Mainly Mallory

Overheard

2009-07-30T07:00:00.001-05:00

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

2009-07-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

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

2009-07-20T11:01:00.003-05:00

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 ...

2009-07-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

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

2009-07-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

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

2009-07-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

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

2009-07-10T07:00:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-09T07:00:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

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

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

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

2009-07-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

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

2009-07-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

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

Building houses and updates

2009-07-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

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

2009-07-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

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.

Like I was 13 again

2009-06-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

A few months ago my friend Robyn suggested we have a grown-up slumber party. We discussed and decided to do it this past weekend. So Saturday night around 7p, I packed up my backpack and headed over to Robyn's house ... just like I was 13. Except this time I could drive myself there.

She lives in the cutest little cottage and has a wonderful cottage garden. I wish the plants around my house looked like hers - lush and blooming.

After we all got there and got some of the excitement out of the way, we had to decide what exactly we were going to do. First, we went out to eat at Cheddars. I think Melody and Robyn would have passed this important step and just snacked at home. But I was STARVING. Did I say that loud enough? I was starving, really. Withering away. So ... off we went. I was in heaven since Cheddars has a Monte Cristo. That really made me think back to high school when we would go to Bennigan's after each and every Friday night football game. I would order a Monte Cristo and a Death by Chocolate. Great memories. Of course, I am still wearing some of those to this day. I wonder how many calories all of that food had in it?!

Hey Melody, I am proud that you remembered the neck technique. I will tell Tracy that you have it down pat!

After that, we headed back to Robyn's house and stepped into her own personal video store. There were so many movies that we had a hard time picking one. Instead of the chick flick, romantic comedy that you would have expected three girls to choose we opted for something a little more serious - The Changeling. Great movie, by the way. We grabbed our brownies and creme puffs and settled in for the movie.

It was 1:30a by the time the movie ended. Melody, the youngest one of our group I might add, was already having trouble with drowsy eyes. Robyn and I were just getting started though. Since Melody was about half out of it Robyn and I made the executive decision to watch Center Stage. Yet another American classic ballet/love story. One of my favs since I know half of the dialogue and all of the songs. Luckily for me Robyn is way into it as well.

Finally, at 3:30a, it was time to go to bed. We roused Melody and made up the pull out couch. Mello went out like a light. I had to lay there for a while and settle down. Unfortunately for me, Robyn's house has like a thousand windows. No exaggeration. All of them very clean ... so that the sun streams through very early in the AM. About 7:45a I finally gave up trying to sleep and called it a day.

Robyn and Melody roused themselves around 8:30a. We looked, as my mom would say, like the last roses of the summer. There is a reason you stop pulling all-nighters when you hit your 30s. I had momentarily forgotten that though.

So ...here it is Monday night and I'm still recovering. I think it's going to take a while.

Can you imagine?

2009-06-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

If she's already saying this at 4.5 can you imagine what kind of driver she's going to be at 16? Lord help us all!

Truett: 2 year stats

2009-06-25T07:00:00.004-05:00

So True finally had his two year check up with the pediatrician on Wednesday. Here are the stats:

Height: 34.5 inches (50%tile)
Weight: 26.1 lbs (30%tile)

He's gained quite a bit of weight since his 18mo checkup (about 3-4 lbs). He's pretty much perfect, except for his speech. Shawn and I were counting up the number of words that he uses on a regular basis and could only come up with about 25 (which means there are probably at least 35 - 40). Although he's still on the bell curve, the ped was a little concerned as he's been slow to develop in this area. So, she is going to send us for a speech evaluation to see if he needs a little therapy. I'm all for it if it will help little man communicate better. He gets very frustrated when he can't tell us what he wants. Heck ... I know a lot of adults that do that too (um, maybe moi?!).

Anyway, that's the long and short of it. I can't believe he already turned two. The days are flying. I sometimes wish I had a contraption that would slow it down to a reasonable speed. I'll be sure to put inventing something like that on my ever-growing to-do list. Wish me luck.

Water fun

2009-06-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Mallory is our own little Esther Williams. She loves anything and everything to do with the water. Truett on the other hand is slowly being intoxicated by the coolness that summertime water play offers.

We have a blow up pool that Mallory uses during the summer, but the kids (Mallory and neighbors) get in and out of it so much that Shawn often has to let the water out of it to clean it up. But, that didn't seem to stop the two amigos on this day.

Green thumb, after all

2009-06-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've been known to kill all green things. At one point in my formative years I seem to remember the family joking about it. But, I think I've come a long way in the last few years. I submit this hibiscus into evidence:

I counted 15 blooms on it. 15 y`all! I just adore looking at this plant. The kids do too. Mallory likes to pick flowers for me. Truett is a copy cat. I have finally convinced them to leave this one alone. Especially since they killed the few remaining pansies I had earlier this year. I did like having those pretty purple flowers in the house though. Getting flowers from the kids is like my own badge of mommyhood. I must be doing something right.

Lullabye

2009-06-22T09:02:00.004-05:00

Truett is a loving soul. He always wants to make people feel better ... usually by giving kisses. Almost every morning he crawls into our bed and gives me a hug and a kiss. If I am asleep, he often tugs on me, crying "mama" until I wake up and give him what he's after - the coveted kiss. But no matter how he gives it, whether by kiss or hug or a tug of the hand, he seems to want to soothe people.

So this weekend while playing in his room, I looked over and he was soothing himself and the gloworm. Just dancing his little heart out. It was so sweet that I couldn't let the opportunity pass by to record it (of course, using the new iPhone!). I wish I wouldn't have been facing the window so the vid was better, but you get the idea.

Zoo-prise!

2009-06-19T07:00:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday, I woke up thinking that we didn't need to waste the day sitting around. So, I corralled us all and we headed over to the Ft. Worth Zoo. This could have been a dicey situation since the weather was supposed to be sunny and 97. But, thankfully, outside of a few snaps between all of us, it turned out okay.

It's about a 45 - 60 min drive to the zoo from our house. We piled in the car about 10:45 and within about 20 mins of leaving Mallory informed us that she wasn't feeling good. What does any good mommy do in this situation? Tell her to close her eyes and go to sleep. One day I will figure out a remedy for car sickness.

Once we got to the zoo, all the "green" was gone and excitement was in the air. Mallory has been to the Dallas Zoo but she was only 2.5 at the time. True has never been. So I am really counting it as a first for both kids. It won't be the last.

They absolutely loved looking at the animals. Here are some of our favs:

All Mallie could think about was seeing the giraffes. True was enamored of the bear. Probably because he was reacting to us while all the other animals were sleeping or too hot to pretend we were even there. See what I mean below? That's a sleeping gorilla.

There aren't many pics of the kids because neither were in a "picture" mood. Hopefully this passes soon. You know I love the camera.

New

2009-06-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

New hair.

New glasses.

New me?

No. Needs more improvement.

I'm a thief

2009-06-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

We had Mello and Gang over last Saturday night to partake. She took all the pictures and some of them were too good to not steal. So, I am pretending to be Robin Hood ... steal from her and share!

Mini me

2009-06-16T07:00:00.004-05:00

I've been curling my hair the last few days .... just for something different. I've fallen into a rut. Mallory seems to think she has too because she asked to curl her hair a few days ago. She is just so darn cute. I love that she wants to be just like Mommy.

Sorry for the dark after picture. It was storming outside and Shawn didn't turn on the light to take the picture. You can get the point though. And, we need to train her hair to curl better. It had all fallen out by morning.

Galveston overview

2009-06-15T07:00:00.002-05:00

Our trip to Galveston was a mixed bag for two reasons:

1. Mallory is in LOVE with the beach and water.

2. Truett ABHORS the beach and water.

I think we all had a pretty good time though, even with the hiccups.

Sunday night we spent in the hotel pool. I wish I had taken a picture of it because it was beautiful. Swim up bar and all. Hotel Galvez is my new favorite place to stay in Galveston (and not just because it has a bar IN the pool). Beautiful rooms ... great location ... but the food was so-so. We had a Gulf View room ... and you can see what we got (below). Would have been better to get a room on the front side of the hotel (rather than the side) but I could live with this since we were only there for two days.

Sunday night we knew we needed to eat because we are a family that does not miss meals. But, we were so tired and didn't feel like paying $40 for a steak in the hotel restaurant or trying to hunt down a good restaurant outside the hotel. Can you say lazy? So we ordered room service. I find this to be absolute decadence. Bacon cheeseburgers all around! There wasn't a table to eat on in our room, but Truett didn't seem to mind.

I was a little worried about the beaches, but it was obvious that sand had been trucked in they were in beautiful shape. On Monday, we rented an umbrella and two chairs and planned to stay there all day.

Truett spent most of his time lounging in the beach chair. When he did get up, he HAD to have his shoes on. Or he screamed. Really loudly. Lucky for us the beach was almost deserted, otherwise there would have been a lot more people who thought we were subjecting our child to abuse. Mallory ran all day long. From the sand to the water. Up and down the beach. She was just in heaven.

So I said earlier we had planned to stay on the beach all day. But ... as always happens, plans change. Truett needed a diaper change around 11:30a so I walked him across the street to take care of the situation. He fell asleep on the bed. Sweet peace! Finally, around 1ish or so he woke up and we decided to get a late lunch/early dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. We went there last year when Michele and I went visited Galveston so I knew the food would be good. The unknown was how the kids would react to the "thunderstorms" and animals that move/make noises. Mallory was scared to death of it last year, but did great this time around. Truett held on to my arm for dear life during the thunderstorms! Food was delish ... and we ordered a volcano for dessert.

And that was the end of Galveston. On the way back to Dallas, we stopped at Buc-ees (yes, it's spelled that way) for a pit stop. It's a huge roadside spectacle in Madisonville. I ordered us some lunch and we picked up about $40 worth of junk food. Maybe we went a little overboard in retrospect. Anyway ... they have all kinds of crazy things around this place, including this family of fluffy bears that were out front. Being the dedicated Baylor Bear that I am I needed the kids to take a pic with my kin-folk. True cooperated, Mallory not so much.

And that about wrapped up our trip. A little too fast and not enough beach! Next time I will make sure we are there for three or more days. But, had to get home to take care of Truett's birthday party. That will be coming up in the blog soon ... very soon.

New toy

2009-06-12T23:07:00.003-05:00

My new toy is ordered and will be on its way next week. By June 19 to be exact. Since it has a video function, I splurged and got the 32 gig. I can't wait. Shawn can't either since he gets my hand-me down iPhone.

Overheard: headaches

2009-06-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

On the way to school, Thursday morning.

Mallory: Mommy, my head hurts.

Mommy: So does mine.

Mallory: My forehead hurts. So that means my head hurts too.

Mommy: Really? Wow ... good to know.

Holy weather situation

2009-06-11T09:56:00.004-05:00

Last night we had some of the famous Tornado Alley thunderstorms. Mallory was beside herself with fear (ummm ... I had a shadow all night). Truett could care less. He was running around like nothing was happening. Even with the tornado sirens going off.

I thought the worst had passed last night, until Mallory crawled into bed with us sometime early this morning. I must have been in deep sleep because she kept telling me it was thundering and lightning when I told her to go back to her bed. Obviously I hadn't heard a thing. Eventually I succumbed and she crawled in bed with us.

But, when the alarm went off @ 6 a.m. the storms were still going strong. So, I decided to hang out at home for a while until they passed. The kids loved it ... a leisurely morning with breakfast at the table instead of in the car. An unusual occurrence in our house.

I dropped the kids off @ 8:30a and then ran into this on the way to work:

I wish I could have caught a pic of all the lightning. I will admit that I was a little freaked out as well! It took me an hour and fifteen minutes to drive 12 miles today. I'm exhausted already and the day hasn't even begun.

Happy Birthday, Truett

2009-06-05T21:32:00.003-05:00

Happy 2nd birthday, sweet boy. You are my joy.

Spring cleaning

2009-06-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

I've been in a mood to clean things up around here. That's one reason we did the garage sale last weekend. But, I didn't stop there. I put new storage in True's room. Isn't it pretty?! Makes my heart go pitter-patter. Unfortunately, he doesn't care too much about it.

See everything in the expedit? I used to have another bookcase in True's room. Everything you see in the expedit completely filled the other case. And ... there's only a few things in the colored bins.

Ahh ... sweet organization. It just feels better.

Fun in the sun

2009-06-01T07:00:00.004-05:00

While the rest of the world works today and tomorrow, we are enjoying a little fun in the sun in Galveston, TX. Not the best beach in the world, but the kids aren't old enough to turn up their noses just yet!

The beaches along the Seawall are in great shape. Apparently they've been hauling in sand. It's pretty evident as the sand is soft ... and pretty darn clean for Galveston. Here's a quick video of Mallory from our first night here (Sunday).

Be back in a few days!

Steaknite Surprise

2009-05-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

It's nice to get out of your normal routine. And that's just what we did this past Wednesday night. Tracy tuned me in to a happenin' event called Steaknite. It's like your own backyard BBQ with steak, an all you can eat sides and dessert buffet and live music. Except you don't have to do the dishes (high five to Tracy on that one). What more could you ask for?

Of course, the kids did not partake in the Steaknite food. They got their own little treat - McDonald's.

The place is south of downtown (and I might add, it's not the best of neighborhoods) but we had a wonderful time. Here are a few pics of the festivities.

I forgot to take a picture of my plate BEFORE I ate it. But trust me when I say it was full of steak, potato, macaroni and green beans. I think you can tell from below how delicious it was. Of course, I wouldn't have even gotten this pic if Tracy didn't remind me.

When we got home about 8:45p that night, my neighbor was anxiously awaiting our return. She told me that she did not mean to be a nosy neighbor, but she knew our schedule and KNEW we should have been home. She was worried that something had happened. Yeah ... I think it's time we start mixing it up a little more!

Vinyl Wall Art: The Easy Way to Decorate

2009-05-28T11:58:00.010-05:00

If you know me, you accept (but probably do not understand) my need to mix it up in the decorating department. Poor Shawn dreads it when I say, "I have an idea ..." He usually runs. But, these days, it's easier than ever for me to put my own stamp on the house without the help of anyone else - by using vinyl art designs. There's no commitment. Don't like it one spot ... move it to another. It's genius.

I've bought a few that I use in my bedroom and in the kids room. I am always on the search for cool designs to put in my back pocket ... just for the rainy day that I feel one of the rooms needs a makeover. Today I found Lewa's Designs via A Soft Place to Land. This store has some of the cutest stuff. You should check it out at http://www.lewasdesigns.com/.

These are some of my favs from her site. I adore the tree, but it's still a little out of my price range.

And, she's even kicking it up a notch. If you blog about her site by June 10, you can win a free vinyl. Then, if you add her little blinkie on your blog she will send you a second one for free! You pick from one of the designs below and get to pick the color. Of course, I am going for the bird and the catepillar. Still deciding on color, but I do know I am going to put them on the kids' bedroom doors with their initials.

So, check it out ya'll. It's an easy way to make a space your own.

Weekend festivities

2009-05-26T10:42:00.003-05:00

It was a nice Memorial Day weekend. Of course, not long enough, but that is an ongoing complaint. Here's a quick run down (with only a few pics).

Friday

We took Mallory to see Dr Newman for her first eye exam. She did very well at telling him which way the legs of the E were pointing. The good news is that no correction is needed at this time. He started talking about how she's a little farsighted but that's good at this age because ... and then I drifted away. Once I heard the magic words - no correction needed - my visit was over! Shawn and I each picked up a new pair of glasses while we were there. I can't wait to show off my new blue frames.

Saturday

I had a hair-brained idea to have a garage sale and had been collecting the merchandise in the dining room for a week or so. Let me just say that I am sad that I did not take a picture because the place was COVERED. In fact, at the beginning of this project, I told Shawn several times that I didn't think we had enough stuff for a garage sale. Boy was I wrong. Especially since we made $300. I then had Shawn take most of the leftovers to Goodwill. Good riddance.

What didn't make it over to the donation pile -- that darn tub of Eeyores that Shawn has been collecting for years. It's so precious to him that it's lived in the attic for about 5 years now. He says he's going to put them on EBay. Now that I've made this knowledge public maybe he will comply! Otherwise, a box of perfectly good Eeyores goes back up into the attic.

Sunday

True was in a particularly good mood this morning. I think he wanted to do some demolition. Luckily, demolishing the playroom is about as far as he can take it these days.

Mallory and I got up bright and early and headed over to IKEA. They were have a great sale on Expedits (book shelves) and of course I NEEDED one for Truett's room. Yeah ... so they were giving out free breakfast too so we decided to partake. Probably a big mistake since the eggs were powdered and watery. Then, Mallory accidentally spilled her drink all over her plate. Again, good thing it was free.

Mello met up with us at IKEA and we tinkered around. Christopher and Mallory ran rough-shod through the place. But, they had a good time. Once we were done shopping, we headed over to McDonald's for lunch and a date with the twisty slides. That didn't go too well for Mallory. She climbed up to the slide platform and then got scared. Mommy had to crawl part of the way up there to get her. Thank goodness Mello didn't have her phone camera nearby or you would have had to see my backside climbing up there. And I can assure you it was not a pretty picture.

Once we left McD's, we stopped at ULTA to pick up some beautifying products and then headed home. I tried to roll Mallory's hair in these curlers. Isn't she cute? Reminds me of the "ladies" from the Tuna series. Isn't one of them almost always in curlers?!

You notice up there that I said "tried." It didn't work. Probably because her hair was too wet when I tried to do it and neither one of us had the patience to wait it out. Even with a hair dryer it was just taking too long. So, we'll try again another day.

Monday

A quiet day. I wasn't feeling great so I spend most of the morning taking it easy by picking up the house and catching pieces of two movies on the Showtime free movie weekend - The Great Debaters and Stardust. Both were fantastic. Mallory was begging all morning to go out to play in this:

That green thing back there is the pool. About 10:45a I tried to get in it with her but it was just too cold. When I wouldn't go in, Mallory moved on to Plan B. Make-up time. Truett had it all over his body, like war paint. It was hilarious. I'm just happy they bond together, you know?!

After Shawn got home (unfortunately he had to work on Memorial Day, but did get off a few hours early) I headed off to the grocery store to stock up. Seriously ... there were only 10 things on my list. I came home without about 60 things. But, to give me a pat on the back, that little snow cone maker I bought the kids (yeah ... it was for them) makes great treats.

That's about the extent of the weekend. Boring but good. I am already in need of another one!

We're going to Vegas!

2009-05-22T07:00:00.002-05:00

Mallory and I both have a strong love of dance. And this Thursday night starts our summer tradition.

Woo-hoo (as Mary would say ... and you know what this means if you watch the show). Mallory dances around the house trying to mimic the contestants. Mommy enjoys the music, dance and joy that Mallory feels.

We were so into it last summer that she would run around at all times of the day and night saying, " I'm going to Vegas!" Only the great dancers made it to the next round in Vegas and they showed them saying it on the show quite often.

So, as of tonight, Mallory and I are going to Vegas on our TV.

Happiness is ...

2009-05-21T12:40:00.001-05:00

There are many things that make me happy. But at this very moment at work, this is on the top of my list. Pill ice and a diet Dr Pepper. We got a new ice machine. I am in heaven. It's the small things, you know?

Three Amigos (Part 3)

2009-05-21T10:59:00.011-05:00

So it's been a while since I said I'd finish up the girls' trip to Central Texas. Yeah ... about a month now. I think I'm behind. Before I begin, I have to give a disclaimer that there are not as many pics in this post as I normally would include. I think I was in shopping shock this day and forgot to pull out the camera often enough. Also, forgive any grammar or misspellings. I will readily admit I am too lazy to peer review myself today. Now, on with the story.

Day 2 begins. We slept in. I will admit that I was eagerly awaiting the "surprise" box that gets dropped at your doorstep every morning. This box is supposedly full of deliciousness. Luckily ... the box came (see, perfect oppty for a picture that I didn't take). It was an old-fashioned cowgirl lunch box that was full of hot, yummy almond topped muffins. I did partake, but Lynn and Tracy only took a few dainty bites. I couldn't help myself because they were so delish. However, since Tracy and Lynn saved room for "real" food, we headed over to Wimberly and ate more deliciousness at this little cafe:

Lynn raved over the migas (best since her honeymoon). I can't remember what Tracy had but she said it was delish. As for me, I had eaten almost a whole muffin (about the size of Incredible Hulk's fist) back at the B&B, so I kept it light and had a few scrambled eggs. Just for a little protein is what I kept telling myself.

After we had sufficiently fueled ourselves for a long day of shopping, we walked around the delightful town. It was full of little stores that lured us in. Here's a pic of an old house that was turned into a shop. How charming is that? Unfortch, this particular store was full of a lot of junk. Looks can be deceiving.

I ended up buying a few things as we sauntered around town ... but my best buy of the day is this little number:

Yes, a VERA BRADLEY purse. For only $50. Did you even know she made anything other than prints? I sure didn't. But I can tell you that after a few weeks of using this thing I am in love with it.

After working ourselves to exhaustion, we stopped and had lunch at a little place in town. The Learning Pear ... or was it the Leaning Pear? It was funny because that morning in the B&B I was reading through the stack of menus that showed what all the places around served and I was drooling. I mentioned it to Lynn and Tracy and they both said in unison, "that's the place we were going to go for lunch." So Lynn, great pick.

Lunch was wonderful and the perfect pick-me-up. Then, we headed off into the great blue yonder - headed for Luckenbach. Um ... I only knew the song by Willie and thought it'd be a great place. Who knew it was a hole in the wall. Really. We almost missed it. But, it was fantastic. Live music, bikers, preps (like me), crazy people (also a little like me) ... I could have stayed there resting under the tree and listening to music for the rest of the day. But we have places to go and things to see. Of course, we bought the requisite t-shirt.

Back to the car ... headed towards Fredericksburg. Luckily, it wasn't far because by this time it was about 2 or 3p. We walked around the streets of Fredericksburg looking for a bargain and it didn't disappoint. Tracy found some material to recover a chair, I found a little denim jacket and I can't remember what Lynn found (besides liquor and cookies, of which we all shared). We also found a place that served this:

And you could walk around town with it. So, we partook. But, with a bellini instead. I don't like beer.

It only took a few hours and we were getting tired and knew we needed to head back towards Dripping Springs. We stopped at Wildseed Farms on the way back (just in time too ... we got there about 15 mins before closing). It is a HUGE seed farm, garden store, etc. Lynn finally found the hummingbird feeders she had been looking for and was very excited. Tracy and I did like we usually do ... and bought food.

Later that night, we ended up at a little steakhouse (name escapes me). We got there early and thought we'd check out the "bowling alley" next to the restaurant. But, alas, no bowling alley ... just a little cafe. Again. looks can be deceiving! So, we headed over to eat. I was surprised at how wonderful the place was inside. What is it about twinkle lights that makes everything better?! Believe it or not, they were doing Cherries Jubilee and Bananas Foster. In Hicksville. Too bad we filled up on steak and baked potatos or we would have tried some of the deliciousness.

Then it was back to the B&B to relax and get some rest. Because the next day it was time to head home. I have no interesting news to report about that ... except to say: don't eat at the Elite Cafe in Waco, TX. Yeah ... it used to be good. But not so much anymore.

So, another girls' trip down. Who's planning the next one?

Memorabilia

2009-05-11T10:15:00.003-05:00

Another Mother's Day has come and gone. I will forever treasure the little trinkets from the kidlets. Every year they just get better and better. What I want to know though is when the law of diminishing returns kicks in?!

True's class made a card and a little scented sashay. The inside of the card (which of course, I don't have a picture of) has a cute saying and his hand print.

Mallory's current teacher is an out-of-work state certified art teacher. It shows in the creativity of her gifts. Just adorable. But, I had Friday off so Mallie spend the day with me. Alas, the inside of the card isn't done. While it does have a cute saying (about being a handful), it's missing her hand print. Guess I need to take some initiative to finish that one.

New acquisition

2009-04-29T11:14:00.003-05:00

I found this vinyl art yesterday @ Bed Bath and Beyond. Pretty, huh? It says "Spread Your Wings and Learn to Fly."

Three Amigos (Part 2)

2009-04-22T10:32:00.010-05:00

So, last week we headed off to Central Texas for a girls' getaway. The day started off as any other for me - alarm going off at 6a, shower, dress, get the kids wrangled and off to school. But then I headed down to Lynn's house to get the trip going. After a few mins for a bathroom break and a quick weather check we were on our way.

We headed south to Corsicana and then cut across Highway 31 towards Waco. About halfway to Waco the rain started coming down so hard you could hardly see your hand in front of your face. But, we soldiered on determined to make it to our destination.

In Waco, we decided to stop and take a bathroom break and get something to eat. By this time it was around 11ish. This wouldn't have been a problem if a white van wouldn't have decided to park so close to me that we couldn't get back in the car. Yeah, something came out in me (and I'm still not sure what it was) ... and I ran back into the Whataburger yelling "who drives a white van?" Unfortunately, no one fessed up (they may have been afraid of me). So, I had to climb across the passenger seat to get into my car. I would have a taken a picture, but I was sooo mad that I didn't think about it until after we were gone.

After that, the day started looking brighter. The sun came out somewhere around Temple and by the time we made it to Killeen the roads looked dry. We cut across to Lampassas and then headed south to Marble Falls where we stopped and had a late lunch at the Bluebonnet Cafe. It was delicious. After that, we headed through Johnson City and then to Dripping Springs to check in to our B&B (even though she doesn't call it that). The place was NICE. Juniper Hill Farms, ya'll. They even had the cutest donkeys on site. Here are a few shots from the grounds (and one of the outside of our room/apartment).

That evening we decided to head over to Driftwood Winery before we went to dinner. We thought we were going to another winery, but we ended up at this one. At this point in the day, wine was wine. Especially considering it was 5p and all the tastings closed at 6p. I was finally starting to relax.

After my first-ever wine tasting (eh, the thought was nicer than the tasting), we headed back to Johnson City to have dinner at a hole in the wall that served upscale food. Wish I could remember the name of the place (Circle K Cafe ... no, that's a convenience store!). Anyway, Tracy and I split the Blue Cheese Filet. Delish. Lynn had some kind of fried fish (that is not normally fried). I am sad to say that I have no food pics from this trip. Shocking I know. Unfortunately, when we stopped to eat, we found this lovely screw in my tire. Fortunately, the tire didn't leak the entire weekend.

After dinner, we headed back to the B&B to relax. Lynn went to bed early but I was pretty much wide awake. So, I just laid in bed and read a magazine. Yeah ... it sounds pretty boring on paper but it was a fantastic day.

I'll write more about day 2 later.

Sign language

2009-04-20T11:13:00.003-05:00

I'm back from the girl's trip ... and it was fantastic. More to come on that later this week when I have a bit more time. For now, I have some great signs for your viewing pleasure. I found that some residents of Central Texas have quite a sense of humor. These signs were seen in Blanco, TX and Wimberly, TX.

Three Amigos (Part 1)

2009-04-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

This morning I am headed off for a girl's getaway with my friends Lynn and Tracy. I love a good road trip with loud music, sodas and all the junk food you can eat (yeah, so much for the weight loss plan and the Couch to 5k I was trying to do).

We're headed to the Texas hill country, so watch out all you folks down that way because we're coming to town. Oh, and is it sad that I'm kind of excited about going to Luckenbach? I cannot get that darn song out of my head now.

Be back on Monday!

Overheard

2009-04-15T08:42:00.002-05:00

In the car on the way to school, Mallory seemed to be craving some freedom.

"Mommy, I wish I could fly like the birds. I could be Supergirl and Truett could be Superman."

Happy Easter 2009

2009-04-13T11:23:00.006-05:00

Another holiday, come and gone. We had a good one this time around. Although we did miss Shawn. He was in Moab on his man-cation. Of course, he was having a great time, but it would have been more fun to be with us!

We started the weekend by heading out to Gilmer around 3p on Thursday. All was going well until I was about an hour away from home and realized that I "might" have locked Cinder in one of the bedrooms. The bad news was that I wasn't sure I had done it ... and that no one besides me and Shawn have a key to our house. I crossed my fingers and prayed that I had not done it. But, guess what? I did. We have been busy airing out Mallory's room to rid it of the pee smell. I hope Nature's Miracle is as good as it promises to be. Otherwise, I may be shopping for new bedroom carpet (we need it anyway).

On Friday, we made plans with my sister to take Mallory to see the new Hannah Montana movie. Her first movie! She loved holding the big tub of popcorn in her lap and it was so cute to see it grazing the edge of her chin. The only problem was that she was not heavy enough to keep the chair down and it kept riding up on her. I finally put my purse in the seat with her and that helped some. About halfway through the movie she asked Aunt Chele if we could leave. Then she spent the rest of the time on our laps. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience.

After the movie, Michele and I stopped off at the Dollar Store. Um ... I felt really sorry for this poor bunny. I saw another one that was hearing-impaired. Or, I assume so since it had a big hole in its ears.

We went back to Mom and Dad's house to find my brother and family there. Didn't do much that night but mess around the house.

Saturday we got up and was excited to be attending the Gilmer Annual Easter Egg Hunt. A good time was had by all but unfortunately we did not find a "prize" egg. I have several pics of True hunting eggs, but none of Mallie. We had to split forces this year, so Aunt Chele took Mallie to hunt. She did pretty well for herself.

Mimi and True

That afternoon while all the adults and True were napping, I decided it was time for the girls to dye their eggs. No real pics of the event since it was just me and I was really paying attention to keeping the egg dye cups from spilling over and turning the girls colors. But, I did take an after-egg dying picture of one of Mallory's eggs. This is a turtle.

Later that night, we headed over to Aunt Chele's for a family barbeque. Stoney and Michele had just gotten a ping-pong table which kept us busy for quite some time. But you can see that Cale, Mallie and Reagan had better things to do.

We left their house around 9p and went home. True was overtired but was having nothing to do with bed so cousin Jace played with him for a while. I can't figure out who was having a better time.

Then came time for the Easter bunny to visit. I think he went overboard this year.

Sunday was pretty mellow as it was raining cats and dogs. But, we made it home safely around 6p and have closed the books on another family holiday/gathering.

Sweet peace

2009-04-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

I wish I was doing this right now.

Shawn is on a man-cation this week so I've had the kids by myself since around Friday (4/3) @ 11a. It's not good to be out numbered.

Eviction notice

2009-04-07T20:33:00.005-05:00

I think I've blogged about Truett's biting habit. He doesn't just like to take a bite out of crime, but out of other little boys and girls too. Maybe he's secretly a vampire?! Well, anyway it all came to a head last week. He bit someone on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. He was sent home on Tuesday. I argued with the daycare director that it was no punishment to get to spend the day with mommy ... but she thought it was. Does that say something about me?! Anyway ... on Thursday shethe director called to tell me he had broken skin and asked me to remove him from the program. Huh?

So what did I do? Protest. Yes, I pulled out every tool in my book, including tears. But I left the daycare with Truett's eviction being rescinded and a plan of action for how to punish him for biting. Their way of punishment didn't work so we would enact MY way. And guess what ladies and gentlemen ... it's been two days and no biting. Now maybe I am counting my eggs before they have hatched but I am feeling a little redemption here. Mom usually knows best, right?

I am blaming the whole escalated biting issue on the allergy meds I was giving him. I've been reading about how it can change a child's behavior. I shared this tid-bit with the director this afternoon and she told me there was another child in the daycare that has a medically induced behavioral issue. So maybe I'm not crazy after all.

Cinderfella

2009-04-07T20:20:00.004-05:00

We've had Cinderella, aka Cinder, since last June. She has been a sweet kitty and is just getting so big. But, I had put off a much needed "procedure" that quickly got moved to the top of the to-do list once we figured out she likes to go outside and play. Last week I finally took Cinder to get "fixed." Yeah ... don't need any kittens running around here (I know MANY of you will appreciate that.).

We got up bright and early on April Fools' Day to take "her" to the vet. I wish I had a video of me trying to get "her" into the travel box. I think we both ended up with a few scratches before I eventually gave up and decided to wrap "her" in a towel. She was actually very good in the car and sat on my lap the whole way to the vet.

About 30 mins after I dropped her off, I got a call from the vet. Seems our little girl is really a little boy. I thought it was just an April Fools' joke, but no such luck. At least the "procedure" was cheaper!

Mallory was a little disappointed when she learned we had a stinky boy cat. But she's come around and now just loves her Cinder. Tonight she told me that she thinks it's okay that he's a boy.

Happy Birthday, Russ!

2009-03-26T10:00:00.001-05:00

Hope you have a fantastic birthday! The good news is that you and Chele are old enough to not have to share a party anymore!

Happy Birthday, Chele!

2009-03-25T21:41:00.002-05:00

Hope you had a wonderful day! You are the best sister a girl could ever have.

Say it ain't so

2009-03-25T21:08:00.003-05:00

Kids have a way of sallowing your skin, growing dark circles under your eyes and forcing those earthquake faults to show up on your forehead. I blame my current facial state squarely on their shoulders. Okay, let's widen that scope... my whole body is courtesy of Mallie and True. Yes, that is what I am going to keep telling myself.

I've just recently noticed that changes in my face and have taken drastic action to do something about it. I've pulled in the big guns courtesy of my sister because I need all the help I can get these days. I bought this: MD Forte III. I skipped steps one and two and went straight to the good stuff. I don't have time to wait to get to the version of the product that would make me look like a new woman. Anyway, thanks Chele for introducing me to this product. It really works. When I remember to use it.

So, I am trying to get into a beauty regimen because I must take action. The last few days I've patiently washed my face, then put on the cleanser, washed it off, put on moisturizer, etc. This is SO painful for me because it seriously takes too long. Really, five minutes is too long for me. But, I endure. While I was in mid-face wash tonight, I happened to cut my eyes up to the mirror. I'm not sure why, but I think the gasp I let out was heard by the entire neighborhood.

I found a gray hair. A wiry gray hair sticking straight up for the entire world to see.

I've found them in my eyebrows before, but that didn't seem to be such a big deal to me. Pluck it out and no one was the wiser. But the hair ... the hair is different. Gray hairs on your head are like little bunnies. They have a way of multiplying. I was so upset that I ran out of the bathroom and woke up Shawn to tell him. His response, "at least you aren't losing your hair." Yeah, that made me feel so much better about the whole situation. Then, I looked over and saw Mallory standing there wondering what was going on.

Mommy: You did this to me, didn't you?
Mallory: Nope, must have been someone else in the house.
Mommy: No, I'm pretty sure it was you.
Mallory: No, I'm pretty sure it was someone else.

So, next time I head to my second husband (the hairdresser) I will point this out and make sure he covers it over. Until then, I need to find a new way to style my bangs and hope no other little gray friends show up.

Resourceful

2009-03-24T13:50:00.005-05:00

Mallory is home sick today. She was throwing up this morning and hasn't eaten hardly anything. But she's up for running around the house this afternoon. I looked over and saw this new use for gloves. Nifty, huh?

I've been remiss in writing in the blog. Been busy traveling around the US for work and dealing with sickly kidlets (and a sickly me). I keep reminding myself that this too shall pass. In the meantime, I've picked up this new toy (aka Samsung Netbook) to help me be a little more resourceful. And I am LOVING it. It has a 10.2" screen and weighs about 2.5 lbs. Small enough to put in my purse and go anywhere. Happy tax return to me!

Play time

2009-03-09T19:41:00.003-05:00

We had a great time this weekend with the girls.

Ava, Kendall and Kennedy came over to play Saturday. The date started out with some Happy Meals and chaos at home. Then, we walked down to the park and the girls burned off some energy. After that Raquel and I took turns pulling all three of them in the wagon back up hill to the house . I needed a nap afterward.

We're going to do it again soon.

iPhone my phone

2009-03-05T08:45:00.002-06:00

Mallory and Truett love to play with my iPhone. The thing is seriously amazing. Entertainment for the kids (hallelujah for podcasts and videos!) and for me. There have been several occasions where I've had to pry it out of Mallory's hands so I could take a call or send an email. Now, Truett has taken to calling it "mine."

I try to keep the phone put up on the charger so it's not easy for them to pick up and carry around. But this weekend we were at my parent's house ... alas no charger. I saw Truett pick it up and play with it but wasn't too concerned. Until I took it away from him and assessed the damage -- he had deleted all of my text conversations with my sister. Oh well ... it wasn't anything I really needed to keep. I thought that was the extent of his "work." Then I saw the email from my sister. Apparently Truett had sent her an email message:

Ttafayruphtal
Sent from my iPhone

I'm not sure who else may have received something along these lines. If you did, consider yourself lucky that you've received one of Truett's very first emails! Not bad for a 21 month old! Now I'm going to have to start telling both Mallie and True that the phone is "mine."

Houston, we have a meeting

2009-03-04T09:14:00.006-06:00

This post isn't anything special. Just a snapshot of what's gone on so far this week. Even the kids have just been run of the mill and not their usual genius. Must be that we are ready for Spring to arrive.

MONDAY
We had an emergency request from a client to fly down to Houston for a Monday morning meeting. So, Monday morning we caught the 6:15a flight. Yeah ... it wasn't a happy time for me. I really never want to see 4a on the alarm clock. Shawn on the other hand was pretty happy because he got to sleep in (he usually gets up @ 3:30 - 4), even if he did have to trade off getting the kids ready for a few hours of extra sleep.

It was a pretty run of the mill trip until we hit the rental car place. I know the economy and markets aren't doing well ... but when did Hertz start passing these out when you exited the rental car property?!

I also took a few pics of Reggie, my boss, in action. He was working hard, as you can tell. Of course, he had no idea I was taking pictures.

Then I came home and did five loads of laundry.

TUESDAY
I fought some fires at work and then came home and finished folding laundry. Good times.

WEDNESDAY
Well, it's turning out to be a pretty good day. But the to-do list grows longer. I'm avoiding it and trying to run as far as I can. Hence the randomness of this blog entry.

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
Well, who knows what will happen the next two days. I know I'll be cleaning the house as we have a playdate with Ava and Kennedy on Saturday afternoon. Wouldn't want them to know the truth about my housekeeping abilities so it will take me some time to make the pig pen presentable.

MISC INFO AND RANDOM THOUGHTS

Mallory has moved up to the next class @ pre-school. Hew new teacher is actually accredited but couldn't find a job at one of the local school districts. All is going well and Mallory seems to responding well to Ms. Mandy.
Why didn't any of you people with kids warn me about the "look at me" phase? I think my child is the most beautiful little girl in the world, but I really don't need to look at her every five seconds while she pretends to dance, be the next Nastia Liuken or pick her nose.
Maybe Mallory is going to be a fashion model. She's taken to stripping down and putting on random outfits from the dress up chest. Then she parades through the living room shaking her hips. Honestly, she's pretty good at it. Maybe we should work on that a little more so we hit supermodel status. Then she could support mommy and daddy?!
We've changed classes at gymnastics as well. Her coach said it was time to move up to the next level of challenges so off we go. Starting this Saturday.
Mom is doing well. She's getting stronger every day. She can get up and down from the couch and chairs. This morning I called and she was in the kitchen waiting on dad to serve her eggs. I won't touch that one.
Shawn is prepping for his trip to Moab this April. This is going to sneak up on me. While I'm not looking forward to keeping the kids by myself for a week I know that he will have sooo much fun. Plus, it's good to have "guy time."
I'm looking forward to my "girls" trip to Central TX at the end of April. Three girls, a car and an open road. Trouble with a capital T!
One day I will have something really interesting to say. Until then I am glad you all keep coming to read!

Slug

2009-02-23T10:12:00.002-06:00

This should probably be my new nickname after this weekend. I made it from the bed to the couch, from the couch to the chair, the chair to the bathroom and then back to the couch. The only thing of substance I did this weekend was go to the grocery store on Saturday AM ( and bake blueberry muffins. (Side note: I think I will start going to the store @ 7:30 a -- you can see EVERYTHING on the aisle since it's a ghost town.) I didn't take a picture at all, spent some time talking on the phone, and hugged and kissed on the kids a lot. Oh, and did a lot of mindless TV watching. Cause you know, I needed to catch up on my Lifetime movies. It was great. All in all a good weekend.

On the mom news front, she was released from the hospital on Friday. I've just received a text from my sister that they are pulling out of Florida and are on their way back home to Texas. Finally ... I'm hoping we can start closing out this chapter and start a new one soon. Of course, there are still many hurdles to jump. Mom is so weak she can't hardly do anything by herself. But that should rectify itself in time. Let's hope so anyway.

My hearts

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

The kid's school celebrated Valentine's Day on Friday. I dressed them up in their finery (well, Mallory anyway ... I didn't find any cute little boy v-day stuff) and was going to send them off to par-tay all day long. Had to get some pics before we left though. What kind of mommy would I be to not document the momentous occasion that is Valentine's Day?! (I'm really joking here, just in case you didn't read between the lines.)

So, I thought I'd start off by putting them on the couch to take a pic. You can really see the love they were exuding on this day of hearts. I think True thought Mallory had cooties or something because he didn't want to get within 10 feet of her. But when she pulled him to her, he resisted then she pushed him down. Way to say "I love you."

Then I tried to get them to stand next to each other and hug. Not much success there either.

So finally I just resorted to an individual shot. True was in rockstar mode and requested no more pictures (or maybe he's just trying to push Mallory out of the way in this pic; we'll never know).

Hope you all had as good of a Valentine's Day as these two did!

Overheard (in the car)

2009-02-17T08:14:00.001-06:00

A snippet of a conversation Mallory and I were having in the car on the way to school this morning:

Mallory: (hiccup) Mommy, I have the hiccups.
Mommy: That means you are growing!
Mallory: Does it also mean I have a scratchy bottom?
Mommy: I don't know. Do you have a scratchy bottom?
Mallory: No.
Mommy: Then I guess hiccups don't mean a scratchy bottom.

The world is right once again

2009-02-15T19:36:00.002-06:00

It's been a week since I posted about my mom. The lack of info on here is due mainly to the fact that I spend the majority of my extra time on the phone with people giving updates. By the end of the day I am just kind of done talking about it to be honest. But, the good news is that last week they took her off the vent. Over the last few days she's been eating, sitting up and talking. Yes, the world is right once again.

She is still very, very weak. So weak that she has to have someone feed her. But I am not complaining. She's also still on a BiPAP machine (similar to the CPAP they use for people with sleep apnea). It doesn't breath for her but helps to eliminates some of the work. Once she is off of that she can move from ICU to a regular room. I'm hoping that comes sooner than later, but I guess it will happen in its own time.

I can't wait for her to come home.

Greatness

2009-02-15T19:34:00.003-06:00

I'm a great aunt ya'll! Lauren Michele made her way into the world on February 10, 2009. Isn't she cute? Mallory and I went to meet her this weekend. Surprisingly I did not get baby fever.

Just when you think it's going well ...

2009-02-08T19:16:00.002-06:00

I'm emotionally exhausted. Last Monday (2/2) my mom was admitted to the ICU at Lake Wales (FL) Medical Center and put on a ventilator. She had been sick and not sleeping a few days before, but dad finally got her to lay down and rest that Sunday night. But when he tried to wake her up the next day she was unconscious. They called the ambulance and off to the ER they went. Of course, she was admitted. Her blood pressure was 41/25. Yes, you read that right.

Anyway, my brother and I flew down to Orlando that night to be with Dad. Thank you so much, Cheryl for being my own personal travel agent. It is a joy to have friends like you who I can call in any circumstance and know that you will do everything in your power to help. I was also thankful to Lynn for taking over all of my work commitments. It was nice to be able to concentrate on mom and not worry too much about work (you know I will always worry a little!).

We arrived at the bus (aka, motor home) about 2:15a Tuesday morning. Later that day we got up to go see mom in the hospital. Seeing your parent(s) in that condition is just cruel. Well, seeing anyone in that condition is cruel, but especially those you love. The doctors originally diagnosed her with congestive heart failure, pneumonia, UTI and a "blood" infection. After about 48 hours in the hospital they finally said it was double pneumonia complicated by her COPD/emphaseyma and that she was septic from the infection.

It's been a week and she's still on the ventilator. She's holding her own though and I fully believe she will come out of this. It's just a matter of how long it will take. And of course, all of us keeping our patience in check. It's hard to only see the small steps forward. Each and every day I was there I wanted to walk into the ICU and see that they had taken her off the vent. In my mind I knew this wasn't possible, but in my heart I know ANYTHING is possible. They've lowered her breaths per minute and even lowered her oxygen to 50%, but she had a minor setback yesterday (vtach) and her oxygen had to be increased to 60%. They did move her over to SIM-V on the vent which means the machine will breathe for her but if she requests a breath it will give it to her. I spoke with her nurse this evening and she is definitely overbreathing the machine (machine is set at 10 breaths, she is taking 15 - 20).

I left to come home on Friday morning. I did very well holding emotions in check all week, until Thursday night. I didn't want to come home and cried on Dad's shoulder for a little while. Then I switched to my brother Rusty's shoulder. It was good to see my kidlets when I got home though. Mallory has been very concerned about how sick Mimi is and it's hard not to cry when I'm talking to her. To be honest, the longer I am home the harder it is to be here. But I know that I need to help Shawn take care of the kidlets. We'll just take the progress and setbacks day by day, knowing that all of our friends and family are praying for her. That's all we can do.

Radio silent

2009-02-02T13:26:00.007-06:00

Originally written: 2/2/09. I found at at 2p CT that day that my mom was rushed to the hospital. I never even had time to hit the publish button.

Mello told me that I needed to update my blog. I know I've been radio silent for the past week. I just haven't had much to say ... or felt like "talking" very much. However, I have been planning on doing a silly post about my iPhone pictures so I figure I will take the opportunity while I have nothing better to talk about.

The iPhone has a camera on it. Not a great one but it works in a pinch. However, after the 1,000th time that Mallory dropped my phone the camera starting giving me some startling photo results.

Yeah, so there you go. Interesting pics you think?

The writing is on the wall

2009-01-26T13:04:00.003-06:00

Mallory continues to hone her writing skills. She did this Friday night on her hand-dandy magnetic travel thingy (yes, that is a technical term).

Her name ... she did it all by herself. For Truett's name I did have to assist in the spelling. But she wrote it all on her own. She's going to be enrolling in college soon.

PSA: watch what you eat

2009-01-23T09:35:00.004-06:00

I am a junk food junkie. Always have been and probably always will be. But, the issue we discovered when cleaning out our cabinets yesterday did give me second thoughts about what I eat.

So you see, it all started like this ... I made some macaroni and cheese last night. But, when I put in the cheese it looked a little funny. Upon further inspection of the box it seems as if I was a little late to the party because it had expired in January 2008. That made me think .... what else in the pantry might be expired?

A lot. Really. I was shocked at the waste. But then appalled when I found this:

That my friends is a hunk of Velveeta that expired in January 2008. When I opened the box I gasped because all the holes looked like we had a friend in the pantry. But, upon further inspection ... we figured out that the cheese is trying to eat it's way out of the wrapper! Oh my oh my. It's almost enough to make me swear off Velveeta forever. Notice I said almost.

Genius (again)

2009-01-21T00:01:00.001-06:00

If you look back over my blog entries you will find a few entries about how my girl is a genius (here, here, and here). Well, it's true and you will never convince me otherwise. I'm guessing that every parent feels this way about his/her child at some point in their kidlet's childhood. But in our case, it's true. Really.

Here's the most recent evidence:

Okay, figured it out yet?! No? The picture is a little fuzzy so I'll give you a hint. ABCs and a pencil. Still no guess? Come on! Mallory wrote her name. All by herself. She did this Friday night before we went to the grocery store and was bursting at the seams with pride at her accomplishment. Now she's a writing fool. Let's hope that exuberance doesn't spread to the walls ... or furniture ... or Truett.

A new day

2009-01-20T11:53:00.003-06:00

A new day has come to the United States of America. Barak Obama has been sworn in to the presidency. It's a bittersweet moment for me as I have been a GWB supporter since the beginning. Of course, he made decisions that I disagreed with, but I have always believed (and still do) that he had our nation's safety at heart. As citizens, we critique and criticize, but it's hard to walk in someone else's shoes when they are not in the same room.

I wanted to be a witness to history - and of course was not going to let work get in my way today. So, I hurriedly sent an email off this AM saying I would be at home. I even kept the kids at home hoping they would be able to understand how this day has made history. Mallory even decided to dress up for the occasion ... in her bathing suit.

They didn't. Mallory is on the couch writhing, "I don't feel good." Truett is happily having a little quiet time. Me, I need to go get some work done. But I think I may fall into the stats all the news outlets are reporting - very little work will be done today.

Sit still already

2009-01-19T15:43:00.006-06:00

On Saturday morning, I packed up myself, Mallory and Truett and headed off into the wild blue yonder where no one from work could ever find me again. Okay, that was my dream. Instead, we headed to East Texas to see some family. We also went to attend my niece's baby shower. I was looking forward to it ... and it didn't disappoint. We had a great time but I was ready to come home. The kids were technically being good but I was exhausted from chasing Truett around at the shower. He must have ran around the house 50 times (really, not exaggerating this!).

Anyway ... one of Mallory's favorite things about East Texas (besides Mimi, Papa, Aunt Chele, Uncle Stoney and Pebbles (my father's dog) -- and I cannot commit to order of preference) is Winnie, my sister's sweet little old man dog. She was playing with him and kept asking me to take a picture. I tried to oblige, but I think we've all heard that many photographers avoid animals and kids. Well, there's a reason folks. Combine the two together and you get this:

So, no more kids and animals mixed photos for me! Just kidding. No more eating lunch while we're trying to take pictures!

What I did on vacation

2009-01-15T21:27:00.005-06:00

Do you remember writing one of those "what I did on vacation" essays? I don't. But I do think they are a staple of elementary schools everywhere. So, I thought I'd write a little about my Christmas break and pretend that I'm not an adult.

What I Did on Vacation

We stayed at home. We played with our toys. We slept and ate.

LOL ... okay, well, back to real life. Really, we were very busy on our vacation this year. What did we do? Home renovation. Fun, right?! I have always focused my efforts on decorating the house and truly enjoy doing it. And let me tell you, this house NEEDED it. It's taken us two years, but we're finally starting to get somewhere. Our latest victim, I mean room, was the kids' playroom. This room required a little more than decorating ... I think we have moved into a pseduo-renovation mode.

Bye, bye cedar siding. Hello Wedgewood blue. (I can't find my before pictures, darn it!)

Of course, it wasn't easy getting here. Shawn did ALL of the work so he gets all the credit. He took off the cedar, painted the room, put up the track lighting, replaced the outlets and replaced the back door. We hired a friend to tape and bed the sheetrock that was under the cedar.

Then, came my turn. I knew all that old storage stuff just wasn't going to work in my new play room (yes, it technically is mine and not the kids'!). Off to IKEA, several times actually, to get this lovely Expedit shelving unit and baskets. I also picked up a new slipcover for the chair, a rug and some wall lights to go on either side of the TV. We pulled out all of the foam squares from the attic. Now Mallory has her own "gymnastics" mat. I still need some pics for the walls and Shawn still needs to finish the case work, too. All in time though.

Anyway ... a little money and a little time and we have a whole new room. I'm a happy girl. Oh, and the kids like it too.

Go to sleep, little one

2009-01-13T21:26:00.003-06:00

Why can't my kidlets just go to sleep already? We've had sleeping issues off and on with Mallory for the last year. I've tried lots of tricks -- wearing her out, playing music, laying in bed with her. To no avail. We have good days and bad days, but for some reason the bad days are outnumbering the good lately.

It's 9:30p Central time and my sweet little girl is still in there roaming around her room. It seems as though Mallory has inherited my night owl gene. Which is fine, but she's four years old and needs her beauty rest. Because honestly, tomorrow morning she's not going to be so sweet when she's whining about how tired she is and using the "I don't feel good" line to try to get out of going to school (which by the way, she learned that trick a little too early for my comfort; can you imagine the kidlet when it comes to her teenage years? oy vey!). And I get to remind her that is why she should have gone to sleep earlier.

So, why am I writing about something that in the general scheme of things is inconsequnetial? Well, first, I need to get my beauty sleep. In fact, I can use all the help I can get. Of course, I guess you could consider getting in and out of bed to the tune of "momma, I need you" or "momma, i have something to show you" or "momma, I'm thirsty/hungry" to be an exercise routine. Lucky Shawn usually snores through the whole routine. But, second and most important is that my little angels are sleeping in the same room and this extended bedtime is wreaking havoc on Truett. We unbunked the beds a few days before Christmas and ever since then they have been happy roommates. The first few days were bliss ... both in bed at reasonable times. But slowly, Mallie has been managing to push bedtime later and later. Even when we put her in at a normal time she stays in there and plays, which leads to waking up my sweet angel True. So how to break the cycle? I don't know, but I'm thinking that a straight jacket might get me in trouble.

I surprise myself

2009-01-12T20:45:00.005-06:00

We made some gifts for Christmas (trivets, keepsakes, dust collectors?) and they turned out so good that I was surprised. Even better than I expected. Of course, the kids still have blue hands and feet, but it's a small price to pay for such cuteness.

Truett says "woof, woof"

2009-01-12T20:28:00.003-06:00

He loves the doggies. But he might love the kitty even more.

Joyful, Joyful

2009-01-12T19:52:00.006-06:00

So it's been a while since I blogged. Sue me. I took vacation. I have been paying for it at work. Anyway, Christmas was nice. The kids were so excited when Mimi and Papa showed up on Christmas Eve. Mimi and Mallie decorated cookies in preparation for Santa. They were delicious!

Then, it was time to open one gift. My family's tradition is to open one gift on Christmas Eve -- and it's ALWAYS pajamas. They were cute, don't you think?

After the kids went to bed, this is what the house looked like. I was anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival.

Christmas Day was great but I was I was exhausted and had a tough time keeping the house in any type of order. Of course, there is some joy in having bits and pieces of toys all over the house. Except for when you step on them barefooted. Can't remember how many times I've bitten my tongue over the last few weeks. But the kidlets are loving their new loot and were over the moon that Mimi and Papa were there to share it. That's what counts, right?

Oh, and one final thought. I have arrived ... my dad told me that my cornbread stuffing "wasn't bad." Call me Julia Childs please.

It's a Candyland Christmas

2008-12-18T22:37:00.007-06:00

Mallie and True's daycare host a Christmas program every year. I will admit that I totally look forward to this spectacle. Maybe it's just the holiday spirit in me or maybe it's just because I'm mean and I LOVE collecting embarrassing pictures, etc. to use as bribery when the kids get older. Either way, I'm so excited that my kids get to participate in these types of "community" events.

This year's theme was:

Unfortunately, we got into the auditorium a little late so we had to sit behind Amazon-like people. I mean I'm short, but seriously every one in front of us was about 6 feet tall (they all decided to sit on the first two rows). See what I mean?

Anyway, the program was very fun. Each of the classes came out and either ran through the auditorium or sang a song. True's class dressed up like Christmas trees and paraded through. What more can we expect of toddlers? I'd post a picture, but they are all on the camera in the car. So will get one up at a later date.

But Mallory's class ... well, they were something else. Take a look at the video below. Oh, and please disregard Amazon-woman's dancing. I love me some Jackson 5 too ... but I don't do that in public (you'll see when you look at the vid). My munchkin is the one with the red/pink stripes on her sleeves. I think she inherited her rhythm from Daddy!

On another note, this video forced me to learn how to compress files. YEAH! I think I may have created a monster so lookout for more vids. The one bad thing about compression is that I've lost a little quality (which wasn't great anyway since I took it on a camera). But this is so worth the memories.

Sleeping arrangements

2008-12-18T22:17:00.003-06:00

When Mallory was 18 months old she gave up the crib cold turkey. She took a nap in her "big girl bed" one day and forever after screamed when you tried to take her near the prison that was called crib. True on the other hand has well ... been a handful when it comes to transitioning to a big boy bed.

The first try at sleeping on the twin came at nap time a few months ago. Yeah, that lasted about 5 mins before I moved him to the crib. Then, I decided to try again one night that he was exhausted. Jackpot! He fell asleep on the bed. I was giddy (and proud too). But, about two hours later I checked on him only to find he was rolled into a little ball on the floor NEXT to the bed. Yeah ... bust on that one.

But, I have promised our crib to our nephew for their new baby, Lauren, who is due to arrive in Feb/March 2009. So you see my problem. I have started to feel the internal clock ticking in my head. So the last few nights we've made an effort to go to sleep in the big boy bed. It hasn't worked. But you know what has? Going to sleep in the big girl bed.

See those stripes? That's little man hugging the wall. I'm not complaining and neither is he. It works. However, I've lost a little free time in the evenings because loss of prison (aka crib) also means that bedtime is extended. You give and you take, right?! Poor Jill is the loser here ... she's lost prime sleep territory.

Add architect to my job description

2008-12-14T19:45:00.006-06:00

It's been a VERY busy weekend. It started on Friday with a run to Costco (and an outlay of $400 for random stuff; how do I do that?). Then, I headed off to the regular grocery store. Stayed up late doing some projects for Christmas. I'm not sure why midnight is a standard weekend bedtime but something's gotta give soon or these bags under by eyes will have their own airplane.

Saturday we had planned to visit Santa. Mallory needed to tell him what she wanted you know. I had planned to get there when they opened (9a), but somehow I was just waking Shawn up at that time. We finally got there at 10:30a and waited in line for 45 mins. I got to do a little shopping while Shawn held our place. Good thing the Stride Rite store was right there cause True NEEDED a new pair of shoes. Mallory busied herself in the play area and then stood like a statue in front of a clown making balloon animals. Yeah ... he had a little sign up that said "$2 tips" but wouldn't give out any animals without cash in hand. Mallory suckered us into two greenbacks to buy a heart shaped balloon. Tip not included.

When it was finally our turn to see Santa Truett was having none of it. He yelled, cried (or screeched as Mallory says these days) and arched his back. Wouldn't even get close. Mallory on the other hand couldn't wait to jump on the big man's lap and tell him what she wanted. A dollhouse. I hope she gets it (LOL). After Santa, we walked around the mall to ride the kiddie train and then ran up to Borders to buy a book for Mallory's school exchange. Good times.

Sorry for the fuzzy pic ... I took a picture of a picture! We came home and I started wrapping gifts for those friends and family who must be mailed away. Got almost all of them done. Maybe we will actually get them in the mail/overnight mail tomorrow (Monday). But, if I were a betting girl, I wouldn't bet on it. After that, it was time to get ready for the annual Buck holiday party. I really wanted to take a nap instead, but it had been two years since I made an appearance so it was a required event for me. We had an okay time. That's all I can say about it. I'm not sure it was worth the $20 we paid for babysitting.

This morning we slept in until 8:30a. What a treat. I even stayed in bed until 10a. An even better treat. That was where the fun stuff ended. I spent the next 9 hours picking up the house, making food for our work holiday lunch on Monday, making dinner, folding 4 loads of laundry and putting it up, etc. But, the best part of the afternoon was the art project I did with Mallory. Behold my newest talent (LOL), gingerbread architect:

While it doesn't look perfect, we had a fantastic time putting it together and deciding how to decorate it. I defnitely think this will be an annual tradition from now on. And I can only thank the powers-that-be who designed and marketed the ready-made gingerbread house!

So, off to have a bath and bed. And then we get to start another week all over again. I really need vacation.

In the presence of celebrity

2008-12-10T14:39:00.003-06:00

On Thursday night, we went to Serendipity. Oh the deliciousness (in more ways that one!). On our way in, I looked up and saw this man coming out of the door. I instantly recoginzed him but couldn't place him. All of the girls thought I was crazy because they didn't get a good look at him. And of course, I was too chicken to pull out the iPhone and start snapping away to show them. I was content to know that I had run into a famous actor ... but would never be able to place him.

So ... Mello showed me a pic she had taken of the famous restaurant and lo and behold, she unknowingly got my "celebrity" in the frame!

It's Nestor Carbondell. He was in Suddenly Susan, Lost and was even in The Dark Knight. Yes, we were in the presence of greatness!

New York (city) state of mind

2008-12-08T21:21:00.006-06:00

Ahhh ... as I write this I can still feel the chill of air rushing through the corridors of buildings and worming its way down my double tucked scarf. The double socks on my feet that kept me warm and toasty. And the sore muscles that come only after one walks about 60 blocks in one day. Oh the thrill of NYC!

We left on Thursday and jetted off for a four day Girls' Getaway. No husbands, no kids. Just myself, Tracy, Melody and her sister Treena. A gaggle of crazy women out for a good time. Here were are at the beginning of the trip (at about 6:30a no less):

There are so many details about the trip that I could write about ... and show you, but all of the good pictures are on Tracy and Melody's camera. Until I get all the good pics, here are a few highlights.

1. Rockefeller Center on Thursday night. Wow is all I can say.

2. Treena and Melody waiting for our table at Serendipity (yummy frozen hot chocolate). We had a celebrity sighting here ... but I can't think of his name! Tall, skinny Latino actor. I'll think of him.

3. Our hotel room and series of capers that ensued (how many rooms could we move to in one weekend?!). Damn smoke.

4. How close we sat at Wicked, my most favorite musical in the world.

5. Ice skating in Bryant Park. I only fell once (haha to Reggie!).

6. Being silly in Central Park. I can't wait to see the Charlie's Angel-inspired pic from Melody's camera.

7. Crazy Russian lady's hair at the NYC library (how did she do that Jetson do?).

I'll post more when I get pics from Mello and Tracy. Until then, I'll be dreaming I'm still in NYC with my girls.

Happy (late) Thanksgiving and what I did this weekend

2008-12-01T08:40:00.004-06:00

Another Gobble, Gobble! day has come and gone. I managed to sufficiently stuff myself to the gills. My pants won't hardly button anymore. I think it's time to go back on Weight Watchers (really, no joke here). While our vacay to Gilmer got off to a rocky start (Shawn was sick on Tuesday) we managed to get up on Weds and hit the road.

Came home on Saturday afternoon and did five (yes, let me repeat, five) loads of laundry. My parents are smokers so we have to wash EVERYTHING when we come back home or risk smelling like an ashtray for weeks.

I got an itch on Saturday evening to start decorating for the holidays. So, my dutiful husband climbed into the attic and dropped about 20 boxes into the garage for me to peruse. It was actually fun this year because Mallory oohhhed and ahhheeedd over each and everything that came out of a box.

We started with the Christmas tree. We put on a PBS special about Glenn Miller and danced around while we put it all together. Mallory and True loved it. Shawn stayed in the other room because he's not so crazy about Glenn Miller (or Christmas, except the present part!). I wish we had a real tree ... but the fake version is just so much easier these days. To tell you how lazy I am ... it's even pre-lit. Just add ornaments and voila, you have a tree.

Still have much left to do inside the house. See that mantle with no garland? It looks so naked.

Yesterday, I didn't get motivated until around 4p. At that point, I decided it would be a good idea to put the outdoor lights up. Yes ... crazy, but it's the life I lead. Shawn had already put up the icicle lights on the eaves. He was motivated much earlier in the day than I was.

I meant to take a picture for the blog ... but I was too tired. Another day.

Slow ride

2008-11-25T09:49:00.010-06:00

The Barbie Jeep is still a big hit in our house. Thankfully. You always spend big bucks on toys and then they end up being neglected and lonely. Not a good return on investment. Luckily, the BJ is still new enough that we haven't encountered that problem.

Jeeps seem to be on the mind lately. Shawn's been doing some work on his Jeep in the garage. I think he's pulled every socket, wrench, tire (there are 9 of them ladies and gentlemen), drill press, oil can, tire rim, whatchamacalit out. I'm not exagerating. But, because of the chaos that is JEEP there's been no room to keep Mallie's ride out there. So, he put it in the office until he's sufficiently reorganized the outdoor storage area back to its usual clutter. The kids love having it in the house ... they just sit in it and listen to the radio ... taking a slow ride to nowhere.

They'll play with it for hours. Getting in. Getting out. Crawling over the hood. Hanging on to the back pretending the wind is going through their hair (maybe that's a mommy dream!). I think this love affair with Jeeps is a Tinkham trait. All the men in the family seem to eat, drink and sleep Jeep at some point in their lives. Now that I think about it ... I was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee when Shawn and I first met. Actually, it's the one that he's been working on. Maybe it wasn't my charming personality that brought him over to the dark side ... it was the Jeep! It all makes perfect sense!

Anyway ... as you can see in the pic, True is a great chauffer for Mallie and the baby (whose name changes daily so I am not sure what to call her right now). Of course, I hope he can sit down and keep his eyes on the road when it's really time to drive. I may have to revoke his license otherwise.

P.S. Please forgive my issues with formatting. Blogger is not cooperating and refuses to let me put spaces before the picture and before the paragraphs. Someone should send her to time out.

Me, in the eyes of a child

2008-11-25T09:40:00.005-06:00

Mallory has started drawing pics of people. With real eyes and arms and everything. This is a big improvement over the blobs she used to draw. So imagine my joy when she told me she had drawn a picture of me. That's me on the chalkboard.

She gave me a HUGE head. But on the plus side, she also gave me small hips. What mommy wouldn't want that?

Oompa Loompa

2008-11-20T15:11:00.007-06:00

I love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Who wouldn't want to go through the ceiling in a glass elevator?! It's just a classic childhood movie (the old version, not so keen on the new Johnny Depp version ... and don't get me started on the book vs. the movie discussion ... yes, I should like the book, but no, I'd rather watch the movie).

Anyway, imagine my surprise when I looked over to see my own personal Oompa Loompa at the dining table. Isn't he a lovely shade of orange?! Sorry for the fuzziness ... he just couldn't sit still you see.

Yes folks, somoeone was taking his taco soup dinner very seriously. That soup must have tasted really good to be wearing it like this. Or, maybe he knows something about a new-fangled skin care regimine that I haven't read in the latest Cosmo (really, Better Homes & Gardens is probably more my speed these days)?

Anyway, I did learn one thing from last night's dinner. Don't get taco soup in your eyes or you'll look like this:

Kissy,kissy Night, night

2008-11-12T20:36:00.006-06:00

We were playing around with True tonight and he was just so darn cute I had to take a couple of vids. I will abstain from sharing the nakey versions and just post the clothing not-optional movie. Too bad you can't see his cute little cheeks though!

Mallory's stats

2008-11-10T13:12:00.003-06:00

Mallory had her four year old pediatrician visit today. Here's her stats:

Height: 39.25" (50 %tile)
Weight: 30lbs (20 %tile)
BMI: 13.6 (5 %tile)

Poor thing had three shots, a finger prick, an attempted urinalysis, a hearing test, a vision test and her blood pressure taken. It was a VERY long visit. The good news: she's normal (at least physically!).

Sight for sore eyes

2008-11-09T21:52:00.003-06:00

On Thursday, we passed this gas station on our way home. I did a double take. And immediately reached for my camera. Mallory couldn't understand what mommy was taking a picture of ... and how do you make a four year old understand why something like this would make me so excited?!

Happy birthday, Bugaboo

2008-11-09T20:54:00.009-06:00

On November 6, 2004, our lives were immeasurably changed - for the better. Our little girl, Mallory Manet, unexpectedly made her way into this world. She wasn't due for two more weeks but for some reason she just couldn't wait any longer to make our dreams come true. Now, four short years later it is still hard to believe we have been graced with such a loving, inspiring but insolent child! My little bugaboo (aka "bug").

So on Thursday, her actual birthday, I took the day off to revel in the joy of spending time with my beloved little girl.

Our big outing for the day was to the American Girl store. It was a first (but not a last) for both of us. We spent about 45 mins looking through the store and then headed up the escalator to the Bistro for lunch. Did you know they will let you borrow dolls to share lunch with? They even have the cutest itty bitty highchairs for the dolls that hook on to the table. Mallory got to choose which baby to take care of during our lunch. Unfortunately, she was too busy with the doll to actually eat. I just could not force myself to eat all $50 of the food we had ordered (call me sucker).

As the lunch progressed, Mallory kept asking me if the doll was ours to keep. What's a mommy to do on her first born's birthday? I didn't plan on buying anything but could not resist (I later told Shawn I had "sucker" tattooed on my forehead ...first lunch, then doll). We came home with a Bitty Baby and two sets of clothing (a birthday outfit and a cheerleader outfit). Later that day we stopped to see daddy at work and then chilled at home. It was a great day.

On Saturday, we had the "big" birthday party. Food, cake, bouncy house. You name it. It was EXHAUSTING. Now I know why people choose to outsource the birthday party. And I am already looking for next year's vendor. Way to plan in advance.

All in all it was a great day. Only a few toes were run over with the Barbie Jeep. Truett fell out of it once (thankfully on grass). It's a good thing he's good at the stop, drop and roll maneuver. And now my girl is officially a year older. I already miss my "baby." Mallory continues to protest that she is my baby (she's a big girl, don't you know!). One day she will understand that she will always be my baby.

Sugar shock

2008-11-02T19:43:00.004-06:00

The kids had a very happy Halloween. They started off by having a pizza party at school where they were stuffed with all the cheese pizza, Hawaiian Punch and cupcakes they could eat. I think it was their idea of heaven. Honestly, I think I may have been in heaven too ... and I'm much older than a kid.

After lunch, they went room to room and trick-or-treated all the teachers. Each kid came home with a brown lunch bag FULL of candy. All of this before it got dark. It only took me about five mins to assess the contents of the bags and lay claim to the "good stuff." LOL ... this is the fun part of being a parent. I *know* Halloween brings lots `o candy. But I didn't make the connection that as the kids get older the candy also grows exponentially. And my will power is down to zilch. I think I was almost physically sick yesterday from all the sugar coursing through my veins. My only hope is that this toxic goodness is gone soon! I didn't get a before picture, but this is what the stash looked like as of a few mins ago after eating almost half of what was received:

See my surly Pom-Pom Girl (in her defense, this was taken at about 7a on the way to school!):

And the man who saved the day - Superman:

We didn't really end up trick-or-treating because Mallory was invited by the neighbors to attend a Fall Festival. We took True to a few of the neighbors just to show off his cuteness. They oohed and ahhed in all the appropriate places. Even better ... we got to take a house tour of the neighbor across the street who had done extensive remodeling. I was too chicken to ask to see the house as it was being done but they must have sensed my need when we knocked on their door and invited us in to show off all their work (and piles of money) they had put into the reno. Beautiful ... but I cannot imagine spending that kind of money right now.

The next Kitty

2008-10-30T22:55:00.002-05:00

I watch Brothers & Sisters each Sunday on ABC. One of my most fav characters is Kitty, the political pundit. She's smart, quick-witted and has a silver tongue. All things I really long to be ... but somehow fall short. But I do think there is hope yet. I think Mallory may be headed in that direction. Either that or she has been sucked into the 2008 Presidential Election at the ripe old age of 3.5.

We went to Wal-Mart tonight to get shoes for her pom pom girl costume (wait till I post the pictures!). On the way, I was listening to NPR which was airing a segment on Barack Obama's infomercial that aired last evening. The next thing I know, she's in the back seat yelling "Bakak Okambama" over and over again. Those of you who really know me understand how this just breaks my heart! Not that I have anything against the man, I just don't believe what he says.

When we got home, I sat down at the computer to do some work. Somehow my interests were diverted (imagine that) and I ended up perusing the net. Okay, I'll admit it. I was on Pink is the New Blog. It's an obsession. A guilty one. Anyway, Trent had a post up about McCain being endorsed by an alien (it sounds very odd, but you have to read it). When Mallie saw the picture of McCain she immediately starting telling me that the man in the picture was John McCain.

Now the only question is ... who is she going to vote for? Hopefully Mommy or Daddy. :)

Open wide

2008-10-30T22:32:00.004-05:00

I am happy to report that I have officially received my first sickeningly, slobbery open mouth kiss from Truett. You know what I'm talking about. I had just gotten home and True was on Daddy's lap, lounging on the couch. I ran over and started loving on him and the next thing I know the wide open black hole is coming at me. And he did it again and again and again and again. I'd say, "give me a kissy" and he'd obey (good boy!). I think I have the sweetest little boy on earth. But I'm thankful that I bought the Kleenex bundle at Costco last week!

In other True news ... his new favorite word is "tha?" Always said as his finger is pointing to something. He wants to know what everything is ... if he'd only remember so I didn't have to repeat it 20 times. Sometimes I find that he asks me so many times I just start numbly answering ... sometimes giving the wrong answer. Funny how tuning out and turning off can do that. I certainly hope I haven't screwed him up for life. Picture this when he's in third grade ...

Teacher: Boys and girls, what is this on the wall (pointing to a clock)?
True (raising his hand impatiently): I know, I know ....
Teacher: What is this, Truett?
True (knowingly): It's a turtle.
Teacher (laughing in her head): No, it's not.
True (again, nodding knowingly): Yes, my mommy told me it was when I was 16 months old.

Okay ... so that scenario is a little far-fetched, but I do fear that I need to pay more attention to my precious one. Maybe I can just blame these little things on Mallory? She does so delight in teasing her brother (all in the name of love). I wouldn't put it past her to play some type of joke like this on him in the future.

Dinner

2008-10-29T18:44:00.002-05:00

My kids love me tonight. $10 buys a lot of love these days. It also buys a lot of sanity. And quality time with the kids because I am not doing dishes.

How could I?

2008-10-27T20:48:00.003-05:00

I think there's a cardinal parental rule that says "thou must have camera on ones person at all time." Otherwise, how does everyone get these great pics of their kidlets all the time? It's a requisite parental right to capture each and every memory memory on a memory card.

I used to abide by the rule. But lately, I've been breaking it. Not even taking the iPhone with me (which really is sacrilege.) And now I'm a little sad about it because I've missed:

1. True playing on the slide in the back yard.
2. Shawn pulling the kids around the block in the wagon.
3. Mallory and Christopher making cookies this past Saturday.
4. Mallory and True at the pumpkin patch, then at the Trunk or Treat and then at the petting zoo.
5. The ooey gooey fun that goes along with carving the pumpkins.

I could keep going, but you get my point. I need to get back on my game so I can inundate all you people with pictures of my photogenic kids.

Take a bite out of ...

2008-10-27T20:31:00.008-05:00

We're certainly not taking a bite out of crime around here. No ... True has been taking bites out of other kidlets at school. I am sad to say that he even broke skin last week.

M'Dondo -- HE'S TURNING INTO A BOBBY! For those of you who don't know what this means ... well, I sincerely hope you've never had to encounter a Bobby. If you have, you have my sympathies.

See, at our other daycare, there was a little boy named Bobby that loved nothing more than to terrorize all of the other kidlets by biting them. We had several discussions with the director about getting this little boy kicked out (yes ... that's how many times he had bitten) to no avail.

So, the last few weeks we've been reading this:

Except ours isn't in as good of condition as that picture above is. We apparently cannot treat books with the reverence they deserve because coloring and tearing them seem to make my kids happy. Either that or we have had to read it more times than I remember. See what I mean?

Regardless of its appearance, the book is doing its job. I am happy to receive daily reports from the teachers at school that there has been no biting for several days. Good thing True is so easily brainwashed at this age. Let's hope it continues until he's a teenager.

Artsy schmartsy

2008-10-21T13:19:00.004-05:00

Mallory loves arts and crafts, as evidenced by the plethora of clothing that comes home from school with glue, glitter and paint on them. I'm not quite sure why I was asked to supply an art smock when they don't seem to be using it. But that's not the point of my musings today.

Mallie is art obsessed. I suppose it's normal at this time in her life ... if my brain was firing as fast as hers I would probably have the same problem. The need to create. She constantly wants to carry a pencil around the house so she can "write" on things. She draws little snake-like creatures on construction paper and brings them home from school. Hand outlines are a favorite drawing past-time. Painting is her favorite, but limited because mommy just cannot stand the mess and clean-up. (Side note: can you see me hovering behind her saying, "dip the brush in water so you don't mix your colors. Oh, you mixed your colors. How unfortunate?" And there she sits just smiling at her brown concoction.)

Now that I have the iPhone, I've even found a way for her to draw when we are out and about. The program is almost like an etch-a-sketch. You draw what you want with your finger and then shake the phone to erase it. BUT, we have figured out how to save her masterpieces. Here's an example:

I don't profess to be an art critic ... but it's not bad, eh?! Wish I knew what it was, but I guess that's the point of abstract art ... you find your own meaning.

Big boy chair

2008-10-20T09:25:00.005-05:00

It's happening faster than I thought. Truett just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Shawn and I have discussed what would happen if we didn't feed him, but I don't think it would help us meet our goal of keeping him a baby.

I didn't blog about it, but about two weeks ago I tried to put him to sleep in his new big boy bed. He actually fell asleep in it and was so darn cute. I went back in an hour and a half later and he was curled up in a little ball on the floor. Back into the crib he went. Guess we'll try big boy bed again in a few weeks.

But, there is one thing that he did on his own. He walked away from the highchair. Cut the ties and went cold turkey. He was getting to the point where he'd arch his back, cry and have MANY temper tantrums if he even saw you walking towards said highchair. You would have thought it was going to bite him or something (more likely the other way around).

Day after day, he wandered over to Mallory's kinderzeat. Shawn started putting him in it for fun and well ... the rest is history. You know he had to have one! He got the updated version - the Tripp Trapp - on Friday. A beautiful orange color and he LOVES it. Mommy not so much because you can imagine the mess on my table at meal time. At least the highchair contained all that squished up food.

Guess you can't stand in the way of progress ... even at your own dinner table.

A peace offering

2008-10-13T14:35:00.004-05:00

Mallory is upset that I did not buy flamingo pink bunk beds. And I am having a hard time explaining to an almost-four-year-old why this is a bad idea. Well, the explaining part is easy. The comprehension part ... not so much. But I am not one to rock the boat around here so I decided to make her a peace offering. This weekend while she was puking her guts out (poor baby) I did this to her bedside table:

It used to be white. Now, it's well ... bright. Nice, huh? I was a little worried as I was doing it. But I kept telling myself: no guts, no glory. Besides, it only cost me $2.99 and an hour or two of my time (which is worth $1 millon!). I'm pretty happy about how it turned out. Of course, Mallory is in LOVE!

Next on the list - this sad, sad dresser from Shawn's bachelor days. You can see I've already girl-ed it up once. But it's time to take it to the next level. And maybe find some new pulls for it since it's been this way for almost two years now. Luckily Mallory has nimble fingers and can pull the sides. Otherwise, she might be running around naked right now.

Bribery Works

2008-10-10T10:12:00.004-05:00

Guess who earned her Hannah Montana flashlight yesterday?! It was one of the first things she asked about when she woke up. Such excitement. I wish I was that excited to get up! I am in a place where I just want to roll back over and snuggle up to the pillows.

Sorry for the poor picture. It was taken in the garage, sitting in the car with little light.

Don't take my man

2008-10-08T18:40:00.003-05:00

Mallory was pretty sad when we came home from gymnastics yesterday. I thought it was because the fun of gym was over and the prospect of a bath was enough to bring on tears. Nope. As we started talking about it, she told me her friend Sabrina* was mad at her. Apparently there had been some altercation about Sabrina back-talking her. I just had to roll my eyes and tell her that both her and Sabrina needed to apologize to each other and move on.

So when I dropped off Mallie at school this AM, I casually mentioned the conversation to her teacher. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she started laughing. Then, this craziness spewed out of her mouth ... and I am in denial that we are already starting down this path.

You see, the story goes a little something like this ... late last week Mallory and Joshua* decided to get married. Unfortunately we weren't invited to the wedding but Ms. Robbie assures me it happened. They have been sitting next to each other and playing on the playground together ... just two little lovebirds, two peas in a pod. Suddenly, Sabrina* began hanging around Joshua* trying to steal my girl's man. Yeah, you can imagine how that went over ...

So I guess children and adults aren't quite so different when we feel our relationship is being threatened. And I think Mallory told Sabrina* where to stick it.

There's the 3 year old version of How the World Turns.

* Names were not changed to not protect the innocent.

Cat nap

2008-10-08T16:08:00.002-05:00

I feel like doing this about right now, especially since the prospect of 3 - 4 more hours of work tonight looms.

Bribery = Bust?

2008-10-06T21:21:00.004-05:00

After last week's pity party post about how Mallory wasn't sleeping in her bed we seem to have veered off into a path of unknown territory. Ladies and gentlemen, she has SLEPT in her bed and done so willingly (I'm not tieing her down, really). Of course, it was too good to be true that she'd actually earn the object of bribery in the first week.

But, we are headed in the right direction ... four consecutive nights in her bed ... one night in ours. Two more nights in her bed ... and let's hope we make it to five. Man do I want to give her that darn Hannah Montana microphone/flashlight! Mainly because my hairbrush isn't cutting it anymore. I need something that resembles the real thing so I can break out my inner diva.

Shawn thinks she'll make it this week ... so much so that he went out and bought the next bribe. A Polly Pocket set. He does love his little girl so (either that or he is in love with peaceful sleep).

Predicament

2008-10-06T20:11:00.002-05:00

Truett and I were hanging out on Sunday afternoon. Shawn ended up having to go into work and Mallory was ensconced in the playroom absorbing knowledge from the electronic babysitter - the TV. As I was doing something in the kitchen, I looked over to a mewing noise and this:

Yes, he was in quite the predicament. He just sat there and mewed plaintively as if saying, "I am your child, how can you leave me here? Help me, Mommy. Please, rescue me. " I am sad to say I just watched, waiting to see what he'd do.

Uh huh. I can can hear you Dondo. I eventually got him off ... after he started screaming!

I have a present for you

2008-10-06T20:00:00.001-05:00

When I came home last Friday afternoon it was pretty quiet. Mallory was out playing, Shawn was on the computer and Truett was wondering aimlessly around the house. Unfortunatly, that peace only lasted a few moments before Hurricane Mallory made her way inside. There were lots of hugs and kisses and "what are you doing-s" to be asked. She finally ran on her way and I decided to pick up the house a little.

As I was reading the day's mail, I heard Mallory casually say, "Mommy, I have a present for you." This does not cause me great excitement but it does warm my heart that she wants to present me with little trophies. I've received flower petals, rocks, leaves, little pieces of construction paper. You get the idea. So when she told me she had a gift I was thinking along the lines of previous trinkets. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her swinging something around and looked over to see:

OMG. A tampon? It was one of those moments as a parent where I could not contain the laughter. It spilled out, and out, and out, and out. Mallory thought it was hilarious and started laughing with me. What a joyful moment a crazy little cotton string started! That night at dinner I was recounting the story to Shawn. He then told me she had been playing with it all afternoon. Oh to be a kid again.

Of course, now I am thinking I should just give her a box of tampons for her birthday and she'd be overjoyed. No more expensive Barbies whose hair gets tangled up, puzzles whose pieces get lost or games that we can never play because we can't find the pieces.