Thanksgiving

Despite Kellen's "viral infection" and corresponding come-and-go fever, he's been in a relatively good mood for the past few days. As my last blog detailed, I got the phone call on Tuesday to come and pick him up from daycare, and we've been fighting this thing ever since. Matt took him to the doctor on Wednesday and the diagnosis - "viral infection" - which in my book translates to "we can do nothing for you...your life is turned upside down until his body can fight it on his own...tough it out."

Matt was able to stay home with him on Wednesday, as I still had a half day of work - and a schedule FULL of students needing to see me for registration advising, which would have been really tough to reschedule. Our original plan was to keep Kellen in daycare on Wednesday afternoon and for Matt and I to go and watch Walk the Line...a plan which obviously had been sidelined. Oh well! After work I ended up going out to eat with a professor and one of the students that had just defended their master's internship project, their final thing to complete their degree, as a celebratory lunch, then headed back home to relieve daddy from Kellen-duty so that he could go and run some errands. Kellen's fever came and went all day, apparently, with the highest spike being a little over 102, which ruled out the Rockdale Thanksgiving option for he and I on Thursday - there are too many kids there and I'm not taking chances around other kids with him running a fever.

So, Thursday morning Matt and I are up pretty early because he has to go to work, and lo and behold, Kellen wakes up around 5 AM as well, just as Daddy's walking out of the door for the day. He gets to see Daddy, but he's awake. I try, to no avail I might add, to get him to go back to sleep, so we end up watching the morning sequence on PBS, then Veggie Tales after Sesame Street is over at 8 AM. By 9, he had gathered all of the items from his bed and had carefully arranged them on his SpongeBob couch (which was salvageable, by the way), then he tells me, "Kellen go night, night."

"Ok buddy. You can go night night if you want to."

And within 5 minutes...he was fast asleep. He would have stayed that way for more than the hour that he slept if the dog hadn't started going nuts outside barking a who knows what. Much needed nap cut dreadfully short by Bailey. Big ARG on that one!

So we ended up driving to MawMaw and PawPaw Hapes house for Thanksgiving. It was relatively safe, as there were no small children there, so we hopefully lessened the chance of Kellen sharing his illness with anyone else. His fever had spiked to its highest Thursday morning - 102.4. When it's over 101, we actually give eiter Tylenol or Ibuprofen to bring it down. He slept the entire drive, and was a super cranky monster when we arrived...for about the first 30 minutes or so, at least. I couldn't leave his side...literally. PawPaw brought out the bed for him (a super cute, blow up, Winnie the Pooh, bed with attached covers and pillow-ish headboard) and he laid on it, but I had to be next to him so that he could hold my hand.

Now let me clarify some of my statements here...despite running the fever, Kellen has been acting JUST LIKE HIS NORMAL SELF. He's not telling me that his tummy hurts, his ears hurt, he's not throwing up, having trouble from the other end, nothing....The only things that we can tell that's a physical symptom of something being wrong is that he's running a fever and isn't eating as much. That's it. So I want him to rest, but neither Matt nor I think it's a big deal to take him somewhere since he's acting virtually normal.

Aunt Boo gives him a new Hermie video and stuffed Hermie doll, which to this current point in time I don't think has left his side. They proceed to watch this "New Hermie" for what will be the first of many times over the weekend. After waking up a little bit and getting used to all of the people that aren't normally at his MawMaw and PawPaw's house, Kellen overcame his clinginess and was fine. He didn't eat much, but then again, I didn't expect him to...other than rolls, of course. I think he had half a dozen of those!

I'll have to detail Friday's game day activities and Saturday's George Bush Museum visit and Basketball game later...Kellen wants me to come and watch the "New Hermie" with him...

But first...I have to share this...we were looking for his stuffed Hermie yesterday and he asked me where it was. I said, "I don't know. Kellen where is it?" His reply?

"I don't know either."

Gotta go!

Coupons

Well, a while back at the departmental party, I bid on some kiddo coupons that I thought would come in handy...some GattiTown kids eat free coupons and Bush Library kid free with purchase of adult entry tickets. I had the brilliant idea of using the kid coupons so that my friend Jennifer, who is in from New York for the holidays, and I could go out tonight for dinner, and loe and behold...our kids aren't even old enough to have to pay yet. So it appears that I bid on that item at the auction for nothing...There were two families with kids that came in immediately after us, so I used 5 of the 6 coupons, paid for their kids and treated them for the night. I hope that they enjoyed themselves!

Anyway...she and I had a good time during dinner catching up, but it wasn't really long enough. Kellen is sick, so he ended up falling asleep on my shoulder (really sick, huh...) and James hadn't really had his normal nap or normal sleep routine since being back in Texas on vacation and was tired as well, so we cut the evening a little short.

Speaking of Kellen, we aren't really sure what's going on with him. I got a phone call today a little before 4 PM from daycare and they indicated that he was running a fever (100.3 auxillary, so really 101.3), just wasn't acting like "our Kellen" and that I needed to come and pick him up...Yes sirree...I'm on my way.

I got to daycare and he informs me that, "Kellen no feel good. Kellen temperature." When asked what hurt and what was wrong, the response was, "Tummy hurt." Well all right. I've been hearing those words for a few days, they just haven't been accompanied with a fever.

He really was acting like a relatively normal Kellen, in my opinion anyway. I talked with Matt and, luckily enough, they had had to go to the Med Center and were in town, so we ran by to see daddy after leaving daycare. Kellen was so excited to see him as we drove up to the hospital! We were only able to stay there for a few minutes, and as we drove off I hear from the backseat, "Bye bye truck! Bye bye Daddy. Daddy loves Kellen." Doesn't that just make your heart melt? "Yes Kellen, Daddy loves you very much."

Fast forward to home from dinner...the dog is missing (Houdini dog, by the way...who can open the gate), so I drive around for a little while looking for him, but it's really too dark for me to see anything, so I give up. He's got a full dish of water and dog food outside, I'm leaving the gate open and praying that he makes his way home sometime tonight and that I hear him outside or see him on the swing in the morning.

Take Kellen's temp to compare with daycare's reading earlier today...the "right" way, and it's 101.5...so I gave him some meds and got him ready for bed, one book and he goes down without a fuss, surprisingly enough, considering that he had been asleep (GattiTown), been woken up (getting in the car), fallen back asleep (car), been woken up again (out of the car into the house), then was getting put in his bed. Normally, that wouldn't make Kellen-man a happy camper. Yeah for small miracles! We have an appointment with his pediatrician for tomorrow morning, so we'll see how that goes and how he's feeling then.

Family NIght

Tonight was family night...and it was GREAT! We all got home right around the same time...later than we all had intended, but within about 5 minutes of each other. Matt asked me to run to the store and pick up a few things and in exchange, had virtually the entire dinner prepared by the time that I got back to the house. What a deal! We bent the rules and let Kellen stay up WAY too late, and finally put him to bed in the midst of a meltdown around 9 PM...ohhh...I'm going to pay for that tomorrow. But he and his daddy had a good time watching some TV...yet another rule bent tonight. That's ok. Matt's on a 24 tomorrow & again on Thursday, so we needed some quality family time.

Kellen was so sweet eating his dinner. He commented that he liked the pasta, so I suggested that he thank his daddy for making it for him. So when daddy came back into the room, he did just that.

"Thank you, Daddy"

Matt looked at me with a slightly confused look on his face, so I explained our exchange regarding the pasta and resulting thank you.

It's just so nice to have a night where we're all at the house! We need more of those...I'm submitting a formal request to the scheduling folks...whoever those people might be...more family nights, please!

Training Continues

This must be a two way street...one in which I am not in the right gear or something...Kellen did just spectacular during his potty training at daycare this past week, but at home...well, let's just say it was a different story entirely.

On Monday he had a grand total of three accidents all day long - which I thought was fabulous for his first "official" day of potty training; Tuesday it was two (and that included actually sitting on the potty for a BM - yes boys and girls, my little man who has SUCH a hard time going poo poo in general actually sat on the potty and went); Wednesday, well Wednesday doesn't count for the potty training week - if you have questions about that ask his daddy and MawMaw Hapes *grin* since he didn't go to daycare; Thursday we were still at two accidents; Friday we had gone down to one accident - ONE! - Oh my gosh!

I'm just not sure how to proceed on the home front...Tried the exact same training pants and vinyl covers that he wears at daycare on Saturday, tried to get him to sit on the potty every 30ish minutes or so, but by noon we already had three accidents, one of which required a major clean-up and overhaul of the beloved SpongeBob couch, rendering it unusable for at least the rest of the weekend, and if my clean-up job doesn't meet Matt's inspection standards (who knew he was such a germ-a-phobe?) - forever. I gave up and went to the diaper/pull-ups and just continually sat him on the potty as I remembered (hmmm...have we hit on something that might be the problem here???).

But seriously, his teachers tell me that he gives them no trouble at all about sitting on the potty at school, but when I take him to sit on the potty, he throws a fit about half of the time, saying that he doesn't want to sit on the potty. I know that there is a fine line here between consistency, readiness, and pushing too hard...but when I get him to finally sit down he is fine, normally actually doing some business 3/4 + of the time he sits down. We aren't making a big deal of the accidents, aren't requiring him to do some business before he gets off of the potty, just asking that he sit there...no punishments at all - only praises for when he pees - I can't imagine what we would do if something else came out of his body while he was out our house and sitting on the potty like he's demonstrated he's capable of at daycare. He still makes a spectacle of telling us, "Kellen go poo poo" and walking into a corner or something. When I ask him during those times if he would like to sit on the potty and poo poo, he tells me, "No" and I might ask him if he's sure, then I drop it and let him do his business. I'm trying not to push things here.

Wow. All-out potty training here we come! And I obviously need to get out those potty training books that I bought a while back in my attempt to get prepared when the time came - HAH!

Matt made a comment to me on Saturday about Kellen having the ability to turn him into mush...I snickered, which caused him to ask ask if I already knew that, which just made me giggle even harder. Now, for those of you who know Matt, you know he isn't normally a mushy man...for those of you who don't know him...think Marine, then think Medic...then push those two imagines together & throw a Christian belief system in there (i.e. he's not a wimpy guy). If anyone has ever been around Matt being around Kellen they know that munkin turns him into mush...Which is, I'm sure, one of the ways that God intended a man and a woman to continue to be able to stay in love after having children. When the woman sees the man with their child, acting like a true father should act, it makes her fall in love with that man all over again, which is how I felt on Saturday. Those two were just so cute wrestling, playing and running through the house! I love watching them together! Then today they decided that they needed a nap...well, Kellen fell asleep watching a cartoon and Matt snuggled next to him long enough to do the same...It amazes me how much Kellen is like his father sometimes - It looked like Matt and mini-Matt while they were taking their nap.

Migraine update time...So far this month I've had 3...Arg...If this dosage doesn't help then we'll increase and try another month. However, I have noticed that I've been more functional during the migraines while on the higher dose of medicine, even before the Imitrex really has a chance to kick in, which is a plus - I guess. Unless the migraines are my body's way of telling me to slow down...then if the medicine allows me to continue to work during and through them, I'm just totally ignoring my body's signals. Hmmm...new twist on that...

Jaw update...still clicking and popping...I was supposed to call the doctor a month after my last visit. I can't remember when that was, which means it's probably been at least a month. Nothing new to report on that front.

So I was debating about whether or not to include this, but I guess I will. I found out on Tuesday that I was selected to receive of the 2005 President's Meritorious Service Award. Each year, twenty individuals and one team is selected out of the employees of Texas A&M University to receive this award, and I found out that I am one of those individuals. The award will actually be given by President Gates during the President's Holiday Coffee on the morning of December 5th. I feel so honored to be selected for this! I think that Mom & Dad will be coming in for it - Mom put in to take the day off and they'll drive in the night before, and I feel pretty sure that George & Judy will drive in as well. Dr. Heinz made it pretty clear that virtually the entire administrative staff would be there for support during the award presentation, too. It feels so nice to have such a supportive and appreciative work environment! I just love it!

I think that's all for now...I get the slacker award for the least amount of blogging activity, but will try to get back in my once-normal routine of nightly blogging. The nightly routine that replaced blogging this week was washing soiled clothing from daycare, but I'll see if I can somehow manage both *grin* I miss too many fun and cute details when I cram an entire week into one blog...

Potty training...

Went to a whole new level today. We went to day care in training pants today. Not diapers, not pull-ups. Training pants. The almost regular, I'm a big-boy undie kind with the vinyl undies over them in an attempt to stop leaks and complete messes on everything around him. I talked with his teachers at the end of last week about how he was doing after I saw all the "P" for potty on his chart - he was sitting on the potty virtually every diaper change. So they suggested that I bring him with the training pants this week just to see how he did.

And did he ever! Only three accidents today. And every time they put him on the potty - which based on the chart was almost every thirty to fourty-five minutes, he went for them. Wow!

Then I get him home...try to get him on the potty and I end up with a MONSTER-MAN! What is it about being a home that brings out that side of him? I just don't get it? Power struggle? Hmmm? But he was wet when I got him home and I don't remember on his chart what they had written about the last time that he had gone potty. But I'm still impressed...three accidents on the first "real" day that we've tried anything resembling hard-core potty training. I think that's wonderful!

I"ve just realized that it's been almost two weeks since my last post...horrible!

We had a wonderful weekend this past weekend...My aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary was this weekend, so their kids threw then a party and my two aunts and an uncle drove in from Ohio for what was supposed to be a surprise...unfortunately, the surprise was ruined when my cousin from Ohio called looking for his grandfather, my uncle, the night they were scheduled to make it in...the night prior to the party, but all-in-all the party was still a great success.

Tackle

Matt has taught Kellen how to tackle, and so far this has been a Daddy & Kellen thing. However, today he decided that he wanted to tackle Mommy. Down, set, hut, and he runs to me, arms spread wide with a huge grin on his race, and bowls me over. I was ready for it, because he had asked, "Ready?" before he started, but it was so cute! He backs up as far away from you as he can get and still be in the same room to prepare for the run..it's so funny! Then he wanted to play airplane, and horsie...all fun activities that he realized he would need to play once it sunk in that Mommy really wasn't going to bend on the no TV during the week rule...his options were to play (with his toys or without, didn't matter) or read. Period.

He's also on a yogurt kick right now...ate one in the grocery store yesterday (thank goodness the lady behind the counter at the deli told me where to find some available plastic spoons - since he had opened one without me catching him - he's too quick for me sometimes!), then another one for breakfast this morning, then asked for another one on the way home from school today. I like it when he's on a roll with foods that are really good for him! And hurray for the kind that doesn't come off of the spoon - whoever thought up that one MUST have had kids...

He did his "Bless Daddy work" quite a bit tonight while getting ready for bed...he misses him, but he normally does when Matt's on shift, so we just roll with it and deal...He's getting more and more pack-rat-ish at bedtime and wanting more and more things to sleep with...Clifford, Shrek, Larry the Veggie Tale, various books, blankets, etc. I've put my foot down on the 4 foot alligator...if he wets the bed too bad, that thing can't really go in the washing machine and would be virtually ruined, so I've upset him by telling him, "No" on that one a few times. He's going to get to the point where he can barely fit on the bed with all of the other things in there! Do we need to set a limit? I remember seeing pictures of me when I was little with tons of things in my bed, though...so I know that I did it, too. Hmmm...

The experiment continues

Another follow up with the migraine doctor today and good and bad news...

The good news...I haven't lost any more weight, although he did double my dosage a month ago, which could have had additional weight ramifications...this could be a good sign that my weight has stabilized or a not-so-good sign that I'm eating all the junk food in sight since nothing else seems the least bit appetizing...

The bad news...The number of migraine circles on my calendar haven't decreased. He wants to see one, maybe two circles (migraines) a month, three would be pushing it...There are 5 circles for October and there were 5 circles for September, both months have 1 migraine that required 2 Imitrex to take care of it...And this is with a doubling in dosage between these two months. However, as far as I'm concerned, I'm still thrilled with the results...this is a vast improvement from popping Imitrex or Excedrin Migraine 4 out of 7 days per week, which is what I was doing before this wonder drug came along. Are we the least bit surprised that I have stubborn migraines? Ummm...NO!

But, he wants to take an agressive approach to this and get me some serious relief from all of these migraines. So, he's upping my dosage again...we'll see how this next month goes and if the number of migraines stay the same, we'll probably try one more increase in dosage and then I'll make a decision on the dosage level that I feel comfortable with given the $$ it costs vs the number of migraines per month. If I'm getting the same or relatively the same number of migraines at 50 mg as with 200 mg...I'm sticking with the 50 mg...I'd be crazy not to, given what these meds cost! We chatted about this somewhat today and are completely on the same page with this, because these aren't cheap pills...Until today, I've been fairly fortunate that he's had a supply of samples in his office, so today is only the second time that I can remember that he's actually had to write me a prescription that I'm going to have to fill - and even the first time he gave me samples, so I really didn't have to fill the prescription that he wrote out for me. We'll see how this goes for another month!

Ok...enough about me and my ailments...I'm moderately worried about what I'll be like at an older age when my body is actually supposed to start falling apart...I'm getting a jump start on something that I don't really want to be early on here...Yikes!

Kellen...Boy he was funny tonight! We haven't gone grocery shopping (too full of a weekend - I normally do grocery shopping on Sunday afternoon), so we stopped by Fazoli's after day care to pick up some "pasta" - code for spaghetti - he doesn't seem to eat it if you call is spaghetti, but eats it if you call it pasta. We got home and ate it, and as usual, he made quite a mess and ended up with pasta all over his clothes. We normally let Bailey lick the bowls (nice treat for the doggie) and Kellen was offering him his bowl to lick, so I decided to try something with the dog...I told him to clean off Kellen & his chair...So Bailey licked the pasta off of Kellen's chair and pants while Kellen was stapped to his booster seat. Kellen just laughed hysterically while Bailey was getting the pasta! He thought it was so funny, and it probably tickled him some, too! Then it was off to the bath for him - he needed it!

I'm trying to get him adjusted to this time change (and me too...this time change thing really messes with me). It seems like no matter what time he goes to bed, his internal alarm clock will wake him up at what his body thinks is 6:30 AM...we gotta' work on this...Maybe we can get his body switched over by the end of the week.

May I have another

Day to add to this weekend? I don't really feel like I got rested...I know that we added an hour of sleep onto the night last night, but Kellen didn't get the memo...He never did take a nap yesterday, just too much going on with the tailgate party, the new drop-in, game-day, day care place, then out to eat at Wings-n-More last night. He didn't get to bed until ~ 10 PM...and no real nap to speak of yesterday - the 15 minutes on the way to the day care place don't really count as a nap in my book. Despite this...he was remarkably well behaved...as much as a 2 year old can be with zero sleep - all day long! An he was up at 6:30 AM his body time, which was actually 5:30 AM real time this morning. Luckily, Dad & Aunt Boo worked most of the morning and I was able to sleep in somewhat...as much as I could with the kink in my back that appeared this morning - I just couldn't get comfortable!...oh me and my ailments!

Kellen and I left Daddy to work on the house and went to Fairfield to see Julie, Chris & Caleb at Pam & Gene's today...had a great time visiting with them for a while and then went to the McDonald's afterwards to see Gramma and Pap Pa Gerren before Pap Pa had to go to work. Kellen and Gramma played for a while on the jungle gym outside and Kellen was just absolutely filthy playing in the "rocks"! He was pushing himself so hard to play, and it was really just because if he stopped for a second, he was going to crash! He napped on the trip over there, but it was only for ~ 1 1/2 hours, and that was interrupted, unfortunately, because I stopped in Madisonville at Sonic and got an iced tea, which I didn't think would wake him up...what was Mommy thinking!?!

He did a really cute thing while playing...he looks up at the big McDonald's sign and says,

"Mommy M. Big M!"

"Yes Kellen. That's a big M. What sound does an M make?"

Rubbing his tummy, Kellen replies, "Mmmmmm."

That was a brand new, never seen before, Kellen original. Where does he come up with this stuff?

Pumpkin carving with Daddy

Well...since it was a "with Daddy" thing...I wasn't there, but from the pictures, it seems like they had a lot of fun! Kellen's day care had Pumpkin Carving with Daddy on Friday afternoon (isn't that sweet?) - and bless his heart, Matt was the only dad from Kellen's class that did this last year (I guess 1 year old's are a bit young for it? - we didn't know!). So Matt was bound and determined to try again...he was even originally scheduled to work yesterday and when he realized that his shift coincided with this event...got rid of the shift!

I think that this went much better this year than last year! Kellen understood the concept and, of course, this was "Kellen's Pumpkin!" that he had picked out himself. Last year he was scared of the pumpkin and ran away crying - I don't think he'd ever seen something that color that was that large - Matt had picked out a doosey last year! My boys, my boys...aren't they a pair!

So this weekend we have Aunt Boo in town...should have lots of fun stories and pictures to share after today and the game, etc. More later!

Boo-Boo Week

It's been a week of boo-boo's so far, with a slight break today. Kellen pulled a face-plant by jumping off of a bench at an ice cream social (Mommy's work-related event) after I got off of work on Monday. Result: busted lip and a bloodied-shirt Mommy. Tuesday he tripped and fell before nap time...something no one thought was a big deal until they saw the strawberry rug burn on his forehead after nap. Wednesday he fell on the playground outside and hit his chin on a log...another strawberry scratch-type mark. Poor guy!

But, he had a BIG surprise waiting for him this morning. Matt and I went to a departmental party last night, hosted by my boss. One of the door prizes was a kids package that included this 4 foot alligator - so soft and cuddly, really, and of course, it's green - Kellen's favorite color! I knew that he would just love it, but one of the graduate students ended up winning it. I joked and popped off to her, saying that I had wanted that for Kellen, and loe and behold, she gave it to me to give to him. What a sweetie!

He woke up screaming this morning at about 3 AM, starting both Matt and my day off really early (and no, he never really did go back to sleep), so when we finally got out of bed, I went ahead and sat him down for breakfast (the alligator was in the living room, so his back was to it). Very quickly I heard an animated,

"Mommy! Kellen all through. No eat! All through!"

I'm not sure how he did it, since his back was to the living room, but he had spotted the alligator sitting in the chair and had decided he was done with eating. In addition to telling me he was all through, he was very animatedly using his sign language to say the same thing as well. I didn't want to fight the fight, so I let him just play with it...

He had a great time this morning before school! And the guys at the office got a big kick out of all of the pictures that I took of him playing with this alligator this morning. I made sure to send them as a thank you to the graduate student as well...that was just so sweet of her! He's amazed at the "Big eyes" and made sure to lay down the law right off the bat with the "No bite" rule...My guess was that he would tell the alligator "No bite" within 3 minutes of seeing it...I was dead on with this prediction. It was too cute!

I can't take it!

Ok...I tried, I really did. I hope that Matt is proud of my valiant effort here. It's 12:11 AM...they're going to inning #12 and I just can't do it anymore. I'm pooped! Come on guys! Let's go! I've done the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned up the living room, washed three loads of clothes, all while multi-tasking at the computer and watching the 'Stros...and the game still isn't over. Night-night guys...

Pumpkins

This will be a quick post...as the Astros are on and I'm trying to watch the game...but we took Kellen to the pumpkin patch in Conroe on Saturday and he had a blast... He did a really good job at picking out which pumpkins he wanted for carving, since he and his daddy will be carving pumpkins at school on Friday. We even picked out two, one a little larger than the other to give them some choices and variety in their carving. He was a little bit of a strong man and strutted his stuff, picking up the rather large pumpkins, with perfect squatting form, I might add - and no, I haven't been working with him on this. Maw Maw, Kellen and I were at this pumpkin patch for close to an hour, just walking around and having a blast. They had a reading area with pumpkin and other fall-type books and many photo-opp areas set up and we had never taken him to see so many pumpkins all in one place. He was on pumpkin overload! He even picked out a couple of pumpkins for Maw Maw's house, too, and then had plenty of time to just play around. Notice the small pumpkin in his hand...this was on the not-for-sale reject pile that he immediately gravitated to upon arrival. And he wouldn't put it down the ENTIRE time we were there...needless to say, it came home with us.



He's been up way past bedtime two nights in a row watching the 'Stros, but really, how many times in his lifetime is this actually going to happen, right? But tonight when he threw a major temper tantrum because he had milk (that he had asked for, mind you) in his sippy cup instead of apple juice, well, that was just his way of telling me that 8:45 PM for the 2nd night in a row was just too much for him (and last night he was up later than 8:45 - and no, he doesn't sleep in to make up for it). Of course, he really didn't understand that so I was the bad guy putting him to bed when he wanted to, "Watch baseball Mommy. Watch Astros!"

It just breaks your heart sometimes. I tried to explain to him what a miraculous thing (of course I didn't use those words) that it was that we had let him stay up two nights to watch the Astros and that him throwing a fit because of his drink was really telling me that he was too tired to stay up and watch the game anymore and that he was telling me that his body was ready to go to sleep. I understood that he wanted to watch the Astros and that I was sorry that I needed to put him to bed but I loved him and wanted to do what was best for him. Of course, again...none of this makes sense to a 27 month old kid, but the calm voice in the midst of the screaming and crying did calm him down...Within 5 (and that's being generous) minutes of him being in bed I didn't hear a word...

3 weeks?

A new Lost in 3 weeks? What is that about??? I can't stand it when shows do this?!? Didn't they learn their lesson when they pulled this with Alias? Come ON! Are they trying to say that Walt is one of the "others" now? I know no more now than in any other earlier week. ARG!

Ok..so I haven't updated on the TMJ from the doctor's appointment last Friday...the long and short of it all is:

• the popping and clicking that occurs virtually every time that I open my mouth is actually injuring my disc and will continue to do so until it injures itself to were there is no longer disc rubbing against other tissues in my jaw joint
• in doing this, my jaw is doing to itself what he could do in surgery, only nature will play its course out in 6 to 18 months, or longer, depending...

We chatted about surgery, but if it's just an annoyance rather than painful, which thankfully it now it, surgery isn't an option - whew - that's actually ok with me. I'll just need to be patient and let nature take its course on this one, I guess.

We met her!

We met her...finally! We met Allyssa my niece today! Matt wasn't able to go with Kellen and I to Killeen to meet with Michael, Allyssa, Gramma Gerren, Jonathan & Tammy's gang. When we chatted about doing this yesterday he had forgotten about plans to study today for one of his tests tomorrow...We didn't want him to try and reschedule the study group and then the test, etc., so we decided that Kellen and I would just drive ourselves to Killeen today. Anyway, we made pretty good time there and Kellen actually told me that he was getting tired and within 20 minutes (I'm being generous with that time frame) of being in the car, he was out light a light for his nap. And he slept the entire trip there...~1 1/2 hours...

We had stopped at a store before we left to pick up a few small things as gifts for Allyssa. Kellen and I had discussions throughout the store as we were deciding on items (and he was wanting to hold them) that these were not Kellen's, but were Allyssa's, and that we were buying them for her. I thought that this might be a really hard lesson for a 27 month old child...I was correct, but he actually did very well with this. I did buy them both kites (Donkey from Shrek for Kellen and Dora the Explorer for Allyssa) thinking that if the weather was a bit breezy that flying kites might be a fun thing, plus I didn't want to make Kellen feel completely left out and jealous about not getting anything at the store.

Allyssa was taking her nap when we arrived, so Kellen was able to play with his Gramma (with undivided attention - I noticed later that he did get somewhat jealous about sharing Gramma), get adjusted somewhat to the new (or at least somewhat unfamiliar) people and new surroundings before she woke up. Then we were able to meet her and he gave her the bag 'o goodies that we had brought for her. Surprisingly enough, when he gave her the bag, I only had to remind him once that there were the gifts that we had bought for Allyssa and that they were her things, not his. He did understand, although he really wanted to color in those coloring books that I bought for her with the brand new crayons! So, he asked her to, "Color, please?" and she said that he could. Sharing is a good thing, right?


They had a really good time playing all day today! They played in the ball-tunnel thing that Michael and Tammy have at the house, played with the animals, went outside and swang on the swing with their Gramma. I even managed to get them to pose for some cousin pictures throughout the day...Yeah!!

Allyssa taught Kellen how to ride a horsie (stick horsie, that is), and we took them outside just before we all left and flew kites. They had a blast! I think it was Kellen that made the comment that it was, "Way up there, Mommy!" I think he was a little nervous that something bad was going to happen to the kite because at one point in time he screamed, "NO!" as they were trying to get it up there and flying...Not quite sure what he was thinking on that one. It was a new experience for him at least, not sure if Allyssa had every flown a kite before (not that either of them actually flew the kites, but you know...).

But of all of the pictures that I took of Kellen and Allyssa today, the cutest of them all, I would have to say, is this one!! Aren't they just too adorable?...And both of them know how to work people, too...Whoa buddy. Michael and I are in for some trouble here!!

Now to back up...Yesterday the Aggies played like a brand new team. Were those really our guys out there? They must have had a fire lit under them last week or something, but it was great! 62-23 Ags over the Cowboys...Whoop! My complaint for the week - I'm just ready to wear something to the games other than my shorts and a tank top...can I start wearing my overalls anytime soon? It's October for goodness sake! It isn't supposed to be in the mid-90's and I'm not supposed to be worried about getting lobster-sunburned at every game!

Jeff came over on Saturday and Kellen had a lot of fun with him...well, that's not entirely true. Jeff and Matt left shortly after Jeff got there and then I got in trouble because Jeff left with Matt.

"Jeff open door?" Kellen asked after they had left.

"No Kellen. Jeff isn't going to open the door right now. He and Daddy went to run some errands and they will be back in a little while."

"NO!"

Then he runs to the couch, glares at me, grabs his toy and pouts...lip trailing the ground kind of pout, actually. Um..He got put down for an early nap not too long after that. And slept for between a hour and a half to two hours...a pretty good nap for an early one...

After the game we went to a tailgate and I got him from the sitter and brought him back to campus to join in on the fun and I guess he had his Daddy, PawPaw & Jeff rolling almost the entire time. He is a hoot when he wants to be! And after how many visits by Jeff and even our trip up there in September we finally got a good shot of Jeff and Kellen...YEAH!!

What a fun and full weekend!

Memory

Kellen sure has one! I allowed him to watch Toy Story when we got home from school today and in the middle of it we stopped it to eat, then got ready for bed and finished it. After it was over I told him that Jeff was going to come and see him tomorrow. He looked at me and said,

"Molly?"

He remembered his girlfriends name...who Kellen met the first part of September. Granted, he had met her once before, but that was a year ago! Wow! I was amazed, to say the least!

"No, Kellen. I don't think that Molly is coming with Jeff tomorrow to see you. I'm sorry."

"Jeff's frogs."

"Yes, Kellen. Jeff gave you lots of frogs when you went to his house the last time."

Amazing I tell you...Just amazing!

"Ok Kellen. Let's go to bed now. A little bit after you wake up tomorrow Mr. Jeff will be here to see you, ok?"

"Ok. Kellen go night night."

Worked like a charm. One bed time story and he was in bed and under the covers. Maybe we should have Jeff come and visit us more often. I'm glad he went down easily. My head is killing me...2 Imitrex today...not a good day for Becca's migraine-world...

I'll update with TMJ stuff later...

What will he say?

What will he say when I see him tomorrow? I'm referring to the TMJ doctor...I have a follow up appointment tomorrow...dare I say that I hope it's my last one...I can actually open my mouth without feeling the need to weep; however, it's still clicking/popping when I do this, but based on what he said the last time, I could be dealing with that clicking/popping sound for another 6 months - a year, or longer...*pout face*

But, on the bright side...it's better than him saying that the clicking/popping will never go away, right? Because that would spell almost certain surgery...and I'm not sure how life would work with a jaw that was wired shut - even for 6-8 weeks. I'm sure that it has to, because I'm fairly certain that a surgery of that sort isn't all that uncommon, but still...consider my job...with a jaw wired shut...hmmm...definitely an interesting prospect...

Anyway..I'm on a cleaning spree...houseguests coming in this weekend for the game - Beat the hell outta' Oklahoma State! I better see something better outta' the Aggies than what they showed last weekend - come on guys - let's see whatcha' got here!!...and I'm trying to get the front part of the house all cleaned up. I'll leave the vacuuming for tomorrow, since Kellen is asleep and I don't want to take any chances on waking him up, but I would like to get quite a bit done so that Matt can come with me tomorrow morning to my doctor's appointment in Houston...I don't really want to drive there again by myself like I did the last time. I proved that I can do it and I didn't get lost, but I don't want to be in a car that long by myself if I don't have to be. He did a great job on the back (yes, yes I know, it's really the front) part of the house yesterday...I think he worked almost the entire day on this room. And it shows. He's almost completedly done with it and it looks great! So the plan for tomorrow is to finish up the house after we get back from Houston (or he'll stay here and work on it, depending on how much I'm able to get done) before the houseguests come.

I say houseguests, mostly because I'm not really sure who's coming into town...Jeff, and ???? I'm not even sure if there is anyone other than Jeff coming in. hmm.. So anyway..this is probably enough of a blog for tonight...Back to cleaning for me!

Tired...

I'm worn out. I was part of an interview panel this afternoon to help select congressional interns (at least the first round of interviews) for the Agricultural and Natural Resource Policy Internship and I didn't receive the application packets until yesterday mid-morning. My goal was to try, in my spare time yesterday, to look through them during the day to avoid staying up all night to review them before the interviews this afternoon. Spare time! HA! I didn't leave work yesterday until a little before 6 PM and didn't get started reviewing those applications until almost 10...midnight rolls around and I still wasn't through with them...I had managed to get about halfway through my stack. Oh boy...The best laid plans, right? But with my eyes crossing and the words on the page blurring, what was the use?

I thought that I could try and get to them this morning because I only had two appointments, right? Wrong! But that's ok...We managed to get through all of the interviews anyway with me speed reading the applications prior to them walking in to interview. Occasional breaks helped, plus the fact that our interview panel was awesome and quick...we were rolling on some of these interviews today!

But, you may ask...you're tired and it's midnight yet again tonight? Yup! I'm still on this doggone computer trying to get some work done. I really think that if Matt was home more often I wouldn't be this much of a work-a-holic, but Kellen's asleep and what else do I have to do? Clean house? Ha! So I just work away and really lose track of time getting things done...It's a blessing and a curse to have proxy...it really is.

Tomorrow is another full day...Have a crew full of volunteers ready to "Wow" the area 8th graders coming in for the Youth to Career Fair at Reed Arena...all 2,500 of them...I need my energy for this one, so I'm going to bed...Night night all.

Sweet boy

Kellen was so tired tonight...I worked kinda' late and didn't get to day care until right at 6. We swung by the chicken place and picked up chicken, corn on the cob (for he and Matt..my jaw would revolt if I were to try that) and some rolls, and he fussed the entire time he was in the car. Made it home and right to the dinner table, and he didn't even eat his roll - if that tells you anything!

He threw a fit after we cleaned off his hands and face and I said that it was time for bed...forget even thinking about a bath tonight. So I changed his clothes and read him a bedtime story and asked him if he wanted me to rock him, which is something that I haven't actually done in quite some time. To my surprise he actually said yes. And to my surprise I realized that I had wanted him to say yes.

I say that he was throwing fits, but it was so much of the tired fits that it really didn't make my angry-upset...they were the kind of fits that it was actually easy to stay calm, speak in a calm voice, help him calm down, try to help him express and verbalize his feelings and help him understand what he was feeling, etc. Those kind don't happen all that often.

Anyway, he laid his head on my shoulder, wrapped his arms around me, with one arm patted my back and with the other, reached his hand up into my hair. He sometimes likes to play with my hair but tonight...it was almost a death-grip. It didn't hurt, but it was very much a security issue. He didn't want me to go anywhere. I just rocked him, stroked his hair and patted his back. It had been too long since we had allowed ourselves to have a special time like that. I miss this! After a little while I laid him down in bed and he actually asked me to lay down with him, which he almost never does - he simply knows that Mommy doesn't lay down with him. I told him, "No. Mommy is not going to lay down with Kellen. Kellen go night-night."

To this he replied, "Daddy lay down Kellen."

Well, I guess he knows which one of us is the sucker, huh? "No Kellen. Daddy is not going to lay down with you. Kellen night-night. I love you. Night-night."

He's such a sweetie!

Go 'Stros!

7-6 in the 18th inning! Whoo Hoo! Way to go Astros! Man alive that was a long game! What was it...the longest in playoff history? Wow!

This somewhat takes the sting off of the horrible game yesterday that the Aggies played with Colorado...or didn't play...I guess whichever way you want to put that. Unlike the 'Stros, our guys just didn't show up yesterday...did they just not get on the plane? I just get so frustrated with those Aggies! Doggone them! And poor Maw Maw, Paw Paw and Aunt Boo got to watch that in person!

What a weekend - it's such a difference actually having Matt around. He didn't have to work at all this weekend, which was such a switch from the norm. We had wanted to get so much done this weekend, but it didn't seem that we actually got it all done...Oh well! No biggie! At least we had some time together, which Kellen really enjoyed.

Lost

So I'm not quite sure what's going on with Lost, which is, I'm sure, the writer's whole point. Saw the women-planted-in-the-hole thing coming a mile away - come ON Sawyer...you of all people should know better!

But what are they doing with the Jack and Locke team up and punch the computer button thing? What the heck is that about? And I thought that Helen was the name of the 900 number girl that Locke called...not an actual girlfriend...hmmm. And they are insinuating something with Jack's wife...just haven't figured out what yet...WHAT!?!?!?

I've gotten Matt hooked on this show and he HATES it. Not the show, but the fact that I've gotten him hooked on it...It's rather funny, actually.

Tomorrow night is Alias. After last week, I think my tear ducts are dry. Matt just couldn't understand why I was getting so upset over a TV show, but HELLO - they JUST GOT BACK TOGETHER AND WERE GOING TO GET MARRIED AND HOW DARE THEY KILL VAUGHN OFF!! I was upset all night - really, and yes, I do know that it's just a TV show. I called Brenna, because I thought of anyone she would understand, but just left a teary, sobby, voice mail because she didn't answer. Sigh...such is my life.

Picture time

Kellen's school pictures are tomorrow morning and sure enough, he fell down on Tuesday afternoon at day care and has a huge goose egg and bruise in the middle of his forehead. Will we ever get a professional picture of him without it looking like we abuse our kid? I mentioned something about the pictures being ruined to Matt (I know, I'm being a little melodramatic here) and he just laughed and said if he wasn't bumped and bruised then it wouldn't really be a picture of Kellen. So true, so true.

And I paid for his lack of sleep this morning...and I must have gotten all of it, because his teacher said that he was great at school. Had a great day there! Peed on the potty TWICE! And this is in place of them changing his diaper - two diaper change times in a row - WOW!. And I still haven't gone on that shopping spree I keep talking about to get him the big boy undees...maybe if I keep putting it off the teachers at school will have him trained. Wishful thinking, I'm sure. But he did pee pee on the potty for me after his bath tonight. I just have to remember to have him sit there longer than he really wants to...and after he's said "all through" since he gets bored before he actually goes pee pee. But he was so proud of himself. I heard the pee pee sound and looked up from what I was doing to see this huge grin on his face,

"Kellen pee pee potty, Mommy!"

All right!

Adults

I actually was around a group of non-co worker adults tonight. Wow! That's a pretty big deal for me, especially lately, as my life consists of Matt, Kellen, work & family. Period. But I went to a small group hosted by some new friends of ours that started a small group from Grace in town. Matt and I have been talking about trying Grace for ??? months now, and Matt& Kellen actually tried it out on Sunday while I was having my migraine medicine hang-over. I think they really enjoyed it! Hopefully I'll get to actually try it on Sunday and see what I think about it, too.

Kellen had a good time playing with their kids and watching VeggieTales, which is a rare treat for him during the week. Plus, they had lots of fun VeggieTales toys, too, so he just had a blast! I had thought that he might actually go to sleep at some point in time, since it started at 7 (bedtime), but no...he was still awake and going strong when we left at 9:20. Overtired and compensating for it, actually.

We'll see how much I pay for this adult interaction tomorrow...

Drugs, drugs, & more drugs

So I had my check-up with the migraine doctor today and he wasn't happy with the number of circles on my calendar. I'm pleased that I'm not popping pills 4 out of 7 days of the week to treat an oncoming migraine, but he had really been hoping for 1-2 circles for the entire month - tops. I have 5 circles with 6 pills taken and one already this month (yes I know it's only the 3rd). I told his nurse that he wouldn't be too happy about it! And I'm still losing weight, despite forcing Blue Bell ice cream almost every night and chocolate when I get the urge - yes I know...what a horrible side effect to have, right? But to have virtually no appetite really does STINK! And to have to force myself to eat one of my most beloved of all foods...well, that's just pure craziness! There are; however, some days when food does actually sound and taste somewhat good - those are nice days...hmmm...

Anyway, back to reality. We chat and he decides to double my dosage of medicine. We had started out on a really small dose anyway (50 mg) when the normal dose for migraine prevention is 100-200 mg. He told me that the vast majority of his patients are able to hold off their migraines with doses of 25-50 mg, but that my migraines were just more severe than that and would need a higher dosage to regulate and normalize. Of his 50 or so patients on this medication, ~6-10 are on doses of the recommended level...I'll be one of those guys now. What I understood is that he wanted to get them under control (i.e. 1 or so a month) and then slowly back the dosage off to see if my body would/could tolerate a lesser dose without more frequent migraines. We shall see!

Jaw-wise things seem to be progressing rather nicely. I can open my jaw and entertain those around me with a nice percussion sound, which now no longer puts me in tears, it's just annoying and uncomfortable. Improvement, improvement! Even if this takes 6 months to a year or longer to improve (i.e. popping/clicking to go away) I think that I can handle it. It will be if the TMJ doctor tells me that it (popping/clicking) will never go away that I will have a major issue and Matt and I will have to crunch the numbers on the surgery costs... I'm scheduled to go back to him next Friday, so we'll see how that goes.

Ok - enough about me..Onto more fun things - Kellen!

So he was sitting on the potty tonight - YEAH! He didn't actually go pee-pee, but sat there for quite some time trying. During this time he was playing with himself (this really is G-rated, honest). I guess it's a fun thing for little boys to do? Wouldn't know, of course. Then he starts pulling at the skin and makes the top part disappear - looks at me and says, "Where penis go?" and grins, just like he's playing peek-a-boo with any other toy of his.

I had to bite my bottom lip to keep from laughing hysterically at this, since he wouldn't have understood why this would have been any funnier than any other game of peek-a-boo, right? "I don't know Kellen, where is it?"

He lets go. "There it is! Kellen penis!"

Oh my gosh can he get any funnier?!? It was a riot! And this occurred after we had a discussion about peeing in the potty rather than on his VeggieTale stuffed animal. He wanted to hold it on the potty with him and I told him that he couldn't because if he pee-peed, he might get some pee pee on the VeggieTale. He looked at me with a mischevious grin (oh man are we in trouble, 'cause when he looks at me like that, he looks JUST LIKE HIS DADDY!) held the VeggieTale in front of him,

"Pee pee VeggieTale?"

"No Kellen. We don't pee on the VeggieTale or our other toys. We pee pee in the potty."

"Oh. Oh-tay." He slowly reaches to put the VeggieTale on the back of the toilet. Quick grin and then, quick-as-a-flash, the VeggieTale is right back in front of him.

"Pee pee VeggieTale?"

"No Kellen. We don't pee on the VeggieTale. We pee pee in the potty. If you don't put your VeggieTale on the top of the potty, Mommy will take it away."

"No! My VeggieTale. Kellen put up VeggieTale." And it goes to the appropriate spot. At least for the time being.

And now I'm realizing that he can get off of the potty by himself. Hmmm. This may not cause a problem after he's peed, but what about the other??? How do I stop him from getting off of the potty after that's occurred without making a gigantic mess? Oh man...so much to learn. I thought that the biggest part of the learning curve with kids was over - I think I was sorely mistaken on that one!

I think he missed his daddy

Matt worked a monster-shift...~80 hours, actually. Luckily, his relief called in early today and, after finding out how long Matt had been at work, graciously offered to come in early so that Matt could come home. He came into the office a little after 4:15 to surprise me (although it wasn't actually a surprise - I had called the station to talk with him around 3:45 and Hebert had told me he was on his way home - sorry honey!). It was; however, still wonderfully nice to see him after so long! He decided since it was so close to me getting off of work that he would swing by and pick up Kellen at school and just meet me at home - I would have LOVED to see Kellen react to THAT surprise!

So we all got home and Kellen just wanted to be close to his Daddy, but still wanted Mommy close by, too. This is actually something that he doesn't get all too often, which we're trying to counter. Some of his demands were:

"Get Daddy."

"Tickle Daddy."

"Daddy get Mommy."

"More Daddy get Mommy."

"Wake up Daddy - get me."

"Daddy GET UP!"

"Bite." [An explanation might be necessary on that one - he wanted a bite of our food..it always tastes better from our fork, it seems.]

"Daddy come HERE."

"Kellen flop."

It was just adorable. You can tell how much he missed his daddy this weekend...every time that we had prayed, he would start the prayer off by saying, "Bless Daddy work..."

Matt and I were sitting in the recliner in the living room and Kellen decided that he wanted to scratch Daddy's back, so he came over and sat between Daddy and Mommy and scratched, patted, and rubbed Daddy's back. Every once in a while he would just hug his Daddy's back and it looked like he was hanging on for dear life. Their time together is just so precious!

I got Kellen's clothes changed for bed and then read him a book while still in the living room, then he decided that he wanted Daddy to read him a book. Since it was 7:30 and completely obvious that Kellen was tired, I suggested that Daddy read him the book in his room and just put him to bed. So they went into Kellen's room and then Matt came out rather quickly. I looked at him with what I'm sure was a quizzical look on my face.

They apparently brushed Kellen's teeth and then when Daddy started reading the book, Kellen stated, "No read book Daddy. Kellen night-night." Well all-right then.

Close Call

That's what I'll call the events of Hurricane Rita for those of us in the original path...a close call. Our department closed down a little before 3 PM on Thursday and the University closed on Friday for hurricane preparations. Matt had worked a 24-hr shift on Wednesday and got home early Thursday morning with the intent of packing things up and putting them in a climate controlled storage facility. However, they had run all night during their shift and he kept watching the storm path and decided against that, thankfully so, now. That would have been so much work for nothing (but we didn't know that at the time). I wasn't sold on the idea, but was behind whatever he wanted to do...my thoughts...we have homeowners insurance for a reason, right? They sent him home with some O2 tanks to fill up, so without an official decision on them wanting him to come back, we took that to mean that they did.

After watching the storm track all day Thursday morning, by mid-day we finally make the decision that Kellen and I will go to Uncle Eddie & Aunt Glenda' s in Rockdale. We don't think that I'll hit much traffic going that route (and I know some back roads that no one else will be taking), and it's a good direction away from the path of the storm, and after I find out my parents are going there, too, it's a great chance for Kellen to spend some time with his Pap Pa and Gramma...So Rockdale it is. We decide that I'll just get up and leave on Friday and not worry about taking off on Thursday, since there really isn't any reason to do so. Thursday night Matt decides to go ahead and go to the Aggie game, which is fine by me...I'm not feeling well and just need to take it easy. So Kellen and I watch some of the football game, which Kellen is just SO excited about.

"Go Aggies!" He yells to the TV as the game ensues. He sure loves Aggie football - well, almost any football, actually.

I let him stay up until 8:30 PM watching the game and then he'd just had enough and to bed he went. For being as tired as he was he really didn't put up too much of a fuss, which is unusual for him when he's overtired. Some would say that based on this, he would sleep in the next day, right? WRONG! My kiddo' just isn't hard-wired that way... Up and going maybe a half hour later than his usual time on Friday morning...but basically his normal time.

I packed up things and got ready to go on Friday morning while Matt ran some errands to get ready to go back to work. His goal - get Kellen and I off to Rockdale and then head to work...for a monster-sized shift. From whatever time he got there on Friday until Monday night at 6 PM. CRAZY!!! The only break was supposed to be for him to run home to check on the house before calling me to come home, but he ended up not doing that because one of the professors I work with checked on the house for me and called to let me know everything was OK on Saturday. Thanks & Thank God!!

My plan was to leave on Friday between 8-9 AM, and I ended up getting out the door by 9:45, which wasn't all that bad. I didn't hit any traffic on Hwy 21 to Caldwell and then it just stopped as I turned onto 36...so I busted a U-turn and went down the backroad FM 908..No traffic there, which is just as I thought! I made great time, and only had to slow down 4 times, 3 times to avoid hitting buzzards in the road - stupid birds that wouldn't fly away as I was coming - even when I honked at them.

"Too loud, Mommy. Mommy hit bird?"

"No Kellen, Mommy didn't hit the bird. I just honked at them so that they would move so I wouldn't hit them."

"Too loud, Mommy. No honk."

The 4th time was to avoid some monster-sized snake that was stretched from the side of the road to the center stripe - not kidding - I just went around that sucker...wasn't about to run over it! Love those back roads with zero traffic!

"Whoa Mommy!"

We made it to Rockdale before 11, and Kellen just had such a good weekend. He didn't act shy with Uncle Eddie or Aunt Glenda, and I can't remember when the last time was that he had seen them. But, he did remember the house! We drove up and he made a comment about a puppy that he had played with during one of our visits...It's amazing what sticks in his brain and what he remembers, because I swear that was almost a year ago...As for my parents, after a quick trip on Friday morning to the doctor for dad's blood pressure, which was WAY too high, new medicine, and getting their place ready for the storm, they head off to Rockdale as well and get in Friday afternoon.

All-in-all we had a good weekend. I was kicking myself because I didn't take more craft projects to work on in my spare time. I took Kellen's baby book and the pictures that I had already picked out and ordered to go in them...got them cropped, placed and put in the book (but I had that done on Friday before my parents even got there - how much time had I thought that project would actually take?). Now I just need to add some text in places and gather a few more event pictures and that book will be done - and how old is Kellen? Whew?!? I had contemplated taking some of the t-shirts for the t-shirt quilts that are lined up for me to work on - at last count I think there are 4, but that includes a high school and college quilt for me as well. I should have taken those with me and cut the squares out while I was there, but oh well! I really expected that it would be storming some, possibly with some power outages...Again, oh well! On a positive note - I was able to take a NAP - a long one, too - I think it was 3 hours or something crazy like that on Saturday afternoon. So maybe it was good that I didn't have projects to work on, because I would have felt like I needed to work on them and I wouldn't have let myself nap...which I'm sure that I needed.

Kellen made some great strides on the potty this weekend, peeing three times in it on Saturday night - once before and then once again after his basin-bath (translation: a lazy-mom's bath when there isn't a bathtub available and you don't want to get in the shower with the kiddo), then again after brushing his teeth - Way to go buddy!

Now Mommy really has to step it up in this area...He's telling me that he needs his diaper changed and doing so well on the potty - all of which means that I need to start working harder on the potty training. Up until this point I have been very laisse-faire with this event, albeit a milestone event, in his life. Now it looks like we need to go on a shopping trip and pick out some training undies (not pull-ups - because it doesn't bother him in the least to pee pee on Buzz Lightyear...), plastic training cover pants, and some big boy undies.

Question: Am I really ready for this?

Answer: NO!

Jaw update

I had my follow-up appointment with the TMJ doctor last Friday morning. It was originally scheduled for the Friday before that, but I still had medicine left to take and had it rescheduled for last week so that he could evaluate me when I had completed my 2nd round of muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory meds. For the record - it IS getting better, I'm just getting impatient. However, I just need to remind myself of how far I've come since May and June, when it was at its worst...bawling when Kellen would bump my jaw. Right? Right. Keep reminding myself of that. Because I don't like the alternative (I'll explain).

We chatted about how my jaw was doing and I asked him about the popping/clicking when I opened my jaw. I can still open it through the first phase just fine, it's when I push it to open through the second phase that it now pops (when before it wouldn't/couldn't open unless I manually moved the lower portion of my jaw around) and clicks. It doesn't really hurt anymore when it does this (at least most of the time, anyway), it's just incredibly loud and annoying to me. He manipulated it, and had me open and close my jaw a couple of times while he felt what it was doing, commented that "Yes, it was really loud and pretty bad", then told me the good and bad news.

The good news. The clicking is a sign that the soft tissue around the jaw area is relaxing, which means that it's getting better. YEAH!

The bad news. The clicking may not go away for 6 months to a year...maybe even longer. Or he could make it go away very quickly with surgery, but he stated that he didn't think that I really wanted him to go that route. He's absolutely correct!

Now, if he told me that the clicking would never go away without surgery, I would most likely be making a surgery appointment quite soon...but if it will go away and it just requires patience on my part...well, I'm married to Matt...God has instilled some level of patience in me at this point in time...right?

So, the plan is to drop the muscle relaxants from the mix and just take the anti-inflammatory medicine and he wants to see me back in a month.

Sidenote: The doctors office had moved locations since our last visit and I actually drove myself to the doctors office on Friday. All by myself to Houston - and I didn't get lost and only made 3 U-turns (and there were no signs telling me that I couldn't make those U-turns). I was pretty proud of myself and consider that quite an accomplishment!

Must we do this again?

So Matt is at a FEMA meeting tonight because of the mandatory Galveston county evacuation that begins tomorrow...he is bound and determined that Kellen and I will NOT be in this house when this hurricane hits TX land on Friday night - we'll either be in Conroe or Mexia, depending on where they're estimating the path of this thing, seeing as how our house has the word "mobile" in it, we're not actually going to take any chances. We had planned to build the deck this week, had Adam all lined up to help on Thursday and really thought that they could get the entire thing done in one day, as long as Matt had the materials here and some prep work done before Adam got here Thursday morning...so much for that plan. Nature has a way of usurping things sometimes.

I know that this will come out sounding really selfish, but I want this to be all over so that Matt can finish up with his paramedic tests and get going on his rotations. Yikes! We're a year behind on our schedule with this paramedic plan here...fast-track my behind - HAH!...so another natural disaster will not help this situation, since all of the people that he needs to connect with to get fnished up are intertwined with the rescue and relief efforts around here...grumble, grumble, gripe, gripe - and that did come out really selfishly.

Kellen had an all-around bad day today. Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed...I guess everyone can have one of those days, even a two year old...His teacher said that he had a good day...guess he used up his good behavior on her. Well, that's not entirely true...we did have some fun and good times playing horsie, airplane and coloring between some of the meltdowns this evening. I think he might be coming down with something and/or didn't get a good night sleep last night, so I made sure to start the bedtime routine on time and he was at least in his bed at 7:10...I have the sniffles today, so I hope that he's not coming down with something and that I'm not either.

Here's my bright story for the day...I had an appointment this morning off campus, got into my office at about 10:00 AM and was welcomed by a beautiful spread of lily flowers. The student worker told me they were for me and that I'd just missed the delivery guy. One of the recent August master student graduates, who now resides with his military wife in Europe, had them sent to me to thank me for my hard work and effort in helping him to graduate (there had been some last-minute issues with some of his paperwork but I was able to get it cleared up with the appropriate office and get him cleared for graduation). He just wanted to thank me for the work that I did for the graduate students and to let me know that he, and he was sure the rest of the graduate students, really appreciated it. WOW! Talk about your warm fuzzy. I almost started crying as I read the card, and quite honestly, almost every time that I looked at the flowers today. It was so nice of him to take the time and effort to say, "Thanks" and he didn't need to at all - it really was all in a day's work.

2 Percenter...

Is what I'm feeling like today...The heat just got to me yesterday and I had to leave the game (for those of you asking, "What game?" - Shame on you - The Aggie game!) I'm blaming it on a combination of meds and total bodily exhaustion from the weeks of health issues...but I just couldn't adapt to the heat at all. And I wasn't alone...it seemed like people were dropping like flies! It was SO HOT! I can't imagine what it would have been like had there been no breeze! Yikes! But, Judy and I went over to the MSC and watched the rest of the game on the big screen TV in the air conditioning...(I know, I know...feeling like a major 2%'er here...), but it just wasn't worth either of us getting really sick. Even with slathering the sunscreen on, Matt looks like a lobster today. I know he's hurting because he actually took the aloe vera with him to work...it has to be bad if he's doing that! I think the sun got to him, too - he had a major headache for most of the day today, despite taking aspirin and drinking an entire pot of coffee...it was just so hot!!

Anyway...66-8 Whoo Hoo & a big Whoop on that one! Way to go Ags!

It was really nice to see Jen & Jason, too...we haven't seen them since the Cotton Bowl last year - man-oh-man, I hadn't realized it had been that long, has it really??? They came down with some friends of theirs and we girls actually met up at the MSC, escaping the heat, and we all ended up going out to eat at, where else, Wings N More after the game. The girls swung by our place, let my babysitter go to work on her thesis-writing (thank you Maria!!!), grabbed Kellen and got our name on the waiting list...45 minutes was not really that bad of a wait...considering that it was game day and all.

To back up, Matt and I actually had a night out on Friday night...Went to First Yell - our first First Yell, actually. Singing Cadets was the first opener...followed by the Aggie Wranglers, then Percussion Studio (I finally got a change to see them, Jen - after how many years of trying to get them to perform Aggieland Saturday?) They were all great, and I actually have one of my grad students that is a member of Percussion Studio this year...I believe that after that little performance Matt and I will be attending their fall show this December, yes sirree bob...We enjoyed all of it, except for the opener comedian...he had some funny jokes, but all-in-all he was NOT a family friendly comedian...and that was what we (and lots of other folks) were there for. There were a lot of people there with little kids, as this is touted as a family friendly occasion...I'm thinking that I'll be hearing some comments about this one at work on Monday.

Bill Envall was GREAT! His bit was an hour and a half long...and I didn't stop laughing for much of that 90 minutes. I felt like I had just been through a marathon ab workout (if I can remember what one of those feels like...). He had us in stiches! I can't remember when, or even if, I've laughed that hard or for that long. We didn't get out of there until after 11 PM...picked Kellen up by 11:30 and he was sacked out. I think he might have fussed for 15 seconds when Matt laid him down in his bed again...other than that, we heard nary a peep from him. The babysitter, the daughter of a co-worker (aren't you guys proud...I'm actually working up a set of babysitters - finally...) was great. We will (hopefully) be able to use her to cover some of the football games this season.

All-in-all a nice weekend...got quite a bit done and despite having two different babysitters on two different days, we really got to spend some time playing with Kellen, too. He's gone on the potty a couple of times this weekend - YEAH!! Although I'm thinking that the pull-ups might not be the best route to go because he doesn't seem to mind peeing on Buzz Lightyear...even when I tell him that when he puts on the Buzz Lightyear pull-ups that he needs to tell me when he has to pee pee and we'll pee pee in the potty and not in Buzz. Hmmm...I'm not pushing this, so I guess we'll just wait and see on this one...

And he was so sweet saying his prayers tonight...

"Bless Daddy work. Bless Mommy work. [Not quite sure why I got a work blessing, but whatever] Bless frog. Bless Daddy work. Bless Shrek home. Bless book. Bless Daddy work."

He sure does love his Daddy! We had thought that he didn't understand the difference between work and home...but he seemed to make the distinction tonight. I'm still not quite sure why I got a work blessing since I was at home, but he blessed Shrek home...so there is some sort of distinction going on there in his mind. Just now quite sure that we can understand what that is. Oh well!

He did WHAT?

So I picked Kellen up from day care yesterday and posted on his cubby was a message from his teacher asking me to help her out with the ripping/tearing of book issue. Apparently Kellen had ripped several books in class. Stinker - he hasn't been doing that at home lately. So I go to the next room where he is and his teacher asked me not to leave just yet. There was another parent in the room and I was wondering just what that meant...Then she asks me if Matt had been gone a lot...no...Kellen had actually spent all day on Saturday with his dad, I told her...Matt was on a 36 hr shift Sunday and Monday, but he had gotten to spend quite a bit of time with him over the weekend, even saw him on Sunday morning while Matt was at work when we visited him on the "big truck" that Daddy drives. Well, apparently my little Kellen-man had quite the bad day at school. Not only did he rip up some books, but he had kicked one of his friends while they were taking a nap...in the head...and not by accident, either. I was mortified! Then she proceeds to tell me that he's been pushing people all day long, too. Whoa buddy! What's going on here? I told her that he MUST have been having a bad day because he had been super sweet on Sunday...and he had!! What was the DEAL?

I guess we all have bad days...and that extends to 2 year olds, too.

So we went back to our discussions about books and how we were nice to our books and didn't hurt them...NOR did we kick and hurt our friends. I just don't understand that. He's so compassionate most of the time and hates to see people hurt and upset, why did he do something that he knows would hurt someone else?

Arg...

Picked him up from day care today and was told that he had a MUCH better day today. No incidents to report. THANK YOU GOD!

10 Years...Has it been THAT long?

My 10 year high school reunion was this weekend...football game Friday night and then the family picnic on Saturday afternoon at the Perry's Pecan Patch on FM 908. We didn't make the football game because Matt was on a 24 hr shift...but the picnic was a must - after all, I did get roped into helping out with the planning by the good 'ole class Prez...Frei-daddy himself. I had never been to this place, although there were apparently a lot of gatherings there while we were in high school, so I'm not quite sure what to expect from the facilities...

Saturday morning was rough...neither Matt nor I were feeling well - he was coming down with something and I think what has seemed like countless weeks of meds and sleepless/restless sleep nights finally kicked me in the tail. It took me a while longer than I would have liked to to actually get moving...Lots to do...we were all supposed to bring 1) beverages for our families...easy for us...water and apple juice; 2) desserts to share (I had planned to make these on Friday night but kinda' pooped out on this game plan while talking to Jen on the phone...I enjoyed chatting with her MUCH more than I would have enjoyed baking, so no worries there, although I guess I could have been good and done both at the same time - oh well!), so I baked a bundt cake, cupcakes for the kiddos, which I was sure there would be plenty of, and then a batch of no-bake chocolate cookies. I was geared up to make two batches of those, but was just short of 2 cups of sugar, so the second batch got shelved. Waited for the bundt cake to cool and then cut it up...cupcakes to cool and then frosted them - that baking pretty much took a while; 3) folding/lawn chairs; 4) kiddo entertainment...pull together what I think are some appropriate "outside" toys...Kellen's weed eater, leaf blower, and his new sandbox toys...for some reason I remember something about their being a sandbox available at this place - better to be prepared, right?

Prepared...HAH!...in my preparation I take the umbrella OUT of one of our bags...not thinking about the possibility of it raining on us during the reunion...so much for prepared...it ended up sprinking on us for about an hour and a half...and it ended up being so muggy that no one was really in the mood to eat anything...so all of those lovely desserts that I spent the morning making ended up coming right back home with us...virtually untouched. Oh well! Matt took the cupcakes and cake with him on shift (36-hr shift...I'm sure they'll be eating some of that) and I'll keep the no-bake cookies around...Lord knows I'll eat those!!

All-in-all it was a great turn-out and good time. I was the official photographer, which should have meant that my digital camera's memory card was full, but I slacked off on my job (sorry Chris)...with the weather and trying to catch up with people that I had literally not seen in over 10 years...it just kinda' slipped past me. I did take some good shots, and will work up an email to the class asking for everyone to send their pics to me, load them all up on shutterfly and share them with the group...so I think that was the biggest thing that Chris wanted anyway. At least if that part gets accomplished, everyone will have access to the full slew of pics from the weekend. Maybe I should change my title from photographer to historian...that way I won't feel bad about not taking so many pics and will work harder at the compilation and subsequent sharing of said pics...Yeah, I like that idea better anyway...historian it is.

Let me just say again for the record, "I have a wonderful husband!" He let me just catch up with people and checked in with me periodically, but he basically just chased after Kellen and played with him during the entire picnic. And Kellen was a handful. He discovered the San Gabriel river...discovered...literally...I'm really glad that we brought several changes of clothing for him...He played in the sandbox, with the rocks, sticks, ran around, climbed the slimy rocks covered in muck-mud...did I mention that it was sprinkling?...again, so glad we brought several changes of clothing with us!

So we got home and during the drive Matt was actually COLD. I put this word in bold for those of you who don't know Matt well - for the rest of you, you understand how crazy that is and how badly he must have been feeling...(And to chase Kellen around all afternoon with zero complaints...I love you sweetie!). We got home, I put Kellen to bed and Matt went straight to the recliner, covered up with blankets and just shivered...Bless his heart! I was really worried about him going on a 36-hr shift...took his temperature and he was actually running a fever, which he almost NEVER does...I unloaded the majority of the things from the truck that just had to be brought in...He woke up this morning and his fever had broken last night, thank God...He said that he's feeling better, so that's a plus...his immune system just amazes me! What hit him and put him through that would have probably knocked me out for at least 3-4 days...so off to work he goes this morning.

As for today, Kellen and I just had a lazy day. Since we (Kellen) only watch TV/DVD's on the weekend at our house, we watched whatever DVD Kellen decided he wanted to watch at the time, some twice, played with toys, danced around, put some puzzles together, snacked, pretty much did whatever he wanted to do that didn't require me to exert that much energy. I'm still feeling like I've been hit by a truck...I guess weeks of running close to the exhaustion line will do that to you, so I'm trying to take it easy today. I've done some laundry, but haven't been really diligent about keeping it going...Just when I get around to it. I had the idea that I could work on the spare bathroom project, which still isn't finished...possibly as a surprise for Matt...but quickly canned that idea when I realized how much energy it took for me to stumble to the DVD player to switch out shows for Kellen. Spare bathroom? Nah...I'll get to it later. I enjoyed the day much more just hanging out with Kellen and spending time with him. And he was in a snuggly mood today...I really like those days! I got a lot of random "I lub jou Mommy" today...translation, if you can't tell "I love you" - such a sweet little boy!!

Matt called this morning at about 20 minutes to 11...taking someone to the Med Center, so we got ready to go see "Daddy work" and Kellen really enjoyed watching his Daddy drive up in the "big truck" and then spend some time with him. To give you an idea of how much he wanted to see Daddy...he was in the middle of watching Hermie...one of his favorites...when I asked if he wanted to go and see Daddy. His reply?

"Stop Hermie. See Daddy. Hermie all through. Go see Daddy now. Stop Hermie."

It was just so sweet! He was ready to go and see his Daddy that very second! "Where Daddy at?" was also one of the first things out of his mouth this morning after I got him out of his bed. He seems to understand the concept of work...if nothing more than that it means that person has to be somewhere other than at home when they're at work, because that answer pacified him.

We called almost all of the Grandparents today...(sorry MeeMaw, we just didn't get a chance to give you a call today) and chatted with them. Kellen really enjoyed doing that. He's transitioned from me trying to talk him into saying "Hi" on the phone to my almost having to pry it out of his hands after the conversation is over (or while he's giving his Gramma Gerren a play-by-play of Toy Story). He really likes talking on it now. But woe is the person who is trying to compete with one of his shows, which is unfortunately what happened today with some of the grandparents.

Baby Genius?!?

Ok, ok...so I may be overreacting slightly. But I finally got Kellen back today (thank you so much Maw Maw and Paw Paw!!) and what he did tonight makes me think - ok, confirms my thinking-that he's got a lot going on up there. Will explain in a minute...

Matt and I left him in Ft. Worth with Maw Maw, Paw Paw and Aunt Boo on Sunday so that he could spend some more time with his aunt before she flew out on Monday...and they had a blast!! Anyway...Matt was planning to help out with evacuees on Monday during the day, which didn't end up happening because it was a holiday and there were many more volunteers that day than anticipated. So, he ran errands during the day, all the while still thinking there was the possibility that they were going to call him to come and work...which they eventually did...and he went here in town and helped out in the afternoon/evening rather than in Houston as originally planned. This was actually reason #2 why Maw Maw and Paw Paw had Kellen - I had to work, daycare was closed, and if Matt ended up helping out in Houston or in town...Kellen was to go where??? So this worked out really well for us. The original plan was that Matt would swing by Conroe on his way back from Houston, so quick-change of plans...and we decide that Matt will try and pick up Kellen on Tuesday. He has to work a 24-hr shift on Wednesday, so there shouldn't be a problem with Tuesday...I was geared up and ready to go pick him up after I got off of work on Tuesday, but Matt and I chatted about how much work I could actually get done with no interruptions, the fact that he could study and try to take a test or, if unable to take a test, get some things done around the house (which actually turned into him helping out here in town).... So, change of plans again and Kellen ends up spending another night away...he's having a blast, barely missing us...(I'm not quite sure how I feel about that, actually). I ended up staying at work until ~9:30...and man-o-man did I get some things done! I can tell that this is taking its toll on my body...even with the muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory meds in my system...my back is really sore...wait a minute...perhaps that could be from this weekend's adventures at Six Flags, too...hmmm....

So anyway...today. The grant proposal is done, off of my desk, submitted. Whoop!! At 5 PM I'm out the door to meet Maw Maw in Plantersville to do the Kellen swap. We had a nice dinner...I think he was a little happy to see me! As we were getting ready to leave, he starts to pull what I've now discovered as a fast one...

"Kellen throw up," he says as he's strapped in the car seat with the car loaded, vehicle started, and Mommy getting into the car, ready to leave the parking lot to head back to College Station.

Concerned, of course, I turn and look at him. "Kellen, do you need to throw up?"

"Yes."

"Does your tummy hurt?"

"Yes."

"Do you need to get out of the car and throw up?"

"Yes."

I get out of the car, tell Maw Maw that I think we might have a problem, unstrap him from his car seat and take him to the grass and start to rub his back. I'm thinking that Maw Maw might have a munchkin houseguest for another night...but I must be a miracle worker, because he - almost immediately - begins to try and climb up me, play with sticks, rocks, etc.

"Kellen, does your tummy hurt?"

"No."

"Kellen, do you have to throw up?"

"No."

Whoa buddy...what's going on here??? Where-when did he learn this one??? As it starts to dawn on me whats happening...I pick him up, walk over to the car, and he begins again.

"Kellen throw up. Tummy hurts."

I open the car door. "Come on Kellen. Time to go home. You're going home with Mommy now."

"Kellen throw up!! NO!" And then a monster appears where my child was only moments before...bucking against me as I try to strap him into his car seat. "Kellen THROW UP! NO! TUMMY HURTS!"

I look at Maw Maw, I'm sure with total exasperation in my eyes...and let her know that I think he's faking it...and will test my theory on the way home. If I end up with puke in my hair, I'll know I was wrong. As I'm sitting here with clean hair...I realize that I wasn't wrong, and that somehow - my child has learned to lie...

At some point in time on the way home, the monster went away and Kellen reappeared...it's nice to have him back. We got home, he was SO excited to see Bailey and by this time it's WAY past his bedtime. So, we start getting ready for bed, changing clothes, bedtime stories, etc. We read a couple of Winnie the Pooh books, then an alphabet zoo book, then I tell him to pick 1 more book. So he goes and picks the frog book that never has made its way back to Maw Maw and Paw Paw's where it belongs. We read this book and then I tell Kellen to get in bed.

"Clifford book - read Clifford book, Mommy!" he begs...

"Do you want Mommy to read you the Clifford book?"

"Yes ma'am."

I know, I know...you shouldn't give in, right? But I haven't seen him since SUNDAY!!! And how can you say no to THAT??? And it's just a bedtime story. So, I sit down on the floor and read him the Clifford book - well, I begin to read it to him, anyway. In this Clifford book, Clifford counts objects 1-2-3. We've been reading this book for ages, so he's seen me use my pointer finger to point to and count the objects on each page as I read the page...don't we all do that as an educational tool? Anyway...today, as I do every so often, I asked if Kellen would count, because in the book it asks "Can you count three ____ (houses, airplanes, trucks, cars, trees, children, etc.). Usually he says, "No, Mommy do it." But not today...today he counted to three...the first time he did it he didn't point to the objects, so I then asked him to do it again and point to the object on the page...

He did it! And actually counted 1-2-3 and pointed to each different picture like he's seen me do a hundred times before...I know that this doesn't count as reading, but man, I'm so proud of him! I got really excited and hugged him, told him how proud I was of him and how proud he should be of himself for counting in the book like that.

He just slowly turned his head every so slightly, gently put one hand on my mouth and said, "Too loud Mommy."

I guess I must have gotten a little carried away and forgot to use my night-night voice...

So we read the entire book that way, and he really only got confused on the very last page when they list all of the objects that have been listed before all on one page...he got confused between the three trucks and three cars...understandably so, I think...

I'm so glad that I gave in and read that last book to him...to think that I might have missed that moment with him...Wow...

*Just for the record, the isn't the first time he's counted...he can count to 10 (at least that's as high as I've ever heard him count), but the first time that he's cooperated with the counting in conjunction with this book.*

Then it was off to bed, say our prayers, which of course start with "Bless Daddy work..." (when he blesses anyone, he says their name and then work, even if they're in the room) and it's night-night time! I'm thankful that he was able to spend some quality time with his Aunt Boo and that I was able to get so much work done while he was gone, but I'm so glad that he's back.

Let's do that again!

Quick recap...So last weekend my parents came over on Saturday a little after Matt left for his 48 hr shift. They had such a great time with Kellen! Dad and I were able to run quite a few errands on Sunday - THANK YOU PAP PA!!

They brought him the Shrek doll, which he just absolutely adores...(see those pictures in the previous post) and some yard toys...a weed eater and a leaf blower...now, along with his lawn mower, he can pretend to help Mommy and Daddy work in the yard when we're outside. He had such a blast with those toys!

And who knew that we had a built in sandbox? We had always thought it a problem that we couldn't grow any actual grass toward the back of our yard...but not Kellen...leave he and his Gramma to it and they'll just PLAY!! Enter the new sandbox toys that they brought, and he's just having such fun...He's a mess, a sandy mess, but having a ball! Such the optimist!

The week was pretty much a blur...work, work, more work (first week of classes, need I say much more??), Matt helping out in Houston with the folks that have been evacuated from LA, Matt's work (as in actual job), Kellen getting sick on Thursday, Maw Maw & Paw Paw coming to the rescue, whew! What a week...But then the weekend...full, but fun!

On Friday after I got off of work we drove to Jeff's in Ft. Worth...spent the night there and just hung out during the day on Saturday. I actually took a NAP a long nap - can you BELIEVE it?!?! We had Allison's wedding in McKinney Saturday night and drove over there from Ft. Worth...reception after that in another little suburb about 30-35 minutes away from that at Matt's cousin's house...Watched the Aggie game during the reception...Yes, we actually did watch the game during the reception...does this fact actually surprise anyone??

Kellen was remarkably well behaved for as full of a day as it was and as late as it ended up being. When we first got to the reception, he went straight for the pool - of course, but Matt caught him just before he walked into the water...They were playing some music during the reception outside, so he wanted to dance with Mommy (no one else...just Mommy...only Mommy today). He was just so cute...Then we got him inside to watch the game and he really like that room...duh...who wouldn't like watching football on a 64" TV and running around on plush carpet?

Then back to Jeff's for Saturday night...no such luck on Kellen sleeping in on Sunday morning...at least not too long. The boys went and got us breakfast and my coffee for the 2nd morning in a row (I could really get used to that kind of treatment) then we got ready to head out to Six Flags.

What FUN! First stop, the horses...Kellen said that he wanted to ride the brown one, but when it got right down to it, no such luck. He pitched a fit as Matt and I tried to put him on the horse and strap him in. So, he rode in the carriage with Mommy, which, as you can see from the picture, was just fine by him. In his defense, he had just woken up from a very short (~1 hr) nap taken in the truck from Jeff's to the Six Flags parking lot and it was taking him a little while to wake up, so it was ok. When the ride was over he looked and me and said and signed, "More. Kellen ride horsie." Sorry buddy-boy...They don't let us just stay on here. He'll learn.

We stood in line WAY too long for the first ride...but learned about the speed pass in the process...Well worth the $$ spent, I say. Maw Maw had Kellen-patrol all day and Matt, Aunt Boo, Paw Paw and I rode the rides...WHOO HOO!! I haven't been to Six Flags in years...Matt says he hadn't been there in 15-20...and this was the first time that he and I had gone anywhere like this together. We had such a good time! Batman, Mr. Freeze, Texas Giant, Titan...man-oh-man what fun!! Got off of the wooden roller coaster with a bruise already starting on my right thigh - I can't do that to myself too much..one wooden roller coaster per trip...that's it - my back was already killing me...Matt, too.

Kellen and Maw Maw had fun riding some of the kiddy rides. If you ask Kellen, he drove the truck and train all by himself. He just looked like such a big boy with his hands on the steering wheel! Man, if we lived a little closer we would have a season pass and be here all of the time! Matt and I talked about using Six Flags and/or AstroWorld as an incentive or reward when Kellen does well in school. I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves, but that will just be so much fun!

We left Six Flags minus the munchkin...he stayed with Maw Maw, Paw Paw and Aunt Boo so that he could spend more time with Aunt Boo...he went back to their hotel and apparently had them in stitches and rolling all night long...We head back to Jeff's, get our stuff...and back to College Station we go...get back into town around midnight...Thank you honey for driving...and letting me sleep the entire way home!!

At work at 7:30 this morning and another week, here we come! Perhaps this week will be a little less crazy and I'll be able to get back into my routine of blogging a smaller blog every night...these marathon blogs take quite a bit of time, and I'm missing the cute things that Kellen does on a daily basis, which is the whole point of the blog anyway! Will do better...must do better...