A Day In The Life

I was attacked...by a labradoodle!

2009-12-07T21:28:00.005-05:00

I've just started running and decided to go out by myself for the first time.

I was running along, minding my own business when a dog came out and bit me. He had ahold of my thigh and my pants. I had to yank my pants from his chompers. I am not normally afraid of dogs but this scared the crap out of me!

I called Jim and started crying. He went into fight mode and decided to call the police. I got picked up by a cruiser and taken to the house. The owner was cited (nearly $600!) and I was asked if I wanted to press charges. I decided not to but we'll see how it plays out!

The dog broke the skin but I'm ok. I've cleaned it all up and it'll be fine.

Here's a pic...just incase you're into that sort of thing! ;-)

All of the things I need...

2009-12-05T19:17:00.003-05:00

Roo decided that she would sit and make a list of all of the things she needs.

Here you go...

Can you read it?

Swim
Jack
Jim
Happy

No mommy? "No, your name is like humungous and way too long."

I agree. :-)

What I Do For Fun...

2009-12-02T20:03:00.005-05:00

Change stuff around the house! I LOVE redecorating, repainting and picking out new stuff for the house.

Just this week I've decided to do two seperate projects. I've really stressed myself out over the whole thing, but now I'm done. Horray!

1. Removing our shower doors.

Anyone who's had shower doors knows that they get gross, no matter what. I've tried everything and finally decided to take them out. We've put up a shower curtain to match...but I don't have a picture of that because of technical difficulties (read: We put up a rod with lock-tite but it fell so we have it curing before we put the rod back up). I'm happy to share that it only took 10 minutes to get the whole thing down. I've also painted our towel racks. It's antique brass and I'm digging it! The original inspiration was an antique brass shower rod. Once I got that home, we realized it was just a hair too long! :-(

Before:

During:

After:

Part deux...

2009-12-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

I've always wanted a red dining room. I've settled for a red wall in my dining room. It's red, bold and beautiful. I love it!

BTW, these pictures are taken in the dark room using no flash. I'll take some daylight pictures tomorrow!

He knows if you've been good or bad...

2009-11-30T21:40:00.003-05:00

So be good for goodness sakes!

We have a new little visitor who was dropped on our steps by a jolly old elf.

His name is Dominic and he came to us on Thanksgiving night. He is watching Roo & Jack Jack to make sure they are behaving nicely. The first day was rough...the next few were a bit better. Today Roo even asked me if Dominic could see us in the car. ;-) Big girl has got the idea!

Every night he takes a trip back to the North Pole to let Santa know what's going on in Tega Cay. When he comes back in the morning, he finds a new perch. One of Roo's favorite things has been finding him every day. The first night we put him in the Christmas tree. The next morning he was sitting on the TV. The next day he was in the dining room chandelier. Today he was over the kitchen window. Who know's where he'll land tomorrow?! Exciting stuff I tell ya!

I'm Back!

2009-11-30T21:39:00.002-05:00

Ok, It's been long enough...

I'm back to blogging.

I've been busy with hearth and home. I'm still busy but want to make blogging a priority again.

Out of the mouth of babes

2009-06-19T20:32:00.002-04:00

For all that don't know. I started WW last week.

I weighed only 5 lbs less than when I came home from the hospital after giving birth. :-( 174.5

I've struggled alot over the last 15 months. In the last three months, I gained 10 lbs.

In one week, I lost 4.5 lbs! WAH WHOO!

Today I weighed in, not on my weigh in date and I've GAINED 1.5 lbs. I'm following Weight Watchers to a T!

I called Jim to fill him in with my general rantings about all of this. When I got off the phone I was greeted by Roo.

She said, "Mommy, don't worry about your weight. Just weigh what you weigh."

Damn. Out of the mouth of babes.

Want a baby?

2009-05-31T07:47:00.002-04:00

Roo: (patting my stomach) Mommy, please tell me...is this a girl baby or a boy baby in here?

Me: (pushing her hand away) Roo, I do not have a baby in my belly. Don't touch my stomach or ask me again.

R: But I WANT a baby.

M: Ok, I don't, so leave me alone about it.

R: But, when are you going to have a baby? Because I need one.

M: I don't know. I'm not. You can have your own baby.

R: No, I need a sister.

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Red ALERT!

2009-05-27T14:57:00.002-04:00

Hotmail has decided to cancel my fabulous email account. Apparently, I violated terms of use. From googling, I've learned that that means that I was spamming people with my email. That's right. Little ol' me, stay at home mom of two from South Carolina.

I wish I'd been spamming something interesting atleast!

Anyway, if you need to reach me, call me or email me at my name (with middle initial C) @gmail.com.

When I get mad....

2009-05-26T23:11:00.003-04:00

Really, really mad! It's not pretty.

Let me start off by saying, I don't feel well. I've felt like crap all day. I've just trudged through and made the day go on. That said, I may feel completely different in the morning...but this is my take on things...now, at 11:15pm.

We have these neighbors. We'll call the wife, Ana and the husband, well, we'll call him ADD-DAD. Ana is nice enough, but always runs inside when people are out. ADD-DAD is a nut that races by on his rollerblades about 50 times a night, going about 50 miles an hour. They often spend most of the evening outside playing with their kids. Good for them. The kids seem happy.

Ana and ADD-DAD live next to a man we call Hans (as in Hans Christian Anderson). Hans and his three kids live there. They are from Germany and that's really all I can think to say about them.

Today, we pull onto our street and see a big azz Hummer on the opposite side of the road and Ana and ADD-DAD and the daughter hanging in Hans' driveway. I try to move around the weiner mobile and ADD-DAD flips out his "KIDS at play sign." Whatever. It's then that I realize that it's Hans driving the WM and let him manuver that ridiculous vehicle in his teeny driveway. As I pull away, ADD-DAD crosses his arms indignantly and gives me the stink-eye.

(Let's note that I have spoken to ADD exactly ONE time and the whole time he was twitching. Since they are outside so much, I've said hello often but been greeted with a fake smile.)

I drop Jim and the kids off at the house and leave (I had to go to Harris-Teeter if you must know). I make sure to go EXTRA slow to make it clear to ADD that I am ready for a duel. He turns around as I am half way up the street. He gave me the indignant stink-eye again and I returned the favor. I had all but stopped where he was standing. I was going REALLY SLOW. I even turned around to make sure he KNEW I was standing him down.

Let me also say that he moved his ridiculous sign into the road by now. I want to run over that damn thing. It's NOT an invisible sheild for your kids! I drive slowly down our street, but if your kids are launching themselves off your driveway and into the street...this is their issue...not mine.

That was that. I did a lot of thinking on my way to and from HT. I decided that if he was still there, I was going to stop and kiss his azz. He wasn't, so I didn't.

I'm still pissed though. What a jerk.

The World

2009-05-25T16:31:00.001-04:00

I've been thinking and dreaming about going back to Disney World with Jim and the kids. Now...how can I convince Jim it's a good idea?

Jim said more than once in a year is too much. Spoil sport!

To poo or not to poo...that is the question...

2009-05-25T16:29:00.001-04:00

I'm off the wagon and back on the poo. Mostly because I was having a hard time getting my thick hair and scalp really clean. The first few weeks were fine...but after a while I was itchy and just unhappy. Roo and Jack are still on the no 'poo thing and it's working out nicely for both of them.

Update

2009-05-04T20:26:00.003-04:00

Ok, I'm on Day 4 of poo free.

Here's what my hair looked like this morning. Straight, sleek, bodiful and perfect.

I decided to do a co-wash today and plop it and see what happened. It's frizzy and needs some work, but it's totally different than where I was at!

I likey! (The picture is horrible, but you get the drift.) I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow to see if I can get any more curls. It's almost like a relaxed spiral perm (according to Jim). He likes too!

Andrea, I'm thrilled that you are willing to try. I bet you'll love it.

Alyce, Same to you.

Han, make the jump. You can do it!!!!

No Poo?

2009-05-03T12:50:00.003-04:00

I have decided to participate in this movement. It's NO POO! Shampoo that is!

The thought behind it is that shampoo has TONS of chemicals and detergents that strip your hair and inhibit your hair's natural ability to regulate oil production, thus leaving you with a greasy nasty head in between washings.

I'm still "washing my hair" but not using soap. Instead, I'm using conditioner! Apparently Conditioners have enough surfectants to clean your hair. You won't get a lather, but you don't need one. Use the pads of your fingers to scrub scrub scrub that scalp and you're good. You just have to make sure to avoid any products that end in 'cone.' These are the nasty things that coat your hair and make it even greasier. Anyone who has used Pantene for an extended amount of time knows what I'm talking about. Suave Naturals and VO5 have many conditioners that have no cones. They have nones, but that's not the same.

Day One: Washed with Suave Clarifying Shampoo and conditioned as normal.

Result was good. Hair was nice and clean. Frizzy but managable.

Day Two: Went to the pool with the kids twice. Both times I wet my hair and coated it in conditioner. Last night at my final shower I lathered my hair with conditioner only, did a rinse and coated again with conditioner. Then I dried my hair as normal.

Result of this was great! Hair was smaller than usual and smelled amazing. Less frizzies for sure and even had a wave in it as it was air drying. Once I blow dried it, it looked good and was shiny.

Day Three: No washing today. I flat iron my hair with no products and it's STICK straight but actually has some body to it! YAY!

Loving this no poo thing.

Incidentally, I also did Roo's the same way and it's SHOCKING! Her hair is sooooo shiny today.

You would think that leaving in conditioner would leave your hair heavy and greasy but it's the exact opposite. It looks clean, smells clean and has a TON of body to it!

I'd like to encourage everyone to try it. I'm only on day three and am LOVING my hair. It gets better and better each day! If you have curly hair or wavy this is a great thing for you! Most people with curls who try this experience better curls, more body, manageability and no frizz. Curly Girls is a commonly used technique. If you are interested, please google your hearts out.

This message is dedicated to my girl Hanna and her lovely ladies with the super curly lovely locks. I said I wanted to do it...now I am. Your turn! :-)

Strawberries!

2009-04-30T21:12:00.011-04:00

Roo and I decided that it would be a wonderfully domestic to go pick berries this year.

We picked a date and a location and were all set to go on Wednesday. My friend Kristen insisted that I call to make sure that the Springs Farm would be open for u-pick on a week day. I call and this is what I hear "Oh honey, we have been piiiiicked clean. We open on Friday morning at 7am." Um WHAT?! I have a playgroup coming in...oh, I don't know...about 1.5 hours.

Thankfully said friend, Kristen, has a kick-ass husband who came up with a back up plan. Black's Peaches in York. We got everyone ready and headed there.

It was warm and sunny. The weather was absolutely perfect. We had a picnic lunch and then the kids loaded the fields and picked like crazy people. Funny enough, each kid talked about how they were picking berries for their daddies. Nevermind us sweaty moms out there up to our knees in dirt! It was a blast and we were exhausted...but it was worth it. This one time atleast. ;-)

Enjoy the pictures.

Picnicing

Jack-Jack

William and Beth Anne

Beth Anne

Roo

Natalie

Baby Nate

Samuel (I LOVE this picture!)

Picking

Abby and William

Look at mine!

Elizabeth (Wondermom) with baby Nate and Sam

Roo found a berry!

Here is the aftermath

Natalie is ready to go!

Kristen's family wins for the most enthusiastic pickers. Kayleigh couldn't stop picking and Maeghan couldn't stop eating the strawberries!

Maeghan Kayleigh

Kayleigh with berry covered legs

Roo, all tuckered out

Liar! Liar! Abs, thighs, arms on fire!

2009-04-07T20:07:00.003-04:00

I went to Target this morning to get Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred DVD and 3 lb dumbells. I was expecting an easy time because I'd "heard" from several friends that it was EASY PEASY and that you feel the pain the next day.

Well I'm here to say, I've been a bit sore all day! I was total jiggle legs for the first hour and my arms were tired from WASHING my hair afterwards! Am I out of shape? Clearly...but geez!

I'm doing this again tomorrow though! Gotta start some where!

Cleaning up!

2009-04-07T07:38:00.002-04:00

Ok, this is a two part post.

I've been away for nearly a month. So much has happened! I've turned 29, Roo turned 4, our garden has really grown and sprouted, Jack and Roo spent the weekend with the grandparents, Jim and I trapsed all over Savannah ALONE.

I am in the midst of cleaning in two ways.

One is cleaning up after unpacking. My house looks like a bomb went off. Nothing crazy, but all of the normal "just got home and seems like we haven't been here in weeks" cleaning.

The second way is our diet. I've decided to clean up my diet and get on a regime. The pool opens up in 4 short weeks. I've got the bathing suits, but now I need to look good in them! :-)

I'll be back to fill in on more of this stuff later today. Stay tuned! :-)

Missing...

2009-03-13T21:09:00.004-04:00

We've been missing in action since last week because of a few things...

1. Jack Jack's birthday. The party was small and personal with just family. It was nice and really the perfect size. Jack was in a great mood the entire time and LOVED all of his gifts and the cake! See exhibit 1.

2. The weather. It's been an amazing week. The temps have been in the 70's and 80's all week. We've spent the better part of that time outside, soaking up the rays, playing in the park and in the yard, picnic-ing and hanging with friends. See exhibit 2.

This is the only body part on the entire family that got burned. My arm got it good. I swear I put sunscreen on, but can't figure out if I missed it.

3. Our Garden. That's right! We have a garden. Riley and I have been gardening by the squarefoot and LOVING it! So far we've planted mesclun (lettuce), spinach, tomatoes, rosemary, broccoli, green bell peppers, cukes and strawberries. So far, so good...nothing dead, yet! See exhibit 3.

Happy Days!

2009-03-12T22:42:00.000-04:00

First off...

Happy 2nd Birthday NATALIE!

We love you and miss you!

Secondly...

Roo let out a big cheer and was dancing around when she found out who was moving back to town.

Her Peeps!

We are so excited to be welcoming the Brown/Mosses back to the hood! We can hardly wait to see you guys again!

Living with tumor

2009-03-10T18:50:00.001-04:00

Mama had a follow up appt with the doctor who performed her biopsy. He thought everything looked great and was healing nicely.

We got the opportunity to ask the doctor more about removing her tumor. We had been told several times that she should have it removed. To the point where several doctors kept pushing her to do it. This doctor seems to be the only one with any damn sense. He told us that it fully surrounds the eye orbit and should remain intact. The surgery is far more destructive than helpful. Also, her eye works...not well, but it works.

So, she lives with the tumor.

Happy Birthday Jack Man!

2009-03-07T19:36:00.001-05:00

My Jack got to celebrate his very first birthday this week! It's been such a wonderful year for our family. I'm so happy that he is a part of our lives! :-)

He did really well at his drs appt. He's growing nicely but a small. We knew that though ;-)

His stats are as follows:

Weight 18lbs 6oz (5th percentile)

Length 28.5 inches (10th percentile)

Doctor's observations were that he is a happy little boy, sweet and loving. Also thought his appetite sounded great and not to worry that he eats so much! HA HA! She also said that at her son's 1 year appt he was eating a bowl of oatmeal, a banana and applesauce and that his appetite did decrease.

** For those that don't know. Jack could eat us out of house and home easily! Tonight for dinner he ate an entire potato pancake, 1 regular pancake, raisins and some egg. He eats twice as much as Roo.

In Recovery

2009-03-03T15:25:00.003-05:00

My mom had yet ANOTHER biopsy on the tumor behind her eye today. I've spoken with the doctor and all went well. He got several biopsies done and they all look like they are scar tissue and not CANCER! YAY for that! (But this also brings up...WHY IN THE HELL did Chapel Hill think that she needed to go through chemo! What a friggin waste!)

The next step is figuring out a plan of action for her tumor. It's causing a good amount of pressure (and pain) so we'd like to have that removed while saving her eye.

Everyone, please keep your fingers crossed!

I've been thinking...

2009-03-01T23:17:00.002-05:00

And I've decided that *I* deserve an award.

My baby Jack will be one year old this coming Saturday. I have breastfed him for an entire year!

I'm presently weaning and down to two feedings a day (one at night and one in the morning). He has been a great little nursling and knew what he was doing from the get-go. We've always enjoyed our special time together.

For the first time, this week I rocked him at nap time, rather than nursing him. He seemed a bit surprised but rolled with it. At first he turned his head to get into "position" but then realized I wasn't offering more. The next day he did the same, by the third day he got it.

It's sort of bittersweet. It's a sign that he's grown into a little boy (with too many teeth). I am a bit saddened but don't *really* want to continue much longer. We are ready for the next phase!

Many many thanks go to my friend Hanna who has always offered great advice, tips and a shoulder to cry on. She has literally been my rock/bible for breastfeeding. She got me through every day of the first 6 weeks. E.V.E.R.Y. D.A.Y. Thank GOD for Han!

Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down!

2009-02-25T09:36:00.002-05:00

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of lent.

I am trapped at home with two sick kids and am awaiting the return on one sick husband. How much more fun can my life get? Seriously?

Roo had a fever yesterday of 102.6! :-( I knew she wasn't 100% but I had NO IDEA! She's been getting doses of dimetapp and tylenol and seems to be on the mend.

Jack is currently in his bed, head down, screaming. I wish, o wish he would go to sleep. He's crabby, tired and snotty.

Can life get any better?

Sure it can. Jim and I also decided what we are going to give up for lent...

Swearing for Jim (not me because I *LIKE* swearing!)

Candy and sodas for me. Sure, it's ambitious, but it's only 40 days. Right? I figured it was a nice little companion to my Weight Watchers saga (I'm on day three of re-start #50).

That's the long and short.

Roo left to her own devices

2009-02-24T21:58:00.003-05:00

When Roo is left to her own devices, she is very...capable. She can pick out her own clothes, dress herself and feed herself. Chocolate that is.

These pictures were taken at 8:30 at night. She was put in bed about an hour before we discovered her. She was quite proud of herself. Pretty funny too!

Ukea, Wekea, Ikea!

2009-02-22T16:11:00.002-05:00

This week was the grand opening of Charlotte's very first Ikea. It's been insanely busy and today was no exception!

It opened on Tuesday to throngs of shoppers. My friend Christa was one of the first people in the doors and celebrated with all of the other shoppers who were chanting "IKEA! IKEA!" The first 100 people got a free chair and the first 2,500 got gift cards that varied from $.50 to $1000. Lucky Christa-girl won a $250!!! That's a WHOLE-lotta crap from Ikea especially.

Anyway, Jim and I have been desperate to visit our first Ikea store since we'd heard about it's groundbreaking last fall. It seemed like this day would never come. Jim decided that today would be the big day. We headed out after Jack got up from his nap. Since it's about 40 minutes away, we piled in the jeep and prayed for napping babies. We didn't get that, but it was still a pleasant ride. There is something about the ride that lulls them into quiet, mellow babes.

We arrived along with a BAZILLION other people. We got off at the correct exit and quickly whisked back onto the highway and off at the NEXT exit. We followed the caravan of cars that circled the block and ended in Ikea's parking lot. We were directed into the first overflow parking area (also known as parallel street parking) and quickly made our way into the store. It was SOOO cold! About 40 degrees and WINDY. Poor Jack whimpered the whole way in.

We got in and hit the aisles. We had a BLAST looking at everything. We've only ever cruised the website so this was amazing! So many things, so CHEAP! We grabbed the glasses that we needed, some wooden hangers and some steak knives. I know, really exciting stuff, right?! ;-) I wanted to buy one of everything...luckily Jim was there to restrain me. :-)

There were so many people there with carts, buggies and strollers that if you took one wrong turn, you were toast. Think, salmon, swimming upstream! Kinda scary really!

We headed upstairs and grabbed some lunch. It was absolutely delish! In the midst of all of the craziness, I ran into TWO people I knew. 1 was a girl that I rode the bus with in MIDDLE SCHOOL! Kara. The other was a girl I was in college with (and also NUMEROUS group projects with), Robin. Robin and I spoke quickly, introduced our respective kids and moved along.

The day was an absolute blast! We spent 4 hours there total. I can't even believe it. What a time suck! It was worth it though!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-02-20T10:16:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you won't see this until you get back from Panama but...

We hope that you have an awesome birthday and we can't wait to see you soon!

God Bless You Rover

2009-02-18T21:52:00.001-05:00

I'm dealing with a huge amount of guilt right now...

I was driving home today and had just pulled into Tega Cay. I was cruising along, doing 35 mph (those of you who know Tega Cay, know how these cops are) when a dog ran out, full steam ahead, across the median and right into my car. I slammed on my breaks and screeched to a halt. I never felt any impact, in fact, I wasn't even sure if Rover and I made any contact.

When I had come to a complete stop, I couldn't see the dog anywhere. I was hopeful! That silly old dog probably just missed it and he ran off into the woods, Right?

I moved forward and turned around. For what? I don't know even know whe kept running, I'd never be able to see him.
hat just happened! I could never pick up a dog that I might have just killed. Or if
By the time I'd swung around, I see Rover. There were two guys in a truck picking him up. I pulled up slowly and shamefully and asked if it was his dog. He said no, it wasn't but he was taking it to the vet right up the road. His friend quickly loaded the still breathing and moving Rover into the truck and squealed off.

Now, I have tremendous guilt. So much so, that I can't even bring myself to call the vet to find out if dear Rover survived with a broken leg or was so severly injured that he had to be put down. My friend Carrie said she would call. I haven't asked her though...I'm too afraid.

*******************************************
Please note, I live in a city with leash laws and this dog was clearly not restrained. Infact, he didn't even have tags on!

Ok, that doesn't make me feel better but it does help me realize that it was not entirely my fault. What a sad day for Rover!

We're back!

2009-02-17T21:14:00.005-05:00

We're back and we had a FABULOUS time. Everyone travelled exceptionally well. Our first REAL family vacation was a complete success. Infact, I don't think anything could have gone smoother. Ok, well there was the photo shoot at the Polynesian that was a nightmare...but that was a bonus.

Until I can report fully, I will leave these pictures...

Roo with her favorite...Ariel

Jack and his Fairy Godmother (sorry Kimmie!)Jack is having too much fun!

Roo under Spaceship Earth - She rode it too!
Roo with some mouse
In the arms of a giant carved monkey!Jim is showing off the best breakfast treat EVER! Pooh's Puffed French Toast! (Yes, I realize this looks like fried chicken.)Roo's having a meltdown on Dumbo. Why? I can't recall...no wait, I didn't put on her seatbelt first. Man, are we obsessed with safety?!
The BEST use of a Disney Dining Plan Snack credit. From Downtown Disney's Goofy Candy Co. It's a Mousehead rice crispy treat dipped in chocolate, one side mini m&ms and the other side butterfingers with white chocolate drizzle.

What I am is what I am are you what you are or what...

2009-02-05T22:50:00.002-05:00

In the words of the marvelous Edie Brickell...

Oh, I'm not aware of too many things
I know what I know, if you know what I mean

Philosophy is a walk on the slippery rocks
Religion is a light in the fog I'm not aware of too many things

I know what I know
if you know what I mean,

d-doo yeah

Choke me in the shallow water
Before I get too deep

What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?
***************************************************************************

This song brings up all sorts of issues that have been pressing on my mind. Specifically my weight. Is it what I am? Or am I it?

Meaning, is fat who I am or am *I* the fat? No, this isn't a cry for help or a plea of desperation. I look in the mirror and don't even recognize the person staring back. She is familiar, but not the lady I'm used to seeing. It's like the first time you've ever gotten all of your hair cut off and you wake up, pass yourself in the mirror and do a double take. It's that shocking to me.

So, what does this mean? Well I have a good 30 that I need/want to lose. I don't enjoy being within 20 lbs of Jim. I don't enjoy having this belly and rolls that I've NEVER had. I don't enjoy seeing my butt trail behind me like a shelf...or a ledge.

I should do something about it...yet I'm not motivated. Maybe tomorrow.

Until then, I leave you with a funny passage...

"I've noticed I'm developing a bit of a shelf back there. My inner critic calls it an ass plateau. Seriously. It's a fleshy blob that sits right above my crack, like a fanny back or perpahps my tailbone's version of a helmet. When I see you I'll let you rest your drink on it. "

from Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster

Under the weather

2009-02-03T22:38:00.001-05:00

I've been sick for the last day and completely out of it. Thankfully Riley was especially sensitive to that and an EXCELLENT girl for Jim. :-)

Now I'm well and Jim is getting sick.

Ain't life grand?!

Busy Bee...

2009-01-31T21:42:00.002-05:00

I've been a busy little bee these last few days getting us set up for our big Disney trip. I've been trying to work out our "schedule" for maximum relaxation and fun! The only plans I've relaly been making are for meals. Meaning, if we want to eat at a certain sit-down restaurant, I want to make sure we have reservations. I think I'm finally settled.

Here's what our time there looks like... (just in case anyone is interested)

2/9 - Disney's Hollywood Studios
B - Home
L - Some counter service at DHS. Maybe Rosie's or Pizza Planet?
D - 50's Prime Time Cafe

2/10 - Magic Kingdom
B - Captain Cook's (in Polynesian Resort)
Family Photo Shoot at Polynesian
L - Snack at Main Street Bakery
D - Cinderella's Royal Table (where we will meet Cinderella and her posse)

2/11 - Magic Kingdom
B - Crystal Palace (where we will meet Pooh, Tigger and other friends)
L - Snack
D - Cosmic Rays

2/12 - Epcot
B - Chef Mickey's (in Contemporary Resort)
L - Snack
D - No idea!

2/13 - Animal Kingdom
B - At Resort
L - Flame Tree
D - Yak & Yeti (African Theme)

2/14 - Magic Kingdom
B - At Resort
L - Columbia Harbor House
D - Kona Cafe (in Polynesian Resort)

2/15 - Disney's Hollywood Studios
B - Hollywood & Vine (where we will meet Jojo, Goliath, Leo and June from Playhouse Disney)
L - Snack
D - Wolfgang Puck Express (in Downtown Disney)

2/16 - Animal Kingdom
B - At Resort
L - Flame Tree Grill
D - Home :-(

We are on the Disney Dining Plan which is available to anyone that is staying on the property in any of the hotels. We get one table service (a sitdown meal with waiter, either buffet style or menu), one counter service (like fast food) and one snack (like muffin, icecream, popcorn, fruit or drink) a day. This is the first time we have done any of these sitdown restaurants so this should be really interesting. They've always been so cost prohibative, but with the DDP we are able to visit a few and meet some characters.

Your Honor, I throw myself on the mercy of the courts...

2009-01-29T14:11:00.003-05:00

Last night there was a suspicious looking envelope in our mailbox. York County Courthouse. I've already served my duty...so it definately isn't mine. Addressed to Jim. No biggie. He's never served jury duty.

He opened it up (ok, ok, I opened it up) and it said he was due to serve on Monday, January 16th at 2:00pm. The issue? We will still be at WDW!

He called today and started speaking with the first person who answered the phone. A man. He explained the situation and asked when he could make it up or what he could do. The guy asks, "Where are you going?" Jim said Orlando. The guy rattled on and on about travelling and going to Orlando, etc. Then he said, "Well, I'm Judge Ward and I certainly won't make you change your business plans. So just don't worry about it. We'll catch you next time."

OH MY GOD! The Judge was answering the office phone? The Judge just letting him off the hook?!

There is truly something to be said for living in Mayberry. :-)

We told...

2009-01-28T08:30:00.010-05:00

We've been dealing with a couple of issues with Roo.

1. Her behavior has been NUTS the last two weeks. It's totally like she is going through baby PMS.

2. Is number 2. That is, she will NOT poop on the potty.

With our upcoming trip I've devised a way to get her to atleast try to cooperate and try to poop on the potty. DISNEY DOLLARS!

We went to the Disney Store last night and they have these dollars that you can buy and it's literally a dollar for a dollar. These are valid at the parks, resorts and the Disney Store. They come in increments of $1, $5 and $10 and are adorable.

She also got a new Vera Bradley wallet to store her money in! She even picked it out herself!

We broke down and told her we were going to Disney World and she was so excited. She spent the next 30 minutes thinking of everyone she could possibly see while at 'The World.' Princesses, Pooh, JoJo, Little Einsteins...the list goes on and on.

Now she has a chore chart, an understanding of expectations and she's ready to start earning money!

This morning we got up, she did her things (get herself dressed quickly, brush teeth, make her bed, put her clothes in the laundry basket and turned her nightlight and lights off. We quickly went to the chart, checked off the items for the day and came downstairs. She found an extra pair of shoes downstairs and said, "Oh no! I need to put my shoes up!" and quickly ran up stairs! :-) She did all of these things when she was 2 but once she turned 3 she decided that her "duties" were mine. :-( Anyway, I think she's getting it!

** And no, my head is not getting big thinking that she will do this forever. After this bribe, I'll have to think of another thing. Ofcourse I prefer to call this all incentive! ;-)

25 Things

2009-01-21T12:39:00.004-05:00

This post is inspired by something that I did on facebook just yesterday. It was fun and easy, so I think I want to do it again.

I am tagging everyone who reads here and has a blog. Specifically Hanna, Lia, Sophia, Andi, Andrea and whomever else feels like it.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. The only rule is that you have to post different stuff if you did one on FB.

1. I loved the guys I worked with but never really liked working at CCC. I felt like I was the office b*tch and made to be the heavy. That sucks, especially when I had no real "power." I was the enforcer.

2. Today was the first day of Kindermusik and Jack LOVED it. It was the first time he really was engaged. So cool!

3. I ate a turkey sandwhich today that was slimy. I only ate half of it and chucked the rest. I gagged the whole time. Sadly, I JUST bought the meat. ICK.

4. I am starting WW today. I have regained all of the 8 lbs that I lost in the fall.

5. I'm much more depressed than I thought I was. It definately has an ebb and flow and I'm really in a down spot.

6. I registered Riley for 5 day a week preschool next year and I'm terrified that she won't get in. Her school is notoriously FULL. I guess it's just a waiting game. If not there though...where?

7. I want to wean Jack but I don't. He'd totally self wean now if I didn't offer. I guess I like it...I don't know. ;-)

8. I can't believe that Jack is almost a year old and that Roo is almost 4. Where did the time go?

9. I wear a size 9 or 9.5 shoe. I used to wear an 8.5 pre-kids.

10. I love Crocs. I know they are fugly and I know most people hate them, but I love them and even venture to say addicted to them. Since I started wearing them I haven't had nearly the back and knee problems that I used to have.

11. I wish that my mom didn't have so many health issues. I've always felt like she was my rock, but now I am hers...

12. My mom is in a position where she has to decide if she should have her tumor (and eye) removed or live with it. She asked what I would do? I have no idea. I wish I could help.

13. I'm not sure I know one single person that hasn't been touched by cancer in some way. It's awful.

14. I think I've forgotten how to ride a bike.

15. I should invite more people to read my blog...but I'm self concious.

16. Jim was sad when his family left. I wish he would have shown it.

17. I wish I had a cleaning person. We had one for a few months and it was wonderful. I have a hard time justifying the expense, but maybe it'd be worth it.

18. Jim works hard for the four of us. I truly appreciate the opportunity to stay at home with the kids.

19. There is only one thing I would change about our wedding day. The florist.

20. I need to lose 30 lbs.

21. I love new socks. There is something about really, really clean white socks.

22. I do way too much laundry but I'm too lazy to just do a load every day.

23. I like smells. Good smells. Candles, baking, flowers. I always worry that my house stinks.

24. I take a TON of pictures but never have them printed.

25. I am a planner and enjoy every moment of planning trips, the day or just meals.

Happy Post Inauguration Day!

2009-01-21T12:31:00.003-05:00

In honor of our newly sworn in President, I present Obamicon.

Update: OKAY...who noticed and didn't tell me?

2009-01-19T20:37:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I've been asked several times, what was the typo? It was no big deal...

It said:
A glimse into the life and times of The Brown Brigade. A family of one mom, one dad, a little girl and a baby boy.

Rather than:
A glimpse into the life and times of The Brown Brigade. A family of one mom, one dad, a little girl and a baby boy.

DING DING DING! Alyce was the winner. She noticed and never told me. One lashing, coming up. I'm gonna find some sort of prize for you. :-)

OKAY...who noticed and didn't tell me?

2009-01-16T10:50:00.003-05:00

I've had this thing going for close to a year and had a typo in the header.

Who noticed and didn't say anything? Jim JUST said something to me today. I swear I've read it 50 bazillion times and never noticed. It was an obvious typo, not a misspelling (atleast not on my part, because I do know how to use spell check).

First one to say what it was gets a lashing and a prize, although I'm not sure what the prize is, yet.

M-I-C, see you real soon!

2009-01-16T10:28:00.003-05:00

K-E-Y, why? Because we like you! M-O-U-S-E!

Look at what Roo did on her own today! I told her what letters to write, but she did it all on her own!

BTW, this is a letter that she wrote to Mickey Mouse for when she goes to Disney World. No, we haven't told her yet...she is getting this from her friend Paige who just got back from the World and the commercials that are all over tv. :-)

Things that go bump in the morning...

2009-01-06T21:22:00.002-05:00

More specifically Jack!

This morning we had two easy risers and two sleepy parents in one bed. My belly was feeling off so I got up and went into the bathroom. Next thing I hear is "boom boom bump boom WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Jim is screaming my name. Roo is calling my name. I come out and find Jack bleeding on Jim's shirt. ACK! I start to feel faint and a bit nauseated. I run back into the bathroom and dry heave a few times. This did not just happen. Jack did NOT fall down the stairs, right?

Well, he did. Luckily the blood was from his busted lip. His lips swelled a bit at first but then went down. I thought we needed to head to the hospital but Jim called the pediatrician. They walked him through several tests and Jack passed them all with flying colors. He was acting fine and even laughing and clicking his tongue at us. The nurse said to check him every few hours but he's probably fine.

I inspected him and he really did seem fine. Is that possible that he actually flipped down 10 stairs and wasn't really injured? Apparently.

As the day went on, the fall was but a distant memory. I don't think I will ever forget it and I KNOW Jim wont.

And that is the story of Jack and the 10 step tumble.

Happy NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T11:42:00.002-05:00

We rang in the new year with our fellow friends in London!

What you may ask?

We went to a family party last night where we did a countdown and toast at 7 pm EST, which is 12am GMT. We had a BLAST! The kids stayed up way too late (for them) and we got some good adult converstations and food.

Roo found a friend named Blythe and got to play baby all night. She would call and call, "MOMMY!" and people kept getting me. Um, she wanted Blythe! HA HA! Blythe is 5 and Roo's new BFF. She's STILL talking about her. But she calls her "Theresa." Hmm.....I don't get it.

Jack was glassy eyed but smiley the entire time. He made friends with a 14 month old named Spencer. He also really LOVED watching the big wild boys! There were 3 bigger boys (Roo's age) that were bouncing off the walls. He's not used to action like that but it was great for him. He fell asleep before we even got down the street. :-)

We were home by 8:30 and that's my kind of night these days!

We're going to DISNEY WORLD!

2008-12-31T10:30:00.002-05:00

Jim and I have been talking about taking Roo and Jack Jack to Disney World. They've been running all sorts of incentives and deals which have REALLY piqued our interest. After talking about it for months, we decided to go for it!

We are flying down and taking the kids the second week in February. I booked last night and got ALL of my character reservations done this morning! We are having meals with Cinderella, Ariel, Mickey & Minnie, Pooh, Tigger and Piglet, several misc. princesses and The Little Einsteins and Jojo. SOOOOOOOOO exciting!

But SHHHHH! We aren't telling Roo until the day we leave because the build up will be too much.

Go ahead...be jealous... :-)

In Memorium

2008-12-29T20:07:00.002-05:00

It is with great sadness that I am writing this.

Today we lost our sweet girl Biskit. She had a wonderful 15 years on this earth, mostly with Jim and ALWAYS with Gravy. She was a loyal and loving girl, always available for a good lapsit and rub. She loved affection and having her picture taken. She battled car engines, many wild animals and diabetes.

Biskit was acting "off" when we came home from visiting my dad on Sunday. She had a runny nose and was quite lethargic. I cleaned her face when I saw her and she seemed to appreciate it. We moved her to her favorite spot, under the Christmas tree and let her rest. On Monday morning she had not moved and could barely pick up her head. I cleaned her face again, hopeful that it was just a cold, and called Jim. By mid-day she was no longer responsive and had very shallow breathing. I picked her up to hold her and wrapped her in a blanket. I petted her and rubbed her face for a while. Jim FINALLY got home and she was gone. He took her to the vet just to make sure and they said that she was indeed gone.

That's it. She's gone. She was Jim's first baby and Riley and Jack's first cat. We all love her dearly and will miss her tremendously.

Every once in a while, I'll see her out of the corner of my eye. I turn and realize, she's not here but she is still in our hearts.

Go Eff Yourself!

2008-12-17T21:03:00.002-05:00

Err...I mean go Elf Yourself! A good friend, Michelle, sent me an 'Elf Yourself" video for her family Christmas card. I must admit...it's HILARIOUS!

I spent ALL night last night trying to do this for you all, but I could NOT get it to work. I did it tonight...and I must say, Roo and Jack are pretty stinkin' cute. Jim and I, could use some work though. ;-)

Enjoy!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/mhUyZImG1yZzQiPROJLC

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/pdFYhD9DLLGVffJAl9EC

Pizzed at Reggie (et al)

2008-12-16T20:55:00.002-05:00

I'm pizzed at Jim's boss. Want to know why?

Roots! Specifically the roots of my hair. I was supposed to have a hair appointment today for a color and cut. I made this appt 6 weeks ago. All of a sudden, Jim is shipped out to Orlando.

Damn...no holiday hairs for me. I couldn't get an appointment until DECEMBER 30th! OMG!

Gah

2008-12-08T20:16:00.001-05:00

I'm so out of my blogging routine...please bear with me as I get back into it. I didn't even realize I had posted this picture before....duh.

More to come though!

Santa Baby...

2008-12-08T19:48:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago I decided to venture out with Roo and Jack to visit the big guy. After all, Roo has a wish list and needed to give ol' Santa the scoop. We went to the mall and were the second people in line. Santa was very laid back and really kind. He came over to talk to us so that she could get comfortable. She did well! She sat on his lap and filled him in on the Ariel baby that she's been wanting. (There is no actual Ariel baby that I can find, she is getting an Ariel Barbie).

Then last weekend we saw ANOTHER mall Santa and she ran to get in line. Apparently, this girl has LOTS of things to talk about with Santa. We also saw a Santa at our city's tree lighting ceremony. She sat on his lap and was laughing and clapping as we left him.

I'm so proud of my girl. She's not a 'Character' girl. She really hates people dressed up in costumes, especially when she can't see their face, but she's cool with Santa!

Here is a picture from this weekend.

9 Months OLD!

2008-12-07T18:24:00.000-05:00

Our Jackie boy is 9 months old and so busy these days.

He:

is crawling and scooching all over the place.
is sleeping a bit better (only waking once a night).
is working on his top two teeth, for a total of 4 teeth.
enjoys food more and more!
loves giving kisses.
has started clicking his tongue to get our attention.

Christmas in Tega Cay

2008-12-06T21:19:00.008-05:00

It's been nice and cold these last few weeks and we are really getting ready for Christmas. Today our town held a craft fair with train rides and a Christmas tree lighting with Santa pictures and cookies and hot chocolate.

It was well...rinky dink to say the least. Our city means well...but July 4th is really the main focus. We did get some really cute pictures though! Enjoy! :-)

The big guy! Roo wasn't scared at all! She's a pro.

Here it is. The 15 foot cypress in all of it's glory! I mean really, could they spare some lights???

I'm BACK!

2008-12-06T21:14:00.001-05:00

I'm back! We've had a crazy month...but I'm back! Stay tuned for more!

Barackin' the VOTE!

2008-11-04T19:51:00.002-05:00

We woke up to a dreary, cool day. My girl was insanely crabby and crying by 6:30 am. UGH! Do I even have to get up? Is this my life? Jack slept like crap, as usual. Roo was up screaming, off and on all night. I want to go back to bed.

I knew I couldn't though...there was something exciting happening. It's ELECTION DAY!

We met Carrie to go to a walk and to vote. I was excited! Leaves are changing (and falling) the weather is cool and today would be a changing day!

We get to the polls and I could sense trouble. The lines for last names A-M were nearly an hour and a half long. The lines for N-Z were a whopping 10 minutes long! AHHHHHHHH! Luckily, Carrie was fabulous back-up! She quickly voted (she got the short line, lucky dog!) and took Roo out to play with some friends from our MOMS club. I held Jack the entire time, and he was an angel. The entire line bitched and moaned as we inched our way to the booths. 2 (!!!) hours later, I was done. 2 HOURS! I can't freaking believe it. I was exhausted and my shoulder feels completely broken right now. :-( But it was worth it. Even though it's just been announced that McCain won SC, I exercised my right to vote and Roo got an excellent lesson in the elections.

As an aside:

She's really been into the elections and watching the shows with us on TV. It sounds crazy but she's constantly asking me about Kay Hagan and Elizabeth Dole. She always cheers for Barack and says that "we know him." She cheers when she sees his picture or sees his signs. It's cute. She knows that McCain and Sarah Palin are "friends." And Joe Biden is Obama's "friend." :-)

Today, while she was being watched by the other moms, she was expounding her views on John McCain and why he would be a bad president. (FTR: I did NOT teach her this. Jim did.) Her number one reason for not voting for McCain is that he's too old (Jim mentioned that he would be a good pop-pop, not president). Incidentally, it's not even on the radar for why we would not vote for him. But yes, he is old. Luckily, no one was offended but lord was I embarrassed.

All in all, it was a great day...but I'm pooped. :-)

I'm watching you!!!!

2008-10-13T21:21:00.003-04:00

We've had Obama signs in our windows for the better part of 3 months. We've got stickers on our cars, tee-shirts, shirts for the kids...you name it. Jim and I have really gotten into this election and spend many nights watching Keith Olberman, Rachel Maddow and other miscellaneous shows on the cable news networks.

On our walks we've ONLY seen McCain signs in people's yards. Ugh. Well, a few weeks ago we finally saw a new OBAMA sign. Jim commented to the guy in the driveway. This started an hour long conversation about politics, our kids, etc. Roo is right inbetween their daughters, they attend Roo's old school, we have similar opinions other things as well. All in all, decent people.

That night we had a knock on the door at 9! :-( I hate it when people bust up there after dark. Anyway, when I opened the door, it was an Obama/Biden yard sign! YAY! We put it up right away.

Over the first week or so, we noticed it had fallen down a couple of times. No big deal. After about the third time, we realized someone was knocking it down! Days and days go by and there's no action on the sign, suddenly it's knocked down and set back up (by us) several times in a day.

J and I had been discussing all sorts of methods to keep the sign erect. The final straw was over this weekend. In one day our sign was knocked down 3 times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That night, we sat watch on our porch, in the dark, to see if someone would reappear. No such luck. I was loaded for bear and ready to claw someone's eyes out.

Tonight, after seeing the sign knocked down one final time J headed to Lowes. He bought a real estate sign. We got to work reconstructing our sign. It took all of Jim's body weight AND a rubber mallet to get the sign into the ground.

Ha! Jackass! I'd like to see someone come and try to knock it down.

I'm watching you!

Windy Hill Apples

2008-10-13T20:52:00.004-04:00

Roo, Jack-Jack and I went to Windy Hill Apple Orchard today with our MOMS club. It was great fun. It's still hot here, so we sweated it out, but it was fun none the less. We saw Johnny Appleseed, drank cider, went on a hay ride, built a scarecrow, saw pigs, goats and roosters, picked a pumpkin and got some small apples.

Here are some pictures from today...

J and I have taken Roo to this same place once before, when she was 18 months old. Obviously she doesn't remember but it's cute to see the comparisons between this time and the first time.

Daddy, Mommy and Three Little Babies

2008-09-27T12:31:00.002-04:00

Over heard at our house...

BAM!

R: OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Me: Oh honey, did you hurt your baby toe?

R: No, I hurt my mama toe!

Me: Huh? Mama toe?

R: Yeah...you know. The one next to the daddy toe (points to big toe).

M: Hmmmm....

R: I have a Daddy toe, Mommy toe and three little baby toes.

How stinkin' cute is that?!

Get Your Butt Out There!

2008-09-25T22:48:00.002-04:00

My entire life I've danced the line between being an introvert and being an extrovert. My old friends will tell you that I'm wide open, while others that don't know me as well think I'm shy and maybe even unapproachable. I decided two weeks ago to commit to becoming more active in my own life. This started with actually participating in group activities with my local moms club.

I had had a bad run in with a mom, so I was a bit hesitant, but decided to go for it. The first thing was a coffee date, then a backyard playdate, then meeting up with various moms for walks, etc. I have met MANY wonderful women and tons of adorable kids in just two short weeks.

I can honestly say that I am happier than I have been in a long time. :-) Zoloft and the company of peers can do wonders for a woman!

So, I have a challenge for all of my readers. Do something today that makes you uncomfortable. It will be rewarding!

6 Months

2008-09-24T21:09:00.003-04:00

Jack had his 6 month well visit today. It went well, other than the shots.

He:
is still working on trying you sit up
is has two teeth and seems to be working on more.
is a mama's boy.
is still a lousy sleeper.
wants to crawl and manages to scooch himself along (usually backwards though).
weighs in at 15 lbs 5 oz.
is quite the snuggle bug.
adores Roo. :-)

Big Ass Bows

2008-09-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

I LOOOOOOOOOVE hair bows. I love big ass hair bows. At Festival in the Park, there was a woman who made bows. She had TONS of them for really cheap. I bought three, I should have bought like 20.

Please enjoy the big ass bow pictures :-)

Just because she is cute...

Festival in the Park

2008-09-21T19:26:00.001-04:00

We enjoyed an annual Charlotte tradition this weekend. Festival in the Park. It's a really fabulous time with food, art and music. There are always tons of things to do and there are TONS of people. This was both Roo and Jack's first time. And we couldn't have asked for a nicer day. It was in the 70s and we even had to come in sweaters (although those got peeled off later).

Roo had many firsts, among them, festival junk food (turkey legs, giant chips, sno-cones, et al). We ate our weight in JUNK. It was awesome!

Here are some pictures of the day!

Cancer Sux!

2008-09-16T15:26:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I never came back yesterday like I promised. I took mama to her oncologist appointment and everything spiraled out from there.

She will be starting chemo (Revlimid & Decadron) on Wednesday. For those who do not know, this is to treat a reoccurance of plasmacytoma (meaning one plasma cell tumor) in her head. She was treated with radiation in 2005 for the first round. This treatment will be closer to the treatment for mutiple myeloma (many tumors) even though she only has the one.

She will take Revlimid in 3 week cycles. 3 weeks on, one week off. The length of her treatment is relatively unknown at this point. The doctor said that she may have 2 or 3 in the first appointment but in the latest appointment was vague and dodged my questions. So at this point, it's a wait and see thing.

She is planning on continuing to work while going through this. So it should be interesting.

I will keep posted as I learn more.

Serious Issues...

2008-09-15T13:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, not really...but made you look!

I've had serious issues with writers block. I am going to commit to writing each day this week though and see what comes around.

I have to get ready for mama's oncologist appointment. I'll be back with updates later!

Preschool FUN!

2008-09-03T21:13:00.004-04:00

Roo started preschool yesterday. We got off to a great start. She woke up really jazzed about going. It was all fun until it came time for me and Jack to leave her at school. She screamed and cried like never before! It was so pitiful.

I sat outside the room for a minute and peeked in the window. She continued to stand there covering her eyes and screaming, "I DON'T WANT to be here!"

I left, knowing she would be fine. At pick up she was smiling from ear to ear. Turns out she came around and really enjoyed herself. Her favorite part was music class. :-)

Here are some pictures from Tuesday morning.

The Browns are gone...

2008-09-01T20:38:00.004-04:00

We knew that they were leaving, but we weren't sure when. Now they are gone.

Jim's family broke the news about 2 months ago that they would be moving to a mystical far off land. They bought a house and started the packing process. They put their house on the market and were on their way.

We sure are gonna miss them being right up the street. Afterall, Roo had gotten used to walking up to see her WHOLE family (on her dad's side, of course) in one weekly visit. It was awesome. Wes and Justin would stop by occassionally. We were constantly watching them skate past our house or hear their friends calling their names up the street. These boys were the boys that got all of the neighborhood kids to play outside. They know how to have fun.

At least this give us an excuse for a road trip!

THRILLED!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-29T13:00:00.003-04:00

OooooooooooooooooooooBAMA!

OooooooooooooooooooooBAMA!

Incase you missed it, Barack Obama gave the keynote speach last night at the Democratic National Convention. It was astounding. It brought many audience members to tears and had me twitching around. It was eloquent and thoughtful. It was moving and made me so happy!

Here are excerpts from last night:

http://www.zimbio.com/Democratic+National+Convention+Speech+Transcripts/articles/17/2008+Barack+Obama+Convention+Speech+Transcript

Please read it! It's worth your time.

The Eagle Has Landed!

2008-08-28T20:45:00.002-04:00

As you all know, I've been trying to coax Roo into potty training. I said way back when that I would just take a laid back approach. Other than the week of hell, I have been. I'll encourage her to try once or twice a week and see where it goes. Usually she says no. Fine. She will go after a bath, but no other time.

Today was a different story. I was putzing around in our room this morning when I hear her clunking around the bathroom. Usually that means she's up to trouble. Namely, eating toothpaste, ick! I called to her to ask what she was up to. She responded, "I gotta go pee!" I go in to check on her. She's not sitting on the potty, she's just standing there. I quickly help her get her diaper off and she sits down. She goes!!!!!!!!

I asked her if she would like to wear undies today, rather than crunchy ol' diapers. She takes me up on the offer!! I reminded her every hour and she went!!! She had one accident all day!! It was amazing.

We even ventured to the Dollar Store today in undies ONLY!!! So exciting! :-)

Open House

2008-08-27T19:47:00.000-04:00

Today was Open House at Roo's preschool. We got to meet her teachers and some of her classmates. She's VERY excited to start school next Tuesday.

Apparently, I am the room mom. Damn, when did that happen? ;-)

As an aside, I did my hair, wore make-up and wore a dress. I ran into a neighbor and she said, "Wow! You look great!" I've got to get it back together. Getting showered, made up AND dressed is so hard these days! I'll do it though. :-)

Writers' Block

2008-08-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

I've been seriously struggling with what to blog about...thus the lack of attendance. Please excuse!

You're just gonna have to make do...

2008-08-25T22:33:00.002-04:00

Overheard in our car last weekend

Roo: Mommy, I need ice water.

Me: Ok, here is your water.

R: But there's no ice!

M:Well, I don't know what to tell you. You're just gonna have to make do.

R: Make dew? I don't know how to make dew. I need to know how to make dew. Will you tell me how to make dew?

Jim: Why don't you give her the recipe, mommy?

R: Yeah, tell me how you make it. Make dew! (Rambles on for another 5 minutes)

J: Go on, tell her...

R: Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy....

E: *completely zoned out* WHAT?!

R: When we get home, can we make dew.

E: Um, sure. :-)

He's a love man

2008-08-18T22:07:00.005-04:00

'Cau...'Cau...'Cau...'Cau...'Cause I'm a love man
Ooh baby I'm a love man
That's what they call me I'm a Love Man
Say there goes a love man
Six feet one weigh two hundred and ten
Long hair... Real fair skin
I'm long legged and I'm-a out-a sight
My, my babe I'm gonna take you out
'Cause I' a love man
Ooh baby I'm a love man

Jack-man is a lover. I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on him. He loves to be held. And I mean more than your average baby. He will do just about anything to stay in your arms. He started a few weeks ago with giving me kisses. Now he's moved on to hotter and younger babes.

Today, Papa caught him kissing the girls in his baby soft book. Then he moved on to Roo's baby.

Here's what we saw. Now, I'm sharing two videos to show that this wasn't a one time thing, he kept doing it over and over!

That lover... :-)

Is that baby Chinese?

2008-08-17T21:17:00.002-04:00

We're not sure.

Obessions

2008-08-16T20:04:00.002-04:00

Everyone is prone to having an obsession or two. They sort of come in and go out. Following ebb and flow is kind of strange too. Something can come up and suddenly you're all over it. As easily as it comes, it can go away. From foods, to crafts, to politics, to technology, to news, to toys, to the environment and many more. It simply goes on and on.

Roo's obsessions are birthdays and birthday parties. She loves them! I mean LOVES them! We went to a "Chick-a-lay" birthday today and as we were leaving she started asking, "ok, who's birthday is next?!"

Jim's obsession is music. This includes his iPod and Sirius Radio. He's always loved music but this incorporates into every aspect of his life. Sharing music and creating slide shows with music is the way that Jim shows love.

My obsession is not quite as lovely. I'm absolutely enthralled with the story of Caylee Anthony. She is a 2 year old little girl who "went missing" this summer. Her mom says that she knows where she is, yet wont share. As of today, she is sitting in jail under suspicion (duh!). She was charged with neglect and child endangerment. In my mind, she has done something with her child that is completely heinous and unforgivable. I don't know what she did exactly, but I know it's not right. I know this little girl is dead and hidden away somewhere. I check the news about 10 times a day, watch Nancy Grace and Greta VanSusteren. I can't get enough of it. I'm just sick over this little girl. Breaks my heart.

So, what's your obsession?

Some kids tunage for my parent friends

2008-08-13T22:20:00.003-04:00

Our family has gone to several kids concerts in the last few weeks. We've seen Lunch Money, The JellyDots and Frances England. What's awesome is that they are ALL adults, who sing kids music that parents LOVE! :-)

Here's some kickin' kid's tunage for you to check out!

Lunch Money - Our favorite songs are Caboose, Roller Coaster and Yes, We have Rhythm. BTW, Jim has a serious CRUSH on the lead singer, Molly. :-) But I think I might too ;-)

Frances England - Our favorite songs are Fascinating Creatures, Daddy-O and Fast Train to Grandmas.

The JellyDots - Our favorite songs are Bicycle, Hey You Kids! and Quite Naturally.

Please check them out and let me know what you all think! It's a nice change from Laurie Berkner (who is fabulous in her own right!).

Overheard at Chick-a-lay in the middle of no where...

2008-08-12T21:10:00.000-04:00

An employee places a large soda in front of a woman at the line.

Customer: I didn't order a Coke. I ordered a white soda.

Employee: Uhm we don't have white soda.

(pause pause pause)

Employee: Do you mean Sprite?

Customer: That is WHITE SODA! (says indignantly, AS IF!?!)

Employee is perplexed but makes the woman a cup of Sprite instead.

Customer walks off.

Jim: Hi, I'd like 2 large white sodas!

Employee breaks down in laughter.

People are so wierd!

5 months

2008-08-07T19:44:00.004-04:00

My dear Jack-Jack has come along way in the last 5 months. He's been busy doing all sorts of new things.

He:

is rolling from front to back AND back to front (today).
is getting his first tooth.
is a mama's boy.
is sleeping nearly 8 hours in a stretch at night.
loves to sit up and did sit for about 2 seconds.
bears weight on his legs to stand and even held himself up for a few seconds on my hands.
weighs in at about 15 lbs.
is sleeping in his own crib at night.
is growing some dark hair and is getting an Alfalfa cowlick in the back.

6 Days of Sobriety

2008-08-06T20:55:00.004-04:00

I've been sober for 6 days. That's right. I have a drinking problem. Coke, Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi. You name it, I've done it. I've had to cut out my drinks completely. I'm doing it all alone. No sponsor, no meetings, no Big Book. All alone.

By now, I'm not dying, but I sure felt like it a couple of days ago. Anyone who has quit caffeine can attest to the withdrawals. I thought I was going to have seizures the first few days. Head pounding, lethargy, pissy attitude, difficulty concentrating...that was all me. Surprisingly though, I'm very optimistic and I know I can make it through this.

Why you might ask? Because for the first time in 5 months (!!!!) I am sleeping well. It's not because I have been keeping myself up with all of the caffeine. Nope. It's because it's been keeping the boy awake!

Jack has been a horrible sleeper since day one. I NEVER put two and two together. Well apparently NO soft drinks sit well with him. He was literally waking every 2 hours to nurse, all night, every night. Couple that with Roo's night terrors and you can see why I was crazy for caffeine. I was exhausted.

In the last 6 days, he has gone from waking every 2 hours to sleeping for one 8 hour stretch (8:00 to 4:00) being fed and then back down until 7ish. It's been heavenly. I've actually had DREAMS for the first time in...well...in 5 months! He's napping too!

So from now until I wean, I'm off the caff.

What's sick? I'm already planning my reunion with Coke (that's what we, in the south call ALL sodas/soft drinks). Maybe it'll be a Coke Classic with a pepperoni pizza or maybe some Mt. Dew with Taco Bell. Hmm...I'll have to think about that!

Get yourself a Walmartz name...

2008-08-05T20:22:00.002-04:00

I frequent an online bulletin board for moms. One of the most common topics is wierd names or spellings. They have been dubbed "Walmartz names". These names would be unisex names, kre8tively spelled names, made up names or blatantly misspelled names. You get the picture.

Riley would be considered a Walmartz name. But Ryleigh, Rilee, Rylee, or Wryley would be more kre8tive. Kennedy is now considered a Walmartz name (sorry K-K). Kre8tive ways to spell it would be Kynedie, Kenidy, Kenehdeigh, or Kenadee.

Many people get defensive about having a Walmartz name, while others, like me, have embraced it. Sure, my child has a Walmartz name. I'm ok with that, because I love her name. I have in turn started to help create kre8tive spellings for us with "non-Walmartz" names. I prefer the spelling Ehlysuh'byth. For my friend Hanna, I've come up with Geo'Hanuh, J'hanya or Heanauh.

My dear daughter has become a kre8tive namer with out even realizing it. She has started naming all of her babies.

The names are as follows:

Yahboo (the first)
Come
Cama
Ubu
Wyrey
Wahwoe
Do'wah
Keely
Glorah
Kai-lyne
Finkle Lee
Came

The funniest one came up this week. Her beautiful Bitty Baby twin boy is name.....

STEAK!

What a wierdo. :-) I guess my grandchildren will have themselves some kre8tive names!

So, if u wantz a Walmartz name, you just hollah at me!

Don't make me...

2008-08-03T20:05:00.001-04:00

Don't make me cut your bangs crooked...because I will!

Oops.

First Dates...

2008-08-02T19:52:00.002-04:00

I never thought I'd be blogging about my 3 year olds love life. But alas, here I am.

Roo has known Reese since they were bitty babies in daycare. They were fast friends. When Roo was in school, there wasn't a day that went by that we didn't hear about Reese. His mom swears the same was true in their house. Both good kids, both thoughtful and caring, both timid. Two peas in a pod.

We haven't seen Mr. Reesey-Cups in a while. I got an email last week propositioning a date between the two of them. :-) Roo quickly accepted the date at Chick-Fil-A.

We met the Cups* family at "Chick-a-lay" this morning. We ate a delicious breakfast and then played in the play area. The kids had a blast!

He even went in for a kissy! What a playa! :-)

*No, their last name isn't really Cups ;-)

She shall be called Ariel

2008-08-01T20:39:00.002-04:00

Roo has informed everyone that she no longer answers to Roo. She must me called Ariel or Princess Ariel, if you prefer.

Please make a note, as you will be quickly corrected if you use the wrong name. :-)

Cricket? In Fort Mill?

2008-08-01T20:36:00.003-04:00

We were driving home from dinner today and saw a field of men playing cricket! How wierd is that. In Fort Mill no less!

We iz so klassy in South Care-o-lin-uh.

Yummy in the tummy

2008-07-31T22:21:00.006-04:00

Jack had his first taste of food last night. He tried a smidge of rice cereal.

At first...he looked excited...

Then he opened his mouth...

and...

YUCK!

It was not a hit. Maybe we'll try again in a few more weeks.

No, you can't pick your nose or your brother's nose!

2008-07-30T15:46:00.001-04:00

We've all been sick. Enough said.

What's up CRAZY?!

2008-07-28T13:15:00.003-04:00

As many of you all know, Roo is still not potty-trained. Ok, maybe I've failed as a mother, but I really don't think so. :-)

I had a mom offer me the book, Toilet Train in Less Than a Day. I decided to email her and see what it was all about. Later, I headed over to her house to pick it up. **Keep in mind, I do not know this woman.

I was expecting a normal interaction...that was not what I got.

Me: Hi, I'm here to pick up the potty training book.

Her: Oh, ok. Here, can I interest you in the potty seat? Do you have undies? Because I have some that I need to take back to Babies R Us. If you're going there, maybe you can return mine for me.

M: Um, no, we already have all of that stuff.

H: Oh that's too bad. You want to know what the real issue is? You have to show your child who is boss. You know? It's not up to them if and when they train, it's up to you.

M: Ok?

H: If my son doesn't want to go pee on the potty, I will put him on the potty. If he tries to get up, I will spank him on his bottom, right there.

M: *thinking* wow, issues much?

H: Really, it's about control. Who's running your house?!

The conversation went on and on from there. It was really sketch. She went on and on about how she has 4 kids and she's trained them all and homeschooled and blah blah blah. Later her son came out to ask her a question. That went like this...

Her: Blah Blah Blah. I'm awesome, I'm a control freak, call me mommy dearest. (Ok she didn't say that, well atleast not verbally)

Her Son: Um, excuse me mom...

H: Hmpht...Son, you need to give me eye contact. Shut the door and try again.

HS: *Shuts the door, opens it again* Um, excuse me mom...

H: You need to pause and give yourself a second. Close the door and try again.

Me: *thinking* WTF lady?! You are NUTZ!

HS: *Shuts the door, opens it again* (pause, pause, pause) Um, excuse me mom...can I look up the movie times for this weekend?

H: No, that was not important enough to interupt me. Close the door and go inside.

*Son closes door*

At this point I'm like, get me the hell outta here. This is crazy. I was backing down the stairs and she kept following me. Down the walkway, she's right behind me. It was 15 of hell. It was 15 minutes out of my day that I wish I had back!

I seriously felt completely berated but left thinking WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! What's up CRAZY?!

Train is a comin' oh yeah

2008-07-27T21:37:00.003-04:00

Today was a really special day. Ok, not really special, but REALLY fun!

We decided to take the light rail from the end, all the way into town. The Lynx train was awesome! We drove about 10 minutes to the south end of the track and parked. Bought our tickets and boarded the train. It took about 20 minutes to get downtown, which is about the same as if we'd driven but we didn't have to worry about parking or any of that mess.

We got downtown and ate a quick lunch at Brixx. Roo colored away as J and I ate. She decided to eat on the road later (meaning: riding in the double stroller). Jack was an angel as always.

The real reason that we found ourselves downtown was because The JellyDots were playing at ImaginOn. We'd never seen them before but heard they were great kids singers. They were! They were a little bit rock for the parents and super clean and fun lyrics for the kids.

All in all, it was a great day! One of the best days we've had in a long time! Here's some pictures and a video of the girl rocking out.

Baby Kisses

2008-07-25T19:46:00.002-04:00

Jack started going in for the kiss today. See video :-)

Checking in...

2008-07-17T22:09:00.002-04:00

We had a great trip down last night and every one made it in one piece. Roo and Jack went to bed at about 11 pm! I couldn't fall asleep until after 1! Ugh...

Here are some pictures from today.

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, Off to the beach we go...

2008-07-16T11:21:00.004-04:00

We are headed to the beach today. I'm not sure if I'll get to blog while we're gone, but here are some pictures until then.

I can't remember her name...

2008-07-15T21:38:00.000-04:00

This has become Roo's standard answer. Has she become my mother already?! My mom never could keep up with who's who.

We met some new friends yesterday at the park. I quizzed her about 50 times (just for fun) and she STILL can't tell me the names of the two kids we met! :-) She did have a FABULOUS time.

Sometimes she even calls me "daddy" and J "mommy."

I think it's because she's too busy keeping up with the names of all of her babies. Silly girl...

Look-a-likes

2008-07-14T21:03:00.004-04:00

One of our favorite shows is Jon&Kateplus8. It documents the trials and tribulations of a family of 10.

The story goes something like this...

Jon & Kate got married and had twin girls. When they wanted to have one more baby, she ended up pregnant with 6! 3 Boys and 3 girls. All of the kids (twins and 'tups) are fraternal (meaning none identical). This makes it particularly easy to tell the children apart, especially as they get older.

The kids are Cara, Maddy, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Alexis, Leah and Joel.

There is one girl that has always tugged at my heart strings. It's Alexis. Quite honestly, we all (me, J, Julie and Sue) all think she looks just like Roo.

Whatchu think?

Haiku To Trader Joe

2008-07-10T21:05:00.003-04:00

Oh how I love thee
Fresh, clean, organic and cheap
Free range ecstasy

Friends are fun!

2008-07-10T12:59:00.005-04:00

Roo had a neighbor friend Reagan over this morning to play on her playset. They had a BLAST! Reagan and her mom stayed over for about 2 hours! I swear it's the longest the girls have played with out fighting since they were both babies. :-)

Maybe we are on a nice "get-along" jag. They even took turns pushing each other on the swings!

Sleep glorious sleep!

2008-07-10T12:53:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Jack had his 4 month well visit. All is well with him. He weighs 13 lbs 10 oz and is 24.75 inches long. He's 25th percentile for height and weight. Peanut.

The ped said that since he was getting close to 14 lbs, he should be sleeping better and better. So far, we're at a stalemate with that. He is no longer sleeping my the bed with us, but he is still in our room. He generally goes down at 8, sleeps until 1 or 2 and then fed and out until 6.

Last night was a wonderful night! The doc suggested that I clusterfeed him in the hours before bedtime. I fed him at 530, 630 and 730. By then he was completely zonked out. I put him to bed and he slept until 4 am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I fed him, put him back down and he got up for the morning at 7:45. HORRAY! One awesome night down.

4 Months!

2008-07-07T10:56:00.000-04:00

Jack turned 4 months today!

So far he:

has rolled over 2 times
is in love with Roo
loves to laugh and is quite ticklish
wants to sit up and will cry until you hold him upright
is now only waking once in the middle of the night
weighs about 13 lbs (10th to 25th percentile) and is 26 inches (75th percentile)
has a bit of baby chick fuzz but mostly in the back
loves baths and swimming
has too many clothes :)
still sleeps in his bassinette in our room

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T22:30:00.003-04:00

We had a very happy 4th! We hope you did as well!

We woke up to sweltering heat, just in time for our city's 4th of July parade. It's a perenial favorite and enjoyed by all. We walked up the street to the main drag in town and ran into some friends from the neighborhood. The kids all sat together and the parents talked.

Here are some highlights from the parade...

J and Roo (playing shy)

Jack enjoying the show

Roo and her friends

Beautiful horse from a local stable

Here is a clip of my favorite part of the parade every year. Listen!

The night ended for Roo at 10:30! She couldn't sleep and was terrified by the fireworks! Maybe next year!

Today is FUNNY Thursday!

2008-07-03T12:51:00.004-04:00

I just thought I would share some of my favorite YouTube videos today. :-)

He kicked him in the penis

Charlie Bit Me!

He's Gonna Kick My ASS?! (my nightmare)

Jack's First Belly Laughs (Sadly not my Jack)

Laughing Twins

Talking One Month Old (watch her eyebrows)

Brian and Katie's Wedding Dance (no, we don't know them)

Hey Jude

Evil Eye Baby

Move over Martha...

2008-06-29T18:53:00.003-04:00

Today was a GREAT day!

After reading some things online about making jam, I decided that I wanted to make some. I've wanted to do it before (after buying bushels of berries from the farmers market) but never had the courage. I kept reading that it "wasn't that hard" "was easy" or "was easier than expected."

As soon as everyone awoke from nap, we ventured out to The Peach Stand (a Fort Mill landmark) and bought some peaches. We headed to HT after that for some strawberries.

I came home, sanitized everything and started chopping. We followed the directions and IT WAS EASY!!!! :-)

I jarred it, proccessed it and voila! I made strawberry jam!

Move over Martha...

Big Boy

2008-06-26T20:39:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite things...

2008-06-26T20:31:00.003-04:00

about being a mom is seeing the sheer joy on Roo's face.

We decided to make pudding today and she gobbled it right up. (I think it's the first time she's ever had it because she couldn't remember what it was called.)

Funny Bug

2008-06-25T21:03:00.007-04:00

Roo started gym class at The Little Gym a few weeks ago. We *thought* she'd love it. She's clumsy and could always use the skills that they practice (tumbling, balance, dexarity). She has even taken a gym class through her daycare.

Well...it hasn't gone exactly as planned.

The first week, she loved it! It took her 5 minutes to warm up to the crowd and she was off and running. The second week was the same. Last week, we also had a "make-up day." That was a nightmare! She screamed the entire first 15 minutes and we ended up having to walk out.

She even told me that she DIDN'T want to go back today. Well, being the pushy-bitch mother that I am, I took her back. We've paid for 10 weeks, damn it. The kid IS going. Jim has been my gibraltar. He even came to her class today to encourage her to participate. He has vowed to come every Wednesday from now on.

Here's what we saw today.

Notice who is sitting in the middle of the mat?

Don't look at me!

Coming around...

There she is!

New Spectacles

2008-06-25T09:42:00.002-04:00

I've finally gotten new glasses! Horray!

J and I decided several months ago that we needed new specks. I have been looking for ones for ages. I finally found some that I love. I'm not sure how they look, but I like them! :-)

Happy Jack

2008-06-24T21:14:00.003-04:00

Here are our attempts to get Jack to laugh today...