Creasy Vision

Picture Time Picture Time

2009-09-14T02:55:00.000-07:00

Ok faithful friends, we are finally settled into a house and able to upload pictures again!!!! I have a bunch from this summer, I'll give you a tidbit and work my way through them. The kids are growing so fast. Sophie looks so different just from the beginning of the summer. Our lives are busy, moving quickly, but packed with fun. For the most part, the kids get along really well and love playing together. I love listening to them play and have "deep" discussions about the toys they are playing with. Sullivan has been in a bit of touble in kindergarten. He apparently is a little Romeo and has a problem keeping his lips to himself. He is learning though. It is amazing what missing a little recess and a few ice pops will do. He loves school, its a wonderful school, and is learning so much. I thought he would be totally bored in kindergarten, but now I am afraid we'll never get him to want to move to first grade!!!

Sophie loves her school as well, its much better than I ever imagined. Last weekend, she got mad at us for telling her she couldn't go to school because it was Saturday. She tells us all about her friends and how she bosses them around. She is really getting a little drama queen attitude. She can cry in the middle of a sentence for dramatics and adds the lip quiver for extra attention.

Alright, more later, but for now, here's a few pictures to prove my kids are alive and well.

Sophie enjoying a blue snowball on a hot day.

He doesn't think he's too big for this car he had when he was 6 months old.

Mother's Day- before I lost 27 pounds!

Sullivan laying next to a REAL dinosar bone.

Daddy's first attempt at pigtails. You should see him now, his look 50 times better than mine.

The girsl are playing house with dinosaurs. Just proves that girls will be girls.
Notice the cape, we wear it everywhere (except school because you have to wear a uniform and folow dress code, otherwise ....) Oh yeah, they are digging for dinosaur bones.
Sophie found a ballooon!
Sullivan explaining that they aren't real bones, someone just made them look that way.
Kids posing before the party at our FIRST Baton Rouge house.

The above pictures are from a dinosaur party we went to in May. The kids had an absolute blast.

So, we got a new house, and while I was unpacking , I thought it would be a good idea to let the kids try out the new bathtub. It has jets, so I figured it would make bubbles ok. I put some water in, a tiny bit of soap, threw in the kids, and turned on the jets. They were having such a good time, then the bubbles took over. Well, I should say, they kept having a great time. I had to grab my camera. Of course, I had to shower the "clean" off of them after they were done.

Hello There

2009-08-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

Hello, I can't believe we are almost to the end of August. NUTS. Sorry for the lack of posts, you'd understand if you knew our life right now :) So, updates-

Sullivan started first grade last week. He hated "sitting in a boring desk listening to a boring teacher talk for two hours" and was having some emotional adjustment challenges. So, we made the decision to enroll him in my school and let him do kindergarten. HE LOVES IT. He begs to go and has such a blast. He loves every minute of it.

Speaking of love, apparently Sullivan has found his true love. I went to pick him up yesterday and was informed that "we need to talk" by the teacher. She said that he and another little girl are very close and seem to love being together and playing (which I already knew- they were in summer care together during my orientation- the little girl cried everytime I picked him up). Anyway, she says that Sullivan told her that K kissed him and was telling because he knew the rule- "you can't touch anyone else without asking." Apparently K didn't ask for the kiss :) So, the teacher pulled them both aside, talked about spreading germs through kissing and how its a bad idea. She explained that we save kisses for our mommies and daddies. Sullivan tells K that they'll have to wait until their wedding day to kiss again to which K gets very excited by the idea that Sullivan is planning on marrying her. HELLO THEY ARE 5!!!! Anyway, his teacher said it was by far the funniest thing she has dealt with and reiterated to her why she is a kindergarten teacher.

I asked him about it later, he told me K is his girlfriend and he REALLY loves her. I told him that he is too young to really understand love to which he replies- "Mom, this is TRUE love". OH BOY. He also told my mom that K tells him what to eat at lunch. Mom asks if she controls him and he said "sort of".

Little Miss started preschool this week. She really loves it. She cries a tiny bit when we go. Wednesday her teacher asked her why she was crying and she cried "because I WUV school." It was really sweet. She talks about her friends and how they play babies. She tells us that she eats nothing but crackers there. Overall, she is having fun. She brought home her first school work Friday with a packet of what she had done all week.

They are really growing up on me quickly. I'll post pictures soon!!!

Funnies...

2009-07-13T07:48:00.001-07:00

Well, life as we know it is kind of sucky right now- just pray for us if you get a minute. But, rather than give you a sob story, I thought I would share a few funny things the kids are doing.

Sullivan now wears his batman mask when swimming. It looks really funny to see that black ears poking up on top of the water when he is under. The other day, someone at the pool said "look it's batman!" To which Sullivan quickly pulled off the mask and matter of factly pointed out the obvious, "No, its just me- Sullivan, I was wearing a mask."

I just brought Sullivan to Vacation Bible School, Sophie was NOT happy about leaving him. She told his teacher "Dat's not fair!!! I AM big enough to go to school. I am two and a half!"

Sophie still tells the same knock knock joke over and over and is still thinking its funny. Three months of the same joke is not funny, but the monotony of her thinking its funny is a little funny. "Knock Knock- who's there? Orange, Orange who? Sit in nanny's lap!" (Are you laughing?)

Sophie is a little spit fire. She WILL not be fun to deal with in the teen age years, trust me. Anyway, perhaps she will :) So, the other day she tells me she needs to poop. I put her on the potty, she tells me to "close the door and turn on the vent". I assume its gonna be pretty bad, so I do. A second later, she comes running into the living room. I ask her if she pooped, she says "no, just tee tee". I ask her if she's sure, because I need to wipe her hiney, "nope just tee tee." I tell her I can go look in the potty. She runs in the bathroom, flushes, comes running out and says in her little two year old voice "now you can't check."

EDLD 5363 Debrief

2009-07-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

I am currently taking a multimedia class in my search for a masters degree. We had to complete a PSA in a group of four. Here is the link for the one that my group produced.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9VV98sfFeo&feature=channel

I feel we worked really well as a group. It was quite difficult at first trying to figure out how four people in totally different areas were going to complete a project that included videoing clips and editing them together to form a great end product. We started collaborating using a wiki. It turned out to be a VERY useful tool in this project. We started brainstorming ideas about what topic we would create the PSA about. This took a few days, we all threw in ideas about what we wanted to do. In the end, we decided on the booster seat law in Texas.
After deciding on a topic, we started brainstorming ideas on what we would do. The wiki was great, as everyone could throw an idea out there, and we could all see it and add our own thoughts. I really learned the value of wikis with this project! Once we had some basic ideas, we started to develop a script. Once we had a basic script, we had to decide on shots that we would need. The online collaboration was totally made possible by the wiki. It proved to be invaluable.
Once we had a well developed shot list, I started taking video of Sullivan and the different shots that we had listed. It turned into about 4 different times that I had to go back and collect more shots that we liked. I rought edited the shots on my computer since the footage was so large, then I would upload them on to youtube, and the different members of our group would download them and edit them on their own computers. One member was solely devoted to the sound editing and creation. This worked out well for our group.
We posted the work we had and made comments, finally coming up with an end product that we all liked. Overall, I think we worked well as a group. I thought we should have more special effects on the video, which was not the group concencus. I learned to "go with the flow" a little more. The quality of the video was low because of all of the uploading and downloading we had to do. But, overall, I am proud of our work.

Daddy

2009-06-21T06:47:00.001-07:00

Some people didn't have a great example of a father growing up. I did. I had a daddy. My earliest memories are him having tea parties with me, taking me on rides at Disney world, building me a playhouse and then PLAYING in it with me, reading stories with really funny voices, and telling me funny jokes. I remember him teaching me to skate and ride my bike. I remember him listening to me when I whined or threw fits. I remember wanting to run away and him carrying me back kicking and screaming all of the way. I am so fortunate to have had a VERY active daddy in my life. I am even more fortunate that he is gonna stick around a while so my kids get to enjoy him in their lives too. He still reads stories really funny and uses great voices. He still gets down on the floor to build lego structures and plays baby dolls as if its really for him.

My kids are super fortunate too, because they get to have just such a dad in their lives. Aaron is a fun dad, the kind that wrestles with them on the bed and sneaks them little treats when mommy isn't watching. He is the kind of daddy who sits on the floor and plays dollhouse with Sophie as if he is a two year old girl and will read books until his eyes hurt. He loves playing with "Sullivan's toys" that he buys for himself to enjoy. He climbs at the playground and slides down the slides, he tries out the toys before the kids do- just to be sure they are safe :) He is passionate about being a father, which makes him a daddy.

I am blessed to have had two great daddies in my life. Happy Father's Day Dad, Happy Father's Day Aaron.

Video Editing Project

2009-06-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fcvCcqCwGQ

For my class I am currently in, we were practicing with basic video editing skills in order to prepare for a big project we will be working on during the remainder of the class. The link above is my project. I chose to do a motivational video for teachers with an emphasis on the fact that our kids now learn everything digitally. I wanted to point out that kids feel trapped when they sit in a classroom listening to a lecture for 30 minutes when they are used to playing video games and watching tv all of the time. I am learning alot in the classes I am taking about the changing minds of the kids growing up today. Their minds basically are built differently than ours are, and they learn in different ways. This is why I chose this theme for my video.
The video was fun for me to do, but I had GREAT difficulty finding videos to include. You had to find already taken video and stills on the internet to use in your own compilation. The trick was, they had to be free use- not copyrighted and royalty free. The music was simple to find, but I spent about six hours routing through websites (searching the creative commons) looking for anything I could use that pertained to my theme. The video came out ok, with more time it could have been great. I enjoy editing and attempting to be creative, so I suppose I enjoyed myself :)

Anatomy of a Good Swim

2009-06-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

So, this week, we went to Beaumont for a while to spend some time with my parents. My best friend, Tiffini, moved there from College Station about a year ago, so it was a convenient excuse to let our kids play again. We hung out at my mom's pool ALL week long. The kids had such a blast, and it was so wonderful to get to visit with her like in the good old days while the kids played.At the beginning of the week, Sullivan was swimming, but not very brave. We have gotten him private swim lessons for the past two summers, and I was terrified that he was going to have to learn everything again (which was really scary as the swim lessons involved ALOT of tears). So, finally, I enticed him to swim by bascially throwing him in (I was there to help him). Once he saw that he could swim, he was a FISH!!! He began getting very brave. He swam everywhere- so exciting. Then, he started exploring with his "dives". He has perfected the cannon ball, and I'll show you his latest invention- the "sun dive." Sullivan "walking on water". If you ask him about this picture, he'll inform you that he can't really walk on water, the camera just makes it look like he is. (Just so you know.....)

This is the knees bent cannon ball. You must yell "knees bent cannon ball" while performing the stunt, or your score doesn't count.

Yet another walking on water picture, I like the look on his face- I am about to enter!!!

This is the traditional cannon ball. This apparently is a move like Sonic the Hedgehog makes, and you must pretend to be him while performing the stunt. (or your score does not count)

This is the sun dive. In case you would like to perform it, here are the steps (according to Sullivan):

1. You must be five AND a half (otherwise, you can't walk in 3 feet water).

2. You must turn around backwards and look up into the sun.

3. You must jump backwards.

4. You must hope your back doesn't hit the water, because that WEALLY hurts!!!

This is the sun dive with the feet entering the water first as opposed to the back. This is what is performed after a few unsuccessful attempts at the sun dive and a back that is "red and stingy".

This is just fun. You jump and say "AHHHHHHH". It's fun.

Miracle man? Just saying...... he's pretty good at walking on water. But, seriously guys, its just the camera making it look like he can walk on water.

SPLASH!!!! I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are!!!

Sentamental Moment

2009-06-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Excuse me, I am having a very sentamental moment. Seriously, its killing me. I was looking through pictures this morning for a few good shots, and I saw my two newborn babies. How in the world are they 2 and 5 (and a half, please don't forget the half- its the part that lets you stand and walk in three feet water, without the half, you drown). I mean, Sophie just came running in the kitchen yelling at the top of her lungs "Brother!!! You can not come in Sophie's room. Brother, you play in your room, Sophie plays in Sophie's room." Sullivan curently has on some princess shoes, is clanking them on the hard wood floor asking me if I think he looks like a "handsome prince."

Sullivan is reading anything and everything he sees. My mom told me he read the titles on the back of a cd case the other day when he got bored. Its kind of dangerous knowing that he can read everything now. Sometimes I think he is so grown, then he says something REALLY dumb, like "I yelled really loud in my room yesterday, so we shouldn't have any monsters in there for about another week", and I realize just how young he really is. He is still my little sweetheart. Don't get me wrong, he gets into plenty of trouble, but he just has the sweetest little heart. He is very into figuring out relationships of all of our families, and currently, he is trying to convince Aaron and I to get a divorce so that he can have step parents like his daddy does. He so doesn't get everything that goes along with the actual divorce, but hey, he wants to be like his dad! The other day, we had him tested for a gifted and talented program at school. As the teacher who was to test him was walking out of the room with him, I reminded him to use all of his manners. He looked really worried, and asked, "If I use all of them, I won't have any left, and that wouldn't be very fair." "Alright buddy, just use most of them," I replied. Honestly, perhaps he shouldn't make the gt program? ;)

Oh yes, and my lovely little Sophie. She is a stinker. I am not kidding. I know I probably complained alot to you when she was a baby about her crying, but I think she was born with a naughty streak. She is currently into swimming, she wants to swim all of the time. All she can think about is swimming. If we aren't outside swimming, and she thinks about swimming, she says "Raise your hand if you want to see Sophie swim!" She loves for us to raise our hands for everything. She LOVES doing everything that Sullivan does, which is how she learned that he isn't allowed in her room. Lately, we have been spending a lot of time at our friend Doug's place called "Skate Galaxy" here in Baton Rouge. If you haven't been, you need to, its great!!! (Skategalaxy.com) Anyway, Sophie has discovered that she LOVES Dance Dance Revolution. She dances her little heart out and really gets down. Its a little disturbing to watch her dance. Honestly. She loves her aunts and uncles, and her nanny and pawpaw. She got a bobo on her face the other day and had to go to urgent care because we thought she needed a stitch or two. She went crazy until they found her a purple "bambam" (bandaid), because that's how she could get better! Oh, if she is that worried about a bandaid, can you imagine what she will be like at 12?

Other than that, life is moving along fine. I recently found out that we will probably have daycare at school next year, and am really excited about the possibility of having both of my kids with me at school. I will be teaching three-four periods and working with teachers on coordinating technology into their curriculums the rest of the time. We'll have a brand new fabulous building, and a new mac laptop for each kid from pre-k to grade 12!!! Right up my alley!!! Alrighty, I must go try to corral Sophie down for a nap. Sullivan has a movie date with one of his cousins, and then we'll just try and enjoy summer a little longer. I realize the days of having little ones is fleeting, and am really trying to enjoy every moment. The fighting is getting more intense between the two, and I can honestly say I am sick of hearing about how angry someone is that the other on looked at them, BUT life is great and I wouldn't trade it for anything!!! I am going to try and post more regularly for you, my loyal fans, so thanks for putting up with me during the move!

Saturday the way they were meant to be

2009-06-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a Saturday where you thought it just couldn't get any better? This Saturday was absolutely wonderful. Seriously. I mean, I have never heard either of my kids laugh as hard as they did for as long as they did and be so happy.

It started with a double birthday party for my longest best friend Jamie's two girls Reese and Kate. It was at a jumping place called "It's My Party". It was absolutely wonderful. The kids had TWO forty minute jumping sessions and then a fun pizza party. Sullivan would like bragging rights and for you to know that he ate FOUR pieces. It was a princess party, and he had no problem sporting the princess hat and rings that were passed out. He even let his picture be made quite a bit, oh the poor boy when he reaches his teenage years.

Then, we all came home to nap while daddy prepared the backyard for a splashpark and barbecue. Some of our new neighbors came over, and a bunch of our families. We had a GREAT summer afternoon grilling and watching the kids play. I have honestly never heard Sullivan laugh as hard as he did for as long as he did. They just had the best time ever.

And, if that couldn't be enough, my parents took them to a hotel to spend the night. Aaron's brother and his wife stayed while we watched a movie KIDLESS (which is obviously the way to go), while the kids ended their day with MORE swimming. It honestly was perfect!!! So much fun!!! I LOVE BATON ROUGE!!!

Photo Story

2009-06-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

For another masters class I am taking, we had to create a photo story of an important or life changing event in our life. I chose to create mine on the week that Sophie was life flighted with croup to Temple's Scott and White Hospital. Take a look and let me know what you think I should change. It's not due until Monday, so you can tell me what's missing, too long, or short, etc. I had a horrible time with the microphone (but you use what you have available), so you probably have to turn your speakers up kind of loud. Thanks friends!!!!

I enjoyed making the personal story. I used Microsoft's Photo Story 3, which can be downloaded for free. It took me a while to decide what I would create my story about. Once I decided, I used an index card, and wrote all of the important things I wanted to say about that week. Of course, I could have filled four or five index cards!!! I then came up with a "script", but had to revise it about ten times because it was really long!!! I finally decided that the important part was to emphasize the point that that week had changed me forever. It still haunts me everytime I see a life flight helicopter in the sky!!!

The software is pretty easy to use. The only problem I had was recording on my microphone the voice overs loud enough. I ended up turning the background music down as low as possible, and realizing that my microphone just isn't that great. The video is produces is pretty big, so I ended up having to post it to youtube (which I really did NOT want to do), in order to link it here for you guys to see.

Anyway, leave me a comment and tell me what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPTyNyQQzEM

An Update of Epic Proportions

2009-05-30T18:34:00.001-07:00

What? Why do you want to take my picture when I am trying to have fun here?

I had a funnel in my car from moving, you would not believe how much fun a funnel is at a splashpad.

Sullivan at the bottom of a waterslide.

Sophie took her turn at breaking the pinata. Doesn't she look cute in a blindfold?

My parents came to town and took the kids to spend the night in a hotel. In the process, they took them to the store and let them buy anything they wanted. Sophie got a monkey to hang around her neck. It has hung there for over a week.

Uncle Charlie gave Sullivan five bucks when he saw the ice cream truck. Sophie looked like this after enjoying an ice cream sandwich in the sun.

This is how you cool off in the summer! Notice how big Sophie is, she looks like a kid now!

Hooray! I am not sure what he is cheering for, but he is excited!

We had a pinata at a going away party. Sullivan didn't break it, but he looked really cute in the blindfold.

Sophie found some stuffed animals and thought she had to carry them everywhere at the party even though they were twice her size.

Now this is gonna be fun!!!

Not sure if she wants to get wet, but about ten minutes later, we couldn't get her to leave!

Nanny let them make and decorate their own cupcakes. Sophie found them and ate the icing off of about six before we realized what she was up to.

Well, apparently being a working mom is WAY more WORK than I thought. I am definitely adjusting. The thing is, school is now out, I am home again, but living around friends and family keeps us very busy. I am trying to steadily unpack, and follow the lead of my ever growing children. In my organizationally challenged world, I have yet to unpack the camera cord. I know that technically I have lived here long enough to be unpacked, but we have aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends, and every kind of grandparent a kid could want living very close now- we stay VERY busy. Or, I should say, my children stay busy. They get taken out to eat by aunts and uncles, out to movies by grandparents, and invited to lots of parties to which we must drive. I'll fill you in more about our new lives in Baton Rouge soon, but for now, I'll share some pictures my dad has captured of the kids lately so that you can have prove that they are alive and still growing well. Oh yeah, and they are still really cute!

We've Moved!

2009-05-05T03:58:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Its been a long while. We have officially moved to Louisiana! Baton Rouge, to be exact. Alot of things are changing, but all for the good! I have started to teach, and love it. We have

a great babysitter that comes over here and stays with the kids (Sullivan was really worried the first day that she would actually sit on him). Anyway, we are around family and long time friends, and it feels just right! We love watching the kids getting to know their family and cousins and everyone we refer to as our family. Its really great. This weekend we had a crawfish boil to celebrate my dad's birthday. It was my kids' first time at one (Sullivan has been, but before he was old enough to understand). They were both totally grossed out that we were eating the crawfish. Sullivan said "But that looks like dirt on them." I told him there was dirt. He said "Thats disgusting, why would you ever eat that?"

They are good!!!!!

Well, hopefully I'll be able to find the cord to download some pictures off of my camera and prove to you that my children are, in fact, still alive! I can hopefully get some pics of the new house once there aren't boxes everywhere!!!

Assignment

2009-04-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

Okay loyal fans, the following is not an update on our family (although I promise to sit down and write one tomorrow). The following is an assignment for a class I am taking for my master's degree I am working on.

I recently visited www.itse.org. It is a website for the organization called "The International Society for Technology in Education." The website is full of useful links, helpful information, and invaluable resources for educators. I was particularly drawn to the "Educator Resources" link. It has quite a few VERY useful links with helpful project ideas, online seminars, training classes, and other tools that could prove to be invaluable to an educator in today's technology savvy classroom.

The website seems very easy to navigate and search, and honestly, I can't find too many negatives about the site. This is going on my bookmark list, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a new site with fresh ideas for incorporating technology into their classroom.

A few things that really intrigue me about the site are the fact that you can access it and all of the resources with or without membership in their society. I feel that this will allow a broader range of educators to actually use the site. I also appreciate the fact that you can make suggestions on the site and feel like they may actually be heard and help others. The career section seems like a great idea in today's economy as well.

All in all, I am thoroughly impress with this site and plan to visit it quite regularly. I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

The Power Of Magical Hands

2009-03-31T04:58:00.000-07:00

We had such an eventful weekend. It all started with Buster Brown getting neutered on Friday. I know I have told you how intuitive Sullivan is, well..... yeah. He wanted to understand it all. When we went to drop him off Friday morning, Sullvian asked the nurse- "don't you think its gonn hurt to cut his wee wee? I mean, can't we just keep him without you cutting it?" She told him they would put him to sleep so that he wouldn't feel anything, to which he replies "Yeah, they put me to sleep before, only thing is, I played really hard the night before so I was really tired, and he didn't." He kept asking question after question. And then, when we picked him up, Sullivan noticed right away that two things were MISSING! It was interesting to say the least- the things they don't tell you about when you get pregnant!

Then, Saturday morning, we went to our dear friend Brooke's fourth birthday party! It was fun because we have known her since she was 15 months old, and its neat to watch them grow! I'll fill you in on the rest of our weekend a little later.

Best Friends Forever- these were our first friends in College Station- Brooke (the birthday girl), and Trinity.

The boy had no idea it was a pink princess jeep. It was good for off roading, as far as he was concerned.

We soon realized that the reason Sophie was being so good was that she was getting SPOONFULLS of the ranch dip and enjoying it without chips. She put a whole new slant on the term "double dipping".

At first, Sullivan was scared to watch the magic show, then he realized that the magician had magic in his hands, and had to figure out how he could get it too!

One of "those" bloggers

2009-03-25T04:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I always swear I will not be one of "those" bloggers. You know the ones that forget all about blogging and actually lead their real lives. Well, it happened this month, and I apologize! We just have so much going on.

For starters, we have a new puppy. Not by choice- he found us. We were driving home from my parents' two weeks ago, when we almost hit him on the highway in the middle of the woods. We brought him home and cleaned him up, and tried to find him a new home. But, in the mean time, we all fell in love. He is such a sweet boy that we now realize he is ours. His name started off being Sawyer, but the kids could never remember is, so now he is Buster Brown. Sophie likes to tell everyone how cute he is. When she says cute, her word rhymes with "scoot". So, she always says "look at this cootie, come here cootie, what a cootie". Its adorable, I swear. Sampson loves him, Delilah doesn't belittle herself enough to play with another dog in fear that someone might think she is one as well.

I need to take some pictures of my children today so that you can actually know that they ARE, indeed, still alive and well. I don't want to jinx us, but we have been incredibly well lately- no sickos in the bunch. We have enjoyed playing outside for the majority of our days lately. Sullivan is finally enjoying his dumptruck we got him over two years ago, and Sophie loves riding bikes. She is quite the talker now, and its pretty funny to listen to. We met some of our friends at Sam's the other day. Her and I were pregnant with our girls at the same time, so it was crazy to watch them interacting. They thought it was really funny to tell each other that they were funny. So, Sophie would say "you're funny", then Evie would say "no you're funny." This continued for about an hour, and never got old to the girls.

Sullivan has started reading like crazy. Its kind of funny, but kind of creepy. I mean, he is supposed to be my baby. Yesterday, I took him with me to run a bunch of errands with me alone. We were driving, and he said, "Mom, what is fresh fish and seafood?" I was totally thrown off, and asked, "What?" He says, "Red Lobster says they have it, what is it?" I couldn't believe he had read that as we drove by, no time for sounding anything out! Then, last night, he saw Aaron on the internet looking at a termite page, and he asked him "Why would anyone call themselves a Bug Man?" Aaron was blown away that he is reading our stuff now! Man, time goes by quickly!

I'll end on this one piece of advice that Sullivan shared with me yesterday- "Humans should never drink too much milk, because their mouths would be on fire. Now, if you are an alien, you can drink as much milk as you want, because you like fire- you know, you live close to the sun."

Fire Museum

2009-02-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

Our playgroup scheduled a trip to the fire museum this last week. The kids had an absolute blast and learned lots of cool stuff- like not to get your favorite toy while escaping a fire. None of them were too keen on the fireman all dressed up, but supposedly its good for them to see so they hopefully won't be afraid if they ever encounter one in real life. Its was a great day for mommy and Sullivan with no sister allowed!

He was truly worried that people might think he was a real fireman since he had the hat AND the badge.

The kids had to crawl out of the fire.

Lots of little fire people checking out the fire trucks.

The kids got to step on the fireman's boots to see if it hurt.

Checking out the bedroom, Sullivan asked who was the boss. The fireman tried to explain, but lost him.

Our neighbor, Sullivan's new best bud.

Ring around the firepole.

Our group of fire people.

One handsome fireman!

Right...

2009-02-22T07:06:00.000-08:00

So, Sophie talks ALOT. Sullivan talks ALOT. I am constantly reminding myself that I need to be thankful of "little people" talk because there are plenty of people praying for children out there. Sometimes its harder than others. But lately, Sophie has learned to say some pretty funny stuff. You have to remember that she is barely two and is VERY little for her age. So, when she talks, it kind of seems funny.

Her new favorite word is "right." She likes to reward you for understanding what she said with "right." She asks for chocolate milk, you get it, she says "kockolate mik right!" ( very excitedly because you understood her). She asks you for a green marker and you give it to her, "Geen right!" . It's super cute.

She has also begun saying "Sulliban". Its bittersweet. For one thing, Sullivan called himself "Taliban" forever. I am pretty sure he was four before he could actually say his name where other people could understand. For another thing, she started calling him "BoBo", then moved to "Brother". The "Brother" is infinitely cute coming from her mouth. I can't believe she is already switching to the real name!!!

Lastly, she likes to praise everyone for going potty correctly. If she hears the toilet flush from across the house, she'll yell "Hooray Brother, good job Sulliban!" Or, more embarrassingly, when we are in a public restroom, and I pee, she exclaims "Yeah mommy, good girl- you did it right!!!" Yesterday she heard the toilet flush in the stall next to us, realized that her and Sullivan were in there with me and had no idea who to cheer for. She thought for a minute, then yelled "Yeah lady! Good girl doing your teetees on the potty!!!!" The poor lady was cracking up laughing and gave her thanks when she left!

A day of fun!

2009-02-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

We went to the Houston Aquarium yesterday and met up with my family- parents, brother Shawn, and his wife, Sarah. We had a blast. The weather was perfect. My dad got a new camera lens, so we got lots of cool pictures. Sophie enjoyed it way more than we thought she would. She was enamoured by all of the cool fish. Everything was exciting for her. They have a train ride that goes through a HUGE aquarium filled with sharks. Its spectacular! We rode 7 times! We did the carousel at least 10 (probably more). We rode the ferris wheel once, my kids were weenies and didn't fare well on that. There is a white tiger exhibit at the end that is unbelievable. The tiger visited with Sophie quite closely. He apparently wanted to give us a show, he stood up and attacked the glass. It was really cool! If you haven't ever been, you definitely need to give it a try. And, if you are really lucky, you can take Sullivan with you- he knows how to read the maps, show you where to go and even knows random animal facts that he learned from Diego he can share with you.

The Quiver

2009-02-13T06:55:00.000-08:00

You know its coming when the eyes start to gloss over. Then, the attitude changes to mellow. Then the lip is next to follow with its sure quiver. Oh yes, a full tantrum will ensue. Drama teachers, you have met your match, for surely I have found the next Oscar winner.

Life is going over here. Sophie has thrush in her mouth. She whined and cried all day yesterday about her tongue hurting before I decided to actually take her seriously. I looked inside, and sure enough, cauliflower all over it. So, we are trying the $1.77 gentian violet treatment first. Her mouth, cheeks, hands, drool, pillow, and anything else that come into contact with her are bright purple. Definitely need to try the medicine next time. She decided to wake up screaming this morning at 5! That's right folks, Aaron is at his dad's house sleeping in, I am up at 5 with a screaming girl. Speaking of screaming. Tuesday, she woke up in her bed yelling "Momma!" around 3 am. I was hoping she would fall back asleep while I lay in bed pretending I was in Hawaii with no dependents. Then I hear her yell (after probably 10 "mama"s), "Bicky, you hear me?" I decided to go get her with that one!

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

The Picture Pickle

2009-02-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

Since Sophie has been born, she refuses to have professional pictures taken of her. We have been blessed enough to find Sarah Giles of Butterfly Chaser photography to take wonderful pictures of both of the kids even before Sophie was born. But, as wonderful of a photographer as she is, we have never gotten a GREAT picture of Sophie smiling while looking AT the camera. It is extremely frustrating. Every session we have with her, we get about 40 great pictures of Sullivan and one of Sophie. I hope that when she is older she knows how hard we tried to get good shots of her!

A Blessing and a Curse

2009-02-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

I have just returned home from visiting with family and friends for the last few days. It was a blessing and a curse to get to see everyone. Its hard to believe that babies that I once played house with are now 20 and 21 years old. Everyone is so grown up, doing so well, creating lives of their own. I can't imagine when they start having babies. It makes me feel SOOOO old. The curse was the fact that we were gathering to mourn the loss of a great, great man. Ted was loved by so many people. It was so hard to see family and friends grieve and not really grasp the loss. It did not feel real. No part of it was fair.

It was a blessing that not one person could remember (and I am talking all the way back from his birth) Ted ever losing his temper. Not one person could remember him ever raising his voice. It is a curse that a man of this stature should be taken from the world at such a prime time of his life. It was a blessing that he went on at least one great vacation a year with his family- sometimes more. His kids got to know him more than most kids do. It is also a curse that they should know so well who they lost. It is a blessing to have so many wonderful memories with him, and yet a curse to know what we will miss out on.

Ted will be missed, there is no doubt about that. In the next few weeks and months as life returns to "normal" please pray for family that they would be able to celebrate his life rather than mourn his death.

Ted

2009-02-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

I am heartbroken this morning. My mom called me about 7:30 last night and told me that she had to tell my dad that his brother died. I sat there in shock for a few seconds not really “getting” what she had just said. When it sank in, I think I said “who? What?” She told me that yesterday afternoon my aunt Robin came home from work as usual to find my uncle Ted dead on the floor of their home. It still doesn’t make sense to me. Apparently they are thinking he had a heart attack. He has a son Chris, who is still in high school, and a daughter, Emily who goes to LSU. I ask you to pray for them this morning and for the next few weeks as they have to deal with this overwhelming situation. Ted was 52.

My dad is number two of seven children. They are all really close, so I grew up knowing them all really well. I remember my aunts and uncles as teen agers and going to college and being young. But, I do not remember Ted without Robin. They were always the perfect couple. Even as a young kid, you knew that they just had that kind of “special” relationship. I don’t really know how to describe it, but you know it when you see it. He loved her deeply. They always had fun, always went on vacations to Disney World, and they loved Jimmy Buffet.

I found out very young, probably about five, that Ted could fix anything. He was an electronic engineer, and he could literally fix anything. I thought he was a super hero when he fixed a keyboard that I had gotten for Christmas. I remember watching him take it apart and solder wires together. After that day, I would hold on to broken tape recorders and toys to save and bring to him just to see if he could fix them. When I was eight, I was going somewhere with him in the car. I was in the front seat, and we were talking. A song by Madonna came on the radio, and he said “I love this song.” I remember thinking that this made him the absolute coolest man in America because he knew a song that I knew!

A few years later, Ted and Robin had a baby girl. They were so excited. I remember going over to their house to meet Emily for the first time. Ted was lying on the couch with this tiny newborn sleeping on his chest. He had this look of extreme tiredness, but even at 9 or 10 years old, I could see how proud he was. Robin told us that Ted laid around on the couch letting the baby sleep on him all day and night. A few months later, we were running through town and stopped to visit them. Emily was taking a nap in her crib. Ted was so proud of her and wanted us to see her so badly that he went and woke her up to show her off to us. I’ll never forget that proud look he had that day. I remember him telling us that Robin was having a boy a few years later. He had that same proud look on his face- look what I did ;) . Chris made Ted just as proud.

Ted was so fun. He always played basketball with us as kids. We would have these huge family games. While he took it very seriously with his brothers, he always made sure we learned pointers. He was such a great man. I cannot wrap my mind around the fact that he is gone. It doesn’t make sense to me. The world will miss out on an amazing man. Ted, you had a big impact on this world, and we will miss you dearly. I feel fortunate to have known you.

Funny Stuff

2009-02-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

When we had Sullivan, we knew we had a drama boy. Because he was so much drama, we thought there was no way we could have another. Well, we successfully managed it. Sophie is even more drama than her brother. I swear, they should make a sitcom based on our lives. But, if they did, there probably would be boycotts from the birth control industry as everyone would stop needing their product because they were using home methods of permanently sterilizing themselves.

My parents kept the kids for four long days last week. It was marvelous. Aaron and I watched ALOT of movies at the theatre and just basically relaxed. Mom called me on the evening of day one (she had only had them about three hours) and says, "Sophie climbs on EVERYTHING." Yep, she sure does. She also gets in trouble but waits until someone is watching because its just not as fun if no one knows you are being bad. On the day that we went to pick them up, mom makes a declaration that she has fussed at me many times for saying. She says "Its a good thing you didn't have Sophie first, because I am pretty sure you wouldn't be able to have more children, she is wild." I KNOW!!!! This is why we call her a "caboose" child. She definitely shows anyone around that she needs no one after her. She takes all of the time and effort you could possibly give to a second child.

But, she is alot of fun. We got back home Monday, and apparently Sophie decided that she would "punish" us for letting her have a four day vacation from life. She had seven tee tee accidents and four poo poo ones. This is from a kid that hasn't had an accident in about a month. Not only would she have an accident, but she would walk right in front of you, pee and say "I tee teed on the floor". Yeah, you try keeping your cool. Luckily I had one diaper in the closet that I was saving. I put it on her much to her disgust, and she hasn't had another accident since. But, she was complaining and not wanting to potty much. I had Aaron convinced she had a bladder infection (the first one in history that comes without a fever). We were ready to take her to the ER late last night, when Aaron walks in with a handful of white chocolate chips. She sees them, says "mmmm, yummy." Walks over to the toilet, takes off her clothes, and does a ton of tee tee. Then, she gets the chocolate. Can you say BAD?

So, let me fill you in on some light hearted moments so that you don't think my kids are totally horrible! This morning, Sullivan wanted to watch UnderDog, which he still calls "Thunder Dog" no matter how many times we tell him differently. I put on the movie (which is wide screen), and he starts complaining about having to watch a movie with "Monkey Bars" on it (the black bars at the top and bottom of the widescreen).

Yesterday, the kids and I were drawing a masterpiece with sidewalk chalk on the back patio. Sophie would pick up a color, survey the patio, and say "HMMMMM...." as if contemplating exaclty what piece of art she should grace us with. She would draw a line on the ground and say, "Mmmm, Dopie, pretty flower. Good job" or "Mmmm, Dopie, nice moon, good job." It was hillarious to watch her. So then, I traced Sullivan so that he could draw himself. He is working feverishly on coloring the pants and shirt exaclty, coloring his toes and fingers just right, when he notices Sophie coloring his face turquoise. He flips out yelling, "great, now everyone who see this is gonan think I am an alien. This is insane."

I must say, we created quite a masterpiece out there, and neither of the dogs (the only ones who have been in our backyard to see the work) have mentioned anything about the boy looking like an alien.

What Happens at Nanny's House?

2009-02-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

So, it's no surprise that my parents moved back to Beaumont a few months ago. You might say we are enjoying them being back. But, my kids are enjoying it the most. Well, maybe that's not true. If you know my parents, you know they live for their grandkids now. The first time they asked for the kids, we were kind of nervous but let the kids go just for one night. Three nights later we had to BEG for our children back. The kids come home and sleep for days. We have been fortunate enough for them to BEG for the kids just about anytime we will give them away. If you ask Sullivan what happens at nanny's house, he will fill you in on their adventures. Adventures of bear hunting, searching for bear tracks, falling in pools of water when they were just running around, finding new parks, going to Chuckee Cheese, wearing whatever clothes you want, eating ice cream sandwiches whenever you want and as many as you want, sleeping when and where you want, and playing in the tub as long as you want. At first we didn't beleive him, but Aaron and I have been down there a few times and witnessed the "life stops now because the kids are here and we must make memories" mentality. Whatever the kids say goes, they are definitely making memories. Lucky kids!

Sophie dancing with her favorite toy at their house, this plug in Rudolph. I am embarrassed by the fullness of her pullup, but I will say she came home alive and well.

This was also about two months ago, she has been in panties only for about two months now.

Here's the latest picture from this weekend after going to the park for four hours:

Wakeup Call

2009-01-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

Ever had something really wake you up? Someone really throw you for a loop? Every time I am disciplined by God, I learn something amazing about Him. I am going through some crazy discipline right now. I am being put in timeout for longer than my 31 minutes (you are supposed to do a minute for every year the kid is). I have gotten more than my five lashes. I will learn something from this. I will, I promise. I hope I learn it soon. For real God. Anyway, while I was whining and complaining to God about how miserable I have it, I saw a phrase that really struck a chord with me. "Don't grumble about what you don't have. Be thankful you don't get what you deserve."

Kind of deep to think that we are getting way more than our "fair share" by just not being thrown into the trash! We are all sinners, I am a pretty bad one too. So, instead of asking why, I am gonna be thankful and acknowledge all that I have that I really don't deserve anyway. Two of my biggest gifts are Sullivan and Sophie. They keep me laughing and filled with wonder and amazement throughout the day.

This morning we were all cuddled up in my bed watching cartoons when Sullivan tooted. Sophie apparently smelled it, covered her nose with her hand and said in her tiny little voice "Ooh brother you stinky, ooh stinky toot brother." It was all I needed to remind me how much I have!

A few of Sophie's latest phrases she has added to her speech vocabulary- (keep in mind this is all coming from a tiny little body that is super sassy):

"Watch this mommy"

"Count wif me"

"Mommy say Daddy, water, get it"

"Apple juice mommy no red juice or milk"

She has also started counting to ten!!! I think its so neat to listen to her tiny little voice count that high and best of all her numbers sound like this-

"un, too, pree, four, pive, sicks, seben, ate, nine, pen" Then she says "Dopie did it!!! hooray Dopie!"

Sullivan is getting better at writing every day. He loves reading and doing math but has always hated writing. Something has finally clicked in him, and he seems to really be getting the hang of it. I'll have to take a picture so you can see the cool cat, alien, fish painting he did.

I am also extremely thankful for Aaron. I don't say it enough, but I have a wonderful husband. Since the day I have met him, I have been impressed with his morals, work ethic, and sensitive side. There is nothing he wouldn't do for me, and definitely nothing he would not do for his kiddos. He is an excellent husband and father, and I could not have picked any better. I guess its a good thing God threw him in my path when He did!

What are you doing today?

2009-01-22T09:31:00.000-08:00

I am laying in bed, the windows are open, fresh air is flowing in, and my kids are playing in the backyard. They are totally enjoying this weather. Its gorgeous. You can't ask for more in Texas than to be able to open you windows. And, it couldn't come at a better time. We went to Louisiana this past weekend to help Aaron's stepmom get her house ready for the market. When we were coming back Monday, Sophie threw up ALOT. Then, she had the big D once we got home. We were hoping it was some reaction to food or something, but no, it was the infamous stomach bug. We have been VERY healthy this year, and I shouldn't complain, but man, it was miserable. I woke up fine yesterday, then about 9:30, my body turned into a weapon of mass destruction. I haven't been that violently ill EVER. It was bad, and the worst part was that you would have about an hour and a half in between episodes of feeling fine. Then, Sullivan started to throw up around 6 last night, then Aaron around 2 this morning. I am HOPING we are on the tail end. So, I scrubbed every surface I could find with clorox this morning, am on my fourth load of laundry, and am not airing out the house with the windows open. HOORAY.

I'll have to get back with you later, as I am super weak and really hungry! Enjoy the pictures.

This is the Life

2009-01-13T06:54:00.000-08:00

My mom called me at 8 this morning to tell me Happy Birthday. Good thing she reminded me. If she didn't, I might have forgotten. At 2 am last night, Sophie came in here screaming, soaking wet. She apparently wet the bed, ALOT, and it scared her. In my stupor, I brought her to the bathroom, took off her clothes, gave her new panties, and wiped her up a bit. Good thing I woke up, or I might not have gotten the cothes in the dryer. Normally I don't care if I dry clothes at 2 am. But, when your kids wear the same shirt everyday, its essential that they be cleaned and dried before they wake up. Luckily, we were able to peel the batman shirt off of Sullivan yesterday and trick Sophie into taking off the Dora shirt. It had been 4 days for each. After four days, a kid starts to smell pretty badly, and I can't describe what the clothes are like.

As I lay here in bed typing this, Diego is on my tv. Sophie is cheering wildy about some cat that he is apparently saving. Yesterday, she saw an elephant on my computer and went nuts. She had to kiss and hug it. So then, Aaron and I spent 30 minutes typing animal names into the google search so she could have a new picture to make out with. You had to be here. Sullivan wears a batman mask to go with his batman shirt. He wears it everywhere. Yesterday, we went to the mall, and he wore the garb. Aaron was rather embarrassed and asked him to take it off. I explained that it was part of development and asked him to let it go. When Sullivan started making arm and leg movements, and then sound effects, it did get rather embarrassing.

But, I remind myself all of the time that THIS is the life. From where I stand, life could not be better. I mean, honestly, my kids adore me. I am not trying to brag, I am sure your kids adore you too. Seriously, what could be better than a human being that kisses you when you fall, hugs you when you cry, and pats your back when you screw up? I mean, hearing a tiny voice say they love you, they need you, and that their world would not exist without you- how could it honestly get any better? My mom told me that this weekend Sullivan was very loving with her. He told her how everyone loves her. When she said sometimes people are mean to her, he apparently showered her with love. I mean, honestly, can you ask for more?

Ok, while I am enjoying this life, Sophie just found the peanut butter dog biscuits. She is beating Sampson with one trying to make him eat it. I must go solve this dilema! Enjoy your life today!

the Poop Situation

2009-01-08T12:36:00.000-08:00

So, once you become a parent, you instantly join the "we talk about poop publicly club". Sorry if you aren't there yet. You should understand one day. I knew when we were at the hospital with Sullivan. Here we have this 5 pound tiny newborn, and all we want to do with him is take him to our house and be a new family. But, nurses had to keep coming in every ten minutes to see if he had pooped. We had to wait until he did before we could leave with him. Then, when they get sick, its not enough for people to ask if your kid is pooping, they want to know the variety of poop, solidity, color, and smell. Apparently there is some "rank fish" smelling poop that comes with rotavirus. Let me tell you, if I have to analyze the smell of the thing I most want to throw away in the outside trash, I am gonna not be a happy camper. One time, when Sullivan was a baby, he had to take an antibiotic that made his poop white and smell like windex. Aaron thought we should save it and try to sell it on ebay. We didn't.

So, why am I talking about poop? Sophie woke me up this morning by coming and getting me in the living room and telling me that poop was yucky. Yes, I definitely agree, this is why we get it OUT of our bodies for good. I quickly smelled they yucky she was describing. I asked her if she pooped in her panties and she said "No Dopie poo poo in the potty." I looked in her panties, and let her know that she had , in fact, pooped in her panties. She was VERY insistent that she had pooped in the potty. She led me into the bathroom to show me. She had apparently sat on the potty (without taking off the panties), tee teed and poopooed. All night's worth of pee was in the toilet shy of what was filtered through the panties. We were super proud of her for doing it on her own accord, but tried to explain that she should take her panties off first.

Hopefully, we are close to doing all of our potties actually in the potty. I thought I would brag that she has now said her first 7 word sentence! We went for her two year checkup Tuesday, and the doctor was asking me all kinds of developmental milestone questions. She asked if she said two word phrases, and I laughed. Of course, I remember being terrified at Sullivan's two year checkup because he wasn't talking. Anyway, the doctor (who is wearing a purple shirt), starts talking to Sophie and asks her a question. Sophie ignores her. I remind her that she gets a sticker if she answers the questions. Sophie says, "I no talk to the purple." Needless to say, she is doing fine developmentally. So, the 7 words? Last night, she came into my room and said "Mom, water." Its two in the morning, so I just said, "come cuddle with me, I don't have any water." She replies, "Mom, say. Daddy, water, go get it." I guess she has learned rather young ;)

Brother, thankful, and the such

2009-01-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

I like to jumpy, jumpy! Sophie has begun calling Sullivan "brother". She says it in the dearest of ways, "Brother, come here," "Brother, move", " Brother, I say move!" Anwyay, its really cute. Yesterday at Sam's, she was screaming at him at the top of her lungs "Brother give me the coke!" Too much for her little britches. Speaking of britches, she is full time in panties, no more pullups EVER (hopefully). And, I am proud to annouce that "Houston, we have lift off", she has pooped in the potty three times. Yesterday she was in the playroom and screamed "Aaron come here fast! Oh No, Uh oh." He ran in there to find quite the late Christmas present in her pants that apparently was dropped off before she had time to run to the potty. You did read the quote right, she also is calling people by their real names. Its really funny and really annoying all in one. She was running around the "Bounce" the other day looking for me yelling "Bicky, Bicky!!!" She loves calling my parents "Steve and Linda". Only when she is mad of course. She is growing too fast. Today is her two year check up, so we'll see how fast she really is growing.

I got an award and need to list six things I am thankful for. So, I here ya go:

-I am thankful taht every day I know two beings in this world love me no matter what I do or look like, and have me on a pedestal that's pretty close to as high as the clouds.

- I am thankful that I found my true love early in my life- at 20! so that I can have one of those crazy long marriages- I am shooting for 80 years!

- I am thankful for two parents who still love each other and sacraficed more than I will ever know for me to have a happy childhood filled with wonderful memories.

- I am thankful that I live in a country that I can love Christ and talk about it.

- I am thankful that God loves me even though I am SOOO unworthy of it.

- I am thankful for my two little beings that are growing so big and strong every day. They are so gorgeous!

PawPaw- Steve- I said don't take another picture, just play with me.

Do I have to tell you again? This is getting really frustrating.

Sullivan's idea of how to build a ramp- just put two pieces of wood together, should work.Nanny helps him build one that just might actually work.And he's off! It works!!! Who knew scrap wood could be this much fun!?!

Well, I see that Sophie has found Sullivan's light saber, and hear it as well. Sullivan had his Indiana Jones sword and looks as though he is ready to defend himself. I must run. I'll have to catch up with you later!

New Year's Sullivanisms

2009-01-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

So, I talk to Sullivan like he is an adult, always have. We talk about lots of stuff, he asks questions, I give him answers. Here are two funny stories that need a little prep. Sullivan wears a hat now almost every day. Its a "Cars" hat that apparently makes him Mario. He loves wearing it, and after catching him sharing it on the playground one day, I had to discuss lice with him and how we don't share hats.

The other night, we went out to eat with my parents. The waitress was being really friendly, so of course, Sullivan was flirting away. She tells him that she wants to borrow his hat and wear it around, but that she will bring it back. He is laughing and smirking and says, "but you could have bugs in your hair and I wouldn't want my hat back." It was so embarrassing, but really funny!

Sophie was playing in the tub this morning while I was cutting Sullivan's hair in the bathroom.

He doesn't like having his hair cut. He had lots of extra hair, and by the time I was done, he had hair ALL over him. He was naked because he didn't want his clothes to get hair on them. He exclaims, "now I look just like daddy, I don't even have to be a grown up!" Can you tell his daddy has a hairy chest? So, as soon as I was done, he jumped in the shower to get the hair off. Sophie wouldn't get out of the tub so she stayed in. Sophie found Sullivan's privates. I told her "Sophie we don't touch Sullivan's penis." Apparently Sullivan had never heard me call it that, we always call it a "wee wee." So, when she tried again, he yells "Sophie, do NOT touch my peanuts." I was laughing so hard, and he says, "What mom, she understand spanish way better, and that's how you say wee wee in spanish right?" Ummmmmmm....... yes. Sophie was taken out of the shower immediately!

Horses

2009-01-03T05:47:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we went to Aaron's grandparents' house in Louisiana. They have a HUGE amount of land (161 acres!) with lots of animals running around. When we drove into the driveway two horses came up to greet us. We, of course, being city folk, had to stop the car, open the door, and let the horses check us out. Sophie and I rode bareback quite a bit- they don't ride the horses much anymore being in their 70s, so the saddles were not "in working order". Sullivan would not ride bareback until he is 31, because apparently that's the only year that it's safe to ride. The kids had a blast. Sullivan and his two girl cousins, Anna and Carson, chased cows all afternoon, never catching one. They have LOTS of feral cats running around that Sophie looked for but never caught and a few dogs to add to the fun. We had a great day and are sure to return as soon as they are ready for my two running around their once quiet house again!

Hello 2009

2009-01-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

Hello all. I assure you that we have not fallen off the face of the planet. Actually we have been rather busy and rather lazy all at the same time. We left our camera (along with all of our pictures) at Aaron's dad's house over Christmas, so I have no pictures to post. I will tell you that our chidlren had GREAT holidays. It is so fun to watch them experience new things. Santa was very good to them, our families were even better. The amount of toys that they received is enough to keep a daycare going and happy. My aunt Karen came over last week and surprised Sullivan with a "bath tub" (his words) FULL of legos from when her two boys were growing up. He won't even leave his room. He was beaming, super excited, and hasn't stopped playing since. She brought her grandkids with her, and Zack exclaimed that he wants to be Sullivan's new brother. I told you they got alot of toys!!!!

Anyway, let me fill you in on some of the things going on in our house-

Sophie wears panties now all of the time, she poops in them most of the time (about every other day). Its pretty gross. No, its really gross. It grosses her out, she stands still and screams, refusing to move. But, it apprently doesn't gross her out enough to do it in the toilet. We'll get there.

Sullivan plays legos, Indiana Jones, Batman, Mario, or Sonic all of the time. He takes his characters very seriously. He has been begging me to make him a cape so that he can be a superhero "for real". We'll see if it actually gives him superhero powers.

We watch ALOT of Dora. ALOT. We now have EVERY Dora movie there is I believe. Anyway, as soon as we get our camera, I'll share some pictures. Sophie loved opening presents. She really didn't care what was in them as long as she got to open them. We had to watch her wherever we went because she would be under their tree opening presents. One night, we were at my parents' house and just started to wrap random stuff for her. It was pretty funny. She had soooo much fun!

Happy Birthday Sophie

2008-12-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

I honestly can not believe today has come. No matter how hard I try to push against time, it always wins, and always marches on. Two years ago today, after being up all night in pain, I went to the hospital to hopefully get some antibiotics for my aching lungs. Instead, I got a much greater gift! The doctor asked me if I was ready to meet my baby, I wasn't quite sure. And, in less than an hour, I met baby Sophie Lynn. She came out kicking and screaming, and really never stopped. Her first year was quite the ordeal for us, she cried for three months, got sick enough to necessitate a helicopter ride, needed more trips to the doctor and more antibiotics than I care to admit, but it was filled with wonderful memories. Watching her develop her sassy little spunky personality, love her brother in ways that I never imagined, and just plain grow has been amazing. I can not count the ways she has changed us. I never knew I could love something or someone so much. I never knew that someone so little could show you how much you love other people. I have learned to love Sullivan in a whole new way- watching him be a brother to this little being. I have learned new ways to love Aaron, things I never knew until this little girl melted his heart.

She has been a true gift, bringing laughter and love to thos she meets. I thank every one of our friends and family who have contributed to her development thus far. She is definitely a character, definitely a challenge, but definitely worth the effort. Our poor photographer and friend Sarah, is never greeted with a smile from Sophie. I am sure she leaves every session wondering if she ever wants to photograph a child again. She has numerous pictures of Sophie, I am not sure she is smiling in more than 5 of them, but they are all wonderful.

Today, at two, she loves life most of the time. She loves babies, puppies, animals, Sullivan (whom she refers to as "BoBo"), bossing people around, and mostly Dora. Although she is a mommy's girl, she has lately decided her daddy is a pretty cool guy. She goes in an out of being potty trained. One week she is, the next week she wants to wear Dora pullups that smell like flowers. She is VERY opinionated. She will tell you like it is. She likes to climb, anything and everything. She loves apple juice but not orange. She loves opening presents. We had to rewrap quite a few gifts this year because of her. She likes to think she is as big as her brother. She talks really well, quite surprising since Sullivan was only saying three or four words at this age. She LOVES to jump, anywhere and everywhere. She loves playing with friends. She can fit into a group of kids playing that are 6 years older than her and act like she belongs. She is a true delight. I can't believe its really been two years.

To my precious Sophie Lynn,

You have changed me more than I can believe. When I was a little girl, all that I wanted to do was to be a mommy. When I had you, you allowed me to fulfill a special void that I had. I wanted a little girl so badly. I hope you keep the spark and zest that you have as long as you live. You are so fun to be around, and while you challenge your mommy and daddy alot, we love you for it. You are such a special little girl. Everyone who meets you loves you. I love you more than words can say. I can't believe what a lovely little girl you are turning into. I hope every year with you is filled with as much laughter as 2008 was. Keep growing and learning and loving, mommy and daddy are soooooo proud of you little one!

Its Snowing Its Texas

2008-12-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we used the AC- the high was 80 and muggy. This morning, we looked out the window to find this. Imagine our surprise. Good thing we turned the heater on for the "wintry mix". Sullivan wanted to taste the snow. Sophie said its "yucky out there". We thought surely that was the end of the crazy white stuff that fell from the sky.

But, around 3:15, we were drivigng home from running errands and started to see white stuff falling from the sky again. It was thick too, and it has been thick for the last 3 hours!!! This is a picture from a second ago out our back door. Its coming down pretty heavy, and we are hoping to go build a snowman if it keeps up this pace. Can you believe it? Sullivan keeps asking if its Christmas day, I don't really know how to explain the snow here! It is definitely getting us in the Christmas spirit.

Slaves!

2008-12-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

So, on Sunday, we went to eat at Fuddruckers. They have an outdoor playground, so my kids were happy. They played for a long time, then ate, then went to play some more. We were chatting, watching them play, and just enjoying the sunshine when we heard Sullivan playing with some little kids. The kids were shouting things like "Get over here slaves!" "Get more slaves" "Buy some slaves" Beat some slaves", etc. We were kind of concerned and told Sullivan that we needed to leave. Perhaps their parents were ok with this, but I am not about to be shot because my kid picked up some junk on the playground! So, when we were walking to the car, Aaron tells Sullivan its really not nice to play like those boys were and that we don't play with slaves and we certainly don't hit people. Sullivan gets really upset and asks why. Aaron asks if he even knows what a slave is. Sullivan looks at him like he is the stupidest person in the whole world and says "Of course! Its what you ride in the snow! Why wouldn't you want to play with those and buy more?" Ummmmmm.........

Yesterday, Aaron took Sullivan to the eye doctor's office where they were checking out some glasses. Aaron puts on a pair of frames and asks Sullivan what he thinks. Sullivan holds four fingers up and says "How many fingers can you see?" Aaron laughs and says "That's not the kind of glasses they are, they don't work yet." To which Sullivan replies, "Oh I see, they haven't put the brains in them yet."

Sophie LOVES saying no all of the time. Last night, after she was supposedly asleep in the bed, she came in our room and yelled at the top of her lungs, "I say NO to the nap, I say NO to the bed, No nap, No bed, No nap, No bed." We promptly put her back in her bed and showed her who is really the boss ;)

The Birthday Adventure

2008-12-08T07:43:00.000-08:00

So, our little Dora fan celebrated her second birthday (which isn't really until the 23rd) with friends and family this weekend. She LOVED every second of it!!! We had the party at my mom's house so that she could celebrate with uncles and aunts, and close friends. She was overwhelmed with all of the Dora stuff! She LOVED the table cloth, naming all of the characters, couldn't wait to dig into the cupcakes, and actually "enjoyed" the cake while we were setting up and didn't know. So, needless to say, she was the only one who braved the cake after her finger "trails" were found all over it. Good thing we got cupcakes too!

One of the four times Miss Tiff had to clean Sophie up from getting into the cake.

She was a meticulous present opener. As soon as she tore off a small piece of paper, she would put it in a pile and fold it. It got a little lengthy, so we kind of prodded her along. She LOVED her fun presents- baby dolls, princess shoes, all things Dora, and, the big kicker- a roller coaster! The funny thing was is that she did the roller coaster OVER and OVER and OVER without smiling. She was super serious, but refused to get off. Afterwards, we all took naps and then went to a Christmas parade. The kiddos had so much fun. Sullivan and Thomas (best friends forever) loved yelling "Me Me Me! " and catching lots of goodies. Overall, it was a wonderful day! I can't believe my baby is almost two, but when I watch her fussing and throwing fits, I realize just how close the terrible twos are.

This is how we roll in our car- her first time to wear headphones.

Sullivanisms- You know you need a dose of reality

2008-12-05T04:45:00.000-08:00

A few new Sullivan funnies. He's been dressing up for the last few months. He is either Indiana Jones (that was about of month of dressing in the same clothes every day), Mario, Luigi, or Sonic. He gets really frieked out about what color clothes he needs to wear so everyone knows who he is for the day. Yesterday, he was Luigi. He was trying to phonetically explain to Sophie how to say it. Remember, he's five, so some phonics just don't work.

"Sophie, its Luigi, you know MMMMMMMM Luigi. Try that Sophie mmmmmmmm Luigi"

Last night, when he wasn't being very good and after making us call him Luigi ALLLLLLL day, Aaron says "You know, Luigi would never act like this. He always listens to his mom and dad."
Sullivan replies, "I am pretty sure he doesn't even have a mom and dad, he is a cartoon character, plus, I think you know I am not the real Luigi, but Sullivan pretending to be. And, everyone knows that Sullivan doesn't always listen to his mommy and daddy"

The other day, the two of them were playing really well together in his room. He usually leaves the door shut and doesn't let her in, so I thought it was really sweet. Then, I heard Sophie screaming BLOODY murder. I run into his room, she is laying on the floor (on her Dora couch that he apparently had the piece of mind to bring in there first) and screaming. I asked him what happened and reiterated many times that he better tell the truth (it seems that any time she is crying, they "bonked" heads- his excuse that he thinks won't get him in trouble). He thinks really hard, and then decides to tell the truth.
"I wanted to see if she was a real super hero that could fly." (is your stomach hiting the floor like mine was at this point?) "So, we got on the top bunk, and I grabbed her hand, and we jumped. But, she couldn't fly."
"Sullivan you could have broken a bone or even worse- killed her!"
"I wasn't trying to kill her mom, just see if she could fly, and she can't."

It's December Folks!

2008-12-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

Can you believe its here already? Craziness huh? What that means is that in 22 days, Sophie will be TWO years old! I can't believe time has flown so fast. But, I must say, she has turned two in every way. Her communication skills surprise us every day. Seriously, she talks REALLY well. She says new things every day, she yells new things at us all of the time, and we are pretty sure she cusses us out when we can't understand what she is saying. She watches Dora any chance she can get. As a matter of fact, the first thing she says when she wakes up is (in a mean tone "Momma, Dora on the TV now." Yeah..... She likes to play, jump, and love on her brother. She is big into hugs right now. She is super mischeivious. Last week, the kids built a gingerbread house at my mom's house. Sullivan really wanted his daddy to see it before they dug in. So, we were kind of shocked when we woke up the next morning to find this:

Speaking of Sullivan, he is reading really well these days. He loves Dick and Jane books (which I have yet to understand the reasoning behind). We've been renting them from the library since he reads through them so quickly. This last week we rented some Dr. Seuss books to read, and he was laughing through the whole books. The kid definitely has a sense of humor. He also has a big heart, his list for Santa includes quite a few things that are for his sister (we can't figure out if he really wants her to have them or if he just wants her to leave his stuff alone.)

The kids are growing, we are getting ready for Christmas. We are trying to convince Daddy that Santa needs to bring us a trampoline. He is a big safety guy, so its taking some serious convincing. So, neither of my kids have ever been very interested in pajamas. Now that its getting colder and Sophie is sleeping in her own bed (you read that right folks!), we have been trying to get her to wear them. She has plenty, just refuses them. She tells us she feels "stuck" with them on. So, last night, while we were going through our routine of putting all of her babies in their perfect places and covering them all up so she could go to bed, she made me pull all of their clothes off so that they wouldn't be stuck either. Thank God for heaters. Oh yeah, she was doing great pottying until Nanny bought her some Dora pullups, now she only wants to wear them. And, she has to kiss Dora (on the pullup) and then turn it over and kiss Boots before you can put them on. Santa is bringing her some Dora panties (so I have heard).

Thankfulness

2008-11-26T15:45:00.001-08:00

Sullivan and I are TOTALLY pumped about cooking our annual Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. I LOVE cooking for Thanksgiving and have since we have been married. We almost left this year, but decided to stay home. Tomorrow we will cook away and have leftovers for weeks. HOORAY.

Here are things we are thankful for over here:

Me:
A husband who loves me so much, who has desire and a crazy ambition to be the boss
A little boy who is as gorgeous inside as he is outside, who is learning to read, and soaking in knowledge by leaps and bounds
A little girl who looks ridONCulously cute in pigtails, allows me to dress her in some crazy outfits and put very large bows in her hair, who is taking in the world around her faster than I can teach her
Parents who love me dearly and support me in any way possible
Family, LOTS of family
My best bud Jamie, who has listened to hours of gab, who sends random cards when I need them, and who I am loving raising families with at the same time
My BFF Tiff, the bestest friend a girl could ask for- we are too alike for our own good
Too many loving friends who are willing to open up their lives and families' lives to share!

Sullivan:
Legos
My daddy building legos with me
When people give me legos so my daddy can build them
That there is a Santa Claus who might give me legos
(and just in case you think he is rotten)- That God is proud of me

Sophie:
Dora
Dora Potty Chair
Dora Pullups
Dora Movies in the car
Dora Movies on my daddy's phone
Dora Movies you can rent
Dora shows that come on the tv
DVRs to record Dora shows on

1.83!!!

2008-11-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

I got gas today for ONE dollar and 83 cents. Can you believe that? I feel like we got a HUGE raise. Its insane.

Our amazing Sarah got some excellent pictures of the kids again. There are about 70 GREAT ones of Sullivan with a big smile on his face and about ONE great one of Sophie with a smile on hers. There are quite a few great serious shots of her. Now, I can't share alot of them because you'll be getting them on your Christmas cards, but here are a few of my favorites. Isn't she great? Let me know if you want her info!

In other news, Sullivan has really begun praying alot. Its very sweet. He prays all of the time, at random times. The other day, he found some legos he really liked at Target. I told him he would have to ask Santa Claus for them. He replies, "Mom, how in the world is Santa gonna have enough money for these? Oh wait, just a second." Then, he bows his head and asks God to give Santa some money in his sock so he can buy him some legos. Now, don't go thinking I am raising him wrong, he asks God for other great things too. A few days ago, he asked God to start covering his mouth for him whenever he coughs so that he doesn't have to do that anymore, but he doesn't want to spread his germs. He also asked God if he would start opening the playhouse door for him because he doesn't want to hurt his daddy's feelings by telling him the door handle he made doesn't work.

Ain't he sweet? He has discovered "Dick and Jane" books. I have no idea how we ever learned to read with them, they are by no means phonics based. But, he likes them nonetheless. He cracks up laughing at the ridiculous lack of plots. It seems that the fact the Jane likes to pet her cat is the funniest thing he has ever heard.

MIA

2008-11-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

So, I know I have been MIA on the blogger scene. Sorry. We honestly have alot going on right now, more than normal ;) Anyway, I need to get the pictures of my matching dragons from Halloween off my camera. Sullivan couldn't be Indiana Jones because he is that everyday and people wouldn't think he was dressing up. So, he was the same dragon he was last year and had to get Sophie the matching costume in purple. She wasn't too down with wearing a costume, but wore it long enough to get a few pictures in. She did LOVE her pumpkin shirt and didn't want to take it off. Speaking of not taking stuff off, Sullivan has worn the same Indiana Jones shirt for the last two weeks. I finally went and bought a few more at Blockbuster because I am sick of washing it every night. The thing is, they are adult mediums because they don't really make them for kids. So, the shirt swallows him. My mom also got him a real hat, so he is really Indiana Jones now, not pretend. He makes everyone call him Dr. Jones.

So yesterday we took the kids to the fair in town. Sophie was too short for the rides and was bummed. So, she thought that maybe if she just tore down the sign she would get to ride. Sullivan had a BLAST. There was an Indiana Jones funhouse with climbing walls and a bridge to run across and a huge slide. I am pretty sure he did it more than 30 times. He was worn out at the end of the three hours. Sophie, on the other had, had LOTS of fun with Sullivan's real hat that she got to play with when he was on the rides.

Live a Little!

2008-10-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

So this morning, Sullivan and I were cuddling on the couch because it was REALLY cold! We didn't turn the heater on last night because you usually have to use the air conditioning around here on Christmas day. So, he asks me if I would get him a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch in a cup. I told him that that probably wasnt' a good idea because he couldn't get the spoon down far enough, the cereal would get soggy, etc. To which he immediately replies:

"Mom, live a little, its only cereal!"
true enough.

The daring and brave

2008-10-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

So, Sullivan, errr Indy is very into what he wears lately. It has to be THIS exact indiana jones shirt, THIS exact hat, a khaki pair of pants, and carrying a whip. That way no one would mistake him for being exactly who he is, Indiana Jones. So, yesterday, we were having a play date over here, I was making last minute clean ups, while he ran in flipping out. You see, he realized that he didn't have the satchel that Indiana Jones has, and he was very afraid that someone might mistake him for Sullivan. So, being intuitive, old Mommy pulled a purse out of her closet. I thought he might get upset thinking it was a girl purse, but he was super excited! He couldn't believe I had Indy's satchel up there, and this one was super special because it even had an ark key on it!

On to the motorcycle. This motorcycle is not new. No, my mom bought it when Sullivan was a toddler for a dollar at a garage sale. When I first saw it, it was missing all of its stickers, its tires were so worn, I thought "I would never let my kids ride on that." Well, Sullivan LIVED on the thing at my mom's house, and now it has moved to my house. Sophie has brought the OUTSIDE toy in and claimed it as hers. You are not allowed to walk within five feet of it, or she screams. She rides it (I use the term rides loosely, she can't reach the pedals) around the house for hours at a time. If something gets in her way, she sits there screaming until someone moves it. It would take too much energy to get off of the dang thing and move the obstacle itself.

Happy Fall!

2008-10-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Entering the maze.

This is Sullivan cheating, he climbed high so he could see how the maze worked. Then, he led us right into a dead end. The trick apparently didn't work!
CHEESE!

I took the kids to a local pumpkin patch today (to sophie, they aren't pumpkins, they are either apples or monkeys depending on her mood). They had a blast. They have a maze with hay setup and ducks and roosters, then they have a huge area to climb all over pumpkins on. I tried my best to get a good picture of them together, but I had not much luck.

Enjoy the pictures.

And, for an extra added bonus, I haven't included videos in forever. Sophie is really talking alot lately, so I thought I'd let you hear. By the way, her best friend is Abby, and instead of please, she says Cheese!

Ahhhhhhhhhh.............

2008-10-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

So, on Friday, I did something you won't believe. I know I can tell you, but you probably won't believe it. I drove my kids halfway to Beaumont and left them with my dad to take back to Beaumont for the weekend. I haven't ever been away from Sophie that long and didn't know how she would do and was kind of nervous. I got REALLY nervous when I saw cookies on his front seat (if you have ever seen my dad after sugar, you'll know why). But, he assured me they were for the kids, and off they went. Sullivan called to inform me that he was on vacation, which meant that "you get to do whatever you want to do." He apparently convinced his nanny of this because he came back with quite a few new toys and LOTS of new stories. They apaprently ran the kids ragged, because they both had HUGE bags under their eyes and have been sleeping alot since Monday. I was going to get them Sunday, but they weren't ready to come home, and honestly, I was having fun!
You might be wondering what someone does with a break for the first time ever, go see lots of movies, go to lots of non kid friendly stores, etc.? NOPE, they lay around and do NOTHING. I watched ALL of the college football games on my couch. Aaron tried to get me to go to the football game here, but to no avail. Every once in a while I got up and did something around the house. I actually did get alot done, its amazing what you can get done when you don't have small ones running around sabotaging any work you actually accomplish. Aaron and I did manage to go out to eat a few times. We relaxed together on Sunday, watched more football, took long naps, and did stuff around the house you can't do with kids running around (ok, dirty minds, we installed the vent in the bathroom necessatating him going in the attic- not easy with climbers around).
The funny thing is, as wonderful as it was to have a break, I think my parents enjoyed it more! At one point, I wasn't sure I would ever get them back. HONESTLY. They both did great (or so I am told). Sophie was over joyed to have me back though. She has been randomly running up to me and kissing me, and hugging me. At night, she wakes up like 50 times to see if I am there. That little voice in the middle of the night saying "mommy" is so sweet! I missed them tons, but honestly, I am wondering when they can have their next fun weekend :)

A busy Day

2008-10-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

We had a busy day around here! Sullivan got a dinosaur excavation kit for his birthday (thanks Leslea!) and has been DYING to do it. So, I figured today would be a great day since we were stuck home because our granite was getting installed. Sullivan was so excited the whole time. We read the book about dinosaurs and learned a ton. Then, we got prepared. He had to wear safety goggles, and decided to take off his clothes so they didn't get ruined (my kids will use any excuse to be naked). Sophie even joined the fun for a while. We had to gently tap the rock away to uncover the hidden bones. Sullivan kept telling me to be careful so that I wouldn't "damage" the "remains." The whole time, he was SUPER excited. He kept saying what a great present it was, how fun it was, how exciting, etc. Then, we uncovered the last bone, and he gets really mad and exclaims,
"Great, they got me a DEAD dinosaur."

I am assuming he thought it would be alive once we uncovered all of the bones? Kids!

So, like I was saying, we got our granite installed to finish off our kitchen upgrade today. Aaron still has to attach all of the cabinet hardware, but other than that the kitchen is done! Here are a few pictures. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to take better ones bc we aren't supposed to mess with it for 24 hours.

Here's Sophie relaxing!

A Sullivan Funny

2008-10-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

We were riding in the rental car, and Sullivan proclaimed that he was bored. So, I decided to check him math skills.

"If you have 10 red beans and 4 white beans, which do you have more of?"
"Where are the beans mom?"
"No, you don't really have them, just pretend you do. So, which would you have more of the ten red or the 4 white?"
"Mom, seriously, where are the beans?"
"Nevermind Sullivan, there are no actual beans."
"Oh my gosh, you mean you were just tricking me?"
"No, I wasn't tricking you, I was trying to see if you knew a puzzle question."
"So, now we are doing puzzles in the car, don't you think we could lose the pieces?"
"Ok, never mind Sullivan."
"Mom, I really can't believe you were tricking me like that, I mean here I am looking for the beans everywhere."

Ever Want to Quit?

2008-10-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

So, in the last 24 hours both of my kids have thrown up multiple times. Sullivan didn't tell me there was frozen stuff on his leg in the grocery basket and basically got frost bite. Sophie busted open her chin and bit off part of her lip. Then, tonight, Sullivan was rough housing with her, and she got a bloody nose. Are you kidding me? I mean, seriously? Wow! enjoy the pictures of the beauty queen. I am sure we won't be entering these in any photo contests, well maybe......

Five year olds know EVERYTHING

2008-10-07T10:32:00.001-07:00

"Mom, did you know that five year olds know everything?"

"Really, how?"

"Mom!!! God whispered all the things in my ear!"

"Like what?"

"Ummm, like some snakes are not friendly, some are. Some lizards just aren't you friend and never will be. The sun is yellow in the afternoon."

"Wow, that's alot, but it doesn't sound like EVERYTHING."

"That's because everything else is inside of that stuff."

"Oh."

When it rains it pours around here! Sophie ran into a brick wall Friday night and scabbed up her chin really bad. It bled for a long time, and now everywhere I go, people point it out as if I don't know its there. Then, this morning, she walked off the couch, and bit a part of her lip off and rebroke the scab on her chin. LOTS of blood. LOTS of crying. LOTS of misery. She is sleeping now, and hopefully will be feeling better.

My parents moved back to Beaumont this past weekend, so we headed down to help. We came back, put my car in the shop, and got a rental car. Apparentely Chevrolet Cobalts have some problem, and we had to wait around all night for it to be towed because it died in my driveway. So, we are on rental car number two.

We have a ton going on around here, so I'll have to update you a little at a time!

The Birthday Party

2008-10-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

So, this year Sullivan wanted an "Indiana Jones Lego Adventures" party. You couldn't leave any of that phrase off either! He wanted to have it at home, but luckily I convinced him to have it at McDonalds. I tried and tried, but finally convinced him by telling him how much his friends would love it. He had a blast! He wanted me to make the cake, even though I tried to tell him that Sam's makes all of our cakes. But, we had been to a birthday party where his friends' mom had made a rocket cake, so HIS mom had to make his cake too. I thought it turned out horrible, but when we got there, the kids all though it was pretty cool. Sullivan said it was the most beautiful cake he had ever seen, which is all that really matters right?

The kids all played, ran around McDonalds, and had a blast. At one point we lost Sullivan and his friend Samantha, only to find them playing video games in Blockbuster!!! Luckily, they were fine. They all got to eat Happy Meals, and eat cake and ice cream. They got lots of McDonalds' goodies. We practiced with Sullivan before because we were worried about his age and opening presents. I have been to parties where the kids said things like "I didn't want that". We told Sullivan that no matter what he got, he would say thank you, and say "I love it!" He wouldn't go alond with the love it part! But, we shouldn't have practiced, because he was so genuinely happy that after each present, he would find the friend, give them a BIG hug, and tell them thanks.

It was really cute.

On the way home, he told us "This was the best birthday party ever, and all of those gifts were just lovely. I sure have great friends!" I can't believe he is five, but he definitely celebrated in style!

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

2008-09-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

60 months ago today I was lying in a hospital bed wondering what was about to happen. My blood pressure was too high, I was having a hard time breathing, and my doctor had said he was coming back on his lunch hour to do a c-section. Sullivan's due date wasn't until November 11, and we were nervous. Would he be ok? What was gonna happen? But then, alas, his teary eyed daddy dropped our brand new video camera, VERY teary eyed, and proclaimed "You make beautiful babies!" I didn't hear him cry, and begged to know what was wrong. And then, in all of his slpendor, I heard the first sound my boy would ever make. A wailing scream. I am sure he was saying, "I am not ready to be here!" But he was, and he was in a big way!

His tiny head was full of black hair, and boy was he cute! Well, he kind of looked like a monkey, and looking back now, I can tell he wasn't as cute as we thought at the time. But, he was perfect! A healthy little man. He was a loud boy, grunting constantly, but perfect.

Since that time, he has grown tremendously. He is such a big boy! Aaron and I look at each other all of the time and say, "Man, he is a boy!" He is ALL boy. Seriously, he is Indiana Jones. He likes to wrestle and play fight. He often forgets that the other person is supposed to WANT to play fight with you. But, he is a sweetie. He loves his family passionately. The more he grows, the more proud of him I am. I always thought I was a "baby" person, but the more he grows, the more fun I have. I love him more than words can describe, and I can't wait to finish watching him grow. Each day is a new chapter, and I am loving watching it! Happy 5th Birthday Sully-man. We are so proud of the boy you are becoming! Keep making us proud!

Good bye Pop!

2008-09-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well, the funeral was this morning, visitation last night, and they both went well. Sullivan was very inquisitive about everything, and I am glad we were able to explain the answers to the majority of his questions. He is definitely figuring things out. It was wonderful to see how many people loved Larry. The visitation had a line out the door all night- it was supposed to jsut be 5-8, but the line was still out the door at 9:30! Today, at the funeral, the state police payed tribute to Larry in a big way, and it was so touching. You always forget what a great job they do, because you are too worried about getting pulled over ;) I was excited to be a part of it.

While it was sad, it was nice to be a part of something where everyone was so filled with hope, knowing they would see him again. That part was wonderful. Tonight, we traveled about an hour away to see my grandpa, who had a defribulator and pacemaker put in today. We surprised him by showing up, and he said it was the best surprise of his life. He was so happy to see how much his family meant to him. And, after this week, we have learned to take NO ONE for granted. It was worth it to see him and hear him say that. He is such a sweet old man, strong too!

Aaron and I sent Sullivan and Sophie home with my parents because, quite frankly, we are TIRED! We plan on making the track back home tomorrow, so we thought we could use a good night's sleep childless. Plus, we wanted to go visit with some family without having to say, "Don't touch that, sit over there, be still, be quiet!" Etc..... So, as we try to find a normalness again without Aaron's father, I am sure we will have a bit of adjustment. It really is surreal and doesn't feel real. I am sure it will sink in soon enough.

So, this final tribute to Larry Creasy, who lost his battle with cancer at 56 but won the ultimate victory and is now in the presence of his Lord finding out all of the mysteries of the universe tonight. I am sad that my children will not grow up getting to hear your "humor" and crazy ways. The world will definitely miss out on the best weights and standards officer around, I guess the truckers will know its safe to drive through LA now. I have learned this week to never take life for granted and have already begun being more honest with my friends in family. I urge you tonight to tell your loved ones what they mean to you, for you never know how long you will have. Larry was lucky enough to have 6 months worth of contemplation knowing he might eventually lose the battle. Most of us do not get that opportunity.

We Love you Pop!

2008-09-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today at 11:35, Aaron's father, Larry Creasy, left this Earth and headed for heaven. He fought the cancer battle that he was given fiercely, but in the end, God could wait no longer for him. He was a wonderful Christian, and lived his life as a strong man of God. Aaron inherited so many traits from him, most of which I am thankful for ;)

Saturday morning, while in the middle of having Hurricane Ike directly over our city, we got the call that Larry had "collapsed" and was unconcious, and on life support. We were told that he would not make it through the night, but he would be left on life support long enough for Aaron to get to him. We packed in about 7 minutes, threw a bunch of stuff in our car, and headed towards Baton Rouge. The drive was ROUGH. We drove through ALOT of destruction, ALOT of wind, ALOT of rain, and dealth with ALOT of mishap (we were side swiped, causing quite a bit of damage to our car when we FINALLY found the first open gas station in 250 miles). But, we made it last night. There were alot of things that we each wanted to tell Larry before he left this life. Luckily, we were both able to. Last night, he was hooked up to ALOT of machines, and looked pretty rough. He looked peaceful. When you talked to him, he would make small movements to let us know that he knew we were there. We decided to leave him on life support through the night and meet up this morning.

Upon arriving this morning, we were told of quite a bit of information, but basically, his body had lost the battle with cancer. I'll spare you the details. But, around 9 am, a room filled with family and friends all loved on him, told him how much he meant, and then we sang hymns and prayed with him. He loved hearing the hymns, and even had a few tears in his eyes. He was very sedated, but knew we were all there. At 9:30, the doctors came in and removed all of his life support. For the next two hours, we sang more, talked more, loved on him more (which is kind of funny because he is NOT a touchy kind of guy, so we took advantage of being able to rub his head, hands, legs, and arms without him fussing at us). I have never been in the presence of anyone dying, and that part was VERY difficult. It was odd, and I gained a totally new admiration for doctors and nurses. His death was beautiful, he peacefully breathed slower and slower. He never fought, never seemed uncomfortable. He was in thre presence of friends for many years, his sons, step daughters, daughters in law, and his brothers and sisters, and mom. It was obvious that he was well loved. At one point, he seemed to come out of the sedation for about 3 minutes and seemed to look all around at everyone there. Then, his preacher said the 23rd Psalm, and asked the Lord to help him let go. He stopped breathing a few minutes later.

Please pray for our family over the next few days. The visitation will tentatively be Tuesday night, with the funeral being Wednesday morning. Plans have not been finalized with the funeral home yet, but we will finish that tomorrow.

Sullivan does not understand, and Sophie has no concept. I was blessed to have my dear friend Jamie keep my kids today and spare them the excitement of the day. She will never know how much it has meant to me. It it times like these that you realize just how many friends you have. My mom's group has pulled together, and are taking shifts letting my dogs out for me. I deeply appreciate everything anyone is doing. Please pray for us to make it home safely when we return, and for us to help Stephanie with any loose ends left behind. I am sure the "surreal"ness will soon fade, and we will all need the "peace that passes all understanding".

We love you deeply Larry. Your legacy will definitely live on. Aaron seems to be cut out of your direct mold. He is a hard working, dedicated, goal oriented, and (sadly) hard headed as you were. He is an excellent father, and had to have learned it from the best! We will miss you deeply. While we do not understand this all happening so fast, in a few ways we are jealous that you get to be in Heaven. Save us a seat please!

CHEEESE

2008-09-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

This is Sophie's newest favorite word. She actually loves cheese, so she goes to the fridge all of the time asking for "cheeeeese". Then, she figured out that everytime she sees a camera, she should say "CHEEEEEESE". Now, she has decided that cheese sounds better than please, so she says "cheeeeeeese" everytime she wants to say "please." Its kind of funny. Its kind of cute. And, it can get kind of annoying. But, I know soon enough she will be talking right, and I'll be missing all of the funny ways she said things!

Updates and the such

2008-09-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have three minutes to spare without kids climbing on me. Sophie just woke up from her second night in dry pants! She has woken me up both nights to take her to potty! Yesterday she went all day with only one accident (and it was her poop). So, I guess she is more ready than we thought. Just shows you what a little hard headedness can get you!

Gustav:
The news sure is making gustav out to be no big deal right? Well, most of our family and friends in Baton Rouge are STILL without power!!! Can you believe it? And, most of them are being told to expect another 2 weeks!!! Insane! I have friends sleeping in one room of a house with a generator and window ac and two kids and grandparents, and parents, and themsleves!

My parents evacuated to Florida, because my mom works at a bank, and by the time they left, they were only allowed to go that way. My grandparents had evacuated to Alexandria, but the hotel lost power and basically asked everyone to leave. So, they couldn't find another hotel, and headed home last Wednesday. My grandpa is 87, not in the best of health, and on oxygen. So, they returned home to a stiffling hot house with no electricity. My parents came back from Florida two days early because they didn't want my grandparents there alone. Luckily they did! They helped them open windows and air out the house, find a generator and window ac. And, although we had a family member with a fully furnished house that never lost electricity close, they had to sleep in their house. There were 7 people in a tiny living room with a tiny window ac unit. As my grandpa went to the bathroom in the morning, he slipped and fell, gashing open his head. My uncle is chief of fire there, luckily, and was able to send over an ambulance. After tests, it was determined he was ok, just needed a bunch of staples. So, then...

Mom calls me to say she can't move, her back isn't working and is in the ER. I guess helping my big grandfather around and sleeping on the floor wasn't great for her! So, after some pain killers, muscle relaxers, and a weekend flat on her back she is ok. Luckily, my parents had power in New Orleans, and my grandparents got theirs restored on Friday.

So, everyone is wishing off ike! My dad even made a blog about it call idontlikeike!!!

Mama! Dophie no wear Diapers

2008-09-05T15:35:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, life as always, has been crazy. I will fill you in on the fast details and get back later when I can fill you in on the impact of Gustav on our families. '

Sophie got her bright pink cast off last Thursday, I have never bathed her so much in my life! She did great with it, and surprised the doctor by running out of the office. She has developed quite a limp, so we took her back in today. Her bone, in order to heal, has created a thicker bone around the original broken bone (this is apparently how bones heal). So, the thicker bone isn't feeling right against the normal bone in her toe. Its causing her to buckle her big toe under when she walks. He said she will eventually get used to how it feels. So, good news because I was terrifed of a new cast. Mainly because.....

Sophie has decided she WILL NOT wear diapers anymore. This doesn't mean anything but what it sounds like. She hits the potty about 50 percent of the time, the other 50 percent, she pees on herself, then has a fit that she is "yucky" until we bathe her. Today I took her to get pretty panties since she really prefers to be naked and it isn't feasible all of the time. She LOVES them!!! She has pranced around all afternoon in them. I have to say, they are the tiniest things I have seen, and her little hiney is precious in them!!!! This afternoon, she woke up from her nap and told me "Mama! Dophie no wear diapers!" That's when I put her in the new panties.

So, more later............

New Kitchen

2008-08-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

So, when we decided to stay here, we also decided to kind of redo our kitchen. We just finally got all of our new cabinets installed today, and are so excited! We added the HUGE light fixture, the cabinet over the toaster is almost twice the size it use to be, and the whole wall with the fridge is new. We have also gotten new stainkless appliances (the fridge will be here Friday). And, are waiting on the granite countertops. The desk will have granite on it, that's why it looks kind of unfinished. Anyway, I'll have to take before and after pictures when its all done, but I am so happy!!! I needed all of this storage so badly!

Random Question

2008-08-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

So, we had an exciting weekend- two birthday parties, Aaron's first two soccer games- meaning LOTS of work, single mommy again. Luckily, he was able to go to the party on Saturday morning with me. Its amazing to me that the ten month olds that I met when I first moved here turned THREE this weekend. Its so fun to have friends to share raising children with! Happy Birthday Henry and Ally!

On our way to the party Saturday morning, Sullivan says to Aaron and I, "Hey guys, have you ever read the directions on the back of a rat poison box?"

Totally taken aback by this TOTALLY random question, I asked "Do you even know what rat poison is?" We've never had rats, never bought poison, I was totally shocked.

"Of course, its that little green cheese that rats eat when they need to die."

Who knew? Alright then. Aaron says, "Have you ever read the instructions Sullivan?"

"Yes, wanna know what it says on the back of the box? - 'Dear rats, I am tasty green cheese. You will like me. If you eat me, you won't die, tricked ya- you will die.' "

Ok, seriously, where did this kid come from?

I started homeschooling him kindergarten today, and its gone great. He is so proud of himself, although, he wants to know when all the kids he can teach will get here! He misses the cut off for kindergarten here, and he is way ready. He already did Pre-k, so we decided to homeschool him kindergarten, and perhaps first so that we can challenge his little brain! He wants to learn about the solar system, so that's gonna be our fun activity for a while. Wish me success- I am not great at actually staying home. If you know me well, I like to be on the move.

By the way, for those following the foot saga, Sophie has now made her two weeks in her cast! Everything from here on is bonus healing time. We are shooting for her to make it to her appointment next Tuesday morning, but we'll see how the week goes. We did sneak her in the pool Friday night for the pool party, and she did fine.

Indy

2008-08-17T19:21:00.001-07:00

So, Sullivan has discovered Indiana Jones. He wants an "Indiana Jones Lego Adventures" Birthday party. Aaron bought the movies this weekend and has been watching them with him (I know, I think its a horrible idea too, but what are you gonna do?). So, tonight, we were eating dinner, and I told Sullivan he needed to eat his dinner so that he could grow big and strong like Indiana Jones. He looked at me like I was the dumbest person in the whole world, rubbed his chin and said,
"Mom, how can I turn into him, I don't even have any claws on my chin like him and Santa!"

I had to think hard, and then I realized he was talking about a beard. "Are you talking about a beard?"

"No mom, you know those little hair balls daddy gets on his face? That's what I need, well that and you have to stop buying me crocs and buy me real shoes. Indy does not wear crocs."

So, that's all he needs to turn into Indiana Jones.

As a side note, Sophie learned another new word tonight- "Deal." We've been appliance shopping this week, and tonight, Sears had a friends and family sale. We went, and they had some great deals. Sophie would touch a fridge or a washer or dryer and say very loudly, "OOOOHHH Deal!" I guess she hasn't learned not to let the salesman know you think something is great so you can get a better deal!

New Words

2008-08-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

Sophie is growing by leaps and bounds. As much as I want to believe that she is still small, every day she does new things to show me how big she really is. She has a few new words that she says over and over lately, I thought I'd share.

"Ouch"- she LOVES this word. She loves to say it as she hits you.

"Hurts"- she learned this one because of this throat virus. Its really pathetic, she'll swallow, then look up at you with sad puppy dog eyes and say "hurts".

"Yuck"- I didn't really know she knew this one until yesterday. I was letting the kids get some sunshine in the backyard, they've really been too sick to leave the house this week except for the doctor. So, they were enjoying playing in the backyard. I heard Sophie keep saying "yuck, yuck, yuck". I had no idea that she knew what it meant, so I thought she was just exploring with her vocabulary. Until..... I saw her holding up her cast saying "yuck, yuck yuck." She experienced Sampson being back in full force as she had stepped in a pile of his poop getting it all in her cast. Nice right? Try having to clean it!!!! Yuck was very appropriate!

Sick Days

2008-08-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

Wow! We just can't catch a break over here. The kids have some virus that causes ulcers all over their mouths, fevers upwards of 103 and lots of trips to the doctor with $25 copays each time. So, we have been finding things to do. Sophie is usually found playing mommy in her room if you don't know where she is. Unfortunately, she is at the break off age of still being a baby herself, and sometimes is found IN the baby bed, trying to get into the baby strollers, or into the baby doll swing.

We have also been reorganizing the playroom and going through all of the kids' toys. We bought all of these crates to organize the toys into. Can you see anything extra in the "trains" bucket? Hint, she is about 32 inches tall and about 23 pounds.

And finally, Sampson came home last night. You might remember a few months back that we found homes for our animals due to the kids being sick. Well, we kept one dog, Delilah, and Aaron and the kids have done great. We really feel it was the cats making them sick. I have been missing Sampson alot lately, and Delilah has had alot of withdrawal symptoms. So, when the family who adopted him called to say that he wasn't adjusting well, we jumped on the opportunity to get him back. Little did we know that Sophie would be the happiest of all of us. She won't leave him alone, and I have honestly NEVER seen her this happy! Its the cutest thing (for us anyway). Sullivan was so excited to have him back to sleep with him last night.

On a side note, at the doctor's office, our doctor was checking out the kids when Sophie started to ask for "coke" (which is honestly what she calls all drinks, I swear!). So, the doctor says, "Sophie, you don't like coke, you like to eat and drink things that are healthy for you. What do you like to eat?" To which my healthy, all organic kid l;) says very matter of factly, "Chips."

Nice!!!

He's so BIG!

2008-08-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday, in the hussle and bustle of bringing Sophie back to the doctor for a new cast, Sullivan kept telling us that his throat hurt. Now, he has only said this to us a few times, three were strep throat, one was mono. So, I was concerned, but honestly, I just kind of "mommied" him. I gave him some motrin and loved on him a bit. It seemed to work. So, we got in the car to go to the doctor, and he told me he wasn't feeling good. About two seconds later, he threw up all over. NICE! Yeah, its 102 outside, can't really clean that up later. So, we pulled into Aaron's parking lot and made him jump in the car so he could clean it up while I took Sophie to the doctor.

She got a new pink cast that will hopefully come off now on September 3rd. When we got home, Sullivan looked sick. He just looked pitiful, laying on the couch, not wanting to do anything. I asked him to help me make cookies, and he perked up a bit. But, I knew he was sick when he didn't want to eat any of them, but just wanted to lay down for a bit. He took a nap for a few hours (at like 5 o'clock), and woke up when Aaron got home. He burned up all night, cried about his throat hurting and needing to throw up. Classic signs of strep throat. So, I took him to see our trusted doctor.

Everytime I see her, I love her more. This morning, after Sullivan got weighed and all of his stats taken, we waited. Now, we are not strangers to the office, so Sophie had fun showing her cast off to all of the receptionists and nurses (who apparently all know her name WOW- guess who's paying their salaries?). So, Dr T walks in the room, asks Sullivan how he is feeling. He says (for real, I couldn't make this stuff up),
" Well, if you want me to be honest, I feel awful."

She asked him about his ailments, he LOVED that she was treating HIM, and ignoring me. Anyway, one swab and a rapid strep test later, we left with some prescriptions in hand (gone are the days where you have to deal with nausea while healing, there's a pill for that now!).

During this whole ordeal though, I realized just how big Sullivan really is. I mean, honestly, all he really needed me for was to drive him there and pay. He dealt with the doctor and nurses. Who is this kid? Was this really my baby a few short years ago? Is this the infant that couldn't survive without me feeding him? Is this the toddler who needed his mommy to rock him to sleep every night? I know it is, but man, he is getting SOOOOO big. While I miss the days when I felt like his tiny head had been molded to fit perfectly in the crook of my elbow, I love watching him grow. It amazes me how great he is with words, how mature he can act when talking to other adults, and how proud he makes me.

Just as I think he is so big, I realize he is not so much. Last night, we were playing "Monkey in the middle" in the backyard with him (motrin works wonders). He hurt his wrist. He started fussing about how his ankle hurt. I told him that his ankle was on his foot not his hand. He says "Maybe that's where your ankle is, but mine hurts, and its right here!" (pointing to his wrist)

Sullivanisms

2008-08-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

From the mind of an almost five year old "genius" in his own mind.

- "Mom, want to know how to make the best wemowaide in the whole world? You just get some of that stuff that's yellow that nasty people like to put on their hot dogs."

"Mustard Sullivan?"

" Yeah, mustard, nasty, anyway, you get a big, HUGE, bucket of water, put ice in it - because wemowaide is gross if its hot. Then, you put the mustard in it, stir a lot, then TADA! The best wemowaide in the whole world."

Let me know if you want to visit his wemowaide stand, I'll get you at the front of the line.

- "Mom, you know what ears are for?"

Ok, you are probably thinking, of course I know what ears are for. I would just say yes, I know if he asked me. But, you don't get to hear the explanations on the obvious like I do everyday, so I bit the bullet and took the bait......

"What are ears for Sullivan?" Are you honestly thinking he is gonna tell me they are for hearing? If you are, you should probably stop now and go read previous Sullivanisms posts.

"Well, you know how sometimes your food gets really dirty because it has a lot of dirt in it? Your ears make it safe to eat that dirty food. They get all of the dirt out of your food so that its safe for your stomach."

"Wow! I never knew that's what ears were for Sullivan!"

"Mom, you do know they make you hear things too, right?

"Ummm, yeah"

____________________________________________

- Daddy, "Sullivan look over there, its a restaurant that looks like a train!"

Sullivan, "Daddy, you are whying frou your teef! There is no restaurant that looks like a train over there!"

__________________________________________________

- Yesterday after being up all night with hurting foot girl, I fell asleep while he was awake. I honestly have learned my lesson not to leave him awake with me asleep, but this was a true accident. So, apparently he watched a few shows that I would never let him watch. One of which was Power Rangers. So, I get up, and instead of being a sneaky kid and never telling me, he has to rub it in my face.

"Mom, I have decided I am gonna learn karate and kick all of the bad guys out of our way."

"Sullivan, you know how I feel about fighting, I don't like it one bit."

"Well the power rangers all have really cool kicks they can do and no bad guys mess with them."

"Well buddy, that's all pretend."

"Fine, how do you want me to get rid of the bad guys then mom, get a gun and shoot them all?"

No, Sullivan I do not want you to fight them or shoot them."

"Then what mom, what do you want me to do when I see the bad guys, because I am not strong enough to put them in jail by myself."

"How about you ask God to take care of them?"

"Are you kidding or serious?"

_________________________________________

I told him I was going to take a shower with Sophie since she had peed in her cast and that when we got out I would play a game with him. He comes in a few minutes later....

" Mom, did you tell me that you were gonna take a long shower or a short shower? You better think very hard about your answer before you give it! This is turning out to be a very long shower, and I do not remember you telling me that before you got in!"

An Update

2008-08-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

We went to the orthopaedic doctor this afternoon. He said we made an excellent decision to take the cast off (while he was not encouraging taking off casts at home). With a few more hours in the wet cast, she probably would have lost her little toe. She does now have a skin infection, which we are treating with antibiotics. She crawled for the majority of the day, but after we left, we got a pair of stiff soled stride rite tennis shoes, and she has been all of the place. She can't be recasted while the infection is present. So, we were told to get the shoes, keep her in them any time she isn't sleeping, and to keep her off of her foot. He said (after taking an xray), that she was on the road to healing, but that the bone is definitely a few weeks away from healing. Ideally he could have casted her today. But.... my kids don't live in an ideal world. He did say that if she would not walk on it for three days, he felt her bone would heal well enough not to need a cast. I thought it might be a possibilty when she was crawling, but not now.

So, we return Monday (or sooner if she is in too much pain over the weekend). I feel much better having had him tell me that we made a good decision. I honestly thought CPS was gonna be there waiting to take me away. For some reason, all I could think was that I was told not to take it off at home, and we did. He said moms are given instinct for a reason. HOORAY!

On a side note, while we were there, Sullivan fell pretty hard and bonked his head on the hard floor. Honestly, it was a hard hit, and I am sure that it really hurt. But, I have been given Drama King of the century, so it was turned into an all out ordeal. He cried, and went nuts. In his words, "My head will never be the same, I need to see a bone doctor, my bone hurts so bad that I just don't think I can go on, I need a Lightning McQueen Ice pack, or I will never heal." Oh Lord, seriously, how's the show from up there? I know you use my life as your entertainment on a lot of occasions!!!! So, after much love from the nurses, and quite a few kisses from his very concerned sister, he thought he would be ok. One of the nurses (who over heard him in the hall professing his need for a bone doctor), came in telling him that he was at a bone doctor's office, and it was lucky for him. He thought about that really hard (after seeing Sophie in a cast for so long, and all the trauma she was in), and instantly was better. It was pretty much a miraculous healing. Perhaps the saw that he watched cut off her last cut, or the shots that he thinks come with bad experiences (can you say too many trips to the ER?), I am not sure, but I do know it was a healing of cosmic proportions!!!

I'll keep you updated as to the drama queen (and king) progresses with the foot.

The Foot Saga

2008-08-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

So, last night around 10:15, Sophie woke up screaming. It was a bad scream. The kind you do not want to hear coming out of your kid, ever. She screams alot, most of the time, its in anger, or its letting us know that she can't stand her brother, or strawberries, or sitting in a confined seat, or wearing a seatbelt, etc. But, this was the kind of scream that said, "you better find what hurts me fast, or I am gonna make you pay." She randomly would say "shoe ouch, ouch shoe". Her cast was still sopping wet from her 3 o'clock shower. It hasn't been drying recently, so we had decided to stop bathing it, and tried to avoid water. But, you forgot who my daughter is. She is the girl that hears you say you won't bathe her, and then pulls off her diaper and pees in her cast. Yeah, you read that right, bath could NOT be avoided.

Back to the story. After almost three hours of insanity, us trying to blow dry, get the air compressor to blow air in there ) did I mention that I was waiting for the swat to show up on our door step after hearing our kid scream bloody murder and then hearing the loudest air compressor you have ever heard at midnight? They never showed, and I am not sure I am not thankful. Anything would have been a relief from hearing her cry. So, we finally debated taking her to the ER to have the thing cutoff. We knew something was wrong in there, just not what. We had heard horror stories of rocks and such getting trapped in there, then causing a nasty infection.

So, in our genius, its 2 am, my kid's been screaming in pain for 3 hours, I am delirius, minds, we decided to cut the thing off. Or, to try. Sullivan was sleeping, and we weren't sure the ER wouldn't laugh at us. Thinking back, it probably was the wiser move to make. Aaron gets an array of pliers from his tool box and proceeds. After about ten minutes, the cast comes off looking like this:

But, Sophie's foot looks like this:

I swear, I think her little toe was really close to falling off. Her foot looked horrendous. The pictures don't do it justice. Apparently it was way too wet in there, and her skin was rotting. I wish you could have smelled it, wait a minute, no I don't. Its one of those things you just want to take my word on, TRUST ME. So, I got up the nerve to call her doctor's office this morning and am waiting to hear what they want me to do.

Untitled

2008-08-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

There is no possible title that I could put on our lives right now. Seriously, this last month has been rather insane!

My kids have enjoyed the water and the summer. Their favorite thing to do is go to the splashpad, although now Sullivan wants to live at our neighborhood pool. He is tall enough to finally reach, and brave enough to run and jump in. Last week, we went to the circus in Houston. The kids had such a good time. Sophie roared and said "wow" for about two hours straight. Sullivan pointed out everything that was unsafe. By the way, riding on an elephant, running in a ring with tigers, and getting thrown across the room in a cannon are all very unsafe things. He likes to point out when I do something safely, and driving the other day, he yells out: "Mom,. way to go, looking both ways before pulling out into traffic is definitely safe! " Wow!

My best friend Tiffini officially closed on there house here and a new one in Beaumont. Sullivan and Thomas have been best friends for forever, and this is so hard!!! I know you are supposed to be happy for someone, but honestly!!! Sophie is enamored with Tiff's 8 year old daughter Lauren. I wish I had a video camera rolling the other day when they were playing babies together. They were pushing them all around the house and taking care of them. It was so precious. Sullivan has begun being rather mischievious. He loves bathing things in the sink, giving them a thorough cleaning, and testing my cleaning skills in the process. He makes a huge mess, but his cars all sparkle.

In other news, we have taken our house off of the market. It sold this past weekend, and we had to look at other houses to buy. We eventually decided we liked ours more than anything else we saw. So, we have a few kitchen and bathroom renovations to do, but we are staying! That's about it for us right now :)

First Curse Word

2008-07-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen, I guess. I suppose all kids will do it. But, at 19 months, Sophie has learned her first curse word. She says it all day long. She says it when you least want to hear it. What word? Its four letters. Yeah, her first four letter bad word. MINE. We hear it all of the time. Mine, Mine Mine. Everything is MINE. I don't know how she learned it, but its SOOOOO annoying. This is MINE, that is MINE, give me MINE. UGGGGHHHHHH! It doesn't help that she is really cute when she says it.
First picture we have ever caught of the dare devil actually looking scared. Sadly, I don't think she is scared, but trying to tell us that the slide is hot. BTW- she is now on her second cast. The first one tore (because she is walking, running, swimming, etc. way more than they thought she would and she won't wear the special shoe designed to protect it). Monday, we went in, had the cast cut off, and a new one put on. Oh the joys :)
Perhaps he will be a heavy equipment operator? He is controlling the huge boat at the Children's Museum in New Orleans, and at the bottom, he is checking out his figure.

A Picture is worth a thousand ?

2008-07-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ever had a picture that totally summed someone up? I have lots of pictures to catch you up on our lives over the past month, but I have these few that I just love. My dad took the first two on our trip, and I must say, they each sum my kids' personalities exactly up.

My mom got a huge set of Lincoln Logs for Sullivan to build with. He was finally at the perfect age to really get it. He built lots of forts, castles, and the such on his visit. Check out the tongue action. The sign of a true engineer is that he uses his tongue when he is concentrating hard.

Pink

2008-07-25T15:27:00.001-07:00

So, long time no blog! We went to New Orleans for the week to have a FUN family vacation. It was so much fun. Aaron and I had date nights every night while my parents watched the kids. It was wonderful. We have seen all the movies out, which is amazing for us who have never had a babysitter!

But, the real news of the trip happened in Baton Rouge, when we stopped to let the kids run around the mall and stretch their legs out. The intention was to let them get some energy out. They did. They played for about an hour during which I kept telling people that Sophie was

fine, just a crazy daredevil. I know she climbs high, I can see her. I know she jumps from high places, she is insane! I swear the kid is missing a screw! So, when she tripped while WALKING, I didn't think much of it. She does it 100 times a day. But, when she wouldn't quit crying, I knew something had to be wrong. Then, she wouldn't put any pressure on her foot, and would go INSANE if we tried to get her to stand. So, I headed to the ER with her. Xrays and lots of money later (apparently our insurance CLOSES at 5 and you can't check eligibility, so we had to pay out of pocket), we find a broken bone in her foot. Supposedly she'll stay off of it long enough to heal. For real? NO, so when we got back to town, we saw our pediatrician who sent us to a pediatric orthopedist who reset it and casted it. Yesterday was her first day, and last night she cried all night "shoe off!" I felt so bad for her! Its waterproof, so she can shower, bathe, and swim. We go back in 4 weeks to see if the bone healed right and hopefully get the cast off. Its the tiniest thing you've ever seen, but super cute.

We have to keep a sock on it to keep it clean because Sophie won't wear the shoe that is supposed to go over it.

She just woke up from a 5 hour nap (after not sleeping last night). She is in an excellent mood and has an excellent hair do wouldn't you say?

PS- the specialist yesterday said it would probably be a few days before she'd walk on it. We left the office to go to McDonalds where she walked, ran, climbed, danced, and wrestled her brother and a few other boys in the place!

Soooo....

2008-07-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

Life is progressing quite fine over here. Unfortunately, I haven't discovered the anti aging pill, and the kids are still growing. They are growing so fast!

Sullivan is now a total dare devil in the pool. We went to visit my family at Charlie's new fabulous apartment this weekend for the Fourth. Sullivan was getting braver and braver getting people to catch him as he jumped from higher and higher places into the pool. Sophie on the other hand, had lots of fun modeling her new swimsuit with matching tutu. She pranced around like a princess the WHOLE day. She definitely knew she was cute! Her newest word is "trouble". So, she likes to do something just so she can tell you she's in trouble. She climbs onto things she isn't supposed to, turns around to make sure she has an audience, then says "trouble?" Yes, Sophie, you ARE trouble!!! She has also been singing alot. She loves "Row Row Row Your Boat." She has learned to tickle this week. So, she pecks all over you saying "tickle tickle tickle" in this high pitched voice. Your obligation is to pretend to laugh uncontrollably even though it really doesn't tickle. If you don't, the pecks get harder. If you are smart, you laugh.

The naughty girl chair has consumed alot of our time recently too. We got a really sweet pink princess chair (very ironic, but we wanted something portable so there was a naughty girl spot everywhere we went), and told her all about how naughty girls have to sit in it. Everytime she pinches, slaps, bites, or screams at us (or invents something new that is bad), she goes straight to the naughty girl chair. Its actually working quite well. Just the threat of the chair now makes her stop in her tracks. Of course, she prefers when we all clap when she does something right. For those of you thinking the chair sounds horrible. We make this big scene when she listens and have a "good girl parade." She LOVES it, then usually repeats the offense just so she can listen and get applause. For example, last night she kept climbing on the coffee table, waiting for someone to tell her to get down, then reveling in the "HOORAY" clapping parade that we had for her listening. For us, it got old after the third time, it took 14 times before she got tired of it!

Picture Time Picture Time

2008-07-03T15:51:00.001-07:00

Future Plumber?
Sullivan's new favorite place to go. Its a local fun spot in town where Aaron had his end of the year party. There are bowling alleys, laser tag, glow in the dark putt putt, and lots of video games. Sullivan calls it the "train at Daddy's work."

At the beginning of June, we had a potluck lunch at my house for our playgroup. Now, normally about 5 moms show up. But, since life is supposed to be crazy, over 50 people (counting kids) ended up coming!!! Check out Sophie having fun with all of the babies (I blurred out their faces with my excellent photoshop skills for their privacy since I forgot to ask their mommies if they could be on here). Oh, and yes, the two babies in carseats are THOROUGHLY enjoying it- we train them young in our group!!!

Here's Sophie showing off how wonderful Miss Stacy's banana pudding was!

Life According to Mr. Know it All

2008-06-29T05:48:00.001-07:00

Wanna know about life? Real life? The circle of life according to a 4 and a half year old? We went to McDonalds yesterday, where Sullivan explained it all to us. When you are 100 years old, you get to climb really well. Like, you can climb on the outside of the plaything all the way to the top. You can also run really fast when you are 100, faster than God. Then, something happens, and you become 30 and turn into a mom. At this point, you get to have kids and (when this all happens to Sullivan), you bring your kids to Bunco with you so that they can play with all of your mommy friends.

Did you get all that? Ooh boy do we have our hands full. Any suggestions for turning a meanie into a nicie? Sophie is definitely a meanie. The problem is, she knows she is really cute. So, while she is pinching you, she is also smiling really big. She could care less if you fuss at her, if you pop her hand, or if you put her in timeout. She is getting meaner everyday. We went to Chuckee Cheese yesterday, where she was totally in love with the robot dancing at the front. She loved all over him. Then, we went into the mall and let the kids play (I know the playground is dirty ok, don't flame me!). Anyway, Gymboree was having a big sale that I could not resist, so I left the kids in the playground with Aaron. I come back, and Aaron tells me that a little boy is beating up on Sophie, but Sullivan is taking care of him. He asks me why I don't look mad, and I say, "Has she pinched you lately? You don't have to worry about her, she can hold her own!"

Things Sophie loves right now: "Growling like a tiger, mooing like a cow, talking on the phone to nanny and pawpaw, climbing in the toilet, jumping on anything, pushing anything in strollers, pinching us, hitting us, slapping us, kissing us, talking in jibberish, loving all over Delilah while yelling "Dog Dog Dee Dee", being outside, and swimming.

Things Sophie hates right now: her brother playing without her (don't even bother closing a door), coming inside, getting out of the bathtub, going to sleep, being told no, and most of all, having anything taken away from her whether she likes it or not.

A few more Sullivanisms from the past few weeks:

After falling down and scraping his knee : "It hurts more than the whole world, its hurts more than the whole world!"

After seeing Wall-E and understanding that the Earth is part of the solar system, which is actually, the whole world, "Man, God must be super big since THIS is the whole world that he has in his hands. I only thought that song was talking about Earth, but this is really big. I mean, do you know how big this is mom? He has to be REALLY big to have all of this in His hands, I am talking REALLY big."

After I stood up too close to him, "Mom, do you think I want your big booty in my face?" and about two hours later," I didn't mean your booty was big mom, I meant you are a beautiful woman with a little booty, do you think you could take me to see Kung Fu Panda now?"

He was instructed to go pick out 5 books and sit in the playroom and read them before bed while Aaron and I were watching a movie in the living room. About 30 minutes later, he comes out with a book in hand and says ,"Yall's movie is too loud, I mean do you mind, what are you thinking? I am trying to read back here, and now I have to start this book all over, it will probably take me like 100 weeks or something. Now I will never be able to make my bedtime."

Confessions from the mother of a Drama King and Queen

2008-06-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right folks, my children will beat anyone they are put up next to in a drama competition. I'll start with the younger one, since she has had less time to perfect her "art".

Sophie walks around the house playing, and when Sullivan comes close to her (but doesn't touch her), she yells (in a very realistic, "I've been hurt severely" voice) "OUCH". Yeah, she tries to get him in trouble, the problem is, if he is in time out, she can't keep herself off of him. She wants to play with him while he is there. She is a horrible pincher, slapper, and meanie. Sullivan tolerates it most of the time, but she is pretty good about hurting him, then as soon as an adult looks, saying "Ouch" as if she is the one being hurt.

On to the tried and true actor. Yesterday, I took him out of the tub, stood him on the toilet to dry him off. He is taller on the toilet, therefore I can reach him better without having to bend. He says (in a very authoritative voice), "Safety violation, Safety violation, you should never stand on high slippery surfaces with wet feet- it's an accident waiting to happen."

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Then, he is walking into the living room, glances at the clock, instantly turns on the drama, then says, "Mom, whatever happens don't look at the clock." Ok, seriously, what would you do? I, of course, expecting to see a snake or a brick or shattered glass, look at the clock. I see nothing unusual. Apparently, Sullivan does. He starts seriously breaking down, although it didn't feel really all that genuine. I tell him to calm down and tell me what is wrong. "It's past seven o'clock and I really wanted to watch the Making show with daddy. Now I will never see it because it's past my bedtime." I tell him to calm down, that it's the summer, and perhaps he can stay up a little late. He is in an all out breakdown at this point. Aaron starts to give in. I tell Aaron that he is showing him that the harder he whines, the more he gets, bu he doesn't really listen. So, I go in my room, very upset. Sullivan comes in and says the following, word for word, but with the sweetest, most dramatic voice ever: "Oh beautiful, loving, sweet, fantastic mother, I just love you so much. You are so wonderful, would you mind giving me the remote?" I am doing all that I can not to break out in laughter when I hand him the remote. I hear Aaron in the other room going crazy. Sullivan thanks me in the following way: "Thank you most wonderful, beautiful, sweet, most perfect mother, you are the best."

Awards please.....................

Jose?

2008-06-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Well, apparently I cheated on Aaron and conceived Sullivan with someone else. He is convinced his name is Sullivan Jose. He swears by it, and has actually cried when we try to tell him his name is actually Sullivan Isaiah. Funny that he ordered a pizza last time we went to Casa Ole, I guess that part of his heritage didn't come with the name?

He has also decided that he is Indiana Jones. He doesn't really know what that means other than he can get the bad guys. He looks behind every door for bad guys to get, jumps out and says, "Stand back for Indy". I swear the kid could make us a million dollars if we could stick him in a movie.

He is a big fan of the Aggies (the Texas A&M team). Since he has been to ALOT of sporting events to cheer them on, he has picked up on alot of the traditions from around here. He can sing every last word of the fight song, and can tell you more about the yells than you could imagine. Anyway, every time there is a game on tv, no matter who is playing, he asks, "Mom, which one is the Aggies, and which one is the bad guys?" I can tell him that neither team is the aggies, and he doesn't believe me, he just picks a team that sounds good and calls them the Aggies. Sadly, the other team becomes the instant "bad guys."

He has also perfected the art of belly flopping. I have got to get it on video, because its hillarious. The crazy thing is that he actually means to do it! He gears up, says "this is gonna hurt" then jumps out and lands right on his tummy!

Two Fathers

2008-06-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

There are two important fathers in my life that I want to recognize on this most important Father's Day.

First, my first hero. The first man that stole my heart. The man that grabbed me from the birth canal, and (as I am told because I can't remember) walked around the delivery room singing me songs, fending off the nurses and my mom who wanted to hold me. The man who forgot to pay for his gas and was chased to the hospital to watch me be born by police officers. He is the man who sacraficed working at jobs that I know he did not always want to go to so that I had food to eat, barbies galore, cabbage patch kids with the newest outfits, and a mom who could nurture me. He is the man who taught be to be strong, to be independent and brave. He taught me to do what I want in life and not what is expected. He is the best story book reader ever- you wouldn't imagine all of the voices he makes for Cat in the Hat or Hop on Pop and Red Fish, Blue Fish. He is wise beyond measure, but has no problem spending afternoons figuring out how to build the biggest block tower imaginable. He is adored by my children. He plays with them on their level, and they love it. Happy Father's Day Dad, you are amazing. Oh, did I mention, he returns my children so tired that they fall asleep in the middle of Dillards?

Second, my soul mate. He has not only given me a life to build, but two little miracles. It is quite funny that I wish Aaron a happy father's day, as he had no desire to have a child let alone two. He would have been fine having none, but he has grabbed a hold of his "daddy" role and run like a champion. These kids think he is the greatest thing around. To Sullivan, he is a buddy. He is the one who rescues him from the deadly killer ladybugs, the one who is willing to step on spiders to save his life, the one who can fix ANYTHING, the one who knows what all of the buttons do, and mostly the "boss" that he wants to be when he grows up. To Sophie, he is a cuddling partner. He is the one who is willing to play with her hair while she falls asleep, even if it takes an hour. He is the man who can make her laugh or cry in a matter of two seconds. The one who will change the poopy diapers without a frown, clean up the throw up no matter where it is, the one who will tell her she is beautiful in the tutu she is wearing for the sixth day in a row, and the one who will let her brush his hair even though it really hurts. Happy Father's Day Aaron, you are spectacular.

Want to Laugh?

2008-06-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

First things first, Sophie is quite a little mommy! She is really good at patting, holding, kissing, rubbing, feeding, and then WHACKING her babies. She is into this stroller, and pushes anything that will fit into it all over the place. She drags the stroller everytime we leave out the front door, and insists on taking it. On another note, she has slept in her bed through the night for the past three nights. Last night, she made it from 8 pm until 6 am, climbed in my bed, and slept until 8. HOORAY!!! I actually feel like a whole new woman!!!

Ok, onto the funnies. We were eating at McDonalds the other day, when one of the workers sits down at the table next to us to eat his own lunch. Sullivan says (rather loudly), "Wow, even makers like to eat the food here, I told you McDonalds is good!"

We go to a Chinese restaurant last night (the same one that now knows exactly how old everyone in my family is), the lady comes to take a plate out from in front of Sullivan. He apparenlty brushes up against her arm (which I think was shaved). He says, "Man, that makers' skin was SOOOOO soft. I wish my skin was so soft, but mine is so hard, I have to hit it all of the time just to make it bleed." (He is turning into a REAL boy- everything is about blood)

Ok, so time for your lesson- there are two kinds of bad words- potty words or trash can words. If you say them too many times (this is all according to Sullivan), you can go to jail with all of the bad guys. So potty words are - "poop, tee tee, potty" basically anything relating to the toilet. The trashcan words are "stupid, shutup, dummy, and the newly added ideot". Sullivan LOVES to catch other people saying these words. Last night, he was telling us about how PawPaw likes to say trashcan words, and he doesn't know why he hasn't gone to jail yet. Then he says, "I bet God is up there listening to us talking about all of these stupid trashcan words just waiting to send us to jail." I told him that God doesn't send people to jail, to which he replies, "Maybe they just haven't said enough trash can words yet."

Tired?

2008-06-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

Not me! For the first time in two years, I am NOT tired! We did the unthinkable and let my parents keep BOTH kids overnight Friday night. They usually come to town about once a month, rent a hotel room, and let Sullivan do whatever his little heart desires for 24 hours. But, Sophie weaned about 2 weeks ago, and has been sleeping in her big girl bed for about a week, so I figured she was probably ready to test the waters. I told mom I was packing Sophie's bags, and she kept laughing. They really did not believe that we would let her go. We have been a little protective of her! (she's our last dangit!) And, she actually did great. As a matter of fact, when I showed up yesterday morning, neither of my kids looked really happy to see me. Actually, if I am being really honest, Sullivan opened the door and asked me to leave. He wasn't relatively happy about spending his special time with nanny and pawpaw with his sister too, but he was ok with it. And, we let him have a few hours yesterday afternoon with them alone. They always have to go get a mall ball at the mall- a little rubber bouncy ball that costs 50 cents, but is a big ritual when they come to town.

We spent four hours at a fun city pool yesterday where Sullivan remembered that he knows how to swim, and Sophie decided that swimming can be fun. But, perhaps the biggest development was that they took the kids to toys r us and got them toys. (not anything new). Sullivan got this car that he and nanny have been looking all over the country for for about 6 months.

But Sophie got her first doll and stroller and bottle. I didn't think she was old enough, but boy was I wrong. Apparently she is a little mommy. She pushed that doll all over town yesterday, and then when we got home, pushed her around our house for about 45 minutes. She stops, gives the baby her bottle (which is hillarious since she NEVER would take a bottle), gives the baby kisses and pats, and then returns to pushing her.

I apologize that the picture is turned sideways, I don't have photoshop on my laptop.

Aaron and I got to go out to eat, watch a movie, and then SLEEP Friday night. It was wonderful. You don't have to worry about any surprise babies, trust me when I say all I desired was SLEEP! Then, the kids both fell asleep at 7 last night, and I fell asleep at 8:30. I can definitely say I am all rested up! What a fun weekend! And, there is still another whole day ahead!

Sullivanisms

2008-06-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

I have a ton of cute pictures to upload, hence the break in posting, but it looks like a few more days before Aaron finishes "fixing" my other computer. So, I will just update you on a few "Sullivanisms" from the last few weeks.

Me- "Sullivan, where do you want to go eat? We will anywhere, because its a special night for you- your graduation."
Sullivan-" McDonalds"
Me- "Anywhere BUT McDonalds"
Sullivan-" Fine, how about Whataburger? I am really thirsty for water, and surely they have it there, I mean listen to their name WATER burger."

__________________________

I grab a Diet Coke out of the fridge to drink, Sullivan says-
"Mom, if you keep drinking all of that diet coke, you will probably get fat, you should probably only drink Lemonaide or something."

___________________________

We go eat at a Chinese restaurant where the waiter asks me how old the kids are, I tell him 1 and 4 (they apparently charge by the year), Sullivan pipes in, "And my mom is 30, and my dad is 29, I know he looks bigger than her, but its true, he's not!"

__________________________

We went to look at a lot on which we might build a house. We asked Sullivan what he thought, did he like it. "Ummm, we aren't makers, so I don't know how you expect a house to get here."

__________________________

We were shopping for new shoes yesterday, and while I was looking at bows, Sullivan befriended a lady who was checking out. He was being good, so I didn't interupt, but I could hear they were having a pretty serious conversation. When I headed back over to the counter, the three ladies in the store were cracking up laughing, along with the lady who was checking out. Sullivan was looking a little suspicious, so I asked what was so funny. Sullivan says, "Mom, meet my new friend Alicia." The lady is now CRACKING Up laughing. " I told her my name is Sullivan, but she didn't understand me, so I told her to just call me McQueen, Lightning McQueen, and I eat losers for breakfast." Drama lessons please :)

The Graduate

2008-05-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

How it happened, I will never know. I woke up one day, and he was a big boy! Sullivan graduated from Pre-K Tuesday night. It was very sentimental. They did it just like a real thing, he got to walk across the stage and have his whole name read out. Mommy did a lot of crying. I just don't know where the time went. Seriously! He made us so proud though! We got a great video with the presentation before hand where the kids sang 13 songs. They did wonderfully, and I will have to figure out how to upload that later. It was real fun getting Sophie to sit still and pay attention, but she was very proud of her BoBo as well. As soon as she realized it was him on the stage, she listed intently. Here are a few pictures from the evening of my little man.

He is a Boy

2008-05-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

He is a model child. He looks like a magazine poser! I am prejudiced, I know, but I think he is gorgeous!!! We chose his name because we had never met another and wanted him to be unique and an individual, and boy has he lived up to that!
Before I had him, I could not imagine my life without a child. I still can't. And, I can't imagine my life without him as my child. He is such a ray of sunshine. He is, in my opinion, the prettiest boy I have ever seen. Where his stunning blue eyes came from, I will never know. I mean, I know genetics and all, but have you seen his mom and dad? He is precocious. VERY. He likes pushing you until he can not push any more. He seems to know where that is and usually draws the line before you lose your mind (but not any sooner than he has to).
He has this smile that can make you forget any pain! He is a cheese ball, and I am certain he will be a class clown. He delights in making others laugh, sometimes to the point of getting himself in trouble. His favorite two people to make laugh? His nanny (his best friend) and his sister. Boy does he love those two ladies.
He is diplomatic, if you ask him who he loves more- mom or dad, he replies- "both". Perhaps setting himself up for a future in politics? He is quite smart. I know most people think their children are, but seriously he is! He is doing pretty nice math equations now- adding and subtracting, and he LOVES to spell. He really enjoys video games, and when he teacher asked him what he is best at- he told her how great he is on the wii! (He actually is pretty good, he can bowl a 180).
He is a fun loving boy- always wanting to make friends with people everywhere we go. He loves having friends, and is constantly talking about them. Today, he was stuck on his friend Trinity. He had to tell me how Trinity eats her sandwiches, had to order fruit because that's what Trinity would do, had to use a napkin like her. He truly loves his friends. Sometimes, you wouldn't know it though by the way he behaves. But, I suppose that is part of being a 4 (and a half and don't you forget the half) year old boy. He is a boy I tell ya! I am learning every day to love him more. I realize each day that I will never fully understand who he is or who he is becoming. He has surprises for me all of the time. I love listening to him talk, I love his jokes, but mostly, I love his love. He loves me so unconditionally, that I do not understand it. He loves to love me. He loves to hug me and cuddle me. He loves telling me how pretty I look and grabbing my hand just to remind me in public that he is there for me. I know he must grow, but I don't have to like it right?

The litte girl

2008-05-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

It is inevitable I suppose. I mean, every other child grows up. I just didn't imagine it would happen so quickly to MY baby. I feel as though I just had her, and even so, I feel as though I have known her my whole life. I can't imagine my world without her. I don't remember times before I knew her. Every day another piece of her personality comes out, and I am amazed that I am blessed enough to know this little girl. There is not much baby left. I mean, every once in a while, she wants to cuddle, she still sleeps with me- a measure I hold on to more for me than her I suppose. Every once in a while, she might be playing, and look to me for reassurance- a thing I find more comfort in than her, I think. But, more often than not, she is growing. She has a contagious personality.
She is funny. She makes you laugh, and laughs herself. She has a smile that lights up the room, and a laugh that makes everyone around her laugh. She thinks things are funny that aren't, which in itself is funny. She delights when her brother is around. When he enters the room, she becomes a whole new person. When she sees her daddy, she throws her arms in the air and yells "up up up". She loves him dearly. But, oh man, does she LOVE her mommy. I hope to always have this bond with her. I hope that she will always trust me as she does. Every day she says more new words. Her favorites? "Yellow, help, up, down, COKE, gig em, bobo" She wants you to read the same book to her over and over and over. Each time, it seems new and fresh to her (and her alone). When you stop, she screams at the top of her lungs.
She knows how to get what she wants. She knows how to scream at the top of her lungs- a scream that makes the world stop. She also knows how to manipulate a situation- she cries at the right time as to get her brother in trouble. She screaches if she wants something, and usually gets it so you don't have to hear the scream anymore. She is exploring the world, and discovering things we adults forgot about long ago. Butterflies are amazing, slides are way more fun than any roller coaster you can pay for, flowers stop her in her tracks while she squats to take them in more closely, dogs make her laugh while she runs towards them with eyes wide and mouth ready for a slobbery kiss. Discovering the world through her eyes is amazing. She is a wild child. VERY wild. She climbs anything and everything.Lastly, she loves aggie baseball. Perhaps she didn't have a choice in the matter. She has been drug to the majority of aggie sporting events from birth. Games that people pay hundreds of dollars to get a seat to, she has slept through. But now, she enjoys them. She lights up and squeals in delight when we get to the parking lot to go to a baseball game. She cheers on the aggies the whole time- "gig' em ags." She makes everyone around us happy as she does her "alligator clap" and mimics the students talking to the pitchers. She says "batta batta" when the students yell swing batter batter. She dances to all of the music. But, perhaps my favorite, is when a train comes by. You see, we live in College Station ,which I would assume gets its name from the trains that come through here all of the time. The baseball field is on a track, and everytime a train comes through, all of the students put their hands in the air to guess how many engines it will have. So, in our last photo shoot, Sophie heard a train coming through. She threw her hand in the air un prompted, excited to give her guess of five engines.

How I could love one little being more, I do not know. I am priveleged to have time to love this little girl!

Happy Mothers Day Friends!

2008-05-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

This has been quite a weekend for us! We listed our house (by owner) this past week and have been waiting for someone to love it as much as us. No luck yet! My parents came in town, Sullivan had his class picnic with his school, and my BFF Tiff graduated! I couldn't be more proud of Tiffini. Seriously! Quite an accomplishment friend!!! Oh yeah, did I mention my other friend gave birth to a three month old last week? That's right "little" Austin came into the world ready for the summer weighing in and measuring about the size of an average three month old. He is so stinking cute!!! ALMOST makes me want another, NOT!!!

My parents and I took the kids to the splash pad on Friday afternoon very spur of the moment. So, we didn't have swimsuits, but the kids had sooooo much fun. It just proves that kids can have fun for free- lots of it!!! Sullivan had so much fun introducing all of his friends to his "Nanny and PawPaw" everywhere he brought them.

Mom- you have been an excellent inspiration in my life. I am so thankful that you gave up your career years for me and stayed home. I will never forget the hours we spent playing barbies, building forts, going to the park, and just enjoying being a kid. You are such a wonderful mother, and I can only hope my kids love me half as much as I love you when I am grown.

And on this day that we are celebrating mothers, I feel so blessed to be a part of a wonderful group of friends here in town. They are all such excellent mothers, and I am so happy to have such great women to raise my children with. Aaron sent me 4 dozen roses, and I have been secretly admiring them, smelling them, walking by for no reason just to stand in awe of their beauty. I feel alot like they are my kids- you have to just stare as long as you can to remember their tiny quirks, because they grow so fast! I can not believe that I have a 1 year old daughter and a 4 1/2 (he MAKES me remind you of the half) year old son. They are amazing creatures, and I am so happy that Aaron has allowed me to watch them grow every day. What a wonderful thing! Thanks Aaron for letting me live my mommy dream!

I wanna Be a BOSS

2008-05-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

Ask Sullivan what he wants to be when he grows up, and he replies "I wanna be a boss like you."

Ask Sullivan if his mommy is fat, "Not really fat like Santa mom, well your tummy is kind of like his, but you never wear a red suit, so that's good."

Ask Sullivan if he is smart, "I know that 20 plus 20 makes one million, so I guess I am smart."

Ask Sullivan how old his mommy is," 51, you are much bigger than my daddy, who is 10."

And, here is some proof that Sophie is our little talking machine. She never talks for people, so I had to catch her in the act. Her new word is "yellow." Earlier, she took off her diaper, then brought it to me, and said "help." I guess she needed it back on. She told our doctor "Aggies good" when we went for a visit the other day. She also LOVES to show off her alligator clap- its what they do at the A&M baseball games. She LOVES the games now. She gets all excited when we pull up. Its kind of sad because there are only two games left. She claps and cheers, holds her hands up and imitates the students. Its really funny to hear her laughing while Sullivan yells "Walking's cheaper."

BoBo

2008-04-30T19:02:00.001-07:00

Sophie has many new words. In fact, every day, it seems she says a new one. Of course, you know she loves to say coke. She now says "here, apple, lemon, down, up, there" and a few others that she has added this week. But, I think the best is her newest word. She has been saying"bobo" alot. We really didn't think much of it as having an association. This morning, she was walking around (Sullivan was at school) with her hands in a where signal saying "Bobo, bobo". We didn't think a whole lot of it. Until, a little while ago. Sullivan walked in the room and she shouted "Bobo!" I am not really sure why its her name for him, but its definitely her bobo. Aaron said, "is that your bobo? Give bobo a kiss." She leaned over and smacked Sullivan right on the lips. How much cuter does it get?

In other news, Sullivan's preschool teacher has been missing the past three days. I asked Sullivan if she was sick, and he said, "No she is marrying her son. She had to marry her son to be a new Miss Weber." Right..............

Sophie has an eye infection. We went to Urgent Care Monday with a fever of 103.8 that just wouldn't budge. They said it was viral. She seemed to get more cranky, and her eye was totally swollen shut this morning when she woke up (it had been swollen and red for almost a week). So, she is on her gadgillioneth round of oral antibiotics. UGGGGGHHHH

In other news, we are cleaning and scrubbing, emptying closets, etc. over here because we are about to sell our house. Or try anyway. We are absolutely in love with this house, but we did our financing kind of funny, and long story short, it will be way cheaper to buy a different house than to refinance. So, it looks like we will be moving AGAIN in August. Of course, we are staying in College Station- hopefully forever. I love it here!

Do dreams really come true?

2008-04-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Sophie's newest diaper "sale".

A few minutes ago, Sullivan came running in here and said, "Mom, do dreams really come true? I heard that tv say that dreams come true, is that serious." Not really thinking, I said, "Sure, I guess." I hear him crying loudly about three minutes later, walk in and ask whats wrong. "There are lots of dreams I have that I don't want to come true." Right..............

We had to find new homes for our two cats, and one of our dogs this week. It has been a sad week, really sad. Luckily, we found WONDERFUL homes, but its still very sad. It has been a very long time since I haven't seen a cat lounging on the couch, or heard one begging for water. We are adjusting ok.

Sophie's newest infatuation is "toke." I swear that I hate seeing kids drink coke products. Carbonation and children makes me cringe. Of course, God must have known that when he gave me a little girl that can throw fits that would make an attacking lion flee. She sees you open a coke, and says, "Want duh toke." She says it over and over. When you say no, she preceeds to throw herself down on the floor and scream bloody murder. Because we don't want to be arrested for child abuse, we normally give her a sip if we are out. Well, that only makes the problem worse. She had fever last night, she woke up screaming, she saw a Raising Canes cup at 3 in the morning, and screams over and over," Want duh Toke, want duh Toke." When its three in the morning, you do whatever to make them be quiet. Sadly, giving a baby caffeine doesn't do the trick. They may be silenced initially, but you will be punished with having to watch "The adventures of Elmo in Grouchland" 3 times and not being allowed to sleep. Problem NOT solved.

In other news, Alexis is doing wonderfully. She is off all tubes, and is only on some pain meds that she is having a hard time getting off of. She leaves tomorrow for at least 4 weeks of in patient intense rehab in Nebraska. Please continue praying for COMPLETE healing.

My father in law, Larry, has his sixth round of chemo next week, then a two week break, and will be scanned after that to see what the effect was. Let's pray for NO cancer to be found whatsoever.

So, Sullivan, the brainiac, is VERY into math all of a sudden. He went from not getting it at all, to adding and subtracting all of the time. He will say, "Did you know 2 and 2 are 4?" or "Did you know that 20 and 20 make 40?" I seriously don't know where he gets it. I love math, but really haven't worked with him alot in that area. Anyway, yesterday, we got in the car, and his cup of water was in his cupholder from the day before. He takes a sip, and its apparently hot. He says, "Mom, do you know what one and three and nine make?" Going along with his recent skills, and seriously thinking I was gonna have to call MENSA if he was about to tell me he could add three numers at a time, I say "13?" He says, "No mom, it makes one hundred and thirty nine, and apparently thats how old this water is- 139 years!"

Congrats Brandy on baby Brenna, she is seriously an ADORABLE newborn, you couldn't ask for chunkier thighs!

Happy Hour

2008-04-22T15:20:00.000-07:00

Eh, Why are you taking a picture, can't you just leave me alone?

CHEESE!

Sophie had her first dental appointment today. She did wonderful, well if you had three straight vodkas and were barely able to walk, then you would say she did wonderfully. But, I didn't so I will just say, she did as expected. She sat in my lap, screamed bloody murder, then gave dirty looks to anyone in the office who dared look in her direction. She has some nasty teeth. I am not kidding. Two of her teeth are "fused" making it look like one mega tooth (right in front of course). Her molars are growing out into her cheeks instead of down, and she has her top right "fang" growing at a 90 degree angle to how it should be. We have to get a rotating toothbrush and start brushing and flossing her teeth in hopes of unfusing the fused tooth. Fun times!

"Happy Hour"

Afterwards, to reward the "good behavior" we went to Sonic for Happy Hour. The kids got the biggest lemonaide you have ever seen for about 10 cents (something close to that). Then, we hit a park. The sign said the playground structure was designed for kids 5-12. Don't let that fool you. Sophie believes she is five I guess. Now, I am not bragging about doing dangerous stuff with my kids, seriously, don't get me wrong. I thought Sophie would just run around. But, oh no, she is all female, and she had to show Sullivan up. Sullivan and I layed on the ground looking at clouds, when we took a peek at Sophie scaling a HUGE climbing wall. That was the end of my fun, I was then on "don't let the kid fall mode." Of course, I did a fantastic job, she never fell.

So, what's up with it freezing over night last week, and this week it being 90 degrees? UGGGHHH!

He's Back.....

2008-04-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

So, Aaron (the dad) has been gone to Las Vegas for NINE days. That's right folks- I held down the fort ALONE for NINE DAYS and NINE LONG NIGHTS. And, not only did I hold it down, but here is a list of the things I got accomplished while alone with two kids for 24 hours a day (one of which thinks she needs to climb behind you on everything she can think of and "help"):

1) Painted ENTIRE living room and halls, this amounts to about 600 square feet of living space painted!

2) Hung curtain tiebacks in bedroom, living room, and kitchen (with a drill I might add)

3) Managed to get ALL of the clothes in the entire house washed and put up (which is monumental, bc we haven't put up clothes in about 4 weeks

4) Sewed and hung SUPER cute curtains for the playroom

5) Sewed four new pillows for the couch that matched the

6) recovered three barstools with fabric matching the pillows from 5

7) Fed children all of the days, and managed to eat out only 6 times

8) Got said children dressed and out of the house for at least one fun activity every day

9) Cleaned and reorganized the entire food pantry (long time coming)

10) Made four flower arrangements (and managed to bring both kids to Hobby Lobby, and left with both children alive)

11) Brought Sullivan to a dentist appointment, Sophie to an ENT appointment, and both to the pharmacy (trust me, that's MAJOR)

12) spent an entire day with my BFF running errands and setting up an ambiance on her back patio

13) Dug two huge flower beds and planted LOTS of flowers in the front yard

Ok, so here are the list of things that happened while he was gone that apparently were trying to rain on my parade and not let me finish my list:

1) Sophie had the runs, not a little, but ALOT, many many times each day for the first four days

2) Both children were sick for the first four days, running fever, sore throats, crying ALOT

3) Sophie managed to break six new teeth, four of which are molars

4) Sullivan clogged up my toilet, which apparently needed the industrial touch of Aaron to unclog, so we had to use his for the ENTIRE week

5) One morning (one of the mornings during the "runs" period) I had Sophie in a cloth diaper that was too big, and while she was walking around the house, her "runs" were "running" down her leg, landing on everything in site, this was the day that she apparently decided to explore the entire house.

I am sure I could think of more if you let me.

But, he is back. And, let me say, I have never seen two happier kids than when he walked in the door. It was so wonderful to hear little Sophie eagerly whale "Up Daddy." She made Aaron hold her for a good twenty minutes, and everytime he would try to put her down, she flipped out. Anytime Sullivan would come close, she would stake her territory and scream at him. IT was adorable. I guess you could say we are all happy to have him back. But, he is pretty sick (his fourth double ear infection since August), and has a growth on his right eyeball. He went to urgent care last night and got some EXPENSIVE medicine, so pray this works!

Mom

2008-04-13T19:21:00.001-07:00

You know, it dawned on me the other day, that when I was a little girl, all I wanted to do was become a mom. I remember playing with dolls for a little longer than what is "normal". I always played with other people's babies, and enjoyed them sometimes more than kids my own age. I remember being saved in tenth grade, and honestly being scared that Jesus would come back before I would have my children and know what it was like.

What is it like? Well, there are times that you hear a child cry for 45 minutes and have no clue how to help them and just feel like screaming. There are times that you get hit, kicked, punched, head butted, jumped on, and bruised. There are times when you clothes can not soak up another ounce of snot, another round of throwup, and any more "leaks" from the old poopy diaper. There are moments when they whine, fuss, and do everything possible to get on your nerves. And then, there are the moments, the moments that you would pay any amount of money for. The moments that no matter how hard you try, you will never forget. The slobbery open mouth kisses. The random "I love yous". The grabbing of your hand for that comfort needed before conquering a big slide. The hugs you get when they tell you how wonderful of a day you had. The look on a tiny face that tells you that you are the most important person in the whole world. There are moments when you see them explore something new for the first time, and you just don't think life can get any better. I have come to the realization that I was built to be "Mom." Not Vicky. Not Vicky Lynn. Not Vicky Lynn Buser (pronounced Boozer, yeah that's why I decided to scrap the maiden name). I am Mom, and darn proud of it. There are moments that I would trade, and there are moments that I will hold on to for as long as I physically can. I want to remember how they feel, smell, sound, look forever. I want to remember those kisses, looks, touches as long as I can. I would give anything to be this hero, this wonder woman to two tiny beings whom I could not love anymore.

Sullivan now loves me "more than the buildings." How could it get any better?
As I was leaving the other day, I was dressed in a black long skirt. He says "Mom you look beautiful, almost like a princess. But, everyone knows that a princess would never wear black."

The Fam

2008-04-10T16:53:00.000-07:00

Weekend before last, we got to hang out with the family at Galveston. My kids had a blast! But, the morning before Aaron actually got to go to a birthday party with us. Its extremely rare that he is ever off on the weekends, so the kids loved it. Sophie enjoyed playing in the bubbles with her daddy.

Here is Sullivan playing teeball. Check out his tongue. Everyone knows that you can't concentrate without sticking out your tongue!

Here is PawPaw taking Sophie into the water.

Here is Sullivan romping around with Uncle Shawn.

Notice there are no pictures of me in the water- it was freezing. I am not kidding- my kids were blue and shaking, but would not get out! And, just for your viewing pleasure, here is Sophie last year at this exact time in a bikini! My, how she has grown!

Know the Rules

2008-04-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

Alexis' parents have set up a carepage for those interested in her status and what's happening. If you would like the link, please send me an email at vcreasy@gmail.com

I know the constant prayers are making a HUGE difference, so keep it up prayer warriors!

On a totally different note, Sullivan was coloring his HUGE 2X3 foot Cars mural that he thought Alexis needs for her room. I tried explaining that she was a girly girl, into princesses and butterflies, but he assured me that Sophie loves cars, so Alexis does too. So, back to the coloring. He asked me how to spell "Alexis"- he sounded out "get better". Then he asked me how to spell "love" I obliged, and he said, "Mom, you obviously don't know the rules, that spells lov" (the word he said rhymes with stove). "When you put a silent e at the end of a word, that makes the vowel say its name. Sometimes you need to be careful so you can remember the rules. You need to know the rules so you can read." Ummm................... ok?

On another note, Happy Birthday Aaron! It must feel good to finally be 21! Here's Sullivan last year after he "didn't" get into his daddy's cake. We went shopping yesterday, and Sullivan picked out all the candy his daddy likes, a hotwheels gift bag, a pair of jeans, a Cars game for the computer (that he is "really hoping is for 2 players), a clearanced Wii game (we are talking 50 dollars down to 4, so it MUST be good ;) ) and a few other things. It is so neat to watch him get older and really start thinking about the other person. We got a yellow cake mix and some chocolate icing with sprinkles because apparently Aaron just "adores" sprinkles. We'll see who really adores them!

Alexis

2008-04-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

So, last week after our spinach dip incident, I was frustrated enough. We have an uneventful week after, until Thursday morning when Aaron called me. We were at a playdate at a local funspot called the "Bounce" that has jumping things galore. The news he told me pretty much knocked me off my feet (well he told me to sit down before telling me). A couple that work with him and are pretty much the whole reason we came down here have a baby girl that is a month younger than Sophie. Tiff and I were pregnant together, complained together, watched each other change differently. We went to each other's showers, she griped about how I got to "go" early, and then she managed to "go" early too :) They had a baby girl named Alexis Linn. She is a bright eyed girl that is a copycat of her daddy. Serioulsy, she could not look anymore like him, its almost eery ;). I mean, Tiff did do the majority of the work! She has blond hair that is always in pigtails, and always has a big smile on her face. Sophie "taught" her to stand, and then for months, she wore the fun squeaky shoes holding on to mommy and daddy's fingers while learning to walk. Sophie and Alexis swam together and crawled together, we put them on blankets together at football games because it was amazing to think that we had been pregnant with them at the same time last year.

Anyway, Aaron said, "I have some really bad news- Alexis was at daycare, and they called and said she was on her way to the hospital that she had a major accident." She has suffered major brain injury, no one knows exactly what happened. We do know that she was lifeflighted to the same hospital Sophie went to, and is in a medically induced coma. Her brain is swelling, and at the moment, they are trying to control that the best they can. Its a rollercoaster of a ride for them. So, why am I telling you all this? Because I want everyone I know to pray for a miracle for Little Alexis. I am talking a real miracle. The kind where she wakes up and is the same Alexis we knew, and no one is the wiser that this incident ever happened. Tell your friends to pray for her, and tell them to expect a miracle. God is able to move mountains, surely he can wake up this dear sweet little one and put her back in the same condition she was put to sleep in.

This has been an emotional few days for me, but having known my college room mate's baby Hannah's miracle has made me feel alot better about the miracle I am praying for with Alexis. If you don't know Hannah's story- check it out: prayforhannah.org. It will let you know that the miracle we are expecting is not only possible, but very realistic!

Oh my Damn

2008-04-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry, but sometimes, there just aren't the perfect expressions available. I went grocery shopping yesterday- please remind me next time NOT to bring my children with me. It was an insane experience. Anyway, this morning, I made some creamy spinach dip for the kids, gave them some carrots, celery and chips to dip into it, and then walked to the bathroom to pee. However long it takes you to pee is how long the above scene happened. Apparently Sullivan decided the dip would be better served as an artistic expression- his sister being the canvas. Although he SWEARS she did it, I tend to not believe it. I will say that the dogs didn't seem to mind at all!

Well, I am off to clean up some filthy children! (Birth control needs to be taken)

Endurance

2008-03-31T06:20:00.000-07:00

We had an extremely busy weekend this weekend. A birthday party Friday night and Saturday morning, then we escaped to Galveston for the afternoon (we thought) and ended up staying the night. I'll have to post pictures of the parties and the beach later, what we witnessed Sunday morning takes precedence over everything!

My brother Charlie, has a back disease. Its pretty painful, and he has lived with the pain for almost 10 years. He has always been in good shape, playing basketball, basically anything that included alot of sweat and "fun" with the guys. But, last year, he went for a checkup, and the doctor said it was time for Charlie to have surgery on his back. Well, this isn't just any surgery, its surgery that has you flat out on your back for 8 weeks, then is a long recovery, and pretty much, he won't get to be active again in a sporty sense. So, Charlie decided he would start training for the marathon in Houston on January 13th. He thought (I am assuming) that he would give it all he had before having to go through with the surgery. The marathon was a 26 mile run. Did you read that right? 26 miles!!! He completed it, and has done a few more since (I think he is addicted, but don't tell him I said that!). So, this weekend, he did a triathalon. I learned alot about them, but basicall what he did is called the 1/4 Ironman. He swam for .6 miles, biked for 26 miles, and then ran for 6 point something miles (I am sure when you are running that "something" is very important).

I honestly have never been a part of something so exciting. I am not kidding. It was at Moody Gardens, so there were a lot of places we could see him along the race. It was so fun! We raced around trying to get a glimpse of him every where we could. We cheered loudly, screamed, jumped, anything you could imagine. It was thrilling. I was worried the kids would be bored, but Sullivan was SOOOOO into it. He couldn't handle waiting to see Charlie again. It was really cute to watch him run as fast as he could to the next spot, worried he might miss out on the chance to scream for his Uncle. He was really ticked that people were cheering for others because he really wanted his Uncle to win.

Sophie waiting to cheer on Unkie Charlie!
The biking wait was about an hour, so Sullivan busted out the leapster to keep him occupied. We all cheered for other people, but he would have no part of that- his Uncle Charlie was the ONLY person he wanted to win.

This video is Sullivan running as fast as he can to the next "spot".
Dad getting the "perfect" shot.
Charlie JUST after he crossed the finished line. It looks like he is thinking "Remind me why I did that again?"

I could not be more proud of you Charlie! I can't imagine having the endurance to finish!

Sewing Machine

2008-03-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

That's right guys, I have turned into a sewing machine. I am having SEW much fun (had to do it). The kids are getting old enough to play with each other, which I am just loving, so I decided to try a new hobby. Here are a few of my projects:

On the note of LOVE, can I tell you a few things that I just LOVE?

Well, if you said no, then close your explorer page, if you said yes, read on:

- I LOVE listening to 4 year old jokes that I have heard 10 times. They never get funnier, but they seem to crack me up every time! What did the train say when he sneezed? Achoo choo! :)

- I LOVE seeing Sophie's shy head bury its way into my leg when someone new greets her.

- I LOVE seeing Sophie's face light up when you can tell she is figuring something new out- this morning, you should have seen how excited she was by a simple elevator!

-I LOVE hearing pitter patter of tiny feet. Sophie had a playdate with her little friend Blake this morning, and it was the sweetest thing ever to hear their little feet chase each other on the wood floor!

- I LOVE watching Sullivan's mind grow and expand. He is learning so much every day, and soaking in so much. We have been learning about "when two vowels go a walking, the first one does the talking." Its so fun to remember all of the fun little tricks to reading!

- I LOVE babies. I really do. I don't want any more, but I just love them! I got to hold Blake's twin baby brothers this morning, and I think they are just perfect. Nothing makes me happier than making a baby laugh. Nothing brings more joy than seeing the innocence of a sweet little perfectly round baby head and hearing that little laugh. Oh man, Gini, I need to come back over!

-I LOVE thinking about growing old with one man. The thought of growing from young kids who got married, to parents, and maybe one day grandparents is just exciting!

Ok, can you tell I am having a wierd day? Here's my last love-

Sophie has decided you can not put anything in her hair. I still try. So, usually, she has pigtails with bows. She pulls them out pretty fast, but her hair is left looking CRAZY. Here she is this morning with bed head. I LOVE it! And, btw I know she has red eyes, but the red eye reduction made her look like Satan, so she kept the red!

Puzzled

2008-03-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

This is Sullivan showing you his new tattoos (courtesy of McDonalds thinking pirate tatoos for a four year old are cool) and his very first pair of boxer shorts. I don't know why I haven't gotten him any before, because he is soooooo stinkin cute in them!

This is Sophie looking like a "clown", as her daddy says because "even when we are just going to Walmart, she has to be all dolled up." That's right darn it. I earned the right to have a little girl and doll her up. I earned the right to put huge bows in her head, match her clothes and shoes, and kiss all over her. And, let me tell you, I am enjoying every minute of it. And, mom, notice her outfit is NOT pink, thank you very much! And, for your viewing pleasure, my little doll being a pirate!

Puzzles- this is Sullivan's new obsession, but not the kind you are thinking. Word puzzles. Everything is a puzzle. "Mom, I want something to eat, but you have to figure out what it is from these clues : it's square and has holes all over it." "Ok, buddy, I need more clues." "You eat it." "Right, I got that when you told me it was something you wanted to eat, more clues please...." "Ok, its brown, sometimes." "Ummmmmm....." "Fine, you put syrup on it." "Waffles!" "right!"

"Mom, do you know how to make a gun? Like, the puzzle way?"

"Nope, but I would imagine you have to get some metal to start with."

Cracking up laughing, "NOPE, that's ALL wrong mom. Try again."

"Maybe some plastic?"

"No, mom, its a puzzle! You make an L with your fingers and turn them upside down!"

"Mom, what number is bigger than 8? Remember this is a puzzle!"

"Ummm.... Nine?"

"No mom, it has two fours."

"44?"

"That's the answer!"

And I leave you with a final puzzle of your own. This is half of the hair that I cut off yesterday. HALF. I will show you the actual doooo when I figure out how to style it ;)

Little Miss Personality

2008-03-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well, Sophie's personality is really coming out now. I totally forgot about this age- exploring the world, finding out just what makes them unique. I am LOVING it. She is into laughing any time she hears someone laughing. Its hillarious to watch her watch a movie with Sullivan- anytime he laughs, she pretends to know what is funny and laughs along. She keeps watching him for approval to be sure its still ok to laugh. She loves walking up on you in a room and shouting "Boo." I think its her favorite word. She is quite a talker, and yesterday she said something that sounded as much like hamburger as you can imagine. Although, Sullivan says she would never say that because she doesn't like ham, she only likes to eat cheeseburgers.

So, Aaron and I had gotten them some fun stuff for Easter thanks to a big sale at Toysrus. Well, we could wait to give it to them, and let me tell you, I have found the perfect toy for little ones. This fisher price singing stage in the video. From the second Sophie opened it, she has sung and danced, clapped, kissed the baby in the mirror. It is by far my favorite toy she has ever had. And for your viewing pleasure, anyone like ravioli?

My Man

2008-03-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love my little man! Sometimes I forget it, it's easy to do with his attitude. But, so often, I remember how wonderful he is. If he does not become a comedian, he is sure to be a lawyer (which are one and the same sometimes). Anyways, here are a few of my favorite stories from the last few weeks that are sure to keep you on birth control ;)

-He is into races. He has to beat you at everything. Who has the longer name, who gets dressed faster, who pees the longest, who buckles in the car faster, etc. While eating dinner with my parents last weekend, I told him he needed to get busy eating or I would beat him. He replied (while we all tried not to pee in our pants): "Mom, life isn't a competition."

-We were eating dinner at CiCi's pizza the other night with Aaron. Aaron asked Sullivan if he needed to go teetee to which he replied: "Oh Aawon, you know that's a potty word. We do not use trash can words or potty words at the table. Shame on you."

-We were playing in the playground at McDonalds when Sullivan ran over to me with a disgusted look on his face. "What's wrong?" He says (in a grossed out manner about to throwup): "If that little boy's booty smelled any worse, you could call him a toilet."

Cancer

2008-03-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, we got a call from my mother in law, Stephanie that my father in law, Larry, had gone to the doctor because he was having some pain. While there, they did an ultrasound and found what appeared to be cancer in his liver and in his lymph nodes surrounding the liver. The next day, they saw an oncologist, who ordered a battery of tests. After all of the tests, they returned to the oncologist, who said that it was cancer in the liver and lymph nodes, but it was also in the esophogous and stomach. He had a central line put in this week to administer the chemo easily, but is waiting to hear from MD Anderson whether he could be included in any of their tests. This news is very hard to hear, and we are dealing with it as best we can. Please pray for Larry as he battles this disease and the pain that is associated with it. Please pray for Stephanie as she loves him through it all. Please pray for his kids (three sons Ben, Adam, and Aaron) as they cope with all of this as well.

Larry has worked as a state police for 30 years now in Louisiana, rarely missing a day. He has built up quite a number of vacation days, and is shceduled to retire at the end of September. Please pray that he will win this fight with cancer and be able to enjoy his retirement that he has worked so hard for.

I finked enough already

2008-03-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

"Go get in timeout and think about knocking your sister down with a bucket, and then lying about it."Twenty seconds later : "I finked enough already!"

Well, we just got back from an amazing weekend! Lots of crazy stuff happened, but my kids were their wonderful selves and enjoyed every minute of being spoiled rotten by nanny and pawpaw. Sophie loved making my mom laugh, and thought it was her duty to be sure that her nanny gave her undivided attention.
Sullivan was old enough to really enjoy the plane ride, while Sophie was old enough to know that a landing plane made her stomach feel sick. Sick in my family equates to throwing up. HOORAY! But, we had a lovely visit, and got to see lots of family and friends. My grandpa looks absolutely amazing, better than he has in a long time. I secretly think its all of the extra TLC everyone is giving him (and of course the love of his LONG time wife, my Nanny!). We had a wonderful visit with them, got to go to my favorite Chinese restaurant, and got to just hang out.

I will say that after a LOOOONG weekend in New Orleans, I had to come home in elastic pants!

Young love! Maybe this is an indication of things to come? Kate accepted the kiss from her new best friend, Sullivan (which she said exceptionally well for a two year old!). This is Kate, her mom Jamie and I have been best friends since early in college. We lived together for a while. It was neat getting to see Kate and Sullivan get to really play- everytime we see each other, its in a stressful, quick visit. But they got to hang out at the airport, and then play in the mall playground. The above picture is Kate and Sullivan trying to wrangle their uncooperative sisters (Sophie and Reese). Reese is equally as wonderful as her big sister, and I can only imagine she will be as sweet, but a little more rough!
Sullivan and Nanny enjoy the street car, check out the cool guy in the row behind them. Yeah, he IS New Orleans.
Sophie enjoys street cars too (once she gets to eat some fruit loops).
A three way mirror made for quite a few friends for Sophie to enjoy talking to.
Do you think my bow is too big? Sophie showing off her daredevil ways- yes she climbs to the top of large slides and then goes down head first!

I am not tired

2008-03-06T19:29:00.000-08:00

Sullivan was not tired tonight when he went to bed. That's why, when I told him that I would be right back after checking on Sophie, I never imagined I would find him asleep in his clothes looking like a zombie. Good thing he wasn't tired.

I really think I am in for trouble in my future years. Sullivan asked me if he could watch a movie today, I told him he had already seen it 100 times, and that he needed to pick a new one- "Well did you ever think I might want to see it 101 times mom?" AHHHHHHHH... And, he is into making "tricky" letters. For instance, did you know that if you write an N and turn it sideways, you get a tricky Z? Or, if you write a V, put a little line in the middle, and turn it upside down, you make a tricky A? His life's mission is to find all of the tricky letters out there. And, he wants to know how to spell everything. He can sound out alot of words, but some have "hidden" letters, and he HATES those. He sounded out pelican all by himself, and was all proud, when he decided to try House. Man, that word is hard! Its so cute, because when he spells a word, he will say, "I can spell cat- uppercase C, lowercase a, lowercase t. " He cracks me up (sometimes).

And, if he isn't enough, Sophie has decided that she will only wear this skirt. A friend of ours made her a black and red toole skirt so that she could be a lady bug. Sophie wore it for two weeks straight (she cried to take it off for the bath). So, I decided to make her a pink one since most of her clothes are not red and black. She stands in front of the mirror looking at herself so proud. She has gotten quite proficient at the LARGE slide that my parents got them. She climbs up and heads face first down it all the while yelling "whhhheeeee" in her baby voice. Sometimes I wonder if she really was that tiny newborn I brought home just over a year ago.

I LOVE pink and brown. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! This is my favorite of Sophie's diapers matched with my favorite of her babylegs!

And, for your viewing pleasure- Grace and Noah enjoy fresh water- no water from a bowl for these spoiled cats.