jennypen

Because catching up is WAY more fun than doing my work right now!

2011-10-20T18:59:00.001-07:00

Olivia's 1st day of Kindergarten!

Mom said we need to write this one down, so here goes... Love you, Mom!

On Olivia's first day of school, she was quite the celebrity around here. Grandma stopped by before work to send her off on her very big day. Daddy went to work a few hours late to take her to school. I dabbed at my tears so I wouldn't greet my 1st graders with black smears of my face. Lily ate 'bobbles.' OK, so nothing too unusual there; 'guess she didn't catch what the fuss was about. ;-) And some excited family members called to see how it went. But the first day of Kindergarten is pretty exhausting for a barely five-year-old! Especially if it's followed up with spending extra time at school while Momma works, making the trip to the development center to pick up the baby, and commuting home. So when Grandma called after school to hear about it, the tired girl sleepily asked, "Grandma, can you just ask me the questions, and I can answer you in my head?" No surprise, Grandma was fine with that.

Mommy tries to keep it together! Olivia is wearing my old dress from my first day of school.

Such a proud Daddy. I think they kinda like each other.

My girl is loving school! She was always so resistant with me about learning to read, and rather than push her (in this area) I only pursued when her interest was piqued, and I settled for reading lots of stories to her. The teacher in me loves reading to her anyway. However, since she's been in 'real' school, she works her little spongy tail off, soaking up so much! She's almost always reading and writing in her spare time. I. Love. It. And her teacher pulled me aside today to tell me that she made her high reading group. Maybe I'm bragging, but I've suffered through the heartache of enough 'red' days, that I'm ok with that! If only Olivia will stop pushing around her 'BBF,' as they call each other, who doubles her mass. Aye, aye, aye.

Also, she informed me this afternoon about a boy at her table who asked her, "Will you marry me?" and is just 'so in love with me.' Hmmm. I'll be watching you, Little Guy, always watching. Just so you know. ;-)

There's nothing better than sneaking peeks of my school-aged girl while at work in her room, eating in the cafeteria, or when transitioning to different places around the school, and those snuggles and kisses throughout the day just might be what get me through this school year (along with accompanying her to the field trip and hearing Olivia stories from my friends and colleagues)!

Left: The Bully; Right: The Victim; Still BBFs, though! (And the 'red' days are becoming fewer!)

And a quick Lily Report - (since it's 9:30 and I should think about getting started on a couple hours' worth of work and a quick house cleaning) This girl has my heart. After jumping out of her crib on Saturday morning, her bed magically transitioned to a toddler bed before naptime. The transition was seamless. I think she goes to sleep better now than in her crib! Phew. Because not a whole lot about that Little Lovins has been seamless. She plays with my heart when I pick her up from her school, and she withholds her hugs and kisses from me, all while grinning mischievously. Then she leaps out of my grasp to run up to other grown ups on the campus to hug them. Luckily the game is over when we get home, and she politely requests some snuggle time with me. She, too, is SO tired by the end of their long day. There is way more fussing going on than we'd prefer, but a little outdoor playtime, a visit to our horse neighbors('doggie - heEeEe'), a dance party, or a few rounds of Ring-Around-the-Rosie pretty much cure it.

Life is unbelievably tiring most of the time right now, and I feel like I'm constantly working on keeping a positive attitude and battling stress, exhaustion, and a lack of enough hours in the day to accomplish what needs to be done, but I couldn't be more thankful. I have 22 amazing first graders who challenge & stretch me (and I mean ReeeEALLY challenge me!), make me laugh & and fill my heart with joy. Teaching them is really an honor. I have a husband who is patient, understanding, and encouraging when I deserve less than that. He's also fun to be around, CRACKS me up, and is ridiculously sweet with our daughters. And I have Those Girls. Throw in a whole slew of amazing family and friends, and who could ask for anything more!

Happy 1st Birthday, Lily!

2011-05-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Little Lily,

It is amazing to be your mommy. You pulled one over on all of us, by making us all think you were the "easy" child who rests well and often and is content to sit back and be a spectator. Boy, were we wrong! Your activity level is second to none (your teacher of many babies attests to this!), and your zeal for life is both contagious and exhausting! It's so beautiful to watch you grow and learn. While reminiscing about your first year, I came up with a list of some of the things about you that I truly adore:

*You give the best cuddles and hugs to your family by leaning your sweet little face into our shoulders.
*You inherited Daddy's red hair and the personality to go with it. I'm impressed by just how powerful your tantrums are. That said, we'll be working on that one, Honey.
*Your love for animals is so sweet! Whenever you see Gracie or "our" horses, you light up, giggle, and start patting your chest as if saying "more" or "I WANT IT!"
*You think your big sister hung the moon. She brings about a particular smile in you that I don't see otherwise.
*You're a biter. You can't get enough things in your grasp to bite...toys, teethers, bottles, carpet threads, fingers, friends, etc. OUCH! But it's still somehow endearing.
*Like your sister, you didn't waste any time learning to walk. Your first steps were at 9 months.
*You wobble like a Weeble, only you DO fall down.
*Your poor little forehead is a collection of bruises and boo boos, but it doesn't slow you down.
*While your pincer grasp is just fine, there's no place for it in your high chair. Why waste time when shoveling fills the tummy so much faster.
*You made it through a string of too many ailments for several months and still kept a happy attitude. It DID allow for extra time off for Mommy and extra snuggle/bonding time.
*There is only one way to drink a bottle...one hand on the bottle and the other tousling your hair (or mine).
*You have hair now!!! And it's even a bit red and curly. So pretty; it was worth the wait. :-)
*As a little bitty thing, your ears were so prominent! For your sake, I'm glad you've grown into them, but they were oh, so cute, and I did love calling you "Ears."
*When asked if you want a bottle, you laugh and run to the kitchen. Good luck, Dearie, during this weaning process. I hate to burst your bubble, but I also want your teeth to stay healthy and beautiful.
*"The Itsy Bitsy Spider" soothes you when nothing else in the car will. In fact, other songs just make you more irritated, but you'll do the motions to this one.
*Music makes you bend your knees and shake your hips; you can't help but dance.
*Your birth was very exciting; you didn't want to miss a second of this life and were one of a small population to emerge face first. You didn't even have the bruising and swelling you should have...only a serious case of frog legs for a few weeks. ;-)
*Your laugh used to resemble a bee bee gun. That was a fun stage.
*A-yee-ya (Olivia), ba-ba (bottle), ma-ma, and da-da were your first words. You have your priorities straight, Sister!

I love you so, and I'm looking forward to another year of special memories to be made.

Love,
Mommy

Happy Days

2011-01-29T18:41:00.001-08:00

Ah, I'm sitting at the computer with a sick (boo!) baby, but she's sleeping comfortably on my chest. With a few minutes of quiet on my hands, I have a chance to post about life these days. Olivia is saying things that are just too cute to forget as time goes by! Let's see what I can remember as I'm sitting here...

Driving home from school the other day, she tells me in a sing-song voice, "Mommy, I have a new frieh-end." When I ask who it is she tells me, being careful to enunciate each syllable, "Martin Lufer King, Junior." She knows "people were not very nice to him," and "he's not on the Earf." (Wouldn't that make it tough to maintain a friendship?) When I asked why people weren't nice to him she told me, "I don't want to talk about it." Turns out she didn't know that part. K- so rereading that makes me realize that typing it leaves out so much of the cute, but I still want to remember it. :-)

That's all that comes to mind right now; I can't "bemember" any others.

Olivia attended Family Math Night with me at my school last week. Oh, boy, I'm looking forward to next year! She'll start Kindergarten in about half a year, and I'll pass my sweet girl in the hallways. :-)

"Lily Claire Sumshine," as Big Sister lovingly calls her, can't seem to shake this long line of infections lately. Over the past two and a half months she's been struck with Chicken Pox, at least two cold viruses, a stomach bug, an ear infection lasting almost two weeks on antibiotics, an allergic reaction & hives because of one of her antibiotics, and two staph infections - one took her toenail, and the other had to be lanced and packed a couple times. Throw in teething, and life has been tough around here at times.

In spite of all that, she's still a very happy baby and VERY active! Her activity level is amusing! Out of the eight babies in her class, her Mrs. Maria tells us she's the most active and will be the first to walk even though she's at least a month younger than the rest. (If you become the squeaky wheel, you get a REALLY amazing teacher at a childcare center, even if your baby is in a different age range. ;-) )

Lily Girl is saying "Mom-Mom," "Da-Da," "Ay-ah" for Olivia, "Bob-bob" for bottle, and she barks when she sees Gracie. She LOVES Gracie, but not as much as her sister. She tries to wake up and party around 3:00 or 4:00, clapping, smiling, and dancing. She loves blowing raspberries, dancing to music with Sister, and hunting down any and all electric cords around the house. It's hard to believe she's almost nine months old. They've been a beautiful whirlwind for us!

Lily at 6 months with Daddy; Olivia backstage with Aunt Jaime at her play; Play time at Christmas in Nashville; With Aunt Jaime after "Southern Belles;" Lily in Mommy's baby clothes; and Sweet Sisters

Livyisms and Happy One Month!

2010-06-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, Lily! I can't believe you are already one month old and how much you've grown! You bring us so much joy, delight, and love, just like your big sister.

Now, a Few Livyisms:

Olivia always checks on Lily when she's making noises. We let her know she's ok, she just "talks" to us by crying or making other baby noises. Since Lily grunts and stretches a lot, we tell Olivia, "She's ok, she's just grunting." The other day Livy responded to the little Noisemaker by saying, "She's ok, Mommy; she's just GRUMPING." So now, of course, we always refer to those sweet sounds as grumping.

Unlike her baby sister, Olivia is the Queen of all Sleep-Fighting. After bedtime, she snuck out of her room, so Daddy said, "Livy, if you get out of bed again, we will have to close your door." Little Turkey responded, "No, Daddy. How 'bout if I get out of bed TWO times you close my door."

Big Sister LOVES to care for her baby. Sometimes too much. I asked her to not touch Lilian's swing while she was finishing her nap, and (shockingly) Olivia was trying to defy us. I got very stern with her so she stood on one foot next to the swing and sneakily put out her other leg. When she saw me shoot "The Look," she said, "I'm just doing my passe, Mommy," and made a pretty ballerina pose.

We have a STINK-ER on our hands. I couldn't be happier. ;-)

From Husband to Wife

2010-05-29T12:44:00.001-07:00

Aaron sent this email to me for Mother's Day... What a keepsake! I will refer back to this whenever I'm tempted to grumble about dirty socks strewn about or something ridiculous like that! :-)

My Love,

Congratulations on being a new mother. We make such wonderful babies and Lily is evidence of that! She is perfect. Both of our children have a fantastically wonderful, caring, loving, and nurturing mother. I'm in awe of the sight of you as a mother!

Happy Mother's Day. I can't believe that we now have two children that resemble you so much! I'm just thrilled that they have a mother worthy of celebrating on Mother's Day! I love you so much.

Aaron

Introducing our lovely Lilian Claire

2010-05-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

Lily officially made us a family of four on Sunday, May 2 at 12:28am. She weighed in at 7 lbs, 5 1/2 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long.
Our Lily has filled our home with cuddles, coos, grunts, and even more love. She was virtually silent the first three weeks, only letting us know if she really needed a meal or a diaper change. However, she is already growing up and has found she has quite the opinion at times! She loves to spend most of her day sleeping (this came as a shock to us after parenting Baby Olivia!) and during her little awake time, she loves to make kissy faces, watch her big sister, snuggle up next to our necks, and make rumbly sounds - lots of them.

I cannot believe she will be four weeks old just after midnight tonight. She has changed so much already. Her dark blue eyes seem to take in every detail around her, and she is already so strong! A couple times she has tried to smile at us, but her biggest smiles still occur in her sleep. She is a busy young lady with a big sister to keep up with, so she's already visited the museum, attended a movie (This could have NEVER happened with Baby O!), gone to church, and watched a dance recital. Oh, we think she will be a red-head! Her sweet fuzzy hair looks red in the sunlight and she has the pink cheeks to go with it, just like her daddy!

Olivia is the SWEETEST big sister, and the girls are precious together! Livy lets us know what Lily needs if she's fussy, and she's always wanting to hold, hug, and kiss her. She has fought us on the "Only hold the baby if a grown up is helping you" rule. When a grandma watched the girls for us to have a date, we returned home and were informed Olivia got Lilian out of her baby seat and brought her to bed with her. Yikes! I guess every big sister has done this (speaking from experience :-)). We're so in love with and proud of our amazing girls! What precious gifts from God.

A New Year

2010-01-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

My Tired Look...I think this is my signature look! :-)

1 Corinthians 7:17
...as God has called each, in this manner let him walk.

So here's my mantra or focus for this year. I think I'll need to revisit this often, especially after returning to work with an infant in August. I did a pretty bad job of having a wonderful (or even decent) attitude last time around. Then again, I was a TERRIBLE pregnant lady when I was carrying sweet Little Livy. You live, you learn, you grow.

I can list the things in my life I never thought would be the way they are, as I'm sure everyone can, but my time is much better spent by counting my blessings and doing the jobs I've been given in life.

On another note, I find it very interesting that the most important events happen in my life in even years:

1986 - Little sister born
1996 - Met my future husband
2000 - Graduate high school
2002 - Marry that high school sweetheart
2004 - Graduate college; Begin teaching career
2006 - Have Olivia and become Mommy
2010 - Lily to be born!

Santa's Here

2009-12-28T09:19:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas was magical this year! Here's my favorite part, a video of Livy sharing her excitement about Christmas Day with me when she heard a clatter outside. She was so overcome with emotion, she almost cried. When I watched this clip of her, I teared up. I'm incredibly blessed to have such a sweet family and that her Daddy, er- I mean Santa, would make this such a special memory for her.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I'm BACK!!!

2009-11-18T16:48:00.001-08:00

Phew! My first semester, I mean trimester, symptoms totally seeped into my second! I've been tired and GRUMPY. I kept hearing this mean and naggy wife, momma, and teacher that I don't like at all but just couldn't seem to do anything about it. I was in a fog and felt worthless.

BUT, the past few days, I feel like the old me again. I'm not a zombie. I'm nice to my family. And at school today, I just wanted to pinch my students' cheeks and tell them I love them. (Before, I just wanted to pinch them.) While I'm not energetic, I feel like I can finally muster up enough strength to clean this dumpy home of ours.

This pregnancy and baby are SUCH a blessing, no matter how I feel at times. Thanks to God for carrying my family and I through the tougher times, and much praise for the happy and easier times, too!

(First glimpse of baby and that beautiful BEATING heart.)

A peek into my world

2009-11-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

One of my student's pictures...her mom's caption said, "Tigger would prefer that we don't return."

This sweet student of mine described herself as "Bossy, loud, and dramatic." She may or may not have left the classroom to follow me to the bathroom one day, I can't rightly say. However, she is the most lovable girl I've ever met. She pretty much decides she loves and adores you upon first meeting and is affectionate, friendly, social, and tender-hearted. I won't lie, though, this darling makes me sigh and laugh quite frequently. 'Wouldn't have my classroom any other way but all in all, it's the most exhausting group I've ever taught.

Mild Update

2009-11-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Nothing wild going on here... Just trying to keep up with a fast-paced life, enjoy all the blessings that come with it, and stay awake and non-grumpy though pregnancy hormones kinda defeat that endeavor at times. A few updates on our little (but growing bigger) family:

~Our little Bun in the oven is 16 weeks along! This pregnancy has been WAY easier than Livy's in many ways. I've not been as sick to my stomach, as sad or weepy, or even as busy. (With the first one, I taught and worked about 20 hrs/wk at an hourly child care center.) However, I have had a tough time not worrying about the health/wellness of this babe, and it's very different being pregnant when you already have a child. Forget about the catnaps after work or relaxing in the evenings. You don't feel well and are overcome by fatigue...suck it up and make dinner, Momma! Thankfully, I have a sweet husband and daddy for my little girl that has made up for my deficiencies.

~Halloween brings about so many fun events for a preschooler. Our little Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (Guess who pick out that one!) trick-or-treated at the high school, paraded at her school, attended a library event, went to a Boo Bash in the park, and hung out with little buddies at a huge church festival. Luckily, we didn't even end up with that much candy afterward.

~We made it to the circus with Aunt Becky and cousins Alan, Jessie, and Jackson last month. Aaron and Becky each took Livy on an elephant ride. She was very tired during the show but was super excited to ride the elephants. The cutest part was watching Olivia love on Jackson and seeing how enthralled Jackson was by the entire show. His bright blues were glued to the performances. Livy fell asleep before we could get out of the parking lot. :-)

~I NEED two things right now in my life: jalapeno peppers (LOTS!) and pickles. Why is that? Surely pickled peppers and cucumbers don't have anything vital to a pregnant woman's body, so why do I crave them?

~Livyisms - "Ban-Bans" are now "Band-Aids." Boo. "Birds" are now "Birgs." Adorable. "Thirsty" is somehow "Grosee." I love it.

A couple weeks ago we were in the car telling each other sweet things. Like "I love you SO much!"..."I love YOU so much, too!"

"You're cute!"..."No, YOU'RE cute!" ...Etc.

I told her, "You're my BEST friend!"..."No, Mommy, Synee is my best fwiend."

Aaron called a bit later and I told him his daughter just broke my heart and explained how. We laughed at how cute it was. A few days later she said, "Momma, you're my BEST friend!" When I told her how much that meant to me she said, "You're heart is not broken anymore?" How sweet it is to be loved and cared for by a three-year old!

~For the past two nights, Livy has stayed dry through the night!!! That's like getting a small raise. The negative side to this is that she wakes up and cries every time she has to "go" during the night, but we can work on breaking her of that after she is in the habit of getting up to go potty. I'm equally proud of her for growing up so nicely and sad because she is growing up so quickly.

~I have quite a doozy of a class this year. Our classroom is filled with cute and sweet third graders, but compared to other third grade classes, this one is filled with more tears, accidents, arguments (with me and each other), medical issues, and Dennis the Menaces than any other. Thankfully, I've pretty much fallen head over heels for all these kiddos, even though they make me tired. Very tired. I just keep telling myself it's better to have this class this year when I can sleep at night than next year when I'll be sleep-deprived. Watch for an upcoming post where I share a sneak peek of my students.

Little Ballerina

2009-08-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

Little Livy Lulu has been ecstatic about her dance class, and we finally made it to the first day of "dancin' school." Her excitement waned for a bit as she became overwhelmed at the beginning of class, but it didn't take her long to feel more comfortable, start shaking her hips, and sneak peeks at Mommy and Daddy (who were eagerly watching every move from the window in the door).

Olivia even earned a "too-tat" (purple bear ballerina stamp) on her hand for listening to her teacher at the end of class. Oh, it was all just too cute!

Oh, yeah.

2009-08-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

So, that funny thing I was trying to remember was actually more embarrassing than funny. We were in the grocery store last night and a pregnant lady was about fifteen or twenty feet away from us. Olivia saw her and yelled in an astonished voice, "MOMMA! Her tummy is BIIIIIIGGGGGGG!"

I was shocked but not as shocked as the lady with the baby in her belly. I said something like, "Yes, she has a baby in her tummy, just like 'so-and-so.'" We quickly changed our shopping route to move towards the far corner of the grocery store and I quietly told Livy, "Honey, when we see someone who has a big tummy, we don't talk about it being big."

To which she replied, "BUT MOMMA, it was BIG and BIIGG and BIIIGGG and BIIIIGGG!!!!" We were not yet very far from this poor lady; I'd be shocked if she didn't hear this. I was SOOO embarrassed, but I have to say, it is one of the funniest things she's ever said. Oh, Olivia. My little stinker.

Funnies

2009-08-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

New phrase this week (I have NO idea where it came from): Oopsie doodie!

I KNOW there was something else, but I can't remember now. It'll come to me later. She did ask me this afternoon, "Can I hold you UP?" She's realized, "Momma, can I hold you?" is not completely correct and is working on it.

Back to School

2009-08-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well, today was Miss Olivia's first day back to school this year. Though we LOVED her preschool from last year, we hopped on board when the principal from my district's development center called to see if we wanted a spot that opened up. Evidently, the kids on the waiting list were just a little too old for the twos and threes class. We weighed all the pros and cons and called her back in about two minutes to say YES! So now, my girl will be about five minutes away from me and is going to school were she was as an infant.

She will also be with this little guy and gal:

This summer, she went to the zoo, swam, played, hung out at the library, and fed animals with them, so she is thrilled to already have friends at her new school. When I asked her tonight, "So do you like your NEW school or your OLD school better?" She said she likes the new one. Phew! Makes going to work a lot easier.

Here is Olivia with the same little friend when they were in the infant room...you know, so many years ago:

Hmmmmm, I'm thinking that is one cool paci...

Thanks, Buddy!

My Happy Biwfday!

2009-08-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Aaron wanted to take pictures on Olivia's last night of being TWO.

Livy took this one. I don't think she's HALF bad. Get it? HALF? Yeah... never mind.

Boy, I sure love these two.

Is it just me, or is she looking nostalgic?

BIRTHDAY MORNING: Livy saw her decorations, complete with helium balloons, showed us how old she is now, and opened her gifts from us - a cute party dress and an umbrella. (I know, pretty modest presents. We figured she would do ok at the party, and she was REALLY happy with her Tinker 'Blell' umbrella.)

THE PARTY:
I think Great-Granddad got more oohs and aahs than the kids!

This is when Aaron tried to kidnap our little cousin. I think he would be happy to have a Jackson one day. Jackson was actually one of our two favorite baby boy names before we had one in our family. That's probably for the best - Aaron would have wanted to pair it with Andrew.

The next three pictures are obviously out of order, but I'm thinking this could make for a great 3rd grade sequencing lesson.

Aunt Becky made the chocolate princess cake, and Livy is STILL talking about it.

Our little girl is SO blessed to have such a wonderful group of family and friends to care about her. I'm so amazed at this gift of parenthood and with our precious baby, or little lady. It's unbelievable how time flies right by. Weren't we bringing her home from the hospital and losing all our sleep just yesterday?

Now she's old enough to ask why things are as they are (and why again when you give her an explanation, and why once more when you provide the next answer, and the next, and the next...) She's starting tap and ballet in a couple weeks, LOVES to play with friends young and old, tells her daddy how 'hansome' he is and her mommy that she's 'beeootiful.' She uses furniture to climb up on counter tops to reach the M&M stash and claims she has 'nuffing' in her mouth when questioned about it, but her chocolate breath and guilty expression give her away. Her songs about life fill our home and cars with joy (at a very noisy level!), and she pulls us up out of our seats to 'dance wiff me' whenever she hears music, especially the Princess kind!

What joy and responsibility she brings us, and I couldn't imagine a sweeter role in life than being her Mommy.

Love you, big Three Year Old!

My Girl

2009-07-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

(I was pretty tempted to call this post 'That's what she said,' but I decided against it.)

Here's the lingo at our house. An almost-three-year-old says some pretty cute things.

Chick-a-fla and NickDonald's are her favorite places to play. Well, those and 'The R,' also known as the mall - The Rave is at our mall, so she recognizes the giant R on the building, thus the name.

Buhfly = Butterfly

Sursizing = Exercising

Tootats = Tatoos (She is fascinated by these. The more ink on the guy or gal, the more she wants to noisily point it out!)

Corn Horsey = Unicorn

Big milk - If she's had lots of milk already and wants more, I tell her, "OK, but just a little bit." Now she specifies how much she wants every time. "Momma, can I have BIG milk?"

Often, she will clear her throat very daintily while holding a little closed fist up to her lips. She follows it with a polite little, "Scuse me."

When someone asks if she's about to be three, she adamantly replies, "I'm gonna be two FIRST!"

The other night, I was hoping to tire her out and took her to play at Chick-fil-a (or Chick-a-fla, depending on who you ask). She wanted juice with her meal but it was too late for so much sugar, so I told her she could drink water and have the juice for tomorrow. She was fine with this until it was time to leave. She spent the whole ride home being overcome with woe over the stinkin' juice box. I actually almost caved (but I held strong!) when she pitifully said, "Mommy - sometimes, I just want juice forEVer."

I hope three is just as cute at two! We'll soon find out.

Random Update

2009-06-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

People say when it rains, it pours, and it sure feels that way sometimes. But when the storm clears, and life starts to get back to normal, everything sure feels blissful. That's where it feels like we're getting!

Olivia got sick in the middle of April and stayed sick for about two months. She had two positive Strep tests. Ran a fever off and on (got pretty high at times). Went through three rounds of antibiotics. Had four doctor visits. Took WAY more Childrin's Motrin than I feel comfortable giving her, though never more than the box said to. Woke up during the night crying, sometimes hourly, always nightly with fever, sore throat, and (I think) body aches. Thank God for her feeling better for over a week now! She is running around like a mad hooligan, eating like a piggie, and sleeping like a baby. I couldn't be happier!

Our water heater went kaput on us, ruined flooring in two rooms of our house, and brought a mold problem. Lovely thing to happen as one income disappears for the summer and Aaron's new job is just beginning. But now, thanks to my parents and their trusty plumber/handyman/friend, we have hot water available for our every need! Having a water heater that's not 70's brown is just an added bonus! :o)

Losing a job when your company goes bankrupt is a tough obstacle, especially in this economy. Three months w/o a paycheck is rough when the household income was modest to begin with! Aaron is about a month and a half into his new job and absolutely loves it!!! Income is better, more professional environment, competent and caring management, friendly coworkers, and more enjoyable work. I'm proud of my husband for working so hard to find a great job, being a great stay at home dad during that time, and doing so well in school. Only EIGHT more weeks until you're finished with your Bachelor's, Babe. Though there's no doubt in my mind you'll continue your education, now it will be on your own timetable - no more weekly deadlines looming over you!

After working full-time as a sub last year, I was offered a job teaching third grade (my favorite!) with the wonderful team I spent the last two months of the school year teaching with. I couldn't be happier. I'd be lying if I said it's not hard to be officially going back to work full-time with a precious little girl at home, but I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to stay home with her for more than a year, for Aaron's time to be at home with her, for our summers we'll spend together, and for her excellent preschool. Working as a full time teacher totally beats working as a full time sub, especially on pay day!

Another great thing is that I was able to join a fitness camp offered (for free) at my church. I've done it for two weeks and love it! I have more energy than I've had in the past three years and eight months. For a while, I've wanted to work towards a healthier me, and this is the perfect opportunity. Still all ??? pounds of me are here, but they sure feel great. I love it! Did I say that already?

Aaron is on a similar road to physical fitness. He's about to be playing softball two-three nights per week and is exercising additionally to prepare.

We have so much to be thankful for, now more than ever - a loving family, a precious little girl who's about to turn three, a happy home, our health, our needs being provided for, and a God who loves us and gives us all these things and more.

Since I can't finish a post without a cute Olivia story, here we go:

(Boy, I hope I didn't already type this. I think I'm already getting old. Is it possible to sweat off brain cells?)

One morning last week, Livy Lu did her dramatic sob while Daddy was getting ready for work. When he asked what was wrong, she said, "I don't wanna go to wowk, Daddy. Beeecause I wanna Daddy stay hewe." Five minutes later, she exclaimed, "You'we SO hansome, Daddy!" I had to get the mop out because Aaron turned into a big pile of goo.

Curiosity and Conversations

2009-06-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

**Warning. Go on and skip this post. I'm babbling. Using this little blog thing as my journal entry and trying to record a couple cute Livy tidbits. Please don't read on.**

*OK, but don't blame me if you're bored. You can't say I didn't warn ya.*

Little Livy Lulu spends NINE hours at her wonderful preschool center each day. I know she's in great hands, but I feel such a void knowing there is a big aspect of her life I'm not a part of.

I want to know how she interacts with her teachers and friends. How they interact with her. What kind of mood she's in. If she pigs out on the fried foods offered that her mean mommy deprives her of. Does she play nicely with her friends? Does she know the other kids' names and is she building relationships with them? What cute, sweet, and funny moments am I missing out on? Kinda drives me crazy not knowing the details of such a big part of her day. (Actually, it REALLY drives me crazy. I'm just committed to staying upbeat about it all.)

One day, I will HAVE to cut that umbilical cord. But I'm not ready for that yet.

So, I try to get her to fill me in on everything I can.

"Livy, what did you do today?" I ask.

"Play," or "School," she answers. (That is, IF she answers.)

"Did you play with 'Mica?' 'Hannah?' 'Emily?'" Mommy implores.

A very brief, soft, monotone, "Mm."

*Sigh*

But today, I went through my list of questions, and she was in a bit more of a talkative mood. When I asked, "Did you play with 'Gunner?'" she gave me more than a single-syllable response!

"Yeah! He not hit me anynore!!!" She sounded so genuinely excited.

OK, so Gunner hits, I'm guessing. Well, that's fine. It'll help her learn what it feels like when someone hits you. We may refer back to this experience in the future.

I was so happy to get some detail about her day. Though from now on, I'll have a new question on my list..."Did Gunner hit anyone today, Honey?"

Ah, I was able to get some more info about her day. She was happy to tell me about her pirate hat and treasure chest she made. They were adorned with gold coins and precious jewels. She was totally pumped about that.

Then when we went to play at the mall tonight, a little girl came in, and Olivia ran up to her and called her by name. This was a little girl in ANOTHER class at the same preschool. And Livy recognized her AND knew her name AND was excited to run up to her and play with her. So, it looks like she is building friendships with her peers. Phew! Very reassuring.

So that sums up my thoughts on our daily conversations at pick-up time. Now on to the topic of curiosity... (It's a good thing no boys ever read this!)

Olivia the milkaholic has been VERY interested in the process of babies getting milk from their mommies. Probably because we've spent time with precious little friends and cousins, and she's noticed how they take in their milk. When she found out about this new source for milk, she. wanted. on. board. We've had several conversations about how that source is NOT available for her anymore.

Doesn't stop her from trying.

She has stopped me as I've gotten out of the shower a couple times in the past few weeks, and she does not make eye contact as she stares at me. Once she flat out tried to milk me. Whoa, kid. Don't think so.

The other time, she just watched, her wheels obviously turning. "Momma...You have mmmm-ILK?"

"No, Baby. You're not a baby anymore. Now we get your milk from the store. Remember, we get it from cows?"

"Oh." Disappointment fades into a flicker of hope... "You got www-ATER?"

Seriously. What am I, a soda fountain?

All Better Now

2009-06-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

Livy is just getting over her second run-in with Strep in the last two months, and while my poor baby was miserable, puny, and needy as a newborn, I'll always treasure these past few days.

My girl is quite independent and, while I wish she didn't feel awful and run a 104 fever, I love how much she wanted to cuddle with her mommy. She even wanted me to smother her, sleep next to her, and told me on Friday when I came home from work, "I'm so glad you're here wis me, Mommy." I will always treasure that sweet little statement of appreciation that was accompanied by a melt-together-kind-of-hug.

Also, here are a few pics from a Mother's Day get-together:

Olivia just HAS to kiss her little cousin, Jackson!

With that face, can you blame her?

A quick cuddle with (Great) Granbetty

Oh, and during bedtime prayers the other night, she wanted to tell God thank you for "all the ABCs." That girl. Makes me laugh and smile all the time.

I'd like to thank...

2009-05-12T19:41:00.001-07:00

Thank you, Jaime. You made my night. HA!-larious.

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=2nP1qbgvEwmGZaSwmO61aDE0NTIyNzYy&referred_by=16899562-sMVhQ.x

Daddy-Daughter Days

2009-05-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

With Aaron's return to work today (PHEW!!!), last week marked the end of his stay-at-home-dad time. He couldn't close the doors to this era without a big party, so he took his Olivia to Chuck E. Cheese one day and to the zoo for another. Side note - FW Zoo has half-price Wednesdays, and children two and under are free!

I wanted to update about it earlier, but after looking through the 150+ pictures, I could only narrow my favorites down to about 137. Olivia had so much fun and was showing off all her teeth in most of the pics as she flashed some huge, cheesy grins. Here are a couple favorites:

She's quite a beauty and he's pretty cute, too, if I do say so myself!

A note from Aaron to remember...

Hey Babe,

I just wanted to thank you for all that you did to make sure that Olivia and I had a great last day together. Mother's day is this weekend and you're more concerned about us; what a great Mom you are! Waking up to a nice clean house, and our clothes laid out for us, wow, I feel like I'm at a 5 star hotel! You also got us all packed up so we could leave without worrying about it! You truly are the world's greatest Mom and Wife!

Thanks for the great day!

Olivia and Aaron

P.S. Olivia says thanks for the note and that she wishes you could come with us, in her sweet little voice. She just adores you. We both love you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!

Happy Birthday, Love!

2009-04-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

I hope your birthday was amazing for you. We love you so much, and Olivia wanted to tell you somepin.

Love,
Olivia and Jenny

Blubonnet Pics

2009-04-19T18:36:00.001-07:00

Because it's so much more fun than tackling this mountain of grading sitting next to me!!!

Here are some pictures of Olivia and her best little buddy Samantha surrounded by bluebonnets. Sam the SnuggleBug wanted to stay cozy with her mommy while Livy ran around like a ragamuffin, so I was able to capture quite a few photos of Olivia. For some reason, they show up faded unless you click on them.

Enjoy!

They Say it's Your Birthday...

2009-04-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well, it's my birthday, too, yeah!

'Just wanted to wish two of my dearest friends the very happiest of birthdays this weekend. I love you both, and my life has been so richly blessed because of your presence in it!

Happy Birthday Friend...two days late!
(B-day Girl in the middle just before her wedding)

And Happy Birthday Mom! Thanks for sharing your birthday dinner. My tummy is still full and happy. (This is Charlie helping Mom and Livy plant some flowers. By drinking the water from the watering can.)

Update, Part One

2009-04-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

I used to blog.

Since then, I've:
-gone back to work as a long-term sub
(read- full-time teacher, no benefits, sub pay)
-taken my ESL cert exam
-had Strep
-given my daughter Strep
-spent a day at the Spring Fair with the girls
-attended an Irish Festival with the hubs, girl, and parents-in-law
-traveled to Nashville to see Aunt Jaime (Livy's aunt, my sista)
-hosted a dinner for 11 people (my biggest, yet)
-reestablished The Bunny Cake party with the fam (with the help of my grandparents, aunt, parents, sister, and cousins)
-spent time with dear friends and their dears
-become an aunt (to Jake the dog, he-he)
-suprise-showered my sis-in-law-to-be
-taken blue-bonnet pics
-graded a few papers
-applied for (QUITE) a few teaching positions for next year
-visited some child care centers
-baby-sat each weekend day
-celebrated a dear friend's wedding (despite Strep) and cried at the father-daughter dance
AND
-FALLEN BEHIND AT EVERYTHING!!!

I'm really trying to figure out how to juggle working, parenting, wife-ing, and everything else. I dropped my Women's Bible Study in the midst of this craziness, which is probably not the thing to be dropping. Blogging has conveniently been ignored so I don't have to log these deficiencies, but it's where I am. It's a great release, and people who care about me probably want to know what's really going on in MY life as I want to know what is going on in THEIRS.

One important update is that Beth's neurosurgery went very well. They were able to get everything they were hoping to, I was told, and she was home less than a week after surgery. I no longer see her and her girls daily, as I'm at a different school for my long-term job, so I miss that! They absolutely continue to need prayers, though!

That's all I got. Except that Livy sang Happy Birthday to my mom on the phone today and, upon finishing, said, "Let's blow," and jumped off the couch and took a bow. Oh, and the other day, she did her dramatic sob, called Daddy into her room and said, "I miss my bed," while looking at a picture of herself in her crib and pointing toward the storage shed in our backyard. She hasn't slept in that in almost a year, so we were surprised by that.

And here are some pics from our sweet busy lives. I think I'll start with the Nashville trip and try to post pics from other event in the near future.

Thank goodness our GPS has an icon to show us when it's raining! How else would we know? It rained for almost the entire drive there and much of the drive back. While we were there Saturday, we were out running around when the tornado sirens went off. Crazy road trip weather!

Olivia drove. Of course, she couldn't quite reach the pedals, so Grandma Mollie helped with that part.

The book Olivia tells about a pig named Olivia who wakes up in the morning and "moves the cat" - so this really tickled me. Kramer probably weighs almost as much as the kid and was a WONDERFUL sport. His brother Cosmo stayed up in the window above the kitchen sink most of the time we were there. I wonder why.

My Girl loves to help in the kitchen and feel like a big girl, so she really got a kick out of measuring the water and vinegar for the egg dyes. We hunted eggs early so Aunt Jaime could get in on the fun.

It was FREEZING and drizzling rain! I think we found all the eggs and were back inside within 3.7 minutes.

Aunt Jaime and Olivia share a close bond. Is it their mutual love for the dramatic? Or princesses? Or musicals, like The Little Mermaid?

Or CHOCOLATE?!

Please pray!

2009-03-04T15:30:00.001-08:00

To all my praying friends and family, please pray for my dear friend Beth. She was diagnosed with a glioblastoma about two and a half years ago. Every day since then has been a blessing from God for her, her husband, and their four BEAUTIFUL little girls, one of whom I had the privilege of teaching. They are in Kindergarten, 1st, 4th, and 5th grades, and being back at my old school has allowed me to see them all often.

Beth's health despite the tumor has been uncharacteristic for her diagnosis but is no real surprise to her. Her faith in God is so deep and evident. She even told me a couple months back that she wouldn't change anything. She accepts the situation she's in and uses it to glorify God.

This last week, her scan showed the tumor had grown about a cm in a three-week span, as opposed to the typical mm or so. Please keep her, her family, and her doctors in your prayers as they plan the next course of action. Pray for a miracle, and for strength and peace for each family member through their storm. Thanks!

Full of joy, the sense of humor is intact! Hat says, "No Hair Day."

The girls at the school talent show last year - so sweet!

I'm not convincing

2009-03-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

The other night, Livy asked Aaron if she could watch Monsters, Inc., her current favorite movie. He thanked her for asking so nicely and said that we couldn't watch it at that time, so she folding her hands in the begging position (Where'd she learn that?!) and asked if she could "puhweese watch Monsers."

He said, "We can't watch it right now, but you are very convincing."

To that she replied, "I'm not Convincing; I'm Olivia!"

This afternoon in the Kindergarten class, one sweet girl made a little craft for me and told me I could put anything in it I wanted. When I asked her for a suggestion, she said I could put a dog in it. I drew a puppy and said her name is Gracie, like my dog. Her jaw dropped, and she told me, "I have a dog named Gracie. I used to have a dog named Muffin, but she died and is in heaven now."

I went along with the whole pets-go-to-heaven-thing (because they do) and said, "Oh, wow. So now she's healthy and happy."

Sweet Girl said, "Well...God IS pretty nice."

Cute. And from the heart.

About a million pics

2009-02-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

We've had lots of fun lately. I took Livy and Samantha (our precious weekend friend) roller skating for Valentine's Day. My parents always made it a point to do something sweet and special for us on Valentine's Day when we were growing up, and I want to pass on the tradition. Taking Olivia to the skating rink I used to skate at when I was a preschooler seemed like a fun way to do that.

It was SO fun teaching her something new, and she tried to skate like the girl on Ice Princess and would dramatically fall down and hold her ankle when she did. So funny, that girl.

Samantha the Love Bug loved holding my hand and skating with me. Did Olivia? Of course not! "'Scuse me, Momma," she would say as she gently pushed my hand away. She didn't even want me close to her once she got the hang of it. It was such a blast!

We followed that up with meeting up with Daddy to go to a Valentine's Party at the library. Our friend Cutter (one of the boys I nannyed for last year) met up with us just befor we left the rink and partied with us as well. It was fun, but too chaotic to get many pics there. Here are some photos and a video clip of the Chicken Dance (ignore the wobbliness on the video and the "I'm GAY" on the carpeted wall behind Livy in one pic):

God is so Good

2009-02-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

I didn't catch it all - she's less interested in singing when the camera is out - but this warms my heart!

And, like the doof I can be, I don't know how to edit the video, and rather than figure it out, I am posting it as is. It give a glimpse of the whole boundary-testing thing.

What you mean to me - from your husband.

2009-02-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

Jenny,

Often, your family and friends don't get to see what you mean to me because I'm a bit of a different person when I'm in public than when I'm in private. So I thought I would tell them all what you mean to me on your BlogSpot.

We have come a long way in twelve years together. In our youth, we were much more open with our affection towards each other. Now, I'm a lot more private with all my feelings and even I sometimes don't open up in private to you either. For whatever reason, I've tightened up my personal feelings and haven't really allowed them to come out.

Looking back when we were young, I thought of you all day long, literally. I'd write love notes in class to you. For every major holiday, I'd go all out for you, especially on Valentine's Day. We would even surprise each other with things on non-holidays. We never lacked passion when we were young.

Over time, our passion turned into what I feel was true love for each other. We respected each other more and at the same time we reserved the lovy dovy stuff for when we were alone together (I imagine this made it much easier for people to be around us). Because we have been together since high school, we have grown into adults together. We have seen every imaginable phase of love with each other only, which I see as something very special. Not many people get to experience that.

We are different any many ways. You yearn and reminisce about the days when we were more openly in love, whereas I am now a love hermit. I only show my love for you at home in private and I am a little embarrassed when I think about how we made out in public. Why this is, I don't know, maybe it's just the natural progression of things for men and women. Despite this, I feel that I love you more now, and in many more ways, than I did eleven or twelve years ago. Now that Olivia is in the picture, life with you is so different. I see things daily that make me love you more. When Olivia learns something new because you were doing an activity with her, it's just an example of how my love for you grows daily. You do things to help the family; make sacrifices that show your care and devotion to us. These things mean the world to me.

Our lives, the way that our day flows, is all based on you. You dictate the mood and the experience of our daily lives. When you're having a bad day so am I. When your spirits are through the roof, so are mine. That is such a wonderful thing to me, that the order of our lives depends on you. It shows just what a special person you are. If you were taken from my life, then it would crumble.

Everything in this post, you already knew. So why did I write it? Because I want friends and family to know what you mean to me. Perhaps next time one of your friends or family sees us together, instead of seeing a bickering couple, seemingly on the edge with each other, maybe they will see a raging inferno of love that forms new experiences every day. That's the way I see things.

Above is one of my favorite pictures. It shows us exhausted after the birth of Olivia. It seems like we go through this very same emotion every day together. Exhausted, but in love.

Uh, uh, uh

2009-01-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

Well. We will certainly and joyously have our hands full with this whole parenting thing. Many months ago, I was cautioned that I will have to choose my words carefully because Livy is smart (and ornery). I was reminded of Mendy's warning in the bathroom stall at Barnes and Noble last night. While I was standing in front of Olivia for quite some time, I played with the tag on her jacket. When she noticed this she scolded in a kind but serious way, "No, no, Momma." I took this as an opportunity to teach her about "No, no" - how mommies and daddies can tell this to their children because it's our job to take care of and teach them, how she can say this one day when she is a Mommy, and how it is not ok for her to tell her mommy or daddy "no, no" - yadda, yaddah, yadda. She simply looked at me and with the same tone of voice shook her head and said, "Uh, uh, uh, Momma." Boy, oh, boy, she makes it so HARD to keep a straight face sometimes.

On another note, I think it's time to buy one of these:

Because someone brought me a gallon of milk while I typed this post.

In other random news:

~I heard the phrase, "My mom is a lover" in the third grade classroom yesterday.

~Livy now tries to keep Daddy from tickling her when she's grumpy by saying, "I'm al-ready happy!"

~I am completely taking advantage of this inclement weather day by reading, cuddling, wearing sweats, and singing & dancing, all while wearing some comfy sweats (did I already mention that part?).

~One of the two most challenging kids I've ever taught (both are in the class I'm subbing in) was being completely rotten on Monday, stopped in his tracks, darted across the room to give me a HUGE bear hug, and returned to his spot to continue being horrible. We've made great strides in the past few weeks, and I can make it through this job under these conditions. :0)

~Olivia Saves the Circus and Olivia Forms a Band are keeping us entertained lately. These books are cute and random, and Olivia the Pig reminds me a bit of my own Olivia.

~And this weekend, we had so much fun watching Enchanted. When it was over, we (yes, both of us) put on our most twirly dresses, pulled out the tiaras and other dress-up gear, and sang and danced together all over the house. If you've seen the movie, you'll remember when Giselle pokes her head out the window and beckons all lovely and not-so-lovely creatures to aid her with her household duties by singing a series of "Ah"s. I couldn't possibly even begin to count the number of times I've heard, "Momma, sing 'Ah-ah-ah.'" I absolutely love it. I think I may have to break down and buy this movie for someone's birthday. I'm not big on buying movies. I really try to limit being "plugged in" to the t.v., but I'll make an exception for this one. (And for The Sound of Music. I don't feel as bad when it moves us to sing and dance.)

Getting ready to dance. I just love her room. Not that there's any kind of design element to it - I just think it's filled with sweetness.

Here we go!

So much fun!

Aw, she danced 'til she dropped.

Even Gracie got involved. She looks pretty happy, right?

I love her squinty-getting-ready-for-the-camera-flash look. (I don't love the double chin in the pic. However, I'm not quite motivated enough to do anything about it right now. Soon, maybe.)

Gracie's no longer speaking to me. Poor Gracie.

A walk in the park

2009-01-06T21:17:00.001-08:00

Aaron's/Our Aunt Karla made a picture collage after we spent Christmas Day with them in OK. Poor Livy stayed up late on Christmas Eve, rode in the car for over three hours on Christmas morning and arrived at her great-grandmother's cozy house filled with 13 family members (9 she was meeting for the first time) right about nap time. She was kinda quiet and serious, but she handled it well and had a blast meeting her older second cousins. She found her second wind somewhere between the leaf pile and the Golden Retriever at the park where Aunt Karla took these shots. I love the collage she made and wanted to post it (even though I can't figure out how to post it right-side-up). More pics from our WONDERFUL December/Christmas celebrations may or may not be coming. :o)

P.S. Here is a list of fun Olivia moments from today:
1. When we made a trip to the girl's room at the mall today, she told me as I was taking my turn to 'go,' "Mama, work hard."
2. She stopped me at the curb before walking across the street and told me, "Mama, look both ways." Where would I be without her looking out for me?
3. While riding in the car, she was quiet for 5-10 minutes, then she dryly said, "This is fun."
4. At 10:19 pm, she knocked on her door from the inside. I opened it and found her light on, and she was wearing an adorable summer outfit from her off-season drawer, complete with big girl 'pannies.' She emphatically told me, "Mama! I had a GOOD nap!"

A (Job) Hunting We Will Go

2008-12-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Career Builder,

Thank you for your list of job recommendations. I had no idea about the endless employment possibilities an elementary education degree gave me. Teaching, child care, and positions that require any ol' degree were within my reach, I knew. However, now I have the confidence it takes to pursue these other positions you are recommending I try:
Physical Therapist
Electrical Designer
Nurse Practitioner-Urology
Helicopter Instructor Pilot
And oh, so many more
Thank you for believing in me, dear Career Builder. It makes all the difference.

Sincerely,
A Future Helicopter Instructor Pilot

Happy Birthday, Funny Story, Zoo Visit

2008-12-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Kelliebeans!
I feel like something is missing without a silly frog cartoon or Peanut birthday card for you, but I didn't put up a calendar this year and missed birthdays and cards for everyone. (Hmm, I have an idea for a New Year's Resolution...) Thankfully, there's Facebook, so I at least know it's your birthday on the day of. I'm thankful to have such a positive, loving, FUN, creative, nurturing, and all-around-great cousin and role model in my life. I hope your day is wonderful from start to finish.

Tonight, Aaron went in to check on Olivia after she went to bed. She was quiet and in bed but still awake (of course). He leaned over her to give her another kiss when she saw him, but she put her hands up on his chest to stop him before he could. She demanded, "What are you eating?" She didn't believe him when he said nothing. Then she responded disapprovingly, "CHIPS." Daddy was so amused she was checking up on him and could tell by smelling him what he was snacking on. She was not happy with him, but perhaps she can have a few chips to snack on tomorrow. I'm not lined up to work in the morning, even though I keep logging in to see if any sub jobs have been posted for Tuesday. I hope nothing shows up. :-) I want to lounge in the morning, hang with my girlie, and rest my toe. I ruthlessly slammed it into the door frame tonight and am walking funny. Yeah, I'm seriously lacking in gracefulness.

On to the zoo visit...Livy, Kolten (her former classmate from daycare), and Kylie (Kolten's new little sister) spent a day at the zoo and were thoughtful enough to bring Tiffaney and me along for the ride. Visiting the zoo is probably my favorite thing to do with children, though B&N book club meetings are pretty special, too. While at the zoo, we had a blast with each other. There were babies all around! Kylie was ever-so-popular with Big Bro and Liv (and another random kid who tried to love on her). OK, and me, too. I enjoyed every chance I had to coo at her and hold her. Such a calm, patient, mild infant. Just like Olivia and Kolten were. (Big HA to that one!!) There were also lion and tiger cubs and some giraffe babies, but they paled in comparison. I am really quite in love with all three babies in my life right now. Every thought of them makes me smile. I got a little off track - here are the zoo pics!

The rhinos and orangutans were cuddly, Livy worked to pacify her little friend (and scared the mess outta me in the process), and the look-alikes each napped during our visit. Have you ever seen such gorgeous red hair? The kids were all so good, and Olivia even took herself for a walk while holding the tail of her leash, I mean backpack. Yes, I'm the mom who uses a leash. I mean, backpack. In my defense, I'm convinced it's far more humane and safe than a stroller in Liv's case. She loves to walk, but I can still keep my little runner safe from leaving my sight even when I blink.

Questions

2008-12-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

Here are two questions Livy asked me today that made me giggle and feel all warm and fuzzy:

1. What is your name?
We work on telling people, "My name is Olivia." She took it the next step today, and asked me what my name is.

2. Do you love me?
So Uncle Adam thought her life would be more complete with a singing purple dinosaur each day. This afternoon she was running around singing "I love you...Won't you say you love me, too." She followed it with, "Momma, do you love me?"

I must go now. She saw me sitting too long and spread hand soap all over my arm. I'm pretty squeaky clean!

Our Life

2008-12-10T21:58:00.000-08:00

Well...maybe this is not the best time for 30 posts in 30 days. At least it got me posting a bit more for a short while! I've gone back to work almost full time as a substitute teacher and am spending a lotta time on job hunting/app-filling-out/shmoozing/dropping off resumes/etc. That doesn't leave much time for blogging fun. My "extra" time is spent on domestic things, watching "Litha" - as Livy calls our 4-year-old weekend friend, planning fun activities, and having family quality time. OK, OK, I also sleep a bit more now (this is taking some adjusting!) and sometimes (oftentimes) I just fall into a vegetative state that leaves me unable to put sensible sentences together. So this is just a quick little post to record some of the things going on that make my world go round.

~Livy is now in to explanations. She says, "...beeeee-cause (gibber,gibber,gibber,gibber,gibber)." The other day, I was trying to get her pumped up to see Miss Babysitter. When I asked if she was excited, she said she was not "beeeee-cause...I wanna Daddee." Wow. Melted his heart. She got quite a bit of Daddy the next morning before he had to drop her off at the sitter's house.

~Current childcare situation: This has been a topsy-turvy roller coaster ride. Her sitter is not close to my jobs, and has not completely worked out (partially b/c I've worked for several weeks and have yet to receive a paycheck). So Uncle Adam is spending the next week and a half with her. Daddy's day off is Monday, so she's with a parent Saturday - Monday. Then we'll have two weeks for Christmas Break when she will be with MOMMY. Then I'll take her to a Christian Daycare center if we can swing the price tag. It's hardly more than in-home care, and I am way more comfortable with this place, plus it comes with a couple glowing recommendations. The main financial drawback is that I pay even when I don't have a job lined up for the day. I've been pretty booked up, though. We'll see.

~My little girl is READING! Well, maybe not to the naked eye. She's actually 'prereading.' (My college of ed profs would have loved this post.) She's enjoyed looking at books for a while, but a couple weeks ago she started to pick them up, point to the text, and tell a story while following the lines of text with her index finger from left to right. It's so CUTE! I can understand the story sometimes, but sometimes she gets so carried away, I just can't keep up. Her favorite letters are O and B, and she's pretty good at recognizing O,K,P,A,B, and C - the first three and her initials. Potty-training has been slowed by me returning to work, but she eagerly "potties" when I take her and can go an entire afternoon w/o accidents when I'm with her. She's excited about "big giwl pannies" and flushing. She'll also point out triangles, ovals, circles, squares, hearts, and stars. All right. I'm finished being THAT mom - you know, the one who goes on and on about how brilliant her child is. (Well, finished for now.)

~Our past couple days have been filled with such a sweet bundle of joy as we've been able to meet and spend some sweet moments with Baby Levi and his Mommy. Olivia was so excited to see the baby and talked all about him on the way to the hospital. She even wore her Dallas Mavs cheerleader outfit w/ her snowboots and scarf, and she (and her dad) bought a soft teddy bear in a bunny costume, balloon, and personalized baby basketball to bring the new baby. When she saw Stef, she got all excited and forgot about the baby for a moment as she was asking where Fifi was. Sorry Honey - no dogs in the hospital, not even Phoebe. I'd love to post some of the silly things my friend said in her drug-induced fog, but I should check with her on that first. She was pretty funny yesterday, but she's making sense again today.

~Fortunately/Unfortunately, Aaron was actually able to join us to meet this little guy as his employer has cut his hours by almost 25%. My, oh, my. I guess that's what happens when your stock is so low and has even dropped to TWO CENTS! What will happen? Who knows. Not him or me. Thankfully, God does. We just have to trust Him and do our best to live faithfully for and with Him, as much as can be possible.

Wow. That was long with lots of rambling. That can happen at midnight:thirty. I am now off to bed, for I have a classroom full of unruly 5th graders (three classes, actually) that are just dying to act out for this sub. You remember those days, don't you? At least these kids know my name - yesterday, Kindergartners called me Miss Fishingrod. No lie. I shall drink my doubleshot of espresso in the morning, and with God's help, I will be victorious. OK. I really need to go to bed.

Another cause near and dear to me

2008-12-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

I'm excited and privileged to participate in Arthritis Foundation's Jingle Bell Run, *ahem* jog/walk, for the second time in three years. (Last year's cold season got the better of me.) I proudly walk in memory of a dear family friend, Bonita, who grew up with my mom and was like an aunt to us; and in honor of three other very special people: my Mom, whose strength, kindness, and character I can only hope have rubbed off a wee bit on me; a former student with Juvenile RA (the cruelest form of Arthritis, I think) who has left a lasting impact in my life and in my heart; and my bestie's mom-in-law, one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Feel free to visit my personal site and even make a donation if you so please, and remember to thank God for your health and for living without chronic pain, if you're so blessed. Thanks, one and all!

Visit my personal page here.

Fun stuff

2008-12-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

Here are a few fun projects to do with your kids (or someone else's!) on a rainy day. I'm ALL ABOUT projects, activities, outings, and special events to share these experiences with my daughter and any other Lovelies we can drag along with us! Enjoy, and let me know if you try one of these. I'd also LOVE to have some other activity ideas if you have some favorites!

Goop

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Food coloring

Mix cornstarch and water by adding water a teaspoon at a time until mexture is a thick paste. Add a few drops of food coloring to mixture.

Colored Glue

Add a few drops of food coloring to glue and mix well. Use colored glue to paint a picture.

Painted Macaroni

Mix dry noodles with 3 tablespoons of water and a couple drops of food coloring in a container with a lid (or secure Ziplock baggie). Shake well. After noodles are dry, they can be used for art projects or jewelry making.

Homemade Bubbles

1 quart water
1/2 cup dish soap (Dawn works best)
2 Tablespoons glycerin
1 Tablespoon Sugar

Stir ingredients gently. Let mixture set for a few days before using.

Playdough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
3/4 cup water
food coloring
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mix dry ingredients. Set aside. Mix other ingredients separately and slowly add to the dry mixture - stirring until dough forms. Knead until smooth.

My Political Side

2008-12-01T10:17:00.000-08:00

OK, so last night I revealed my nerdy side in my sleep deprived state (and no, I wasn't running around, I'm just THAT clumsy). Today I'm posting about FOCA (The Freedom of Choice Act). I'm not here to tell anyone what to believe on this matter - unless you ask :o) - I just want to share what I read with anyone who feels like I do about it. The following was taken from the Fight FOCA site.

Barack Obama’s promise to Planned Parenthood: The first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That’s the first thing I’d do.

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would eliminate every restriction on abortion nationwide.
• FOCA will do away with state laws on parental involvement, Partial Birth Abortion, and all other protections.
• FOCA will compel taxpayer funding of abortions.
• FOCA will force faith-based hospitals and healthcare facilities to perform abortions.
This would eradicate state and federal laws that the majority of Americans support, such as:
• Requirements that women be given information about the risks of getting an abortion
• Only licensed physicians can perform abortions

Bedtime...or is it?

2008-11-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

7:10 - Bath time
7:25 - Dry off; jammies on
7:32 - Find the leftover mac 'n cheese Mom forgot to clear off the table and eat it
7:40 - Blow dry the hair
7:46 - Brush teeth; final potty break; trim bangs..."No, Honey, you don't get a turn at this. I'm sorry."
7:54 - The Child hands out reading assignments for Dad, Mom, and Self.
7:59 - Prayers, hugs, kisses
8:05 - Daughter learns how to turn on the light in her room. Lots of excitement.
8:08 - Light is now off. For good.
8:15 - Ah, peace. Quiet. Is our Girl asleep?
8:20 - Mad rush from her room to the bathroom. Something about pottying is muttered. Mom goes in to monitor. Cinderella Barbie has stripped down to her tiara and is sitting over the bowl. Daughter is quite proud of this one. "Love has to go potty." Oh, no she doesn't.
8:30 - Sheepish Girl reemerges from room. "Can I have a hug?" Very sweet puppy dog face. Quick hug. NOW BACK TO BED. Looking at t.v., "OH, I wanna watch game!?" Mom says no; Dad caves in to pressure. She's good. Really good. Livy commentates: "Circle!...Uh, oh...Yea!...Go Sooners!"
8:40 - Back to bed. (Mom is scowling at Dad, though she does regret not capturing the moment with camera.)
8:44 - Kid runs out of room with pjs mostly off, dragging behind one foot. "I'm WET." Jammies and wet diaper quickly handed to Mom before nakedly running to bathroom. Successful potty break.
8:48 - New diaper, jam-jams back on, back to bed, back rub with a very firm hand so Child can not escape.
8:55 - Mom heads back to computer to record events from a hairy but fun night.
9:08 - Mischievous child comes into living room with outstretched hands for a hug. Denied. Returned to bed with door now shut. Tears. Mom sighs. Sooners make a touchdown (on the DVR).
9:09 - Quiet. Longer sigh from Mom.

*Update*
9:20 - Mom checks on Child to find her sneaking around her room. Mom considers tethering said Child to dollhouse toddler bed. Mom settles on a bit of hair-tousling and hopes she's not setting family up for crazy bed times for the next two weeks.
9:25 - Child locates heartbeat. More excitement. Mom is proud but seriously hopes blog post is nearing an end.
9:30 - Mom awakens to Little Girl stroking her cheek. She's touched and has no fight left in her. Goes back to sleep in hopes of setting a good example.
9:55 - Mom wakes up but can not move due to countless cricks in body. Mom wiggles herself into upright position to see Sweet Daughter FINALLY sleeping. Like an angel.

These are a few of my favorite things!

2008-11-28T21:51:00.000-08:00

Most of Livy's favorite songs are from The Sound of Music. Every time we're in the car, she sings, "So, Do, La, Fa, Mi, Do, Re. You can sing most any thing." Sometimes she gets stuck on this line, or maybe it's just her favorite, but she sings it over and over and over and...(you get the idea): "Me, a name I call my sewf." Like a broken record she sings it. It's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. So, since we're always singing these songs and the song about our favorite things, I thought I'd make a Favorite Things list.

Olivia's Favorite Things
1. MILK
2. Hugs, kisses, and snuggles - but only if she's in the mood
3. Independence - "I got it. I got it."
4. Babies - She LOVES her 3-month-old cousin and two-month-old friend. She also loves her baby dolls and takes great care of them.
5. Singing and dancing. I'm sure she carries a tune better than I can. I'm also surprised at how well she knows lyrics to so many songs.
6. Fwens. (Friends) She often tells us she wants to go play with friends.
7. Animals - feeding ducks, riding elephants, zoo visits, catching frogs, etc. Seeing and interacting with animals really makes her happy.
8. Milk. Yes, I already mentioned that one, but she loves it so much it should be written twice.
9. Playing pretend. She dresses up, pretends to go shopping and "bye-bye," and carries a purse while making important phone calls.
10. Chicken (asks for it for breakfast), chips, oatmeal, rice, cheese, yogurt, bananas, apples, mandarin oranges, but she's not especially interested in too many sweets.
11. Chocolate, the exception to #10.
12. Playing with Daddy. He can get smiles, giggles, and laughter out of her than I ever could. Tickle Monster, Airplane, and "I'm gonna get you!" are some of her favorites. She

Go Team!

2008-11-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

Our date night on Friday took place at the AA Center where we watched the Mavs beat the Grizzlies. I haven't watched much basketball in the past several years (by not much I mean none), but I really enjoyed them when Dirk, Finley, and Nash were on our team. At least we still have Dirk to watch. I knew I'd enjoy the experience of being at the game, but I was surprised at just how much fun I had actually watching the game. I think when Aaron and I have more money than we know what to do with, I'll buy him season tickets in the section we sat in. That way, we can share some of them, so other people can have a blast like we did. Thanks for thinking of us, Abe. What a neat early Christmas gift. Aaron took 1.2 million pictures, which is actually far less than he takes when Livy is the subject, but I will only post a handful.

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Let me explain...

2008-11-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

OK, I'm shooting for 30 posts in 30 days, but maybe not once a day. :o) I did post twice in one day (although I removed it later). So I'm still on track, right?

Well, today will be short - my home is a wreck, my giant leaf piles are patiently waiting to be bagged, I'm going on a mouse hunt (though going on a 'bear hunt' is so much more fun) and Livy and I need to dance to some of our favorite songs while we watch The Sound of Music. I couldn't ask for a better day!

If you're reading, I'd love to hear what your day looks like. :-)

Shock and Awww

2008-11-22T21:31:00.000-08:00

(The Mavs game/date night with hubby was a blast! Thanks Abe, sitters, and sitter offerees. More on that later.)

My oldest bro-in-law Adam is one blessed and lucky guy! He has met the woman of his dreams and even managed to sweep her off her feet. Melinda is quite lucky, as well; Adam is a pretty neat guy. These two Torah-studying, multi-language-speaking, neice-entertaining, steady-going, zoo-visiting, Israel-touring, soon-to-be-Fort-Worth-residing (I hope!) love birds are now engaged to be married, and the Big Day is May 17th.

I was extatic about Melinda from the start, so I continually pestered Adam with an endless stream of questions about her and their relationship. (I play the role of the annoying little sister effortlessly, even w/o prior experience.) After their relationship took a turn for the serious, I began asking about the big question, the ring, etc, and Big Bro eventually made known his plans of proposing. I was more than honored one day while visiting my father-in-law when Adam asked me if I wanted to go with him to look at bicycles. Well, we began our journey and somehow ended up at a jewelry store. Livy slept on my shoulder while I watched Adam select this special ring. He chose a simple but elegant diamond solitaire and started trying to get in touch with Melinda's father to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. Once he got in touch with him, Adam made a trip to meet him for lunch in San Angelo and received his blessing to marry his daughter. After lunch, Adam hopped on over to Midland to surprise Melinda as she was getting off work.

**Aside - When we were asking Adam about his proposal plans, he told us he would surprise her at work. I said, "Oh, Shock and Awe!"
He said, "Well, I can't afford 'Awe,' but I can 'shock' her!" We decided he was utilizing the 'Shock and Awww' technique.**

Melinda got off work and walked to her car as she would any day, only to be scared half to death by some strange man jumping out of nowhere. Shocked, she certainly was, and it took her several moments to even process that her boyfriend who lives several hours away and who she had no plans to see that week was there at her car. Once that thought started to settle in, he got down on his knee and asked her to marry him. She was so stunned that he had to ask her again to get an answer. She responded with a resounding YES!

Us Penrods are thrilled to have a new addition to the family, and we couldn't have asked for someone more perfect and wonderful for Adam.

Yippee!

2008-11-21T15:16:00.000-08:00

I'm smiling, giggling, and even jumping for joy today! Here are a few reasons why:

1. My nice bro-in-law bought the hubby and me tickets to tonight's Mav's game - really good seats, too!
2. The mechanic called - he can't get the car to act up. Seems our original problem is mysteriously fixed!
3. Livy went to sleep stroking my cheeks and hair, gently tucking loose strands behind my ear.
4. I had no baby sitter today and couldn't work. I just HAD to stay home with my girl, and boy, did we have fun.
5. I'm super excited about welcoming a new member to the family in May. I can't wait to have a new sis-in-law!

YEA, IT'S DATE NIGHT!!!

Dear Family

2008-11-20T17:51:00.000-08:00

Dear Husband and Daughter,

I have not been keeping track of the memorable and wonderful things going on in our lives. Blogger's Block, exhaustion, and fear of the near impossible task of choosing my favorite photos from the 1,000s we take keep me from logging some wonderful stuff. To make up for this and catch up, I am going to try to post once a day for 30 days. This is Day 1. I wonder how far I'll make it. I will begin this journey by posting pictures from a few days ago. It was when Livy dressed as Cinderella and people gave her candy. Really, it was only a few days ago.

And here we are...

Come What May

2008-11-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

God speaks and moves in us through so many avenues. I've felt His presence in the beauty of His creation, the power of the Scriptures, interactions with strangers, through prayer and meditation, when holding a sleeping child. Here lately, I've been completely moved by the lyrics to this song. It was written by the worship leader at my church, Matt Boswell, and is based on Psalm 42:11.

Come What May

Verse 1:

this blessed assurance is rest for the weary
and strength for the weakness of man
prone to chase folly yet hungry for mercy
by grace you restore us again

Chorus:
come what may my heart will follow
come what may my song will be
i will sing of the cross where my dear saviour died
and trust in his wonderful name
come what may

Verse 2:
safely you lead me through shadows of danger
into cathedrals of love
Spirit imparting such peace everlasting
peace that is more than enough

Verse 3:
though i have questions that go without answers
my hope in you is secure
sorrow and pain fill my soul like an ocean
but Christ be my strength to endure

Happy Fall!

2008-10-21T23:43:00.001-07:00

Livy and I have visited a couple pumpkin patches lately with some dear friends and family. The first visit was with Aunt Becky and our little friend. Our cousins Jessie and Jackson met up with us for the second one. Jackson is almost 8 weeks old and is as sweet as can be! He didn't make a peep the entire time, and he let me hold him as long as I wanted (which was quite a while because he decided not to join Olivia in the bounce house this year).

Olivia just loves her Aunt Bucky, unless she's asking her to smile for the camera.

Peek-a-BOO!

Jackson posed with a pumpkin that outweighs him and his Mommy. We won't talk about how unbelievably amazing she looks, especially for having a seven week old. And if we do, we won't be jealous at all. (So this is what one can look like when they don't put on 67lbs. during a pregnancy.) I just joke - way to go, Girl.

"Please don't lay me in the baby pumpkin bin again. I do have an image to maintain, you know."

This is the best shot I got of Liv with her baby cousin, "Dackson." Oh, how she loves him. I'm a bit afraid of her being around him, but she is so gentle. She'll make a great big sister one day.

Olivia, I'm afraid you are actually attracting birds to the patch. You are too cute, My Love.

When Aunt Becky asked her to smile, Livy gave her the most irritated, snobby scowl I've ever seen. I just caught the tail end of it on camera, but it was hilarious! Hopefully it's not a glimpse into our future, say, 11 years down the line.

We tried to duplicate it. We could scowl and eye-roll with the best of them.

No pumpkins here, well, other than those two - just a sweet picture:

Aaron can't take a Sunday afternoon nap without Livy wanting to "go to sleep" with him. Funny, she never actually goes to sleep, but she does have a fun time giggling with her Daddy. I don't think he minds. Not too much, anyway.

Potty Training Experts?

2008-10-17T08:49:00.001-07:00

Any experts on potty training out there? We've been prepping for a while and officially started (then stopped) the other day. Olivia never went in the potty. I even set the timer to beep every thirty minutes to take her in to try, but she wet before the timer went off after 22 or 26 minutes. Does this mean she's not ready? I took it to mean that. Back in diapers, but she seems to keep them dry longer than panties. I'm sort of wondering if she was just in a hurry to change panties so she could try on the next princess. Maybe I should look for a pack of black and gray panties that aren't as exciting. I know I should read a book or two about potty training, but honestly, I know I'd read a few pages and lose the book for a few days. It takes FOREVER for me to get through a book. I blame my ADDOS: Attention Deficit Disor-OH, Sparkles! So, any thoughts from the experienced ones?

Back in business

2008-10-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

After what seems like a very long time without "working," I have a job again! I've spent three months in limbo now. The plan was to teach four days each week at a private school, but enrollment didn't make, so now I plan on watching a few kids at home to bring in a bit of moolah. Unfortunately, Haltom City is not at the hub of an affluent area and is kinda far off from everyone I've talked with thus far. This time has been a tremendously amazing blessing since I've been able to spend it with Livy, but bills still need to be paid here! (I've given up on winning the lotto; perhaps my chances would have been greater if I bought tickets.) While I'm still unsure what the work week will look like for me, whether I really will be able to watch children or will go back to work, this is a great start!

Starting this weekend, I have the privilege of watching a darling four-year-old girl on the weekends while her mommy works for USPS. Last year I had a blast watching a four-year-old boy and one-year-old boy. Our days were filled with lots of playing, answering questions, singing, outings, sibling rivalry (my girl thought she had two brothers!) and all kinds of other fun stuff, and I can't wait to have another kiddo around again. Many, many thanks to God for this!

Since I'm unable to post new pics these days, I looked through some oldies and found some from a day in our lives last year. They kinda tell their own story.

He, he, would you let me watch YOUR children?

Plethora of Pics

2008-09-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

I could look at photos all the day long. Here are some I love from our 'album.' The photo where she is holding a piece of bread was from when she made a cow out of her toast. Then he (the cow) started mooing, eating, and clopping around our dinner table. I was pretty tickled when I opened her dresser drawer and found my tennis shoes in it. Silly girl.

No pics - Just stuff

2008-09-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

Nancy Drew meets Harry Potter!
I am the proud daughter-in-law of a real-life author! 'MomMollie' (a.k.a. Mollie Kehl Penrod) has her first published book available for the public. The Secret of Wellington's Map tells the tale of a young girl who has come across a mysterious map that allows her to travel to strange places and other time periods. She faces many adventures and dangers along with her friend who travels with her during what they thought would be a relaxing summer vacation. I bought my copy at Barnes and Noble, but it's also available on Amazon. (You know, just in case you might be interested in such a fascinating novel for tweens on up!) We're all so proud of her and can't wait to read her future works. If only we had a map of our own to get a sneak peek. ;-)

Welcome to our world & our family, too!
I had the utter joy of meeting my sweet little cousin who was born on the 27th. I was able to see him and his proud parents just a few hours after he was born. This baby boy is beautiful with a head of full, dark, fine hair! His dad had such a proud grin as he held his son, and his mommy looked amazing. One would not believe she had just given birth or had even been expecting a baby. This little boy is already so loved by all his family, especially his sweet parents. (Pics later - camera is currently MIA)

El Paso Family
Olivia fell in love again with her Great-great-aunt and uncle as we were able to meet them for dinner. They were passing through town and spent the evening with us. I think she was up past 10:00 and thoroughly enjoyed every second of peek-a-boo, tickling, cuddling, and chit-chatting with this sweet couple. I have only the fondest of memories of spending such quality time with them and was excited to watch my little girl do the same. (Pics later - camera is currently MIA)

That's $1.07.
For those of you who don't know, I have a bit of a weakness for caffeine via coffee drinks. The other day, I was especially tired and in need of a pick-me-up, so I made a quick trip to Quik Trip. (Cute, I know.) I filled my cup with frozen cappuccino and made my way to the counter, debit card in one hand, coffee in the other. (Livy was somewhere underfoot, I believe.) When the nice young man (whoa, getting old - referring someone as a young man - anywhooo...) rang me up he said, "That's $1.07." So I handed him my ...
coffee drink.
Yep, I tried to pay for my coffee drink with...my coffee drink.
I received a very blank stare in return. After what seemed like half a minute of mutual confusion, the poor young man simply said, "That's $1.07." Yeah, I'm thinking. So take my card. Wait. That's a cup of frozen beverage, not a card. Oops. After finally getting a grasp on the situation, I quite sheepishly handed him my card and muttered something about this being why I was here for a coffee drink in the first place and left.

Livy's Baby Book

2008-08-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

I want to log some things I find kinda cute about my offspring so I'll have the memories forever. If I were the nice kind of mom who keeps a baby book, these are some things I would include in it:

Olivia Sayings:

~I got it, I got it.

~Helk, please.
(Especially if something is 'heaby' and difficult to lift. These words are only spoken by this child after she says, "I got it. I got it," and has tried very hard to get it on her own.)

~I hode you, Momma.
(When she wants to hold me, of course)

~Oh, dosh.
(Well, it could be worse, I guess.)

~Uuuuuhhhhhmmmmmm, no dank dou. No, no diaper, Momma.
(This was after asking her if she would go get a diaper while I started Cinderella. I love how she pretended to think about my request, when I'm pretty sure her mind was already made up.)

~Night, night Daddy. No, no Momma.
(OK, the story behind this one is kinda long. When I was in class last Monday, Olivia spent the day with Aaron because his weekend is Sunday and Monday. Well, that afternoon she had her first and hopefully last seizure. Aaron was scared to death that Livy might not be OK, but he handled the situation amazingly. He made sure she was breathing, called 911, and rode with her on the ambulance to Cook's, one of the top 5 children's hospitals in the nation. He kept a calm facade for his daughter's sake and gave her the best care possible until I was able to join them at the hospital. When I arrived at the ER, I could hear her whimpering for me from behind the curtain before I could see her, and when she saw me, she melted into my arms and crashed. Thanks and praise be to God - she's fine; it's evidently no big deal, just a febrile seizure, which to a parent is a very scary thing.

We were completely blessed by everyone around us who was wonderful to us that day - from the calming 911 dispatcher, to the speedy and comforting EMTs, to the very knowledgeable and reassuring doctor who spent forever with us. Instead of asking, "Is there anything else I can answer for you?" he asked, "What other question can you think of that I can help you with?" or something to that effect. He made it clear he would be with us until we were going to be ok, regardless of how long it took. The grandparents (and all of our siblings) were there for us, too, driving me to the hospital, getting dinner for us, fetching the carseat to bring back to the hospital so we could go home, offering to jump in the car and drive to town from Nashville, and calling to check up on Olivia. Even one of my instructors helped by sending me a list of suggestions for dealing with traumatic events to share with Aaron, who was clearly, well, traumatized. Basically, it was a terribly wonderful day.

Background info aside, back to "Night, night Daddy. No, no Momma." That night, Livy was going to spend the night in our room, so we made her lovely princess couch/bed into a cozy little pallet on the floor next to mommy. This clearly was not close enough to us, and she was still pretty upset come nighttime. So we held her, talked to her, rocked her, sang to her, etc. until she seemed sleepy. When we put her back in her bed, she was still unhappy, so we brought her onto our bed. She was happy with this for a very short period of time, but she knew exactly what she needed to sleep peacefully. "Night, night (with) Daddy. No, no Momma," she said as she gently nudged me out of bed. So, guess who slept on the princess bed that night? And despite the fact that the princess bed is only as long as my head and part of my torso, and that we have hard wood (ok, faux hard wood) flooring in our room, and that we were up every hour and a half, I COULDN'T POSSIBLY express how wonderful it made me feel to have my daughter in my room that night, asking for her prince charming who so chivalrously rescued her that day, while I slept next to them on a princess pallet. While this is something that certainly could not last forever, it made for a lovely sleeping arrangement last Monday night.)

Warning: Eat with caution

2008-08-15T16:52:00.001-07:00

I just called my hubby at work and found out he quite possibly saved the life of another employee at work today! Some poor guy was enjoying his Taco Bueno when he choked and couldn't breathe. Luckily Aaron was there to give him the Heimlich Maneuver, sending burrito particles flying and restoring this guy's oxygen supply. My hero. : - )

Buddies, Then and Now

2008-08-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how quickly time flies. Seems like this was just yesterday.

Still cutie patooties, though!

Hmmm?

2008-08-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

I have become quite the translator when it comes to toddlerese. However, there is one phrase that keeps popping up that I can't figure out. So I thought I'd ask for some helpful suggestions. It's: hah doddy. She says it every time she sees a motah-cycee (motorcycle), so I thought she was saying "hi Daddy," thinking the big guy on the bike was Dad. But now it's popping up in other places, too, so I'm clueless. Any good ideas about what hahdoddy means?

The Princess' Party

2008-08-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

For Livy's 2nd birthday, we got the parents, aunts, and uncles together to swim at the grandparents' house. (I still cannot believe my BABY is TWO!) Here are a few of the highlights of her bash:

Uncle Adam trying to wake up the birthday girl. She wasn't very concerned that she had guests over who were waiting for her to join them.

Hanging out with Grandma

Cinderella cake made by Aunt Becky

Singing "Happy to You" (and, no, that's not a typo - that's how she sings it)

Daddy helping her put on her "Love" costume he bought for her birthday. (Then they danced to "So This is Love" while I cried.)

Curling up with a good book and Aunt Becky

The dinosaur robot from Papa and Grandma, which she loves to pieces. She's named her E-o

Uncle Abe wanted to make sure everyone knew how many gifts he got for her. Silly Abe.

Livy learning to share!

New nightie from Aunt Jaime - I think she likes it.

Her new laptop. Kidding. Cute pic, though, right?

"She...extends her hands to the needy."

2008-08-02T23:03:00.000-07:00

My mother spends 40+ hours each week driving all over the Metroplex to visit aged and dying patients, caring for their medical needs, easing their physical and emotional pain, loving on their grieving loved ones, attending deaths, visitations, and funerals, and returning home to spend additional hours catching up on paperwork and phone calls. Being a hospice nurse would have to be draining to any mind, body, and spirit, but my mom does it all in spite of chronic pain and the debilitating effects of rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. With a good attitude and loving heart. This already is a great feat, but it doesn't stop there. She is such a loving mom and friend, and she even makes a bit of time for those granbabies of hers. (I think they're a bit fond of each other, actually.) She's an encouraging friend and looks after neighbors and other family members, as well.

I spent this afternoon with her and watched one of her patients light up as she walked into his home to visit with him and his wife, bring them dinner, and clean their house because, as he put it, "I'd be embarrassed for the pastor to come and visit me right now." She may spend the next two days "paying for" her cleaning spree (I had to get on to her a few times for breaking her rules - that stubborn madre of mine!), but I know she wouldn't have it any other way. Her patients are so at home with her that it felt like visiting family. They open up to her, trust her, and really just need her during this season of their lives. I love and admire my mom. Having been raised by such a loving mother is one of the greatest blessings I've experienced. I appreciate the example my mom has set for me, the mother she is to me, and the "gammaw" my little girl is also blessed to have.

On another blessed-to-have-wonderful-mothers note, I have a pretttty lovely mom-in-law, too! Talk about serving others, working hard, achieving astounding goals, and rich inner/outer beauty! "I luh you mush," both of you!

Testing, 1-2-3

2008-07-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here's my first video upload...

December 2007 (17 mos.)

Funny story...My lovely expectant mother best friend is getting a cute baby belly, so we've tried to explain the toddler version of pregnancy to Livy. (i.e. Olivia, did you know there is a baby in Stef's belly?) So now Olivia, who loves babies and spends hours taking care of hers, pats and kisses Stef's belly. Tonight, my husband spent some time with our girl reading and playing with her after bath time, and he just told me that she started patting his belly and saying, "Awww, Baby," and lovingly and perhaps knowingly showered his tummy with kisses. I haven't laughed so hard in a month.

A little bathroom humor

2008-07-18T07:38:00.001-07:00

I knew parenthood would bring some awkward situations, but sometimes they're pretty funny, too. For a while now, we've been commentating on "goings-on" in the restroom to sort of prepare Livy for potty-training sometime in the next year. Because of this, whenever she hears a toilet flush, she gets excited and yells, "Bye-Bye PooPoo!" I'm not sure what makes me blush more when we're in public - when she yells this after I flush or some poor stranger flushes. So cute, though.

How is that even possible?

2008-07-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

So, the other morning I step on the scale because morning is supposed to be the best time for this kind of thing (before eating or drinking). I was less than happy with the number displayed, so I thought taking my shoes off would have to help, right? WRONG! 1/2 a pound more. Which leads to the title of this post. Hmph. Oh well, it did give me a good laugh.
(Note: This is not actually my photo, but we can pretend this is what my scale said. He, he.)

Whoops.

2008-07-14T21:42:00.001-07:00

Figured out how to change the layout or background, whatever. Lost my friends. Will try to fix that soon. Still don't know how to do the whole video upload thing. One day I will be savvy with these things. But not today.

Dancing with her Daddy

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

While listening outside Livy's door after bedtime, I heard some sweet little happy sounds. I used my motherly detective skills and figured she might not still be in bed. Until now, when she gets out of bed, she tries to get to Mommy and Daddy or cries just inside her door. Tonight, she got out of bed to play. When I opened the door, I found her in her Cinderella ("Love") dress-up skirt twirling and singing. It was so cute. I wanted to tell her what a beautiful princess she is, but settled for putting her back to bed with a hug, kiss, and "I love you." Princess time can resume tomorrow, but tonight she needs her sleep. We're pretty used to all things princess around here. Livy even gets Daddy in on it.

Olivia talks Daddy into wearing Cinderella's glass slippers. They fit him like they did the ugly step-sisters.

The princess gives a dance lesson. The Gray Ghost watches from outside.

Not related, just cute. Posing for the camera is new for Olivia.

I'm So Bad!!

2008-07-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Really, only two posts for June? No new posts in over two weeks. Sheesh. I get a serious case of bloggers block. Writing, creative ideas, and sharing are not my forte. But I figured if I just start a post, something will be better than nothing. At least it will keep this habit of blogging once in a while going until I have something post-worthy. So, with that, here I go...

TADPOLE UPDATE
8 tadpoles minus 1 tadpole (tear, very small one) = 3 of the tiniest frogs I've ever seen and 3 tadpoles with big mouths and little frog legs

Livy is super excited about them and wants to see them daily. "Momma, tahpohs, lehs, frohs," she tells me. (For those who don't speak 1-yr-old, this means, "Hello Mother. Take a look at these fine little tadpole friends. They now have legs and are toward the end of the metamorphosis process.") The only problem is the smell. Oh, my. It's horrid. But I dream of being the mom that does neat nature projects, bakes with the kids, works on creative crafts and activities, and makes their childhood a fun and memorable time in their lives. All children deserve that, so I will live with the smell until they've grown enough to drop them off at the pond. (The frogs, I mean, not the kid.)

Tadpoles and other Summer Fun

2008-06-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

Olivia and I were able to spend a week together at home between nannying and Summer School and had a great time! Now she is spending four days a week with the best sitter I could have asked for - her Aunt Becky. The only problem is that Olivia's not too interested in going home with me and cried for 'Bucky' tonight when I was putting her down for bed! That's fine by me, I'm so thankful she has such wonderful grandparents, aunts, and uncles! She's crazy about them all. :-) Here are some snippets from the past couple weeks.

A couple weeks ago, her 'Mawma' and 'Papa' (her Daddy's parents) got her set up with some tadpoles and all the ingredients for a little pond habitat for them. She concentrated intensely and worked very hard as she dutifully completed the steps to build them a happy home. Notice she's wearing her Tinkerbell dress up shoes while assembling the dirt, rocks, pond water, and plants.

When Livy's Uncle Adam came to town, she did a fabulous job playing the role of hostess and entertaining our guest. Actually, I think they were entertaining each other.

I can't quite decide if we have a tomboy or girlie girl on our hands, maybe it's both. Lately, though, she is on a BIG dress up and Cinderella kick. Cinderella is lovingly referred to as 'Love' because of the song she dances with the prince to. Livy was a little piggie swimming in swine the other day wearing a Cinderella dress up outfit, sitting in her princess chair, and watching her favorite movie. She twirled, danced, and sang her little heart out. My parents (Dammaw and Guhpah) have fueled this little flame by buying her a set of fine jewelry, complete with tiara, clip-on earrings, necklace, and ring. It feels so good to this Mommy to watch her daughter look in the mirror and love what she sees. And it's really very cute. (Back to the tomboy mode, Aunt Becky narrowly escaped the projectile tiara the other day.)

Oh, Random Things

2008-06-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

I initially created this blog so I can log special little memories of Livy's childhood (since I'm not exactly up-to-date on the baby book). So here are a few things that have made me say, "Aw" lately.

~At lunch today, she wouldn't eat her carrots. Not because she doesn't like them. She wanted to share them with the horses that live next to us instead. "Here, horsey. No, no, Momma, for horsey." We fed them a few the other day, and I have a feeling we won't be able to keep carrots in the house for very long anymore.

~We're working on giving an answer to the question, "What's your name?" Olivia's answer: (well, usually it's, "No. No, Momma.") On a good day, "Uh-wee-wah Cake." It really is quite cute.

~For just over a week now, we've had a very cute and sneaky visitor join us in bed at about 4ish each morning. I finally mustered enough awakeness the other day to bring her back to her room, rock her for a few minutes, then put her back to bed. Yesterday and today, no visitor. It kinda made me sad.

~Aaron and I were watching a movie after the Girl's bedtime about a week ago, and she woke up SCREAMING. Very unusual. Crying and sneaking out of bed aren't unusual, but this was. We both literally ran to her room and picked her up. I don't think I've ever seen her so afraid and upset. It really broke our hearts. We rocked, hugged, kissed, and talked to her. Once she calmed down, Aaron left the room and I rocked her as she fell into a deeper sleep. She then started smiling in her sleep. Next she talked in her sleep. She topped that off with an all out laugh in her sleep. That made my heart feel better.

~Today, Daddy was whispering in her ear, telling her secrets like, "Go give Mommy a hug," or "Tell Mommy, 'I love you.'" She got a kick out of this new thing. At first she would just run up to me and giggle or put her hands on her hips, but she started to get the hang of it.

~Here's how Livy counts money..."A, B, C, D..." Adorable. She loves her A,B,Cs and wants me to sing it QUITE often. "Again, Mommy." Sometimes I start to sing something else to mix it up a little. "No, Momma, no." *sigh*

~Here's my list of acceptable songs and activities for the 30-45 minutes leading up to bedtime: take a bath, read stories, nursery rhymes, Twinkle, Twinkle, You are my Sunshine, any lullaby, So this is Love (Cinderella), You are so Beautiful, and prayers, both recited and written on the spot
-Here's Daddy's list: tickle monster, throw the child in the air and catch her, hide and seek, peek-a-boo, tag, The Hokey Pokey, The Wheels on the Bus, any kind of hard play or activities that induce wild laughter
-And the winner is...Daddy's rule-breaking somehow helps Livy to go to sleep faster and without sneaking out of bed nearly as much. I've been convinced and have moved to the dark side. Tonight we played tickle monster, Livy and Mommy. She went right to sleep without sneaking out of bed even once. It's nice to have a husband who helps me be a better mommy.

Something Happy!

2008-05-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun pictures that made me smile! ...of feeding the pigeons when the ducks were full, Livy after she put on her make-up (I pretended not to notice while she was getting in to it), and hanging out with friends at the park and zoo.

Goodbye, Dear Friend

2008-05-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight our family had to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Bubbles. She came to us several years ago when she followed my dad and a bag of burgers to our home. Since then, she's provided us with endless love, laughter, and friendship. We will forever miss her , but she will always be alive in our hearts and memories. I love you, Bubbles.

Mom's Day Letter from Livy

2008-05-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

Mommy,

I just needed to write you a letter to tell you how happy I am that you are my Momma. Below is the list of things I could think of:

I get to wake up to you every morning.

Whenever I need to randomly take off my diaper, you are there to put a clean one back on.

Whenever I need to take a bath, you give me one.

Whenever I needed to be born, you birthed me.

I learned how to pick my nose because of that horrible elephant nose thing you used to use. (Nose sucker)

I’ve had some pretty bad diapers, and Daddy never changes me.

You taught me my current favorite song – Where is Thumbkin?

You taught me A, B, C, D, etc…you know how it goes, but I get a little lost after D.

You taught me to say 2,3,4 after you say 1.

You take me to see horsies.

Whenever I am crying my head off for no reason, you pick me "down."

Whenever I need down, you let me down (as long as I’ve taken enough bites and have said “all done”, and have said “I luv you Mommy” and have said “I luv you Mommy much” and have said “thank you”).

You taught me not to hit others even though that’s the one of the first games Daddy taught me how to play.

You let Daddy know when he is tickling me too much (sometimes it hurts even though I’m still laughing).

You play ring around the rosies with me

You helped me a lot when I was going through the ‘teething’ part of my life.

You taught me that every book reads first “I luv my Daddy because”

You took me to the Circus

You read with me every night.

You brush my teeth every day.

You taught me to go poo-poo in my potty.

You obviously love Daddy so much, I mean come on Mommy you don’t even try to hide it!

You have helped me grow so much this last year.

You put me in the prettiest/cutest things so that everyone always tells me how pretty I am.

No matter how many times I take off my socks and shoes, you put them right back on.

You let Daddy and I go to the park by ourselves every once in a while so we can have one-on-one time.

You know, I’m getting sleeping and Dad just fell asleep, and I just realized that it’s five o’clock in the morning so I better get back to sleep because I usually get up at 6 am, so I was planning on going on to 9 million, but I think I’m too tirrrrr…zzz

I luv you much!

Wow, thank you Olivia for the sweet note. And thanks to her Daddy for dictating. I luh you much!

To My Husband

2008-04-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I couldn't have asked for a better man to spend my life with and raise a family with! Thank you Aaron for being my sweet husband. I love you more today than ever before.

Happy Birthday Jenny!

2008-04-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Jenny! I enjoyed making this for you...sorry it took a while for me to get it on your blog.

Growing Pains

2008-04-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

Livy had trouble falling asleep tonight, so I went back in her room after a while to rock her. I rubbed her legs as I do when she needs some help relaxing, and she looked up at me and said, "Thank you, Momma." Sometimes she even asks me to do this..."Legs?" she will request. I wonder if she is having growing pains. It made me marvel at the unbelievable amount of growth she's made since her young life began 29 months ago. This brought to mind some of my favorite and/or most memorable "prego" moments, when her growth was most rapid:

Covering up being tired and sick with massive amounts of Caffeine and DayQuil before we figured out why I was so tired and sick...Thanks to God for bringing her through that ok!
Daily naps on the couch with Gracie
That first sonogram when we learned how far along we were - Aaron was beside himself w/ excitement; I cried to learn that she would be born right before the start of the school year instead of early in the summer. I was devastated at the thought of not being home with my baby longer than 6 measly weeks!
HORMONES - What a roller coaster ride - exhilaration, anger, tears, laughter, anger, sleepiness, unhappiness, nervousness, etc. (And that was just in the course of an hour!) I've always been relatively even-keeled and was completely taken aback this crazy experience. I think Aaron may have been, too! His sense of humor and goofy-fun-lovingness did not fly with me at this time. At all.
Story time in the classroom. My kids would alert me when Baby was on the move. I also remember having to lean WAY back to catch a breath to continue reading, especially during the summer term when I was as big as a house.
Watching and feeling Olivia's acrobatic moves in my belly. This was especially interesting when I wore my dress with the big floral print. It looked like flowers blowing in the breeze. :-)
My favorite memories may very well be related to the relationship that was already building between my little girl and her dad. I never saw such a big manly man gush as he did over her. I woke up one Saturday morning about 10 or 11 to find him playing with the baby in my belly. He was talking to her, playing gutchie goo with her, and rubbing my belly, all while I was sleeping. She also liked to tease him. She'd do several wild somersaults, and when I would tell him to feel her moving around, she would immediately freeze. She did this so often it became a joke with us.

Here's a picture that was taken sometime close to the due date.
(Did you think I was kidding when I said I was as big as a house?)

Two things that made me cry yesterday

2008-04-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

A former student and special friend was in a talent show at my old school, and I was able to watch her perform with her three younger sisters. Her and her family are such lovely people and are completely faithful to and filled with faith for God in the midst of Mom's battle with a glioblastoma, a cruel form of brain cancer. God is good, though, her health and all their spirits are remarkable considering their trials. Seeing such a precious family perform Do a Deer touched my soul to the core. After their performance, there was a duet. One of the girls was wheelchair bound, and her little body is strongly affected by Cerebral Palsy. But her soul is not! I watched these beautiful girls sing, "Take the shackels off my feet so I can dance! I just want to praise You. You broke the chains, now I can lift my hands. And I'm gonna praise You!" Wow! What a powerful message that touched the audience immensely!

I heard this song on the radio last night on the way to the talent show and watched the video on YouTube when I got home. Tears streaming down my face. If you have a little girl or are a girl who has that special bond with your dad, prepare yourself with tissue. I'm not savvy enough to actually post the video, so here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfxL0S-7yVo

Another First

2008-04-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

Bedtime routines are crucial in our little household. Even to the last detail...like reading while sipping on a cup of milk, Livy turning out the light, and, most importantly, rounding up all her babies to go night-night with her. Well last night we finished the list of tasks with a bedtime prayer as usual. Olivia folds her hands sometimes but always watches with a smile. This time, after I finished and said "Amen" she shifted her gaze off me, turned on her side, folded her hands, and in her sweet elfish voice said, "Daddy. Ah-min." Her first self-composed prayer. Brought tears to my eyes, and Daddy was pretty happy to hear the story when he got home from work last night. I think we all had sweet dreams after that.

Reminiscing

2008-03-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

Chapter 2 of The Strong Willed Child tells the stories of some mothers and their very strong willed children. (Yes, I checked the book out about a month ago and am now on Chapter 3.) Anywho, the book left me traveling down memory lane, revisiting all the strong willed kids I've had the pleasure of knowing from teaching, working with in child care, and parenting. These memories include children who have done everything from killing baby birds found on the playground, to sneaking out of the house via doggy door to avoid time out, death threats, the sly middle finger used to scratch the forehead move, and making signs to alert a class full of children that their teacher "sucks." While some of these children have been difficult to get through to, each is wonderful, and I love and miss them dearly. I do think some of my wrinkles can be attributed to them, though! And even though she's the sweetest thing I've ever met, I'm pretty sure Livy may be one of these strong willed wonders.

She has this very distinct look on her face that alerts me that a power struggle very well may go down. One afternoon, we were in the middle of one of these mini-struggles. She wanted to stand in her seat at the table, and I wanted her to sit. She would stand up, look at me with that look, hear my request for her to sit, sit, then stand again. We went through this a couple of times, and my voice was beginning to get very stern, warning her that some kind of action would be taken. (Usually removal from the situation until she's ready to say, "Sah," her version of "sorry.") But this time when I said, "Sit down," she just looked at me with that little smirk, made eye contact, and spanked herself on the bottom instead of sitting back down. It was almost as if she were telling me, "Momma, I will not do what it is you're asking me to, so I'll go ahead and get the spanking out of the way." I had to hide my face so she couldn't tell that I was cracking up! When I reappeared she decided to sit and that was the end of it. But I'll always treasure that memory!

Got Milk?

2008-03-14T16:42:00.000-07:00

Olivia is a milk-aholic! She loves it so much and even has a special name for it...milk-a. When we're at a restaurant, we have to ask the server for M-I-L-K or else there will be trouble. The other day, Aaron was loving on Livy while she was guzzling a cup of her favorite beverage, and he told her, "I love you, Olivia." She moved the cup away only long enough to gasp for air and reply, "I love milk." She is 19 months old and does not often speak in understandable sentences, but this was one of her firsts.

Snow Day!

2008-03-07T23:35:00.000-08:00

We had such a blast Thursday. It was Olivia’s first snow day. There was a bit of snow last year, but she was too little to go out and enjoy it. She enjoyed the snow for about two minutes this time around! “Buw, cold!” she said. And we went in. Livy found plenty of things indoors to be amused with instead. We sang 100 verses of “The Wheels on the Bus” during our two hour drive home (usually on 25-30 minutes), shared some caramel apple cider – she LOVED it, filled the sink with water and played with toys in it, and munched on one of her favorite snacks, olives. Here are a few more special moments we shared:

Our doll takes care of her dolls. She never lets them sit in a wet diaper. Pictured above is 'Baby' in her new diaper. Interesting technique, Livy.

Yoga workout with Mommy

Looking for ideas of trouble to get in to!

Special Daddy-Daughter time before bed!

Poor, Poor Gracie

2008-03-02T12:24:00.000-08:00

Our beloved family dog could not be fully captured by a mere description. Pictures help, but to really learn about Gracie, you simply have to know her. That said, this story may not be very funny to anyone other than me, but here it is anyhow. (Warning: The following subject matter may not be suitable for the tender-hearted.)

Grace-dog is a big oaf of a dog. She believes she requires more time and attention than our toddler. She barks loud enough to wake the neighborhood when she believes there is an intruder (which happens, oh, every few hours). She has a confused look about her most of the time. She is precious and more than patient with Olivia and any other children she has been around. She relentlessly sneaks up on the couch, no matter what consequences come her way. She likes to chase small animals and tries to bring them inside once they stop playing back with her. Most importantly for this story, she is petrified. Period. It doesn't have to be anything major - boxes are the worst of her enemies, but water, bath time, garage doors, any obstacles in the room, laundry baskets, moving cars, growly voices, and many other things are also quite scary. Oh, the rug in the living room is pretty bad, too. Mostly because it slides around a bit when she darts across the room.

I took Gracie for a spin after Olivia's bedtime the other night and left the back window down a little more than halfway because she loves hanging her head out. We were going 20mph and slower the entire time, and we were not driving near any traffic. Gracie was having a blast. So much fun that she wanted to ride with her front paws on the outside of the window. I slowed down and called her to come inside. She did not. She is very stubborn, too. I rolled my window down to further plead with her to get down. She did. I turned around to praise her for being a good girl. Gracie was not in the back seat. I stopped the car as fast as I could and got out. My poor, crazy dog was prancing in a big circle with a look on her face that was even more confused than usual. She thought she was in trouble when she saw me, so I had to convince her to come back with me to the car. Gracie had some scrapes around her nose and on her legs, but only one was bad enough to bleed a little. She was very shaken up about it all, but it did lead to much tlc and a midnight snack burger for her, so all in all, I don't think she minded much. Needless to say, she does not get to hang her head out the window anymore, but she does still enjoy a fun ride. I have since been accused of being a bad "dog mom," but I have changed my wicked ways.

Gracie looking confused

Gracie afraid of a box

To Do List

2008-02-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

1. Find a J-O-B
2. Do my taxes. (By this I mean get paperwork together to give to my bro-in-law to do them.)
3. Get on this blog-bandwagon-thing and post something interesting, funny, or memorable.