Well, I can finally write about my team. I have wanted to for a while, but I always got nervous that whatever I would say would jinx them (I am very superstitious). But...........
WE ARE THE 2008 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!
I am SO excited and happy. I can't even express it appropriately in words. There must be accompanying hand gestures, leg kicks, and shouts of glee, none of which I can put here in my blog. So, I just have to say that I am thrilled.
Saturday was the final four and we played *drum roll please* North Carolina. This was significant for many reasons. Our schools have two of the most fabled and historic basketball programs in America. Their legendary coach, Dean Smith, is from Kansas and played and graduated from KU. Our last coach, Roy Williams, jetted 5 years ago to go back to his alma mater, UNC. There is just a lot of history there. Not to mention, Larry likes UNC, I love and worship KU. We were worried that we would still be married on Sunday. The girls went to my moms house so we could watch the game in peace (or yell horrible obscenities at each other without little ears overhearing). We got into our first little tiff when they were announcing the starting line-up. Larry thought our video was stupid, I thought his was. It was not a good start to the evening. But after that, things went surprisingly well. I could have been VERY mean when we took at 28 point lead, he could have been VERY mean when they cut it to four. But we kept ourselves in check and overall, we got along well, had fun watching the game, and celebrated like crazy people when KU won (ok, that last one was just me).
Yesterday was the BIG GAME! We played Memphis. I was scared of this game. Memphis is big and athletic and they like to run as much as we do. It was a great game, close from beginning to end. We were nine points behind with just a couple minutes remaining and you could see the Tigers thought they had it in the bag. But you could also see the Jayhawks were not about to give up. They pushed the ball, Sherron Collins had a big steal on a Memphis inbounds play and then hit a huge three, they basically played with heart and soul. And then, with 2.1 seconds remaining and three points down, Sherron handed the ball off to Mario Chalmers and he hit the biggest three pointer I can remember in KU history. At that moment, when I saw the ball hit nothing but net, I knew we could, and would, win. We hit the first six points in overtime and they just had no answer. We played the overtime like we had no doubt that this was our game. It was just wonderful to watch as a fan. Many of our players are seniors or are leaving early for the NBA. This was the absolute best way to say goodbye. We also may lose our coach, but I don't want to talk about that yet.
I will admit that I cried during Bill's pregame speeches, both on Saturday and yesterday, and also when we won. I am pregnant and hormonal and the biggest KU fan I know, so don't judge me! I have waited twenty years to see my team prove they are the best. Doing it the first time all four number one seeds made the final four was just the icing on the cake. We really were the best of the best.
What an awesome time to be a KU fan!! I wish I could be in Lawrence today at the homecoming celebration. What fun that would be. Larry and I went once when we made the final four and it was so cool to be in a place where everyone was so pumped and happy and excited.
So, if you are not a KU fan today, I'm sorry for your team, but only one can be the champion. And this year it is us!
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK! GO KU!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Comments about comments and other stuff
I have been meaning to write this for a while, but I'm just getting around to it. Typical.
To EVERYONE who has left me comments...thank you so much. This whole pregnancy thing has kind of thrown me for a loop, and to come here and see all these friends and family (some of whom I didn't even know read my blog) say such nice things makes me feel a little better. I just love all of you so much (there is a little hormonal emotion flowing at you...can you feel it?).
I am feeling a little better tonight. I kept pretty active today and did surprisingly well. Natalie had her first cooking class this afternoon so I got to take Vanessa and chat with the other moms. I really like taking her to these classes. One, because I know she loves it and is building her skills, both social and active. Two, because I get to sit and talk to other adults about things that adults like to talk about...such as our kids. I still have Vanessa with me, and she is getting more difficult by the day, but I still manage to get some good chatting time in. Nat had a great time cooking. It was so funny, we heard all of them say "yay!" and so we went to look and they were just washing their hands to get ready. Talk about some excited kids. They made no-bake cookies, yummy! Then we took a trip to the library. My girls just love getting new books. Vanessa is even getting into it. When we got home she carried over one of her board books and plopped down in my lap. Natalie got another one and sat beside us. We spent the time before dinner sitting on the living room floor reading Usborne "That's not my.." series books. If you have little kids and haven't checked these books out, you should. We checked out "That's Not My Fairy" and "That's Not My Truck" today. They are touch-and-feel books. They are simple and bright. Little kids, first starting to like books really enjoy them. Nat even liked them again today. It was so nice to have a little quiet time with my girls. It didn't last nearly long enough, but was great while it did last.
Funny Natalie story: The girls were playing and "talking" to each other tonight. I was half listening. Ok, I was just listening enough to know that no one was screaming. Natalie all of a sudden got all excited and said, "Mom! She said 'mine'!" I have never heard Vanessa say that and got down on the floor and was trying to get her to say it again (although I am totally sure I will regret that down the road when I hear it six thousand times a day). Then Natalie said, very seriously and sincerely, "And then she said 'delicious'!" I KNOW that she did not say delicious, and now I really don't know if she said mine. I have a feeling she did say it and then Nat just got a little carried away. I had to laugh, though. That girl is something else!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
BLAH!
I have been feeling so blah lately. I can't get motivated to do anything! I just sit there and feel like I'm going to puke. The only energy I do have goes to my kids and there is just nothing left over. This pregnancy is kicking my ass, just like the last two. I am certainly not one of those women that loves being pregnant. I don't glow. I just look a little green. I am always starving and then I get the actual food and can't even imagine putting any of it in my mouth. I am mentally and physically out of it. It really sucks. I feel sorry for my kids because I know they are not getting my best. I take care of them, but I haven't been playing a lot. Natalie begs me to get down on the floor and play dolls and all I can do is just sit on the couch and quietly moan. I really hope I start feeling better soon. I just want to feel like myself again.
Ok, enough of the "poor-me" poorly written post. I am going to go snuggle up and watch "Arthur" with Natalie. Watching tv is one thing I can do.
Friday, March 28, 2008
For my Grandma
Every day Alzheimer's takes a little stronger hold on my beautiful Grandma. She has always been one of the most loving, caring, fun women I have ever known. She has taken care of her family and my Grandpa as he has struggled with Parkinson's disease. I love her so much and am terrified of the day that she no longer knows us as her family.
When the last Dixie Chicks album came out I was listening through it and came upon a song that instantly brought tears to my eyes. It is a tribute to Natalie Maines' grandmother that has Alzheimer's, and has become my song to my Grandma as well. I just wanted to post the lyrics here. If you have someone in your life suffering from this life sucking disease please pay attention to these words. We must be the ones who carry on the lives of these people who cannot carry them on themselves.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Waiting.........
Does time ever move slower than when a pregnant woman is waiting for her Chinese to be delivered? I think not.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
FAQ's
1. Was this planned? Hell to the N-O!
2. So, what happened then? Larry went to Las Vegas, we missed each other, and then *poof* I was pregnant. We do know how these things happen and we tried to not let it happen. Obviously, our efforts were not enough.
3. When are you due? November 22nd
5. Are you hoping for a boy this time? I really don't care this time. Sometimes I think it would be really cool to have three little girls. Other times I think I have enough girls and we need a boy. Most of the time I just don't care.
6. Are you excited? I am getting there. This was a BIG surprise and it took a while to get over the shock of the whole thing. I am still not completely at peace with the idea, but as Larry says, there is nothing we can do now! We will of course love this baby just as much as our other two and I am sure I will get to the point where I am just as excited as I was last time.
7. Are you ready for three? No, but I wasn't ready for one, and then I wasn't ready for two. So at least this time I know it will be fine and will all work out in the end.
8. What are your biggest worries? It is mostly stupid little stuff like how the hell I am going to fit three carseats in my car and how bedtime will work when we have more kids than we have parents to deal with them. I am also worried that Vanessa won't have much time as the "baby" and if she is going to resent that as she gets older. Nat had three and a half years alone and now all of a sudden we are going to have a whole gaggle of rugrats.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Let's see....
So, what has been going on in our lives you may ask. Just the normal, every day stuff. Yesterday a little girl in Natalie's class drew on her shirt in permanent marker. I wasn't thrilled, but it wasn't her best, or most expensive, shirt..so I'm not too mad. Really I just wonder how the kid got a permanent marker!
We have had some plumbing issues, but we had the plumber out yesterday and I think they fixed it all. Of course it all came up (quite literally) on Easter so Larry had to stay home taking care of it while the girls and I ran up to my uncle's house so Natalie and Vanessa could find their baskets and play with the other kids for a while. We had a really nice time. It is always so good to see everyone. The kids were spoiled, of course, and had a great time.
Let's see...what else.... hmmmm.....oh, yeah...I'm pregnant...again. Yeah.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Images of Easter
Vanessa found her egg...
Thursday, March 20, 2008
HAHAHAHA......Oh, Sorry, That's Not Funny
Inappropriate Laughter Story #1:
Yesterday I made Natalie mad at me (big surprise) by telling her she could not have any ice cream before dinner. I thought she was over it....I thought. A little while later she was sitting on the floor with Vanessa brushing her hair and talking to her. They were being so cute and sweet that I had to "hide" in the dining room and observe their sisterly love. Natalie was talking to Vanessa and Vanessa was sitting there looking up at her big sister adoringly. Then I heard Natalie saying this:
"OK, Nessa. Listen to me. Say this just like me, 'Mama is an idiot'".
My first reaction should have been anger and maybe a time-out. So what was my first reaction? One of those nose snort laughs that you try not to let out but just cannot stop it no matter what you do. They didn't hear me because they were too busy agreeing that I was, in fact, an idiot. After I controlled myself I took Nat in the other room (she tends to show off in front of her sissy) and told her that she should never call names and she WILL NOT teach her almost one year old sister to say those mean things and if I heard it again she would be sitting in time out and wouldn't get any ice cream at all. She said sorry and hugged me and we didn't have another incident. But, yeah, big sisters are great.
Inappropriate Laughter Story #2:
After I finished reading to Nat last night for bed we were laying there talking. She asked me if I dreamed at night and I said, yes I do. I asked her if she did and she said that yes, she did, but sometimes they were scary dreams. So we started talking about scary dreams and how it's just the mind making up stories. The lights were off and we were snuggling in bed and she began telling me about a dream she had had.
"There was a big spider with tons and tons of legs and it was crawling all over the wall and then it went on the ceiling and it was crawling around and looking at me......and it had a mustache!"
I couldn't help it. I started laughing and I couldn't stop. All I could picture was this big animated spider with a huge black mustache. It was too funny!!! I felt bad because here was my sweet little girl telling me about this horrible dream and I was laughing. Then she kept saying, "why do you laugh when I say mustache?" Well, that just about did me in. I was trying to be quiet, but I was laughing so hard I had tears. She started laughing too and we hugged and talked a little bit about how next time she had that dream she should just laugh at that spider and not be scared. I think it turned out to be a good conversation in the end.
Kids are funny, even when they aren't trying to be. Especially when they are not trying.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
March Madness
I am obsessed with college basketball. It is an addiction. I watch every KU game and try to catch other teams as often as I can. I go to ESPN.com daily and watch Gameday every Saturday. I look forward to Selection Sunday and the NCAA tournament like I look forward to my birthday. Yeah, it's a sickness.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Totally random stuff
I love days like this. All cloudy and rainy. For some reason this has always been my favorite kind of weather. Now, I wouldn't like it all the time, but for a change of pace give me some thunder and lightening and I will be happy. There are a few things about rain that I have come to not enjoy. For one thing, my little dog Axel HATES thunder. He totally freaks out. So about 6 this morning I had a dog running around my bed going nuts. I had to get up with him and sleep on the couch with him buried into my side and a blanket over him to drown out the sound. I was more than a little annoyed since both the girls were finally sleeping soundly after a night filled with coughing and crying. They are both getting over various degrees of sickness and are still having trouble sleeping at night. The other thing that I do not like about the rain is that our street becomes a lake and our basement leaks in the corner when it rains really, really hard. Knock on wood, it hasn't leaked today because although there has been a lot of rain it has been spread out over enough time that we are still ok.
I will never forget waking up a couple of months after we moved into this house and finding out what happens when it rains all night. I looked out the front window and all I could see was muddy water. It was covering the streets, it was over the sidewalk, and any time a truck or car managed to drive through the flood the water would wave up into our driveway. I think we might have been able to surf if we were so inclined. I woke Larry up and we went outside. We were shocked. No one told us this could and would happen so it was quite a surprise. Then we went into our basement. We saw the waterfall coming down from the window and had to hustle up any towels we could find. We used every single one we owned. We have since perfected our technique. We have the corner clear except a plastic tub of plastic toys that will be ok and a pile of provisional old towels. We have developed a system where I grab towels, Larry lays them out and then we both check them constantly. And then there is the clean up. We have loads of wet gross towels and a wet concrete floor that we scrub so it doesn't get moldy or anything. We have tried and tried to fix the leak, but then another pops up. I think the foundation needs some major work. But for now we will stick to our own personal flood plan.
Wow, I went on and on about that, huh? I have sooooo missed writing my blog lately. I would come up with the best posts and then I forgot them all by the time the computer got fixed. It was so frustrating.
My girls are growing up so fast. Vanessa has two bottom teeth and is running (yes, running) all over the house. She refuses to crawl anymore. She is still so small, it looks so cute for her to be walking all over the place. Natalie is doing great. She has been really well behaved lately (for the most part...she is still 4). The other day she was coloring a picture of a fairy when she called me over to see it. "Look mom, I gave her ankles." I looked at her foot area and couldn't see what she was talking about. She pointed at her face where she had added little dots, "see, just like my ankles." OOOHHHH!! Freckles!!!!! I had been telling her earlier in the day that I was glad she had been able to get out in the sun again because her nose had little freckles on it again. And she remembered the word as ankles. Too cute!
Ok, this has become kind of random and rambling. Maybe next post will be a little more organized and interesting!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Oh internet..how I've missed you!!!!
I'm back finally!!!!!
Our computer caught a virus and was out of commission for a while. But Larry fixed it today and I can get on again! I went a little crazy without being able to write my blog and read everyones.
I have lots to talk about, but really should be playing with the girls...so I will try to get on later and post again. Just wanted to say hello again!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Consignment Sale!!!!!!
I just wanted to let all of you out there with kids in the Wichita area know that starting today the giant consignment sale in Andover is open. It is located on Kellogg just west of Andover at 159th street at the Wholesale Fireworks building. I put quite a few things in and got to go to the presale last night. There are some great things at really good prices. If you are in need of spring or summer clothes this is THE place to get them. They have all sizes and it is all sorted out by gender and size so it is easy to go through. They also have toys, baby and kid equipment, bedding, and just about anything else you could want for your munchkins. I go every year and have found some of the best clothes and toys we have. You really can't beat it. So go if you can. It is open today, tomorrow and Saturday is half price day. The web site is www.britchesandlace.com.
Monday, March 3, 2008
MOTY
My quest for the title of Mother of the Year is almost complete. I would suggest you don't even apply, how could I lose with this resume?!?
It wasn't enough that I am carrying around a baby who looks as if she was one round away from having Tyson bite off her ear. No, that wasn't enough. This afternoon I had to call poison control. Yeah, I've got MOTY in the bag.
It all went down innocently enough. I was giving Vanessa a bottle to get her down for her nap. Natalie was playing dolls in her room. All was serene. When I look back on it I should have known something would happen. It was way to "Norman Rockwell-esque" to be our house. Ness had almost drained her bottle when I saw Natalie go into the bathroom and shut the door. No big deal, right? She was probably just pottying. But she stayed in there longer than normal. Still no big deal. Who hasn't had a trip to the bathroom that lasted longer then someone else thought it should. Still, I wanted to know what was going on in there. I hurried Vanessa through the last ounce, put her into bed and walked into the bathroom. There was my girl, her toothbrush in one hand, my toothpaste in the other, and a shit-eating grin on her face.
"What are you doing Nat?"
"Brushing my teeth." (if she knew to she would have rolled her eyes and said duuuuuh)
"Did you already use Mommy's toothpaste?"
"Yes, I put a lot on my toothbrush."
"A lot?"
"Yes. I ate it. Then some fell in the sink. I ate that, too."
Now, I know that eating toothpaste is not good. Especially kids eating adult toothpaste. I couldn't really tell how much she had eaten. The tube was already half gone when she got a hold of it, but it was obvious she had been squeezing on it. I asked her if she felt alright, and she did, but I knew I should still call poison control. They told me that at her weight she would have had to eat 4 ounces to really hurt her and I knew she hadn't had that much. They told me to give her calcium and that should help, but her tummy might hurt a little. She had cheese and a glass of milk with dinner and a bowl of strawberry ice cream for dessert. She said that her tummy hurt a little, but that could have been because of all the ice cream. She seems fine now and we have had a nice long talk about not eating ANYTHING in the bathroom, ever!!!!!!!!!
In four years I have had to call poison control twice. Both times were probably due more to my overreacting then any real danger, but I am a strong supporter of the better safe then sorry method of parenting. Luckily both kids' injuries and illnesses have been fairly minor (knock on wood....twice). I just want to keep it that way. Even if I don't win any parenting contests.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Coffee table-1, Vanessa-0
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
And yet she forgets she has to brush her teeth everyday....
About a month ago we were stuck in traffic at Kellogg and Rock here in Wichita. Since the advertising powers that be know without a doubt that each and every car that drives through that intersection will set though no less than 3 red lights, they installed one of those enormous billboards. It is not just any billboard, it is a high-tech tv-like sign that changes it's ad every 10 seconds. Since we were sitting there, not going anywhere, Natalie was watching the sign change. I wasn't paying it any attention because I was too busy staring at the light willing it to change to green and stay green long enough for us to get through. All of a sudden, from the backseat, I heard,
"MOM!! LOOK!! SESAMEET LIVE IS COMING!! IT REALLY IS!!"
It was if she had just won the kid lottery. I looked back at her and she was beaming. I'm serious, if she smiled any bigger her mouth would have fused with her ears.
I love Sesame Street. I watched it as a kid and I have encouraged Nat to watch it since before she was even old enough to care. We have been to two Sesame Street Lives so far and have enjoyed them both. But this year I really could have cared less if we saw a 7-foot yellow bird dancing and singing or not. So we didn't talk about it with Natalie again. Larry and I discussed it, and never ruled it out. We just weren't going to encourage it.
I knew it was coming this weekend, but Natalie hadn't said anything since we saw the sign so I figured we might just get to skip this one. But today, on the way to gymnastics I heard this sweet little "I'm an angel, now fork over all your loot" voice coming from my daughter.
"Mama, I remember that Sesameet Live sign."
This she remembers. She can't remember to be quiet for ten minutes while Vanessa is sleeping without being reminded. She can't remember that she already had the last cookie two minutes ago and there aren't any more. She can't remember that she really did need to go potty before dance class. But a sign for giant puppets LIVE from a month ago, that she remembers.
So, a trip to the coliseum box office and $51 later, we are going to "Sesameet Live" (by the way, that is how she has always pronounced it) on Saturday. That is their treat. Our treat is that they are going to spend the night at Nana and Papa's house afterwards. Oh, I mean that's for them to....yeah...that's it.
I'm being a baby today
I'm sorry I haven't been updating much. My computer is so screwed up. I need to get all my pics off and have Larry completely reset it. It takes for-ev-er to do anything on here. I am so sick of it.
I haven't really had a lot to say anyway. Life is back to normal around here...or as normal as it ever was. I'm still glad Larry is home. I am not ready to send him off again anytime soon. We are thinking about some kind of vacation for the two of us, but we still have lots of money/vacation time/what to do with the kids issues to sort out. It is still very much in the dream realm instead of the actually happening one. But, boy, could I use a break from everyday life. I love that I get to stay home with my kids, but it can be VERY tiring and stressful. I am so appreciative that I even have the option of being home. So many people have to go out and work and I know so many of them who just want to stay with their kiddos. I also know moms who like the fact that they work because it is actually a bit of an escape. That sounds worse than I mean it to. My attitude right now may stem from the fact that I have a very sassy 4-year-old and a very whiny, teething 10-month-old. They constantly need me. Even when I go to bed I have Natalie as close as she can get and Vanessa still wakes up 3-4 times a night for a bottle and to be held. I CANNOT get her to sleep through the night. Every morning I wake up and feel like crying because I am still so damn tired. I just want a little time away. I just want to be able to miss them for awhile.
I have more things to say floating around in my head, but Vanessa is trying to eat Natalie's leap pad and Natalie is having none of it. Great...now they are both crying. I need a nap.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Back from hiatus
With Larry gone to Las Vegas this week I didn't have a lot of time to do much of anything, let alone get on the internet. But now he is back (YAY!!!) and I have a minute to sit down and post.
I can't even express how happy I am to have my husband back home. I missed him more than I thought I would. And it wasn't just about having help with the girls. It was just seeing him and having him there. I felt like everything was off somehow because I didn't have my best friend here with me.
I don't often give him a ton of credit for how much he does help me with our kids, but I will now. Even if it is just keeping one busy while I am handling the other. Bed time was HELL while he was gone. The routine we had flew out the window and was replaced with what can only be described as mass chaos. I would get Vanessa to sleep and then start getting Natalie to go to bed and Vanessa would wake back up. And then the other way around. And then no one would be asleep and mommy would be holding back the tears and silently cussing daddy for being in Vegas having a great time while I was stuck here with two tired, screaming kids. But we somehow got through it. The girls would finally go to sleep and I would pass out until Vanessa would wake up again 30 minutes later. Oh yeah, did I mention that she was teething and sick with a cold this week as well? Yeah. That made it so much harder. I have a new found respect for single moms.
I haven't really had an opportunity to miss him for a long time since we haven't been apart since we, well, since we met basically. It was kind of nice to feel like I was 21 again, missing him when I didn't see him for a day. I reminded me how much I am in love with him. It made me realize that no matter what is going on, I just really want him here with me. So that was good.
He brought home some great souvenirs for us. Natalie and Vanessa both got stuffed bears that are so cute. Apparently Larry made his dad and brothers drive all over UNLV campus to find the bookstore to get me a UNLV t-shirt. You know how obsessed I am with college basketball and he wanted to get me something from the college. Isn't that sweet? He really is a thoughtful guy when it comes to the people he loves. And he sure does love me! He brought home lots of other stuff too. He went overboard, but it definitely proves that he was thinking of us all the time he was out there.
I hadn't totally realized just how much the girls missed Larry until he was home. Natalie was a little slow to welcome him at the airport. She told me later she was tired and scared in front of everyone. But last night when we were all home together she was beside herself with happiness. She just wanted Daddy to play with her ALL the time! She even wanted him to put her to bed which doesn't happen all that often. He just kept assuring her that he was home now. I think she was worried he would leave again. I was talking to her and said that Daddy had to work Friday and then he would be off for the weekend. I thought she was going to have a heart attack. "Daddy is leaving again? How long will he be gone? Do I get to go this time?" It broke my heart hearing how scared she was that Daddy would be gone again. We both told her Daddy wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Hopefully we will be able to go on a family vacation in the future. I know we would all like that. We will just have to see how the money goes and wait for Larry to get some more vacation time. Then I would love to take the fam to Colorado. I love, love, love the mountains!! But for now I am just happy we are all together again!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
And this is why you don't let a 4-year-old plan summer vacation.
Natalie: Daddy is going on vacation.
Me: Yep.
Natalie: When are we going on vacation?
Me: This summer. Where do you want to go?
Natalie: Ummm...Noggin.
Me: The TV channel?
Natalie: Well, yeah! There would be lots of stuff to explore.
Me: Yeah, I guess. But what about the mountains? Would you like to see mountains?
Natalie: Maybe one day, and then the next day we can go to the water, and then the next day we can go to a place with eggs.
Me: Eggs?
Natalie: Yes! But not with birds in them because the pets need to eat them.
Me: Pets. Eating eggs? Oooooook.
......................................
Friday, February 15, 2008
Yeah.
So. Here I am. And I'm still not sure what I'm going to write.
I have been hesitant, to say the least, about blogging. All of a sudden I am completely second guessing everything I want to say. It is so wierd. I write this blog knowing people read it. I tell people to read it. I beg people to read it. And then, when I realize people actually read it I totally freak out. I'm telling you, wierd. But I do want to thank those of you who do read this. I really do want you to. I promise. And if it makes you think or inspires a discusion or brings up a good point, well that's just icing on the cake, huh? (mmmmm...icing....) But don't worry. This is not going to turn into some kind of intellectual lecture. It will still be the same pointless drivel that it has always been. And thank god for that!
I am one of those nerds who likes to write rough drafts of my blogs in my head before I actually put finger to key. This usually happens at night when I am putting the girls to bed. I give Vanessa a bottle and the whole time I am thinking of new, inventive ways to call George W. Bush a douchebag the next day (well, I guess that answers the question of if I'm going to start editing my thoughts before blogging). I read Natalie "The Berenstein Bears Go To School" and all the while I am really thinking about how I am going to write something smart and witty when my day has consisted of nothing but poop and whining, (and really can you get any smarter or wittier than when you are talking about poop? I think not.). So you can imagine my inner dialoge the past few nights as I tried to get my kids to sleep. I thought about all kinds of posts I could make to go on with this blog and "make it work" (I love you Tim Gunn!). And I never could come up with anything that seemed appropriate. So I am just sitting and writing. If it seems a bit disjointed or rambling, well, that's me in a nut shell.
So, as Celine Dion once famously warbled "My Blog Will Go On"...or something like that. I invite you to read and comment. Actually, I demand it!!!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
100th post...and I'm feeling like a change
I rarely stick with anything for too long. I start out very enthusiastic about my projects and then I lose interest. So my excitement level is high for this, my 100th post.
But then again, I am feeling a little restless! You might have noticed I changed the name of my blog. I still love my two cute girls, but this has evolved into so much more than just an outlet to update on my kids. I wanted something more all-inclusive about me and my life. "Mom on the brink" pretty much covers everything. It just depends on the day what I might be on the brink of. The look of the blog is going to change too, it is just a matter of getting a minute to really think about it.
I am planning on posting my 101st post later today so check back!!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The nerve of some people....seriously
I had a bad day. Natalie gave me grief all day and Vanessa is getting another tooth so she is really whiny. So it was a bad day. And then..................
I had to stop at Dillons on the way home from dinner to get formula. I really, really didn't want to go but I didn't want to worry about running out tonight so I stopped. Now I wish I hadn't. I was standing in the checkout line behind a guy that obviously knew all the people that worked there. He has talking to them and making them run back and get things he forgot. As he was waiting on the sacker girl to get back with his cholesterol free egg noodles he started reading the formula can that was on the conveyor belt. "So, no breast for that baby, huh?" WHAT??? I was so offended that he would talk about my baby or my breast. I just kind of sneered at him and turned back to Natalie. A second later he says to me, and I am not kidding here, "Poor kid, being tortured with that powdered shit." I was so mad. No scratch that. I was livid. Nope, scratch that too. I was effing pissed. I was so mad I could not physically unclentch my jaw. My hands were shaking. I have all kinds of good comebacks for that man now, but at the time I couldn't even form words.
What would possess that man to think he had any right at all to talk to me about the way I take care of my children. Does he know that I tried my hardest to breast feed my kids and that I just simply ran out at about 4 1/2 months? Does he know that even if I wouldn't have tried at all he had NO RIGHT to criticize my mothering ability? Has he ever breast fed a child? Has he ever gone through the agony and guilt of not being able to do exactly what you want for your own kids?
I am a mom. I'm not perfect by any means but I do what's necessary to take care of my babies. I love them, I keep them clean, I keep them healthy, and I keep them fed. The ONLY people on the face of the planet that have ANY say in how I do any of those things are Larry, the pediatrician, and myself. I ask advice from those that I trust, my mom, Larry's mom, my friends. I certainly don't ask wierd, mean men in the check out line at Dillons.
Monday, February 11, 2008
If I was in the mood for a soap opera I would have stayed home and watched "All My Children"
Let me just start by saying: HOLY CRAP!!!
Some people have no sense of decency. Or privacy. Or respect for others. Or common sense (can you have a sense of common sense? oh well...you get the idea).
I went up to city hall today to turn in my fix-it ticket that I got last Wednesday for not knowing my head light was out. There was a line, but it was moving fairly quickly and most everyone was accepting the wait. Except one woman. One crazy, crazy woman. She was doing that "waiting song and dance" consisting of shifting her weight from leg to leg, sighing obnoxiously, and rolling her eyes so often I thought they might just roll right out of her head. We were ALL waiting. It wasn't like she was being treated differently then the rest of us.
I thought her show was over when she finally got up to the window. I was so, so wrong. Apparently the show had just begun. As her ticket was being taken care of her cell phone rang. She answered and what happened next was impossible not to watch. It was like catching one of those surgery shows on tv when you are channel surfing and not wanting to see it but you are physically unable to change. the. channel. It was like that...but worse.
The caller was a male that we all learned 1. stays in her house without paying any bills. 2. was allowed to "lay his hands" on her just last night. and 3. had the audacity to talk to another female today!!!!!!!!! She was yelling and cussing at him right there in front of everyone, absoluetly oblivious to the rest of us watching her and laughing at all the good parts (such as the afformentioned "laying of the hands"). Now, if I would have had my girls with me I would have been PISSED! But Larry was being a sweetie and watching them in the car so I could run in uninhibited. So it really was like a free soap opera. I was two people from the front of the line and I actually caught myself hoping it would take awhile to get up there so I could see how this all played out. I didn't have to worry...it took awhile.
The funniest part of her tirade was that she kept saying "I am not going to put up with this. I am going to hang up NOW!" and then she would continue on. We all began to smirk everytime she said she was done. Because she never was. She left the room STILL reaming the guy. She threatened with all kinds of good one liners that I will now have in my own repertoire. "I am a woman who just don't give a damn." "Males come and go, come and go. You're nothin' special." "Why would that bitch say it if it wasn't true?" (this one got an actual audible laugh from a few of the spectators). "You ain't nothing but a deadbeat ass bullshitter." (my personal fave!), and then out of nowhere she called him, in the meanest voice possible, a "procrastinator"...I'm not quite sure she knew what that word meant because it had nothing to do with anything else she was screaming at him.
She finally left with a super dramatic opening of the door and was gone. Everyone there looked at each other and laughed the laugh of the relieved and embarrased. The guy in front of me turned and said, "at least the time went by fast." So true stranger guy, so true.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Updates!!!
So much has been happening in our lives lately. It's kind of crazy. Life tends to have serious ebbs and flows, huh? It will be mind-numbingly boring for an extended period of time and then, all of a sudden all hell breaks loose. I won't get into everything that has been going on, but I will give you a brief overview.
Wednesday night my sister-in-law had her baby boy. She labored all day and finally had him at 9:42 at night. She allowed me to be in there with her. I NEVER thought that I would want to be that close to a birth that I wasn't directly involved in. But I have to tell you it was one of the most special things I think I have ever been through. One sister-in-law held one leg, I held the other, and her mom was at her head. I have been close with Larry's family for a while, but after the last few weeks I officially feel like a Roat. It's nice. I always wanted a big family with lots of nieces and nephews...and I have it!
Brayden is a cute little baby, and I'm not just saying that! He is going to be SO spoiled by his grandma and grandpa. This is a very special baby to them and you can totally tell how in love they are already. It's kind of like when my mom first saw Natalie and there was immediatley no doubt that she adored that little girl with every bit of her heart. That is what I saw with Lesley's parents when Brayden was born. Special for sure.
Thursday was Larry's birthday. I felt so bad because he worked all day and we really didn't do anything to celebrate at all. Natalie picked out the sweetest card for him(that made me tear up...I'm such a woman) from her and Vanessa and I got him a card also. We tried and tried to figure out something to get him, but all Nat could come up with was a "baseball guy". I'm not sure if she meant a real, breathing human baseball player or a figurine. But he doesn't like baseball anyway so we decided that maybe we could get him a baseball guy some other time. We ended up going the easy route and getting him a gift certificate for Best Buy.
Today was the girls doctor appointments. It was Natalie's 4-year checkup and Vanessa's 9-month. They checked out well and are healthy. Natalie is still holding steady in the 50th percentile for her age in both height and weight. My teeny-tiny Vanessa is around the 10th percentile for her age. She weighs a whopping 16 pounds!! She is just a petite little girl. Natalie had to get shots and she hated it, of course. There were some tears for sure. Vanessa didn't have to get shots, but still screamed like a crazy woman. Damn that doctor for having to measure her head! It sounded like she was being tortured and she kept looking at me like, "do something woman! Can't you SEE what he is doing to me!" But all in all the apointment went well and my girls look great.
There are other things that I could blabber on about, but I think I'm going to go snuggle with Natalie and watch some Backyardigans. I'm not sure who likes those dancing, singing, imagineing animated animals...me or my 4-year-old!!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Getting political on yo asses!!
You might not know this about me, but I am fiercely political. I am passionate about my views. I am also passionate about your views, even if they don't always agree with mine. I would much rather a person have different ideas on the issues then no ideas at all. Unless you are a fan of Bush...I'm just kidding....kind of.
Today is Super Tuesday and by tonight we are going to have a much clearer vision of where our country will be heading. I am excited by this. We are finally going to get some much needed change in our government. There are some candidates that promote more change than others (hello McCain..100 years in Iraq? Seriously? And you think people want that?). Take the democratic ticket for example. It will either be a young black man or a woman. Wow. Doesn't that just give you chills? I am thrilled we are opening up our collective minds and allowing change in. That makes this election important all on it's own.
The other issue making this election so important is that our country is struggling. Our economy is down, people are getting kicked out of their houses right and left, millions are going without enough to eat, kids aren't getting the proper care for their health. Which leads me to one of my key issues, we don't have any kind of universal health care. It has been done, and done well, in other countries that have far less money and resources. So why are we ok with so many middle of the financial road Americans not having the means to go to the doctor when they need to?
And then there is this war. This ridiculous war. I just want our men and women back home, where they should be. Not out fighting Bush's personal vendetta. We have screwed oursleves in the area of foreign relations, which is one of the scariest things I can think of. Who is going to have our backs when we are threatened again? And don't think that we won't be. We are not any safer now then we were in 2001. I would go so far as to say we are in more danger now with the amount of hate that has built up towards us around the world.
Of course there is also the envrionment that we are not so slowly destroying, a lacking education system where children are left behind constantly, woman's rights, human rights, immigration, and the ever-present problem of tax hikes and breaks. As you can probably tell at this point, I could go on and on and on and on and on.
At this point in our history we all need to stand up. We need to use our voices and our votes. We need to let Washington DC know we are not happy with how things are going. We need to shape our own futures and prepare the world for our kids to take over.
Go Clinton...or Obama....or both(wouldn't that be a great ticket?)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Cause and Effect
Because it was a beautiful day with just the right amount of warm and breezy, I took Natalie and Vanessa to the zoo today after Nat got out of school.
Because someone forgot to put the stroller back in the trunk this weekend I had to spend the $8 and get one of the stollers at the zoo.
Because Vanessa rode in the stoller, Natalie actually rode in, and stayed in, the stoller almost the entire way through the zoo.
Because Natalie was sitting beside her showing her all the animals and telling her facts about each one (sample..."Bears are stinky."), Vanessa had the time of her life waving, pointing and clapping at them all.
Because the girls were extra good this trip we walked through the whole zoo instead of just the easy parts.
Because I forgot my camera I missed HUNDREDS of cute photo opportunities of my girls enjoying the zoo together for the first time that Vanessa didn't just sleep or cry through the whole thing.
Because gas is so expensive I didn't drive all the way home and get the camera like I initially wanted to.
Because we had such a wonderful time I am now extremely ready for spring and double pissed that it is going to be cold and snowy tomorrow.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Happy Vanessa Things
Since the blog has been kind of depressing for a couple of days I thought I would post about all the fun new things my baby is doing for a little break.
For about two weeks now Vanessa has been clapping. It is so cute I can hardly stand it. She gets so excited and claps so enthusiastically that she usually tips herself over. Natalie loves clapping with her and then we all get involved of course. Lately if you were to peak through our windows (please don't...my house is too messy) you might find our whole family clapping for a basketball game, or a commercial, or even the news.
Vanessa also took her first "official" steps on Tuesday night. Larry's parents and sister were over to visit and she let go of the coffee table and took two very distinct steps to Larry. She then fell backwards and started screaming bloody murder, but she WALKED!!!! I say offical steps because Larry works with her all the time and she has stumbled a few steps to him before. But this was just a lot more deliberate and steady. I always hold her hands and let her walk around the house and she loves that. She gets such a kick out of doing things her big sister does. I know I am in for a world of trouble because not only will I have my spirited 4-year-old, but I will also have her little copycat.
She is getting so big! She says dada and mama and all kinds of babble words. She is approximately 17 pounds, both girls have a doctors appointment next week so I will know for sure how big they are getting. I just can't believe how proud I am of both my smart girls.
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On another note, Larry and I are going to Bill's funeral tomorrow. After the service here in Wichita we will all drive the 1 1/2- 2 hours to New Albany in southeast Kansas for the burial. With this weather I am a little nervous about such a long drive, but hopefully the roads will be pretty clear by tomorrow afternoon.
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And on another note....my sister-in-law is not going to be able to make the trip with us tomorrow because she is 38 weeks pregnant. So Lesley, you better keep that baby in there until I get back!!!!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Nobody said this would be easy
We told Natalie last night about her Uncle Bill. She doesn't quite understand it yet, but really, neither do I. She had a ton of questions, some that I could answer and some that I couldn't. She really just wanted to know when he would be alive again. How do you explain to a 4-year-old the concept of death? How do you explain that someone she saw every day for her entire life is not going to be there anymore? It was hard. Probably harder on Larry and I then on Natalie.
The family viewing was today and I really struggled with the decision on whether to take her or not. I didn't want her to be scared but I did want to give her the chance to say goodbye. Since all of her close family was going to be there, including Larry and I, we decided to go. I am glad we did. As we were leaving she said goodbye and that she loved him. I have a feeling he heard her. But then on the way home she had SO many questions. I was crying and stressed to her that it was ok to be sad. She cried a little bit and then said, "I have an idea. Let's take him home with us and take care of him and make him well." I told her we couldn't do that. "Maybe a doctor could." I told her not even a doctor could. She was quite for a moment. "We can still see him there, right?" I told her no. He wouldn't be there anymore. "But he is ok?" I told her he was ok. That he was in heaven and he wasn't sick anymore. That he was happy there. And then she said something that absolutely brought me to tears. "He will always be here with us." After I could talk again without sobbing I told her that in a way he would always be with us. That we could talk to him whenever we wanted even though he couldn't talk back anymore.
This is so hard. I can only imagine how hard it is on his family...his brothers and sisters, his nieces and nephews. Larry is doing as well as can be expected. He is sad, but he is holding up. The funeral is Friday here in town and the burial is after that in New Albany, where the Roat's are from. My mom is watching the girls that day. I just think it will be best. Death is a part of life and I understand that, but it sucks. It just plain sucks.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Very Sad
Last night, at about 8, we lost my Uncle Bill to cancer.
Natalie just HAD to sit next to Bill on the train at Wastson Park, and of course he said yes even though he was all squished in the middle.
From left to right: Marie, Butch, Jim, May, Bill and Bud.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
I wasn't officially tagged, but whatever....
I got this idea from another blog I read every so often and I thought I might try it.
The Top Five Reasons I Write a Blog
1. Because I suck at baby books: I tried. I really did. But I failed miserably at keeping up Natalie's baby books. Most of the important stuff is in there. Most of it. Not all. It still makes me sad to look up something and find that I didn't write it down. I thought I could remember. I couldn't. So now I write it in my blog, print out the blog month by month, and have everything in writing.
2. Because I can't afford therapy: I am a talker. You've probably met one if you aren't one yourself. One of those people who like to put words to their feelings and "talk things out". This is me. But I don't always have someone to listen (unless you count Natalie, and her advice is usually to have a cookie and be happy...and really, is that such bad advice?). So I type. Not everything of course because some things need to remain private. But I get things off my chest and I feel better. I would feel even better if more of you actually commented... (thanks to those who do. It really does mean a lot to me.)
3. Because secretly I want to be a professional writer: Or not so secretly. I want to write novels when I actually get enough time and inspiration to do so. But until then I just want to write words and have people read them. My big college dream was to go off and write for Rolling Stone magazine. But life happened and I didn't follow that dream. So I write a blog for now.
4. Because I love words: This kind of goes back to #3, but it's my blog and if I want to repeat myself I can. So there. I love language and what the written word can do. I love reading something that makes me think or laugh or get angry, anything as long as it touches me in some way. I hope my words touch some of you occasionally. It makes me so excited to find new words (yes, I realize I am a hopeless dork) and use them to get my point across.
5. Because I can: I have heard that there once was a dark, dark time where there wasn't such a thing as a "blog". People had to write in journals (gasp) and some didn't write at all (double gasp). I was never good at the journal thing. I would start with good intentions but by the fourth or fifth entry of "well, today was another boring day. maybe something will happen tomorrow" I would get bored and the journal would be put aside and forgotten. Then two years later I would come across it and try again with the same result. With my blog I can write boring shit and people still read it. And every now and then I write something kind of cool. And it makes me happy.
So, that's that. I am still tired and not having the greatest day, but my blog has yet again come through for me and given me a bit of joy and respite from my boredom. So now I am tagging you, yes you, to do this too. It's kind of fun and makes you think. Yet another reason I write my blog!
My night....
10:45: the girls are finally both asleep. yippy!
10:45-11:15: Larry and I talk for a little bit even though I know it's a bad idea and I should just go to bed, but we haven't really got to talk since this weekend.
11:15: Vanessa wakes up and cries. Natalie wakes up because Vanessa is crying.
11:18: tuck Natalie back in, say goodnight and she goes back to sleep
11:30: I have finally rocked Vanessa back to sleep
11:35: my head hits the pillow and I am asleep
12:30: Vanessa is back up. She wakes Natalie up too and she gets in my bed. I give up and let her stay.
12:40: Vanessa is back asleep. It is so cold and I just want to cuddle in my bed. I find Natalie sprawled out all over my side. I am terrified to move her and wake her up because I just want to sleep. I grab a pillow and head to the couch.
12:45: I'm asleep.
1:45: Vanessa is awake again. AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!
2:00: Vanessa is asleep again.
2:00-4:15: Two whole hours of sleep. Oh, glorious sleep.
4:14: Vanessa is up and hungry. I give her a bottle. I rock her. I threaten that if she doesn't go to sleep this instant she might not see her first birthday. I promise if she goes to sleep I will buy her a brand new car on her sixteenth, no fifteenth, birthday.
5:00: She is asleep and she WILL NOT be getting a car, maybe ever.
5:10-7:15: I have been up and down so much that my brain is racing. I start to threaten it that if it doesn't shut down and go to sleep I will replace it with a new, better brain that is more willing to sleep when it has a chance. Sometime along the way I do drift off.
7:15: I am being poked by Natalie. I tell her it is too early, I take her back to my bed, we lay down and go back to sleep.
7:55: Vanessa is awake for the day. Seriously.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
A one sucker day
I need some parenting advice.
I posted the other day about Ms. Brenda's assessment of Natalie in dance class. Well, today was gymnastics (also taught by Ms. Brenda) and we got the same evaluation....when she concentrates and slows down she can do the moves wonderfully. The problem remains that she won't concentrate or slow down. Today I could see her through the window running around and distracting herself and the other three kids in the class. Then I didn't see her for awhile. Turns out Ms. Brenda was telling her to calm down and sit on the end of the mat with the others and Natalie got mad and sat in a chair and wouldn't participate. So she only got one sucker at the end of the class while everyone else got two. This didn't bother Nat in the least. She was happy with her one sucker.
All the way home Natalie kept saying she didn't want to go back because the teacher didn't like her. Translated into non-Natalie talk that means she didn't get to do exactly what she wanted when she wanted to do it. I talked about how she had to listen to the teacher because she could learn so much. And the other kids want to learn to. And running around can be dangerous, she could get hurt or hurt someone else. And didn't she want to get two suckers like Jackson and Leah and Anna? And blah blah blah. In one ear and out the other without so much as a pause.
So, my question to you is...how do I get her to focus?!?! How do you teach that? She can concentrate when she wants to, I have seen it myself. We can do projects here at home where we sit at the table for an extended period of time and she will be involved and enthusiastic the whole time. Even if I have to go deal with her sister for a while, she will still stay on track. Why can't she do it at class? I realize she is four, I realize the other kids and the different environment distract her, I realize all of this, but seriously!! The other kids mess around but at least they aren't running amok or refusing to participate. I am so scared this is setting the tone for her entire schooling career. I am afraid for her that she won't get much out of school because her mind will be somewhere else....like La La Land. I am also afraid her teachers won't like her because of her lack of focus. I have worked at a daycare and been a helper in elementary schools and you can see the difference in the productivity of kids who are easy to work with and those that are not. Teachers are not perfect creatures, they are human too, and sometimes they just don't like working with certain students. What if my kid is one that they don't like to work with? What if she suffers because of her personality?
Ok, I am having a crisis in my mind and I know it may not be as bad as I am making it out to be. But I just want the absolute best for my little girl. I love her so much and I want her life to be happy and easy. I feel like I am failing her because I don't know how to remedy this situation. I am not asking for a zombie that just sits there, or a kid so shy that she won't show her self at all (like I was for many years). I just want her to succeed. And get two suckers like everyone else.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Are you listening Mother Nature?!?!?!?!
Who else is ready for Spring???
I sure am. I am so sick of the cold. It was fun for awhile and now I am done. I am ready to not have to worry if I will be driving on ice. I am ready to not see another snow flake until next year. I am ready to be able to let Natalie go outside and run off some of her bottled up energy. I am ready to get the girls dressed to go for the day without layering tights and socks and warm pants and a sweatshirt and a coat and gloves and a hat...... I am just SO ready!!!!!
Bring on the warm sunshiney days!!!!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The good news and the bad news.....
Ms. Brenda's assessment of Natalie in her dance and gymnastics classes:
She is very smart and when she concentrates she can do the moves beautifully. The problem is that she looses her focus so easily and often.
Yep. Sounds right. I am happy that the teacher is taking the time to care and work with Natalie on this because it is true for everything in her life. I am not sure if she gets bored easily or what, but she tends to let her mind wander.
I think (and hope) that going to school on Monday, gymnastics on Tuesday and dance on Friday is helping her. She really likes her classes and when she comes home she loves to show off what she learned that day, so I know she is paying some attention. She just really needs to remember to stop daydreaming and playing around and start working on what she is supposed to be doing.
I am a proud mommy. She is brilliant and beautiful, just a bit flighty. I have no idea where she got that from!!!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Just a few random Natalie stories
I got Natalie this really cool, big hardback book for Christmas with 10 different picture books inside. She loves picking which stories we read every night and definitely has her favorites. We read one by Mary Murphy about this little penguin telling its mommy what it likes. Natalie likes to talk along and this is how it goes:
Book: "I like it when you hold my hand"
Nat: I like it when you hold my hand too.
Book: "I like it when you tickle me"
Nat: I like it when you tickle me too.
Book: "I like it when we try new things to eat"
Nat: I like macaroni and cheese and hamburger helper.
Thanks for trying little penguin guy.
When I picked Natalie up from school last Monday her teachers assistant Miss Ashley stopped me and told me she just had to tell me what Natalie has said because it was SO funny. I was immediately apprehensive about this because Natalie can come up with some pretty crazy stuff. I guess when the kids were all going out for recess Miss Ashley was trying to convince Nat to put on her coat because it was a bit chilly. Nat didn't want to put it on (big surprise) and told Miss Ashley "I'm not going to put on that stupid coat. I got it at JC Penney's and I hate it and I'm not putting it on." Now, I'm not at all sure what getting it at Penney's had to do with anything, but her teachers thought that was pretty funny. I had to have the talk with Nat about doing what the teacher says and not arguing, but it was pretty hard not to laugh.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Hola!
I have not been in the mood to write lately. I'm not really sure why because usually I want to write all the time. Every time I do sit down and attempt to be clever every little bit of humor and wit magically leave my body for parts unknown and I am left writing things like..."sooooo, how about this weather?" even though the weather has been pretty mild and uneventful. Mucho boringo.
We had another nice weekend. Much slower then the last couple thank god. My parents watched the girls Saturday night and Larry and I had fun being an old married couple. Seriously. When did a Saturday night become him watching Jackass and me scrapbooking? We didn't have the energy or finances to go out and doing nothing sounded oh, so appealing. And it was nice. We acknowledged each other every so often, but most of the time we were wrapped in our own little worlds. I finished four pages for the scrapbook and if you know me you know how significant that is. I plugged those weird tiny earphones into my ear holes (which still feels so weird to me. I miss good 'ole head phones that are as big if not bigger than your actual head), I turned up my MP3 player and jammed at my table. I am sure that if Larry hadn't been busy watching grown men do the stupidest shit they could think of, he would have laughed at me. Thank you Johnny Knoxville for so thoroughly distracting my husband. Sunday, after we got the girls back, we all went to Chuck E Cheese. It was fun, but I was so ready to go after about an hour and a half. There were just too many demon spawn, I mean kids, there. It was insane. There were at least 5 birthday parties while we were there. Let's just say I think I have outgrown any magic that place might hold.
Well, I guess that's all I've got for now. I am so boring I just can't stand it. Soooooooo, bow about this weather?
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Name Games
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Sandy Elantra
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Strawberry Peanut Butter (man, that sounds scary, huh?)
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
L-Roa
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Red Chimpanzee
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Deann Wichita
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Roa-Lo (sounds yummy!)
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Purple Limeade
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Elmer Frank
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Tommy Girl Twix
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Lynn Frank
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Majors Montreal
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Spring Iris
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Strawberry Socksy
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Gummy Worm Red Oak
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + fave hobby/craft, fave weather + “Tour”)
The Scrapbooking Rain Tour
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Weekend Update....a few days late.
If I was a kid, this would have been the perfect weekend. It was completely full of things to do and places to go. It was really nonstop from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. As an adult, the weekend was still a lot of fun, but I also was so busy and had so much to do and plan.
Isn't my girl the cutest birthday girl ever?
The fam with the cake.
I love this picture of all the kiddos surrounding Larry while we is attempting to open a toy for them. I called him Larry Claus.
Such a cutie!!!
Me and Lizzy Anne 
Us and our girls
I think this next weekend should be a little more laid back with less to do. I am kind of looking forward to some down time. This has been such a hectic couple of months and there is more to come. There are three more birthdays this month (Carisa, Alexis, and Mom), and then Larry's next month, my nephew is due pretty much any time, and before I know it Vanessa will be turning one. Wow, that seems like a lot and I know I am forgetting stuff. We are just a family of nonstop fun!!!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Just give me the mother of the year award now.
In my excitement to post yesterday about my winning Jayhawks, I left out something pretty major.
Vanessa said her first word yesterday! She said Dada to her Dada. For a while she has been babbling. She says blah and ba over and over. While I am sure it has some meaning for her, I think it is mostly to exercise and practice her voice. But yesterday when she was playing with Larry she was saying Dada plain as day.
I feel like maybe my blogging priorities were a bit off yesterday. I am sorry to my baby girl. Of course your first word is more important than winning the Orange Bowl, Vanessa.
We have a big and busy weekend. We have friends coming in from Kansas City, we have Natalie's 4th birthday luau party today, and my nieces 1st birthday party tomorrow. I will try to post later or tomorrow, and I've already promised Ness that if she says anything else I will post it before any sporting victories we might have (KU and Boston College play basketball today!).
Friday, January 4, 2008
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK...GO KU!!!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
New Year...New Me! (or the same old me but with much loftier goals and aspirations)
One of my main goals for this new year was to stop procrastinating. With that being said, I didn't feel like becoming a better person yesterday so I put it off until today. I think I am off to a good start.
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2007 was a pretty good year for us. Larry turned 30. Vanessa was born healthy and happy. Natalie has done a great job adjusting to the major changes that came with the new baby and loves and accepts her sister (most of the time). We weren't ever rolling in the dough, but we survived and thrived without going into debt. We got some of our home renovations done that we have been planning for five years. We got a new car. And most importantly, I am still wearing the same size jeans I have been in for years (ok, maybe that's just important to me).
As good of a year as 2007 was, I am aiming at an even better 2008. Larry and I have both talked at length about the health and well being of our selves and our family. The talk went something like this...
"We eat too much junk."
"Yep, we do."
"And we don't exercise."
"HEY! I walked all the way to the mailbox today.....ok, you're right. We don't"
So, after that eye-opening exchange we have decided that is something we really want to work on together. We certainly don't want to find ourselves on Maury crying that we don't understand why our 4-year-old weighs 200 pounds as we are stuffing her face with oreos and Dr. Pepper.
Mmmmmm. Oreos and Dr. Pepper. Mmmmmm.
Ok, back on track here.
Other then the whole health thing I don't have any real resolutions per se. I have goals that I want to work on. Like having more patience and not "losing my shit" so often. I want to stop biting my finger nails. I want to save up some money for a nice family trip somewhere, even if it is somewhere close. I want to figure out the whole kids bedroom issue and get Natalie OUT of our bed and back IN her own. I want to cook more. You know, the usual stuff.
I find the whole New Year's Resolution craze a bit weird. I understand the want to change and I also understand that the first is as good of time as any to do it. But in my opinion we should always be changing and striving for better for ourselves. It is when we stop wanting to change that we become stagnant, and I do not want that. Just the word "stagnant" sounds gross and wrong. I will admit that in the last few years I have become what I refer to as "fat and happy". No, I didn't gain a lot of weight. I just starting thinking, "I'm married, I have kids, I have a house. What more do I need?" And I stopped caring about what I wore in public. I stopped taking the ten minutes to do my make-up. I stopped trying to make myself a better me and fell into some pretty deep ruts. Now I need to start crawling out of them. Accepting oneself and being content in ones life doesn't mean that that is all there is. There is always a way to make the good better. Does that make sense? Or am I just rambling?
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One of the most fulfilling and helpful things that I have come across this year is this phenomenon called blogging. I love to read other people's and get a glimpse inside their brains. But I have to tell you, writing this blog has made me a happier person. I went to a lot of school to become a writer. It is what I have always wanted. Now until I do become famous as a novelist or major contributor to a magazine, I have this. My discursive release. Thank you all for reading, really. I appreciate your comments. I appreciate having someone besides myself read my words. May there be many more posts this year. Now that's a resolution I think I can keep!
