my three guys

Also...

2010-11-16T00:19:00.001-06:00

I failed to mention that today, November 15th, was my former father-in-law, Chuck, Sr.'s birthday. Had he lived, he would have been 82 today and he would have rocked it. He passed of multiple myloma in June of 2004. I know he would have gotten such a kick out of knowing Nicholas and would be so proud of the young man Patrick is becoming. He was displaced from his family while visiting his family's summer home in Latvia (from Germany) at age 12 when the Nazis invaded Russia. He escaped a firing squad, lived off roots, berries and bugs and traveled back to Germany only to be put in a displaced persons work camp. Later he was reunited with his family and sponsored by a Lutheran orphanage to come to America where he joined the Air Force and worked his way up to Chief Master Sargent and served at the Pentagon as head of all of the dental facilities of the Air Force bases. He was a truly amazing individual, opinionated and extremely charming and I miss him.

Today

2010-11-15T23:28:00.000-06:00

I have been so reluctant to start blogging again, due to the chaos that was our move last summer. We have misplaced our camera charger, therefore I do not have any pictures of the boy's birthdays to share (yet), our time living at the hotel in downtown Chicago, our time moving into our house here in Park Ridge and all of the MANY renovations that have taken place. We will find that charger at some point and I will backlog our summer because the main point of this blog is to keep a record of our family. So many things that have happened over the past 4.5 years since I started this blog are so fun to look back on and remember (for us). Anyways, today I was packing up all of the Thomas the Train stuff that Nicholas has never been interested in and it brought me to tears remembering how Patrick and I used to build tracks and play trains when he was Nicholas's age and how that time is past and will never be again (Although, Patrick is such a well natured child he probably would play trains with me if I asked, but you get my point). Raising children day after day sometimes seems so long, but when I thought about those trains today, it only seemed liked yesterday and in reality it was 5 years ago. I asked Patrick when he got home from school if he remembered playing trains, and did I play with him enough. He warmed my heart by saying "You played trains with me all of the time, Mom. We had fun.". While I can't get those moments back, I am proud of the memories they provide, and I hope to be on this earth long enough to continue to create more...which brings me to another thought from today of a dear friend of ours from Lake Cities, Rich P., a true man of God, a wonderful husband, father and friend. Rich is one of the healthiest people I know, and yet he was stricken last year with kidney cancer. He has been through treatment and has been going for scans every 3 months. Now nodules appear to be growing in his lungs. I am reminded that "today" is all God ever promised us, it is a gift from Him, and we cannot expect anything more than His will. I want to remind myself and others to cherish every moment with loved ones, never lash out in anger, but be kind as Jesus would have wanted and always be thankful.

The Past 51 Days....

2010-07-21T10:33:00.000-06:00

have been a roller coaster. Chuck left to start his job in Chicago on June 9th which was incidentally Nicholas 4th birthday and the day of my left thumb surgery. Back in April I fell on my thumb while getting up from the floor while pushing out the coffee table with my other hand...anyways, I tore the ulnar collateral ligament off of the bone and had to have surgery. I had a lovely purple cast that I got cut off last Monday, and I am currently in a soft black splint that resembles a rollerblade wrist guard. We put our house on the market Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend and thankfully it was sold the following Wednesday. We had two full price offers that ended with the first offer giving us 3K at closing toward realtor fees. It was a HUGE blessing. The inspection revealed a leak in our shower that came from loose caulking at the place where the tile met the shower pan. Chuck fixed it before he left and replaced the half bath toilet (cracked tank). The buyers wanted a plumber to come out and make sure the leak was fixed, so one came out and opened up a hole in our garage ceiling and found water damage and MOLD! Ugh! All of this occurred right after Chuck left and I was recovering from my thumb surgery. Thankfully my parents were there the month of June to help me (and I needed it with only one hand). My in-laws came down as well and towed Chuck's boat back to their house. So the mold clean up people came and cleaned up the mold and put in these huge de-humidifiers to suck all of the moisture out of the carpet, walls and garage ceiling. They drilled holes behind the master bed & bath baseboards to pull the water out. It took 3 days to get the moisture out. We were to stay away from the bedroom as the machines could suck the moisture out of your eyes and mouth if you attempted to stay in there too long. After that ordeal, I left for Chicago and stayed 9 days to house hunt while my parents kept the boys at our house in The Woodlands. I enjoyed my time at the Four Seasons with Chuck and Chicago is an awesome place. I am really looking forward to finally moving there. While I was gone, Patrick managed to break our garage door and the pool vacuum hose. Chuck said "Don't worry, I will fix it when I come in for the closing on the 5th of July". So, I was left to get the 4' x 6' hole patched in our garage ceiling. I found a WONDERFUL handyman through our realtor who came 5 days before we were supposed to close and floated the sheet rock with promise to come back in the next few days to sand and paint. He only charged $150 (all of the other quotes were for $700). I so appreciated him, that I paid him $200. As he and his helpers left that day, I went to close the garage door manually. To my absolute horror, I pulled the garage door panels down on 8 of my fingers and was stuck! My parents had left at this point for a break and had gone back to Grapevine and my brother, Russell, had come down to help out. At the time he was taking Patrick to a friend's house and Nicholas was with him. I stood screaming with my fingers stuck. It was pouring outside and THANK YOU GOD, the handyman looked over as he was driving away and saw the garage door hanging half way and my feet twitching underneath. They rushed up and lifted the door, took me inside and got me ice to put on my fingertips. I recently had nails put on and I really think they protected my fingers. Most were broken or split, of course, but that was easy to fix. I cannot tell you how bad getting my fingertips smashed between the panels hurt, but I do recall calling my mom hysterical and calling her "Mommy". July 4th wknd was fairly relaxing. We went to our neighbor's house for their baby's 1st year party. Sunday we ate dinner there again and I took my boys to see the fireworks in The Woodlands and then we came back to our street and lit off fireworks as we have done for the past 3 years. Nicholas loved the fireworks so much that we continued doing fireworks in the street and at Grandma's for many nights after. Chuck came in at 11:30pm on the 5th and guess what I did? I went to Hobby Airport instead of Bush! Chuck was to fly out of Hobby on Wed night and I was confused and sleep deprived. We had our first day of movers that Monday and Patrick's 9th birthday party in the middle of it all. Finally, I picked him up at midnight and we went home for our last night in our dream house (as I now refer to it). Tuesday Chuck fixed the pool vacuum and garage door. The movers finished up loading the truck and my Honda CRV (which was quite interesting to see how they fit it in the moving truck). Leland (handyman) came back and our neighbors graciously invited us to eat with them for like the 5th night in a row. I took the boys over while Chuck and Leland were working on the garage door power cable and chain. I decided to bring Chuck a plate of food. Now, I have become quite efficient at doing many things with only four fingers on my left hand. This particular night, I misjudged my neighbors doorknob and whacked my fake nail on my index finger so hard that I ripped my real nail half off my finger. Screaming and crying and cursing commenced on the front lawn between our house and Chris and Cindy's house. Chuck ran out from the garage and saw red all over my face and hands from a koolaid packet I had mixed in a water bottle for Nicholas and he thought I was bleeding from my face. My nail bled from underneath my real nail..since then I have removed the fake nail and my real nail looks bad, but I think it will live. TO BE CONTINUED....

That popsicle might poke your eye out!

2010-05-31T11:13:00.000-06:00

The big dead tree has been a source of much discussion over the past two years. After Hurricane Ike, we have had weekly cards with quotes on our door. Well, we finally got the right quote. We knew at the time that we might be moving soon and we needed to improve the front yard. I have been asking Chuck to take out the giant bush for 2 years and he finally did. The dead tree was so tall that you could see it from far down the street in either direction. It was massive.

After Chuck took out the bush, the ice cream truck came by. The boys had taken off their safety goggles, but Chuck still had his on. Ha ha!

Kittens!

2010-05-31T10:51:00.000-06:00

The director of Nicholas's pre-school had a littler of 8 kittens. The mom was a calico and the dad was orange and white. We had been talking about either adopting a grown cat or getting 2 brother kittens. It was hard to resist the "Free Kittens" sign as I took Nicholas to school one day back in April. This is Tiger. He was the most laid back cat. He was such a doll. We chose his litter mate, Shadow, because they had been connected since birth (always playing and sleeping together). Tiger developed a really swollen abdomen and I took him to the vet only to find out he had F.I.P. We had to have him put down a week later. It was really, really sad.

Shadow is extremely laid back and docile. He lets us hold him like a baby. He is really sweet. Not wanting Shadow to be lonely, we got another one of his brothers and named him Cupid. There were two orange and white kittens left so Pam brought them back up to the pre-school. I took Patrick out early so he could pick out his new cat. Cupid is quite a little lover, too, but a bit more needy. If he is left in a room by himself he cries until we come and get him.

Spring (and some other weird happenings)

2010-05-04T15:37:00.002-06:00

Nicholas...

(Can you see the tiny flakes of snow on my hood?)

Last night we went to see the HSO here locally and they had several very recognizable numbers. Nicholas really impressed me with his knowledge of the instruments and his interest in the names of the composers for each song. For instance, when I said Bizet, he said "Georges Bizet?". He knew a lot of the songs from Baby Einsteins and Little Einsteins. I was so proud of my almost 4 year old! He was also really funny when we were listening to the "Overture to Orphee aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld)" by Bach and he looked at me and said, "Mom, this song always makes me cry" and then fake cried and laughed at how silly he was being.

Yesterday he said to me in the car...

N: "Mommy, I have dream that Luna will be quiet."

Me: "Really, a dream...you had a dream?"
N:    "No, Mommy, I HAVE a dream."
Me: "What is you dream?"
N:    "I have a dream...a dream to be 5".

   Nicholas says the craziest things sometimes such as when I recently went into the bathroom to check him after going #2. He said "That is not my poop, Mom. It is yours. Your poop came out of my bum."
   He has gotten better about yelling out weird things in public such as "I don't like that baby. Tell her to stop looking at me!" or "Mommy, why is that lady following us. Tell her to stop following us!" (This usually involves someone in heels walking behind us at the mall or Target. It is really embarrassing. I am glad we are making improvements in this area.)

Patrick....

The first picture is from "Go Texan" day at school. The boys got new boots and western shirts. Nicholas had pictures done at his school on a pony coincidentally the same week. Patrick is a Lego maniac lately. Free styling Legos are the way to go. He designs all kinds of vehicles.

Ear candles! I talked Patrick into doing them. He has one problem ear that produces a ridiculous amount of wax. They really help! This particular day we had been to the Earth Day festival and the kids had their faces painted. I was proud when Patrick came home the next week with a book from the library on how to make toys with recycled materials. He made several different toys using toilet paper rolls, string, clay, fabric, balloons and dried beans. He has always been the innovator in the family.

Bluebonnets!

On the way up to take pictures, Nicholas fell asleep AND we got rear ended in Chuck's new car. A Jeep Wrangler ran into us which is ironic since Chuck rear ended someone in his Jeep last November. It was a hard hit and Nicholas slept through the whole thing! Everyone was ok except for me. I hit my head on the improperly adjusted head rest. I had a bad headache in the back of my head for about 5 days, but it finally got better. The tow hitch was ripped off of the car and the axle was bent. I has all been repaired now. When we got to the area on the side of the road to take pictures, Nicholas would not participate. Finally after a bribe from McDonald's, we got some shots on the way back. We have beautiful wildflowers all over town this time of year.

Easter

2010-04-22T06:19:00.001-06:00

I love Easter! Cookies, dying eggs, ham, Easter egg hunts AND most importantly teaching the boys about the true meaning of Easter. What do bunnies and chicks have to do with Jesus rising from the dead anyways? I will have to google it at some point!

We did not see Daddy Saturday and then he finally made it home on Sunday about 5. We boiled him some more eggs for him to do. He seems awfully serious about it all! Patrick was kind of disappointed about the whole Holiday thing. Sometime it is hard that we have to modify our Holiday plans to include Chuck. We could have gone to my parents, brothers, MIL's or neighbors, but the drive is hard and as I told Patrick, let's just be thankful for the time we do have as a family. It is not fun for Daddy to work all the hours he does and feed 660 people on Easter when he would rather be home with us. Let's be thankful he is such a great provider, accomplished Chef and most of all, loving husband and father. THAT is what matters...not what time we have our egg hunt and eat ham (although we actually had steaks this year).

Here are the cookies we made on Saturday.

OK, I am just a little bit proud...

It is funny how you can very easily tell which ones are from Nicholas.

The red bunny with the red eyes was a little freaky and thank goodness for the Halloween and xmas sprinkles. Every holiday they make their way out of the cabinet for at least one cookie!

After the egg hunt and before church.....

We just cannot stop being silly for a moment!

Egg hunt at home. It is almost dark!

Chuck trying to keep Patrick from getting all of the eggs!

Looking for the money eggs. There were two and Nicholas ended up with both of them! It was ok. Patrick got Legos from us beforehand. In their Easter baskets, Patrick got a pooping gumball chicken and Nicholas got a chirping chick, but they quickly traded!

Pinewood Derby

2010-04-22T05:49:00.000-06:00

Here are the boys working on the car. We chose a pattern out of the Pinewood Derby book, Winner's Secrets, again this year. Last year we had just joined Scouts and when we were buying Patrick's unifororm the man at the Scout Shop recommended the book. Patrick picked the easiest design (since we were new to the whole deal) and won over the entire pack. You can read about it here.

Before the race....so many cool cars. The one that looks like a jeep won 3 trophies (most realistic, Pack favorite and something else). The Wii remote was a great idea as were so many more (Patrick's car is the third row up and fifth over). Patrick won 2nd place for his den of 11 boys. We are so very proud of him!

Here are Patrick and Andy (who won 1st place). We were excited to hear that Patrick's time from last year still holds the pack record of the fastest car at 2.773 seconds. Woo-hoo!

Boy Scout Catch Up

2010-04-10T20:57:00.001-06:00

FINALLY, I have this new blogger thing figured out. The posting of these pictures was so difficult at first. In old blogger, I had to upload photos backwards if I wanted them in chronological order. If I accidentally deleted one, I had to start all over to get the order right. It was a BIG PAIN! Anyways, new blogger is great because you can move pictures around and make them smaller or bigger, left, right center, etc. Anyways, this is a Boy Scout post. First we have the Cake Off Silent Auction back from November. It was supposed to be space, alien or planet themed. I had NO IDEA how competetive these people are! We did the moon and it was quite beautiful with its craters and mountains. It was a cinnamon swirl cake that everyone always loves and my buttercream frosting (I never cut corners with baking-I started baking in Jr. High. I don't like to cook, but I do love to bake.) The cakes were amazing! Last minute Margaret waited until the last minute to try and find a toothpick flag and an astronaut. WHO knew it was impossible! I will say that this was back when we were driving the cadillac (after Chuck's wreck) and traveling around without a heater or the driver side window rolled up was quite difficult (so I will give myself a break on this one). We were really late, too, and barely made it on time. Nicholas did not understand the whole process and insited we bring our cake home, so I kept having Patrick write down higher bids, but someone beat us in the end. Luckily, they bought another cake as well and needed to unload our cake. I was happy to buy it back for $15 (I think...it has been awhile...it may have been $7) Here are some of the cakes...

This is the winner, Matthew, from our den!

TOOL BOX

Chuck volunteered to show the boys how to build their own tool boxes. I got all of the wood the day before at Home Depot and he cut it the next morning. The boys did a great job. I love my husband for all of the wonderful facets that makes him so fabulous. Chef, builder, mechanic, boat repairman, decorator, camper, encourager, Christian, motivator, counselor, friend, amazing father and husband, the love of my life, artist, gardener, housekeeper, son, son-in-law, brother-in-law, nephew, cousin, grandson, neighbor, philanthropist...I could go on and on. He is amazing that he can play golf twice a year and blow everyone away. He never plays tennis yet still beats me. He skateboards down to the mailbox doing tricks while holding Nicholas. Is it hard to be married to someone so great? Am I jealous sometimes? Maybe a little. But I prefer to call myself extremely blessed that the boy I had a crush on in September of 1988 chose ME and has stayed with me through all of the mess and frustration I can be sometimes.

BLUE & GOLD BANQUET!

Chuck actually called in sick to work that day. The third time in 18 years! He woke up and couldn't walk. He had already been for an MRI and they immediately sent him to a surgeon. I chose a different spinal surgeon that partners with my Pain Doctor because I have heard a lot of good things about him. We went to the ER to get Chuck some major drugs that day. It was awful. I have never seen him in so much pain. He had the surgery 2 weeks later and has been great ever since. His foot was numb and his leg was on fire. He was limping. It was so sad! Thank you Lord, the surgery was a success and he bounced back so quickly! Mel came down the day before and we went to the rodeo carnival and exhibits. It was fun, but 5 hours of walking. I couldn't believe Chuck kept putting Nicholas on his shoulders! We had fun but it was so crowded. The boys had fun riding rides. Nicholas is quite the daredevil. Patrick loved the funhouses.

So, my parents were already in town visiting and took Patrick to the Blue and Gold Banquet. I hated to miss it. The boys get a lot of recognition and awards as well as the Bear patch they have been working toward all year long. My parents did a great job filling in. We are blessed to have such great grandparents on both sides.

CAMPING

We have loved our Boy Scout Camp Outs and our Boy Scout families. It is a lot of fun, relaxing and there are always come and go activities planned as well as a pack dinner and campfire at night where each den does skits. I am amazed at how comfortable Patrick is with Scouts and how well he can stand up in front of 100 people and tell jokes using the right inflection and not being nervous. Scouts is an awesome program that I would recommend to anyone. They are faith based (no matter what your religion) and it teaches the boys so much. Patrick has really found a place to shine with Scouts. He plans to stay in until he makes Eagle Scout (esp. once he heard that he will have an automatic admission into TX A&M (his dream school). Cool , huh?

This was a Park Ranger hike at Lake Livingston. I sent Chuck. I was napping. I know I'm terrible about that!

Chuck won't smile for me...

Nicholas (lover of all things Super Mario)

"OK, here is a smile for you, but let me have the Nintendo DS (or was it a rum and Coke?)" Patrick actually busted us one night (after Nicholas had fallen asleep) arguing over whose turn it was to play Super Mario on the DS and said "I can't believe you two..it is my DS...get your own!"

Isn't Chuck the cutest? I could not have married a better man. I love this picture!

Benji and Patrick playing..

Yes, look at me Mommy, I am sooo cute, too!

Reluctant

2010-04-02T01:04:00.000-06:00

I have been reluctant to post for awhile I have been very busy making an A+ in my Comp/Rhetoric class and a very sad 'D' in BIO. I had very high hopes when going back to school this past Jan. of doing really well in both courses. I was derailed soon into it all. I will not blame anyone but myself. I will say that I have not taken BIO since the 8th grade an I am thirty-five now so you can figure out the math. I did realize that I have a HUGE responsibility to my family and I LOVE that I do. School has been great and I will continue one step at a time, but my responsibility as a mommy and wife will always be my most important job...scratch that...I want to be a Christian first (and the rest will fall into place). Anyways, my point is, my derailment came when Jenny got sick. I have posted that we were not close friends, but Jenny was the type of Christian woman I wanted to be. When she got sick and then went to be with Jesus, I have to say that I came to understand what my purpose is on this earth and that I need to try harder to fulfill it. If there was ever an example of how to live as a Christian woman in these modern day times, well, Jenny was it. I am so sorry her world has lost her. I do not go more than a day without thinking of her, her husband, David, her daughter, Malaya, and her parents and brothers. Jenny, I look forward to meeting you again at Heaven's gates one day...

Jenny

2010-02-23T23:08:00.004-06:00

Our friend Jenny died yesterday. She came down with what was thought to be the flu a few weeks ago. It was a rare form of strep A that quickly led to septic shock. She was in the ICU for 19 days. Jenny was an unbelievable person of faith and light. She was truly an angel here on earth and now she is an angel in heaven. I met Jenny 7 years ago when we (mostly Patrick and I because Chuck worked nights/weekends) started going to Lake Cities. Jenny's dad, Rick Ross, was hired as our new minister. Jenny and her husband David had also moved from Mesquite where Rick had been preaching before. Anyways, I met Jenny on a Wednesday night as she was chasing her then 2 1/2 year old daughter Malaya out of a portable building we used as a fellowship hall. She was this beautiful, young mother laughing as she chased her lovely little girl onto the porch. She stopped and introduced herself and all I could think was, "wow.. I want to be like her."Jenny had this beautiful gift of the Spirit. Her faith was mighty. She lived her life in service to others. She made anyone and everyone feel comfortable. She would laugh with you, cry with you and ask to pray over you. She LOVED children. I never saw her lose her cool. She worked in a children's ministry over the last few years called kidstand. Her dream was to bring children to know Chirst. Jenny was someone I have always looked to as an example of how to live as a Christian woman. Over the years we had Bible studies, attended kids birthday parties and went through church events together. We were never close, but the impact she had on my life was extremely profound. I pulled up an old blog post that I wrote in late '07. One of the links for the "girl"s leads to Jenny's blog.

"When we started truly going to church 5 years ago as a family, it was not for me, but for Patrick. I "faked it until I made it" for a long, long time. I made myself and then guilted my husband (who wanted to remain true to his Baptist roots) to continue to go to church. And then, the MOST amazing thing happened. During that time, I prayed and prayed that God would change my heart and mind..that He would fill my spirit up...that He would HELP ME be MORE than just a ride for my son to church. HE did. Life changed for the better. People in our age group pursued us relentlessly. This girl & this girl and their righteous husbands kept on until we relented and let ourselves join a group that we otherwise figured we had nothing in common with. Introverts by nature, our backgrounds so different.... we gave it a shot... and we were so very blessed and changed for the better."

Jenny united thousands of people during her fight in the ICU. She has close to 10,000 messages on her care page. On facebook, a page was set up called Praying for Jenny Bizaillion and between the two, it has been awesome to see how many people Jenny impacted during her time on earth and how many she touched, who never even knew her, during her stay in the ICU. We prayed for a miracle, but God had other plans. We were witness many times to the power of prayer during her days in the hospital. My life has revolved around her carepage updates for the last few weeks. I have come to understand what "praying without ceasing" means. While Jenny was taken from her daughter and husband too soon, it has been humbling to see the impact she had on so many throughout her short life.

So Much to Say...

2010-01-22T14:37:00.033-06:00

Here is a quick update for my many readers (that would be you, mom, and maybe Chuck if he has time). There is so much to tell...Chuck has been working like a madman...13-15 hrs a day, but at least he has Sun/Mon off again and we can got to church together as a family. We had a great Holiday season starting with Halloween. Well, Halloween wasn't that great with Baby Kitty dying of course, but it got better after that. Thanksgiving was lots of fun. I cooked the whole dinner except for 2 pies and sweet potatoes. My good friend from high school, Debbie, and her fiance, Curtis, came over. I was really busy for two days cooking and I had to leave the kids to play without much supervision, which ended in Patrick whipping our neighbor (softly, as he put it). She and another neighbor girl had been chasing him and tackling him. Needless to say, we are not playing with girls anymore. There was also an incident of one of these girls spraying Off in his face. If you ever want to see terror unleashed, just try and injure my child. In retrospect, I should have taken this girl aside and counseled her, but after rinsing my son's eyes for 10 minutes, I kind of lost it on her in front of the rest of the neighborhood children. At some point in November, Chuck got in a car accident and totaled his Jeep. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt. My parents loaned us their third vehicle which was helpful. We borrowed my mom's Cadillac and I offered to drive it, so Chuck could use my gas efficient Honda to drive to work and back. During the second week that I was driving the Cadillac, the heater shorted out. This wasn't a huge deal (even though it was the week it snowed in Houston). However, the very same day that the heater broke, I took the kids through the drive through at McDonald's and the window would not roll back up (in the freezing rain, I might add). Fortunately we were close to home so when we arrived, I tried to pull into our garage. No such luck...it was too LONG! Chuck got home at midnight and moved our lockers and was able to pull it into the garage. Ugh, so we drove around for two days freezing. Nicholas kept a blanket or extra coat over his head! We checked all of the fuses and finally took it to the Cadillac dealer after relaying the bad news to my parents. They paid to get the window fixed, but the heater was going to be $2400 in parts alone! Meanwhile we got the check from the insurance company and I sent Chuck out on his next day off and told him not to come home until he bought a car. He ended up with an '07 GMC Acadia. It is really nice (Bose speakers, leather, heated seats, etc.). Car problems remind me of my late teens/early 20s while living in Austin. I had several wrecks, cars that broke down a lot and we both had our cars stolen. Car issues in my mid-30s really stresses me out, because I think we are at a time in our lives that we just should not have to deal with these kind of issues. We did do a rental for a little while, but that really gets expensive. Anyways, thankfully, we are back to normal now.

I started school on Tuesday. Biology and Human Anatomy 1 and Composition and Rhetoric are my two classes. I am excited, but a bit nervous. I haven't been in school since 1995. With Nicholas being in pre-school 15 hours a week, I decided to go back to college. I have been kind of bored, and I don't have much to do. I would like to finish my degree and have more money making potential for when Nicholas starts Kindergarten.

We LOVE Nicholas' pre-school and his teacher, Mrs. Renee. They decorate a letter every week, and this one below Nicholas took a picture of (actually Nicholas takes pictures of lots of them and his feet and light fixtures and..), but this week was funny because they decorate them on Tuesday and then bring them home at the end of the week. Patrick and I asked him what they used to decorate the "D' with and he said, "We used pants." I said, "You mean you dressed the letter D". Nicholas said "No, the other teacher was cutting out squares for us to use". Thursday, we understood what he was talking about because we saw that it was denim! Last night, I heard Bentley rustling around downstairs and found him eating the letter "M"! It was decorated with mini marshallows and macaroni. I haven't told Nicholas yet. I will get another one ready for him to make, before I break the bad news to him. Bentley is such a DOG sometimes.

Here is our miniature pumpkin that Nicholas picked out at pre-school in the pumpkin patch. I need to scan in the cute art projects they have done. We never got around to carving the larger pumpkin. This little one was so easy. I loved it. I have done so many of the patterns over the years that pumpkin carving has become mone of my least favorite holiday activites.

Halloween, I was a princess, however with my great-grandmother's mink stole, I think I turned out looking like an old princess. We went to a friend's party for a bit. Mel and Jack were on their way down and we had a hard day that day burying Baby Kitty. This is my neighbor, Paula. She and her husband were Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. They were so cute!

The boys were Indiana Jones and Superman...notice the whip on Patrick's right side...

Just a cute picture of N. the next day (11/01) our first anniversary...19 years

Thanksgiving Feast at pre-school...

Nicholas' Christmas Program...(he was with us in the audience...maybe next year!). Patrick also had an awesome Christmas program called the "X-Files", but I got it on video since Chuck had to work and didn't get any pictures.

With Santa at pre-school....We also did Santa at the mall, but I haven't scanned in the picture. He was so cute to draw a picture for Santa and wrap it (he was REALLY loving wrapping this year) and take it to him. He told the Santa at the mall that he wanted a DSi, laptop and cell phone. Hmmm, can you tell he has a big brother???

Christmas at my parents. We forgot our camera, so this is all I have for now. MaCrae-2, Nicholas-3, Patrick-8, Chloe-7 & Reagan-9.

Our Christmas card picture....

Christmas train the boys decorated...

Random pictures from Christmas are next. My parents were here x-mas eve and morning. Mel and Jack came after the N. TX blizzard on the 26th and we had a 3rd x-mas. Chuck's cousin, Donna, and her husband Steve came the next week from Austin and brought gifts from Chuck's aunts and uncles and grandmother. We had a great Christmas!

Ice skating (the best I got). I took more video than pictures.

Decorating Gingerbread houses...

Patrick's personality shines through. He used the candy necklace to have x-mas lights hanging on his house. He made a sled out of candy canes and used Lego candy on the sides of the house. The black and white candy in the front are candy penguins.

Here is the back...
Nicholas "really went to town" as Chuck would say.

Here is Chuck's. Can you tell he has had some practice?

Jack made a barbed wire fence for his!

The way all of these gingerbread houses came about was that Chuck was on TV a couple of times in December. He did a great job and we are so proud of him! Here are the links.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/video/videoplayer.swf

Downtown 2nd Annual Holiday Spectacular

I have a ton of Boy Scout stuff to update, but it will have to be later. I am exhausted from this post and from BIO this week. I have taken so many notes that my right arm hurts and my hand is cramped!

and Last but Not Least...

2009-11-05T13:03:00.003-06:00

Baby Kitty died Halloween morning. He had been diagnosed with pancreatitis and small bowel disease. In retrospect, I don't think the vet even realized how sick he was. He had been throwing up on and off for a couple of months. He went from 15 pounds to 12. We spent the last 3 weeks back and forth to the vet. He received fluids and would eat his special diet for awhile and then hide under our bed again and just drink water. I was giving him B12 shots weekly and he was on antibiotics. I can't go into the night of his death now. It is all still so painful. I want to remember what a great kitty he was. When he was younger (he lived to be 10 yrs and 1 mo), Chuck used to hit golf balls in the backyard and he would chase after them. He brought us so much joy through out his life. My parents and Chuck's mom fondly remember visiting us in Boston when he was a kitten. They couldn't believe we had gotten a 3rd cat, but once they spent time with him, they realized how special he was. When Baby Kitty was younger and Chuck used to set his alarm at night, Baby Kitty would hear him pushing the buttons and come running to jump in bed with him. Later, he used to follow me to bed every night and jump in bed with me. He loved to lay next to my on my body pillow like a person. If I stopped petting him too soon, he would put his paw on my cheek or give me kisses with his wet nose. In fact, 7 years ago, he didn't follow me to the bathroom to get ready for bed and I went to this love seat we had at the time where he was sitting and picked him up. It was covered in blood. That was the night he had broken his tail and ripped the underside. Chuck rushed him to the emergency vet and he ended up having his tail amputated. He was the best cat we have ever had. When we would board him at the vet, the vet staff would all say goodbye to him and be sad to see him go. He would come away from there looking like he had been at a spa because they had brushed him so much. He purred even when he was hurt or being examined. He cam to story time every night in Patrick's room. He sat on my lap while I watched TV. He slept in any open drawer or basket of laundry he could find. His real name was Scotch but I always called him Baby Kitty because he liked to be held like a baby. He gave kitty hugs with his front paws around my neck. He brought so much love and joy to our lives. Chuck made him a really nice box to be buried in and we had a funeral Saturday afternoon. We said our goodbyes and Chuck started to say the prayer and began to cry. It was very touching. We will never forget you Baby Kitty...

Chuck's Birthday

2009-11-04T17:36:00.005-06:00

Patrick made pop-up cards for Chuck that were Halloween themed. They were really creative! We got a package in the mail that day from Grandma and Jack and the boys loved their Count Dracula shirts. Nicholas wore his to school the next day and they took pictures in the pumpkin patch. I made this cake called "Kahlua Fantasy Cake" that was so disgustingly sweet. After 2 bites, I couldn't bear the thought of ever tasting it again. 88% of people who made it said they would make it again on epicurious.com. It was AWFUL! I threw it out last night. We got Chuck a one year study Bible, a Tagine (Moroccan cooking pot), preserved lemons and a cookbook on Tagine cooking. He was really surprised! After 19 years of birthdays that felt great. He also got several nice gift cards for buying some new cookbooks and jeans, a new long sleeved Polo from Great Gran and a book of sermons from Aunt June. The kids made out well, too, with puzzles and money from Great Gran. Speaking of Great Gran, she had knee surgery last Tuesday and had to be in the hospital for quite some time afterward from a bad reaction to some meds they gave her. She got out this past Tuesday and is at home resting. The kids and I are headed up to my folks house after school today. My dad is having stents put in tomorrow. Please keep all of our family in your prayers.

Boy Scouts

2009-11-04T10:22:00.009-06:00

This is the Brazos River in southern Texas. Can you believe how big it is compared to the dry river bed it is in N. Texas? We camped with the Boy Scouts near the river. We had beautiful weather. We were a little cold the first night, but we had brought 2 heaters this time. We did, however, forget our sleeping bags. We had some blankets and thermals, so we were ok.

Here are the boys during a rope tying achievement. They had made breakfast casserole that morning for our den.

There were really neat trees at this campsite.

Nicholas loved playing with these centipedes. They were everywhere. The scouts heard a presentation from the Park Ranger. He told the boys that these centipedes release a yellow substance as a defense mechanism that will turn your skin purple. My favorite quote of the weekend was from Nicholas, "Ooh, Daddy, the centipede just spit up on the chair!" Here are the purple fingers....

another cool tree...

These below are from earlier in the month when we went to a wolf sanctuary. Did you know that wolves are extinct in Texas? These have all been rescued.

Here we are the same day shooting off a model rocket that went 900 feet in the air. It was a blast!

Feeling Better

2009-10-05T11:45:00.003-06:00

I had some blood work done and found out that am anemic. I am low in vitamin B-12 and folate as well as iron. This and low vitamin D is leading to my fatigue. I have been tired most of my life. I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome when I was in jr. high, but I am not sure it still applies. I have been taking vitamin D supplements and a multi vitamin. I am going to talk to my doctor about how much of the other three I need to be on. Another doctor has put me on this new drug Nuvigil. It is a new drug for people with narcolepsy. They also use it for jet lag, CFS and Fibromyalgia. It has been working great. I was jittery the first couple of days, but I am better now. I actually feel like I have energy to go through the day. My mind is alert and the brain fog is gone. I worked out so hard the other day at the Y that I can barely walk up the stairs. I have felt so bad about myself through the years for not finishing college and having a career...for not being a 'super' mom (you know the ones with the home business, making it to every story hour and play date, always making the cute keepsakes that everyone loves, running their house like a business). While I would like to be like that, I am not going to beat myself up anymore for not being that way. I am just going to keep doing the best I can. My kids know they are loved. I have to feel that a lot of these problems I have had over the years are not all my fault. Perhaps I am really not lazy and unmotivated. Maybe it is a brain chemistry thing. I don't like making excuses and not taking responsibility for my actions, but this fatigue I have been dealing with my whole life has been so hard.

In other news, Nicholas is really liking pre-school. On days that he stays home (Mon & Fri), he wants to go. He is learning to recognize his ABC's and ask what words start with. As I type this, he is telling me that he lost Montana (he is working on a USA puzzle). He has learned a lot of great songs and sings them when he is at home. He is also learning Bible stories, too. They focus on one each week, so we read about it at home as well. He is also eagerly trying to write his letters and learning spanish. He is really into counting lately and wants to play board games. For instance he will draw and "11" card in Sorry and then count 1-23 and then say 11. He says the funniest things and keeps us laughing...

N: "Dad, what does your popsicle taste like?"

C: "Mine taste like cherry, what does yours taste like?"

N: "Mine tastes like babies"

That is not something Patrick has ever said. He is just funny that way.

Patrick brought home his progress report. He is dong great in math. Kumon has done wonders for his confidence and speed. We are still working on comprehension. For being such a mellow little boy, I had no idea that he would be this stubborn later on. Homework is still a challenge (funny, except when Chuck is home). I feel like the kids are in control of me sometimes. I have got to stop being so soft.

Chuck's boss is transferring to Beirut. They are not promoting Chuck to Exec Chef here (his company is big on moving for F&B managers to keep ideas fresh). He will be 'acting' Exec. Chef and his current title of Executive Sous Chef. They had 8 on their management team when we moved here and now they are down to 4. It is going to be a big job for him, but I know he will do well because he always does. We may not see him a lot, but we will be ok. He will still be off 2 days a week. It will be good for his resume and when the economy picks up it will help him be promoted.

Nicholas Started Pre-School

2009-09-12T13:30:00.003-06:00

Nicholas started pre-school on Tuesday. He will be going Tues/Wed/Thurs from 9am-2:30pm. He wasn't wanting to go at first, but then I remembered I had bought him the next size up in shoes when Stride Rite had their 'Buy One/Get One Half Off' sale last spring, so I pulled those down from the closet. He was a little more eager to go and then I offered ice cream after I picked him up. He then said "and donuts!" and off we went. I was relieved when we got there and he went right in his classroom and sat down and started playing with play-dough. I decided not to tell him bye and snuck out. They told me they would call if he got upset. Five hours and zero phone calls later, I went to pick him up and when he saw me, he started crying. They said he did great all day, but I guess when he saw me he realized he had missed me. He said he had made new friends "Ty and Walker" and that he had fun, but that he didn't sing songs (he had told us before school started that he would color, paint and play outside but not sing songs). We went and got his donuts and ice cream, but for the rest of the day he was really worn out. Well, Patrick was sick and Nicholas started catching it that night. He woke up several times crying out. Wednesday, he went to school just fine but they told me when I picked him up that he had cried on and off since lunch and they weren't sure why. He couldn't really tell me either, but I guess it was him getting sick. That night he woke up coughing a lot and I started coming down with it as well. He stayed home on Thursday and I was glad Chuck was off so I could catch up on missed sleep from the two previous nights. We both had fever for the last two days but I think we are on the mend now.

Nicholas said some funny things this week...

N: "Mom, can you open this coke?"

Me: "No, don't drink that one...go and get yourself an orange coke (his word for orange soda)

N: "No, it's ok, mom, I like diarrhea coke" (diet coke)

****

N: "Daddy, come look at my poop. It's not of as big as yours, but it looks like a dog!"

Patrick has earned back some of his toys. I didn't end up taking everything away after all, because he has way too much and I ran out of room. Chuck and I went through his room while he was at school and cleared out a lot of stuff and moved all the baby toys out of Nicholas' room, so both their rooms are a little more manageable. Patrick is still working on earning back some of his favorite toys. We are struggling daily with him to just to do the basics (make bed, do homework and feed the dog). Patrick is such a great kid and has always been so easy. It has been puzzling. He has always been a little stubborn but it never used to come out as much. We will continue to pray for guidance.

Writer's Block

2009-09-06T12:38:00.004-06:00

I wouldn't really call myself a true "writer", so maybe this is a life block. This past summer has been hard. Maybe the last 18 months have been hard. There are a lot of contributing factors. We haven't involved ourselves in a church. Chuck works Sundays and I have visited several churches with the boys. We have enjoyed one for the last year, but it is huge and I am shy. Add two stubborn little boys and a very unmotivated/depressed mother to the picture and you get sporadic attendance and no friends made. My self esteem is in the trash. I used to try and take Nicholas to story hour at the library. I used to try and take the boys to local free activities. Now I barely leave the house. I feel so bad about myself that I feel like I am punishing the general public by having them see me. I wish I could sleep all of the time. I take naps as often as possible. Chuck said the other day that I am striving to be unmotivated. That seems like an oxymoron to me.

In other news, Patrick started 3rd grade last week. He seems to be enjoying it. We put him in Kumon (tutoring/cram school) in the middle of July. It is a series of work sheets that he does daily and they should take 7-8 min. per packet. As I write this now, the time is 1:48pm and Patrick started at 8:30am. He still has not completed his 2nd packet (he normally has one reading and one math). I put him in a time-out earlier in his room and took away his legos (for while he was in his time out). In true Patrick fashion, he then said "Why don't you just take all of my toys away!". I cannot tell you how many times Patrick has said this starting around 4 yrs of age. So today, I did it. I gathered up trash bags full and plastic bins and carted them out. We have tried rewards, bribery and multiple ways of grounding. He still fights us. We wonder if we should just give him a free pass to fail and see what happens. We put Patrick in Kumon to help him memorize his math facts and improve his reading/comprehension. Even though he made straight As last year except for one B, we feel he needs some extra help in preparation for what we have heard is a very hard grade (3rd). So we are now in a battle with him. Not only over school homework, but Kumon as well. My dad is a psychologist and he has worked with lots of kids and even he said that he has run into very few kids as stubborn as Patrick. So there it is, the dirty laundry for the week. I am tired of pretending on this blog that life is always so exciting and great. Life is hard and full of challenges.

Nicholas is starting pre-school on Tuesday. He has been looking forward to it all summer, but when we pulled into the parking lot Thursday night for 'Meet the Teacher', he had a major melt down. He thought he was going to be attending Patrick's school. He said through screams and tears.."I don't want to go to this school..I am going to Patrick's school!". I finally got him in the door but he would not respond to his new teacher or anyone there, for that matter, and I had to carry him through the classes. Other than that, Nicholas is a complete joy to be around. He loves to be silly and try and make us laugh. The other night during prayers he whispered to me "Mommy, do you like your bo*bies? I don't I don't like your bo*bies. They squish me". He finally decided to go poopy in the potty this past Monday and he has done really well except that he wants to save it to show Patrick and Daddy for when they get home. Yes, it is gross, but it is working. Before, he was just waiting until he had his night time pull up on and then going before bed. He also gave up his beloved "ga-gu" (pacifier). He just decided about a month ago that he didn't want it anymore. He said that it was messing up his teeth and he didn't need it. Yippee! Two very big obstacles gone in a month and for that I am very thankful.

July

2009-07-15T18:14:00.031-06:00

July was a good month because Chuck was off for 3 weeks. We really enjoyed having him home. We had Patrick's birthday with my whole family. We went to Splashtown (a water park) on Patrick's birthday with his cousins and Richard and Brandi. We went to the beach on the 4th and the kids really enjoyed playing in the sand and water. We went to Chuck's families annual family reunion at Lake Texoma. Patrick tried to ski this year. We had Patrick's birthday party with his friends. It was all boys this year. We had 11. They had a lot of fun on the water slide and swimming in the pool. They were really cute wearing their mustaches (it was a Fiesta theme). Chuck got the boat out of storage and worked on it for 5 days and got it running again. We were able to take it out one day. We rode it all over the lake and had fun having a picnic and swimming. All was well until the engine cut out and wouldn't restart. Luckily we were close to the dock and able to use the trolling motor to slowly get back to shore. It seems to break down every time it goes out. This time it turned out that the gas line disconnected. Chuck had replaced the starter and the hydraulic pump the week before. It is a never ending project.

Chuck did some great chalk drawings to direct everyone to the back yard.

Lake Texoma was fun. I probably should have stayed home as I had an occipital nerve headache for about 9 days and could barely function. I ended up having a nerve block when we got back and I have been going to physical therapy since.

Galveston...

This is my brother Richard and Chuck is in the picture below. The slides were fun but is was so crowded and Patrick's shoes were stolen!

Cousins at church camp with Chloe's friend Ashlyn, who came along too.

Boy Scout Camp and Father's Day

2009-06-29T12:55:00.006-06:00

Patrick went to Boy Scout camp a few weeks ago. It was a day camp from 7:30am until 1:30pm. It has been the hottest recorded temperatures for the month of June. I chapereoned with another mom one of the days and let me just say...I nearly died! The boys were even dragging it was so hot. Hiking around the woods when it is 103! Playing volleyball at high noon in the sun! Ugh! I stayed positive for the kids, but for this blog I will say it was NOT fun and I nearly died. Toward the end of my day there, I started getting chills. Chills! Despite all of the water and gatorade I had consumed, I was sick. We came home and jumped in the pool with our clothes on. Then I went to bed for 3 hours. The next morning I woke up at 5:30 and my neck siezed up. This happens every once in awhile after too much heavy lifting (i.e cases of water, coolers and a wagon in and out of my car). I couldn't move my head for days despite ice/heat, pain killers and muscle relaxers. It took a good week before it was back to normal. Patrick had a great time though, however, he didn't want to go the last day for Family Day because of the heat which was ok by me as I couldn't move my head anyways.

Fathers Day was great. I made a mixture of Morrocn, Indian and Asian food for Chuck...Morrocon Lemon Chicken with Green Olives, Spicy Curry Cauliflower Stew and Rice Noodle/Shrimp Salad. For dessert we had a Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Pie. Patrick made him a wallet during the Leathermaking portion of Boy Scout camp.

Nicholas loves these crab claw shaped crackers we have, so here is Chuck feeding him raspberries with them....

Patrick is at church camp this week with his cousins and my parents are chaperoning. Nicholas starts t-ball tonight at 6:30. What kind of fool am I to put him in t-ball in July?

*****

Some funny thing Nicholas has said as of late...

"Mommy, it's morning! I wake up. The sun's wake up!"

"Bentley (our dog), STOP looking at me!"

"When we go to the beach with Baby MaCrae, I will hold his hand and we will go for a walk"

Nicholas telling a 13 yr old neighbor girl..."I drink chocolate milk, but I'm not a baby..I'm a big boy. My shirt has dolphins on it. I glued it on. I painted all of the pretty colors on it."

Me telling Nicholas.."You have to wear underwear to t-ball...there aren't any pull-ups in t-ball"

Nicholas to me " That's ok, I'll just wear diapers"

Nicholas Turns 3!

2009-06-26T10:18:00.018-06:00

We had a great time for Nicholas' 3rd birthday on Tuesday, June 9th (his actual b-day). Chuck was on vacation that week so we went to WF to see Mel and Jack and had a family party up there. My parents, Richard, Brandi & the kids, Chuck's grandmother and Chuck's Aunt June and Uncle Donnie all came in for the celebrations. I always make my kids a b-day cake on their actual birthday and this year the request was Rocket from Little Einsteins. This was my trial run cake before his birthday party at our house the next week. I made the first one with my usual butter cream frosting and has a really hard time keeping it from melting and making the colors deep enough. Rocket came our kind of pink, but Nicholas didn't care. Mel also had a cake for him so he got to have two birthday cakes! Mel also cooked a lot of really yummy food. We all had a good time. Nicholas was really cute opening up his cards. He seemed to be more excited about the cards than the presents at times.

Here is Birthday Party #2 at our house. Chuck cooked burgers. This cake I just used a powder sugar and milk icing and it was like trying to ice with thick glue. I tried to upgrade my cake a bit by putting Rocket on grass and I remembered his antennae this time and the characters. Rocket was cinnamon and the grass was chocolate with butter cream grass frosting. My boosters fell down but once again Nicholas wasn't concerned. Gotta love that!

Crossover

2009-06-05T11:19:00.004-06:00

Patrick had his crossover ceremony a couple of weeks ago from Wolf to Bear in Cub Scouts. We were proud of him for completing all of his accomplishments in such a short time (we joined in December). He is really enjoying Cub Scouts and is looking forward to day camp in a couple of weeks. I will be chaperoning one day, so that should be interesting (and very hot!). Patrick's last day of school was yesterday. We are proud of him receiving all 'A's this year except for 1 "B" (it was an 88) on all of his report cards. It is hard to believe Nicholas will be 3 on Tuesday and Patrick will be 8 in July. They are growing up faster than I can keep up with this blog!

Nicholas News

2009-05-27T12:13:00.005-06:00

Well, as you can see we are still using the binky or "ga-goo" as he calls it, however, we are doing better using it mostly just at night. He happened to have it in the first picture below, but he took it out for the rest. We were taking pictures of his black eye that day. We had been shopping at H.E.B. the day before in the produce section when Nicholas tripped and became airborne into the produce bins. It was after school and we were in a hurry to shop and get done in time to get to the Y for Patrick's swimming lessons. Patrick was distracting me by asking if their was any star fruit there that day and if so could we get some. I directed him to the exotic fruit section. Across from this I went toward and area where they have bell peppers, eggplant, etc. in these tilted bins stacked on top of one another at an angle. Nicholas ran behind me and out of the corner of my eye I saw Nicholas fly face first into the chayote squash bin. He landed on his eyes (the crease of his eyelids), and the scream that came out of him was really frightening. I scooped him up and we went to the car. I called the doctor's office and they were booked for the day. They suggested we go to a nearby minor ER clinic. Well, after we checked in he was all better and I felt ridiculous for taking him there. They saw us very quickly and by the time Nicholas got his lollipop, he was already realizing how to use his injury to his advantage. He told Patrick he had to throw away his lollipop wrapper because he (Nicholas) couldn't because he had hurt his eye. I think my panic that day came from the incident last year when Nicholas ended up hitting his head on the coffee table and getting 4 stitches and a CT scan. It was also the way he landed face first on his eyes. The E.R. doctor commented on his scar, his many bruises on his legs and his scraped elbows and said "Well, mom, this probably won't be your last trip to the E.R.". Meanwhile, Patrick fell and scraped both knees last week FOR THE FIRST TIME in his life and he will be 8 soon. Amazing....

The next picture has nothing to do with the ones above. I just thought it was cute. We had built a fort in his room, and he had lured Baby Kitty in with treats.

Weekend Trip

2009-05-27T11:28:00.007-06:00

We went to see Grandma and Jack in Wichita Falls a couple of weeks ago. We also took a trip to Throckmorton to see the cousins. My brother and SIL have remodeled my grandmother's old house (well, it's really their house now) and it is beautiful! I wanted to get pictures but my camera battery died. We also had a few things involving the American flag to do for Boy Scouts, so we did them with Jack while we were there since they have a flag pole in their front yard. Patrick lost 2 teeth that weekend in 24 hours. The lower left lateral was knocked out by Nicholas while they were wrestling at Grandma's house. This really took Nicholas by surprise and he was asking Patrick if he could put it back in. The right lower lateral came out on the drive home the next day when he was eating chicken tenders in the car. Patrick seems to lose teeth all at once. During Thanksgiving break in 1st grade he lost 3 teeth.

Raising the flag...

We learned how to properly fold the flag...
.

Two bottom teeth lost in 24 hours....

Patrick and Chloe...

This is how my nephew MaCrae rolls. The bigger the shoes the better!

Photo Shoot

2009-05-18T14:02:00.005-06:00

We had pictures made a couple of months ago and I forgot to post them. Luckily it was before Easter and the photo place had bunnies on hand. Nicholas wouldn't have any part of the process until the bunnies were brought out. After that he was all smiles.

Boys Will Be Boys

2009-05-08T11:04:00.007-06:00

OK, I am not sure what is worse...me letting Patrick do this (although he said it was Nicholas' idea) or me documenting it! We used to listen to a band called the Butthole Surfers and this is what that term means. At least Patrick got him all suited up for safety, right?

Chuck got the boat out of storage a couple of weeks ago to work on it. He found this really cheap place to store it when we moved here (it is around $16/mo). You should see this storage facility. It is where old boats that have sunk or broken down, beat up RVs and rusted out cars go to live their final years. Please, if anyone out there wins the lottery, could you please buy my husband a new boat so he can let this one go? The last two times it has been on the lake it has broken down and of course there is the famous sinking incident at the dock. Boat repair shops won't even look at it because it is too old.

That night, Chuck got sick with a horrific stomach virus. I won't go into details, but it was really bad. Two days later I woke up about 4:30 with the same bug and Chuck called into work to stay home with me and the kids. I was amazed! Chuck won't even stay home from work when he is sick (he had been sick on his days off), but he said he knew how bad I was going to feel and had to be there to watch the kids. I had scheduled a piano tuner that day, so I was lying upstairs feeling like I was going to die while listening to the guy downstairs tune the piano for an hour and a half. In retrospect, it was funny. Thankfully, Patrick did not get sick but, Nicholas got it the next day. Oh what a mess...what a lot of laundry.

Easter Weekend

2009-05-08T10:15:00.008-06:00

We went to Dallas early Friday morning and met my parents and our old friend Edie at the aquarium. We had planned to go to the zoo, however, there was a wind advisory because of all of the recent wildfires, so we opted for the aquarium (with the rest of the metroplex). Nicholas had never been before. He really enjoyed it.

This picture is at Dolphin Park in Grapevine. This park was right next to Patrick's old school and we spent a lot of time there. When Patrick was 2, I would take him there almost every day and it was kind of surreal being there with Patrick now almost 8 and Nicholas almost 3. When Patrick was Nicholas' age he loved to peek down through the tube slide at me and say "Hi Mommy!" I will have to look for an old picture from that time. I can't believe how fast they grow up.

Early Easter

2009-05-08T09:57:00.006-06:00

We had Easter on the Tuesday before because Chuck was working that weekend and we were going to visit my parents. Nicholas really loved dying eggs this year and the kids had an egg hunt in the backyard. Nicholas really enjoyed it and got the hang of it more than last year. The Easter Bunny brought Nicholas a bubble machine and sidewalk chalk and Patrick got a large whiteboard for his room with markers. I finally gave in last year and admitted to Patrick that the Easter Bunny wasn't real. I can't stand having to lie to my kids about this stuff.

Cute Conversations

2009-05-06T10:56:00.002-06:00

Driving in the car....

Nicholas: "Mom, why is my tongue pink?"

Me: "Because that is how God made it."

Patrick: "Your tongue is pink because it is full of blood. Your tongue is a muscle. It is one of the strongest muscles in the human body."

Nicholas: "No, it's not full of blood...it's full of telephones!"

******

Nicholas eating trail mix and finding a cashew...

"Mom, what are these...house shoes?"

******

Nicholas is still not completely potty trained. He was dong well last fall until a whole bunch of teeth came in and I had to put him back in pull-ups. He goes now when it is convenient for him. He will be starting t-ball this summer and three day pre-school in the fall. I told him that there are no pull-ups in baseball. He said "Well, I can just wear diapers then."

You Can't Go Back

2009-04-21T07:21:00.002-06:00

I went back to our old home last weekend for Easter. We moved a little over a year ago, and I guess there has been a part of me that wished that we could one day move back there and insert ourselves right back into our old lives. There is always a possibility that Chuck's job could lead us back there one day, however, I realized this past weekend that you can't go back. So many things have changed in the last year. For one, our kids are a year older. Were we to move back, in say five years (this is just a random thought), Nicholas wouldn't be 18 mo old and Patrick wouldn't be a precious first grader anymore. Another change is our previous church. There has been a major upset. Many of our friends have left. Lots of hearts are broken. It would be very hard to worship there right now. Our old house has also changed as well (yes, I know of course we wouldn't live there again). The new owner ripped out all of the landscaping in the front..all of it! It was quite a shock to see. I guess what I learned last weekend was that even though I have longed for my old life in this past year, I have slowly let it go and adjusted to the new life as well. There is so much to take from every experience we have in this life and we can choose to grow as a person and look for new opportunities or we can wish for what once was and what will never be again and have a lot of unhappy days. It is not to say I haven't had my share of unhappy days in the last year because I have, but I am happy now that we are here and we are a family and we will continue to make the best of life. We are so very blessed. This has been our fourth move in our marriage, so I am not unaccustomed to starting a new life. I suppose this last move has been harder because we had so much of our family close by and we had and such a great church family. It was a lot to leave behind, however, we have much to look forward to as well.

Camping

2009-04-07T09:38:00.009-06:00

We went camping over Spring Break with our neighbors. We were unprepared for lows in the 40s and we nearly froze. This was a trial run camping trip to see how Nicholas would do and to see if our old tent (from when we used to camp before kids) would be large enough. Well, it was not, but we had a great time anyway.

Nicholas and Ally

Chuck changing lures over and over again for Nicholas.

Paula and Austin roasting bananas! Paula found a recipe online where you peel a small piece of off the banana and then scoop out a sliver. Then you put Nutella and marshmallows and roast it. Chuck said it was really good.

Bentley enjoying marshmallows too!

This picture was from the next weekend when we went camping in Rusk for 2 nights with the Boy Scouts. We only got one picture the entire time. We arrived Friday afternoon and set up camp. It was extremely cold and windy. I made Frito Chili Pie for dinner and when I was cooking the chili on the camp stove, the tarp over the picnic table kept getting blown off the center pole and then the pole would crash down and hit me on the head. Oh, and then there was the rain that all of a sudden came out of nowhere. We brought along thermals and more blankets this time, but we were still cold Friday night. The low was 35 degrees! Saturday, we were to go on a train ride between Rusk and Palestine. It was a 25 mile train ride there and back with an hour and a half lay over. This was all supposed to take 3 hours. Well, 7 hours later, we finally made it back to camp! Our train became disconnected from the engine and they had to send another train. It was such a long day, but the boys did fine. After we got off the train we went to Walmart and bought a propane heater. That helped quite a bit the next night. Many of the families left Saturday because of the freezing cold. It was a weekend I will never forget.

Long Time, No Blog

2009-03-17T10:50:00.014-06:00

I guess I have been busy lately with gardening, sewing and reading on top of the cooking, cleaning and kids. We went to see Chuck's mom a couple of weeks ago for her birthday. I surprised myself by driving 12 hours in 2 days on top of a visit to Altus, OK, for a family get together at Chuck's grandmother's house. We celebrated Mel and Chuck's uncle David's birthday with great food (as always). I think there were 14 of us there. The kids were great travelers. The DVD player and the Nintendo DS are wonderful for long car trips.

There have been some lay offs at Chuck's work and all managers have to take 6 unpaid days by September, so that is not too bad considering what so many other companies are going through. Of course this means more hours for Chuck (which doesn't seem humanly possible), but that's ok. We are thankful he has a job.

Chuck has been off for the last few days so we went to the Space Center and we really enjoyed our time there. We happened to be there on Sunday and were able to stay and watch the launching of the space shuttle on their big screen. It was exciting to be there and see it live.

Nicholas favorite phrase of late is "This is my..." such as when he sees neighborhood kids he will say "this is my friend, Patrick" or he will tell us, "This is my house" or "This is my cat, Baby Kitty". He has been having fun with the planting of our flower and vegetable seeds. He told me that "the plants are growing big just like me". When we pick Patrick up at school he says, "Hi Patrick, did you have a good day?". He loves to sing his nursery songs and is making up knock knock jokes. As my dad said, he really enjoys life.

This was fun to go inside and see the cockpit.

This guy looked so real. We were touring a mock up of the old apollo rocket.

The Big Tomato, Hairplanes and Sank You

2009-02-17T08:40:00.006-06:00

I love this age with Nicholas (and loved it with Patrick, too) because of the cute words they come up with. Patrick and Nicholas were running around my MIL's backyard recently hiding from the big twister (courtesy of a recent Wonder Pets episode they watched) and Nicholas has continued the game here at home over the last few weeks, except that he keeps saying "Hurry, hurry, mommy, the big tomato is coming!". He also calls airplanes "hairplanes" and says "sank you" instead of thank you.

Patrick had his school program last week. It was called "Dinostars" with an American Idol theme. It was cute. He is in the back row on the right with the orange hat.

I made Valentines for his class this year. They were lifesaver rolls turned into rockets. They turned out pretty cool. Chuck sent me tulips and one of our neighbors left flowers on our doorstep. Aside from the colds and pink eye, it was a good V-day.

While Chuck was on vacation he finished a walk way that had been started by the previous owners. He also wired our new under the cabinet TV that my MIL gave us for Christmas. It is really awesome for when we are cooking dinner or doing the dishes.

Catching the Big One

2009-02-04T12:48:00.010-06:00

We went fishing yesterday at the pond behind our house. Nicholas loves it, so he is fitting right in with his brother and dad. Patrick took us by surprise with the monster big mouth bass he caught. Chuck had to help him reel it in and hold it for the pictures. We have mostly catch and release ponds/lakes around here, so perhaps we will catch this one again!

Chuck has been on vacation for the last week and a half and fortunately doesn't go back to work until next Wednesday. He went on a guys trip to Vegas last week for 3 nights and brought home more pictures of food than sights, but this is typical as he was with 4 other chefs. We had a great visit at Mel's house last weekend and were excited to have Aunt June, Uncle Donnie and Great Gran down from Altus for a very delicious dinner that Chuck cooked for us. We were also able to see Chuck's cousin, John, and his wife, Mary, who were in town to do some shopping. The boys flew a kite Saturday afternoon. It was a great day for it as it was very windy.

Our Boy Scout Super Star!

2009-01-26T08:26:00.007-06:00

We had a great day yesterday at the Pinewood Derby Race. When we bought the supplies for the derby at the Scout Store, the man working there recommended a book call Speed Secrets. Patrick picked out a pattern in the book for a very simple car called "The Winning Car". He not only won in his den of 12 boys but he also won 1st over the entire pack of 60. His car's time was the 2nd fasted recorded in pack history! We are so very proud of him!

The awards ceremony. He received two trophies and a t-shirt.

And then the rug is pulled out...

2009-01-20T18:04:00.006-06:00

There are times in your life when everything is going as well as can be expected. Everyone around you in healthy and happy and there is much to be thankful for. It is in these moments I remind myself to stop and pray for God's graciousness, for his mercy and compassion. I try and be thankful for what I have and who I am. To not wish for more or take for granted the blessings all around me. And then a day like today happens, and the rug is pulled out from under me. My heart is broken...my loved ones are suffering...the world feels as if it is crashing down. Situations is the past that were always a question or a hurt feeling all of a sudden come into focus and make sense. I found out today that a loved one has been hurting and struggling for years and none of us had any idea. I am in great fear for their future and praying that they won't die. I am completely reeling right now. Please be in prayer for our family.

Christmas in Review (finally)

2009-01-17T09:34:00.021-06:00

Christmas in WF with Mel and Jack....

Nicholas riding his new bike from Grandma in 16 degrees!

Scrabble game at my parent's house...

The big cousins...(Patrick, Chloe & Reagan)

Patrick & Chloe...

Brandi & MaCrae

Chocolate Village at the Four Seasons...

Our chocolate amenity waiting for us in our room..it helps to know the Pastry Chef.

Santa brought Guitar Hero World Tour for the Wii!!!!!

Sharing Fun Dip....

Enjoying the really nice weather...

Fabulous dinner made by Chuck after working all day and feeding 740 people at the hotel!

I love my lamb bloody!

"Because...no."

2009-01-06T13:15:00.002-06:00

This would be Nicholas' favorite saying as of late. We will ask him a question such as "Why don't you want to get dressed?" and his reply is "because...because...no" in the cutest voice ever. Something else that is kind of funny that he has always done is that when I am singing to him he says, "No, Mommy, stop singing". I will also try and kiss him and he will say, "Stop, no kissing head."

My grandmother bought the boys new bedding for their rooms for Christmas and Nicholas moved into his big boy bed three nights ago. He has slept through the night for 3 nights now. Something strange to be saying when your child is 2 yrs and 7 months old. This has been an answer to prayer as Nicholas has been waking me up nearly every night for the past 4-6 months. He has even ended up in our bed (something we have always been against) more times than I can count in order for us to get to sleep. It has been exhausting and I can't believe we waited this long for the big boy bed. He was probably running into the sides of his crib and waking himself up this whole time.

Patrick joined Boy Scouts last month and we have been busy working on his achievements. I opted to not buy the iron-on patch adhesive (because being a stay at home mom, I have an "I need to be a supermom" complex), so I have been sewing on patches this week. I am sure I could do it with my sewing machine, but seeing as I barely know how to use it, I am afraid that it would end up a tension nightmare. Since school started up this week, Nicholas and I will be touring Mother's Day Out programs for him. I am looking for a part-time job as well. Chuck is taking two weeks vacation at the end of this month, so I am looking forward to having him home. I think a camping trip is in the works. Looking forward to a blessed 2009!

Food for Thought...

2009-01-06T13:07:00.001-06:00

The Drugging of our Children (Gary Null) (SSRI drug dangers)(Columbine shooting)

and

The Myth of American Health Care: The Lies that Are Killing Us

Fun for Your Feet

2008-12-31T12:17:00.004-06:00

or perhaps not, if you do more than the recommended 15 minutes they say to start out with (as I did last night...ow!..my right foot hurts today). I saw this ad in a magazine before Christmas and got very excited to order some for Chuck and his mom. Every once in awhile in life you have an opportunity to truly surprise people with something they could not ever imagine and this was my year for that. Both Chuck and his mom stand on their feet all day, so I thought this would be something that could help them. I am often buying Chuck things like the Pedi-egg and foot creams to help him out. I have told him for years to go to the podiatrist and he finally did last spring and got some orthodics. He also found out that the tendons in both of his big toes are shortened and this is part of what is causing him pain. Surgery down the road can fix it, but he is not in any hurry to do that at this time. SO, there is your foot update. I am still trying to upload Christmas pictures. I need to get pictures from my dad and Jack as we took more video (as usual) than pictures. We had a week of Christmas starting at Mel & Jack's house on Saturday the 20th and then onto my mom and dad's house (where we enjoyed staying at the Four Seasons Las Colinas...roughing it, you know) and then we were home on Christmas eve and had Santa Christmas day. Chuck had to work Christmas day but was off the five days before. They served 700 people for Christmas day brunch, if you can imagine. I am surprised that many people go out for Christmas. Then Chuck came home and cooked a wonderful dinner of lamb, roasted rosemary new potatoes, carrots and asparagus. It was a fabulous week!

People Not Like Me?

2008-12-19T18:17:00.003-06:00

Nicholas' favorite saying as of the last few months has been either in a questioning voice..."Baby, like me? (such as babies at the soft play area at the mall) or in an angry voice "Patrick not like me! Hmf!" Well, I am wondering this year if I have lost all of my friends as I have received 11 cards. I sent out 61 on Wednesday. I guess that answers the question that I am not on people's original list. I am a polite return card recipient. I guess there are worse things...

Gingerbread House

2008-12-18T12:28:00.008-06:00

Every year, I have painfully put together the gingerbread house kit with Patrick. It has always been something I dread, because the icing is a mess and gets too hard while we are decorating the house. The house is hard to keep together even with the framed out base. So this year, I told Chuck that it was time he participated in all of the fun. Well, wouldn't you know that Costco got in a new kit this year by Wonka that has pre-mixed icing in a bag that is really easy to use? His house turned out great and he and the boys had fun putting it together. Nicholas was quite fond of licking the candy before placing it on the house. My neighbor is making homeade gingerbread houses with the kids this weekend. I could never attempt that as rolling out the gingerbread dough for gingerbread men is hard enough!

Disco Elves

2008-12-15T14:32:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Card Rejects

2008-12-15T08:34:00.011-06:00

This year we made several attempts to take pictures of the boys. There was the festival of lights (back in November), in front of our tree (twice), on the trail behind our house and at the pond in our neighborhood. After 135 pictures, I ended up using a candid shot with the forbidden binky (or ga-gu, as he calls it) in Nicholas' mouth. After sending the order in, I realized that not only is the binky in his mouth, but Patrick is doing rabbit ears to him as well. To top it off, I forgot to add our names to the card, and I sent sent it to a Target 35 minutes away. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, right? I am a big fan of Christmas cards and I usually get mine out before now. I also get a little wrapped up in the idea that our popularity among others is based on how many Christmas cards we get. Well this year, as of December 13th, we have received 4. Four! I know some people do not send out Christmas cards (like my own mother-can you imagine?), but this is kind of sad. I am hoping that the address cards I sent out in March simply got misplaced and people did not update their address books right away like I would upon receiving a new address. Perhaps they are just waiting for our card to come, so they can promptly return a card to us. Then there is the thought that the Christmas cards we receive after ours have been mailed out are only polite 'return' cards and that we were not on people's original card list. Oh the agony! Chuck says I get too wrapped up in the whole idea, but I have always been kind of a nut about it all. Well, anyways here are some Christmas card rejects...

Oh, and I forgot to mention below who the woman that I think Nicholas looks like is..Chuck's grandmother from Germany. She died when Chuck was 11 or 12, I think.

Well, since the old pics are out...I think this one looks like Patrick

2008-12-10T01:18:00.002-06:00

Who Nicholas Looks Like...

2008-12-10T01:14:00.002-06:00

OK, so maybe no one sees this but MIL and I, but I think it is true...

Christmas is Coming!

2008-12-06T11:06:00.012-06:00

So here are some Christmas jammies that used to be Patrick's at this age. The arms are already too short. Nicholas is tall for his age at 39" and 35 lbs.

This was at a local Christmas lighting festival complete with the opening of the ice rink, a snow hill, Santa and fireworks.

Still wondering who Nicholas looks like...

Here comes Santa on the boat...

I ended up with a lot of blurry pictures..by the time I got the setting right, he was leaving

Mel and Jack were down last weekend...Nicholas was so sweet

Creepy picture of Baby Kitty....he has always slept under the tree.

Nicholas wouldn't ever be still!

Very excited about the star...

Daddy always puts the star on top...

I always give Chuck a hard time about not helping me with the ornaments, but he informed Patrick that the reason he doesn't help with the ornaments is because I rearrange every one he hangs. There is a science to it. You must hang the ornaments so that they don't bend the branches and they must not rest on the branch below them. I think this is just pure ornament hanging common sense, right?

I know this much is true....

2008-12-01T22:50:00.002-06:00

A title of one of my favorite books...I will steal its title. We do have so much to be thankful for. Chuck was working this year and his days off were just the weekend, so there was not enough time to spend with family. We missed going to his mom's, his aunt June's house and my mom's house. We (the boys and I) graciously accepted an invitation to our neighbors and spent the day with their family. I will admit it was hard for me...I think spending time with other people's family made me miss my own so much more. My parents did come through Wed. night on their way to a cruise for their 45th wedding anniversary on 11/29. Mel and Jack came to see us on Sat./Sun. after they had just celebrated their 2 year anniversary on 11/28. We have our health, our wonderful supportive families and each other. I am just a sucker for the holidays and can feel a twinge of sadness at a moment's notice. What can I say...that is how God made me.

The Moments I Dare Not Forget...

2008-11-14T17:06:00.005-06:00

Patrick:

I was looking through Patrick's school calendar the other day and noticed that 2nd Grade is having a Native American Food Tasting opposed to the Thanksgiving Feast that grades K & 1 will be having. 3rd grade is having something theme oriented as well and 4th grade isn't having anything at all. I was struck by a moment of sadness thinking of how as Patrick gets older, these countless Holiday parties that he started out having at 2 1/2 in Bible School are coming to an end. I lay awake at night sometimes thinking about the memories I don't want to forget. There was one time when I went to pick you up from pre-school. You came running toward me as if we had not seen each other for a long time, so excited and full of joy to see me. I went down on my knees as you ran into my arms. I cried and hugged you not wanting to ever let you go. There was a time when we were at church and I was in the kitchen helping prepare lunch. Instead of running around with the other kids, you asked another adult, "Mr. David, what can I do to help?". There are the many pictures you have drawn for us, your grandparents, cousins and Uncle Russell. The way you loved your yellow dump truck that you got for your 1st birthday. Racing that truck around our house daily and even taking it on vacation with us. The love you had for your trains and visiting the local depot when you were 2 and climbing aboard the open cars. Your love of seafood from an early age. Me asking you once at Costco when you were barely 3 if you wanted the white fish or the salmon and you pointing to the middle of the case and saying "No, crab!". The time when you asked your daddy what he was cooking and daddy said rice and you asked "Is it sticky rice?". From a very early age, you wanting to sit on the counter and watch your dad cook. Daily visits to the park during your toddler years. Me peeking up through the tube slide at you at the top. With the blue sky and sunshine behind you, squealing "Hi, Mommy!"with delight. Your absolute sweetness and love for your baby brother. Always lending me a helping hand, most times without me asking. The way you play with Nicholas, showing him how to climb at the park, helping him learn ride his tricycle and telling him to be careful. Just last night, watching you construct a tinker toy work of modern art complete with pulleys. I am enchanted with your creativity. Enjoying your recent hunger for Bible stories and watching your mind work as you begin to understand the complexities of God's word and magnitude of His love. Looking in your eyes when you were born and feeling a love like no other, so complete and whole and perfect and new. Hoping I can remember more of these moments and write them down before time slips away...

Nicholas:

Your infectious smile when you were a baby, always so happy to see me when I came to get you out of your crib. Your love of every toy that I hesitated saving because Patrick never played with (the Leap Frog toys, the shape sorters, puzzles and coloring books). Your complete opposite personality from your older brother. Loud. Spirited. Against the grain. The way you laugh and play games, living life as if it is one big party . Your wonderful manners as of late always saying "please", "thank you" and "welcome". Telling your daddy "I cry at Y", "Mommy not like me", "Patrick not nice" with your bottom lip sticking out. When you yelled at the library "Mommy hit me" the other day when I had merely tapped a pointed finger to your chest because you would not stop pushing back all of the library books at your level. Me being completely mortified. Listening to you sing "Tinkle, Tinkle Little Star". Proud of the fact that you have learned all of your shapes, colors, can count to 10 and are starting to learn your states. You have an affection for Utah and you love to say "Hoo-tah". The way you yell "No, Tigers!" every night as we head toward the stairs for bath time and you want to be carried because you are truly afraid that there are tigers on the stairs and we have no idea why. The way you always point out the moon and talk about how it is sleeping during the day. Your recent love of Little Einsteins and saying "Mommy, watch rocket". How every time we get in the car to go somewhere you say, "No, go home" with such insistence. Your admiration and adoration for your older brother.

3 Random Things

2008-11-13T10:39:00.005-06:00

Patrick made straight A's and was rewarded with a remote control helicopter. My grandparents used to pay us $5 an A growing up. I believe in incentives/rewards for good behavior and good grades. We are so proud! 2nd grade has been ok afterall!

Nicholas' favorite toy is the whoopie cushion. Boys of all ages seem to enjoy this in our home. Chuck and Nicholas can spend at least 30 minutes playing with it.

Chuck brought me flowers on Tuesday for no reason. I love you, Chuck! You are so good to me.

Park Fun

2008-11-04T15:29:00.006-06:00

These were from the park a couple of weeks ago. The little girl in the picture is Caley, our next door neighboor. Patrick and Nicholas both adore her. Nicholas used to call her "I-E" but now can say Caley. We have had a great week having Chuck home. He was able to reassemble the boy's playset. The wood on the bottom had rotted out while we were in Grapevine and the movers had been unable to put it back together when we arrived. Chuck had to replace some key boards, and it doesn't quite look the same, but oh well! He saved us $400 buy not having to buy a new one! Yippee!

AA here we come!

2008-11-02T19:25:00.003-06:00

So last week, my MIL asked Nicholas what he wanted for a snack and he said "beer!". Friday, Patrick brought home this postcard that he had written at the first of the school year. They had written about something fun they did over the summer and then these postcards were put on the bulletin board (which is why we are just now getting them). Patrick was talking about going to VBS at Lake Cities (our old church where my parents still go). The word "wine" was obviously supposed to be "when". Paige, if you have a VBS comment scrap book, don't forget this one!

The Year I Forgot the Birthday Candles...

2008-10-30T11:27:00.009-06:00

Chuck is determined to not let me live this down. I did buy some for his second birthday cake. Who get two cakes, you ask? Chuck does. His mom brought one that we had Sunday night and I made one that we had Monday night. We had a fun weekend with Mel and Jack and we have had a good week with Chuck being home. We are having a Halloween party tomorrow night. More pictures to come!a>

Gotta love those magic candles! Chuck got a wonderful Dora b-day card from Nicholas and a game for the Wii from the boys and I. Happy Birthday, Daddy! We love you!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-21T14:02:00.009-06:00

The pumpkin patch we went to this year is really a Christmas tree farm. Riding on a hayride through a Christmas tree farm is not quite the fall experience I was looking for, but I found another pumpkin patch about and hour and a half away that we might go to this weekend. They also have a corn maze (a pumpkin patch must! and 16 acres of actual pumpkins growing on the ground). On Saturday nights, they have a pumpkin glow with 400 pumpkins lit up. When we lived in MA, we went to a pumpkin glow with 4,000 pumpkins that was amazing. If you are ever near Oxford, MA in the month of October, I highly recommend it.

Dribbling...in more ways than one!

2008-10-11T21:35:00.011-06:00

Nicholas has absolutely amazed us lately. In the last two months, he has gone from a grumpy toddler to an absolute joyous, verbose little boy. He still loves his sports and he has been potty training this week! It has been so easy! He is really interested in shapes so I started last weekend with having him try and go potty on a square before his bath (lately, every night we would try and he would say he couldn't but then go in his bath). Finally, I grabbed him out of the bath and put him in front of the potty in time and he went last Sat. night. Well, since then, as long as we had cut out shapes in the toilet (circles, squares, triangles and hearts), he is excited to go! We have had to color some of them with markers (if anyone decides to try this I would recommend colored tissue paper as markers on toilet paper squares don't work so well). Today, he took off his shorts and started to pull off his diaper and said "Da Da, help!" and my dad said "Oh, let me help me put your diaper back on" and he said "No, Da Da, tee tee in the potty" and he went even without his shapes. Later today, he decided he had to go and I left him in the bathroom next to the potty and left for a moment to hear him go "Oh no! Mommy, shoo wee!". He had pooped on the floor next to the potty. Yes, gross, but hey, he gets it! In less than a week! Patrick took over a year to potty train. Nicholas just amazes us with his vocabulary and how much he seems to know. I don't doubt that Patrick knew as much, but he just took longer to put it into words. My parents have been here since last Sunday night because on Monday, I had a nerve burning procedure in my neck in between 4 vertebrae. I am not supposed to lift for a week, so it has been great having them here to play with the boys and help out. It has really made me realize how much we miss them in our day to day lives. The boys are so close to both sets of grandparents and we feel so blessed to have them in our lives, regardless of how far away. Nicholas has also learned to ride his tricycle in the last couple of weeks and I included a picture below of Patrick whizzing by on his heelies. He is always busy with his friends. We had a close game of monopoly together today as everyone in the neighborhood was out, but it ended quickly when the doorbell rang and he was swept away again. I am enjoying my boys and their accomplishments so much!

Pooh's Dream Come True

2008-10-02T11:52:00.006-06:00

After the hurricane, we noticed water spots on the ceiling. This led to an inspection of the roof for a hole. It turned out to be a big hole (the size of a coke can). It was curious that we had been finding dead bees out in the front of our house since we moved in. For some reason, we didn't give it much thought until the water spots arrived. I guess you figure if you pay $700 for a detailed inspection and also pay for a pest inspection from a reputable company, that this would have been found out already. Not true. So, the pest people came out last Tuesday and killed the bees and then plugged the hole with expandable foam, so the worker bees out for the day couldn't get back in. They asked if we just wanted the hive killed or killed and removed. Would people really leave a dead hive in their roof? Anyways, the pest guy came back Monday morning with a ladder, razor blade and a tarp. When I opened the door, he said, "OK, I'll just be coming in and out. I have got to come up with a game plan, first." Hmm, I thought, you are the pest removal service and you don't have a game plan? You advertise on the side of your truck that you remove bees, but you are not sure how you will do this? So he sets up his ladder and barely makes it to the spot where he thinks he can go in. His first try was through the wall, but as you can see he ran into a 2x8 (Nicholas was watching him cut and said "triangle!"-smart boy). Next he went to the part of the void space above his head. My neighbor, Paula, was over and we were chatting away with our cameras poised, when all of a sudden thousands of dead rotten bees fell on top of his face and head. No need to tell you the words that came out of his mouth.

There were seven layers of homey comb and from what the pest people said, each layer represents a season. That is almost 2 years!

Honey dripped all over the pest guy (and our walls) as he pulled the honeycomb out. It was so disgusting and smelled really bad.

He plugged up the square with a folded up tarp and some paper towels and honey is still dripping through the tarp onto a tarp on the floor. He showed me with his flashlight that above where the hive was, the roof deck had rotted away and all that was left was shingles. Now, we need to figure out how to clean up the honey soaked wood, have the roof repaired, clean up the honey on the wall and possibly repaint AND call the exterminator out again to check for mice or squirrels. Chuck awoke the other morning to Baby Kitty staring at the wall. There was something scratching on the inside. Yuck!!!

Sunday at the park and some stories

2008-09-30T12:02:00.006-06:00

It is hard to get a real smile out of Patrick. They are usually silly or forced looking, but I like this one a lot, even if he isn't looking at the camera. Nicholas has been a real prankster lately. He loves to get a mouthful of water while swimming and then spit it in your face. He thinks it's hilarious no matter how much we scold him. He has also been chasing the cats with water guns. Every time I try and change his diaper, change his clothes, wipe his mouth, etc., he runs away screaming and laughing. It is cute the first time, but all day long of this game gets old. He is very sweet other times bringing his dishes to the sink and always saying please and thank you. I was having a power struggle with Patrick last night over doing a breathing treatment and Nicholas said "Dow-jow, time-out! One...two..three!". This made us both laugh.

Last weekend, Mel and Jack came for a visit and Patrick asked me how to spell "carnivore". I told him and then later he came and asked for string, solo cups and tape. I was on the phone at the time, so I wasn't paying much attention. After I got off of the phone I went to see what he was up to and he had a sign strung across his doorway that said "Carnivore Room". He had made 4 very elaborate games from tinker toys, solo cups and various balls. I started laughing and said "Carnivore ?". He said "No, mom, I said carnival! Does that say carnivore?". He was embarrassed and fixed his sign, but I was amused at him welcoming his grandparents to stay in the "Carnivore Room". I videotaped the games he made. They were really quite ingenious. The one out of tinker toys was even 5 feet tall.

Hurricane

2008-09-25T11:01:00.006-06:00

This was way after the storm when the water had receeded, but at one point there was a guy in a conoe paddling down our street.

We were so blessed to only go only 4 days without electricity in comparison to many people who still do not have power or who have lost their homes. Our water supply wasn't affected and our stove and water heater is gas powered, so we were fortunate to still be able to have hot water and cook in our kitchen (even if by flashlight). Before the storm, we did stock up on ice, bottled water, propane and charcoal for both grills. Chuck desperately tried to find a generator, but they were sold out all of the way to Dallas, Austin and San Antonio two days before the storm hit. The night of the storm we stayed up until 2:30am watching the progression. We finally went to sleep until Nicholas woke me up at 5am. The winds were really loud and flying debris kept hitting the house. We went downstairs to check the news again and the eye was really close to our area. The news people kept saying that if it sounded like there was a freight train overhead, then take cover, but it was so loud, I don't know if we would have been able to tell if there was a tornado or not. About 6:25am the power went out while Nicholas and I were downstairs watching the news. All of the flashlights were upstairs in our bathroom and if I had yelled out to Chuck, I don't think he would have heard me. I was contemplating how to get upstairs in the pitch black when I remembered my cell phone was in my purse close by. We used that as a light and got upstairs and woke up Chuck who then turned on some lantern flashlights. We went back to sleep and the rain continued for 8 more hours (raining a total of 14 hours straight). Chuck called Jack and he and Mel met us in Corsicana late Saturday night with 4 generators they had barely found in WF. We went to Walmart and bought an a/c window unit and gas cans that Chuck strapped to the top of the car and got home about 2:30am Sunday morning. Our neighbors on both sides purchased a generator and we were able to run our refrigerators, a small TV (although we didn't have cable), a lamp and fans. It was a great relief. But then came the anxiety of trying to find gas every day to fill the generators. All of the gas stations couldn't run without electricity and a lot of them had run out of gas before the storm. A generator our size usually runs 5 gallons of gas every 12 hours. Well, we made it through and Chuck even went back to work on Monday because all of downtown never lost power and the hotel was full of evacuees. Then came the anxiety of getting him to and from work with very few gas stations opening up and our neighbors still looking for gas to run our generators. It was crazy! On Tuesday, we heard on the radio that we should not expect to get power back for 4 weeks. Four weeks! Then Tuesday night all of a sudden the lights came on. We found out that only 15% of 400,000 Entergy customers got their power restored and we were part of them. Amazing! Our cell phones had not been working the entire time during all of this except for every once and awhile we could text, but it was very erratic. They came back on Wednesday and our cable/phone/internet connection was restored Wednesday night. Once again, I will say how very blessed we feel to have not had any damage to our house like you will see across the street from our house in the pictures below. We saw tons of tress lying on houses and cars in our neighborhood alone.

They brought in a huge crane to lift the tree off of their truck and house. The truck barely had a scratch. If I ever buy a truck, I think I will buy a Ford!

Fall is for FOOTBALL!!!!

2008-09-07T22:11:00.002-06:00

Football has arrived. Today, I woke up tired, despondent and wishing for more sleep. Nicholas woke up every hour on the hour (it's amazing how kids do that) all night long with the tickle cough I had a week ago (except that I did not cry out for my mommy and look for my binky). Patrick is sick, as well, but was in good spirits ready to play with Nicholas and help me out today when I asked. My cell buzzed around noon and I had a message from Russ reminding me that the Cowboys were on at 3pm. Hastily, I forwarded the message to Chuck at work and then grabbed the remote out of Patrick's hands to make sure that we would be able to see the game. We are holding out until the absolute last minute possible to get the NFL Network as it will add $7.95/mo to our bill. It only takes a phone call to get it connected so at this point we can wait to see if it will be broadcast here before we add it on. I remember when we were in Boston and I would go to Sports Bars by myself to watch the Cowboys play. My grandmother (who is 90) keeps a schedule of the Cowboys and the Mavericks in her Bible. That is how important they are to our family. Anyways, I perked up immediately. All of a sudden the sun was brighter, my flower beds were more beautiful and life was just a little bit better than yesterday. The Cowboys delivered...they won 28-10. I love my football. I enjoyed seeing the Bears beat the Colts tonight and I secretly giggled that Tom Brady is out all season. Ha Ha you Patriot cheaters!

An old favorite poem from the past

2008-09-07T21:23:00.000-06:00

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look will easily unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose
or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully ,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

E.E. Cummings

Hello, Second Grader!

2008-08-30T10:41:00.003-06:00

I was happy to meet Patrick's new teacher. She is young and seems really nice. Patrick has said that 2nd grade is much more fun than 1st. We are praying for a successful year. Nicholas has been asking all week "Where'd Dow-Jow go?". He is still really improving on his behavior. It has been such a relief.

The "B" Words

2008-08-24T15:52:00.003-06:00

For a long time, Nicholas was only clearly saying words that started with the letter B such as baby, boo boo, bottle, Bible, ball. We knew what he meant with other words such as gog was frog and gack was Jack, but in the last month he has had a language explosion. He is parroting everything we say. Before, I would ask him where very various body parts were and he would point to them. Now, he say, "Mom, knee" and points to his knee. He is also beginning to say his ABCs and numbers as well. It is really cute how Patrick is trying to teach him things. I have barely started potty training. I am trying to encourage him by asking him to go in the potty and he giggles and says "No, diapers..Elmo go tee tee in potty" (just in case you didn't know, Elmo has a DVD called Potty Time). Oh well, it does take boys longer, I have heard. His tempermeant was a lot better this past week. I am hoping that we went through the terrible twos early and he is moving beyond them as he is able to communicate with us better.

Missing home

2008-08-23T23:17:00.007-06:00

We were at our old church last weekend. It was hard for me. I miss the people there so much. I saw so many friends that care for us and it is hard knowing that my old reality is no more...and will never be again. There was a couple there that came up to my mom and dad during the service and hugged them as if they were family. I asked my mom later who they were and she gave me a brief explanation and told me that the woman had recently been baptized. She said that we cannot ever expect a person who has been baptized to all of a sudden be better and not make anymore mistakes. We are all going through life and it is hard...full of great things and bad. We are a support system to each other and have to remember that life is not always easy. Making the choice to follow God and accept Jesus is just one day. Living it... is a whole other story.

The Strong Willed Child, Take 2

2008-08-20T10:20:00.005-06:00

I have had a revelation that perhaps my parenting style is not failing with Nicholas, but that maybe I missed the boat with Patrick. Let me explain...Patrick was a very easy going baby and toddler. The terrible twos did not visit our house. I can remember when he was three, a couple of throw down fits in his room when he was sent to time out (a couple meaning two total). Patrick has always been a thinker, looking for ways to build, fix or work things. He is a problem solver. He loves science and math. He is very much the commentator of our family. He is not aggressive and doesn't seem to have much of a temper. He is, however, passive aggressive. He argues indefinitely. He challenges our authority. When he was 4, he would get mad if I wouldn't let him have his way and say that he wanted to throw all of his toys away (this was not just once, but many times until I finally made it clear to him that if he said it again, I would pack them up to take them to G.R.A.C.E.). Yesterday, I gave him a warning that if he didn't stop arguing with me, then he would be grounded from his DS for a day. His response was, "No, a week. I want to be grounded for a week." I said "OK, a week." Then he went on to 3 weeks, 10 weeks, 20 weeks. Later, I realized that I was allowing him to stay in control by continuing to agree with his upping the punishment. Of course, we ended up back to a day, if he would apologize. Well, then he doesn't know what he is supposed to apologize for. We have heard this so much over the years and it is very frustrating. He always knows what he is supposed to apologize for, but plays a game of not knowing. There is that control issue again. Anyways, it has been a hard summer for me with both boys. Nicholas can't take all of the blame. Patrick pushes the limit with me constantly. We have tried a chore chart, reward system, grounding him from play dates, taking away video games. Taking away swimming and play overs has somewhat worked, but it is still so constant around here. I am worn out with both of them. I know a lot of his behavior such as antagonizing his little brother is based around jealousy and just simple sibling rivalry. I do understand that. However, now that I am reading all of these parenting books desperately looking for an answer; I have come to the conclusion that there is none. As silly as it is, I was hoping that the books I am reading would give me a magic formula for raising children. They have not. They HAVE provided some insight into a child's mind and general developments. I have also learned the psychology behind behavior and methods to deal with it positively. I will continue in prayer for guidance and strength. I will pray that Chuck's schedule will improve or that his next promotion will take place quickly, so his hours will be better and he won't be gone for 14+ hours a day. Patrick is starting school next week and I am determined to get a part time job and send Nicholas to a Mothers Day Out program. I think we all just need a time out at this point.

34 sounds...

2008-08-05T22:10:00.008-06:00

....soooooooo old compared to 33. When you are 33, you are still close enough to 30 to feel like you might could be 30. When you are 34, you are almost 35, and when you are 35, well, you might as well already be 40. I had a good birthday. Chuck was home for a 4 day weekend and my parents came down and took us to a Tapas restaurant for dinner. Chuck made a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. Patrick decided to decorate it with horses. I have not felt great today, as I had 7 different injections in my neck yesterday at a minor surgery center. Not the best thing to schedule right before your birthday, but that was when I could get in with the doctor. I am hoping this will help my chronic pain.

Terrible Tantrums, Terrible Talk, Terrible Time

2008-08-01T16:02:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I said I would never take Nicholas to a store ever again. Today, I was sure CPS would show up at my door after my neighbors heard the horrible tantrum Nicholas threw getting out of the pool. He was like a monster toddler, red, crying, kicking and hitting me all the way into the house. I don't know what to do! We have been trying the time-out rug, but I am not sure he even understands that yet. My dad has suggested a water gun or spritzer to his face in order to change his focus. I am seriously wanting to go back to work and hand him over to daycare. He is really loud and demanding all of the time. His favorite new game is climb up on the arm of the couch or chair and jump on mommy as if we were in the WWF. He is not copying Patrick because Patrick doesn't do that. Patrick is sitting quietly watching the science channel or building legos. Nicholas is throwing the legos at Patrick. Nicholas has two emotions right now...screaming or laughing. The laughing is really cute. but not so much when he is purposely trying to jump on you. I am reading Bringing Up Boys right now, but I think I need to be reading The Strong Willed Child instead. I know I probably sound awful here but I am at my wits end!!!

OH, and one more thing!!!

2008-07-24T16:45:00.004-06:00

The way we were...we celebrated 13 years of marriage on July 1st. This picture was taken in July of 1991 at the first family reunion I went to (oh my..I was still 16 about to turn 17 in one month). This was 4 years before we got married. On this year's anniversary, we were moving furniture from my grandmother's old house to our new house and Nicholas threw up 6 times in 6 hours. I was car sick from the constant push/pull of the uhaul trailor. I was also thrown up on when we got home. I think Chuck had spaghetti o's for dinner. Good times.

Slacker

2008-07-24T15:04:00.021-06:00

Chuck has been on vacation for the past 3 1/2 weeks and I have totally neglected my blog. I also joined myspace (yes, I know, as usual I am way behind the cool kids) and started finding old friends. The 4th of July was unremarkable except for the fact that I had to leave Chuck & Patrick at a party because Nicholas was behaving so badly. He did perk up when my mom and I took him to see the fireworks, though. He is still talking about the boom and pointing up into the sky whenever we go by our local mall. Patrick's b-day party was on the 5th and it was a beach theme. We found these cute message in a bottle invitations at the party store. Chuck made Blue Hawaiin drinks, fruit kabobs, chicken, pork & veggie skewers, California rolls, masoobi (Hawaiian sushi made with Spam!), potstickers, carrot/coconut slaw, mango salad, spicy Thai noodle salad, grilled sausage, Hawaiian rolls, and mini pineapple upside down cakes. We had a pinata that would not break open, disco lights in the pool after it got dark and then we shot off fireworks, my favorite being the boat fireworks that went off in the pool.

Sunday, Chuck's best friend Brian came for a visit for a couple of days and it was great to catch up with him. Tuesday, we left to go to Throckmorton for my grandmother's 90th birthday party. It was really special because the whole family was there. My cousin, Sarah and her husband, Diego, came from Argentina. My uncle Harry and his wife, Donna and my cousin, Will came from California. We also had a lot of distant cousins come as by for a visit as well. There was a reception at her old house and then we went to church that night and had cake and punch in the fellowship hall. She had saved a lot of her birthday cards over the years and my mom had put them out on all of the tables for people to read. Nicholas adopted a new phrase that he says over an over. "Shoo baby Ma-kay, shoo! shoo!" He wouldn't let me hold MaCrae and he still says that when he sees his picture in our house.

Thursday, we went to WF to rest for a night at my MIL's house (because of Nicholas keeping us up for 2 nights, we were exhausted) and then onto Lake Texoma for Chuck's family's annual reunion on Friday. We had 100% there this year and it was a lot of fun. I think there were 25 of us. Again, it was a little tiring for me as Nicholas would not have anything to do with anyone else and threw himself on the floor at least 5 times a day if I put him down. Welcome to the terrible twos.

So, we stopped at my parent's house Sunday to drop off Patrick to stay for 4 days with his cousins and see his friend, Edie. They went to VBS and Great Wolf Lodge and had lots of fun. Chuck and I relaxed at home with Nicholas who decided to become an angel child without his competition around. After we got Patrick back on Thursday, we just went to the beach one day and I guess that was it. Nicholas absolutely loved the waves. He is a little daredevil! He would get on all fours and let them splash him on his face. Chuck went back to work yesterday and I pulled my back out while putting Nicholas in the car. I have been limping around today wishing he was still home with us:(

Patrick is 7!!!

2008-07-03T23:33:00.010-06:00

Where does the time go? How do they get so big? How are we on our 3rd bike already? What an amazing gift we have in this boy! Life has been so wonderful the last 7 years having Patrick for our son. He has such a wonderful mind and thoughtful spirit. We feel so very blessed!

at the park today...

"Hey world, I am 7!"

We are into tennis now, too, as a family. I am excited to be playing again. It has only been 20 years.

Looking at fish...

Tonight at a 4th of July symphony concert....

At Chloe's b-day on Sunday with MaCrae. We went to Throckmorton, WF and back in 2 1/2 days to get a dining room set and a piano.

This picture is just random and for my mom. I really think Nicholas is beginning to look like my dad as a toddler.

Birthday Pictures

2008-06-17T12:14:00.008-06:00

When you have a toddler in constant motion, it is hard to get a good picture! I didn't take very many at his party. There is more video from the party than pictures. Maybe I can figure out how to upload that one day, if I ever have any time!

Saturday night, the grandparents gave him his gifts and he was really cute opening them. He would pull out the gift and make a little O shape with his mouth and say "Ha!". It was really cute.

We read birthday books all week and talked about the cake and blowing out candles, but when the time came, he let Patrick help him. He got a lot of cute Elmo gift from family and friends, but one of his favorites is his Elmo hooded towel. Last night at his swimming lessons, he was really cute walking around in it.

Golf Camp

2008-06-14T08:07:00.004-06:00

Patrick had golf camp this past week. Every morning from 8:30-11:30. He has always been hesitant when it comes to team sports, so I thought golf or tennis might be more comfortable for him. He chose golf. This camp used rubber clubs (because of liability, I guess). He was a little disappointed he couldn't use his own, but, after a week of not wanting to go, by the 5th day he woke me up excited. He takes awhile to warm up to new situations sometimes. He has really come along way. I'll never forget when he wanted to play soccer when he was 4 and never played. He told my dad he didn't want to go out on the field because there were too many kids and then he told my mom he would rather be at home gardening. After that experience, I let the idea of sports go. He is really good at soccer, basketball and baseball, but he shys away from groups and is not very aggressive or competitive. It is no surprise as Chuck and I were the same way, although I have gotten into sports and become quite competitive in my old age!

Birthday Boys

2008-06-10T08:32:00.002-06:00

We celebrated two birthdays this past weekend. My dad's birthday is June 8th and Nicholas' is June 9th. We had Nicholas' party on Sunday night, June 8th. We were blessed to have Grandma Mel, Great Gran Charlece, Nana, DaDa and great grandmother Guinea here for the birthday party. We had our neighbors over to celebrate with us as well. Chuck prepard a fantastic BBQ and we had 4 cakes. Birthday pictures to come soon.

Happy Birthday, Nicholas!!!

2008-06-10T08:02:00.008-06:00

Dear Nicholas,

Wow, what a great two years we have had with you! I wondered before you were born how life would be for us after being a family of three for five years. Well, it has been better! You have brought so much fun into our lives. From the time you were a baby, you have been full of surprises. Your smile is contagious. Your laughter is music to our ears. The twinkle in your eyes keeps us guessing what you will do next. You go through life like it's one big party. Your personality is big and commands attention. You make us laugh by being silly such as falling on purpose and saying "ow" or hiding and saying "boo!". You are a real sweetheart who loves to give hugs. You surprise us all of the time by running up and hugging our legs. I tell you are a "big boy" and you giggle and say, "no, baby". You have brought so much joy and love to our family.

We love you,

Mommy, Daddy & Patrick

And, I got the guy...

2008-05-20T23:55:00.007-06:00

We were with our neighbors recently and they wanted to know our history. Sweetly, it reminded me of one of the 80s movie favorites "Sixteen Candles". Girl has crush on guy, girl gets guy. I first saw Chuck the first day of my freshman year of high school. Pep rallies were scheduled during the last 30 minutes of school. That first day...we were all rallied to the gym and there were open spaces where the JV football and Varsity Football teams were supposed to be in the bleachers. In the middle of that wide open space was a very daring sophomore, mad at the world, for making him participate in high school festivities...there he sat in that wide open space, with his skater hair and anti-establishment attitude. And there I sat mesmerised...following him for the next two years. I would figure out his class schedule/locker and stalk him! I was a stalker for two years! He ran in close circles to my own and there were a few lunch/smoke breaks where we almost had conversation...but nothing quite materialized...until....

My Junior year (his senior) we ended up in second period Art II together. Mrs. Latray sat us across from each other the second day. There was a lot of nervous small talk and foot tapping (on my part) and at some point in late September of 1990, I made the plunge of inviting him to meet up with me and my friends in the graveyard (yes, remember I was goth and we lived in WF with not much else to do) and he accepted. Our first phone conversation happened on November 01, 1990 and we talked for 3 hours.When I hung up the phone, I said to my friend, Kure, "that is the man I am going to marry" and I did on July 01, 1995. It never ceases to amaze me how I can still hear his voice on the phone, smell his cologne or look in his eyes and be floored by the butterflies I feel when he walks through the door or tells me he loves me. I still revel in the fact that..."I got the guy!".

Mother's Day Festivities

2008-05-12T13:13:00.005-06:00

I had a great time at Patrick's school on Thursday. It was Muffins for Moms. They had the festivities in the classroom. We sat down to placemats decorated by our kids and there was a really cool 3-D flower bouquet that they had made out of construction paper. The kids served us muffins and juice, sang songs and showed us a slide show. They had drawn pictures in tech lab of their favorite memory with their mom and then their voice was with the picture telling about it. Patrick's was Sea World. It was really cute. There was also handmade cards and three letters about us moms. One was about what they like about us. Patrick said play checkers, go to the pack (park) and you make me feel speckle (special). He also said that I was 20 feet tall and I weigh 100 pounds! His favorite food that I make him is chickcur (Thai Chicken Curry).

Saturday, Chuck sent flowers (lillies) and yesterday, he helped feed 640 people for brunch at the hotel. The boys and I went to church and then we had a cookout with the neighbors last night. We were glad Chuck was off in time to join us. Hope all of you moms out there had a great day!

To All the Special Moms in My Life...

2008-05-12T12:33:00.012-06:00

Mom, thanks for being the best mom there can be. You were always there when I needed you growing up, and you still are today. From stroking my face to get me to sleep when I was a small child to dropping everything and moving to NYC for a semester when I was a depressed teenager, you have always answered the call of mom, NaNa and friend. You are the first I want to call with exciting news. You are there when I need a shoulder to cry on. Thanks for all you have done for me in my life. Thanks for teaching me what our purpose on this earth is for...to glorify God.

Guinea, you and Grandaddy have taught me so much over the years. I appreciate your generosity the most. You have always given to other people and set a wonderful example of hospitality. To this day, our family meets people from all over that at one time preached as a visiting preacher in your church and then came to eat lunch afterward in your home. You have always reminded me of what the Bible teaches and encouraged me to be the best I can be. Your advice has always been to "Put the Lord first and then everything else will fall into place". You have blessed our lives so much with your devotion and love.

Grandma Entine, you and Grandpa were what I called the "fun" grandparents. You were always there ready to play games, draw pictures and make crafts with me. I always felt so loved by you. The picture above makes me remember how happy I felt when I was with you. You and Grandpa also put God first in your lives and it showed by the way you treated others. You both had such a happy, positive outlook, and I appreciate the example you set.

Mel, I couldn't ask for a better mother-in-law and grandma to my boys. You have always treated me like a daughter, and I have always felt loved by you and your family. If there was ever a time (and there was!) that I needed a friend, you have always been there. I appreciate your generosity toward us and others. You are warm, fun loving and happy. You know the importance of being a Christian and you raised your son to be one. You are such a wonderful bright spot and blessing to our lives.

Charlece, even though you are my grandmother-n-law, I have often thought of you as my grandmother, too. You love your family. You are thoughtful and kind. You love Jesus, first, and never miss an opportunity to thank him for his blessings. You are always so considerate and you set a great example of serving others.

First Popsicle

2008-05-12T08:54:00.005-06:00

"It was good!"
OK, I am not a big fan of popsicles because of the sticky mess they make and I guess I never gave one to Nicholas last summer. I make him wear a life jacket a lot of times when we are outside because of his complete lack of fear of the pool. He loves to throw whatever he can find in the pool. Gardening gloves, landscape rocks, small potted plants...you name it! If it's outside, it has been in the pool at one time or another. We played miniature golf the other night and he really like it. The next day, I gave him a plastic golf club and some plastic golf balls, and he invented a new game we call pool golf.

Has Big Bird always been a whiner?

2008-05-06T12:46:00.006-06:00

I loved Sesame Street growing up as I am sure most kids of the 70s/80s did. My brother, Russell, actually started reading at 2 from watching Sesame Street and Electric Company. He is also just very bright. As most toddlers, Patrick had a great love for Elmo (who if you will recall was not around when we were growing up), but not until recently has he begun to enjoy Sesame Street. Nicholas, however, loves Sesame Street and will watch the whole show. Originally, I was just turning it on for the last 20 minutes to catch the Elmo segment, but then I started turning it on earlier and he really loves all of the characters. Which leads me to my big thought provoking question of the day. I do prefer Sesame Street over the Nick Jr, Noggin world as I had three years of Blue, Dora and The Backyardigans. It was enough to make any sane person crazy. I have been avoiding those shows with Nicholas. My nerves are just not ready for them yet. Oh, and who can forget Little Bear. To this day, Patrick still watches Little Bear. I have seen every Little Bear episode at least 5 times. I was excited when Patrick finally started watching Batman, Scooby Doo and Garfield. Those were cartoons we all enjoyed at our house. Paige told us awhile back about Yo Gabba Gabba. This has become a favorite and I like watching it, too. Nicholas likes it so much that when I say it is on he says "Yoooooooooooooooooooooo..ga..ba" and immediately crawls up in his dad's chair ready to watch. Now, I know this probably sounds like we watch TV all of the time. We do not. I think I am just anxietal about Dora possibly returning to our lives for the next few years. I hope to avoid her. I guess that is another good argument for why to have your kids close together. To get Dora out of your life once and for all, never to return again...

Nicholas has been a real cutie pie lately. Sunday, he was having a big time in church hiding under the chairs and popping out at me yelling, "boo!". Unfortunately it was during communion, so I had to take him to the nursery. He has also been attacking stuffed animals. I don't know if he is wrestling with them or what, but he hops on top of them, growls and tries to smash them with his body. He is always ready for a game of chase. Whenever I tell him to come to me, he loves to squeal with delight and run the other way. He also loves to give a big smirk and one eyebrow raise when he hears the word, "no". He keeps us laughing most of the time.

Patrick got a new bike helmet over the weekend. We had to buy an adult one! I recall having to buy him a winter cap in the adult section when he was in kindergarten! I guess we have big heads in this family.

Chuck's boss is away on vacation for 11 days and poor Chuck has been working 14 hour days. It has been a long week so far...but we will press on with our local storytimes and adventures to the park and mall. We try and stay busy around here!

I scream...

2008-04-30T09:37:00.003-06:00

..at the sight of spiders and roaches. This has caused Patrick to be scared of them as well (I know, my fault). Chuck normally takes care of spraying for bugs, and he only does the outside of the house due to the chemicals. However, since we have moved into a house that was completely remodeled from top to bottom because of some very disgusting people (we later found out), we have had the bug people come and spray inside. This has caused quite a few dead spiders and dying supersize roaches. So, this morning, I was making breakfast and Nicholas tried to hand me something. I thought it was a dead spider which made me freak out enough. I took his hand and shook it and the spider dropped out and ran away! He had picked up a live spider. I know this is par for the course for toddlers, but it still made me squemish.

We had a pretty good week last week with Chuck out of town. He was called back to his old job to help out with the major golf tourney they have each year. Just when we thought he had escaped it...anyways, we joined him at my parent's house on Friday and had a great weekend seeing my family and visiting our old church family. I am glad we can still keep in touch with them. They are still a blessing to us even if they are far away. Mel & Jack came through for a short visit on Monday on their way back from a cruise. We are fortunate to have great families on both sides.

Patrick is catching up in school here and now we are faced with the dilema of holding him back or letting him go on to 2nd grade. The schools are tougher here and we thought at one point that it was going to be an easy choice to hold him back, but now he is really excelling, so what do we do? All of you teachers out there, what do you think? He will be 7 in July, so to go into first grade again in the fall would not be a big deal.

And, to wrap up this post, I must express my dissapointment with the Mavs. They have let us down in the playoffs, yet again.

I love you, most...

2008-04-25T00:02:00.003-06:00

Dear Chuck,
I want you to know how proud I am of you. From before you even made Sous Chef in Boston, I have always heard rave reviews from your subordinates. I have always felt so proud of you! You continue to give your all, while setting a Christian example in the process, which is very evident in the way your employees and managers respond to you. We are so blessed as a family to know that you are always ready to accept the call for help and set a good example when called upon. We have missed you dearly this week, but we have been satisfied in knowing that you are continuing to live up to your dynamic potential by helping your previous position while in need. We love you and appreciate you for all you do.
Love,
M. P. & N.

"Oh, he's one of those kids..."

2008-04-22T19:49:00.008-06:00

...my neighbor said to me after I told her of Nicholas' latest antics. Friday, he rolled into the pond, while running to meet a very friendly black and white cat that visits from a neighboring house. Today, he pooped in the bath (again). I don't think I blogged about the time I caught him starting to put the poop in his mouth. It's not like he was 7 or 8 months old. He was 19 months old. But Saturday, oh dear Saturday, put him at the top of the list for a future glue eating, crayon up the nose little boy. We had some really yummy BBQ take out that night. I left Nicholas alone for 3 minutes while I cleaned up the kitchen. Patrick had left to play with a friend. At some point, I had given Nicholas a piece of chocolate. After cleaning up, I sat down to try and catch some of the basketball game when I noticed a very bad smell. Luna, our cat, was right next to me, but it wasn't her. Then I saw it. I saw what looked like finger painting on the coffee table. I saw the back of Nicholas' diaper overflowing. "Please, let it be chocolate" I said, as I bent down to smell. Well, it wasn't chocolate. I would like a new coffee table now and a new den, for that matter. Even after I had him and the coffee table cleaned up, I found it hard to look at either the same. He's a very different little boy from our first. Silly of me to ever compare them because they are definitely no where near alike. Here are some "before" shots of Nicholas eating ribs. Don't you love the foot on the table? He is always pushing us and he thinks it is hilarious. It's hard not to laugh with him when he gets that twinkle in his eyes....

Events

2008-04-18T08:40:00.003-06:00

When my parents were in town a couple of weeks ago, Patrick participated in a fishing derby. He didn't catch anything, but it did revive his love for fishing. We havn't had time to get the boat out on our nearby lake yet (actually, I think it still needs some more work since the last time it was out and Russ and Chuck broke down). We were lucky to find storage for $200 a year! That is such a great deal. I am so happy not to be looking at the boat in our backyard anymore. We also went to and arts festival last weekend when Chuck was off that we enjoyed. Patrick had his school program last night. The theme was bugs. It was actually his second school program of the year as they did one at his old school right before we moved. It was very cute. Chuck his been getting home between 6-7 all week, so we are thankful for that.

I Miss...

2008-04-10T21:43:00.002-06:00

I asked Chuck last night if he missed our church life. He said he has been to busy with work to even think about it. I agree with that. He left this morning at 6am and it is 10:40pm and he is still there. When they get the rest of their management team in place, his schedule should ease up a bit, but honestly, we knew with this promotion he was going to be working a lot. His next promotion to Executive Chef (the gold pot at the end of the rainbow as I think of it) will allow better hours and Sunday/Mondays off again. This is a transitional phase that will not always be easy for us as a family, but the end rewards in a year or two should be quite grand. Anyways, I am missing my family...dropping by for no reason...just to have a cup of coffee or to find someone to go to Costco with me and the kids. I am missing my church family. The new church we have found is a lot like our old, but they meet in small groups a lot instead of Sunday night or Wed. night services. The small groups cannot be joined until you place membership and until I meet people in our age group and get a feel for these small groups, I am not ready to place membership. There isn't Wednesday night church either, and I depended on that so much for my kids and for myself. Chuck never could attend due to his schedule, but it always meant so much to me. I miss teaching cradle roll on Wednesday nights. I originally put myself in the position because no one else seemed willing, but in the end it changed me and blessed me so much. Chuck will be visiting for the first time this weekend (he finally has a weekend off...yea!). We will see what he thinks and go from there. I miss Patrick's school and teachers, too. The new school is very institution like and has such a different feel. He is struggling as well, as they are doing more of a second grade curriculum and it has been a bit stressful for him. It breaks my heart sometimes to think of the church family and school we left behind. I know things will get better, but for tonight, I am kind of blue.

Easter

2008-04-03T21:16:00.008-06:00

Mel and Jack came down for Easter and we had a really great weekend. We went to our possible new church. My parents have been down this last week and they enjoyed it as well. It is a lot like our old church...very uplifting. I was relieved to have found it (actually, my mom found it searching online).

Look! There is Nicholas walking out of a picture frame again. He is missing his mule, I mean, mommy.

Our neighbors had a huge Easter egg hunt. We love our new neighbors. They have a wonderful extended family and lots of pets. Patrick has finally got a hamster and two bunnies via visiting next door.

Nicholas was napping during the hunt, so his nice brother set up an egg hunt for him in the backyard using his own eggs and helped him along. He is such a little parent to him sometimes. It is really sweet!

" Would you like to try the asparagus?"

"And this is how I really feel about you sometimes when I think no one is looking. "

Creepy

2008-04-02T11:42:00.004-06:00

I installed stat counter on my blog recently because of an anonymous comment that was very positive, but yet anonymous. It turned out it was my husband! I had told him that since we moved, I felt like no one was ever checking my blog anymore and that he better start checking it and leaving comments. So he did the next day, thinking I would get the joke of his comment, but I didn't and ended up installing stat counter. Anyways, on stat counter I noticed some links related to google searches that my blog popped up on. I googled the particular phrases and the first was for "de*bstipation" and my blog came up 2nd. The other was for "c*nfessions of a bored housewife" and my blog came up fourth. Whoever clicked on my blog didn't stay there but a few seconds, however, it freaks me out that my blog would come up that quickly on a google search. I realize that my blog will not peak that much interest for random people, but it still bothers me. Bloggers out there...try entering titles to some of your posts and see how quickly your blog comes up.

Oregon = Heartfelt Beauty

2008-04-01T19:48:00.022-06:00

I have been up and down the coast of CA and I do not know what all of the hoopla is about. In my mind, Oregon captures my heart. This is where we stayed...right on the beach. The waves are awesome but you do have to be careful of the tides.

Breakfast in Depot Bay (apparently the smallest ship port in America, we learned). This was an awesome gourmet eatery that my parents often frequent. Wouldn't you know that our oldest child ordered the most expensive item on the menu... Crab Cakes Florentine over Poached Eggs with a Tarragon Cream Sauce and Chai Tea to drink. He lapped up every bit of it!

Newport Aquarium...very educational to the aquatic life along the OR coast. We've been to a lot of aquariums and this would definitely make my top 5.

A replica of an ancient shark's mouth.

Richard, Brandi, Reagan, Chloe & Baby MaCrae. He was so good during the whole trip. Actually Nicholas was, too. They both did great on the 4 hour flights. Even the flight attendants commented, but maybe they always say that.

OK, here is our family shot from our "We've moved" cards. No, that was not the gulf on those cards, but let's just pretend it was.

Look at that crying Nicholas...he is always trying to escape a picture unless he is glued to me. I have renamed myself the "mule".

OK, sorry Lynley, I copied you on this one, but it was a great idea. I love my children's feet as you will see in the next few frames. I need this girl to take some real shots before they get too big.

And here is the real reason we came to Oregon, to eat seafood! Just kidding! To see my dad's side of the family. His sister Cherie and my uncle Bob, daughter Amanda and husband Andrew and most of all... my grandmother Valentine (or as Patrick called her - Grandma Heart) who just turned 91 on V-Day. I hope we can all get out there again soon. We had such a great visit!

Screaming

2008-03-21T10:43:00.007-06:00

Nicholas has taken to screaming in excitement on a pretty consistent basis through out the day. It is not a mere squeal of joy, but an "I'm riding a roller coaster and having the most fun of my life" scream. It is very jarring to one's nerves especially in our combo living/dining room which is not yet furnished. He does it while playing with Patrick, while chasing the cats (which I strongly discourage) and when any appliance is turned on (vacuum, blender, coffee grinder, etc.). I have always said that we were a quiet family of three until he came along. Since about four months of age, he has brought quite a bit of attention to himself through vocal expression.

We have been on spring break this week and Chuck was home for the last two days installing new ceiling fans, a new garbage disposal, arranging the garage, building shelves in the closets, doing yard work and installing a new faucet. I am sure there was more but it is making my brain hurt to think about it all. Let me say again how much I love this place we are living. It is so well planned. There is a park/tennis court/pond combo almost around every corner. There are trees and wildflowers blooming everywhere. The walking trails and convenience of shopping/dining is wonderful. We have neighbors that are actually close to our age and have kids Patrick's age.

Now I must close with some disgusting occurrences of the past week involving Nicholas this time instead of the pets. Monday, Nicholas threw his tooth brush in the toilet. Tuesday, Nicholas played in the litter box while I was cooking dinner. Yesterday, Nicholas picked up a big piece of dog poop in the neighbors yard and when I said "No, Nicholas!" he proceeded to scream and run away.

Here are a couple of old photos I meant to post before we moved....

Sadness, today

2008-03-17T22:25:00.002-06:00

I can't sleep. We have had a great weekend. Chuck's boss is not a morning person, so Chuck has been going in early and has been home by 5 or 6 for the last three days. We feel so blessed to have moved to this street with so many children Patrick's age. We had dinner with neighbors last night and felt like a normal family. However, on the way to our neighbor's house last night, Chuck informed me, why, his best friend, Brian, had just called. He and his wife, Dee, are divorcing after 10 years. They met while we all lived in Austin 15 years ago. Brian was Chuck's best man and then 2 years later Chuck was Brian's best man. I am heartbroken. One good thing is at least they don't have children. The other sadness is that my mom's best friend Betty died today. Mom called last night and told me that they didn't think she had much longer. Betty and my mother met when they were 6 years old and were friends from then on. They both moved around early in their marriages but manged to both end up in WF. Betty was always a wonderful constant in my life. She would waltz in our house smelling of cinnamon gum and perfume dripping in gold jewelry with not one hair out of place and say, "Hey there, Margot!".I loved how she was always so upbeat. She will be greatly missed and remembered.

2008-03-16T15:42:00.015-06:00

Goodbye old house...

Hello new...

Master Bed

Master Bath

Loft

One of two identical boy's rooms

Boy's bath

Front Living Room

Dining Room

Den

Kitchen & Breakfast

Pool

Back of house...Hope you enjoyed the tour. Oregon pictures hopefully coming soon!

That Darn Cat...

2008-03-06T21:01:00.003-06:00

got out for an hour last night and somehow managed to get bitten on his hip. Now, besides the traumatic tail accident 5 years ago, this is the THIRD time he has been bitten on a the hind quarters by another animal. It is so weird because he is the most laid back scared cat you would ever meet. So, we are back to the vet tomorrow. He is still on his laxatives and we are monitoring his trips to the litter box (Correction: I am doing the monitoring, Chuck is completely irritated by the expense this darn cat's bum has cost us over the years!). We will be boarding all three animals for the next 5 days, anyways, as we are going to Oregon for a family reunion with my dad's side of the family. My grandmother, Valentine, just turned 91, and my brothers and I have not been to see her since 1998. I can't believe it has been 10 years. So much has happened! Chuck was with us on that trip, however, Brandi wasn't because her and Richard had just started dating and of course there were not any great grandchildren yet.

I finally found the charger for the camera so pictures of the new house should be coming soon. Nicholas is really a cutie pie these days. He is always looking like he is up to something. He is ready to engage in play at any moment and is always flirting with strangers. I really have to watch him as he charges toward escalators with out any concern or climbs to the top of the big kid playscapes squealing with delight as I tell him to come back only to have him laugh and go further. He has also mastered the fine art of blowing his nose. It was funny the other night when I heard Patrick yell, "Ew, Nicholas, stop blowing your nose on my robe!". He is loving drawing, dancing and helping clean. I am fortunate to have another great little helper. The other morning in church, it warmed my heart when I opened the pew provided red Bible, and he insisted on closing it, saying "Bible" and patting it. We don't have a red Bible. Even though we were visiting a new church, I felt happy that he understood where we were.

Toto, we are not at Lake Cities anymore...

2008-03-03T07:48:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, the boys and I visited our one and only Church of Christ in our township. Two words...old school. Upon arriving, I tried to make eye contact with the throng of people we were passing through to enter the building, yet still no one greeted us. I was a woman with a six year old carrying a toddler. Doesn't that scream "Hello, how are you?"? Upon sitting down in the back row, I noticed the pulpit was sporting the token COC over sized wing back chairs. The song leader approached and started leading singing (BTW, he was of an older generation...much, much older). Then, everyone stayed seated during the singing. I was quickly having flashbacks to my mom's hometown church as we sang "He is Everything to Me, to Me.." in a slow funeral type dirge. Next came communion. I was really missing Lake Cities when the children go up front to give and are dismissed to children's church. It has been a long time since I have visited churches. I feel blessed to have been part of such a great congregation. Anyways, the boys were really good during the service, but I am afraid that this will not be our church home.

De*bstipation

2008-03-01T10:59:00.006-06:00

I learned a new word yesterday...deobstipation. I will spare you the gory details. I think I should just rename this blog "My Three Disgusting Pets". I forgot to mention in my last post that the day of Nicholas' unfortunate encounter with the coffee table, Bentley had to go to the vet for a double ear infection. Apparently, Springer Spaniels are quite prone to ear problems due to the fact that their ear canal is always covered. So, over the last week I have had the job of cleaning out Bentley's ears with a bulb syringe of chlorhexadine soap, rinsing with ear cleansing solution and then applying antibiotic ointment twice a day. This has not been that bad, so perhaps Bentley wouldn't really make the disgusting pets blog. However, Baby Kitty would definitely be at the top of the list. Baby Kitty lost his tail 5 years ago in a very traumatic accident that I will refrain from posting about as to not turn your stomachs. Anyways, yesterday morning I realized that Baby Kitty could not poop and had not been pooping for a few days. We found a nearby vet and after anesthesia, deopstipation, an enema and $271.00 later, he was as good as new. We are to give him an oral laxative twice a day for the next week. New house with new carpet, wood floors and tile...nice.

Still Here

2008-02-28T21:35:00.006-06:00

Moving has gone well. Reuniting with Chuck after 6 weeks alone with two boys has made a world of difference in every one's attitude. Moving weekend (last Friday & Sat) was somewhat stressful. After the movers came and took all of our stuff on Tues & Wed, the boys and I moved in with my parents for a night. Nicholas didn't do so well without a crib, so I asked Chuck to call his old hotel and see if we could have rooms. We did get a very nice room with two balconies and in usual Four Seasons fashion, we were quite spoiled. However, Friday night, when Chuck & I were cleaning up our old house, Nicholas took a tumble in our hotel room that required 5 stitches and two CT scans in the ER. My parents were enjoying room service at the Four Seasons while watching the little stinker. He got his stitches out today and has been a real angel throughout the whole ordeal. So back to last Satuday.... Bentley, Nicholas & I followed Chuck, Patrick, the cats and the mistress (boat). At one point, Chuck pulled over on the side of the highway and asked me if I had seen anything fly off the trailer because it didn't "feel right". I said I hadn't and we went on our way. About 30 minutes later, I called him and told him I wanted to stop for coffee. When we turned in to McDonald's, I noticed the left wheel of the boat trailer almost spinning off. He checked it, and would you believe? It was the lug nuts that he had felt flying off the wheel! Nothing but the grace of God kept us safe, I am sure! Anyways, my parents were about 30 minutes behind us as were Chuck's mom and grandmother, so we called them and arranged a meeting at McDonald's. I took my mom, Nicholas, the cats & Bentley and Chuck, Patrick and my dad stayed behind and fixed the wheel. Nicholas had awakened from his nap when we stopped at McDonald's and then proceeded to screamed at my mom and I for the next two hours. We had to stop so many times that Chuck's mom and grandma got 45 minutes ahead of us. Finally, he did fall asleep about 30 minutes away from our new home and we all made it safely. We said a BIG prayer of thanks to God when we arrived.

Patrick is adjusting well to his new school. After we went and registered on Monday, I asked him if he was excited about his new school. He said "Yeah, I can't wait to meet all of my new friends". Ahh... through the eyes of a six year old. We should all be so positive!

So far, we absolutely love the area we are living in. The trees are awesome and the whole town is geared toward families. We feel like we made a very good choice. It has been a really exciting week. Our camera's charger is missing, so if we unpack it soon I will hopefully take pictures of the new house. Goodnight for now....

Delay

2008-02-14T21:54:00.003-06:00

We were supposed to close on our new home tomorrow. Unfortunately, the people we are buying the house from did not come through with all of the repairs they agreed to. The main repairs yet to be done involve the pool. They have had two weeks to make these repairs. We are frustrated. The people we are buying this house from are real estate agents(the sharks is what I call them). They bought this house and flipped it, and now they do not want to spend one more dime. Ugh!!! Anyways, supposedly the pool will be worked on this weekend and we will close next Friday instead. The movers are coming on Tuesday and will be delivering Friday! I hope we have our house by then!!! On a lighter note, I am relaxing this Valentine's Day at the Four Seasons Hotel, and my room service dinner of herb crusted lamb has just arrived. There is always a silver lining.

Today

2008-02-09T19:45:00.000-06:00

Today was the day that the world as we know it almost came to an end and hell on earth began. Today was the day of the most terrifying, heart breaking, hysterical 30 minutes of my 33 years on this earth.

Today, I was sick and needed to go to bed when Nicholas took his nap. My brother came and got Patrick and took him to my parent's house. When Nicholas and I went to pick up Patrick around 4pm, I took Bentley with us. I knew Patrick would probably be playing with my parent's neighbor's kids and that Patrick might like to show off our new dog. The kids next door go to school with Patrick and so his mom and I were talking out front while the kids were playing. My biggest mistake was not having Bentley on a leash. I told Patrick to put him in my folk's backyard and I assumed he had done so. He also said he was going to get a drink. I supposed he was inside my parent's house or the neighbor's house. When his friends came out and Patrick was not with them, I was concerned, but not worried. Surely he was out back with Bentley. I went in to ask my parents if Patrick and Bentley were out back and when they said "no", my heart sank. I left Nicholas with them and got in my car and started driving around. They live right by Patrick's school and I figured I would see Patrick chasing Bentley in the school yard. That was not the case. Ok, I thought, they made it to the park next door. I was wrong again. Terror set in. I called my parents and told them to drive around with me. I passed a policeman on a bike and told him the situation. He took a desciption of Patrick and my cell phone number and called available patrols to be on the look out. From there, I drove around nearby neigborhoods imagining the absolute worst. What if a stranger offered to help and got Patrick into his car? We have talked to him about how bad people will use candy or puppies to lure children to their cars, but I had never thought of the chasing Bentley scenerio. Patrick would follow that dog anywhere. I imagined him chasing him into the apartments across the street from the school, where 3 known sex offenders live. I saw him running after Bentley across a busy street and being hit by a car. I pictured myself having to call my husband at work and tell him the worst news of his life. I was driving aroung pleading with God to save my son. Begging for His mercy. Hating myself for being so stupid. As a parent, I have never had to worry about Patrick wandering off. He has always been careful and cautious. He has always been extremely trustworthy and responsible. Obviously, I have become to comfortable. As I was driving around, still praying, hoping against hope...Russell called. They had found Patrick and Bentley in the alley behind my parent's house. Patrick had chased Bentley around the corner onto a major road where Bentley ran out into the street, almost got hit and came back to Patrick (thankfully, Patrick did not follow him into the street). Some walkers were coming along and Bentley ran to them and they helped Patrick get Bentley to my parent's gate. Russell had looked in the alley before he and my dad had started driving around. Patrick must have been on the sidewalk of the busy street at that point. In a blink of an eye, our lives could have horrifically changed forever. In the blink of an eye, my little boy was lost. In the blink of an eye, he was found, hugged tightly, never to be let go of again. Hold your precious ones close. They are gifts from God. I will sing a song of praise to God tomorrow at church for today and for the all the days of my life.

Really? After 7 years, now this happens?

2008-02-08T18:10:00.000-06:00

Today, while washing my car in the beautiful weather, my neighbors across the street were selling a desk to an older couple (as my 65+ neighbor said of them "they were like 100 years old-we had to load the desk for them into their Lincoln pick-up"). So, I had gone inside to go to the bathroom. When I came out, my neighbor was running down his driveway which dumps out across from our mailbox, saying "oh no, did they hit your mailbox?". Yes, yes, they did. They paid my neighbor in cash and their number was blocked on his caller ID. I have no way of contacting them for retribution. Good times.

And the Fun Continues...

2008-01-30T20:55:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning, I was in a mad dash to get my car loaded up to go see my Grandmother at her retirement center. I took some stuff to the car only to hear the door slam behind me. When I tried to go back in the house from the garage, well.. can you guess what sweet Nicholas did? He locked the door. I currently do not have a house key (another story), so I frantically called my realtor and got her vm. I left a rather hysterical message about my situation and then called Chuck. He instructed me to check all of the windows (of course they were all locked). Had this been last week, I would have broken one, but since we just had all of the glass replaced thoughout the house, I was a litle more hesiatant. Nicholas and I talked to each other through the back door for awhile and he tried to unlock that one but the dead bolt was too high. Meanwhile I remembered the realtors office number was on the sign out front. I called them and they quickly dispensed an agent from a close by office to come over and let me in. After that, I was able to persuade Nicholas back to the cat door in our garage and held each other through it. The next thing I know he stands up and unlocks the door handle! My parents showed up at this point with their handy man and his credit card. I called the realtor's office and told them my 19 month old figured out how to let me back in and we were ok.

Today... Planning on going out of town tomorrow, I decided to take my car in for an oil change as it is almost due. Upon leaving the dealership, all of a sudden thick gray smoke is filling up my rear windshield and I have complete loss of power when I step on the gas. I pulled into a parking lot and called Honda. They sent a tow truck. I called my mom and she was on her way (they said the tow would be 45 minutes). Well the tow made it in 22, so we loaded up Nicholas car seat in the front of his cab and he took us back to the dealership. My mom showed up and we decided to wait and see if it was something simple to fix, since it is by now traffic time and it is a long drive back to our neighborhood. I have been going to this dealership since I bought the car 5 years ago and never have been treated so poorly as I was today. They were completely inconsiderate of the fact that I had a tired, hungry 19 month old and I was going on my 5th hour there. They had to supposedly have a meeting about what happened and whether or not they could rent me a car through Sunday since I was supposed to be leaving town in the morning at 7am. The problem with the car was that they put double the anount of oil required, so it needed to be drained, aired out overnight, the filter and spark plugs replaced. They kept us waiting while they had their "meeting" about my rental for 45 minutes and I finally lost it and left. They were in the process of calling Enterprise about a rental car, but I had been jerked around and sweet talked so much at this point that I unleashed my fury on their manager who chased us into the parking lot. We left in mom's car and my trip is cancelled for now. My blood pressure has been 150/100 consistently over the last two weeks. I do not normally have high blood pressure. It is usually 103/70. Please pray for my health during this stressful time.

Welcome to My World

2008-01-28T20:46:00.000-06:00

Good Morning! It is 2am! Nicholas is barking like a dog in the room next door. Never mind that I passed out from exhaustion at 10:30 only to be woken at 11 by dear sweet husband and again at midnight by good friend Talese (yes, I know it sounds late, but we have an ok to call late rule because usually I am up until midnight and she works in the middle of the night for 2nd Life). So, Mr. Baby comes in my bed in sheer desperation to get back to sleep quickly only to question myself for the next 5 hours as to why a 19 month old can not stay put in a king size bed. He is unable to sleep unless he is kicking me with his gigantic size 8 feet or banging his super hard head into mine. 7:15am classical music followed by angry sick barking Nicholas and purring cats jumping on us for attention. Then trying to wake Patrick who is sure he is too sick for school. Temperatures are taken and throats are checked. With everyone ok, finally, he is dressed, the 30 sec microwave sausage biscuits are ready (and the special request of Indian Spice Chai tea with honey for his throat) is made and PTL, my dad is here to take him to school!!! I do not know how I would have survived the last 2 1/2 weeks w/out my parents and brother Russell! He is off to school and I have super grumps to contend with. Meanwhile the dog is fed (oh yeah-we got a dog a couple of weeks ago...nothing like a new family pet in the middle of trying to sell your house and move to really liven things up), laundry is started and breakfast is made for Nicholas only to be pushed away. I notice at this point that Nicholas has now fulfilled every mother's biggest dream for her child when he wipes his nose on his sleeve. Yay for me! Can I just by stock in Shout now? Morning chores continue and the barrage (I mean demands that sound like screams) start from Mr. Grumpy Pants. "Melmo! Melmo!" as he manages to touch every button on out DVD player and attempt to open the cabinet where the Elmo treasure is stored. Hoping for quiet, I relent, and start madly ironing a huge pile of laundry that has been building since Friday when laundry started but never quite finished and just continued to grow (see, Friday morning began with an unfortunate discovery that the cats {being mad that our new dog, Bentley, was in the garage because it was cold out} decided to use Patrick's huge collection of stuffed animals as a litter box instead of going out the kitty door to their litter boxes in the garage). Anyways, ironing ensues while eating Kashi with almond milk and calling Patrick's future elementary school when the phone beeps, and it is our agent here saying that the inspection on our house here has been moved to Thursday instead of today. Strange because not 1 hour before I had spoken with Chuck and found out that our inspection there (where we are moving) is also Thursday at the same time! Weird how, everything with these two house continues to coincide on the same days. Anyways, my parents show up yet again (for the second time in 2 hours) to watch Nicholas so I can go see a most amazing witch doctor (just kidding... she is a chiropractor). This is followed by a stroll around Big Lots next door (by myself-who knew Big Lots could be so enchanting) where I am excited to find a pooper scooper for the back yard. I listen to my book on CD all the way home (Left Behind if you were wondering-great to rent those books on CD from the library). I arrive at home to find out Nicholas has been asleep since 20 min after I left and hasn't made a peep. Thankfully, he slept until time to pick up Patrick (almost 4 hours). We come home and Patrick is all to excited to use the new pooper scooper so I instruct him to put on his crocs and go for it. I give him a paper grocery sack and marvel at what a sweet helpful 6 year old boy I have. 15 minutes later I walk through the kitchen to find a paper bag on the kitchen table. "Patrick?" I say. "That's not a bag of poop on the kitchen table is it?". "Yeah, mom, it's in a bag, no big deal". Well, if you know me you can imagine the antibacterial cleansing that took place immediately following that conversation.. OK, so its 5pm and Patrick decides while I am changing Nicholas to try and walk Bentley who is NOT leash trained and I find Bentley running down the street in pursuit of another Springer Spaniel and Patrick following behind. Bentley is eventually brought in the house and things settle down for a moment. From then on, peanut butter cookies are made, break dancing is questioned and discussed and somewhere in there Nicholas decides to make Bentley's kennel his new home. Dinner is microwaved, fruit is cut, baths given and American Gladiators is on the TV before bed. It is now 9:18 now and Patrick has been sound asleep for 1 hour and 18 minutes and Nicholas is jumping on my bed. I am on my second margarita and reviewing my prayer/gratitude journal that says "sleep tonight" first on the list. I am sure there are more fun moments from the day that I have not mentioned, but I think I have gone on long enough. May your days and nights not be as sleep deprived and full of poop (and snot) as mine!