Real.Life.Mom

2011-09-13T04:37:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-23T09:51:00.001-07:00

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Barnyard Praise

2009-05-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-04T15:00:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-01T07:51:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-04-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-28T12:18:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

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

My New Ride ... for now.

2009-04-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-04-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

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

My Big (Little) Girl

2009-04-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-19T15:44:00.001-07:00

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"

2009-03-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-03-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-03-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-03-03T13:25:00.000-08:00

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 ...

2009-03-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

.... 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

2009-03-02T12:19:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

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.

BooMama's Tour of Homes

2008-12-21T20:42:00.000-08:00

It's that time again ... and I'm three days later than I intended to be. I'm also not as thorough as I intended to be. This Christmas season started with a bang for me, then hit a lull ... and now, has wholloped me in the head with the fact that there are only three days left! But, a few of you have mentioned that you would like to see some of our decorations, so here it is !!!

Here's our front door. We actually have lights outside, but - to be completely honest - this is the coldest night of the year (so far) and I wasn't interested in huffing it out to the sidewalk to get a picture. So, let's just start with the door!

This is the tree in our Dining Room. Don decorated this one on his own. He really should do this professionally during the holidays. He has a great eye for this type of thing.

This is my little Christmas Village. It's really gotten the shaft since we moved to Texas. In Tennessee, we had it on the mantle in the Living Room. We had all the little accessories (including battery-powered lights on the houses, a pond, etc.) - it was really "Christmas-y". Now, it gets thrown on the entry table as a side thought. In fact, we didn't even unpack it last year. So, it's going on Craigslist on December 26. I hope it finds a good home.

This is our tree in our Family Room. It holds all of our family ornaments and things that we all love, especially ornaments that the kids make themselves! This year, Don added the red poinsetta's and he made the topper! (Notice that I haven't wrapped yet. The only presents under the tree are from Aunt Tempa!)

This is one of my favorite ornaments. It goes in the center every year!

This is one of those "much better in person things", but I love that I am married to someone who can look at the top of our shelf and come back with something that totally fits and only costs 75-cents! The jug and the mirror live there 365 days a year - the jar with ornaments from Wal-Mart appeared via Don during a commerical break from Boston Legal.

This is our mantle in the Family Room. The garland is lit although the picture doesn't show that very well. It looks gorgeous when the candles are lit, but again - I'm doing this quickly :)

This is the best part - the lights on the playset. The kids LOVE it. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but there are lights inside the "fort" so that the kids can go in at night and play.

* The kids have a Christmas Tree in their Gameroom. I'll take a picture tonight and post it. They both fell asleep on the couch tonight watching ABC Family channel's "12 Days of Christmas". We left them on the couch to sleep. I didn't want to risk waking them up with the flash.

So, now that you've checked out our house, head on over to BooMama's Tour of Homes. It's so fun to see what everyone has posted! Get ready ... it's addictive :)

Polar Express Day

2008-12-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

This made my heart smile!

Today was pajama day in Kindergarten. The kids were able to bring pillows, blankets, and a stuffed animal. They were going to eat gingerbread cookies, drink hot chocolate and watch The Polar Express.

I wish I was in Kindergarten ... what a perfect day :)

(Thanks to my friend Brenda, the room mom, for sending me this great picture!)

Hysterical

2008-12-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

I had to blog about this picture today. To me, it's the funniest of our whole trip. We stood in a short line to pull on the sword. It's important to note that everyone in front of us was a child. I'm sure that these kids saw this giant of a man and thought "surely he'll be able to get the sword out of the stone".

... on the other hand, perhaps I should have taken the picture from the other direction. They might have been thinking "Look how hard he's pulling on that sword. Should we tell him that it's not real?"

We're Back

2008-12-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

We're back from Disney. I can almost feel my feet again ... more on our trip later, just know - it was a success!!!

Last night, we decided to order pizza, take it easy, and rest.

We got settled in with the pizza and Piper came down from the gameroom saying that she and Avery needed "the cheese". I sent it with her and asked that she bring it back down when she was finished. She did, and then went and got a spoon from the kitchen. I didn't think much about it, but did mention to Don that I felt like there was a lot of cheese gone.

At 8:00 PM, Don called up to the kids and neither responded. They were asleep. They had gotten pillows and blankets, made a little nest on the couch and were O-U-T!

Here's what we found on their table ...

... classic.

Trip Plans

2008-12-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

I don't have good packing pics yet, so place that post on hold ... What I do have is our full agenda. This is gonna be fun!!!!

Saturday:
Fly, land, blah blah blah
Watch the Christmas parade (they taped earlier in the day, this is the second run)
Chef Mickey's for dinner (We'll meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald Duck)
Come back for the Wishes Fireworks and SpectroMagic parade - LOVE this parade!!!

Sunday:
Animal Kingdom
Jingle Jungle Parade
Whispering Canyon for dinner - this was one of our favorite meals last year

Monday:
Ohana for breakfast (We'll meet Lilo, Stitch, Pluto and Minnie)
Disney Hollywood Studios
Party Parade

Tuesday:
Magic Kingdom
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Cinderella Castle (Last year, Piper was Cinderella - this year, we're doing Snow White. Also, Avery is getting the boy version of whatever they do. I think it involves a lot of gel and an airbrushed Mickey head.)
Cinderella's Royal Table for lunch
Dreams Parade

Wednesday:
Epcot

Thursday:
Pirate Cruise for Avery and Piper (Wait until you see the cute shirts I'm making for the kids!) Oh, and this is a secret! The kids don't know about it.
Epcot again
Coral Reef for dinner

Friday:
Magic Kingdom
Dreams parade
The Wave (new restaurant in the Contemporary) for dinner

Saturday:
Crystal Palace for breakfast (meet Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet)
Magic Kingdom
Dreams Parade
Wishes Fireworks
SpectroMagic Parade again!

Sunday:
Shopping at Downtown Disney
Lunch or Dessert at the new Dinosaur Resturant
Cry - weep - sob ... as we head back to the airport at 4:00 PM

Pray for a great bounceback deal. My heart already wants to make a fourth trip and I'm not even done with my third one yet!!!

Disney Prep

2008-12-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

I've been reading about "The Baggallini Messenger Bag" for years on the Disney message boards. They are supposed to be the deal for traveling to Disney World. They run about $45, and I had a $20 gift certificate to e-bags.com, so I decided to give them a shot. I decided to buy lime, because everyone knows that all die-hard Disney fanatics wear lime. Well, let me preface by saying that when Baggallini says lime - they mean LIME!

Well, I got the bag preliminarily packed last night ... here's what I've got so far:

The bag - front

The bag - back

Back pocket - I don't have anything in here yet. I think I'll use it for my phone and wallet.

Front pocket - packed with wet wipes.

Front middle pocket unzipped

In the bottom of the front pocket - Hand sanitizer, chapstick, and face sunscreen

Little Pocket #1 - Tylenol, Advil, and Rolaids

Little Pocket #2 - More hand sanitizer and earplugs (Piper hates the sound of exploding fireworks)

Little Pocket #3 - Kleenex and chewable Pepto (out of the box in a snack sized Ziploc bag - I cut out the dosage info and stuck it in the bag). Please say "compulsive" on the count of 3.

All the meds in the back area. Excedrin (Don is prone to Migranes), Kids Chewable Pepto, Gold Bond, Immodium, and Excedrin Back and Body.

There's a little elastic thing perfect for holding a Sharpie which we'll need for all of the character autographs. We use a retractable Sharpie so we don't have to worry about caps. However, it occurred to me last night that it could possibly "turn on" without me knowing it, so I wrapped it in a snack bag!

Back area - 3 extra Sharpies, Kids Sunglasses, and shower caps for Piper. She's getting her hair done at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on Tuesday. Should we hit rain at some point, her "do" won't get ruined.

I'll add here that we are not medicine people. We rarely take medicine, however, I'm not going on a vacation that we saved for all year and having someone not enjoy every magical moment because they don't feel good. So we stock up!

Tomorrow, I'll do an installment on how we pack our suitcases :)

I swear this will be my last post about Britney ...

2008-12-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

... after today, I will only post about Disney World. (4 days).

Love the new CD ... buy it. It's great.

Also, I'm going to her concert on March 30 at the Toyota Center. The Pussycat Dolls are opening for her. Incredible.

Love it, Love it.

Sinus Drama

2008-11-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about the weather lately. It started with Piper on Saturday - I noticed that she was starting to sniffle a little. I woke up on Sunday stopped up. Now, today, we're both a little sickly. Not to the point that I'd pronounce I'm officially "sick" ... but enough that I'd pronounce that I'm "annoyed".

I've narrowed this down to two things:
(1) It's still really warm here. It's not been cold enough to kill the germs. I'm in short-sleeves today and ran the air-conditioner in my car. (Seriously, weather ... it November 24. Enough with the heat already.)

(2) Kindergarten germs. I think all the other little germ-y children are infecting my house. Their little germs are coming home on Avery's backpack. Yuck.

So, tonight, we're bundling up with spaghetti, Christmas lights, and Vicks Vapor Rub. What could be better?

Merry Christmas from the CC Print Team

2008-11-20T06:57:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Our Christmas Dance - Part One

2008-11-20T06:44:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Britney Spears ... She's back!

2008-11-18T13:18:00.001-08:00

I can't wait for this to air. Mark your calendars ... I won't be available unless you want to call me during commercials to discuss the details :)

PS - Of course, I've already pre-ordered her album that hits stores the next day!

MTV Shows

Fall Riot 2008

2008-11-14T12:48:00.001-08:00

The video below is a recap of Fall Riot 2008 at Second Baptist Church (West Campus). I love that my church is doing things to reach teenagers where they are and on their level. Although I'm not a part of this ministry, it makes me so proud to know that my kids can be a part of something like this during their teen years.

Today's society scares me to death. All the things that kids are exposed to and the pressures they are under are unreal to me. I'm so grateful for a church family that values teens. I grew up in a church that went above and beyond for their youth ministry and am so excited for my kids to experience what I had and even more!!!

Good-bye Lipstick Jungle :(

2008-11-13T07:50:00.000-08:00

I got word today that NBC has canceled Lipstick Jungle. They have 5 unaired episodes that they aren't sure they are even gonna show. Seriously ... Oh, and the reason for the cancellation ... get this! Too many people are recording the show to watch at a later time. Can I just say this "Your target audience is women aged 30-45 years old. We're putting our kids to sleep at 9:00 PM." I am never able to watch the show when it airs - it just doesn't work out. But, I do record the show and watch it later, OR I buy the episode on iTunes and PAY NBC to let me watch it!!!

PS - Aren't we in the age of DVRs? Are they going to start canceling everything because people are watching it in it's real time slot?

I'm going to quit watching television series. Every show I like (with the exception of Desperate Housewives) gets the ax. I'm the kiss of death apparently.

First, Cashmere Mafia ... now, Lipstick Jungle.

This stinks.

If I could do it again ...

2008-11-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

If I had it to over again, I would write down all the funny things that my kids say. I was reminded to this today when I found a piece of paper that said, "Don't tell Dad that I was being bad. It's a secret." [whispered to me on October 22, 2008 from Piper].

Why, oh why, have I not written ALL these things down.

:(

Gold Medal Big Brother

2008-10-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

I went on and on about Piper yesterday on her birthday ... however, let me tell you about sweet, sweet little Avery. God bless his compassionate little soul. He's really an 80 year old man trapped in a 5 year old's body.

Here's his first little sweet statement of the night. We had just parked at Chuck E Cheese. I got Avery out, and my mom got Piper out. As Avery was getting out the car, he looked at me and said "Mom, tonight, let's only play the games that Piper likes, ok?" I could have just melted ... I almost cried on the spot.

Later, Uncle Cory and Riley called. Piper talked and then handed the phone to Avery. He talked for several minutes and then was winding the conversation up. He said "good-bye," but then I heard "WAIT WAIT WAIT ... one more thing! (pause) Thanks for calling my sister on her birthday." ..... Anything he could do to make her day more special, and to let other people know that THEY made her day special, he was right there to acknowledge.

I mean, really ... who wouldn't love to have a big brother like Avery? Piper is a lucky girl, and I am the luckiest mom in the world.

Happy Birthday, Piper

2008-10-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is four years old. I am really kind-of sad. I hate to see her grow up although I love each year with her more than the last. With both kids, I always catch myself saying "I love this age!" only to find out that I love the next age even more ... But something about three with Miss Piper has been special.

We have a bond that is really neat. She is very clingy to me and very much my shadow. Avery is very content to play on his own or sit and watch a movie ... not Piper. If I'm home, she's under my feet. She's really not a bother. She just needs to be doing what I'm doing. If I'm putting on make-up, she needs to have some to put on. If I'm putting away dishes, she needs some to put away. If I'm folding clothes, she needs some to fold. (She's excellent at folding dishtowels and washclothes!)

Piper talks 1,000 miles a minute. If she's not talking - she's singing. Either a song she's learned at church or school, or most likely, a song she's making up on the spot. She is the life of the party. When we walk into daycare, everyone knows her name. I'm not sure how they know her, but they do ... and they love her. Probably because she's the class clown. (See picture below)

Overall, she's a wee little girl. Very petite, although she's grown immensely over the past year. She's definitely getting taller, but not one bit wider!!! Her curly hair is down past the middle of her back when it's wet, but curls right up to above her shoulders when it is dry. She's our "Curly Girly"!!!

Here are the Top Five Reasons that I love this little girl:
(1) Because she can laugh at herself. I love that she is secure enough, at age 4, to know that sometimes you just have to laugh.

(2) Because she is loves to cuddle. She will always sit in your lap and let you love on her. If you ever want someone to cuddle up with, she's a willing partner.

(3) Because she is the most beautiful girl in the world. She has a definite outward beauty, but she is even more stunning on the inside. She has a heart for people that is 10 times her size.

(4) Because she is honest. She'll always tell the truth when asked and sometimes when she's not asked! It's encouraging to know that she understands that it's always better to tell the truth than to fib. However, she sometimes tells too much ... (i.e. standing the line at Target ... "I smell Dad's bottom!")

(5) Because she loves me as much as I love her. Piper is everything I ever prayed for in a little girl. She is so much fun to love and nurture. I am so blessed to wake up each day to not only one, but TWO answered prayers.

Happy Birthday, Piper. I hope you have an incredible year. I'm so glad that God chose me to be your Mommy.

Hurricane Survivor

2008-09-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

Before & After picture of Crystal Beach, TX

We survived Hurricane Ike ... something that I hopefully won't have to say again. Since the last "big one" was in 1900, the chances that I'll endure another one are slim. I'm thankful.

I will admit, however, that it was a tad exciting - all the leading up to it. I love weather so I was a little anxious to see what it would be like. All of my work friends have made fun of me because I've known the exact track of the storm since before it hit Cuba.

Our home was not in a mandatory or even voluntary evacuation zone. No matter how curious I was, if I was in one of those zones, we would have left. Even as astute as I am with the weather, I still believe that there are people wiser than I... and had I seen "77494" scroll across the bottom of the TV, we'd have been to the car before you could blink!

The church shut down at 2PM on Thursday, Pro-Mark just before that ... which allowed us amble time to prepare. Don and I divided up duties for the way home. He stopped to get batteries. I stopped to get ice (dry and bagged). School didn't dismiss early, but I was able to meet Avery as he got off the bus at daycare and grab Piper to head home. Avery asked why I was there early and I told him that a hurricane was coming. He said, "Mom, hurricanes kill people." Good grief - who told him that? I told him about all the fun stuff we would get to do with this hurricane, like possibly sleep in the closet and eat fun food that we don't get to eat normally. That pacified him.

Piper's teacher had, evidentially, talked to them about the hurricane. Her teacher told them that there was "time to prepare and time to ask questions." That sounds good in theory. Heed my warning ... never tell a three year old girl that there is "time to ask questions" or if you do, please specify that it only applies to questions about the hurricane!!! Piper nearly drove us crazy with questions about everything in life. When we would ask her to please give us a little break Avery would respond "But it's hurricane day, she's allowed to ask questions."

We were told by all weather outlets that the rains would begin at noon on Friday and that the eye would make landfall in Galveston around midnight. Some of that was true. We spent Thursday evening and Friday morning preparing. We cleaned out a closet that leads under our staircase for our "safe closet" ... we dug out all the candles, matches, flashlights and batteries, we took baths and naps in case we were up all night, we moved patio furniture into the garage and tied the grill to a post on the back patio. We did, really, all we could think to do.

Both kids were totally put out that the hurricane took so long to get to us. They were ready by dinner on Thursday night. We were told, as I mentioned before, that we would begin receiving rain by noon on Friday. We got our first drop at about 1 AM. Granted, that helped with us not getting the flooding other places received, but I know two kids that thought this hurricane business was all hype!

One of the oddest things about the storm occurred at sunset. Our family room and kitchen windows face the back of our house. We had the shades open so that we could keep an eye on the weather from the two rooms that we are in the most. All of a sudden around 6:30, I looked outside to the brightest sky I have ever seen. No picture that we took has done justice to the pink that was in the sky. There was a line of the brightest fuchsia right at the horizon. Above it were rolling black clouds. It looked like something out of a movie. Words can't even describe how beautiful and scary it was all at the same time. I've never seen anything like it.

We finally put the kids down around 10 PM, they were so wired up and excited. We didn't have them sleep in the safe closet because there isn't an air vent in there. I'm sure it would have been stuffy even with the door open. Instead, they slept on the floor. Each wore a glow bracelet to (1) help us find them if the power went out and (2) help them be able to see something cool if the power went out.

Don and I had pillow and blanket and each grabbed a couch for the long haul. Here's my two-cents: If a hurricane is heading your way, don't rent the movie "The Perfect Storm" because it's nothing like that! There was no thunder, there was no lightning - just rain and the most stunning wind you've ever imagined. And, it wasn't like the wind just kicked up every now and then ... it roared continuously. Then, when you thought there was no possible way it could blow any harder - there was a gust 30 mph more than that. It was one of those things that you wanted to stand at the window and watch, but you were afraid of what might come blowing through it at any moment.

Around 2:45 AM, our cable went out. This was the biggest scare of the whole thing. It's one thing to know that a hurricane is right over your house, it's another to suddenly not be able to see what's next on a map. We knew that tornadoes were a possibility so that was an issue and with it being the middle of the night and pitch black - we were totally dependent upon seeing that weather map to know what was going on. We also lost all means to tell what was coming next - were we in a break, was the next band of wind 5 miles out from us, was it over??? The radio stations were only talking about Galveston. Hello! We know about Galveston ... total devastation, now on to the people sitting in their homes. Us, the non-evacuation zone people. The people you said didn't have to flee!!!

All in all, once morning broke and the sun began the rise, the worst of the storm was over. We have damage in our neighborhood, but nothing like the other areas of our little town. We are very lucky and very blessed that we were safe and sound through the night.

We have decided that Category 2 is our limit on hurricanes. (Actually, Ike lacked 1 mph being a Category 3. Ike had winds of 111 mph, and at 112 mph it would have up'd the class.) So, should a Category 3 or higher be headed our way - we are headed to Disney World. We almost went this time, but hated to leave the house not knowing how it would hold up.

We took a lot of video footage beginning Friday, so I'll post that soon! Thanks for the thoughts and prayers and messages! It meant a lot to us.

Ike

2008-09-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

We are sheltering-in-place, although we are starting to second guess that choice. We definitely have enough food and water to last at least a week, but the lack of electricity seems to be a real threat. Should that happen, we will attempt to leave and go elsewhere.

We have an interior closet that we will be cleaning out completely tonight and using that as central base for the kids to sleep tomorrow night. The biggest thing for us is that the eye is due to come directly over our suburb which means that we could also have tornadoes.

I'm hoping that with it projected to come on land during the middle of the night, the kids (inside the closet) will be able to sleep through it. Hopefully, by daybreak, the worst will be gone and we can begin to access the damage.

The church and Pro-Mark have both shut down. Pro-Mark has planned to reopen on Monday; the church will be closed indefinitely. Our office building is glass covered on the front and back, so it will be very vulnerable to damage from the wind.

Since I have one of the glass offices, I had to take down all of my pictures of the kids and house them in the studio. It was weird to pack up my stuff - I felt like I was quitting or being fired!

I'll do another update tomorrow. We very well could decide to leave - we're at a real wishy-washy point.

The Other Woman

2008-09-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

There's a new woman in Avery's life. According to him, she's the smartest person in the world. And, she's kind, considerate, and did I mention smart - she knows everything. To top it off, her name is "Katie" ... how cute is that?

Here's her picture ...

That's right ... it's his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Katie Gates. And, Avery's right - she is everything that he says and more.

I prayed all summer for this woman; a woman that I didn't even know at that point. I prayed for a teacher that would make learning fun, that would realize his potential, that would be compassionate to his sensitive nature, and most of all, for a Christian woman who would show respect and love to every child in her class.

I'll chalk this up as an answered prayer. Mrs. Gates is amazing. I can't imagine a better teacher if I had handpicked her myself.

My Little Clothes Horse

2008-09-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

Everyone .... hear my words .... no more summer clothes for Miss Piper. I know that the little girl stuff is the cutest. I understand. Walk on by.

All of these items fit my child. This is after I cleaned her closet out.

57 pairs of shorts/skirts/capris. Our own little Lauren Conrad/Paris Hilton/Eva Longoria. She never repeats an outfit. Not a good habit to have when you are three.

My Future Olympic Gymnast

2008-08-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Avery has, for the past two years, taken gymnastics. He loves it and we love the exercise that he gets from it. Last year, his coach made a point to let us know that he felt like he was "gifted" in the sport. I really don't see any reason that the coach would have told us that if he didn't believe it - it wasn't an awkward moment of silence that he needed to fill and I had paid our tuition six months in advance, so we were a sure thing until the end of the semester.

Don and I decided to let him stay with the current program that he's in and then, when he started kindergarten, we would see if he wanted to continue and if he did, then we'd go to a "real" gym.

The kids were invited to a gymnastics party at a "real" gym earlier in the summer. I was blown away at what I saw. I picked up a registration packet and we were all but signed up. When I called the gym, they suggested that Avery take a class free-of-charge, then at the end I can enroll him.

At kindergarten age, the kids are split into boys and girls. Each gender begins work on the apparatus that are relational to their gender. I was super-stoked that he would be learning rings, parallel bars, vault, and everything else.

We've been so excited about the Olympics and curious to what Avery would think when he saw what gymnastics is really all about. So far, he's loved it. Don said that he's already trying to imitate all that he sees.

I knew that Bela Karolyi lived in Houston, so I began to research him. I was a HUGE HUGE HUGE fan of the 1996 Women's Olympic team. Come to find out ... Bela and his wife, Marta, still run a camp in north Houston every year. For a five day session, it's a little over $400. A bargain in my opinion to train with the couple that has trained all the best Olympians that US gymnastics has known.

Now, I'm noticing that two of my favorite male gymnasts, Raj Bhavsar and Jonathan Horton are both from Houston. Come to find out, both trained at a gym that is only about 20 minutes from our house. Guess who I'll be calling tomorrow morning to check for openings this fall?

I figure that regardless of whether he makes it to the Olympics or he's just flipping around in the back yard, we owe it to Avery to get him the best training possible. Because you never know what his future holds ...

Mary Lou Retton goes to the same church as us ... if I could just run into her in the ladies room to get her opinion :)

Tropical Storm Let Down

2008-08-05T13:52:00.001-07:00

Well, Edouard fizzled out. He was headed straight to Galveston and expected to be a Category 1 by the time it made landfall. Somewhere along the road, it made a turn north and landed a little early.

This morning before I left for work, the weathercasters were predicting 5.8" of rain at our house. I went into work to get done a few things that were necessary for others to do their projects, and then left right before it was supposed to hit. I did hit a few deep places on the way home, so it was a great move to come on home.

However, it's now late afternoon and the whole thing has fizzled out. I'd say we got 2" (I realize that 2" is a good amount of rain), but it's nowhere near 6".

I think I'll "try out" for weathercaster. I think I'd be great, and obviously, could do just as good of a job as the yahoo's we have around here!

Tidbits of useless info :)

2008-08-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

(1) Here are pictures of the hairbows that I got for Piper at Sam Moon. I'm so excited for Piper to be "Bows Gone Wild" ... These are a big enough size that they should last for a while.

(2) The smoothie recipe that I posted the other day. If you want to make it even better, add a banana. I had one banana that was on it's last day and tossed it into the blender last night. It made the best smoothie in the world EVEN better. I didn't think it was possible.

(3) There's a tropical storm headed my way. I'm a little excited, because I've been afraid that I'm going to screw up watering our yard. God must have realized that and decided to take some pressure off of me. My sweet friend, Diann, knowing that I'm a Hurricane Novice bought me a battery-powered radio and some batteries this morning. She's filled me in on all the do's and don'ts of living in a tropical zone. I'm just ready for a break in the heat. And, calling off work would be great too!!!!

Sam Moon and IKEA

2008-08-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

It was a day of shopping. I had to go to a store that I've heard about for over a year. Twice there have been trips planned to go here, only to have them not pan out at the last minute. I decided to brave it by myself today. Sam Moon was amazing. No, Sam isn't a male friend that has a dying affection for purses and accessories. Sam Moon is the name of the store, or excuse me, shopping center. It wasn't just a store - it was a strip mall with all different stores all beginning with Sam Moon. Sam Moon: Luggage; Sam Moon: Accessories; and Sam Moon: Home Store.

I loved the luggage store. So many cute sets. I could have left with 20 different sets of luggage - I loved them all. They also had great picture frames (which have nothing to do with luggage). And, don't forget the backpacks. I wish I had needed one!!!

Let's move now to the accessory store. I have never seen anything like it - the greatest conglomeration of crap in the world. I bet there were 900 different kids of earrings, 2005 different necklaces, 412,000 purses. It was out of control. I was happy that they had hairbows. Not for me, silly ... for Piper. (I laughed when I pictured myself with a hairbow. I should do it one day just for effect.) Anyone with little girls knows that finding a store that sells hairbows is a covert mission. Well, Miss Piper is well set. I bought 24.

Because I'm a glutton for punishment. I left Sam Moon and went to IKEA. Call me crazy, but I did it. There were a few things that I needed to finish Piper's room and various other projects. Thanks to my good judgement, I talked myself out of most everything I thought I needed as I walked the aisles. However, I have never seen a greater number of people in one place in my life. I would love to know what that place makes in one day - I couldn't even begin to guess.

Let me just add that if you've never eaten at the IKEA cafeteria, you are really missing something. Let me recommend the Swedish Meatballs (with gravy), although today I was good and had the vegetarian lasagna.

It felt like it was 900-degrees outside today. It made me glad that I'm a Christian. It's days like today that I think "If Hell is anywhere as hot as this, I want absolutely no part of it." I seriously thought I might melt. It was awful.

I hear the faint cry of the pool calling my name for tomorrow.

A Berry Good Smoothie

2008-08-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

I ran across a fantastic (and easy and cheap) recipe for a smoothie. It is so incredibly good for you, too! I need to jump back on the "healthy" bandwagon, so I tried it and now can't get enough.

1 cup of fat-free vanilla yogurt (use the store brand)
1 cup of fresh strawberries, cut into thirds
3 cups of ice
1 Crystal Light Singles packet (you know, the ones you put in bottled water - also, feel free to use the store brand. Oh, I used Wild Strawberry flavor)

Holy Cow - it's so good!!! It made enough for two tall glasses. I drank one for my dinner. The other serving I put into a Ziploc freezer bowl and popped into the freezer. This morning, I'm having it for breakfast. As it thaws it's like an Icee. Or, if you are a Disney World fan, think Strawberry Dole Whip. Super yummy!

So, try this recipe this weekend - it's Summer Perfect.

Vertically Challenged and other random happenings

2008-07-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying what an incredible weekend that I had. I was by myself for three straight days - no husband, no kids. I honestly can not remember the last time that happened. I'm fairly certain it was prior to June 9, 2003. As much as I love my family, I needed this time by myself. I went shopping on Saturday for Miss Piper's bedroom accessories. It was so nice being able to go from store to store at my own pace. I spent 90 minutes in Hancock Fabrics looking at every fabric in the store. Able to examine the width, the print, the detailing ... I loved it. But, not half as much as being able to spend nearly 4 hours in Hobby Lobby. I went down every aisle. Even the ones for crafts that I know nothing about ... just because I could. I ended up with some great things for Piper's room, and minus a large vertical picture for one of her walls, I think we're done!

Speaking of Piper, she says the funniest things. One of the things that she looks most forward too is being a Mommy. She is always saying "When I'm a Mommy, I'm gonna ...." This is usually followed by "drink Diet Coke", "sleep in a big bed", "name my baby Barbie Redford", "drive a car with no top" (aka a convertable) ... or something of similar nature. Anyone that has children knows that using the bathroom by yourself after you have kids is impossible. Regardless of whether you close the door when you go in, some little child is sure to wonder in while you are there. One day, Piper said "When I'm the mommy, my feet will touch the ground when I use the potty." I remember laughing at this, thinking it was funny that she would notice that.

I hate to disappoint her, but while using the bathroom today at work, I noticed that my feet don't touch the ground in our stalls. (Sorry for the TMI.) At the moment that I realized that, her comment immediately popped into my head. Being as petite as she is, I'd say that the chances of her being any taller than me are pretty slim. All of the other mommy things, I'll encourage her to do and with her will-power, there's no doubt that she'll be able to do them all ... except have her feet touch the ground in EVERY potty!

Great Link on Houston Pastors

2008-07-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

Fabulous link on some of Houston's best Pastors ...

http://www.chron.com/channel/houstonbelief/photogallery/Houstons_Celebrity_Preachers_.html

The Water Heater

2008-07-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

Our water heater is in our garage. I remember very specifically the day they installed it during the building process. It has a sticker on the front - you know the one, with the red X indicating not to touch because it might be hot. I remember Avery asking what that sticker said. I'm foggy on what my answer was. Whatever it was I'm sure that it went something along the lines of "don't touch, because it might be hot ... even Mommy's and Daddy's can't touch it."

Now, every time that we pass the water heater, every time that anyone passes the water heater ... be it us, friend, repairman ... Avery and/or Piper (I've heard it in stereo many times) say "Only God and Jesus can touch that!!!" They are very committed to that.

It's a funny balance trying to teach the kids about God and Jesus, and just religion in general. During Christmas, it's hard to distinguish between God and Santa - both can see you all the time, both love you very much, both want you to share and be good all the time ... Jesus, since he was a man, is easier to teach. But, when I hear them say "Only God and Jesus can touch that!!!" I know that at least they understand that God and Jesus have powers far beyond what us, as humans, do.

I pray every morning that they will understand the power that God holds over their life, and that they will always trust him to guide their path. That same thought speaks to my favorite scripture:

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

... and that future holds, at least for now, not ever touching the water heater :)

No More Click Babies

2008-07-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

All my babies are grown. It's a sad realization. Gone are all the cribs ... gone are all the toddler beds. The kids now both have twin beds - beds that they could sleep in for the rest of their lives if need be. It really is amazing how time flies.

Piper's baby box was under her toddler bed when we moved it out of her room last week. Last night, I opened it to look inside at all the treasures that I had kept. There was a newborn sized diaper. I kept one from both kids as a reminder of how fast they grow. It was unbelievable to me to think that she really was once that small, and now I've blinked my eyes and both kids are - for the most part - completely self-sufficient little people. They have their own opinions and their own wants and needs.

As cliche as it is, I know that I will blink again and they will be in college. What a scary and sad thought. I'm clinching tight to these precious preschool years. The innocence is so teaching. I hang on their every sweet thought.

... and look forward to every coming moment to see them grow even more.

Why Not To Buy An iPhone ... just yet

2008-07-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Ms. McKezel,

I just spoke to Dana XXX on your customer service line. She indicated that I needed to fax items to you to initiate an adjustment on my bill. Please, however, let me give you the background to this so that I can inform you of how incredibly aggravated I am with this situation.

I received a call yesterday from the manager at the Apple Store at First Colony Mall. We are on a first name basis because I was in their store for over four hours on July 11–the day the iPhone 3G debuted. (This does not include the three hours that I waited in line outside!) I received a letter from AT&T (attached) saying that if my account was paid in full (receipt also attached) that I would be eligible for the iPhone on July 11 at a price of $199.

Once I was able to get inside the Apple store, I realized that they were not equipped to do price changes, therefore they promptly called AT&T to have them do a price reduction on their end. They said that they did, and let us off the line. We did this process a total of four more times - to no avail AND never having it succeed when my purchase was rung up on the register. Finally, we tried for a sixth time, and to the misery of us all ... the customer service rep activated the bar code on the phone that I was trying to buy. This meant that I was now in a two year contract with AT&T, but had no phone. Since the phone was activated by AT&T andyour computers on loan to Apple, it wouldn’t accept the bar code to be scanned for payment, because the phone was already activated and made it look as if it had been paid for when in fact it hadn’t! Forty-five minutes later, we were able to get a customer service manager that was able to back out that phone and let us start all over again. However, with starting all over again, it meant that we were back to square one with the activation date issue again. Finally, we asked to speak to the highest-ranking person at the call center and got Ms. Shawanna XXX. Ms. XXX was able to get the activation issue resolved, but could not override the AT&T issue with the price from her end. We were approaching the four-and-a-half hour mark on this issue, and resolved that I would pay full price for the phone and in turn, AT&T would give me a $200 credit on my monthly bill. I agreed to these terms as presented by an AT&T manager (Ms. XXX).

As of today, I am still showing a balance on my account. There is no sign of a $200 credit being applied. I am asking that this is taken care of immediately. I have already received my August bill, and will not be making a payment as it is less than $200.

The call I received yesterday from the manager at the Apple Store was to tell me that my name had appeared on an error report for their store and that if I did not contact AT&T within 24 hours my service would be terminated. After living through the ordeal that I described above, I’m sure that you can only imagine how angry I would be if my service was interrupted.

After this nightmare, I can tell you firsthand that, as much as I love my iPhone, I am telling people NOT to purchase one. I am highly impressed with Apple, but I am completely dissatisfied with AT&T and how this company has handled themselves. Given the circumstances, if I had it to do over again, I would have waited until August 25, switched my entire family to Verizon and bought a Blackberry.

At this point, I am asking two things:

(1) I want the $200 credit issue resolved immediately. This is a major point of contingency that I was told by the AT&T rep was handled before I left the store. 

(2) I want a personal phone call - 713.XXX.57XX - from someone in a management position that can let me know that this has been taken care of.

I have been a customer of AT&T (through all the name changes) since 1993. I look forward to having a restored relationship with this company.

Thank you for your diligence,
Stephanie Click

-------

Miraculously, about 45 minutes after I faxed this, I got a call and the issue is now resolved. For today anyway ...

.

Question of the Day

2008-07-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time in San Antonio at the DCI show. It's always great to catch up with friends and former students - this show is one of the highlights of my year for that exact reason. A lot of times, for me, it's totally refreshing to be with familiar friends.

It's definitely summer in Texas. I think it was 98-degrees yesterday. Saying it was hot would be an understatement! However, I noticed that everyone kept asking me, "How do you stand the heat down here? It's so (add adjective here) hot!!!"

Here's my answer friends ... I don't make a practice of standing out in parking lots or on asphalt much. I retired from teaching marching band when we moved to Houston for this reason! I go from my air conditioned house, to my air conditioned car, to my air conditioned office that is so cold on a daily basis that I run a space heater 365 days a year!!! On a non-work day, I go from my air conditioned car to the pool. Standing outside for prolonged periods of time isn't on my daily to-do list, therefore it's really not much of a thought.

Here's a comparison from about 10 minutes ago between Nashville and Houston:

Temperature - Houston: 95 degrees; Nashville: 93 degrees
Humidity - Houston: 34%; Nashville: 40%
Dew Point - Houston: 63 degrees; Nashville: 65 degrees
"Feels Like" - Houston: 97 degrees; Nashville: 95 degrees
UV Index - Houston: 3; Nashville: 1

As you see, it's not a lot different from home! People at work are always saying "How are you dealing with the humidity?" I try to explain that Nashville has high humidity too (today it's higher THERE!) ... people look at me with disbelief when I try to explain that we have a true summer in Tennessee. The difference in weather comes not in summer, it's in winter! While we're enjoying weather in the high 60s in February, people in Nashville are bundled up to the hilt!

So, to answer the question once more ... "How do I handle the heat?" My answer is ... "the same way I have for the last 34 years!"

Piper's Room ReDesign

2008-07-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

Don and I love looking at model houses. It's been one of our favorite past times since we moved to Texas. If you know anything about where we live, you'll know that it's a hot-bed for builders. It was recently cited as the fastest growing suburb in Houston. It's expected to grow by 80,000 people in the next 5 years! Unbelievable. But, with that said, most of the houses are less than 10 years old, so they are building like wildfire out our way. No sign of a recession there.

For the past two weeks, we have totally re-done Avery's room. Gone are any signs that a toddler lived in that room. It is maxed-out-little boy. Complete with a loft bed, school desk, and cool decor - he's sure to be so excited when he gets home. I'll post pictures soon I promise. (PS - please don't share any stories about how your kid fell out of their loft/bunk bed. I'm mortified of him sleeping up there.)

We thought we were home free on Miss Piper's room. Hang some pictures, paint Avery's old bed white for her, and she was good to go! Well, that was the plan until yesterday. I was re-inspired for her room. I've always wanted to do something different, but didn't really want to invest the money because I wasn't completely sold on any one idea. I always knew that I wanted to eventually do a Hollywood Regency style for her - it screams her name. Well, yesterday we saw two rooms that totally blew me away.

Here are the inspiration rooms:

I like elements of both rooms. I like the simplicity of the pink and brown room. It's so clean and so fun with the "wall words", but I love the glam of the black and green room. I think we're going to do a combination of the two. Let's call it "Traditional Hollywood Regency." I'll get back to you with pictures as I progress ... but if I have my way, and can find some great bargains, our little Diva will be set when she comes home from vacation!

iPhone 3G

2008-07-11T20:21:00.001-07:00

You've heard the hype ... You've heard the buzz ... You've heard the lines forming outside malls all over the world ... Well, you've never heard a story like mine.

7 hours and 10 minutes after I arrived at the Apple store - I left with a phone. Oh no, I didn't wait in line all that time. That part only lasted the better part of three hours. The other four hours were spent fighting with AT&T.

I was in line with lovely people. Directly in front of me was a family (mom, son and daughter). It was the son's 16th birthday - he wanted an iPhone. They arrived the same time as me - 7:05 AM. After waiting in line over three hours, they were told that since the mom was not the primary account holder on their AT&T Family Talk plan (her husband was) - they couldn't get a phone today. I can't believe she didn't cuss out loud. In front of that family was a woman who worked as a police dispatcher, in front of her was an Asian guy that worked at the AMC movie theater and gave us the scoop on all the latest movies. I feel very abreast now of the summer blockbusters that I need to see.

Oh ... the AT&T part. Long story short - AT&T was not adequately prepared for the day. They didn't have adequate customer service dedicated to the Apple customer needs. They were not able to do the necessary reversals and contractual things that needed to be done on a scale as large as this launch was.

For me personally, they sold me a phone at the wrong price. Once they realized it, they had already run my credit card through. Apple reversed the charge on their end and gave me my money back, but couldn't get AT&T to reverse the contract. Therefore, I have a two year contract with them and no phone. (Let me insert the part about how they deactivate your old SIM card 20 seconds after they activate your iPhone.) Apple tried to sell me another phone, but an AT&T agent that was on the line working with us to sort things out activated the phone in the Apple store before I had paid for it - which left Apple with a phone that they couldn't use and me still without a phone because it was continuing to ring up $200 more than it should have been. Finally ... three hours and thirty minutes later ... from the time that I entered the store after waiting in line, with the Apple store manager and the AT&T highest-manager-on-duty in the US on the phone, they came to an agreement of reimbursement for me. I was mentally exhausted. If AT&T could have figured out how to delete my contract, I would have left immediately. No phone was worth what I went through today.

However, the Apple staff was amazing. Definite kudos to them. They held their guns with AT&T and didn't let them give me the short end of the stick ... and for that I am very thankful. My pocketbook is thankful as well.

Oh, and thanks also to the Apple store folks for bringing us water and drinks when we were in line. I regret now not taking pictures of all the folks in line. Hard to believe that I was one of the first 50 people in line. By the time they started letting people in to activate phones, the line was all the way down the mall sidewalk and around the corner of the mall. It was unreal. That was my only motivation to stay in line.

You might think my story ends there. Oh no. Not for me. Miss Bad luck comes at me with both barrells every chance it gets. I talked the Apple lady into letting me take my phone out of the store un-synced. A big no-no for them, but they were tired of me and I was tired of them. I promised to sync it when I got to work and she finally gave in.

I got to work and looked at my new friend Tim's phone syncing - did the exact same thing as him - NOTHING. Unplugged and changed USB ports. Nothing. Did other stuff that I was unsure of whether I should do. Nothing. Can you believe my cord was bad? As soon as I tried it with my old iPod cord, it lit right up.

Just add this to my "terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day" list.

With all that said, I love the phone now that I have one and it works. I've played with it all night. It does everything ... I love it almost as much as CVS, and that's saying a lot.

Tomorrow, I'm going to replace the cord. I'm sure my Apple friends will cringe when they see me come back. Bless their hearts ...

What's For Dinner?

2008-07-10T05:31:00.001-07:00

I love to cook ... correction, I love to bake. Unfortunately, you can't have cupcakes, brownies, the latest and greatest Tollhouse treat for dinner, so it does resort to some cooking. I'm very lucky that Don is a fabulous cook and really goes the extra mile in doing more than his fair share of dinners.

Tonight, I thought I would post one of my favorite recipes. It's so stinkin' easy to make and, remarkably, is very healthy!

I found this recipe on the SparkPeople.com website after the first of the year. We've made it at least a dozen times since then. It's definitely a 30 minute meal :)

FAJITA CHILI
1 pound hamburger meat
2 cans of red kidney beans
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 green bell peppers
2 red bell peppers
1 medium onion
Chili powder to taste
Cumin to taste

Brown the hamburger meat, onions, and peppers together. Toss in a pot with the spices, beans and tomatoes. Heat to a low boil and it's done. Last night, we tried topping it with a dollup of sour cream and some cheese. Don liked it better that way. I prefer it as is. (We also had jalapeno cheese bread ... yum!)

This weekend, I'm planning on making Bunco Buns and probably brownies or maybe a strawberry cake ... If they knock our socks off, I'll post a picture and the recipe!

School Supply Mania Begins

2008-07-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

Geez o'pete! The school supply list was published today. It's a far cry from when I went to school - show up with a pencil and a spiral bound notebook (of your choosing) and you are set!

Here is the list for Kindergarten:

1 large box facial tissue
18 Pencils (#2)
1 pair blunt scissors
2 boxes of crayons (8 count)
1 box of crayons (24 count)
1 box of Snack Sized Ziploc Bags
1 box of Sandwich Sized Ziploc Bags
1 box of Quart Sized Ziploc Bags
1 box of Gallon Sized Ziploc Bags
1 package of Lined Index Cards – 3x5 – pkg of 100
1 package of Lined Index Cards – 4x6 – pkg of 100
1 Soft Pink Eraser
5 Letter Sized manila folders
3 Pocket folder (regular size) with brads
4 Glue Sticks
3 Medium sized White Liquid Glue
1 Yellow Highlighter
1 Spiral Notebook (no college rule)
1 package of Construction Paper – assorted colors (12”x18”)
2 packages of Construction Paper – white (12”x18”)
2 packages of Manila Paper – 12”x18”
1 box of colored pencils
1 package of white paper plates (Qty 15)
1 plastic school box
1 box of tissues (large)
2 sets of Washable Watercolor markers
2 sets of Washable Watercolor paints

It was against my better judgment, but I purchased a "School Supply Kit" to the tune of $55 from the PTO during kindergarten registration. Basically, this means that on the first day of school, all of the supplies listed above will be on Avery's desk ready for him to start the educational journey of a lifetime.

I can easily see how the above items would add up to over $55. I'm sure that I got a great deal. But, I really did look forward to going to Wal-Mart, fighting the crowd, looking for that perfect pencil box, snatching the last package of Wall-E pencils from the peg ... I was looking forward to it. I think it would have helped emotionally prepare me for my firstborn child leaving the nest.

The teachers are wise to mom's like me. At kindergarten orientation, they drilled into our heads to only buy generic supplies (speaking to those that didn't buy the kits). They end up taking all the pencils, crayons, markers, etc., and putting them into big canisters for the kids to use. They don't actually use "their" supplies. Gone are the days of labeling everything with your name. Now it's all "Community Property".

I'm sure we'll need some supplies for home. We've set up a desk, chair and lamp in Avery's room so that he can do his homework away from the television and noise. He'll appreciate some fancy pencils and markers, I'm sure.

We'll see how I do ... if I miss the shopping, if I feel like the PTO has stripped me of my parental right to be toppled by countless carts at Wal-Mart, if I end up taking an extra four boxes of anti-bacterial Kleenex's just so the flu doesn't go around quite so quickly.

The good news is that Piper will start Kindergarten the next year. She'll go to a private school for kindergarten, so I doubt that they will sell kits. Maybe I can buy all the foo-foo stuff for her.

I wonder how many Hello Kitty and Disney Princess pencils can fit in one of those plastic pencil boxes? ... I'll let you know.

Where Is What I'm Trying To Find????

2008-07-07T15:55:00.001-07:00

My purse is a disaster area. I do really well for about 2 weeks. (Same seems to run true with my car.) It is filled with receipts, coupons, children's socks, lipgloss, mints, change, and random junk. It feels so good to clean out my purse. Something about purging the stuff that I don't need anymore and starting fresh with just the things that I need makes me feel better. [Yes, that is a fake Coach wallet. I could never spend that much money on a wallet. I'm far to "cheap" (my husband's words). I'd rather refer to myself as "frugal". I would only buy a Coach wallet if it was (1) on sale above 50% off and (2) I had a coupon. Guilt would overtake me to do anything less than that.]

I guess life is that way too. Every now and then, it feels good to stop and purge the things that are not healthy. I've done that a lot over the past couple of years. It feels great!!!

So, my agenda tonight consists of ... cleaning out my purse. It's time. The car is next. I'm truly embarrassed. It's way out of control.

Oh ... and Little People Big World. Don and I love that show. It's on our "must see" list every week. We don't know when the new season starts, so we just watch the re-runs. And, Jon and Kate Plus 8. Can't miss that either. (Which should be entitled, "How Not To Treat Your Husband". I want Kate to be sweet to Jon. It makes me sad sometimes. I see divorce in their future.)

Our First TX House

2008-06-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

(Our first Sunday in the house ... going to church!)

I'm sad today. I found out that our first TX house is now in foreclosure.

I know that a house is merely material, and to be quite frank - we only leased that house. But, the fact is,that it was in that house that our whole lives changed. So many things happened:

Our marriage improved. When you move to a state where you have no friends and family, you begin to rely on each other.
Our finances got straightened out. We came to Texas completely drained. We had no savings, no retirement, no nothing - literally. We had completely drained everything we had to survive after having two babies back-to-back.
We experienced spiritual renewal. It's amazing that when God strips everything material away from you, you begin to realize that it's either get back on track with Him or continue to live in ruin. We chose to get right with Him. Amazingly, after that, we experienced an overwhelming abundance of blessings in all areas of our life.
We potty trained two kids in that house. This will only seem like a "life memory" to those of you that have every potty trained a child. I think why this is such a house memory to me is that all of our bathrooms had two potty chairs in them - one for each child! And, as luck would have it, we were able to get them both out of diapers at the same time! HALLELUJAH!!!
I loved everything about that house. It has double ovens ... a huge gameroom ... a large front porch. Things that I have now in our "first mortgage house" (all but the double ovens!), but I think it just the memories.

Now to know that it sits empty ... Knowing that the yard is unwatered, grass is dead, the roses are dying ... it hurts my heart. That house deserves the laughter of children and the love of a family.

I hope someone buys it soon. It was such a great place to live.

Maria Sue Chapman

2008-05-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

Last night as we were laying in bed watching the news, a story ran that Stephen Curtis Chapman's five year old daughter, Maria, had been killed in an accident at their home. A pit just came into my stomach that hasn't left since I heard that news.

Stephen is originally from Paducah. So, having lived there for 8 years, you can't help but feel like you know him personally. But, my "relationship" with him officially began about 10 years before I ever thought about moving to Paducah. Stephen was a pace-setter in the Christian music industry when Contemporary music was just being formed in it's earliest state. He, Amy Grant, and Michael W. Smith were the first true pioneers in that genre, and I was a huge fan of all three! His music pulled me through some dark times in high school. I am such a fan of how he has represented his faith and himself. He's top of the list in my book!

More than my respect for him as a person, comes the fact that in just two weeks, I will also have a five year old child. I literally can not put into words how my life would break into pieces if I lost either of my children. I know that God's plan is perfect, and how much more joyous would it be for my children to live in heaven, instead of with me as a mom with all of my faults. But, my selfishness far outweighs what I could hold as "best for my child ... in God's perfect plan". I simply can not imagine the immense grief that their family is feeling on so many levels. They have lost a full-of-life little girl (watch the YouTube video tribute to her on Stephen's website!), and also have five other children to comfort and lead through this tragedy, too. One of those children - that is responsible for the accident - can you imagine the guilt that he must carry? How do you even begin to help him recover?

This is more than my heart and my mind can even begin to wrap itself around. I am praying for this family, and I hope that you will too. I am also praising God for blessing my family with healthy children and for the opportunity to hug and kiss and laugh and cuddle and celebrate with Avery and Piper for another day.

I am ...

2008-04-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

i am listening to: Slacker (online radio station - thanks Kaylan!)
i think: i might be smarter and more capable than I give myself credit for.
i know: that Don loves me.
i want: gas prices to go down.
i have: to much stuff to do at home.
i wish: I had more time at night to scrapbook.
i hate: putting away clothes.
i miss: my younger body.
i fear: having to live a long life without my husband or kids.
i feel: excited to see DCI on the big screen tonight.
i hear: Jason laughing at us because he gets to leave tomorrow.
i smell: absolutely nothing right now.
i crave: movie theater popcorn.
i search: ebay for random things. (hairbows, make-up, cell phones, etc)
i wonder: how long I will live?
i regret: not being able to go home more to see family and friends.
i love: my children.
i ache: for parents that cant provide for their children.
i care: about who wins this presidential election (go Hillary).
i always: make fun of myself.
i am not: passive.
i believe: there is hope for all of us.
i dance: to make my kids laugh.
i sing: in the car.
i don’t always: get up when my alarm goes off.
i fight: for my friends.
i write: blogs. checks. lots of to do lists.
i win: contests I make up in my head.
i lose: nothing.
i never: eat sushi.
i confuse: my kids names.
i listen: to podcasts of talk shows.
i can usually be found: making a mess.
i am scared: of dying before I see my children marry and have children of their own.
i need: to be home with my family most nights of the week to feel happy.
i am happy about: our vacation to Disney (Take Two)
You?

HBD Don and A List of Character

2008-04-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Don!
First of all, I'll have to say that I can't believe you are 40. If you're 40, then I have to be ... well, let's not even talk about that! ... Happy Birthday to the best husband in the world - my best friend, my soulmate, the person that takes care of me - keeps me safe, makes me laugh, and shares every up and down in my life. You are the best and I love you unconditionally ... Happy Birthday!

I read this list today and thought it spoke to the person that I strive to be everyday. And, moreover, it spoke to the kind of people that I want to surround myself with.

I want to be a person ...

Who cannot be bought;
Whose word is their bond;
Who puts character above wealth;
Who possesses opinions and a will;
Who is larger than my vocation;
Who does not hesitate to take chances;
Who will not lose my individuality in a crowd;
Who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
Who will not make compromise with wrong;
Whose ambition is not confined to my own selfish desires;
Who will not say I do it “because everybody else does it;”
Who is true to my friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as prosperity;
Who does not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
Who is not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
Who can say “no” with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says “yes.”

Till next time!

Lucky Me

2008-02-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

For some reason tonight, I've had on my mind how incredibly lucky I am to have my sweet little family.

Don is such an incredible husband. I can't even begin to name all of the wonderful things he does for us. His sacrifice is far beyond the call of husbandly duty - and all so that we can have and do fun, fun things and live the life that we always wanted. He is honest when I need it and comforting when I need it. He is my very best friend, my true love, and an example for me every day.

Avery ... sweet little Avery. He is such a compassionate child. He is kind and gentle, sweet and calm ... He is a light in my life. His personality is so much like mine as a child, I can identify with his tendencies and love him for his goodness. He is a little boy who loves to play with trucks and who has developed a love for the show "Dirty Jobs." He wants to be a train engineer, an ice truck driver, a monorail driver, and a drummer. I can't wait to see what he will become, but whatever it is, he will do it well. That's just Avery.

Piper is, well, I just laugh when I think about Piper. She is demanding and bossy, is obsessive about brushing her teeth and washing her hands, loves to dress up and talk about her boyfriend (Evan) - she is the perfect little girl and I love every inch of her. She is everything that I ever wanted to be but was too shy or too intimidated. She is my little best friend, as she rarely lives my side. She will be a blessing to many people and I can't wait to see all that she does.

I am so incredibly thankful and grateful for such a great family. I guess Valentine's Day has me considering these things. Looking at Don, Avery and Piper makes me appreciate all that God has done for me and how he has brought me through the fire and out safely on the other side!

My Valentines wish for every friend is that you will find the same love for the people in your life. If you don't have them in your life now - search until you find them. It is SO worth it ...

Happy Valentines Week :)

New Year's Resolution(s)

2008-01-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

(1) Lose weight ... Laugh if you will. I vow to shed the 20 pounds that have found me since the birth of my first child. I'm down 3 already. Don is down 10. We've adapted a healthy eating lifestyle, not a diet ... because we all know that a "diet" is a death sentence, right? I can do it, and I am giving myself until mid-April to do so!!!

(2) Take care of me. I simply don't. Rarely do I do anything for myself. That needs to change. I'll be a better person. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitter ... I just do things for others and then at the end of the day when I'm too exhausted to do anything else - I remember me.

(3) Be a better (more consistent) blogger. Writing cures the soul. I write as "a job" so I rarely write for enjoyment or for therapy! Kind-of like the painter whose house needs painting!

That's it. Not too overwhelming, no sense writing the ones I've already broken in the last 15 days!!!

Yeah to my husband for negotiating the Blue Devils move to Pro-Mark. Awesome job. Very very very cool :)

Lots of lots-ofs

2007-11-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

First things first - we leave for Disney in 13 days. I apologize with the continuous countdown, but you only have to endure it for the next two weeks. Then, that will be quickly replaced with the hundreds of photos. See ... it gets better!!! It is a definite toss-up to see who at my house is most excited. Don is beside himself with planning which is a complete change for me who usually has to dominate all things that do with scheduling. I am completely OCD + when it comes to controlling agendas. However, I have had no time to do this and he has taken control beautifully :) Avery and Piper (thanks to YouTube) know every detail about every ride, every attraction, every parade. They have watched hours upon hours of videos with their dad preparing. I have watched none fearing that it will ruin the first-time experience for me. (I've been there before, but Avery was 6 weeks old and I have no memory of it at all. I can remember riding "It's a Small World" and that really is the only memory I have. Blame it on postpartum!)

Thanksgiving is Thursday - we are staying at our place. I'm cooking all the works and we plan to just eat and be merry all day. We're going to start with homemade pumpkin bread for breakfast while we watch the Macy's parade - then just lounge all day. Well, everyone else will lounge while I cook. Don has been out of town a lot lately, so I'm looking forward to all of us being in one house!

Winter season is starting up soon. Don's working with two groups and I'm working with one. Fun times ahead :) I can't wait to get started ... taking a year off was a good move for me. And, teaching with Drew Farmer - how much more fun could that be?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS!!!

It's Tuesday ...

2007-10-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

We had a productive weekend at home after a grueling Thursday and Friday at work. I was certainly ready for the weekend, and NEEDED the weekend!

We have decided to repaint the kitchen and two walls of the den. The paint color wasn't working for us so we're trying a darker shade. I've been meaning to post pictures of the house, but we aren't quite there yet. I'm ready for every room to be finished decor-wise, although I know that it will always be a work in progress.

The season premiere of Desperate Housewives made my heart happy. I so LOVE that show. It was an amazing episode and I'm really looking forward to the new season :) I, still, as I have every season - can identify with every character:
- Bree: I love to have control over situations and I seldom let anyone see beyond my surface.
- Susan: I'm extremely quirky. I have bizarre things happen to me at the most random times.
- Lynette: I'm also the exhausted mother who takes on anything anyone throws my way.
- Gabrielle: I used to be a Gabrielle personality (pre-kids), so I identify with her via a previous life.
- Eddy - Well, I guess the only thing about her (I often forget about her) is that I love real estate!

I'm so disappointed in Britney. Kaylan, we have to push her higher on our prayer list!!! She needs us! :)

Only 65 days until Disney ----- YEAH!!!!!!!! Super excited ...

Thank Goodness It Was Hump Day!

2007-09-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

This week has been a blur. For many reasons, all of which are valid. It seems that at work, I don't even get a chance to catch my breath. I look up and it's 5:10PM!!! That's pretty much everyday! Then, at home, ... well, lets start with by the time I fight traffic and pick up the kids - we don't get home until 6:30. Then dinner must be made and kids entertained (thank goodness for the Disney channel and Toon Disney!). By the time the kids eat - usually 7:45 - 8:00PM, I'm too tired to eat. Put the kids to bed at 9:00 PM ... do whatever I have to do (only those things that are a necessity) and get in the sack around 11:00 PM.

I know that I'm not singing a new song. I'm fairly confident that most mom's feel like this, especially if they work outside of the home. And, I am OVERLY blessed with an extremely helpful husband .... but, it's marching band season so he's gone until November.

Literally.

Monday night - Don at random school #1 - home at 8:45pm

Tuesday night - Don at random school #2, then random school #3 - home at 10:00pm

Wednesday night - Don at random school #4 - home at 11:00pm

Thursday night - Don at random school #1 on "A" weeks, or random school #5 on "B" weeks - home at 8:45

Friday - Sunday - we get to have him at home while he prepares for these 5 school for the upcoming week :)

Don leaves for work at 5:45ish every morning. It is so far beyond me - who needs 10 hours of sleep a night - to know how he is making it! Truly by the grace of God is all I say.

I certainly appreciate his sacrifice. Sacrificing his sleep, sacrificing the time with his kids, or heck, just time to do little things like watch TV or lounge on the couch.

But, we get to go on our first family vacation in December. We usually vacation wherever some various marching band or drumline contest happens to be held and then we stay a day or two on the flip side! We've been to exotic destinations like Dayton, OH and New Albany, IN to name a few :)

I have a wonderful husband. I don't tell him enough ... he's very appreciated (and loved)!

Another Monday!

2007-09-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it through the weekend. Piper is feeling much better. She had a wonderful time at the doctor's office! She said that Dr. McDavitt looked into her ears and didn't see any butterflies ... so she assumes that she is cured. However, she has a bacterial sinus infection that could take 2 weeks to run it's course. So, she has some sort of medicine we've never seen before and it seems to be doing the trick. She's not as snotty and that horrible manly cough is nearly gone :)

Piper loves to swim. She asks us about it every day - "is the pool open?" "can we go the boat-slide swimming pool?" "it's not raining - can we go swimming?" Nemo should be her name! Piper fell asleep in the car the other night and Avery said, "All Piper talks about is going to the swimming pool!"

Well, yesterday was the day! We went to church, then had lunch with friends, naptime ... then pool time! I don't know where it came from, but all of a sudden Piper started pronouncing her swimsuit as her "swim soup". Something about the "t" didn't sound right to her so she changed it to a "p". We asked her all kinds of questions that would involve her saying "swimsoup" because it was so cute!

Avery was his regular good self all weekend. He is really enjoying the new church (Piper too for that matter)! He really loved the Children's worship time yesterday, so that makes me happy! The talked about sharing ... and this morning, he shared the big steps line leader privilege with his sister! That, my friends, is big time at our house. (We have two sets of steps - a big set and a little set. Avery is ALWAYS line leader for the big steps; Piper is ALWAYS line leader for the little steps!)

Here's to a quick week!

This AMs Prayer

2007-09-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

We always pray in the car on our way to school. This morning, after I said my prayer, Avery informed me that he only wanted to pray for one thing. No problem.

Avery - "Dear God, thank you for this day and thank you for my teachers."

Piper, because of Avery, also just prayed for one thing ...

Piper - "Dear God, thank you for this day and thank you for my friends."

How appropriate that they pray in their true personality styles. Avery - always the smartest tree in the field - prays for his teachers. Piper - the future Homecoming Queen - prays for her friends. I'm sure that God was NOT surprised.

Cruddy Thursday

2007-09-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

Piper has had the crud since Sunday. She's all snotty and has a cough that sounds like a grown man! Well, now I can feel it coming on too. I think it's just allergies, but I hate being sick.

I've been busy making curtains for the house. Don hung the first set last night, so that was fun. Avery had his Home Depot (plastic) tool kit and was working right along with him. I took lots of pictures that I'll post soon.

I'm ready for the weekend. We have no big plans which is why I think I'm ready! I'm looking forward to doing things at our own pace.

Funny Little Kiddos

2007-09-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Last night, they seemed to have a lot on their mind!

Car conversation:
Piper: "I think they are building another swimming pool right there."
Avery: "I just don't know what they are doing in this world."
(ditto to that, by the way, was my first thought ... )

At home ... Piper was looking through the files where we keep all of our bank statements, receipts, etc.
Me: "Piper, what are you looking for?"
Piper (very promptly): "I'm looking for 60-dollars."
Me: "Why do you need 60-dollars?"
Piper: "Because I'm gonna go to Mickey Mouse's house!"

I don't know what I thought was funny before these kids. Their little outlooks and out-takes can make me smile on the saddest day. I love to hear them talk to each other about "who knows what" in the car. It's hysterical ... they are so funny communicating with each other. Piper is definitely the dominant personality and Avery just tries to reason with her as best he can. Sometimes, he just shakes his head. Actually, sometimes we just shake our heads too ...

Monday

2007-09-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

Why am I always so tired on Monday? Could it be that we never stop to rest on the weekend? Could it be that God just automatically makes every mom of preschoolers overly tired on purpose? Is it for some reason that I'll find out years from now? Well, I have a good attitude today and at least, I have that.

We received word today at work that Pat's daughter Allyson has been found FREE from cancer. I seriously wanted to run into the street and shout "PRAISE GOD!" It was purely, purely, purely a first-class, God-only miracle for their family.

I've never met Allyson, by the way. But, she has a blog and from her first post which is a description of herself, I could tell that if I HAD ever met her - we would have been FAST friends. I ended up reading every post that she's uploaded, not because I'm nosey (which is my usual reason), but because I could completely relate to all that she was writing ... that is up until the cancer part. But, I could put myself in her place to imagine how I would deal with telling my children, not wanting to be succumbed by it all, etc.

Well, it's a HALLELUJAH day! Praise the Lord ... he is good :)

My Birthday

2007-09-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

Today's my 34th birthday ... I really don't know where the time has gone. It certainly does fly by, and it's seeming to get faster each year :)

Today, the first words I heard were a whisper of "Happy birthday, Mom" from little Avery. What a sweet little child, and sweet little words to wake up too!

I don't think I've ever been really materialistic. I'm a pretty low-maintenance type of girl, but I've always loved getting a birthday present. Who doesn't, I guess? But, I can honestly say, that since the birth of my kids. Anything from them is more present than money could ever buy. Avery's words this morning were worth gold to me! "I love you" words from them are diamonds. Their sweet smiles and the sound of their laughter is more precious than rubies.

I am rich ... the richest 34 year old you'll ever see.

Britney

2007-09-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

Seriously ... why do I get so worked up about these things? I'm so disappointed in her VMA performance. I'm so upset. At one point, I thought I might cry.

I still have hope for her. I still think she can do it - performer, wife, mother - the whole package. Maybe I feel sorry for her because she's so young. Perhaps she's the younger sister I never had.

Realize, too, that I know that this is weird. I'm not obsessed (well, maybe slightly). I just want her to live the life that I know she can.

Why do I always feel compelled to root for the underdog?

Busy Times

2007-07-11T11:12:00.001-07:00

Quite a bit has happened since I last posted. We bought a house (actually, we closed on a house that we built). It's been a whirlwind of activity.

The kids had a good time on their "Tour de Grandparents". I hope that this is something that they can make a yearly event. It's a good and welcome break for them and for us.

Dinner with Rick Rodriguez and Joe Fant tomorrow night. Good times.

PS - Piper has informed us that when she's a mommy, her baby's name will be Barbie Redford. (That is Barbie's real name for all of you non-collectors.) Don is horrified.

United 93

2007-06-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Avery and Piper are safe at Nonna and GDad's house. They'll be there for another 10 days before heading off to KY to stay with my parents. I'm so happy that they have the chance to visit this summer. I know that they are having a ball, but I really miss them.

Don and I watched the movie "United 93" last night. I know that it's been out for ages, but we're just getting around to Netflixing it. If you haven't seen this movie, I HIGHLY recommend it. I really feel like my take on Sept 11 is completely changed and influenced by what I saw in this movie.

I have always agreed with the war that we are engaged in now. I don't always agree with the President and his decisions regarding it, but I do feel that the stance that we've taken is the correct one. In a time where I'm usually the first to think that "we just need to bring everyone home", seeing this movie made me think that perhaps we do need to stay until we can take out Bin Laden and all of his partners. The fear that the people on United 93 (as well as the other flights that were hyjacked that day) must have felt is uncomprehendable to me. I can't imagine being in that same position, or knowing that my child died with the fear that these people felt in their final moments.

I thank our troops for what they are doing so that I don't have to live in fear every moment of every day.