Life in Alabama

All grown up

2008-05-31T13:21:00.001-07:00

Its been a long time... I'm SO sorry! Our computer was out of commission for a very long time- part computer issues and part Internet issues. It is all fixed now!

Let me update...

Starting at the most recent great news, Emily can officially ride a two wheel bike (no training wheels.) It took her like 4 minutes of some uncertainty, and then she was off.

Sammy is officially potty trained and he is SO good! Most of the time he goes without even notifying me or demand candy for his accomplishments. Here is a picture of Sammy with his little friend, Jenna. They will marry one day.

Lets see... we no longer have the dog and we've never regretted the decision to let him go.

As for future plans, I am going to the beach tomorrow through Wednesday with girlfriends, then I work a week, then I go to the beach with the kids and my friend Laura, and her daughter, the above mentioned Jenna. When I return from the beach, I am headed up to Michigan with the kids. When I get back from my two week stint in the mitten state, I return home only to turn around and head up to Nashville for a conference. The summer is flying by!!

So proud!

2008-04-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my little man!! He went ALL day in the same pair of 'Mater underwear with no accidents! He is wonderful. In addition, since he has had his adenoids out, he has been staying asleep in his own bed.
Yankee has also gone accident free today. (And he sleeps well too, but gets up much too early.)
Feelin' good... :)

Spring Break update (belated)

2008-03-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

I am so behind on my spring break update! My sincere apologies! We had a good break overall. It went by so fast. There was a two hour window when I nearly packed up and went to Michigan, but I had planned other things here in Alabama, so I opted against it. We did some fun things like a trip to Pump it Up (an inflatable indoor playground), the library, McWane (a really cool science center) and the park.

Sammy had his adenoids out in addition to his third ear tube in his left ear. Although for a while he seemed worse, I can tell everything is healing and things are getting better. He still snores like a monster. He was a hit his sun glasses.

New Addition

2008-03-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

We have a new addition to our family!! He is cute and, like Sam, he pees where he is not supposed to. Unlike Sam, however, he chews on everything.

My big spring break plans are to potty and yard train Sam and Yankee.

His official name is Yankee Motown Simmons. He is a Labradoodle. (Part lab, part poodle.) He is so sweet and calm-even for a puppy. He is 12 weeks old and has the same birthday as Emily!! (not the same year.)

new toys

2008-03-03T16:09:00.000-08:00

We bought the kids new toys this weekend... Emily loved her Barbie Scooter, so we thought we would get her a scooter that is a bit more 'souped up.' She LOVES it. I love it!! It is a blast to go to the top of the hill and cruise down.

As for Sammy, he can't totally reach the peddles of his new 'big wheel' yet, so I stand on the back and get us up the hill, then crouch down and we ride down together- we go FAST and Sammy LOVES it!

I also got a new toy this weekend- a Blackberry Pearl. (Its a cool new cell phone with internet and instant messaging- I haven't figured out how to use it to its fullest potential yet.)

Whats happening...

2008-02-19T18:22:00.000-08:00

Sammy has ZERO interest in potty training. We feel we have tried most 'tricks' in the books. He doesn't care if he gets Lightning McQueen or Mater wet... he doesn't even care that we bought him a gum ball machine and filled with it red "Lightning" jelly bellies. Even peeing on cheerios in the potty does not amuse him. He doesn't even mind marking his territory in every room of the house. Anyway, while he was watching TV, I tricked him into sitting on this 'chair'. I don't think he noticed it was a potty for a little while. Needless to say, we spent 3 days going through countless pairs of underwear and not one drop went into the potty.
We bought a Wii. Jason and our neighbor, Dustin, love to play each other like they are both professionals. They often end the game sweating and there is a lot of yelling involved. Emily is a pro at bowling and may still hold the best score on our Wii. She is impressive!!

I'm better!!

2008-02-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we were all healthy! How wonderful is that? I am finally to the point where I can laugh without a huge coughing fit- and that feels great.
We also have tomorrow off- presidents day! Nice, huh? And the weather should be great... so its not like the snow days that they get in Michigan! HA!!
Not too much is going on here- besides playing outside when we have time- and that has been great!! The kids love the park and Sammy is quite the dare devil. Poor guy is going through a stuttering stage right now. Its so cute, but I know that he is frustrated. All is well with Emily. She is done with basketball and I think that is great for all of us. I do have to state though, that Emily, in our mind, should get the most improved player award. She started off very afraid of the ball and not involved at all. By the end, she was an amazing defensive player. The last two games, she nearly made two baskets too. Because her arms don't do straight up over her head, she was unable to shoot well, but she started to do underhand and she was reaching the rim. We are SO proud of her!!!
Also exciting, we found a new babysitter. She is a freshman so we'll have her for a few years. So, Jason and I went out on a date last night. We first went shooting at the range then we went to John's City Diner and they have the BEST hummus EVER. Then we went to a club with our neighbors, Becky and Dale and we had a a great time. Well, the girls had a great time becuase we danced to a head banging 80's band! The boys just watched as we danced on stage with the band.
Also fun, I have gone to Sips and Strokes twice. This is a super fun place that you bring your own wine/liquor and they teach you how to paint a specific picture. It is amazing fun!!

Wasted weekend...

2008-02-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

I spent the entire weekend sick... banished from all rooms of the house but my own bedroom. Only now, becuase the kids are in bed, am I able to sneak out to work on the computer for a moment.
I love the weekends! I love spending time with the family, running errands, getting things done. I am one of those people who are not good at being ill. I do not like naps, or daytime television.
I think I may go to the doctor tomorrow. My fever broke today, which is great, but I'm feeling this whole thing may not be over...
Please pray that no one else in my family gets this!!

Cancun 08

2008-02-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

I know I am so slow on updating this blog... I am so sorry. On a positive note, we are blessed with really busy, active lives!
We went to Cancun a couple of weeks ago and it was, perhaps, my favorite trip to Cancun. This was more restful than the others. We partied, but we also ate (an insane amount) and relaxed a lot. We spent some good, quality time together.
Jason's parents stayed with the kids at our house... not only did they give the kids all the love and play they desired- in addition to hot breakfast- they also painted our living room and dining room! Our living room is 2 stories!! They are amazing!! We love them- and we love the new colors!
Here are some pictures of Cancun:

These are a few of my favorite things...

2008-01-17T11:47:00.000-08:00

Sammy's favorite things are his Cars slippers, all of his Cars toys, Cars racetrack, Disney Toddler Eye Spy Book, Big Book of Trains book, his kitty and Geo traks.
He loves granola bars and orange juice (and cookies, of course).

Emily's favorite things are her ipod, her dozens' of princess and Hanna Montana (and friends) barbie size dolls, her fiber optic light, the fancy tinkerbell jammies and the computer. She eats nearly anything, but focuses mostly on healthy foods.

As for Jason and I, we both love our ipods and running shoes. Jason loves his golf clubs and his new Beretta too! (Its a gun, not an old car.)

Jason turns 33 on Saturday. We are going to go shooting. He is going to expect some degree of excellence from me considering my prior military experience... he is going to be wildly disappointed!

We leave for Cancun on Wednesday and I will post pictures when we return. I am SO excited!!

tee tee

2008-01-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

In the south, pee pee is called tee tee... my friend Laura calls is wee-wee, but you get the picture. The first time Emily said tee tee, I was totally thrown for a loop... although I figured it out when used in the context of the sentence, 'the chick tee teed in my hand.'
Sammy has no need for a potty yet... he likes the warmth of tee tee and poopy. When used to his advantage, however, he likes to give the potty a try. Tonight, it was his excuse for getting out of bed. Poor guy tried so hard to pee... he just stared as his little thing- like it was a contest of will (and the lower brain won.) However, he was able to toot. Feeling satisfied by that major accomplishment, he flushed the potty and went to bed.
Moments later, however, he came running out of his room crying. We have been having quite a battle over staying in bed, and he normally ends up in our room at 2:30 am. This cry, however, was not his usual cry for attention- it was pure panic and he yelled, 'I don't like it!!!' I asked him what he didn't like and he said, 'the light.' It is storming outside right now and the lightning is not neat or cool to him. Poor guy. I had told him if he got out of bed again he couldn't have a blue or purple gum drop snack tomorrow, but that one doesn't count- he can still have the gum drop. Can't blame a kid for being scared of a storm! By the way, Michiganders, this is probably a heat storm since we basked in the warmth of the high 70s today!!
I do wish this storm would be a little less audible and visual though! I foresee having two kids in my bed if it doesn't subside!

Clements Christmas

2008-01-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

This is the granparents and grandchildren.
Above are the Clements girls and their spouses.

This year the Clements Clan met in Kentucky for a wonderful Christmas. The house was great and Christmas was also. It was so nice to hang out with the entire Clements crew.

Christmas- round one

2007-12-28T06:08:00.000-08:00

Sammy playing with his favorite toy- the Polar Express train. He goes through a pack (of C batteries) a day.
Emily playing with Polar Express while waiting to open gifts.
After the gifts were opened.
Jason's parents came to Alabama to celebrate Christmas with us. It was wonderful to have them here.

Tomorrow we leave for Kentucky where we are renting a home to celebrate the Clements Family Christmas. The entire Clements Clan will be there! We are looking forward to it.

Emily's Party

2007-12-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Emily had a very fun birthday party and a plethora of little girls showed up to squeal, run, spill, jump, dance and sing. "Sharpay" came to sing and dance with the girls and they LOVED her. Then, our neighbor, Dustin, came over and the girls loved all over him.

It was very interesting to meet all of Emily's little classmates and to names to the faces that make up her stories!

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

Trying to get Christmas pictures was an adventure this year! Sammy did not like Santa, so the Santa pictures did not work out well. I tried to get the kids to stand still in front of the fireplace... but, as you see, that did not happen!
Oh well, Christmas has very little to do with standing still in front of a fireplace anyway!
Merry Christmas!

Christmas Music

2007-12-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

XM radio plays about 6 channels of Christmas music, each with its own genre. While I had the kids in the car, I thought we would peruse the channels. We were on a channel with funny songs and then a song entitled, 'Keep Christ in Christmas' came on. It was cute- they would put Christ is normal Christmas songs like, 'Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, had a great friend named Jesus' and 'Jesus the long haired savior.' Anyway, the very end of the song was to the tune of Jingle Bells they sang, 'jingle bells, you'll go to hell, if you don't pray.' Well, I was momentarily shocked and kind of embarrassed that the kids heard that. Emily saw my reaction and said, 'its okay mom, you really WILL go to hell if you don't pray!'

He figured it out

2007-12-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

Sammy has officially figured out that he is not confined to a bed. He feels as though he can come and go as he pleases. He comes down for water, for a hug, a diaper change, etc. He comes down at the wee early hours of morning to sleep with us. He sits at the top of the landing, overlooking the living room and watches tv. One time, he decided to go into Emily's room while she was sleeping and turn on her light and fan and see what she was doing. Of course, she was sleeping, so he became bored by her and went back to his room to turn on his fan and light and read a book.
He could be wide awake playing with trains right now!
I'm not going up there though!! He has a way of telling stories or holding on tightly until I fall asleep in his tiny arms... then again, maybe I will go up there.

Thanksgiving Friends

2007-12-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

Our friends from Michigan came down for the Thanksgiving and I felt so very blessed to have them here! It was the perfect mix of getting out and seeing things and of relaxing. We had some group time and some girl time.

Leslie and I did our annual 'black Friday' shopping and it was so nice to chat with her and spend time with her.

I really miss them all so much!! Carla and Kris were here with their 5 month old twins and they are so cute!

There are really no words I could say that would give the weekend the justice it deserves. I really, really miss those Michigan friends and I felt so blessed to have them here for a few days.

Hey Ms. Becky...

2007-11-19T06:11:00.000-08:00

The other day, Sammy had just gotten out of the bath when my neighbor, (and good friend) Becky came over. Sammy was running around naked while Becky and I were chatting. She sat on the couch and Sammy sat right down next to her- still totally naked. He looked at Becky and said, 'Hey Ms. Becky- look at my penis!'
Good thing she raised a boy too! :)

Its beginning to look a lot like...

2007-11-19T06:01:00.000-08:00

We have had frost in the in morning, in addition to fog. Each morning, Sammy gets SO excited when the door opens and he sees this illusion of white. "Its looks like Christmas outside!!"

Inside, it looks like Christmas too. The tree is up in the living room and there are 3 smaller trees upstairs overlooking the living room. It really looks great! We have yet to put up outside decorations because I'm afraid we will get fined by the community organization! But, yesterday I noticed that someone else had theirs up, so we will be next!

We are getting ready for our friends for the Thanksgiving weekend and we are SO excited!!

So much to be thankful for!!

Update

2007-10-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, I really need to get some Disney pictures up. They are on my other computer (the one that doesn't fit conveniently on my lap). As always, things have been busy. I am home today with Sammy because he was running a fever yesterday. It may sound odd, but I'm hoping its an earache because that sounds more treatable than half the other stuff that is going around! The kids have already received their flu shots. I should be getting mine soon.
In the meantime, between everything else, I have started to decorate my house for Christmas. Don't act shocked! Nothing about me has changed since I've moved to the south! I've been enjoying Christmas music for a month now! I may put the village up today!

Simmons Children

2007-10-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a recent picture of the people who keep our lives very interesting!

Tiger

2007-10-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

Sammy is going to be Tiger for Halloween! We borrowed the costume from Leslie. Sammy LOVES the costume! He wouldn't take it off. He wanted to wear it to bed and to school and outside and dinner... I think you get the point.

Emily is going to be a Cheetah girl. She is trying out her costume this weekend at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Parade.

Camping

2007-10-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, we moved all the furniture out of the living room and erected a big, multi-room tent. The kids had a BLAST. We ate dinner in there (hot dogs and chips) and Emily and Jason slept on an air mattress. It was 'one of the best days' of Emily's whole life!

preschool

2007-10-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

Sammy is in a new preschool, and, thank God, he loves it. He gets to play outside and there are 6 other boys in his class (no girls!) to rough around with. His loves his new teacher, Ms. Tammy, and asks for her just like he used to ask for Ms. Lulu. The only problem that lunch... if Sammy doesn't like what they are eating, he eats nothing. Lulu used to make him something else. However, Sammy is not about to wilt away, so he should be okay! He is starting to point of colors and shapes (although not always correct.) As for potty training, that is still on hold. The only interest he has in potty training is to point out his boy parts, which we use correct names for. Its so cute! (The fact that he says it, not the unit itself.)

Quickies

2007-10-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today, on the way to daycare Sammy said, "I ate it". I replied, " did you eat your cheerios?" He answered, "no, I ate my booger. It was in my nose, then in my mouth."

Emily's fave friend

2007-09-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Emily and her good friend, Charli.

Busy

2007-09-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that September is almost over! Things have been crazy busy, and they are about to get even busier and I can't wait!
In all, things have been good. I've been doing some fun activities with my kids at school.
Emily is doing great in school and she has the most amazing teacher who even captivates my attention! She has been chosen as a school ambassador and the student of the week already this year!
Sam is amazing talking up a storm and initiating words of affection. He is a cereal kid! He lives on chicken na-nas, cereal and pizza. Oh, and tacos! That boy can eat an entire taco!
Jason is doing well... still working hard at work and trying to hit the contest so we can go to Cancun again... that would be a great vacation. We could use some alone time... moving away from family really cuts down on babysitting which really cuts down on alone time!

flowers

2007-09-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Flowers from my husband... just because...

Labor Day Weekend

2007-09-09T19:32:00.001-07:00

Jason's parents came to visit us over Labor Day Weekend. It was a great visit. The guys painted the kitchen and it looks great. We also moved the swing set. The kids LOVED hanging out with Nana and Pops and still ask about them. We miss them. The kids and Jason will be seeing them in November when they all meet in Texas.

Mono

2007-08-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the kids and I when I had mono...can you think of a better time for a popcorn party?

First day of school

2007-08-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

Emily's first day of school.

Better

2007-08-23T14:51:00.001-07:00

Okay, I am really going to get better at this! Things have been crazy in so many ways. But, some things have been great too. Sammy is wonderful and talking up a storm. He went potty on the potty the other day and is really just a great kid. Emily loves school and learning. Her worst subject is penmanship... wonder where she gets that from?
I will post some pictures soon.
And, in the future things look great! Jason's parents are coming to visit soon. We are going to Disney in October and Jason and kids are going to Texas in November. We just planned to meet our amazing friends, the Boohers, in Gatlinburg for Thanksgiving!

Update

2007-08-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

I am alive and well and out of bed. I have reentered the work force (and wishing I still had mono.) I do have to take it easy, but my life really has never afforded itself to taking it easy.
My job is at a stressful climax... schedules are not right, the state isn't letting us enroll students, the high school may not be ready for Thursday's start date and I'm not allowed back to my office until the first day of school due to construction.
Emily starts school on Thursday. We went to 'meet the teacher' today and her teacher seems great! She is very excited and has some cool kids in her class. She has an outfit picked out for the first day... all the important stuff!!
Sammy is a character. He is quite a talker- very enthusiastic. I love the way he pronounces some words! Ookie Monker (cookie monster). He is all two year old boy. I found him standing on the back of the couch!! He climbs on people like we are playground equipment. He loves to run, scream and play with whatever Emily is currently playing with. Have I mentioned what an amazing big sister she is?! I

Cutest Who in Whoville

2007-08-04T13:36:00.001-07:00

Emily is in the Trussville presentation of Suesical. They had opening night last night and it was so cute! What a great show. A must see. Two thumbs up.

We will get more pictures another time... no flash photography during the performance.

Gift of time

2007-07-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

I have been blessed/cursed with the gift of time. I have mono. I have a ton of time now, in which I can do nothing with. I am bed ridden for the next 5 days... unable to do anything. This is torture!! I'm not really the kind of person who likes vegging out for too long. I can enjoy a vacation or a couple of hours to really get into a book... but forced vegetation is not my thing! This was supposed to be my last week of summer vacation! I had so much planned!! So, I will be readily available by email! And, perhaps I will be able to post more pictures on my blog!!

Boohers

2007-07-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a very stories from my trip up north. One of the best times was our visit with our friends, the Boohers. Kyle and Leslie have been friends of our for a very long time. Our oldest kids have married once or twice... nothing legal, but temporarily official. We went to Garland where Jason and I own land on the 9th hole of the Sanctuary. We stopped by and visited our land. There is a sign stating that we own it!
While the boys did an insane amount of golfing, the girls swam, read in the hot tub, attempted tennis and got the absolute best massage EVER from the masseuse/ maintenance man. Seriously amazing. Seriously the BEST EVER- and I like to frequent the spa. And there was no spa- just a nice hotel room. Sounds creepy, but it wasn't!

odd to me...

2007-07-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

You know, I have had more comments about people expressing shock that I actually jog then anyone being shocked that I pole dance!!
You guys are so funny!!!

Myth Buster

2007-07-04T06:10:00.001-07:00

As I was jogging this morning, it occurred to me that going 'up hill, both ways' is not a myth. In fact, in Alabama it is a given. I always thought that was a parental exaggeration concocted to make the children of today feel both inferior and blessed. I would like to point out, however, that perhaps parents from the north were stretching the truth considering the inclines there are hardly considered hills.
I am just glad my house is at the bottom of a hill, or I would still be crawling home...

Bedtime Quicky

2007-07-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Thought I would write a quick blog at bedtime (what were you thinking I was referring to?) I had locked all the doors and turned off all the lights and set the house alarm in anticipation of going to sleep. On my way out of the kitchen, I sneezed and set off the house alarm which is very loud (both the house alarm, and, apparently, my sneeze). My heart is racing. The kids actually slept though it, but Jason may need a change of pants!
Good night!!

Family

2007-07-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

Jason and I were able to spend a lot of time with our wonderful families during our visit to Midland. Here are a few pictures of our families.

The first picture is of Jason's mom and dad and the second is of my entire fam damily!

Little Friends

2007-07-01T19:35:00.001-07:00

During our trip to Michigan, Jason and I were able to meet Ty and Cole. They are a set of amazingly adorable twins that belong to Carla and Kris who are two amazing people.

Also, Emily was able to send time with kids her age- the Boohers (she had a huge crush on Gavin her whole life!) and her wonderful second cousin, Kaitlyn.

Jason is pictured with Ty.

Michigan Friends

2007-07-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

I was really blessed to be able to visit with a few of my Michigan friends on my visit. There is so much to share about that visit- the family and friends and celebrations and get togethers- it was great. I will share stories in pieces as time. I wish I could have visited with more friends while in Michigan! I miss everyone so much!!

From top to bottom: my wonderful friends, Kenya, Carla, Leslie and Dolly (with all our children.)

McWane

2007-06-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

Last week, we bought season tickets to the McWane Science Center. This summer they are having a Bob the Builder Display in addition to the regular, fun activities that they always have. This is a picture of Emily laying on a bed of nails- we all tried it- even Sammy. Sam loved the Bob the Builder Display. He is so into trucks and trains and building things.

Fun Plans

2007-06-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

We have officially booked a trip to Disney in October! We are all so excited. Sammy is at the perfect age to enjoy the magic of the parks. He is really getting into the names of the characters too. When we took him last year, he was too young to see how wonderful it is there. We are going for a four day weekend. We found a great price on a flight and we are staying at the Coronado. Hopefully the parks aren't too busy and the weather is cooler! Seriously, I'm not bragging- I am just so excited that I wanted to share!

Memorial Day and more

2007-06-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture, a little belated, of my family on Memorial Day. We went to the country club for a swim. Sammy is a fearless swimmer. He loves to do 'one, two, three' and jump off the side into the pool. He is talking about everything, all the time. Emily is doing well too. She had her first meeting for the play, Seusical, the other day. As for me, I went to my friend's house on the lake on Monday and Tuesday. There were three girls there and we had a great time cruising on the boat, getting some sun, consuming some adult beverages, grilling out and shopping. Jason is on an exercise kick- running, biking, lifting and crunching. He loves it and he looks great.

Delayed Pictures

2007-06-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

I meant to get some graduation pictures out a while ago, but things it just didn't happen. Anyway, The first picture is of Tyler and Blake. They jumped into Blake's pool in their graduation robes and then felt the need to give me a big, wet hug.
The second picture is of my seniors. They are the best group of kids to graduate ever!! I will miss them.

Summer play

2007-06-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent picture of Emily and Sam. Sammy likes to wrestle with Emily. He just runs at her and jumps on her all the time. One day, recently, at the mall, Jason was shopping with the kids and Emily ran in front of Sam and Jason. She turned around, arms stretched, and said, 'Sam, come here.' Sammy ran at her, full tilt, and knocked her over- backwards- right onto her head. She had a horrible bump!
This, however, is a picture from yesterday where no one was hurt.

Southern Boy

2007-06-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

Sammy is a southern boy. He has been talking SO much recently. He doesn't say reckon or ya'll, but he says something far cuter!! He says 'yes ma'am' and 'no ma'am.' Its even cuter than that because it comes outs 'yes map' and 'no map.' I'm not sure that that is cute to his horrible allergies or if putting a 'm' at the end of a word is still hard for a two year old, but its adorable either way.

As I write this, Emily is sleeping and Jason is golfing. Sammy is on his second bowl of cereal (breakfast is his favorite meal and cereal is his favorite food.) He piles the spoon full of cereal and uses the other hand to assist the cereal into his mouth.

Summer break

2007-05-31T12:10:00.001-07:00

Today is my first official day of summer break. So far the only thing productive that I have done is nap. Its been a good day. Right now, Sammy is still napping and Emily is bowling with the neighbors. There is no TV on... if fact, there is not a single light on in the house. All I hear is the whir of the fridge and my thinking of my laptop.
The weather is hot. Sammy can't be outside right now anyway because we believe he has allergies. Last Saturday, we were outside all day playing and that night Sammy had what I believe to be a mild asthma attack. We were going to go to the hospital, but opted for the home remedy of sitting in a steamy bathroom until we both were sweating so much we had to get out. He has been doing fine since, but it was still scary. So, I'm not too anxious to get him outside for too long for now. In addition, our air quality is horrible right now as we can smell the fires burning in Georgia. Yuck! We are 600 miles away. I can't imagine what it must be like for the people who are closer.
Well, I am going to try to download some pictures to post very soon.
Hope you are all having a great summer!

Cake

2007-05-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

This morning, I went in to get Sammy. He was laying on his bed, playing with his cars. I said 'Happy Birthday Sammy.' He looked up... thought for a moment and said, 'I want cake.'
Later, I was trying to practice his age with him so I said, 'Sammy, how old are you?' He thought for a moment and replied, 'Cake.'
Jason was putting him the car to take him to Lulu's and I said, 'love you Sammy- have a great birthday.' His reply: 'I want cake.'
When he got to Lulu's house, he went right to the table, sat down and said, 'Lulu, I want cake.'
I think they will be having an early morning snack... but what should it be? Perhaps, (and this is just a suggestion) they could have the large cookie cake that I sent with Sam.

Senior Prank

2007-05-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

A picture says a thousand words...

I will try to condense my view to less than a thousand words. Although there is a hoopla/ uproar in the tiny town of Trussville, I find the prank harmless and beautiful and quite funny. The 07 seniors 'rolled' nearly 3 miles of road leading to the school and the courtyard then paraded in on scooters and blades. It was quite a sight!!

Ka-Chow

2007-05-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

All "Cars" (the movie, not the transportation) fans will appreciate this little story that just happened. Tonight I am on-the-spot reporting. Sammy was just crying in his bed, which he rarely does. I went upstairs to check on him and he was crying for Ka-chow. Ka-chow is Lightening McQueen from the Disney/Pixar movie, Cars. The reason that Sam renamed him is simple, 'ka-chow' is Lightning's catch phrase and Sammy often calls things by the sound that they make. For example, he points things out as choo choo and neigh and baa instead of train, horse and sheep. So, anyway, Sammy was crying for ka-chow, a little match box replica of Lightning McQueen. He couldn't find him in his bed, and he needs him to sleep. Sometimes he holds the little cars in his hands, while other times they are lined up in his bed. Tonight, however, he wanted them in his hands. I couldn't find the car and asked him to just hold on to Sally (another Cars car) instead, but that wouldn't do. He said, 'Daddy get ka-chow'. So, I got Jason, who turned his light up, and we found ka-chow under the bed. Daddy is a hero. Sammy is happy and hasn't fussed since I began writing.
We were at Toys R Us the other day and needed to purchase another ka-chow because its important to have a few on hand- one in the bed, one in the car. We need to purchase more. Ka-chow, however, was not sold separately. We had to buy an entire gift set of all the race cars to get another well needed ka-chow. But it was worth it!

Our date

2007-05-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

Due to our increasingly busy schedule and the time that Jason and I are separated, heading off in different directions for work, school and sports, we decided to have a date night last. I hired a two -for- one babysitter (a boyfriend/girlfriend combo) to watch the kids. We put Sam to bed before we left and the sitters watched Emily until they put her to bed. The had light saber fights, played tons of board games and watched Star Wars. They all had fun.
Jason and I had 8:00 reservations for my favorite Mexican restaurant, Cocina Superior. We ate a lot and had great conversations. We were so stuffed, and exhausted, that we didn't go out for cocktails like we had originally planned, but we grabbed some movies in hopes to make the whole weekend a big date.

My favorite song

2007-05-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight Emily and I went to the choir concert at Hewitt Trussville. It was great. The solos were amazing. I knew a bunch of the students in the choir and they were American Idol caliber. The best part, however, was the last song. The choir rocked out to Bohemian Rhapsody. They sounded so good and had so much fun. That is my favorite song and it was amazing to see our kids sing it.
Emily enjoyed the concert. She is becoming a regular in the theatre arts department. The more she watches, the more she aspires to sing, act and play guitar. Although it is no surprise, this may just be her niche.

Father God

2007-05-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

In the south, the Baptist rein. I have found that while we are all Christians, there is a definite difference in religions. First, I don't quote scripture. Second, my prayers are rehearsed and recited. Catholics aren't much for coming up with prayers on our own. Baptists, however, are quite inspirational with their prayers and I commend them on it. The thing that makes me giggle (and sometimes actually laugh) is the amount of times that they say 'Father God' in a prayer.
I went to the baptist church tonight for senior night because I have become quite close to my senior guys. It was a great experience. They began with the juniors spoofing on the seniors and it was gut wrenching funny. I understood most of the inside jokes. After that, the seniors washed the feet of the juniors and served them bread and wine (not real wine, of course, they are underage... and baptist.)
After that, they did a Father God prayer and a speaker spoke (as they often do). After that, the seniors all sat up front and the rest of us could go pray with them individually. Because I am Catholic, I am not good a impromptu prayer. So, I went to Dustin first and said, 'We are Catholic... should I do a Hail Mary with you?' He laughed. I went up to all my guys, confessing that I don't do prayers like that. It was great, however, because I was able to go up to all my boys, make them laugh, and tell them how much they mean to me.
They have really added so much to this year for me. They are amazing young men who I will never forget. It was wonderful to have a brief moment to hug them and let them know. There was one amazing student who did the prayer for me. It was amazing.
So, the experience had laughter and tears. I'm so glad I went.

Horses, Mexican Celebration, Party, Picnic

2007-05-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend! The festivities began when our good friends, Heather and Paul, came to visit to celebrate friendships, horses races and a battle between the Mexican and French. Jason had themed the celebration with liquor. When we watched the race, we drank home made mint juleps. After the shortest athletic event with the most fanfare (the Kentucky Derby), we moved on to Mexican liquors... margaritas, coronas, etc. We had an amazing dinner of steak and/or fajitas. Throughout the day we snacked on homemade salsa and Mexican dips. The night ended with B&B and cigars for the boys in addition to the most exquisite key lime pie that has ever tantalized my taste buds. It was a great time!
Sunday was a family day. After church and Sunday school, Emily had a birthday party to attend. After the birthday party we attended the Trussville City Schools picnic. The sun was beaming down as we enjoyed BBQ and banjo pickin'.
The day ended with a huge water fight that included my children, my neighbor and me. Emily classified that event as one of the best nights of her life.
(As a side note, I would like to clarify 'we' in this blog. I am really not included in the 'we' as I don't do BBQ, beer, tequila, bourbon, b&b liquor or cigars. I did, however, stick with my policy... Captain Morgan. )

Sam's new word

2007-05-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

Sam has new words daily, but he's newest word that amuses me is DINNER. The way Sam says dinner amuses me on many levels. Sammy tends to put the emphasis on the wrong syllable. Not only is it cute to hear, but it gives me hope. Big, important people- like a man currently leading the United States of America- put emphasis on the wrong syllable. So, perhaps there are high aspirations for Sammy.
In addition, nobody in the south says dinner. They all say supper. Sammy is still a northerner!!!

A star is born...

2007-05-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentleman...
I am proud to introduce Emily Simmons... staring in her first very off Broadway show... in a community theatre in Trussville, Alabama. Emily has been cast as a little Who and a Circus Animal.
More details to come when practice starts in June! She is SO excited!

Audition

2007-05-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Emily looked so cute for her audition tonight. She sang 'Jesus Loves Me.' She was articulate and clear, but quiet. She was so cute and sweet though. I really hope she gets in the play. I saw a little fire in her eyes tonight. It takes an amazing amount of courage for a 6 year old to get up in front of a lot of people and sing by herself. After the singing, she had to answer a few questions (I called it the shy test). The questions were simple like, 'what school do you attend,' and 'what is your favorite subject.' Emily was polite and smiled as she answered the questions.
The only downfall of the night is that the lady in charge of ACTA, is not all that fond of me. She was subbing at my school once while I was doing a presentation and I just really felt that she didn't see anything the way I saw it. By the end of the day, I really felt we were doing better, but I felt it was a rough start. Anyway, I would feel horrible if Em didn't get a part because I was feeling feisty one day. Really, it just goes to show you that everything is interlinked... that the chance that the one person that you don't click with right away will enter your life again when you really need that connection. Karma. Darn Karma.

kids...

2007-04-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

This blog applies mostly to people with children, or impregnated with a child (or children) or anyone who was ever a child with parents.
I would like to preface this email with the fact that I love my children more than anything in the world. They will have infinite unconditional love from me. I think they are both smart and funny and quite cute- many of the things that I prayed for while they each developed inside me.
That being said, there are going to be times in a mother's life where she is going to seriously wonder where some of her child's characteristics originated! Either I am in denial of who I am as a person, or my children have been raised by a far more head strong than me. I've said before, Emily lacks competitive desire, but tonight I realized something else about her. She lacks passion. Everything in her life has come easy- academics and friends. She's never really wanted anything. When something doesn't come easy, then she figures that she didn't need it anyway. If she can't do something, in reference to her muscles, she finds another way to do it.
Sammy is stubborn and headstrong, but amazingly funny. He speaks very little, but somehow adds humor. For instance, tonight I said 'say Mimi', so he said it. Then, I wanted to hear it again so I said 'say Mimi' and he looked at me and said 'I just said Mimi.' Witty boy. And he is all two year old boy- curious, defiant, prone to searching for high altitudes, and he has the best laugh.
I would never wish away the ease of life that Emily has become accustomed to, I just pray that someday she becomes passionate about something healthy. In the meantime, I remember that I am blessed to have the wonderful little girl that I have. As for Sammy, I know that too soon he will be growing out of this stage and he'll be graduating high school before I know it. In the meantime, I will relish his need for mommy attention and cookies (not always in that order.)

Hello Dolly

2007-04-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Emily and I went to Hewitt Trussville High School today for a viewing of Hello Dolly. Emily LOVED it! It was really neat for me too, because I knew most of the kids in the show. It was amazing to watch them perform. Emily has caught the acting bug and plans to try out for the ACTA (Trussville theatre) on Tuesday. The play is Seussical the Musical. Emily has to perform a singing audition. At first, she was nervous... then she said she would only do it if she was the Cat in the Hat. However, after seeing the show today, she believes she would love to be part of the theatre! Emily wanted to sing Carri Underwood's song 'Before he Cheats', for the audition but then agreed that might be slightly inappropriate. She chose 'Jesus loves me, this I know.' Obviously she wasn't really going with a theme.
Jason and I decided a while ago that maybe sports is not Emily's strength (due to muscle restriction and lack of competitive edge) so we are finally going to assist her in playing to her strengths... drama being one of them. She also loves singing- as does Sam, who sings along with 'Before he Cheats'. Sam, however, is not going to be steered in the acting direction. Jason needs a sports buddy.
By the way, I have a good friend named Dolly, and she has been known to read the blog... she might actually think that I named this blog for her. I really don't want her to feel left out- because she is worthy of a blog being named after her. So, hello Dolly.... I can't wait to hear when you deliver Cade- don't worry, it will happen soon!!

Em

2007-04-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Sammy is really starting to be a big kid. He can say a lot of words, he is interested in colors and numbers and letters. He will repeat nearly everything you ask him to- and some things that you don't want him to. Yet, up until 2 days ago, he would not repeat the word 'Emily'. I think for the longest time it was hard for him... but then he found humor in the fact that we wanted him to say it so much. We would say, 'can you say Emily?' and he would laugh and say, 'no.' It was so frustrating. Recently, however, he has learned to say Em and it is his new favorite word. 'Where Em?' 'Em want cookie.' 'No Em.' Its great and it is so cute. They have always interacted so well with each other and this just helps out a lot. Its so cute! He is really growing up to be an amazing boy. He is so funny and giving. I can't believe he is about to be two! Wow, why didn't anyone tell me that they grow up so fast? :)

I'm high

2007-04-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

I am on a shopping, materialistic high. Tonight, after Jason came home, I went shopping- by myself. Sure, to people without kids, the origin of my joy may be questioned, in addition to why it is so obviously abundant. However, to those with children, the excitement is unquestionable. I was able to try shirts on without running after a little boy who snuck under the dressing room door. In most mothers' lives, there is a moment, a very brief moment, where they contemplate the decision to chase after the escapee...topless. It really is a small, yet embarrassing price to pay for the safety of the child.
So, I shopped. I shopped with money in my pocket and a cell phone in my hand. The entire time that I shopped, I spoke with my wonderful friend in Florida, Kerry. For a moment, it was almost like I was shopping with her...reminiscent of high school. We spoke the entire time. I'm quite sure that I annoyed the salespeople, but it was my time... Amy time. Free to do girly things like shop and chat. I found cute clothes and came home in plenty of time to have a Mike's Hard Lemonade and blog my euphoric state.
Today was a good day.

Forgiveness

2007-04-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

I learn a lot from my students at school. Sure, sometimes the knowledge I acquire is knowledge that I could have gone my whole life in happy blissful ignorance, but its new information and for that I should be thankful.
Recently, I learned a lesson of forgiveness from a student who was hurt by a good friend. This pain was both in his heart and mind. He had nearly gotten through all 13 years of school without feeling it. A broken heart and a lost friend would devastate the average student, but he is not average. He, and his group of friends, actually banned together. His friends consoled him with bible verses and nonstop friendship. Because of this, he was able to forgive both people who hurt him. I would have thought that the drama from this group would scar graduation and the rest of the year but they are working through it all because he forgave. I also heard about a teacher who won't forgive students and its breaking their hearts. I see the sadness and frustration in pain when they talk to me about it.
It made me think about who I have forgiven, and who has forgiven me, throughout the years. I began to wonder what it really feels like to forgive. Its not really something that happens overnight. Its more of a mending of the heart. I know that we are supposed to forgive, but I've made excuses regarding not forgiving. Why forgive someone who has not asked for forgiveness? How can you forgive if it still hurts? Can we really forgive, but not forget?
What I decided was that the two people who hurt me most- in the worst way- have been forgiven by me and neither requested it. I think that not forgiving someone really only hurts yourself. Holding onto it causes physical and emotional pain beyond my comprehension. I don't really know at what point I forgave. Perhaps forgiveness for some is a journey and there are many stages of emotion. I know it has to do with what has to be forgiven. I also know that it took too long for me.
Anyway, today, after hearing the tale of the forgiven, I was able to have that moment where I realized that I have forgiven the people in my life that hurt me. Because it comes in stages, and not at a pinnacle moment, I was unaware of the closure. Now that I know its there though, it feels really good.
I realize that was deep- and so unlike me... but it was on my mind. Worry not, I counteract such moments of emotion and self-reflection with a rum and coke and mind candy sitcoms on TV.

PTA

2007-04-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Emily was recently part of the PTA program at her school. She actaully had a special part in the ceremony- she played an instrument. It was a pipe with zig zags that she used a stick on and it made a clicking noise. I don't think it has a real name and if it did, I'm sure that Dr. Suess would have named it. They also sang a few other songs including a medically correct version of the hockey pockey. "You put your cranuim in, you put your cranuim out.' Good times!

Shall we dance?

2007-04-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I chaperoned the HTHS Prom. It really was a fun time. The teachers got out there and danced, but most importantly I was able to see my favorite students all dressed up. This is a picture of my senior guys. I realize that I am the freshman counselor, but I have adopted these guys as my own. For most of these boys, I know their families. We've all become close over the year. I really am going to miss them next year! These are the most amazing guys- really good, religious, smart and full of personality. There are two missing from the pictures from the group.
Its funny to look back at my prom... I only went to one prom, but I went with a guy who I had liked since my freshman year! My prom dress was turquoise and black and short and anything but sexy- although at the time I may have felt otherwise, which is funny because I was built like a board. The fashion here, however, was a bit more risque! Many of the girls looked amazing though! And my boys looked great- and they were gentleman- and they were on the only bus that had no liquor found on it!! They make me proud!

Last Friday

2007-04-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, we were given a gift certificate to stay the night at the Renesance at Ross Bridge and it was beautiful!! The hotel looks like a castle. The pool was amazing- and we were able to swim outside for a while. We also ate at a great restaurant that had amazingly huge quantities of food. It was a wonderful get away close to home. A well needed mini vacation in our busy life.

Soft ball

2007-04-16T19:50:00.001-07:00

As you all know, I'm not much of an athlete. I lack coordination, skill, talent and a desire to compete. Emily isn't much of an athlete either- partly due to her to my genes and partly due to her muscle restrictions. She plays softball better than I do though. The game they play has different rules than regular softball- the coach pitches and they get 5 strikes. There are couple of other odd rules, but mostly I can follow the game. Emily makes contact with the ball most times and has even ran to home base. Although I am less than competitive, I do get annoyed when the refs are blind, ignorant and biased- which happens often. Anyway, Emily likes the game, but doesn't plan to play next year. Who knows what our next sports endeavour will be. She is interested in riding horses. We have spend a fortune on dance, soccer and softball gear... how much are riding boots, riding pants, a horse and a stable??

Let the children play

2007-04-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of my wonderful children at play. Sam and Emily love to play Star Wars. Sam is really quite a little Jedi- he has no fear and very poor aim- which means the face and fingers often become his target.

The weather has been great here, so the kids have been playing outside. They even had pool time one day!!

The last picture is the day before Easter with the bunny at church. The kids went on an Easter egg hunt at the church. It was a very cold day... but at least we were not digging in snow!

So busy...

2007-04-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend! Once again, it was amazingly busy, but great. I will attach pictures after I download them.
On Friday night we went to a beautiful hotel at Ross Bridge. The hotel looked like a castle and the grounds were amazing. We swam and ate and relaxed. It was great!
On Saturday I went to my schools prom. It was a very fun time- surprisingly. We got dressed up and I had pictures taken with my favorite seniors.
On Sunday, besides church and Sunday school, we had 6 friends over for a late lunch.
I really do feel so blessed to have so much going on. We are really blessed to have great jobs and amazing friends.
As for now though, I am going to go to bed.
I plan to post some pictures soon- really!! :) And I really want to update you all on my wonderful children!

morning date

2007-04-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

Jason and I went on a very expensive date this morning. Yes, I know, a morning date equals romance and mystery so its all worth it. We were both on our way to work after dropping off the kids. Jason called and suggested a meeting- for drinks and other essentials. It was great to see him and chat for a moment at a time when I normally don't. Yes, the gas station was an excellent meeting place. Jason, always the gentleman, purchased a full tank of gas for me in addition to a hot chocolate. Our date was quick, but $86 dollars later, it was still worth it.

Recovery Time

2007-04-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

I am still alive- although it was questionable Sunday morning... my recovery time from a night like Saturday night increased exponentially from Saturday nights in college. Guess I just have to keep in training... Anyway, here are some pictures from Saturday night's wedding. The Aerotek people are wonderful. The girls are so nice and I can't wait to hang out with them again. The pictures are self explanatory... with the exception of the last one...I guessing it was an 80's hair band song or that I was showing off how bouncy and manageable my hair is now that I use Paul Mitchell...

I'm alive!

2007-04-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry!!! I'm alive. I am blogging to prove this. Its been a while, I know. I would get into the crazy schedule with softball, work, color guard, church, painting, cleaning up play dough, visitors that couldn't come, lawn that needs mowing, sales meeting, etc... but that would bore you. Instead, I'll tell you about a wonderful night that I had on Saturday! Jason and I went to a wedding for his co-worker, Meredith. The wedding was outside, in a beautiful garden setting with the reception under the most wonderful canopy. It was perfect weather. The food was great and the wine was flowing. I was able to meet most the girls that Jason works with and they were SO much fun. I love them! The wedding ended at 8 pm, and we had intended to head home because we had a new sitter, but everyone was going to a piano bar (one of my all time favorite destinations), so we called Jane (our uber fabulous sitter) and she said we could stay out longer! (Odd role reversal, I know.) The piano bar was great. I will attach pictures soon.

basket of socks

2007-03-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

I have a laundry basket full of socks that need to be matched. My goal is to match them one day while watching TV, but it never happens. I believe, in fact, that there is some kinky activity going on in that basket because the socks appear to be multiplying. Most mornings are spent with a frantic rustling through the sock basket to find a match- with no success. My new washer actually has a place where socks disappear, but I know that spot and check it often. Its a front load washer, so they go into this abyss where the water drains.
I often wonder about those households that function without a sock basket. Do they really manage to keep socks together or do they just toss the lonely sock in order to avoid the basket of household mismanagement? I once read in a magazine about a lady who uses safety pins to keep socks together in the washer and dryer. I read that a LONG time ago, but it still befuddles me. Really? Seriously? Who has time for that? Is the embarrassment of the basket too much for them? Was she a stay at home mom with no kids? Does she vacuum in a pretty little polka dot dress and heels? Throwing laundry in for me is literally throwing laundry in- its more of a sport than a calculated separation of whites/darks/dirty darks and delicates. Its a challenge of how much I can fit in there and from how far away I can make it in there... there is even a point system that I won't bore you with.
I have decided, with age, but mostly with the enlightenment from my children, that my house will never be clean and my socks may never be matched. I am slowly coming to terms with it. This weekend my parents came to visit and they arrived earlier than expected- which was great because then we got my time with them, but embarrassing because my house was in a special state of disarray. The oddest thing happened though... the earth continued to rotate on her axis and total mayhem did not ensue. I checked the news for any anomalies that may have occurred at the very moment my parents entered my catastrophic abode, but none did. Who knew that Jason was right about the lack of impending doom if someone saw the house messy? Certainly not me!!

Poppy and Poppy

2007-03-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of happy grandchildren with happy grandparents.

Big Boy Bed

2007-03-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

My little man is growing up. He does a plethora of little man things including climbing, having fits, using too much toilet paper for no reason and digging in dirt. He loves trucks, planes, trains, balls, water and the movie Cars. He is an artist and would never limit himself to paper- he likes to draw on window sills, pants, tables and car seats. As I am writing this, is drawing on a dry erase board... and now the floor... hold on, he is going for the window sill again! He even got his second hair cut yesterday. He is the world's best construction equipment locator. His vocabulary improves daily and he will be a great auctioneer one day. Excitement exudes in his words, facial expressions and throughout his entire body. He is all boy- and is becoming all big boy! (I'm not saying that because he is a closet eater and always has a food or beverage in his hands.) He has officially slept in his big boy bed five nights in a row. We had originally planned a slower transition by shopping for the set for a while, then putting it up in his room so he could get used to it, then putting a mattress on the floor, then into the bed. This process was going to happen this summer. Sammy, however, has his own time frames for just about anything we try to implement. He succeeds at being the opposite of Emily while mimicking her every move. We are very proud of him and all of his new big boy attributes (although the 'fit' stage has overstayed its welcome.)

Spring Break

2007-03-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here in Alabama, we are celebrating spring break. The great thing here is that it ACTUALLY feels like spring- nearly summer. It was quite warm today.
My parents (Mimi and Poppy) came to visit for the break. Sam kept calling my mom Poppy-and he can say Mimi if he wants. It was extra funny to me because my dad would never be a Poppy and Poppy kind of guy. Marriage is one Mimi and one Poppy. :)
We had a great time. We went to Six Flags and had the park to ourselves. We were able to hit nearly every ride and walk right on. The weather was amazing... perfect, in fact. The people were nice and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
We also went to EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network). My parents are big fans of the station so it was wonderful for them to see the chapel and all the behind the scenes stuff and even some of the on air personalities.
We went to the park and the library and shopping and the ball park to watch Emily practice. We also went to the new Whole Foods store, which is a lot like Nino Salvagios (a Detroit fruit/meat/veggie/bakery/evertying market). It was a great visit.

Found it!!!

2007-03-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

I found it!! This is my neighbor mowing his lawn with a lawn mower attached to a rope!!! We have the same hill in the back of our house and last summer Jason took a weedwacker to it. We have to keep it short because it has potential to be full of mice and snakes that eat mice and, I guess, whatever eats snakes. It a living food chain in our back yard. Wonder if there is anything edible for us??

Hair

2007-03-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all. It feels very odd posting a picture of myself, but I promised a bunch of people a picture of my new, blond, short hair cut. So, here it is. Enjoy!

photos

2007-03-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

The other night I was looking for an extremely funny picture of my neighbor mowing his parents lawn (which has a huge hill in the back). The picture was funny because he was standing at the top of the hill and lowering the mower down with a bunch of ropes that were tied together. I wanted to put that on my blog because we are already mowing our yards. (and flowers are blooming, birds are chirping- but enough about how great it is to be in the south.) Anyway, I couldn't find that picture, but I did find the pictures from our 'farewell to friends' party that we had right before we left. Before I go into how much I miss everyone, I would like to state, for the record, that I do love it down here. I love that we are more involved in our neighborhood, in our church, in the schools. I love that my school has dances and that I am the color guard sponsor. I love our road, our house, the weather and my new, wonderful friends.

I do miss, horribly, the people we left behind though. Many friends I keep in touch with. There were some that I've seen just as much living down here as I did living up there. The ones I saw everyday though... I just can't talk to them enough. My cohort from school- we spent at least 2 nights a week together for 3 years! My friends from different jobs and spouses from Jason's job are very missed. Our families are back in Michigan too! Everyone that we invited to our going away party... these people I miss so much. Some people we only saw once a month- but we knew we would at least see them that much and now it is once every 6 months. How we miss them. I have a great friend who is pregnant with twins! And another who just had a baby. I just wanted you all to know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers.
Also, you have an open invite to come down!!!

Not a forward

2007-03-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

This is not a forward... this is my real son... with his real artwork ALL OVER the ledge of the window. Don't you love the green masterpiece?

I have always wondered when receiving an email with pictures of children's 'creativity', where are the parents? Why were they not watching their children?

If you wonder the same thing, feel free to call Jason... I wasn't home at the time! :)

Viral Beach

2007-03-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

We went to the beach this past weekend. It is near Destin, but it is called Navarre. It is in the pan handle of Florida. We had to go over a long bridge to get to the beach because Navarre is basically a sand bar with condos and hotels- a speed bump for hurricanes. Emily looked at the view while we were going over the bridge and said 'this is one of those moments where you like what you see so much your mouth just stays open.' She then proceeded to keep her mouth open in amazement until we cleared the bridge. We went for the weekend to visit a friend of Jason's and her family. We had a great time! The beach was beautiful and the sand was as white as snow- sometimes it even crunched like snow when we stepped on it. If you forgot for a moment that the sun was shining and that there was a cool breeze and that you had just applied sunscreen, you could imagine, for a brief moment, that is was indeed snow! - But why would you want to do that?!?
We went shelling. As you may have guessing, shelling is the process of getting shells from the beach. However, down there, it is not just a hobby- it is a science that requires the use of nets and colanders and buckets and water. Each shell actually has a name and some are harder to find that others. The search for the shell begins with the process of wading in the water and getting the net out there exactly when there is an undercurrent carrying the shells back out to sea. It is quite complex- and we came back with a ton of great shells.
Sam and Emily had a blast. Both of them couldn't get enough of the water, although neither had their swimsuits on. Sam was apprehensive at first about the water AND the sand, but grew to love them both. Loved the sand so much he took a big old mouthful!
Saturday night, however, Sammy began to feel ill. At first, I thought it was the sand but then I remembered that 'God made dirt, so dirt don't hurt.' He spend the rest of the night getting rid of his virus from the only two ways that God intended... and he did it often. I put him to bed in the pack and play and he vomited there so I brought him in bed with me and he pooped there (and when I say poop, I use the term very loosely- as did he), so we scooted to the other side of the bed and he vomited there. That left us a small quadrant at the bottom of the bed that gave us enough room to sleep in the fetal position. We were in a hotel room and totally out of other options!
Sammy is still ill... rumor has it this virus can last up to 10 days. Sammy's friend at daycare has it too and she was hospitalized over the weekend for dehydration. Sammy has started to get his appetite back- and his energy too, but his stomach is just not working well with him. Poor guy.

My sophisticated side...

2007-03-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

Some friends and I have season tickets to the BJCC (on off-Broadway theatre in Birmingham). So far this year, I have watched Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, On Golden Pond, Billy Joel's Movin Out, and Sweet Charity.
Joseph and his Dreamcoat was good, but a little odd. It was far most 'fantastic' than I would have imagined. The lights, the dance moves- not biblical in the sense I would have anticipated.
On Golden Pond was nice. I cried. It was a musical, and that was nice because I'm not always a fan of the musical. This starred the dad from Happy Days and the mom from Eight is Enough, or the Partridge Family... one of those shows with a lot of kids. Anyway, it was neat to see Mr. Cunningham play the role. It was a good show, with a good plot. I cried a little... not one of those all out body shake, nose run, make-up malfunction types of crying, but I sniffled when I thought he died. I wonder if he still talks with Ron Howard at all?
Billy Joel's Movin Out had to be one of the oddest shows out there! The whole play was done to songs by Billy Joel. There was an amazing man who played the piano and sang just like Billy- it was unbelievable. The play, however, had no talking at all and it was so hard to follow this plot... although we did learn that reading the playbill really helps. The plot was about 3 boys in high school, their girlfriends, enlistment in the military, dead, love lost, finding one's self, growing up, depression, denial- all the elements of a drama where there are no words, just Billy Joel's music in the background. To add to the confusion, the dance style was mostly ballet. I watched two dancers dressed in football jersey kick each other's butt with a lovely ballet pirouette. Most shocking, however, was the scene from the 1970's were drugs and free lovin' was prevalent. Imagine Billy Joel music, people dressed in 70's attire, doing many nasty things with each other whilst ballet dancing. I was even shocked and I'm normally a bit more liberal when it comes to the arts!
The other night I saw Molly Ringwald in Sweet Charity and it was so good! She is SO hot for her age. The friends I was with mentioned that she was the chunkiest and slowest on stage, but I still stand by the fact that I would be beyond happy to have that body at her age. (I don't technically know her age, but I'm thinking late 30's or early 40's.) And -wow- she can dance and sing!!! If you haven't seen it before, I don't want to ruin the ending... but if you have watched it- what is up with the ending!?!?! That is not the way a good American play is supposed to end. What happened to the girl actually getting her guy? What happened to the happy ending? What happened to love triumphs over all?
That was my critics corner. I really do plan to purchase season tickets again next year. I had a blast!

Lent

2007-02-27T19:00:00.000-08:00

I gave up cookies for Lent. That may seem awfully specific... most people give up sweets in general, but I stuck to one kind of sweet because I am a realist. I was also addicted to Snackwell vanilla cookies, so it was a good thing to do. Seriously, I was eating like 4 a night... dipping them in cold milk until they were a perfect mix of soggy and crunchy. I had perfected how long that process took. Yes, I had an issue. I thought I would just give these cookies up- saving both time and money (we were going through a couple of boxes a week.) But, I decided to take it a step further and give up all cookies. This decision was make around the same time that we bought four boxes of Girl Scout cookies. (By the way, I heard that this one lady is trying to get everyone to ban girl scout cookies because of the obesity in America. Ban Keebler, lady, leave the scouts alone.) So, now cookies sit in my pantry. I touch them, see them and smell them as I get them out for my kids. I watch the boxes dwindle to a few remaining cookies. By the time Easter is here, Girl Scout cookie selling season will be over and I will have nothing but the one sleeve of thin mints that I stashed in the back of the freezer. So, anyway, I thought I had a good plan- and I have had to sacrifice. Today there were TWO times were I was somewhere that had free cookies that I passed on! However, to get around the lack of cookie thing, I decided to make a tray of brownies. Please note, before you read the next sentence, that they were low fat brownies. I ate the entire tray in 3 days! Yes, I have an issue. I should have given up all sweets but I didn't think I was strong enough! I thought that without my cookies that nothing else would sound good. Who would have thought that I could down an entire bag of little Robin's Egg malted milk deliciousness in a week? Who would have ever fathomed the notion that there are so many substitutes for low fat Snackwell cookies? I do miss my cookies... but not as much as I should!!

Softball

2007-02-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is softball season in the south. We have been having 70 degree days here! Emily is at her first softball practice today. The practice started at 7:30- ironically exactly her bed time. There is one coach that keeps the kids there until 9:45. Luckily I have been told that we don't have that coach. Emily, however, isn't home yet, so it isn't looking promising for her. Late practices would be fine if she was one of those children who are coherent and pleasant after the occasional late night, however that is not our Emily. On normal mornings I dress her and brush her hair while she is still primarily sleeping. I don't think she actually wakes up until I have her sitting on the potty and for a brief moment she thinks she is wetting the bed. So, tomorrow should be extra fun.
We went out to buy her all appropriate items/sporting equipment- all pink and black of course. We try to get unisex items, but Emily doesn't go for that. So much for hand me down sports equipment. Unless Sammy is amazingly secure in his masculinity at age 6, I don't see him trotting out onto home base with a pink and black bat. There was a mitt that was pink and it LIT UP when you caught a ball. At that point, you might as well throw a sound card in there too and have it play 'take me out to the ball game.' Crazy. Cheesy. We bought it. I'm kidding, of course. Jason is serious about the sporting equipment purchases. I, on the other hand, find humor in shopping for little league equipment. He didn't appreciate my boisterous laughter when I found a tee ball bat for $250.00. He babbled about the cork in the center, it be lighter, some equilibrium blah blah... but seriously, I need to meet the parent who buys that for their 5 year old. They would need a counseling session- and I would get a good laugh.
Anyway, Jason just called... it is 9:20 here and Emily is on her way home. Obviously the coach is quite serious about this game. I told Jason that next week I am going to go with her and give the coach my opinion regarding bedtimes and 6 year olds. I could go armed with statistics, and, if that doesn't work, my evil words. Jason said he will be in charge of sports.
I am going to go get ready to take in my tired child. (She has a big goose egg on her head because Jason was practicing with her earlier and his first throw to her landed on her forehead directed above her left eye!)

Just Checking

2007-02-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I know that I have a few friends/family members who read this and it is totally okay that you don't comment. I am wondering, however, who is actually reading. If you could please email me, or comment, just this once, I would really appreciate it! Thank you!!!

Thoughts

2007-02-24T18:39:00.000-08:00

Jason is up in Michigan this weekend. He went up there to do our taxes and to surprise his mother on her birthday. Sam is the man of the house. Although he is beyond wonderful, he isn't quite measuring up. Today I craved both a dippy egg and a white Russian- both which Jason makes with ease and expertise beyond my comprehension. Neither of which Sam nor I can make. Sure, there are many of things that constitute the man of the house, but those were two needs today, so I mentioned them.
There is nothing on TV tonight. I really should be cleaning my bedroom right now, although sleep sounds more appealing.
I slept poorly last night because I watched an Oprah special that I had DVRed. This special was about the boys whose abductions were recently in the papers. The one boy had been gone for 4 years and the other boy for four days. I am not normally an Oprah fan. I don't avoid her show, but I had never DVRed it before. I think I recorded it because I wanted to know why the boy never tried to run.
Oprah's first guest was a man who had been abducted at age 13 for 18 months. His story was heart wrenching and disturbing. Her next guest was the father of Elizabeth Smart. I had always wondered what had really happened to her and how she is doing now. Her story was sad also. Next, she had on Bill O'Reilly from Fox News. I am a huge O'Reilly fan- what an intelligent, informed, passionate man! He was telling stats about abduction and sexual assault and it was so frightening. This is one of those programs that a mom shouldn't watch. It was good information, but I don't easily forget about the horrors my children could face. There is something about news regarding people hurting children that becomes written in stone in my brain and in my gut. Last night, I cried.
Emily was sleeping in my bed last night, and I was so happy to cuddle up to her. Today we went to a park. This part is completely fenced in and has only one door out. I watched Emily scoot off to play with her friends, and I lost sight of Sammy as he slid down the enclosed curly slide. It is an odd feeling being a mom. I wanted Emily to have the independence to go play on her own, but I also wanted her right by my side. I couldn't have it both ways.
I remember being young and playing outside for hours- nearly the entire day- without coming home to see my parents. We lived way out in the country where they were no street lights. We sat in the middle of road popping tar bubbles. We slept in our yards in tents and took really late night walks up and down the road. My kids will not be able to do that and that makes me sad... and angry.
Now, however, they are both tucked safely into their beds and the house alarm is on. I, too, am going to retire for the night in eager anticipation of my husband's return tomorrow.

Kid update

2007-02-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

I have a diverse group of readers and not all readers are interested in children stories, but I'm writing about them anyway. I am quite fond of them, and they do interesting things.
Emily, our little princess, is quite the fashionista. Her favorite outfit is the dress with pants underneath. When we dress her on weekday mornings, her outfits are simply- and they match. Her weekend outfits, however, are all Emily. Dresses of all sorts are donned with jeans and khakis. Spring dresses are layered with t-shirts, shrugs or sweatshirts. Yesterday, however, she changed this up and wore khaki pants and a red top. When questioned why she choice that outfit, she replied, 'we are going to Target, right?'
Sammy is growing up quickly- or pretending to anyway. When he brushes his teeth, he pretends to spit in the sink. When he uses the potty, he pretended to go, then pretends to wipe. In reality though, he just takes as much toilet paper as we allow and shoves it in the toilet. We went to look at big boy beds today and he really likes them. He pretended to sleep on the beds. Life is a lot about pretending right now. Sometimes we even have to pretend that we like Emily's outfits!

Valentines Day

2007-02-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!! Jason and I both came from families that don't focus on the beauty or commercialism of this holiday. Hence, Jason and I don't celebrate the holiday. We have, however, always celebrated on Emily's behalf. Jason bought Emily flowers and Sam a little cuddly Lightening McQueen. Emily broke a flower off her bouquet and gave it to me for Valentine's Day.
Emily also HAND MADE all of her Valentine's Day cards for her class. She used foam hearts and decorated with feathers, beads, glitter and hot glue. Actually, I was in charge of the hot glue and I have two blisters on my fingers to prove it.
On a side note, I think I am catching a cold.
My thighs are killing me. I did two nights of pole dancing class in a row and my thighs are on fire!! It is such fun and my friends and I are having a great time. We have learned two routines already. For those who are wondering, it is anything but sexy-especially the way I do it. Plus, its hard to duplicate the routines at home without the pole. It really is amazing exercise and it is so much fun. For me to actually feel the burn after is an amazing feat for a workout... you know, because I am so fit already!
Sammy is learning how to say yes... it sounds like da, but I think that might be German. He is multilingual, so that keeps us guessing. The fact that he is moving on from 'no' to answer all questions is wonderful- keeps the lines of communication a bit more clear.
Emily got a report card recently and she is a 'model student' with an 'extensive vocabulary'. Yes, I had to spend a moment bragging.
And now I should straighten up the house. Yes, it is an exciting life I lead!!
Happy Valentine's Day!! And tomorrow, have a happy day too!

my week

2007-02-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

My week started with a stereotypical Monday. This is not the normal kind of Monday where you are tired and a small thing happens to set it off. This is the kind of Monday that prompted the song ‘Manic Monday’, the kind of Monday that horror movies start with… well, maybe not that bad- no virgins were sacrificed, but it was bad.
Actually, it began well with an early morning exercise at my neighbor’s house but quickly turned back when I realized that I lost my diamond earring. I tried hard not to focus on the cost of the earring (although that was hard) but it was the sentiment of the earring that made me sick to my stomach- it was a mother’s day gift. So, I began the day in tears over my loss. Then, the day progressively got worse.
I had a meeting with a parent first thing in the morning. Without going into anything confidential, I was blamed for everything wrong in their life… in the school system…with education in general. In fact, by the end, I realized it was my fault that the troops were still in Iraq. It was a horrible conversation (and irrational and untrue) but it really messed with me and my day became drastically worse quickly. The rest of the day, I simply could not get back on the ball. The day ended with a trip to the dentist to find out that I have a cavity. There were some other things that went on with Jason’s job also. It was the first time ever that I honestly thought of quitting work. All humor aside, it sucked.
By Tuesday, I found out that one good friend was really sick- perhaps had the flu. Another good friend had a really bad day when she found out one of her friends committed suicide and another one of her friends nearly drowned. (This really made me reassess my very, very, very bad Monday.)
Slowly the week got better, but never stellar. Work and life remained busy- in a good way.
Today, however, I found my earring. The back of it was in my room and the earring itself was in Sam’s room. I found it while vacuuming. What a blessing.
Another good thing that happened this week was the scheduling of a pole dancing class. We had been searching for a class for a while and now we have one! Four fitness filled weeks of pole dancing fun! I took two classes in Michigan and had a great time. Pole dancing in Alabama is far cheaper than Michigan- I get 8 classes for the bargain price of $90! I can’t wait! Classes start on Monday and I have 3 friends who are doing it with me. It is such a blast. Last time I did it, I was so sore- it was the best the exercise ever. And, as a perk, I won’t have to wake up at 5:13 in the morning to work out! BONUS!
Lets see, as long as we are focusing on the good, I would like to mention that today Sammy learned how to eat without stuffing his face. Normally, chokes a lot while eating because he puts the food up to his mouth and refuses to take it away from his mouth until it has been devoured. He continually jams it in his mouth. It is not only dangerous, but quite revolting. Today, he ate pizza and actually took the food away from his mouth between bites. It was an amazing right of passage and it took place at the dinner table.
My little boy is growing up!

Super Bowl 41(or whatever the Roman Numerals would be.)

2007-02-04T17:43:00.000-08:00

We are watching the Super Bowl.
We were supposed to go to a great party with the kids, but Sammy just hasn't been up to optimal health, so we made an adult decision to stay at home. Being an adult, during the Super
Bowl, is a interested thing. Jason taught Sammy how to say 'touchdown' while raising his arms up. He tried to teach him how to do the leg/knee in and out thing (hopefully you can picture it) but Sammy would fall each time he tried that. Each time Jason yelled, the kids did too. They ran around the house yelling 'touchdown' even when there wasn't one (or at least I don't think there was one... I don't really know much about football except for the basket for the goal seems really big.) The biggest laugh was when we had the shrimp out and Sammy and Emily were feeding Jason- whether he liked it or not. As an adult, I was very concerned about the girls who were dancing for Prince out there on the slippery stage with those high heel boots on. I also couldn't help but be concerned by the the rain/electricity mix. I wonder what the temperature is there?
My view of the Super Bowl is pretty obvious considering I am blogging during it. Of course, the game is funny because its raining so hard... perhaps if it were raining in all the commercials I would find them humorous also. As for GM... they had one good commercial and then they had the one where the piece of machinery commited suicide- but it was just a bad dream. As a counselor, I was saddened. As a consumer, I was disappointed. I was also saddened when the astronaut in the Fed Ex commercial just floated off into outer space. Poor guy. I did laugh at one commercial, but I can't think of it right now. I think it was the K-Fed one and, to be honest, I think I was laughing more AT K-Fed than the commercial. CBS did a ton of free advertising for itself. I love Two and a Half Men though- and Brooke Shields is going to be on there this week. I like her becuase she brought PPD to the media and normalized it. I also love that she was instrumental is bringing the ignorance of Tom Cruise to the media- not that he needed help- but everyone sided with her. I just saw her on a commercial the other day and asked Jason what she has done lately other than promote toothpaste. Obvioulsy she has been working hard making out with Charlie Sheen. Hard life...
Well, I need to beer my husband then I will come back and root for the team in blue- the one without the horseshoe on the helmet. Wow, it is pouring there!! I am amused by the big men with mufflers to keep there little hands dry/warm. Can't they hire people to run next to them with umbrellas?

random thoughts

2007-02-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

I finally grew up. There are a lot of things in which I have been a late bloomer... most are pretty embarrassing so I'm not going to go into detail. One thing, however, that I have never been able to do in 32 years years of life is swallow a pill... and, I am very proud to announce, I have finally figured out the trick to swallowing a pill. I can't tell you how proud I am. I believe a certificate or trophy should be arriving at my house any day. Or, if I get the word out, perhaps an AmyDay is in order. Sure, I have to jam the pill in prechewed bread. But I am now able to swallow a huge chunk of soggy bread! (Oddly, I can't swallow the pill alone. Go figure.)

Sammy has found his tongue again. He has been aware of it for quite a while. He has even been able to point at it when asked. Recently, however, he has found how fun it is to move it around and in and out of his mouth. Sometimes, he makes sounds and others you can almost hear the faint sound of saliva clicking.

Emily is a superstar in our little town. She is now premiered in her second news paper article regarding her donation to Locks of Love. This time, she made front page news. I really wish I scrapbooked. I thought, that with age and children, this talent would become apparent. Alas, the creative gene has yet to show its bejeweled face.

Jason is currently up in Sammy's room soothing him so he will fall asleep. We call him 'blanket boy' because he likes a ton of blankets in his bed. Tonight I put 6 baby blankets on him. There is also a big fleece blanket in there that he cuddles up to in addition to a cuddly 'Mater truck. He has a full bed. And when you get him up in the morning, he likes you take all of the blankets downstairs. He doesn't walk around with blankets though. He is like a super hero... he only turns into 'Blanket Boy' at night.

Emily is sitting on the floor with ten pounds of rice on her legs as she simultaneously stretches her back/thighs and plays Tiger Woods on the X-box.
As for me, I am feeling as though bedtime is near... very very near.

After School Special

2007-02-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

The room is quiet with the exception of the turning of pages and the occasional cough. Students who have been marked as needing an intervention of sorts sit near tables in front of me. Some are here because they were tardy often, others because of disrespect. Either way, I sit here, after school on a Thursday night, watching the detention kids. I use my mean face whenever they look at me to show I am stern and will not tolerate any talking or whispering. I told them that they could not have ipods on- there will be no music in my detention.
The silence is killing me.
The tapping of the keyboard is keeping my sanity.
I remember having detention one time. And, to be honest, I didn’t really remember having detention, I just read about it in my journal. I had detention for not doing my homework. If that rule still applied, 75% of the school would have detention daily.
What amazes me, is that up until 3 years ago, corporal punishment was an option here. The vice principals still have the paddles in their offices. I have touched them with my own hands. Parents used to have the option of having their kids suspended or paddled – and most chose the paddle!
I stood in awe thinking about someone else paddling my kids. It’s SO not a northern thing. In the north, a parent would own the school after legal proceedings if an authority figure touched his or her child. Here, it is still legal to paddle in elementary school, but they have to get permission first.
I am feeling very lucky that I just have to sit her and watch kids pretend to work and think they are sly as they whisper in their teenage whisper voices. I’m glad I don’t have to paddle someone else’s child. Although, if I were paddling, I would be home by now.

2007-01-29T19:43:00.000-08:00

Our room had a great view!
White sand beach, ocean full of waves...
Good times!

Friends, drinks and warm sun

2007-01-29T19:35:00.000-08:00

Jason and I recently returned from the warm tropical sun of Cancun. We had an amazing time. I met new Alabama friends and reunited with some wonderful Michigan friends. It really was the perfect vacation with some private time for Jason and I, easily accessible drinks, a warm-but not too hot- sun, sandy beaches, a suite stocked with an honor bar full of goodies, a balcony for room service, unbelievable dinners, a festive welcoming reception, a bar night that including so much dancing that my glutes actually hurt the next day, a dinner downtown, tons of pools and hot tubs, an ocean that was quite feisty and so many wonderful people. It was amazing. I will attach a few pictures.

Emily's big meeting

2007-01-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

Emily recieved recognition at the Trussville City Schools Board of Education meeting tonight for donating her hair to Locks of Love. She did wonderfully. She walked up by herself, smiled and shook all of the directors hands (with her right hand.) It really was a proud moment for her (and for me.)

I write of sins...

2007-01-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

Forgive me, for I have sinned. I believe that gluttony is a sin. It goes with pride, envy, lust, anger, greed and sloth. Okay, I looked that up- I didn't just know them... although I'm guessing that maybe I should have known that...
Anyway, as long as I was looking up the deadly sins, I thought I would further my knowledge on the sin that plagued me this weekend.
What it is: Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Why you do it: Because you were weaned improperly as an infant.
Your punishment in Hell will be: You'll be force-fed rats, toads, and snakes.
Associated symbols & suchlike: Gluttony is linked with the pig and the color orange.
Quite shocking, isn't it? First, I'll have to talk to my parents about that whole weaning thing. I'm wonder if I were breast fed? Strange thought... odd visual... lets move on.
I wonder if they cook the rats, toads and snakes... well, its hell, so they would at least be warmed up!
Lastly, not much of a stretch on the symbol, is it? And I'm wearing an orange shirt today... irony??
While I do agree that gluttony is a sin, upon further investigation it may have not been a sin that I actually committed over the holidays. I believe I did a bit of overeating, but there must be a line between gluttony and overly partaking. Either way, I feel as though I suffered my penance when I stepped on the scale. Its funny how overeating is one of those sins with immediate consequences... not 'ha ha' funny, although if it were that funny, then I would be laughing and burning off calories. Quick side bar- speaking of burning off calories... has anyone else noticed the increased amount of articles stating sex is one of the best ways to burn calories, reduce stress and add years to your life? Funny, huh? Once again, not 'ha ha' funny. I wonder what burns more calories, laughing or sex? Or sex while laughing? Just something to ponder...

Before and After

2007-01-03T08:03:00.000-08:00

An astounding before and after shot of Emily Simmons. This caring and already cute child grew her hair out for 18 months becuase she wanted to donate it to Locks of Love so little girls with cancer could have a big head full of hair like Emily. Emily made this decision after learning that her friend, Corinne, lost her hair when battling cancer. Eleven inches in two BIG braids are being shipped to Locks of Love. Emily LOVES her new hair and likes to bounce and shake her head more now. As an added bonus, shower time has been cut by 10 minutes due to rinsing less bubbles and Emily can now brush her own hair with no tears. This is the biggest win-win situation ever! I am very proud of Emily for doing this... her hair got shorter, but her heart got bigger.

In another shocking before and after shot, Sammy had his baby locks cut off and he now looks like a little man. Sure, the hair in his eyes and the mulet were starting to look a bit unkempt, but I just wasn't ready to chop the locks. He looks older now- and less rough and tough- but he is still my wonderful little man!

Christmas Eve Eve Eve

2006-12-22T16:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas carols playing softly in the dining room.
All lights dimmed.
Children nestled, all snug in their beds.
The taste of homemade Kahlua in my mouth.
The house is clean.
Jason asleep on the couch.
So much to do.
Warming water for hot chocolate- complete with marshmallows. Should I get stuff done or cuddle up with a book??