D'Alien

On our way back from our ski trip, we passed through Roswell, New Mexico. None of us had ever been there, so we stopped for lunch and a little sightseeing.

Apparently we had a stow-away, and I'm now a mommy to a 5 foot tall Alien. Or D'Alien as Mia likes to call him. He's pretty good with the kids, knows how to clean toilets, and doesn't say much. I told him he could stay.

I am happy

Oh so, happy because Melissa and Jen (one of my awesome new Twitter friends and fellow Sister in Shrinkage) presented me with this lovely award! Thank you, hookers!!!! MWAH!

As always, there are instructions:

1. Copy the image and display it on your blog.
2. List 10 things that make you happy.
3. Try to do at least one of them today.
4. Pass on the award to 10 bloggers who brighten your day.

So here are the 10 things that make me happy!

1. My children. Each and everyday I marvel at their existence. They both have amazing personalities and are truly a miracle.
2. My husband. He spends his weeks in Houston working hard so we can have an amazing life. I don't think I tell him enough how much I appreciate him.
3. My brand new iPhone. It's amazing. I pretty much make out with it all the time.
4. The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. I cannot begin to describe the fulfillment I get from that site. Not only am I improving myself on a daily basis, but I'm watching so many other women do the same. It's a haven for support and love.
5. Food. Yes, food makes me happy. Not necessarily the consumption, but the discovery of new recipes and healthier options. I love sharing my knowledge with others, especially my children.
6. Seeing my children make good choices. With food, with friends, with life. It validates me. It makes me feel like my husband and I are doing something really right. Really important.
7. Running. I love to run. I love to workout. It makes me happy because 1 year ago, I didn't have this love, and I certainly wasn't this happy.
8. My friends. I have some of the best friends in the whole wide world and web.
9. My new end tables. We just got them, and they make me SO happy.
10. Cuckoo clocks. I love them. They are complicated, and beautiful, and they have a little bird who jumps out and tweets at you. How could you not be happy with one of those hanging around? If I could only teach that little bird how to wash the dishes, we'd be golden.

And here are 10 bloggers I'd like to present with the Happy Award, because they make me happy:

1. Lisa
2. Amanda
3. April
4. Brooke
5. Nancy
6. Ann
7. Kirsten
8. Tiffany
9. Audrey
10. Karena

You totally need to visit all of them right now, because they will make you happy, too!

Testing, testing, 1,2,3.....

Tap, tap, tap....Is this thing on?

So you know how it goes. You haven't talked to a friend in awhile, and then that while gets longer and feels a little awkward, so you just keep putting off talking to them, until one day you wake up and realize, OMG this is so STUPID.

That's kinda how I feel about this here blog right now. I've been busy, so I put blogging here on the back burner. And that back burner kept getting further and further back (is that grammatically correct, or should it be farther?) until I almost couldn't see it anymore. So today I pulled out my binoculars, and searched the burners until I found it. And here I am.

Does anyone even still come here to see if I've blogged?

I promise that I will blog ever single day for the next 30 days, okay? You're really going to get sick of me!

Okay, so what's been going on?

1. We're having an awesome challenge over at the Sisterhood. That's pretty much where I've been spending all of my time, so stop by and check it out. We're doing some wonderful things!
2. I finished up my 6-week Challenge for EA SPORTS Active More Workouts. The first week of January, we took an amazing trip to Los Angeles for a retreat. I got to hang with all the other challengers AND some celebrities. Check out my Flickr photostream for all the details via photos. You know I took a lot!
3. The kids are great! Mia's talking up a storm, and so is BJ. Unfortunately, he's talking up a storm at school. And getting in trouble. A lot. Brian and I both had THE SAME issues as children, so we're trying to find creative ways to deal with it. Do you have any suggestions? I've run out of duct tape.....
4. I just registered for Fitbloggin! I'm so excited to get to meet up with some of my Sisters from Shrinking Jeans, and some new fellow-shrinkers I've met on Twitter! WOOT! The conference is in March in Baltimore.
5. I am officially registered for the San Diego Rock 'n Roll half marathon on June 6, 2010. That's right, I'm running 13.1 miles in 5 months, and raising money for a cause that's so close to my heart. More on this exciting endeavor soon!

Well, I don't want to use up all my material in one post, so I'll stop here. Do check back and harass me if you don't see a post from me everyday, okay? I miss all of you, and I promise to start making the rounds to your blogs this week.

Also, just so you know, I'm going to be obsessively refreshing to see if I have any comments, so leave me one, okay!

Hello, hello!

So it's been over 2 weeks since I posted here. Wow. I had no idea that much time had gotten away from me. Tonight I find myself in the kitchen icing sugar cookies, and I'm asking myself "why the hell did you make so many sugar cookies when this peppermint bark is SO much easier." Seriously. AND it's good. Really good.

You should skip the time consuming sugar cookies and go for the bark.

You're welcome.

BJ's school play is tomorrow. Only it looks like he won't be there because he has a possible case of strep throat. Fun, no? Yeah, this morning while doing the mother of all grocery shopping trips I got a call from his teacher. I pretty much almost hit ignore....."Fever, tummy ache, sore throat. Come get him because we don't want him!"

The reason I suspect strep is that the girl he sits next to in class has it. Doctor confirmed. We'll be taking the short drive (ha!) to see our ped tomorrow. Fun. I'm going have him check Mia out as well, because can you say SNOT. So much.

Really the last 2 weeks have been great (up until today!). I've been busy (obviously), I'm proud to say my shopping is pretty much done, and I've been baking. Tonight I'll finish up the sugar cookies, put together the teacher gifts (for drop off on the way to the doctor tomorrow), and I might even wrap a gift or two.

As busy as this time of year can be, I've really tried to slow down. Don't get me wrong, I often feel that panic creeping up, and I surely haven't been sleeping enough, but I don't feel harried or overly stressed. Most of the time. Trust me, I have my moments! I've really made a concerted effort to chill this year. I HATE feeling crazy. I cannot stand feeling like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off (did your grandma used to say that, too?)!

So each night I try to put everything together for the next day. I make a list (and check it twice), lay out the clothes, the shoes, the backpacks and lunchboxes. I've even been getting my coffee maker ready at night. For some reason, if my mornings are smooth, the rest of my day flows well. I like days that flow well.

Anyway......

You know, I have no idea where I'm going with this post. Maybe I just want you to know that I have not, in fact, been shipped off the looney bin. Rest assured that I've kept my head about me, and I'm plugging along. Hopefully it won't be so long before I post again!

Pumpkin Patch

This weekend was beautiful. Cool in the mornings, warming up to the lower 70s in the afternoon, and so sunny. Typical fall weather in Texas. We took advantage of the beautiful weather on Saturday and headed to the pumpkin patch, and I just KNEW I was going to get that shot. You know, the one for the Christmas cards this year. Only I didn't. The sun was too bright, shadows too harsh, and I couldn't get either one of the kids to look at me at the same time, much less smile without squinting, to save my life!

We still had a wonderful time, and I did get some great shots, even if I didn't get "the one"!




This was the typical shot of them together.

BJ and a baby turkey chick.



Getting ready to toss some hay.

The obligatory Texas Longhorn shot.



Mia and the turkey face off. That thing was as big as she was! I loved this shot in black and white, but the color version was so nice, so I'm sharing BOTH!



I used the Pioneer Woman's free actions for Photoshop to edit these photos. They are so much FUN, and did I mention FREE?

Six

On September 24th (yeah, I know I'm really backlogged on my posting), my son turned 6. SIX. Honestly, it's hard to imagine that he's been here six years already, and at the same hard to imagine that he's ONLY been here for 6 years. He is such an important part of me, and I honestly can't imagine my life without him.

He's quite remarkable. Sweet and caring, such a tender heart. He's inquisitive and all-knowing at the same time. A very old soul. His energy rivals that of the sun, and his eyes are as blue as the ocean. His golden hair draws everyone in, and he hates being called a tow-head.

As much as the first time I ever laid eyes on him, I am in love. I will always be in love with my son, at 6, 16, 26, 36 and beyond.

On Principle

prin⋅ci⋅ple
  /ˈprɪnsəpəl/ [prin-suh-puhl]
–noun
1. an accepted or professed rule of action or conduct: a person of good moral principles.

Yesterday we ran out of BJ's favorite veggie straw chips. He promptly asked me to add them to grocery list, and was shocked when I told him they didn't have them at our grocery store. You see, I stockpile buy them at Costco in Austin when I'm visiting Lisa.

He told me I could probably find them at HEB (Texas grocery store chain), and I should check there. Brian immediately piped up and reminded BJ we don't shop at HEB. Ever.

Why, daddy?

Son, daddy has principles. Do you know what that means?

Nope. WHY can't we shop at HEB?

Because I thought his reasoning was somewhat asinine, I told Brian he needed fully explain why we don't shop at HEB. So he did. And I got up to read a book, because, ho-hum, I've heard the story enough times already.

Brian proceeded to tell BJ that when he was in college he worked at HEB. He asked the manager for the week of spring break off, because he couldn't stay in the dorm that week (I forget the reason), and he needed to go home. The manager told him that was fine, so Brian took off and returned the next Monday ready to work. Only he wasn't on the schedule. When he asked the manager why he wasn't on the schedule, the manager told him he'd assumed he'd quit since he didn't show up for a week. Brian reminded him of his request, but the manager snorted (I'm just adding the snort for story-telling sake) and said he had no recollection of that conversation.

(Let me give you a little background here. My husband is the most reliable, hard working, honest person on the planet. Even when he was a young punk kid working at a grocery store in college.)

To make a longish story short, after that Brian did not work at HEB anymore, and he swore he'd never, ever spend a single dime there again. EVER.

BJ, we don't shop at HEB because they treated me like trash.

But daddy, I'm sure they won't treat you like trash at the HEB in Kerrville. That's where Miss Mindy (pre-K teacher) works and she really, really loves it. They don't treat her like trash.

Son, it's all about principle.

Exactly what does that mean, daddy?

At this point I zoned out a little bit because I was, after all reading, and not really eavesdropping on their conversation, but Brian finished off the explanation on principle with this nugget:

BJ, do you believe in God?

Yes, daddy, I do.

Well, I believe in not shopping at HEB.

After hearing my husband explain it to my son, I guess I realized that sometimes principles are all we've got. I think it's an important lesson for our children, too. They need to have morals and values, and know how important it is to stand up for the rules of personal conduct. Even if it means making a promise to yourself to never spend your hard-earned money in a grocery store because they treated you like trash when you were employed there. Especially then.

So that is why we won't have any veggie straw chips in your lunch for a very long time, BJ. Well, at least until we go back to Austin.

Kindergarten

I'm blogging today mainly because Amanda has been bugging me to do it! Well, I guess it's been bugging me, too, that I haven't been blogging. I have lots to blog about, I just haven't set aside the time to do it. Having my laptop stolen and then waiting 9 whole days to get the replacement kind of upended me in a way.

The first event I want to catch up on is BJ's first day of kindergarten. This is most definitely a blog-worthy event, in my opinion.

Kindergarten is the start of something SO big. The beginning of an era. The real deal. BJ strapped on his backpack, kissed me and Brian goodbye, marched in without a second glance, and has glided through the first 2 weeks like a seasoned pro. He's blossomed into a full-fledged kindergartener. The readers are coming home, along with homework assignments. Homework in kindergarten? Yes! Every night. Even on Friday. It's not anything crazy, just a journal entry, which at this point is only a drawing, since he's not really reading or writing yet. But I have no doubt he'll be reading like a pro very soon.

Since he attends a very, very small country school (which is public and happens to be the smallest school district in Texas), his class is comprised of 5 students. This makes for a very nice student:teacher ratio. He's already proven that he's ready for 1st grade math, (which is crazy, because math wasn't mine or Brian's strong suit,) so he joins the first graders in the afternoon for math. This is one of the reasons I love his school so much. Because of the size, if a student needs extra help, or shows an accelerated understanding of a subject, they are given the opportunities they need to grow. This is precisely why we chose to go out of district and drive 64 miles round trip. It's almost like a private school education, but we don't have to pay a dime.

And did I mention the teachers? Amazing! The students? Wonderful! The parents? Involved! It's really like one big happy family. So worth it.

Here are our first day of school pictures!

Sunrise


Breakfast, because we're not proud of where we live, or anything!


The family shot, which apparently Molly wasn't really in to.


The boy


Diving in, not even a second glance

It's raining men, um, I mean toys

Lisa and I shopped today. We hit Old Navy (help me please), Carters, Fuddruckers Subway (where I most certainly did NOT eat a burger slathered with fake cheese and A-1. Or steak fries) (where I had a delicious, nutritious 6 inch turkey sub), and then we headed home. While we were getting the babies down for their naps, our older 3 were up to something big. Doors were closed and closely guarded, messengers were sent out with news of a big 'show', and finally, when it seemed that Lisa and I could no longer stand the suspense (we were Twittering people!), we were asked to take our seats. At first, there didn't seem to be anything awry, that is, until we looked UP. I ran to grab my camera, and we marveled at the sheer genius of our children.

The switch was flipped and the toys, oh how they flew. No one was injured and we all had a good laugh!

Here's what they had to say in a post-show interview:

BJ: I was the master of the idea. We got on the bunkbed and put the toys on and then we tested it out to make sure the toys wouldn't go too far. And they didn't so we decided to go ahead with the party.

Sophie: I put on some of the toys. Sam was our assistant. I also invited the mommies to the party and told them when it was ready.

BJ: I was the one to make sure that it exactly worked. Sophie was the toy-putter-on, and helped me invent the idea.

And so I give you, the Raining Toy Party.

The toys, they rained down on all over,

There are no photos because we were ducking for cover.

Our kids are wicked smaht, and oh so funny.

We need to figure a way to pimp them our for money.

Mama needs a new pair of shoes.

real life adventures - Atlanta, Georgia style, part 2

Remember a couple weeks ago when I was in Atlanta? Well, this post has turned into Atlanta, part 2!

Before we left for Tennessee, we still had half a day to kick around in Atlanta, so the kids and I headed downtown. We parked and walked through the Olympic park, which is so beautiful. A huge green space with playgrounds, nice cozy nooks for sitting and relaxing, and beautiful reflection pools. There was also a splash pad that was crazy-busy, and my kids were disappointed that we didn't get to try it out!







After we walked around the park, I asked BJ was he most wanted to do, and he chose visiting Georgia's state capitol building. It's hard to miss the beautiful golden dome in the Atlanta skyline, and with his thirst for knowledge and love for history, it was sure to be an adventure!

We headed off on foot for the capitol building, and saw some sites along the way.

I loved these red doors so much. If there hadn't been construction on the sidewalk in front of them, I would have gotten closer and taken lots more shots of them.




Looking up at the inside of the dome

We learned that the dome is covered in gold leaf and it has to be replaced every 30-35 years. If you were to take all the gold off and wad it up, it would be the size of a soccer ball and weigh 900 ounces. BJ wanted to know how much it would be worth, and the guide told him about 35,000 bucks!

The architecture was amazing!


At the end of the tour, we were taken inside the General Assembly Room for some Q&A. Of course, BJ peppered our guide with questions about the architecture, the chandelier, and whether or not the legislators ate lunch at their wooden desks. Oh, and he also asked if they used the 2 fireplaces in the room (which they don't anymore).

After the tour, we grabbed lunch at Ted's (Turner) Montana Grill and it was fabulous! An awesome restaurant with a wonderful twist on Eco-Friendliness. Think drinking straws made out of recycled materials! As a matter of fact, the restaurant is 99% plastic free! All this, plus they had amazingly huge picture windows and great natural lighting.

After lunch, we walked back to our rental car and headed to the airport to pick up daddy. He was flying in to meet up with us for the Tennesee leg of our trip.

Click here to read Part 1 of our Atlanta trip!

Stay tuned for more from our trip. We did alot of really fun, family friendly things in Tennessee!

You can see the complete set of photos from the trip here!

Forgotten card

Today we packed a picnic lunch, got our swimsuits on, slathered on the sunblock and walked down to the river. As always, I had my camera with me and had even switched to my 70-200 mm lens for some good closeups. As we settled on the rocks with our beach towels and unwrapped our lunches, I pulled my camera out and clicked the shutter. Nothing. No SD Card. SOAB.

So now, I must paint a picture with my words. Describe the wonderful shots I would have taken if I'd only remembered the card.

A sticky peanut butter and raspberry jelly face giggling as she feeds half of her sandwich to the dog. Oh wait, she pulled it back at the last moment and ate it herself. But not before the dog licked it. Mmmmmm. It tastes so much better that way.

Wait, now she's sure she's done with the sandwich, so she will hold it out for Molly. Molly is suspicious as she gingerly takes the sandwich from her hand. After she eats it, she's licks the hand which fed her. The owner of the hand giggles and squeals some more.

The boys is so quiet. He sits and stares at the sparkling, rippling water as he licks the jelly from the corner of his mouth. I touch his back, the skin is so smooth. He does not notice, but keeps staring. I love him so much.

We sit in the river to cool off. Dragonflies float around our knees, landing occasionally. The boys catches one, and then releases it. Again. He is so excited. Now it is a mission.

Now we're walking upstream. A quick river hike to another good swimming hole. There is shade from a huge pecan tree leaning over the river. It looks like it wants to lie down and take a nap. We sit, we throw rocks. We giggle some more.

Walking back down river, the boy discovers some huge leaves trapped in a rock damn. He rescues them and carries them with him. When we sit, he gingerly sets the rescued leaves in the current and follows them as they make their way down river. This becomes a game which lasts almost an hour. Set them in the water, run down stream, wait for them, carry them back upstream. Repeat.

It was a wonderful lunchtime adventure, and even though I wasn't able to capture these moments with my camera, I know I've captured them in my mind and with my words.

All the way home

This little pig went to market.
This little pig stayed home.
This little pig ate roast beef.
This little pig had none.....

We are home from our visit with Lisa, and it was so amazing. SO AMAZING. We had fun, our kids had fun, and it was just loads of fun.

Can I tell you I was worried about how we'd pass the long days this summer. I was actually worried I wouldn't be able to entertain BJ and Mia, and that I'd die from their boredom induced whining and restlessness. I thought I might need to remove all of the forks from my house, so that I wouldn't resort to poking my eyes out on a daily basis.

I was so, so wrong. Shhhhhh, don't tell my husband I said that. I never admit when I am wrong, but this is my blog, so I can say whatever I want. K?

Oh, how wrong I was. So very wrong. Laughably and ridiculously wrong. W-R-O-N-G. Okay, enough of that, I don't want to get too carried away.

The first week of summer, Lisa and the kids came to visit us. Since then we've taken a week long trip to the beach, had 2 sets of visitors for 11 days, and we just wrapped up a week at Lisa's house. Aside from the hectic pace we've been keeping, I would say that this is one of the best summers EVER. And do you want to know what else? It's not even close to slowing down or being over.

In 5 days I leave for Chicago for Blogher. SQUEEEEEE!

And 36 hours after my plane touches back down in Texas, I'll be back on another plane, with my kiddos in tow, heading to Atlanta for 2 days and then we're driving on to Knoxville, TN, to visit some of the husband's family. We'll be gone for 7 days.

After all that travel, I'm pretty sure I'll be the little pig who cried wee, wee, wee, all the way home.

You Capture - Summer

Ahhh, Summer. Hot. Sunny. Wet. Wild. Endless. Fun. Bright. Colorful. Hot. Hot. Hot.

Yes, summer is upon us here in Texas. Every day this week has been 100+. Right now, it's 101.9. That's hot. We try to beat the heat by either staying inside with the A/C working overtime, by heading to the beach for vacation, or to the river for the day. Here are some shots from our past Summer week.

my boy on the beach

hill country sunset butterfly on lantana beautiful weed
drinking in the sunshine

For more summer captures, go one over to Beth's. Her's are the BEST this week!!!