Wordless Wednesday

Shower, anyone?

Remember the master shower ordeal that I posted about back at the beginning of September of last year...some NINE months ago? Well, as embarassing as it is to admit, that nasty mess has sat untouched this entire time. Which also means, that we have not had a functioning shower of our own either. We've been using the kids bathroom to shower and looking at our way-to-expensive-to-fix mess wondering how long it would be before we hit the lottery so that we could afford to repair all the damage. As it turns out, we hit the lotto much sooner than we expected. In the form of insurance coverage! We discovered that our home owners insurance covers this mess!!!! We had an adjustor come out Friday and he cut us a check to repair the shower, the flooring and the wall covering. Now it's time to shop! Actually, two days later, Mark and I have done a majority of the shopping and planning. We bought a bathroom planning book at 1/2 Price Books, and have so many ideas already! We know we're going to get rid of the silly carpeting and the horrendous wallpaper, paint the cabinets, replace all of the light fixutres and cabinet hardware and paint. Basically, we're getting a brand new bathroom and we're just gidy about it. I'm planning to blog the whole process with plenty of before, during and after pictures. This has been my one regret about all the improvements we've made to the house. I WILL document this project.

Soon we won't have to peer out the bathroom door, checking for neighbor kids before darting up the stairs to the privacy of our bedroom. Yahoo!!!

Total Momsense

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday to meeeee

I suppose I'm supposed to be distraught over this major life event, but I just haven't quite got there yet. 30 just doesn't seem old to me. Now don't get me wrong, it seems much older than I FEEL, but I just can't bring myself to mourn this new era. If anything I should be celebrating. My 20's were about learning to feel comfortable in my own skin, accepting who I am and learning from my mistakes instead of regretting them. I feel like my 30's are going to be just as significant, how can I fear that?

We spent the holiday weekend at Dad and Ruthie's where David, Cara and Keller so graciously joined us. I know their 5 hour trek from Plano with an 11 month old could not have been pleasant, but despite the little obstacle in the backseat, they came, and I am so, so grateful for that. Keller is walking all over the place now, and is just getting bigger and bigger each time I see him. The kid eats more than Alex. He's a TANK! He's such a good little guy and so fun to be with. Ashley is just in love with him and spends time chasing him around and playing baby games with him. Anything to get her hands on him. Alex, on the other hand, is Alex, and tries to pretend he doesn't exist. Seriously. He does a pretty good job of it too. It's nothing against his cousin, but Alex has always had an aversion to "babies". He says they always "bother" him. I know it sounds awful, but really it's quite entertaining to watch Keller try to get Alex's attention. Alex's eyes bug out and he just stares at me as if to say "MOM HELP ME!" You just can't help but laugh. Of course, I required "mandatory" love and bugged him to "give your cousin a hug", "give him a kiss" etc. Translation: "Do something cute so I can at LEAST get a picture." I drove him absolutely crazy and more thank likely this worked against me since remember, this is Alex.


While we were there we got to check out dad's insanely lush garden. This year he used organic turkey (or was it chicken?) compost mixed in with his regular stuff, and he also raised the bed. His garden was so green and full of veggies, it was just gorgeous. Dad saved the kids some cucumbers and zuccini to pick, and as you can see the zuccini was more than ready! I just can't get over how lush it is, and tall, it is just so tall! In a week or so, he's going to have soooo many ripe tomatoes, too bad he doesn't even LIKE tomatoes! Ha! I can't wait to go back next time and see if the corn stalks produce. I guess he has about 5 or so stalks and a couple appear to be growing pretty good. I think this is his first time to attempt corn, so his expectations aren't too high.


























So yeah, I fully expected to wake up on the 30th anniversary of my birth and find my boobs sagging to floor, my back aching, and an undeniable desire to nag at my husband. Fortunately, for me (and Mark), that didn't happen. Instead, I woke up to my three most favorite people in the world singing happy birthday to me with a tray full of yummy breakfast treats in tow. They made fried eggs over hard, just the way I like them, bacon, an everything bagel with cream cheese, a bowl FILLED with fresh strawberries, banannas and apples and a cup of perfectly sweetened and creamed coffee (mind you, this is no easy task). The four of us lounged there in bed together picking at my breakfast and chatting about whatever silly little children chat about. It was the perfect start to a perfect day.

The rest of the day was just as perfect. Ashley and I went shopping, just the two of us. We spent a good two hours trying on clothes and just being girls. We had so much fun shopping together and probably tried on half the clothes in the store. We left with our loot and went home to Nana's where we had an early dinner of homemade fried shrimp and I forget what else...does it matter really though? I'm telling you, Nana's fried shrimp is the best anywhere. I don't even order fried shrimp at restaurants anymore, I'm always disappointed. I just hold out for special occasions at Nana's and make up for lost time by eating and eating and eating. After dinner we had homemade chocolate cake with dark chocolate icing a la mode. DE-LISH! It was so good, that we had a second helping later that night. (shhhh)

You know you're old when you get gifts like these...and you LIKE IT!

Camera used to take above pictures *not pictured. :) Thanks Dad and Ruthie!!!


Thanks to all my sweet family and friends for making my birthday special...and Mollie, for making me smile when I read your text message. :)

My Next 30 Years

Our camping trip

After dropping off Splash Cinnamon Stick Urben, Turkey, Prince Roker (all fish) and Sarge at Grams and Pops house, we headed out to Inks Lake State Park last Friday. By the time we arrived around 3ish, most of the campsites were already taken. This is definitely prime time for camping, but thankfully Mark made reservations over a month ago. In leiu of writing about our experience, I decided to upload a small portion of the 500+ pictures I took over the weekend.

Inks Lake Camping Trip

Wordless Wednesday

Pass The Torch Tuesday

I'm so proud of my sweet girl. Once again she's knocked my socks off. For Mother's Day, she created (and presented) me an incredibly sweet Power Point slide show. What a sweetie she is to take the time to tell me how much she appreciates me. It makes it all worth it!

Mother's Day Power Point

Photo Hunters "Five"

This one was taken at Inks Lake this weekend. Five, in need of a nap and driving sissy crazy. The perfect capture of "five" in our family.

Wordless Wednesday

Pass The Torch Tuesday

This morning, Mark and I found a book of poems written by miss Ashley in her Monday folder.

The cover is a pink piece of folded construction paper entitled Book O' Poetry, by Ashley. Each page inside is an illustrated half a sheet of folded paper with poems written in pencil. This is no ordinary poetry book. This book is amazing. Each piece of work is filled with meaning and a sort of unexpected depth for a 10 year old child. A sort of depth that I'm not even sure I'm capable of expressing myself. I am just so incredibly proud that Ashley is growing in to this AMAZING human being, that is capable of expressing herself this way.

I Am
by Ashley Urben

I am curious and creative
I wonder if pigs will fly
I hear myself think
I see my brother grow
I want to go to the moon
I am curious and creative
I imagine that there'll be world peace
I feel good when I talk about problems
I touch the paper with my pencil
I worry about my great grandpa
I cry when a friend or family member dies
I am curious and creative
I understand that people make mistakes
I say that one day I'll become a vet
I dream of one day working with animals
I try to do my best in life everyday
I hope to get a good job
I am curious and creative

Homeschooling?

In my quest to find more information on whether or not homeschooling for Kindergarten is a good choice for Mr. Alex...(yes, I'm thinking about it) I ran across this and found it to be very thought provoking. I thought I'd share.

What About Socialization?

Two women meet at a playground, where their children are swinging and playing ball. The women are sitting on a bench watching. Eventually, they begin to talk.

W1: Hi. My name is Maggie. My kids are the three in red shirts -- helps me keep track of them.

W2: (Smiles) I'm Terri. Mine are in the pink and yellow shirts. Do you come here a lot?

W1: Usually two or three times a week, after we go to the library.

W2: Wow. Where do you find the time?

W1:: We home school, so we do it during the day most of the time.

W2: Some of my neighbors home school, but I send my kids to public school.

W1:: How do you do it?

W2: It's not easy. I go to all the PTO meetings and work with the kids every day after school and stay really involved.

W1: But what about socialization? Aren't you worried about them being cooped up all day with kids their own ages, never getting the opportunity for natural relationships?

W2: Well, yes. But I work hard to balance that. They have some friends who're home schooled, and we visit their grandparents almost every month.

W1: Sounds like you're a very dedicated mom. But don't you worry about all the opportunities they're missing out on? I mean they're so isolated from real life -- how will they know what the world is like -- what people do to make a living -- how to get along with all different kinds of people?

W2: Oh, we discussed that at PTO, and we started a fund to bring real people into the classrooms. Last month, we had a policeman and a doctor come in to talk to every class. And next month, we're having a woman from Japan and a man from Kenya come to speak.

W1: Oh, we met a man from Japan in the grocery store the other week, and

he got to talking about his childhood in Tokyo. My kids were absolutely fascinated. We invited him to dinner and got to meet his wife and their three children.

W2: That's nice. Hmm. Maybe we should plan some Japanese food for the lunchroom on Multicultural Day.

W1: Maybe your Japanese guest could eat with the children.

W2: Oh, no. She's on a very tight schedule. She has two other schools to visit that day. It's a system-wide thing we're doing.

W1: Oh, I'm sorry. Well, maybe you'll meet someone interesting in the grocery store sometime and you'll end up having them over for dinner.

W2: I don't think so. I never talk to people in the store - certainly not people who might not even speak my language. What if that Japanese man hadn't spoken English?

W1: To tell you the truth, I never had time to think about it. Before I even saw him, my six-year- old had asked him what he was going to do with all the oranges he was buying.

W2: Your child talks to strangers?

W1: I was right there with him. He knows that as long as he's with me, he can talk to anyone he wishes.

W2: But you're developing dangerous habits in him. My children never talk to strangers.

W1: Not even when they're with you?

W2: They're never with me, except at home after school. So you see why it's so important for them to understand that talking to strangers is a big no-no.

W1: Yes, I do. But if they were with you, they could get to meet interesting people and still be safe. They'd get a taste of the real world, in real settings. They'd also get a real feel for how to tell when a situation is dangerous or suspicious.

W2: They'll get that in the third and fifth grades in their health courses.

W1: Well, I can tell you're a very caring mom. Let me give you my number

-- if you ever want to talk, give me call. It was good to meet you.

- - AUTHOR UNKNOWN - -

Photo Hunt "Childhood"

Yesterday was Field Day for Ashley. It was also Field Day at her old school in Leander. After most of the events were over here in Georgetown, I picked her up from school and we went to Leander's field day so Ash could surprise her friends.

This picture was taken at Pleasant Hill with her old buddies. To hear the girlish squeals when they saw Ashley walk up, was just priceless! I chose this photo for the theme "childhood" for a number of reasons. These girls are childhood friends and have grown up together through the prime of their childhood. In just over two weeks they will all finish their last year in elementary school and I know silly faces like these will still happen, but I also know that they will eventually become few and far between. The look of innocence on their faces just makes my tummy flutter.

Where's The Poop

Yesterday, Alex and I ate lunch with dad, made a trip to Ready, Set, Play
and afterwards headed over to half price books to play a game of checkers and read a few books. Alex picked out this book called "Where's The Poop" and just had to read it. The next 5 minutes were excruciating. Trying to read this book in a quiet book store was more than I could take. "Baby Penguin, you need to go poop." "Silly momma, I already went poop and I feel much better!"
The best part is folding up the flaps, because yes, this is a flap book, and finding the animals poop. VERY realistic looking poop. Each page had me laughing out loud like a silly little girl. And then we get to the very last page, which is just one big flap with a picture of a door. You open the door and there's the little boy's mom sitting on the toilet, saying "Please close the door, I need privacy while I'm going poop." This book was just too much. After barely making it through the entire book because my sides were hurting, Alex informed me that we just HAD to buy this book. I refused. This was for a little boy trying to learn to use the potty and we don't need it.

Well, here we are almost 24 hours later and I'm realizing that we HAVE to have this book. So I look it up on Amazon just to see how much it is, and if it's worth ordering or if I should just go back to half price books, and then I see the reviews. I read all 12 of the reviews and now feel like the most adolescent mother on the face of this earth. Each one talks about how appropriate this book is and how well written it is with the amazing pictures and great message etc. Not one of them mentioned sitting in the bookstore laughing out loud with their 5 year old son. Ut oh.

Happy Birthday Kelly!

A poem for today

I Took His Hand and Followed

Author Unknown

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.

Wordless Wednesday

The newest addition to the family

Just when I thought my heart couldn't possibly hold anymore love than I already have, an early birthday present from Dad and Ruthie arrives.

Here's my new baby the Nikon D40 DSLR:

I'm so happy I could just burst!

Ashley - 1 Mom and Dad - 0

Yesterday Ashley presented Mark and I with a Power Point presentation. She had us sit down while she stood next to her computer and literally gave us a full presentation. She had it memorized and was able to speak to us without looking at the screen. We were and still are in complete shock.

While I can't upload the actual PPT Presentation, I have created an album of the slides she made.

Ashley's Power Point