Crazy Haven

New place

2010-06-01T22:37:00.002-04:00

I've switched my blog over to Wordpress. So here is the new site:
http://jenkthompson.wordpress.com

Hope to see you over there!

I'm Trying...

2010-05-24T15:48:00.000-04:00

Not that there are people wishing I'd post on my blog, but in case anyone thinks I've abandoned it, I thought I'd say "no!".

I just can't write right now. I've tried. Many times. But what I want to say and what I end up typing aren't jiving. That's what I get for wanting to write about some more serious subjects.

So, I will continue to try to write it out, but it may be awhile. In case you were wondering.

My Garden

2010-05-06T16:31:00.001-04:00

They tell me that it's spring.

I don't remember sweating in 90 degree heat in spring, but they assure me it's spring.

In spite of the heat and general lack of rain, things are growing -- like my garden!

Now, for your viewing pleasure, I would like to take you on a tour of our yard in springtime (feel free to grab a bag of popcorn -- but make sure it has butter and salt -- without those, it's like eating crunchy air.):

This is the beginning of my zucchini crop...sorry for misspelling it on the label, but that's how it was spelled on the bag of seeds, and well, I never claimed to know or really care how to spell zucchini. :)

Here are my green beans. I planted these in spite of the painful childhood memory of picking beans with my grandmother and getting stung 3 times by a yellow jacket who clearly had a territorial issue.

Cilantro. So good. The end.

Here are our "big boy" tomatoes. I'm probably most excited about these. I hope they turn out delicious!

Here are the blueberry bushes. I am dying to pick them and make a blueberry pie from scratch. With a lot of sugar. After we go on our cruise and the need to wear a swimsuit has passed. I can almost taste that pie.

This isn't from my garden, it's from one of the trees in our backyard. A very big tree. I did not know that really big trees really had flowers to speak of. But it's a poplar, and produces these large tulip-like flowers. I just think they're cool.

This is one of two little azaleas that I planted in the backyard this year. They are small now, but will hopefully get very big and covered with hot pink blossoms. Unless the dogs eat them.

I planted Morning Glory seeds, and now the vines are starting to crawl up the fence. Honestly, I'm just ecstatic that they haven't died yet.

Here is a lovely wild flower in the grass. It will be mowed down tomorrow.

Here is what is left of our illegal burn last weekend. We aren't supposed to burn yard waste in our neighborhood, but well, we had a lot of yard waste that needed to go away. So we burned it. We're so rebellious.

Tyler has been battling ticks and mosquitoes, and spraying weed killer behind our fence every weekend - sometimes a couple of times each weekend. It's really made a difference. This is a picture of the area he has been spraying.

This is a part that he hasn't gotten to spraying yet. You can see the major difference. And I'm sure there are probably 36,000 ticks in this picture, all smiling and saying "cheese!" - we just can't see them. Stupid ticks.

Can you find the bird giving the camera a death look in this picture?She's sitting on 6 red-speckled eggs. Her nest is at the base of a tree - almost on the ground. Not the best location, but maybe her last nest was foreclosed on, and this is the best she can do. (that was cheesy).

Now this bird is just plain dumb. A bird has insisted on building a nest in the newspaper holder part of our mailbox. You can see all the pine needles on the grass that have fallen out. I don't know if there are eggs in there, but I'm waiting to get attacked when I check the mail.

Here is a picture of some of the ground cover I planted in our front yard - I like that the flowers have little spots on them. Plus, these are called "steppables" - meaning they can be walked on 2 to 3 times per day without being damaged. Nice plus when you have little children who don't appreciate walkways.

This is in my front yard. I just love that it's happy, big and very purple.

The plant in the middle is where I planted some poppy seeds. I am hoping that is what came up. If it's not, then I've been watering and taking care of an unidentified weed.

And this is...what the...Rebekah?! What are you wearing?!

No seriously -- this is not acceptable at all! I was trying to show everyone my garden...not your attempts to bloom. :)

Oh well...what are ya gonna do? Crazy girl :)

From My Cold Dead Hands...

2010-05-05T22:57:00.000-04:00

...nap time, that is -- not guns.

Zach is three years old now, and in his infinite wisdom, he's decided that naps aren't his thing.
I beg to differ.
And if I have my way, he'll be napping until kindergarten.
It is a power struggle of epic proportions.

In the last few days, I have heard myself say things like
"Do not pile all your books on your bed, it's nap time."
"Zach, stop talking to your crocodile - it's nap time."
"If you kick the wall one more time, I'm coming in there!"
"Zach, why did you take your clothes off? It's nap time."
"I don't want you to sing or talk, I want you to close your eyes and stay still."
I could go on, but I'll spare you the rest :)

I would be more open to the idea of just having a "rest time" where he does whatever he'd like in his room - quietly, but when he doesn't sleep during nap time, he is impossible to live with later in the evening. I'm talking tantrums, crying about anything and everything, complaining about dinner, and anything else that an over-tired preschooler does. We all get to be the recipients of his foul moods. Rebekah probably gets it the most though - because Zach knows he can take her.

Anyway, I am determined to keep nap time! I will not give up on this! I'm thinking I may put him in the master bedroom for his nap so that he is not surrounded by all his toys and books. I figure pure boredom will help put him to sleep :) I'm also trying to come up with an effective distance to have him run before nap time so that he will be exhausted...my current estimate is about 73.4 miles. **sigh**

Wish me luck on nap time tomorrow!

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
-- Mark Twain

To My Husband...On His 30th Birthday (a little late)

2010-04-30T23:29:00.001-04:00

I had every intention of posting this on your birthday, but, as you well know, life with young children is unpredictable, and that is exactly what this week has been. So, as they say, better late than never!

Dear Ty,

Today, you join me in the '30s' chapter of our life. It was a lonely 3 months here without you. Now I have you to keep me company. :) Each year, when your birthday comes around, I always feel overwhelmed. Overwhelmed, because in a single day, I want to show you how important you are to me and to our children. I've had amazing ideas, but then I remember we aren't millionaires, and so my "spare no expense" plans are put on hold. Often, I am left to try to sum it up in a small note at the bottom of a birthday card...and I always end up running out of space, so my writing gets smaller and smaller, and by that point, I'm just hoping you won't question my literacy. Luckily, blogs don't limit your writing space.

I am so grateful for your personality and what you bring to our family. I really think it would be a disaster without you. As I'm sure everyone knows, you balance me out. You are calm and even-tempered. As the years have gone by, you've taught me to think a little more before I speak - and I am still learning that lesson. I love that even though you are a level-headed man, you are still passionate about many things. Some of my favorite times have been long drives late at night as we discuss theology, politics, or what we want for our future. So many times, your take on things inspires me - and gets me looking at something in a completely different way. And even though you are incredibly intelligent, you are unpretentious. You approach your life with a quiet confidence that your hard work and your ideas will speak for themselves - and nothing else needs to be said. Because of that approach, you have accomplished many things, and earned a lot of respect along the way.

Thank you for getting up every morning and going to work so that I can stay home with Zach and Rebekah. Thank you for all the time you spend tickling Rebekah, or playing cars with Zach on the floor. Thank you for the countless laughs brought on by the strange conversations we have late at night -- when we should be sleeping. Thank you for letting me vent my frustrations to you - even though most of them are completely outside of our control. I could continue for a long time...but I know you'd rather I not. :)

I love you, Ty. Happy birthday.
May the years be gentle on us both, since the kids are not :)

Mississippi Trip

2010-04-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a long weekend trip to Mississippi. One of the highlights of the trip was that Zach got to go out to a logging job and see all the big machines - he was in awe to say the least. I know he really enjoyed it. Here is the video Tyler took - kind of long, but pretty interesting!

Zach's First Logging Job from Jennifer Thompson on Vimeo.

Considerations...

2010-04-14T18:18:00.000-04:00

Right now, I have a lot on my mind. Nothing horribly pressing, just things. One thing that keeps coming up in my head is the issue of schooling for our kids. Yeah, I know -- funny issue since Zach is only 3. I can hear the collective eye rolling. But I have a feeling that 5 is going to be here a lot faster than I expect, and I want to have a plan.

I'm still considering home schooling Zach. Not long term, but at least for a couple of years - to make sure he has an excellent foundation, and frankly, to let him be a kid for awhile longer. Yes, there are political and religious reasons for this - I don't want him being exposed to liberal viewpoints while we're trying to instill conservative values. And as far as religion goes, I don't want Zach being taught about evolution and how monkeys are our cousins, when I'm teaching a 7-day creation at home. I'm not trying to completely remove him from those viewpoints - I know he will face them soon enough. But during his formidable years, I want to be confident that we are having the ultimate say in what goes into that sweet ~~little~~ large head of his! My hope is that our efforts will produce a kid who knows the issues, knows why he believes what he believes, and can stand up and defend it to anyone.

Back to my thoughts - I keep running across two different schooling approaches with homeschooling. I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I continually find. The first is the classical Christian education approach. It's very structured, and really sets out to create a critical thinker instead of a child that just repeats back what has been said. Latin is taught from kindergarten on, the focus with younger children is memorization of facts, with older children it's the "why" behind those facts, pre-teens learn to defend the "whys" and high schoolers' are given the tools to communicate their thoughts through speech and original writing. I really like the classical approach - it plays to my love of structure and predictability. I think it has a lot of good points.

The other approach is generally referred to as "unschooling". It's the idea that, aside from the basics, children are given the freedom to pursue the avenues of education that interest them at the time, and that they will learn more from playing and exploring than anything else. Obviously, this applies mainly to young children - not jr. high and high school. I am more leery of this approach, because I do not think children have the capacity to guide their own learning - and there are certain things they need to learn regardless of their interest level. BUT, I think it makes a good point about putting emphasis on exploring and playing at a young age. So, I am trying to think through these approaches and find a place where I'm comfortable and confident. I'd love to hear any advice you have to offer on this subject!

The final thing that I've been thinking about a lot lately, is what I want to write on this blog. I love keeping everyone up to date on our family and the children in particular. But on the daily basis, there isn't always much to write about - many of our days are just typical days. So that leaves room for other topics - deeper topics that I would like to write about. I do like to discuss politics, but I have a separate blog for that. So, that leaves two other main topics I truly enjoy, and feel knowledgeable enough to write about - theology and parenting of babies/toddlers. At the risk of getting NO replies, I would like to open this up to you - what questions or topics would you like to see on here? They can be within the subject areas I have mentioned, or something completely different. If no one provides any ideas, I'll just pick a subject and start :)

Have a great day!

Easter, 2010

2010-04-08T23:55:00.000-04:00

Easter Sunday was gorgeous here - in the low 80s, sunny...perfect for Easter dresses and spending time outside. We started the day with a special breakfast of BoBerry Biscuits. If you have never tried one, my heart breaks for you. Zach calls them "bo biscuits" and loves them...what kid wouldn't?! Biscuits covered in icing...a child's paradise (and mine as well!). After our delectable breakfast, we headed to church. I know Easter Sunday is crowded, since people who never go to church decide to attend, but to add to the crowd, children in 2nd grade or higher did not have Sunday school class - they were supposed to attend the service with their parents - so it was really hard to find seats. The service was excellent - got to hear the choir and orchestra sing the Hallelujah Chorus...which gives me goosebumps every single time. Usually, it's performed a lot around Christmas, but it is definitely fitting for Easter - such a celebratory song!

After the service, we went home, and hid the eggs that Zach had dyed the day before:

For those of you keeping track, this was Egg hunt #3. It never gets old for Zach or Rebekah...this age is so much fun! :)
After all the eggs were found, Tyler showed Zach how to eat hard boiled eggs. He taught him to crack the egg on his forehead, which Zach found to be hilarious. Later, I saw him slamming a plastic egg into his forehead...poor child. He has his moments. :)
I had a fun time making Easter dinner for us - I made a standing rib roast, potato casserole and roasted asparagus. Just before it was time to eat, I looked up to see Zachary walking in from the backyard with his hands full of flowers.
My tulips to be exact.
The tulips that I planted last fall and waited months to finally get to see them bloom.
The tulips that JUST bloomed about 4 days previous.
The tulips I actually spent time photographing because I liked them so much. Proof:

They are all dead now.
But that's ok, because behind the hand full of death-sentenced tulips was my little guy with his big smile...and he was bringing ME the flowers.
Who knew dying tulips could make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. :)
Actually, now that I look back, I think it's a simple illustration of our celebration of Easter. We mourn our Savior's death by our hands and because of our sin, yet we celebrate the salvation that was made possible for us through His death. So simple...so wonderful.
We thoroughly enjoyed our Easter. What did you do? Did you find yourself ankle-deep in candy-filled eggs and plastic grass like I did? :) I hope you had a memorable celebration!

Easter Egg Hunt #2

2010-04-05T10:19:00.000-04:00

I warned you. There would be multiple Easter egg hunts this year. So don't blame me! A family in our neighborhood has an annual Easter egg hunt, so we walked the kids down there on Saturday to practice their egg hunting skills. There were over 700 eggs, and a lot less kids, so Zach filled his basket very quickly! He was a pro - as soon as they said "Go!" he was off, picking up every egg in site. And because of that, he has enough sugary goodness to last him until next Easter! Enjoy the pictures:

Easter Egg Hunt #1

2010-03-26T21:55:00.000-04:00

Being such an organized blogger/mom, I am using the numbering system for Easter egg hunts right off the bat. There is the potential for at least 3 hunts between now and Easter, so I know you'll appreciate my preemptive titles!

Today, I took the kids over to a friends house for a very fun Easter party. Zach was dying to go on an Easter egg hunt - he'd been talking about it for 3 days.
Note to self: until child has better sense of time, do NOT tell him about an event days before it is slated to occur. Future research will show this has a direct causal relationship to gray hairs and the unmistakable impression that one is losing one's mind.
I even did a practice hunt with him this morning to make sure he understood that the eggs are hidden, and he has to look for them. He was a pro.

The party was great! Lots of kids there to play with, and the rain that was threatening all day, held off until after the party. There was Easter candy and decorations, and there was Zach's Holy Grail - a bounce house.

I hardly saw my son during the party - every once in awhile, I'd look at the bounce house and catch a glimpse of his bobbing head, so I knew he was still around. He loved it!

Rebekah hung out with me for the majority of the party, and once she zeroed in on the candy and chocolate, there was really no stopping her. It's hard to hold a toddler, and watch her devour her sugary sweets and try not to eat them yourself. I was pretty proud of myself - I ate one brownie and a bite of a cupcake. The rest of the time, I just chugged water, hoping it would suffice!

Zach got to try a potato sack race for the first time today. It was a lot of fun - the kids loved it. Like a true first child, Zach was very focused on jumping in his sack correctly. There was a lot of concentration going on there. A see-saw caught Rebekah's eye, and she giggled her way up and down until mommy didn't want to play anymore :)

You know the kids liked the party when you have to drag them out to the car, crying. The kids - not me. It probably didn't help that they skipped their nap completely, and the sugar high had probably petered out by then. It wasn't a very enjoyable ride home, but when the whining became too much, I just turned up the talk radio - which I'm sure Zach hates, because I hated it at his age too :) hehehe.

At the party, the kids had short-sleeved shirts on, and were perfectly comfortable. Literally 1 1/2 hours after we left, I had to put a sweatshirt on to go outside, and I was freezing. A little while after that, Zach wanted to come inside because "it was too cold" - and he had a jacket on. Crazy weather. I'm glad it held off for most of the day though!

Enjoy your weekend!

3 Down, 1 Still Standing

2010-03-22T10:10:00.000-04:00

The battle of the snot has claimed it's third victim.
Tyler has the dreaded cold.

This is one of the most stubborn colds I've ever seen - the kids are in their second week of it, and I'm just now starting to see the slightest bit of improvement in them. But Tyler succumbed to their sticky little germs this weekend. As with most viruses our kids give us, we get the grown-up symptoms - so Tyler is fighting a sinus infection. But no need to worry! Tyler has his first men's league basketball game tonight! Ever since that man was in high school, he has claimed that basketball practice or a game cures you if you're sick. I guess we'll put his hypothesis to the test tonight.

And yes, I'm excited I found a reason to use the word "hypothesis" on my blog. :) It's the little things.

So I am the last one standing against this cold. I'm not sure how long I can hold out - I can still breathe through my nose, but I have been coughing this morning. I'm sure it doesn't help that every 2 minutes I'm wiping snot off of little kid noses.

But there is no time to worry about failure! I must fight on! Bring on the snot, I'm ready! :)

Ever Have One of Those Weeks?

2010-03-17T22:29:00.001-04:00

It's probably a bad thing that I am already putting this week in the 'fail' column, and it's only Wednesday. I have so much to do - many of the things are projects I WANT to do, but I just can't get myself motivated to do them. I am tired. I know we all joke about the time change, but it really kicked my butt this year! I hit the snooze button 2 or 3 times in the morning now, so the kids' schedule has been off by a 1/2 hour - which shouldn't bother me, but it does.

It probably doesn't help that I am in my second week of ~~hell~~ Atkins. The wonderful induction phase - 20 carbs/day, and no sugar. It definitely works, and I've been losing weight, but it doesn't do much for my mood. I'm amazed at how hooked on sugar I am. Every time I go to the grocery store, it's a constant battle to NOT buy all the sugary goodness. The Easter candy is out too. Cadbury Eggs. That is true temptation. I keep telling myself I'll have one closer to Easter, but not now. *sigh*

The kids both have a cold this week. I know they're miserable. Rebekah is frustrated because she can't breathe through her nose, which keeps her from sucking her thumb when she wants to. Zach isn't running a fever anymore, but today, everything sent him into tears. He even asked me to hold him several times today - not normal for him! Is it horrible that I loved every minute of it? He actually fell asleep in my arms and I held him for about 30 minutes before finally carrying him up to his bed. Poor kid. But even when you know your kids aren't feeling well, all their crying and melting down wears on your nerves. I am hoping tonight's sleep will bring rest and healing to their little bodies - in turn, that will bring healing to me tomorrow! :)

Tyler and I booked a cruise with some friends for June. At the time, I just thought it would be a really fun trip to go on. More and more, I am thinking that I really need this. A week away from the kids (that's going to be so hard!), and quality time with my husband and good friends. I'm glad I have that to look forward to. If I didn't have weight to lose, I'd be campaigning to move it up to next week! :)

Since this post doesn't have any adorable pictures of the kids, or really anything of interest in it at all, here are some great deals on photo books - definitely take advantage of them if you can:

Also, this isn't a photo book, but it's a free canvas. You will pay shipping which will be around $14, but it's a great deal. I already had one made as a gift, and it was exactly what I ordered!

Free 8x10 Canvas

So how is your week?
What do you do to motivate yourself when you are behind on your to-do list?
If you could take a vacation right now, who would it be with, and where would you go?
I'd love to hear your ideas!

Playing Outside!

2010-03-10T21:20:00.001-05:00

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."

This Boy.

2010-03-08T14:42:00.000-05:00

This boy.

Oh my goodness.

I know Tyler and I were happy, content people before Zach came into our world, but he has made our world SO much more fun! And crazy, and frustrating -- but that's normal, and totally worth it :)

The other night, we were eating dinner at the table, and Zach was smacking TOO loudly. That was on top of the issue that he was dawdling, so I was quick to tell him "Zach, do not smack. You need to chew with your mouth closed."

Zach looked at me very seriously, swallowed his bite, and promptly put another bite into his mouth. Then he sat there, mouth clamped shut, staring at me, not moving a muscle. After about 15 seconds of staring, he spoke through his mouthful "Mommy? It's not working".

I guess in hindsight, that phrase doesn't make a lot of sense. Based on what I said, Zach really thought that if he put food in his mouth and clamped it shut, something magical would happen, and the food would get chewed.

After Tyler and I caught our breath from laughing, we tried to explain that he can still chew his food, but he needs to keep his lips together. Which was met with mostly confusion.

We decided it was not the hill to die on right now. Smack away, Zach, smack away.

Could It Really Be...

2010-02-27T23:49:00.000-05:00

...This easy?!

I'd like to introduce you to Bo.
Bo is Zach's bear blanket. Aptly named because Zach wasn't able to say "bear", so he said "bo".

Bo is my fault.

This picture reflects the very first time I put Bo in Zach's arms. I thought it was so adorable! I hoped that Bo would be something Zach would sleep with each night.

I got my wish, but with a twist:

Zach didn't want to hold Bo as he drifted off to dreamland. He found Bo to be very tasty. So my child got into the habit of cramming part of Bo into his mouth, and sucking on the delicious fabric as he went to sleep.

Strange? Yes.
I had visions of the headline "local infant dies from inhaling bear blanket - mom says reason for giving him bear was "it was cute".
Seriously. It looked like it could be a problem:

But, it never seemed to be a problem for him, and it became normal. (The "Bo" in the above picture is a backup - he didn't like it as much as the brown one, but it would work if the real Bo wasn't available).

Anyway, fast forward a little bit, and the cuteness factor of Bo has worn off. Since Zach puts Bo in his mouth, Bo gets damp. Then Bo starts to smell sour, and Bo gets washed. A lot. We also weren't sure if it was good for damp fabric to be in his mouth for extended periods of time.

But there was no way Zach would part with Bo.

Last fall, we took a road trip to Mississippi. Somehow, when we stopped at a gas station, Bo fell out of the car, and was left behind.

In Alabama.

Which we didn't realize until we were 2 hours down the road.

Zach was not happy.

While I thought I would be happy, since it was the perfect opportunity to end the Bo habit, I was near tears.

Somehow, Bo was suddenly human. I pictured him lying on the ground at a cold gas station...loved by a little boy, but now all alone. Images from my childhood copy of The Velveteen Rabbit flashed through my mind. We had to get Bo home!

Amazingly, after calling the station from the info on our receipt, the manager found Bo, and we were able to get him back. The family was back intact, and order was restored in Zach's life.

We knew that we needed to break Zach's habit though. When we tried to get Zach to go to sleep without Bo, there was a lot of crying, and it would take hours for Zach to fall asleep. So last week, I decided that I would start telling Zach that he needed to take his afternoon nap without Bo. I was hoping that if he could learn to sleep without him at naptime, we could eventually get him to go to bed at night without him. Well, it didn't go well - Zach just didn't take his nap. He spent the 2 hours playing in his room. Then he was cranky by dinner time, and all was not well. But we were determined to keep it up and give it a chance. Four nights ago, Zach got into bed, and I gave him Bo. Zach was extremely happy, since he doesn't get him at naptime anymore. I told Zach that since he was 3 years old now, he doesn't need to put Bo in his mouth anymore. I told him that big boys don't do that - only babies. I've told him that in the past, but he wouldn't have it. This time though, he just smiled and said "Ok Mommy." I'd be lying if I said that I believed him. My actual thought was "that little sucker is just telling me what I want to hear - like the 'smile and nod' thing!" So I turned out the light and told him goodnight.

I looked into his room a few minutes later - no Bo in his mouth. Ha. He's good - he knew I was going to come in.

I waited a little longer and stuck my head in - still no Bo in his mouth. Hope began to spring up in my soul.

It's been 4 days, and I have yet to catch Zach with Bo in his mouth. Either he's extremely good at pulling the wool over my eyes, or he just quit cold turkey! The longer this goes on, the more I think it's the latter.

So dare I say that it was that easy?! Time will tell. But I'm happy Bo gets to stay in Zach's arms...just not in his mouth! :)

Snow

2010-02-22T16:02:00.001-05:00

"There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very hollows in snow.

It is the still ecstasy of nature,

wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig,

is clad with radiance."

One Year Old

2010-02-03T10:13:00.000-05:00

"A little girl can be sweeter (and badder) oftener than anyone else in the world. She can jitter around and stomp, and make funny noises that frazzle your nerves, yet just when you open your mouth she stands there demure with that special look in her eyes. A girl is innocence playing in the mud. Beauty standing on its head, and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot."

Dear Rebekah,

You have come full circle today, baby girl! 365 days with us...365 sunrises (some of which you made sure mommy saw), 365 sunsets, four seasons, and many events in between! Today, you officially leave babyhood, and become a toddler. From now on, your age won't always be given in months, but in years. Here are some of the things you are up to at 1 year old:

You have 6 teeth, and a 7th coming soon.
You are getting more hair on your head, although it's still pretty sparse.
You are walking full time now, and can even carry heavier things without falling!
You're about done with baby food - you only want table food, and lots of it.
You are wearing 9 month and 12 month clothes, although you can still wear most of the 6-9 month size as well.
You are wearing a size 2 shoe...which is ridiculous.
You can say "da-da", "Zach", "Papa", "ball", "Hi", "anana" (banana), "ooooh" (uh-oh). Still no "mama"!
You are not a fan of milk, and you did not appreciate being weaned.
You still take 2 naps each day, but it won't be long before you combine them into one.
You love to be outside - except in the snow.
You're eyes are still blue...maybe they'll stay that way.
You feel very strongly that you should have full access to all of your brother's toys.
You have a flair for drama when you are upset - you've even perfected the "cry-so-hard-you-fall-backwards-into-a-heap-on-the-floor" approach. Mommy is not amused.
You are a tough little sister - daddy is pretty sure he saw you push your brother down the other day. Zach was not amused.
You still suck your thumb when going to sleep or if you've been crying.
You've been called the GTMB - Gap Toothed Mullet Baby. That name was your father's idea, and I am sorry. But to be fair, you DO have a mullet.

You've endured a lot this year, sweetie - a big brother, a move to a new house, and all the bumps and bruises that come with learning to sit, crawl and walk. You've fallen off the bed more times than I'd like to admit, and been knocked over by busy dogs, but you've been tough. We can't wait for this coming year - letting you play outside and explore new places. Maybe you'll even grow some hair so people will stop referring to you as a boy! Regardless, you are our little girl, and we've loved the last year with you. Mommy's eyes are starting to recover from the blinding sting of all the pink you have brought into our world, and now I know it's just your way of helping us see the world through rose-colored glasses. :) We love you, Rebekah!

Love,
Mommy

Your Third Year

2010-02-02T10:29:00.001-05:00

"son (sun) n. 1. a collector of treasures and heroes 2. a source of found objects in laundry (e.g., rocks, twigs, etc.) 3. his father's pride and his mother's heart. SYN.-an adventure (ad ven'cher)"

Dear Zachary,

Today, you turn three years old. I can remember lying in bed when you were a baby, and telling your daddy that I can't picture what you would be like at three, or four, or five. We couldn't imagine you being that big. Well, time has passed (quickly!) and here you are - three years old. Some things haven't changed at all -- you still love your bear blanket, and you still call him "Bo" even though you have long since been able to say "bear". You still like to sleep on your tummy with your knees pulled up...you always look so comfortable! Socks and shoes are still an annoyance to you - usually viewed as a necessary evil so that you can go outside and play. But as soon as you are back in the house, shoes and socks are off! You even prefer to go barefoot in Sunday School...but we explained to you that shoes are generally expected on children at church, so you are obliging us for now.

There are also many things that have changed for you in the last year. Only one day after turning two, you became a big brother. You have taken it all in stride. You hardly ever complained about your new little sister, and you were excited to help by getting diapers for us, or waking her up when it was time to eat or play. Even now, as your sister is more able to bother you, you handle it pretty well. There are times she gets on your last nerve, but usually, you are long suffering when it comes to your baby sister. You may not notice it now, but you are her hero! You can make Rebekah laugh more than I can, and one of her first words was "Zach". She looks for you in every room she is in, and watches almost everything you do.

You have started to really talk a lot more in the last year, and we love to hear your thoughts. You have declared that when you grow up, you will drive a blue car, and you asked for a tree for your birthday, so you can cut it down like your Papa did. More talking also means more opinions, and we've had our fair share of power struggles in the last year...but even when you have driven your poor mother to the brink of madness, I can't help but thank the Lord for your passion and your strong-will. I know it will serve you well in life...as long as you learn how to control it and use it wisely. So we'll keep working on that!

Zach, when you woke up this morning, we sang Happy Birthday to you, and you grinned from ear to ear. You also bounced all over our bed and insisted that daddy catch you when you jumped to him. It's impossible not to smile when you give us one of your grins, and we love to watch you burn all that boy energy you have each day. You are our first adventure into the world of parenting, and what a priceless adventure you are!

This coming year - your fourth year - I hope you have countless reasons to throw your head back and laugh, that you spend many a moment completely dizzy from your daddy spinning you, that you play outside until you are dirty and the sun is going down, that you have lazy mornings where there is no reason to get out of your PJ's, that you find the courage to learn to swim this summer, that you still give hugs and kisses without complaint, that you learn more about how much Jesus loves you, and that you continue to grow and learn and love like you have this last year.

"Cheerily, then, my little man, live and laugh, as boyhood can."

Your are the best boy.

Love,
Mommy

The Craziest Time of the Year!

2010-01-26T14:49:00.000-05:00

Forget all the traditionally crazy times of the year...Christmas, summer vacation, back to school, etc. OUR craziest time of the year is the next week and a half. You see, on the 31st of this month, I will celebrate my 30th birthday. Not a huge deal in and of itself. Except that we will also be celebrating Zach's 3rd birthday two days later (Feb. 2), and Rebekah's 1st birthday the day after that (Feb. 3). That's right folks, three birthdays in 4 days! Thank goodness my husband's birthday isn't until the end of April!

Soooo, portraits for the kids have been scheduled, outfits have been chosen, gifts are being discussed, joint birthday party is booked (they're 3 and 1 - they won't care if they have a joint party!), invitations are going out, plan for the cake is being considered, oh, and pediatric check-ups have been appointed. Sigh.

So please forgive the lack of posts lately. I have been gearing up for this crazy time. The good news is that all this activity will mean plenty of pictures to share soon!

Weekly Wrap-up!

2010-01-15T23:11:00.000-05:00

If you have ever read a TV Guide, there was a section in the front called "cheers and jeers". I always liked that section. I don't know if they still do that, because, well, what's the point of buying a TV Guide since the television and internet both tell me what is on now, and in the future? Anywho, I thought it would be fun to do a cheers and jeers re-cap of the week from my point of view:

Cheers to North Carolina temperatures finally getting back up into the 50s - where they belong.
Jeers to Pat Robertson and his incredibly cold comment about Haiti.
Cheers to GOP Senate candidate Scott Brown in Massachusetts - it would be too wonderful for words to end the Democrat's super majority by putting a conservative in Ted Kennedy's seat.
Jeers to Obama's proposal of charging a fee to the banks who took bailout money, and the back room deal with unions over healthcare.
Cheers to this blog post over at Cake Wrecks - I couldn't help but laugh and be completely disturbed at the same time. NOTE: Not for little eyes :)
Jeers to the obsession the toddler brain has with the word, "No".

That is all. Have a great weekend!

Real Mothering

2010-01-14T11:32:00.003-05:00

For Christmas, I received the book, 12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know: Getting Back to Basics and Raising Happy Kids by Michele Borba. I just started reading it this morning. It occurred to me that I could get some reading done while the kids play and watch their morning cartoons (Sid the Science Kid, Super Why, and Dinosaur Train). Hey, it's better than the torture of watching these cartoons over and over again. When you find yourself singing the theme song to Super Why at random times throughout the day, and you are even tapping your foot to it, it's time for an intervention! :)

I'm not a speed reader like my sisters-in-law (who would have finished the book in the first 15 minutes of the first cartoon), so I have only read the first two chapters, but I thought I'd share some good points from the book with you.

The author begins the book by talking about how mothering has changed in only one generation. How we are SO busy with every facet of our children's lives now. I don't remember the exact numbers, but there were 800 books on mothering published between 1970 and 2000....only 27 of those were published between 1970 and 1980. So obviously there has been an explosion of opinions and tactics for mothering recently.

One section that really struck me was when the author went to the store to purchase a gift for a friend's new baby. She was overwhelmed at all the STUFF there was to choose from:

"Next aisle: magnetic numbers, memory games, phonic kits, electronic vocabulary programs, and gadgets galore to motivate your budding little genius. In fact, almost every product pledged to give your kid that all-important jump-start toward academic success. Just when did mothering a baby or a toddler become so focused on achievement? What the heck happened to the days of sandboxes, blocks, and tree forts?"

Isn't that the truth? I don't know about you, but I am constantly being told what I need to be doing with my kids and why it is imperative that they do it. I don't think this advice is intended to be harmful - quite the opposite. But I'd be lying if I said it hadn't left me second-guessing myself or feeling guilty over what I'm NOT doing.

I have young children (almost 3 and 1), so there isn't a whole lot they can be involved in yet. But one issue that has been front and center lately is preschool. Most kids are going to preschool these days. I never planned on putting my kids in preschool. I don't think there is anything wrong with preschool, I just figured that since I am a full-time stay-at-home mom, it didn't make any sense to send them to school when I am fairly sure I have the level of knowledge needed to teach them at home. But the reaction I get from others seems to be that my children will suffer when they start Kindergarten - they won't be familiar with the structure of school, or be developed socially. So, I am haunted by images of my children as outcasts, or teachers telling me that my kids just aren't cutting it in school. As ridiculous as those thoughts may be, it does make me go back and question my thoughts on preschool. One thing that keeps coming to mind though is the fact that I only have 5 years of time with my kids at home. Five years. Do you know how quickly that goes?! After that, they are off to school and there is less time to be with them. So why not savor each moment now, why not teach them myself, why not spend more time just being little kids - exploring, discovering and loving? School will come soon enough...but there is a great tree in the backyard that needs to be climbed now!

Again, I'm not knocking people who put their kids in preschool. It works for many people! But if it doesn't work for me, should I feel guilty about it? I don't think so.

In this book, the author gave some stats on what has changed in family life in the last two decades:

Children's homework increased almost 50 percent.
Unstructured children's activities declined by 50 percent.
Family dinners decreased by 33 percent.
Family vacations decreased by 28 percent.
Children's free time decreased by 12 hours per week.
Playtime decreased by 3 hours per week.
Many school systems these days have abolished recess.

When I read this list, it immediately gave me some tangible goals for my family:

I want to make sure the kids have unstructured (and unhurried) play time every day.
Family dinners will be the rule - not the exception.
We need to have a family vacation every year.

I don't think these are hard goals to achieve...but I think there will always be stuff threatening them - trying to take up our time. So as mom, I need to be the gatekeeper and get rid of the stuff that is wasting our time.

Angie, over at Bring The Rain, wrote a post a few days ago about homeschooling her daughters. She was explaining why they do it, and that it doesn't always work for everyone. But she said that her motto when making decisions about her children was this: "Love your God. Love your children intentionally and well." I can't think of a better motto. I want to love my children intentionally. I want to have a plan behind my choices for them, and I want to be real with them. Achievement is not the #1 goal in mothering. Raising children who love God and do what is right is my goal. And anything that doesn't point my kids in that direction, well, it's just stuff.

Wordless Wednesday...With Some Words

2010-01-13T07:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Zachary,

Normally, it is not considered good manners to raid the belongings of family members who are visiting for a few days.

Nor is it gracious to then claim said belongings as your own.

If you insist on doing this in the future, please, for the sake of your father, choose your Uncle's boots...not your Aunt's.

...and they might be more comfortable on the correct feet.

Love, Mom

"Not Me" Monday!

2010-01-11T07:24:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I'll just say it...I am a perfect mother.

I'm just being honest.

So perfect, in fact, that I would never GIVE UP fighting my 11-month-old daughter's endless pursuit to TASTE all parts of the shopping cart. So far, I think she savors the carts at "the Wal-mart" (Jonathan, that is for you!) most.

As a perfect mother, I would never laugh hysterically at my husband while my almost-3-year-old son jumps on our bed completely naked, and keeps sitting his naked bum on my husband's pillow. That would be uncivilized and unrefined. Even if he did just have a bath and had a squeaky clean bum!

And finally, as any perfect mother knows, part of perfection is never being passive aggressive. So I would absolutely never decide to drive to Cracker Barrel and order a piece of their Coca-Cola Cake with ice cream (by the way, worth. every. last. mile.) to-go, drive back home, and split it with my husband IN FRONT of our son, just so he would really regret not eating his dinner that night. I am not petty like that. I am perfect.

Web Site Wonderful-ness

2010-01-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

I think it's fun every once in awhile to share a list of websites that are worth checking out. No specific theme to these, and no guarantee you'll like them too, but I like to take risks like that :)

Freepeats.org :: Great site for getting baby, kid and maternity items for free from people in your area. The more people join, the more stuff there will be to get!
The People's Cube :: Great political humor site...and if you have to ask which side of the aisle it falls on, then you do not know me at ALL.
My First Silhouette :: Oh, how I wish this was available when I was pregnant with Zach or Rebekah! Such a cute idea, and really cool. If you can afford it, I swear this would be an AWESOME baby shower gift!
eCreamery :: And lastly, happiness -- if happiness is personalized, shipped-to-your-front-door ice cream! Custom labels, custom flavors (similar to Cold Stone Creamery). The best part is they are shipped in a container with dry ice...and that just seems fun to me :)

Christmas, 2009

2010-01-10T14:28:00.001-05:00

We has a great Christmas! We spent it here at home in North Carolina, and my parents were out to celebrate with us. We continued our slightly strange, but delicious tradition of eating at P.F. Chang's on Christmas Eve...I mean, what says "Merry Christmas" more than crab won-tons and Chicken Lo Mein?!

Sounds like a good 'ol southern family Christmas to me! LOL.

We were interested to see how Rebekah would handle Christmas morning, because Zach was pretty overwhelmed on his 1st Christmas. He just sat amongst his pile of new belongings and stared, or played with each one for exactly 15 seconds, and then was distracted by something else. Rebekah, however, took it all in stride. She seemed to enjoy it. And by "it" I mean her new personalized chair. Take a look for yourself:

That was over the course of a couple of hours, but it lasted for days. She loves to perch herself up in her chair and watch everything else going on. She also enjoys standing up in her chair and falling off of it, head first. Doesn't sound fun to me, but who am I to judge?

Zach got what he wanted for Christmas - a train table, and a rocket ship. He also got many other things that he loves, but those were the specific requests.

As for me, I got a ton of cookbooks! I could cook a new dish every day for 20 years it seems. I could...not that I would! I just saw the movie "Julie and Julia", and honestly, it made me tired just watching her cook all those french recipes. So, we're eating cold pizza today :)

It was a great Christmas, and truly so much fun to watch Zach get more excited about it this year, now that he's old enough. Nothing does your heart as much good as seeing things through the eyes of your kids - makes things new, exciting and special. Can't wait for next year!

2009: Year in Review

2010-01-07T23:32:00.001-05:00

Without further adieu, here is a re-cap of 2009 from my seemingly endless supply of digital photos. Seriously people, I probably chose one out of every 75/80 photos. Is it possible to take too many pictures? Hmm. Anyway, enjoy!

Edited to add: YouTube wouldn't accept my music I used on the video, so it was replaced with some annoying instrumental. Not my choice...sorry!

A Celebration...

2010-01-07T21:11:00.003-05:00

This Saturday, my cousin, Lori, will be getting married. I think she'll always be 3 years old in my mind's eye, but she's all grown up now and marrying a wonderful guy. I'm so happy for them, and their families! What a wonderful celebration! As my gift to them, I offered to make a slide show for them. They sent me all their pictures, and I finished it this last weekend. Thought I'd post it here for fun.

Congratulations, Lori & Ryan!

The New Year

2010-01-07T20:38:00.000-05:00

2010 is almost one week old already, and I am just finishing up my goals for the year. I found a new way to list them from another blog this year, and I like how they are organized into different categories:

Spiritual:

Get involved in our new church.

Personal:

Keep a consistent bedtime.
Complete P90X.
Send a card or letter to one friend each month (snail-mail).
Blog more regularly.
Focus on sharpening my photography and video editing skills.

Parenting:

Focus on the values behind actions with Zach.
Start some Pre-K schooling for Zach.
Begin potty-training with Rebekah in the fall.
Serve a wider variety of food to both children.
Be more deliberate in tying God into our everyday conversations.
As soon as Rebekah is a full-time walker, get outside with the kids every day - even if just for a few minutes.

Homemaking:

Deep clean and organize one room a month in my house.
Update phone contacts and address book and transfer information to the computer.
Make sure I have a shiny kitchen sink before I go to bed each night.

Financial:

Make weekly budget meetings a priority.
Lower my weekly grocery budget by $10.
Focus on building up emergency fund and HSA.

Well, there you have it. My 2010 goals. One week late, but I still have 51 weeks to accomplish them :) If you haven't set goals for 2010 yet, I hope this inspires you to at least think about some tangible goals in these categories of your life. Happy New Year!

CHRISTmas vs. Santa Claus

2009-12-05T00:28:00.000-05:00

Normally, I would start this post by telling you that life has been so busy that I just haven't had a moment to update my blog. While that is true in a way, it seems ironic since I've been spending MUCH more time on the computer recently. I'm not a "black Friday" girl, I'm a "cyber Monday" girl. I have found a lifelong friend in internet shopping, and this year, almost all my purchases are being made online. So I have been busy, but I've been sitting at this computer the whole time. My head is still spinning from all the 1-day sales, free shipping offers, and buy one get one free deals. I've had a headache almost every day since last week - which I will blame on the shopping - although it probably has a lot more to do with my refusal to wear my prescribed eyeglasses when on the computer. But typing about my failing eyesight reminds me that this is the last Christmas of my twenties. I will not dwell on that - after all, this is the season for good cheer - not the season for petitioning Al Gore to give up on "going green" and move on to significant goals like eternal youth. Don't worry, I'll focus on that in January.

Back to the point. Rebekah turned 10 months old yesterday! She's so close to being one - it's scary. She is waving and saying hi now, and just started signing "please". And she's still pretty bald. So bald, in fact, that I am actually considering some of those ridiculously huge flower headbands. Or maybe I should just take a sharpie and write this on her head:

GIRL / 10 MONTHS OLD

I would write that because interestingly enough, people tend to assume that bald babies are boys (even when they are wearing pink/flowery outfits), or if they get her gender right, they assume she's 3 to 4 months old. I'm starting to think it might be fun to let them think they are right about her age, and then gloat that my 3-month old can crawl, stand and take steps. ~~So much fun to shame other babies and make them feel inferior~~ No, I would not enjoy that in any way.

Tonight, my husband and I took the kids to a Christmas tree lighting in another neighborhood. It was nice to enjoy some of the Christmas spirit - plus some free hot chocolate never hurts! We arrived about 10 minutes before they were supposed to light the tree. There was a live nativity scene, and kids were performing some Christmas songs. Typical stuff. Then it was announced that Santa Claus had arrived and was going to speak. What Santa said next took me by surprise. He got up and after saying the traditional "ho ho ho", asked the kids if they knew what we really celebrate on Christmas day. Then he told them that it was Jesus' birthday. He mentioned that his family has a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas. He said "Christmas is the celebration of the birth of OUR SAVIOR". Santa told the kids to be sure to remind their parents of this - if it seems like they've forgotten. Then Santa Claus led everyone in singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.

Wow.

I would've expected that at a church gathering, but not at a neighborhood, unaffiliated, secular tree lighting. In those moments, as a parent, I was relieved. I know my son is not even 3 years old yet, but he's definitely interested in all this Christmas stuff this year. I want to teach him to focus on what Christmas really is about, but I don't want to deny him the fun of Santa, snowmen and elves. Granted, we don't play up the whole "Santa" thing with gift-giving, but up until now, CHRISTmas and Santa always seemed to be at odds with each other in my mind. If I take Zach to see Santa, am I actually pulling the focus away from Christ? These are the thoughts I've had. But tonight, Santa and CHRISTmas went hand-in-hand. Here was the jolly-old elf himself - with children looking to him with so much wonder and excitment - and he made Christ the focus. It was perfectly done.

I am so thankful that we live in a place where the values we teach our children in our home are also important and meaningful in the community. Just as Santa can reinforce the importance of Christ in Christmas, the community can reinforce the values that we teach in the home. I'm a realist - I know that this won't always be the case. I know that, in general, our Christian values and beliefs are at odds with the world. But how great to relax for once and have the two aligned.

A Merry Christmas, Y'all indeed.

P.S. I've noticed a lot more "Merry Christmas" wishes in the stores this year. If you are hearing "Happy Holidays" instead, or just want to encourage "Merry Christmas, check out this website. Here is a story about the movement.

P.S.S. One more great link that is a challenge to all of us this year: Advent Conspiracy

Free Christmas blog header!

2009-12-04T23:47:00.000-05:00

I know this is last minute, BUT until midnight tonight, you can get a free Christmas blog header here:

If you miss this opportunity, you can still makeover your blog for a small fee. Check her out - she has a lot of nice designs!

Healthcare

2009-11-19T22:24:00.000-05:00

You would have to be living under a rock to not be aware of the debate going on regarding our nation's health care system. For those of you that know me, I think you know my views on the whole issue. For those that don't know me, suffice to say that there is no way I am putting my or my children's health in the hands of our government - regardless of who is President.

What I wanted to bring up though, is something that has challenged me in my own use of the health care system. There are very few people who think our health care system is working and doesn't need some type of reform. I know I have been annoyed and frustrated with the system and my insurance company many times. The hardest thing to deal with on a daily/monthly/annual basis is the rising cost of health insurance. If you haven't taken the time to look at your paycheck stub and see how much money is taken out of your salary for medical insurance, you should really make that a priority. It's a pretty good chunk of change. I know I have complained about rising costs. But I didn't feel responsible for those rising costs. I am healthy, thank the Lord. I don't spend a lot of time at the doctor...which makes it all the more annoying to watch the price of my insurance creep up. But then I decided that I needed to think about my use of the health care system from a different perspective: what would I do differently if I wasn't insured?

Well, for starters, I wouldn't want to HAVE to go to the doctor. So I would make a more concerted effort to keep myself healthy. Maybe I'd eat a little less, exercise a little more, take those daily vitamins, not take unnecessary risks.

Inevitably, I would have to go to the doctor. When that happens, I would call around to different doctors and find out what they charge for their services. I would try to get the best care for my money. If the doctor prescribed something for me, I would ask for the generic version instead of the brand name. I would distinguish between what was necessary for me to be healthy and what was simply recommended. I would refuse any tests that weren't absolutely necessary.

I have two children, and because we've had insurance, I've always followed the check-up schedule perfectly...until now. I realized what a waste of money and time most of those check-ups are. For those not familiar, the check-up schedule starts with a visit at 1-week old, then 1 month old, 2 months old, 4 months old, 6 months old, 9 months old, 1 year, 15 months, 18 months, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, etc. I am not against going to those first 2 or 3 check-ups - especially for first time moms. They provide some piece of mind that things are going well, and it's important to make sure the newborn is thriving and getting enough to eat. But here I was, with my second child, ready to go to her 9 month check-up so that I could find out how much she weighs, how tall she is, how giant her head is, and give her a ~~trillion~~ few shots. I had absolutely no concerns about her eating or her development, and I was confident that she was healthy. Then I realized that the 20 minute check-up I was going to take her to costs almost $500. At least that is what the office bills my insurance. So I canceled the appointment. There is really no need for it. Yes, she is missing some of her scheduled vaccinations - but that is a good thing from my point of view, and she'll get some of them next time - so no worries.

All that rambling to say that I have been challenged. If I'm going to complain about rising health care costs, I am going to do my best to not contribute to it. I'm not suggesting that this will fix the system, but it clears my conscience. I think we've all gotten so lazy and irresponsible with our health. We go to the doctor or the E.R. for the smallest thing. We get an antibiotic "just in case". We authorize a bunch of unneeded tests because they're covered by our insurance. We get a prescription for the name brand we saw on the commercial. We don't think about what we eat, what we drink, or our exercise because the doctor will deal with it, or there is probably a pill we can take.

It is not the government's job to keep us healthy - they just want control. It's not the insurance company's job to care about us - they are still a business at the end of the day - not a humanitarian aid group. It's our job to care about our own health. Step one is to start using some common sense.

Not Me! Monday

2009-11-16T10:45:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week, I did not decide to skip giving Rebekah a bath, only to change my mind when she left little brown foot prints after stepping in some water. And I most definitely did not lose track of my 9 month old just in time for her daddy to find her elbow-deep in the dog's water dish. Not me!

I would NEVER tell my 2 1/2 year old to just wipe his spaghetti-sauce covered hands on his shirt just because I didn't want to go get a wipe. There is no way that I allowed the same child to run around completely naked after his bath, with his teeth chattering the whole way, and laughed my head off. That would be irresponsible.

I definitely did not con my son into eating one more piece of meat at dinner by asking him to show me how a dinosaur eats - complete with growls and roars. And I was not proud of my manipulation at all...or at least I'd never admit I was. And when I was cleaning up the backyard last week, I most definitely did not bash a shovel into my forehead while I was trying to put down a pile of my husband's tools. It definitely did not happen in front of a bunch of construction workers who watched me jump around and rub my head. And I am sure I cannot still feel the bruise.

Happy Monday!

Today

2009-11-14T21:32:00.003-05:00

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

We didn't really have a choice in the matter with the remnants of Hurricane Ida - we had to let it rain...and rain...and rain some more. It started raining on Tuesday afternoon, and continued until sometime last night. There were very few breaks in between - most of the time, a steady rain, and some pretty strong wind! In the end, we got about 5 inches of rain, and a dead branch we were concerned about on our backyard oak tree was taken down by the wind - so one less thing to worry about.

Today, we went to a neighborhood block party. There was free food (Carolina packers hot dogs - which are bright red...weird!), games, a bounce house, and face painting. It was really nice and fun. Zach had a wonderful, bouncy time in the bounce house, and he emerged in one piece which is amazing to me. I had Rebekah strapped to me in her carrier, and she was as happy as a clam. Hmm..."happy as a clam"...what in the world is that?! Are clams joyful? How would you know if a clam was happy? I just googled it, and here is the story behind it:

Happy as a clam is a portion of a phrase quite commonly used in the US in the early 19th century. It even made it into the poetry of John G. Saxe, who wrote Sonnet to a Clam and waxed poetic about the secure state of clams when they are immersed completely in water. Happy as a clam is only a portion of the phrase, and the full phrase should be "happy as a clam in high water," or at high tide.

*Ahem* Rebekah was happy as a clam in high water. My blog is not merely to share with you what we do, it is to enrich your lives with tidbits of ~~useless~~ priceless wisdom.

Now the children are sound asleep, and I am preparing to start researching Christmas gifts. I want to get my Christmas shopping done a couple of weeks before Christmas this year, so that I can enjoy the days leading up to the 25th instead of running around like crazy. Wish me luck! Have a wonderful weekend!

New Realizations

2009-11-09T22:11:00.002-05:00

Today has been a day of self-pity for me. I'll admit it. I think we're all entitled to one of those days every once in awhile. And I think it's o.k. as long as we smack ourselves out of it at the end of the day and get on with life. So, before I smack myself, I thought I'd write down some of my self-pitying thoughts.

Sometimes, life circumstances reveal a reality you are not prepared to see...or a reality you don't want to see. As we make friends and forge relationships with others, we want to believe that those bonds matter - that they are meaningful. I think many are. But sometimes, you realize that relationships that were meaningful to you are not as meaningful to the other person...and that hurts a little. Or you realize that a friendship you have enjoyed wasn't really a friendship - simply a family obligation. I guess it's humbling, because you realize that life continues without you, and there is very little concern over your absence.

These feelings put me between a rock and hard place. I can't be too hurt by this reality, because I created it. We packed up our things, we drove 2500 miles away, and we started to create a life away from family and friends. That was our choice, and these are the consequences. But even though I know that, it still hurts when there are no phone calls. When promises go unfulfilled. When they stop asking about the kids. When there aren't Christmas gifts anymore.

I was prepared to take the lions-share portion of maintaining long-distance relationships...but I didn't expect to find out that keeping those relationships would be 100% my responsibility. And that hurts a little.

My husband says it most likely a simple case of "out of sight, out of mind". I think he's right. I guess I just thought that if a relationship was important enough in someone's life, we'd come to mind every now and again. But never? Ouch.

The silver lining in all this is that it reminds me to start creating relationships that matter here - where we live, and where we are raising our kids. Maybe it's a push to stop spending so much time trying to maintain old friendships and pour that effort into new friendships. Maybe this is just a season in our life...and a few years down the road, we'll be able to pick up where we left off. I don't know. But for now, it hurts a little.

I guess I just wanted to be thought of more often. Doesn't that sound cheesy! :) Ok, time to smack myself....and go to bed.

Nine Months

2009-11-03T10:21:00.003-05:00

Our little girl is nine months old today!

I've heard people point out before that this is significant because Rebekah has now been with our family for the same amount of time as I was pregnant with her. I think that is a thinly-veiled attempt to discourage future pregnancies! Even though these months have gone by quickly, I don't like being reminded that pregnancy is that looooong. Ugh. Anyway. :)

Here is what Rebekah is up to these days:

She takes two 2-hour naps during the day (I don't think she's actually asleep that entire time, but she's content, so I'll take it!).
She's sleeping 9pm to 8am each night with no interruptions.
She is on a combo diet of nursing, baby food, and the occasional table food.
She is a crawling fiend.
She loves to pull up to standing on anything and everything, and is starting to let go with one hand.
She just discovered the stairs - evidenced by a nice bruise on her forehead.
She says Da-Da and means it.
She is still completely taken with her big brother.
She sucks her thumb when she is falling asleep, or needs to calm down.
She tolerates the baby food we give her, but LOVES to eat what we're eating.
She's wearing 6-9 month clothes, but they are slightly big, so she'll be wearing them for awhile.
Her shoe size is size 1 - 6 weeks to 3 months. Geez.
She loves to wrinkle her nose and give an intimidating stare to people - especially her daddy.
When I hold her, she burrows into my shoulder with her face, thus leaving snot and drool on my shirt.
She prefers her mommy and daddy...and is slightly suspicious of anyone else.
She loves to hold puzzle pieces and crawl around with them.
She has four teeth - two bottom and two top.

And in honor of her 9 month birthday, I canceled her doctor's appointment. So no shots! :)

Enjoy some pictures of our sweet girl:

My sweet boy.

2009-10-10T22:05:00.004-04:00

Zach is about 4 months away from turning three years old.

That blows my mind.

It seems like just yesterday that we brought home a baby boy, and began learning how to be mommy and daddy to our Zachary.

Now, he's
walking,
talking,
disobeying,
running,
laughing,
teasing,
swinging,
sliding,
dreaming,
sneaking,
learning,
and playing the role of big brother.

He seems to learn something new everyday, and he loves it. My days are full of a little voice asking "What's this?", reading off letters whenever he sees them, and counting anything he deems worthy.

Tonight in the bathtub, he was playing with his foam letters, held up the letter 'C' and told me the sound it makes. It's amazing to think he might be reading soon!

Zach is a rough and tumble boy who loves to play and wrestle and run and jump - the bruises and scrapes up and down his legs are proof of that. But my boy is also sweet, and I can't describe how great it feels to be loved by this kid.

It's the kind of love that compels a 2 1/2 year old to sleep ~~next to~~ on his daddy.

It's the kind of love that compels his daddy to let him.

It doesn't get much better than this.

Speeding right along...

2009-09-20T14:11:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Tyler and I strapped the kids into the car, and made the 3 1/2 hour trip to see on of our favorite people - Mrs. Bower. The plan was that I would drive on the way there, and Tyler would drive on the way home. So off we went, my iPod keeping me awake with a steady stream of music, and my trusty Dr. Pepper at my side. Rebekah was quiet in her car seat...I couldn't tell you if she was awake or asleep, because in this culture, we banish infants to a lonely corner of the car, facing away from the family they love, so that they can stare at the backseat upholstery job for hours on end. Zachary was watching a DVD on the portable DVD player that I swore we would never resort to "when we had kids". Tyler and I were enjoying some good conversation, and doing our best impressions of different singers as they played.

Suddenly, I look in my rear view mirror and see a state patrol car speeding up to my rear bumper, with lights on and all. My first thought was "wow, that car is awesome" - because he was driving a Dodge Charger, and they are just cool. My second thought was really more of a hope - a hope that he was off on some call and needed to get around me...so I put on my blinker and did my best driving school "glide" into the lane to my right. Unfortunately, he followed. So I announced the obvious to my husband..."I think I'm going to get a ticket".

I pulled over, and waited for my punishment to commence. I'd like to note here that had this been just a few years ago, I'd be hysterically crying at this point...but I guess I'm getting a tougher skin. The highway patrolman introduced himself (how nice!), and I pretended to be glad to have made his acquaintance. He asked for my drivers license and registration, and I silently said a prayer of thanks that I actually put the new registration in the car just a few days earlier. Then Mr. patrolman says "I pulled you over for speeding...is there any particular reason why you were speeding?"

So annoying.

Suddenly, I'm back in a Jr. High classroom, trying to explain why I had not done my homework assignment. Of course there was no good reason - I just didn't do it! So like a 13 year old, I look down and mutter a "no" to the patrolman. Truthfully, the first answer that popped into my head was too sarcastic:

"Well, sir, yes, I was speeding because I
wanted.
to.
get.
to.
my.
destination.
faster."

I think we can all be thankful I didn't say that out loud.

Then he went back to his awesome Charger and spent roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes writing out the ticket and checking my license history. I think they do that on purpose with speeders - so that you are sure to be extra late to wherever you were trying to go.

Long story short, I have a $160 ticket for 80 in a 65. Traffic school, here I come! And for the next 18 months, I need to probably stay a little closer to the speed limit. Ugh.

Letters, crawling and fish

2009-09-13T04:34:00.000-04:00

After nursing a sick child back to health, my reward is that I am now sick. Oh what joy. It's about 4am, and it is impossible to breathe through my nose...so I've given up on sleep. But that is good for you guys, because it means I have time to blog! Forgive me if any thoughts are incomplete, or words are spelled in whole new ways...I am tired, and full of ibuprofen and Afrin.

Lately, Zach has been obsessed with letters. Back in this post, I showed the artwork that I put in his room. It must have inspired him, because now we have a 2 1/2 year old that knows all his letters, and he's quickly learning the sounds as well. Honestly, it amazes me how kids can go from little newborns to grasping the idea of reading in such a short amount of time. The brain is impressive (sorry, that's my internal-geek coming out!). We took this video of Zach - we didn't coach him on the letters at all, and it's a favorite pastime of his now to "read" our t-shirts. The best part is that I sent it to some old friends from when I worked at Lockheed Martin, and they quickly passed it on to some high-level executives. Although it means nothing to him right now, Zach got to appear in all his letter-identifying glory at a staff meeting with some big names at Lockheed. Cool!

Now, we are moving on to learning the sounds of each letter, which is a little more challenging, but he is loving it so far.

Rebekah is crawling all over the place these days! Well, she switches between traditional crawling on her hands and knees to what we like to call "the wounded soldier crawl" on her forearms and tummy (she has a sort of limp with it too). It's pretty funny, and I plan on getting a video up of that ASAP. She is obsessed with Zach, and tries to follow him wherever he goes. When she can't follow, she watches intently, with a look that clearly tells us she's taking notes on how to do what he's doing. Because of her new-found mobility, Zach and Rebekah's worlds are officially colliding. This results in a lot of "No, baby sister!" and "Zach's car! Mine car." And of course, less articulate statements from Rebekah, such as "Waaaaaaaah!".

So, sharing has become the value of choice for now. I've also had to explain to Zach that his old baby toys that I have given to Rebekah are not his, but that we allowed him to play with them when he was little, and now Rebekah gets to play with them. I think this is the very early precursor to "who pays the mortgage around here?!" lecture that will be given in roughly 12 to 16 years from now.

A couple of weeks ago, we participated in a local charity fishing tournament. It was out at a fairly large pond, and we had 4 hours to catch fish. The biggest fish wins. Of course, in keeping with my experience in North Carolina so far, I caught nothing. But I enjoyed watching Zach "fish" and Rebekah's escape attempts. Here are some pictures from that day:

Now it it time for me to attempt to go back to sleep. I still can't breathe through my nose, but maybe exhaustion will allow me to sleep in spite of that. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Reason #276 on why the layout of your house matters.

2009-09-09T22:13:00.003-04:00

I love living in North Carolina. I don't love all facets of it...like the way mother nature is out to get me...but that's a post for another time. I grew up in the high desert of California. We did not have 4 seasons there; it was simply winter or summer. Technically, we probably did have fall and spring, but we just don't recall them because they last a matter of hours instead of days. Summers are extremely hot (100+ degrees, but no humidity), and the winters are cold enough for the occasional snow - proof of that at Christmas last year:

Summer in Southern California can easily continue well into October...and then it ~~starts to cool down~~ suddenly gets very cold.

Anyway, back to my point.

I get so excited out here in NC when we turn the calendar to September, and the weather really does start to cool down and feel like fall! The leaves are changing and, well, it's just the real thing, and I may be retarded, but I am giddy over it. Yes, I just used the word giddy.

So of course, I want to take as many evening walks as possible. Even if it means dragging my son who is coming down with a cold (I justified it with the whole "fresh air will do him good" thing).

Our little family of four was ~~happily walking down the street~~ trying to get Zach to stop screaming over the fact that we chose to walk down a different street than he wanted. So I'm stopped in the middle of the street with the stroller, looking back at Zach and telling him to catch up and stop crying. The house I have stopped in front of is a house that we looked at when it was on the market. It was a nice house, but the layout was strange to us: the front porch has the front door and two windows on either side. One of those windows looks into the dining room (normal). The other window is actually in the master walk-in closet, that you can only get to by walking through the master bathroom (not normal). That was one of the main reasons that we passed over that house.

So picture it with me...I'm stopped in front of this house, trying to get Zach to catch up. While I'm waiting, I'm just looking around. It's 7:30-ish in the evening, it's getting dark, so there are lights on in the house, but the blinds are still open. I just glance at the window in the master closet, and I see a man there, walking toward the closet (in the master bathroom).

Hmm. He has no shirt on, and no....OH!

I quickly look away and start walking. I can't help but laugh and I tell Tyler that I think I just saw a naked guy in that house. So, Tyler looks back just in time to see a terrified face peer out of the corner of the closet window, and then the blinds snap shut. We laughed about it the rest of the way home, and had never been so happy that we decided against the unusual layout of that house.

So if you are looking for a new house, or will be in the future, picture yourself naked in your bathroom. Can you get to your clothes without the neighborhood getting a show they didn't pay for?

These are the life issues that matter, my friends.

Recipes, Recipes

2009-08-29T22:05:00.002-04:00

Lately, I've been hitting the jackpot, so to speak, with recipes. That is unusual. Most of the time, I slave over some new recipe, only to try it and be fairly to mostly disappointed. Maybe my luck has changed! :) I posted this recipe awhile ago, and have made it a couple more times since - still great. But if you are looking for some new ones, consider this your lucky day, my friends!

Recipe #1
Grilled Stuffed Zucchini
(the link will take you to the original recipe that is complete with photos - my friend Julie sent this to me, and I'm so glad she did!)

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini (about 10")
4 oz Italian turkey sausage (I used 3 bratwursts - YUM!)
1/4 C diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato (about 1/2 C diced)
1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil (or about a teaspoon of dried)
2/3 C Italian cheese blend (the kind pre-bagged with parm/mozz/asiago/etc)
1 T Italian style bread crumbs
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Slice zucchini in half length wise, leaving the tops on.
Scoop out the centers, saving them in a bowl. Leave at least 1/4 inch around the edges and bottoms. Take the good parts of the zucchini guts you just scooped out and dice up 1/2 C. This will go in your filling.Drizzle the zucchini shells with a little olive oil and use your hands to rub it on all sides. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper and set aside.
Preheat your grill outside and then start your filling in a skillet on the stove top. Start by browning the sausage. When you no longer see pink, add the onions, garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is tender. Add tomato and basil, 1/4 t kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Take your zucchini to the grill and put them hollow-side down.Grill for about 5 minutes on medium heat. They should have nice charred marks and look tender on the inside.
Take them back inside. Add cheese and bread crumbs to filling mixture. Stir to combine and then divide the filling between the zucchini. Top each zucchini with about 1T cheese and sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 t bread crumbs. Lastly, give them a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Place them back on the grill (filling side up- please!) Close grill lid, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Larger/thicker zucchini will obviously take longer to cook.If you're doing this inside, it will take a little longer seeing as you can't close the lid to keep in the heat. You also might want to broil them in the oven when they're finished to help the cheese on top get nice and bubbly.

You can serve them as a main dish and pair it with a green salad and some crusty bread. Or cut them into thirds for a side dish or appetizer.

Recipe #2
Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic Butter
(From Real Simple Magazine, Sept. 2009)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
4 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops (about 2.5 pounds)
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 pounds cherry tomatoes

Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, and thyme; set aside.
Season the pork with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and grill until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, divide the tomatoes among 2 pieces of heavy duty foil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Close to form 2 pouches. Grill the pouches alongside the pork, gently shaking occasionally, for 8 minutes.
Top pork chops and tomatoes with the garlic butter just before serving.

Serves 4

If you try either of these recipes, be sure to come back here and let us know how it turned out, or if you tried anything different with them! I haven't tried it yet, but I think the stuffed zucchini could also be done with a mexican flare - Rotel, taco seasoning in the meat, and mexican blend of cheese. Anyway, enjoy the recipes and let me know what you think!

FYI...

2009-08-19T15:55:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted lately, because, well, life has just been normal. Nothing amazingly interesting or hilarious to share with all of you. Not that I'm complaining...just explaining :)

I did want to post about this though. Since I started staying home when I was pregnant with Zach, I have been interested in doing something from home that can bring in a little money. There are a lot of things I enjoy doing, and one of those things is photo/video slide shows.

I've done several wedding slide shows that were shown at receptions, I've done a couple of remembrance slide shows for funerals, and many family slide shows for various milestones: Zach's 1st birthday, vacation, high school graduation, etc. Most of them are too large to upload for online viewing, but I will be working to condense some of them so that I can put up samples of my work.

Anyway, if you have an event such as a wedding, graduation, or birthday coming up, and would like a DVD slide show to display, or if you want a memory slide show of a specific event or vacation, contact me. I will quote a price based on the specifics of the job.

If you are interested, e-mail me at jenthompson131 AT gmail DOT com.
I would love to help you turn all those photos and videos into a special memory that you can watch anytime!

Six Months Old

2009-08-03T10:03:00.004-04:00

Dear Rebekah,

Today, you are half a year old. You're asleep for your mid-morning nap right now, and Lord knows what your brother is doing downstairs...but it's quiet. Too quiet.

It amazes me how quickly these last 6 months have gone by! Just yesterday you were a new, tiny little thing that would sleep in my arms. Now, you are too busy looking at everything to even think about sleeping as I hold you.

Since I am a "first child", I always thought it must be strange for siblings to think about how their family existed before they came along and have memories that don't include them. Maybe you'll never think about that...but if you do, I want you to know that you have made our family perfectly complete. We were happy as a family of three, but the moment you arrived, we couldn't imagine life without you.

Here are some highlights of what you've been up to lately:

You have two bottom teeth
You can sit up ~~until your brother pushes you over~~ indefinitely
You love to jump in your Jumperoo
You are tolerating solid food, but you don't really care either way
There is one solid food you DO want...ice cream
You are sleeping 10 hours each night, with three 1 1/2 hour naps during the day
You love bath time, and splash until your face is soaked.
You give a huge grin when your brother comes into your room to wake you up from your naps
You enjoy evening walks in your stroller
During car rides, you work on weird noises that make us laugh
You think the dogs are amazing
Just like your brother, you prefer to sleep with your face pressed up against the crib bumper
You suck your thumb when you are tired
You're ticklish on your neck
You can roll over both ways now
You insist on sleeping on your tummy

Happy half-birthday, Bekah! We love you so much and can't wait for the next 6 months!

Love, Mom

Great DIY artwork!

2009-08-01T16:57:00.003-04:00

I ran across a great DIY (Do It Yourself) art project here: Alphabet Display. I actually got the supplies and put it together this afternoon - it's great!

I couldn't find the flash cards on Michael's website, so I wasn't sure I would find them in the store. But after some looking, I found them for $6.99 like the tutorial said! I also bought the canvas ($29.99). When I got my receipt, I also got a coupon for 40% of off 1 item...so I may use that to buy a second canvas to do a girl version in Bekah's room.

You can always order the print of this, but without any framing, it's barely cheaper than this whole project costs. And I love the look of canvas.

It turned out great, and Zach is sitting by it and pointing out all the animals as I type this. It will look great in his room, and will be a wonderful teaching aid for letter and sound recognition.

Just wanted to pass it along to anyone who is interested! Definitely an affordable, fun project!

Latest photos of our baby girl

2009-07-30T22:57:00.000-04:00

The Great Laundry Fold 2009

2009-07-30T14:51:00.005-04:00

I have a problem.
This is supposedly my first step to recovery.
My problem revolves around laundry.

Look at that nicely folded stack of laundry. You can find that stack on my coffee table right now. You know, just in case anyone stopped by, they would look at it and say "Wow. Jen is a great housekeeper. She really gets the job done." Or something like that.

But if you were able to fend off my superior martial arts tactics and take a stroll upstairs, you would find this in the master bedroom:

That's clean laundry, folks. And the picture doesn't really do the pile justice. It's such a large pile, Zach enjoys jumping in it on a daily basis. I think there is a family of illegal immigrants living in it. I justify keeping it, because if I folded all of it, Zach would no longer have a place to practice mountain climbing.

My problem is finishing the last step of chores. I wash the laundry, and then I dry it. After that, it's on it's own. I have only folded laundry when it's still warm maybe twice in my entire life. Yes, it felt good to get it done, but not good enough to make it a habit!

Do I feel guilty? Yes! Especially at 6 in the morning when my husband is digging through the pile to find socks and a semi-unwrinkled shirt to wear. I feel horrible. That is why, this weekend, I will tackle this pile. But, being the reflective person that I am, I think I need to deal with the source of this problem. I just don't know what that is.

I just don't finish chores. The folded laundry you saw in the first picture? It has been sitting on the coffee table for 2 days now. Because I haven't been able to bring myself to carry the pile upstairs and put the clothes away.

When I go grocery shopping, I haul all the bags into the kitchen, put away the refrigerated items, and leave the rest in the bags on the floor.

When I wash dishes, I load up the dishwasher, run it, and leave the clean dishes in there instead of putting them away in the cabinets.

When I have to hand wash dishes, I put them on the counter to dry, and there they sit until I need to use them again.

I'm sure I could think of more examples, but this should prove that I definitely have a pattern of unfinished chores.

I would like to know what you do to keep yourself in check and make sure that you finish a chore. I hesitate to ask though, because I have a feeling that the answer will be "JUST DO IT". And I know I need to! But if I did, where would the illegals live?? :)

If you want my two cents...

2009-07-24T09:29:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, a nice elderly man at Chic-Fil-A gave Zachary a new, shiny quarter. Thus began our first conversation about money. You know, aside from the "you can't eat that until mommy pays for it" that I have repeated several times to a very impatient and economically-ignorant child. So, we told him that it was his money, and he could put it in his pocket. Well, that's all that kid needed to know. Since then, pockets have opened up a whole new world to him.

I remember wondering out loud to my husband, when Zach was younger, why they put actual pockets on 6-month size baby clothes...I still don't know why they do that. But at two and a half, Zach has plenty of pockets - most of the pants and shorts he wears have cargo pockets in addition to the traditional hip pockets.

Since then, I have heard many a jingle coming from my son as he runs past me repeating "money" and "pocket" and "mine".

Yesterday morning, Zach woke up and came downstairs to watch cartoons and eat breakfast. He refuses to wear pajamas these days - wants to sleep only in his briefs. Since it's summer, I don't mind. But he may change his mind once it gets cold. As he was eating his waffles, he announced that he needed to go potty, and started to climb down from his chair. I heard something hit the floor, and when I looked, I saw a penny. "Zach, where did you get that?" But he didn't have time for an answer - he was making a bee line for the bathroom, and I noticed he had a nice jingle to his step...

Sure enough, when he pulled down his underwear in the bathroom, a bunch of change fell out. I looked at Zach, and he smiled and said "Money. Pocket!" I guess when all else fails, Zach can use underwear as his pocket. It's a great way to make sure the money stays in his possession...not many people want a warm quarter from a 2 year old's whitey-tighties!

Bless My Heart?!

2009-07-23T08:54:00.002-04:00

Last week, a friend of mine called and invited me to play Bunco with a group of women from her neighborhood. I almost laughed into the phone, because I have spent the better part of the last few years mocking women who play Bunco. I'm nice like that. I've never played it before, I just decided that the name sounded strange and needed to be mocked.

Since I've been trying to make more of an effort to get out and make new friends, I knew I needed to say yes to Bunco. My friend told me to bring $5 and the beverage of my choice. They must be serious Bunco players - they have a money pot! So, after leaving the children with my very-sweet-to-let-me-leave-while-he-takes-care-of-the-kids husband, I stopped by the grocery store to get the "beverage of my choice". I was definitely in the mood for Dr. Pepper. Oh, how I love Dr. Pepper. It is what I miss the most when I'm not drinking soda. If it weren't for sweet tea, I'd be in a deep depression most of the time without Dr. Pepper. Anyway, as my luck would have it, there was a huge gap in the hundreds of 2-liters that lined the shelves...and it was right where the Dr. Pepper was supposed to be. They were out! There was Diet Dr. Pepper, but that is wrong on so many levels. So now the evening was pointless...but I decided to go through the motions anyway. I got a 2-liter of Pepsi (not even Wild Cherry Pepsi - they were out of that too!), and drove on over to my friend's house.

There were several other women at my friend's house, and we were all going to walk over to the "Bunco house" down the street. I left the Pepsi in the car, and figured I'd grab it as we started walking. As the women were getting ready to go, they started doing something that caused me to panic. They grabbed their HUGE purses and put at least one bottle of wine in there...along with their own *monogrammed* wine glass. Yes, I kid you not. Monogrammed wine glasses. Lavern and Shirley would be proud! Then just to kick me while I'm down, my friend grabbed her *wine tote* that carried both her bottle of wine, and her wine glass in a *monogrammed* neoprine bag. Then, the inevitable question...

"Did you bring your wine?"

I stumbled over an explanation about how I didn't know "beverage" meant alcohol, and I just brought Pepsi, and at some point, I covered my face hoping that if I couldn't see them, they couldn't see me. All those women and their wine bottles and fancy glasses staring at me. I might as well have been 14 years old, braces on my teeth, showing up with my 2-liter and a smile. I felt incredibly stupid. The women were nice though, and still allowed me to play Bunco with them...I think I may have been the charity case at that point. You could pick me out of the crowd...I was the one with a disposable non-monogrammed cup, drinking water the entire evening.

Bunco requires no mental effort. So it's perfect for women because they can play and talk at the same time without the game suffering. In fact, if you're not talking, Bunco is kind of boring. So during the game, I had plenty of opportunity to compare myself to these other women.

Healthy, I know.

I wore jeans to play Bunco...most of the other women wore dresses or skirts. One other woman wore jeans, but she wore heels with them, so that doesn't count.

I wore flip flops like many other women there, but they all had pedicures. I've had two pedicures in my entire life, and this particular night, instead of nicely-painted nails, I was sporting a couple of band-aids because of some ant bites I had gotten from gardening a few days before.

Many of these women had really nice cars - Mercedes, Lexus, etc. I had decided to leave our nicer SUV at home for Tyler and I drove our 12 year old Honda Civic.

I could go on, but I won't. The women were all very nice, and I enjoyed the evening in spite of my social and fashion failures.

One thing I've learned about the south is that you can talk about anyone and say anything about them, and as long as you follow it up with "Bless her heart" or "Bless his heart", it's o.k. It cancels out what you've said. I cringe when I think about how many times my heart was probably blessed after I left Bunco. Seriously, I had it coming.

But I try not to think about it. I went home, into the arms of my husband...who had to laugh a little bit. What a jerk! Bless his heart.

Swimming Lesson #1: FAIL

2009-07-22T08:51:00.002-04:00

Last weekend, I took Zach to his first swimming lesson. It's the parent-child lesson, because the "real" lessons don't start until the kids are three years old. But, since Zach has had very little experience in a pool, I figured this would be the best way to start.

I talked up this lesson all week. Told him how we were going to a swimming lesson in a big pool, and he was going to learn how to swim like a fishy does! He was pretty excited...he even brought up the subject on his own a couple of times.

I think Zach should understand the full spectrum of the sacrifices we are making for these lessons. I am willingly getting into a bathing suit and into a pool only 5 short months after having a baby. I'll be the first to admit - it ain't a pretty site. But I am merciful to the general public, and wear a long tank-top to cover my imperfections. Anyway, these swimming lessons are also at 8:30am on Saturday mornings. Anyone who knows me knows that I could easily sleep until noon on Saturdays (oh the memories of life before children!). Although I don't get to sleep that late anymore, I have to get up earlier than normal, feed Rebekah, and then leave her with a very tired husband in order to get to the swimming lesson on time. So, Zach should feel very LOVED.

We arrived at the rec center, and made our way to the pool. We quickly found our class, and it turned out that Zach is the oldest in the class. Many of the kids are closer to 1 or 1 1/2 years old. The instructor was very nice, and explained that she loves the parent/child classes the most because it's a great way to act on the trust that your child has in you, and vice-versa. All very touching. But then we got in the pool.

Almost immediately, I realized two things: 1) the pool was pretty cold. Not the "I can't stay in this water" kind of cold, but definitely the kind that takes you awhile to get used to, and you have to stay moving. 2) My child was screaming. Not shouts of glee. I think his exact words were "Help" and "All done swimming". Awesome.

For the next 30 minutes, I wrestled my child into the different positions the other kids were supposed to be in, pulled him off of his desperate perch on my shoulder and head, tried to keep him from clawing off my bathing suit, and whispered things to him like ~~"Stop screaming, you are fine. Suck it up!"~~ "Mommy has you, you are safe, I love you, You can do this!" It was made very clear that my son and I have trust issues. I trust myself to keep him safe in the pool, but you'd think Zach saw my fully-illustrated plan for his watery death with the way he "trusts" me. At least there were a few moments of silence during the lesson...when the instructor said we could dunk the kids. Silence followed by my sputtering 2-year old, and the sound of the last shred of trust disintegrating into thin air.

As we left the lesson, and I walked him to the car while pondering our deep-seated trust issues, my boy looked up at me and said "swimming lessons, FUN!"

I am so confused.

New Fence

2009-07-21T17:31:00.005-04:00

We finally got our fence built! After getting several quotes and being this close to killing the dogs since they've had to be in the house 24/7, the fence was put up yesterday and finished today.

Now, when the fence guys showed up yesterday morning, I was pleasantly surprised. They all appeared to be legal American citizens, and they got to work right away. Unfortunately, after Tyler left for work, the "show" began. It got hot, and the guys started taking off their shirts and either ditching them altogether or wrapping them around their heads. These guys had less-than-stellar bodies. Not that I would care, except we don't have any window coverings in the back windows yet, so they were kind of in my face all day. Then, as the day wore on, things got stretched out, and began to sag. So now I was able to scientifically conclude that 5 out of 6 fence building men prefer Fruit of the Loom underwear. But then it got hotter, and saggier (is that a word?), and suddenly I was seeing much more than my eyes could handle. But why try to describe it with words, when I can show you a picture. Literally. Take all small children out of the room (click on the photos to get the "full" effect).

This guy is either a reason to not put up a fence, or he's a darn good argument for blinds.

Anyway, the fence is up, and so are his pants, so I can stop gagging now :)

Great Recipe!

2009-07-14T10:25:00.002-04:00

I tried a new recipe last night, compliments of Williams-Sonoma. It was fairly easy to make, and tasted very good - the 2-year old even cleaned his plate! Try it out and let me know what you think:

Farfalle with Salsa Cruda

Ingredients:

Tomatoes: 1 1/2 lbs. cored and coarsely chopped
Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
Fresh Basil: 1/2 cup slivered
Olive Oil: 1/2 cup
Balsamic Vinegar: 3 Tablespoons
Red pepper flakes: 1/2 teaspoon
Smoked or regular mozzarella cheese: 1/2 lb., cubed
Pine nuts: 1/4 cup
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Farfalle, penne, or other medium-sized pasta: 1 lb.
Prosciutto: 2 oz. thinly sliced and chopped

1. Prepare the sauce
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, oil, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Stir well and let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the mozzarella and let stand for about 10 minutes longer.

2. Toast the pine nuts
Meanwhile, in a small, dry frying pan over medium-high heat, toast the pine nuts, stirring often, until fragrant and pale gold, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3. Cook the pasta
At the same time, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain well and add the pasta to the sauce, along with the prosciutto and pine nuts. Toss to combine and slightly soften the cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve the pasta warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4

Rebekah has a surprise...

2009-07-10T17:01:00.003-04:00

...Can you guess what it is??

Rebekah got a little bored with the status quo, so she decided to stir things up a bit.

She's not a girl that likes to take life lying down...

So she decided to sit all by herself! Good job, Bekah! :)

Recent photos

2009-07-09T20:59:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T18:13:00.006-04:00

Life is coasting along at an alarming speed around here. We closed the deal on our old house, closed the deal on our new house, and are now left with our lives packed into various boxes and bags. I fully intend on getting the stuff out of the boxes, but I'm still trying to put together my "master plan" for this house, and how I want it to look, feel, etc.

In other news, Rebekah turned 5 months old yesterday, and to celebrate, I gave her a taste of her first solid food. She was confused and made some great faces, so at least it was entertaining for the adults. Note to self: 2 year olds will still eat baby food - do not leave open baby food within their reach.

Zach got a summer haircut yesterday, and while it is very different, I really like it. I won't have to brush his hair after each nap and in the morning anymore - we just got rid of the hair!

We are going to see a Mudcats baseball game this evening and enjoy a fireworks show afterwards. I'm ~~terrified~~ interested to see just how long baseball will hold Zach's attention... But I'm sure the fireworks will make up for the boring game! :)

On a more serious note, today we celebrate the privelege we all have of living in this great nation. We celebrate our independence from tyranny, our freedom to make our own choices, and our rights to pursue the life we desire. What an amazing idea America is. It's my prayer today that our country will not continue down the slippery slope of socialism, and that we will remember the lessons of the past and choose to learn from those instead of repeating the same mistakes. I will end with an excellent quote that speaks to the importance of surrounding ourselves with freedom-loving people:

"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." ~Samuel Adams

A Good Day

2009-06-12T22:35:00.003-04:00

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." — Russel Baker

Today, my little boy graduated...

...from the Little Gym

Yeah, at 2, his options were limited. :)

Nonetheless, I was a proud, doting mother - that is...until...

...the meltdown.

You will find no pictures of my child getting his achievement medal or taking a photo with the entire class, because he wasn't there. He was standing outside on the sidewalk with me - screaming his head off. I was holding his hand, ~~threatening various punishments~~ lovingly trying to calm him down.

He finally did.

And in true ~~bi-polar~~ two-year-old style, he was back to his happy self in time to say goodbye to his teacher for the summer.

After his graduation and ad-lib sideshow, I took Zach over to his friend T's house. It was a wonderfully nice lunch and play time. (Thanks, Kathleen!)

There is something about summer. As we sat on the back deck eating lunch and watching the kids play in the kiddie pools, we were hot and a little sweaty, but it was still enjoyable. As long as I have a nice cold sweet tea in my hand, it can get as humid and hot as possible, and I'll be ok. Good conversation, knowing the kids are enjoying themselves, and knowing they will absolutely collapse at naptime is great.

But I have to say, the best part is driving home, looking in the rear view mirror and seeing your boy fast asleep in the back seat - worn out, a little dirty, but happy. That's a good feeling.

Welcome summer...may we have many hot, humid, fun-filled, exhausting days...and plenty of sweet tea! :)

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Child-like Faith

2009-05-28T12:57:00.005-04:00

Zach is at a fun age. Our bedtime routine each night includes prayer, and he is starting to close his eyes, and say "Amen" when I finish praying. He's not praying on his own yet, but I can't wait for that since little children say the most hilarious things when they pray!

They also say some of the most simply profound things.

I think the Lord knew that, and that is why He has pointed us to children as our example for faith.

A few days ago, I was online looking at local churches' websites. We go to a church that we don't mind, but we're open to trying other churches and I really want to find a church that has the AWANA program. Anyway, I would go to each website and look at their statement of faith - specifically what they said about Salvation. Although not surprised, I was completely disappointed. Most of them had a looong paragraph about inviting Christ to be the leader of your life, turn away from your old ways, make Him Lord of your life, repent completely, etc...

I couldn't help but think what a far cry all that "noise" is from what Christ said:

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew 18:2-4 (NIV)

Would ~~little children~~ my little Zachary construct such a convoluted message? Would the Lord really put together such a three-ring-circus and then expect children to understand? Not only understand, but embrace it? Not only embrace it, but be lifted up as examples to the much older, more complicated adults? I am confident to answer No to all those questions.

I can only shake my head at the idea of sitting down with Zach and trying to explain to him that in order to become a Christian, he needs to fully repent from all his sins, ask the Lord to forgive him, then he needs to make Christ Lord of his life by living as the Bible says he should, oh and by the way, if you slip back into your old, sinful ways, there is a good chance you weren't fully-repentant the first time, and so you weren't saved. Don't forget that it's important to make sure that he isn't just doing this in order to not go to hell - that's fire insurance, and that is wrong. You have to only want to become a Christian because you want to live for Christ. ~~Are you kidding me?!~~ Wow. I'd probably tell him to come back again when he's 60, because I don't even understand it!

What I can see, and hope to witness fairly soon, is sitting down with Zach and telling him that if he wants to go to Heaven, then all he has to do is simply believe that Jesus came down from heaven, lived a sinless life, died on a cross to take the punishment for our sins, rose from the dead three days later, and went back to heaven to wait for us. If we believe, we are saved - completely and permanently. It is a free gift that Christ has given to anyone who wants it.

Will he understand that? Definitely.

All that other stuff like making Christ the leader of your life, comes later as an act of discipleship. It has no place in the Gospel, but we adults seem to have an insatiable need to make things MORE complex - instead of keeping them simple.

We've mutated the salvation message into something that our own children cannot understand.

I wonder what Christ would think of that.

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
- Mark 10:13-16

I guess we already know what He thinks. Let the little children come - do not hinder them!

As if life needed to be more complicated!

2009-05-21T22:39:00.005-04:00

It has been awhile! We put the house on the market, and sold it in 2 weeks, after 14 showings! The real estate market sure wasn't slow in our situation! We entered escrow on May 13. So then it was a race to find a house to move to - we are partial to not being homeless! We just entered escrow on our new house yesterday! It's a beautiful home on 1 acre, and it's about 2400 sq. feet - so we'll be able to stay there a LONG time! It's a new construction and it's in a great neighborhood, at the end of a culdesac. Couldn't ask for much more. There are a ton of very young children around, so Zach and Rebekah will have kids to play with. So now, on to the packing. At least this new house is only 5 minutes down the road. Here are some pictures we've taken recently:

Zach using a cup for a cup :)

Me and Rebekah checking out animals at the exotic pet expo in Raleigh.

Tyler and Zach at the NC Zoo in Asheboro - it was a lot of fun!

Rebekah's 3-month photo shoot.

Zach playing with his "baby tister"

Rebekah trying out the Jumperoo for the first time - she LOVED it!

Tyler's mom came for a visit - snapped a pic of her with the kids before she left.

Snapped a few pics with the kids and my parents before they started their trip back to California.

Rebekah and her Grandpa - she gave a cute smile at just the right time! :)

To market, to market...

2009-04-21T23:36:00.003-04:00

We've decided to attempt to sell the house. We need more space! We are slowly being overtaken by STUFF and little people :) And the little people seem to be the ones getting all the STUFF!

We have a to-do list that seems like it's a mile long. It's a lot of work, and I have a deadline of next Monday (27th) to have it done. That is when the photographer is coming. I hope we can get it all done before then!

We had the front planters re-done, and they look great. We planted some azaleas and some gardenias...makes me want to stay!

Today, Zach wore an orange shirt in honor of Stellan. I took this picture of him to post online. Isn't his smile just the best?

He has been such a help lately. He has been doing much better with obeying - so there is at least a small reprieve from all the tantrums. He is desperate to help in any way he can - when Tyler was moving some dirt in the backyard, he loved being able to help with his small shovel. He definitely puts in all his effort. And when Tyler filled the wheelbarrow, he would plop Zach in there with the dirt and give him a ride around the yard! :)

Tomorrow, I get to paint a deck. Never done that before, not sure how it will go, but hopefully it won't be too difficult. If I remember, I'll take a before and after photo to share...if it goes well. If it doesn't, then I shall never speak of it again!

I'm off to bed. Goodnight!

The Terrific / Terrible Twos

2009-04-12T23:03:00.005-04:00

So there are a lot of "twos" in our house right now.

Rebekah is 2 months old.

Zach is 2 years old.

Thus the "terrific" and "terrible" word choice.

2 months is terrific to say the least. Rebekah is growing so fast - at her check-up, she was 11 lbs, 1 oz. Which put her in the 75th percentile for weight. She is eating and sleeping very well, and when she's awake, she smiles and "talks" to us constantly. She's also fairly laid back (thank goodness!). She doesn't seem to mind if I have to leave her on the bed for awhile to do something, etc. She isn't high maintenance :) Rebekah is starting to bat at her toys in her bouncy seat, and she is becoming a pro at sucking her thumb. Next big thing should be rolling over - I need to give her more tummy time so she can practice. I am always so scared to put her on her tummy though, because she's full when she's awake, and I'm just waiting for the projectile spit-up. I guess I'll just have to risk it! :)

2 YEARS on the other hand, is terrible. I don't want you to think it's totally terrible (I'm impressed with my 't' usage tonight!), because it's not. Zach can be the most wonderful, loving, sweet, adorable, hilarious little boy...and if it weren't for glimpses of that side of him, we'd have sold him to the gypsies weeks ago. I kid, I kid.

(joyful Zach)

Zach is talking a lot more now, and his favorite word is "No". I loathe the day he learned that word. Sometimes, it seems like it's all he says. So many times a day, Zach finds himself in his room because he said "No" to mommy or daddy. He has decided to add some drama by throwing himself on the floor in a full-on tantrum with ear-piercing screams. And if that wasn't enough to age his parents early, he has decided to use his newly-learned skill of going potty to his advantage. As soon as he is sent to his room, and we close the door, he cries out "potty!". So we're left to decide if he really needs to go or if he's bluffing.

Really needs to go = mess to clean up in his room.
Bluffing = Zach gets out of his room for a precious moments of freedom.

It's been FUN! In all seriousness, we know this is an important time for him - he is testing and trying to assert his opinion...which in a weird way, is good to see, even though it means a LOT of screaming and crying - oh, and Zach gets upset too :) So we are doing our best to be consistent with him and help him learn to control his emotions and make wise choices. Like tonight, he made an unwise choice - he chose not to eat his dinner, and so he did not get any dessert. That spun off into another tantrum and a trip to his room. I know this will calm down at some point...I'll take sooner rather than later, but I'm thinking it'll be awhile.

(angry Zach)

Oh well. I'll just look over at the smiley two month old, and BEG HER to learn all the 2-year old lessons by watching now, instead of doing later. :)

Not Me! Monday

2009-03-16T14:58:00.007-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week, I most certainly did NOT dress up my six-week-old daughter as a tax deduction because I had taxes on the brain!

I was NOT personally appalled that the phrase I spoke more than any other this week was "tuck your penis down" to my 2-year-old, potty-training son! And I did NOT decide to just let it dry when he didn't tuck it down and got the pant leg of my jeans wet. No, not me!

Speaking of potty-training, I would NEVER help myself to 1 or 30 of the cherry cordial Hershey kisses that are supposed to be rewards for going potty. That would be rude!

OK I feel better :)

Potty Training 101

2009-03-16T14:06:00.003-04:00

I know that I have blogged about potty training before - I did attempt to start it a couple of times, but truthfully, I got lazy and gave up. But this time, I promised myself I would stick to it and get this little boy trained before Rebekah is crawling around the house and can't be left alone!

I was encouraged by a post on another blog I follow: My Charming Kids
So I pulled the pants and diaper off of Zach, turned up the heat in the house, and let him go naked as we began our adventure into the world of the potty!

Yes, that's my naked son with a dog licking his foot, and he's lying in the baby bouncer...backwards. I can't defend it, I have no words.

2 weeks and a few dribbles on the floor later, Zach is wearing underwear all day (including during his naps), and only a pull-up at night! He's doing a great job - no accidents in days. I have to admit that I do slap a pull-up on him when we go out anywhere, because I have a nightmarish fear of having to place him on a public toilet...my hands beg to be washed just thinking about it! I'm thinking about getting one of these and one of these to avoid the plethora of germs altogether.

I am proud of my boy, but I'm also proud of myself! I never thought getting my child to use the potty would feel like such an accomplishment, but it does. I really thought potty-training would expose me as a pathetic parent, and that my failure with Zach would ensure that Rebekah would be in diapers until SHE got sick of it. :) But we succeeded, I don't think I've scarred Zach emotionally, and Rebekah shall wear underwear sooner rather than later!

Success smells SO good...well, not really, kind of the opposite.

I know this is random, but I ran across this poem a couple of weeks ago, and it's just so wonderful...I wanted to share it. I especially love the last 2 lines, and would love to stencil that on the wall of Rebekah's nursery.

Song for a Fifth Child.

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

2009-03-03T14:48:00.000-05:00

I was an obnoxious child!

2009-02-25T16:18:00.005-05:00

Yes, I know...many of you are thinking "was?!" and you could be right, but that is a discussion I'm not interested in entering into today :)

Isn't it weird how your mind can have one picture of the past, but when you see a past event from an objective standpoint, it's not at all like you thought? It's amazing to me how I see myself one way, and then see how I appeared to others and it's totally different. Specifically, I would describe 9-year old me as sensitive, maybe a little shy, tomboy, missed my parents too much to ever spend the night away from home, and reflective. Then I see indisputable evidence that 9-year old me was a loud, obnoxious clown...but let me explain.

My parents came out to visit just recently, and they brought a load of old VHS tapes with them. Ya'll know - the black rectangle things that take up way too much room in your closet, or have become a favorite play thing for your toddler (the film tape is SOOO fun to pull!). Anyway, VHS tapes are not a good way to store old memories - the tape breaks down over the years, and the low quality video you already had becomes too grainy to even watch anymore. So I'd been telling my mom to bring the VHS tapes to me so that I could transfer them over to DVDs (a MUCH better way to store videos). Yesterday, I began the process. One of the first videos I put in was that of my 9th birthday party. I watched in horror as I opened the gift of a dress from my parents, held it up and with no hesitation said "I'll exchange it!". Then I dropped it back on the box and grabbed another gift.

~Note to self: dress was never exchanged, and has been spotted in various photos...so I did not win that one.~

Next gift, I pushed the card aside and started to open the box. Someone pointed out that I hadn't opened the card...and I told them that "I don't like cards". Yeah. Who needs to know who a gift is from, and why even pretend to care about the well-wishes of friends. Geez. I think at that point I must have gotten "a look" from my mom, because I started reading the cards - but I did so in some french/Italian/opera voice which seemed to absolutely crack-up the other tweens that were present...but I was embarrassed for me as I watched. *sigh*

The final proof that I was an obnoxious child came in the form of a gift from my Uncle Rick. One of the little trinkets was Nic-L-Nips (I hope I spelled that right). Remember those? Wax bottles with colored-sugary-death-juice inside? Those were GOOD! So I pulled them out of the bag, tore one off for myself, and passed them around to the other girls that were longing for their daily allowance of high-fructose corn syrup. After they had taken their share, there were two bottles left. My mom asked if anyone else wanted to try one. In the video you can hear my Uncle Rick (the GIVER of the gift), say that he'd like to try one. Now - pause - common courtesy would tell you that when the giver of said gift would like to try something from the gift, it is not just expected but MORALLY REQUIRED to share with that person.

BUT 9-year old me didn't get that.

I took the last two, handed one to a friend and kept the last one for myself.

Obnoxious? Yes. Evil? Quite possibly!

I'm still considering calling my Uncle and apologizing for my moral failure of 20 years ago.

This was the dress that I planned on exchanging...

More Pictures

2009-02-21T20:13:00.003-05:00

Pictures

2009-02-04T21:48:00.004-05:00

Fashionably Late...

2009-02-03T22:01:00.002-05:00

Rebekah Kathleen Thompson joined us today...not of her own free will :) After being 6 days past her due date, she was forcefully evicted today. She was born at 11:03am, 7 lbs 9 oz, 19" long. I can't post pictures because the hospital wifi blocks our photo website. But, looks like I will be able to go home tomorrow, and then I will post some pics.

I'll also post about Zach's 2nd birthday!! :)

Feb. 3, at the latest.

2009-01-29T14:44:00.003-05:00

I just got back from my doctor's appt. At 40 weeks and 1 day. Everything looks good, blah, blah, blah :) They went ahead and scheduled an induction for Tuesday, Feb. 3 if nothing happens before then. I guess that'll work. I was going to try to get them to let me go to the hospital today, but then I was talking with the receptionist and a woman in the waiting room, and they both mentioned that they were induced and labor progressed so quickly that they weren't able to get an epideral. I can't even tell you how wrong that is! I don't want to do anything to hurt my chances of getting drugs! :) I try to think of how I would react if the doctor told me I couldn't have an epidural...would I become physically violent? Maybe. Would I demand something else like morphine? Probably. Would I send Tyler to the store to buy me a bottle of hard liquor and a large glass? Most definitely. I have no interest in learning how painful childbirth really is. Soooo, hopefully this child will be born before Tuesday, but at least we have a definite expiration date on this pregnancy now! :)

Snow!

2009-01-21T09:54:00.002-05:00

We have been lucky this winter! We got to California just in time for a freak snowstorm, and then we just had one here at home! We got about 1/2 a foot of snow yesterday. It snowed all day - just beautiful to watch, and everything iced over pretty badly over night. Needless to say, Tyler just left for work in hopes that going in late will mean better driving conditions. Zach played in the snow a little bit, and the dogs LOVED it. Argos acted like a puppy again - bounding through the snow and chasing Freyja :) So here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Eh.

2009-01-15T23:06:00.002-05:00

I had my 38 week check-up today...and my hopes of having them take one look at me and then tell me to go straight to the hospital to have the baby did not come true. "Everything looks great" and I "could have the baby at any time". Actually, the doctor said I "could go at any time". I'm assuming she was talking about having the baby and not my impending death :)

So, I'm still pregnant, and trying to come to grips with the idea that I still have 2 weeks left. Eh.

Counting Down

2009-01-14T22:38:00.004-05:00

Since I last posted, Tyler and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary, my brother and Tyler's sister got married, we had Christmas 2008, New Year 2009, and I entered month #9 with baby. Whew! That was a lot of events!

We survived our California trip, and even enjoyed parts of it! :) My sister-in-law and I threw a bridal shower for the bride right after we arrived in California. It went really well...we ate a LOT of cookies! Right after that, we (Tracy and I) headed to Vegas to meet up with our husbands for a quick getaway. It was really fun - we saw Mystere by Cirque Du Soleil...and it did not disappoint. Tyler and I saw Ka a couple of years ago, and so we were really excited to get to see another show. I think I preferred Ka, but Mystere was still great.

Once we got back to my parents house, we were busy preparing for the wedding. In the midst of all the preparation, we were hit by a freak snow storm - ended up with a foot of snow, and since it's southern California, everything came to a screeching halt. No roads were plowed, no salt, nothing. All the roads connecting our valley with Los Angeles were closed for more than 24 hours. Luckily, it was early enough in the week where it didn't affect the wedding plans too much, and we were able to enjoy playing in the snow for a little while.

The wedding went very well - my new sister-in-law, Kaley, was a beautiful bride and handled the day with a lot of grace. My brother looked SO handsome :) We're still waiting to see the wedding photos, but I think they will be gorgeous with the bride and groom being so photogenic. I even survived the day in my high heels! Truth be told, I did spend a lot of time barefoot, but when it mattered, I wore those babies! Zach did his job as the ring bearer, but he wasn't particularly happy or sweet that day, so we didn't expect much from him. He did enjoy candy canes at the reception though!

Christmas was nice, but honestly, it made us really appreciate our last two Christmases in NC. There is just no winning when both families live in the same town, and are not celebrating together. Our Christmas day ended up being the most stressful day of our entire trip ironically. We spent the majority of the day driving back and forth between two Christmases - trying to pick and choose what we could and couldn't miss at each one. It was a shame that there was no time for us to really enjoy the day or take time to watch Zach experience his 2nd Christmas - it was just too hectic. So, now we know that holidays are probably not the best time to visit family - there seems to be too much at stake and emotions run too high. So we know Christmas, 2009 will be here in our house with our little family :) and if anyone wants to come spend it with us, that would be wonderful...but I think we're done with the scenario we just experienced!

Three days after Christmas, we flew home, and jumped back into our routine. Tyler is back at work, Zach is back in his Little Gym class, and I have the house back in order. Tomorrow, I go to the doctor for my 38 week check-up! I am so ready to have this baby and get it over with...yes you read that right! No, I don't LOVE being pregnant, I won't miss the pregnant feeling, and while newborns are adorably small and precious, the first 6 weeks are a blur of no sleep and endless feedings and diaper changes...so I just want to get it over with. Once newborns start sleeping through the night and getting on a schedule, I like them a lot more :) So we'll see what the doctor has to say tomorrow! After the appointment, I am going to pick up some fire logs and get ready for the cold snap we are going to get. The fire will be soooo nice and warm. That's another reason I want to have this baby - because then I can wear all my nice, warm hoodies again - right now I'm wearing Tyler's shirt - which does the job, but isn't very fashionable :)

Well, I'm off to bed. I'll update with any baby news...I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Oh, and if you want to see pictures from our trip, just click on this link

Zach and his big-boy bed!

2008-12-07T22:42:00.003-05:00

Today, Zach reached a new milestone in his 22-months here on earth - he graduated from a toddler bed to a normal twin bed! The toddler bed has been converted BACK into a crib in anticipation of the arrival of baby #2, and Zach is officially a big boy :) He was pretty excited to watch us put it together, and then get to play on it once it was ready. Tyler took some great pictures of him tonight as we got him ready for bed and tucked him in. Enjoy!

Still Alive!

2008-11-20T23:26:00.004-05:00

I'm just busy. I'm overwhelmed at the realization that Thanksgiving is 1 week from today, we leave for California 3 weeks from today, my brother's wedding is 1 month from tomorrow, Christmas is something like 34 days away, and our daughter is due to be born in 68 days.

I have to figure out our menu for Thanksgiving dinner, get Christmas shopping done (I've only purchased one small gift so far), figure out what to pack for California, finish planning a bridal shower, finish a slide show for the wedding, mow the lawn one last time for the winter, clean the house, finish the new flooring, and if I continue with this list, I'm going to scream!

Oh to be Zach...the top item on his to-do list is to decide which bear ("Bo") he would prefer to suck on:

Looks like he figured it out. :)

No...wait...that's better! :)

75 More Days...

2008-11-13T23:24:00.002-05:00

My first pregnancy seemed soooo long, like Zach would never arrive. But this pregnancy has definitely gone by faster, and I can't believe that there are only 75 days left before we become an official family of 4!

As if we didn't have a hectic couple of months ahead of us (Thanksgiving, trip to California, anniversary, wedding, Christmas, fly back home...), we decided to add in some home improvement projects. We ripped out the carpet in the living room, and we put down laminate wood flooring. It looks great. I wanted to get a picture during the day with some natural light, but of course it was dark and rainy all day today. So, here is what I have, and a couple of pictures of our crazy, adorable boy.

News Years Resolution...CHECK!

2008-11-09T21:15:00.005-05:00

At the beginning of this year, I said that I wanted to get our master bedroom painted and made into a place of relaxation :) We've basically addressed every other room in the house except our bedroom. Anyway, even though it's November, I FINALLY pulled out the paint I bought 2 years ago for the bedroom, and got down to business. Here are some before photos:

And some after photos:

I still haven't done much with the bed. I have a green duvet cover, but I kind of like the white against the gray on the wall. Also, I know the wall is very blank above the bed...I want to purchase a nice black and white painting or something that will really fit that giant space. I've seen many that I like - they are just so pricey. But hopefully I'll be able to find an affordable one to buy soon enough! Anyway, the room feels so much more relaxing and nice. The best part is that in a little while, the carpet will be gone and there will be laminate wood flooring down instead! We picked up all the flooring this weekend, and we'll be starting on the living room on Tuesday. I will be so glad to get rid of the carpet...eww. Well, have a wonderful Sunday evening!

Halloween: Part 2

2008-11-01T00:40:00.003-04:00

Just thought I'd share my masterpiece pumpkin that Tyler and I worked on tonight. In 2004, I did a Bush/Cheney pumpkin, so I figured I should make this a tradition. It says NOBAMA. Hopefully, it will be a harbinger of what is to come...

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T19:53:00.003-04:00

We just got back from taking Zach trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Other than being a little cold, he had a good time! I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween!!!

P.S. Here is what I found when I went to check on Zach during his naptime today. How little kids can find rest with their back in that position is beyond me! :)

Potty Training: Day Two

2008-10-23T14:03:00.003-04:00

We are testing out the idea of potty training Zach - it would be nice to have him out of diapers before the new baby arrives. Yesterday, I kept him in underwear all day, and he did have a few accidents, but in the evening, he actually used the potty! He gets peanut butter M&Ms for sitting on the potty, so needless to say - it's his new favorite place. :) Today he is in underwear again, and only one accident so far today. I don't think he's made the connection quite yet as to what he is supposed to do on the potty, but he definitely does not appreciate peeing in his underwear - he bursts into tears each time. So at least he cares! But all that to say that I just really think he's adorable running around in his little boy underwear. Here is a picture :)

Universal preschool hasn't delivered results

2008-10-21T16:24:00.003-04:00

I was happy to see this online this morning. This has been a pet-peeve of mine for awhile - even before I had Zach. The idea that kids need more school BEFORE school to be successful is asinine - and frankly, I think it is simply a way to assuage parental guilt about leaving their kids in glorified daycare ("but it's preschool, which is so important for his/her development!"). Needless to say, 5 years goes by so quickly - so I'm going to enjoy those few years where I have my children to myself. I am perfectly capable of teaching letters and numbers to them before they enter kindergarten. My mom sent me to kindergarten already reading and writing my name - without the help of any preschool.

Shikha Dalmia,Lisa Snell
Friday, October 17, 2008

Early education advocates want you to believe that the case for universal preschool is so airtight that raising any questions about it is an act of heresy. But there is a strong and growing body of literature showing that preschool produces virtually no lasting benefits for the majority of kids.

Proponents of universal preschool claim that when kids attend quality preschools, they grow up to be smarter, richer and more law-abiding. But this is a fairy tale not based on research.

More kids who attend preschool enter kindergarten knowing their ABCs and counting their numbers than their stay-at-home peers, it is true. But these gains fade, as study after study has shown.

Consider Oklahoma and Georgia, two states that have spent billions implementing universal preschool. Georgia's fourth-grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading score in 1992, when it embraced universal preschool, was 212 - three points below the national average. Last year, after years of universal preschool, it was 219 - still one point below the national average. Its math score was three points below the average in 1992. Last year, it was 235 - four points below the national average.

And that's the good news.

Oklahoma's fourth-grade NAEP reading score in 1998, when it adopted universal preschool, was 219 - six points above the national average. Last year, it had dropped to 217 - three points below the national average. Similarly, its math score was at par with the national average in 2000. Last year, it had dropped two points below. Since employing universal preschool, not only is Oklahoma doing worse compared with the nation - but also its own prior performance.

The latest bit of bad news for universal preschool comes from Tennessee, which poured $250 million into expanding a state preschool program three years ago. A comprehensive study last month - commissioned by the government itself - concluded that, barring at-risk kids, there was "no statistically significant difference" between the educational performance of second-graders who attended preschool and those who did not. Activists cannot blame this on 'poor quality' preschool, given that the Tennessee program is regarded as the gold standard of preschool - meeting 9 of the 10 criteria for a high-quality program set by the National Institute for Early Education Research.

Meanwhile, research on Head Start, the federal preschool program for poor kids, also shows few gains. Studies show minor initial cognitive gains - but a near-complete fade out after kids begin elementary school. "By the second or third grade, there is no difference between the test scores of children who attended most preschool programs, including Head Start, and those who did not," Ron Haskins of the liberal Brookings Institution concluded.

Universal preschool activists brush away these uncomfortable findings and tout the results of boutique programs such as Michigan's 1962 Perry Preschool Program. The positive effect on high-school graduation rates, adult crime, earnings and welfare-dependence of Perry participants has given this program mythical status. But Perry had a grand total of 58 low-IQ kids in its treatment sample, all from extremely disadvantaged, minority backgrounds. Its results have little bearing for other kids.

In fact, University of Chicago Nobel Prize-winner James Heckman, who has extensively studied Perry, has cautioned against generalizing its findings to promote universal preschool. In a June 2005 interview with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, when asked whether public funding should go for universal programs or at-risk kids, Heckman responded: "It is foolish to try to substitute for what the middle-class and upper-middle-class parents are already doing."

Likewise, in the latest issue of Education Next, Craig Ramey, director of the Center on Health and Education at Georgetown University, a universal preschool supporter, chastises activists for using Perry to create "unrealistic expectations" about the benefits of pre-kindergarten schooling for regular kids.

What's more, a joint analysis that Bruce Fuller, a UC Berkeley professor, conducted with Stanford University researchers found extended preschool may actually emotionally harm mainstream kids. He found that kindergartners with 15 or more hours of preschool every week were less motivated and more aggressive in class. Likewise, Canada's C.D. Howe Institute found a higher incidence of anxiety, hyperactivity and poor social skills among kids in Quebec after universal preschool.

All of this suggests that we are very far from having the degree of confidence needed to justify billions of dollars in taxpayer spending on universal preschool. Preschool advocates might want to will away such inconvenient facts. But politicians ought to look beyond the cherry-picked data advocates cite before foisting preschool on all American toddlers.

Shikha Dalmia is a senior policy analyst and Lisa Snell is director of education policy at Reason Foundation ( www.reason.org), a free-market think tank.

This article appeared on page B - 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

2008-10-20T18:19:00.003-04:00

It just felt like a cookie day today. Chilly fall weather (we had our first frost last night!), and a warm stove in the house.

Not Sure If I Should Be Concerned...

2008-10-18T00:46:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I decided that I needed to reclaim the living room for grown-ups. For those of you who haven't seen our living room, I have three baskets under the television that have stored Zach's toys for many months. He plays with his toys and they inevitably end up all over the place. Putting the toys back in the baskets is a lesson in futility. So, I decided that if there was going to be a bunch of toys strewn around the floor, it should be in Zach's room - not the living room. I went to Target and purchased this:

I put it together, gathered all Zach's toys from the living room and put them in their new home. It looks great! But here's where I get concerned. Zach really likes the storage bins themselves. He empties all the toys out of them and then removes the bins and stacks them. So far, no problem. But tonight after dinner, I went back to his room to see what he was up to, and he had stacked all the bins by color. When I put the bins on the rack, I did it just like the picture (yes, I'm weird). so the colors are all spread out. He had the large bins in one stack because none of their colors repeat. But the small bins where stacked with two navy blues at the bottom, two light blues in the middle and the two greens on top. He did it on purpose. It freaked me out a little. Am I raising an O.C.D. child?!

State Fair!

2008-10-17T23:25:00.003-04:00

Tyler now works a 4/10 schedule, so he has every Friday off. We took advantage of that fact and decided to visit the NC state fair today...hoping to avoid the weekend crowds. It was still pretty crowded, but not nearly as bad as Saturday or Sunday! Anyway, we took Zach to see any animal we could find. He really enjoyed it! Here are some pictures:

Zach sporting his new baseball cap...such a stud :)

Checking out the chicks...the only kind I'm o.k. with!

Zach loves to look at animals...but if they start trying to check him out,
he gets a little concerned. This cow was very curious
and Zach couldn't sink much deeper into Tyler's chest. :)

We ended the day with a walk through a petting zoo which had baby goats,
camels, alpacas, porcupines (not for petting!) and sheep.
We bought a bag of carrots to feed the animals, and Zach tried,
but usually dropped the carrot before the animals got too close :)

While we were at the fair, we split a funnel cake and got some salt water taffy to take home with us. The NC state fair has an obsession with fried foods; they sell fried candy bars, fried coke, fried pecan pie, and a new one I noticed this year - fried mac'n'cheese. Eww. As if macaroni and cheese needed anything else to make it bad for you. No, we didn't try it. But we did try fried coke a couple of years ago - it was strange.

I noticed a ton of people at the fair wearing McCain/Palin stickers - they were stuck to their clothing, their hats, and even baby strollers. From the looks of it, the Republican booth was booming with business. I did see two Obama stickers, but I had to look for those. I hope it's a reflection of what we can expect in NC for the upcoming election. I am so tired of hearing about Obama, and tired of dealing with his sheep-like followers. This election season has also raised many concerns in my mind over some of the issues Christians are buying into. One of these days soon, I will blog in detail about this, but I've had Christian friends talk about watching Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth" and then decide that they have to "go green" - but they don't want to discuss the politics of it. Frankly, I'm appaled, and I think Christians should have a different take on these political issues. But that's a whole new blog.

For now, enjoy the weekend and if you want to go see a movie, go see "An American Carol". Support a conservative movie for once! :)

My little crooner...

2008-09-25T15:34:00.002-04:00

The litte quirks...and updates

2008-09-24T22:06:00.004-04:00

As Zach gets older, it's so fun to watch the little things that give us a glimpse into his personality. I thought you might like to see a few of them in pictures + a couple of updates on other stuff:

Lately, Zach has started to "blow" on his food like
he has seen me do. It's pretty funny...since he does it to any food -
regardless of whether it's hot or cold :)

We have many pictures of this expression...Zach has been doing it
since he was 4 or 5 months old. Now, it's the expression he gives
when we tell him to smile for a picture.

Zach loves his dogs! But he's a little bit of a hoarder,
so he gets the ball that they love to play fetch with,
but he won't throw it to them - he just runs around
with it and hopes they will chase him.

This is probably my favorite quirk that my little boy has.
Every night, Tyler takes him to the bathroom to brush his
teeth (which Zach LOVES). When he's done, Tyler carries
him out to me for bedtime, and for some strange reason,
Zach is always in this flopped position.
It's only after brushing his teeth. :)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, this picture is of all the firewood that Tyler got from a friend
last weekend. There was more, but this is all that he could
fit in the 4Runner. The big logs in front are Hickory,
and Tyler has been having a heck of a time splitting them.
Hickory is a hard wood - no lie. But all this firewood has
been great for our newly completed fire pit (See pic below)!
We have already spent a couple of chilly evenings toasting
marshmallows and making s'mores. Yum!

And last but not least, Tyler, Eric and my dad went on a deep-sea
fishing trip a couple of weeks ago...they caught a lot of red
snapper that we have been enjoying. This is a picture of Tyler
and Eric - they said it was perfect weather and they had a blast!

Hmm...

2008-09-15T11:11:00.002-04:00

I wonder if you can tell what we're having :)

In January 2009...

2008-07-14T16:26:00.003-04:00

...Zach will be a big brother! :)

Baby #2 is due on January 28th. So far, so good. We are very excited!

I'll post an update as soon as we find out if it is a boy or a girl!

Yeah

2008-06-27T15:51:00.004-04:00

I know, it's been awhile.

Here are some pictures of recent days. What's that you say? Of course they are all of Zach! He's kind of the main subject around here :) Enjoy!

Videos for your enjoyment

2008-05-29T11:16:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Saturday was overcast and raining, so we spent the day relaxing around the house and sneaking naps every once in awhile. On Sunday, we took Zach to Bear Island right off Hammock's Beach. It was his first trip to the beach. I think he enjoyed it! He definitely loved playing in the sand (sandbox in his future for sure), and he wasn't too sure about the waves, but he grew more comfortable with them as time went on :) Then on Monday, we relaxed again, and took Zach to the park. Gorgeous weekend! But I am truly looking forward to when Zach is a little older and we can explain to him what Memorial Day means. I read an article pointing out how most kids don't even know what the day is about other than BBQs and the beach. So hopefully in the future, we can plan on going to some type of event on Memorial Day that honors the military and the veterans. Anyway, here are some videos for you to enjoy:

Baaa.

2008-05-20T15:33:00.004-04:00

We traded in Argos for a sheep. Or maybe I just took him in to get a MAJOR hair cut. Either way, he's a sheep now.

(He doesn't like the camera)

Look at that sheep butt - no tail.

In case you don't know what he looked like pre-haircut!

Hmmm...

2008-05-18T15:59:00.003-04:00

What was I doing ten years ago: I was 18, a senior at Bethel Christian high school, and I was most likely on my senior trip to the east coast.

Five things on my to do list today: 1) Package up two games that I sold online 2) Write and address two cards I need to send out tomorrow 3) Go to the grocery store 4) Take a shower 5) Do some laundry.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Run for President (vote for me!), build a gorgeous house on whatever land I preferred, buy timber lands, have my home professionally decorated by Pottery Barn/Crate and Barrel (I'd let them fight it out), hire a maid so I can spend all my time with my husband and son, pay off the debt and buy a home and new car for all friends and family members (see? it's good to be my friend!), purchase a private jet so that we can visit family in California whenever we please, buy a small island maybe, fund as many charities as I can (churches or individuals), invest. That's all for now. :)

Three of my bad habits: 1) Reading blogs and checking MySpace/Facebook too much 2) Leaving clean laundry in the dryer or on the couch instead of folding it and putting it away 3) Not throwing away old magazines/catalogs.

Five places I have lived: 1) Whittier, CA 2) Palmdale, CA 3) Cedarville, OH 4) Azusa, CA 5) Clayton, NC

Five jobs you've had: 1) Computer tech in college 2) College intern at Enterprise Rent-a-Car (don't ask - not a happy time.) 3) Hardware tech at Azusa Pacific University 4) Business IT Analyst at Lockheed Martin 5) High school girls varsity basketball coach

If you are reading this, then you are tagged! You have to post this on your own blog - comment me with the link so I can enjoy your answers too :)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-05-14T19:22:00.003-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-05-07T22:38:00.002-04:00

Tribute Tuesday

2008-05-06T16:10:00.014-04:00

Today's tribute is to videos. Videos that I have been too lazy or busy to upload. Enjoy!! (Blogger is not letting me publish this post with all three videos, so I will post links to the videos in order to get this posted. Sorry!)

VIDEO
Zach was cracking up over pushing the book out of Tyler's hands and the consequences that followed.

VIDEO
Zach sings a lot these days, and this is an example. He also does some other "tricks".

Tyler just pointed this out to me last night. Whenever there is something under the couch that Zach wants, he pats his chest for "please". But then, if you ask him what the please is for, he shrugs his head to one side as if he's looking under the couch. We just thought it was funny. :)

I just started wearing my glasses when I'm using the computer, and Zach thinks they're pretty funny. So I let him try them out.

To all those first-borns out there...

2008-05-05T15:57:00.002-04:00

...It's finally been proven! Our parents were harder on us...and much more strict. Now we have science on our side. We can sleep easy tonight. Oh, and younger siblings...YOU OWE US. :)

The plight of the older sibling:
First-born kids really do have it tougher, new research finds

Memory Monday

2008-05-05T15:49:00.004-04:00

Click on the image to view it larger.

Catching Up

2008-05-02T23:02:00.010-04:00

I have many excuses for not blogging recently, but I will not make you read through the exhaustive list. I'll just catch you up on life in the Thompson household!

A couple of weeks ago, my parents drove their RV out here from California for a visit. When they arrived, they made a bee-line for Zach :) But they also brought gifts for the dogs (see below):

The bones that the dogs have in the pictures are actually made of peanut butter, and dipped in carob. They thoroughly enjoyed those. They also got a bag of sweet potato chews (I've never seen those before, but the dogs LOVE them) and - get this - "Sauvignon Bark: Fine Wine for the Canine". It's like a gravy to pour on their dog food. You may ask, where does one find this stuff? My parents went to the Three Dog Bakery in Asheville, NC - but I think there are several across the nation. Needless to say, Argos and Freyja love my parents more than ever before, and if the opportunity presented itself, they'd probably pack up and move in with them. :)

About two days before my parents arrived at our house, I mowed our gigantic lawn. The next morning, I woke up with a sore throat and a stuffed nose, but I thought it was probably an allergic reaction to sitting on a riding lawn mower, inhaling little bits of grass and countless bugs for an hour and a half (yes, ya'll, I've become a redneck!). I was wrong. It turned out to be a good 'ol fashioned head cold. So I had a few sleepless nights propped up on two pillows attempting to breathe. Of course Tyler never got it - he has an iron-clad immune system. But I did succeed in giving it to Zach. Luckily, he started getting better just about the time we were getting ready to go to Mississippi. We left for Mississippi on a Thursday afternoon, and came back on Sunday evening. It was a lot of fun! Last year, we had a 10 week old in Mississippi - this year, a 14 month old! What a difference a year makes. Here is a photo comparison:

If you look closely in the first picture, you can see the glossed-over, "where am I" look in my eyes. In the second picture, you can see that 1 year later, I even have the presence of mind to TAKE the picture! :) Anyway, we had a blast catching up with family, spending time out at the camp and we even got to play basketball for the first time in probably 2 years! Surprisingly, Zach's favorite thing to do was ride on the ATV (or Quad, or 4-wheeler, whatever you call them) with his dad or his grandpa! He would hold his hand up in the air to feel the wind, and when they would stop the ATV, he'd sit there and just listen to all the birds. Zach also enjoyed walking back and forth on the small pier by the lake house, but that was a little too stressful for us - so he didn't get much time to do that.

Now that we're home, my parents are spending plenty of quality time with Zach, and he is amazing me every day with the new things he does. Here's a run down of new accomplishments for him:
1. He says "hello". Sounds more like HEY-doh (Tyler says he sounds like a little British boy!).
2. He doesn't say "Uh-Oh", but he hums it - he won't say it, but he has the melody of it.
3. He likes to spin. When he gets dizzy he falls down and hums his "uh-oh".
4. He hates diaper changes - as do I.
5. He gives us high fives when we ask him to.
6. He waves and flirts with almost everyone now.
7. He loves animals. Even when he see them on television, he stops what he's doing and waves at them.
8. His first official word (that we could understand) was "Argos". I hope that dog feels honored!
9. Zach has boy legs now - his shins and knees have their fair share of scrapes and bruises.
10. If it were up to him, he'd stay outside 24/7 - with daddy. :)

I'm sure that's not an exhaustive list, but it's what I can think of right now. On a side note, I am so happy with our scheduling routine with Zach. Even through being sick, Zach still slept so well. When he goes down for his naps or bedtime, he waves at me when I turn out the light, and there is hardly ever a cry out of his mouth. It's great - probably one of the most peaceful parts of my day. There are a few big things that will be coming up soon for Zach: we're going to start introducing him to the potty chair (see item #4 above for reason why), start moving to a single nap during the day, and try to get him ready for a normal bed instead of the crib. I'm excited about all of those! I hope he will be too. :)

If you're still with me and not fast asleep, drooling on your keyboard, then I should let you know that Tyler and I were able to get away to see a movie last weekend. We saw Expelled. Look for a post in the next couple of days with my thoughts on the movie.

Edited - here is the review: Expelled

Oh, and OF COURSE, on April 28th, Tyler celebrated his 28th birthday. Oh geez, as I typed that, I realized the significance. That only happens once - he turned the age of his birthday date! I wish I had realized that earlier! Anyway, it was a lot of fun. Ty got a new shot gun, and we went over to a friend's house to try it out with some skeet shooting. It's pretty awesome. We BBQ'd some steaks for dinner, and had strawberry shortcake for dessert. But more importantly, Tyler is now the same age as I am until January of next year, so he will stop with all the comments about me being OLD. I suffer every year between January and April. I dread my 30th, 40th and 50th birthday because of this. :) But for now, all is well.

OK! Congratulations! You are caught up on our lives, and you didn't die of boredom (or you did, but I just don't know it - ignorance is bliss!). I will leave you with random pictures that don't really fit into the stories above, but are another opportunity for me to shamelessly brag about my family :) Have a wonderful weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-04-30T17:51:00.004-04:00

Expelled

2008-04-26T23:57:00.006-04:00

"Beware of the sound of one hand clapping."

Tyler and I got the rare opportunity to go see a movie last night, and we saw "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" with Ben Stein. It was very interesting and well put together. My favorite quote from the movie is the one I typed at the beginning of this blog. The scientist who used that quote explained that just like clapping has two sides to it, each viewpoint has a counter argument on the other side. But for some reason, in scientific circles, there is only one hand - or one argument (Darwinism), and the other side (Intelligent Design) is not represented, nor is it allowed to be discussed.

The issue that struck me most in this movie was the fact that scientists are so desperate to prove that God had nothing to do with our world, or that He just does not exist. One scientist thinks the origin of life is molecules that piggybacked on crystals. You read that right. And the beloved Richard Dawkins is so anti-God that he is even willing to believe that aliens started life on this planet. Somehow that is more believable than God creating it. But actually, it's not about what is more believable, it is about the repercussions of each theory. If molecules came to earth on crystals, or if aliens started life here, then it changes nothing. We can continue going about our lives as we please with no concern over morality, religion, or an afterlife. BUT, if God meaningfully created life here on earth, then we are indebted to Him for our very existence. That theory leads to dangerous and painful questions such as "what is my purpose here on earth?", "How will my life be judged when I die?", "Do my choices in my life bear eternal consequences?". Man spends a lot of time trying to convince himself and everyone else that he is self-made. Scientists seem to be no different. They work hard to make evolution work as THE only option for our existence. The stakes are too high to think differently.

There have been some arguments over the reason that some of the scientists featured in the film were "black-listed". Truly, those people are missing the entire point of the movie. Whether those people were black-listed for suggesting I.D. or not, the fact remains that I.D. is NOT represented in our schools - especially in higher education. The silence is deafening. Education is about exploring possibilities, becoming well-rounded, expanding knowledge. How are we letting students explore, become well-rounded and expand their knowledge, if we only present one theory on the origin of life? It's asinine.

The movie was well done. I would recommend it to everyone. I know it's not your first choice when you're looking for entertainment, but it's a subject that we should all understand and spending 90 minutes learning a little more about it won't kill you - you'll actually leave the theater smarter. When was the last time a movie did that for you?

"The wise man forms his theory from the facts - not the facts from his theory."

Crazy Week

2008-04-15T23:09:00.002-04:00

This week is a little crazy to say the least...so I will pick back up next week. Have a wonderful evening!

Thankful Thursday

2008-04-10T22:06:00.004-04:00

So today, for my thankful post, I am going to choose something very simple, but something I am truly thankful for right now - the sun. Growing up in Southern California, I've gotten more than my fair share of sun (300+ sunny days/year). Because of that, I love rain. Cloudy days automatically put me in a good mood. I'm weird like that. But now I have a child. Zach loves to play outside right now - he stands at the front door and signs "please" over and over again...irresistible. We have had cloudy/rainy/cool weather since last Wednesday, and it's been torture for Zach. Likewise, it's become torture for me! So today, there was a beautiful blue sky with a few white puffy clouds, and it was close to 80 degrees! It felt great to see the sun again and to feel it. And it put a smile of Zach's face too! I was so inspired that I mowed our 1.6 acres of lawn and edged too! Actually, I did that today mainly because it's supposed to RAIN again tomorrow and Saturday, and so I didn't want to wait that out. But regardless - it felt great to be outside today and to get some vitamin D the natural way. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-04-09T21:31:00.003-04:00

Tribute Tuesday

2008-04-08T18:42:00.004-04:00

For my first official tribute on this blog, I wanted to write about my husband, Tyler. Tyler and I have known each other since 1994, dated since 1998 and been married since 2001. There are few people outside of your family that truly know who you've been, who you are, and who you are striving to be. I'm lucky enough to be married to one of those people. I admire Tyler for many, many reasons, but for time sake, I'll just name a few.

Tyler is a rock. I've never claimed to be a really emotional girl, but I do have my moments. Tyler is constant, stable and strong. He always has his emotions in check. He doesn't let them rule his actions. I can go to him when I'm angry about something, and he always has a calm solution that doesn't leave me regretting my actions.

Tyler is gracious. This might be one of the things I admire most about my husband, because it is what I lack the most. I see things in a very black and white way, and anyone that thinks differently is just wrong. But Tyler has always nicely reminded me that even though I might be right (or I think I am), I should be gracious with others. Tyler has exemplified grace in his life - especially by staying married to me! Haha! There are many times that he could have annihilated others in work or play, but he chooses to be gracious, and because of that, I and others admire him.

Tyler provides a wonderful home for our family. Before we had Zach, and still living in California, we both worked full-time. Two jobs brings in a nice amount of money. But, we always knew that we wanted our children to have me at home with them. So my husband now is the sole bread-winner in the family, and goes to work everyday. He never has complained, never made me feel guilty, and has allowed me to fully be a mom and wife without any regrets. I must admit though that I do feel guilty each morning when he leaves for work and I go back to bed...I know how much he'd love to get some extra sleep. But I admire his commitment to us and his desire for his children to grow up with their parents - not daycare providers.

Well, I will stop there for now. Tyler is tired this evening, and my time might be better spent watching Zach so that he can relax. He really is an amazing man, and I am sooo thankful for him. Couldn't ask for more.