The Chocolate Milk Jug

This is not something that just happened but I don't want to forget about it. Before we moved here, we were visiting for a few days. Gran would always buy chocolate milk for the kids to have while they were here. One day, John David came in the kitchen as Uncle Maka (Matt) was drinking some. John David said, "Hey, that's my chocolate milk!" Matt answered, "I don't see your name on it."

You could see the wheels start turning in John David's head. He went off and found a pencil. He got out the jug and went to town writing his name on it. We were really laughing but told him he needed to use a marker, not a pencil. While he was gone finding a marker, Matt got his own marker and wrote "Uncle Maka" on it and crossed off John David's name. The expression on John David's face when he returned was so priceless. I wish I had a picture of that too.....

Christmas Program

The church here had their kids' program in early December. The pictures aren't too great since we weren't on the front row. The musical was called "A Country Christmas" so the manger scene was country themed.

John David was a wise man dressed in a plaid shirt with a cowboy hat. When he came to see Baby Jesus he tipped his hat to him. It was so cute.

My three babies!

Julia was excited and ready to do her "thang"!

All of the babies and preschoolers took part in a song about Christmas in the city and they were going around the stage like busy shoppers. I was surprised at the end of the program when Julia's class came back out and did the song with the older kids. She knew the dance and everything. It was unbelievably cute!

I Think Aulora Loves Her Daddy!

John David's 7th Birthday

John David with his friends at the mall. We ate at Chickfila, played games in the arcade, and went to Neon Jungle Mini Golf.

He wanted to go to Red Lobster for lunch on his actual birthday. He got to pet the lobster.

The servers sang and brought him ice cream. He was in heaven!

Finally, he's 7!

Sweet Surrender

Unfortunately, my legs have not seen a razor too much the last couple of months. First of all, we were so busy moving and second, it's been getting harder and harder to reach down there. On our Christmas vacation, I decided to give it a try and so, for the first time in quite a while, my legs were baby smooth. Very nice.

Later that morning, I went in the bathroom and found my razor on the counter as you see it the picture. I'm married to quite the comedian. =)

Fall Festival

Obviously, these pictures are VERY late, but I think I have a pretty decent excuse. This will be my first blog post on my own computer since we've moved. I finally took some time to get pictures off of my camera and do some mild editing. I'll have many posts coming soon, hopefully.
The kids had a lot of fun at the fall festival here in WF. They still called it RTP, even though that wasn't its name. To them, that's all it could be. It was on the 31st - I drove in with the kids from SA just in time to go to the festival. I left the next day to go back and pack. You should have seen us changing into costumes in the van, which was crowded with stuff we were moving to WF. I would not want to do that again!

In case you can't figure it out, John David is Edmund from Narnia, Julia is Strawberry Shortcake, and Aulora is Custard, Strawberry Shortcake's cat. The girl in the first picture with them is Kara, my sister-in-law. She helped me out that night, thank goodness! =)

Almost There!

Our little "apartment home" is so close to being done. It feels wonderful! I'm missing one of the kids' quilts for their bed (it's hiding in storage somewhere apparently padding some furniture - grrrrr) and I'm waiting for the baby bedding to come in the mail. The main other thing is the big chest we will use in our room for the tv and all the baby clothes. For some reason it ended up too far back in the storage room so John gets to pull out lots of stuff to get to it. That storage room is a wreck! It's not a pleasant site to look in a big room filled with all of the things you've spent the last 8 years of your life acquiring only to see them in a great big jumbled mess. Heaven help us when it's moving time again. Our carefully plotted out moving and storage plans have gone very much awry, to say the least. =)



This is the bedding set I finally decided on for baby Joshua. Probably not quite what I would have chosen if he had his own room, but since he'll be in our room I went with what would match our stuff. I can't wait for it to come in the mail so I can put it on the bed.

Today I started looking through the tub of baby clothes I've been buying throughout this pregnancy. My child will not be naked, of that I'm sure. As soon as that chest is in our room I'll wash everything with sweet smelling stuff and put it all in the drawers. That's going to be one happy day! =)

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Our Christmas was great and, as always, too fast. We went to Dallas with my family first and then came back home for Christmas day here. While in Dallas, we went to the Gaylord "Ice" exhibit. WOW! I'll post pictures when I get some from my dad. We put on great big coats and went into the exhibit where it was only 9 degrees. There were HUGE ice sculptures everywhere. You could get on some of them too. The manger scene was incredible and then there were big ice slides at the end.

The kids went inside a life-size gingerbread house and we saw live reindeer and a toy soldier man on stilts. It was a really cool place to visit.

We got to see Alvin and the Chipmunks but we were disappointed in it. It was still neat to see though and I'm glad we went.

We had our family Christmas on the 24th in our hotel. The day before we decorated a tree for the room and instead of our traditional orange cinnamon rolls for breakfast, we ate Krispy Kreme Donuts. Not a bad trade. =) It was a little crowded in our room but we made do and still had a great time.

The kids got so many nice things (we did too!). They each got digital cameras which has been lots of fun. John David got a basket ball goal for outside and a real basketball. Julia got a Barbie Jeep to ride outside. Now we just need some warmer weather! Aulora got lots of fun things too, but it seems like she mostly just wants whatever Julia has. =) She does really like her dolly though.

My parents bought us a new mattress, down comforter, sheets, and feather pillows. OH MY GOODNESS!!! Heaven has come to WF, let me tell you. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Need I say more?

Anyway, this post is endlessly long so I'll stop here. I have lots more to say but I'll save some for later. =) I miss all my SA friends........Hope you're all doing great!

Woohoo!!!

Today, while John David and Julia were both at school, Aulora and I headed out to try and finish Christmas shopping. We were so VERY successful! Aulora was a perfect angel and even fell asleep in the stroller while I shopped. Incredible. Woohoo!

I also found the crib! It's actually one of the first ones I found on Saturday and didn't get because of the price. It was at a second hand store and I just didn't want to spend that much money on a baby bed. BUT, after looking at all my options, and after having a beautiful bed for both of my girls, I just can't do the inexpensive Walmart beds. Don't get me wrong - they have some nice ones. But, in order to get the nice ones I have to spend the same amount as the used one cost so I might as well get it. It's a super nice brand (the same that we got for the girls and spent a small fortune on) and is a great deal. I didn't actually buy it yet since I figured I would be smart to measure the little alcove the bed will go in just to make sure. We measured tonight and yea! it will fit. Woohoo!

So now that I decided on a bed, I changed my mind about the bedding that I already bought. Oops. I got it on Ebay and it has a money back guarantee but I think I might be past the 10 day mark. Even so, I got it super cheap so it's not too big of a deal. Isn't it ok to change your mind lots when you're a woman, especially a pregnant woman???

**Sidenote - Christmas shopping is great when you're pregnant because you get to park in all of the special "expectant mother" parking places up front. Woohoo!

Julia got to feel Baby Joshua's hiccups tonight. She was smiling so big everytime she felt it. Very sweet moment.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law finally started their move today to their new house that was supposed to be ready for them long ago. They have more patience than me, because I would have told those builders off by now, I'm pretty sure. =) Anyway, that means that it won't be long before we can get things more settled here with our own things. I can't wait to get the kids' bunk beds up so I can move around better in their room. Right now it's pretty crowded with the extra furniture that will be going away and with 2 twin beds on the ground. Woohoo again!

John David is doing great in school. His teacher is wonderful, he's learning a lot, bringing home awesome grades, and lots of happy face days. Woohoo yet again!

We made Christmas cookies today and decorated them. It was perfect until Aulora found a case of Sprite cans and dropped one on the tile floor which immediately caused the can to explode, sending Sprite everywhere. I do mean everywhere. John David was on the other side of the kitchen and even he had to change clothes. It went all in the pantry and all over the floor. What a no fun mess to clean up. I'm pretty certain that the floor is still sticky now, even after I mopped it twice. Sorry, no woohoo on this paragraph.

My blogging will most likely be pretty sparse until after Christmas since we'll be going to Dallas. Merry Christmas! Ok, I guess I'll go ahead and throw in one more for the road.....Woohoo!!!

Monday, Monday......So Good To Me.........

I went to the doctor today for regular appointment. There's nothing to tell. I guess it's a good thing to have a boring pregnancy. I didn't carry pee in a cup today at least. They forgot to send me home with a cup last time and I sure didn't bother to remind them. They didn't forget though. Guess what I'll be doing in 2 weeks? =)

My clothes are all starting to fit badly. My under the belly pants are sitting too low since my belly is getting bigger and my shirts are all getting shorter. This is a bad combination. I did breakdown and buy a couple of new sweater kind of tops because it's just too cold for short sleeves. I just really don't want to buy lots more stuff. I can look cute later.

I found a gorgeous place for some outdoor pictures here. I wish we had time to do them and send them out as Christmas cards, but it's just not happening this year. Hopefully we can get out there soon though - it's soooo pretty! I found it because John was showing me the house he's been going to for tutoring. These people must be so stinkin' rich because this house is amazing. We'll have one like it one day, he assures me. =) Don't worry - I'll invite everyone over for tea.

John is a sub today for an elementary music teacher. I had to laugh when I found out he would be teaching every grade starting with K-5. Hehehehe. I talked to him during his lunch break and he said it was going good. It is something I'd like to watch though. I have no doubt he can handle it fine - he's the best disciplinarian you've ever met. He knows how to lay the smackdown!

Cribs, Parties, Christmas Stuff, and 4 is Better Than 8

Today I headed out to buy a crib. My first mistake was going on a Saturday so close to Christmas. It was so chaotic everywhere and very, very frustrating. Parking places were few and the wind was extremely cold. Baskets were hard to find, people were everywhere, and lines were long. Yuck. What was I thinking???

My other dilemma is that I do NOT know what color crib to get. Plus, my taste exceeds my budget. =) The baby will be in our room with us which means his furniture needs to match ours. But, we can go with oak (what was in the room already) or we can bring in some of our cherry bedroom furniture. My indecisiveness comes in to play because I don't know what our living situation will be next. Which kids will share what rooms? Or maybe we'll live with my in-laws the rest of my life and then it won't really matter, because then I'll be in an institution. Hahaha. Seriously, every woman does need her own house, doesn't she?

So tonight, my brain is overwhelmed by the seemingly simple and unimportant decision about a crib. Yet, to a mommy TRYING to nest, it's the decision of a lifetime.

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Friday morning, Julia and I went to the Military Moms of Faith group. They were having their Christmas party at one of the girl's houses. No, John didn't join the military, but they invited me anyway which was so very sweet of them. I really had a good time and so did Julia. It feels good to at least be in the beginning stages of some friendships, although I really miss all the close relationships. Hopefully, some close ones will blossom here.

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I wish I was done with Christmas shopping. But no, I'm not. I think I at least have the harder ones done. My parents are coming on Wednesday night - this Wednesday. We won't actually see them until Thursday, but the point is that everything needs to be finished by then. Breathe in. Breathe out.

I may go without ribbon on all our presents this year. It's killing me just to think about it, but 1) it will be soooo crowded under the tree anyway that they'll get smushed, 2) I don't have any of my ribbon because it's in storage, and 3) I don't think anyone else here cares about it as much as I do. So I'm going to give myself a break. I feel better already. I think.....

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Does anyone else watch that show on TLC called "John and Kate plus 8"? I get stressed out just watching it. If they can do 8 though, surely we can do 4. Right? I hope? I pray..........Man, I better go start stocking up on sleep.......

Stuff

I kept the kids home from church tonight since they're still getting over whatever they've been sick with. Everyone else is gone and the relative quiet is so nice. Granted, my kids are often a lot of the noise, but everyone else adds to it, plus more people just make the kids louder. Their uncle tickles them, their grandparents play with them, and so on. So it's nice to have an empty house with the tv off and only the sound of them slurping up their dinner. Ahhhhh......

I finally bought a laundry basket today. Nothing fancy - just a round white basket so I don't have to carry our dirty clothes through the house dropping dirty underwear along the way. It was great to use it today. How is it that I'm thrilled with such small things?

Aulora is so addicted to "Lil' Crunchies" by Gerber. They're like cheese puffs for toddlers. They cost $1.68 for one can of them and let me tell you - the child can eat a whole can in one sitting. No joke. She LOVES them. I could go broke buying this snack. But it's kind of worth it if you need to get anything done. They're also a lifesaver at the grocery store for a restless little one. $1.68 well spent if you ask me. =)

I think I bonded with one of the dogs tonight. He jumped up in my lap (without invitation) and made himself comfortable. Normally I would have dumped him back to the ground, but I decided to give him a chance. It wasn't half bad. I miss the purring of a cat, but he was so content and cuddly that I didn't mind so much. His name is Phantom and he's an all black cocker spaniel. John's parents have had him since he was a puppy because his mother was one of their former dogs. They still have his father and one brother. Too much information? Yeah, probably. Sorry.

John David earned his first Book-It award for the month of November. That brought back some memories. I used to LOVE going to Pizza Hut for my own pizza from Book-It! The program really has helped him make a habit of reading and he's enjoying it too. Tonight he sat on the couch and read 3 books out loud to Julia. Mommy got a break. =)

For whatever reason, they are both sitting behind me now, biting my shirt and and occasionally my back. Gross. What's wrong with these kids???

John finished classes for this semester today. They didn't even have a Christmas party. What's up with college? I would have gladly made some cookies for him to take. =) We're so glad this semester is over for now!

Is anyone else super excited about the Chipmunk movie coming out? I think I'll cry when we see it because I loved the chipmunks so much growing up. And the Christmas song is on there! I really can't wait to see this movie! And the National Treasure movie too. The best part is that we finally have grandparents around to help with the kids so we can actually go to the theater. What a luxury!

More Elves

Ok, I know the elf thing isn't new, but my kids thought it was so hilarious and they too wanted to be elves. So I made it for them and figured even though most people are probably tired of seeing elves, some of their grandparents would like to see it. It was a pain to do since it messed up the first round and I had to start totally over, but it was worth all the effort. They laughed and danced so much when they watched the completed version! Even Aulora was wiggling her little booty all around! So here it is:

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1341181905

Yucko!

I took Wendy's suggestion and found caffeine free Dr. Pepper at Walmart. I was so excited! The first can even tasted kind of good. And then I think the excitement must have worn off, because after that it was just horrible. Too bad, because I thought I had found heaven.

So, thanks Wendy - it seemed so great, but just didn't work out. And thanks to Kylah for the inspiration for the title of this post - not that she's yucko. It's just the opposite of yummo. =)

Fajitas, Musical, No Good Mommy, Lefty, Sicko, and in Need of a Stick

I ate fajitas from Pappasitos for dinner tonight. They were leftovers brought back to me, yet they are still blogworthy. Still, my next meal from there better be in person. I think we are going there for the holidays. I'm finding it hard to contain myself already. =) If you have never eaten at Pappasitos, you need to drive to Arlington and do it. It's worth it - I promise.

On another note, the kids' Christmas musical was tonight. I don't have any pictures yet, but I'll try to post some soon. They were SO cute and we loved seeing them do there thing. The weather was kind of icy and rainy, but there was still a wonderful turn out. I just got them in bed less than 20 minutes ago - it's 10:10 now. They were just a little wound up =) I plan to let John David sleep until he wakes up in the morning anyway since he's sick. Even then I may or may not take him to school. We'll see.

I think perhaps my mommy senses are getting duller. Apparently, Julia fell out of bed last night and cried and cried for me (in the very next room) and I didn't even hear her. I also didn't hear when Stormy (an 18 year old girl who lives here too) came in to get me and called my name over and over. This next baby better have some good lungs or he won't get fed at night. =) Poor little guy.

Julia has learned to write her name. She's made J's for a long time now, but this week she began writing her whole name. She kept writing from right to left though and I was concerned about what that might mean. After talking to Kara (my sister-in-law who is a teacher) I realized that it was because she is left handed. So I followed some advice she gave me where I drew some animal on the left and its home on the right with an arrow pointing to the home (which Julia thought was soooo much fun) and voila! She can write her name! It won't be long before we're working on reading and I can't wait. John David has really begun to love reading (thank you Book It!) and I know Julia will too.

Aulora woke up sick today so we didn't go to church this morning. I will probably have to take her to the doctor tomorrow because I'm afraid she's getting strep throat. It's hard to keep everyone well when this many people are in one house. Stuff really gets passed around.

That's probably way too much for one post. I obviously have not had the chance to get all my words out today. =) I should go find a stick to talk to.......

Little is Sick

My buddy has strep throat and bronchitis. =( He had been telling us for a couple of days now that he thought he was getting a cold and he didn't feel good. John took him to the doctor today and got him some antibiotics. He missed practice for the Christmas musical tonight, but hopefully he'll be good enough to go to the musical tomorrow night. He's a wiseman and so excited about it. He layed in my lap tonight and watched The Polar Express. I love that boy.....

It Pays to Be Fast

I told John the other day that it was a good thing I had lots of kids because I LOVE hugging and kissing them. I went on to explain that Aulora probably gets the most of it because she still has to be held and carried around so much.

John just smiled and said, "She gets most of it because she runs the slowest." Oh well, it's probably true......

Fresh Air

This morning was so great - I got to go on a long walk with two really great ladies and their kids. We walked all the way to a park in their neighborhood and let the kids play and then walked back. It was good to be outside, to get some exercise, and really nice to have some good company. I hope I didn't talk too much. =) It has been awhile since I've been able to hang out with other girls and talk.

I remember when I was about 11 years old and I felt so friendless because we had just moved - again. I sat in my mom's lap, even though I was almost as big as she was, and I cried and cried. We prayed together that God would send me a special friend. It wasn't too much longer before I met Jessamy, who was my best friend all through jr. high and high school. We are still "kindred spirits" even now. (If you don't know what a kindred spirit is then you REALLY need to watch Ann of Green Gables with some girlfriends!) I've always been so thankful for how God answered that simple prayer for a friend.

Even though I'm not surrounded by lots of friends right now, I know that God cares about even this and He will once again send me a special friend or even friends. (To add to the ones I already have, of course!)

So to the friend who reached out to me and invited me to go on a simple walk this morning - thank you. It was wonderful! And the nap it required afterwards was pretty great too. =) I look forward to getting to know you better........

Angels

Julia and John's mom were in a car accident today because someone ran a red light. Thankfully, Sandy was able to react quickly enough to avoid a serious wreck, otherwise, it could have been so bad. It was just another reminder that we never know what our day will hold. Julia was reportedly so very cute the way she had the policeman wrapped around her little finger. (She was awfully cute this morning in some pink and white striped overalls and pink bows in her hair. A dolly indeed!) She was given an "accident bear" by Mr. Policeman that she has carried with her all day. So very sweet.

I'm sure I'll hold my baby girl a little longer the next time I tell her bye. I can't imagine losing one of my babies. =( Thank you, Jesus, for taking care of my family today.......

Finding My Place

Moving away from what was home for seven years and leaving all my friends behind was no easy thing. Normally, when someone moves, they leave one place but have another place to go to. But we are living with family. We're incredibly grateful for them letting us stay here and putting up with all of us, so I hope this doesn't sound like I'm ungrateful. That's not at all what this post is about.

It's just that it feels like my life is boxed away in a storage room down the street. My friends are living their lives in good old SA, my dog is happily sleeping on my brother's bed in Austin, my beloved trees are probably gloriously red and orange and now belong to some woman named Isabelle, and here I am living day to day just trying to not pass out before bedtime. And hey, have any of you ever tried getting ready for a new baby and nesting in this situation? Seriously - Aulora is still sleeping in a playpen, most of their toys are packed away, all of our furniture is stored, and the new baby's clothes are somewhere in storage along with anything else I could possible want or need. There is no possible way to follow my nesting instincts at this point.

The church here is great, but it doesn't feel like ours yet. Everyone knows who we are but I don't know many of them. I suppose most of them assume we already have friends and don't need any since our family already went there. (John's brother is the youth pastor and his mom is their children's director). Their youth group meets on Wednesday nights and serves to remind me that we no longer have "our teenagers". Our first Wednesday night here we went in the youth service - it was really hard to keep from crying. So I went to the nursery wing with Aulora. I felt quite out of place in there as well. At the risk of sounding childish, I'll just say what it feels like at church. I don't feel "important" anymore. I'm not in charge of anything, I have no authority, and if something needs attention, it's not my place to take care of it. It's not a control thing. It's just a matter of adjusting from what was life for so long.

I know I need to look forward and not behind me, but that's so hard when what's behind you was so great.

What's ahead is going to be even better, I'm sure, but I can't see it yet. And sometimes it's hard to imagine it. But I know that's where faith comes into the picture. Faith that God isn't leading us on some wild goose chase. That's kind of what it feels like right now if I'm not careful to remember that we are following His leading.

The verse at the top of my blog has been especially meaningful to me lately:

"God's love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, Making everything right for them and their children." Psalm 103:17

God's going to make everything right for us and for our kids. We will have a place, in every sense of the word. We will look back and see why we were taken on this paticular path, versus an easier or shorter one. We will see the great things God has in store for us.

John's website, Faith Conversations, is getting closer to being done. It looks great and I can't wait to be able to share it. With so many things unsettled, an up and running website will be a big comfort.

I miss you, friends. I can only hope to find some new friends as wonderful as all of you!

Met My Doctor

I finally met my new doctor for the first time even though I've already had 3 or 4 appointments here. She's really nice, although I liked my old doctor better for sure. A c-section is looking more and more likely =( but we'll have to wait and see how all the timing works out. I only gained 1 pound in the last 3 weeks so that was nice. I like that nurse who weighed me. =)

On another note, this doctor's office sends you home with the little urine sample container to bring back filled on your next appointment. So I got to do something I had never done before today. Carry pee around. How lovely.

A Side Note

I really can't complain about many things during pregnancy. I was apparently made to be pregnant and have babies - that's a good thing since this is my fourth go around. BUT, if I was going to complain (I'm not going to, I'm just saying), there would be two things:

1. No Dr. Pepper or other caffeinated things for that matter. I miss Dr. Pepper soooo bad. Yes, there's most definitely drool. Dr. Pepper on crushed ice from Sonic. Oh yea.....

2. Sleeping on my side. Ughhhhhh. I'm a back sleeper for sure and when you're pregnant this is a no-no once you hit that certain point. I constantly roll onto my back during the night in my sleep and John, being the good daddy he is, constantly rolls me back on my side. It makes my ribs hurt and I wake up achy. I would look greatly forward to sleeping on my back again once the baby's born except that then I'll be nursing all the time so I'll still be on my side.

I hope my children will one day appreciate these small, yet very huge to me, sacrifices I made for them. They're worth it. =)

Sonogram Today

We had a sonogram today. It was good timing as far as I'm concerned because I needed something to help me be excited about this little one. It's not that I don't love him - that's never been the case - I just wish I could keep him in there another year or so to give Aulora some more time to grow up. (Yes, I would be willing to be pregnant for another year.) My hands are so full as it is and it's scary to think that we're about to add a newborn to the picture. I can only hope that he is as easy going as Aulora has always been. After she was born, I got a lot of sleep and plenty done because she slept so much. It was almost like not having a baby. So maybe by the time he's not sleeping so much, Aulora will be a little more independent and all will be well.

It was good to see his face, seemingly looking right at us. Seeing two arms and two legs was reassuring, as I had been having thoughts lately about what I would do if he was born with only one leg or arm. There was also plenty of amniotic fluid, which is good since Aulora had to come early because there wasn't enough fluid. We saw definite boy parts again, so Joshua Clay Sullivan it will be. He will be at least the fourth generation to carry the name Clay on John's side.

He measured about 9 days ahead of my due date. Is he big? Is my due date off? We don't know. If I have to have a c-section, it will be scheduled a week and a half before my due date also. So the bottom line is that I'm feeling the pressure to get things ready. There's so much to do and I don't have much control over most of it. I have to be patient and wait until bunk beds can be put up and baby beds assembled and things brought out of storage. But John promised he would do it when this semester if over in about 10 days. So yea! The hold up hasn't been him, but other things. Yet we decided today that the other things would have to be overlooked before long because it HAS to be done so we can be ready.

After the sonogram appointment, John and I shared lunch at On The Border (a restaurant we really missed living in SA) and then walked through the mall for a little while holding hands. It was nice, except for the stylish shoes I was wearing. They look much better than they feel. I even wore my hair down today (quite the rarity) so walking around the mall just had to happen.
=)

That's all I've got......

Guess Where I Live Now...

I have no idea what my daughter has seen that she's talking about vampires and witches, but I didn't want to forget what she just said to me...

She drew a picture for John's mom and was explaining it to us. She said Gran's house been blown far, far away to the place where witches and mommies and vampires live. All I want to know is why I live with the witches and vampires. What's that about??? I've been very sweet and I NEVER yell. =) Really.

Speaking of Our Smell

A posted about our smell. Funny, because I've mourned the loss of our smell. Silly, I know, but it's important to me. We don't have our own house now, so we don't really have our own smell. Not that the smell here is bad, but it is not ours.

On Sunday night, I was finally unpacking the boxes of the kids' clothes and putting them in their closet. When I opened each box, I was greeted with the familiar smell of home. A, I wish I could bottle it up for me and you both. It was enough to make me cry.

Here are some of my favorite things to create my own unique smell:

• Candles, of course! Burn them often.
• Reed diffusers from Pier One. Choose one scent and stick with it.
• Fragrant bars of soap in your drawers.
• Sachets from Kirklands. Again, choose one scent and make it your own. Put them in drawers, in the bathroom, where you keep your mail. Everywhere! =)
• Dryer sheets in your drawers. (It's a wonder I have room for anything else in our drawers! Ha!)
• Good laundry detergent and softener. Always use softener. Suavetel is great and affordable.
  

Ok, that's it. A doesn't believe me and never has. She thinks I'm keeping some big secret. The truth is, I like the smell of her house. I like to smell the clothes she's given Aulora when I'm missing her. And that's a lot here lately. =(

The Joys of Motherhood

I've had a shot, guzzled a nasty orange drink and had my blood drawn twice all in three days. It's a good thing I love my kids. They're about the only reason I would do this yuck stuff.

Puberty at 7???

John David reached quite the milestone on Sunday morning. He woke up with his first pimple. Right on his nose! His whole face has been itchy lately (allergies plus living with dogs, I think) and he keeps rubbing his nose and eyes. It's pretty funny when he comes home from school with lead and marker ink all over his face. Anyway, we talked about the importance of keeping hands off the face and washing really well. The next morning it was mostly gone, thankfully. The funny thing is that he was quite proud of his pimple, as if it were an accomplishment. Funny guy.....

A Wish Come True

Wendy had a poll not too long ago about what kind of help we would like around the house - maid, nanny, cook, or landscaper. I voted for a cook and, well, not to brag or anything, but I have a cook now. =) Hahahaha. My mother-in-law is a great cook and despite my urgings that she does not have to cook for us all the time she does! Of course, I help out but still - she rocks. Woohoo! That's all.......

Note To Self

I never, ever want to have a pedestal sink again. They're pretty, yes, but soooo inconvenient. Now that I have one big counter in our bathroom and another big counter on the kids' side I think I'm going to be spoiled. Plus, I've never had so many drawers to fill in a bathroom. Most of the kids' are empty, and since we don't have a dresser or anything in our room yet, I'm using some of ours for socks and underwear. Pretty classy, huh? Aulora really likes to pull them all out though so there's often panties strewn around the floor. Oh well......=)

So Much and Still Nothing

There's so much going on and so much change, but I still feel like I have nothing worth taking the time to post. All the goings on are mundane - things like unpacking, making phone calls, canceling accounts, finding new doctors, doing laundry, homework, and housework, and the list goes on.

Today is grandparents' day at John David's school so all day long at least one of his grandparents will be with him. They were having donuts for breakfast (yea! that should be great for his behavior!) and then going to chapel and later on having a catered lunch. His grandma was very proud to be going with him and I think he will be equally as proud. He's had a happy face 3 days in a row so he's doing well. I don't think he liked his punishment on Monday when his behavior was less than happy face worthy, to say the least.

Aulora is settling in and seeming much happier now. She doesn't get mad when we go upstairs and close doors to keep her from going down. She's not afraid of the dogs anymore, even when they bark. She gets right in their faces and has learned to say "dog". If they try to get her snack from her highchair, she points at them and says, "No dog!" She also figured out how to say "Julia", "Bubba", and "Mamma". Do you know how long I've waited for her to say my name? She started saying "Da" and "Dada" months ago. I was smiling so big when she said my name!

Julia and I are going to make blueberry muffins today. (Kylah's blog spurred this thought.) I had to promise her something to do so she wouldn't cry when her grandma went with John David to school. It worked great and it was our special girl secret. She delights in having secrets from her brother, although she tells him sometimes so she's not too trustworthy yet.

My family is coming here for Thanksgiving next week! It's going to be one big dinner! I'm not sure yet if we're doing any black Friday shopping yet. Last year was so awful and I'm don't know if I've recovered yet. We are closing on our house on Monday though and I'll have some money for Christmas shopping. So tempting......

My cousin's cousin, who is also the sister of my friend here in WF, just won Emeril's stuffing contest on Good Morning America this morning. It was so cool to watch her and her sister on tv. They got to fly to New York for the show where the winner was announced. Her name is Holly and she did so great! So if you happened to catch the show this morning, you got to see my new friend, Jennifer, standing beside her sister.

That's all I've got. Really.....

(I guess I had some things to post after all. Whether or not they were interesting at all, I don't know. Sorry........)

It's a New Day

I realized yesterday that I've been pregnant every time we've moved. How ridiculous. There should be a law against that.

John and I left Thursday morning and I dropped him off at school where his truck was. I headed on to the house to keep packing. Work, work, work. Dinner at Bonzai Garden looking rather trashy. Oh well. It was so good I didn't care. =)

Friday morning. Work, work, work. How much stuff can one house actually hold and still look neat and clean? Amazing. Work, work. John and I share a lunch at Logan's where our check is picked up by an anonymous person. Very nice. Run errands. Sign some papers. Buy some boxes. Blah, blah, blah.

Drive a little trip with A. That was a needed break and it was great hanging out with my friend. It ended too soon though. =( Work some more while trying to hurry and catch up on my favorite shows on DVR before I don't have them all anymore. What pressure! John and I both slept on the same twin mattress on the floor. We were both so tired it was ok though.

Saturday more of the same.....talked to my best friend from growing up. She just got engaged and I'll have a little more than 2 months after the baby is born to fit in a bridesmaid dress. Oh boy! Anything for her though. She's absolutely amazing.

John had an online test due by midnight so he hurried to do that while I worked more. We were supposed to go home that night but I was too tired to make the drive. Aulora was sick though so I knew we needed to go. We went to bed planning to leave first thing the next morning. But then John got really sick during the night as we were again sharing that twin mattress. So fun! He was sick all the way home and still is. So is Aulora (as evidenced by all of her bedding drenched in throw-up from last night) and John's mom.

I was past my limit last night as I hurried to help John Davied do a turkey project that was due this morning, feed the kids, go to Walmart, and do a little laundry. I set Aulora on the chair right beside me to pick up crayons. I got distracted by another child trying to eat junk food and turned away. Aulora fell flat on her face on the hard stone tile. She was screaming and the other kids were still telling me what they wanted. I could have been committed at that point. Really. Thank goodness my sister-in-law, Kara, was here to help me some.

Today is a new day. I took a shower, put on a little make-up, and even ate some breakfast. John David was on time to school, turkey project in hand. Aulora is sleeping with Daddy and Julia is playing. Now I just need a brownie.....or a cherry limeade. Meems??? =)

I miss all of you so much and wish I could have brought you with me......

Sorry, Sarah......

......but we definitely win the most crud award. I hope you're not too disappointed. I know I am.

Half Way Done

We're here, kind of. I think we're more than half way done with the move. We still have to go back home to get the rest of our things and clean the house, but most of our stuff has been moved.

Living in a 2 story house with a 13 month old is NOT fun! =) Baby gates are useless because of the design of the stairs and railings so we've tried things like big chairs and stuff, but she's too smart. Nothing has worked so far so I have to constantly keep an eye on her. And of course, the stairs are what she wants. She can go up just fine, but the problem is she can't go down on her own. So I can assure you that I will never buy a 2 story house for ourselves.

John David loves his new school and I've been very impressed with it so far too. His teacher is very organized and the curriculum seems to be a little more aggressive which I like. I'm so embarrassed to admit that I had to ask John for help when I was helping John David with his homework. Isn't that just sad? Some of the directions just weren't very explicit. Apparently, the type of stuff he was working on is something girls typically have a harder time with than boys. Hmmmm. Maybe so. John David understood much faster than I did. What really tripped me up was how many "faces" a pyramid has. You don't see the whole thing, only part of it. In my mind, I thought it would have 3 sides, plus the bottom. But no, it has 4 sides plus the bottom, giving it a total of 5 faces. This fact was very obvious to even my 7 year old, so why did I not get it? Can I blame it on being pregnant?

Julia gets to go to preschool 2 times a week from 9-2 and she loves it. I'm really glad she finally gets to do that. She's been waiting for school a long time. Poor Aulora gets bored with no one to play with. I guess that's why she likes the stairs so much.

I found a hair bow shop today that all of you mommies of little girls would go crazy over. Super prices and a huge selection. They even do custom stuff on the spot if you bring them an outfit. My new banker let me in on that secret. I never even found a place this great in Dallas!

That's it for now. When things get settled down some, hopefully I'll get back in the groove of posting often......

Update

Just a VERY quick update, as I'm still under great pressure to get moved this weekend.....We weren't able to come home Thursday late afternoon as we had planned due to an all day meeting we had to attend today in Abilene. Sooooo, I'm behind a day and a half. Enough said about that. =)

The guys are using their muscles to load lots and lots tonight and tomorrow while I hurry to try and finish all the packing. It's amazing how much stuff you have without realizing it! I think I could fill a full size U-haul with just our kids' stuff though. They have SO much! This weekend's move is concentrating on stuff going to storage. (long story, don't have time to explain) We'll have to get the rest next weekend, I guess.

Anyway, all is well, just very busy..... =)

A Smile on My Face

I don't know why, but early this morning, while I was still in bed, I remembered something that made me smile. You know that old pick up line that goes something like "Did it hurt?....When you fell from heaven." When John and I were first married we like to change pick up lines so they would compliment ourselves instead of the other one. (Yeah, we're that lame.) John used to always say, "Did it hurt?" Of course I would answer, "Did what hurt?" And he would say, "When I fell from heaven and landed on you." Then we would both laugh and laugh.

That made me smile to myself this morning so I thought I would share so I could have a happy post! =)

I'm taking the kids to our new city today so I'll miss all of you at RTP. I hope it's lots of fun! Whatever will it be like without those two Sullivan children running wildly around? =) Take lots of pictures to share later, please! Especially of A as an egg!

Another Last

I just rocked my baby girl in her room for the last time. It's the same room I rocked my first baby girl too. So many sweet memories. I'm not sure why I even bother with makeup these days. I just keep crying it all off..........

Sorry my blog is full of sadness lately. It's just hard to leave so many people and things and memories. Soon it will be happy again. Promise.

Box Tip

If you're ever in the market for boxes, check behind all the stores in the Bed, Bath, and Beyond shopping center. Whoa! It was a box jackpot! =) I finally had to stop because my van was packed.....

Pudgie Boy

My brother came to town last night. I wish it was just for a visit, but no, there's more. He came to take our Pudgie dog. It's really his dog, but for the last several years we've had him.

John and I have tried to think of ways to get rid of him plenty of times. Whenever he happened to escape out of the gate we would joke about moving before he came back. Or locking the gate so he couldn't get back in. Of course, we were just joking. He's a great dog - as far as dogs go. His only annoying feature (more annoying than normal dog things, I should say) is that he likes to dig. So the grass in our back yard was slowly and methodically turning into big uneven piles of dirt. But he rarely barks. And he killed his share of backyard intruders (see picture below for an example). And he loves my kids. They LOVE playing outside with him and making him "soup" and feeding him "coconuts" (pecans) and making him chew on sticks. He's their "country dog" - you have to say that with a really thick Texas accent.


But we can't take Pudge with us. So my brother has come to take his rightful place as dog owner and Pudge is leaving for Austin with him this afternoon. I'm going to miss that stupid dog. I will probably even cry. In fact, I did cry yesterday when John David and I were outside talking about it all. I didn't want Little to see though so I changed the subject and went back inside.

All the goodbyes are so hard. This is like taking a really long time to pull off a band-aide. Maybe we should have told everyone we were moving the day before. That would have been quick and way less painful. My hormonal emotions really need some hellos instead of goodbyes. Sigh........

Seven Years Ago......

I was a brand new mommy. Wow. It's what I had wanted to be my whole life! I cannot begin to think what our lives would be like if we had never been given our sweet "Little" that Saturday afternoon. Things would probably be quieter and cleaner - little boys have to have lots of tiny toys and make lots of noises when they play, you know. We would also have more money - all those tiny toys cost a lot of money.

As I sit here thinking back on that day, it's not so hard to remember since I have another "Little" kicking me and wiggling around. I remember how anxious I was to meet him and yet so sad when I could no longer feel him moving within me. I remember how indescribable that moment was when I first saw him, heard him, and then finally held him. What a monumental moment for a girl only 20 years old. I remember when they took him away to take care of some "boy business". I felt so helpless to protect him and I cried and cried until they brought him back. And then I cried some more.

I remember all of his beautiful dark hair. I loved to brush it over and over. He lost all that hair and was bald later on, but that was ok too. I remember his wonderful smell - no doubt the best smell in the world. I remember how tiny he looked and how his tiny little clothes were huge on him.

I remember the red roses my husband brought me. He was so excited that day - he had a little boy! He's never been anything less than the perfect daddy. What a treasure our children have in him. One day they will understand that.

All of the sweet memories are wonderful and I love to think about them. Usually, I get out the scrapbook and cry a few tears. I can't do that this year because it's already packed away for the move. =( But, the moments we have now are equally as wonderful. What a handsome, intelligent, creative, humorous, loving boy we have.

No, he does not fit the mold and he most certainly does march to the beat of his own drum. But isn't it better that way? Isn't that what the world needs? How can you be a world changer if you are the same as everyone else? Thank you, Jesus, for this precious gift. We couldn't ask for more.

Catching Up

Aulora started walking on Friday afternoon. Real walking. She had taken a teeny tiny 1/2" step before but nothing more. On Friday, she took off across the living room rug to go to Julia and the toys. It was so exciting! Even though she's #3, it was still amazing to watch those first little steps. She was smiling so big! I hollered for John, who happened to be home since it was a Friday. We spent the rest of the day trying to entice her to come across the room. I've yet to capture it on video. I'll try soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news, John David and Julia's favorite new thing to play is "electric eel" or "giant squid". One of them will be the sea creature and the other one will try to capture it. They capture it by putting a big storage tub on its head. Often, Aulora is the electric eel. She never volunteered for this, but they decided it would be fun. I don't think she agrees. She doesn't like that tub on her head or being put inside of it - unless they push her around like it's a train. Then everything is fun again. I just can't help laughing when John David is the eel though. It's pretty comical to see him in the tub flailing his arms and legs (he's electric, remember), as Julia pushes him around.

They have really been playing together much better lately. It's fun to watch them be creative together. They are currently making Pudge (our dog) "soup" outside. They accomplish this by adding all kinds of outdoor things to his water bowl and then stirring it up. Poor Pudge. Good for him his days with us are numbered. My brother is coming to take him home to Austin. It's his dog anyway. I'll miss ol' Pudge though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We signed some papers for our house today. Not "the papers" to close, but the papers agreeing to the offer. We have a home inspection on Friday that I'm not looking forward to. I just keep thinking about how this house is 25 years old and that they might find some huge horrible thing wrong that we have to pay to get fixed. Yuck. On the other hand, if there was some humongous thing wrong, we would probably know about it, right. Yes, surely.

I'm to that stage now where most things I do could be "the last". I do that every year when it's nearing New Year's Day. I can't do a single thing without constantly thinking, "This is the last time blah blah blah." Mundane things. Like stopping at a particular stop sign or seeing a bush. My poor brain is so overloaded right now! We are:

• Changing Jobs
• Moving
• Moving in with family
• Having another baby
• In the middle of birthday season for our kids! Party planning!

Just a little stressful is all I can say.

Whew.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

"Help! Help!"

Judging from Farmer in the Dell's last post, I think she can really appreciate the following story. As I've admitted before, I often hallucinate at night. Last night, I'm proud to say wasn't a hallucination at least, but I don't think it was any better.

John came to bed after me and I was already sound asleep. He did, however, jiggle the bed enough getting in that I woke up just a little and went back to sleep. I dreamed then that when he came to bed, he left the hall light on by our room and it was really bothering me. He wouldn't get up to turn it off so I had to do it. (I was definitely dreaming though because I didn't actually get up like I would in a hallucination.) In my dream I got up and for some reason all the switches were in the garage so I had to open that door and go out there. When I opened the door, a boogey man was waiting for me and he grabbed me from behind so I couldn't see him. He immediately tried to cover my mouth so I couldn't scream but I was determined to yell for John.

At this point I let out the loudest, weirdest holler ever. I woke myself up yelling, "Help! Help!" It sounded like a dying cow though. John started shaking me asking what was wrong. I told him my dream and then he asked, "But why did your voice sound like that?" I answered, "Because that man's hand was over my mouth." We both busted out laughing at that moment. I'm still laughing now. I wish I had a recording of my voice yelling. You would pee your pants. I think we laughed for a good 15 minutes or so. Every time we finally stopped, one of us would start again. My stomach hurt when it was all said and done. My husband was kind enough to point out that I must really be out of shape if a good laugh makes my muscles hurt.

I seriously just can't stop laughing about all of it. So I'm smiling big today. Even though today is the day the packing must start. Bleh. I don't even know where to start. Suggestions???

You might be a redneck if.......

......this sign is in your front yard. I saw this on the way to HSU. I can only hope that this is "creative advertising". I would like to dedicate this post to Steve. He never could say "fire". It always came out "far". The funny part was that he thought he was pronouncing it right and everyone else was wrong. What a good laugh he always gave us as we tried to come up with ways to get him to say fire. =)

Strange Things

Seven things you never knew about me and now wish you didn't. Or as you put it...seven strange/weird/crazy things about me....

(I'm pretty strange so you get a whoppin' ten things. I could have given you soooo many more things.)

1. I hate shower curtain liners - unless they are brand new and never used. They're just gross and if any part of my body happens to come in contact with one while showering, I freak out. My worst nightmare is to be murdered and then wrapped up in a yucky shower curtain when my body is dumped.

2. I will not touch a toilet handle. Not mine, not yours. It doesn't matter if I just cleaned it with bleach. I can't bring myself to touch it. I always use toilet paper to flush.

3. Do not use my bar of soap. Ever. If you do, I'll throw it away. I don't care who you are. Not even my husband is allowed to touch it. And I can always tell if he has. I have a sixth sense.

4. If I touch something with one hand my other hand feels left out and has to touch it also. This also applies to my fingers. If one finger gets to push a button on the radio, the nine other fingers also want to touch a button. This is really annoying but I guess my body has very sensitive feelings.

5. Bottoms of shoes freak me out. Mine, yours, my kids. All shoes. It's just incredibly gross when you think about all the places those shoes have been. Feet I don't mind so much, just the shoes. For this reason, you will find a shoe shelf outside our door in the garage filled with shoes. My family is trained to take off shoes before ever entering the house. They do it at other people's houses too. All of our youth group was trained too. =)

6. I LOVE rubbermaid tubs. (Well, actually Sterelite brand. I'm cheap.) Everything seems so much nicer and organized when it's in a tub. And if there's a label that was printed off the computer describing the contents, I'm even happier. I would put my children in tubs if I could. Their labels would read "Thing One", "Thing Two", and "Thing Three".

7. My bladder has a horrible warning system. I get about 5 seconds notice I have to go to the bathroom. As a result, I have many (much more than I would care to admit) stories of wetting my pants. No, I'm not sharing any during this post. Maybe I'll work up the courage another time. (And this is when I'm NOT pregnant. Imagine the excitement when I'm with child.)

8. I'm obsessed with matching hangers. I don't keep store or dry cleaner hangers. If I had lots of money, I would get those nice wooden ones. As it is, our closets all have the thick white plastic ones. And of course the clothes have to all face the same way. (Ahem, A.) Before I had kids, I even had clothes divided by color and within the colors there were the different seasons or styles. I like my closet to look like a store. Now that I have 3 kids, I have to settle for neat, orderly, and matching hangers. Colors and such just can't be a priority right now. One day.....

9. I get goose bumps a lot. I get them when I'm cold. I get them when I feel dirty and need a shower. I also get them when I need to go to the bathroom - see, I told you I get them a lot.

10. I have super duper long toes. Even better, I have a second toe that is longer than the first. Sorry, Amy, I invented the toe pinch. I seriously don't think I would have too much trouble if I ever lost all my fingers. My toes could do it all.

***1,2, and 5 are due in large part to the fact that when I was a teenager, my parents bought me a "bacteria farm". Some kids had ant farms. Not me. What kind of parent buys their kid something like that??? I was able to take samples from all kinds of things from around the house and then watch bacteria from my samples grow in little petri dishes. I've never been the same. Can you blame me? It really does explain a lot, doesn't it? =)

Silly Ol' Me (as Julia says)

Here's me and my new boyfriend. Isn't he so cute? hahaha

No, really. I was at Walmart the other day and the Pillsbury doughboy was there! I had to have my picture with him! Unfortunately, he was so big (not that I'm so small these days or ever for that matter) and my arm could only reach so far. It made for an awkward looking La in this picture. Obviously, I have not mastered the art of self picture taking. Chin down, is it? So enjoy my big face and neck all becoming one in this little gem. It's still a memory I'll always treasure. =) And my kids think I'm the coolest and luckiest mom ever....

The Birthday Party!

Yesterday was the big Strawberry Shortcake birthday party for Julia and her friend, A. Big A (only meant to differentiate between the very little A and her mom) and I spent lots of time putting everything together and we had so much fun! We are very glad it's over though. =)

Thanks to everyone who came! I tried to get lots of pictures, but I still didn't get one of everyone who was there. I can't wait to see what pictures everyone else has!

Here are "the girls". I wish soooo badly that we could stay here and watch
them all grow up together! How much fun that would be!
They are all wearing the aprons that we gave as favors for the party.

Julia and A blowing out their birthday candles.
Julia gets 4 candles and A gets 3!

Lots of presents to open!

The great Strawberry Shortcake cake.
Would it be believable if I said that A and I made it ourselves?

We had a "berry hunt" outside. It felt like Easter time! Mostly there were
just strawberry candies to find, but there were some bigger things as well.
Here's Julia showing off her puzzle she found.

We let all the guests open their prize right before the birthday girls opened their presents. The girls got aprons and the boys got an archaeologist dinosaur egg thing.

A gave Julia an apron with her name on it for part of her present.
Now Julia has two aprons. Get to cooking, Julia!

Julia with her friend JD. Her eyes are closed but aren't they so cute?

Julia and F. They used to be enemies in the nursery - we never could figure out why. But now they get along great! Sometimes Julia even says F is her best friend. Girls!

Still opening presents....

A on her new bike!

The little girls just chillin'.

Hey, look! I'm actually at the party!
I gave the camera to John to take some pictures this year. =)
Now he's not in any pictures.....

Here's one of my favorite pictures. Why is this my favorite, you ask?
Because that's A's husband trying to pry into one of Julia's presents. Hahahaha!
She took it to him to try to open instead of us. Life is so great....

WOOHOO!!!!!

It sold! It sold! It sold!

I'm smiling sooo BIG right now!

John had to tell me to stop jumping up and down so I wouldn't give our baby brain damage.

All of the stress of the day and making sure the house was perfectly clean paid off!

Thank you, Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ready for Bed

Today has been long, hard, and busy. A good busy though. In the midst of getting all the stuff ready to haul over to JBF (I had to wait to work on it since I couldn't have it laying all over the house for a few days) I got a call from our realtor saying that she wanted to show the house. I couldn't say no to that, so then mopping and cleaning and all that good stuff had to be done too.

It doesn't sound so bad now, but I should have taken pictures of ALL the stuff I was tagging and taking to the sale. There were mountains of it! I got it done though and finally fed the kids and was about to make my final trip to drop stuff off when the realtor called again. The man wanted to see the house again this time with his wife. Arghhhhh but Yea all at the same time.

I ran back in the house and quickly cleaned up all the messes the kids had already made and put the dinner dishes in the oven (what else could I do?) and got out of the house. The people were here for nearly an hour! I'm really, really hoping we get a call saying that they want it. Why else would they be here so long? They must be at least seriously thinking about it, right? The suspense is killing me. =) They are using our agent so I know she knows something. I called her after they left to see what she could tell me. She didn't answer. That's just cruel. So, I'll dream sweet dreams tonight thinking about the couple that will buy our house. Yes, that's what I will do......

Disappointing

So it wasn't that great. Again. It was better than the spring sale for sure and I'm sure it will be even better next spring. But unless you are in the market for an excersaucer, stroller, or maybe some baby girl clothes, it's probably not going to be worth your time. They already sold lots and lots of stuff before it is even going to open up to the public. Too bad. =(

JBF Reminder

Just a reminder that the Just Between Friends sale is this weekend. It's open 8:00-8:00 Friday and then 8:00-1:00 on Saturday. Most things will be half off on Saturday. This year the location is Johnson Street Church of Christ Gym at 2200 S. Johnson Street. =)

Dennis the Menace

Every morning I comb my son's hair. He repeatedly tells me that only one other boy in his class has his hair combed and so I shouldn't do his. That excuse does not fly with me. But, no matter how hard I try, he usually ends up looking like Dennis the Menace. This is thanks to him always standing up to get in and out of the van and rubbing his head against the top of the van. Inevitably, that goofy section of hair in the back is standing straight up. Not even mommy spit can fix it. I've tried. Maybe I should start keeping water, gel, and a comb in the van. He would really be happy about that, I bet. =)

Shhhhhhhhhh........

There's a reason you shouldn't take your 3 year old (or any child who is old enough to talk) with you to your OB/GYN appointments. I'll leave the rest to your imagination since there's no lady-like way to explain it all (or maybe I should say it's all TOO lady-like). I don't think I've ever begged Julia to talk quietly so many times. Oh, fun times.......

No More Cokes For John

I can laugh about it now, but over the last couple of days this has been no laughing matter. I thought we would have to lower the price of our house over it or put in new carpet, or at the very least, rearrange the furniture some bizzare way.

Friday night, after our relaxing dinner where John spilled his coke everywhere, there was another disaster. I didn't know about it until the next morning when I found wet towels overflowing out of the previously empty laundry basket. Hmmmmm. I knew something had happened. I just didn't know what.

Apparently, my husband cannot carry more than 3 things if one of them is a coke. He had his book, a small bag of goldfish crackers, his highlighter, and a glass of coke. According to him, the highlighter put him over the edge. It was just too much for him to carry all at once!

As he walked through the living room (which, in case you have not been to my house, is carpeted with an ivory colored berber carpet) and dropped his large glass of coke. He might as well have thrown his coke all over the living room - floors, walls, and all. It was awful. He did his best to clean it up, but it was there in all its glory. Brown and Big. An ugly looming mess in the house we are supposed to sell.

Stain Out Carpet Cleaners is my favorite new company as of this morning. They did a great job and you would never know what happened (in that spot or anywhere else). What's scary is they spray a chemical all over your floors before they start and it highlights all the stains. What had appeared to be relatively clean carpet was now covered in huge spots and stains everywhere. And they got every single one up. Oh happy day. They have the best rates too. I was skeptical since I've always used a company that costs a little more, but Stain Out was even better. 2 rooms for $46. Not bad.

So John is forgiven. He can stop sleeping on the couch now. Hahaha. Just kidding......

Watch Out For That Guy

I couldn't believe it when it happened and I don't believe it now. I was putting the girls into the basket at the dollar store today. Out walked a family only a few feet away from me. I was in very plain sight but this apparently made no difference to the father. As they walked by he made his presence known in the stinkiest possible way, if you know what I mean. And it was not silent either. We're talking loud and smelly. How gross is that? What's worse is he was all smiles about it. His wife didn't seem too shocked about it. How sad. If my husband ever even thought about doing that, he would find himself quite lonely all of a sudden. Thank the Lord my husband has manners and uses them at all times.

Julia's Costume

Julia's new fall festival costume came in the mail today. It was custom made and we were so excited about it. I was disappointed to find that it reeked of smoke. =( So even though it looks crisp and new, now it has to be washed and aired out. Then I have to iron it! Someone get the camera out - La is going to iron......

(I'm not telling what the costume is. You have to wait for pictures.)

This Post Brought To You By Target and My Kids' Bellies

I was brave yesterday and took all three kids with me to Target. They had a couple of gift cards burning holes in their little pockets so off we went. Of course we had to get icees. You can't go to Target without getting an icee. They were being very well behaved drinking their treats as I looked at some things. They were talking and playing with each other but I wasn't really listening to what they were saying until it was too late.

One of them said, "Hey, let's give each other a belly high five!" But by the time I comprehended what had been said, Julia was flying back through the air and so was her icee. John David was standing there watching with his little eyes as big as they could be. She landed on the ground, shocked and bewildered, with icee all over her legs and feet.

I didn't laugh at that very moment but it was funny pretty soon. I only wish I had that moment on video. It was so great! And poor little Julia was trying to salvage her icee off of her pants. I think they learned their lesson that belly high fives just aren't a very good idea......

I really have no idea how to spell "icee". Of course my computer underlined it in red but has offered no better solutions. So, if you're totally annoyed that I spelled "icee" wrong during this entire post, I'm sorry. Feel free to comment on the correct way to spell it. =)