Overheard

Around 8 pm, in the car on the way home from a week long stay at MeMe's and PaPa's:

Mallory scratching her ear.
Mommy: What's wrong with your ear?
Mallory: Nothing.
Daddy: Do you have a booger in there?
Mallory: No.
Mommy: Do you have bump on it?
Mallory: No, I think it's just from my breakfast. Maybe it's just my strawberry strudel.

Short week

It's going to be a sparse week for me in Blogland. That's because on Tuesday we are meeting my parents to hand over the kidlets for the week. Then, on Wednesday, Shawn and I are jetting of to NYC for a client meeting and then a mini-vacation. We should be back on Sunday night assuming we don't decide to run away and join the circus.


Mom and Dad, hope you are prepared to let the kids move in. Just in case.

Distracted

I was distracted by the newspaper on Sunday morning and forgot about the cinnamon rolls in the oven. Once I saw these, I realized that they are just a symptom of a bigger problem. I've become a little too self focused the last few months. I want to do what I want to do, when I want to do it. Forget cleaning up after the heathens that live in my house, forget finishing up that report for work, who cares about how high the grass/lawn has grown, the piles of laundry can just keep on growing for all I care (okay, maybe I've stayed on top of this one ... but I've thought it!).

But, we all know that it's just not possible to continue to subsist in this manner. So, I am fully recommitting myself to focused activities. Right after I get back from NYC. Yeah, that gives me a few more days to finish up my procrastination.

Don't you hate it when ...

Someone parks this close to your car? So close in fact that you can barely open the car door to put your darling little boy in his carseat. Leaving you with only choice in the matter ... to leave a little present on their door panel. Yeah ... don't you just hate it?

New assistant

Mallory asked me to watch her little Lambie on Wednesday while I was at work. What I didn't know is how good of an assistant she would be. She typed up some notes for me and even made all of my copies. I need to take her to work more often.

Impromptu

Mallie and True had an impromptu breakfast in bed on Saturday morning. Oh the crumbs, but they had a great time.


I cherish these times that they are "lovey" with each other as they are getting few and far between. I can't tell you how many times over the course of the last few weeks that I've heard screaming and "he is touching me" or screeching from Truett because Mallory has pinned him to the floor. Now I understand the need for Calgon.

Home grown

We tried our hand at a mini garden this year. When I say mini, I mean minute ... as in only two tomato plants. I figured we'd start off small you know ... see how it turns out. And maybe next year, we can go wild and crazy and add another veggie or two.

So, the plants were put in the ground a little late in the season but have started to take off. Lo and behold, on Wednesday evening we got our first cherub tomato off the vine. Mallory had the honors.

Cancellation

I blogged a few short weeks ago about Truett needing a speech evaluation. We had three choices for the evaluation:

1. Go to a private practice. Not our first choice as ped says it is not usually covered by insurance.
2. Go to Baylor's Our Children's House. Preferred option per ped since it's covered and it more like a private practice.
3. Use the government-run program, Early Childhood Intervention. This is a good option, but we were told that it could be weeks/months before we get an evaluation and there would not be as many therapy sessions as Option #2.

So ... we decided to go for #2. I faxed over our info/referrals, etc. and anxiously awaited the call to schedule an appointment. Well, they finally called a few days ago and we scheduled for July 21. But ... and it's a big but ... the insurance coordinator called today.

Our financial portion of the evaluation: $550.

My heart dropped. This is exorbitant and I just cannot do it. I feel guilty that I think this is too much money for a speech evaluation. $273/hr, wow (I wonder what the margin is on that?). I've struggled all afternoon wondering if it really is worth the money, but no matter how I look at it I just cannot justify that amount when I know there are other less expensive (but I am told, just as good) means of obtaining the evaluation.

So, we are back to square 1. And option #3. Cross your fingers that we get an appt sooner than later. On the other hand, True has made great progress in the last few weeks. He is even starting to speak in phrases. So maybe a delay won't hurt.

Home improvement: master bath update

I had been mulling over what our bathroom vanity would look like if it were painted. But, I had been too chicken to do it. Or, maybe just the thought of the work involved was off-putting. But, knowing I had a three-day weekend over the Fourth of July must have invigorated me because I stopped at the paint store on the way home Thursday and bought two quarts. I went to work right away ... and this is what we have:


I don't have any before photos on this computer, but trust me when I say it looks 1000 times better. The ivory cream that was there had started to chip along the doors. And, instead of being ivory creamy it was more like dirty dingy.

I am still on a quest for new door hardware. I've bought and returned two sets. Maybe the third time is the charm? We are going to take at trip over to Elliott's Hardware to see what we can find. I think of it as door hardware nirvana. There are hundreds of pulls to choose from. Oh ... it's just about heaven for someone like me.

Shawn even worked in there for me this last weekend and installed lights over the bathtub. I am finally getting rid of all these black holes in the house. The bad part of that ... I see all the dust bunnies. I just can't have my cake and eat it too, can I?!

Birthday boy turns two

I said I would write about True's birthday several weeks ago (who's kidding ... it was more like a month or more ago) and I am just now getting around to it. That's partially because the pics from the party are on the "good" camera and I am admittedly too lazy to pull out the cables, etc. to download them. But of course, Tracy called me out on it so I had to spring into action.

So, now all you lucky viewers get the pictorial version of True's party. And only from one camera. So, I'm sure you're missing out on a lot. But, it's better than nothing, right?
!

Follow up on the Fourth

I went into the fourth not feeling great. Sore throat, snuffy/runny nose, ringing ears. I think I may have picked up the strep that Mallory was diagnosed with earlier in the week. Regardless, I decided to pick up a home improvement project. More to come on that later in the week.

On Friday, I told Mello we may meet them at Hawaiian Falls (a local water park). But, I woke up just not feeling it. The stuffy nose and aforementioned home improvement project had something to do with it. Wish I would have felt better, but I couldn't imagine sitting outside in 100+ degree heat with my head issues (no jokes here, please).

But for the fourth, we stuck close to home (and the neighbors). The day started off with the annual Fourth of July Parade. Mallory woke up on the wrong side of the bed and avoided the camera like it was the plague. True didn't know what he was in for.




I was sorely disappointed in the parade. It has been much better in years past. After the parade, we spent the rest of the afternoon in our neighbor's back yard. They had their Sunday school class and some other friends over. It was miserably hot but had a great time. I don't say "we" because Shawn spent most of the afternoon at home. Truett was tired and needed a nap, and to be honest, Shawn did too. The boys finally came over around 3ish and hung out until we decided to come home just after 4p.


We spent the rest of the night hanging at home. I would have liked to go see fireworks, but all the heat had sapped my energy and to be honest, True needed to go to bed. So, it was a pretty uneventful fourth. I am counting that as a good thing though.

Happy Birthday, America

Hope everyone has a wonderful (and safe!) July 4 holiday!

Building houses and updates

Mallory is really into building things these days (see previous post on blocks). I came in the bedroom the other day and noticed she had confiscated Truett's clipo table. This is her version of a house. Unfortunately the side you are looking at is the garage (the other side looks like the Taj Majal) but you still get the idea. She even made bunk beds and a chair to go inside. She's just brilliant.

In other news, Truett's speech evaluation was finally scheduled for July 21. However, I'm starting to doubt whether he really needs it. In the last week he's had quite the verbal explosion. He's had a large number of new words and is even using sentences (don't want those shoes, mamma or want cookie, mamma). But, I will wait on the insurance office to let me know how much my portion of the evaluation will be before I cancel. Daycare still says he's behind all the other kids so he still may need a little help to catch him up.

I'm off today for the July 4th holiday. Hope you all have a good one!

Funning feeling

Do you ever just have a funny feeling and not quite feel "right?" That's how this week has been for us.

• Truett: We can't keep up with the runny nose. He's waking up early because he can't breathe. And have I said anything about the whining lately? Yeah ... I think he might be going for a world record of whineyness.
  
• Mallory: Has had a tummy ache off and on since last Saturday night. Of course, she has learned how to use sickness to her advantage. Maybe she's just playing us?!
  
• Mommy: Headaches, stuff nose/sore throat, aching foot (I fell and twisted it last weekend).
• Shawn: Well ... he's about the only healthy one around here these days. On second thought, maybe he is sick in the head. He's been doing some things around the house for me (installing lights, etc.).
  
• Mickey: See the picture. Need I say more? He's been hanging around since June 7 and I can't believe he's still alive. I think his time with us is coming to a close though. Peace out, Mickey.
  

It's a good thing the July 4 holiday starts tomorrow. I need some rest (and a good BBQ).

Engineering

We've been building castles around our house lately. Well ... let me clarify. Mallory and I have been building. Truett has been playing the wrecking ball.


Mallory keeps telling us that we need a new house because the one we live in is old. Hopefully this home build house will suffice.