365 of Thomas House

Day 17

2011-11-18T08:38:00.001-06:00

I know this isn't the real thing, but ever time I see it, it reminds me of high school marching band and how we had or own trailer. Go Valley Marchmasters!

Day 11

2011-11-11T09:13:00.001-06:00

Today is to be something old. These aren't really that old, but they were in my grandparents house for as long as I can remember. My grandfather made them. I'm lucky to have them in my house now.

Day 10

2011-11-10T16:21:00.001-06:00

Nature amazes me. I love how pansys grow in November and December down here in Texas.

Day 9

2011-11-09T22:15:00.001-06:00

I admire him because he makes friends so quickly and easily, a trait I wish I had.

Zoom in on Gratitude

2011-11-09T08:27:00.000-06:00

I found this photo challenge and thought it was very appropriate with the Thanksgiving Season upon us. I'm not so good at keeping up with challenges, but I'm going to try this. Let's see what happens!

Idea from http://www.positivelypresent.com/.

Day 8

2011-11-08T22:20:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for my favorite color because it makes me feel loved.

Day 7

2011-11-07T21:30:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for the things he does to make me laugh.

Day 6

2011-11-06T16:06:00.001-06:00

Thankful for books.

Grieving

2011-09-21T09:35:00.004-05:00

The last person shut the door behind them and she sat down in her favorite chair. It was so quiet now. After the funeral and visitation and the constant stream of people coming to call on her, it was finally peaceful. So peaceful it was almost intrusive.

Finally, the pressure, the sadness, the emotion of losing her husband boiled over and she let out a great scream followed by a cry that lasted over two hours.

When it was done, she felt better.

A few days later, she noticed the garbage was getting full. "Wow, haven't had to do this in a long time," she thought to herself. As she lifted the bag out of the trash can, she saw something at the bottom. She reached down and grabbed what looked like a folded piece of paper. She opened it and read in his familiar handwriting, "I took the garbage out because I love you." All thought of walking the bag out to the curb left her as she sank to the floor in tears.

A few days after that, she noticed the carpet was getting dirty. She went to the closet to grab the vacuum. As she wheeled it out, she saw another note. The tears started before she could even reach for it. Once opened, it read "I vacuum because I love you."

She found one on the bookshelves that said, "I dust because I love you."

She found on under the sink in the bathroom that said, "I scrub the toilet because I love you."

After a few months of finding notes all over the house as she realized he had planned for this for a long time. She realized she was loved just as much as if he was still here. And that is what brought her true peace.

I'd much rather be playing

2011-09-14T08:05:00.001-05:00

It is kinda raining today! We NEED the rain! But I would much rather be playing on the playground with my boys.

Writing Creatively

2011-09-12T16:23:00.003-05:00

So, if you can't tell, I've been doing some interesting things with my page here. I've recently discovered that my creative writing skills are lacking exercise, so I'm going to be doing push-ups on my brain in this space.

You're so excited, right?

At least, after months of neglect, my poor little blog gets some attention from me. It needed it.

By the way, is duct tape on diapers illegal? My two year old and I are going to have a serious talk if it isn't.

You've got mail

2011-09-09T20:53:00.002-05:00

Dial tone. Dialing. "Bing... Bong... Bing... You've got mail." Oh what glorious words those were!

The first few were from my mom. Then I found friends. Then I found advertisements, newsletters, and ultimately spam. Then a boyfriend.

But those three small words would just make my heart leap into my throat with anticipation. I would check it at all times of the day. I'd check it at 2:30 am when I returned home from waitressing. I would check it again at 3:00 just to make sure I didn't miss anything before I went to sleep. Then, when I woke up, I'd connect again to see if I missed anything during the last few hours while I was sleeping.

It was always such a letdown when "You've got mail" wasn't said at all because that meant no one loved me. Such a swing of emotions over this new technology.

Those Jeans

2011-09-09T11:59:00.000-05:00

She looked at the jeans with a look of frustration. "I know I'm never going to wear them again," she thought. "Why do I keep them when they take up space in my tiny closet?"

These were the jeans she bought in college. The ones that hugged her curves in just the right way that they not only looked awesome on, but were so comfortable. They were worn pretty much every day for a long time. So many memories. Studying. Parties. Football. The time she was thrown in the pond by a group of Delta Xis. Her first boyfriend. Her first heartache when he dumped her.

Then she met "him." The love of her life. He proposed while camping, while wearing those jeans. They got married and settled into their casual lifestyle with ease. Unfortunately, that ease seemed to take the "ease" out of the jeans.

And then came the day when the little stick turned pink and the jeans were done for.

Now, after three kids and endless diets, she was giving up and getting rid of the momento that tied together many happy changes to her life.

"I can only wish that the person that finds these has as many happy memories as I have," she thought as she tossed them in the pile for Goodwill.

Home Sweet Home

2011-08-08T13:12:00.001-05:00

Made it home on Sunday. Wonderful trip overall. Branson has so many family activities that my whole family had a great time.

We are penny collectors. We search out the pressed penny machines when we go on vacation. We ended up with six pennies on this trip! We finished up our first book! That was VERY exciting to me. I'm such a dork. :)

Bust

2011-08-08T12:39:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a bit of a bust because I ended up with food poisoning. We tried to go zipline, but Jackson wasn't big enough. Tried to go to the tryout hatchery, but Jackson had no interest and I was starting to feel really bad. Went out to dinner with the whole family, but didn't eat anything because I was feeling even worse by then. Came home and laid in bed and watched Steel Magnolias.
Hopefully today is better.
Originally written August 5, 2011.

Branson

2011-08-04T22:31:00.002-05:00

We are having a blast in Branson. We hit the Ducks, Branson landing, and the wax museum today. Had dinner at our house and then went swimming. Busy day and these boys are tired!

Ka-Booms

2011-07-05T22:52:00.000-05:00

Spaceship Park

2011-02-23T09:13:00.000-06:00

Nicholas at the Heard Museum

2011-01-31T21:45:00.000-06:00

Turtles

2011-01-31T21:43:00.000-06:00

Snow Day

2011-01-31T21:39:00.000-06:00

Dinosaur Valley State Park

2010-11-21T22:36:00.000-06:00

The Piano

2010-11-19T22:28:00.001-06:00

Cub Scout Campout

2010-11-14T21:45:00.002-06:00

The Hunger Games

2010-10-03T22:17:00.000-05:00

Oh... my... goodness... I had heard these are the new Twilight. I was completely unprepared at how amazing these books are. Once I started reading the first one, I couldn't stop until the last page of the last one. Highly recommended read.

What are you reading?

A Book Club

2010-10-03T22:05:00.000-05:00

I wish I had time for a book club. Cool people are in book clubs. Smart people. I belong in a book club, I just don't have the time.

So, to make myself feel smart, I'm creating my own book club on my blog.

Here's the idea... I'm just going to post after I read a book and give you an idea of what I thought of it. If you want, you are invited to link up to your own blog and mention what you just read and what your thoughts were about it.

We don't all have to read the same book at the same time. We all do get ideas about what our next read may be.

So... any takers?

2 more suspects charged in 2008 slaying of Dallas money courier

2010-07-02T08:34:00.001-05:00

Here's the link to the news article.

Thank goodness!!

I have critters in my garden!

2010-06-22T21:51:00.000-05:00

I went outside to look at my garden tonight and I noticed that the top leaves of my poor little tomato plant were all gone!

Can't be deer, we have a fence around our backyard.

Probably not bunnies, it's the top of the plant.

So I turned to google. I *love* google!

And look what I found! It's actually creeping me out a bit... It's a hornworm caterpillar. Yuck. Especially if it's eating my tomatoes!

It's a VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR! Ha, ha.

I'm not really amused, though.

Easter

2010-04-12T22:18:00.000-05:00

Playing

2010-04-12T21:31:00.001-05:00

Here's a couple pictures of the boys playing outside.

Alligators and Dragons

2010-04-12T09:39:00.000-05:00

My 5 year old cracks me up.

Friday night, we went to a premiere party for a new TV show on CMT called Gator 911. It's about a guy that owns an alligator farm in Beaumont, and he also rescues alligators from pools or ditches or golf courses, places that people don't want alligators. It was a great show, and Jackson loved it! We recorded it at home and have watched it at least 4 times since Friday night.

On Saturday, I took him to see How to Train Your Dragon. I LOVED IT! So did Jackson! We saw it in 3-D which made some of the flying sequences amazing! Jackson's favorite dragon was the blue and yellow one. He was even more excited when we went to McDonald's for lunch and got that one as the Happy Meal toy! I liked the black one the best.

Since then, Jackson's imagination has run wild! He was either a dragon or an alligator catcher all weekend.

Last night, the boys were playing outside. Nicholas was climbing up the slide and out of nowhere, Jackson runs over and jumps on his back and says, "Mom! I caught the alligator!" Nicholas laughed. I said, "Just don't hurt the alligator!"

New Orleans

2010-04-08T20:25:00.001-05:00

This guy does this for a living. Stands like a statue. Ouch.

Shooting practice before the game. Very cool to watch.

Our view during the game from our seats.

Token view down Bourbon Street. Didn't really drink much, it's much more fun to people-watch!

Beignets at 11:00 pm are really good. Highly recommend to eat them whenever you can.

We walked through Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Saw this headstone. It isn't the real Hugh Grant. But it is a little funny.

I'm weird because I love these old cemeteries. They're haunting and peaceful and stately all rolled into one.

Crack

2010-04-08T19:38:00.000-05:00

When we were in Monroe this last weekend for Easter, Chris had a rock put a pretty bad chip in his windshield. We knew he was busy, so it couldn't get fixed until Friday. I called on Tuesday to schedule the appointment and they were just going to repair the chip. Since then, it has grown into cracks and now it will have to be replaced.

So, I called Chris today to ask him how big his crack was.

Ha, ha. I'm so funny. :)

He's not a baby anymore....

2010-03-30T20:58:00.002-05:00

Circus

2010-03-30T20:56:00.000-05:00

Jackson and I went to the circus. It was a small, traveling circus and the most exciting part was the elephants. Jackson even got to ride one. He's behind the guy in the maroon shirt.

Fast Break

2010-03-28T18:20:00.000-05:00

My husband is one of the luckiest people I know. He won a trip to New Orleans from the Mavericks. Airfare, hotel, and spending money!!

IT WAS AN AWESOME TRIP! THANK YOU TO THE MAVERICKS!

We flew over on Monday and landed about noon. After making our way to the hotel (four star and four diamond hotel, I might add) we went to the Acme Oyster house for lunch. We had just seen the Acme Oyster House on Man vs. Food (a TV show on the Travel Channel), so we thought we'd take the 15 dozen oysters in one hour challenge. Not really. We didn't even order oysters, but what we did order was some of the best I've ever had.

We had some time to walk around the French Quarter. I love New Orleans. Besides getting engaged there, it's one of the neatest cities I've ever been.

Went back to the hotel to get ready for the game. We were able to ride the team bus to the game and had Dirk and Jet on our bus!! I was 6 feet away from Dirk! At the arena, we were able to go in underneath and walk directly out onto the basketball court. We sat courtside while the team practiced and warmed up. We got our picture taken with Mark Cuban. Pretty exciting!

The Mavericks lost. I've never been to a game where I cheered for the "away" team. We were offered to go down by the locker room after the game, but didn't because they had just lost. The Mavericks guy that coordinated the trip said the next home game they won, he'd take Chris to the locker room after the game.

So, after the game, we walked down Bourbon Street. For a Monday night, I was surprised to find so many people out and about. We had beignets at the Cafe du Monde at 11:30 at night, and then went back to the hotel for some sleep.

Tuesday morning, we got up and went shopping at the Riverwalk (beignets again for breakfast!). Then we took the streetcar to the Garden District to have lunch at Commanders Palace. That was a very good lunch! We walked around the cemetary across the street from Commanders Palace for a little bit and then took the streetcar back to the hotel.

When got back to Dallas about 5:00, Chris had tickets to the Mavericks game that night. I dropped him off at the AAC while I went to get my boys. The Mavericks won Tuesday night, and Chris was able to take his friends to the locker room. They all enjoyed that immensely!

It was a wonderful break from work and the kids.

I'll post pictures later!

2nd day of spring in Texas

2010-03-21T08:48:00.001-05:00

Bedtime

2010-03-20T15:19:00.002-05:00

Ugg!

2009-12-03T10:44:00.003-06:00

While I was happily humming Christmas tunes and decorating my tree last night, someone decided to rummage through my car in my driveway and steal my wallet. Talk about the Christmas spirit.

They took my drivers license, debit card, and credit card. I've recovered most of the other stuff because my wonderful husband went in late to work this morning so he could drive around our neighborhood. He found some stuff in the alley, found other stuff by the pond about 2 blocks away.

I wouldn't have even known if it wasn't the kindness of a couple walking their dog last night. They found my planner about a block away from my house and brought it to us. Big thank you to them!

I just don't understand the mindset of the person who would steal. I think that's the part that bothers me the most. I have a really tough time knowing that there are people out there that do these things. I guess this is a BIG reality check for me.

Things I love Thursday :Yummy Tummy

2009-11-19T09:48:00.004-06:00

You thought I was going to talk about food, didn't you?

Nope! Yummy Tummy is a fabulous clothing line because it's clothes that make you look slimmer!

Check out this giveaway on The Diaper Diaries by clicking here.

Enter and good luck! I know I want that prize!

One

2009-10-19T13:58:00.004-05:00

It's amazing how slow time goes when you want it to go fast, and then it goes really fast when you want it to go slow.

One year ago tomorrow, I worked until 4:00, then drove myself to the hospital. I gave birth at 10:22 pm to my sweet Nicholas. It seems like yesterday.

He's such an awesome little boy. He smiles at me when he sees me. He knows when he's doing something wrong because he'll look at me and do this adorable little head cock that (I think) means "But I'm cute!". He'll give you five if you put your hand out. He eats almost everything I give him, even if he makes that funny little frown on the first bite. He likes playing in Lexie's water bowl. He loves taking a bath. He is very serious when he meets someone new. He loves to ride in the carrier on my back and often falls asleep.

He is my sweet, little Nicholas and I can't believe he's one.

From Drop Box

Nicholas 1 year

2009-10-05T08:44:00.001-05:00

Kelly was so wonderful to take Nicholas' 1 year pictures this weekend. She did such an awesome job! I tried to put them in my post, but it didn't work. But all you have to do is click below to see them!

Click here!

More changes

2009-09-01T09:36:00.004-05:00

Jackson is, well, adjusting to his new routine. He's started becoming very unhappy in the mornings. Okay, we're having huge, crocodile tears when he's dropped off at daycare. Hopefully, it will pass in a few weeks. I feel bad for the little guy though. I hate change, too. And it isn't until I was an adult that I realized change is the only constant in our lives.

We had Gavin's first birthday party this last weekend. I cannot believe he's already one! That means Nicholas' birthday is right around the corner. They're so much fun.

Here's a picture of the birthday boy eating his cake!

From Drop Box

I think he really liked the frosting!

And I love this picture of the two of them. I think Gavin's telling Nicholas to get off of his new toy. Nicholas didn't listen.

From Drop Box

Here's Papa Dave playing with the little boys. The little ones thought this was the BEST GAME EVER!

From Drop Box

Change

2009-08-19T08:43:00.002-05:00

Jackson has a bunch of changes ahead of him. He's already started a new daycare this week, and Monday he starts Kindergarten!

The first day, he was so excited! Couldn't stop talking about how he was an after-schooler now and a big kid! And then when he got there, he clammed up and started looking nervous. He said he had a good day. He also said he didn't make any friends because everyone was a stranger and I told him not to talk to strangers. (Strangers are not easy to explain to a 5 year old.)

The second day, he was okay to go. I picked him up and asked him his teachers name. He didn't know and we had to find out. Asked if he made any friends. "Not quite yet," whatever that means. Sounds like he's analyzing everyone before he decides who is his friend.

This morning, he woke up crying because he wanted to stay home.

Sigh.

Change is so hard.

Swimming with the Minnows

2009-07-31T12:52:00.005-05:00

Jackson's summer of swimming lessons is over. I'm so amazed at how much he's learned in four weeks.

When summer started, he never wanted to put his head underwater. Now we can't keep him up out of the water.

When summer started, he thought he needed his goggles all the time. Now he can open his eyes and see underwater without them.

When summer started, he didn't ever want to go near the deep end of the water. Now... well, now he's about the same. I don't know what it is with him, but he's deathly afraid of deep water. Maybe it was that one episode of Pushing Daisies where the shark came out into the pool and ate one of the syncronized swimmers that he accidentally watched with me. I keep trying to tell him that was just tv and there are no sharks in the middle of Texas, but it's hard to grasp that when you're only 5.

I'm so proud of the progress he has made. I definitely feel a little more comfortable while he's playing in the water, but I don't think lap swimming is on the agenda quite yet. :)

From Drop Box

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-21T13:40:00.003-05:00

We made it home from our trip Monday night.

We had a good trip. The wedding is over. Had a lot of fun visiting friends and family.

One of my dearest friends from college took pictures, not pictures, portraits of my boys. You can view her awesome work at www.my3boybarians.com.

While we were taking pictures and chatting, her husband was taking pictures of my little sister. His work is pretty awesome, too. www.boybarianphoto.com.

Very glad to be home and back into the old swing of things. Very anxious to meet Baby Clara on Wednesday!

100 Uses for Avon Bubble Bath

2009-07-13T15:44:00.002-05:00

We're actually going to split this into a few posts... 100 things is too much for me to read, why should I expect you to read that many?

So, here we go!

1. Zillions of bubbles that leave no bathtub ring.
2. Does a beautiful job on washing cars, mobile homes, recreation vehicles, etc.
3. Use as a laundry detergent. (delicate laundry).
4. Use for hand washing.
5. Use for pre-soak on heavy soiled laundry, great for "ring around the collar."
6. Use to wash windows.
7. Use to wash appliances.
8. Use to wash "no wax" floors.
9. Use to wash dishes.
10. Give pets a bath with it.
11. Clean bathroom fixtures and mirrors.
12. Use to shampoo carpets (whole room or a spot.)
13. Use it to wash walls and ceiling. Great for paneling, no rinsing, no streaks
14. Use bubbles and sponge to shampoo furniture or vehicle interiors.
15. Cleans Chandeliers and light fixtures.
16. Use to clean toilets. (2 capfuls)
17. Cleans china and wine glasses.
18. Use it to wash your plant leaves, they will shine. Then pour into soil as a fertilizer.
19. Upholstery stains come out by rubbing with a damp cloth dipped in full strength bubble bath. Do not wet the cloth with water. Water may leave a stain, the bubble bath won't.
20. Use it to clean your Jewelry, even costume jewelry.
21. Use it to get out grease stains on clothes.
22. Use it to wash mini blinds
23. Put some bubble bath and a bit of water in your potpourri burner.
24. Use it to clean your eyeglasses.
25. Use it to clean your painted or wood cabinets.

Now that you know how awesome it is, go get some!! Click here!

Birthday Party!

2009-07-11T16:46:00.003-05:00

We survived. Actually, we more than survived and, it was a lot of fun.

Even better, it only happens once a year!

Kidding.... kinda...

We had some great kids spend the night and we had a good time. Started out by making our own grilled pizzas. The kids didn't do the grilling... I had Kelly manning the grill and Jaime helping them with the toppings. They were so good! I highly recommend grilling pizza! Then, we decorated our own little dinosaur cakes. Unfortunately, they were all eaten before we could do candles and "Happy Birthday." After that, we opened presents. Jackson has some great friends who gave him some awesome presents!

Then the big fun - the Adventure Walk! I took the boys on a walk after it got dark and they all had flashlights. On a side note, I apologize to my neighborhood - I tried to get them to be a bit quieter, but it didn't work. The boys were so funny... one would say, "Hey guys! I found a clue!" and all the rest of them would crowd around the "clue" and put their flashlights on it. The "clue" was a leaf, a spider, a hole in the cement, whatever one thought was a clue. We walked over by the creek and spotted a bunch of bunnies. Then we played a the playground for a few minutes. Next was the pond. The pond was an awesome surprise because we spotted a frog that was the size of a small soccer ball. IT WAS HUGE!

Came home from the walk, and got all of them into their pajamas. We lined up all the sleeping bags in the living room and they watched Madagascar 2. When it ended about 12:00, they were all still awake, so Chris turned on ESPN... and they all fell asleep.

This morning, they woke up around 8 and IMMEDIATELY started playing. We had Pigs in a Blanket for breakfast. They were all gone by 11:00.

The funniest part was when all of them started chanting, "Jackson Rocks!" over and over. He does rock. His party did, too.

Birthday Party

2009-07-10T09:44:00.003-05:00

I love checking out my favorite bloggers because every day they have something new to say. I would not be one of my favorite bloggers. In fact, I probably would have deleted myself a long time ago. Unless I just wanted to look at some cute kids. So I apolgize to my followers... I will try harder to post more often.

Anyway, we're getting ready for the 5 year old's birthday party tonight. Sleepover party with 6 boys invited and a dinosaur theme. It's going to be so much fun!

Making and grilling our own pizzas for dinner. Then go on a discovery walk with flashlights! Come home and decorate our own dinosaur cakes, sing happy birthday! Then the boys will head to Jackson's room and set up the sleeping bags. We'll probably turn on Land Before Time and then it will be a contest to see who can go to sleep first! (Yeah, right...) We're going to have Pigs in a Blanket for breakfast. We also borrowed mom's Wii and made Mii's for some of the kids last night. That will occupy any other time that they need something to do.

I'm excited. I hope the boys don't freak out and ask to go home in the middle of the night. I know we're taking a chance with that one, they are only 5. I hope Jackson enjoys it and no one fights.

Our adventure begins around 6:30.....

10 Things I'd Rather Be Doing Today

2009-06-15T13:06:00.002-05:00

1. Playing with my boys.

2. Knitting

3. Baking cupcakes for no reason.

4. Swimming at a pool.

5. Visiting the zoo with my boys.

6. Manicure/pedicure. By someone other than me.

7. Laying on the couch and watching television that requires no brainpower to process.

8. Making birthday invitations for Jackson's party.

9. Yoga.

10. Shopping.

What about you???

Broken Bars

2009-05-26T13:34:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday, as I was getting things ready for my party, I made Chocolate Oatmeal Bars. These are an oatmeal cookie layer with a chocolate layer and then oatmeal cookie dough dotted on top. They are little bites of heaven the way the chocolate and the oatmeal perfectly balance each other.

Anyway, I was in the bedroom and Jackson walks in and says, "What are the chocolate things in the kitchen?"

"They are chocolate oatmeal bars and they are for Saturday."

"I want one. Please, mommy? I'll be your best friend!"

"They are for the party on Saturday, no, you may not have one."

"PLEASE, MOMMY? I WANT ONE!"

"No, they are for the party. You may not have one."

He left the bedroom, and returned a few minutes later.

"Mommy, your bars are broken."

"Broken? What do you mean broken?"

"There's a crack in them."

"Did you touch them?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

So I walk out to the kitchen and a whole piece of cookie dough was taken off the top of the bars and there are three fingerprints in them.

He got in big trouble.

I still served them at the party. I just cut around the part that was broken. They were a huge hit, as always. So much so, that I didn't have many left over and I had to make more yesterday.

Jackson saw them and says, "Mmmm. Chocolate oatmeal bars. Yummy! And there are no fingerprints in them."

Although, I think the fingerprints made them taste better. But don't tell him that!

Whew!

2009-05-26T13:22:00.004-05:00

What a busy Memorial Day weekend!

Saturday was Nicholas' baptism. It was a beautiful ceremony attended by all of our friends and family. It was so great that everyone was able to make it to Dallas and celebrate with us.

Sunday morning, we said good-bye to Chris' family and then spent the rest of the day with my dad and Nancy. Jackson had a blast playing with my dad. We took them to the spaceship park where Nicholas proceeded to blow out - twice. And I was unprepared - no wipes, no extra clothes. Good thing we live pretty close to the park.

After the park, went to lunch, then to the mall. Jackson played in the play area. He's such a social butterfly, he makes new friends wherever he plays. In fact, last night we were at our neighborhood park and he was so sad that there wasn't anyone to play with him.

And then, on the way home from the mall, the little boys and i were rear-ended at a red light. Poor little guys started crying immediately, but luckily were not hurt. The poor car is a different matter. The other guy assumed responsibility, but we still get to mess with the car being fixed.

On Monday, the little boys and I watched a gazillion Bakugan cartoons. We read books. We made more "broken" bars. I walked and Jackson rode his bike to the pond to check out the turtles. We went to the playground to play.

It could not have been a better weekend, except for the accident. Thanks to all that were there to share our special day!

P.S. I forgot to mention that we went to the cutest wine bar in Plano and sang Karoke with my dad. Summer Lovin' from Grease. He and I did were the guys and Tara, Kelly, and Jaime were the girls. HI-LAR-I-OUS! Wish I had video....

The Ant Truck

2009-05-13T09:44:00.002-05:00

We keep getting random ants in Jackson's bathroom and I don't know how they are getting in there. He's a little scared of bugs so he won't touch them and I usually have to go kill them. There aren't that many, I've probably killed about 15 in the last week. Our pest people treated our house last week, so it may just be the little ants are running for their lives and figured out how to get in that bathroom.

He is VERY worried about them and wonders why they keep getting in there.

So... Last night we had a different pest control company knock on our front door soliciting their services. The guy talked to Chris a little bit about what they do, how much it is, and all the critters that they exterminate, such as spiders, crickets, termites, and ANTS. They guy says that he's going to have trucks in the neighborhood this weekend so if we wanted to schedule service, they can take care of us right away.

Jackson heard all of this and in all seriousness tells me, "I need to tell him about the ants so the truck can come on Friday and take care of them."

He is so funny about bugs... hates anything that flies or crawls, but loves worms. How that happened, I'll never know.

Love Thursday, even though it's Friday

2009-05-01T11:23:00.002-05:00

***See Previous Post***

Don't you just LOVE baby giggles??

I can't get enough of it!

Make sure you get a few giggles in this weekend!

Giggle

2009-04-29T21:43:00.002-05:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

April

2009-04-20T11:34:00.002-05:00

We had a very busy April!

Did you know that if it rains on Easter, its going to rain for the next 7 weekends? I didn't either... but it's sure proving to be true! Since soccer started, we have played one game, missed one game because we were in Iowa, and have been rained out of 3 games. Hopefully we can have a game this weekend, but it's supposed to rain again. Hopefully the rain will start after 2.. then we can play.

Oh yeah... we went to Iowa. Jackson, Nicholas, my mom and I went to see my Grandma on her 80th birthday. It was a wonderful trip. Got to spend an evening with my dad and Nancy, and then went to Radcliffe (a tiny, farming town - one of those where if you blink you'll miss it) to spend 2 night with my Grandma. And we got 8 inches of snow while we were there. Jackson and I made a snowman. I have pictures, but alas, our computer at home decided to go ka-put... I'll try to get some posted in the next couple days.

And then the next weekend, we went to Louisiana for Easter. We met our newest cousin, Meredith, and had an Easter egg hunt. We took family pictures while we were there that turned out excellent! I'll show you soon.

Nicholas turned 6 months old today! He is such a sweet baby!! He is just a roly-poly smiley sweetheart!!

2009-04-16T10:57:00.001-05:00

Posting from my phone to see if this works.

Growing

2009-03-28T12:44:00.002-05:00

Nick

2009-03-05T20:48:00.003-06:00

Boyfriends and Girlfriends

2009-02-13T11:27:00.002-06:00

It's way too early when kids start thinking about the relationships between boys and girls. My 4 year old has a girlfriend.

When he first mentioned it, I blew it off. But he keeps mentioning it. And keeps talking about it. She was at school today. She wasn't at school today. We hold hands. But we don't kiss. That's disgusting.

I'm not sure what to think about it. Husband and I don't really like talking about it with him, we usually try to turn his attention to something else.... like Bakugun or Transformers.

I asked him if any of his friends had girlfriends. One doesn't. And he was trying to find a girlfriend for another of his friends. I shouldn't have asked.

On a much more innocent note... Little Guy is growing so quickly. We see smiles every day and he's just started talking to us. Talking a lot actually.

But... could someone please tell him that it isn't so cute at 2:00 in the morning??

2009-01-26T09:08:00.003-06:00

After putting Jackson to bed for the 3rd time last night, we had the greatest conversation ever.

Jackson: Can I come to your bed and sleep?

Me: No, you have to sleep in your bed.

Jackson: Can I come in the morning?

Me: No, you have to sleep in your bed.

Jackson: Can I come in the middle of the night?

Me: No, you have to sleep in your bed. Now go to sleep!

Jackson: But, I have one more question!!! Can I come in the morning after we wake up?

Me: Sure, after we all wake up, you can come into my bed.

Jackson: Awesome.

I had to leave before my giggling attracted his attention and he would get out of bed again.

On other news, my perfect weekend of tv consisted of the Miss America Pageant (Miss Iowa was 2nd runner up!!), A Very Dugger Wedding (if you know who they are, then you know...), and America's Most Wanted.

America's Most Wanted had a story about the murder that happened outside my bank a year ago. Three men ambushed a money courier who was making a deposit into our night drop and killed him. It is still unsolved. I have been praying since day one that these men are caught because Phillip deserves so much better than for these guys to run loose. Hopefully this will generate some leads and some answers.

Being a baby is a hard job!

2009-01-15T19:36:00.002-06:00

Check this out...

2009-01-01T17:43:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Missing in Action

2008-12-18T11:29:00.002-06:00

Isn't it strange how even though a baby doesn't do much more than eat, sleep, and poop, they seem to need so much time from their mommies?

I feel like my life is a tornado lately... I'm sure the holidays don't help much with all the extra things I want to do. I have not wrapped a single present yet and we are only one week away from the big day. I have to do it tonight because the gifts must start going out tomorrow.

Nicholas is doing wonderful. He has his 2 month checkup next Tuesday where he gets 4 shots. Good thing Daddy is taking him. He has smiled at me a couple times which is great. It's nice to have some affirmation that I'm the best mommy in the world. :) (Jackson says that sometimes, too.)

I need to post more pictures, but they aren't on this computer. Hopefully sometime in the next couple days I will find time to do that.

Nicholas is now 1 month!

2008-11-25T17:35:00.002-06:00

Where does the time go? Nicholas is now one month old. It's amazing how quickly they change when they are so little. He had his one month checkup yesterday. He has gained over 3 pounds since he was born and has grown 2 inches!

I go back to work next Tuesday. I have really enjoyed the time off with both of my boys, but it's time to go back to work for me and school for Jackson. I wish I could take 6 weeks straight off every year to just hang out with my boys.

We're getting ready for Thanksgiving. Jason and his family come into town tomorrow and we're so excited to see them! Plenty of activities and shopping planned, so we're going to be busy!

Hope you have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving at your house. :)

Merry Christmas!

2008-11-20T20:50:00.001-06:00

Strange things are a-happening....

2008-11-16T09:58:00.004-06:00

There is a crazy phenomenon that happens in our house every Saturday.

It's called LSU football.

Being from Iowa, I had "some" loyalty to all three state schools (GO IOWA!). No, seriously, if one of the other schools had any team make it into any national tournament, I'd cheer for them. But in Louisiana, it's a little different.

They only have one state school, and the ENTIRE STATE IS CRAZY about them.

So, every Saturday, we have to watch LSU.

And this is where it gets weird (as if that wasn't weird enough)...

Jackson has to wear his LSU shirt for them to win.

Seriously.

It has happened 5 or 6 times that I will conveniently forget to put his LSU shirt on him on Saturday during football season, and the game comes on, and LSU doesn't do very well. And then the shirt goes on and--I'm not kidding you--LSU will score a touchdown within the next minute.

Seriously.

And then go on to win the game.

I just don't understand it. And it makes me so mad that one little thing can turn a football game in another state around!!!

For example, last night, we went out to dinner, came home, and LSU was losing 30 to 3. The shirt goes on, they scored within seconds, and then kept scoring and went on to win the game.

Does this happen to anyone else? The LSU Gods must watch us pretty closely.

So much, it is scary.

Souper Sundays

2008-11-10T21:25:00.003-06:00

Our new thing around here is to have soup of some sort Sunday night for dinner.

So far, we have had:

*chili (Texas chili - no beans)
*beef stew
*chicken and wild rice soup
*chicken noodle soup
*chicken & sausage gumbo

And they have all turned out really well if I say so myself. I never knew homemade chicken noodle soup could be so good and so different from canned. And I've never made gumbo before, for my first try, I think I did awesome!

And now, I've run out of ideas.... any suggestions?

Did you know...

2008-11-06T16:50:00.001-06:00

Today is National Men Make Dinner day. Wish I'd known before we made plans to eat out for my birthday! I would have milked that for all it's worth!

2nd doctor appointment

2008-11-04T16:29:00.003-06:00

Nicholas had his 2nd doctor appoinment today. He is growing like a weed! When he was born, he weighed 6 lbs, 9.5 oz. When we left the hospital, he weighed 6 lbs, 3 oz. At his 5 day checkup, he weighed 6 lbs, 6 oz.

And today? 8 lbs, 8.5 oz. That is over 2 pounds in a week and 4 days! Momma must be doing something right! :)

**Ok, so the doctor figured wrong. Nicholas was 3.35 kg, which equals 7 and a half pounds. That makes more sense.

Halloween

2008-11-02T12:49:00.006-06:00

We had a very nice Halloween here at the Thomas house.

Jackson, Nicholas and I went to Toy's R Us in the afternoon for a Halloween parade. All the kids were dressed up and Geoffery the Giraffe was there! The kids paraded around the store and there were a few tables set up with stickers and candy that an employee handed out. Jackson enjoyed it. I thought it was a little chaotic, but as long as he had fun.

Friday night was Trick or Treating. Aunt Kelly, Aunt Jaime, and Gavin came over to Trick or Treat with us. Jackson really enjoyed it and ended up with a pumpkin full of candy! He was a little apprehensive about ringing the doorbells by himself, but eventually he got used to it. Toward the end, his pumpkin was too heavy and Aunt Kelly had to help carry it.

Civic Duty

2008-10-29T13:48:00.003-05:00

I feel like such a good citizen today.

First, Jackson and I took advantage of the free story time at the library. I had to get my very own library card, and we checked out two books.

Then we went and voted. Thank goodness the line wasn't that long. Jackson and Nicholas were so good waiting in the line and I told Jackson to watch Nicholas while I voted. He is such a great big brother.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-28T20:28:00.003-05:00

Jackson, Nicholas and I went to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm this afternoon. We had lots of fun! First, we got to feed the sheep, goats, and longhorns. Jackson even let the goats eat their feed out of his hand.

Then we got to pick out pumpkins from the pumpkin patch to take home with us.

Next we went on a hayride. Jackson said he loved hayrides.

Nicholas was a little bored with it all.

This was the only picture I could get of the three of us. Nicholas wasn't too happy about having his picture taken.

Busy Weekend!

2008-10-26T22:48:00.005-05:00

It's so wonderful having Nicholas around. He fits right into our family like he's always been here.

He's such an easy baby. Sleeps most of the time, cries when he's hungry, eats very well, and then goes back to sleep. The only thing he doesn't like so far is getting his diaper changed.

Nana came over from Louisiana this weekend to meet Nicholas. She thought he was pretty sweet. She even tried to take him back to Louisiana with her.

We went to the park and took some pictures of the two boys together. This one is my favorite.

Nicholas got to meet his cousin, Gavin, this weekend. Gavin isn't much bigger than Nicholas, they are only 7 weeks apart. Grandma loves this picture of her two newest grandkids!

He's here! He's here!

2008-10-21T22:57:00.004-05:00

Nicholas Andrew came into the world at 10:22 on Monday, October 20.

Labor started about noon that day. Mostly back pain with a bit of tightening in my belly. I finished work, and then called the doctor, who said to go to the hospital for monitoring.

Drove myself to the hospital. Got hooked up to the monitors. I was definitely having contractions about 2-3 minutes apart. Got an epidural about 8, and contractions stopped, so pitocin was started.

We were joking that it would be pretty cool if he was born at 10:2o on 10/20. So, pushing was started about 10pm. Only had to push for a little bit as he was born at 10:22. Missed the time we set by 2 minutes, but in military time, his birth time is 22:22, so that is pretty cool.

He's a perfect baby so far. Sleeps most of the time, wakes up when he's hungry, and is nursing like a champ!

He weighed 6 lbs, 9.5 oz and was 20 inches long. Blond hair and blue eyes... so far. He's the spitting image of Jackson as a baby.

Mom is doing pretty good. Sore, but that is to be expected. We're very happy to be going home tomorrow, that's for sure. It's hard to sleep in hospitals! Too many people coming in and out and too many noises!

Still hanging on...

2008-10-20T10:04:00.003-05:00

I had hoped the weekend would be an eventful one with the arrival of Nicholas, but alas... no such luck.

But it's okay, he's not quite 37 weeks yet, so these few extra days are not really a bad thing.

But the bags are packed, the car seat installed, the clothes are left out at night, all for a mad dash when it does happen.

Everyone is waiting anxiously!

36 Weeks

2008-10-17T16:05:00.003-05:00

Had a doctor appointment yesterday to see how things were going.

GREAT!

I am already 3 centimeters dilated and 70% effaced!! That means that the baby could be here any minute!

So exciting! I'm on pins and needles waiting for something to happen.

It clicked!

2008-10-13T20:35:00.005-05:00

I can't believe how much Jackson has learned in the last few months of preschool!

He's figured out how to write his name!

A Battle of Wills

2008-10-10T21:29:00.002-05:00

So, I make chicken and dumplings for dinner - one of my husband's favorites.

Dinner is ready and I serve Jackson and myself.

And Jackson has decided that he doesn't like it and wants pepperoni pizza. Let me tell you, he would eat pepperoni pizza 3 times a day if I would let him. I told him that he had to eat what I put in front of him (it wasn't much at all) and then I'd make him pizza.

But, he doesn't eat his dinner.

He whines, and moans, and plays with his toys, and drinks milk, and gets sent to his room, but does not eat his dinner.

Until an hour and a half later.

I think the hunger got to him. Somehow, he was convinced to eat his chicken and dumplings.

And then he ate a WHOLE mini pizza.

I think maybe we both won.

Nicholas' Room

2008-10-09T21:48:00.001-05:00

Here are pictures of Nicholas' room. It's really cute. It was nice to actually decorate a baby room this time - with Jackson we were in an apartment and couldn't paint or decorate the way I really wanted.

Don't mind the "ham" in the pictures. :)

35 Weeks

2008-10-09T16:34:00.002-05:00

The doctor appointment was good. Everything is going fine. I measured 37 cm - I sure hope this guy doesn't get too big before he tries to come out!

We scheduled an induction on November 11 (Taylor's Birthday!). That is only 2 days before I'm due. We shall see if he decides to wait that long.

Meanwhile, I think he's going to play soccer when he grows up - he kicks me all the time! At least he is still head down!

I'm so ready for the 3 day weekend! Happy Columbus Day!

And closer..

2008-10-01T10:26:00.002-05:00

34 weeks today! I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel!

We had a hospital tour last night where Nicholas will be born. It's a beautiful hospital! And I won a door prize! Isn't he pretty cute? Can't wait to actually use him!

Jackson and Grandma came along for the tour and they were equally impressed. Jackson really liked the play area with the big chalkboard wall.

Today is Mom's birthday! Happy Birthday, Mom! We're going over to her house to PARTY tonight! Should be fun!

And.... *hopefully*... Gavin can come home today! We're really hoping he gets to leave the hospital... I'm sure he'd be much more happy at home!! Our fingers and toes are all crossed!

33... that means 7 more to go...

2008-09-25T12:47:00.002-05:00

We're getting close. My doctor's appointment today went well. He's still head-down (thank goodness!), probably weighs about 5 pounds, and I'm measuring 34 1/2 weeks. All good things at this point!

Gavin is doing really well, too! He may get to go home this weekend! We're all very excited about that! I haven't even held him yet and I can't wait until my turn! The hospital took his feeding tube out yesterday so he's entirely on the bottle now! He has his carseat test today. Hopefully, he will pass with flying colors!

Not much else going on, so I'll just post later when I have more.

It's time for a game!

2008-09-21T21:06:00.002-05:00

I signed up for a baby pool at www.expectnet.com. Go - see if you can guess when Nicholas is going to come into the world! Good luck!

Not much going on lately. Had another soccer game this weekend - missed last weekend due to Hurricane Ike. I think the boys won, we don't really keep count. Jackson had one really great kick - kept the other team from scoring.

Doctor appointment last week was good. Everything is still going great, but I'm still measuring a little big. We'll see what they say this week. A few weeks ago he was breech, and has turned, but could turn again. I'd really like for him to stay the way he is. :)

Gavin is doing great. He was born 2 days shy of 33 weeks... that's me tomorrow. I'm a little freaked out by that. I'm sure things will be fine, but you never know when this little guy is going to want to come out!

Anyway, Gavin is eating 2 at least 2 bottles by himself, he has a tube for the other feedings. He gets tired after eating, so they're slowly increasing the amounts and the number of feedings. He has to be completely dependent on the bottle before he can go home. Maybe by the end of this week or early next week he'll get to go home. I'm sure his mommy and daddy are anxious for that to happen.

Not much else. I'll try to update after the doctor appointment this week - it's on Thursday.

Now, go guess on Nicholas' birthday! www.expectnet.com.

Gavin Update

2008-09-08T21:29:00.004-05:00

Here is one of the most precious pictures of Gavin. He is doing so well. Just has to learn how to drink a bottle and gain a bit more weight before he gets to go home.

Aunt Kelly really enjoys holding him!

30 Weeks Now

2008-09-05T16:12:00.002-05:00

I had a sonogram done this past Wednesday. Everything is growing wonderful! We even got a few 3-D pictures, as you can see. Amazingly, he looks almost exactly like Jackson did when he was born. I didn't think they'd be too different from each other, but this is definitely closer than I thought.

The only hiccup we discovered is that he is now in a breech position. So, I've been telling him to hurry up and move around so that we don't have to worry about it as he gets bigger.

So far, he isn't listening. I can tell because he keeps kicking my bladder no matter how many times I plead with him to stop.

Baby Gavin is doing wonderfully! He is keeping his temperature stable, and breathing very well on his own. He's had a few apnea issues, but that is to be expected for his developmental age. I think he's going to try a bottle this weekend! Never thought about it, but it takes a lot to learn how to suck a bottle, swallow, and breathe all at the same time. I'm sure he'll figure it out in no time!

Funny thing - Gavin dropped weight when the IV was taken out, that was to be expected. He dropped to 3 lbs, 14 oz. On Wednesday when they were checking out my baby, he supposedly weighs the exact same weight. For this one, it puts him in the 65th percentile for weight. I sure hope he decides to come early!!!

Happy Birthday Gavin!

2008-08-29T09:54:00.004-05:00

Just when you least expect it... you get woken up to the words, "Jaime had her baby!"

Gavin Shipman was born last night at 11:00. He's a little early, she wasn't due until October 18, but he is doing very well. He's breathing on his own which is huge at this point.

Mom is doing well. She definitely had the surprise of her life last night.

She bent down to put a water bowl down for their dog, and she felt and heard a "pop" sound. It was her water breaking. Went to the hospital about 8 and he was here at 11! Quick labor!

He is 17.5 inches long and weighed 4 lbs, 1 oz.

We're so excited to welcome you into our family, little guy!

29 Weeks Now

2008-08-27T13:08:00.004-05:00

I had to take the Pregnancy Widget of my blog because it wasn't accurate.

I am 29 weeks today! That means only 11 to go, give or take. Went to the doctor today and things are still good. I'm measuring a little big. I'm measuring 32 weeks, so I'm having an ultrasound next week to check the size of the baby. I love those little peeks into his world!

Jackson's speech therapy is starting up again next week. I think this year he will be in a group setting, which makes learning easier because there is peer pressure involved! He will be going 1/2 a hour every week. I don't really know how much of a difference it will make, but I guess free services like this are a blessing and we should do as much as we can for him.

He's getting so smart. The other night he even picked out his name on a table tent at Friday's! (They're having a JACK Daniels promotion.) His grandma and I were very impressed!!

Busy weekend this weekend - off to Monroe for a baby shower for me and a birthday party for our niece. Then back to Dallas for a party for our friend's little boy. Luckily, Monday is Labor day and we have nothing to do but rest!

Soccer Practice

2008-08-15T22:18:00.004-05:00

Soccer practice has started and boy was it fun!

There is nothing cuter than 8 little boys chasing after soccer balls!

3 more weeks of practice until the first game.

GO MONSTERS! (That's the team name.)

Vacation

2008-08-09T15:00:00.013-05:00

Vacation was wonderful. It was so nice to not have alarm clocks or deadlines for a whole week.

We did a bunch of fun things.

Dad and Jackson went go-karting. Jackson was so excited to go there, he wouldn't stop talking about it for a whole day.

We also went putt-putt golfing. Had to teach Jackson how to golf. He did okay. It was just a little hot.

We went boating one day. He really enjoyed the boat. Even tried driving and messed up the emergency cut-off so we were stranded for a bit. But we got it fixed. Thanks Jackson!

We went to Bridal Cave. I think he enjoyed it. He walked the whole way by himself and didn't touch anything!

We went to some castle ruins. It was built a long time ago and burned down. Pretty neat to see.

We fed some ducks and some koi while we were eating at a restaurant right on the lake. The weather had cooled down and it was so nice to eat on the patio next to the lake.

And we put Jackson in the stocks. :)

Actually... this picture really says it all...

Such a big boy

2008-08-09T14:54:00.002-05:00

Friday was a fun day for Jackson. He had a pediatric opthamologist appointment in the morning and his first dentist appointment in the afternoon.

Jackson failed two eye exams at his last well-child checkup, so they wanted to follow that up with an eye doctor. He said that Jackson is slightly nearsighted and has a slight astigmatism, but we don't need to do anything about it right now. His eyes are still changing, and since he sees clearly enough for now, we don't have to do anything. A relief, but I wonder how bad his eyes will end up as he has two strikes against him. (Both of us parents wear corrective lenses.) Only time will tell and he'll have to go back in a year.

Jackson's dentist appointment went really well. He didn't get any x-rays because he was a little scared of the machine, but he did let the dentist count his teeth (20!), polish his teeth, and brush them with a flouride treatment. It helped that the office had a stuffed dragon with teeth that they could show him what they were going to do before they did it to him.

He did so well all day that he deserved a trip to Target and get a toy. And he picked out another Transformer. Surprise, surprise.

Ah-Ha!

2008-07-24T09:30:00.002-05:00

Ever have one of those "Ah-Ha!" moments where it all makes sense?

Just had one.

I've been doing a bunch of knitting lately. For fun. Stopped cross-stitching for awhile and needed something else to do with my hands. It's much easier to knit in the car on trips than cross-stitch.

So far, I've made a hooded baby blanket and a poncho for myself. I thought both turned out very nicely.

Next project is a cardigan for myself. Quite a daunting task, but I'm up for it.

Anyway, my "Ah-Ha!" moment came when I was researching stitch markers. Stitch markers are little circles that help you keep track of your pattern and where you are in your knitting. I always thought the marker ended up in the yarn, and you'd have to cut it out to get it out after you were finished.

Boy, was I wrong! They just slide onto your needle to keep track of your pattern. It all makes so much more sense now.

Makes me ready for the next step, but have to wait until after work! Bummer!

24 weeks along yesterday. Baby is kicking like crazy!! Jackson has even felt it - he thinks it's pretty cool.

1.5 weeks until vacation in Missouri! REALLY looking forward to that - a whole week of sleeping until I want to get up. :)

23 weeks and counting...

2008-07-16T19:13:00.002-05:00

I am 23 weeks today! The baby is one foot long and weighs over one pound. He is sitting with his head toward my left hip and his feet toward the right side of my ribcage. (I had the doctor tell me today how he was sitting.) I had a feeling he was that way - I've been feeling the kicks really well for a couple weeks now! Everything is going great. I go back in one month, after that I'll start going every two weeks. That's exciting!

Jackson's birthday is officially over. He had a great Chuck E. Cheese party. I originally thought the party would only last 2 hours, but we ended up being there 3 hours. He received some great presents and had a wonderful time. He's trying to convince us that it's still his birthday, and we keep having to tell him that it's over. :)

We're off to Monroe this weekend for a good friend's wedding. Jackson is so ready for some Nana time! We've been counting down the days until we can go see Nana. Only one more day and we will be there. The wedding should be fun, too!

When will the birthday stop?

2008-07-08T12:38:00.004-05:00

I feel like Jackson's birthday has gone on forever! He's such a lucky little boy!

And he is getting awesome presents! Transformer sheets from Nana! A 4-wheeler (see picture) from Grandma, Aunt Jaime and Uncle Sayle! A pool from Grandpa! Fishies from Kelly!

And this Saturday is the birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. He is so excited. And a couple of school friends are going to be there - I'm sure he's going to have such a great time.

Happy 4th!

2008-07-03T13:10:00.001-05:00

I sure hope to celebrate this holiday with friends, family, a kiddie pool, good grilling, and FIREWORKS!!

I hope your holiday is just as good!

At Least It Wasn't Condemned

2008-06-18T20:36:00.002-05:00

My aunt and uncle's house is a wreck. But it's not condemned. That's a good thing. It can be fixed. Stuff can be replaced. Home can become home again. It's just going to take time, money, and patience.

My dad went to JC Penney's Home Store this weekend to start getting stuff for them. Pillows, sheets, dishes, silverware... it's a start. They can't even take it over to Cedar Rapids until the roads leading into Cedar Rapids reopen. I think they're going this weekend.

We are heading to Monroe this weekend for birthday parties! One for Jackson's cousin and one for Jackson! I'll bet this kid ends up with 3 birthday parties this year. We're having one in Monroe, one at Chuck E. Cheese, and we're going to have to do something on his actual birthday.

I am 19 weeks today! I had a doctor's appointment today and everything is going well! The best part is that I didn't have to wait an hour to see the doctor. I guess that is part of the business of being an ob/gyn.. sometimes you have to go deliver babies.

Mother Nature

2008-06-12T09:41:00.002-05:00

I'm really glad I'm not in Iowa right now. Between the storms and the flooding, it is just a mess.

My aunt lives in Cedar Rapids and her house is under water. Luckily, they were offered an empty apartment to live in for a little while. No electricity, but at least it's dry. They're going to try to get to their house today to check on their kitties. Hopefully the cats have moved to the 2nd story, or they are swimming!

Helpless is such an overwhelming feeling when things get this bad. So far, Des Moines seems to have weathered things pretty well. There is just a bit of flooding, but no catastrophies like 1993 when the water treatment plant went underwater.

I sure hope Mother Nature knows what she's doing.

Pregnant Dreams

2008-06-11T09:49:00.002-05:00

Two nights ago, I dreamed about working at Friday's again. I'd just started back and they were busy. First table and I was already in the weeds. They were demanding and kept drinking their cokes faster than I could fill them. And the coke dispenser on my side of the restaurant wasn't working. So I go over to the other side of the restaurant, and someone is already filling 8 glasses with coke for their table.

It was so vivid. I woke up in a panic because I really thought I was that far behind. I'm so glad I don't wait tables anymore.

And last night, I dreamed that someone broke a pane of glass that was on the front of the refrigerator. Glass shattered everywhere. On top of that, there were little kids around and I couldn't get it cleaned up fast enough. I could even feel the tiny shards in my fingers while I was trying to clean it up.

18 weeks down, 22 to go. I'll be glad when I'm not dreaming like this anymore.

16 Things

2008-06-10T08:44:00.001-05:00

16 THINGS THAT IT TOOK ME OVER 50 YEARS TO LEARN:
by Dave Barry, Nationally Syndicated Columnist

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved and never will achieve its full potential, that word is 'meetings.'

3. There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.'

4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

5. You should not confuse your career with your life.

6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

7. Never lick a steak knife.

8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.

12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.

13. A person who is nice to you but rude to a waiter is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

14. Your friends love you anyway.

15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

16. Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to the women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

Sunday

2008-06-01T17:27:00.004-05:00

We took pictures today to commerate the 4th birthday of our little boy. He's just too darn cute!

And even if we didn't go swimming today, Jackson went swimming in Grandma's little pool last weekend. He had a blast as you can tell from the pictures!

Watch out Papa Dave!!

I think I need one of these at my house!