Has anyone else already bought candy to give out on Saturday night?
Have you already opened that bag of candy and started secretly eating some of it?
No?
oh. me neither.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Gift Giving Etiquette (Children's Edition)
I started Christmas shopping today. I have to spread the shopping out over a couple of months, so that the bills are also spread out.
While in Toys R Us, thinking of what I was going to buy for the kids and my niece and nephew, I found myself not buying a lot of things that I knew the kids would love. I decided against them because I realized I couldn't do that to my sister and her husband, or Jason would kill me if I bought them.
There are unspoken rules to giving children gifts. Honestly, I don't always follow these rules, but I still believe they exist. I'd love to hear what other parents think about this.
Here are a few I thought of:
The BIG RULE: Consider the parents when you buy for a child. This is the premise all of the other rules are built around...
1. If you buy a present that requires batteries, buy the batteries and give them with the present.
2. If you buy a present that has a million pieces like Legos or something, give a box that all those pieces can be stored in.
3. If you buy a present that has sounds (songs, talking, etc.), be sure it also has an "On/Off" switch or, at the bare minimum, a volume control. You may think that train set is cute, but if parents have to hear the conductor shout "ALL ABOARD" every time the child wants to play with the train, they will quickly begin to resent you. :)
4. Gifts that can be played or used without the help of an adult are always great. If the child can play with it by himself for a half an hour, that's awesome.
I know that kids need to be kids. Being loud and messy is part of it. But I think a little consideration for the parents is always appreciated.
While in Toys R Us, thinking of what I was going to buy for the kids and my niece and nephew, I found myself not buying a lot of things that I knew the kids would love. I decided against them because I realized I couldn't do that to my sister and her husband, or Jason would kill me if I bought them.
There are unspoken rules to giving children gifts. Honestly, I don't always follow these rules, but I still believe they exist. I'd love to hear what other parents think about this.
Here are a few I thought of:
The BIG RULE: Consider the parents when you buy for a child. This is the premise all of the other rules are built around...
1. If you buy a present that requires batteries, buy the batteries and give them with the present.
2. If you buy a present that has a million pieces like Legos or something, give a box that all those pieces can be stored in.
3. If you buy a present that has sounds (songs, talking, etc.), be sure it also has an "On/Off" switch or, at the bare minimum, a volume control. You may think that train set is cute, but if parents have to hear the conductor shout "ALL ABOARD" every time the child wants to play with the train, they will quickly begin to resent you. :)
4. Gifts that can be played or used without the help of an adult are always great. If the child can play with it by himself for a half an hour, that's awesome.
I know that kids need to be kids. Being loud and messy is part of it. But I think a little consideration for the parents is always appreciated.
Monday, October 26, 2009
C Has Started...
1. The teething process. Poor thing. Both of my kids cut their first tooth between 6 and 7 mos. So C is right on track. My prediction: she'll do this fussy, drooly, chewing on everthing phase for the next couple of months and we'll see her first pearly white in January.
Hello, Infant Tylenol and Baby Orajel. We're about to be seeing a lot of each other.
2. Rolling on her side. Which means no more setting her on the couch and walking away. Learned that the hard way. I didn't realize she was rolling and laid her down. She didn't fall off; I saw what was happening and picked her up. But it still scared me a little.
Anyway...
she's growing up fast!
Hello, Infant Tylenol and Baby Orajel. We're about to be seeing a lot of each other.
2. Rolling on her side. Which means no more setting her on the couch and walking away. Learned that the hard way. I didn't realize she was rolling and laid her down. She didn't fall off; I saw what was happening and picked her up. But it still scared me a little.
Anyway...
she's growing up fast!
In The Loop Kids
FYI: If you want to check this out, I think it's a good resource of things to do in Dallas, top toy picks by Moms, etc.
I especially like to explore the "Go See Do" section.
www.InTheLoopKids.com
I especially like to explore the "Go See Do" section.
www.InTheLoopKids.com
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Tag
I have been tagged by Holly. Thanks! Holly is my long distance friend (she is in Tulsa now) who has a daughter 3 mos younger than Sarah. It was fun having a friend to be pregnant with me. :) But Holly is the girl that only gains about a pound during pregnancy and is an awesome mom right from the start. I'm more the "gain-40-lbs, need-time-to-adjust-to-this-baby" kind of mom. She was (and still is) a great source of encouragement as I try to figure everything out.
Here's the deal with this tag: share five things you're obsessed with and then pass the award on to the five most fabulous blogs you know.
Just so you know it's going to be hard to narrow the list to 5 things.
OK, here we go...
1. I am obsessed with finding anything that will make my life easier. Maybe it's a new calendar that will keep me more organized. Or setting a new schedule for the kids. Or finding the perfect carrier (Baby Bjorn or otherwise) for Caroline. I will try anything and I get very excited when something works. The flip side to that is that I'm very impatient. I'll try something twice and if it doesn't work, I'm on to the next thing.
2. I am obsessed with Express. I love that store. If I had money to blow, I would spend it in there. There may be people who disagree, but to me it's not a super young store where you feel out of place if you're over 14. But it's not old feeling either. And most everything they have fits my no curves having body, which is a plus.
3. I am obsessed with Bravo. Love it! Flipping Out is hilarious. Top Chef, great! Rachel Zoe Project... could watch it all day long. And what I really love about it is that they replay episodes over and over. That might be annoying to some, but for this girl who doesn't own a DVR, it's perfect! I can catch up on any show I might have missed.
4. Crossword puzzles. Totally obsessed. I got into them about 10 years ago. Before that I was more of a Word Search person. But then I started learning the tricks to figuring out the clues. And seriously, well-written crosswords are a lot of fun to solve. Plus it's great to use my brain at the end of the day.... sometimes it's the only time I use it. :)
Jason will buy crossword puzzles for me at a bookstore on his lunch break. If he has to travel, he'll bring me the crossword from a paper that he bought at the airport. I know it's small, but it's really one of the most thoughtful things to me. It's something that lets me know I was on his mind... Besides, it proves I'm obsessed if an act of love and kindness is bringing me a puzzle.
5. Chocolate. Milk chocolate preferably. No need for nuts or caramel or anything to get in the way of pure chocolate. Mmmm. It really honestly changes my mood. It's better than a glass of wine when it comes to relaxing me. I always have a stash of Hershey's on hand.
Alright here's who I tag
Laura Dostert
Laura Starr
Elizabeth
Kisha
Stefani
Here's the deal with this tag: share five things you're obsessed with and then pass the award on to the five most fabulous blogs you know.
Just so you know it's going to be hard to narrow the list to 5 things.
OK, here we go...
1. I am obsessed with finding anything that will make my life easier. Maybe it's a new calendar that will keep me more organized. Or setting a new schedule for the kids. Or finding the perfect carrier (Baby Bjorn or otherwise) for Caroline. I will try anything and I get very excited when something works. The flip side to that is that I'm very impatient. I'll try something twice and if it doesn't work, I'm on to the next thing.
2. I am obsessed with Express. I love that store. If I had money to blow, I would spend it in there. There may be people who disagree, but to me it's not a super young store where you feel out of place if you're over 14. But it's not old feeling either. And most everything they have fits my no curves having body, which is a plus.
3. I am obsessed with Bravo. Love it! Flipping Out is hilarious. Top Chef, great! Rachel Zoe Project... could watch it all day long. And what I really love about it is that they replay episodes over and over. That might be annoying to some, but for this girl who doesn't own a DVR, it's perfect! I can catch up on any show I might have missed.
4. Crossword puzzles. Totally obsessed. I got into them about 10 years ago. Before that I was more of a Word Search person. But then I started learning the tricks to figuring out the clues. And seriously, well-written crosswords are a lot of fun to solve. Plus it's great to use my brain at the end of the day.... sometimes it's the only time I use it. :)
Jason will buy crossword puzzles for me at a bookstore on his lunch break. If he has to travel, he'll bring me the crossword from a paper that he bought at the airport. I know it's small, but it's really one of the most thoughtful things to me. It's something that lets me know I was on his mind... Besides, it proves I'm obsessed if an act of love and kindness is bringing me a puzzle.
5. Chocolate. Milk chocolate preferably. No need for nuts or caramel or anything to get in the way of pure chocolate. Mmmm. It really honestly changes my mood. It's better than a glass of wine when it comes to relaxing me. I always have a stash of Hershey's on hand.
Alright here's who I tag
Laura Dostert
Laura Starr
Elizabeth
Kisha
Stefani
Friday, October 23, 2009
Update
My cousin's baby: It is NOT a chromosomal abnormality. Praise God!!! Next week they'll get the results about whether or not the baby has an infection. So still more to pray about, but of course, finding out that Downs Syndrome has been ruled out is a HUGE relief.
Thanks for praying for her. :)
Thanks for praying for her. :)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Prayers for my cousin
Hey y'all. My sweet cousin, Sarah, is pregnant with baby #2. :) They went to find out the sex of the baby yesterday. (It's another little girl!!) And also found some fluid around the baby's lungs. Sarah was sent to a high risk specialist immediately and an amnio was done. (Still waiting on results.)
The fluid could be an infection, an indication of a chromosomal abnormality, or just a sign that they need to watch her closely to make sure her lungs fully develop.
We are praying for a miraculous healing and that this would just be a horrible scare. I think the hardest part is being told that it's something... just waiting to hear what that something is.
The fluid could be an infection, an indication of a chromosomal abnormality, or just a sign that they need to watch her closely to make sure her lungs fully develop.
We are praying for a miraculous healing and that this would just be a horrible scare. I think the hardest part is being told that it's something... just waiting to hear what that something is.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Better? (A Little Long Distance Tutoring)
Holly, I read your advice about my last Bjorn attempt. I'm giving it another shot... She's higher this time. My back doesn't hurt anymore but my shoulders are killing me. And should that front fold-down flap be fastened? Maybe I'm still doing it wrong. Or maybe a 15 pound baby hanging from your body shouldn't be comfortable.
I think I am going to try an Ergo Carrier as well. Maybe I can master that one.
The Bug Hut
Uncle Brian and Aunt Abby gave J a bug hut for his birthday. It's sort of a cage for bugs. The door to this cage is also a magnifying glass. So you collect whatever you want, stick it in the bug hut, and examine it. It's a GREAT boy gift.
J has been hunting for bugs since he got it. Well today he finally caught one. I think it's a roach. Ewwww. How did a roach get in our house? I was hoping he'd find cuter, cleaner bugs.
Gotta Go...
to the Arboretum. I have never taken my kids. I have never done the cute photo-op thing. I think I've been missing out. Mental note: I need to go soon!
Owning It
I stay home with my kids. That's what I do.
This December will mark 4 1/2 years of staying home with my kids. I taught school for 4 1/2 years. I am about to be a SAHM longer than I was a teacher.
I don't know how long it took for me to simply answer, "I stay home with my kids." when someone asked me, "So what do you do for a living?"
For a year (at least), I would answer, "Well I taught school for almost 5 years but now I stay home."
I always had to get that little "I have a college degree. I used to earn money, I swear" answer in there. Why? I dunno. Maybe I thought I sounded like a slacker for staying home. Maybe I was kinda bored at home with just Sarah and felt like a slacker, truth be told.
But I'm owning it now. I stay home. I have 3 kids and I bust my butt every day to keep things going around here.
Today I went to S's ARD and I kept my mouth shut about ever having been a teacher. I let them explain the ARD process to me and just sat there as the parent that I am. If it comes up in conversation at some point that I used to teach, ok. But there wasn't that need to put it out there and relate to them on that level. I didn't feel less than them. I didn't feel like just a mom.
I love teachers. I loved hearing their side conversations that sounded so familiar. I miss teaching. And I think I'll go back to it someday. But it was fun to be on the other side of the conference table today. The parent side. :)
This December will mark 4 1/2 years of staying home with my kids. I taught school for 4 1/2 years. I am about to be a SAHM longer than I was a teacher.
I don't know how long it took for me to simply answer, "I stay home with my kids." when someone asked me, "So what do you do for a living?"
For a year (at least), I would answer, "Well I taught school for almost 5 years but now I stay home."
I always had to get that little "I have a college degree. I used to earn money, I swear" answer in there. Why? I dunno. Maybe I thought I sounded like a slacker for staying home. Maybe I was kinda bored at home with just Sarah and felt like a slacker, truth be told.
But I'm owning it now. I stay home. I have 3 kids and I bust my butt every day to keep things going around here.
Today I went to S's ARD and I kept my mouth shut about ever having been a teacher. I let them explain the ARD process to me and just sat there as the parent that I am. If it comes up in conversation at some point that I used to teach, ok. But there wasn't that need to put it out there and relate to them on that level. I didn't feel less than them. I didn't feel like just a mom.
I love teachers. I loved hearing their side conversations that sounded so familiar. I miss teaching. And I think I'll go back to it someday. But it was fun to be on the other side of the conference table today. The parent side. :)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Lighter on Wheels
C's officially too heavy for me to hold all the time, at least until she's more steady and will sit on my hip. When I want to calm her down, doing laps in the stroller inside is the way to go.
Last Week in Pictures
S was the first to get sick. Really sick.
J's birthday
Trying the Baby Bjorn. Never worn one before. I think she's sitting a little too low and I'm pretty sure there were clips that should have been fastened that weren't. Oh well... she didn't fall out and she seemed happy. (Don't be jealous of my GIGANTIC outdated tub and matching outdated curtains.:)
S took my camera and decided to do an impromptu photo shoot of J and C while I was cooking.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Cleaning House
I had a mini meltdown this week. In my defense, it was a very gloomy week, weather-wise, and the kids were sick, which I think would drive even the most sane person crazy.
The cause of my meltdown? Clutter. Kid clutter.
I'm so far from being a neat freak, but I swear, kid junk will turn the messiest person into a Container Store frequent shopper. Is it just me or do kids have a lot of stuff? A lot of big stuff. A lot of big, brightly colored stuff. A lot of big, brightly colored, loud-song-playing stuff. (OK, I'll stop.) And don't even get me started on the small stuff. The Happy Meal sized stuff. The little toys that somehow find their way into your home and you think, "What is this? Why do we have it? When did we get it?"
Most of the time I overlook it. It's almost like I have to walk around with blinders on all day so that I don't go nuts. But the second I slow down and really look around my house, I feel the panic attack coming on. And I have to clean up right then... even if it's only 2:00 and I know the house will be destroyed again before bed. Anyone else like this?
Alright... I know that my kids should clean up their own messes. They're old enough. They can and should do it. I understand. And they clean up probably... honestly... 60% of it. But I can do it so much faster, and I do it right. I know, I know. That's not teaching them anything. Blah blah blah. I get it. But there are days I have the energy to do a 15 minute cleaning session myself, and I do not have the energy to prod them along for an hour to get the same mess cleaned up.
Back to my meltdown...
I realized every single room in my home has kid stuff in it. Including my bedroom (pack and play) and my bathroom (kids' towels and soaps and bath toys). I've had enough!! My den, living room, dining room, kitchen, guest bedroom, master bed and bath... have all been branded by my children somehow. I wonder if it would be better if we still had a playroom. Maybe. But bottom line: some of their stuff has to go.
I went to The Container Store on Friday and bought.. well, containers... for their junk. And I feel SOOO much better. I've also secretly been going around the house and throwing their toys out when they're not looking. (and by "throwing out", I also mean "donating to Goodwill". I'm not just mindlessly filling landfills.) They haven't missed a thing I've gotten rid of. Not one thing.
My goal is to get rid of at least 40% of their stuff. Just in time for Christmas. When we'll start with the kid clutter all over again. :)
The cause of my meltdown? Clutter. Kid clutter.
I'm so far from being a neat freak, but I swear, kid junk will turn the messiest person into a Container Store frequent shopper. Is it just me or do kids have a lot of stuff? A lot of big stuff. A lot of big, brightly colored stuff. A lot of big, brightly colored, loud-song-playing stuff. (OK, I'll stop.) And don't even get me started on the small stuff. The Happy Meal sized stuff. The little toys that somehow find their way into your home and you think, "What is this? Why do we have it? When did we get it?"
Most of the time I overlook it. It's almost like I have to walk around with blinders on all day so that I don't go nuts. But the second I slow down and really look around my house, I feel the panic attack coming on. And I have to clean up right then... even if it's only 2:00 and I know the house will be destroyed again before bed. Anyone else like this?
Alright... I know that my kids should clean up their own messes. They're old enough. They can and should do it. I understand. And they clean up probably... honestly... 60% of it. But I can do it so much faster, and I do it right. I know, I know. That's not teaching them anything. Blah blah blah. I get it. But there are days I have the energy to do a 15 minute cleaning session myself, and I do not have the energy to prod them along for an hour to get the same mess cleaned up.
Back to my meltdown...
I realized every single room in my home has kid stuff in it. Including my bedroom (pack and play) and my bathroom (kids' towels and soaps and bath toys). I've had enough!! My den, living room, dining room, kitchen, guest bedroom, master bed and bath... have all been branded by my children somehow. I wonder if it would be better if we still had a playroom. Maybe. But bottom line: some of their stuff has to go.
I went to The Container Store on Friday and bought.. well, containers... for their junk. And I feel SOOO much better. I've also secretly been going around the house and throwing their toys out when they're not looking. (and by "throwing out", I also mean "donating to Goodwill". I'm not just mindlessly filling landfills.) They haven't missed a thing I've gotten rid of. Not one thing.
My goal is to get rid of at least 40% of their stuff. Just in time for Christmas. When we'll start with the kid clutter all over again. :)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Just Forward My Mail...
..to Plano Pediatrics. We live there during the cold and flu season every year. And you know, maybe I should just authorize our Credit Union to go ahead and cut a check at the first of every month to the doctor's office to cover copays and one to Kroger Pharmacy for all of the prescriptions. It would save me time.
Update: J and S are both infected with something... It looks like the flu and strep tests that came back negative on Sunday were false negatives. But they're on the mend. Except that what was the flu is now a bacterial infection. I don't know. I can't keep it all straight.
Sheesh!
Update: J and S are both infected with something... It looks like the flu and strep tests that came back negative on Sunday were false negatives. But they're on the mend. Except that what was the flu is now a bacterial infection. I don't know. I can't keep it all straight.
Sheesh!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Home Movies
Since S was so sick, we let her get in our bed and watch movies. TV quickly became boring, so I suggested that we watch videos of when she was a baby. I hadn't ever watched them myself. Usually I videotape something and play it back right then to make sure I got it and then don't look at it again.
BTW, every time I hear myself on tape, I make a vow never to talk again. I talk too much. I talk too fast. I hate it. Jason either loves me unconditionally or he must be tuning out 90% of what I say.
But this post isn't about me... It's about the kids...
I can't believe how much my kids have grown... and in such a short time. Put the 2005 video in and then put in a video from 2006 and it's like looking at completely different kids.
I also found the videos from when Jason and I were dating and from our honeymoon. Not those kind of videos... I know what some of y'all are thinking. Minds out of the gutter please. ;)
It was so much fun. My recommendation to everyone is to set aside time and watch your home movies. Way more fun than still pictures.
BTW, every time I hear myself on tape, I make a vow never to talk again. I talk too much. I talk too fast. I hate it. Jason either loves me unconditionally or he must be tuning out 90% of what I say.
But this post isn't about me... It's about the kids...
I can't believe how much my kids have grown... and in such a short time. Put the 2005 video in and then put in a video from 2006 and it's like looking at completely different kids.
I also found the videos from when Jason and I were dating and from our honeymoon. Not those kind of videos... I know what some of y'all are thinking. Minds out of the gutter please. ;)
It was so much fun. My recommendation to everyone is to set aside time and watch your home movies. Way more fun than still pictures.
Happy Birthday, J
J's first birthday (couldn't find one of his second birthday. maybe because he cried nonstop at his second birthday.)
S meeting J for the first time.
We had his party a week ago but he's 3 today. I can't believe it!
Happy Birthday, J!
Concept of Time
I'm going to pick on Playhouse Disney for a second. Nickelodeon does it too. But right now, my frustration is with Disney.
We watch Playhouse Disney every morning. (We went thru our Noggin/Nick Jr. phase, and now we're into Disney.) Every time a show is over, they advertise another show. But it's not necessarily the show that's coming on next. It may be a show that will come on tomorrow or next week.
Examples:
We were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It's over. They do this little teaser/commercial for Special Agent Oso. But instead of saying "Coming up next on Playhouse Disney.", the announcer said, "Special Agent Oso Tomorrow morning at 8/7 central only on Playhouse Disney."
Well, great. My kids are excited about it because they think it's coming up next, and I'm left trying to explain that it's not coming on next or even later today. It'll be on tomorrow. Thanks for telling them about the show that they have to wait 24 hours to see.
But my favorite teaser that Playhouse Disney did recently were the commercials for "Jungle Junction". I think they started talking about this new show in August. You know when it premeired? OCTOBER 5. Why? Why? Why? Do Disney execs have toddlers??? Why would you push a show that won't premeire for more than a month?
Disney people, please quit doing this. My 3 year old doesn't understand the concept of 5 minutes from now. Please don't advertise your shows this way unless you're going to send a representative from your company to my house to explain the idea of "6 weeks from now" to my toddler.
:)
We watch Playhouse Disney every morning. (We went thru our Noggin/Nick Jr. phase, and now we're into Disney.) Every time a show is over, they advertise another show. But it's not necessarily the show that's coming on next. It may be a show that will come on tomorrow or next week.
Examples:
We were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It's over. They do this little teaser/commercial for Special Agent Oso. But instead of saying "Coming up next on Playhouse Disney.", the announcer said, "Special Agent Oso Tomorrow morning at 8/7 central only on Playhouse Disney."
Well, great. My kids are excited about it because they think it's coming up next, and I'm left trying to explain that it's not coming on next or even later today. It'll be on tomorrow. Thanks for telling them about the show that they have to wait 24 hours to see.
But my favorite teaser that Playhouse Disney did recently were the commercials for "Jungle Junction". I think they started talking about this new show in August. You know when it premeired? OCTOBER 5. Why? Why? Why? Do Disney execs have toddlers??? Why would you push a show that won't premeire for more than a month?
Disney people, please quit doing this. My 3 year old doesn't understand the concept of 5 minutes from now. Please don't advertise your shows this way unless you're going to send a representative from your company to my house to explain the idea of "6 weeks from now" to my toddler.
:)
Our weekend
No blogs this weekend because I've had a sick child for the last 3 days. S's fever has been over 103. It's the first time she's really ever had a fever that high, and she was so pitiful. You know sometimes kids are sick and irritable, and other times they're so sick, they're precious. She's been the latter for the last few days. Took her to the doctor. No flu or strep. Just this fever and bad cough. ??
Also this weekend...
We had the intention of potty training J with a serious 4 day (Jason stayed home from work), take the diapers off, we're gonna do the darn thing, cold-turkey type of weekend. It was a bust. A complete bust. But that's alright. We made a little progress. We've at least introduced the concept of going in the potty. He's just not ready. He couldn't care less about sitting around all day in wet diapers. I've heard boys are a little harder to train than girls. Don't know if that's true, but it makes me feel like less of a failure, so I'm sticking with that theory.
Also this weekend...
We had the intention of potty training J with a serious 4 day (Jason stayed home from work), take the diapers off, we're gonna do the darn thing, cold-turkey type of weekend. It was a bust. A complete bust. But that's alright. We made a little progress. We've at least introduced the concept of going in the potty. He's just not ready. He couldn't care less about sitting around all day in wet diapers. I've heard boys are a little harder to train than girls. Don't know if that's true, but it makes me feel like less of a failure, so I'm sticking with that theory.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Again with the blog hopping...
So I always blog hop to Natalie's page (The Pettijohn's). She just had a baby in September, and her blog is great!! I think everyone who reads it agrees. Anyway she's doing a giveaway (baby beanies) and they're pretty darn cute. So if you have a new baby or know someone who does, you should enter to win one. Why? Because they're cute and winning stuff is super fun!!!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Busy Weekend
Thank you to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday yesterday. I got lots of messages from Facebook and thanks, Kisha, for the call. It was a busy weekend. The recap is below. But first... Kreativ Blogger.
Kreativ Blogger
Thank you, Jennie, for nominating me as a Kreativ Blogger. :) I don't know how to link you to Jennie's site. Somebody needs to teach me how to do that sometime. But you can click on her blog (Kyle and Jennie) in my blog list. Jennie and I have known each other for more than 5 years. She's listened to highs and lows after each of my babies were born and now she has her own new little baby, Hunter. He is so adorbale!! In fact we ran into each other in the "Nursing Moms" room at church yesterday. I was going in with Caroline. She was coming out with Hunter. :)
So here are the rules to this Kreativ Blogger:
1-Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2-Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3-Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4-Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
5-Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6-Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7-Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated
7 things you may not know about me:
1. I have a 12 degree curvature of my spine. I always wonder, if my spine were perfectly straight, how tall would I be? It affected the length of my legs so badly in elementary school that I had to wear a lift in my right shoe to make my legs the same length.
2. I've had glasses since the 4th grade. They used to break all the time when I played 4 square. Clearly I'm not the coordinated type because a ball shouldn't hit you in the face while playing four square. It's not like it's dodgeball.
3. Speaking of lack of coordination and my uneven legs, jumping rope in elementary school was an impossiblity. Every time I tried to jump with my legs together, my feet would hit left,right/left,right. If I tried to skip rope, my longer leg would always get tangled in the rope. It was so sweetly pathetic. I can jump rope now but I was traumatized enough as a child that I would really rather not. I remember when I first started teaching and we'd have "Jump Rope for Heart", I would just pray, "God, please don't let there be a stupid assembly where teachers have to get up on stage and jump rope."
4. I didn't lose my first tooth until I was in 4th grade.
5. In 6th or 7th grade, my mom made my sister and I take a modeling class at a mall in Dallas. I think it may have been at Town East. She thought it was an etiquette class.. as in model behavior. So she told us we were going to brush up on our manners. Imagine my surprise when they taught me how to walk down a runway. And I'm sure the teachers were like, "What the heck is this girl doing here? She's chubby, has big red glasses, and gaps between her teeth." I'm not now nor was I then ever delusional about the way I look. I get that I'm not a model, and I'm fine with that. I was so mad at my mom for humiliating me... even though she didn't know what the class really was. But now I look back and think it's really funny that I went to a modeling class. *Strike a pose*
6. I was born with webbed hands. My mom was on some prescription drugs when she was pregnant with me. She had severe bleeding with her pregnancy and they were making an effort to not lose me so they gave her different medications. Explains a lot about the way I turned out, huh? :) Anyway, my mom always says, "Thank God you were ok when you were born. We just didn't know back then the dangers of those prescriptions." I always I have to remind her, "You think I was ok?? Mom, I came out with webbed hands." :) They cut the web from between my fingers when I was 2, so that I would be able to wear a ring one day. I bet I'd be a really great swimmer if they hadn't cut my fingers apart.
This is me with the casts after the surgery to separate my fingers.
*Wow, seriously all of these things are about how gimpy I am. Sad.*
7. When Jason and I had Jack we knew were going to name him a "j" name so that his initials would be "JTM" like his daddy and his grandpa, James. Turns out almost everyone I ever liked or dated had a "J" name so John, Josh, Jonathon, Jeremy, and Jeff were all out. Who knew I had such a thing for people with Js? Even funnier, Jason's 2 serious girlfriends before he met me were Jamie and Jennifer. Needless to say, we could very easily slip up and call each other by the wrong name. We usually just call each other "baby" to avoid any mistakes or unnecessary fighting. ;)
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Sunday: Baby Dedication and I'M THIRTY!!
We dedicated C in the first service at church on Sunday. J was all over the place and would NOT stand still when we were standing in front of everyone. I apologized to Myra, our Preschool minister. She said, "He was perfect. Julie, he was just being the little 2 yr old that God made him to be." Such a preschool minister thing to say, right? But she's so sweet. I love her.
It was also my 30th birthday Sunday. So Jason and I went out to eat at Jasper's, one of my favorite restaurants. I had so much good food and a yummy Cosmopolitan. Sorry, C. Hopefully it just helped you sleep well and didn't hurt your belly. I think this was the first time Jason and I had a date night since May, so it was GREAT to get out and it was long overdue.
S took the above pic. (J is watching TV.) But I was pretty impressed with S. I think she's better with a camera than I am.
Saturday: Lunch at Neimans
My sister, my mom, my "aunt" Cindy (one of my mom's good friends) and I went to lunch at Neimans for an early birthday celebration. We had mimosas and ate way too much. It was relaxing and nice to eat somewhere that doesn't have a playground or serve juice boxes. It was also pretty great to walk in carrying my purse and that's it. Not a diaper bag in sight.
Friday: J's Party
We had a blast at the astronaut party. No pun intended. It really is fun that he picked the theme back in July and never changed his mind. We painted. We played with Play Doh. He played on a giant inflatable space shuttle. He got lots of great space-themed toys. Now I need to throw out some old stuff so we can make room for the new. It was very low key, which is the way I like most birthdays to be.
Thursday: S's Open House
Pictures of her classroom. Much bigger than last year. Feels more like "real" school. Her teacher is great, and she's having a fun year so far.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Gross
We have a possum that keeps coming into our backyard and going through our trash. We may be possibly being stalked by a raccoon as well. It's hard to say.
When Caroline was born and people were bringing us meals, we got a rotisserie chicken from someone. We ate it and then threw the carcass (for lack of a better word) out... the bones, that's probably better... We threw the bones out in the big, city provided, brown can outside. The next morning there were little footprints on the top of our recycling trash can which sits right next to the regular can. Something had opened the lid to the regular trash and went dumpster diving for chicken. Trash was everywhere and I was grossed out. We had sealed the bones in a bag before we threw it out. Not well enough apparently.
Jason has seen a possum in our alley before, leaving our backyard. Last night, he went out to close the garage door before bed, and our garage trash can was knocked over and the thing had eaten Fruit Loops that I had thrown out. Do you know how close the garage trash can is to our back door? Really close. Gross close. It's not like I think the possum is going to open our back door and come on in... (I know only the smart dinosaurs on Jurassic Park can do that.) but possums are just about the most disgusting things in the world to me. With maybe the exception of an armadillo being a little bit nastier.
I blame the people who live across the alley from us for having an overgrown yard of thick bushes and shrubs. It's like the freakin' Amazon rainforest. There's more dark, shady, lush foliage than you would believe. They're running a shelter-- a safe haven for nastiness.
He lives over there and eats over here. And his beady eyed, ring tailed, furry grossness is not welcome. We're setting a trap tonight so that hopefully we'll catch him. And then we'll be rid of him. Cuz we're not "catch and release" kind of people. Jason will take care of it. Target practice anyone?
When Caroline was born and people were bringing us meals, we got a rotisserie chicken from someone. We ate it and then threw the carcass (for lack of a better word) out... the bones, that's probably better... We threw the bones out in the big, city provided, brown can outside. The next morning there were little footprints on the top of our recycling trash can which sits right next to the regular can. Something had opened the lid to the regular trash and went dumpster diving for chicken. Trash was everywhere and I was grossed out. We had sealed the bones in a bag before we threw it out. Not well enough apparently.
Jason has seen a possum in our alley before, leaving our backyard. Last night, he went out to close the garage door before bed, and our garage trash can was knocked over and the thing had eaten Fruit Loops that I had thrown out. Do you know how close the garage trash can is to our back door? Really close. Gross close. It's not like I think the possum is going to open our back door and come on in... (I know only the smart dinosaurs on Jurassic Park can do that.) but possums are just about the most disgusting things in the world to me. With maybe the exception of an armadillo being a little bit nastier.
I blame the people who live across the alley from us for having an overgrown yard of thick bushes and shrubs. It's like the freakin' Amazon rainforest. There's more dark, shady, lush foliage than you would believe. They're running a shelter-- a safe haven for nastiness.
He lives over there and eats over here. And his beady eyed, ring tailed, furry grossness is not welcome. We're setting a trap tonight so that hopefully we'll catch him. And then we'll be rid of him. Cuz we're not "catch and release" kind of people. Jason will take care of it. Target practice anyone?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Homemade Cakes look Home Made :)
J will be 3 in a couple of weeks. My parents will be on a cruise on his actual birthday, and Jack seemed very upset that his KK was going to miss his party. So Mom asked if we could have his party this weekend so she and Dad could be a part of it.
He wants an astronaut party. Give me a theme and I'll run with it. Trying to not go overboard though because it's just a family party. No friends.
I saw a video about how to make a space shuttle cake on YouTube. I watched it several times and decided that it looked easy enough. It didn't turn out nearly as good as the one in the video, but here it is. I've learned my hands are VERY shaky. Oh well. Labor of love. :)
Can you tell it's a space shuttle? (The candles will go sort of diagonal out the bottom of the space shuttle... like it's taking off.)
I'll post pics tomorrow night of the party.
He wants an astronaut party. Give me a theme and I'll run with it. Trying to not go overboard though because it's just a family party. No friends.
I saw a video about how to make a space shuttle cake on YouTube. I watched it several times and decided that it looked easy enough. It didn't turn out nearly as good as the one in the video, but here it is. I've learned my hands are VERY shaky. Oh well. Labor of love. :)
Can you tell it's a space shuttle? (The candles will go sort of diagonal out the bottom of the space shuttle... like it's taking off.)
I'll post pics tomorrow night of the party.
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