Ashley's Birthday part TWO

Holy guacamole I’m going to barf. Night before last I typed up a super long entry about Ash’s birthday bash, with tons of pictures ta boot. Guess where it is now, dunno you say, it’s in nasty ol cyber heaven. Just as I was finishing up adding the last few photos (which by the way, takes an ETERNITY) my most prized possession, my laptop, went kaput. Just beeped at me and went black. Buh bye, no warning at all. Soooo, now I need to see if I can do a little deja vouis (or however that’s spelled) and rewrite history…yet again.

Friday after school I walked Ash and 6 of her brand spankin new Geortownian friends home from school. I met them in the back of the school and I have to say, as they walked towards me, with each step, I felt older and older…these girls are NOT little girls. They’re the kind with bras and shaved legs. What the heck happened??? Do they serve up hormones in Georgetown or WHAT!? Despite their size, they were very sweet, mostly innocent girls that I am soooo glad that Ashley has befriended. I’m especially excited about them because most of their parents are overprotective and told me this was their first sleepover. Holy crapolie! Now we’re talking! I actually got the third degree from one mom. I think she actually had a list of questions in front of her when she called. Good… Crazy, but good. Do we have guns, do we have siblings, how old are they, do we have dogs, what kind etc. Great questions, logical questions, but a first for me. Anywho, back to after school. So I walked them to our house they explored our house, walked around in our garden tub, jumped on my bed a bit and then went to the basement to sing a little Karaoke. At some point we did a craft…I took a picture of each of them with Ashley and they glued it to a foam frame like backing and decorated it with all kinds of cutesy little stuff. It was definitely a hit. At some point Nana and Grams showed up.  It was soooo nice to have them here! After we all ate pizza, we did cake and presents. The karaoke machine was handy when it came time to sing Happy Birthday. Pretty sure the neighbors heard that one. Presents were awesome, of course. Lots of littlest pets. That’s Ashley’s latest craze, they’re pretty cute I must admit. The girls played “telephone” and did some more silly girl stuff until it was dark. Then we broke out the glow sticks and these silly little mouthpiece glow thingees. We went out in the front yard, and those girls had so much fun! They wore themselves out pretty good. By the time they were done with that, they were in desperate need of another sugar rush, so we did do-it-yourself sundaes. Complete with nuts, cherries, chocolate sauce, caramel, and whipped cream. That went over well.
By then I didn’t have much left in me, so I grabbed the boy (who was 100% a part of all the festivities up until bedtime…sweet sissy!), told the girls to go to bed and Mark, Alex and I crawled in to bed. By this time it’s about 12:30. We didn’t last 15 minutes and we were out.

The next morning sweet daddy cooked eggs, bacon and sausage for breakfast tacos and Nana made pancakes. 11:00 rolled around pretty quick and before we new it the house was empty. Messy, but empty. All in all, the party could not have gone better. Ashley has really made some great friends in the short time that she’s been here. Several have already offered for her to come spend the night. She’s overwhelmed with the number of people who are anxious to have her over. This is good. Her birthday was good. Our girl is now 10 years old and starting a whole new chapter of her life. I’m anxious to see the next 10 years unfold. 

Pictures will come as soon as I get my laptop problems figured out...errrr, as soon as Mark does. :)

5 years later

Five years later, life has gone on, but it will never, ever be quite the same. So many lives lost, so many dreams shattered, so many freedoms lost.

Today my heart goes out to all those affected by the tragedy of the September 11th, 2001 attacks. I know their pain is fresh today, and their wounds have been opened once again. I hope that the media is gentle today, and those who are hurting, can do so in peace.

Who gave these stooges GUNS???

Trip to the ER

Saturday night Ash was bit by something shortly before bed time, I shrugged it off, put some caladryl on it and sent her to bed. Sunday, she limped around on it and complained that it was really bothering her quite a bit. It looked like a spider bite to us, with a little puss pocket on top, but nothing horrible, so we told her to stop thinking about and move her leg as much as she could. By evening time, she was lethargic, and came down with a fever. She complained of muscle cramps and a headache. I jumped online and found information that pointed towards a poisonus spider bite. We ended up taking her to the ER here in Seguin where they took blood, and did a culture of the puss pocket. We're still not 100% sure what bit her, but whatever it was the blood test showed a bacterial infection of some sort. We're still waiting on the results, which will take 3-4 days, but they did end up giving her a shot of antibiotic and a prescrption that will cover all of our bases in case she has a staph infection. This morning she is a new person, she feels 100% better. We'll make her an appointment tomorrow and have her doc. call in for the test results asap to find out what we need to do next, but for now, we're just so glad the shot has made such a huge difference.

Sargent Rock

In the midst of the moving chaos, the Urben's have lost their mind. We have adopted another sweet doggie. We've had him for a week now and are just absolutely so in love with him. He's a 9-12 month old chihuahua mix, a dog I would have NEVER imagined myself having. His personality is just so sweet. He will sit in your lap whenever you want, and for as long as you want, but then he'll get up and play when you want too. He has slept with us the past few nights at dads house and has just been the sweetest little cuddle bud! He loves to stay snuggled up next to you to keep warm. He gets along so well with Big Dud and Sadie Sue. Dud tolerates him, but is getting more and more tolerant everyday. Sadie really likes the little guy and will play with him whenever he wants. Sarge has really proven to be a perfect match for our family. We took a ride on the boat yesterday and he didn't flinch! He just relaxed in my lap, and took in all the new scents. Not the skittish little chihuahua one would expect.

Happy Ash, House stuff and a break

Ashley is feeling much better. I think she was just having a few off days. She has come home from school happy and excited to talk about what she did all day and all the friends that she's made. We made birthday invitations on Thursday evening and I was just thrilled to hear her beg me to allow her to invite more friends. I let her invite 8 from her new school and she has 3 from her old school that HAVE to be there. 8 wasn't enough, she wanted more! That made me feel so much better about how she's adjusting. Yesterday, a girl from school called her and invited Ash to come swim at her house, they had just got a new slide for their pool. We were actually on the road to Nana and Big Daddy's, so we had to pass this time. I'm sure there will be plenty more opportunities.

We're getting more and more settled in to our new home everyday, but that doesn't go without ups and downs. The wall paper in the kids bathroom is down, I've textured the wall with a sort of venitian plaster look, and Thursday I primed it. Now all that's left is paint and a wipe of tinted glaze. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't forget the toilet and flooring. lol We're getting there!

Yesterday, I decided to tackle the master shower. The tile looked awful, the caulking and some of the grout needed to be redone so I thought it would be a good idea to get started on it before our trip to Seguin to allow for drying time. Boy did I bite off more than I could chew. I was able to scrape most of the caulking off and then started in on the yucky grout. The dremel worked pretty well, but the more grout I got off, the more trouble I revealed. There is mold and standing water underneath the tile. I ended up getting after it with a hammer. Fun stuff! I knocked out the lower three tiles all the way around and revealed rotting wood, gooey mold and standing water. What a MESS. When I get it all cleaned up, we'll have to call out some professionals, there is no way I can do all this on my own. Our bathroom is a disater area right now. Actually all 4 of the bathrooms are disaster areas. Ugh. I keep reminding myself how fortunate we are to have this place and it makes it all seem so worth while. I really need to keep it all in perspective.

We're spending the weekend at the lake for a MUCH needed break from all the work. When we get home Monday we'll start back in. We'll remove the range top and counter to prepare for the new silestone counter and rangetop that will be installed Tuesday. If we have time (and energy), we'll go ahead and take out the oven/micro. wall unit and install the new one. So many things to do, but for now, I will kick back and enjoy the down time with the fam.

We're finally moved in!!

So much has happened since my last update! We're all moved in to the new house, and trying to get settled. Today I finished cleaning up the old house, thank GOODNESS! I'm so glad to be done with that, now I can focus on our new home and getting it organized. We have so much to do! The cooktop and counter are going in next Tuesday, and hopefully within the next few weeks we'll get the kitchen floors in, the oven/micro unit in, and the stairs for the deck built. Those are the items at the top of our to do list...and that list is growing everyday!

Alex started school last Monday, he's adjusting fine. He has 6 kids in his class 2 boys and 4 girls. :( Today when I picked him up his teacher told me that he is very advanced and way ahead of the other kids. She says he finishes his work VERY quickly and gets bored easily. She says he should be in Kindergarten. While I'm so proud to hear this, I'm also a little concerned. The whole reason for him being at preschool half days is to be stimulated. It sounds like I might be able to do a better job of stimulating him. I have plenty of learning materials, and social opportunities for him...so why is he at school? I think I've answered my own questions. I think either he needs to be at home, or I need to see about bumping him to private Kinder at the same school (if they will even allow that). Poor guy, so many changes in such a short period of time, I hope I don't screw him up too bad.

Ashley started her 3rd week of school this week and is doing very well. Her GT records were finally transfered over from her old school, which means now they will need to put her in the GT class. Unfortunately, that means she'll have to have another big change. She'll have to leave her new friens in her current class and start all over in a brand new class with a new teacher. I just feel so bad for her. Part of me wants to just forget about the GT class and let her stay put, but on the other hand I know that she will adjust and that this is for the best. She seems a little down lately, which is understandable, but I'm worried about her. She has always been such a people pleaser that I'm afraid she's dealing with too much on her own. She doesn't talk about it, probably because she doesn't want Mark and I to feel bad for the choices we've made for her regarding school. That's my girl, always thinking of everyone but herself. Tomorrow I'm going to speak with the school counselor and see if she can talk to Ash. Maybe it will be easier for her to talk to another adult about what she's feeling, an adult that's a neutral party. I'm going try to get her to talk to me some this afternoon. I just hate that I don't know what my own daughter is feeling.

Tomorrow I will be mom to a 5th Grader

Yep, my baby girl is about to start her last year of elementary school. Wow! It's bittersweet really. The past 5 years have been a dream. My baby girl will be one of the kids I looked at in Kindergarten, thinking it would be ages before my baby was THAT big. Well, here we are, it happened in the blink of an eye.
This is a big year for Miss Ash. Not only is she starting her last year of elementary, she's starting a new school and leaving all of her friends behind. She's so brave! I think I'm more touchy about it than she is. She's a tad nervous, but more excited at what lies ahead for her. She's just such an easy child, always has been. She hasn't complained a bit because she knows this move is positive and that's what she chooses to focus on. I am so proud of her! I know she will do well.

Trip to Alabama!

The trip to Alabama was waaay too short, but oh so much fun! We were nervous about making the trip without Ashley in the back to help entertain Alex, but somehow we manged to have a fairly laid back trip. We hit a "boulder", as Mark would say, around Waco and ended up having flat. It wasn't all that bad though, daddy was our superhero and we made it to Alabama safe and sound. By the time we got there Frank, Nicola and Wilbur had already arrived and we were greeted by the whole crew. Grannie Frannie, Papa Jack, Mamaw, Both uncle Franks, Nicola and our sweet Sissy!! It was soooo good to see miss Ash after a whole week of being away from her. Alex would NOT stop hugging and kissing her, he hung off her leg like a little monkey. It was precious!
This was our first time to see the property in the summertime, it was so different! Gorgeous! The trees were lush and shaded so much more of the property than I realized they would. The trails seemed so far away from civilization with all the cover. It reminded me a little of the trails we hiked at Devils Den in Arkansas. We got to see all the new ducklings and a flock of traveling geese. Dudley and Sadie had so much fun tormenting the geese and wading in the pond, it almost seemed a little cruel to bring them back to our small yard. The kids had so much fun hanging out with everyone. Ashley is still telling Papa Jack stories, which we have found so intriguing that we all agree he should write a book...or two.
The last day we were there we talked with Mamaw quite a bit about her childhood and then some about her raising kids in a small town. I just loved talking to her and hearing about how things were back in her time and how it was to have so many siblings growing up with a family store. I loved listening to her talk. I wish we could have talked more, her stories were more interesting than many books I've read. We'll have to make a point to continue those conversations another time. :)
Fran's cooking was OUTSTANDING as always and I managed to make it home with two new recipes! We had such a relaxing time just hanging out enjoy the presence of family.

The last supper

The load ress traveled. Yeah, so it's really NOT as funny now.

Anyway, so our last dinner was at a place that my hair stylist recommended this afternoon, Aisan Mint. It was delightful! Mark had the seafood platter with clams, crab cakes, and spring rolls. I had the Pad Thai. It was INCREDIBLE! I have to tell Jeremy thanks for the recommendation, it was scrumptious. We ordered our first bottle of saki as well. That was....umm...interesting, to put it kindly. Actually, that was probably the worst $20 we've ever spent. lol We had an absolutely wonderful evening together though. What a trip!! :)

Married WITHOUT children

Ahhhh, what an AWESOME week it has been! Ash flew out to Alabama to spend the week with Grannie Frannie and Papa Jack, and Alex is hanging out with Nana and Big Daddy. These grandparents are SAINTS and they have no idea what this break has done for Mark and I. We have had the most amazing time together!
We have a $55 a day allowance to spend on meals and we have been spoiled little rich kids, that's for sure. My pants are a little tight, but ooohhhh so worth it. :) Mark and I have laughed and laughed and just had such a wonderful time together. It was just the break we've been needing.

Amtrak

I decided that I really didn't feel like driving to Dallas again, so opted to take Amtrak instead. What a trip! And a TRIP it was! I was able to sip wine, nap and take in all the sights along the way. It was such an enlightening experience, and I know that I'll do it again. I met some very interesting people on my little adventure. From a single mom who dumped her 2 year old in my lap to "watch" for a while after only having exchanged smiles to the over achieving retired professor from Cali and we can't forget the hippie with a buzz who kept me company for the last few hours. It was really an awesome experience to say the least. I ended up making friends with the two year old, we read my magazine together and played with my hair clip which proved to be just what this sweet boy needed. I heard his mom telling him to "shut up" on multiple occasions, which just broke my heart. It turns out all the boy needed was an ounce of attention. Of course, that's me judging the situation, but that was my observation.
The retired professor was very educated and pretty much left me in the dust with most of his conversation, but it was definitely a positive experience. lol The hippie with a buzz was quite an experience. He originally came to hit on me, but when he learned that I was happily married, we just had friendly conversation. He's a singer/welder and much to my surprise and delight he belted out a tune for me (and the rest of the passengers for the next...ohhhh 3 cars). He was a riot! I really enjoyed talking to him. He tried on multiple occasions to hit on me, but I made it very clear that I wasn't budging. He told me of his wild life and how he had a 13 year old daughter that he rarely saw. He was a 46 year old man living on the edge, traveling from city to city doing welding jobs and partying his life away. He was surprised that I would talk to him, but honestly, he was quite entertaining even if he was half lit. He talked about how lonley he was and how he just couldn't give up the hippie lifestyle, it was obvious that he longed for someone who cared about him. There were times in the conversation when he spoke in past tense about what his live "could have been". I gently reminded him that his life was still on the table and that he didn't have to commit to the way his life had been. In the grand scheme of things, he has plenty of time to have all that he desires in life. It was sad, it reminded me so much of the many conversations I've had with my brother, in fact he reminded me so much of Jason, and that's probably why it was so easy for me to tolerate him. He was very kind and had many kind words to say about that.

As we came in to Dallas and our conversation ended he told me about some of his exciting travels and how he had done SOOOO much that most people had never dreamed of doing...he had stories of playing guitar on the Eifel Tower and playing music for change in the subways of Paris, and how exciting and adventurous his life really was. And then he lowered his sunglasses and told me that of all the travels and adventures, he still envied me, because I had love. It was touching, it really made me think about how wonderful my life is, and how lucky I am to have love, and a husband who works so hard for his family. I really feel like the luckiest person in the world. I have just enough troubles to make me appreciate what I have, but never too many to handle.

Before I got off the train, the writter sitting behind me handed me a note. Apparently, he had been listening to our entire conversation. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I am flattered. Here is what he wrote:

Finally, the chance glance, I was awaiting.
Though my identitiy is conceiled by an aloof space.
I'll believe, because of need,
that even space small and glance fast, our eyes were mating.
Now I just heard her voice, a beautiful tone, with the perfect touch of sweet Southern Drawl.
My quick fleeting scenario, fills me warmly, but I know has to end soon.
She commands such cruel beauty in sincerity, look and speech.
I don't have to take all the blame, do I?
These midafternoon dreams just seem to happen in July or June.
Oh, just another thing to add to the wonderful torture.
She is fairly close to perfect, 'cause she loves her husband and her daughter.
What is saving grace to what would be disaterous fantasy is that she is real and right, and makes all her airspace feel good.
Which thank the lord, saves this author test of his vanity.

Jamie, this was written for you because you deserve it, and has done me well,
Just to hear you speak. It also revives my hope there still could be one out there for me.
Thank you, Jim

Live Simple

This is my new goal. To live Simple. I'm learning.

I want to take the amazing opportunity of being at home with my family and do something meaningful with it. I love taking care of the home, cooking meals and making everyone in my family feel less stressed, but I want to do more. I want to teach my children, my husband and myself how to live simply. I don't know exactly where I'm going with this, but I know it's important. I want them to be less dependant upon "stuff", and more in tune with themselves and the world around them. I want to teach them where the water we drink comes from, how the food gets to our table, and how we can do our part to use less of everything without sacrificing anything. I want them to be aware that although getting a good education, and finding a good job are important things that they will need to do, they need to remember to enjoy their lives and not get wrapped up making and spending money. Life is too short and it's so easy to get caught up in going through the motions of making and spending that we forget what it's all about. I'm not even exactly sure HOW I will go about teaching them, since I'm learning too, but I know I can do it.

While I don't plan on limiting TV time at home, I hope that by posting this on the fridge and talking about it often, the kids will choose some of the items listed on their own. Mark will laugh, but that's ok. :)

There are many alternatives to television.
Read a book. Go to the cinema. Watch a play or musical. Write a letter. Go for a walk. Pick up litter. Call a friend. Sing. Pursue your hobby. Bowl. Write a poem. Clean your drawers. Take a class. Floss. Plan a trip. Exercise. State your dream. Volunteer. Dance.

Ride a bicyle. Paint a picture. Teach someone to read. Learn Spanish. Look out the window. Go to the library. Visit a neighbor. Do your dishes. Fix a broken item. Learn improvisational comedy.

Visit an art museum. Volunteer at your local humane society and spend time with animals. Go ice skating. Compose a song. Eat a good breakfast. Test the smoke detector. Sort your old photographs. Take your unwanted newspapers and magazines to someone who would like them or to recycling. Fish.

Satisfy your craving for "reality programming" by going out in the "real world." Trace your geneology. Rearrange the furniture. Help someone build a house. Jump on the bed. Get your cholesterol checked. Visit a new restaurant. Volunteer to clean up a city park. Do the laundry. Bake a pie.

Laugh at commuters. Save whales. Brush your teeth. Remember what your mother told you. Write a poem.

Take up a new hobby. Walk along the seashore, lakeshore, desert, mountains, or parking lot. Test your strength. Ride the bus. Talk to your cat. Save big money at Menard's. Plant a garden. Talk with someone. Hoe the garden. Take a bath.

Balance your checkbook. Coin a term. Found a literary movement. Chop wood. Change your mind. Mow the grass. Do the macarena. Write a manifesto.

Choose your long distance carrier. Tie your shoes. Comb your hair. Clean the windows. Take a five. Go for broke. Inventory. Make an appointment for dental care. Take your pills. Attend a festival. Dance the night away. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Play ping-pong. Take photos. Chase rainbows. Chase Manhattan. Chase Chevy Chase. Paint the town.

Settle old bets. Change a diaper that needs changing. Change a bill if you need some coins. Keep an appointment.

Finish that book you've been reading. Toil in obscurity. Learn a new language. Lower your cholesterol somehow. Escape to Wisconsin. Find a pin and pick it up.

Herd cats. Jump like a bunny. Collate papers. Sharpen the pencils.

Try walking up the stairs. Tell someone that I love you. Don't spread rumors. Tell someone that you love them.

Lose weight naturally.

Go to a planetarium. Teach a class.

Take a shower. Take another look around.

Behold the power of cheese.

Minister to the sick. Visit the aged. Treasure the moments. Appreciate the veterans.

Pursue art for Art's sake. Tune a guitar. Walk a dog. Mend a fence.

Clean your plate. Renounce your secret admiration of Kenny G. Fall in love.

Learn line dancing. Eat all you wish. Shake hands with your neighbor. Clean your room. If you need a penny, take a penny. Cross that bridge when you come to it.

Don't covet your neighbor's wife. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Go downtown, where all the lights are bright. Use the Web site or call the 800 number for more information. Shoot the moon. Shoot the rapids.

Memorize a sonnet. Can vegetables. Stoke the furnace. Pay the piper. Sort the mail. Find buried treasure. Shower before entering the pool. Listen to a symphony. Sort your CDs. Remember that all funds are subject to loss. Call me sometime. Rinse. Repeat.

Finish your salad. Don't litter.

Trip to visit Daddy

We got to visit daddy this past week, and it was sooooo good to see him. I forgot how sweet he smells and how amazing his hugs can be. He had to work most of the time we were there, but we did get to spend some good time together. We went to visit Uncle David, Aunt Cara and baby Keller. The first night, David, Cara, Mark and I went out for dinner and drinks and had SUCH a great time together. We got back to the hotel about 12:30, and crashed. The kids woke up the next morning at 11:45. That has got to be an all time record. It was heavenly. We spent our last day hanging out by David and Cara's pool, and enjoying our time with Baby Keller. Mark showed up later for BBQ and once again we had a really nice time. Our visit was short, but soooo nice.

Where oh where has my baby gone

Ok the past week has been a blur, busy, fun but a blur. Mark is out of town and will be for up to 3 weeks and we miss him oh so much. We made a trip to Nana and Big Daddy's to see David, Cara and baby Keller. Wow, Keller has changed so much. I am SO in love with this precious boy! Is is absolutely irresistable! I took so many pictures while we were thaere. I so wish they were closer so that I could be more a part of his life, but I will make do with what I have and do what I can. He is soooo sweet.

My love is in Dallas, and I miss him so much. It's so strange without him. I feel like a big ol piece of me is just not here. I talk to him multiple times a day and that certainly helps, but it sure doesn't replace his presence. Everything is just "off" without him. I'm up in the air on when I'll be able to go visit. Monday I'll be going in to work for a little bit and maybe Tuesday as well. I have a get together with some friends on Wednesday and really don't want to miss it, but I might have to. I know that I need to be back in town by Saturday so that Ash can make her flight to Alabama and that sure doesn't leave much time to go see my hubby. We'll see. By the time Tuesday rolls around I may not be able to stand being without him and there will be no question.

Kids are ready for bed, I better get off the puter for now.

I'm HOME!!!

It's official! I started my new job! I have 3 bosses, Ashley, Alex and Mark. They are very demanding, but the pay is EXCELLENT. ;) I'll update with details of my new job when I get the chance.

ONE MORE WEEK!

It's hard to believe I'm on the home stretch! Just one more week and I will OFFICIALLY be a Stay at Home Mom once again!!!!!!! I'm so anxious! They are sure making me work for it though, this has been one of the most stressful times I've had at this job. We're having to do a project in Microstation, which is HORRIBLY difficult to learn. I have really come so far in learning all that I have, but this program really does require training. It's the least user friendly CAD program I have EVER experienced. It SUCKS! I'm pulling my hair out trying to get my work done. Sadly enough, I know the program more than anyone in the office, so when I leave, I feel for these people, they're not going to be happy. Oh well. I will be at home enjoying my summer with my two favorite little people and that's all that I can think about right now.

Today Mark and I are going to the new house to work, while Paula and Brian have the kids. They just called and asked if the kids could spend the night. Hmmm, let me think.....YES!! Brian and Paula are two of the kindest people I have ever met. I'm just blown away at how lucky we all are to have them in our lives. They would give the shirt off their back to a complete stranger if they new it could make a difference. We're both off to get haircuts and then to the house to work. Can't wait until it's finally OURS!

4 going on 16

Yesterday Alex spent more time in front of the mirror than he has in his entire 4 years of life. He has a sudden fascination with fixing his hair. He refuses to use a normal full size brush, instead he uses daddy's tiny beard trimming comb. He combs and combs and combs until it's juuuust right (whatever that is). Yesterday he got a little TOOO in to his hair and decided to TRIM a spot. Here he is sporting his new "Do" 100% by Alex:

Summer Happenings

I am having SUCH a hard time updating lately. I will do my best to make up for the past few months in this post.

It's already the END OF JUNE! How did this happen??

Miss Ash got out of school on May 28th, and within two days we were on our first vacation of the summer. We met Nana and Big Daddy in Tulsa where we spent one night at a local casino. The next morning we made the two hour trek to Arakansas where we spent the next 4 days in the gorgeous Ozark mountains at Devils Den State Park. It was one of the best vacations we've had together. We spent a lot of time just being 'together'. We fished and hiked, rented a paddle boat and a few canoes, played catch, and spent some time inside the cabin just hanging out playing games. Alex learned to cast a full size fishing pole, and is a PRO at it now. (I actually think he can cast farther than me) They caught several fish between the two of them, and on the last day we were there, they both caught a huge snapping turtle. It was at least 2 feet long with a huge fat tail and long creepy claws. The look on their faces when their poles bent in half was priceless! Alex caught him first, and within minutes Ash caught him, and then a few minutes later he was BACK on Ashley's line again. This was clearly not a very bright turtle. It sure did make for some good stories though. Alex's first day back at school, he elaborately told his turtle story while all of his little friends listened with wide eyes. It was adorable!
Our trip was rejuvenating to say the least. We've decided that Devils Den will be a regular spot for us. I'd really love to make it a family reunion spot for both of our families, especially since it's so close to Grannie Frannie and Papa Jack.

The following week Ashley, Savannah and Kell went to spend the week with Nana and Big Daddy at the lake. During the day, they attended a nature camp and in the evenings they were able to spend time with Nana and Big Daddy. They had so much fun that week, I don't think they were ready to come home when they did.
The next week Ash attended Dr. John's Sports Center Camp, and of course Savannah and Kell were signed up too. They did all sorts of fun activities and are anxious to go back in a few weeks.

Mark and I have spent a lot of time getting our house in shape to sell. We've decluttered a LOT and have even taken quite a few loads over to the new house. We spent last Saturday trimming the trees at the new house. HOLY SCHMOLLY that was a lot of work, we spent about 6 hours trimming and we're not even half done. I guess that's the price you pay for having such beautiful trees!
We put our house on the market this past Saturday and had a showing on Wed., Thursday, and one more today. I have such mixed feelings right now. I am so thrilled to be able to move in to such a wonderful house so close to mom and to be able to stay home again, but this house is home, and I just can't imagine not living here. The kids have so many friends on our little street, I will miss sitting on the front porch watching them play together. I took some video of them all piled up in Alex's Gator riding down the street squirting their water guns at the invisible bad guys. It was so precious. I just hope we can capture those memories forever.
Despite what we are leaving, we are moving to something wonderful. The choice we have made is a good one, and I know that. That Gator will now drive down the street to moms, and I will be able to sit on the porch and watch more now than ever because I will be where I should be, at home. I'm so anxious to get back home. I really feel that I belong there. Two parents working full time jobs, with children of any age, is just too much stress on a family. We deserve more, our kids deserve more. And I am overjoyed that I have the opportunity to do exactly what I want.

This weekend we're going to visit Nana and Big Daddy FINALLY!! With all that we have going on this summer this may be the only opportunity that we have to spend some time with them. We JUST bought the brand new Jet Ski, and poor Mark has been chomping at the bit to get out on it. I doubt I'll see much of him this weekend. lol

Last night the kids and I went with Brian, Paula, Kell, and Savannah to a Round Rock Express game. Mark had already planned a poker game at the house so he wasn't able to come. The weather was great, we had a nice breeze and it wasn't too hot. The kids really had a good time. It was really all about the food and friends. They had hot dogs, peanuts, cracker jacks, cotton candy and soda. I don't think they even watched a full minute of the game! Hehe! That's ok though, it was all about having fun. Paula is so sweet, she had all the kids over to spend the night last night, including Alex. His FIRST sleepover. It amazes me how well the girls and Alex get along, despite the 5 year age gap. Those girls just love him to pieces.

That was the past month in a nutshell. I will try to post picutres in my down time this weekend at Dads.

I'm an AUNT!!!

My precious, sweet, adorable nephew was born on Saturday!

Keller Rocket Rogers
6-11-06
7 lbs 15 oz
21 3/4"

Here are some pictures of our newest buddy:

HE'S COMING, HE'S COMING!!!!

I'm so excited! I just got a call from Ruthie. David called, and Cara thinks her water broke. They are on their way to the hospital now. As soon as we find out that she's for sure in labor, we're heading to Dallas!! I can't wait to meet my first nephew!!

Never growin up!

Alex stayed home from school with me yesterday and today. Yesterday he had a sore throat, and a low fever, and today he was probably ok to go to school, but we went ahead and stayed home anyway. We really have had such a wonderful time together. I sure miss being with him all day, and I think somewhere inside him, he does too. On our way home from the bank today Alex tells me (once again) how he never wants to grow up. He wants to always be a kid. He doesn't want to be tall, and he never wants to move away from our house. Then he says
"Momma, someone needs to take a picture of you."
Momma: Really? Why is that?
Alex: "So when I grow up and I'm not with you I can look at you when I think of you and when I miss you."

Silly lil Alex qoutes

We were visiting dad last weekend when Buddy decided to show Alex who was dominant in the little guy world. I never actually saw the incident, but Alex told me alllll I needed to hear... In a little Alex laughing voice "MOMMA, MOMMA, aww, Buddy was hugging my leg like a little child."

At dinner the other night Alex was horrible. Bouncing all over the place, not eating, same old Alex as usual, but worse. Daddy had been pushed over the edge (as was I) "ALEX, SIT STILL AND EAT, NOOOOWWWW I'M TIRED OF IT!" Alex put on his pouty face and says in a weepy voice, "but I can't help it Daddy, my body is just wild."

Same dinner..."Momma, what's a manager?" (From watching Spongebob) I gave my best definition and Ash responds with "Alex, you know daddy is a manager?" Alex: "!Oh Cool....does that mean momma is a girl-ager?"

Spring is in the air!

Wow what a gorgeous weekend it was! Now I'm starting to remember why I'm so much happier during the sunny months. I forgot what it was like to enjoy the outdoors. Mark and I did yard work all day Saturday, he planted 4 O'leander bushes outside the kitchen window in the side yard. It will be so much nicer to sit at the kitchen table and see more than the neighbors red brick. It will also give us a little more privacy, from their two windows that face our house. He also planted a Mountain Laurel. Yippeee! I finally got a Mountain Laurel (or two)! I've been wanting to plant one since before we ever moved in. Those suckers are expensive! 5 gal. for $25! It will be worth it though. I just LOVE the blooms that come in the spring. I'm hoping we'll get to see a few within the next couple of weeks, but I'm not counting on it this year. Steve is in town for the week, and David and Cara were in town for the weekend. It's so nice to have family over. The kids just LOVE when their uncles come to visit. Looks like David and Cara MAY have come up with a name for my new nephew who will be here in just 3 short months. They might have taken Blaze off the list (no comment- until after this baby is named!) and replaced it with Keller Rocket. David is a nut. I get the feeling that once this baby starts to live up to his name, they're going to wish they named him something more like Keller Devine, or Kellar Sleepswell. That's ok, no matter what they name him, he WILL take after David and keep them on their toes indefinitely, much to Dad and Ruthie's delight. :)

On the Urben kidfront...Ashley is on Spring Break all week, (nice coincidence that uncle Steve is in town) and will be going camping with Ciara on Thursday. No big plans other than that. I'm hoping to get a day off, maybe Wednesday, to spend with her. I'll probably take Alex to school late and just hang out with my girl.

Cluck Cluck

In 21 days we will have peeps! I can't believe how excited I am about this, maybe it's just that motherly instinct kicking in, whatever it is, I'm loosing my mind. Ashley is on her way home from Lockhart with chicken eggs that we will be incubating for the next 21 days. Ashley's good friend Kelly just finished her first batch of eggs, but unfortunately none hatched. I've been doing a lot of research and have learned so much about this stuff. It's really quite fascinating. We started out with a big plastic storage container, but the more I read, the more I realized that it might not be insulated enough to maintain a proper temperature so we decided to get a foam ice chest instead. Mark cut a hole in the side and we stuck a 25 watt bulb in. This worked great, but the temperature kept climbing and the only way to drop the temp. was to vent the top, but venting the top allowed the humidity to escape. After toying with several different ideas...most of which were a bit on the pricey side, Mark came up with the idea of wiring a dimmer to the bulb. He bought the $3.00 dimmer, wired it up and VOILA! It works like a charm. It's exactly what we needed to get the temperature just right. I hope this works!!! When the peeps hatch, we'll probably keep them for a few days and then take them back to the farm. Oh how I wish we lived in the country and could have a chicken coop! How fun! I will post incubator pics. when Ash gets home with the camera. :)

Happy Day for Alex

Alex's teacher sent a note home the other day. It reads:

Mark & Jamie,

Just wanted to let you know how proud I was of Alex today. Over the weekend I purchased new games and activities for our class and Alex was the only one to give me a hug and say THANK YOU for bringing us all the new stuff. You have a great kid!

Happy Day :)
Jane

We stopped at Walgreens on the way home and Alex got to pick out a special treat for making Ms. Jane's "heart feel warm". :)

Valentines Cake

Chilled Plum

Don't worry, in 8-10 washes we'll have our little girl back. :)

Cruel joke?

Alex is recovering from the flu, he's back to his normal self only with a little cabin fever. He's been cooped up since Thursday and needs to run around sooooo bad. Unfortunately, the rest of us have come down with it. What a JOKE. We all just want to lay in bed and rest, and Alex is bouncing off the walls. Poor guy. He's ready to get back to normal and we'd like to have that lazy boy back for just a little bit longer. If we could we'd ship him off for a few days so we can sleep, but unfortunately, he still has a low grade fever, which means he's still contagious. We really need to get some Tamiflu in us since it only works if you start it within the first 48 hours, but it's Sunday and the only place we can go is either the Urgent Care Center, or the ER. Urgent Care would be $50 each, plus the prescription, which was $40 for Alex. That would put us out $270 for the three of us! We just can't do that right now. I will probably call in a script for Ash first thing in the morning and hope we get her started on the meds soon enough to catch it. I wonder if getting the flu shot would have prevented this. Who knows. Next year we're definitely getting them.

Sick lil buddy

I took Alex to the Dr. yesterday after realizing that he had every symptom of the flu. Sure enough, his test was positive. Thankfully we caught it in time to start Tamiflu. He threw up the first batch yesterday, but today he was able to keep it in his system. He's feeling much, much better right now, but still doesn't have much energy. He's eating a grilled cheese sandwich and asking for more, so that's a good sign. I'm starting to feel pretty yucky, but crossing my fingers that it's just the high molds.

Update on us

Gosh, where does the time go!? If I could find a way to bottle time and sell it I would be a gazillion-aire. Lets see, what's happened in the last month...Grandaddy got out of the hospital and is doing ok. He's still not able to walk on his own yet, and he's still having to use his feeding tube, but his spirits are much better now that he's back at home. Mom has her work cut out for her, I wish there was more I could do to help.

I put in my 2 weeks notice at my job last Monday, sent out some resumes and then after a 3 hour "meeting" with the boss man and his wife, decided to stick it out and see if things could change. So far so good, it's amazing what a little communication can do. So much has changed. I just can't imagine getting a job clear across town, having to be there at 8 am, and not getting off until 5. Putting me out the door no later than 7 am and home no earlier than 5:45. That is not appealing. Not to mention the fact that I can go home for lunch, pick up Ash from school and take her home everyday, and attend school functions when I can. That is so hard to give up, I figure it's worth trying to work things out. And if it doesn't work out, I can move on. Ironically enough, after I decided to stay, I received 4 phone calls for interviews.

Ashley participated in her 2nd spelling bee she finished 8th out of 67 kids. Big Daddy and pops both came, Ashley was very surprised to see them. She was determined to win, so there was some disappointment, but nothing more than a little healthy competitiveness.

Alex is trucking along just fine at preschool. He still loves getting up and going everyday. He is surrounded by caregivers who truly love to care for children, and that has made a major impact on his attitude about school. Valentines Day is coming up and we're making out his very first Valentine Cards. I bought him cards yesterday and when I brought them home to show him he had no idea what they were. It never even occurred to me that I needed to teach him about Valentines Day! lol
I am home with him today, he woke up in the night throwing up and had a pretty high fever. He's not sick to his stomach today, but still feeling pretty lousy. He's pretty achy. I'm crossing my fingers that this isn't the flu.

Mark has been such a dream through all of my work troubles. He is just amazing. Our relationship continues to grow everyday, as we get closer and closer. He is the best friend I've ever had and he teaches me so much without even realizing it. I still feel like the luckiest person in the world to have found this amazing love.

Blog, what's that?

Yeah, so life is a little crazy with the two of us working, finding time to Blog is next to impossible.

Granddaddy just got out of the hospital, he's doing fine right now, but suffered a broken hip and had to undergo surgery last week. The surgery weakened him and caused his Parkinsons to worsen, which is hopefully temporary. The parkinsons is affecting his abilty to swallow right now, and he is unable to swallow anything without aspirating, so they put a feeding tube in to his stomach. He's doing well with it. We are all hopeful that he will gain his strength back and be able get back to normal.

Children's Garden

Alex finally started at his new school yesterday, and he did super! The director noticed that he was reluctant to let me leave him on the playground so she came over and asked him to be her helper with breakfast in the kitchen. He was more than willing to go be her helper and even cracked a smile as he said by to me. :) I called later and they let me know that he was doing fine and had eaten a good lunch. When I picked him up he told me that he really likes his new school and that he had a lot of fun. I was pleasantly surprised to find a note from his teacher in his cubby. It was very thoughtful of her to tell me about his day and really put my mind at ease. :) Today was pretty good too, although there were some tears as I left. I called at 10:30 and they said he was doing fine and stopped crying shortly after I left. The two times I have called up there, they know exactly who I am and can instantly tell me all about who he was playing with, how his day is going, etc. That makes me feel so confident that he's getting the care he deserves.
I got a phone call from them today at about 12:30, I was worried when I saw their number on my caller ID, ususally a phone call means that he's either sick, or upset, it was his teacher calling to tell me that he was still doing good, had eaten a good lunch and was sleeping soundly. :) Ahhhh, I feel like I can finally RELAX a little, he's in good hands.

TEXAS WINS!!!!

WHAT A GAME!! Vince, you are my hero. :)

Report Cards

Miss Ashley has done it yet again. Her report card came home with straight A's today! We are so proud of our girl! Way to go Ashley!

Happy Retirement Big Daddy!!!

This was all Ashley's idea.

We love you and wish you all the best dad...now go fishin already!

Alex-isms updated

I added a few Alex-isms tonight:

Alex-isms

Reverse Psychology?

Our everyday eat-your-dinner battle has reached a new level. We've tried just about anything and everything to get Alex to eat his dinner, to the point of giving him a standing ovation for each bite taken, that didn't work and neither did bribery, which is our last resort catch all. Tonight we took it to a new level. I was talking to Mark about positive reinforcement and how that's the thing to do these days. We chuckled about how grateful we'd be to get the opportunity to give him positive reinforcement, but that he actually had to do something positive first. lol I decided that I would dupe him in to some reverse psychology by praising him for taking a bite even when he didn't. So I praise him, he gives me a funny look, but remarkably, he responds and takes a bit. Wooohoooo! We're on to something here. So I can't just take my winnings and leave the table, I have to have more, so in a weak moment when he's on his knees playing in his chair I continue the lying mommy's version of positve reinforcement and tell him how proud I am at how good he's being by staying on his bottom and eating so well. He responds by saying "but momma I was doing this..." and he stands up on his knees to demonstrate his poor behavior. By the end of his demonstration Mark and I are holding our guts laughing out loud. Turns out we're the ones that got duped. The lying mommy's version of positive reinforcement is a crock. I guess that's why I've never actually been given this advice and why it's not published in any child rearing books. One thing the lying mommy's version of positive reinforcement did do was provide a pleasant dinner. When that didn't work, I decided to use it on Mark instead. "Mark, thank you so much for cleaning up after dinner" didn't work too well either. ;)

2006

Happy New Year! It's hard to belive it's already 2006, it's a bittersweet year, chock full of changes and new beginnings, and we're only a few days in to it. The year that my baby girl will turn 10 and enter the era of double didgets and everything else that goes along with it. My baby boy will turn 5. He will have to use an entire hand to tell his age, and coordinating his little fingers in to small numbers will be a thing of the past. This year my dad will enter the retirement years and my brother will have his first baby and enter the world of parenthood. 2006 is going to be a very big year in our family. A year to be thankful for, a year to open our doors to and welcome with a smile. Clearly, we will all have big resolutions for the new year. As for me, I'm going to enjoy my family more than ever this year, and appreciate the little things a little more. Keep in touch with family a little better, maybe send out Birthday cards for once in my life, and try to do the little things that I know mean so much. I'm going to smile more, think more and play more. Most of all, I'm going to work on being a supportive wife, listening mom, caring daughter and supportive friend.

Christmas

It's almost New Years and I'm just now finding the time to write about Christmas! Ok, I'll admit, I've had the time, but instead of doing the things I *SHOULD* be doing, I've been playing with all the awesome Christmas kids that we...errr...the kids got. Har har. I'll have to mention those later though. Lets start with Christmas Eve Eve... aka the day before Christmas Eve. We continued our tradition of taking the kids to the Big Chrismas tree at Zilker. Last year we discovered the secret to missing the ridiculous miles of traffic was to get there BEFORE dark. That was the best discovery ever. This year we topped it by packing an ice chest of drinks and picking up pizza on the way, now THAT was genius! (Marks idea of course) We got there just before dark and JUST before they started charging $7.00 for parking. SWEET! We ate our pizza, and funnel cake (gotta have funnel cake) it got dark and the lights turned on just for us. :) It was a perfect evening. Everyone was in the best of spirits, and we really couldn't have planned it any better.

On Christmas Eve Nana and Jason came to spend the night, like every year. We had to miss David this year though. He's a newlywed with a baby on the way now, so I'm afraid the Christmas mornings with David are probably over. :( Who knows, maybe I'm wrong. Back to Christmas Eve...Nana brought all the fixins for a special dinner, turkey, dressing, homemade cranberry sauce (my favorite), sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh green beans, her famous Ruthie rolls, and good ol White Zin. She even brought Christmas linens for the table. Yes, we had cloth napkins, a rare occasion that MUST be noted. What a treat! I remembered to pull out my Christmas china this year, woohooo, so we had a fancy dinner on fancy china this year. :) After dinner we were all too stuffed for pie, of which there was plenty, but we did manage to make room for egg nog (with the nog, as Nana would say), and the kids had the non-nog. We sat around the table and asked each other questions from Nana and Big Daddy's It's A Wonderful Life board game, that was fun, but I think some of us need to study a little more next time, if we plan on beating Nana. I think she's probably watched that movie 50 times! We put the kids to bed shortly after putting the reindeer food in the yard and leaving grahm crackers and soy milk (Ashley says Santa may be lactose intolerant like Grams and uncle Jason). The kids were so excited and anxious to get to sleep so that morning would come quickly. After all the wine and nog we were anxious to get all of our wrapping over with so we could catch some z's.

Christmas morning was picture perfect. The kids were up just before 7 and patiently waited at the top of the stairs while momma and daddy slowly made their way to the coffee pot, and set the scene with Christmas music and lights. Dad picked up Eddie Faye on his way and they joined us around 8ish. The kids were so excited about everything they opened, while we were rewarded with sweet smiles and plenty of generous thank yous. Most of the morning was spent either jumping on the mini-tramp, or hopping around on Ashley's new X-box dance mat. Mark was busy trying to find food he could slice with his new mandalin and I was occupied putting together my new Kitchen Aix mixer and trying to figure out what I could mix up. By noon, Frank and Nicola showed up and dad and Ruthie were beat and ready to go. Frank and Nicola spent a lot of time playing with the kids, which the kids just devoured. By the time they left we were all ready for a good long nap.

Mom and Andy came over just after 5. We were able to have round 2 of the spectacular dinner from the night before, thanks to Nana. This time we made room for pie though. :) We had a really nice time with Grams and Pops, and the kids were more than happy to show off all of the wonderful new gifts that Santa brought. By 10:30 Grams and Pops were gone and we were making our way to bed. It was a beautiful Christmas Day, and I wouldn't change a thing about it, except to have all of the ones we love together.

Nah na nah na, hey hey hey...

GOODBYE

Yesterday was Alex's last day at La Petite. We pulled him out because he had a "preschool angel" watching over him who told me some not so nice things about his teacher. I had noticed little things here and there, but I always made excuses in my mind that she was just having a bad day, or maybe she had some personal things going on in her life that weren't allowing her to be herself. Whatever the case may be, this was the last straw. Apparently his teacher woke him up from nap one day by knocking his cot over with her foot. That on top of his extremely long adjustment period, his frequent accidents at nap (that don't happen at home) and the directors inability to confront employees with personel issues was enough to send us running. Mark filled out a report and we were on our way. Unfortunately, Alex went his first week without crying last week and had just adjusted, but I think it won't take nearly as long for him to adjust to his new school. I'm starting to realize that his teacher played a bigger part in his uneasiness than I realized.

On a brighter note, we found him a new preshcool. It's an independantly owned liscensed preschool called Children's Garden. We spent over an hour there yesterday and were very happy with what we saw. Alex won't start for another week and a half since Mark has off all of next week, but he's actually anxious to go. His teacher is wonderful. She has taught infants to middle schoolers, but CHOOSES to teach 4 year olds despite the decrease in pay. A dream come true! I didn't think it was possible to find such a person, but she exists! She was very outgoing and was great with the kids. Anyway, I'm still a little nervous after our recent experience, so I'm going to have my radar on pretty high. I'm really hoping this place works out. If it doesn't I'm quitting my job and living on the streets if I have to.

Alex says...

Oh my gosh this kid never fails to amaze me. We're watching Madagascar tonight and some of the characters were stranded on an island. They made a sign with sticks that said "HELP". A portion of it fell over and left "HELL". Mark and I chuckle at the "inside joke" or so we thought. Alex laughs and says "now it says Hell". &#$%$%^%$&$%&**@! WHAT!!!

Oh, I have one more. Tonight at dinner this little ham must have been trying to reach his "WHY" quota for the day and was once again asking me more questions than I had answers for. When I reach MY quota, I usually call it quits and just admit when I don't know the answer (even if sometimes I do happen to know). So he throws one out there, I don't even remember the question right now, but it was one I couldn't or didn't feel like answering at the time. From across the table our little 4 year old puts his hand up in the air matter of factly, and animates his response of "but you're an ADULT, MOMMA, you're supposed to know EVERYTHING, HEL-LO!" Now how do you NOT laugh at that one?

La Petite Update

It's FRIDAY!!! Yahoo! I have super news on this fabulous Friday. Bribery WORKS! Alex went all week without crying when I dropped him off. I am SO proud of him! Lets see if we can continue the bribe in to next week and possibly start a routine of smiles! :)

Updated Blog

I just got done transferring some old Blog entries from my old Blog. I've been needing to do that for quite some time. Yahoo, one more thing to check off my to do list. :)

Dads Retirement Party

I have been so anxious to post about the party, but held off in fear that dad might actually read my blog. Ruthie did such a good job of keeping it a secret that dad never even suspected it. Everyone arrived around 1:00, and at about 2:00 Ruthie gathered everyone around to say a few words of about all that we are thankful for, and announce the "real" reason for the party. Dad was definitely surprised. I think it took a while for it to acutally sink in. Poor dad. He told Ruthie long ago that there would be NO PARTY. Ruthie announced that "she" was not having a retirement party, but that "he" was. Dad responded with "no we're not, it's a Christmas Party" Haha! Of course, dad is dad, and his response was to be expected. It was a wonderful party full of people that my dad has probably spent most of his life with. I wasn't surprised to see that he was well liked by his coworkers, some of which probably know him better than I do. I'm so thankful that we were able to show him that his dedication and hard work has really made a difference in so many lives. His work ethic has been a major influence in my life, and it will pass on to my children and become a defining part of our family values indefinitely. It was a beautiful day for us all.

Here are some pictures of the cake I made for dad:

I'm having a.....

NEPHEW!

David and Cara had the Big Ultrasound today and It's a BOY!!! My very first nephew, I can't wait! Here his is, isn't he a handsome little guy??

4 year old thoughts

Alex: "Momma?"
Momma: "Yes, Alex..."
Alex: "I don't miss sissy OR daddy right now"
Momma: "Oh really, and why is that?"
Alex: "Because I'm eating these really yummy chocolates and they really make me not miss them right now"

Adventures in cake decorating

You know you're getting old when... you and your friends sign up for a Wilton Cake Decorating Class, and you seriously can't WAIT to go. And you REALLY know you're getting old when you walk out after the class with over $50 worth of cake decorating supplies, some of which come in a "tackle box"...(and that's with a 40% off coupon). Lastnight Mollie, Rachel, Tonya, Laurie and I went to our first class. We're officially old. Cake decorating at Michaels on a Thursday night, what's next, knitting? Weaving? LOL

We really did have a good time, even though the first class was more of a tease than anything. After not eating dinner it was pure torture passing one bowl of frosting after another around the room for everyone to "see the consistancy" (yeah the consistancy of my ability to restrain myself!). It took every ounce of restraint for me not to dip my finger in the gooey chcolate and taste a hunk. And then I sat there quietly drooling as she filled and frosted the chocolate cake. Evil I tell ya, EVIL!
I'm anxious to go back next week and learn more. The class is four, 2 hour sessions. So every week for the next 3 weeks I will be taking a cake to class to decorate...which in essence, means that I will be gaining an extra 5 pounds in the midst of gaining my OTHER required 5+ pounds from the Holidays. But that's ok, because I will be a mighty fine cake eating...oops, I mean mighty fine cake DECORATING momma.

Our little Free Thinker

I will never forget the words of Ramona Cain...the wife of the Preacher that married Mark and I, and one of the most unselfish women I've ever met..."Ashley is an old soul." At the time, I was only 21 years old and only had half a clue what she was talking about, and quite honestly I thought she was a bit KooKoo for saying that, but over the years that label has come to mind quite often, and I now see so much of the "old soul" within her. I don't know what I believe when it comes to statements like that, and I'm quite comfortable with not knowing what's real and what's not, it's an ok place to be actually, but when I see some of the things Ashley says and does, I wonder how on earth she could possibly have learned to be so empathetic and so in tune with human kindness in the short 9 years that she's been alive. Whatever it is, I sooo hope that she keeps it for life, and that she is able to share her "old soul" with people who can appreciate it as much as her mom and dad do.
Ok, so I'm rambling....the whole point of this entry to was to document another one of those genuinely sweet moments where Ashley made my heart pitter patter.
Yesterday, Mark and I went to vote and when we returned Ashley was curious about what we were voting for. I told her that most of it was boring stuff, but that the big issue on the ballot was Proposition 2. For the first time in our household I explained to her what the Proposition was, and I kept a 100% neutral explanation. After my explanation I sat there for a minute continuing what I was doing, waiting for her to respond, but acting as if the conversation was over... I was curious to hear how an unbiased 9 year old would respond. Slowly, her forehead wrinkled, her head cocked to the side and she said something that I will never forget, "But Momma, aren't gay people humans too?"

Halloween Pictures

Alex is 4!!!

We had Alex's 4th Birthday party at Chuckee Cheese this year. We didn't want to fool with cleaning and cooking, so this was too hard to pass up. All of our close neighbor friends were there, Uncle Frank, Aunt Nicola, Alexis and the Kendalls and Grams and Pops. He had such a great time! Here's Alex Pre-Birthday Party licking his birthday cake batter out of the bowl. He doesn't miss a drop:

And here's the cake, (my very first, so no laughing allowed!)



And here are some pictures of the party at Chuck E Cheese:

Work and Preschool week 2 and 3

I've been at work for 3 weeks now and I've finally started to adjust physically and emotionally to my new schedule, it's about time! I go in at 8:00, come home for lunch and then leave for the day around 3:30 or 4:00. So far, I'm pretty much able to make my own schedule. Alex, on the other hand is not adjusted just yet. Week one went great, but as soon as week 2 started he realized that this was not going to be a temporary thing. During week 2 he was very upset as I was leaving, but now he's upset before we even leave the house. He tells me "I don't want to miss you!" It's a huge change for such a little guy who's always had momma around. I wonder if I should have put him in a Mother's Day Out program when he was younger, maybe it wouldn't be as tough on him. What can ya do, what's done is done.

Alex had his 4 year check up on Tuesday this week. He's 42" tall, which puts him in the 90th percentile for height, he weighs 37 pounds which is the 70th percentile. He had 4 shots and did so well, momma was so proud! The nurse was amazing, she had him distracted by counting pictures on the wall. Surprisingly, he didn't even flinch for the first 3. I had to look over and see the bandaids to find out if she'd done anything yet! The 4th shot was the MMR, which is the most painful one, and boy did he feel that! He fussed for a little bit, but was such a brave boy and calmed quickly. He always gets a bit of a fever when he gets vaccinations, but here it is Friday and he's still feeling pretty yucky. Mark stayed home with him today because he had a fever and was really not feeling well, and he's laying next to me now with a 101 temp. Hopefully this will pass soon.

It's finally sinking in

I don't know what I was thinking when I thought I could go through this transition emotionless. It's finally sinking in. It might be PMS, it might be the fact that I had to go to a totally lame convention all day on Saturday AWAY from my family missing both kids games, a birthday party and the school carnival, maybe it has something to do with a message my friend just wrote about her conversation with my Alex on the playground last week, and the fact that someone else is telling me about his day. Or it might be the picture on my computer of Alex fingerpainting with his two friends Emma and Mrs. Alex on Mollie's kitchen floor, or possibly the all the emails about playgroups that I keep receiving that I know I can't take Alex to. I know I will adjust, I know it's a completely normal, crappy transition that we are all destined to have to go through at some point, whether it be now, or when our children go off to kindergarten, but it still sucks, and I'm really not interested in going through it, not one bit. Alex will be 4 next weekend, and I know that I am so lucky to have spent all this time with him, but for some reason it sure doesn't make it much easier.

First two days of work and preschool

Wow, I'm officially a working mom! Yesterday, Mark and I took Alex to his first day of preschool at La Petite. Sunday night we read "What to Expect at Preschool" which proved to be VERY beneficial in preparing Alex for his first day. When we kissed him goodnight he had the biggest grin on his face, he told us how excited he was to go to preschool in the morning, and that he couldn't wait to be a preschooler. I woke him up Monday morning and got him ready for school, and Mark and I took him in around 8:00. When we arrived, the kids were outside playing on the playground. It took him a while to remove himself from my leg, but eventually he went to play with the other kids. Surprisingly enough, I was emotionally stable. I'm not sure how that happened, but it did, and I was fine. I was so excited for the both of us that I didn't have a chance to be sad. Poor Mark, I think he might have covered the emotions for the both of us. I could tell pretty soon after we arrived that it was going to be tough on him. It was touching to see this emotional side of him. Alex did great on his first day, he never cried for us...and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that to be perfectly honest!

My job is great, I didn't realize how much I missed the working world...imagine that! I'm really enjoying my job and can't wait to dive in and learn all about this company and the work they do. I am one of two drafters in the office, so we're talking a small business, that's for sure. I'm looking forward to learning Microstation! I feel so lucky to have this opportunity! I have to cut this short, my tooth is SCREAMING at me and I really need to go lay down.

Cypress Valley Canopy Tour

Mark's first Zip

Scarier than it looks!

It's a looong way down

Standing on the platform in a 600 year old Cypress looking down

Leaning back over the edge...Jamie has trust, seeeeee! (pay no attention to my nervous hands)

ME

What a showoff!

Tarzan Zipping once again

October 16th

Today is our 6th anniversary. :) It's hard to believe how fast the time goes by, Ashley was 3 year old, Alex was not even thought of, and Mark and I were starting our new life together. Through these years we've endured a lot of change together, but one thing that has stayed constant is our love for each other. I've had my best friend by my side all this time.

Nana came to spend the night on Friday, so that she could come see the kids games. Alex scored 2 goals for Nana, and Ashley served for SEVERAL points and returned a few serves as well. My little show offs. :) After the games Nana took the kids back to their house to stay the night. Mark took us straight to Cypress Creek Canopy Tours. It was AMAZING! I have a slight fear of heights...but yesterday I learned that I don't really have a fear of heights, it's just a fear of falling. ;) This place was amazing, I have never experienced anything like it, and can't wait to do it again. Basically, it's a zip line tour through the Cypress Trees. We were way up in the canopy of the trees zipping from tree to tree, just like a bunch of monkeys. The first zip took my breath away, but after that, it was smooth sailing. I will post pictures tonight when I get the chance. I hope the pictures are as beautiful as I remember it being out there.

Dud Update

Well, we're pretty sure the Dud is going to be ok. This morning they did a stool sample, and some blood work. His stool sample was primarily blood. :( Scared the daylights out of me! They're not exactly sure what's wrong with him, but the vet says he has some gastrointestinal bacteria, which is causing all of his insides to be upset. Anything from emotional stress to feeding him table food can cause it. The biggest fear with this is dehydration, and he was not doing bad at all in that department, thank goodness. The vet wanted to keep him overnight, so they could try to push the fluids and see if they could get him to eat, while dosing him with something to coat his tummy. They called back at 5:30 and said he's doing great! He's eating, drinking and taking his meds just fine. This is a major relief, I was so worried that we were going to get bad news, like Parvo, or something awful like that. Dudley has been such a wonderful addition to our family and I just can't imagine our lives without him. He's a pretty special guy.

My boys watching TV together



Alex riding his horse

I have ink!

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again...I truly have the sweetest husband on the face of earth. He knows exactly what to do to make me smile. Yesterday, he walked in the door with a gift and a card to congratulate me on getting the job. I've been walking on cloud nine since I got the offer, and him coming home with that, in a way justified my excitement. He got me one of those fancy pens that really important people use. lol I felt like a total moron when it took me a few minutes to figure out how to use it. I twisted and pushed and pulled, and Mark just bit his tongue and watched me. Finally, after making a complete fool of myself I realized that the cap unscrewed. Anyway, I just love it, and can't wait to use it at my new job. :)

The Dud

I'm worried about the Dud. He hasn't eaten in two days. Two days ago I came home from a playgroup and when I opened the door, the smell of my house almost knocked me on my rear. I'm not even sure if he's drinking, it's so hard to tell with two dogs using the same bowl, and me being as busy as I have been the past few days. I think it's been long enough though, I'm calling the Vet. as soon as they open, which is in about 15 minutes. I'm so worried about him. He's just so lethargic and weak. He looks at us with pouty eyes, and I can tell he's hurting. I really hope this is just a virus or something and the Vet. can put our minds at ease and his pain at bay.

Job hunt update

I got a phone call at 9:30 this morning...I GOT THE JOB, it's official! Mark and I had worked up numbers so I could negotiate, but it turns out that they offered what I asked for. :) I start Monday morning at 9am. Wow, just 5 days ago I thought my entire world was crashing down, but today I feel like a million bucks. My new job is 2.4 miles from our drive way, and Alex's school is only 2. 8. Had we picked Stepping Stone it would have been right on the way, but I think I can handle the 4/10 of a mile extra for a school that I feel more comfortable with. :)

The job front

Well, yesterday I sent out my first resume, and if that wasn't nerve racking enough, getting an interview two hours later certaily was. The interview went well, I'm almost certain he'll be calling me back tomorrow with an offer. Unfortunately, the job is too far, and the working environment is not for me. Stark white walls, narrow white hallways, nothing but white. It just looked very institutional, and while the pay would be good, I'm just not interested. From there I went to pick up Alex from Mollie's, who was gracious enough to keep both kids at a moments notice. What a friend! :) From there we went to Stepping Stone School to tour their facility. My first impression was positive, but the longer I was there, the more I wanted to leave. The classroom was way too small for that many children, and it just didn't feel "warm". Otherwise, it was great, big playground, lots of learning centers, a great cirriculum, etc.
Today proved to be a MUCH better day. We had an appointment with La Petite Academy this morning. I was aprehensive, because it seems like all I hear is negativity towards La Petite...but never specifics. The director was so warm with Alex and the other children. I saw her trying to coax a shy little girl to go play and she was gently rubbing her leg talking softly to her. Stepping Stone did not have anyone visibly as "warm". The rooms are all open, plenty of space, in fact a LOT of space. I was very impressed with their program and attention to detail. The place isn't nearly as new and sparkly as S.S. but it got my vote! Ironically enough, when we left, Alex looked up at me (before I ever said a word) and said "momma, I think I like this place better". :) Need I look further?

So this morning I decided I would call a local surveying company and see if they were hiring. They didn't have an ad posted anywhere, but what the heck, I figured it couldn't hurt to call. I called at 7:50 am hoping to catch the owner early before he got to busy. He was very glad to speak with me and wanted to me to send a resume' asap. I promptly emailed him my resume and within the hour he replied that he wanted to meet with me. Yahoo! So I went in today at 2:00 and met with him, his wife (co-owner) and their right hand man, Johnny. What a great place! I was impressed from the get go. This was the most professional surveyor I've ever run across. The interview lasted a full hour and we covered everything under the sun. As it turns out this position was somehow created just for me. :) When he asked me if I "had" to work 40 hours a week, I knew that this was going to work out. It turns out they are not in need of an 8-5er, they're in need of someone that can work maybe a little less as needed. How perfect! Chuck told me that he thought me coming in was meant to be, and that this sounds like the ideal situation. I couldn't agree more. He didn't offer me the job, but he did tell me that he thought I'd work out great and that they'd call me in a day or two after they had talked to tell me some specifics about when, how much etc. I'm just thrilled! This place is less than 3 miles from home and I never even have to get on the main road. I can drive through the neighborhood to get there, heck I could ride my bike! I will update when I hear more. :)

Sweet Berry Farm

My boys

I have no idea what this face is all about.

My two favorite kids on the hayride

Photo compliments of Miss Ashley

We made a family trip to Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls today. www.sweetberryfarm.com Marble Falls is about 45 minutes West of Leander down 1431. What a gorgeous day for a trip through the Hill Counry! The high was 85, and there was not a cloud to be seen. They had all sorts of activities for the family...you could stuff a scarecrow, paint pumpkins, shuck corn with and old time metal crank shucker (I guess that's what it's called), they had scarecrow stuffing, hay rides, a kiddie maze through corn-like fields. They had goats and horses, homemade icecream, and plenty of photo ops. We kept it simple and took a hayride and painted pumpkins. The kids had such a great time, I think we might have to work this in every year and start a family tradition.

All good things must come to an end

I can't believe I'm already having to type this entry. Two years shy of what I thought was the end, I'm going to have to quit my role as stay at home mom. My heart aches and the lump in the back of my throat isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I keep telling myself that I'm such a lucky wife, such a lucky mom, look how far we've come, we have our health, we have each other. Then I'm reminded of everything we're going to miss, and just how much my perfect life is about to change and everything else gets fogged over. I just want time to stand still, even for just a little while. I look at the time I've spent studying during the day and cleaning the house, and I just want to take it all back, I want to close my books, put the mop down and play and dance and sing and cuddle.

Day 7 of the sickies, and La Maestra #2

Alex is now on day 7 of this stinking virus, and I am sooo ready to get my boy back to normal. He came down with a fever on Friday just before we went camping, and had a fever between 100 and 104 up until yesterday. :( He doesn't want to do anything but lay on the couch and watch TV. I took him to storytime today, since his fever has been gone for a day or so, that was a mistake! He didn't pay attention to any of the stories, he just wanted to lay on the ground and act up like a 2 year old. :( It's naptime right now, and he's laying on the couch just snoring away. At the library I found a Laurie Berkner CD, (Alex and I just love her!) so I put it on when we got home thinking that might perk him up, but he ended up falling asleep to it while I danced around the living room. Poor guy. I miss him.

Tomorrow is Spanish class number 2! I'm really looking forward to it, and hoping I can start memorizing some of the students names now that I'm a little more relaxed. Today I met a lady at the library who is a volunteer Spanish teacher also. She teaches Kindergarteners at another school in our district, but our program is exactly the same. We shared some ideas and talked a little about our first class, she was just as nervous as I was, and told me about how difficult it was for her to sleep the night before. I was secretly happy to hear that! Shhh! After talking to all the Spanish teachers at our school I was beginning to think that I was the only one feeling the first class jitters. I talked to several teachers who all told me "oh, they're just first graders, they won't bite!" Well DUH! Anyway, it was just nice to talk to someone who understood. She and I are the only teachers that I know of who are not fluent Spanish speakers, so that was a little comforting as well. I 've been wondering if I'm depriving the kids of the extra knowledge of a fluent teacher, and if they are missing out on too much, but the more I think, the more I realize that these kids are lucky, (and I AM just a volunteer). I'm teaching them the basics of Spanish, and my kiddos should go in to the 2nd grade with the same knowledge of Spanish that the next class has. Strangely enough I never even introduced myself to the lady, and I never got her name, how silly! Luckily, she takes her 3 year old to storytime on Thursdays also, so I'm sure we'll exchange names and numbers in the future.

My first day teaching

I'm only 5 days late updating on my first day of teaching Spanish. My days are completely full, as I knew they would be when I took on all that I have. So I'm taking a break from studying to update on last Friday.

For starters I showed up an hour early at 10:50 instead of 11:50. Fortunately I checked the schedule when I arrived and realized my mistake BEFORE walking in to the class an hour early and completely embarassing myself. As it turns out the hour was just what I needed to calm my nerves, soak up the school environment, and get in to teacher mode. I was able to study my lesson a little longer, lower my heart rate, and focus on relaxing a little more. The first two minutes or so of class is a blurr. I was scared out of my mind (of what, I'm not sure), but those sweet little first graders had a way of putting my nerves at ease and making me feel like I was at home. Within a few minutes, I was at ease, as if I were at home teaching Alex. The kids were attentive, excited and very well behaved. Their interest in learning Spanish made my job so much fun. They are really are cute little people. I hope that I am able to remember all of their names though, my goodness, there are so many names! Luckily a few have the same name so that increases my odds just a bit.
My next class is the day after tomorrow, and this time around I'm not at all nervous, in fact I'm anxious to get back in there and have some more fun. :)

Spanish tomorrow!

Well, this is it, I just went over the lessons I will be teaching tomorrow, for the last time. It's late, I'm tired, and I don't see me improving anymore tonight. Tomorrow is the big test. It will be my first time ever to teach. Yes, I'm nervous, but more anxious than anything. I'm so ready to see if I can do this without cracking!!! I have no idea how hard this is going to be, but I keep reminding myself that these are only first graders and that it doesn't matter how perfect I come across, all that matters is that I teach these kids some Spanish and have some fun.

Lesson 1: Introduction, Why it's important to learn Spanish, where Spanish is spoken, Similarities of Spanish to English, Como te llamas, me llamo, Read Say Hola to Spanish book. Alphabeto, colores. Phew! I hope I fill up the entire 30 minutes. I'm anxious to report back on how it goes, but it probably won't be until Sunday that I get a chance to get back online. I'm checking Ashley out of school early and we're leaving for Inks Lake to go camping shortly after I finish my class tomorrow. It's going to be a busy day, but I will surely reap the rewards while I lounge in the beautiful weather that is heading our way this weekend. I think the high this weekend is in the 80's. A huge change from the 108+ temps we've had the past week.

Rita is on her way

We woke up this morning, got ready for school, and just as we were about to leave I check my email and find out that school has been cancelled. Apparently, all the schools South of us are packed with evacuees, and they will be needing the Elementary schools as well. It was so fun to stop the kids that were riding their bikes and walking to school to tell them there is no school today. One boy didn't beleive me, he says "you're pulling my leg, right?" I said nope, I'm serious, go check it out for yourself, the parking lot is empty. That's all he needed to hear, he and his buddy screamed at the top of their lungs and turned around to go home. I think it's great that they are opening up the schools for shelters, what perfect sense that makes! It's a good thing Rita is hitting over the weekend, maybe the kids will be able to return to school on Monday.
So this morning in celebration of no school we went out to breakfast with Angie, Aubree and Jared. The girls really wanted Day Light Donughts, so we made a quick stop and picked some up, then we headed to an "adult" restaurant as we called it. There's a little mom and pop barbeque place over on 1431 that serves all kinds of yummy breakfast plates, so we decided to check it out. We were able to get a table on the back patio and let the kids run free, while we ate our breakfasts. It was so nice, and the girls were just thrilled to be on this little adventure during school hours.

How annoying~

I just typed up a Looong post about Hurrican Rita, and it got lost. What a friggin bummer, that took me 20 minutes!!! I will summarize...Mark is out of town, Rita was expected to hit us hard, no flashlight, went to walmart, empty shelves, crazy people, bought in to the chaos, freaked out a bit, didn't sleep lastnight, missed my husband, forgot picture day, the gas stations were out of gas, missed my husband, it's now bed time, we're safe, the storm is not going to hit us, I have no reason to not sleep well tonight but I betcha I don't...still miss my husband.

Espanol

Well, I did it. I officially committed myself to teaching Spanish. I haven't decided if I've completely lost my mind or not, but I'm sure I'll know on day 1 of classes. I'm not sure why a class of first graders frightens me as much as it does...more than likely because I only know basic Spanish and I have not been given any curriculum info. as of yet. So yeah, I'm a little nervous. lol What I do know is that I will be teaching 1st graders for 30 minutes one day per week. I'm trying to focus on what Mark told me the other day "You could do anything for 30 minutes, shoot, you could be a trapeze artist for 30 minutes a week." He's right, I can do this, and that's why I volunteered. I think it will be really good for me, and if anything, it will freshen up some of my Spanish, and that's always a good thing when you live in Texas.
I have to admit, I am a little aprehensive about the program though. It's strictly a volunteer program, and like most volunteer programs, there is a shortage of volunteers. The program only has enough people to teach Kinder through 2nd grade...the same problem they had last year. I am concerned that the Spanish we teach will be lost after the 2nd grade. The next Spanish they are REQUIRED to have is in High School, and they could wait until their Jounior year to take it. That is a HUGE gap! If we were teaching 3rd - 5th only, as opposed to the lower grades, the children would be more likely to choose Spanish as an elective in Middle School, since the material would be so fresh. I don't know, maybe I'm thinking too much about this, maybe exposing them to a foreign language at such a young age will open their mind to something as simple as realizing that the world is bigger than Leander, Texas, and this will allow their minds to grow in ways I can't even really comprehend. Whatever the case may be, I'm excited and anxious to get started in a few weeks. How am I ever going to remember 20 kids names!!?

Labor Day weekend

We had such a wonderful weekend at dads, it was really one of the best times we've had out there all summer. Most of the weekend was spent soaking up the sun and cruising the boat up and down the lake. Ashely sure has improved with her wakeboarding, she can now go over the wake! Next summer I just know she'll be jumping like a pro! ;) It doesn't seem like that long ago when miss Ash wouldn't do anything that didn't allow her to have two feet firmly planted on the ground. Now there's nothing that she won't at least try. We are so proud of our girl! Mr. Alex has been watching Sissy very closely. He's so lucky that he has such a talented big sister to look up to. After begging to wakeboard all summer, Nana broke out the kiddie skis for Alex. I didn't expect much, in fact I expected Alex to chicken out and not even attempt it, but much to my surprise, our bitty three year old skied this weekend. Nana stayed in the water with him, giving him detailed instructions, while Mark, Ashley and I rode in the boat. Momma driving the boat was definitely not the best idea. Once I pulled him up, I don't think I looked forward at all! Thank goodness nothing was in my way (or was there, haha). Every bone in my body was shaking thinking about what could possibly happen to such a little guy. He's a big boy though, he does fine in a life vest and can now even swim without one. Alex stayed in a semi-squatting position the whole time, with water slashing up in his face. He would turn his head to take a breath and then look back forward again. He was absolutely adorable! Once he'd had enough he signaled me with a thumbs down. This was the first time I think I'd ever seen him give a thumbs down! He's been riding on the back of the boat in a float with Ashley all summer and the only hand signals he's given is a thumbs up to go faster. So I slowed the boat down, with Alex gradually lowering in to the water (along with my heart rate). We were all so proud of him, even the lady across the lake was yelling for him. :) There's no such thing as a skiing toddler, I think that's pretty much an oxymoron, so it's official, we have a big boy now. I'm not sure how I feel about that one!