What Keeps Me Going?

What are you most thankful for?

2010-11-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

For me, it's this -

Day 6: Food

2010-09-09T13:35:00.001-07:00

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM..... food! What can I say - I love to eat! I'm all about carbs/starch. Give me bread, pasta, potatoes... and a lot of them.

Breakfast is the BEST meal of the day. I could eat it everyday, all day. And not just a piece of toast and an egg... I want BIG BREAKFAST! Eggs, bacon, ham, toast, pancakes, omelets, grits... you name it!

Lunch/Dinner - I'm impartial to. I eat when I feel like it, but never really into it like I am with breakfast. I love a good steak. Fond of really good Mexican & Chinese food. Most Italian dishes.

My list of "Dislikes" is overwhelming to say the least - for others... for me, it is what it is. A lot of it has to do with texture vs. taste.
Onions - little ones are ok, but never chunk
Bellpeppers
Shrooms - anything that can grow in cow shit, not my thing
Nuts IN food - gross, just shouldn't be allowed
strange cheese - nope
Mint anything... makes me sneeze and frankly, don't think it's tasty.
odd looking things... not going there
things that smell like shit - typically, in my mind, will taste like it too
jellied things - gross
fruit in foods - shouldn't be done either, especially in cakes
not big on fruits or veggies - will eat most berries, most melons, carrots, green beans, lima beans, corn, broccoli, cucumbers
I make things that I don't dare eat - I love to cook for others.
Not big on fancy, over the top presentation either. Don't see the point.
Not big on snacks either. I like the occasional chip or pretzal.

My favorite dessert = yellow cake with chocolate icing. Wedding cake with buttercream icing. Gummy Bears!

I know... I'm strange, but you love me anyway!

Day 5: Quote

2010-06-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

I don't think I don't really have any... how sad is that???

Day 4: TV Show

2010-05-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Now this is a good one... I'll break it down by age!

Late 70's-80's: I couldn't wait for the USA Cartoon Express on Saturday mornings. Add to that LOOOOOOONG list Jem, She-Ra, Monchichi's... the list could go on and on. I remember watching Charles in Charge, Different Strokes, Facts of Life and the one with Gary Coleman. I alway loved watching Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing and Dynasty with my mom. I think Falcon Crest was my fav. And who can forget the Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, 3's Company, Golden Girls, Designing Women, and Growing Pains.

90's: ER and Friends, Quantum Leap, Rosanne, China Beach and Tour of Duty, Melrose Place, 90210, Beavis and Butthead, Ally McBeal, Ab. Fab., Mad About You and Will & Grace and the West Wing! Just about anything... I spent a lot of time in front of the TV, like most people my age.

00's: I've not been too happy with the introduction of "Reality TV" because there's nothing really real about them. However, with that said, I watched/watch the Osbourne's, Jackass & Dancing with the Stars, Say Yes to the Dress, J&K+8, Cake Boss, Deadliest Catch... think that wraps up my reality show lineup. Ms. Bristow made her appearance in Alias, we said goodbye to our Friends, welcomed a new batch of interns @ Grey's Anatomy which gave birth to a Private Practice. We tried House, Heroes and got really lost with Lost. The housewives got very desperate. And Rick Castle has become my new Monday night love. Wonder what's coming up next????

Day 2: Movie

2010-04-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

This one is actually pretty easy for me...

One word - AUDREY!

My ALL TIME FAVORITE.... My Fair Lady! Closely followed by Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina (1954 & 1995 versions) & Roman Holiday

Two words - John Hughes, the genius behind such greats as:

Mr. Mom, 16 Candles, Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Some Kind of Wonderful, She's Having a Baby, The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck and Home Alone!!!

Three Words: The American President. Rick and I really love this movie. Annette Bening's character, Sydney Ellen Wade, was one of two (other being Sydney Bristow on Alias) reasons why Sydney was named Sydney. She's a strong, independent, assertive, aggressive, loving, dynamic, driven, and outspoken woman. All traits we hoped our daughter would some how manage to find in herself. I think we are well on that path.

Movies are magical. They allow you to "go to places far away" and that is awesome! I love epic movies with amazing photography. There's nothing that fascinates me more that seeing period pieces, architecturally overloaded pieces, lots of action, over-the-top costuming and make-up, memory making soundtracks and scores. Jam packed with details, lots and lots of details - the kind you miss the 1st thru 10th time seeing the movie only to be surprised when they finally catch your eye on time 11 thru 50.

Did I mention I can't stand 3-D movies!!!! And even worse, remaking of already great movies... just shouldn't be done. Or re-releasing on the 10th, 25th, etc anniversary. I mean really, how many times are they going to release Grease.

Day 3: Book

2010-04-06T15:30:00.006-07:00

I'm embarrassed to say this.... I don't read. I read my first book only a few years ago. I know "GASP". I realized that as an adult, I should be reading. Everybody reads, or at least should. Much like a good movie, a good book can bring your mind to all kinds of fun, fabulous places. My first book was Lance Armstrong's first book, It's Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life. It was a good book. But then again, I had nothing to really compare it too. My next book was required reading for me. For so many reasons I NEEDED to read this book and it was worth every single terrifyingly difficult turn of the page. Reading Down Came the Rain, I think, finished my healing from PPD. I saw myself on many, many - too many- of the pages. But what made me happier, none the less, was that I didn't see myself on some! It brought a new hope into my life. I realized that I liked reading these kinds of books. I was curious if I would feel the same about other styles. I then tried Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood and Memoirs of a Geisha. Couldn't really get into either of those. Then a magical little boy came into my life. Not Ryan, but a wizard named Harry. I LOVE the Harry Potter books. They are fantastic. I know... they are kid books, but I really enjoy reading them. I'll move on to something more age appropriate in time, just not sure when.

Next up: TV Shows!

Day 1: Song

2010-04-06T15:28:00.005-07:00

Hmmm... this is a really hard one. Honestly, I don't think there is just one out there. With all the great stuff out, who can honestly say "______ is my all time favorite song" or "_____ is the best song ever recorded"?

However, with that said, I have favorites in many genre. You know, the ones that evoke that emotion or memory every single time you hear it. Those are my favorites...

I've, literally, been moved to tears by The Lord's Prayer and Ave Maria
I like just about anything from the 80's (who doesn't, right)
Pearl Jam's "Ten" CD. Evenflow is my fav.
Journey - Greatest Hits CD is the BEST, for obvious reasons
Sound of Music, King & I and Moulin Rouge soundtracks
All Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff - Phantom, Cats, Evita are on the top
Anything by John Rutter. Had the pleasure of singing Requiem & Magnificat in high school and they still put me in the best mental place possible. My choir director thought it beneath us to sing anything other than college level stuff. We even did the full Messiah a few times... talk about a long performance. She helped open my eyes to "beautiful music".
George Strait, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Faith Hill
I like Pink, Melissa Etheridge
Fleetwood Mac
Big Hair Bands from the late 80's- early 90's
The Motown Sound - Temptations, Commodores, etc.
Pat Benatar is a powerhouse
Impressed with Ms. Taylor Swift
Rick will kill me for this one, but Barbra Streisand... wow...
I think singer/songwriters like the BeeGees, Dolly Parton, Carole King are genius
John Williams - the man scores the BEST movies. How can you not think of Jaws without "dun num, dun num"....?
Anything with a driving bass line or drum beat. Strong, diverse and powerful vocals

This could just go on and on... I guess I should have said what I don't like, that would have been so much easier!

Rap... some I can handle
What's "in" right now on the Pop stage
Punk
HEAVY metal

See. That was much easier. I love music - it's fantastic!

A Month of Holly

2010-04-06T08:36:00.003-07:00

Due to a general lack of creativity at this time, I want to start a little program I saw on Nancee's SIL's blog to help give me something to post here besides absolutely NOTHING...

It's to inspire me to blog something everyday for a month. The subject: me.

This is how it goes:

Day 01 → Your favorite song

Day 02 → Your favorite movie
Day 03 → Your favorite book
Day 04 → Your favorite television show
Day 05 → Your favorite quote
Day 06 → Your favorite food
Day 07 → A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 → A photo you took
Day 09 → A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 10 → A photo of you taken recently
Day 11 → A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 12 → Something you find interesting
Day 13 → A fictional book
Day 14 → A non-fictional book
Day 15 → A song that represents something significant
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 → A hero
Day 19 → A talent of yours
Day 20 → A hobby of yours
Day 21 → A recipe
Day 22 → A website
Day 23 → A YouTube video
Day 24 → A passion
Day 25 → Your day, in great detail
Day 26 → Your month, in great detail
Day 27 → A hope
Day 28 → A dream
Day 29 → A goal
Day 30 → Something you've learned about yourself in the past month

Should be an interesting adventure for me.

Sydney's School Music Program

2010-03-12T09:42:00.005-07:00

There was a music program at Sydney's school on March 4th for the 1st graders. She practiced so much the days up to it...

2010

2010-01-31T16:51:00.001-07:00

A new year, a new day... what will I have to say this year????

YES... I will!

2009-09-23T08:19:00.002-07:00

So many things have been going on here and I think it's time to start sharing it all with everyone again.

Ryan & I took a walk with Nancee and Erica this morning. The weather is so amazing right now - cloudless sky, cool breeze and bright sun all make for a really enjoyable walk. I love the sound of all the trees rustling in the wind and the occasional wind chime. It's starting to feel like fall is on its way, even with the still 90+ degree days. I'm trying to get the house all cleaned and ready for Mom's visit. Although with the weather this nice it's making me want to do a "Fall Cleaning".

Have I lost it???

2009-09-12T13:49:00.001-07:00

Interest in updating the blog gone.... I think, maybe? Should I get back to it... I think, maybe???

May 2009 Pics

2009-06-07T14:43:00.002-07:00

Here are the pics from last month. They are up on Snapfish.

Soon...

2009-06-01T21:03:00.001-07:00

I promise, something will get posted soon! Just not sure what.

The Graduate!

2009-05-22T18:37:00.006-07:00

Our Graduate!

with Mrs. Stonehouse - her Parapro (teacher's assistant)

with Mrs. DeMarco - the BEST teacher ever.

Katlyn, fellow GS. Sage will be in the same class for 1st grade next year.

They sang this song at the beginning of the ceremony. Didn't know it was going to happen, that's why I missed the first few seconds of it.

The big day is coming...

2009-05-16T14:48:00.002-07:00

Sydney "graduates" from Kindergarten on Friday morning. I can't believe just how fast this year has flown by. She's done remarkably well this year - exceeding even our expectation and becoming one of the brightest children in her class. She's super excited about the big event and is glad she gets to wear a cap and tassel. We'll be there, like all the other proud parents, taking tons of pictures and video. So... check back on Friday!!!

Her next school year starts on July 20th.

For the BEST Mom....

2009-05-09T23:14:00.002-07:00

Happy Mother's Day Mom... you are the best mother in the world. You are strong, brave, bold, a friend, daring, assertive, outgoing, loving, kind, generous, adventurous, outspoken and only shared by me with one. I'm so grateful to have you as our mother. Heather and I are so much like you. You have raised us well and have been the perfect role model.

Love you...
#2

What might have been????

2009-05-03T21:30:00.003-07:00

He likes playing with Sydney's hair clips, so I put several in his hair today to see what he would have looked like "as a girl". Sooooooooooo cute!!!! He left them in - didn't even seem to bother him.

This was taken while the MIL was here. Again, didn't care that it was on his head.

Eye Pics

2009-04-26T12:25:00.004-07:00

He had a blast last night in exam room #15 at TMC's Children's ER. 7:00pm...We got right in when we arrived, flew threw triage and into the room.

Enchanted was playing on the TV up on the wall. He climbed up onto on of the chairs while I got the rails up on the stretcher and got his "space" set up. Got his Cherrios, water and a few toys out. Took out his blanket from home (getting very close to bedtime). He sat on the stretcher for about 30 mins... snacking, laying down, hanging out. Down he went - had to check out all the surroundings. He really like the mirror on the wall and all the horrible stenciled sunflowers & birds on the walls.

He was so well behaved considering he was super tired. When we first got there, the RN gobbed some lidocaine gel on his eyelid so that it wouldn't hurt much when they had to mess with it. An hour later, the MD came in. Of course the gel had crusted the cut shut and she didn't want to mess with it.

Me being, well, me, insisted that it get busted back open, cleaned out and she take a better look at it. 15 minutes later a tech came in, cleaned it off and off she went. The MD came back a little while later. "Yikes, that's a pretty nasty cut and in a very tough place to treat." She said "we don't glue that close to the eye for obvious reasons and I'm a little hesitant about stitching on the lid. With it being in the fold, I'd rather not mess with it." So.... she left us with the "go home and see if it will come together on it's own" option. I was told to keep it clean and put Neosporin on it twice a day and not to let him hit it again because it would pop back open with the slightest of trama to the area. Yeah, she obviously doesn't know him that well.

So, after he fell asleep while waiting for discharge papers, I packed up everything and we headed home. We got back home at 10. I changed him into jammies, gave him his bottle, gobbed medicine on... he passed out in my arms again. Got him settled in his crib around 10:30 only to have him wake up at 12:35. He's done really well today. Staying rather calm and not doing a lot of running/climbing.

The cut looks good though. Red and puffy, but overall, nice. Bruising should be coming in the next few days. He's a champ!

The first of many... ER trip #1

2009-04-25T22:40:00.002-07:00

Took Ryan to the ER tonight. Busted his right eyelid open. More to come in the AM... He woke up at 4:23 this morning and didn't go back to sleep until 9:15; now this.

I'm tried.

Nothing...

2009-04-15T14:48:00.002-07:00

Ryan woke up at 4:20 this morning. Yes... "damn it" was the first thing to come to mind. After running around for several hours and an hour long walk with Nancee, he finally went to sleep around 10:30 only to be woken up by the loud ass recycling truck. Bastards. He's been a shit since then. Hopefully, after an early dinner and a long bath, he will go to sleep and have a good night.

Good news: I'm back to days tomorrow. So excited about that. I'll be glad to get back to "real nursing". I will only roll my eyes at the PM nurses that I get report from when they say "last night was so terrible". Seriously... they do NOTHING at night compared to the craziness of days. My last night shift sucked so terribly bad. I gave 5 scheduled meds the entire 12 hours shift. I was ready to poke my eyes out by midnight and I had seven hours to go. BORING is an understatement. I will be good to work with all my friends and get back into the swing of a real shift.

The MIL comes this weekend. Sunday thru Friday. Gotta get my house cleaned before then. She's ready to take the kiddos shopping for clothes, make a tasty pot of Jewish Penicillin (matzo ball soup) and the worlds best brisket. We are planning on going to the Pima County Fair on Tuesday afternoon. An uneventful visit, but she enjoys spending time with the kids.

Rick had his last meeting with his cardiologist this afternoon - "all clear". Not a cardiac issue at all, but he does want him to work on getting some of his lab values down. He's been very careful about what he eats since the episode. I think he's down 10-15 lbs in 6 weeks. I guess I should be paying closer attention... God knows I need to drop about 50 pounds.

I'm the new owner of a beautiful porcelain tooth. My crown was put in yesterday and it's gorgeous. Aside for the awful week worth of pain (prior to the unplanned root canal), this extremely unsettling process and been awesome. I case you don't know my dental history it goes a little like this: NOTHING! No cavities, no root canals, no crowns, nothing. That was until my last bundle of joy ruined my perfect record. After having Ryan my teeth went to hell. I've had 4 cavities (two on one tooth. if you can imagine that), a cracked tooth = crown, and a root canal. DEAR LORD... nothing else please! Oh, I have to get a night guard to sleep with now too. Apparently I clinch my teeth very badly at night. No grinding, but severe clinching. Fun times. FYI - if you live with headaches and have really tight upper back/neck muscles... you probably do too. That's where I store all my stress. Blah blah blah... I love my dentist, so I don't mind going back to see him. He's my age and really cool. If you ever need a good one, Gabe is the guy to see.

Need help getting Ryan to eat better. He's a nightmare. Throws his plate on the ground, uses his spoon as a drumstick and still won't drink his milk from a sippy. He's a terrible eater. Grrr..... This kid is my "bad" kid. Loves to scream bloody murder when we tell him no or stop him from doing things. Temper tantrums are just around the corner, I'm sure. Shit...

Party Fun

2009-04-13T07:23:00.007-07:00

Julianna & Marissa were here Friday night for a sleepover. They all had a blast! They had the perfect dinner of chicken nuggets & macs 'n cheese then decorated their own mini-cakes (funfetti with strawberry icing, per their request). After all that mess, we did pedicures at the "spa", showers x3, run around and play before popcorn & movie. They all slept through the night with no issues, even though it was raining and hailing during a part of the night. The worst part of the whole night... wake up time @ 5:15... DEAR GOD, what was that crap about? By 6:30 I had all three in my room saying "we're starving", so up I got to make chocolate chip pancakes for the little angels. After breakfast we had an easter egg hunt in the house, then manicures and even more running around/playing/dress-up. Deb came and got them about 12. Here's where the fun part starts... Sydney goes to take a nap around 3:00. Around 4:30, she runs in to the living room screaming and crying "I just puked all over the place". We both took off running to her room - yeap, puke everywhere. Big, giant clumps of half chewed elbow noodles in red vomit on her pillow, blanket, quilt, and her new Hannah Montana dress up outfit that Granny got her. Off to the shower she went with Rick and I drug everything to the kitchen to scoop all the nasty stuff off before going in the washer. FUN TIMES... not! She was loaded up with Pepto, crackers and Gatorade. Fell asleep for a little while, watched TV, and just kinda bonded with the loveseat. Poor kid - looked miserable. That night the bed was remade, with beach towels over all the possible puke targets. Bucket at her side, she went to sleep around 7:30. Uneventful night... no breakfast, 2 nuggets for lunch, hardly anything for dinner. She goes for her 6 yr check-up today @ 1:30, so we'll see what to do about the poor appetite.

Birthday Girl

2009-04-08T21:39:00.006-07:00

Yesterday was a super busy day for us....fun, fast, exciting! A good birthday for Sydney.

school - as you can see, she was given a "crown" from her teacher (worn ALL day) and her name was announced over the PA during the morning a pledge/news/menu thing. She was excited about getting a "Happy Birthday from your Principal" pencil too.

homework/Girl Scout stuff
lunch (nuggets & fresh fruit) at Hacienda del Lago
shopping spree @ Target!!! It was a lot of fun watching her go up and down every aisle looking for things she wanted. She always hears "no" from us, so this had her super excited. Notice a common theme in the things she picked out???? We love Aunt Denise & Nanny (Heather).

Yes, she fell asleep like that. She needed to rest up before heading back out!

Girl Scout meeting - planted flowers & veggies. Had cupcakes too...

dinner with the neighbor's - "Rick-fil-A"
presents - Sydney received lots of great things this year. Games (board, Wii, think) & clothes were the majority We've already played Guess Who & Hungry, Hungry, Hippo. And seriously...damn Chinese crap. They make games real pieces of shit now-a-days. When playing HHH, we had to be careful not to hit the hippos to hard or they would get stuck or the head would get all jacked up. Remember playing that as a kid and being able to smash that thing - no more! Was tons of fun though. Oh, and the "marbles"... yeah, not marbles anymore. Weird plastic ball thingys. Grrr... She's watched her iCarly DVD's and, of course, we've all listened to the new Hannah Montana "The Movie" soundtrack! She's anxious to use the Pixos tomorrow.

cake & icecream

Ended up with SpongeBob because I waited until MONDAY to order the stupid thing and they were out of the Hannah Montana things. She freaked out when we picked it up after scouts yesterday. "Oh man... that's AWESOME! I love it.... sweet" were just a few things she shouted in the bakery area at Fry's. She was excited about being able to lick the icing off the giant S-Bob bendy toy. Life is soooooo easy when you are six.

Rick is taking her to see Monsters vs. Aliens 3D tomorrow and I get to take her to see Hannah Montana: The Movie next week. Her 6 year check-up is on Monday. Curious to see how much she's grown in the last year.

@ 5:42 pm

2009-04-07T06:48:00.003-07:00

SIX years ago my daughter was born. 6 lbs 11 0z. 18" long.

She's funny, super smart, stubborn, friendly, curious, wacky, busy little girl. We love her tons and have loved watching her grow. More to come...

How cute is this????

2009-03-24T20:37:00.002-07:00

Nancee mentioned these finds on her blog today. I love them. I used some of my great-grandmothers buttons to make candle holders while in design school - this is much better.

Me & the Kids

2009-03-18T13:27:00.003-07:00

From San Diego...

More to come from the trip later!

Average Joe

2009-03-04T08:12:00.004-07:00

Aside from his every growing need to kill himself, Ryan is sitting right in the middle of everything. We had his 15m well-baby check yesterday: 25.4 lbs (50-75%), 31" tall (50%) and is head is 47 cm (50%). On top of his shots yesterday, while at the MD's office, he climbed up onto Dr. Auerbach's stool while waiting in nothing but his diaper and a great big smile. Gave the MD a good giggle when he saw it - that was until he found out he got himself up there. He has also figured out how to get off the neighbor's trampoline by himself.... scary! As I shake my head in disbelief, I can only wonder what the heck he will do next. My next mission - the bottle fight. The kid refuses to drink his milk from anything other than a bottle. I've tried 4 or 5 different cups and he just throws it to the floor.... grrrrrrrr! Suggestions?

Sorry about this unsteadness of this one... :(

He also likes blowing bubbles in his bath water now.

Fear him.... yes, we should!

2009-02-26T08:51:00.005-07:00

My thanks to Nancee for her post this morning. "We the People" need to be very cautious during these insanely chaotic times in our nation's history. Devious things are happening and what makes me cringe, is that there are some people out there that agree with the madness. This has the making of an incomprehensible travesty. And to think, it began because of an action by majority of our fellow citizens. SCARY... thanks for that vote & beginning the downfall our our great nation.

Thanks G--L / 25 Things

2009-02-21T18:25:00.007-07:00

First, I have to thank Girl for the yummies she made for Ryan. I got them today and he LOVES them. Even Erika, he's girlfriend from next door, loves them. They were both pretending to eat the cookies. Sydney says "these are soooooooo cute!" I told Nancee that she's gotta check out the rest of Girl's great goodies! By the way - packaging is fantastic Girl.

Next: She tagged me.
Some of these are from my FB thing - modified or edited...

1. I have absolutely ZERO patience for stupidity or irresponsiblity.
2. I miss living and working in Houston. I left an amazing job and a good life to be out here with Rick. I think I could still name all of the people I used to work with.
3. I can't wait to travel the world - anyone up for a few trips? Indonesia is going to be one of my first stops. I miss my friend Stan. Thank God for FB.
4. People that manipulate, obsess, lie and pry - hate them.
5. Yes, I have no issue with using and saying I "hate" you/someone/something. Sometimes it's the only way to deal with it. And,yes, I know it's a "bad word."
6. My favorite movie(s) is My Fair Lady & Breakfast at Tiffany's. There's just something about Audrey Hepburn that is mesmerizing.
7. I just started to read books in the last couple of years. I still don't like doing it, but I know I should. I've really enjoyed the Harry Potter series.
8. I was suspended from middle school twice... don't ask! High school... once. Called the band director a dick-head and he heard me. Got an "in school suspension" for that one.
9. I battled severe PPD for over eight months before getting help. Looking back on it, it was a very dark time for me. Most people will never know the depths of the darkness. I keep the really nasty stuff to myself. The person I was before having Sydney is no longer around. I miss her sometimes, but am happy with who I am now.
10. Don't blame me for your inability to communicate. If you can't tell the truth, shut the hell up! Lies are always told and secrets are never really kept secret.
11. I grew up in a very small town outside of New Orleans. My childhood was fabulous. I miss my home. I was devastated when my parents moved and sold the house. I keep a jar of dirt from the backyard on my desk and look at it all the time. Thanks to Dad, I'll always have Ama with me. I cry thinking about it. I don't think I'll ever go back there again and that makes me sad.
12. I don't believe in soul mates. I also don't believe in love at first sight. What does that mean?
13. Disneyworld is the most magical place in the world. I look forward to taking the kids there with my parents, sister & her family.
14. I'm super excited about the Academy Awards tomorrow night. The part that sucks - never having seen any of the movies nominated. I seriously need to get out more.
15. My sister and mother both thought I was kidding when I told then I was pregnant with Sydney. Neither of them thought I would ever have kids. Oddly enough, I never really wanted to have children. Now that I have two, I love them both.
16. I don't like, nor have I ever liked, living in Arizona. The only good thing to come of it - friends. I have a group of ladies in my life that ROCK! And no humidity.
17. I had no issues with dying until I became a mother. I still don't have "issues", just don't want them to grow up without me around. I don't understand why some people have problems talking about dying - heeellllllooooo... we all have to do it!
18. Speaking of my two kids and dying... my kids are Arkansas bound if Rick & I kick the bucket. Thankfully Heather (sister) has a great big house lots of acres.
19. I used to love riding roller coasters. The faster & scarier the better... not so much now! I think my inner child ran away when I turned 21. Chickenshit.
20. I could eat gummy bears, sweet tarts or salt & vinegar potato chips until I was on the verge of vomiting. They are some of my favorite junk foods. I also can sit with a mason jar full of Jelly Belly's on my desk for weeks and never eat one. How retarded is that?
21. I am an organ donor. I've also had a Living Will since I was 18 years old. If you don't have a Living Will, get one! We, the medical profession, will do awful things to you if you don't have something in writing. And on that note - get a Medical Power of Attorney. Nancee, you will be updating my stuff as soon as you pass the AZ Bar.
22. My grandmother died several years ago. Her death caused my father to cry in front of me. That was heartbreaking. She was not a good grandmother the older I got. Children will always know how you really feel and what you really think of them. They hear and see everything. No child should ever feel like she made me feel.
23. I wish I remembered how to crochet. My grandmother (#22) taught me how as a very little girl. The only thing I wanted when she died was her set of crochet hooks. I can knit, but not brave enough to make anything that requires a stitch that's not a purl or knit. Lazyass.
24. Sydney and my dad are fishing buddies. It makes my heart smile to see them together sitting on the bank of his neighbor's pond with poles in the water. "Pops, can we go fish?"
25. My mother is brave, strong, kind, honest, demanding, generous, trustworthy, loving and the most outspoken person in the world. She is the perfect role model and I hope I am just like her. Don't cross her though... she may forgive but will never forget. I hope I make her proud!

You'd never know it

2009-02-19T19:57:00.002-07:00

Based on his actions, you'd never know Ryan has a pretty nasty double ear infection. He was "back to normal" after we left Dr. Auerbach's office yesterday morning and hasn't looked back. He was climbing on the table just as quickly this afternoon. He has not cried once, other than his usual pissed off ones, since before leaving for the doctor's office. He's doing great. We haven't had to give him his ear drops or Motrin since yesterday afternoon. He still loves his medicine, but will only take about 1/2 tsp at a time - runs around the house in between his sips. And...he slept just fine last night. So, off to the Phoenix Zoo tomorrow with another RN from work. Sydney gets to play hookie. More to come later...

Double

2009-02-18T15:19:00.002-07:00

After waking up around 4:15 this morning and listening to Ryan scream & cry for about 5 hours straight - a double ear infection was the diagnosis from Dr. Auerbach. So, Amoxil BID x 10 days and ear drops for pain. Nice.

Wait no longer...

2009-02-17T11:34:00.001-07:00

For the good news, click HERE!

Good news coming today...

2009-02-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

Check back soon.

1056

2009-02-14T20:32:00.004-07:00

Today I picked up 88 cases of Girl Scout cookies. In each case, there are 12 boxes of yummies. Yeap, the math adds up to 1, 056 boxes. Although it only took 7 minutes to get the boxes loaded into my friends van, it took me several hours to sort and distribute them amongst the girls. After I finished all that, I labeled each of the 230 boxes that were Sydney's. My dining room table was full - one side PD cookies, one side hospital cookies and friends and neighbors in the middle. Mom's 3 cases are stacked under the coffee table for now. I had to open 34 cases to get the orders right... my hands and fingers hurt right now. But on the good side - they all get picked up tomorrow!!! Thank God I only have 6 girls.

We hadn't even finished unloading then before he took to climbing.
Starting to sort out each girl's order.

Sydney's boxes...

Thanks again to everyone that ordered from her. She's anxious to get them out to you!

Snow in the desert - yeah it happens!

2009-02-10T20:52:00.005-07:00

Woke up this morning to more white stuff... The area got anywhere from 1-3" of snow last night. It was beautiful and, unfortunately, almost all gone by noon. The mountains where we went for New Years day has gotten tons of snow in the last several days. Should make for some great skiing over the next few weeks.

Possible Girlfriend?

2009-02-10T20:47:00.005-07:00

Erica is our neighbor and one of Sydney's best buddies. She also happens to be 17 months old; just my little man's age! I love she and Ryan they will grow up and be classmates in school and meet their developmental markers around the same time. They all love playing together and jumping on Nancee & Troy's trampoline. What will the future hold for them????

Mom Groups

2009-02-06T20:43:00.003-07:00

So, I've been asked to join a "Mom's Group". I'm not sure that's my thing... I really can't stand being around a bunch of screaming kids, but I also know that it's important for Ryan to get out there with other kids his age. My BFF is in the group as well as another friend we have, and they both have said how wonderful it is. And... this group is loaded with little boys!!!

What do you think???

Where's Sydney?

2009-02-02T21:09:00.005-07:00

Why do kids always sleep with so much stuff in bed with them??? Every night I go in her room - books, clothes, animals, etc are always tucked in with her. She doesn't seem to mind, but I wonder! Let's see: 6 WebKinz, turtle, 2 books, an extra baby blankets, dog house bottom (the thing the turtle is on), and her robe tucked under the sheet with her.

Although, I think I did the same stuff... haha

14 months

2009-02-02T20:31:00.006-07:00

Ryan turns 14 months old tomorrow. He's becoming very chatty - not really saying many words, but jabbers all the time. My little man is curious, worse than George I think some days. He's found himself a new perch to sit on - the top of Sydney's old desk in the playroom. For some reason he's also become fond of her Dora kitchen and all her pretend food. He was walking around with a chef's knife and cutting board this afternoon. Still won't sit long enough to hear a quick story. Something will catch his eye or ear and off he goes. At least he's not chewing on the books anymore.

I'm pretty sure he will be right handed. Everything he does is with his right hand - picking up things, turning pages, stacking blocks, throwing a toy, waving "HI"... all with the right. Too bad, I was really hoping one of them would be left like me. While he was sick last week, he learned how to blow his nose. And yes, he actually does blow. He even will wipe his own snot-rockets with a kleenex.

Milk... finally got him on 100% whole milk. It took almost a month of mixing it with formula to finally get him converted. He still won't drink it straight from the fridge though, too cold. 30 secs in the microwave and he chugs it down. He's pretty much done with his paci during the day. He gets it at night just before going to sleep and the few times a night I check on him, he never has it in his mouth. I think we'll get rid of it after this month, or at least try to. We are going on a trip to California during Sydney's break from school, so we may wait until after all that is done.

Clothes... that's becoming a tricky thing. He's got a long trunk, but really short legs. Yet another thing he gets from my side, short legs. So he's in 18-24m tops or overalls, 12-18m pants but they have to be elastic cuffs. Without that, way too long if 18m. Still wearing the same tennis shoes I got him in October. He's got little feet, but I'll be getting him a size 5 this weekend. Thinking it also might be time to go another diaper size - he's got a Buddha belly to accommodate. Teeth - 11 and counting. 3 of the 4 molars have arrived with no major issue. I'm curious to see where he's at when he goes for his 15m check-up in a few weeks.

Loves jumping on the trampoline at the neighbors house, running down the driveway, climbing all over the sofa, sitting on/in his toy boxes, playing with Sydney's computer, running like a wild child around the house, standing on any and everything he possibly can, climbing out of the bathtub, tormenting his sister and giving big, wet, messy kisses. He's awesome...

How awesome is this...???

2009-01-31T08:28:00.003-07:00

One of my "friends" posted this on FB. I think I'm gonna have to try this! How can it be bad, it's 2 pounds of bacon man.

Behold the "Bacon Explosion"

Stomp the Yard

2009-01-30T09:42:00.002-07:00

Apparently Ryan has a fascination with the movie Stomp the Yard. Every time it's on we watch part of it. He LOVES to stomp with the guys on TV and will do it any time you say "Ryan you wanna stomp?". He stomps, claps, pats his chest and laughs the entire time. It's soooo funny to watch. Looks like the Rubin dance gene past him up - the boy has rhythm!!! There are a few more clips on YouTube.

New Do

2009-01-28T16:48:00.002-07:00

Explain me this

2009-01-26T11:20:00.003-07:00

Where does for $200 million for re-grassing the National Mall or $750 million for school snacks and millions more for "Family Planning" fall under ECONOMIC stimulus??? Am I the only one who is confused with what Mr. Obama is doing?

1039

2009-01-25T15:50:00.003-07:00

Cookie Sales have closed!!!!! I just submitted the girls orders. Six little K-1st graders, with a lot of help from Mom/Dad, brought in a grand total of 1,039 boxes! 24 of those boxes are being sent to the troops overseas. I'll be picking up 88 CASES on Valentine's Day. Pics will follow...

On a personal note: Thank you to everyone out there that helped Sydney out! She loved the process and looks forward to delivering all her orders next month.

Tooth Update

2009-01-25T09:53:00.002-07:00

It's STILL there. That sucker isn't falling out anytime soon. It still wiggles, but not ready to come out. I guess she's got teeth like me. Very few of my teeth fell out on their own. I had to get a majority of them pulled at the dentist office, even a few permanent teeth. We'll see...

More good news on Sydney

2009-01-23T08:16:00.003-07:00

They do sight-word testing on a regular basis at her school. They are required to know the first 25/600 words by the end of the year. Sydney was tested on all 600 on the 16th. She all but 36 words. Words like Europe, syllables, scientist & represent are some of them she missed. However, she knew words like instruments, paragraph and government. We are so proud of her. She's continuing to do well on her AR quizzes. So... I guess we'll see what happens next.

WTF!!!!

2009-01-21T12:01:00.002-07:00

Fast forward 5 year - what horrific things will he have done by then??? What the hell??? Seriously... what kind of animals are being raised out there?

100 Days

2009-01-16T08:30:00.004-07:00

On Monday, Sydney made her 100th day in Kindergarten. She's still loving everything about it - bus, reading, friends, learning and having fun.

Cookie Time!!!

2009-01-10T09:37:00.002-07:00

This seriously makes me question my sanity! Girl Scout Cookie Sale has started today in our area. On top of being the troop leader, I'm also "Cookie Mom". The girls are super excited about being able to go out and sell cookies finally. When I gave them their order card on Tuesday they got to see all the different cookies and all the prizes they could receive - "wow", "awesome", "no way", "that's cool" were some of the things they said. I hope they all do awesome! I'm curious to see just how awesome they will do. Totals to come on the 28th.

Remember When?

2009-01-09T09:56:00.002-07:00

I found these while looking for a picture of my dad. Wasn't she adorable???

What's the going rate???

2009-01-09T07:31:00.002-07:00

On my way home from the hospital (I'm a RN, for those that didn't know), Rick told me some wonderful news from the home front. Sydney has a loose tooth!!!!!! He said that at some point during the day, she told him that her tooth felt funny. When he asked which one - WAHOO... it was moving. She still has many days before it falls out, but she is over-the-moon excited. To the garage I will go to find my "Tooth Fairy" pillow for her to use. It's a small white pillow with lace edge and a tiny little pocket on the front. She can put her teeth in it, just like I put all of mine, for the Tooth Fairy to find.

My question is: What's the going rate on teeth these days??? I remember getting a quarter or at most $1. What has inflation brought the price to now???

Finally... back to "normal"

2009-01-07T21:49:00.002-07:00

My life is finally getting back to normal. Sydney went back to school on Monday and I'm finally going back to work in the morning. I haven't worked since the week before Christmas and my brain is dying to think. Full steam ahead and life is looking good.

On another note.... Sydney's "smarts" are really blossoming. Her teacher called the house today with some great news. Because she's considered an "independent reader", she's was tested to see how advanced her reading level is. She's a borderline second grade reader. To be exact: 1.9. What that fancy number means is she's reading where a first grader in their 9th month of the school year. She met the "Instructional Reading Level" (proficient at recognizing, reading & comprehending over 80% of the words) at 1.4. She's being placed in the "Accelerated Reader" program at school and will continue to be tested on her knowledge base. All the grades have to participate, but it is not done by the Kindergartner classes. Mrs. DeMarco will be taking her to the library this week to help her pick out more advanced books to continue challenging her. She's got no idea what all this means, just knows that she has to start reading harder books, and that honestly has her soooo excited. For only being five, she's developing an affection for books and experiencing all the joys that brings.

Lucky 13

2009-01-03T21:57:00.003-07:00

I didn't realize that Ryan turned 13 months today until I got the email from BabyCenter. It's not that I don't when he turns a certain age, but I have worked in 3 weeks and my brain is on autopilot. I hardly knew today was Saturday, let alone the 3rd. Anyway....

What he's doing now...

Wearing size 5 diapers
Wearing size 4 shoe, still
Wearing 12-18m clothes
Goes to sleep at 7:30 and wakes up anytime after 6
Finally started whole milk, but we are slowing adding it - we didn't have much luck the first try the week of Christmas
Faces forward in his carseat & loves it
Has really stopped liking "baby food"
Almost has running down. He's at the extremely fast walk now.
Says "up", "hi", "mama", "dada", "nite nite" "nana" and some other stuff
Can tell you where his nose & mouth are. Sometimes will do eyes.
Likes to throw things, especially food
When told it's "Time to go Nite Nite with Doggie", he sometimes walks to his room and waits by the crib for you to put him in
Takes a nap every morning around 9:30, sometimes lasting 2 hours. Afternoon naps - ever so often
Can get his foot up on the tub. I guess he'll start climbing in there by himself before too long!
Can drink from a sippy cup that has a straw in it! Gotta get more of them...
Really likes to eat: string cheese, yogart, icecream, eggs, turkey or ham, potatoes (any type), bananas, broccoli, anything I'm eating
Is finally leaving electrical cords alone & the nightlights
Can open any door - yes, a door. Not cabinet, door! We had to put a lock on the pantry the other day.
Has 9 teeth. It feels like his other 3 molars are on their way though... poor kid.
Still likes to chew on everything
Doesn't sit down long enough for a book to be read to him, but likes looking at them when it fancies him.
Will, for the most part, listen to me when I ask him not to touch things or to sit down. He will hand me something if I ask for it.

He's a riot... he physically can do just about anything he puts his mind too. His verbalization has been picking up dramatically over the last few weeks. Will have to really start focusing on that. HA...

More to come later!

Have ya ever wondered...

2009-01-02T23:24:00.002-07:00

How many Christmas ornaments are on the tree???? 287 this year and that wasn't even all of them. I wonder how many I'll get up next year. I bought only 8 new ones this year. I also have a dozen clear glass ones that I want to make as well as repaint/glam-up the solid gold/red glass balls I didn't hang this year. Any suggestions on how to make those boring balls pretty??? My inner Martha Stewart is on vacation right now - not a drop of creativity flowing.

Welcome to 2009.... and a little snow

2009-01-02T17:45:00.006-07:00

Like most of you saw via email, we headed up to Mt. Lemmon yesterday for a little outdoor fun. We hadn't been up there since Sydney was 5 weeks old and right before the fire that pretty much burned the entire top of the mountain up. We, Tucson, got a little snow the day after Christmas. It was a long, pretty snow that left nothing but dead plants and wet roads down here, but left the mountain loaded. According to one of the newspapers, there was over a foot of white stuff left up there from that one snow. I'm pretty sure it had snowed prior to that day so it already had a good start. The slopes were opened and skiing had begun for the season. Yeap, that's right... just an hour from my house there is snow skiing in the wintertime. Sydney LOVES the snow and had been begging us since the snow day to "play in the snow", so off we went. Loading up the car with lunches, stroller, extra clothes and a camera we headed up to about 9000 ft to the white stuff. It was insane up there... a gazillion people and tons of cars all over the place. We got to the top around 10:45ish. Ate some lunch, drove around some more then started the drive back about 1:00. Surprisingly, it wasn't cold at all. In the sun I was fine in my tanktop, but it was a little chilly in the shade. The snow was a good mix of fluff and ice so they were able to play pretty easily. The kids had a blast! On our way down, we stopped and played for about 30 more minutes. Fun times by all. By the time we got to the base the Sheriff's Dept. had closed the road up because of all the congestion. Our plan is to go back at one more time before the winter ends. Should be better the next time we go back - a weekday. Will have a sled next time!
Ryan:

Sydney:

Rick & Ryan:

Rick & Sydney:

Dear God... What WILL he do next???

2008-12-29T20:59:00.005-07:00

Seriously... I need some help with this one!!! Any suggestions on how to keep Mr. Suicide King from on TOP of the kitchen table???? I was reading an article about the movie Revolutionary Road - he was up to his usual nonsense.... pushing the little desk chair around the kitchen. Sydney was on her computer listening to yet another Hannah Montana song. Next thing I hear was "MOM - HE'S ON THE TABLE!". I turned around and sure as shit, he was standing in the middle of the table, holding a can of shaving gel, dancing to her music. He looked at me, smiled, and said "Hi Momma". I didn't know whether to kill him or take pictures - I opted for the second. So... now that he can get up there, any suggestions on how to keep him from doing it again? Keep in mind this kid climbs on anything and everything he possibly can. He took a face plant into a laundry basket of toys the other day after he fell off the arm of the sofa (dancing again). Yesterday, while reenacting Superman's flying skills, took his face to tile floor twice. Nothing seems to bother him. Will it take a broken whatever for him to stop this craziness???

Christmas Past

2008-12-29T13:46:00.007-07:00

I've not really been in the "mood" to do my Christmas post. For some reason it all went away the morning of the 26th. I've already started to pick up all the decorations. I can't bring myself to take down the tree - just love looking at it. I look at it and start thinking about what I will add to it next year. I remember all memories that go along with some of the ornaments. I have ornaments from the year I was born, bead/sequin ones that my great-grandmother made, new ones from our (me & Rick) life together and now a few from the kids. We have our first "made at school" ornament from Sydney this year. We had a great holiday though... full of fun and laughter. Christmas Eve we went to the Porter's house for a gathering of the five families. Allison & Cliff have opened their home to all of us for dinner and an ornament exchange for the kids. It's the 3rd year of doing this and it's FABULOUS! Imagine the stress of buying 10 more gifts to my already long list of 33. The kids run around in their pretty Christmas dresses, we all eat our fill, chat it up, and then the ornaments! It's so cute to see all those little girls (8) and the boys (one being "Baby Ryan") opening the tiny tissue wrapped ornaments. You'd think they just won the prize from a long days competition. They are all sooooo excited about each little bell or angel they got. It really is adorable. After that, we loaded up everything and heading back home. Ryan went to bed and Sydney & Rick threw out the Reindeer Food (oatmeal & glitter) for Santa's deer. Off to bed we all went...

Christmas Morning: me & Ryan woke up around 6ish. He wanted his bottle, then we hung out for about an hour. It was time to wake up the rest of the sleeping people. Oddly, it was a little hard dragging Sydney out of bed. I thought for sure she'd be the first one up, trying to get a peek at what Santa left under the little tree for her & Ryan.... nope. "Not yet!" was what we got. HAHA... that lasted a few minutes then she was good to go. The kids played with the gifts that Santa dropped off for them before opening the gifts that were under the tree from us and a few family members. I'll do an entry on Sydney's blog for all her "loot". The kids had a great time opening everything and got some really nice things. We are lucky to have such great family members. Although we had already done gifts with my parents while they were here for Ryan's b-day, they still had several things to open that were from Rick and I. Sydney was excited about her bike, and Ryan, well he didn't really care about much. He did enjoy rolling in the paper mess a few times and climbing on a few of the boxes. Overall... we were all made out well. Like every year, my brain has already cleared and I'm starting to think about the 33 on my list. Got the 10 ornaments today from Pier 1. Really pretty 8" snowman icicles, and at 50% off! Gotta love that.

Anyway... Happy Holidays! Hope 2009 is full of wonder for you and your loved ones.

Dude Walks...

2008-12-23T08:58:00.001-07:00

BACKWARDS! Yeap - he's mastered walking in all directions now.

My Brave Boy...

2008-12-22T10:13:00.004-07:00

There is nothing that will stop him now... he's way to smart. Or is it he's way to daring????

Curls

2008-12-22T10:09:00.003-07:00

This is what his hair looks like after a bath or when he gets hot. Oddly enough, this is exactly what my dad's hair looks like when it's wet too. This kid is seriously becoming more and more like his Pops with every passing day.

Sick and Twisted

2008-12-19T15:43:00.003-07:00

These people are NUTS... 18 kids already and "would love to have more!" Please... I'd love to see how screwed up these kids are when they are finally free from their parents' insanity.

1 Year Stats

2008-12-08T20:42:00.002-07:00

Weight: 24 lb. 4 oz (75%)
Height: 30 3/4" (75-90%)
Head: 46 1/4" (50%)

Got three shots too... all is well! Will start whole milk after the holidays and life has gotten a little less "crazy".

Birthday Party Fun

2008-12-07T11:55:00.008-07:00

Ryan's Party... BLAST!!!

He can now stand on top of the train scooter thing and dance on the seat - gotta love that!

Cake... HUGE HIT!!!

2008-12-03T19:02:00.002-07:00

Rick made him a Funfetti cake this afternoon. He LOVED it. Knew exactly what to do with it & not a single crumb landed on the floor.

Ryan's First Birthday

2008-12-03T06:36:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Ryan Robert...

My boy is ONE!!! Ryan was delivered at 1:26pm on a beautiful Monday afternoon. We've had an exciting time with him - I could type for hours about it all! He's been a complete joy to have around and I'm grateful for every single minute I have with him. My heart soars when I look at him. He's my little man...

From T-day

2008-11-29T07:28:00.006-07:00

Just a few pics...

Before it took it's 350 degree oil bath~

After it came out of it's 350 degree oil bath..... GORGEOUS!

My favorite guys... how can you not just love them both! And yes, drinking beer while deep frying a 12 pound turkey is a must, regardless the time of day.

She made her "turkey" at school on Wednesday. Tim is always so good with the kids.

I NEVER use my "good stuff" expect for Thanksgiving. And since Mom was nice and got me the rest of my Waterford stems, I was finally able to set a "formal" (to a certain degree) table. On the menu: turkey & gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rice dressing, stuffing, sweet potatoes, baked macs & cheese and rolls! Dessert: pumpkin & pecan pies and the best French silk pie! Soooooooo good.....

Everyone ate well, except Sydney. "Just a roll please"... that was until she saw dessert, then asked for turkey! Ryan ate everything except the sweet potatoes - didn't have any on my plate. John crashed on the sofa and Tim crashed in our room. Rick clean up the kitchen and washed all the china & stems... LOVE him for that! Overall - it was a great day with some great company!

What I'm thankful for...

2008-11-27T06:57:00.003-07:00

Family Pics from Friday

2008-11-24T14:30:00.005-07:00

Recent Pics

2008-11-23T21:30:00.002-07:00

Today makes 39

2008-11-22T07:27:00.004-07:00

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!!

Farters in the house....

2008-11-18T14:51:00.002-07:00

Apparently, my kids like to fart in their sleep. I went in several times to check on them last night and each time they let out the "toot". Sydney even went as far as one really foul SBD. Yeah... I'm such a proud parent.

Heather is so right

2008-11-16T09:45:00.002-07:00

I watched it again... "The Holiday"! I think it's one of my new favorite movies to watch. I watch it every time it's on Encore/Starz. I remembered, after I watched it yesterday afternoon, that Heather blogged about this very thing several months ago . I just love the storylines - slightly unrealistic at best, but still very cute. Now I'm not at all a Jude Law fan, but he is seriously yummy in the flick and Jack Black is finally tolerable. It's a great "make ya feel good" kinda movie that everyone should watch at least once. If you get a chance... try it! I bet it will make you smile & laugh.

My New Favorite Thing to Make

2008-11-06T22:14:00.003-07:00

Thanks to the MIL and Aunt Denise, I have a new favorite "party treat". I've made these four times now and they've been a hug hit. I'll be making my next batch for Rick's squad party then for Christmas sweet boxes for all the friends and neighbors. My SIL, Amy, thinks they look like nipples or boobs or something like that. I tend to agree... hehe

Here's how you make them:

bag of waffle pretzels
bag of your favorite color candy melts
bag of M&M's

Put about a dozen pretzels on a plate. Add discs to each one. Nuke for about 45sec-1min (50% power). Add M&M's. Leave on baking rake for about 1 hr or until disc is hard again.

28 to GO!!!

2008-11-05T21:09:00.003-07:00

With all this election craziness and starting Girl Scouts, I totally forgot to do Ryan's 11m post. Yeap - 11 months! Not long before the big YEAR OLD.

Here's what he's been up to:

eating Gerber Graduates now, not into baby food anymore
Loves grilled cheese sandwich, chicken nuggets, yogurt, cinnamon rolls, toast, bread, grapes, hotdogs, yogurt melts (those Gerber things), Cheerios, steamed broccoli, basically - he wants everything we eat now!
likes his sippie cup finally
can climb up onto of the coffee table with noooooooo problems
climbs down from whatever he's on (sofa, chair, coffee table)
wears 12-18m clothes
size 5 poopers
loves bath time - makes a bloody mess and walks around the tub picking up toys
starting to throw toys, food, anything in his hand
can play alone in the playroom for a short amount of time before getting into trouble
loves music and dancing
sits on the dishwasher door, if he's got the time
can reach the top of the kitchen table and pull down a plate
is looking forward to having his carseat turned forward-facing
walks to the bus stop with us now - is the talk of the town I tell ya... the kids love him
starting to wrestle with Sydney & enjoys it
like to swing outside
still likes eating rocks, dirt, grass, paper, shoes...anything he touches goes in his mouth
HATES wearing bibs
still only has 8 teeth
sleeps from 7:30-6ish each night
take 1-2 naps each day. length varies each time

I'm sure there's more, but I'm tired and have to work tomorrow... You get the idea though - he keeps us hopping! I love every minute of it, except for the spitting food thing he does - gross.

Oh... got all his party stuff! Thought this was a really cute theme & since his room is planes/trains/automobiles, I couldn't pass it up.

Good Morning America

2008-11-05T07:28:00.002-07:00

Hmmmm.... how does this one get written without pissing off people???? Well, it doesn't, and that's OK. That's the great thing about living in these United States of America - I get to say things that piss people off and that's OK, crazy, but OK. Just like you get to say "she's nuts" after reading it.

So here goes...
I am not all all surprised by the election results. I knew Senator/President-Elect Obama would blow Sen. McCain out of the water. I understand this was a "historical election", but was it going to be that for the right reasons. Yes, it is historical that our country, after forty+ years of desegregation, had a black person on the Presidential ticket. Yes, it's historical that a black person will now, finally, be President of the United States. Yes, it's historical that there was such a huge influx of newly registered or first time voters.

My question is: because of the race or because of the race? I went to bed last night wondering if people, in general, vote for/against a color - black/white, red/blue? Were they voting for/against the black man, for/against the white man, for/against the blue, for/against the red? It just naive, almost ignorant, to think that it's possible a good percentage of new voters came out because they were for/against a color and that is just stupid. Whether it's "No black man will be my President", "John McCain is just another Republican - no more George Bush's", "I don't think his running mate is qualified to be President", "He's a Socialist", etc. When voting for the President, you need to make your decision based on qualifications and views on matters that are most important to you and your family. I understand that this is not atypical of elections. When you don't know the right answer, votes get made based on a color sometimes.

With that said, no, I don't think the best candidate won. I don't think we had the best option, either way. I don't think "we the people", in general, voted for/against the right reasons. Unfortunate as that may be, such is life. We will see how our decision pans out.

I watched two remarkable speeches last night. One very gracious, one very inspirational. I have high hopes for President-Elect Obama. My children's futures are in his hands for the next four years. I hope he does great things and is seen as a great leader because of his actions, not just because of the moving words he's says. Yes, there is a place in the history books for Barack Hussein Obama, our nations' first black President. Rightly so. Last night was huge for the black citizens of this great nation. I hope his presidency will provide bigger and better, more important, things to put in the books than just that. It can't and shouldn't be just about a color. Good luck to you Sir.

"Young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled — Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America." B. Obama

Hey, Hey... I will Survive

2008-11-05T07:22:00.002-07:00

Last night was our first Girl Scout meeting. It went, surprisingly, very well. All FOUR girls were there. I was down one because of the flu. My group has five extremely different little girls, one of whom lives in my house. We got in our "Friendship Circle" and started... pledge of allegiance, GS (Girl Scout) Promise, sang our song and went over the rules. We talked about all the things the girls would be doing, what to expect. They made paper dolls that resembled themselves in their Daisy uniform. We had our snacks outside, cleaned-up, got in our circle again, sang our song again, went home. That was the strangest 1.5 hours. I didn't know how it would go, but overall - great! I know where I need to focus my attention and how I'll need to "teach" them things. Should be a good 13 more meetings.

All Hallow's Eve

2008-11-01T13:34:00.005-07:00

Like everyone else - last night the kids went Trick-or-Treating. We got them dressed in their costumes again (Monkey/Pink Punk Pirate) and sent them into the dark streets on the quest for the goods. I stayed home to hand out candy and Rick took the kids out. Ryan crashed out in his stroller so he was dropped back off and out they went again. It was a rather warm night, little to no breeze and an eerie dark sky. Good for the occasion.

Halloween Fun

2008-10-29T10:08:00.011-07:00

The kids... Monkey & Pirate

Ryan and the only other boy - playing with crepe paper

Inside Debbie's office. Me & Deb

Marissa, Sydney & Julianna
Checking out the "spooky stuff"

The kids & I went to the Myer Family Halloween Party Saturday. As you can see, we were dressed like Medusa, Monkey & Pink Punk Pirate. The kids enjoyed the night - had lots of kids to play with and he got loads of attention. They did a remarkable job on the decorations and had some really tasty treats. We made it home around 11:30 that night...

Shenanigans - Part II

2008-10-27T20:28:00.006-07:00

Last night we discovered that Ryan likes to climb. He's been pushing things around the house - chairs, walker, playdoh center, boxes, etc. Anything that can move, he tries to push it around. We've had Sydney's playdoh center in the kitchen for years now and have never had it be an issue. It's usually under the window or under her desk, but since he's the new kid on the block, things are changing. He loves that thing. It goes all over the place with him. He uses it as a seat, stool, cart and now, a step. He's been pushing it to the coffee table for a few weeks now. The most he would do would stand on it so that he could better reach whatever was on the table. HA... not anymore. He pushed it to the table, opened the top drawer, then proceeded to step on top, then into the drawer, then up on top of the table. He just sat there... like a bird on a perch. Checking everything out - smiling and laughing! What's next??? He already gets himself off the sofa, cocks his leg up on the side of the tub, and now this!

We have Taylor Swift fans!

2008-10-26T20:11:00.002-07:00

She loves singing this song and he will stop whatever he is doing to listen to it. It's becoming a regular tune in the house...thank God for On Demand!

Falling Asleep

2008-10-25T12:46:00.002-07:00

One day last week we sat on the floor and listened to music while playing. I had gotten up to do something on the other side of the house and when I got back, this is what he was doing. He sacked out.... slept for over an hour.

I thought this was funny...

2008-10-22T18:44:00.001-07:00

HB Radish!

2008-10-19T07:14:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to our favorite Radish!!! We love you Amy & hope you have a great day today.

Apple Annie's

2008-10-18T20:29:00.006-07:00

Finally walking around & kettle corn

her pumpkin - see how little it is, but she loves it!

Today we went to the pumpkin patch. Got there around 10:30 and headed straight to the produce area. I needed more things for my fall display in the front yard and they usually have some nice gourds and things like that. Much to my excitement, they had gorgeous corns too. Stupid me, I forgot to take pictures of them today, but will and will get them posted tomorrow. They look fake they are so colorful and shiny. On top of my six ears of corn, we got a half dozen gourds, 4 sunflowers and a few mini pumpkins. Rick also got himself of apple butter. He told me about all the times he could remember Amy eating cottage cheese and this stuff. Personally, it look disgusting, but he said it is delicious, so I will give it a shot at some point. The kids had a great time. Ryan loved being in all the dirt and dead leaves. We had a short-of freeze last week, so all the stems and leaves on the pumpkins were all dead and ugly. They did, however, make for a great crunchy sound as we walked around. Sydney made sure we had good picks. She searched, and searched, and searched even more for the right one for herself. She ended up with a grapefruit sized, solid green keeper. It was cute... After doing all the pumpkin stuff, Rick and Sydney got their bags of caramel kettle corn and I got a few more pictures. As we headed back to the car, we stopped and cut down our sunflowers. It was a great adventure and I look forward to next year!!!

The Moon

2008-10-15T20:23:00.003-07:00

After hours of running around town yesterday, on our way home, Rick pointed out how ginormous the moon was. It was dusk and it was already big and bright. It sat very low in the sky - Sydney thought it we kept driving toward it she would be able to touch it. She's always loved looking at the moon and it's possible she may still think it's made of cheese, thanks to her father. Anyway... as we were getting closer to the neighborhood she asked that I go and take some pictures of the moon for her. Of course I said yes. I've been wanting to try shooting the moon for some time now. I told her I would after she & Ryan went to bed. She said "That is a big moon - you gotta take a picture of it!". As we turned into the neighborhood she asked this question - "Is ass a bad word?" We were a little confused, but answered "It depends, but in most cases, yes and you shouldn't be saying it. Why do you ask?". She then laid this one on us - "Well, I was gonna say "That's a big ass moon" but I didn't think I should say ass." Silence fell upon us both... then hysterical laughter. The way she said that one little sentence was sooooooo awesome. It was priceless. I laughed so hard and cried. It was great!!! She's a funny kid, that little Sydney Paige.

His Latest Shenanigans

2008-10-14T20:47:00.006-07:00

On top of the walking, climbing, pulling down things, eating everything, etc... he now enjoys this! And, he says "up".

Freakin' OUT...

2008-10-14T10:26:00.002-07:00

It's official... I'm having some SERIOUS anxiety about this Daisy Scouts thing. In case you don't know this - for some reason (guilt, I think) I decided last month to be Sydney's, and 5 other girls, troop leader. Ummm.... hello.... what was I thinking! I have no idea about this stuff. Granted 20+ years ago I was a Brownie/Junior Girl Scout but that doesn't prepare me for this. I have no idea what I'm doing and I have all this shit to get done before I can even have a meeting. I had to set up a business checking account for our "troop funds". I'm wondering where they want me to get these funds from.... Mom said "Don't worry about it, you'll have lots of fun!". Things have changed since she was my troop leader all those years ago. There's forms, files, documentation, background checks, checking accounts, requirement of "two adults" at all times (gotta find another adult in my spare time), a crap ton of training classes, CPR requirements (thank god for the RN part)... the list goes on! I feel very unprepared and overwhelmed right now. I got the list of my girls last night at this meeting I had to go to. ACK - contact time, let's all give email a hand. I hate the uncertainty of it all. I'm sure it will all work out in the end, but HOLY SHIT!!! I just want some guidance - thankfully, the web is loaded with great tips. I love the fact that Daisies don't really DO anything. They don't work for badges, they do a lot of crafts and field trips. It's basically a scheduled play date for them all. I like that about it. Everyone at the meeting last night kept saying "it's just Daisies, you can't screw them up". Here comes the internal puking... this seriously made me want to drink last night.

More to come later... heading into town to get Girl Scout stuff & Sydney's uniform stuff.

Thirty-two

2008-10-06T08:52:00.003-07:00

That many years ago, a big beautiful baby girl was born in a New Orleans hospital! Her parents were Robert & Linda and her big sister was Heather. They are, of course, my parents & my only sister.... the best ones in the world, in my opinion.

Will I ever realize that MY birthday, today, is "just another day" to everyone BUT me? Maybe when that happens, I'll stop being so disappointed in the day.

Oh well... I'm hoping to make this one a good one. A day of shopping with my kids...

Pics from the trip

2008-10-04T09:01:00.012-07:00

2 more to go...

2008-10-03T08:01:00.003-07:00

Today Ryan makes 10 months old! The little tyke is growing so quickly. I guess I need to start getting his stuff together for his birthday party.

Look at him GO!!!

2008-10-02T07:31:00.002-07:00

I finally got a video clip of him walking last night. He mastered it while at my parent's house last week. He also learned how to climb stairs!!! He was halfway up them before we new it.

Pics from drive out

2008-09-23T06:15:00.006-07:00

Here are some pictures of the drive out - I'll have several more posts with pictures! Enjoy.

We left the house at 6:30 Arizona time. Got to Albuquerque, NM about 7 hours later. Que the music... "Amarillo By Morning..."
Good Morning Amarillo!!! We got here around 7:00 local time, just 11 hours after leaving the house. Can I tell you how terrible the roads in New Mexico are - they suck ass. Nearly all of I-40 was under construction. Gotta love Texas after that!

Don't ask... I have no idea! It's some shrine or something outside of Amarillo. There are also a crap-ton of these windmills. The weather was icky... very foggy and breezy. Next stop, OK City.

THIS is what most people would call a "navigable water way". In Tucson, ours look like dried out sand beds. What is a road trip without a stop at Cracker Barrel? We stopped outside of Oklahoma City for lunch. Three more hours logged.

Don't know why I didn't think of this before this point in the trip... We only had about 200 miles left. Surprisingly, the van averaged great gas mileage. We only had to officially stop 2 times for gas. On other time we stopped for Ryan's bottle and got gas because it was cheap.

Are you feeling his love...???

OK City to Ft. Smith, AR - about 3 more hours done. Only about 75 miles to go!!!!

Now, can you explain this?? How is it that in the heart of the bible belt, where most of the counties are "dry", I can stop for a Big Mac and walk next door to a porn shop??? I don't get it! As soon as we go off the interstate and turned right to head up the mountain, we headed straight at a storm. It poured on us our last 10 minutes of the trip. Oh well - I love rain!

Rick is doing the next post... we just love Oklahoma!!! HA.

We made it...

2008-09-21T14:09:00.002-07:00

Well, after almost 20 hours in the van and 1241 miles, we made it to Clarksville Friday afternoon in one piece, but all very tired. The kids did AWESOME! Ryan had a few rough hours at the beginning, but we turned his carseat around to forward-facing(I don't want to hear the sighs or see the heads shake) and Sydney was a little chatty Kathy the entire time. We've done a few things with the family so far... a lot of playing with cousin's Allie, Braden & Peyton. They kids have been riding on the 4-wheelers, eating watermelon, playing with the kite, chasing butterflies and bugs, dress-up and yelling!!! Heading to Conway tomorrow to do a little birthday shopping for me and winter clothes shopping for Ryan. Should be lots of fun... Topic to come: Oklahoma = not smart! Will try to get some pics up tonight after my sister and her heard head back home.

SIL/BIL - Happy Birthday!

2008-09-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

We wanted to wish Sarah and Frankie both a very happy birthday! We love you guys and hope you have a great birthday today!

Rick, Holly, Sydney & Ryan

Packing List

2008-09-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what it takes to pack a family of four for a two week road trip???

Here my list: (this is off the top of my head)
2 large suitcases of clothes
1 suitcase of extra diapers, wipes, bibs, formula, food, etc
bag of misc stuff
basket of toys for Ryan
basket of toys for Sydney
bag of books for Sydney
crate of snacks
cooler for juice boxes and water
1 very large diaper bag loaded with everything but the kitchen sink
Bumbo & trap
Ryan's walker
stroller
2 carseats & all that crap
pillows & blankets
potty for emergencies
DVD player & all that crap
Bag of books & magazines for adults

That doesn't count the:
3 diaper boxes of clothes that's getting returned to Heather
Bag of stuff for mom

Gotta love road-trips!!!

It's Here!!!

2008-09-17T20:44:00.004-07:00

The time has come for us to take our two week road-trip vacation! We head out tomorrow night around bedtime ... destination - everywhere that has been hit by Gustav or Ike (Louisiana/Texas/Arkansas). Route altered because of no power/gasoline in Texas, so we will be heading to Arkansas first. Our plans are to hang out with my family for about a week doing all the things "country folks" do... fishing, swinging on the front porch, catch lightening bug, riding 4-wheelers, etc. After that much needed break from reality, we will head South to my old "home town"Ama. Do a little visiting there (this is still a very tough one for me... Mom said "it's terrible there and that I should not return home anytime soon." My house looks so bad that even she was upset by it.) Going to head to Denham Springs to my BFF Phoebe's house. Hopefully, she'll have time to give me a haircut while we are visiting, but that's a toss-up. Last stop in Louisiana - Cajun Country! Time to hang with the rest of my abnormal family. I miss them all so much and I hate the fact that we never get to see them. Our vacations are always to Maryland or Arkansas, so we don't get time to make it down there. It's been almost 3 years since I've seen my grandma and that is just wrong... I'm excited to see my cousin's twins, Mallory & Addison, who were born a few months after Sydney. They are the most adorable children. Sydney loves being around all the kids back home. I have tons of 2nd/3rd cousins now, thanks to my always reproducing relatives. I'm glad Rick will finally be meeting my Uncle Tommy - he's been away from the family for a long time and has recently returned. Plus this is another opportunity for him to be exposed to my other uncles that are just down right nuts, not clinically. I love the both dearly, but they are just not right! Rick gets fabulous stories to tell his squad because of it. I'm hoping to take the family to see my grandfather (Daddy's dad). Since my grandmother died a few years ago, he's decided to live in an assisted living place right down the street from his house. I'll take the kids to the house though, so they can play in the yard like we did as kids. My grandmother always had a beautiful yard and I'd like to get some pictures of Sydney & Ryan there. Rumor has it, Ampa is planning on selling the Hockaday house soon - better do it before that happens. After that, we head West to Texas. I have more family that live outside of Beaumont and two uncles that live in Houston. We'll probably spend some time with Nanny (aunt) and her family then just "pass through" Houston. Although, if we have some spare time, I'd love to stop and see two of my friends there. I loved living in Houston and had some really great friends there. Dale & Alyse have both started their own companies since I left and are doing wonderfully. I want my house to be done by Dale - he has flawless taste. I'm pretty sure I'd be working with Alyse now if I had stayed there. Oh well...

Then.... the long ass drive through Texas back home. We'll be home next month!!! I promise to post updates & pics along the way. Should make for some great entries.

80's Fan?

2008-09-15T12:34:00.001-07:00

We've come to realize Ryan really likes 80's music. He dances every time it's on.

So there was this Priest and a Rabbi...

2008-09-14T20:42:00.005-07:00

On September 15, 2001, just four short days after the horror of "9-11", in South Louisiana, I married my friend. Surrounded by friends and family from near and very far, Rick and I exchanged vows and started our lives together as Mr. & Mrs.. It has been seven good years. I look forward to seventy more.

It was such a wonderful day... I remember it like it was yesterday! I look at my album all the time with Sydney - at least a few times a month. We used it to help her learn who was who in the family. These are some of them...
My Parents:

My in-laws: Brian, FIL Brian, Rick, MIL Shelley & Amy

Our "Party": Comprised of people from VA, NY, MD, KY, AR & LA... and of course, Us from AZ!

The craziness begins... show a bunch of Cajun's Hava Nagila...

And yes, I thought I was going to fall! Rick loves this picture.

Under normal circumstances, this would have never happened! Two sisters having a blast together... who knew it could happen. Heather was 5 months pregnant with my first love, Allie.

And we lived happily ever after...

Happy Anniversary Rick! I love you...

Daisy

2008-09-09T20:12:00.002-07:00

I decided to be Sydney's troop leader for Daisy Scouts. I have not a clue what I'm doing, but will go through "Daisy training". They didn't have Daisies when I was little, so I can't turn to my former troop leader/mom for suggestions on what to do with a group of K-1st graders. Should be fun and Sydney is beyond excited. More to come later...

Ryan's 9m Pics

2008-09-08T14:44:00.004-07:00