired of it and then we can sell it for two hundred percent over what we paid for it.

Anyway, for anyone who is saying, "what the heck is a pontoon boat?" Let me show you a picture.
Only, I dont think they really go as fast as this picture is letting on, ours is about ten years older, and I dont know ANY of the people in the photograph. The point is, I think the kids will really enjoy it and although there are a few things we need to do before we put this party barge into fresh water, I am slightly excited about our new adventure.

I say slighlty because I am kind of the safety police in our household and no one is stepping foot into this thing without being outfitted head to toe in lifesaving equipment and the cooler is filled with beer.

Guess Who?

2009-03-12T07:29:00.006-04:00

Guess who I picked up at 3:00 yesterday afternoon after a long day of wearing only her big girl panties at Daycare yesterday?

Guess who once we got home from Daycare, continued to wear only her big girl panties way after dinner time and who insisted that she was not wearing a pull-up after her bath but instead pulled her tinkerbell panties on?

Guess who after multiple trips to the potty slept all night long in her panties without ANY accidents and then put new panties on to go to Daycare today to try for a record no pull-up/panty wearing day?

Isn't she lovely?

What's your style?

2009-03-11T14:48:00.004-04:00

So I found this website from another blog and I thought this was really cool. It’s called Sproost and it helps you define your design style. Sproost has kept me quite entertained as I’ve done my own“design research” also know as killing time.

Let me know what your style is after you have finished doing your own ~~killing time~~ design research.

What I do during the day

2009-03-10T08:40:00.004-04:00

So I wanted to share some of my favorite blogs that I read on a daily basis. You can check them out on the right hand side of the page.

I will warn you, this can become addictive.

Big Mama's blog will have you hysterical and Angie's blog at Bring the Rain will have you in tears with laughter and heartache. This lady has some mad photography skills and her kids are adorable. This very brave woman lost her 3 yr old son to cancer and has since adopted a little girl.

You can also get some good inspiration here.

So if you want to go see pretty blogs with awesome photography and writing skills leave here immediately and check out these blogs. Don't be surprised if you get led into other great sites as well!

Just don't forget to come back.

Happy Blogging!

What's my point again?

2009-03-09T13:29:00.000-04:00

Sure. They look lovely and wonderful in this picture. Rewind to last Sunday and you would have seen two kids covered in their own vomit and pure chaos in our household. Nothing tests your endurance as a mother more than combing your daughters vomit out of her hair at 1 o'clock in the morning by candlelight.

Thank you last minute blizzard of 2009.

Even so, I look at this picture and I am reminded daily of 2 precious gifts that God has chosen me of all people to look after. In the mist of the frustration, anxiety, stress and sickness that comes along with being a parent, I really couldn't be more grateful for these two people.

I would also be remiss not to mention the first love of my life T. He is a man who loves making deals, the Redskins, his children, God and of course me .

I also love my new nephew L like he was one of my very own children.

So there you have it. I am a wife, mother and a daughter of Christ. This is my journey of trying to be each of these people better than I was the day before. You see, I love lots of things. I love taking pictures but I'm not great at it. I love my family but I'm not always so great to them. I love God but I'm not always so great at listening to what he is trying to tell me. So, this blog is not only a way to keep family and friends updated on our family life, but for me it will serve as a gentle reminder of how big God is and how He holds the key to everything in His hands.

So keep checking back because I will have lots of pictures to share and stories to tell as we enter the blog world together. I may even have some useless and random advice to share.

And if anyone is still reading this, I also love Coke Zero and Flip Flops.