Barnyard Praise

Can you stand how cute these little praisers are?


My little horse is closest to the center and my cowboy is the closest to the center with the red bandanna.

If the video doesn't load for you, go here to see it directly!

Massage Envy!

This is my sweet friend, Gery, and her adorable son, Evan. Aren't they beautiful?

I met Gery almost two years ago. Our kids go to the same daycare.

Actually, it goes a little deeper than that ...Our kids are in love.

Oh yes, I'm speaking of Gery's son, Evan, and my daughter, Piper. And, yes again ... they are both 4. But, believe it or not, their love has lasted longer than some married couples I know. Nearly two years.

Evan is about 6 weeks older than Piper, so if it came time to move Evan to a new class and not Piper - even the daycare workers knew that they would have to wait. They can not be separated! Both of them would cry so pitifully that it just wasn't worth it.

Luckily, they are cute and charming and downright adorable. Otherwise, it would be disgusting.

Thankfully, our families have gotten to know each other. We enjoyed a great New Year's Eve together and have had a ball reading each other's crazy Facebook status'. (My husband, Don, and Gery's husband, Bill, could get into a lot of trouble if left unattended for any amount of time!)

When I was told that I got to visit a local Massage Envy and that I could invite a friend, I immediately thought of Gery. As fellow working moms, I made our appointments made for the day before Mother's Day. I figured we could start celebrating/pampering ourselves a little early.

Our appointments were at 1:00 PM, so we arrived 15 minutes early to fill out our paper work. One of the "check boxes" was to indicate whether you wanted "light," "firm," or "deep tissue." I wasn't totally sure of what that meant (I've since looked it up on the Massage Envy website), but I thought that "Deep Tissue" sounded good, so I went with that.

From the lobby we went into the Tranquility Room and waited for our therapists to get us. Gery's arrived first, and mine (Julie) was just seconds after.

The therapy room was dark and definitely relaxing. Julie asked me several questions so that she could tailor the experience to exactly what I was looking for. A huge plus for me was that the bed had a bed warmer. I am so cold natured ... this was heaven for me!

The 50 minutes flew by. Deep Tissue was definitely the right choice for me. I didn't have any knots or soreness, so it felt heavenly to me. I can never seem to fall asleep during a massage, but I was certainly more relaxed than usual. It really was wonderful!

Gery and I met up after we were done. We were noticeably more relaxed. We talked on the way home about how we should do this more often. I think most all moms are guilty of putting themselves last in the pampering category. So, this was a great Mother's Day treat for us, and a good reminder that we have to take better care of ourselves in order to be the best wife and mom that we can be.

Something that I learned at Massage Envy was that they offer monthly plans! I had no idea. For a very discounted cost, you can get a one-hour massage each month. I'm definitely considering it. AND, the contract is good at any Massage Envy location!
It was a great day. Thanks to the manager, Stephanie, and to all the great therapists out there that have loved on all the Mommy Bloggers in the past week.

Thanks to my friend, Gery, for being a great sport and coming with me.

And, special thanks to these little cuties for introducing us :)

Ok, let's talk Jon and Kate

I know it's on your mind ... let's just fess up. Are you following/wondering about Jon and Kate Gosselin? What's the truth? What's not?

Here's what I think ...

I think it stinks.
I think that no matter what the truth is, people are hurting.
I think that their marriage will suffer - regardless.
I think that children are sensing tension which is not healthy for them.

I hate that this is happening. I have opinions on what I think of Kate and what I think of Jon, but those have to be thrown aside. They are a married couple. And, in my opinion, once you make your vows "before God and these witnesses" - you are married regardless of personality conflicts, how you grow apart, or whatever else life throws your way.

I would hate to think:
(1) that Jon would even fathom being with another woman OTHER THAN the mother of his 8 children,
(2) that this is truly a misunderstanding and this family has gone through this pain for nothing.

We all have to agree that the Gosselin kids are the cutest children ever. I could just scoop them all up and kiss their little cheeks!

We need to pray for this family. How they handle this crisis could be an example for many people in a similar position. I hope they handle it honestly (with themselves, not "the general public") and I hope that they can keep their family intact.

I think they're going to have a rough road either way.

Mommy Makeover Day

It was Mommy Makeover Day at Avery's school. I went into this not having the first idea what this would bring, but SURE that Avery wanted me there. I made arrangements to be gone from work and headed out. The event was from 1:30-2:00 which is funny to me because it takes me 50 minutes to drive there - 30 minutes for the makeover - and 50 minutes back to work. Nevertheless, I laughed and went. Avery was so excited that I was going to get to come.

As I pulled into Avery's school, I was amazed at the number of cars. I love that his school has a high percentage of parent participation. They are able to do some cool things with the kids because of this. As a working mom (and dad, for that matter), we don't get to do EVERYTHING we'd like to do at the school. We have to pick and choose the events that we attend. For example, today is Field Day. We can't do it ... Friday, is "Ranger Science" - we can't do that either. Not this time. But a week from Friday is Popsicles with Pop. Don will be there. Events with a specific parent focus, we never miss.

I got my visitor sticker and headed to Avery's classroom. He was SO happy to see me. He is so proud of his classroom and his area. He's always eager to show me all of the things he's done. On each table, there was a platter filled with lotions, barettes, hair-ties, mirrors ... all the things you need to be beautiful. We were told to bring our own make-up, so I had my full bag with me!

Avery started by brushing my hair. He was so gentle. He talked about how his combing made my hair look very pretty.


Next, he rubbed lotion on my arms.


After that, he put make-up on me. He did amazingly well. I, being the adventurous mom that I am, even let Avery attempt to put mascara on me. He got all but one big glob on my eyelashes. No one could believe that I was brave enough to let him even try to put a stick near my eye!

After the make-up it was time for hair accessories, Avery loved putting the accessories in. I left with a scrunchie in the back of my hair, a head band, and 4 barrettes.



As the picture above was taken, he was giving me a shoulder massage. Avery is my compassionate child, he loves doing things for other people. Look at how proud he is rubbing my shoulders. Can't you just see it on his face? Ohhhhhh ... he's such a sweetheart.

The day ended with a song about Mother's from the whole class.


We love mothers, we love mothers,
Yes, we do! Yes, we do!
Mother's are for hugging,
and they are for kissing.
We love moms!
We love moms!

There was one child who didn't have a mom come to Mommy Makeover. My heart broke for him. He was so incredibly sad. A teacher from another class came in and asked him to make her over, but you could tell he really didn't want too. I felt so bad for him.

We have really tried to let Avery know "why" we can't come to everything, but if it is a special event just for Mom's and Dad's - you better believe we'll be there.

I had such a good time with "just" Avery. Rarely do we get time to ourselves. He was so proud of how he had done me up. I was amazed at the mom's who ran to the bathroom to wash everything off, or quickly took out their clips as they ran out the door.

Not me. I came back to work just like I was. Didn't change a thing. Not even the glob of mascara on my face. Because in the life of one 5 year old boy today, I was the most beautiful mom in the world.

A Day In Our Life

I did a video for the Mommy Madness site about everywhere our car goes in a typical day.

I'm worn out just thinking about it!

A Day In Our Life from Stephanie Click on Vimeo.

(If you can't see the video, click here for the parent site.)

Chevy Traverse FAQ

It seems like everyone I meet is asking questions about the Traverse. I LOVE answering them - it’s been so fun to drive this car and find something new every day.

Many of the moms have answered this one already, but I’ll add my two cents for what it’s worth -
Question 1: “Does the Traverse fit in your garage?”
Answer: Truthfully, our garage is so packed with stuff, a snake would be hard pressed to slither inside. We’ve moved two times in three years - we’ve got boxes and furniture galore in there. However, if all of that was cleared away, then yes - it would fit. However, two of them would not.

Question 2: “What’s your favorite feature on the Traverse?
Answer: Hands down the reverse camera. It beeps when you get too close to something, AND it has lights that let you know exactly how close you really are! A yellow light, then a red light, then a double red light when you’ve really gone far enough!!!

Question 3: “How does it drive?”
Answer: I’ve had a minivan before and to me it handles like a mini-van, but drives like a car. Does that make sense? I feel in control all the time, yet I love the feeling of being above the road.

Question 4: “How’s it been doing in the rain?
Answer: It’s been a dream! The windshield is not huge, so the wipers get off a good deal of the rain. On my model, there is a wiper on the back windshield as well. That really helps since the Traverse if longer than what I’m used too.

Question 5: “Is it too big for a family of 4?”
Answer: I don’t think so. We have really enjoyed having the extra space. All of our family lives out of town, so whenever anyone visits - we always have to go places in two cars. (Pain.) It’s been nice to be able to fit people other than ourselves in the vehicle, AS WELL AS the stuff that we always have to take with us.

Question 6: “Would you suggest the captains seats or the bench seat for the second row?
Answer: It’s just a matter of opinion really, but if I were purchasing this car for me and my family situation - I would go with captain seats. I think the kids, as they get older, would enjoy that freedom a little more.

Question 7: “Do you think the Traverse is worth the price?”
Answer: Absolutely. It’s been an excellent car, and with even the standard features, I think it’s a great vehicle. I wouldn’t baulk at anyone shelling out the money for it.

Question 8: “Are you buying the car when the promotion’s over?”
Answer: TBD :)

Grocery Game

Lots of people are asking me about The Grocery Game. Here's a link directly to a post I wrote about it!

Good luck - and please use me as a referral :) stephanie@sassysaving.com

Grocery Game Link

First Trip To the Dentist

I put off taking the kids to the dentist for too long. I'm not really sure why. I carry dental insurance for each child ... I guess it's really just been "out of sight, out of mind".

Yesterday, the kids had their first visit to the Pediatric Dentist. They were a little apprehensive, but came away THRILLED and excited about all the cool things that they got to do while they were there.

I was amazed at the terminology that they used with the kids to get them to do what they needed. For example, when they want to suck the water out of your mouth with the hose, they told the kids to kiss the hose. Genius. It allowed them to get all the water out while getting the kids mouths positioned exactly where they needed it!

By the way, I'm starting an orthodontic fund for Piper today. $10 a paycheck from here on out. Piper's head is too small to accommodate her permanent teeth, so unless she has a tremendous growth spurt - she's going to need braces by the 3rd grade. I had M-A-J-O-R teeth problems ... I wore braces into college and had 6 extra teeth extracted by an oral surgeon when I was still in elementary school - not counting having my wisdom teeth out! I'm hoping she doesn't have near the troubles that I had. I'm REALLY praying that one set of sassy pink braces will fix her right up!

Avery, on the other hand, has dental textbook teeth. Permanent teeth coming in exactly where they should. Why is it always the boys that get the beautiful teeth and long eyelashes?

Here's a little slide show from yesterday to enjoy.

Barnyard Praise TONIGHT!

Tonight is the closing program for the WAM Jr. program at Second Baptist Church. This is Avery's second year to be involved. Since February, Piper has been involved and I joined as a "helper".

Avery has the opening line of the program ... too cute. I'm hoping he doesn't clam up, although he's becoming less shy. I'm sure he'll be fine. The Kindergarten kids are dressing as farmers.

Piper will be on the front row. (A definite advantage to being short!) Her class will be costumed as horses. I may just die at the "preciousness". She'll think she's the coolest horse that's ever lived.

Videos and pictures will be posted! Wish us luck :)

Spring 2009 Garage Sale

Last Saturday, April 25, was the designated Garage Sale day for our neighborhood. If you live in a Master Planned Community, then you are probably familiar with the fact that everyone has to have their sale on the same day regardless of whether or not you’re finished going through all of your closets!

With that said, it’s probably better for me that they just tell us what day to drag things out and sell them to the lowest bidder (what it seems like anyway!)

This year, I warned my husband that this was an “everything must go sale”. I warned the kids that if they got too far out on the driveway and someone offered a price - they might go too! I was serious about this garage sale.

This comes from the fact that twice a year since we moved to Houston in May of 2006, I have dragged - what seems like - the same stuff out everytime. And, my husband has put back most of this same stuff … every.single.time.

I was done with the dragging back in part. I was done with hearing the gasps of disbelief when the neighbors see our garage door open. I wondered if we would EVER know how it feels to park a small car in the garage - much less the Traverse.

At 6:00 AM, we opened the “Click Family Garage Sale”. It was a slow start, but it picked up around 9:00 AM. I sold things marked at $60 for $20 just to get rid of it. I sold bags of childrens clothes marked at $2 for 50-cents. I put FREE on an old couch that was still there when we were ready to be done.

We finished the day well, but we still had a lot of stuff left.

Around 11:30, Don and I looked at what was left and decided that there was nothing left on our driveway that we were emotionally attached too. With that, we put down the second and third rows on the Traverse and started loading EVERYTHING into the vehicle.

We had that thing full to the brim. What would have taken us at least three or four trips in our regular cars was an absolute breeze in the Traverse. One trip.

We took our things to Katy Christian Ministries in Katy. (If you are in Sugar Land, let me recommend Second Mile Ministries.) My husband said that the man unloading our things took several of our boxes right to the sale table, and before Don left - a box full of pots and pans was already sold.

I’m glad that someone else can get use out of our things. I hope that our things all find happy homes and make life easier for another family.

Rain Rain Go Away

It has rained ... and rained .... and rained some more. We have begun work on the arc but we aren't quite done yet.

Seriously ... I'm thinking that I'll need to take back the Traverse and ask for a speedboat.

With the reverse camera, please.

My friend, Katy, and I got caught in the rain on Friday night. We had big plans for a girls night on the town. No husbands and no kids. We should have known that it wasn't meant to be.

We started off at the Olive Garden. As we were leaving, the heavens opened up and it rained like I've never seen it rain - until again today!

Katy and I ran to the car, even though a passerby who was noticibly more dry than us told us that you get less-wet if you walk. We ran as fast as we could. After we got in the car, we noticed that no one else was as wet as us. We didn't have a dry thread on us. The more we looked at each other, the harder we laughed. We were a mess.

However, instead of spending 1:40 looking at Zac Efron, we spent 1:40 shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond and Kirklands. It was a fair trade.

And, we didn't see anyone we knew. Thank goodness.

Prayers for Compassion

Four bloggers that I follow faithfully online are headed to India at this moment. I began reading their blogs all at different times, so I thought it was very cool that they were chosen to travel on this trip together.

Angie Smith, Pete Wilson, Anne Jackson, and Melissa Fitzpatrick are the four that I feel like I know ... They are traveling on behalf of Compassion International.

Please pray for their safety and that they are able to tell the amazing story of Christ to the people in the areas where they will be serving.

Visit this page to read more about their trip and find links to their individual blogs.

Driving Downtown Houston

Driving to Downtown Houston - Stephanie Click - MommyMadnessHouston.com from Stephanie Click on Vimeo.

My New Ride ... for now.

Several weeks ago, I received an email from a lady saying that she had come across my blog and was interested in me doing a promotion for her. Assuming it was spam, I nearly deleted it. I decided to respond with my phone number and asked her to please call me if this was a legitimate offer. Within minutes, I received another response asking for my number.

And, I guess you could say, the rest is history.

Today, I picked up a 2009 Chevy Traverse. I am part of a promotion between Chevy and CBS Radio. They picked three markets - Houston, Dallas, and Kansas City, and chose 5 Mom-Bloggers in each city. (In the Houston market, they reviewed over 200 blogs! I'm completely honored to have been chosen.) For the next 8 weeks, we each will drive a brand new Traverse with only the obligation being that we blog about our experiences with the vehicle - good and bad.

We have a website that will serve as our "home base" - Mommy Madness. You can read my bio and find out about the other gals chosen here.

Bookmark this page as we'll each be adding cool things every day.

You'll also get to vote for your favorite mom! You can vote as many times as you want! Each vote will enter you into a drawing for a girl’s getaway weekend (the winner - or the female of their choice -and three friends) to the Barton Creek Resort in Austin, TX.

If you are in the Houston, you can get a free massage from Massage Envy by test driving the Traverse! All you do is go to your Houston Chevy dealer and ask to test drive the car. Once you're done, you get a gift certificate. It's a no-pressure deal. Promise.

So, that's the situation with the car. It should be an interesting ride - no pun intended! The car had 44 miles on it when I picked it up today. It's heavenly.

Watch for videos and cool feature segments about the Traverse. It's really a cool vehicle and I can't wait to tell you more about it.

Music City Mystique? WGI?

This afternoon, I'm leaving to spend the next four days with some of the best kids on the planet. These kids (kids to me anyway) are the members of Music City Mystique, a non-profit music organization that my husband and his friend, Chris Finen, began in 1994.

To put it very simply, the approximately 40 members - girls and boys with an average age of 20 - put together an 8 minute percussion theatrical performance set in a gymnasium. This weekend is the World Championship competition where they will compete with teams from all over the US and the world.

This little Tennessee group is no stranger to this contest. They've won the World Championship more than any other team - 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004 and again in 2006. They know what they're doing. I was honored to be part of the staff from 2002-2006.

I've was married while teaching this group, I had two babies while teaching this group, I had to tell these kids that I loved as my own that my family was moving 15 hours away. Needless to say - we've experienced a lot of life together and I can't wait to see them this weekend.

If you have a Twitter account, please consider following them @MusCtyMystique. I'll be doing updates many times throughout the day.

Here is a video clip from a 2007 rehearsal ... it will give you a sneak peak at this activity if you've never seen it before!

Crazy Pants Day

I got Avery all the way to the bus this morning and was giving him a hug before I realized that his pants were on backwards.

Seriously. Backwards.

Buttoned. Zipped. The whole nine yards.

I'm still not sure how he did it. He had to have just pulled them all the way up without taking the time to mess with noticing that there SHOULD BE a button and zipper to do.

The worst part is that not only did he wear them backwards from home to daycare, but he went to the potty when he got to daycare. (His second chance to notice something was wrong!) It was when he came out of the bathroom and I was hugging him good-bye that I noticed that I was patting on a button and not his little bottom!

Luckily, the assistant daycare director was there and she held the bus until I could take him back to the restroom and get him straightened out. All the way back to the restroom, he kept saying "What's wrong, Mom? What's wrong?" He had no clue.

Bless his heart.

Such a typical male.

Dancing in Wal-Mart

Sometimes we have a little bit too much fun with the music sampling station :)

My Big (Little) Girl

We're so proud of little Piper - this is her first time on the Honor Roll. (It's her first opportunity to be on the Honor Roll. Hate to make it sound like she's been 'underachieving'.)

Yesterday was a little bit bittersweet. We were so excited about her Honor Roll certificate, but also found out that she'll be promoting to a new class on Monday. Her new teachers will be the same ones that Avery had this time last year. They are great teachers, and more than prepared him for Kindergarten.

But, I LOVE LOVE LOVE her current teachers. They have been so good to Piper. They have loved and nurtured her, and have had patience ten-fold with my little girl. More importantly, she loves them. There have been many days that she's called me by one of their names. Normally, that would send me into some kind of guilty tailspin, but instead - I know - that it's a good thing. I'm glad that I can walk out the door of her classroom and know that she will be loved on all day long.


... Did I mention that Piper's boyfriend is already in the new class? Oh the drama. They're like an old married couple. Fight. Make-up. Hug. Fight. Make-up. Hug. Stay tuned for more on this one.

Britney Concert Review

I'm still excited about this concert. I'd see it again and again and again ... It was amazing.

Here are a couple of basic observations:

(1) The Pussycat Dolls were great live. They was no lip-syncing at all and those girls can move! I knew a lot more of their songs than I thought I did. They are not your typical opening act.

(2) I had on more clothes than anyone else in the entire Toyota Center. I live by the philosophy that "If you ain't 'got it,' don't flaunt it!" Several others should have followed my lead.

(3) Britney is still the Princess of Pop.

Lots of people are all up in arms about her lip-syncing all or part of the concert. I couldn't tell whether she was or not, and really - it didn't matter. The tour is a SHOW ... The girl moved and danced the entire two hours she was on stage. If she isn't singing every song live - I can completely understand why. More importantly, it wasn't obvious when she came in and out of live singing, so my experience wasn't affected.

One of the most incredible parts of the concert was the opening act with Perez Hilton. I found a couple of videos on YouTube, but none could capture the "coolness" and quality of the video. It was incredible.

The set list was really good. Lots of my favorites from the Circus album, a couple from Blackout, several from In the Zone. A good selection and good mixes of all the songs.

Finally, the choreography was OUT OF CONTROL. Britney always has great dancers, but this time it was off the chain. Lots of style changes and even a chance for each dancer to showcase their own talent in a special "feature" segment. Pussycat Dolls had some great choreography too. I was amazed at how much they were able to do in those TALL-heeled boots!

Overall, we got our money's worth from this concert and more! I'd see it again in a heartbeat. Even if you aren't a fan of Britney's music, the show itself was well worth the price of the ticket. If you are a Britney fan, and you haven't see the show yet, buy your ticket TODAY.

Special shout-out to my sweet husband. What a trooper going with me, although he had an equally good time. It was fun to be together for a night out!

4 more days

Four more days until the Britney Spears concert. I'm so so so excited.

We bought the tickets so long ago that it's kind-of slipped my mind and just yesterday I realized it was actually time to get excited.

We never ever get a babysitter. It seems like everywhere we go, we just take the kids with us. It's always been that way, but this night - we're going all out - babysitter and all.

I've been listening to all her music making sure I know all the words so that I can sing at the top of my lungs :)

Sweet Don is going with me. What a trooper. Of course, Britney will be nearly naked and she is back to her pre-baby(s) body, so it's not like he's enduring much. But, I still appreciate that he got the sweet hook-up for tickets and is coming with me since he knows I love Britney so much.

If I make the news, or the fan page, you'll be the first to know.

Spring Break

We've had a busy week. I took a little blogging Spring Break ...

(1) My Aunt Tempa came to visit from Lexington. Everyone says I am more like Tempa than anyone else in the family. I hope that's true :) Well, we had a great time with her. The kids took to her immediately. Piper was INSEPARABLE from her.

We did several fun things. Saturday we went to the Museum of Natural Science. Dinosaurs, precious gyms, 3D IMAX movies, McDonalds, and a lot of exotic animals filled the day. We all really enjoyed it. Tempa's birthday was on Monday. What better way to spend the day in Texas than at the Rodeo. (I've still never seen an actual "Rodeo" and this was my third trip!) The kids had a ball looking at all the farm animals and riding rides. They LOVE the rodeo and we escaped without buying any western wear, so it was a full-on success.

Monday night, we treated Tempa to dinner at our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant "Ruthies". The picture here is just before they put whipped cream on her face. I totally would have opted to take her to someplace a little more civilized with the "celebration", but my mom (Tempa's older sister) insisted that she go there.

Tempa flew home on Tuesday. We were all sad to see her go and hope that she comes back to visit us soon. It was nice to visit with her and see my children loving her as much as I do.

(2) My mom has been here all week as well. She and Tempa flew in together last Friday. Mom has been keeping kids on opposite days this week. It works well for them. Each gets to have special time with her, but still go to school on the days that they do special projects. Avery's class went bowling one day this week and to a huge park on another day. Today Piper's class is doing Pajama Day - her favorite day of all time! The days that they've stayed with mom have been so pretty. They've walked up to the park and played outside a lot.

(3) Don has been home every night this week. With all the schools being on Spring Break, he's not been teaching. The kids have loved having him home as well. He's picked up whichever child from daycare and gotten a little alone time with them. For some reason, they love riding in his car. It's like an amusement park ride to them!

(4) The weather has been GORGEOUS. Since Monday, we've had temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s every day. I'm glad that mom has had such good weather for her visit (last weekend was the pits), but boy has it given me Spring Fever! I'm ready to throw open the windows, do some spring cleaning, and start throwing stuff away!

For some reason, I get in a "throw stuff away" mood when the seasons change. It's a good thing :) I'm always amazed at how much C-R-A-P we have. Stuff we never use and just keep moving from house to house. It's insane.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Enjoy your family and friends.

Come On Jessica!

This precious gal is my friend, Jessica. It seems like she's been pregnant for a year. Bless her heart, we've been praying for her angel, Quinn, to make an appearance and she's not ready yet.

I could go through the trauma of telling you what she went through last week thinking that she was going to be induced THREE different times, but I'll let you read it on her blog.

Let's all pray for Jessica and Quinn. Pray for a safe (and quick) delivery of this sweet little baby girl, and for them to get deluxe accommodations at the hospital when the time finally comes for Princess Quinn to make her grand entrance.

Our "Pet"

We have a pet. Well, Avery and Piper have a pet. Let me be more specific ... Avery and Piper have a pet that I care for and they rarely even notice.

It all started in June of 2006. We lived like this ...

For you that have children years apart in age ... I'm sorry. We lived by the "kill two birds with one stone" method and potty trained everyone at once. We're overachievers.

Honestly ... I wish ... We never set out to potty train both kids at once. During the course of events, Piper figured out that Avery was getting a lot of attention about this "peeing in the potty" business and hopped on board.

We didn't complain.

This is how I lived for about a month ... Cheering everyone on. Singing Silly Songs. Bribing with M&M's. I can still hear Piper saying to Avery "Come on Avery ... Come on Buddy! M&Ms!!!" She was clearly in it for the food.

We didn't care.

So, eventually it happened. We were officially "potty trained". Everyone at our address could use the bathroom on their own. It was a right of passage after having two kids in diapers for over 18 months. We felt like we had won the lottery.

Being the great parents that we are... we said the kids could have a pet, and then we picked it. A goldfish. Low maintenance. Pees in the bowl. Food is less than $4 and lasts for months. Our kind of pet.

The kids were very excited and named our new friend "Tico". We thought he might live a couple of months and then we'd move on to something else. (Not "something else" another animal, "something else" another toy/friend/new obsession.)

As our luck would have it ... here we are three years later and the fish is still alive. No one pays attention to the fish but me. In fact, it swims to the top of the bowl when it sees me. I should be flattered, but like everyone else in my house - it just means that they want something from me (food)!!!

Also, it bares noting that the fish is no longer Tico. The kids decided last year that they would now like to call the fish "Goldie". This alone is a testament to why we can't have a dog or a cat. Can you imagine how confusing that would be to an animal?

A couple of nights ago Don and I noticed that the fish was turning flips horizontally. Very slowly the fish would roll over. It was strange. We assumed that "the time was near" if you know what I mean.

Every now and then, I'd look over and the fish would be upside down floating at the top of the water. I'd go over, knock on the glass, and he'd roll over and start swimming again.

Bizarre.

I have a friend at work that has a degree in Marine Biology and I figured, although a slim chance, I would ask him about Goldie/Tico.

I'm amazed that he immediately diagnosed the problem. It's called Swim Bladder Disease.

It can be caused by dirty water. Oops. (Look closely at the picture to the left and you'll notice that the fish is upside down. See the eye at the bottom of the body. The quality of the picture stinks, but whenever the fish sees me looking at him/her, it turns right-side-up.)

I hate cleaning the fish bowl. It's not as bad as other housework tasks, it's just the easiest to put off until tomorrow. And, let's be honest, no one complains about it. In fact, no one but me and Tico/Goldie even notices.

I'm glad, at this point, that it seems to be non-fatal. I haven't looked forward to the day that I have to explain death of a pet. But, really, who am I kidding. Would anyone even notice? Actually, I guess they would after a day or two.

Oh, and we are off to a good start in healing. The article says to "withhold food for a day or two". No problem. I fed the fish last night and couldn't remember the last time I fed it before that.

Oops.

TGIF

Thank God (literally) It's Friday!!!

This day has been a trainwreck for me. Anyone else see a recurring theme? I'm planning to spend a lot of time this weekend reflecting on what the obstacles are in my life that are causing me to stumble ... almost uncontrollably. The past three weeks have been out-of-control and I am ready to get the reins hauled back in. It's driving me nuts and making me unproductive to everyone involved in my life.

Tonight and tomorrow morning I'm attending a Women's Conference at church. I'm a little apprehensive about it because I don't know anyone else going. Originally, I had planned to invite some girls that I work with to join me, but something inside me said that I really needed to step out in faith and go this one alone.

I've spent a lot of time praying for a girlfriend that I can do things with and connect with. I have several that I love dearly, but don't get to see often enough. And, it's hard with the kids. Don works long hours and travels so much that it makes it hard to do anything other than work and wrangle kids. And truthfully, I'm nervous. The idea of walking into that big room all alone is terrifying to me. I'm not a loner. I need someone to walk in with ... you know what I mean. Someone to meet in the lobby. Someone to download with during the break.

This weekend will be uncharted territory for me.

But, I'm praying nonetheless and have had a strong feeling that I'm going to get something big out of this conference. It's testing my patience to see it revealed ... and I'm smart enough about this God-business to know that I probably won't see it revealed for some time now. And that's ok.

The Bachelor

I think I can finally talk about the Bachelor and not get in a tizwad.

I was so mad on Monday night that I could have chewed through the couch cushion. I cried, I cussed (yes, I said it), I almost threw something.

I really liked both girls, but let's face it - we all knew Melissa was the girl for him. I was crying right along with her when he got down on one knee.

I wonder what the heck Molly is thinking. I wonder what her family is thinking. You know that they must have some reservations. I'd love to be a fly on their wall.

I think the main problem is that Jason doesn't have a faith foundation to base his commitment on. I'm not saying that everyone that's NOT a Christian is going to get divorced, I just think that perhaps it gives MOST PEOPLE a better grasp of forgiveness, grace and mercy. He seemed very quick to move on to the next flavor.

I hope that they work out. I certainly wish them no ill will, and how horrible for Molly if he drops her in 6 weeks too.

And, I can't even talk about the example he is for his son. Good grief. I bet his first wife is beyond frustrated. How do you explain what's happening to a child of his age. Yes, I know he's tried to shield him, but kids are smart. They know way more than we give them credit for.

And, now I can watch the Bachelorette and hope for less drama and try not to get as personally invested. Jillian is a smart smart girl. I can't wait to see how she does.

Was anyone else surprised that Stephanie wasn't chosen as the Bachelorette? I really felt like they would use her. Who knows? Maybe there's a reality show that they are casting her for this minute.

The Mom Quiz

I gave this quiz to my kids tonight. I had them come in one at a time so they wouldn't influence one another. The results are ... well, thought provoking.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Avery - "I love you"
Piper - "Stop being mean!"
(Funny how the personality of each child is exposed in question #1)

2. What makes mom happy?
Avery - Me doing what you ask
Piper - Listening and saying nice words

3. What makes mom sad?
Avery - When I don't do something you ask
Piper - Being bad

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Avery - Making funny faces
Piper - Doing silly faces
(Apparently, I make funny faces ... who knew?)

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Avery - Just like me
Piper - Good

6. How old is your mom?
Avery - 41
Piper - 50
(We'll be working on this on quite a bit in the coming days.)

7. How tall is your mom?
Avery - Bigger than me
Piper - Medium

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Avery - Boss me around
Piper - Make money
(If I had bet a million dollars on this question, I would have lost every penny. These are the furthest things from my "favorites".)

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Avery - Play with Piper
Piper - Do your work

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Avery - Movie Star
Piper - Praying to God
(Look out Beth Moore! I'm hot on your trail.)

11. What is your mom really good at?
Avery - Writing stuff on the computer
Piper - Putting your hands up on a rollercoaster
(Why Piper thought this was something I was really good at is beyond me. I must have made quite an impression on her at Disney World.)

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Avery - Touching bottoms
Piper - Being mean to me
(Apparently, I'm not good at being the disciplinarian. I stink at spanking and being mean.)

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Avery - Work
Piper - work

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
Avery - Hamburger
Piper - Salad
(Neither of these ... Hello, Spaghetti!!!)

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
Avery - Getting money
Piper - Speaking good

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Avery - Cat
Piper - I don't know

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Avery - Help each other out
Piper - Doing puzzles

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Avery - same hair and same skin color
Piper - We have the same face and the same hair

19. How are you and your mom different?
Avery - not the same eyes
Piper - we don't have the same hands

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Avery - when she smiles at me
Piper - cause she loves me very much

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Avery - kissing him
Piper - kissing him
(Don will love this one!)

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Avery - Friday's
Piper - work
(I can't remember the last time my foot graced the door of a Friday's ... I knew in my heart of hearts that they would say "CVS". I'm shocked that they didn't!)

What A Day!

Yesterday was not my best day to say the least.

(1) My hair was a wreck. More than it is on an average day. I'm over it. I want to get in cut completely off and start all over.

(2) Couldn't get ahead at work. Seemed to take two steps forward and one back all day.

(3) Came time to go home and my keys were gone. I mean G-O-N-E. Don had to pack up the kids and come to get me. He was thrilled.

(4) The Bachelor ... I could have choked him. I'm still mad when I think about it today. What a jerk.

I needed to go to sleep and start a new day.

Thankfully, I did ... and today has been much better.

Praise to the LORD for making today lighter and helping the things from yesterday fall in line. I certainly needed a break, and He came through!

I love my church ...

.... for things like this - Changed Lives. Real people. Proof that God is alive and that he's not finished with his work.


Changed Lives 2009 from Second Films on Vimeo

If you can't see the player above, please click HERE to go straight to the video.

Sibling Fun

I'm lucky that on most days, my kids play well together. I think this has to do with three things:

(1) Boy/Girl
(2) Their close proximity in age
(3) Their personalities are SO different

But, they have figured out that nasty word "competition" this year. Everything is a competition between them. It's a race to get up the stairs, it's a race to get shoes on, if you compliment one - the other will immediately say something wonderful that they've done. We've been working hard on this. And, for the most part, we've gotten it under control. (I think the race up the stairs will live on regardless of what we say ...).

It's days like yesterday that make me love these kids even more, and KNOW that they love each other and are really the best of friends.

I bought each child a small sandcastle set at Hobby Lobby. They were only $1.99 a piece and it made not breaking anything in the store more of a reality to grab something off a shelf when we walked in. They were so excited to take them outside and play in the sandbox. They talked of all the amazing things they were going to do and I got to shop in relative peace.

Yesterday was a little cool and a whole lot windy, so Avery asked to take his out of the bag to play with in the kitchen. Before I knew it, he had a spoon and in the pail was mixing up a (pretend) cake for Piper's Birthday! I was completely unaware that it was her birthday, but she acted like it was completely planned. When the cake was done. He took her into the den. Lit the imaginary candle and proceeded to sing "Happy Birthday" to her. It was precious. Just him in his little 5 year old voice singing to his little sister that was thrilled to death to have his full attention.

Piper blew out the candle and they pretended to eat cake.

Then, she came in the kitchen and in the same pail, made him a birthday cake. She stirred and mixed the pretend batter so much that MY arm hurt! She baked it just right and even pretended to put frosting on :) Then, she "surprised" Avery for his birthday. With the same energy and pride, she sang "Happy Birthday" to him and he was so happy! She lit the candle on his cake, and he made a wish and blew it out. It was amazing.

I stood at the sink pretending I wasn't watching. (You parents know how kids will quit doing cute things if they know you're watching them!) I was so blessed to know that should anything ever happen to me that they have each other and that they will take care of each other.

After the parties concluded (there were 4 in all), it was medicine time. Avery took his medicine like a champ, but knew that Piper was dreading hers. She's still doing breathing treatments and she doesn't mind the treatment as much as the fact that she can't play while she's doing them. Since I couldn't take a picture of the "birthday parties", I did manage to get a picture of Avery being a great helper with the treatment. He knew she was sad, so he agreed to stay with her and be her helper.

Is Avery going to be a great husband or what? I love these precious kids.

Hannah Montana

Most of you know by now that with Piper - you never know what she's going to say. She's 4 years old going on 16. Oh, and complete girly girl. Geez ... we are in for it.

Well, last night she made the official transition to "tweenager". We were in Michaels and she saw a Hannah Montana poster. Piper said, "Mom, I want to get a Hannah Montana movie. I need to know what this is all about."

The fact that she "needs" to know what "this" is all about screams foul to me. I've never seen a single episode of the show, but I've caught my fair share of commercials. The thing that scares me is that I know she'll love it. This, my child that has 4 plastic microphones and cried at the Italian Festival when we wouldn't let her get on the stage and sing. And, I would bet money that if you looked in her purse right now (yes, she carries a purse), you would find (1) lip gloss, (2) a microphone, and (3) a toy dog of some sort - because you know all glam celebrities carry dogs in their purses.

Maybe we'll start with "young" Hannah Montana ... prior to the Hannah Montana that now dates 21 year-old boys.

Better yet, I wonder if I could persuade her to start with Mary Kate and Ashley. Remember how cute they were. There's a thought ... let's try that.

If you want to get rid of any old DVDs - send them my way!!!!

NOT HAPPY w/ HEALTHCARE

I'm a little miffed right now. This has not been the greatest week in Click Healthcare History.

Here's the 30 second summary:

Monday - Avery throws up in Target. Yes, I said, in Target ... not in Target's bathroom. The most puke I've ever seen come from a child, btw.

Tuesday - I leave for a 3 day work trip. Don stays home with Avery (who also has diarrhea) - Piper goes to school. Pediatrician won't see Avery. Says it's a stomach bug, so no need to come in. I didn't know the doctor could "not" see us. I was "not" happy. (PS - I miss our Franklin pediatrician SO much!!!)

Wednesday - 6:45 AM Don calls to tell me that now he's throwing up and has diarrhea. He and Avery are dueling banjos at this point. Both drag Piper to school. Thank goodness we live close.

Thursday - I pull into town and go straight home to bleach the entire house (Don/Avery still sick) BEFORE I get Piper from daycare. As I'm pulling into our street, daycare calls - Piper's throwing up and has diarrhea.

Friday - Send Avery back to school. Don's still sick, Piper's still sick. I stay home to get everyone uncontaminated. Around 3:00 PM, Piper quits throwing up/diarrhea and starts running a fever. WHAT??? Where did this come from? With that, she starts this deep cough (think 70 year old man that has smoked for 67 years.)

Saturday - Doctor finally agrees to see Piper. She prescribes a breathing treatment for which we have to rent a machine. Can't find a place to rent a machine.

Sunday - Finally figure out that Kroger rents machines. Start Piper on treatments.

Today - Everyone is back to work and school. Hallelujah.

Tomorrow - Don gets the epidural with steroids in his back to help alleviate the pain he's had (since January 8) from the herniated nerves.

UNTIL .....

Don gets a call from the surgery center. He happens to ask what the co-pay will be. (Our policy says that if it is an out-patient PROCEDURE, then the co-pay is $50. If it is an out-patient SURGERY, the co-pay is $500. Big difference.) It's $500. I'm not kidding.

This is especially not cool since we already KNOW that we've reached our $1,000 deductible getting MRIs, X-rays, etc, getting prepped for this PROCEDURE. I'm waiting for the bills to start rolling in on that.

Here's the catch: Don's deal tomorrow is a PROCEDURE, but because he's having it done in a SURGERY CENTER - we're expected to pay the SURGERY co-pay. Seriously.

Needless, to say, he immediately called the doctor to see if we could schedule this PROCEDURE at a different place, but they are out to lunch. Of course.

Pray for this to be sorted out. That Don can get the treatment and that we don't have to rob a bank to pay for it.

Oh, and Aetna ... you can suck my foot. We're not friends anymore.

Bible Verse Video

As promised ... here are the kids singing Luke 6:31 (last week's Bible verse!)



If it doesn't load, go HERE

Next week is Ephesians 4:2 - "Be patient bearing with one another in love." Sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It ..."

The Bachelor

I'll admit it ... I'm completely addicted to The Bachelor.

Jason is hott ... There I said that too!

I'm really happy with the three girls that are left. Melissa is my favorite, followed by Jillian and then Molly. However, for the first time in history - I like all of them. (I LOVED Stephanie, but just wait ... I'm betting on her to be the next "Bachelorette".)

I get way too emotional over these things. It's almost like I have a stake in the outcome. But, I think Jason is sweet, so he deserves the most happiness of any Bachelor in the history of Bachelor-hood :) By the way, was anyone else surprised to find out he wasn't a Christian? I was shocked!!!!

I'm assuming that there are two episodes left until the finale. I can't wait - I'll be a nervous wreck! I absolutely hate suspense.

Weekly Bible Verse

If you'll remember, one of my resolutions for this year was to do a weekly Bible verse with the kids. I was a little slow getting started, but we're on it now!

This week is Luke 6:31 - "Do unto others as you would have them do to you."

Now, sing it to the tune of "This Old Man" ...

Do un-to
O-thers
As you would have them do to you
L-uke six
Thir-ty one
L-uke si-x
Thir-ty one

It's preciously cute to hear the kids sing it! It's been a great way to talk about the entire concept of how we treat our friends. We started this on Wednesday, so next Wednesday we'll graduate to a new verse, and I'll upload a video (fingers crossed) of the kids singing this one for you!

Our Little Pageant House

This my friends in Miss Indiana, Katie Stam ... I've seen her crowned Miss America seven, yes seven, times!!! Piper is STILL obsessed with watching the pageant. If she wasn't so blasted cute while she was watching it, I would have erased it by now. She knows what events come in what order and has her favorite contestants. AND ... she's still not over the fact that Miss Texas didn't make the Top 12. What a rip-off!

I was thinking that maybe we could enter Piper in a little local pageant. Just for fun, you know. Well, all was on course for that until TLC's show "Toddlers and Tiaras" came on last night. Don was blown away. I loved the little girl that was all glitzed up (probably because I understand and appreciate mascara) and Piper would love that, but the little girl was completely over-coached. It definitely took away from her on stage. She was so cute and lively backstage - then turned like a robot (Don's words) once it came to her turn.

So, for now - Piper can continue on with her nightly evening gown competitions in nightgowns with baby blankets clothes-pinned on to make a train and plastic high-heels from Target, and her tap-dancing talent in her "Snow White shoes" that make a clicking noise on the tile. We have 13 years until she's eligible for the Miss Texas pageant, and if we start saving today - we might be able to afford to buy her a pageant swimsuit by then!!!

Don's Neck Trauma

Don's had some horrible neck problems lately. It started on January 8, and as of today, he has still not gotten any relief. He's been to a Family Practitioner, who then sent him to a Neurological/Orthopedic Surgeon. 4 co-pays, a set of x-rays, and an MRI later (not to mention the LOAD of drugs he's been prescribed) - he's still in pain.

Yesterday, we got word that he will need to have four weeks of Physical Therapy and three deep injections of cortizone in his neck (OUCH!!!) Should the PT not work, then the only other option will be surgery. We're praying hard for the therapy to effective and provide some immediate relief. As is usual for us -- the therapists are on vacation this week, so it will be Monday before Don can even be evaluated!!!

Bless his heart ... I hate to see someone I love in pain. He's been pitiful.

Scarfing Day Two and Words of Wisdom

It's Day Two of "The Year of the Scarf". Yesterday I did a video blog about it. (If you are reading this on Facebook, follow my "real" blog at http://stephanieclick.blogspot.com to see the video!)

Here's a pic of Day One


Now, Day Two (notice that it's tied differently ...) Thanks again to my scarf blogging friends for the plethora of ideas on different ways to tie :)


... and here are my words of wisdom today. They come from my husband, who as usual, is
speaking to me about doing more things for myself. (It's on my list of New Years Resolutions, but it's still an everyday struggle.) My reply to Don was, of course, that there is so much to do at work, home, with the kids, and with him, that I'm worn out by the time I have a chance to do anything for myself ... this conversation was taking place via email and this is what he replied ...

"You know how when you're on an airplane and they're going over the safety rules and they get to the air mask part? They say 'place your own mask on before you assist others, including children.' Make sure your air mask is on before you put on ours...."

Those words have stayed with me all day. I think I'm gonna see if Michael (my flight attendant brother-in-law) can get me a mask that I can hang in my closet to remind me of this statement.

Thanks Don! That's why I love you.

The Year of the Scarf

My "friend" Angie Smith and new "friend" Brandi Wilson are the official 2009 Scarf Diva's. I'm so upset that I didn't meet them when I lived in Nashville. We would have been fast friends ... like real life friends, not cyber friends. (And, ok, seriously ... why does it always pick the most awkward moment to do a freeze for the video???)

2009 - A New Year for Me

These are my New Year's Resolutions. Yes, I am fully aware that January is nearly over, but I've really thought about these for a while and these are items that I want to make hold in my life and truly stick with. Hold me accountable.

(1) I want to write hand-written notes to people. I'm the world's worst at writing an email "thank you" or getting busy and forgetting about it when I REALLY did appreciate what you did!

(2) Lose Weight. Yes, I know ... join the bandwagon. But, I only have 25 pounds. It's a gigantic amount to me, but so much less than other people have. I know that if I tackle this now, I won't have a huge problem later down the road.

(3) I have to do better with my daily Bible reading. I'm so excited that I'm joining a Ladies Bible Study in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping that this study will give me a starting point for a real plan to read through the Bible without getting overwhelmed or distracted.

(4) A month or so ago, my mother-in-law sent me a video of a child she knows reciting Bible verses. It struck me that there is no reason that my children should not be doing that. Avery has dealt with a lot of teasing this year. He's extremely sensitive, so it's weighed very heavily on him. He needs these verses to hide in his heart. I found a great site for this and intend to be faithful to this challenge.

(5) I need to make a schedule of when I'm going to do what each week. It sounds crazy, but my life is out-of-control. I work about 45 hours a week, Don works around 60 hours a week, the kids are going different directions, and it goes on and on. I need to do menu planning and a house schedule so that we don't spend the times we are all in the same spot doing laundry or picking up the house.

(6) I WILL make time for me. I tend to look after and do whatever is needed for everyone around me and not take care of myself. I will get my hair cut on a regular schedule, use the "good" body wash!, get a pedicure once in a while, go out with the girls ... take time for myself before I forget who I am. Don always says "you need to relax!" I truthfully don't think I know how.

(7) I have several money-saving articles in my mind. I really feel that I can help people save money. I need to get these articles on paper and pitch them to our local magazines. It would be a great second-income/occasional income for our family and there is no good reason for me not to do it.

(8) Finally, this is kind-of petty ... but I want to watch all the seasons of Sex and the City. I've never seen a single episode or the movie. Anyone who knows me won't believe this since (apparently) the show SCREAMS my name. I got Season 1 from Netflix so I'm ready to get started :)

Carrie Underwood

The girl flat TORE ... IT ... UP at the People's Choice Awards.




I guess this is one of those songs that everyone can relate too, so that's probably why I liked it so much.

I downloaded it first thing this morning. Her voice is amazing, and she seems like a genuine person, too.

I'm happy she's doing so well.