Three Times the Love

It's Here!

2009-03-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

I would like to invite all of you to please head on over to my new blog, Minivans are Hot. It's up and running. It's boring, but don't you worry - it won't stay that way for long. The design is being worked on and should be up and running in the next few weeks. It's gonna be good old sassy fun and I'm really pumped to get everything in order.

In the meantime, I've moved everything over and am busy learning the new software and am just having a good old time. It's a little nostalgic to sign off of Three Times the Love, but I'm very excited to begin the venture at Minivans are Hot!

So stop on by, leave a comment and add me to your reader if you feel so inclined. I look forward to seeing you all over there. Thanks everyone!

Springtime

2009-03-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

I left Tia and Landon in the living room with some snacks today while I did some work on the computer. When it got very quiet, I decided that I needed to investigate their whereabouts. This is what I found...

While I am not thrilled with the fact that they went outside without asking first (or that Tia found it necessary to try and climb on top of the monkey bars) I love that they are beginning to enjoy one another and play together. It's very sweet to watch their relationship develop.

It's also very sweet that Tia learned this week how to pump her own legs on the swings! YEA! Pushing kids on swings is perhaps one of the most loathsome tasks of motherhood for me. I don't know why, but I just don't like to do it. So I am always ecstatic when they figure that skill out for themselves.

Aaaaannnddd... now Landon is standing under his swing crying because he wants to be pushed. *sigh* Two down, one to go.

It's coming!

2009-03-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

The new site is up and running. I feel like superwoman for figuring out how to set it up! Man, that's empowering. But, I have come to a place where my knowledge of computers has come to a dead halt. I'm really wishing I had taken a computer class at some point in my life.

So the site is up but it has no design whatsoever. I have someone who has offered to design it for me. I'm up in the air about whether to direct traffic over there now, or wait until it's complete. I may wait just a few more days until I figure out all the bells and whistles of the new site, then I'll let you all know. Until then, posts here will be pretty sparse because it's taking some time to get this thing all put together! Thanks for your patience and I can't wait to "see" you at the new site, maybe as early as next week.

Woohoo!

Is It Bad? Part Three

2009-03-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

My third installment of Is It Bad? If you feel so inclined, please join me in asking the blogosphere whether or not certain actions/thoughts/desires that you have are bad. If you choose to join in the fun, leave me a comment with a link to your own post, or leave your own Is It Bad? questions in the comments section.

- Is it bad that when I heard we were supposed to get rain today, I immediately began praying that a hail storm would center itself over our house causing just enough damage that the insurance company would pay for a new roof?

- Is it bad that we still have a hole in our roof from a tree branch that fell during the ice storm of 2007? The hole is just through the awning so it doesn't actually come into the house and we have put new shingles over that one spot so it's not really bad that we haven't fixed the roof yet...is it?

- Is it bad that I don't buy the "green" movement that's sweeping the nation at all? I'm all for protecting the environment and we are doing our part by using reusable grocery bags (sometimes) and recycling (when we remember) and trying to keep the lights off when we leave a room, etc... But I refuse to feel like some kind of an earth raper by phonies like Al Gore and 90% of Hollywood. Look, I'm not going to make my family start using reusable toliet paper - sorry! Not gonna happen.

- Is it bad that we still have bits of green twine hanging from the top of our minivan from when we bought our Christmas tree in the beginning of December? Yes, we truly are hoosiers.

- Is it bad that every time I decide it's time to reign in my bad eating patterns so I can lose the last few pounds of baby weight, I immediately begin craving chocolate with the ferocity of one who has not eaten in months?

- Is it bad that I usually cave into this craving within about 24 hours and consume more chocolate than should be legal?

- Is it bad that I long to live in Florida yet cringe at the idea of leaving everything wonderful we have here so I constantly live in a state of wishing for something that I wish I didn't wish for?

- Is it bad that the last statement I wrote made no sense and I'm not going to do anything about it?

- Is it bad that I still sometimes think about George Clooney smiling at me and find myself giggling like a little school girl?

- Is it bad that right now I have a few precious hours to get some much needed work done, yet I find myself really wishing that I could return to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? I must. be. strong!

Now it's your turn - Have fun!

It Was A Good Week

2009-03-22T12:04:00.001-07:00

Sloan on Age

2009-03-19T17:19:00.001-07:00

We are gathering everything up to head home tomorrow. There is a great weeping and gnashing of teeth. As Sloan told me tonight, "I hate when we have to go home."

Sloan's had a couple of great quotes this week. Real winners. For your reading enjoyment:

"Mom, you're old like the dinosaurs."

Nice.

Sloan struck up a conversation with a group of people walking past our condo one day (who's surprised?). This was his introduction:
"Hi. My name is Sloan, I'm five and a half. That's my sister Tia and she's three. There's my brother Landon - he's one. That's my mom - she's thirty, which is, like, pretty old. And that's my dad - he's thirty-five." (I was slightly insulted at being identified as 'pretty old,' but Lee was more insulted given that he's only thirty-four.)

At the beach a couple of nights ago, a young couple walked up with their two young kids. Sloan, of course, approached them with all the boldness and brass of a forty year old.
"Are you their mom?" he asked.
The girl nodded.
"Well, you can't be their mom," he said, "because you're not old like my mom."

In his, and my, defense, this girl literally looked like she was twelve. I doubted her maternity myself. Still, when did I become ancient? Is it because I'm thirty because from what I hear, thirty is the new twenty, which means I'm still in the prime of my youth. No? Yes?

So, I am now in search of the fountain of youth and if any of you know of its whereabouts, I would greatly appreciate your help. Or, I'll take the number of the hottest plastic surgeon in town - whatever, I'm not picky. I'm just old.

Sand and Surf

2009-03-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

We are in Florida for the week so updates will be sparse. The weather could not be more beautiful here right now. Sorry St. Louis folk. We are sunburned and enjoying ourselves immensely. The kids have been angelic, which has only deepend my desire to make sure we travel with them as much as possible as they grow up. I love the family time and the togetherness that a vacation provides and because they are such great travellers, there just seems to be no reason why we shouldn't keep this up.

That's my justification and I'm sticking to it!

Today we are going to put the wave runner in the water and spend the day playing in the ocean. There are few places in the world where I feel this relaxed and content. Hope you all enjoy your own spring breaks, wherever you are!

Wooing George Clooney

2009-03-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my day on the set of the movie filming in St. Louis. I had to sign a confidentiality agreement so I can't discuss anything about the movie or what we did, but I will let you all know that George Clooney is indeed as handsome in real life as he is on screen. He looked just like himself, only thinner which proves the myth that the camera really does add ten pounds.

For a short period of time yesterday, I was placed directly in front of George (I call him George now because we're tight). I wasn't ten feet from him so I got a great view of his hotness. He was rehearsing his lines and he looked up. Our eyes met and he nodded with a slight grin. I nodded and smiled back, then I slow motion flipped my hair. Naturally his jaw dropped and he rushed to me and dropped to one knee, gazing adoringly into my eyes.

Okay that last part didn't really happen - well, it happened in my mind but not in real life. We did smile at one another though. We shared a special moment, folks, and I'm quite certain I made a lasting impression. Then the director started shuffling people around and I got shifted farther back, but the connection was still there - I'm sure of it.

At lunch George ate with the crew and his table was just a few feet from mine, so I consider that close enough to be able to say we had lunch together. He was a charming lunch date...

I sat with a really fun group of people while we waited to go on set. We called ourselves the table of random connections because three of us graduated from Lafayette within three years of one another and we all three grew up in the same subdivision (it was a big neighborhood so we never actually met, though I knew one of the guy's sister and he knew my brother). There were other random connections between some of the other people and we had a great time getting to know one another.

In all I would say it was a very fun experience. I'm not sure if I'll make it into the movie or not given where I was seated. You may catch a quick glimpse of the back of my head, which would be fine by me since I was having the worst hair day ever. It was rainy and humid yesterday and my hair frizzed out making me look a little bit like Simba. Even the hair ladies had a hard time trying to get my hair to cooperate. Oh well, at least I won George's heart.

Great Weather and a Great Giveaway

2009-03-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend was amazing. It was unseasonably warm - as in 84 degrees on Friday - and all around perfect. We took full advantage of the lovely weather and soaked in as much Vitamin D as our bodies would allow.

I took the kids to the Zoo on Friday and we just had a blast. They were as angelic as they could have possibly been, which made the trip fun for me too! Landon is at that delightful age where everything is new and exciting. It was magical watching his face light up as he pointed at all the animals in wonder. I loved it. He really enjoyed petting the goats in the Children's Zoo -Until one of the big ones got up and started walking toward him... This was my favorite. He was so fascinated by the animals that he would stand as high on his chubby little toes as he could, craning his neck to catch a glimpse. This is pure sweetness.

We all got a kick out of this guy.Sloan and Tia were respectful and obedient and even nice to one another. It was almost a little disconcerting...
Now - on to the giveaway. If you go to Five Minute for Mom today, you can enter to win four 1 day park hoppers for Disney World! It's easy to enter - just leave them a comment. And you can receive multiple entries if you twitter, facebook or blog about the giveaway. I thought this was a really cool giveaway so I wanted to pass the opportunity along to the rest of you.

I have so much to do today that for me to be sitting at this computer typing out a post is really ridiculous, but what can I say? I'm an addict. Tomorrow is my day to be an extra in the George Clooney film here in town. I have to be downtown at 6 am and will be there 8-12 hours. I'm making a whopping 56.00 bucks! Whoop! I'm excited though. It's all about seizing the moment and this will be a fun life experience. I'm also trying to get us ready to leave town on Thursday. And the kids have russian school this afternoon, plus we have Bible study at our house tonight. Seriously, I have to get off the computer...

Financial Wisdom

2009-03-06T06:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Lee came home in a somewhat ominous mood. I could tell he'd been listening to too much talk radio. He told me we needed to sit down this weekend and go through our budget so we could make the "radical" changes necessary to be prepared for the potential crash of our financial system.

I am in agreement that we need to make some decisions regarding how we spend our money. We've already decided that eating out is going to be drastically reduced in our family. When we went through our bank records for the last three months we were ashamed to see how much we had spent on fast food and other frivolous purchases. I've also been trying hard to watch how I spend our money at the grocery store. I still need to get in the habit of making up a weekly menu, but otherwise, I'm doing alright.

But this was something more for Lee. He was fearful. We talked briefly for a few minutes about what exactly he had in mind. First on his list was to cut out cable. I told him I'm fine with that as long as we get ABC because I need to be able to watch LOST. Everything else can go. But what else? We don't have a lot of needless expenses. Gym memberships are perhaps the next thing to go, but I'm not silling to give up on those just yet, especially because we have as inexpensive of a gym plan as possible.

I had really been holding out for a new, fancy cell phone, but told him I'm willing to give that up so there goes that expense. But what else? After our brief conversation, I could tell that Lee felt a little better. I think just knowing that we're both aware of the danger and willing to do what it takes to prepare helps. But I told him, I will not be operating out of fear. I'm not going to slash out every expense because we're afraid of what might happen. I want to be wise, but not fearful. And listening too much to the news or radio can make a person fearful.

It's frustrating to sit back and feel so powerless as the people who are in charge of our country seem to be making poor decision after poor decision. I believe wholeheartedly that being prepared and in control of as much of our income as possible is the best thing we can do. We have to protect ourselves right now. And we have to be prepared for the worst.

But I will not live fearing or expecting the worst. That's no way to live. I will not be confined to my home because I don't want to use gas. I won't live in worry daily over that which I cannot control. And in the moments when fear starts to creep in, I will remind myself that there is One who is Higher and in perfect control of everything in our lives. In Him I take my rest and I find my hope - not in a government who is making poor decisions.

What about you guys? What are you doing to cut back during these days when the financial market teeters on the verge of breakdown? Are you feeling fearful and how do you combat that feeling?

In the Process

2009-03-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone.

I'm in the process of getting the new site set up and ready to go. I have the wonderful Joe McGill working on the design for me and I'm busy learning how to work the new system. It may be a little sparse around here until it's all ready to go but as soon as we're set, I'll let you know! Enjoy your Wednesday. I leave you with these pictures of my sweet Landon who is figuring out how to mug for the camera:

Don't you just want to squeeze him?

Memo to my husband

2009-03-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

To: Lee
From: Your Wife
Re: Two Liter soda bottles and other containers with lids.

My dear, sweet husband. You are a picture of strength. Seriously, you've been working out and it shows - you look fantastic. You look every bit the Greek god. You are chisled from stone. Your strength knows no bounds and I am proud to be your wife.

I love that you are there for me when I need you. I know that at any moment, should I be overwhelmed by, say, a pickle jar, you will swoop to my side, your hair windblown, your muscles flexed and glistening and you will remove the lid with nothing but your thumb and pointer finger because you are just. so. strong. I am the damsel in distress and you, my dear man, are my superhero.

I have but one request, O Ye picture of strength. When you put the tops back on the two liter bottles of Sprite or when you tighten the lids of the kids sippy cups, please remember that us mortals do not possess your strength and try not to tighten them with the force of ten thousand warriors. Thanks so much.

In closing, when you come home today, I will need you to open the bottle of Sprite that you so deftly closed last night. I love you!

Just Call Me The Negotiator

2009-03-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

My three year old is fiercly independent. And when I say fiercly, I mean she just may take you out at the knees should you try to help her in any way, shape or form. In some ways, this is awesome. I lay her clothes out and she puts them on (I have not even allowed her to think that she will ever have a chance to pick out her own clothes. Once she decides that she wants that freedom, the battlefield will become much more delicate.)

In general, she does not want you to do anything for her. If you try to carry something, she snatches it. If you try to pick her up, she turns into gumby and slides out of your arms into a puddle on the floor. If you help her without her asking you, well - all I can say is look out.

But being that she's three, there are times when it's clear she needs help. This is where things get touchy. Take this morning, for example. I gave her a shirt with a rather tight collar and she was struggling to get it on. I could hear her screeching in frustration but she absolutely refused help. At times like this, I treat the moment like a hostage situation. Here's how it works:

First, I stand several feet away, speaking in a soothing voice and telling her I'm more than willing to help if she needs it. I'm usually met with a resounding "NO!"

Second, I slowly inch toward her, still speaking softly. Sometimes this works out well and I'm able to help her out before she even knows what's happened. But, other times - like today - this only escalates her frustration and she moves to the hopping and crying phase (I do it myhels! she cries)

Step three is to reach my hands out and, while keeping my voice soft, use firmer words. "Tia, let me help you. It's going to be okay. We'll get this done a lot faster if you just let me help." I have to act fast when it gets to this point otherwise she spooks and runs. I grab her hands and finish the action quickly and smoothly. She usually cries, sometimes screams, which then requires some jail time (i.e. time out in her room).

When she's finally allowed to return to the company of others, she's as pleasant as can be and back to her bouncy self. Until, of course, the next time that help is required, at which point I jump back into the negotiations. I should be getting paid for this.

Sidebar Highlights

2009-02-27T10:34:00.001-08:00

I would like to take a moment to highlight my favorite blogs. So here they are, in no particular order:

The newest blog on my sidebar belongs to dear college friends, Jeff and Wendy Elkins. We were all in a touring choir together and they got married just a couple of months after Lee and I. They now also have three kids (boy, girl, boy) who are almost the same ages as our kids. Even though we live many miles apart, it's fun to still feel connected with this sweet, and hilarious, couple. Check them out at The Elkins Family.

Also new to my sidebar are the blogs of a sweet family that we go to church with who are preparing to move to Costa Rica as full time missionaries. I would encourage you to head over to their sites, Ticos Times Tres and The Jenkins Journal to keep updated on how the Lord is using them to reach the people of Latin America.

Kelly from About the Harps is another college friend whose blog I love to read. Kelly and I have laughed a little about the fact that while we were in college we did not know one another well. She married Clint, one of mine and Lee's best friends, but we didn't really have the chance to hang out much with Kelly - but now, she and I are seriously internet BFF's. And I'm sad that we didn't hang out more back in the day. Kelly is funny and sweet and they have the most adorable little boy named Hudson.

Kelly's also enormously talented (and I'm only slightly envious of her gift) and has an etsy shop that you should all check out where she sells handmade kids clothes and they are just beyond adorable. Stay tuned because soon we're going to do a giveaway of some of her stuff and you won't want to miss it!

Finally, one of the blogs that makes me laugh on a daily basis is Anna's from Bugs and Sunshine. Anna is hilarious and literally has me laughing out loud almost every time I read her stuff. Anna is an old friend of Lee's from college and though I've only met her face to face a couple of times, I feel like we're old pals. I highly recommend her blog if you're in need of a good laugh.

There you have it. Of course, all of the blogs in my sidebar are fun and I love reading every one of them. But those are a few that I wanted to highlight for today. Enjoy your weekend.

Spring Fling

2009-02-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

It's time to fling, folks. Dana, my blogging guru, calls this a trebuchet after the medievil whatchamagadget that was used to smash walls and fling crazy war stuff over them. Okay, that's my definition of a trebuchet. In any case, the idea here is to verbally fling those things that make you crazy, then list the happy things in life that make the flings bearable. So, here you have it - my spring fling:

- First, I fling the process of teething. You can't fling the process of something! Oh yes I can - my blog. I cannot fling Landon because that would be considered abuse and because, well, I really kinda like him a lot, but I do fling teething and the slobbering, crying, whining mess it turns him into. There - consider teething flung.

- Shop 'N' Save - I fling you - Fliggity Fling! I waited all week so that I could shop today when they have their $10 off day, only to get there and find out that they don't actually do that every Thursday. You mean we've been subsisting on Mac N Cheese and ham for nothing? And then, when I asked the lady at the information counter how often they have coupon Thursday, she shrugged, rolled her eyes, and said they never know when it's gonna be. So, I fling her twice. And I feel better.

- I fling the stomach flu, influenza and any other germy bug that dares to break through the protective barrier of Lysol that now layers my home. Fa-LING!

- St. Louis weather. Is it warm? Is it cold? Will it rain? Will it snow? Fling. I'm all for having four seasons. I like it very much, in fact, but flip-flopping back and forth - that's not cool and it makes me crazy. So, consider it flung.

- Landon's finicky eating habits. Do you know how hard it is to feed a child who subsists entirely on milk, yogurt and cheese - especially when he has a stomach bug that causes him to explode nastiness of the worst kind when he does consume dairy? So I fling pickiness and I fling it far.

- The current administration's proposed spending plan that suggests raising taxes during a recession so that we can pay for universal healthcare and other controversial issues. I don't like it, I don't agree with it, I feel powerless to stop it because it appears that no one wants to really take into account how those of us who are negatively affected by this ridiculous plan really feel (and believe me, more people are negatively affected than are positively affected). So, this is me, symbolically placing the 3.55 trillion dollar spending plan in my rickety wooden trebuchet. I'm pulling the handle. Fling, fling, fling, fling.

- I fling my desktop computer for no other reason than that I just really want a laptop and can't afford one so out of frustration I fling the desktop. Hahaha! This is fun.

On to the good now. These are the things I keep and these are the things that make me smile despite all the flinginess of the world around me.

- The prayers that Sloan says before we eat. They are precious, hysterical, deeply theological and sometimes just plain bizarre, but it's fun to see him beginning to grasp more and more who God is and what He's done for us. Today's prayer before lunch went something like this:

Dear God,

Thank you for this wonderful day and for the love that you have given us.

Thank you that you are our Savior and that you died on the cross for our sins.

And we thank you, Lord, that you knock on our doors and tell us come and we can knock on Your door too.

Thank you, Father, that you heal us and that you heal Luke Skywalker - but you don't really heal him because you're not the God of Star Wars, You're the God of us. And we thank you, Lord, that you love us so much. And that you love Star Wars.

Amen.

- I keep Tia's laugh, which is deep and gravelly and just plain hysterical.

- I also keep Tia's adorable speech pattern. Example: If something is really, really nice, she says, "Mommy, dat's woody, woody nas." It's awesome.

- I keep my husband who is working his tail off to provide for us and is finally beginning to reap some rewards for his hard work. He is an amazing help around the house with everything from bathing kids to doing the dishes. I am grateful for him each and every day.

- I had a much needed and very sweet time with the Lord today. I was left with this verse swimming in my head and sinking into my heart: "Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the Lord." Psalm 4: 4-5

- And finally, I keep these face products, which make me happier than any material possession should make a girl. Whenever Lee balks at the cost, I remind him of several things: First, I never buy them at cost - I almost always get them at 35%-50% off, which, umm-YAY! Second, they last forever! Seriously, while I can go through a $22.00 jar of Oil of Olay in just a month-6 weeks, these last a minimum of 6 months, sometimes more. Finally, and this is the clincher, I remind him that when I am 80 I am going to look as good as I did at 25 and he'll be thankful that I invested so richly in my skin all those years. He then feels the need to remind me that I'm going to be sorry because he will, indeed, look 80. It's a trade off I'm willing to make.

So what about you? Have anything you want to fling? Leave a comment! But make sure that you list something that you want to keep to balance it out. And have fun!

Wordless Wednesday: The Mouse that Ate the Poison

2009-02-25T09:01:00.000-08:00

Sloan-isms

2009-02-24T06:06:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I recorded the funny things that my vibrant, talkative five-year-old says. So here you go - the sayings of Sloan Stuart:

"Hey Mom, you know what?"
"What?"
"You know - back in the '80's, people didn't have very much food."
I don't know where he came up with that, but I found it disheartening that my kid is now old enough to think of me as really old.

A few days ago we were in the car and I glanced back to see Sloan with his eyes squeezed shut and a pained look on his face:
"What's the matter Sloan?"
(big sigh) "I'm using my imagination and I'm imagining that I'm in Florida, but when I open my eyes I'm not really in Florida. Why?"
"Oh," I replied. "Well, using your imagination is like playing pretend. You see yourself in Florida in your mind, but your body doesn't go there."
"Oh," Sloan said looking very disappointed.
"But," I said, "If you imagine hard enough you might be able to hear the ocean or smell the salty air."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Close your eyes really tight. Now imagine that we are driving on the big bridge over the water and the ocean is right outside your window - can you see it in your mind?"
He nods his head, his eyes squeezed so tight that I'm afraid he may hurt himself.
"Now take a deep breath," I said.
Sloan inhaled deeply.
"Can you smell the ocean?"
He's quiet for a minute, then, with his eyes still closed he says, "Nope. Don't smell it. Smells like our town."

Oh well, so much for an exercise in imagination. Thanks for all the well wishes yesterday. We are doing much better here today. It was a 24 hour thing so we're already on the mend. And I've settled on the name for my blog, which I will announce once I've got the new site underway. Thanks for all your suggestions and for all your voting. I'm excited to move forward with this. Bye now, bloggy friends!

The One With All the Vomit

2009-02-23T13:58:00.001-08:00

How's that for a title? Hey! Welcome to sickville - enter at your own risk. Want projectile vomit that will make you feel as though you're dying a wretched death with your rear up in the air? Please enter to your left. Would you rather have diarrhea that churns your insides like a possessed knife on a rampage? Enter to your right.

Want both? Well, you've come to the right place.

Lord Almighty we can't catch a friggin' break. This started with the sweet, sweet soul that is Landon and will, hopefully end with me. Last night Sloan threw up so violently and so much that I kid you not, some was dripping off the ceiling. Now I've probably made you all sick. You should have seen Lee and I trying to clean it up. We were well coordinated, man. It was impressive.

I slept on the couch, because I was feeling all self-sacrificial - or because it gave me a good excuse to watch all of the post-Oscar hoopla until an ungodly hour. Then I woke with the familar pang in my stomach. I tried so hard to convince myself that it was just sympathy, or perhaps due to the smell of death that permeates our home right now. Or maybe it was because Lee made me massage his feet last night due to a friendly bet that I lost. But alas, it was none of those things. At least I may lose those last few pounds, eh?

Which, incidentally, I gotta tell ya - there's nothing like throwing up with a 14 month old standing inches from your face. It's something to behold. Everytime I heaved, he cackled and every time he laughed I heard little bubbles from his behind. It was comical and totally disgusting all at once.

So now that I've completely grossed everyone out, tell me, what are you having for dinner tonight? HA! I'll not be eating. I tried a half cup of chicken noodle soup at lunch and that did not end well. Tomorrow is another day right? Good Lord - it's time to move to Florida. Vitamin D and salty air is just what the doctor ordered.

Indecisive

2009-02-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Okay - So the clear winner from last week's poll was Minivans Are Hot. I am ready to pull the trigger on this website thing, but I'm not 100% sold on the name just yet. I like it, but I want to be sure before I committ to it. So, my dear readers, if you would indulge me just one more time and vote for your favorite from the following list I would appreciate it so very much!

I promise this will be the last poll. I will choose a winner between Minivans are Hot and the highest vote getter on today's poll and I will let you know when the process of building the new site is underway. I appreciate your help on this so much!

Playlist of my Life

2009-02-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

My friend Nicole did this on her blog and I thought it looked like fun, and since I don't really have much else to write about today, I'm going to do it. If you want to join in on the good times, leave me a comment and let me know you did so I can come on by and check out your life playlist!

So here’s how the game works…
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, MP3, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For the first question, type the song that’s playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button TWICE
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool…just type it in man!
7. Tag anyone, and they have to do it too - I won’t do this, but play along if you’d like!

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
Opening Credits:
Ain't No Other Man (Christina Aguilera)

Waking Up:
All My Tears Be Washed Away (Selah Duets Album)

First Day at School:
Always Be My Baby (Mariah Carey)

Falling in Love:
Another Try (Josh Turner)

Fight Song:
Baby Hold On (Jerod Starkey - not exactly fight worthy, but a great song)

Breaking Up:
Back in the Day (Christina Aguilera)

Prom:
Beat It (Michael Jackson)

Life:
Between the Lines(Sara Bareilles)

Mental Breakdown:
Bring It All Together (Natalie Grant and Winona Judd - That actually works!)

Driving:
Can You Hear Me? (Cindy Morgan)

Flashback:
Come Round Soon (Sara Bareilles)

Getting Back Together:
Dreamlover (Mariah Carey)

Wedding:
Earth Song (Michael Jackson - ummm, no thanks.)

Birth of Child:
Enter the Circus (Christina Aguilera - ain't that the truth...)

Have fun!

Musings About Stuff

2009-02-19T05:56:00.000-08:00

On American Idol: I think America (mostly) got it right last night. I love the little pink haired Molly-Ringwald-lookalike girl (what's her name?) and think she is a legitimate singer. Danny is also a very good singer, though I was with Simon in that I didn't think he did well enough to warrant the swooning from the other judges. And, while I really like the oil rig guy and I'm glad he's getting a second chance, I really wish the guy with the spikey hair who sang second would have made it through instead. Oil rig is cute and nice and totally likeable, but spikey hair could sing! And I think it's completely unfair to him that he had no camera time coming into these rounds. He deserves a second chance and I hope he gets it.

Boy, that would have been a whole lot clearer if I could have remembered people's names, huh?

Anyway, moving on to LOST. All I can say is OMG, OMG, OMG I love that show. Where are they? Where year are they in? What the heck is going on? Why is my heart beating so fast right now? I want to know what happened to Aaron and where the heck is Sun's daughter? Will Locke come back to life on the island? How did Hurley and Sayyid end up on that plane? What an wonderful show. When it goes off the air in 2010, I fear I may have withdrawals.

So there you have it. Glad you decided to click on over here today? Was it totally worth your time? Well, now I have a question for all you bloggy friends.

I am going to develop my own website and get self-hosted. I've wanted to do this for awhile because I really am not crazy about blogger, and I want to have a little more freedom with my blog. When I make the switch to my own URL, I am going to change my blog name. I've gone back and forth about this and finally decided that I want to do it. I've never been crazy about the name of my blog. I picked it in a moment of sleep deprivation when I knew very little about blogging in general and I just think it's kind of a mouthful and a little random. So, I'm including a poll at the bottom of this post and I want you guys to vote on the name you like best for my new blog. I'll let you know the results in a few days and I will likely start putting together the website in the next month or so.

The choices for the new blog are: www.bloggingtheiryouth.com; www.alegacyinverse.com; www.minivansarehot.com

I tried to think of variations of my current blog title that I liked, but couldn't come up with anything that didn't sound inappropriate (i.e. Triplelove.com or Lovetimes3.com - yikes!) So vote away - I'm excited to see what your thoughts are.

Bye for now blogland!

Sloan's First Short Story

2009-02-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

Sloan and I wrote his first story together today. He dictated, I typed-and added a few things here and there to make it a little more gramatically appealing. The editor in me just can't write things that are completely and utterly wrong - *shudder* But I did not change the story - I wrote it just like he told me to, then we added illustrations. I had to draw the airplane and boat, but Sloan filled in the rest of the details. It's slightly morbid, but there is redemption at the end and it winds up in Florida - that's my boy!

Once upon a time, in a city called New York, there gathered a group of people who were boarding a plane. After boarding the plane, the people sat back in their seats and relaxed, thinking about all the fun they would have in Florida.

But some of them did not put on their seat belts, so the pilot looked back behind him and said, “You gotta keep safe. You gotta wear your seatbelts because if you don’t, you might get hurt if we crash.”

As the pilot was looking back at the people, he didn’t know that his plane was getting ready to crash. And then, suddenly, KASPLASH!!! The plane fell out of the sky and CRASHED in the water. And THEN, what happened next is that the plane caught fire and the fire turned to lava and ashes and there was so much smoke. The people turned into lava as the lava touched them and many of them died. But not all of them died, because firefighters got to the crash quickly and put out the lava. To put out the lava, they unraveled their long hoses and sprayed the lava. Because they did this so fast, they saved some of the people on the crashing plane. The firefighters put them in their fire truck and drove the hurt people to the hospital. Doctors fixed up the people and sent them back to the New York airport to get on another plane.

The people who survived decided to fly on Southwest airlines, because they knew it was better than the other airplanes. So they took off from New York and THIS time they didn’t even crash. They made it safely to the airport in Florida.

THE END

What I'm Up To

2009-02-17T10:16:00.001-08:00

Recently, I've joined forces with the lovely ladies at 5 Minutes for Mom, an amazing site dedicated to empowering and promoting mothers. I'll be joining them as a contributing writer/editor and I can't tell you how thrilled I am with this opportunity. I love their site and look forward to working with them more closely.

If you haven't visited their site, why don't you click on over there now and look around. They offer great advice on anything from cleaning your house to reading books to your young children. They cover a mulititude of topics and have several experienced writers/bloggers on board. They also host weekly contests and giveaways and who doesn't enjoy free stuff, huh? This week's giveaway is not only for a great product, but also for a great cause. My Wonderful Walls is run by a husband and wife team who are outrageously talented (makes Lee and I look like a couple of untalented slackers). They make the most beautiful wall murals for children - seriously, they're spectacular. But, they don't stop there. The creators behind these gorgeous designs are dedicated to using their talents to bless those who need it. Donating murals to children's hospitals and kids who are suffering illness, creators Stephanie and her husband aim to brighten to rooms of young ones who need a little sunshine.

Want to know how you could enter to win a wall mural and simultaneously bless children in need? Head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and read all about it! Then, after you've taken the time to do that, check out the website for My Wonderful Walls and look around. I guarantee you'll fall in love, just like I did.

Hoops and Tears

2009-02-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon, we packed the family up and went to the local YMCA to watch Sloan play basketball. Who knew that while watching a group of 5-year-olds trip over a bright orange ball, I would end up blinking back tears and, ultimately, lose a night's sleep.

Sloan is a great little athlete. So far, two of our three kids have shown the propensity to have their daddy's graces when it comes to athletics and I'm very glad. But, Sloan is not an overly competitive or aggressive kid. He's out there to have fun and to look good. He's not there to win. I know that this is a good trait to have and I truly am glad that he's got such a great attitude when he plays sports. Lee and I also think that he will be more geared toward individual sports like golf and, perhaps, baseball. I like to think of this as one battle we won't have to fight with Sloan. I also trust that as he gets older, he'll develop more of a drive for victory, though I don't know that he'll ever be super competitive. Now Tia, on the other hand, is a different story. She hates to lose and she is highly competitive. But I digress.

I noticed for the first time on Saturday, that Sloan did seem a little bothered by the fact that he didn't get more chances to shoot. But he just doesn't really go after the ball. That competitive nature is just not in him. And as we watched him play, I felt this lump of fear knot in my stomach.

My senior year of high school was a rough time for me. I was dealing with a specific struggle that was linked directly to my lack of self-esteem and it grew into a large enough problem that I required counseling. I remember very specifically one of my counselling sessions breaking down in tears and telling my counselor, "I just don't feel like I'm good at anything. No matter what I do, someone is always better than I am. I feel like a plain Jane."

Now that I am older and have had some time to mature and assess some of those feelings, I see so much more clearly what was going on. The problem was not that I wasn't good at anything, but that I wasn't recognized for the things that I was good at. Of course I had the support and encouragement from my parents, but I longed for the acceptance from my peers and other leaders and teachers within my sphere of influence. Despite the fact that I was indeed gifted in some areas, it seemed that I was often overlooked and passed by and I struggled with that. I want to be delicate as I write this. It isn't that I never received encouragement from anyone. I know that I was loved and encouraged. But I had that perception back then, as my flesh warred against my spirit. I longed to be great and was discontent at constantly coming up average.

Before you think of me as some narcissistic little brat who needed all the glory, you should also know that there are some events that occurred in my life that served to create this need for recognition. I'll keep it vague because I don't like to discuss private family matters on my blog, but in short, when I was thirteen, our family took custody of three of my cousins who had experienced a good deal of emotional trauma. The year that they lived with us was difficult on everyone involved and I think we were all left with a few emotional scars as a result. Because of the needs of my cousins, my own emotional needs were often overlooked-not because people didn't care, but simply because they didn't know. I developed this yearning to be seen. I longed to be told that I was great at something and all of that truly took root in that one pivotal year of my life. That's the best I can do to explain how this deep-seeded emotional need for recognition came about.

Anyway, when I went to college, for the first time, I felt like I was noticed. I started to receive encouragement from people outside my own family for the gifts that I had been given and I blossomed. I developed self-esteem that I never knew I was capable of. I also, oddly enough, developed a sense of humility that I hadn't known before. Those were good years for me.

Now that I'm grown, I know the Truth behind why I've been given gifts and what I am to expect from them. I realize now that it's not about me. It's not about whether or not I get recognition for the things I'm good at. It's all about Who gets the glory and, ultimately, I believe that the Lord deserves the glory for anything I do. I no longer have this unquenchable desire for recognition. In fact, I don't much care anymore. I just want to glorify Him and pray that I do that whether I am writing, singing, or just playing with my kids.

But, as I watched Sloan holding his hands out and yelling, "I'm open, I'm open," and I heard the coach constantly yelling, "Give the ball to Sloan, he's open," and watched as time and time again the ball was passed to another kid, all of those feelings rushed back and I began to fear once again. Only this time the fear was compounded because it was for my son. I do not want him to experience those feelings of being overlooked and passed by. The one time he did receive the ball, he shot and missed and my heart broke. And he's only five. Good grief. I'm not sure I'll survive this motherhood thing.

Anyway, I spent much of Saturday night tossing and turning and praying that the Lord release me of that fear. And I feel like I've made a little headway. The fact that I'm getting emotional as I type this post shows I have a little ways to go, but I'm trusting the Lord to rebandage the wound that seems to have split ever so slightly. First of all, I know that Sloan is young and that he will undoubtably experience the pain of rejection growing up and that he will be okay. I also know that it's okay if he's not a competitive person. He will find his niche and Lee and I will do the best we can to nurture the gifts that he has. Mostly, I pray that I will be an example to Sloan that it's not about who wins or loses - it's about who gets the glory in the end. That's the lesson I want my son to learn earlier than I did.

My Funny Valentine

2009-02-13T11:15:00.001-08:00

I love this sweet boy. He's rotten but he's so very, very cute. And he knows how to make his mama feel good.

Pray for my sister-in-law, Becke', today and her family. It was a year ago that her sweet sister, Kiley, went to be with Jesus. Knowing she is basking in His glory is good, but it's still bittersweet. Please remember them today.

The Master Cleanse - A Reflection

2009-02-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Last week, Lee and I got the bright idea that we were going to start the Master Cleanse diet. C'mon, I know you've all seen the commercials. You've heard them say that we all have pounds of waste clinging to our colon walls like spackle or paste. Well, Lee and I wanted to detoxify. And, let's be honest, I wanted to lose the weight. Who cares about my colon? Mama's going to Florida in a month - it's time to get serious.

Have any of you ever tried the Master Cleanse diet? It's crap! And yes, that pun was intended. Let me give you a little glimpse into the world of the colon cleanse.

It all started on Sunday, when we both ate very light, you know, to prep our stomachs for the days to come. That afternoon, I headed over to Wholefoods, the Mecca of all things healthy and good. I had my list of ingredients and I slowly made my way through the aisles picking up lemons, purified, but not flouridated, water, non-iodized salt, Grade B Organic Maple Syrup and pure Cayenne Pepper. Yeah, I know.

I should inform you that neither of us actually read any literature about this diet because we're too cheap to buy a book. We simply consulted Dr. Google for the list of ingredients and some testimonials from those who have successfully completed this 10-day completely liquid diet.

"It's amazing!" they all proclaimed. "I have more energy than ever before; I lost 20 pounds; my skin is glowing and looks fresh and young; I feel rejuvinated."

My personal favorite was the man who was on day 17 of this diet and was planning on going another 3-5 days because he just. felt. so. great. Freak.

All of Google's input said that the first 3 days were the hardest. After that, you hardly notice the hunger - "you will be energized as you release the toxins from your body." Uh-huh.

(The drink that you consume during the 10 day diet provides you with roughly 1200 calories/day, so this is not a starvation diet, though it may sound like one...)

So I came home with two bags filled to the brim with all the things that were going to make Lee and I glow with the radiance of youth and health. At this point, neither of us had eaten much all day, and we intended to start night one with the salt water flush. It sounded easy enough. 35 ounces of water mixed with one teaspoon of salt. The idea is to drink the entire liquid, then sit back and wait for nature to take it's course, thereby beginning the process of cleansing the colon.

The next time you're at the beach, fill a cup with 35 ounces of ocean water and drink it. If you are able to do that, I will personally send you telepathic high fives and feelings of all over awesomeness. I, personally, couldn't get past two swallows without gagging and nearly vomiting. (There's one way to lose the weight.) And I tried. I tried to drink it warm, I tried it cold; I tried to pound it back quickly (that was not a good idea), and I tried a small sip. And Lee watched me the whole time. I finally made him try it and after one swallow, he headed back to the computer to consult Dr. Google on what to do if the salt water flush is too unbearable. "You are pansies," came the reply. At least that's how it felt. Are all those people online lying, or do they really think it's "not that bad?" Geesh. Then, we saw it - Hark! There is a tea you can drink called Senna. Glory! Lee headed back to Wholefoods while I perused the recipe for the lemonade.

You mix water, lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. I didn't understand the cayenne pepper, but my trusty internet assured me it was a necessary ingredient and was not to be skipped. And so I intended to follow the directions. You know, because thus far that was really working out for us. So Lee returned, we drank our tea and we went to bed.

The next morning, I awoke to a rumbling tummy. It was a mixture of hunger and Senna. At this point I was beginning to doubt my willpower to withstand this diet. I made Lee and I a batch of lemonade and poured each of us a glass. The blasted cayenne kept drifting to the top so we had to continually stir the drink. It reminded me of Chandler and Ross on Friends, drink and stir, drink and stir. Five points to anyone who remembers that episode.

I think I know now why the cayenne is important. Apparently it burns off the lining of your throat making the consumption of food nearly impossible. At this point I was sincerely cursing my internet friends who had assured me that the lemonade was quite good and the cayenne gives it a "little kick." Liars from the pits of hell!

Oh, and while I was fighting back my urge to begin breathing fire, I got my first "prompting" from the Senna tea. My first of many, I might add. Miserable, miserable tea.

So, wrapping up. The lemonade was so nasty that after drinking my half-day ration, I was gagging violently every time I took a drink. My house was completely destroyed because every time I ran to the bathroom, the children exploited my weakness and tore about like wild apes. My stomach was growling fiercely and I was growing irritable. I texted Lee and told him I didn't have the balls to follow through with the intensity of this diet. He replied that he was glad because neither did he. And we quit. Right then and there. After only 24 hours, we quit.

All that to say, I don't recommend the Master Cleanse diet.

Snippets

2009-02-11T11:24:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, when we visited the pediatrician, the doctor checked Tai's ears and could only see wax. After digging in both ears and washing them out, a process that was torturous for both Tia and Lee and I, the doctor had successfully removed four plugs of wax that were each roughly the diameter of a pea. Our doctor told us that Tia had likely been only hearing at about 10%, which is probably why she still wasn't talking.

Today she is talking more clearly than I've ever heard her and she's talking a lot more. She also keeps putting her hands over her ears and saying, "Too loud!" Poor kid.

********************************

While driving in the car the other day, I pointed out a brillinat sunset to the kids. We talked about what a great job God did painting the sky. Here were Tia's comments:

"Mommy, Do yud me." (translation God Loves Me)
Me: "Yes he does, Tia."
Tia: "Yeah. Do dood." (God is good)
Me: "Yes, He is."
Tia: "Yeah. Da Hedew bad. Do dood. Da Hedew till me. Do say me." (Darth Vader is bad. God is good. Darth Vader kills me. God saves me.)
Me: "Ooookaaay."

********************************
Sloan is into telling jokes. Someone shoot me now. These are the jokes that I must endure multiple times a day.
Knock Knock
Who's there?
Gladys
Gladys who?
Gladys ba-Gladys I don't know where my eyeball is.

I know. Painful. Literally, my stomach starts to twist up in knots every time I hear the words Knock Knock. I even bought him a jokebook in the hopes that he would learn good jokes. Didn't work. He still prefers to make up his own. How long does this phase last?

*******************************
When Sloan tells Tia a joke, this is usually her response:
"Hol, da no hunny." (Sloan, that's not funny)
Or, my personal favorite, "Hol, da no may sense." (Sloan that doesn't make sense)

*******************************
I have recently introduced the movie Singin' in the Rain. The kids love it. They dance around the house singing, "Make 'em laaauugh." It's great. We've also started watching Little House on the Prairie on a regular basis. Much to Lee's chagrin. I keep trying to remind him that this will make Sloan very marketable with the ladies someday. He usually responds by telling me that he doesn't want me signing Sloan up for some fru-fru dance class. Deal, babe.

*********************************
There is a George Clooney movie filming in town in March. I went to the open casting call for extras but when I saw the several hundred people standing in line, I laughed and walked away. On a whim, I sent in my application, but figured I wouldn't hear anything because I heard they were giving preference to those who actually showed up for the casting call. I got a call yesterday asking me if I could come be part of the shoot on March 10. Fun! I'm excited. My mom is out of town that day so I'll have to round up childcare, but it should be a good time.

I told Lee I hope I get to see George Clooney because, um, hi - he's sexy. Lee told me I have full permission to drool over him if we come in contact. My husband is cool.

Rock Star in the Making

2009-02-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the video of our little rock star. I particularly love the part where he sings "I will levah praise you." Awesome. He kept starting just a little too high and had to go into his falsetto. So cute. If you click on The Next American Idol link under the Favorites tab, you can see him singing the same song last year as well. Happy Monday to you all!

Things I Never Thought I'd Say...

2009-02-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

If you need help wiping, let me know.

Hold still, I've got to dig this booger out of your nose.

Wow, I love that Crockpot.

7:30? Man, we slept in today.

Don't grab your brother's penis.

Can I please use the bathroom in private?

Eat your french fries or you can't have dessert.

I swear, this house smells like poop.

Gorilla Munch does not go up your nose!

Why is there chocolate running out of your nose? Did you put a chocolate chip up there?

All I want is a nap.

I can't wait to vaccuum.

Maxipads are not stickers.

We have to leave in 20 minutes? Okay, I'll jump in the shower.

I wish I had an office job to escape to.

No, you're not superman so don't try and jump off the top of the swing set.

Yay! A date night. Let's go to Borders and have some hot tea while we look at travel magazines.

Because I said so.

I don't care who started it, I'm gonna finish it.

Take your shoes off I just mopped!

Who flushed mommy's necklace down the toilet?

What about you? What are some thing you've said recently that you never thought you'd say?

School Days

2009-02-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I did it. Yesterday I took the plunge and registered my oldest for kindergarten. Ohmygosh, how did we get here so fast? I try hard not to be one of those weepy moms who gets overly emotional at silly stuff, but this made me a little emotional. It does go by fast doesn't it?

I thought I'd write a little post about the options for schooling and get some feedback from the rest of you. I have really gone back and forth on this schooling thing the last couple of months. We registered Sloan for public school, which had been the plan all along, but I started to have some reservations about two months ago and it took quite a bit of praying and soul searching (on my part - Lee has been cool with this option from day one) to get me to that school yesterday.

I'll be honest, private school has not really been on the table. While I'm not against private school I do have some reservations that have held me back from pursuing it as an option (my husband shares the same reservations). I know there are some good private schools in our area, but I just don't feel like that is for us, at least not right now. We are very blessed to be in a good school district and the elementary school our kids will go to is smaller and is a great school. So, between private and public, public won out.

Until about a year ago, I always said that I would never, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever, homeschool my children. I, like so many people, had misconceptions that those who choose homeschooling are granola lovers with 15 kids who all wear homemade clothes and sing old hymns accapella at night under the stars. But then, out of the blue, I got a little stirring. Maybe it wasn't so bad. Maybe I should give it a try. Suddenly, I found that I really liked the idea of homeschooling. And who cares if I can't sew a button onto a shirt? I could make it work! Oh, and guess what - homeschoolers are normal! I now realize that my misconceptions were way off and that most people who choose to homeschool are just like the rest of us - they're just trying to do what they feel is best for their children.

I have to say, I like the freedom that homeschooling presents us as a family. I like the control it gives me over my kids education and I like the fact that it presents so many other options for the kids. There are amazing homschool co-ops in the St. Louis area. I had no idea how organized homeschoolers are. Which is probably a red flag given that I'm not known for my organizational capabilities.

But, after much prayer, I realized my motives were not right - at least not all of them. Part of me wanted to homeschool because I wanted to be able to say I did it. Of the three schooling options, homeschooling is definately the most challenging and I wanted to take on the challenge. Not a very fair reason to keep my kids at home. Also, I was so taken by several women who I know, either personally or through the cyber world, who homeschool and do such neat things with their kids that I wanted to be a part of that group. You can check them out here, here, here and here. Again, though, it's not a great reason to choose to keep my kids home. Mostly, I think I just wanted to keep control of our family schedule. I am not looking forward to the craziness of trying to get everyone where they need to be next year. I have had minor panic attacks wondering how on earth I'm going to get Tia picked up and get home in time to meet Sloan's bus. It may not be as bad as I'm thinking, but right now it seems daunting. Homeschooling just seems easier in that regard.

I finally decided that, for now, our best option is to stick with the public school, which I'm totally comfortable with. When I signed Sloan up yesterday, I walked through the halls and got a little misty-eyed thinking about my elementary school years and what lies ahead of him. Sloan is such a magnetic kid - so people oriented and motivated by a crowd. He's going to do great in school. I'm excited for him and he's beyond elated that he's going to big kid school next year. The fact that he gets to ride the school bus makes him jump around like an electric chihuahua. He'll be fine...and so will I.

I did, however, pass on the Adventure Club and full day options. I want to keep him home as long as I possibly can. He's got the rest of his life to go to school. He can stay close to his mama for one more year.

So, this soul searching process has been good in one regard; it's let me know that I am open to anything and that, I think, is a good place to be. If I have a child that would benefit from homeschooling, I'm all over it. If we have one that would thrive in private school, we'll do that. But for now, I think we are going to be a public school family. What about you guys? How did you decide what school to send your kids to?

Wordless Wednesday: A Little Girl's Tea Party and the Purple Bike

2009-02-04T08:59:00.000-08:00

Tia had a purple tea party for her birthday and all she wanted was a purple bike. Here are a few pictures from the celebration. We're busy here the next of days so I'll post when I can. In the meantime, hope you're all having a lovely (frigid) Wednesday morning.

To My Daughter - Things I want you to know

2009-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

My sweet Katya. On this day, three years ago, you entered the world. The day you were born is etched deep in my mind. It is my technicolor memory. I see those moments leading up to meeting you so clearly. I can still hear the doctor saying, "You've got a baby girl," and my heart plumetting and leaping all at once. How I treasure that moment. It is stored in the most precious section of my heart.Today, on your third birthday, I share a little bit of wisdom with you. The things I want you to know someday, when you are grown.

You are loved.

Being a girl gives you unique and special privileges. One of those is the freedom to love and collect shoes to your heart's content. This is a good thing.

You are beautiful - truly, truly beautiful.

On that same note, the grace with which you carry yourself will make that beauty genuine.

When you are fourteen and some boy you hardly know tells you he loves you - don't believe him and don't say it back.

Measure your hearts' desires against the Word of God.

A classy red shoe will never go out of style.

Sometimes you just need a good cry.

A friend who places stipulations on your relationship is not worth keeping around.

Be genuine with everyone you meet.

Though they may annoy you, your brothers are very special. Let them be your protectors.

You were created by God. You have worth and value to Him and that matters more than anything else in the world.

Measure any boy you ever date against your daddy. If you do this, you will be okay.

Shopping is not all it's cracked up to be...unless you have money to spend - then, shopping is really, really, awesome.

Don't seek worth in the eyes of the world.

Dream big and dream often and know that you can accomplish anything you dream.

Sometimes you may have to sacrifice one dream to obtain another. This is okay.

You'll never be more beautiful than when you are at your most natural - but makeup is a great and fun way to enhance that natural beauty. Just use it sparingly.

There is nothing more noble than a woman who guards her heart.

Modesty is a beautiful thing.

Believe in yourself and in the gifts and abilities that God has given you. Use them to glorify Him.

Your daddy loves you more than you will ever know. You can rest assured in that.

New clothes are always fun, no matter how old you get.

It's okay to be girly, but don't be prissy.

A girl who has a healthy knowledge of sports will have a lot of options in life.

You have two wonderful, godly grandmothers. Get to know them. Soak up their wisdom. You're blessed with a godly heritage.

I love you today and I will love you into eternity.

Happy Birthday, Katya Rose.

Bipartisan? Not so much...

2009-01-29T05:40:00.000-08:00

We're still on the mend here. Lee and I are functioning at about 80% today, which is a huge improvement. Landon is by far still the worst but hopefully in the next day or two he will turn a corner as well. In the meantime, well, I'm going to discuss politics again. I know, I know, I said I'd stop but there's really just so much going on these days, how can we ignore it?

Listen, I'm appalled, dismayed, outraged, you-name-it, about the "stimulus" bill that passed last night. Dana wrote a great article about it for BlogHer and since I can't say it any better than what she did, I'll let you read her words. In a nutshell, though, she makes the point that while this is being touted as a stimulus, what it is is another bailout - and it's a bad one.

What I would like to talk about, however, is the idea of bipartisanship that everyone seems to be going on and on about but no one is really making an effort to achieve. Look, I'll be honest with you here. I only received two C's in all of my college career. One was in Earthquakes and Other Natural Disasters, which - well, okay that's embarrassing. The other was in Political Science. Incidentally, I also barely passed that class in high school as well. It just didn't make sense to me. Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, Judicial Branch, blah, blah, blah...

I didn't vote in an election until 2000. I could have voted in the '96 election but I was barely 18 and truly could have cared less. I'm not even sure I knew what day the elections were held. So my first experience voting was the 2000 race between Gore and Bush. My husband stayed up late into the night watching the crazy results - I went to bed because blah, blah, blah.

So, there's a brief bit of history. I'm no political expert and I am not trying to be. But, I do care now about the political climate of this country more than ever before and now that I'm a mother, the decisions that these politicians make matter to me. As Dana has said before (yes, I quote her a lot, but I respect her very much and appreciate her amazing gift with words) motherhood is political.

So, here's my take on this situation. President Obama came into office proclaiming his desire to reach across party lines and work in a bipartisan matter. Well, he's one week into office and I'm already doubting the sincerity of those words. Did I really think he meant it? I don't know. I hoped. As I said here, I want his success.

What happened yesterday, however, was anything but bipartisan. Which brings me to the climax of this post. I do not feel like there should be the opportunity for one party to have such a broad majority in the House. If we're going to be a bipartisan nation, then we need a bipartisan government and when we have a party that is so dominant, bipartisanship goes down the drain. It's all about survival of the fittest. This bill did not have one single supporter from the GOP. Does that not say something? House Republicans were not trying to deny America the help that it needs. But they saw things in this stimulus, nay BAILOUT, bill that were flagrant and unnecessary and all they asked was for their voices to be heard.

But it's a popularity contest right now and the Democrats win. I'm not saying that the Republicans are perfect and their ideas were a save all, but come on - they deserve to have a say because they speak for a lot of people in this country. The last poll I heard, 40% of the American population disapproved of this package. Is that not significant?

To the Democratic party - look, you guys won elections fair and square (for the most part). You're in office because we the people put you there. But just because you have the majority doesn't mean you get to bully us. We want a voice and we deserve a say in the direction you take our country. Don't say you're going to work in a bipartisan way then walk away laughing. If you plan on running our government like this for the next four years, then please, have the dignity to tell it like it is. Don't lie to us because we're not buying it.

So that's my take. We now have an massive bill out there that's going to cost us and our children a lot of money. It was passed by a majority, but the entire majority was of the same party. This, in my opinion, is where we went wrong. There's another chance today as the bill goes to the Senate. Will Obama listen? Will he follow through on his word to work in a bipartisan manner? Well, I certainly hope so because I want to believe in my President. But, you know, don't listen to me. I'm just the girl who got a C in Poly Sci.

Guess who has Influenza?

2009-01-27T09:08:00.001-08:00

Us! All of us. Every. last. oneofus. Last night was quite possibly the worst night of my entire existence. I felt like a thousand tiny Oompa Loompa's were jack hammering around in my head and apparently the fire's of hell were lapping around in my throat. On top of that, Lee was also a snotty mess and both of us alternated between shivering uncontrollably to throwing the covers off in a flash of heat. Then Tia woke up a snotty, blubbery mess. Then Landon woke up with a fever. I'm not sure anyone really slept well.

This morning, as I was making breakfast, Sloan started projectile vomiting and sneezing blood at the same time. Too much information? Sorry. So off we went to the pediatrician who tested both Sloan and Landon for influenza and both were positive. And since we all have the same symptoms, we were all diagnosed at once. We are our pediatrician's first case of the flu all season, a distinction I could've done without, thankyouverymuch.

What's really infuriating is that when Lee had Sloan at the ER the other night they didn't actually test Sloan for influnenza. If they had, we could have gotten him on Tamaflu and nipped it in the bud pretty quickly. Now, it's too late for him. He's just got to ride it out. Tia and Landon are starting on Tamaflu and as I type Lee is at our primary care doctors begging him to write a script for us without having to actually see us. Good times in the Stuart household! We have to get everyone well so we can have Tia's birthday party on Saturday. Lysol is about to become my very best friend.

So, it will probably be touch and go around here for a few days. We're hanging in there but we're all weary. Hopefully the Tamaflu, which only has a 50% effectiveness against the influenza strain, will work for us. Here's to hoping!

*update: My husband just called me and told me that it is a fifty dollar copay for Tamaflu! That's 50 bucks/prescription! Sooooo...Lee and I will be toughing out the flu and we will only be getting the medication for Landon and Tia. Geesh.

10 Ways to ensure your child goes from sick to healthy to sick again

2009-01-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

10. When you receive an email from your child's school informing you of a case of influenza in his class, blow it off and assume that due to your stellar parenting your child will not be affected.

9. When your child wakes up in the middle of the night and feels warm, assume that it is because he was wrapped up too tight in his fuzzy Lightening McQueen blanket.

8. When your child wakes up a second time in the middle of the night, this time blazing hot, give him Tylenol and let him sleep with you.

7. After a full 24 hours of running a high temp, your husband will want to take the child to the ER. Calmly talk him out of this as you know that it's not all that atypical for kids to run temps for this long.

6. An hour after talking your husband out of taking the child to the ER, check his temp and smile as he's finally fever free for the first time. Feel smug.

5. When your second child spikes a temp, sigh and realize that you're in it for the long haul now. At least child number one is still fever free.

4. When child one spikes a temp again, chalk it up to too much activity and put him down for a long nap.

3. Attend a belated Christmas party and take child number one with you, who's been begging to go to the party for several days. Leave a very sick child 2 home with daddy. At the party, find out that the influenza case at school involved a high fever for several days and wheezing. Notice that child one is now wheezing.

2. Take child one home and take his temp, which is now resting at around 103. Finally give in and let your husband take him to the ER (wishing all the while that you would have decided to do this earlier so they could go to the Urgent Care center which is a much lower copay). This is, after all, the best way to ensure that he will get well as his fever will break almost as soon as he walks into the waiting room. After a couple of good pats on the back, said child should give a good cough, which will stop the wheezing. So now you are out $75.00 and your kid is fine. Works like a charm.

1. Wake up the next morning and realize that when you told your sick child you wished you could take the sickness from him, you didn't actually mean you wanted the sickness. Sigh, drag yourself out of bed and makes friends with NyQuil because you've got a long couple of days ahead of you.

Meeting tomorrow

2009-01-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

Just an fyi for local bloggers. Tomorrow morning the St. Louis Blogger's Guild will hold our monthly meeting and if you're interested in coming to see what we do and meet some of the other members, we'd love to have you. Details are posted on the guild site. Have a great weekend everyone!

Is it bad? Part 2

2009-01-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

A follow up on this post:
Is it bad that I just put my 1 year old down for a morning nap, even though I have been cutting out morning naps, just because I needed a few minutes of quiet?

Is it bad that Sloan is completing his second hour of cartoons this morning? In his (or my) defense, he is very sick and has a fever but I'm still feeling a little guilty for allowing that much television.

Is it bad that I have roughly 5 loads of laundry to do even though I haven't yet put all the laundry away from last week?

Is it bad that I wait until someone runs out of underwear before finally doing laundry?

Is it bad that I don't really care and would rather do 6 or 7 loads of laundry over the weekend then a few small loads every day?

Is it bad that I have kind of come to enjoy folding clothes because it means I can lock myself in the basement for an extended period of time and have a good excuse for it?

Is it bad that I continue to loathe the process of putting said clothes away?

Is it bad that I fell completely in love with a Young Adult series of books about vampires and werewolves? Hey - I'm an adult and I'm still young right? Right???*

Is it bad that I'm sad to have finished all four books because I'm going to miss these characters so much?

Is it bad that last night when I was up and down with sick kids I wished that I myself was a vampire so that I wouldn't need sleep so very desperately?

Is it bad that I attempted to start Landon off in a healthy way by giving him Soy milk, then found out that soy can mimic estrogen and it isn't recommended that you give it to growing boys so I attempted to buy organic milk for us all only to realize that we would have to take out a second mortgage on our home to continue so I gave up and we're all back to drinking the regular, hormone laden milk that's actually affordable?

Is it bad that I'm feeling a little sad about the fact that Tia is finally starting to talk more and more intelligably because I miss the adorableness of her jibber jabber?

Is it bad that I'm also relieved that I can finally understand her?

Is it bad that I am so tired today that I have yet to change out of my pajamas or even look in a mirror because I'm afriad of what I'll look like?

Are these things bad?

*If you have not yet read the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, I highly recommend it. I was skeptical at first because it just sounded dumb. A mortal falling in love with a vampire? Seriously? Um, yeah - seriously. It's a great series and a great love story. I read all four books in a period of a few weeks, which means I read around to 2,000 pages in a very short time span, which means I have not been all that productive these last few weeks. But it was worth getting lost in that story. While the books can't be compared in any way shape or form to my two top books of all time (Anna Karenina and Jane Eyre) Meyer's writing is compelling and the story endearing. So, if you're looking for a good read, I urge you to give this series a try. Just know that you will be tired for several weeks because the books are hard to put down!

The Freedom of Choice Act

2009-01-22T08:24:00.000-08:00

*update: It was asked of me in the comments whether or not there was something we could do to fight FOCA. I don't know and would love to hear myself if any of you have information. From what I understood, this was going to be signed as an executive order, which means there is nothing we can do about it. And it doesn't seem that there is much time to act, but I urge you all to not remain silent. If President Obama truly plans to "hear our voices" then let's let him hear us. Visit the Fight Foca website for more information.
Bear with me, readers. This blog is not intended to be a political platform. I will get back to the light-hearted and fun stories that generally comprise my blog soon. But today, I must continue my political discourse just a little longer.

Today is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Today, thousands of Americans will peacably march through D.C. in the Walk for Life. How I wish I could be one of them. I am deeply pained this morning to realize that Obama's Freedom of Choice Act is upon us. It is only a matter of time before he officially signs it and thereby erases everything that Bush did to protect the unborn for the last eight years. This is a tragedy.

As I said a couple of days ago, I will respect President Obama as my leader. I cannot, however, sit idly by without voicing my concern over this policy because I believe with every fiber of my being that this is wrong. How many of us understand just what the Freedom of Choice Act means? I didn't until I sat down and did a little reading.

Here is Wikipedia's definition: "The Freedom of Choice Act (H.R. 1964/S. 1173) is a bill in the 110th United States Congress which "declares that it is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to bear a child; terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability; or terminate a pregnancy after viability when necessary to protect her life or her health.
Prohibits a federal, state, or local governmental entity from denying or interfering with a woman's right to exercise such choices; or discriminating against the exercise of those rights in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information. Provides that such prohibition shall apply retroactively.
Authorizes an individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act to obtain appropriate relief, including relief against a governmental entity, in a civil action."[1]"

Do we fully understand the ramifications of this bill? I'm not so naive to believe that a staggering number of abortions were performed year of year even without FOCA. But how many more will take place now? How many more innocent children have to die because we can't agree on "fetal viability?"

But it's not only the increase in abortions that has me concerned. It is the gross decrease in regulation. What happens now to the 14/15/16 year old who gets pregnant and decides to abort? She no longer has to have the consent of a parent. She can terminate the pregnancy without anyone ever knowing. There is no protection for her emotional health, and even for her physical health as the safety and qualifications of those who provide abortion services will no longer be under required regulation. So what is the cost to this young girl or to any woman for that matter, who makes an emotional decision of this magnitude? How many girls and women will have to deal with the intense and harsh emotional pain that follows them for the rest of their lives? What is FOCA going to do for them?

Americans United for Life (AUL) Vice President and legal director Denise Burke conclude's her analysis of FOCA like this: "Clearly FOCA will not make abortion safe or rare – on the contrary, it will actively promote abortion and do nothing to ensure its safety – so, abortion advocates’ unrelenting campaign to enact FOCA is a “wake-up call” to all Americans. If implemented, FOCA would invalidate common-sense, protective laws that the majority of Americans support. It will not protect or empower women. Instead, it would protect and promote the abortion industry, sacrifice women and their health to a radical political ideology, and silence the voices of everyday Americans who want to engage in a meaningful public discussion over the availability, safety, and even desirability of abortion."

You can read the entire analysis here.

Abortion is a hot button issue and I am knowingly putting myself out there in writing this, but my heart grieves today as I weigh this ramifications of FOCA. What about those of us who so desperately do not agree with this policy? What about our right to choose? It's been stripped from us because soon, our tax dollars will be spent on funding that which we morally oppose. And our hands are tied. But, we do not have to accept it silently. Please, think hard about FOCA and what this means for the whole of our society. Think deeply about what it means to have an administration that says they are not going to rule us then immediately takes the the power away from the people. And pray for the women who are going to be affected by this Act. Think of the hundreds of thousands of children that are going to be killed every year - some of them brutally and barbarically through partial birth abortions. Have we really come to this as a society? Is this evolving? I will say it again, folks, this is wrong.

Many of you reading this today will agree with me and I urge you not to take this silently. But more than that, pray. Pray for our nation. Pray for the women who have difficult decisions to make. Pray. Some of you who read this will disagree with me. I understand and respect your right to disagree and I welcome your comments, but ask that you do so respectfully. And I promise I will lighten the mood next post!

Wordless Wednesday: Thank you Jon Stewart

2009-01-21T10:42:00.000-08:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inaugural Speech

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Inauguration Day: Thoughts from a Conservative

2009-01-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

-update: The report on the 6:30 news was well done. My fifteen seconds of fame included me talking about Big Bird and Reagan in the same sentence. Go me! You can view it here.
This morning, I attended an inauguration gathering sponsored by Quaker Oatmeal specifically geared toward bloggers. Fifteen of these gatherings took place nationwide, but the St. Louis party, hosted by Dana, was the only one catering specifically to conservatives. I was, of course, honored to be invited and thrilled to take part in this historical moment with people who understand and feel the same as I do.

I will be honest here. I really liked George W. Bush. Did he do everything right? No. But please, tell me what president has. Did he make some mistakes? Yes. But please, tell me what president has not. George Bush dealt with some of the gravest hardships of any president in recent history. There are no playbooks for how to handle such events as 9/11, a crushing economy, deadly hurricanes and extremeist terrorism. Could he have handled some things better? Yes, I believe he could have. But, I also believe that he truly loves this country and the people in it and wanted nothing more than to serve us all well. And he did serve us well. Though few seem to want to admit it (and why, I don't fully understand), America is a safer place thanks to George Bush. Yes, we are in an economic crisis. And yes, I understand that that happened on his watch. But, I do not believe that he is solely to blame. I will not go further than that in this post, but I wanted to acknowledge the elephant.

I think what I love and respect most about George Bush is the fact that he is a man of deep conviction. There were times when I felt that he needed to be more open to the guidance and counsel of others. He came off as arrogant, which is part of his job. You have to be arrogant to be president - it's the nature of your post. I think the closest I have ever seen to a truly humble politician is John McCain, but again, that's not a tangent I want to explore right now. I think there were times when President Bush could have been more open-minded to outside counsel. Just because he possessed a grain of arrogance, however, did not make him a bad leader. He is sensitive and kind-hearted. How many countless stories are there of him reaching out to the American people who were grieving? How many letters did he personally write to the families of fallen soldiers? How many times did he sit with one of our wounded servicemen and cry? However you may feel about his policies, you cannot call him cold or heartless. He is a good man. And I am proud that he was our president.

Having said that, it is time to move forward. I did not vote for Barack Obama. I still do not agree with many of the ideals that he has placed before us as a nation. My number one reservation is his view on the right to life. I do not now, nor will I ever, agree with this policy and the implications that follow and I will not apologize for my feelings on this issue. And there are other policies that concern me, but outweighing all of those is the fact that Barack Obama is now my president and I will respect that, no matter what.

There is no denying the appeal of Barack Obama. He is young, he is a great orator, he is magnetic and filled with promise. His speech today was everything that I expected it to be. It was what I would have expected had McCain been voted to office, though delivered with greater aplomb, no doubt. It was lofty and ideal, in many ways unrealistic but motivating nonetheless. I want Barack Obama to succeed as president and I will be praying that he does. But I don't want it for him, I want it for America. I want him to succeed because I want my children to grow up in a country that is great, a country where people take care of one another. A country that looks outside our own borders and seeks to protect and nuture others. I want Barack Obama to succeed because if he does not, then what does that mean for us?

I am proud of us as a country for coming so far. I am proud that we have elected a black man to be president of our country. I am proud that we can stand together and, despite our feelings about the policies behind the man, know that this moment, this day is historical. I love this country.

Today is a good day. My God is in control, of that I am sure and I do not waver in that conviction. And now President Obama has a full plate. I pray with every fiber of my being that he move forward in wisdom and that the values that make our country so great stay firmly affixed. Though the phrase has become somewhat cliche over the years, I say it now with the utmost reverence. May God truly bless America.

--Just fyi - Channel 5 (KSDK) was there today filming the get together and interviewed several of us at the end. We should be on either the 5:00 or the 6:00 news tonight so those of you who are local, tune in! I felt a little bit like Will Ferrel as Ricky Bobby in the movie Talladega Nights when they interviewed me. "I don't really know what to do with my hands." I told the reporter that if I looked or sounded at all like an idiot that they were to cut me immediately so we'll see what happens!

A groovy weekend of firsts

2009-01-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

My kids are sitting on the couch right now watching Little House on the Prairie. And my heart is melting at the thought. That show brings back such a feeling of nostalgia. I get teary at nearly every episode - I'm such a girl. I wasn't sure they would like it because it's a little slow, but, much to Lee's chagrin, Sloan loves it! Tia's a little young, but she'll get it someday. How can you not love that show when Pa says things to Ma like, "Why do you think God made you so pretty if He didn't want you to have a new dress?" *sigh* My heart gets all fluttery.

Saturday was the big day of Landon's first haircut. After people repeatedly called him a "she" I decided it was time to take the plunge. It's much shorter than I like and we'll grow it out again, but hopefully it will have a btter shape. He also got his first sucker while getting his haircut. He was diggin' that!The poor boy has a funny shaped little head. The haircut really emphasizes it. We've taken to calling him Stewie because we think he looks a little like this guy:
MySpace Backgrounds at MySpace ToolBox

Anyhoo, moving on... Saturday night Lee and I went to a belated Christmas party at his co-worker's house. It was a sixties theme and since we're always up for dressing up, we went like this:

I got to wear false eyelashes which were fuuuun!It was a white elephant gift exchange and we brought our favorite white elephant gift - a live lobster. It's not an original idea but we've done it a couple of times and it always goes over well. Here are Lee and one of the guys at the party singing to the lobster before they boiled and ate him.

That's all for today. I have a really interesting opportunity tomorrow that I'm excited to tell you all about so stay tuned and have a great Monday!

Fun with Poladroids

2009-01-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

I found this new application thanks to Dana and Gregg. You just drag and drop your photos into the little polaroid camera icon and it develops them right in front of you like a good ole' Polaroid. It's very fun - like I need anything else to be addicted to. Anyway, if you want to try it out, go to www.poladroid.net. I downloaded GIMP to write on the bottom. I don't really know how to use it very well yet, but you get the idea. Have fun and have a blessed weekend!

Things that made me laugh

2009-01-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

They say that every time you laugh you burn, like, 100 calories or something like that. They also say that laughter produces endorphins, which, well I'm not exactly sure what those do, but it's some pretty good stuff. So, today I pass on a little calorie burning, endorphin boosting good cheer to you all. Which, let's face it, we could all use as we sit here and slowly freeze to death. But, despite the arctic temperatures, tomorrow is Friday and that's something that makes me very happy.

- I was at the gym Monday morning, dragging myself through a half-arsed workout. While sitting on one of the cushy mats doing my abs, a middle aged man came strolling into the hallway and stopped just a few feet in front of me. He was putting on such a show of stretching and lunging that I couldn't help but stare at him. He quickly stuffed his shirt into his pants and stood facing the wall, shaking his arms and rolling his head around like an Olympic sprinter getting ready to take his mark. Only this guy was not exactly built like an Olympian if you get my drift. The next thing I know, he throws his arms up and swings them forward and flips himself up into a handstand. Just as his feet hit the wall, his arms crumble beneath him and he lands on his head then slumps into a heap on the floor. For a split second, I was afraid he was hurt, but he quickly hopped back up and resumed his position of shaking and rolling and gave it another go, this time successfully making it into a handstand. The problem was that his hands were so far away from the wall that he was painfully arched backward trying to keep his balance. He grunted and groaned while I bit my lip very hard trying not to laugh out loud. Finally, he managed to get down without hurting himself and made a very hasty retreat. It was a very good time - for me, anyway.

- Sloan told me the other day that he can't wait to grow up and be a daddy so that he can spank his sister. We had to have a little talk about that one.

- This morning, I took Tia and Landon to Shop 'N Save while Sloan was at school. We weren't just out of food - there were moths flitting out of my cabinets. It was bad. Which means I was in the store for a looong time. I didn't make a list ahead of time, which was stupid, but it is what it is. So I had to keep shuffling through my coupons to see what I needed to get. It took so long that by the time I got to the check out, Landon was done and was letting me know by screaming his head off. I'm at Shop 'N' Save, remember? Which means I had to bag my own groceries. Oh, and did I mention it was only 3 degrees outside? So, Landon's screaming and I'm throwing stuff in bags at warp speed when all of the sudden this little indian man who had been in line behind me walks up and starts dancing and singing. Landon stops and stares and I do too for a brief moment because when I say little, I mean little. He may have been a foot taller than Sloan and he was jirating and singing, trying to keep Landon calm. Once I was finished, he picked Landon up and handed him to me, then pushed my cart out and loaded my groceries into my car. So, I not only had a good chuckle, but also a warm fuzzy at his sincere kindness and generosity. Plus I saved thirty bucks with coupons.

The endorphins are flying, baby!

Boredom leads to strange things

2009-01-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

Sloan and I were bored this afternoon and the Star Wars figures were sitting in the doll house. We had a good old time making up a very bizarre story. Like I said, we were bored...

The Epic Battle Gone Terribly Awry

Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away, there was a young Jedi knight, Master Ben Kenobi. Trained in the order of the Jedi, Master Kenobi was a special soul with much to offer to the galaxy. As a young man, Master Kenobi came across a boy who showed great potential for good use as a Jedi and so Master Kenobi took this boy, nourished him and trained him and the boy did indeed grow into a bold and fearless Jedi.

But the boy, Anakin, was brash and impulsive. Those qualities were a great hindrance to his quest in the Jedi order. There was a darkness in him that Master Kenobi desperately tried to tame, but it was no use. Anakin Skywalker gave himself over to the dark side losing nearly all of his human form. More robot than man, he took on the name Darth Vader and became a fierce and powerful enemy.

Master Kenobi was, understandably, disappointed and pained that his star pupil became the very epitome of evil and he took it upon himself to search down his wayward student and destroy him once and for all. Thus began an epic battle.

But Master Kenobi underestimated Vader's strength and power and he was quickly defeated.Stealing Kenobi's light saber, Darth Vader swiftly cut off his former master's arm. In a most uncharacteristic moment of sympathy, Darth Vader left Kenobi to die alone rather than finishing him off. Summoning his last ounce of strength, Master Kenobi used the force to pull himself up off the ground and, cradling his limp stub of an arm in his good hand, he fled the galaxy and sped to a foreign and new place where he intended to leave his failures and shame behind him.

For many dark days, Master Kenobi wandered through the rugged, thick terrain, wasting from lack of food and losing his will to survive. But, though he no longer had the mystical power of the force to back him up, he did have physical strength that allowed him to push forward despite extreme weakness.Then he came upon a most strange and beautiful sight. A large palace unlike any he had ever seen. Pulling his weak frame up, Master Kenobi stumbled to the bizarre structure.Raising his hand, Master Kenobi rapped three times on the solid door. When it opened, he found himself staring into the bewildered eyes of a beautiful woman holding two screaming babies in her arms. Explaining his situation and his need for shelter and work, the woman nodded her head and told him she had just the job for him.

Master Kenobi, however, was not prepared for the task that was quickly thrust upon him.Due to this family's extreme lifestyle, it appeared that the parents were in desperate need of someone to watch their children while they both worked. Thus, Master Kenobi became Ben-Ben the manny. He discovered quickly that he was not well suited for this job. Within the first day, he lost one of the children, a small boy who was quick and sneaky. The girl was a little more manageable, but a handful nonetheless. Ben-Ben sang to her each night, a soft melody that, try as he might, he could not bring himself to stop humming. It was the same melody he had sung to his protege so many years earlier.
One of the more difficult details of his job required changing the constantly full diapers of his young charge. This was all the more difficult due to Ben-Ben's abnormally small size in comparison to the child. Ben-Ben grew so tired of this cumbersome task that he decided to teach the child the art of using an adult facility.

Unfortunately, this did not go well and Ben-Ben found he had greater messes to clean up. He quickly put the child back in diapers and sent her on her way.

Ben-Ben sighed as he cleaned the bathroom, wondering how his life had taken such a drastic turn.

Looking intently in the mirror, Ben-Ben tried to conjure up the image of his former self. A man full of confidence and self-assurance. A man who was a truely gifted Jedi Master. But, try as he may, Ben-Ben could not summon the force. It's power took no effect in these strange circumstances.Every evening, as Ben-Ben slaved over dinner and baked endlessly, he tried to remember the skill that had once been so natural to him.
He sighed dramatically as he set the meals in front of his employers, both of whom took to ignoring him when he lost their son. They now only stared at him with half-smiles frozen on their plastic-like faces. It was unnerving...
The only solice Ben-Ben found were his daily moments of peace in the garden that he had cultivated. It gave him a sense of purpose and skill closely akin to the Jedi powers he had once taken such pride in. In those quiet moments, Ben-Ben felt like Master Kenobi once more.
At night, when the baby was asleep and the house was clean, Ben-Ben lounged on the couch, letting the sweet sounds of Johnny Coltrane and B.B. King wash through his soul. He wondered if perhaps these men were master's of the force, their music so moved his aching soul.

And of course, every night before bed, Ben-Ben stood at his balcony and looked out at the glimmering, flickering stars that dotted the black sky. He thought of his galaxy, so very far away, and wished that he, once again, could be a great and mighty Jedi Knight.

So, my friends, will Ben Kenobi ever gain back his use of the force and return to his proper position as a leader of the Jedi Order? Only time will tell...

Lee the Barbarian

2009-01-12T06:15:00.000-08:00

So far, we've caught two mice on the glue boards that are sitting out by the dog food. The first one was still alive and shimmied himself underneath the car. For a brief moment I was afraid we had teenage mutant ninja mice who had outsmarted us and stolen a glueboard. Had that been the case, we would have moved. No doubt - I would relinqiush my house without question.

I told you all before, I'm not a mouse kinda gal. I don't like them, especially when they've been sneaking around my hosue in the dark. But I have to admit, the sight of this little guy spazzing pitifully on the glueboard made me feel a little sad. My sadness quickly turned to horror, however, when Lee pulled out a hammer and told me to go back inside. I turned into the girly girl and begged him not to bludgeon the poor creature. At this point, though, Sloan and Tia were coming outside so I had to quickly retreat. My last vision was of the door slowly closing as Lee leaned over the twitching mouse. It was like a bad movie. A few minutes later, Lee walked in all smug assuring me that he only tapped it hard enough to put it out of misery.

My husband scares me sometimes. Remember this story? Well, it turns out I had the details wrong. He actually killed that animal with a crowbar, not a shovel, which is even more horrifying. Thank God the second mouse we caught was already dead. I was relieved but I think Lee was a little disappointed.

And now I'm off to begin a wildly busy day. I have more to do than there are hours of the day so we'll see what happens. Happy Monday!

Basement Dwellers

2009-01-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

We are not alone in this house...bam, bam, baaaammmm
Yes, it appears that some furry little friends have decided to make their winter home in my basement. This is not cool with me. I don't do small things that scurry about well. If you've read this blog for any length of time, you probably know that already. I've already chronicled my obvious bravado here. To be honest, I'm slightly less freaked out by mice than by those freakish cave crickets, but let's be realistic here: if one of those critters comes scurrying out at me there is every possibility I will break a bone trying to get away. Let's make this clear - I don't do mice, I don't do crickets, I don't do spiders if they are larger than my pinky fingernail. There, all settled.

Poor Tia - we've been blaming the handfuls of dog food we found scattered in various places in the basement on her. I mean, it's not that far fetched that she would bring handfuls of dog food downstairs, but I was starting to have my suspisions when I found it hiding in Lee's golf bag and in the clean laundry piled up on a table. As I was cleaning up the playroom I found the tell tale evidence on the kid's car table. And it appears that there may be more than one. Perfect, just what I need, a mouse family. Why does this stuff always happen when daddy's out of town? Now, I have to muster up the courage to go downstairs and get my laundry and pray to God Almighty that a dying mouse doesn't squeak at me from the six glue traps I scattered about. Deep breath...

The humble abode where our furry friends seem to have made their home. I mean, it is a fun place to be, but this arrangment is just not going to work.

The dog food is kept upstairs and out that door which leads to the garage. How are the sneaky little buggers getting it into the basement?

This fell out of my clean laundry. I'm not a cussing kinda girl, but there's a good chance a couple of choice words slipped out when I realized what was going on.

A fair amount of dog food was found in the front pocket of Lee's golf bag. Poor Tia took the blame for that one.

There is dog food rattling around inside this car, which has a tiny hole on the bottom where they are sneaking it in.

There is also a good deal of dog food rattling around inside this little chair.The evidence that finally tipped me off. Lots of scattered little pieces of trash, insulation, dog food and some droppings. The least they could do is clean up after themselves...

A Lapse in Judgment

2009-01-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

When daddy is out of town, I try to do things that are a little different - partly to take the kids' minds off the fact that he is gone and mostly to keep myself from going completely wacky. Tonight, since it is the only real down night that we have, I decided to do something to get us out of the house.

First was a semi-needed trip to Target. Really, I just needed a little "fix." I needed the glare of the bright lights off the pristene white tiles and the smell of good deals mingled with awesomeness to surround me. It didn't take long. I was flying high almost as soon as I walked into the door. The fact that Tia had to go to the bathroom before we even made it past the threshhold didn't even damper my spirits (usually she waits until we're all the way in the back of the store with a cart full of goodies before declaring that she has to go potty).

I was feeling so elated by the time we left, with two new pairs of shoes for Landon and a folder for Tia, that I told the kids we would be going out to dinner. Because I am trying to be more health conscious, I opted out of the ease that is McDonald's and decided, instead, to head to Bread Co.

Yes. My Target high led me to completely overestimate my mommy superpowers.

Luck was on my side in the fact that Bread Co. was relatively uninhabited. I bribed the kids with the promise of a muffie if they obeyed and did not completely humiliate me, then ordered our food and settled us down at a table as far away from the other patrons as possible. This is where things got a little hairy. It wasn't totally the kids. They actually did quite well, all things considered, but, well there are three of them and only one of me. That's just not fair...

When they called my name, I raced to the counter as fast as I could to pick up our food before Sloan and Tia got got their own high off of a lack of supervision. When I returned, both of them had their shoes off and Sloan was trying to remove his shirt. I wasn't gone that long.

Then there was the issue of getting everyone situated with his and her specific meal. Landon was approaching meltdown from extreme hunger so he needed immediate attention. I needed water because I unwisely ordered a soup that has a bit of a kick to it. The water was on the other side of the restaurant. I took a deep breath, reminded them of the muffie that awaited them later and scurried over to get water. As I'm over there, I hear a wail emanating from my very own 5-year-old's mouth. Apparently Landon snatched the bread off his sandwich when he wasn't looking. This was a tragedy.

When we were half-way through dinner, I broke open the last packet of yogurt I had and began squeezing it into Landon's mouth. It was at precisely this moment that Tia declared she had to go poo-poo. The child has amazing timing. Landon began crying and reaching for the yogurt, which he was enjoying imensely and I had a moment of panic. What the heck do I do now? I made a split second decision, which I almost immediately regretted. I agreed to let Sloan take her to the bathroom...which was also across the restaurant. I issued a threat on their lives if I heard any screaming or playing around and told them that they absolutely better be back quickly if they wanted their muffie. I watched them walk all the way to the bathroom door, then sat down and wondered what on earth possessed me to think this was a good solution. What if someone called Child Protective Services on me for neglect or just plaing dopiness? It was also at that moment that I remembered that neither one of them were wearing shoes. Yes, I became that mom and I think that I have hereby lost all my mommy superpowers for the time being.

They did very well, though, and were back within minutes, assuring me that they did not crawl on the floors or lick any toilets or anything like that. Finally we were able to wrap up dinner and I got in line to buy the much deserved muffie. As we were waiting, a policeman walked in. Sloan walked up to him and introduced himself and shook the man's hand then proceeded to pepper him with 20 questions about what it's like to be a policeman, even asking the poor guy if he could hold his gun! The officer did take out his handcuffs and let the kids touch them before I quickly ushered them back to the table and begged them to eat as quickly as possible. We left shortly after, at the same time the officer left. As he got into his car, Sloan called after him - "Hey, go chase the bad guys and put them in jail so they don't kill us."

My face generated enough heat in that moment to melt the remaining ice on the sidewalk and off we slinked to our car. T-Minus 3 days till daddy returns.

New Year, New Goals

2009-01-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's time to set some goals for the coming year. I fell into a nasty trap the last half of 2008 where I was lazy and completely unproductive. It's amazing how the start of a new year can give you so much energy and adrenaline. So what exactly are my new year's resolutions? I've been thinking about this the last couple of days. I want to be careful to set realistic goals so that I don't totally set myself up for failure - something I've been known to do. I think I've set the bar at just the right height so I'm challenged but not buggerd. So here they are, my 2009 goals:

- Try to remember birthdays and at least give a phone call. I give myself bonus points if I get a card in the mail.
- Work harder on my russian.
- Finish my novel. This book is the thorn in my flesh because I'm so intimidated by the subject I've chosen to write about, yet I feel compelled to tell the story.
- Save money at the grocery store. I've tried to get in the habit of clipping coupons and taking them with me, but I still don't give it the effort I should because it intimidates me.
- Get in shape. I've lost all my baby weight, but I'm rather soft and that annoys me.
- Read more, but do so reasonably. I'm reading the Twilight series (more on that soon) and I'm almost finished with book 2. My problem with reading, however, is that I have no reasonable sense of time when I do so. Therefore, if you see me, you'll understand why I have circles under my eyes.
- Watch less TV. I have fallen into the habit of immediately turning the tube on in the evenings and if I broke this, I would have more time for my reading and still, hopefully be able to get to bed at a reasonable hour (riiiiight...).
- Get a few paid writing gigs. I took a hiatus when Landon was born, but it's time to work again.
- Learn to take better photos.
- Spend as much time in Florida as I possibly can - I need to talk through this one with Lee.
- Eat as many scones as possible without gaining a single pound.

There are a few more goals that I'd like to accomplish, personal goals that I don't want to share here. We'll see how it goes. That last one may be kind of rough, but I'm always up for a challenge. Most of these things I've already started working on anyway but it's nice to lay them out. Happy resolving to you all!

Snippets - With Multimedia

2009-01-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

We've had such a wonderful two weeks. I am a little sad that it's all over now and life must go on as usual. Lee leaves tomorrow morning for Phoenix for the week and the kids and I are back in the daily grind. This weekend was our last Harrah and we have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Here are a few snippets from the weekend...

One of our favorite gifts from Lee's parents was the fire pit that we enjoyed a lot the last few days due to the unseasonably warm temperatures. Lee has channeled his inner pyromaniac and has burned everything from tiny sticks hanging out in the yard to the remains of our Christmas tree. And you should all know that a half-dead pine tree smells like a corpse when burned. I bet the neighbors loved us. We've enjoyed S'Mores (not over the pine tree fire, thank goodness) and a good deal of family time huddled close to the warm flames. Saturday was wet and drizzly, but warm, and I'm pretty sure Sloan and Tia were outside for 4-5 hours. They had a ball playing and I was not about to stop them from soaking in as much fresh air as possible. At one point I heard them yelling for us to come outside, so I ran out and this is what I found. Using my go-go gadget arm, I whipped out a camera and snapped a photo. While bathing Landon last night, I decided that it's probably about time to cut his hair. Why is it always so hard to cut little boy's hair for the first time? It's just such a sad thing. But, seriously, the poor boy is starting to sport a pretty pronounced mullet, and when it dries it looks like a reddish blonde football helmet.

For Christmas, Tia's gift to Sloan was a new driver and an iron. And since Christmas day he's been begging Lee to take him to the driving range to try them out. Here is a short video of our little Tigerinthemaking. He was having a hard time because these clubs were significantly longer than his old clubs, but he still managed to smack the ball 50-75 yards pretty consistently. I'm not so secretly scheming on how this could be his college ticket.

Lee got new clothes for Christmas - a much needed boost to his wardrobe. Yesterday, while going through his closet, packing for his trip, Lee exclaimed excitedly, "Man, my clothes are cool now! I'm gonna look awesome." For those of you who know us well, you understand why I am so proud of him right now.

Tonight, the kids and I were in the car and Selah's song, Be Thou My Vision, came on. When Nicol started singing, Sloan asked if that was me on the radio. I grinned, very flattered of course and said no, did it sound like me?

"Yeah," Sloan piped. "Sometimes you sing in a frog voice just like this girl."

I think he meant that it sounded like she had a frog in her throat, because she does have a husky voice. Or, he could just think we sing like frogs. Kids - you gotta love 'em right?

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T06:46:00.000-08:00

Lee and I rang in the New Year in style last night. Every year, we have the same group of friends over to our house and enjoy some good fellowship and food. This year, however, for some reason it just fell through. People got sick, they couldn't find sitters, etc... So Lee and I found ourselves with a babysitter and nothing to do. I posted our dilemma on twitter, an online social media tool that I am falling in love with, and within a few minutes I had a couple of suggestions and invites to different happenings around town. Lee and I decided to go to Cicero's in The Loop to hear Fundamental Elements play. This is something very different for us as we are generally a couple of old fogies who don't partake of the hip St. Louis scene.

It was really fun! We got dressed up and we didn't leave the house until almost 8:00. There were three different bands playing, but we really only wanted to see FE because we go to church with Joe and Kelli. They were awesome! If you ever get a chance to go see one of their shows, do it. Every one of those guys is wildly talented, but I was especially impressed with the bass player who's fingers were moving so fast that I'm pretty sure I saw smoke.

Right after midnight, the DJ put on the song, "Livin' on a Prayer." The girl standing next to Lee, who we learned earlier was only 27, didn't. know. the. song. Lee came home feeling very old. Once she heard the chorus she did realize that she'd heard it before, but that didn't comfort him much. It was hilarious to watch the entire bar singing Bon Jovi at the top of their lungs. What a way to start 2009.

2008 was a blessed year for us and I have no regrets as I close it out. It was a trying year with the transition to three kids, but we have so many things to be thankful for. It is a year for me to build an alter of remembrance for so I can look back and remember how God walked us through the challenges and reigned blessings down upon us. I look forward to 2009 and what it may bring. Hope you all had a wonderful New Year.

As we got ready to leave the house, I wanted a picture so Sloan took one of Lee and I, then he wanted a picture with me because he said I looked beautiful. Sweet, sweet boy.

Why I Love Facebook

2008-12-30T07:02:00.000-08:00

Last night I spent three hours hanging out with old high school friends. It was a really good time. And the whole meet-up was organized through the glorious world of Facebook.

I have to confess that high school was not my favorite time of life. Sure, there were good times, but I was a typical teenage girl who lived amidst ridiculous teen angst. From body issues to self-esteem to the always present desire to "fit in," I was your very typical teenage girl. I'm not really proud of that, but it is what it is. How many of us wish that we could go back and tell our teen selves that none of that mattered? That in twelve years, no one would really care what you were like at 16? In the grand scheme of life, high school is so very small, but didn't it seem so big back then? So, admittedly, it was with a little trepidation that I went to the meet up last night. I just didn't know what to expect. But you know, it's amazing what a little maturity will do for a group of people. Of the twenty or so people that were there, I really only knew two of them. The others I remembered but can't say I had any sort of relationship with outside of the school walls. And yet we all sat there, talking like dear old friends, not judging or gossiping, but genuninely enjoying one another's company. I was pleasantly surprised. And I stayed much longer than I thought I would. I was amazed at how many people were doing really cool things. One guy works for the Grammy's, another lives and works in India. There were a couple of New York arcitecht's (I cannot figure out how to spell that word!) and a girl who was one of Bush's appointee's in his transportation department. There was an engineer who was in the process of building a robot and a writer for Hallmark. It was really fascinating to hear what everyone ended up doing with their lives.

I love Facebook for the way that it reconnects people like this. I love Facebook for the same reason that many people hate it. I love getting "friended" by people I went to high school with even if we were never actually friends in the first place. Perhaps it's a little voyeristic of me, but I like to see what people are up to. I like to see who's married and who's got kids. I like to catch a glimpse into the lives of these people that I knew so very long ago. I like to see if the class clown is still a goofball and what the guy I had a secret crush on is doing these days. And I am assuming that since they friended me, they want to do the same thing. They simply want to know who I've become. It's curiosity. It's the reunion without the awkward conversations. So, in general, I rarely ignore a friend invitation unless I just absolutely cannot remember the person. If I have no idea who you are the novelty of peeking into your life wears off. Do I communicate with all the people I am "friends" with? No. But, to me, that's not totally the point. I communciate with the people I want to communicate with and that's been a great joy. Today I am going to lunch with three girls that were dear friends back then and we just lost touch over the years. But now, thanks to Facebook, we will be enjoying one another's company. What a great thing! The others who I don't communicate with are just a satisfaction to my overwhelming curiosity.

So there you have it. Is it a little weird? Yes, I belive it is. But in the age of social media, where everyone's lives are playing out publicly, it's a new norm and I, personally, think it's a little fun.

Who's the Bigger Kid?

2008-12-28T13:19:00.000-08:00

We got this new camcorder for Christmas from my parents and I'm busy trying to figure out all the fun features. Sloan also got a new Nerf gun, which means we now have two...which means that Lee and Sloan have had some mean gun fights the last couple of days. So, what's your vote? Who do you think is having more fun?

Dear Santa

2008-12-25T18:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,

I'm afraid I have a confession to make. I don't believe in you - or, at least I didn't until last night. But you, my roly-poly friend, were the originator of a Christmas miracle unlike one I've ever before seen and today, I say with full conviction - I believe.

Sure, Lee and I were the ones who actually bought the gifts. I may or may not have used psychology on my kids to manipulate them into asking you for gifts that I had already purchased for them. Lee and I happily munched on "your" cookies and gulped down the nice, cold milk last night before we went to bed. And, okay, I wanted it to look authentic, so yeah, I messed up the fireplace and wrote a phony "Thank You" to the kids. Just because I don't - er, didn't - believe doesn't mean they shouldn't experience the thrill of your myth right?

But then, the true magic happened. My kids, who have been a nightmare to put to bed for several months since they began sharing a room, were perfect last night. On any given night, dear Santa, they have been known to get out of bed 5 or 6 times and goof around for up to an hour. We've resorted to putting Tia in our own bed until she falls asleep just to protect our sanity. But last night? Perfection. Not a peep. They so anticipated your midnight visit to our home that they immediately shut their eyes and drifted off to sleep. And Lee and I sat in wondrous silence, unsure exactly what to do with ourselves.

And so, after last night, I do believe. I believe in you, Santa. But *ahem* I have a tiny request. Since it's still Christmas and all, I figured I could ask one small favor. Could we possibly tell them you're coming to our house every night? Could we take full advantage of your magical powers and bring a little holiday cheer into our home nightly around 8:00? That would really be great. If you would be willing to fly to St. Louis on a daily basis for us, we would be forever grateful and I will be your strongest advocate for the rest of my life.

Think about it...

Sincerely,
A weary mom

P.S. We had a wonderful Christmas. Here are the gifts "you" got them. Tia loves her dollhouse and Sloan was thrilled with his excavator set. You did good, Santa!

The much anticipated excavator set that came with a million tiny pieces. Say it with me (and make sure your voice is laced with sarcasm) - awesome!

Here is Tia's super fun, tricked out dollhouse. We will log a lot of hours in playing with this house. It was a supreme investment.
The family. Mommy is sitting at the picnic table while daddy grills her some grub and also pushes the twins on their swingset - they're a modernized family.

I had to include this picture because it makes me laugh. That's Tia in her new pirate costume and Sloan dressed as Darth Vadar sneaking up from behind to slay her.

My head hurts

2008-12-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry for my lack of posting lately. Even when I do post, it's very blah. I have a serious case of blogger's block and I'm tired and I've had a headache for three days now. So, that makes for poor posting. But, if you'd like some information regarding the Soviet Christmas and New Year's celebration, scroll down and read the 5th comment on my last post. My friend, Sveta, lives in Kiev (for the time being, she is currently preparing with her family to move back to her home town of Dunaivtsi) and she is a dear sister across the pond to me. She gave a brief explanation of the fun, interesting traditions that Russians and Urkainians alike celebrate. So scroll on down and learn something new. Merry Christmas...again!

Why I love Russians, a Tea Party and a homemade hair-do

2008-12-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

We had our first of two Christmases this weekend. The in-laws came in and we had a lovely time celebrating with them. The kids got some really fun new gifts. Sloan has not taken this outfit off since he got it Friday night (except for church, at which point we told him he absolutely had to wear regular clothes):

Landon hates Sloan's new outfit, though, along with the Star Trooper helmet that he got so everytime Sloan comes out with one of the masks on, Landon scampers as fast as his pudgy little legs will take him into the arms of the nearest adult and holds on for dear life with this look on his face:

Sweet Katya got a cheerleader costume and a wedding dress costume. She has no idea what a cheerleader is (which I'm fine with) and when she opened it, she pulled out the poms poms and held them up and said, "It's eyeballs!" Lee doesn't like the idea of his little girl playing the bride and refuses to call this a wedding dress - he calls it her princess dress. I can understand and respect that. It weirds me out a little too to have my little girl playing "wedding." Yikes!

I took the kids to the Dollar store and let them pick out their own presents for the grandparents this year. I tried to guide them toward the practical while still giving them the freedom to choose the gifts themselves. Sloan did a pretty good job picking things out. Tia tried, sweet thing, but was very insistent on giving her Papa a small ceramic Zebra and her Bebe a wildly tacky vase. It truly was the thought that counted...

On Saturday, Sloan had his russian school New Year party. Russians don't celebrate Christmas the same way we westerners do. Their big celebration is on New Years with the Slavic Christmas being observed on January 6 (Sveta, correct me if I'm wrong). They do have a Santa Claus figure called, Dyed Moros, or Father Ice - which is very appropriate for us given the ridiculous temperatures we are experiencing right now. Dyed Moros also has a granddaughter named Snyegurichka who helps deliver the presents. I love russians and the way that they party. They have so much fun and it's so carefree. The adults get into it as much as the kids and laugh and sing and dance around and just all around have a great time. And, where else would you have a man dressed as some sort of forest witch pull out an accordian and start dancing and singing? Oh, and Dyed Moros came out singing and dancing as well. It was awesome. I just love that culture. (Incidentally, Sveta, I think I need some schooling on who the little forest witch and her sidekicks are that seem to be trying to foil Dyed Moros's New Year plans. It's a little confusing.) Another fun tradition they have is the kids dress in costume for this New YEar's party. Again, I don't really know why, but Sloan was thrilled because he didn't have to take his Power Ranger costume off. You know, because nothing says holiday cheer like a blue Power Ranger (or Optimus Prime - it might be a Transformer costume, I'm not 100% sure...) Anyway, here's a picture of the whole crew, minus the accordian playing forest man:

Afterwards, my mom, my mother-in-law, Tia and I went to a tea party at the Ladies of Lucerne Tea House.

I've mentioned before my love for tea parties and I was so thrilled to take Tia to her first. She did alright. It's a lot to ask of a near three year old to sit properly around fine china and enjoy scones and finger sandwiches, but she did very well considering. This tea was geared toward kids too so they had gingerbread cookies and p,b&j sandwiches and hot chocolate. It was a fun little girly afternoon. Of course, before we left, Tia decided that she wanted to fix her hair...without asking me for help...which as we all know leads only to disaster. A half a jar of hair gel later she walked out looking like this:

Needless to say a bath was necessary and after it was all said and done, she looked like this:She's my little doll. She's rotten, but she's a doll. Merry Christmas everyone! Have a blessed week.

We've Gotten Better at This

2008-12-18T04:54:00.000-08:00

For years, I have been begging Lee to get our home movies burned onto DVD. Yesterday, something came over him and he decided to get the new DVD burner that we needed in order to accomplish this task and got two of our videos burned last night. It's like a Christmas miracle!

We sat down to watch them and had a jolly good time watching the first few months of Sloan's life once again. We both got a good chuckle at how young Lee looked. I know it was only five year ago, but it's still noticable. I mean, there's a big difference between 28 and 34. Lee looks like a baby. I, however, look as youthful today as I did then and that's the way it's gonna be, got it?

Of course we have just over three hours of videotape of Sloan's first nine months. I think we're approaching 45 minutes of videotape for Landon's first year - and he's not even in a lot of that video. Poor third baby. Watching these movies of our interaction with Sloan gave me great insight into why he is the way he is. Sloan is a typical first child, fun loving, meticulous and always needing someone to entertain him. To watch the videos, I see why. We made him that way! We coddled that sweet baby, always entertaining him, trying to make him laugh, talking to him and playing with him. Most of the video of his first couple of months, we are trying desperately to get a smile. Until about 6 months, Sloan was such a serious little guy and you had to practically move a mountain to get a smile. Either that or you had to make a gigantic fool of yourself, which we were doing in every frame of this video. Good grief, the poor kid just wanted to be left alone. Half the time he looked exhausted, but you know as a first time mom, I had to stick to the schedule and if it wasn't naptime, then by God he wasn't going down for a nap.

Then there's the video of him trying cereal for the first time. He hated it, but I kept shoving it into his wide open, screaming mouth, determined to get him to give it a try. Meanwhile I'm looking at the camera with this overwhelmed, bewildered look and saying, "I don't think he likes it!" Lee said I looked like Britney Spears - I think I should be insulted, and confused because... huh?

Anyway, thank God we've gotten better at this parenting thing. Not that we're experts by any means, but we have figured out a few tricks of the trade through trial and error - most of which occurred on Sloan. It's amazing that first children make it at all. How do any of us grow into well adjusted adults? But we have loosened up a whole lot. I'm no longer such a nap stickler - unless it's the afternoon nap, which is like gold for me. We aren't quite so anal about what "bad" words are - poor Sloan wasn't aloud to say anything for awhile. I let the kids have McDonalds, eat sweets and drink rum in the morning - just kidding! That's not true, they are only allowed to drink at night...

Oh and incidentally, I hereby publicly apologize to my husband for the fact that I apparently never showered that first year. In every video I'm wearing sweats and my hair appears to have swallowed a bucket of Crisco. Geesh.

The point is, we still learn something new every day and while I'm sure both Tia and Landon will also be products of our parenting mishaps, we have gotten a better handle on some things. How about you all? What are some things that you've learned through raising children?

Someone is One!

2008-12-16T08:01:00.001-08:00

My precious Landon -

One year ago today, you entered this world. What a blessing you are. We are so grateful to God for giving you to us. You are pure joy and have been from the start.I will always consider you my miracle baby. I'll never forget sitting in my doctor's office, looking at your perfectly formed, tiny little body on the ultrasound screen and hearing him explain to me that the possiblity of spontaneous abortion was high. I could see you kicking your feet and moving your arms and it broke my heart to think of losing you because my body was unable to house you properly. But God was faithful - He always is - and my body healed and oh how grateful I am because I adore having you as my son.From the beginning, you've been a snuggle bug. Of all three, you are the most likely to sit in my lap at this age and just snuggle. You love hugs and often come toddling over for a quick hug before rushing off to play some more. That just melts my heart.I love your sweet little face and those precious chubby cheeks. From the beginning, you've been a beautiful child with a sweet disposition to match. You have stolen my heart sweet one!You are a very funny little guy. I picture you being a bit of a class clown when you grow up because you do like to make people laugh. From the time you were teeny tiny you were giggling and laughing out loud. It's a sweet sound that usually cracks the rest of us up as well.You've already had many adventures in your short life. You've ridden on an airplane twice, taken several car trips, been to Six Flags, skinny dipped in the ocean and crawled naked through the sand. What a life!As you grow, my prayer for you is the same as my prayer for your brother and sister. I claim this verse over you: "You however, continue in the things you have learned and become convicted of them, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood, you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads you to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."(2 Timothy 3:14-15)You have become very playful and interactive lately. You love to "race" with Sloan and Tia. We'll say, "Ready, set, go!" and you squat down, then take off as fast as your chubby little legs will take you, snorting and laughing the whole time. So cute... I love you so very much, Landon. I thank God that He decided to let me be your mom. You are a joy and a blessing to all of us. Happy Birthday, Landon Lee!

Birthday Party "Fun"

2008-12-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

We had Landon's birthday party last night. These one year old parties get more and more stressful the more kids that we and our friends have. But it was still a nice time to visit with friends and celebrate my little man's life. Here are a few pictures from the shindig...

The Memo

2008-12-11T11:02:00.001-08:00

Sometime last week, Landon received a memo that I'm certain read something like this:

Landon, the information contained in this brief memo is of the utmost importance.

Now that you are walking and are just days from your first birthday, you are officially given the title of toddler. With this title comes some added responsibility. First, while I understand that being the baby has its perks, (i.e. a lot of positive attention, no responsibility, someone to wipe your rear and carry you around, etc...) you must now begin to assert yourself more. Because your vocabulary is limited to grunts and squeals, this will require some creativity on your part.

Effective tools used by others are: kicking your feet, arching your back, screaming (this is particulrly effective in public places), falling to the floor, crying incessantly, hitting your siblings (this will require that you work on your coordination a little), throwing your food or cup down on the floor, etc...

The point is, you should assert your desires and stop at nothing until you get what you want. You don't want to sit in your car seat? Arch your back and throw your head into the seat. Your mom won't be able to buckle your belt and it'll make her a little crazy. You want to eat the dog food but they tell you no? Shove as much into your mouth as possible, then kick and scream when they dig it out - that'll teach 'em! Also, it is imperative that you become a little pickier at the dinner table. Stop making it so easy on your parents. They need the excitement of a challenge. I know they're up to their ears in the discipline of your brother and sister, but come on, you need to get in on that action!

Finally, start exploring the land around you a little more. Climb things, knock down large items, make a mess whenever you get the chance. Climbing up that complete set of stairs yesterday was just short of brilliance. It gave your mom a small heart attack and you set the new standard. Let her know that life is not going to be peaches from here on out. Thus far you've been complacent and sweet - a model child. It's time to spice it up a little. Get out there and go for it, kid!

Now, this memo was left unsigned, of course, but Landon took it quite seriously. I have my theory as to who could have sent it. My guess is either his brother and sister, who are likely tired of being in the hotseat and want someone else to feel mom's wrath, or the little booger in the mirror who is constantly laughing at Landon and giving him kisses, like this:

No matter who it was, I don't like it. I was diggin' the sweet, complacent, easy going baby. And just as a reminder, I already have a strong-willed 5 year old and a stubborn, independent 2 year old. I'm due for the "easy kid," right? Wait, what? All kids have their own set of issues? There's no such thing as an easy kid? They all take work? Really? *sigh*

My sweet Landon turns one on Tuesday and I just can't believe how quickly this year has flown by. This time last year I was as big as a house and totally unprepared for the transition. This year, I'm in full swing, we're already done with bottles (sniff), walking, eating table food, and yes, throwing tantrums. How does it go by so quickly? I'm really glad I started this blog after Landon was born because this year just feels like a blur. I'm so grateful I can go back and remember those days, or at least read about them because apparently I checked out for the first several months of his life!

Seeing Santa

2008-12-09T07:17:00.001-08:00

I took the kids to see Santa yesterday. We haven't been to see Santa Clause since Sloan was 18 months old and responded like this:
He was terrified after that year and I just didn't have the heart to force him to sit on Santa's lap again. And because he was so scared, Tia was scared and freaked out if we even got near a guy in a big red suit. So, it's been several years. This year, however, Sloan is very into the idea of Santa. He's so concerned about our fireplace and tells us everyday to make sure and turn the fire off on Christmas Eve to make sure Santa doesn't get burned. And yesterday, when I told him that we were going to see Santa, he was thrilled. And, of course, Tia followed his lead and got excited too. They both leapt up on Santa's lap and told him what they wanted - Sloan an excavator set, Tia a dollhouse - then smiled bright for the picture. Poor sweet Landon, however, did not enjoy it as much as they did...

Our First Christmas and a Few of My Favorite Things

2008-12-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

We braved the 26 degree weather Friday night and went shopping for our Christmas tree. You know, because nothing says holiday cheer like frostbite...

We came home, had hot chocolate, put the kids to bed and strung the lights, then Saturday morning let them help us put up the ornaments. One of the ornaments we hang on our tree each year is a time capsule that we got on our first Christmas in 2000. In it is a small scroll where Lee and I wrote the details of our first Christmas as a married couple. This is what it looks like:Inside it say: Our First Christmas it was - cold and icy in Dallas
We lived at - St. Charles at Stonebriar apartment complex in Frisco, TX
At that time the new was full of stories like - Presidential Election Controversy, crazy snow storms in the north, the Rams beat the Saints and sqeaked into the play-offs - then lost.
We shared lots of Christmas traditions like - opening stocking on Christmas Eve. Getting up at the crack of dawn (this is a family tradition of mine that Lee has grown to love over the course of the last eight years - it fills him with such joy to creep out of bed at 5:00 am)
We celebrated the season with special people like: Herb, Barbara and Zach Dec. 10; Richard, Candy, Brett and Jared on Christmas; Old Baylor friends on New Years
We got each other presents like: Lee got Kelli a Karaoke machine, Anna Karenina in russian and clothes; Kelli got Lee clothes, "Rich, Dad, Poor Dad," and an old LIFE magazine about JFK (that's so random - I don't know why I bought him that or where that magazine is now!)

Anyway, it's always fun to read that and remember Christmas 2000, our first together. And here are a few more of my favorite ornaments.
I have no idea where we got his ornament but it makes me laugh. It's a hula wearing Santa surfing on two dolphins and he kind of looks like he's making an obscene gesture. Of course, that only makes sense right? Bizarre.

My First Christmas ornament from 1978. In a few years I'm not sure that I'll like that one quite as much though - it's starting to make me feel old.

Here is a picture of Lee when he was around 9 or 10. The ornament it's nestled in is looking a little ragged, but he's old too so...

There is a story behind this one. When I was a kid, my mom bought a blown glass Statue of Liberty ornament at some hole in the wall shop in Wisconsin. She loved the ornament, the rest of us thought it was ugly and a little odd so every Christmas she would hang it front and center on the tree and we would move it to the back of the tree. Back and forth we moved it throughout the entire season. It became the family joke - until college when it was mysteriously lost forever and we were all a little sad. But, low and behold, my mom was, I think, in Pennsylvania a couple of years ago and she stumbled upon not one, but two more of these horrendous ornaments which she bought for me and for herself. So now I hang mine on the back of the tree and every time mom or dad comes to my house they move it to the front and the tradition lives on!

And here we are, freezing our tails off to get our very lovely, very piney tree. I love the smell of a Christmas tree!

Merry Christmas everybody!

Christmas Past

2008-12-04T11:20:00.001-08:00

A few pictures from Christmases past. This is not an original idea - I stole it from Tiffany. But I thought it would be fun to walk down the holiday memory lane. Enjoy!

Christmas 2003

Sloan is five months old and quite the brute.

Christmas 2004
Sloan at 17 months old and quite the ham.

Christmas 2005

Sloan is 2.5 and anxiously awaiting a new baby brother or sister.

Christmas 2006

Sloan (3.5) and Tia (10 months). The only way I could get her to stand still was to shove food in her mouth. Come to think of it, that's still the only time I can get her to be still!

Christmas 2007

Sloan (4.5), Tia (22 months) and Landon (days old). My precious baby will be one in less than two weeks!

Maybe we need to show him Star Wars

2008-12-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

The other day, Sloan came walking into the living room, Tia trailing quick at his heels. He grasped in his hand his new Light Saber, which he got as an early Christmas gift from his cousins over Thanksgiving. For some reason he is obsessively into Star Wars, which is a mystery to me because he's never actually seen any of the movies. It's not that we don't want him to watch them, it's just that I don't really know that he'll enjoy the movies all that much given the fact that they are a little slow and, well, boring.

Somewhere out there, I know there's a group of Star Wars addicts who are putting some voodoo intergalactic hex on me. Sorry, I just never really got it with those movies. Anyway, moving on. Sloan rounded the corner and held his sword up proudly.

"Mom," he announced, "I am Darth Vader."

"Oh," I murmered trying to sound impressed.

"Yeah, and Tia is my girlfriend. Her name is Melissa."

At this point I look up, my eyebrows raised, trying to figure out how in the world I should respond to this.

"Wow, Melissa huh?" I said.

"Yep, she's my girlfriend Melissa." Turning to Tia, he throws his arms out wide and she ducks slightly to avoid being whacked across the head with a light saber.

"Melissa," he exclaims loudly, "Bow down to me!"

Tia just stares at him.

"Bow down to me!" he repeats. And still Tia does not move.

"Tia, you're supposed to bow down to me. I'm Darth Vader."

"Uh-uh, Hol (Sloan)," Tia responds indignantly.

Turning to me Sloan throws his light saber down. "Mom, Tia is my girlfriend Melissa and she won't bow down to me."

Honestly, I had no response so I stood there silently for a minute before saying, "Okay, who wants a snack?"

I think it's time we showed him the movies...

Vote for your favorite!

2008-12-02T07:42:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

We've Been Elfed!

2008-12-02T07:36:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-12-01T09:37:00.001-08:00

The kids are at my mom's house today. I have Christmas music blaring and I'm putting up all our decorations. There's a dusting of snow on the ground and I think I'll make some hot chocolate! I'm finished with my shopping. We'll get our tree this Saturday and I'll put the wrapped gifts out. I love this time of year.

Sloan Sayings - The Thanksgiving Edition

2008-11-28T05:40:00.000-08:00

We're in Arkansas this weekend visitng family. We had a great, relaxing Thanksgiving yesterday and today the cousins come in so the kids are giddy with excitement. Sloan has had a couple of real gems the last couple of days. I thought I'd record them for future reference.

We were driving home the other night after eating dinner out and Sloan piped up from the backseat:

S - "Dad, can we say fag?"

L (stifiling a laugh) - "No, son, that's not a word we need to say."

S - "Why? It's not a bad word. It's not f%#k. It's fag - you know- like bag. Fag."

(At this point Lee and I are having a hard time holding back the laughter. What are the odds that he would accidentally land on that word? Seriously! We went on to explain to him that that word didn't really mean anything and since it didn't mean anything he didn't need to say it. Honestly, that kid...To know the full story of how he knows the F-word, read here.)

Yesterday, we ate thanksgiving dinner at Lee's grandmother's retirement center. This is his grandmother on his dad's side. A couple of years ago, his granny on his mom's side passed away and we all miss her dearly, especially at Thanksgiving because she made such yummy pies and she just doted on the great-grandkids. As we walked down the hall to the dining room, we passed a little white haired lady walking with a cane. Sloan stopped and said hi, then proceeded to say this:
Sloan - "Hi. You look like granny. But you can't be granny because she's dead. But you look just like granny, but you're not granny because she's dead."
Lee and I walked up just as he said it a third time and tried to quickly brush it off saying, "Yeah granny passed away and we miss her, right?"
Sloan (nodding his head) - "Yeah, we miss granny but that's not granny because granny's dead."

At this point we decided that we really need to work on social graces with the boy.

Just like that, I was in 7th grade again...

2008-11-25T11:51:00.000-08:00

I went shopping today. I still have quite a bit of Christmas shopping to do, but I'm proud to say I finished most of it this afternoon. Thanks to my mom for making that possible by keeping the kids for me!

While I was at a local store, I came across a small bottle of perfume. It was the first perfume I ever owned. My grandmother, Mimi, gave it to me when I was 12. Anybody else remember ex.cla.ma.tion! ? There was one tiny, battered little box on the table so I opened it up and sprayed a little on my wrist. With one sniff of that scent, I time warped back to 7th grade. We were still fairly new to town and I was self-concsious. I was stuck in that awful, gawky, Irish Setter stage of life, all knees, elbows and nose. I had yet to shave my legs and I wasn't allowed to wear make-up. I was in junior high, navigating my way through a whole new world of catty, petty hesaidshesaid. I had frizzy hair due to a bad perm (it was 1990 people) and oily skin thanks to the brand new hormones raging through my body.

Outwardly, I still hated the opposite sex, though I possessed secret crushes on a couple of the boys in my class. I would never admit to these crushes, though, because then I would absolutely die from humiliation. I was dramatic and silly. I was still a bit of a tomboy and got into the occasional fight with the neighbor boy. I gave him a black eye that year. Byt the next year, however, the boys had finally outgrown me and I grew smart enough to stop picking fights.

In seventh grade, I desperately wanted to fit in, but did not know how. Not being from St. Louis, I was an outsider trying to compete with people who'd known each other for years. When I began seventh grade, I was still very innocent. My parents did such a good job of protecting my brother and I that I did not know a lot of heartache or hurt. In seventh grade, however, I experienced death for the first time when my aunt died without explanation. In seventh grade, I also realized that sometimes life is tough and that there is pain that can be much deeper than the surface wounds I had always known. In seventh grae, I lost a bit of innocence due to painful and trying family circumstances that surrounded my aunt's death. But, in seventh grade, I also saw strength modeled with grace as my parents held our family together despite their own heartaches. In seventh grade, I knew true peace because it was modeled to me through my parents.

I learned a lot in seventh grade. I learned more as the years went on and innocence melted away. But nothing stands out more to me than seeing my parents lean on one another through the most disheartening of circumstances. And I am thankful for that model. It is that model that gave me the ability to say to my own husband on our wedding day that I will never, ever divorce him. Times may get tough - but I was shown that love can withstand. And that's what I learned in seventh grade.

Now I'm going to go take a shower because I still smell like that perfume and it's really not that great of a smell...

Family Advent Fun

2008-11-24T12:18:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, Lee and I took Sloan to the Family Advent Workshop at our church. I'm so impressed at how well organized this event is. They have so many people volunteer to help and they make some really fun, unique little crafts. It's great fun for the kids and adults. Lee and I really enjoyed having the time alone with Sloan. We don't get much one on one time with him so it was fun to just walk around with him and watch him put together the little crafts. He got dangerously good with a hot glue gun. I love that kid. Here are a few of the treasures we came home with:
Sloan liked gluing stuff all over his bird house - mostly I think he enjoyed playing with the glue gun. We got to make three jars of the cookie mix so we'll be enjoying cookies for quite some time!

We came home with five or six of these little ornaments because my mom was helping out in that room and so we just kept making them. They're pretty cute though...

Sloan's favorite craft was the nativity scene. They gave everyone a little kit with all the characters in it and you glued them into the manger and added the star and sawdust. It turned out really cute. This is something we'll probably keep forever.

The Pilgrims have landed! A Brief History...

2008-11-21T10:16:00.000-08:00

When I was fifteen years old, I went on my first mission trip to the former Soviet Union. We spent two weeks in Belarus and Moscow. Part of our program was to go to different schools and show pictures of our every day lives and explain what life was like for us as American teenagers. One of my pictures was of my family celebrating Thanksgiving. The first time it was my turn to speak, I was very, very nervous. I wanted to make sure I spoke slowly enough for the students to understand me and I was afraid of leaving out important details. I should have been more worried about giving false information...

When I got to the Thanksgiving picture I was on a bit of a roll but was still dealing with my nerves. As I spoke about Thanksgiving, suddenly our leaders and interpreters in the back of the room started laughing. As I went on, I noticed them laughing more and more visibly. After the program was over, I came over to them, wondering what on earth I'd said that was so hysterical. Apparently, my explanation of Thanksgiving was this:

"This is a picture of my family celebrating Thanksgiving. In America, we celebrate Thanksgiving to remember...the...pilgrims landing, um, on earth. So we get together and have a big meal together..."

Seriously? The pilgrims landing on earth? That was my first legitimate and real blonde moment. I've only had a handful of those in my lifetime, most between the ages of 15 and 20. Needless to say, I have never lived that down. People still bring it up - namely my parents.

So here I am, much older and wiser. So to comemorate my wisdom and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, here is a brief history of Thanksgiving:

*In 1621, the colonists of Plymouth and the Wapanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest. Gathering together for a large feast, everyone pitched in to prepare the meal. Historians can't say for sure what foods were actually consumed during the feast, but they know that venison and wild fowl were on the list due to journal records. *

Gathering to give thanks for the harvest was actually a longstanding tradition with the colonists, and there are several recorded events that took place before the 1621 meeting. Nevertheless, the feast of 1621 has long been acknowledged as the first official Thanksgiving and it is this meeting that we celebrate yearly. We celebrate to thank our Maker for the blessings He has bestowed upon us, for the way that He has provided, for the bounty that we are all blessed to share. And we thank Him that the pilgrims landed on earth...

Geez.

*For more information go to this website.

Wordless Wednesday - It's good to be clean

2008-11-19T11:31:00.001-08:00

Beaming with Pride

2008-11-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we had Landon dedicated at church. Despite our better judgement, we decided to take Sloan and Tia out of their classes and bring them up on stage with us and make it a family affair. It started out well. The pastor was giving wisdom on the importance of raising children in a home that honors and serves God. He spoke on mine and Lee's job as shepherds of our children and the church's role to come alongside the parents and support them. Shortly after our pastor began speaking, however, I got sidetracked. How, you ask?

Well, first, Tia reached over and slugged Sloan in the chest. Not to be outdone, Sloan punched her back. Lee's grasp on both of their hands tightened and his gaze upon the pastor grew much more intense. I tossed them the evil mom eye but it was quickly spiraling out of control. At our church, when babies are dedicated, they put up a picture of the baby on the monitors. When Landon's picture came up, Sloan started pointing and saying "Hey Tia, look! It's Bubba's picture. It's Landon, look Tia!" At this point the first two rows are smirking and chuckling politely. Then the Pastor asks us to join him in prayer. This was the icing on the cake.

As he began praying, Sloan dropped to his knees and bowed forward, hiding his face in his hands. Tia thought this was hilarious and did the same. Then they both peeked at each other and snickered. I'd like to say that we are so full of piety in the Stuart home that we normally pray face down, but that is not the case. There was no real good excuse for this. By this point, the first few rows are visibly laughing, their shoulders bouncing up and down as they try to control themselves. Lee and I are also trying hard not to laugh because what else are you going to do when your kids are bowed down prostrate in front of the whole church?

As soon as the pastor finished his prayer, none of which I really heard unfortunately, Lee reached down and quickly pulled the kids up. We said thank you to our pastor and made as hasty a retreat as we could out the side door. As we passed those sitting in the front they were all laughing and shaking their heads. Needless to say it wasn't one of our finest moments as a family...

Here we are at the beginning when things were still going relatively well. But, as you can see, Tia is about to get the ball of shame rolling.
This is Sloan loudly pointing out Landon's picture and laughing like it was hilarious. Note the other family up there who were also dedicating their youngest. See the kids standing quietly and sweetly?This picture is a little blurred but you can see Lee pulling Sloan up off the floor. Notice the kids in the other family once again, still standing next to their parents so well behaved...

One of the great things about blogging is that what could have been a very frustrating and embarrassing situation instead became funny to me as all I could think when leaving the sanctuary was, This is going to make a great post. Lindsey, I'm going to get back to you on what to do about fighting kids, but as you can see, we've not quite got a handle on it!!

The same, but different

2008-11-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

Last week, I quasi-chronicled my ridiculous fear of crickets and my unfortunate (for the cricket) encounter with one in my bathroom. A couple of people asked where my valient husband was that I had to massacre the cricket on my own. He was out of town, otherwise, yes, he would have come to my rescue. I'm no damsel in distress, but I do recognize my own limits as a girl and in general I let my man do the killing. It makes him feel good and it spares me a heart attack. And, let me tell you, Lee is not only good at killing crickets and spiders...

A couple of years ago, Lee and I were just laying down to go to bed. It was around 10:00 and we were exhausted. As we laid down we heard a dog barking incessantly right outside our bedroom wall. After about fifteen minutes of listening to the dog's methodical, rhythmic bark, I sat up and said, "Seriously! Are you kidding me?!" I got up and walked to the back door and flipped on the back porch light. Just behind our fence in the back is a small cluster of trees, or a tangle of weeds, however you want to look at it. In front of that cluster stood a dog I've never seen before (nor have I seen it since this fateful night) and he was barking maniacally. I opened the door and gently told it to stop barking (I think my exact words were, "For the love, SHUT UP!") But the dog was worked up. There was obviously something in that cluster of trees/weeds that he wanted. At this point Lee walked out and we both put our shoes on to go investigate.

We very cautiously tiptoed up to where the dog stood. Lee gave the pooch a kick - uh, I mean gentle nudge with his toe - and we peered into the trees. At this point I was certain some kind of monster of death was going to leap out at us so I admit I was hanging back a little farther than Lee.

"Go get me a flashlight," Lee whispered. I ran inside, retrieved the flashlight and returned to him. He flipped it on and two huge, black eyes were suddenly shining back at us. I yelped and jumped back, and if I'm being honest, Lee did too - but don't tell him I told you that. It was a possum. But it wasn't any old possum. It was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Possum. It was huge. And it was hissing at us. Did you know possums hiss? Well, they do.

We quickly figured out that if we didn't do something to get rid of this animal we would be getting no sleep that night as this random dog was freaking out. So Lee asked me to go get a shovel.

"Why?" I asked.
"Just do it," Lee said. Knowing better than to argue with a man hopped up on adrenaline, I ran to the garage and got him a shovel, then I dashed back about ten yards. Lee needed me to hold the flashlight for him so he could see, but I had no intention of being close by when that possum was knocked loose. This is why women live longer than men - common sense...

What happened next was like a scene from a very bad horror movie. Lee knocked the possum down, angering the creature. In an act of self defense, he then began hitting the possum over and over, whopping and hollering the whole time. The dog started barking and hopping around and I'm standing in the corner of the yard cringing and yelping every time I hear the shovel meet the possum. Finally, Lee stepped back, panting and puffing. I was looking at him with wide, horrified eyes and the dog was drooling over the carcas on the ground. I can't remember if we scooped up the possum and threw it away or left it for the dog. I was in a bit of a stupor after that.

As we walked in the house, Lee had a new kind of swagger about him. I immediately began giggling. He was traipsing around the house like a pioneer man who had just defended his lady and children from the evil of the wild. He walked around the living room, his shoulders swinging, a smug look on his face. He had just conquered animal. He had defended his right to a good night's sleep, he killed something with his bare hands (well, almost). I've never seen him walk around with such pride. It was hilarious.

So, now you know what kind of man I have. He will go to great lengths for his family. He will face the beast. Okay, so it was only a possum. Don't tell Lee though. In his mind it was the same as fighting off a wolf or a mountain lion. And that is why I love my man. His devotion to me does not stop at killing spiders and crickets. What a guy!

- Oh, and by the way...If there is anyone from PETA who reads this blog, don't think we're animal haters. We have a dog. She is surviving us - mostly. We're not hunters and we don't kill animals on a regular basis - although we do like a good burger, admittedly. This was an isolated act of self defense so please, don't put us on your hate list. Much obliged...

I love my kids

2008-11-13T05:51:00.001-08:00

Right now it's 7:50 and we've already had breakfast, made beds, brushed teeth and are dressed and ready for the day. It was one of those mornings when everything just clicked. The kids are now sitting on the couch looking through photo albums of our past trips to Florida and are, generally, being very sweet to one another. It is moments like this that I will miss.

There are some days, like yesterday, when I just feel like the world has come to a halt and I'm stuck in an awful, never-ending twilight zone. And then there are days like today, when I just so cherish the time I have with these kids when they're young. I know it will go by too fast and I will long for these times back. Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of that.

Sloan is so expressive right now. He's funny and smart and in general a very sweet natured little guy. He loves to sing and be silly. He's a great athlete, but not overly competitive. He is so friendly and genuinely loves to be with people. He is navigating through the waters of respect right now and there are days when it feels like a battle all day long, but we will prevail and I know in my heart he's going to be a great young man someday.

Katya is also extremely expressive. She takes her cues from her brother, which is hilarious because she looks just like him when she imitates him. As she starts to talk more she is providing so much entertainment for all of us. She is strong willed and fiercely independent and full of spunk and zest. She is wildly competitive and is proving to be extremely athletic - her dad is thrilled with the possibilities.

Then there is my sweet Landon. I don't know if it's because he's my last baby, but I so cherish this little boy. He's so sweet natured and fun. He loves to mimic sounds right now. He giggles and laughs all the time, much more so than the other two did at this age. He is a snuggle bug and big into kisses, which are usually open mouthed and involve a lot of tongue. His dad's so proud. I treasure him very, very much.

So, there it is - a good morning for reflecting on the good things I have. My sweet, sweet children who are definately a handful, but I wouldn't trade any one of them for all the riches in the world...

The Three Little Pigs like you've never seen them before...

2008-11-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

Here is video of Sloan's russian school concert last night. He was in a bit of a mood - you know, the 5-year-old plague where one moment they're sweet and happy and the next they're sullen and forlorn. That mood...Anyway, he did well. He has become very self aware lately and had a freak out moment when we got there that people might laugh at him because he was wearing a shark shirt. I was conscious of this about him when I picked out his clothes and chose that specific shirt because he usually really likes it. (sigh) There are somedays when I just can't win.

So here is Sloan and his class at russian school performing the Three Little Pigs. Sloan was the big bad wolf. He got really into blowing their houses down, but at the end when he was supposed to scream and run away he was a little (or a lot) reserved. It's about 6 minutes long so you don't have to watch the whole thing - you'll get the idea pretty fast. This is mostly for the grandparents...

Seriously?!?!?!

2008-11-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

I just took care of the most disgusting thing I've ever had to do as a mom. Let me give you the circumstances: Sloan had to use the bathroom this morning - number 2. He did so, then left the bathroom without flushing or closing the toilet seat. Why did he do this? I have no words other than that he is a boy and for some reason boys are missing something in their brains that remind them to flush the toilet when done using the bathroom!! I did not know that this went on or I would have given the gentle mom reminder to flush (as in, "Don't you dare walk away from that toilet without flushing!")

Now, you're all aware that I have an 11 month old. Well, said 11 month old has really taken to splashing in open toilets lately. Gross? Yes, very much. I try and keep them closed but you know, I can't be everywhere at once. So, I walked into the bathroom to find my 11 month old covered in feces, and chewing on a piece of it! Go ahead and gag - vomit even. I'll wait...

Feel better? Does it get any more disgusting than that? This tops the time I found Sloan as a baby sucking on the toilet bowl brush (barely, but it does beat it), and the time Tia chewed on Landon's umbilical cord. Is it just me? Are my kids the only ones who are this disgusting? If any of you have kids who are gross, please share so I don't think that maybe there's something wrong with mine. Okay, I have to go now. I need to go to the store and buy Lee and new toothbrush since I used his to clean out Landon's mouth...

Is it bad? Part one

2008-11-10T04:44:00.000-08:00

-Is it bad that my son knows every word to Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats?"

-Is it bad that I attempted to lay down in my bed the other day and take a nap even though Sloan and Tia were awake in the other room?

-Is it bad that I came out and found them polishing off a jar of pickles and a few Capri Sun's and didn't even have the energy to admonish them for digging in the fridge without permission?

-Is it bad that my daughter loves to sit and watch football while my son would prefer to play with play-doh?

-Is it bad that I work really hard to eak every penny out of diapers thereby leaving my baby in them until they are heavy and quite full?

-Is it bad that I let my daughter take such a long nap yesterday that she was up at 5:50 this morning?

-Is it bad that I'm so scared of these crickets that when one was in our bathroom the other night I threw a towel at it and started hitting the towel with a shoe, panting the whole time like I was being chased by an axe wielding mass murderer?

-Is it bad that I then left the cricket under the towel because I was too scared to pick it up and see if I actually killed it?

-Is it bad that I dreamed that night that the blugeoned cricket squeaked out a war cry and a thousand of them rushed my bed ready to pounce and chew the flesh off my body?

-Is it bad that the next morning, when I finally had the courage to pick up the towel the cricket leapt at me (I swear to God it had a samarai sword posied and ready) and I jumped back with a scream, threw the towel back on it, grabbed a shoe and began beating the towel mercilessly, yelling the whole time?

-Is it bad that my kids watched me reduce this creature to a goopy pile of mush?

-Is it bad that I felt a good deal of satisfaction for that kill?

-Is it bad that I have two loads of laundry that I've never put away and I now have three more loads to wash today? Yes, that is bad.

-Is it bad that I have come to so despise winter that I spent an hour yesterday watching the Travel Channel's 10 Best Beaches and longed to be sitting on any one of them?

Are any of those things bad?
Happy Monday!

This is crazy!

2008-11-06T11:20:00.001-08:00

Watch this video. It will freak you out. These people teach children as young as six months how to survive in water if they should fall in a pool or something similar. These people are crazy, but it's kind of amazing to watch the kids. Lee knows a guy who had this training done with his kids and he said the first day they took his toddler and just threw him in the pool to see what he would do. I think I would have to kill someone if they did that to my kid. Seriously. Anyway, watch the video - it's wild. You'll find yourself wanting to scream at the computer,
"C'mon you freaks - somebody get the kid!" Oh and the baby is super cute at the end.

First Steps and The Letter

2008-11-05T10:12:00.001-08:00

The other day Sloan was coloring and I asked him if he would write me a letter. This is what he wrote: The boy is nothing if not literal...

Here is some sweet video of Landon starting to try and walk. He stands pretty well and when encouraged will attempt a few steps. As you can see, he is in no need of encouragement. In fact, I believe he may be his own biggest fan. Enjoy.

I published a post over at the blogger's guild this morning. Read it here. I would love for you to leave a comment and join in on the conversation (or get it started).

Finally

2008-11-04T06:24:00.000-08:00

* It's decided. Barack Obama is our new President elect. It's not a surprise, but it is a disappointment. I'm disappointed that more people were not able to see through his slick, polished talk and see the true nature of who he is as a politician and who he will be as a leader. As I stated below, I have no doubt that God is still seated on His throne. He ordained Barack Obama for such a time as this. The next four years will be interesting. I'm certainly concerned, not only for myself but also for the ramifications that my children will now experience. But, I trust...I urge all believers to be on thier knees these next four years. It will take the mighty cry of a multitude pleading for God's grace, mercy and protection on us. Some of you who read this will not agree with me. That's okay. I can handle that. But for those of you who do, I implore you to be faithful to pray for our new President and for our country. Change is coming. It will not all be for the better. But God is in control.

Praise God election day has finally arrived. I know I am not alone in my utter fatigue of the campaigning process. It feels like we've been watching and dealing with this garbage for two years. Today it will be decided. Tomorrow we will wake up with a new set of issues to worry about and debate, no matter who wins.

I woke up the other night filled with anxiety over this election. I found myself repeating the verse over and over, "Be anxious in nothing, but in all things, through prayer and petition make your requests known to God." I know God is in control. I know He's on His throne. I know that He has ordained the man who will be our next President elect. And I do take comfort and peace in that knowledge. But, I pray with all my heart that it is not Barack Obama. I fear the direction our nation will head with him as our leader. I do not question the motives of Obama. I don't think he's a terrorist or the anti-Christ, or even a Muslim. But, I do believe he has some very skewed beliefs and morals and they will indeed negatively affect this country - permanently. My biggest fear with Obama in leadership is the potential for us to lose the hand of God's protection. If Obama has any intelligence, he will make sure he keeps us alligned with Israel and continues to protect that country. If he does not, we will not be in a good position. I hope he understands this.

More than Obama's socilaist economic policies (which I loathe), I worry about his stance on issues that have been pushed under the rug this election period. His stance on the right to life is so liberal it ought to be criminal. The unborn will lose any protection they have at all if Barack Obama is elected. He's been very clear on this issue. That is a very scary thought. The insitution of marriage will also be at risk. People don't seem to understand the ramifications that these policies will have on our country. We will forever be altered. People seem to think we're evolving - that it's time we evolve - well, we're evolving alright, it's just in the wrong direction.

Anyway, I will be going to the polls today with a prayerful heart. My soul cries out for protection on this day. My specific prayer is that John McCain will somehow pull out a win. But, no matter what happens, I will trust that my God is the same today as He was yesterday, and He'll be the same tomorrow and through infinity. There is peace in that.

Warning: Photo heavy post - You expected that right?

2008-11-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Whew - it's been a whirlwind few days. We could not have asked for better weather this weekend. It's been perfect - hot even. Halloween was a blast. The kids had so much fun and were very good. We trick or treated with our neighbors (even the adults dressed up - good times), then parked ourselves in our neighbor's drieveway and roasted hot dogs and marshmellows while the kids watched a movie on the garage. We didn't get home until 10:00, when we plopped our dirty, exhausted kids (who were now in a sugar induced coma) into bed.

Last night was more of the same when we went to a friend's birthday party where we sat around a bonfire, ate hot dogs (I don't even like hot dogs) and enjoyed the beautiful night. Here are a few - okay a lot - of the pictures from Halloween:

This first picture is from last year. This year's pumpkin carving picture is below it, plus one more kid!

Superman, Wonder Woman and Super Baby - out to smother villains with cuteness.It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!The cutest Wonder Woman you'll ever see...Super Baby!I was originally supposed to be Wonder Woman along with Tia but I had a wardrobe malfunction (as in, the wardrobe looked ridiculous on me) and went as a Go-Go dancer instead.I told Lee he should go as my arm candy, but he chickened out. Doesn't he look good though? He's been working out.Me and Super BabyDaddy went as McDreamy instead...Our neighbors as Magnum PI and my Go-Go twinIt was a screamin' good timeOur other neighbors went as John McCain and Sarah Palin - classic. There are two reasons why this picture is blurry. The first is that we suck at taking pictures. The second is because Tia was literally tearing from house to house. She was very into the trick or treating.My neighbor, Carol, and I. Her husband (who I did not get a good picture of) was also dressed in scrubs - we'll call him McSteamy!Even Superman gets hungryMovie Time All of the cutie patootie kids (minus two who weren't there yet)

Guess I won't be getting that nap today...

2008-10-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

I love Sloan's russian school. They are so sweet and they work really hard with Sloan - and with me. I gotta say, though, that the homework they give is killing me! This poorly taken picture is the homework that Sloan had to complete just between Monday and Thursday! There were three writing exercises, two pages to read, two lines of a poem to memorize (to be fair, we have a couple more weeks before he has to recite them) and a play to work on. That may not seem like a lot, but when it's in a foreign language it takes twice the amount of time to complete - although Sloan is getting very fast at his reading. The last two pages at the top of the photo are the play. Sloan only has a few lines to learn, but I need to translate the whole thing for him so the poor kid knows what's going on when they perform it. Since he's the only kid at the school without a russian parent he's at a major disadvantage. All of the other kids are fluent already in the language. Sloan understnads it, but speaking is hard for him. It's my fault - I try to speak russian with them some at home, but it's just really hard to do that and still keep order in our house. So, I will be sitting down in a minute and translating a four page play with lots of big words in it! I feel like I'm in college again. This, incidentally, is why I have yet to teach him how to read in English.

Oh yeah, and I've got this to deal with, as well as three loads of laundry to put away. There will be no resting today. 'Kay - gotta go!

Redeeming Halloween

2008-10-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

So, Halloween is coming up soon and I thought I'd pass on the name of a great book that I think is important for parents to read - particularly those who struggle with the concept of Halloween. It seems that Halloween has gotten a little bit of a bad wrap over the years. What can be, and should be, a fun, innocent holiday for children has been mired by slasher movies and horror tales of cult-like sacrifices. This, in my opinion, is unfortunate because Halloween is really a fun time for both children and parents.

The idea of Halloween being a pagan holiday is particularly prevalent among christian circles. I understand where this is coming from. In fact, Lee and I really debated whether or not we would celebrate Halloween with our kids. Both of us just assumed that Halloween was a holiday that opened the door to evil and wondered if we should just scrap it. But, when Sloan was born, it broke my heart to think of not dressing him up and parading him around the neighborhood, showing off his cute, fat cheeks and racking up a little sugary delight. So, I decided it was time to research Halloween. And I am glad I did!

I came across a book called Redeeming Halloween: Celebrating Without Selling Out. This book was published by Focus on the Family, a reputable christian organization whose focus is, oddly enough, on issues that affect families. I learned a lot from this book. Perhaps the thing that most surprised me was the fact the Halloween, the original holiday, is not pagan, but rather a christian holiday. It stands for All Hallow 'een or "the eve of the holy ones". Under the reign of Nero, a tyrannous and horrible Roman leader, christian's were brutally murdered in public places. Literally thrown before the lions, christians in early Rome were martyred for no other reason than that Nero felt threatened by them. In A.D. 610, as the church gained more honor, these martyrs were officially recognized and given their own holiday, All Saints' Day or All Hallows Day. This holiday eventually landed on the calendar on November 1. It was meant to be a day for the church to remember and recognize the believers who died for their faith.

Now, there is no denying that this meaning of Halloween has been wildly distorted over the centuries. But the fact remains that Halloween is not pagan, and this book gives great suggestions of ways to celebrate Halloween by merging the tradition's that we have today, trick or treating, with the true meaning of the holiday. After all, isn't that what we try to do at Christmas as well? If you think about it, Christmas has also been dreadfully distorted and paganized.

So where did the costumes and trick or treating come into play? The authors state that there is no real conclusive evidence as to where this tradition began but there is some historical evidence that in the mid-1800's, masquaraders would go from door to door performing plays in exchange for food or drink. Around this time, a large population of Irish immigrants came to America bringing with them a tradition known as "mischeif night" where they would canvas neighborhoods playing harmless tricks on their neighbors. By the 1920's, however, this tradition had gotten out of hand leading to true vandalism, so a small town mayor instituted a night where "good" children could go to neighbor's homes and shops, crying "Trick or Treat!" The idea was that the shop owners should give them a treat so they wouldn't be "tricked." Placing this tradition on the eve of All Hallow's Day was merely a way to designate it as a once a year occasion.

So, for those of you who may be unsure of whether or not to celebrate Halloween, I highly recommend this book. For those of you who feel guilty for celebrating it - Don't! You don't have to skulk around on Halloween hoping no one from church see's you taking your kids out. Bottom line is that there are ways to enjoy the innocence and the fun of Halloween without partaking of the evil that pervades. So, in closing, Happy Halloween!

Kid's Say (and Do) the Darndest Things

2008-10-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

Now that Tia is starting to talk more, I can finally start posting the funny things that she is saying. Tia is my early bird. She generally is the first one up and comes traipsing into our room when it is still dark. Lee has been getting up with her and taking her out into the family room where they snuggle on the chair and read the Bible together. After he's read for a few minutes, he pulls out a book and tells her the letters on the front and has her repeat them back to her. The book she likes to "read" the most with dad is written by a man named R.C. Sproul. Here is how their conversation usually goes:

Lee: R

Tia: Awd

Lee: C

Tia: Theee

Lee: S

Tia: Eth

Lee: P

Tia: Peeee

Lee: R

Tia: Awd

Lee: O

Tia: Od

Lee: U

Tia: Me

Lee: No, U

Tia: Me

Lee: No, Tia the letter is U

Tia: Uh huh, Me

Lee: L

Tia: Ed

We bought our pumpkins yesterday at the grocery store. I let Sloan help me put them into the cart. As we were loading them, Sloan asked, "Mom, can we skarf these tonight?" For the record, he meant carve.

My cousin, Stefanie, and her cutie patootie son were in town last week. We had tons of fun romping around St. Louis with them. On Friday we went to the Arch. It was Sloan's first time and he was thrilled as he's been asking us to take him for months now. For some reason, though, he felt the need to wink every time someone took a picture of him so I ended up with a bunch of pictures of him with half closed eyes. Kids are so funny...

Why are the people at Starbucks so happy?

2008-10-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

Is it the coffee; the endless supply of free flowing caffeine that pumps a bizarre giddiness into their (usually) youthful systems? Are barista's contractually obligated to be chipper and joyful no matter how ungodly the hour may be? (Is barista gender neutral? Is a male server a barist? Hmmm...I'll stick with barista) Do they have to greet you at the drive-thru with a drawn out, "Wwwwwwwwwweeelllcome to Starbucks, what can I get you?" And upon ordering send you around the corner with a peppy, "Grrrreeaaat. See you at the window." If they were as short and rude as those at, oh say, McDonald's, would they be fired? Would they be sent on their unmerry way with a pat on the back and a "Have a great life?" Could be...

Maybe it's me. Perhaps it's the fact that I, as a non-coffee drinker, usually visit Starbucks under the direst of circumstances in need of a quick fix so that I do not bring harm to my children through my sleep deprived stupor. Or, if I'm not visiting out of necessity, but rathe out of pure indulgence for a Soy Chai Latte (yes, Wanida, I tried it again...and againandagain and I do indeed like it with the soy. I feel so SoCal!), then perhaps in my self absorbtion I am hyper sensitive to the giddy nature of those who are indulging my new addiction.

At any rate, I like it. I love the happy little fella that cheerfully sends me on my way, my belly full of warm comfort. I find myself driving away whistling "It's a Sunshine Day," all Brady like and happy. Well done Starbucks. Keep up the good work!

All rolled into one...

2008-10-22T04:37:00.000-07:00

I have several things to share, but no time to share them as this week is CRAZY! So much to do, so little time. And mama is so very tired. I think I'm fighting off some sort of bug because I'm just exhausted all the time. But because I don't have time to be sick, I press on so...onward!

We had a fun weekend. Sloan had his final soccer game and got his trophy, which he just thought was super cool! We discovered this weekend that Landon loves to play with balls and will spend significant amounts of time pushing a ball around the house - that is if said ball isn't snatched by his sister. He will also roll the ball back and forth with us, which is so cute.

We headed to the pumpkin patch on Sunday - a gorgeous day. We went with our good friends, the James, which made it even more fun. That's a good activity to share with another family. The kids had fun running through the rows of pumpkins, playing on all the tractors and trucks, and taking pony rides. Good times.

I took Landon to the doctor for his 10 month check up the other day. Poor baby has an ear infection, which explains the never ending cold he's had. Otherwise, he looks great. He is significantly smaller than Sloan was at this age. At 9 months, Sloan weighed two pounds more and was almost a full inch taller than Landon is right now at 10 months. Sloan was a beast. (For documentation purposes, I'm recording that Landon was 23.11 pounds and 29 1/4 in.)

And finally, an exciting bit of personal news - I was appointed the editor of the St. Louis Blogger's Guild at last night's meeting. I'm really excited about this, and a little nervous. I will be writing one post per week for the guild site and organizing/editing two additional posts each week, which will be written by different members of the guild. This will give me a chance to learn more about social media, contribute to the guild, and have a specific writing deadline which just makes the blood of a writer course electrically through her veins. So, all in all, we're doing well. Enjoy the pictures.

Tia loved the pony ride but was afraid she was going to fall. Every time she passed us she'd say, "Mama, ah d wa osh." (Translation - mommy, I'm going to fall off) I have given up on getting them all to look and smile at the same time. It's not possible...

The most decent family shot we got. Thanks Suzanne!

Sloan and his friend Bobby playing on the big fire truck.
Landon was having a blast.
Poor baby. All the adults were laughing at him so he got a little love from the pumpkin.

Wee Little Pundit, Part 2

2008-10-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

A follow up on this conversation...
Sloan is really paying attention to the candidates right now. Any time they're on TV he asks us to turn the volume up and he listens very intently. We cannot, however, seem to talk him out of his desire to vote for "Rocko Bama." This was our conversation on Saturday morning (the kids woke up before us and turned on the TV. They didn't know how to change the channel, however, and so they ended up watching the TODAY show):

Sloan: "Mom, I really want to vote for Rocko Bama. Can I please vote?"
Me: "Well, honey, you have to be 18 to vote and you're only 5 right now."
Sloan (heaving a very dramatic sigh): "Man, I just really want to vote for Rocko."
Me: "Why Rocko? Don't you like John McCain?"
Sloan: "No, I just like Rocko Bama. But John McCain was on TV this morning and I watched him talk. He just went 'Waaa, Waaa, Waaa."
Me: "John McCain went waa, waa, waa? What about Rocko Bama? Did you see him?"
Sloan: "Yeah, but I just like him better.
Me: "Well, what did he say?"
Sloan: "Well, he said, 'Waaa, waaa, waaa' too. They all kind of say 'waaa, waaaa, waaa."
Me: "Well, you got that right kiddo."

Seriously, you know it's bad when a five-year-old is tired of the whining!

Hate Sin

2008-10-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Sloan, my wonderful, beautiful, spectacular five-year-old, is also a bit of a toot these days. Man, he's giving us a run for our money. The only thing I take comfort in is the fact that he must know that there is nothing on this earth that he could ever do to make us stop loving him, because he's so difficult right now that some days all I have to lean on are my deepest feelings of motherly love (but I don't always like him). We feel like we are in a spiritual battle with him right now. He's so close to salvation. He's asking a lot of questions, but isn't ready to accept Christ just yet. I asked him the other day after a particularly poignant conversation, if he wanted to pray and ask Jesus into his heart. Without missing a beat he replied, "No, not today." The boy knows what he wants. So anyway, satan is digging at his little spirit, but Lee and I will not give up this fight. There are some days when I would like to throw the towel in and say, "Fine. You win. I'm done." But that's not an option. My son's eternal soul is so desperately important to me and so I will stay on my knees and I will continue to beg the Lord to give me the strength, grace, peace and patience to parent him. And I am trusting that the Lord will show me some fruit from these early years of toil. Parenting is hard!

There are, however, a few moments where Sloan's little attitude bring on a welcomed bit of comic relief. One of the things we're working on is curbing his use of the word hate. This is a new thing that sprung up lately. "I hate this food." "I hate our house," etc...I had been telling him that hate is too strong of a word and we shouldn't use it, but finally decided that I needed to give him something to work with so the other day I told him he was allowed to hate only one thing, and he could say the word hate only in this context. He is allowed to hate sin. So, this morning when I told him to get dressed, he immediately fell into the whining and complaining. I quickly cut him off and told him to just get dressed. He stomped into his room and took his jammy shirt off and threw it on the ground then shouted at the top of his lungs, "I HATE SIN!!!"

Me too, little buddy. Me too.

Tag - I'm it!

2008-10-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

My good bud, Lindsey tagged me and because I love her SO much, I am participating!

THE RULES::
* Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
* Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.
* Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
* Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog....

Here you have it, folks: 7 Random Facts about me:

1. I love cold food. I know it's weird, but I love taking food out of the fridge and just eating it cold. My favorites are spagetti and pizza, but I'll eat just about anything cold and usually like it better than when it was warm.

2. I have an abnormal fear of airplane bathrooms, which I've discussed before here. But, seriously, I am terrified to use an airplane bathroom on the off chance that somehow the little stall will dislodge itself from the rest of the plane and I will plummet to the earth with my pants around my ankles. *sigh* I'm a dork.

3. My very favorite book in the world is Anna Karenina. I've read it at least three times and every time I put it down and sigh at the greatness of it! My next favorite book is Jane Eyre, another that just makes me smile and swoon. Finally, my third favorite book of all time is The Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles. It's written by Julie (Andrews) Edwards (aka Mary Poppins). It's a kids book, but it's so awesome. I've read it at least 25 times. My third grade teacher read it to us, and I've read it once or twice a year since then! I even read it to Lee right after we got married (isn't that such a newly married thing to do?). I'm excited for the kids to get a little older so I can read it to them.

4. I have a weird and uncanny ability to impersonate people. I can do a mean Ace Ventura impersonation, which has gotten me nowhere in life, but did help me win over the boys in high school. I can sing in such a way that I can sound a lot like whoever's song I am singing (within reason - my range is not in the league of some people out there). My favorite person to impersonate in song is Barbra Streisand.

5. I started out in college majoring in musical theater but quickly dropped that when I realized I had to sell my soul to the theater department and I decided I wanted a life.

6. My grandparents were pioneer missionaries to the islands in the West Indies and the Bahamas. My mom grew up in the islands and my uncle now runs a mission organization that takes groups into several different countries and islands. It is for this reason that I think I have a little more salt in my blood than the average person, and I therefore love the islands and the Caribbean so very much. I also deeply, deeply admire my grandparents, both of whom are already sitting before the throne of God.

7. I absolutely love throwing tea parties and have a secret desire to one day own my own tea shop. I love the scones and the pettifores, the finger sandwiches and the different blends of tea. I do not love cooking, or really even baking, unless it's baking for a group of women who are going to have high tea with me. I am planning on taking Tia to her first high tea this winter and can't wait.

So there you have it. Now, I tag:
Carol
Julie
Nicole
Anna
Becke
Erin
Kristina
...And don't worry, ladies - I won't be offended if you decide you don't want to participate!

I'm back!

2008-10-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

I had a fabulous time in San Diego last weekend. It was so relaxing and so carefree and I came home revived and refreshed and ready to tackle the world again - or at least tackle my children! I am a big proponent of mom's taking time to get away. I think it is muy importante (a little Spanish for you, a souvineir from San Diego). There is a danger for us moms to matyr ourselves for the motherhood. But that's not always healthy. We need to get out, get away and just relax. Well, at least I do. I was feeling a little discouraged and overwhelmed before leaving for SD. But I had such a lovely weekend and I was truly ready to return when the time came. I wasn't pining away for my kids, but I was ready to see them again and felt more emotionally and mentally prepared to mother them. I also came home so appreciative of my husband for giving me the freedom to take a weekend away. Lee and the kids did great here at home! So good, in fact, that I'm thinking I should have stayed away longer...

Anyway, San Diego is gorgeous. A really neat, pretty place. And I stayed with, and visited such dear, dear friends. When Lee and I lived in Dallas, we met Matt and Wendy Brunner and instantly had a connection with them. Despite living in separate cities now for several years, we have remained closely bonded. God just knit our hearts together in a special way so many years ago. Wendy is one of the godliest women I've ever met and I was refreshed this weekend as we spent many hours talking. Wendy is leading a women's retreat this coming weekend and read me her material. I was so encouraged by her and I'm so grateful for the time I had. I also visited my friend Wanida, whom I've not seen in almost 10 years!! We lost contact after college, but Wanida is another dear friend who God just knit my heart to in a special way. Wanida and I spent the day sight-seeing. We rode bikes on Coronado Island. We went to La Jolla and sat on the beach. We went to Torrey Pines where I saw the famous golf course, then hiked in Torrey Pines park, which was gor-geous! Then we went to Del Mar and stood at the beach watching the surfers! So cool. What a fun place to live.

Anyway, I'm so glad that I had the chance to take that trip. It was a blast. If any of you ever get the chance to go to San Diego, I highly recommend it. It's awesome! Now I am frantically trying to clean my house because we're having friends over tonight - sing it with me: Back to life/ back to reality...

We took the ferry round trip to visit Coronado. Isn't it beautiful? It was so fun to be able to look back and see downtown San Diego.
Wanida told me that sitting on the edge of this lookout would make me feel like I was sitting on the edge of the world. She was right. It also made me feel like I was going to plummet to my death though, so I didn't hang out there long.
La Jolla beach. I went back there by myself on Sunday morning. I took my Bible, sat at a quaint little cafe overlooking the water, and just drank in the morning. I haven't done something like that in years. It was awesome!

Whodunnit

2008-10-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Update: Mystery solved (check the comments). The person who I suspected is indeed the culprit, though I'm still a little baffled by the Sephora box. Anyway, Brad Dearborn is a dear friend and mentor to me (a spiritual mentor as well as a mentor in the art of practical jokes). Brad led a bible study that I was in in high school and had such an impact on my life back then. As you can see, his sense of humor is wonderfully dry and wickedly funny - yes, there were many a dropped off item at my parents house over the years from toilets to a headless goose. And those things always made their way back to Brad's house, either by me or by my mom, who, I must say, also has a wickedly mischevious sense of humor. Thank you, Brad. You've provided many years of laughter and it's moving on to another generation. Brilliant. I love you dearly! I'm off to San Diego tomorrow morning early to visit with dear, dear friends. I'm so excited and I'm going crazy right now trying to get ready. I'll be back next Monday.

Sloan received a mystery package in the mail today from someone who obviously reads this blog. It is a ceramic giraffe with it's legs crossed and a couple of tickets to the St. Louis Zoo. Who is it from? It was sent from Ballwin. At first I thought I knew for sure who had sent it, but the Sephora box has thrown me for a loop. Anyway, whoever you are - well done! I have laughed all afternoon. If you didn't read the giraffe post, click here.

Photo shoot

2008-10-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well, there is one thing in life that I wish I was better at and that is photography. I'm okay, but I'm not great. I admire people who just have the gift and the knack for photography. I think it's a great skill. One person is Tarah over at In the Beginning Photography. She's amazing. I love to look at her pictures (or I should say, drool over her pictures). She's taken pictures for us twice now and she is just so talented. My sister in law, Becke' is becoming quite the photographer as well. She's taking great photos of her kids. I'm just amateur. I took the kids to the park last night and took some shots. They turned out okay, but again, I wish Becke' or Tara could have been there to do it right. Anyway, enjoy the ones that I captured. I had trouble with my zoom (which I figured out later when I read the manual - imagine! Taking the time to learn your camera before using it!) But I did get some cute shots.

We are surviving here without daddy, but we are ready for him to come home tomorrow! Thank God for my mom in town. None of us has felt particularly well and my mom has been a god-send. Seriously, I'm so beyond blessed with a mom who is a servant to her core. She stayed home with the younger kids yesterday because I had to sing in church and they were too sick for the nursery. When I got home, my laundry was done and she's made me some chicken noodle soup! You're the best mom! Landon's hair always sticks up like this - no matter what I do. It's so cute.
My happy, happy boy

Sloan was getting all GQ on me.

This dress is ridiculous but oh so cute. Strasburg Children's Boutique in Chesterfield was having a major sale. It was 50% off of 50% off, which is the only way I'd ever make such a purchase.

Dear Daddy

2008-10-04T17:53:00.001-07:00

Hey dad! We sure do miss you here at home. We hate it when you leave. But we're having a lot of fun. Yesterday we went to the zoo and saw all the animals. It was so cool! Especially the giraffes. You can read about that here. Tia really liked the snakes a lot. She kept getting right up to the window and staring at them. For a little girl, she's not very girly. Landon also got to ride the Carousel and he really liked it. He laughed and squealed the whole time.AND we got to ride the train which was my favorite part. I got to sit in the back and say All Aboard and I said it really, really loud. Mommy sat in front of me with Tia and Bubba.

Last night mommy and Byshka got ready for the garage sale. Ummm...Tia and I didn't do a very good job going to sleep so tonight mommy is making us go to sleep in different beds. She said we can try to go to sleep in the same room again tomorrow night. Just to let you know, daddy. I think mommy might be losing it a little. You should come home soon.

Today we had the garage sale. Not many people came so mommy is going to do it again on Wednesday. I think she's crazy, but she wants to get rid of all that stuff! I was a great salesman. I talked several people into items that I don't think they really needed or wanted. We also went to my soccer game where I totally ruled and kicked the ball so hard. Then we went to Sonic and got a slushie and to Snip-its to get my hair cut. Mommy took a picture of my awesome new hair-do. My hair has never been this short! It was a busy day, daddy. Boy, I sure am tired. I'm going to go to bed now. I'm gonna go right to sleep, like the angel that I am. Night!

(Oh, and no matter what mom may tell you, I really was an angel while you were gone. I followed direction immeditaely, was very respectful, and never talked back. Don't listen to what mommy says. Not a word...)

Anatomy 101

2008-10-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

We went to the Zoo today. It was gorgeous - a perfect day. The first thing the kids wanted to see were the giraffes so we made our way up there. I love the giraffe pen at the zoo because you can stand right in front of those beautiful creatures and just drink in God's creativity and handiwork. Today, the largest and oldest giraffe was standing directly in front of us. I didn't know at that very moment that the darker the spots are on a giraffe, the older it is. When Sloan asked me why that particular giraffe was so dark, I said that maybe it was because it's a boy. Sloan's response?

"No, mom. It's a boy because it has a big penis see? That's what makes it a boy."

Of course everyone else in St. Louis was at the zoo today and 90% of them were at the giraffe pen to hear Sloan's anatomy lesson. Laughter erupted all around. Do you know what laughter does to a precocious 5-year-old? Encourages him to say that which incited the laughter in the first place - over and over again. We finally had to leave because I feared my ever reddening face would spontaneously combust and kill the poor creature.

Garage sale madness!!!!

2008-10-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

UPDATE
I'm trying to prepare for a garage sale this Saturday...when Lee's going to be outof town. Why do I do this to myself? I can hardly see the floor of my garage there's so much stuff in it right now! I still have three more large garbage bags of stuff to go through and organize. Then I have to price it all. My friend Stephanie is here with two of her kids painting the island. The kids are getting on each other's nerves, Tia has a cold and is whining, aaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh! Do any of you know the Dr. Demento song They're coming to take me away? Sing it with me:

They're coming to take me away, haha
They're coming to take me away
To the funny farm
Where life is beautiful all the time
And I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats
And they're coming to take me away, haha!

I had some of the lyrics wrong, but I felt like you people needed to hear the song that's now pounding its way through my head all.day.long. Enjoy! (Oh, and forgive the bizarrely spelled lyrics in the posted video - it makes no sense, but then, neither does this song!)

He knows me so well...

2008-10-01T04:20:00.000-07:00

It was a perfect fall night last night. The air was crisp and clean. The sky was clear, and it was relatively quiet outside. I love and hate the fall. I love the weather, but I hate the upcoming winter and that taints my enjoyment of this season a little. Last night, however, Lee and I enjoyed fall. One of our favorite things to do is sit out on our front porch with a cup of hot tea and just relax. We always have great conversation and last night was no exeption. Last nights talk, however, resulted in me having a very restless night.

When Lee and I got married, we were, as most married couples are, full of dreams and ambition. The world was ours. We just had to figure out how to take it. Marrying Lee was one of the best decisions I've ever made for many, many reasons, one of them being that he exudes confidence whereas I've always desperately lacked it. He's brought me out of my shell in a lot of ways, but I didn't realize what a frustrating person I must be to live with until last night.

I have always had great dreams. There have always been things that I wanted to do and accomplish, but I sorely lack the drive to go out and do them because I so badly fear failure. I am also quite dependent upon what others think of me. If I try and fail, what will people think? Will they secretly laugh behind my back? Will they shake their heads and wonder why I even tried in the first place? I don't know why I'm so plagued by these thoughts, but they are very paralyzing. Lee, however, could give a flying flip what people think about him. It helps that he is so likeable that anyone who didn't like him would have to be mentally unstable. Anyhoo, I was explaining to Lee how I wish that I could go see the debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin because I have such an admiration for Sarah Palin. You see, my problem is not a lack of ambition or drive. I have a lot of that, and if I really psych myself up, I can get over the fear thing. But once I became a mom, I began to have a hard time reconciling personal ambition with responsibility. I know that being a mom is my number one priority. So I guess my biggest hold up is a fear that I won't be able to do everything well. So, I end up doing nothing at all. A bad trade off. Sarah Palin has inspired me that it's okay to be ambitious and be a mom. Somehow I have a hard time putting those two things together.

Another woman who has inspired me in recent months is Dana from Mamalogues. If you've never read her site, you should - it's great. Here is someone who is just like me. She's a mom, a writer, a smart, ambitious woman and she's actually doing something with that. I admire that. I want to do something with my dreams. When I told Lee these things last night, he all but threw his hands up in the air and told me he's been trying to get me to do something about this for 8 years now. His exact words, so true yet so biting, were, "I've never met someone with so much talent and so little confidence to use that talent." Ouch. You gotta love an honest spouse, yeah? After that he started talking about war and Braveheart as an analogy for networking...Apparently I am like someone on the front lines who gets stabbed and retreats quickly at the discourgement, when I should be running all the way into the middle of the pack so I can see what I've got to work with. I admit, I giggled a little during this part of his rant.

After that, we went to bed where I spent the night tossing and turning, thinking about the things I want to accomplish and wondering what I need to do to get started and get past this fear. I'm not sure I've come to the conclusion yet, but I am certainly going to try and stop using my kids as an excuse to not be ambitious. That's not fair to them or to me. I'm not sure I'm ready to share what my dreams are either, because that's really putting myself out there. But I know I have to do something. It's not that I'm discontent with motherhood. I'm actually quite content. But I feel like I'm not honoring the Lord by fully using what He's given me. I've felt that way for a long time, but it's amazing how easy it is to shove those feelings aside and push on. Thank God for an awesome husband who refuses to let me live a life of mediocrity.
To read other ambitious women who are also excellent mothers, go to this site or this site...

Weekend Rundown

2008-09-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

We had a full, busy weekend. It was beutiful outside and I'm pleased to say that we spent most of our weekend enjoying the weather. I am not pleased to say that my house looks like it threw up. Anyway, it started Friday night when Lee took the older kids to a high school football game. He told them earlier in the week that he was going to do this and they were beside themselves with excitement. They had a good time, but the fun really started before they left. I was indulging my addiction by reading all of your blogs and Lee had fallen asleep in the bedroom, unbeknownst to me. The kids were awfully quiet, so I went to check on them and found them elbow deep in my makeup. I paused long enough to take a picture, then firmly told them they were not to be in my makeup, especially Sloan, who, you can see, had a particularly good time.Saturday morning was phenomenal, so we packed up the kids and the dog and headed to Castlewood Park, one of my favorite in St. Louis where we ran, played and hiked up to the overlook. It was so fun to be out in nature. Lee, Sloan and I had a blast. Tia whined most of the time and Landon seemed a little perturbed that we were once again denying him of his coveted morning nap. But it was still a good time.I looked just long enough to snap these pictures, but watching my husband and my babies on this rock, hanging perilously over a large and deadly drop-off pretty much terrifies me. I think I lost a couple of years waiting on them to return.Tossing rocks over the edge.
Landon got his first shoulder ride.Later we went to Sloan's soccer game and had a good laugh at his complete lack of motivation in sports. He's a great little athlete but is not even remotely competitive so he just runs around and grins and waves. But he has a blast so that's all that matters.

Saturday night we pulled out our projector and shined a movie up on the garage door for the kids. We ate snacks and had our own little drive in. So fun.
Sunday was filled with church, birthday parties and dinner at the park. Again, so much fun. We're trying to enjoy this awesome weather before it gets too cold. What did you guys do this weekend?

Sic 'em Bears!

2008-09-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

I still don't have a lot to say. I'm tired these days. I'm trying to be a better steward of my time and get up earlier so that I can get all the things done during the day. I've been up since 5:00 this morning, but I've gotten a ton done. I did several loads of laundry (I even folded and put them away - shocker!), cleaned both bathrooms (including tubs), windexed the mirrors in our bedroom because someone's sticky, syrupy hands left a lovely little imprint (I'm not gonna tell you that it's been there for a couple of weeks now). I tell you what, I deserve a friggin' trophy for all I've done today. Yeah! (I have to motivate myself to keep up this kind of daily pace)

A friend came over to paint the new kitchen island that we built because when it comes to painting Lee and I pretty much stink. Seriously, a band of monkeys on a sugar high could probably paint a wall better than Lee and I. So, while our four kids wreaked havoc on house, I walked behind them and reorganized closets and cabinets. Pulled out more toys for next week's garage sale and fielded calls from people wanting to buy the items I posted on Craig's List at 5:45 this morning. (I just sold an old desk that's been sitting in our basement for five years - I love Craig's List!) All in all, it was a good day.

So here is a recent picture of my Landon givin' a big shout out to my Alma Mater. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Sic 'em Bears! (To all you Baylor Alum out there, I fully expect you to pull your bear paw out while reading this.)

It's official...

2008-09-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Lee is now older than Jesus. When I told him that the other day he got a little down in the mouth. I told him not to worry, I'm right behind him...in another four years! heh, heh, heh Really, happy 34th birthday to my husband who I am madly in love with. I am so grateful to be Lee's wife. He brings out the best in me, he makes me laugh every day, he's a phenomenal father and a superb husband.

When Lee and I first met, he was only 23 - I was only 19. That seems like ages ago and not very long ago all at once. I remember celebrating Lee's 25th birthday with him. This was at the beginning of our courtship and we were making tentative steps toward being an official "couple." I went with him that afternoon to HEB to pick up a few items for the K-Life house and I boldly and proudly declared that he was now half a decade old. Mmmmhmmmm. I was ridin' high on that 4.0 wasn't I? Horrible, horrible blonde moment. In my defense I am a complete and total literary nerd, which means that my skill level in math ceased somewhere around the 3rd grade. Still, as soon as I said that I knew it didn't sound right. Lee still brings that up to this day.

Last night, our awesome friends kept the kids for us so Lee and I could have a night out. Because we are (ahem) broke these days, I decided to surprise Lee with a special dinner at home. We love The Melting Pot, so I downloaded a couple of their recipes, cut up a bunch of meat and veggies and brought out our seldom used fondue pot. It was awesome! It was so relaxing to sit at home, in the quiet, and have a leisurely dinner. We had the Coq Au Vin with steak, pork, chicken, broccoli and mushrooms. We had three different dipping sauces, Sesame Soy, Thai Peanut and Melting Pot's Green Goddess dip. We had a lovely bottle of red wine and for dessert had chocolate fondure with all the goodies. It was so fun.

So Happy Birthday, babe. To me, you'll always be the Cat's Pajamas - the bee's knees! I love you. 60, 4, 22 +

Random

2008-09-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

*update: Go to Julie's site to see pictures of our fun karaoke night. You can also watch a little video. Have a mentioned my neighbors are awesome? Cause they are...

I don't have much to say today. So here are a couple of random thoughts/experiences over the past few days.
-Inter:PLAY was awesome. It was really fun to be around a whole new group of people. It's energizing to be with people who get it. They understand how you feel and where you're coming from. I only had the chance to attend two panels this weekend, but both were so informative. The first was on building a brand. How do you brand yourself so that you stand out in the cyber world of blogs? I have to think a little bit on that one. I have some ideas - I'm just not sure how to pull them off.

-The other topic covered ways to generate income through online social media. It was nice to sit with a group of people who were successfully generating income and know that it's okay to have this desire. I don't have to feel guilty about looking for opportunities to make a little money. I did not begin blogging with that in mind, and I will continue blogging whether or not I get paid. Truthfully, I don't want to get paid for my blog, but I would like to make some writing contacts and get paid to write.

-Moving on...Saturday night we had a neighborhood Karaoke party. Mmmmhmmm. A lot of fun was had by all. Some were dressed in toga's - more power to them. Lee and I tore it up on our rendition of Linda Rondstadt and Aaron Neville's "All I Need to Know." If you've never heard Lee's Aaron Neville impersonation, I'm sorry for you. Stellar.

-As I was putting the kids to bed Saturday night, Sloan asked me if I had another baby in my tummy, then told me he wanted me to get another baby in my tummy because babies are fun. I put them to bed and immediately took a week's worth of birth control pills just to be sure.

-Tia got kicked out of the church nursery for the fourth or fifth time due to complete hysterics. We don't know what started this. Part of the problem is she is very modest and doesn't like anyone to take her to the bathroom. She told us she doesn't want anyone to see her penis...Not sure how to combat that one. I also think that she has become so dependant on Sloan that she has a hard time playing when he's not around. We're working on that.

-Some kid woke me up every hour on the hour last night. Landon's teething, Sloan got cold, I don't know what Tia wanted and on and on it went.

-I'm off to take a cat nap while I have the chance!