Recap of Spring Break Fun...

Here's a photo and video-clip recap of last week's spring break fun...

Incredible Pizza (Thursday night):

We were initially tentative with Tatum and the rides...put her on the truly "kiddo" kiddy rides and climbing toys...

Then after having Kellen ride his beloved train, we decided to let Tatum give it a whirl, with me standing inside, guarding closely. She was probably thinking, "It's about time, folks!" Take a look at that expression! She was LOVING her train ride! Oh boy...we have another dare devil on our hands! And where, I ask you, did she learn to put her hands on the steering wheel???

Backstory for what you're about to see:

Kellen goes to Incredible Pizza quite often while visiting his MawMaw and PawPaw. And they play games while there. Lots of games. Lots and lots of games. Really.

When you play lots of games and don't cash in the tickets for the "crap" toys, you can really save up over time, especially when you have generous workers :)

Exhibit A for what I'm talking about...

I have NO idea why the lady behind the counter had to walk away, but poor Kellen was NOT about to let Buzz Lightyear out of his sight! He was going to follow her until he had HIS Buzz in HIS hands. Goodness. (And I still can't figure out what it was that she had to go and do? Get a manager maybe because it was worth so many tickets???)

And here is a picture of him absolutely in love with the almost larger-than-life Buzz Lightyear.

The Zoo (Friday):

Going in...we were already seeing monkeys!

Then it was off to see the sea lions...and Kellen wanted to jump in and swim with them...Hmmm...sounds a little like something his Mommy would have said...

Tatum and MawMaw decided to feed some of the birds along the way...


We were able to get some really good views of the elephants...and it made me kind of sad to think back and remember Kellen being small enough to say "epetant" for elephant...At least this time he didn't tell everyone within earshot that they were "HIS epetants!"

And what would a trip to the zoo be without seeing the monkeys? Kellen asked for them just as soon as we walked inside the gate...

The Children's Zoo...I had hoped that Tatum would really enjoy the petting zoo...she wasn't afraid of any of the animals, and I did get some pretty good video (I'll have to upload it on another post later...), but she was more interested in the, ummmm, pellets on the ground than the actual animals. *Sigh* Maybe next time she'll be a little more interested in the LIVE things. However, Kellen did a GREAT job of showing her how to be gentle to the animals, how to pet them, and helped me try to keep her from putting things she was finding on the ground into her mouth...What a good big brother!

I'll have to start another post later about the splash pad and then my slightly artsy phase at the zoo...I did get some nice shots of the kids, though! I'll be sure to share soon.

Blowing Kisses & Peek-a-boo

So Tatum has perfected blowing kisses...and she's added the, "Mwaw" sound to it. And she even does it on request.

It is adorable. And sweet. And I must get it on film. Soon!!

She's also decided to play peek-a-boo with virtually anything she can find that will cover her face. And will proceed to say, "Boo!" when she uncovers her face.

I think she gets the idea. Smart little thing!

Full of "I love you's"

So Kellen and I have been having discussions about how he knows that I love him, and what things that Mommy and Daddy do that make him feel loved, etc. As I tucked him into bed last night, he tells me that he knows that I love him, because I tell him that all of the time.

In fact, he goes on to say, his heart is going to break because it's so full of "I love you's" - but he won't die.

So I ask him if he means that his love bucket is full and it's overflowing with love.

Yes, it's dumping over, was his response.

Now doesn't that just want to make YOUR heart melt some?

ETA: So after tucking Kellen in tonight, he tells me that his heart had a hole in it and all of his "I love you's" fell out, so he needed more. Glad to oblige. Then, we he had his fill of those, he told me that his heart was full of "I love you's" but that now he needed for me to fill him up with kisses around his face (and he proceeded to point all over his face where he wanted me to give him kisses).

Just hilarious and so heart warming! What a sweetie!

Some people need a filter!

So Maw Maw and I took the kids to the Houston Zoo on Friday for a little spring break fun (I'll do a separate post with some pictures later), and we finished the day by playing at the splashpad by the Children's Zoo area. Kellen immediately dove (not literally) into the water play and Tatum wasn't so sure about it - but that was in LARGE part because of being splashed immediately upon entrance to the water area. On purpose. By an older kid. Thanks.

So Tatum was walking around at the splashpad in a little swimmer and a tank top. There was another mom there with I guess a friend and a set of twins...skinny twins, but whatever - they looked normal, just smaller than Tatum (as a point of reference). So the mom asks me how old Tatum is and I tell her that she had just turned a year old earlier in the month. She makes a surprised face, tells me that her kids are two months older, then tells the friend that is with her, who then looks at me and asks if I'm going to put her (Tatum) on a diet.

Are you freakin' kidding me?

I laugh, remark that I wouldn't DREAM of doing such a thing, and then go on to say that she's actually been sick and has just lost a pound. (And proceed to smile a little bigger) Then I say why on earth would I even think of putting her on a diet? (All the while smiling...)

Here's my deal with comments like this...I mean, I am fairly secure in my the majority of parenting skills (ok...I can work on my temper, but hey, who can't?) - but what if someone who was second-guessing themselves had something like that said to them? What would a statement like that do to them? I'll let Tatum eat what she wants (and I offer healthful choices) - if she wants 2 scrambled eggs followed by a pancake along with milk and/or yogurt for breakfast - FINE! (and yes, that's a relatively normal breakfast for her - I have NO IDEA where she puts it, but I said the same thing about Kellen at that age, too). But what about a mom that was more unsure of herself???

Comments like these just go to prove that some people just need a filter between their brain and their mouth.

We'll get there!

So another trip to the doctor for Tatum today...She still has the ear infections...apparently the antibiotics weren't the correct kind to treat the infection she has (resistant strain, we guess), so we got another antibiotic. The first antibiotic has given her a yeast infection diaper rash, so we have a cream for that (and will have to switch to disposables until she's over that) - the 2nd antibiotic will only make that issue worse. The fever spike is unrelated to either of those issues...the dr did a test for the flu which came back negative, so he's speculating that it was viral. Good news on that front is that she hasn't run a fever since yesterday afternoon. Bad news is that she's still lethargic and isn't eating much.

We'll get there!

God Cartoons

I certainly needed some of these today...specifically the "Carry Your Books?" and the "Don't Worry?" I still trust you, Lord! In the midst of craziness, I still do...

I thought I said "Enough was Enough already?"

When I went to get Tatum from her crib this morning, I noticed that she felt warm through her night clothes. REALLY warm. I took her temperature, and I don't think I have EVERY seen a thermometer climb that high that fast....it finally stopped at 104.2.

No, that isn't a typo.

104.2. Seriously.

Consciously trying to stay very calm, I walked through the living room, to Matt and said, "I'm trying to stay calm, but we're certainly not going to church this morning. Her temp is 104.2...motrin and a bath, you think?"

We worked all morning on getting her temp to come down...an hour after the motrin it had only dropped 1 degree, but at least it came down some. We're keeping a chart of her meds, temps, input, output, etc., just in case we need to go to the dr or the ER at any point in time during this.

She's on antibiotics for her ear infections, so I'm guessing this is viral...Goodness gracious though...I'm just not sure how much more I can take. I don't know what kind of test the Lord is allowing us to go through, but I feel like I'm failing and that I just want to give up so that it will be over.

I'm sure that isn't the right attitude to have, but I'm just tired...tired of fighting illness after illness with the kids, tired of so many things that I'll choose to not list for fear of sounding like a whiny baby at this point in time.

At any rate, please pray for Tatum...pray that she's able to fight whatever it is that her body is trying to fight right now. And pray for our family that we're able to continue to deal with this.

Thanks.

This weather!

It's no wonder my little precious ones have been sick! This weather is driving me batty!

It probably wouldn't be that bad if I actually watched the news, or the weather channel, or some form of advanced planning mechanism in the mornings like a normal person so that I could properly clothe myself and my children. But honestly, who has time to do that while you're trying to get yourself and two little ones ready for their day and out the door ON TIME?? Really?

And don't answer that question or comment on this post unless you're going to support me in the fact that it's difficult to do - I don't want to hear about how easy it is for someone else :) Unless, of course, you have a SUPER-SIMPLE solution for this not-enough-time-in-the-morning problem so that it can be easily remedied.

I can't have the TV on because some little 4 and a half year old will be mesmerized by the TV and "forget" that he's supposed to eat, or get dressed, or go to the bathroom, or put on shoes, or...you get the point.

Ug. At least this morning the kids were dressed appropriately for the nastiness of today. They both had on jackets and Kellen had extra long-sleeved shirts at school. Me - oh no - nothing of the sort. I had on a light, three quarter shirt and NO jacket. Luckily, I had a very light jacket at the office, one that barely sufficed as a rain shield while held over my head to get me to my car. And speaking of getting to my car - where the heck are all of my umbrellas? You know, the things that I used to have EVERYWHERE? At one point in time I know I had at least a half dozen...with at least 1 in my vehicle. Amazing how those things seem to vanish just when you need them the most...I bet I managed to use them all and they are stocked at my office somewhere...buried in all of my bags underneath my desk. Yup...that's probably it.

I feel an office cleaning spree coming on. Hmmm...Just in time for spring break next week. Maybe I can make that happen.

As for the kids, they're both doing great. Tatum seems like she's really starting to feel better now. We have 3 and a half days of medicine in her and I'm thinking that it's starting to take effect. She's also cut both of those eye teeth as well, which I imagine has helped things tremendously on her pain scale. As for Kellen, I had a talk with the folks at daycare yesterday, requested and have been told that he's officially going to be moving up to the Turtle room on March 17th and visiting when there is an open spot before then. The Turtle room is the "official" pre-K room and although both the Turtle room and his current Jellyfish room are supposed to be pre-K, I can tell that they really aren't "equal" in terms of their preparation and "pre-k ness" if you will. So Matt and I are both thrilled about that, and especially since he'll be in Ms. Lisa's class. Kellen just ADORES Ms. Lisa! Loves, loves, loves her! I'm so excited for him!

I just can't believe that he'll actually be starting school - for real deal school - in August. Oh my.

Their favorite people

I think that Kellen just might be Tatum's favorite person...if not THE favorite, at least right after Mommy and Daddy. They were taking a bath tonight and EVERYTHING he did made her just giggle and giggle. It was the cutest thing!

And oh my...he is SO fiercely protective of her! Wow!

I just love watching their bond grow on a daily basis.

To my dear Tatum - sweet birthday girl

To my dear Tatum - sweet birthday girl,

I can't believe that it's been a year since I first met you, sweet Tatum. Wow!

I remember overhearing the doctor tell the nurse in the main office to call and schedule my induction, and then hearing the added words "non-elective". Those words scared me, and although a part of me knew it was precautionary, it still made me realize the doctor thought things were bad enough to not give me a choice about going into the hospital to have you on that Friday night...we weren't waiting on you to decide to come out anymore. And it was a long Friday night...not as long as some labors, but still a long night. And then Saturday morning came and you were here!

My biggest regret through it all was actually going through with that stinkin' epidural. If I would have known that 1) you would have been coming barely an hour after they had given it to me, or 2) it wouldn't have taken completely or that 3) even with it, I wouldn't have been able to get any sleep, I never would have gotten it. Actually, any of those three things and I would have changed my mind.

But you know what, in the end it doesn't matter. You got here, and you were ok. You were fine, actually - more than fine...you were perfect. With a full head of hair to boot!

You started out so small, so fragile, so tiny...you were engulfed in the clothes that we had waiting for you - they just swallowed you up - and they were newborn and 0-3 month size! But you caught up quickly and now, you have gotten so big! You're so smart, so advanced (and you're keeping us on our toes and have been for some time now), getting so independent and your personality is shining through more and more each and every day. You are truly such a joy and a delight to be around. You have a definite stubborn streak, oh yes, dear - you do...it's already apparent that you and your mommy are going to butt heads some in the years to come, but it's simply part of what makes you so special. (But I beg of you, please don't be just like your Mommy and have to learn everything the hard way. Please.)

I adore watching you with your brother. It is so sweet to see the look on your face when you see him...it's so completely obvious that he totally enthralls you - and that he is one of your favorite people. Please don't ever forget that he absolutely adores you - and has from day #1....and even since before that, actually. There will be a time, possibly, probably, when you don't feel that way about him and you think he never felt that way about you. Hopefully that time will be short-lived, but truly; the two of you adore each other - and I have the super secret footage and tons of cute pictures to prove it. :)

As for your birthday party...well, despite not feeling well, you had such a blast! You opened your presents.
Then you ate the oreos off of your birthday cake. Notice that I didn't say you ate your birthday cake, right? You didn't really eat much of your birthday cake...Daddy fed you some, but for the most part, you just wanted the oreos, and grunted at anyone who tried to take them out of your hands. It was hilarious to watch!

Then you got all cleaned up, put another adorable birthday outfit on, and played some more with all of your guests. You were a very good hostess! (If you can't tell from the picture, the onesie says "Birthday Princess" on it.

Here is Kellen and D eating some of the bear birthday cake. Apparently it was pretty good!

And of course, we had to dress up our Tree Friend for the party! Here's a picture of him all festive.

Here is Tatum early this morning playing with Kellen in her new playhouse. It has a doorbell, a mailslot, and a phone! It's adorable, and they BOTH love it. I think they'll get years of enjoyment of our this present! Great job, Maw Maw and Paw Paw!

So THAT explains it!

Well, the verdict is in. I actually called the doctors office on Saturday, ready to take Tatum in to be seen by whomever was on call but the nurse that I spoke with actually suggested to ride it out. This was after asking if she was eating and sleeping - answer was "yes" to both questions. They suggested to bring her in on Monday or Tuesday if she was still running a fever.

Knowing what I know now, I'm sorry that I did. But, I was following the advice, so I guess I can't beat myself up too much about it.

The poor thing has a doozy of a double ear infection, (so much so that we got a "WHOA" and a "Oh yeah, Wow!" from the doctor after he checked her ears) AND, while wrestling with her to clean out her crusty nose this afternoon, I discovered that she got her 5th tooth in today (2nd upper right tooth) and the 6th is not far behind (2nd upper left tooth). I didn't even know that she was cutting any more teeth. I had, in the back of my mind, suspected it, but not verbalized it.

Add teething two more teeth (in addition to the two that she cut about a week and a half ago) to the double ear infections and it's no wonder she's been miserable! I can't explain the cough and/or runny nose - and described both in detail to the doctor while I was there this afternoon (think: being "slimed" by Slimer from the Ghostbusters was what I actually told him in terms of its consistency and basically, its color) - but he said that her chest sounds are clear.

So, it's a round (10 days) of amoxicillin. Only her second, which is great in my book. I can't remember how many rounds Kellen had been through at this point in time.

Last night was just horrible with her...it took her a GOOD 2 1/2 hours for her to finally go to sleep. She was just miserable. Neither the "mommy" nor the "maw maw magic" was working. At all. And it was breaking both of our hearts in the process.

After over two hours of trying, I finally just laid her down in the pack-n-play and let her cry. I couldn't give her any more medicine than what was in her system (we had been alternating Tylenol and Motrin, and I even added teething tablets *just in case* - considering what I discovered today, it was a good thing I did, huh?). After a little less than a half hour, she was tuckered out and slept soundly all night long.

I'll post about her birthday party and add pictures and video later...She did so well! In spite of not feeling well...

Enough is enough...seriously

Tatum is now running a fever. And her cough sounds horrible. Luckily - and dare I say it, she isn't throwing up (should I insert the word "yet" there?)

Goodness freakin' gracious. Enough is enough already.

I have clorox coming out of my ears and my washing machine HAS NOT STOPPED ALL DAY.

What is this now...at least two weeks straight with some member of this household sick with some form of something? Man oh man - I'm so DONE with this.

ETA:
I will say...I posted something similar to this rant (and yes, I do understand that this is a rant) on one of my moms boards and was reminded that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. *sigh*

My response: " ...there are many-a-times when God's opinion of me does not align with my opinion of myself and what I can handle. This (entire semester actually) is one such time. But I know you're right and thanks for the encouragement."

I know that my family doesn't have the worst of it (bless some of my friends who have had this worse this season - I'm praying for you guys ), and that many people have it worse on a daily basis. I'm simply frustrated - oh so frustrated right now.

I hate it that my kids are continually sick and I can't help them. It appears that no amount of cloroxing trays, tables, washing in HOT water with extra rinse cycles, and obsessive washing of hands is making much difference (oh wait - what if it is and it could be that much worse? Scary thought.)

Anyway...I AM blessed, and understand that...I'm just frustrated as well...and ready for my family to feel better!

Can't we all just be (and stay) well?

We go to Little Dragons tonight, and Kellen is just not acting like himself. He's wanting to go, but whining and not really listening to his instructor, then stops sparring in the middle of a match (which he loves doing), walks over to me and tells me his tummy hurts. So I ask him if he wants to stop and just go home (quite honestly, I'm thinking that I'm calling his bluff and he'll say no). To my surprise, he says yes, and proceeds to take all of his gear off.

We run to the dollar store to get the rest of the stuff for Tatum's cakes and cupcakes for her party, then to Chicken Express to pick up dinner. He's acting more normal by this point in time.

We get home, I tell him to change his clothes, and then hear him yelling for me from his bedroom. He's thrown up in his room! AHHH! It apparently hit him pretty quickly (his room is RIGHT NEXT to the bathroom).

So...no "real" dinner for him, but I did let him have the slightest bit of mashed potatoes and some toast - shouldn't have done that, and you can all guess why.

I call in reinforcements, and Matt finally gets home from class and studying after most of the chaos is over, Kellen is resting in his rocking chair. We let him stay up a little later than normal tonight and just chill out, then Matt goes in to read him a book...he gets sick again.

Poor baby! I'm hoping that this is one of those short-lived ones! Please let this be one of those short-lived ones!

Getting Older

(On the way home from school today)
Kellen: I like babies.
Mommy: Ok, tell me why.
Kellen: Tatum makes me laugh.
Mommy: You know what, buddy? You make her laugh, too...lots!
Kellen: I know. She's not getting older.
Mommy (sighing): Unfortunately, Tatum is getting older and so are you. Remember, her birthday party is this weekend.
Kellen: I just already KNOW that! (Pause) You're getting older, too Mommy.
Mommy: Thanks, Kellen.

Merry-go-Round

Apparently the germs in our house are working on the merry-go-round system. I was sick (short lived) with a tummy bug, both kids were sick Wednesday - Thursday, then wouldn't you know it - on Saturday night when Matt and I were supposed to have our date night, he comes down with the tummy bug (luckily, after a full days work in the yard, or there would be absolutely no silver lining in my book). Again, it was relatively short lived, but man - he was sick. And he doesn't get sick. Really.

Like EVER.

So, today is another day and Tatum is once again not feeling well. Only THIS time, she's running just enough of a low-grade fever that it's really a fever. So, at a minimum, no school for her tomorrow...which, by nature of our live and schedule right now, means no going in to work for Mommy! She sounds horrible, but seems slightly more energetic than she was yesterday. She scared me yesterday with how lethargic she was...it just wasn't like her! But, she' still UBER fussy. And she's not a fussy child. So I KNOW that there's something going on.

The plan is to watch her tomorrow and try to ride this out without having to take her to the doctor (you know, where ALL of the sick kids are these days). If something gets worse - fever higher, cough worse, behavior different, whatever, then we will most likely alter that plan and try to get an appointment to take her. I'm just gun-shy...After the last time when I would have bet the farm that she was "really" sick with an ear infection only to be told it was nothing...I don't really want to take her in only to be told that we're on the tail end of a viral infection that they can't treat and for us to just wait it out.

But then again....

Oh the joys and decisions of parenthood. I just have to figure out how to stop the joyriders on the merry-go-round.

He's dead

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I announce the passing of the much beloved Buzz Lightyear. He was a good suit...well loved, frequently used, much fun, the bringer of many creative outlets and scenarios...quite possibly the most used Halloween costume of all time. Ever.

He lasted us through three events within his first two weeks in our midst - and that was way back in October of 2006. Way back then my thoughts about him ranged from, "How cute is that?" to "Can we roll up those pants to fit Kellen?" and even "Did we buy this too large?". He's been around for a while, fighting crime, beating bad guys, and has even turned into Buzz Lightyear Superman a time or two. Toward the end, my thoughts were along some of those same lines...as in "How many more times is he going to be able to wear that?" and "Is that (still) going to fit Kellen?"

Alas, the answer is no an emphatic "NO!"

Buzz Lightyear went out with a bang - in full super-hero style. He met his maker in a full-on, flying flash; a jumping-into-Daddy's-arms hug. Complete with a split-seam all the way down the backside. I'll leave the full details of the demise to your imagination.

Kellen is crushed. Mommy and Daddy tried to explain that Buzz Lightyear could only last so long...but I don't think it's really sunk in yet.

Based on Kellen's prior discussions about what our family will be dressed like for the upcoming Halloween festivities (yes, he's been thinking that far ahead - even before this incident), I imagine that another Buzz Lightyear might make an appearance in our household. If so, he too will be loved, but he will never take the place of the original Buzz. However, he might be joined by a Jesse or two, played by Tatum and apparently Mommy, and Woody, played by Daddy.

Good-bye, Buzz Lightyear. You will be missed. To Infinity and Beyond.

Are we over it?

Last night was surprisingly calm...Kellen was up and down quite a bit, but we have Sponge-Bob set up in our room for just those occasions, so he only found his way into our bed and woke me only a couple of times (once with an ever-so-sweet kick in the side - and he's STRONG!).

Today has been interesting. Neither have run fevers...both have had slightly elevated temps, but nothing classified as fevers. Tatum is acting not quite like herself, and won't let me out of her sight...in fact, I've gotten quite the workout carrying around my 21+ lb girl all day long (WHEW!) I really think that at least part of her fussiness is due to the fact that she's working on that 2nd top tooth...I can see it below the gumline trying to come in, and she's chewing on everything! My body decided to be ever-so-kind, and I got ANOTHER migraine today (that twice in less than a week - ARG!), so it was an oh so fun day around here. Luckily, they both took relatively decent naps....Tatum an early one, Kellen somewhat normal (although he didn't actually fall asleep until Tatum was already awake), so there went my plan to try and sleep off the migraine while they were BOTH asleep, then Tatum actually went down for another short nap a little bit later in the afternoon. I tried to keep them playing with quiet activities...luckily, play-doh is quiet - and can (did) entertain Kellen for a few hours. (Yay!)

They're both obviously getting over their own versions of the cold, but, unless something "wacky" happens tonight, both should be able to go back to school tomorrow. (And I really hope that I didn't just jix myself by typing that out...)

Adventures in writing

Last night I could tell that Kellen was coming down with a cold - was sneezing and had a runny nose - no fever, nothing of that sort. Checked him again this morning and the same thing...no fever, LOTS of sniffles. So I packed up both the kids and off to school we went.

So I got the call for Tatum a little before lunch...fever and "loose" stools...Wasn't expecting that call, as she's been acting like she feels fine (some runny nose, but whose isn't with these weather changes?, that seal cough I mentioned last night, but....)! Go and pick her up, taking care of her this afternoon, yadda yadda...

The phone rings at 4 PM...daycare...calling about Kellen....who apparently didn't want to wake up from his nap and was running a very low-grade fever.

So put us on the list of local families with sick kiddos...and they're BOTH sick. Poor things! So since we'll be home all day tomorrow, I asked Kellen to think about what he wanted to do and play tomorrow while we were home. I told him that I wouldn't be able to play with him all day because Tatum would be with us, and reminded him that Tatum wasn't quite as good as playing all by herself as he was.

So he thought about it, and started naming some things that he wanted to do - way more, in fact, than we would ever be able to do in a day! So, I told him to think about the 3-4 things that he wanted to do the most...and to get his notebook and write them or draw me a picture of them so that we could be sure and not forget tomorrow.

What did he write for me?

1. Buzz Lightyear

2. Play-doh

3. Puzzle

Yes, he did ask for some help on how to spell these things, and his "words" make up several lines on his notebook, but he is SO PROUD of himself!

Some form or another?

So last week with Tatum it was the virus...with no fever but pulling at her ears - still have no idea what that was about. Beginning Saturday and still ongoing is some sort of stomach bug with me - I'm functional, but just not completely up to snuff. Yesterday a migraine as well, you know, just to top things off for fun. And today Kellen seems to have been hit with a cold. Poor guy. His eyes look pitiful, he's got a runny, sniffly nose, he's sneezy, he says he has a bump inside his mouth, and his throat hurts. He also wanted medicine on his feet (that's how we give Vicks in our house, then put socks on) before going to bed. I'll have to check him again in the morning, but I should have known that something was off by the way that he was acting this morning. He was uber fussy, cranky, whiny, and wanted to go back to sleep and lay down after eating his breakfast - virtually unheard of around here. That should have been my clue...

As I'm typing this, I'm hearing a little seal cough coming from Tatum's room..something new.

My poor babies....

Breakfast for dinner

So Grandpa Gerren came to visit us this afternoon, and once Kellen decided to awaken from his hibernation-like nap (if he was so tired, why DID he fight me so much about taking that nap? Oh wait, nevermind...I just answered my own question), he came to the living room and proceeded to ask Grandpa if he would make pancakes.

Grandpa, of course, obliged with this request, making enough to (hopefully) last for breakfast for the week for both of the kids.

So, Kellen had a whopping 2 1/2 pancakes (with another to come later in the evening) and Tatum had 1 1/2 (after just eating a "snack" that Grandpa had made her - 2 scrambled eggs), then followed that up with about half of a can of sliced peaches.

Did I mention that BOTH of my kids can put away the food? I just don't know where they're physically capable of putting it...seriously.

Despite our love for cloth diapers and their effectiveness in the treatment of diaper rash, Tatum has yet another one - diaper rash, that is. And I saw it happen before my very own eyes, it seems. Whatever she ate on Friday just did not agree with her, as evidenced by the contents of her diaper and appearance of her bottom once we got home from school on Friday. Poor girl! Saturday looked better than Friday, and today looks even better than yesterday. I must determine what it was that she ate, so we can put it on the big, fat "NO" list...perhaps the "mixed fruit" at daycare? I need to figure out what fruit was in that...make sure that she isn't getting any citris, berries, anything like that...

I feel GOOD today!

I actually feel GOOD today! And I realized this after lunch, thought about it for a bit and realized....






wait for it....







I hadn't taken ANY pain pills at all today! No Alleve, no Tylenol, no Motrin, nothing! I cannot remember the last time that I felt good drug free! I had almost even forgotten what it felt like not to hurt!

Even if it's just a spark or a glimpse today of what's to come, I totally needed it! It was WONDERFUL to feel good today, not hurt, not ache, not feel like I wanted to crumble in a ball or crawl under a rock, nothing! It's been exactly 7 days on the "regular" pill...when the doctor and nurses had warned me not to expect anything so soon...but that to expect to feel better perhaps within 14-21 days.

God is good...I think He knew the end of my rope wasn't quite that long. Praise God!

Aren't they cute?

Well, it's certainly been a while since I've posted some pictures (or even uploaded them from my camera onto the computer, for that matter), so I thought I would do a quick photo recap of the last few weeks...

Here's Daddy and Tatum enjoying a moment during Superbowl Sunday...

Yes, I guess the old saying is true, "You want what you don't have." Or, you can go with, "The grass is greener..." As you can see, Tatum is sitting in Kellen rocking chair and loe and behold, Kellen is riding Tatum's rocking horse, a toy that he's long since outgrown. (Yes, hand-me downs are alive and well in the our household, thank you very much) But they don't seem to mind! Tatum did eventually figure out the riding horse, but I'm not sure that she's all that sure about it quite yet...

Bathtime fun...Tatum is rapidly learning to drink...from just about anything!...and Kellen, well, he's still my adorably precious Kellen!

Watching the womens basketball game this past weekend...The kids really did very well, especially considering that it was getting close to naptime for both of them!

Here is a picture that I took of Tatum tonight. I was trying to get a shot of her budding tooth that I mentioned in my post yesterday...can you see it? Or are you just mesmerized by her adorable smile, huge dimples, and piercing eyes?

There ya' go...now aren't they just two of the cutest kiddos you ever did see? (Perhaps I'm a little biased, but I don't think so!)

Are we about to get another one?

Tooth, that is? So I noticed a rather large bulge on Tatum's upper right gums this evening. Perhaps her fussiness and general discomfort this weekend was due to the process of trying to get another tooth? I guess we shall see...but it looks pretty close - at least what little bit she would let me see.

I'll keep you posted.

I would have lost SO much money...

Tatum does NOT have an ear infection...but apparently some "virus" - she's not running a fever, is congested, and the doctor says just to keep Tyenol in her for her comfort. I'm really hoping that the "virus" doesn't turn INTO an ear infection...and now I'll be second guessing myself about it since her ears have gotten an "all clear" from the doc.

And Kellen's sweetness today:
I dropped him off in his classroom, and he gave me the "I love you" sign, then wanted to give me another hug (he was across the room from me). Instead, I told him to blow me a kiss, which he did. I "grabbed" it from the air and put it in my pocket, telling him that I would save it for later in the day when I needed a Kellen-kiss. He proceeded to tell me that he still wanted to give me another hug, so he ran to me, hugged me, then looked at me very seriously and said, "Mommy, you can't wash your pants."

"Why can't I wash my pants, Kellen?"

"Because my kiss is still in your pocket and you can't wash your pants with my kiss in there."

Now isn't that just the most adorable thing? My heart just melted...

Days of our Lives

Yes, I'm a fan...and I've been keeping up as much as possible without watching on a daily basis in part to the generosity of Maw Maw's Soap Opera Digest hand-me downs (thanks!). But I have some issues with some of the storylines...And I'll just name a few...

--Belle has slept with Phillip (and is/has lusted for him) when she didn't even love him when they were married. What's with THAT?

--Max and Stephanie...I do not care that they are uncle/neice by adoption only...THEY WERE RAISED AS FAMILY AND THIS IS JUST WRONG!!!

--Phillip fighting tooth and nail for Claire, but then just handing over his ACTUAL BIOLOGICAL CHILD...Really? And Victor is ok with this? I'm thinking NOT!

--The whole rape storyline....Does everyone seem to forget that Stephanie was a TOUGH racing chick??? One that could fix her own car and probably kick ANY guys tail who was trying to do anything to her? Yet she's at the mercy of some frat guy? I think NOT!

--Virtually EVERYONE recognizing Phillip. Seriously? Doesn't ANYONE remember the story where he had reconstructive surgery? On his FACE?????

--The Colleen storyline...really and truly...If she were alive all these years, she would have found the Bradys before now.

--John presumed dead, but alive - AGAIN? (This whole scenario getting old to anyone but me?)

--John lost his memory, AGAIN? Ditto to the above commentary.

I do love the show...and have been watching for years...But every once in a while you have to just call it like you see it, right?

That's all for now...:)

Basketball

So we watched quite a bit of basketball this week...the Harlem globetrotters on Wednesday night and then the womens game vs tu yesterday morning. Both were a lot of fun! I'll have to post pictures when I have a little more time, but Kellen had a really good time at the Globetrotters, and was asking to go back and watch them again!

We got to visit with Aunt Boo yesterday, and went to the game with her, then spent the rest of the day just hanging out, taking naps, and playing games...What fun!

Now today...wow...So Tatum has been the epitimy of fussiness today...(and she is SO not like that). She's putting her fingers (and anything else small enough that fits until I catch her) into her ears (uh huh) and is happy when I'm holding or nursing her...and only moderately happy at that...I'm thinking ear infection - ug! I guess I'll call in the morning to UPA and take her in first thing to get her checked out...If I had to guess, I would say a double ear infection.

I tested her just a bit ago and put her down in various places - well within reach of me and FUN toys, and she wasn't having ANY of it...again - not like her. She doesn't feel warm, but I know that she's miserable, so I gave her some Tylenol, which she gobbled down.

Fun stuff, right?

And here we are...

Medical update:
They aren't bigger...and I don't have more of them...

So........surgery isn't a MUST, just one of my three options, which include:

1. Continue to do nothing
2. Switch to an estrogen-based birth control pill to try and dissipate/alleviate the cysts
3. Surgery

At this point in time, after MANY discussions with the doctors office, insurance, Matt, other friends that have had the surgery, etc...I'm going to try the birth control switch to see how I feel on that. We'll give that a week or so and if I don't see a significant improvement on the pain scale, then we'll probably go the surgery route.

I take it back!

Lord, if I've ever asked for patience in the past, it must have been a mistake. I take it back! I don't really want to deal with a million things to learn that fruit of the spirit...I'll take some of the other fruit, really.

I don't want to wait on the doctor to figure out if I have to have surgery...I just want to stop hurting...I want to be able to concentrate on a task and get it completed, not get sidetracked because I'm just trying to make it through the day. I don't want to answer the question, "So how are you, Rebecca?" with a tough smile and a generic, "I'll be fine," because virtually anything else feels like a lie. I want to be able to enjoy spending time with my beautiful children, not try to explain to Kellen that Mommy's tummy hurts (again) and that the doctor is going to take a picture to find out how to make it better. And to try to convince him that I'm really going to be ok - because I AM going to be ok - sooner or later. But can't it just be sooner?

In Jesus name...Amen.

For those of you reading this that don't have a clue as to what I'm referring to - sorry! I'm dealing with some wonderful issues over here in the way of ovarian cysts - at last count, a total of 6 spread over both ovaries (varying sizes). I wanted to be able to nurse Tatum for the full year that I pre-determined I was going to, so I have chosen not to treat them up until this point because the treatment option would require that I stop nursing (at least a 99% guarantee that I wouldn't be able to continue nursing her). And when I was diagnosed with this over two months ago, that simply wasn't ok with me - at all. So I've been simply managing them...and have actually been doing ok until the past three weeks or so. Well, the pain got worse - quite a bit worse, so we're doing another ultrasound on Thursday to determine our next course of action - surgery or medication.

We shall see. But I'm fairly sure at some point in time I must have prayed for the Lord to give me patience...so I have to go through things to acquire that patience, right? He knows what I need. There is a reason that I'm going through this, and so I will continue to trust Him.

Cloth Chronicles - Part 4

Well, I've been washing the diapers every day because I still haven't gotten a wetbag to store the diapers...so it's been a necessity thing. I need to take some time and get a big one for the house and another medium size one for daycare...On my to-do for later on tonight and/or tomorrow. And I still need to look at some "thinner" solutions for her inserts...she's still pretty bulky.

Onto other things...So Tatum visited the Guppy room yesterday and today...I told her current teachers and the morning Guppy teachers that I only wanted her to have milk - no juice at all (offered during the 3 PM snack - when she gets her bottle of milk)...Matt picked up the kids today - he got a walk in one of his classes - and I see her chart...they offered her 5 oz of juice and she drank 2 1/2 oz! BEFORE HER BOTTLE! Which means that she didn't drink all of her bottle (most, but not all)...and along with the snack they offered her a CUPCAKE!

Kellen didn't have sweets until his birthday party. And we were going for the same thing with her...It was so nice to be able to watch him as he experienced that at his birthday party for the very first time...now that's gone for Tatum.

Ug...I called up to daycare before they closed, talked with the assistant director and after she consulted with the afternoon teacher, she called me back and confirmed that they did actually give her juice. However, I was told that after the initial taste, she threw her cupcake on the floor. That makes me feel a little better. So does the fact that they took the vast majority of the icing off of the cupcakes and cut them in half before giving them to the kids for snacks. It was someone's birthday and they were celebrating, which I don't mind at all - but Tatum just doesn't need juice or cupcakes yet!

...I'm just aggravated......it was just a lack of communication between the morning and afternoon teacher in the new class...one that is being/has been resolved because the assistant director wrote a note immediately after I got off of the phone with her on the board in the other room. It's just a transition...it's not going to kill her (neither the juice nor the cupcake)...it's just something to frustrate me this week and for me to pick at because I'm still getting used to the fact that this is her last week as an official Angelfish.

Cloth Chronicles - Part 3

Well, the weekend is virtually over, and we made it! I'm washing the second load of soiled diapers right now. She doesn't seem to mind, she hasn't had any leaks, and we're truckin' right along with this cloth diapering! Matt hasn't changed any yet, but no biggie...the changing part isn't any different than disposables, so when he does, it shouldn't be a big deal.

I ordered some more diapers from a mom online at a diaper trading site, and those should be getting shipped out either Monday or Tuesday...they're in fun hot and light pink colors. :)

I still need to figure out some additional insert stuff and a nighttime solution - she's just so bulky at night! But we'll get there.

As for today, we had a great family day...just hanging out, spending time together, enjoying our weekend!

Cloth Chronicles - Part 2

So, another whole day of cloth diapering under our belt and we're still truckin' along! I didn't wash tonight, but have the pockets here from last night that I need to stuff...and then I need to reorganize her changing table - taking away the disposables and inserting the cloth.

I ordered some more diapers today in fun colors...hot and light pink. I can't wait for those to come in! I think with that purchase, we'll probably have all the diapers we'll need for our rotation save a possible larger size at night. We'll need to look at some other insert solutions so that Tatum isn't quite so bulky, both during the day and at night, look at wetbags for daycare and a storage solution for the dirty diapers between washings for at the house. But, I guess...so far, so good!

Unfortunately, little Tatum fell today (from an elevated position) and hit her head on concrete - not so fun. I was trying to have Kellen ride his bike and watch her at the same time...and she's just too quick...trying to save Kellen from getting his leg caught in the bike and falling over off the bike onto the road and catching her...I just didn't have enough hands or quick enough reflexes. *Insert incredibly horrified and sad Mommy face here*

Other than the slight abrasion and red spot on her head, she seems just fine. She didn't eat much of her dinner (considering it was pasta, that was unusual for her), but nursed well and just wanted to go to bed a little early ~ 30 minutes). I'm not too concerned about her wanting to go to bed early tonight because we worked on moving her schedule to more of a "Guppy" schedule today. Translation: she only had one nap and it was after lunch. She slept well; though, from noon until almost 3 PM, so yay for that! She wasn't lethargic or anything like that after the fall - she was still talking and walking around and being her normal little self, albeit a slightly fussier version.

I can't say that I blame her.

Back to the riding of the bike. Kellen asked to ride his bike today, and considering that the weather was somewhat cooperative for that particular activity, we went outside and he rode his bike.

Yes, I typed that correctly. He RODE HIS BIKE! Pedaled himself and everything! Now, he's having a difficult time when he's having the pedal toward inclines, but he's still getting used to actually pedaling and not having someone push him. (And, at the time, we thought that push bar was such a good idea....) He initially got frustrated, but mean ole Mommy wouldn't let him quit. I actually made him put his helmet and pads back on, go back outside, and ride some more so that he wouldn't end up frustrated...and he rode all the way down the street and back!

Then, after Tatum went to bed and we finished eating dinner (which he actually ate, by the way - pizza pasta casserole - imagine that!) I got inspired to "help" him clean up his room. We went through all of this stuffed animals, his hard toys, and his bookshelf and he got rid of 37 items and I took out the clothes that he had outgrown. For those of you wondering, No, I didn't force him to give away these items...I asked him to go into his room and look at the things that he didn't play with and wanted to get rid of so other little boys and girls could play with them. So he put a few things in a pile for Tatum (3 stuffed animals and 1 baby toy that somehow found its way into his room) and the rest in a pile to get rid of altogether).

Let me just say...His room looks GREAT! And we didn't even tackle his actual toy box OR the blue tub under his bed.

Buzz Lightyear Superman

I just had to share...this is what Kellen decided he wanted to do and how he wanted to play on Monday morning...

He wasn't just Buzz Lightyear...oh no....He was Buzz Lightyear Superman - notice the cape!

He is just so imaginative!

Cloth Chronicles, Part 1

So I found a GREAT deal on some Fuzzi bunz (In case you want to check them out, although I didn't order them from that site - pocket style cloth diapers) from a local mom, got them ready for Tatum, and we tried them out last night. I put two inserts in the diaper (and realized that I will probably need some size larges for nighttime in the process), and went for it!

I was hesitant to have our first cloth diapering experience be an overnight one, but hey...why not jump right on into this? If I'm going to do it, just do it...and the nighttime would probably be the biggest worrisome challenge...so there we went.

So....I go in this morning, and there were NO leaks. However, she did have a nice, HUGE poopy waiting for me. What a great first cloth experience, huh? :) Seriously, it wasn't all that big of a deal.

Anyway, I took a stack to daycare today to have them try them out on her as well. Success! Although, I must admit that she was nicer to them than she was to me...no poopies at school today, but another one for Mommy just as soon as we got home! Fun stuff, right?

So, I am currently in the process of washing our first load of soiled diapers. For my own reference, I'll include my version of washing instructions here:

Washing:
1. Dump the dump (optional)

2. Rinse cycle on COLD (no detergent or anything added to the washer)

3. Wash cycle on HOT wash with COLD rinse with detergent added - half as much as normal (I have All Free and Clear, Can also use 4 TBSP of Dawn in place of the laundry detergent and/or add ~ 1/2 cup baking soda to the wash cycle in addition to the detergent/soap); Note: not supposed to use Clorox bleach or any fabric softener)

4. Second rinse cycle (Add ~ 1/4 - 1/2 cup vinegar to this IF using baking soda in the wash cycle)

5. Dryer (NO Dryer Sheet)

Now I just need to figure out the wetbag issue for both the house and daycare, and probably get both some larger size diapers for nighttime and some thinner inserts as well. She's a little bulky - but looks just adorable waddling around!

I think we're getting there. The true test will be after about a week or so, I think.

I'll keep you posted on this front.

In other news...she visited the Guppy classroom today for 2 whole hours....had lunch with them and everything! Then she went back to "her" class (I can say that for one more week) and I came to see her at lunch, then she had a GREAT nap (almost 2 whole hours, which is wonderful for her). We're going to have to work on her naps...trying to transition her from small catnaps or an early morning nap to one long nap immediately after lunch.

We'll work on that this weekend, I guess.

In other news, Kellen is still loving his Little Dragons class, and is paying attention more and more each lesson. He's actually doing really well! I'm amazed at what he's able to comprehend and "show" us later! He's like a little sponge!





Matt worked with him yesterday morning a little bit on the first step in tying his shoe. So he proceeded to show me what Daddy had taught him this morning - and did it correctly. I guess that's one more thing we'll start working on with him, too.

On the way home from school today, he asked to read one of the books that we keep in the car. Well, he began to point out all of the letters and pictures, then started telling me what letters the words/pictures started with. I guess he's officially in the pre-reading stage now.

Where did my babies go?

Long weekend...

Today is the last day of my long weekend...It sure was nice! Grandpa Gerren came yesterday morning for a visit, and was greeted by Kellen asking, "Grandpa, are you going to make pancakes?"

Can you tell that pancakes (and other breakfast foods, for that matter) are Grandpa's specialty? He made a big batch of pancakes and both of the kids enjoyed them (2 pancakes each, actually!). We had a great time just hanging out and playing yesterday with Grandpa...we never even left the house!

Today was more of the same, although Grandpa did have to leave early this morning (Kellen was disappointed that he didn't get another big, fresh breakfast). However, Daddy made it home from work fairly early, so both kids enjoyed quite a bit of playtime with him today. He and Kellen even ran quite a few errands and got a lot of things accomplished this afternoon. So much so that I guess it isn't that big of a deal that Matt completely forgot to take him to his Little Dragon's class. LOL

I need to have more of these types of weekends and days with the kids...Oh wait...that's taking a day off of work and actually using it for play, isn't it? Do people really do that? :)

Going green(er)

So I've been thinking about switching to cloth diapers for a few weeks now...for many reasons. Primarily, once you get over the initial start-up cost, they're cheaper (you just have the expense of washing them); they're better on Tatum's little bottom (and man-oh-man have we been getting some doosies in the diaper rash department!); and of course the less waste going into the landfill reason. I sound crunchy, I know.

I'm ready to take the plunge. Wish us luck!

Guppy time...

Has it come to this already? This is my reward for raising a child that is advanced, huh? I embarked on my normal lunchtime outing...to daycare to feed Tatum...and it turned my world upside down today. Sigh.

So I walk in her classroom, and the lead teacher, whom I absolutely adore, starts off with, 'Um...they're wanting to move Tatum to the Guppy room on February 4th.'

"Say wha' huh?" was my very eloquent response to this statment. I was mighty proud of myself for that one, let me tell you.

She then proceeds to tell me that the director of the daycare was covering for another teacher in Tatum's class this morning and got to witness just how truly advanced my little 10-month old actually is developmentally. There are two other kids in her class that are older than her, and they normally "graduate" children to the next class based on chronological age, not developmental progress. However, Kellen "jumped" someone to graduate to the Guppies and it appears that his sister will beat him by jumping two people. The current oldest little girl has yet to crawl - yes, I'm serious, and she's right at a month older than Tatum. The second is unfortunately having to undergo two different surgeries that will immobilize her very soon, so they'll graduate her once she's completed the healing from those.

They had previously told me that they wouldn't have Tatum jump anyone because of developmental issues, but I think at the time they told me that (about a month or so ago) they really thought that little girl #1 would start moving, which she has not yet done. Poor Carolyn, she was given the job of "breaking the ice" with me about this topic today. They hadn't (at least at lunchtime) talked with the mom of little girl #1 about not moving up, but I think that she was already really hesitant about the change because of the lack of movement. Historically, there have at times been a combination of kids in the Guppy room at both walking and crawling stages; however, currently ALL of the kids in there are completely mobile and walking. So if she doesn't get moving within the next two weeks, she is quite literally going to get run over.

Bless Carolyn's heart! She and the other teacher know that I'm desperately trying to make it to a year with nursing, and that this will REALLY put a crimp into that plan because it will take away one whole nursing session (my lunchtime session).

Oh yes, did I mention that I will no longer be able to go and nurse her at lunch? The Guppy class eats lunch from 11:00 - 11:30 AM and then goes down for their nap. So if I came at lunch, she would (hopefully) be asleep - unless I restructured my lunchtime. Oh, and they don't really like for the kids in this room to have bottles...so we'll have to work to get her used to a sippy cup so that she can take her 9 AM and 3 PM milk from a sippy cup instead of a bottle. In two weeks. So we spent a little time talking about ways to transition and things of the such during lunch today.

Sigh.

I know that this is coming across as oh-so-much more negative than it really is. She is READY to go to the Guppy room - socially, physically, emotionally, etc. I have no doubt that she'll do great there and that she is ready to move up.

I'm just not ready for her to be ready to move up. She's my baby, and she won't be in the baby room anymore. And that just makes me want to cry.

Speaking of not being a baby.................

I told Kellen at dinnertime that Tatum was going to be a Guppy. His response, a very emphatic, "I KNOW!"

Kellen: Maybe we can shrink Tatum.
Mommy: Why would we want to shrink Tatum?
Kellen: So that she'll stay small. I don't want her to get big. I want to ALWAYS have a baby.
Mommy: You know what Kellen, Mommy feels the same way sometimes. I don't want you or Tatum to get big. But you will. Does that mean you want another baby?
Kellen: No. We can't have another baby.
Mommy: We can't?
Kellen: No. God can't make another baby.
Mommy (laughing at this point in time): Oh yes he can, buddy.

Gonna be a bear

Oatmeal

For the record, I have never liked oatmeal for breakfast, much to my parents dismay. However, in an attempt to convince Kellen that oatmeal was yummy for breakfast, I actually managed to EAT AN ENTIRE BOWL OF OATMEAL this morning for breakfast.

I still don't like oatmeal.

Kellen; however, ate his whole initial bowl and then asked for seconds, so my ruse must have worked.

Sure, buddy!

Today was Matt's first day of classes....I've heard from him at various points throughout the day, but I can't wait to hear about his day when he gets home tonight from his last class!

Back to school

Well, Matt submitted his application yesterday and reapplied to Blinn for the spring semester. We met with the director of the program that he had been pursuing before the Christmas break, and there was a question about one requirement that the director was going to look into, but other than that, Matt needs 10 hours to complete his associates in this program. So we decided that he's going to go back to school this semester and take those 10 hours.

Oh, I haven't mentioned yet that it's chemistry 1411 (NOT cowboy chem), Engligh 2311 and an arson investigation class.

And he's still working his normal job(s) in Houston and at the hospital.

We really feel like this is where God is leading us, because we calculated that these 10 hours were going to cost just under $1000 - extra money that we didn't have just sitting around (who does, right?). Well, I received a departmental staff award yesterday that came with a stipend...in that amount.

However, based on his work schedule, we need VERY specific sections of chemistry and English, and he's already been told that he'll be forced into the arson investigation course. Please pray that when he registers that he'll be able to get into those specific sections - either on his own or through forcing.

It almost goes without saying that this will be hard both on Matt and our family. Without belaboring that point, I'll just ask that you guys please pray for Matt while he's taking these classes and for our family as we're trying to cope with additional pressures on his time that impact us as a family.

When did he become so grown up?

At what point in time did Kellen become such a grown up little kid? I got to school to pick him up and he was coloring...in the lines and beautifully, I might add - and he wanted to stay to finish his picture. Ok.

Then we talked about his day all the way home...he helped me with Tatum (i.e. ate his own dinner and played while I fed her and got her to bed), then we finished working on the cupcakes we started a couple of nights ago. Icing and sprinkles...yummy! We had intended to make Christmas cupcakes - white icing with red and green sprinkles, so we just kept with the original plan. He did ALL of the icing and "decorating" himself - helped me clean up, you name it!

Where did my little-boy Kellen go? I'm going to be asking that question for the rest of my life, aren't I?

It's the 3rd

It's the 3rd...that means that Tatum is officially 10 months old today. Oh goodness gracious, where has the time gone? She's walking now...at least when she wants to. Well, let's just say that she's capable of it anyway...she can walk halfway across the room if the mood strikes her, but just not when you're trying to show someone that she can do it! LOL

Kellen made the comment the other day that, "Tatum can walk now, that means she can be a Guppy."

I just about cried.

To explain what that means to those of you unfamiliar with their daycare, Tatum is in the Angelfish classroom, and the next class up is the Guppy class. Typically, the kids "graduate" to the Guppy class when they're around a year old, and when another space is needed in the Angelfish classroom. The Guppy room holds the kids until they're about 18 months old or so. They try to wait until the Angels are mobile and walking before they graduate them, but not always. Well, his comment just kind of hit me.

She could now be a Guppy.

Oh me, oh my.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas all! Yes, I'm late...but we had 5 Christmas celebrations in 3 days...so I'm a little beat!


Let me rewind, and I'll start on Christmas Eve morning...Matt got off of work and headed home, and when we were ready to have our Christmas, I had him go and play with Kellen in Kellen's room while I set out all of the presents for he and Tatum. Then Matt came out to video Kellen's reaction to the gifts, and we called him out into the living room...it was GREAT! He was so surprised, because we hadn't told him that we were going to be opening any presents. Tatum just played and played with her LeapFrog table, and Kellen was a big helper to her, opening all of her presents for her. :) She just hasn't and didn't figure out the opening presents thing, so I guess it was good that she had some help, huh? Kellen played all morning with his LeapFrog reading writing system and his Sit N Spin, and begged and begged to watch Shrek the Third. Then we got ready to leave for Matt's aunt and uncle's house in Houston for our Christmas Eve celebration there, and were delayed slightly in our departure due to a lovely garbage disposal issue. Despite being told I can, my mantra is now, "I will not put potato skins down the disposal. I will not put potato skins down the disposal."

We got there for our annual venison chili and cold-cuts dinner (yes, it seemed strange to me, too...but I married into it and now it just seems normal), and Kellen played with his cousin's rugby wheelchair...he had a BLAST running into the curbs and flying down the driveway into the street. Wait, that sounds bad...it's a cul-de-sac and there were adults present, so it was supervised fun, really! The kids were really well behaved, save for Kellen's continual attempt to get the dog to let him pet her...we tried to tell Kellen that when she went into her crate, that was her telling him to LEAVE HER ALONE...and that the growling was her way of telling him that. I think he got it, but he continued to try to pet her (outside of the crate) all night long. I don't think it ever worked. Lots of fun was had by all there, then we loaded up and went to Maw Maw and Paw Paw's. We opened just a couple of gifts there from family friends, and the adults PJ's (Matt, Brenna and I all got new PJ's to wear for Christmas Eve...the kids had already worn theirs the night before because we had already started their celebrations), then called it a night.

Christmas morning was just lots of fun. Luckily for us, both of the kids slept in because it had been such a long day on Christmas Eve. Fortunately, they're BOTH doing the "catching up" sleep thing that they've NEVER done before. Let me just say that it's really nice...We opened up the presents, and Kellen's favorite - by far - was the pirate ship from the VeggieTales Pirates who Don't do Anything. Ohmygosh...He was so excited - thrilled - about that present it's almost indescribable. I got a new digital camera...that is SO nice! Now I just have to figure out how to use all of the various functions...It even has a manual fuction, which is something that I've really been wanting so that I can experiment more with pictures of the kids. Yay!! I get to play around with it now...Matt's big present he had already gotten - tires for his Trailblazer. He's thrilled about it - I guess it's a guy thing? LOL We then had a big lunch there, which was just wonderful, and then the kids went down for their naps.

Afterwards, we loaded everything up and went down into Houston for the other side of Matt's family...more family, more presents, both kids are STILL behaving remarkably well for having two full days of this intense action. Tatum just charmed everyone...and is walking better and better by the day (why am I encouraging this again? I forget...) We stayed down at Gary and Glenda's for quite a while, and didn't leave there until 10PM...got back home shortly before midnight, then got the kids down in bed, finished unpacking from that trip and getting things ready for the next and final Christmas celebration....for my side of the family on Wednesday.

I made two pot roasts in the crock pot (two crock pots, actually), with potatos, carrots, and mushrooms, and let that cook all night long. Wednesday morning we slept in until a little after 8AM (yay again for the kids sleeping in!) and Grandma and Grandpa got here shortly after 9. Most everything was ready for this group, so I finished up the last of the gifts, got lunch ready, and Michael, Jonathan, Tammy, Joey and Allyssa got here shortly after noon. Dad and Matt had run to finish up a couple of the gifts and get some things from the store (darn that missing sugar!) and made it here shortly after the rest of the gang arrived..It was almost perfect timing...I think they had to wait about 15 minutes on the green beans, corn and noodles to finish up before we were able to eat. We ate lunch...lots of lunch, and then opened presents. Kellen and Allyssa (and Joey - although he was more like a babysitter) played a LOT in their room. It eventually looked like a tornado had gone through there, but man...they were having fun!

So today has been a rest day...we ALL lounged in our PJ's until about noon...Tatum was the first to get changed out of hers just because she was getting frustrated while trying to crawl and/or walk in PJ's that were too long (18 month PJ's fit her really well except for being too long...12 month PJ's are getting too tight in her legs - my big girl...), Kellen stayed in his all the way through naptime, and I showered while they were both napping after lunch. It was a GREAT day today...both kids were well behaved, Kellen colored and played with his sticker books, played with his toys and Tatum, plus HER toys (they must be more fun for him now that he's older...dunno...). After we all woke up from naps (unfortunately, mine was just a short cat-nap on the chair), we ran errands in town. A trip to Once Upon a Child to sell some outgrown clothes and toys landed up just enough money to buy the large Shrek and Donkey stuffed toys and a Shrek 2 puzzle they had there for Kellen...I think I made 50 cents or something...but since Kellen is currently sleeping with the Shrek and Donkey and put the puzzle together all by himself almost as soon as we got home, I think it was well worth it.

Maybe tomorrow we'll get more done around the house, but it was really fun just to play with the kids today. Tatum decided that she wanted to walk - really walk. I think I lost count of the number of steps she took...if I had been counting, I guess. I was in shock that I couldn't really get my brain to count steps! Our highest outside of today had been 4 steps...I think this was at least 8...

Blur...

That's what life feels like right now!

Friday I had the day off, and Matt and I got some MAJOR errands run...then he took a short nap while I picked up the kids from school, and it was off to Houston by way of Conroe to drop the kids off with his folks for our date-night...The Nutcracker, performed by The Houston Ballet! Tickets to the show were my anniversary present, and WOW! Well, it's us...so is anyone surprised that we were running behind schedule? Quick dinner of Sonic on the way to Conroe, get them dropped off - when we realized there was a complete 24-hour miscommunication about which day the ballet was anyway...luckily MawMaw and PawPaw were actually at their house - WHEW! So they were all set to watch the kids, quick changes for Matt and I and we're off to Houston. In bound traffic was a little heavier than Matt had expected, so we knew that we were cutting it close on the start time...Get there, park, and walk (luckily, I DO know how to power and race walk) to the show, get inside, one guy tells us they're still seating people and the next lady...well, you can see where I'm going with this, right? The next lady stops us and tells us that they have stopped seating. According to my watch, it was 7:37, but we missed the door by less than 2 minutes...and were the first ones turned away...surprised? I didn't think so.

So we got to watch the first act on the monitor - a VERY nice TV hooked up to a not-so-nice feed. Ahh..There were others that joined us, and Matt and I saw a glimpse of our future in some of the families...adorably dressed little girls and oh-so-handsome little boys...doing combat rolls towards the glass and bear-crawling so as to not get in the way of people. It was hilarious!

After intermission, we found our seats and really enjoyed the show quite a bit. But what would a night out be without some drama, at least where we're concerned?

Saturday morning we get up and rush to get ready so that we can make it back to town in time for Kellen's Little Dragon class that starts at 10 AM. At about 5 minutes till we pull into the parking lot...the EMPTY parking lot. Apparently neither Matt nor I had realized that the holiday schedule began on Saturday, so we high-tailed it back to town for a non-existent lesson. Poor Kellen. He was so excited about going to his class, too. Anyway, we were able to get a lot more stuff done around the house on Saturday, and Matt really went through all of our Christmas decorations, finished decorating, and reorganized the decoration storage boxes. The house looks really nice!

We discussed yesterday that we still needed to get Santa pictures, so we looked on the mall website and saw that the mall was opening up at 7 AM today. So this morning, I got up, got ready, got the kids all decked out in their gear, and was determined to be one of the first in line for the Santa pictures. How true, how true. When we arrived at the mall and went to the castle, there was a sign on it indicating that on Sunday, the pictures were from 12 - 6 PM. And this was at 9:30 AM, mind you. So, I decided to try and finish some of the Christmas shopping that I needed to do at the mall, and just get that done before the pictures opened up...we shopped for a while - let me just interject here that Kellen inherits his non-love of shopping from me - he was not the happiest of campers at the mall - then at about 10:45, went to the food court and got an early lunch. I decided to let them eat, then go wait by the castle for Santa...smart plan, right?

We finish eating about ten minutes after 11, then walk over to the castle, only to see hustle and bustle there....Apparently, they started taking pictures at 11 AM today, not noon as the sign on their stand indicated. So instead of being EARLY, people are already there and getting their pictures made. Oh good gracious! However, the line wasn't bad, and I had been prepping Kellen quite a bit about showing Tatum that she didn't need to be scared of Santa, etc...He went first, and did just WONDERFULLY! He went right up to Santa and sat on his lap, talked to him, smiled great for his picture, everything! Then I put Tatum on Santa's other knee, and reminded Kellen to show Tatum not to be scared of Santa. I let them both sit there for just a few minutes, and Tatum was NOT happy about the big buy in the red suit. Kellen was GREAT, though! He was trying to make her laugh, and calming her down, then I got him off of Santa's lap and he and I tried to make her laugh and smile so that she could get a good picture with Santa. It turned out ok, but she isn't smiling and cheerful in the picture, which is her "normal" face and attitude. All-in-all, the pictures are ADORABLE.

Back to the house for naps, then after naps we hit Wal-Mart and then Kroger for the remainder of our items. Kellen helped me wrap a lot of gifts tonight, and he had so much fun being my helper! He was disappointed that we didn't get a chance to make any cookies or the cupcakes we had talked about, but we just ran out of time today! Maybe we'll get to that tomorrow...he's pretty insistent about making cookies for Santa.

The Shrek Song

So on the new "Shrek the Halls" show, which we have DVR'ed and watched a zillion times (I have committed it to memory, Kellen has committed it to memory, heck, I think TATUM has committed it to memory), there is a particular song with a lyric that goes,

"Bah humbug, but that's too strong...it's my favorite holiday."

Well, Matt did a search for that song - as it does have a good beat - and we found it. We've been listening to this stop nonstop, or at least it seems nonstop, since Matt found it. I can't get it out of my head! I'll say a small phrase out of it, then Kellen will finish the verse and ask to listen to the Shrek Song on the computer.

In fact, if the web site is up, he'll continually click the play button just so that he can listen to it over and over again.

Check it out...http://youtube.com/watch?v=bP_WH4heId4 - It really is cute and catchy...

Christmas Wrapping
by The Waitresses

"Bah, humbug!" No, that's too strong
'Cause it is my favorite holiday
But all this year's been a busy blur
Don't think I have the energy

To add to my already mad rush
Just 'cause it's 'tis the season.
The perfect gift for me would be
Completions and connections left from

Last year, ski shop,
Encounter, most interesting.
Had his number but never the time
Most of '81 passed along those lines.

So deck those halls, trim those trees
Raise up cups of Christmas cheer,
I just need to catch my breath,
Christmas by myself this year.

Calendar picture, frozen landscape,
Chilled this room for twenty-four days,
Evergreens, sparkling snow
Get this winter over with!

Flashback to springtime, saw him again,
Would've been good to go for lunch,
Couldn't agree when we were both free,
We tried, we said we'd keep in touch.

Didn't, of course, 'til summertime,
Out to the beach to his boat could I join him?
No, this time it was me,
Sunburn in the third degree.

Now the calendar's just one page
And, of course, I am excited
Tonight's the night, but I've set my mind
Not to do too much about it.

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.

Hardly dashing through the snow
Cause I bundled up too tight
Last minute have-to-do's
A few cards a few calls'
Cause it's r-s-v-p
No thanks, no party lights
It's Christmas Eve, gonna relax
Turned down all of my invites.

Last fall I had a night to myself,
Same guy called, halloween party,
Waited all night for him to show,
This time his car wouldn't go,

Forget it, it's cold, it's getting late,
Trudge on home to celebrate
In a quiet way, unwind
Doing Christmas right this time.

A&P has provided me
With the world's smallest turkey
Already in the oven, nice and hot
Oh d#$%! Guess what I forgot?

So on with the boots, back out in the snow
To the only all-night grocery,
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
In the line is that guy I've been chasing all year!

"I'm spending this one alone," he said.
"Need a break; this year's been crazy."
I said, "Me too, but why are you?
You mean you forgot cranberries too?"

Then suddenly we laughed and laughed
Caught on to what was happening
That Christmas magic's brought this tale
To a very happy ending! "

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Couldn't miss this one this year!
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Couldn't miss this one this year!

Written by Chris Butler (c)
1981 Future Fossil Music, BMI

A day of firsts...

Today was Kellen first dental appointment - ok, ok...I know what the "official" recommendation is...but it was a good visit - no cavities and he even let them clean and floss his teeth - don't judge me :) - We had been talking about the visit and I had been prepping him for it...we had a lot of time to just hang out in the dentists office (more than Mommy would have liked, actually), but it worked out ok because I was able to play with him a lot and get him really comfortable in the surroundings. He didn't like the bright light shining on his face - specifically his eyes - when he was getting his teeth examined, but can you really blame him? He did a decent job of getting the x-ray done, but moved during the second part of it, so half of them look really interesting. We opted NOT to redo them. He's 4...we didn't think it was necessary. The part that I think he dislikes the most was them rinsing his mouth out with the spray water...he just couldn't understand that and the suction...that part freaked him out a little, but ultimately, not a big deal. Then he called his Grandpa Gerren to share the good news and tell him about the "trophy toothbrush" he got as a present. At what point in time the toothbrush morphed into a trophy toothbrush I have no idea, but whatever!

As a reward for doing such a great job at the dentist, he went back to my office with me and played the part of a helper elf , handing out Christmas presents around the office, telling everyone "Merry Christmas!" along the way. It was adorable and he enjoyed it so much! Since he had helped make the cookies, I wanted him to be able to help hand them out, so it was really nice that we were able to make that work. He even helped "assemble" the gifts...a Christmas tub, chocolate no-bake cookies, hot chocolate mix, and some chocolate candies (yes, yes...we are a chocolate family). The folks at the office got a big kick out of him handing the gifts out, too.

Then we headed back to school in time for lunch and there ya' go!

When we got home today, he asked if we were going to make more cookies, apparently because , "It's my most favorite thing to do in the whole world!"

Really? Make cookies? I had no idea.

As for Tatum, 3 steps is our max. That's where we are at this point in time. She gets SO EXCITED when she thinks about walking and tries to walk that she's leaning more than her legs are moving...or she gets those 3 steps and then gets too excited to coordinate the rest of the movements. It's too cute to watch her try and figure this out, it really is. I still haven't figured out why I'm encouraging this development, other than I want to help my kids develop to their full potential - but walking at 9 months? I think she'll have it down pretty well by Christmas, or at the latest by the time she turns 10 months old.

She had a very vocal day today, and was apparently sharing her opinion with everyone...Opinions about what, we aren't all that sure, but she was sure letting everyone know that she was around! She is just too funny...