Redefining vacation?

According to dictionary.com: vacation - noun 1. a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday: Schoolchildren are on vacation now.

Hmmm...

My first "official" day of vacation consisted of wonderful family time - and no, I'm not being sarcastic. I had the distinct honor of watching my mother become Dr. Gerren in her commencement ceremony...and celebrated the day with some of her friends, my brother and father, and my family...We went to lunch, hung out afterwards, and just enjoyed each others company. And if you read my earlier post, we did finally open that bottle of champagne and I think there were a total of 3 glasses drank out of it. Oh well!! But it was a full day. And activity was certainly not suspended.

This weekend was also a wonderful family weekend...slightly more restful since Matt was around and I believe I even got a nap snuck in there somewhere. Ahhh...bliss...

Today...well today was just wonderful, despite the fact that my dear hubby wasn't here. Kellen and I had a BLAST today, which was precisely the point of the day. We all got up, had breakfast, and he and I took Tatum to school and dropped her off...We then headed to Starbucks and got coffee for me, chocolate milk and a donut for him. Well, it was officially for him but after one bite, I got to finish it off...it apparently sounded much better to him than it tasted.

Then we went to drop off rented movies at Blockbuster and to the lab to get blood drawn for me (always some small tasks to be run, aren't there?) for an appointment later on this week. He and I talked extensively about the blood draw...it was freaking him out that they were going to stick me with a needle. Wow...We really had to work through that one, and I'm not sure that we're all the way through it yet, honestly.

Then we went to Wal-Mart to pick up his school supplies - yes, I'm typing it and not crying. And here's the funny part...he's not even registered for school yet! HAHAHA - Matt gets to do that either tomorrow or when he's watching him next week...Anyway, so we picked up the school list and did our shopping, and the grand total didn't come out to nearly as bad as I thought (less than $20!), especially considering I am shy only a couple of things on the list (the bath towel doesn't count, because we'll send him with one from home - I have NO idea why I would consider buying him a brand new towel when we have some here at the house I can send with him??). I can't find the assorted colored construction paper in the correct size (12 X 18") (2 packages, mind you) - I guess that's a "my bad" for starting on this school shopping thing so late; and will buy the dry erase markers and the 2nd box of tissues later.

Anyway...he was getting excited about the school supplies and it was really neat to watch. We looked at the lunch boxes and back packs, but he told me that he didn't like any of them there, so we'll continue to look for the ones that he tells me he "has to have" - we just haven't seen them yet, I guess. Then we found a steal of a deal on some lawn chairs - marked down to a buck...Yes, ladies and gentlemen...lawn chairs like I have been looking for all season long, and like my dear sweet husband and Kellen bought as a surprise for me Sunday night (yup...you read that one correctly...), on BIG TIME SALE today for a buck. So I bought some more to add to the set that they so sweetly had gotten me last night.

We then continue our fun day (and yes, he really was having fun through all of this except the lab part) and go to Once Upon a Child for a quick clothing drop off...then to the mission for a drop off there as well. Sidenote story: I had mentioned while we were getting ready this morning that we were going to take a trip to the mission and that if he had any toys he wanted to get rid of to bring them to the kitchen to pack up...So Kellen goes in his room and starts going through his toys and brings out about a half dozen small toys that he's decided he wants to take to the mission. Isn't that just the sweetest? I just love that he's able to think about others - even if he doesn't do it all of the time, he IS capable of it!

Headed back to the house for lunch, unloaded the car from the Wal-Mart shopping trip (wouldn't want to melt the new school crayons, right?) and then got ready to go to the pool...And it was off to the pool for us (And we walked there! I LOVE being so close!!). We stayed there about 2 or so hours, and Kellen just had SO MUCH FUN! He and I just played and played and played. He would dive to me, swim underwater to me, throw his toys and dive and swim for them, you name it...We had a BLAST! We finally left there at about 3 o'clock....walked home and got cleaned up. Kellen got ready to go to Little Dragons and I started cooking dinner for a couple in Sunday School that had just had a baby.

So we went to Little Dragons and Kellen did exceptional in class! Finished up there, came back to the house, Kellen changed clothes, I grabbed the dinner and we left again...stopped by Once Upon a Child for the 50 cents they paid me for the two onesies they decided to buy (I'm glad I didn't go out of my way for that trip today....I would have been upset because the GAS would have been more than that!), picked up Tatum and got Milkshake Monday at Chick-fil-A, then dropped off dinner to our friends.

Bless Kellen's heart...by this time, as you can imagine, he's utterly exhausted, and I'm trying desperately to keep him awake, but it's no use. He snoozed a little on the drive, then woke up when we get back to house to eat. Luckily, despite being completely exhausted and worn out, he really didn't give me too hard of a time tonight, but ate really well, drank his milkshake, and I allowed him to watch a little TV (which we obviously hadn't done much of all day). He helped me put away the laundry (oh, I didn't mention that between all of these various outings I had been keeping the laundry going, so there is barely a dirty piece of laundry in the entire house, and it's ALL put away in its appropriate place...YAY!!!), AND the dishes have been run twice AND put away - WOO HOO!! So at about 7:30 I had him start getting ready for bed and a little before 8 I was reading his bedtime story to him...He was ready!

So the point of all of this is to say...I had a WONDERFUL day with Kellen, but as far as the second official day of my vacation goes, the "period of suspension of...other activity.." definition isn't really fitting my "vacation" very well...Hmmm...

I think I'm going to throw the textbook definition out the window...'cause yesterday Kellen and I talked about all of the things that he and I wanted to do today, and we did them ALL. The only things that we didn't get done today that we wanted to were things that we added to our list as they came up...we want to play with the new toy I bought him at Wal-Mart; walk to the park close by our house, look at the pond and feed the ducks if we see any; and play in the "park" in our backyard (we have a relatively new swingset which he thinks is as good as going to a park). He also wants to go to The Bounce, which we're planning to do on Wednesday, and wants to go back to the pool.

Sounds like a plan to me!

My Kitchen Aid Mixer

My mixer is usually used by Matt, who does a wonderful job of using it to cook breakfast burritos, among other things. I, on the other hand, am just USED to using my hand mixer. You know, the good, old-fashioned, hand mixer. That's what I grew up with and what I know best. Although I wanted the Kitchen Aid mixer, I've been intimidated by it ever since we got it.

Oh, and by the way, we got it when we got married...almost 8 years ago.

Well, after hosting the REU-EXCITE students at the house and twice watching them effortlessly use the Kitchen Aid mixer to whip up their batches of "dirt" both times, I decided to give it a whirl tonight when making the graduation cake.

I just have to say, "I love my Kitchen Aid mixer!"

I really think I can get used to using it! Really! Most of you are probably thinking, well - duh!, but that's actually a pretty big turning point for me, since I wanted to actually put it away in the cabinet when we moved rather than leaving it out on the counter.

I just might have to start baking more often...and my midsection WON'T thank me for that one, I'm sure...

It's official - I'm VACATIONING!!!

Whoo hoo!! I'm officially on vacation! Yes ladies and gentlemen, you read that correctly. I did it. I took vacation. And no, the kids aren't sick, I'm not taking off to clean house, and I'm not on maternity leave. Laugh all you want, but those three things listed above are basically the main reasons for any leave that I've taken in the last 3 or so years. Seriously.

I left a L-O-N-G list of things for my student worker and some follow-up stuff for a faculty member to do, and it will *hopefully* all get done, since the day I get back that faculty member and I are conducting our departmental new graduate student orientation, but I'm going to try my hardest NOT to stress out about it!

Whoo hoo!! Bring on the fun stuff!!

I DO have to get Kellen registered for kindergarten next week *sniff* - Let's see if I can make it through that without crying - and we're actually doing some family stuff at the end of the week next week as well, but other than that we're doing an awful lot of hangin' around!!

My first "official" day of vacation is already pretty packed...mom is graduating with her PhD at one of the graduation ceremonies and she, my dad, and Jonathan are driving into town in the morning when dad gets off of work. I've just baked a celebratory cake and am chilling champagne and a bottle of wine as I type for the festivities. I figure I've had the champagne since Matt and my wedding, and we'll probably never drink it, so why not actually open it up for a festive occasion, right? After the ceremony, we're all going to Snook to eat steak for lunch and then we're just hanging out here at the house while my dad takes a nap before they drive home. Then we might go to the pool for a while - who knows!!

I'm really looking forward to spending some time with Kellen next week before he starts to school...We're trying to wean him off of his naps, and Matt's done a really good job with that while he's been with him this week, so we'll try to keep going with that next week as well. I've had to pay for it in the evenings, but Kellen DOES actually recognize that he's tired, so I guess that's a good thing. Poor guy. He needs his nap but we're just having to get him ready for school when he'll only have about a half an hour of "rest" time...so we figure if we try to wean him off of naps this month and move his bedtime forward to at least 8 PM, we should be in good shape. I will say though that the few days he went without a nap, he went to bed around the same time as his sister or shortly after. And her bedtime is 7. And he KNEW and RECOGNIZED that he was tired and ASKED to go to bed. Yup. Sure thing, buddy...

I'm SO looking forward to my vacation!! YAY!!!

Blessed

I am so blessed...Let me just try and count the ways...

It has been a while since I've posted, and I'm desperately behind in pictures, but this may not be the post to catch up in that respect...bear with me, please.

The REU-EXCITE students have come and gone...and they were more fun that I could have ever imagined. For those of you who don't know to what I'm referring, in addition to my "normal" stuff this summer at work, I also coordinated an NSF grant where we brought in 8 students from across the US to do a 10-week research program in our department, the first REU program in a department of entomology, we believe (YAY!). The last few weeks of this program have been a whirlwind, with Matt and I hosting them week before last at the house for a movie night, then last week on Wednesday being the culmination of their entire summer displayed in the form of our departmental student symposium where they gave oral presentations on their research to our departmental audience. They were F A N T A S T I C!!! Then later that afternoon they participating in the University-wide REU poster presentation and our group was heads above the rest of the groups in terms of at least the overall "look" of the posters (so at least I'm told...I didn't make it over to the poster presentations). I was helping to get the rental car for the field trip for the next day.

"Where did we go?" You ask...

Well, note above when I indicated that these students were from all over (our cohort ended up having 5 native Texans, but we weren't sure how that was going to pan out when it was planned), so we had a field trip to Schlitterbahn planned into the grant all along...And myself and a faculty member took the students to Schlitterbahn on Thursday. All went well...No injuries of which to speak, thank God, but lots of funny stories and fantastic memories.

Then on Friday night Matt and I hosted them again for a final farewell, which consisted of Matt cooking hot dogs on the grill and us all watching A Bug's Life (while everyone was eating and the kids were still awake) and then watching The Fly once the kids went to bed (well, once Tatum went to bed and Matt took Kellen into our bedroom to watch something else, anyway). The students were so appreciative of everything that the department had provided them, and I really had to fight tears off and on all night long, especially when one of them shows up with a dozen roses for me just to say, "Thanks" for everything I had done for them all summer long.

It's students like this and moments such as these that help me to remember and realize that I'm EXACTLY where God wants me to be, touching lives in the manner in which He wants me to. I made an impact on these students that will hopefully resonate for years to come. And no, this isn't a "look what Rebecca did" post, but I did need that oh-so-much right now for so many reasons, because this summer has been so overwhelmingly stressful on so many levels and having that as a little God-reminder was so precious to me!

Moving on...

Kellen
Kellen had his birthday party on his birthday this year...it will warrant its own post, full of pictures of the many friends that came to share in his day, but that day was quite the blessing in and of itself. The poor guy almost wasn't able to make his own party! He had been sick the day prior with an unbelievably high fever that I just couldn't get to come down, despite all of my normal tricks of Tylenol, cool baths, little clothing, the works, but with many prayer warriors doing their thing, he woke up feeling much better on his actual birthday and, although wasn't completely himself by party time, was able to attend, play, and have a good time. WHEW! Crisis averted on that one!

This past Friday I picked Kellen up from school...his daycare that we've always called his school...and I cleaned out his cubby for the last time. I didn't cry, but it was close. Friday was his last day there. For the remainder of August until he starts kindergarten on the 25th, Matt will do daddy-duty every day, except for the days he works, then Kellen will ride with daddy and go to MawMaw and PawPaw's to stay.

Can I say again that I'm not ready for him to start school? Why did I think that it would be easier on me since he always gone to school? I did, though...I honestly thought that the transition from day care "school" to actual school wouldn't be that hard on me. WRONG. Every time I let myself think about it for more than 30 seconds to a minute, I have to stop myself from breaking down into a bumbling, crying mess.

Why is that?

Matt seems to be dealing with this very well...and I'm blessed that he's going to a GREAT school that is SO CLOSE to us! If we didn't live in the days that we did, he could actually walk to school, we're THAT close.

Tatum
And Tatum, what to say about her....She's finally gotten both of those top molars in all the way, but the other teeth that I just know she's cutting haven't come through yet. I'm convinced she's cutting teeth. it's either that or she's like the dog in Turner and Hooch and has a major drooling problem, and surely it can't be that...She's just gone through or is still going through a growth spurt, and I went through her closet tonight pulling out her shoes and some clothes that no longer fit her. How is it that my 17 month old - as in 17 months old TODAY - is wearing 24 and 2T clothes - and if they're shirts they're already fitting too snug and should be 3T? There's something inherently wrong with that, isn't there? *sigh* Then again, I guess it just depends on the outfit, because the 18 month size dress looked adorable on her today at church other than the straps continually falling off of her shoulders. Ha...It's a clothing manufacturer conspiracy I tell you!

What I did learn today is that she seems to L I K E trying on clothes. Yes, you read that correctly. She likes it. Shoes and all. Oh boy. I'm in trouble! I was trying some shoes on her that I wasn't sure would fit her because, like I mentioned earlier, I realized she had grown quite a bit....tried on some and they didn't fit, got the bigger size out and tried them on her and it went something like this.

"Tatum, come here and let's try these shoes on." (She proceeds to walk to me, turns around and sits in my lap, putting one foot out near the shoe I'm holding in my hand)

I put the shoes on her. "Walk around and see if you like those." (She prances around her room)

"Do they feel good? Do you like them?"

Appropriate head shake according to her preferences.

Wow...this has to be genetic because it certainly isn't learned behavior, but where did this genetic material come from?

And me...
Well, I have decided that I'm actually going to take a week off of work. Yup. Seriously. A WHOLE week. So after this week of work, I'm taking off! YAY me! We have a family vacation snuck in there for one of those weekends, but other than that, I might not do much of anything but watch movies with Kellen and take him to the pool. And nap. A lot.

Sounds like a plan to me!

I'm hoping that I'll be able to get back into my running routine again this week...with the craziness of the REU-EXCITE schedule last week, it just didn't happen. I won't say there wasn't a way, but it would have required even less sleep than what I got, and I don't function well on little sleep (can those of you who know me say BEAR?). But I miss it, and I'm hopeful that I'll find a way to make it happen in a feasible manner this week.

Brain on Bugs

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0bUEKfZpz4k

Progress!

Well, Sunday we got back to making some progress on the house. Now don't get me wrong, we have been doing stuff, but we made real headway on Sunday.

All of the decorations have been hung in Tatum's room and it looks just ADORABLE, if I do say so myself...(Thanks Maw Maw!!) Then we put up the vast majority of the items on the walls in Kellen's room - his will take longer because just about every wall has a different theme. Yes, I'm being serious. There's the Aggie wall, then the Norman Rockwall wall, then the baseball wall...you get the idea. So he has something up on all of the walls, and more to come on the baseball and Aggie walls, but I think he feels better about having some of his familiar items up on the walls.

And I think the kids are adjusting quite well to the new house. Kellen continues to tell us how much he likes his backyard - and WE just love watching him be able to go outside and PLAY in his backyard. Wow...what a great feeling!!

Matt also got the curtains hung in our room and he had managed to wash virtually all of the dirty clothes before we headed out of town for the weekend, so YAY!

We're getting there!!

Annoyed

I'm annoyed at a very odd thing...I have a few shows that I REALLY like to watch. As in, I'll DVR them (what a wonderful invention!) and watch them, but not many.

However, two such summer shows are, well, I should say - WERE, The 4400 and The Dead Zone, both formerly on The USA Network.

Is anyone else bummed that USA canceled these two shows? I LOVED to watch these - especially The 4400 - I didn't watch much of The Dead Zone last season and we hadn't gotten DVR yet at that time - and I'm really just annoyed that they canned them.

I mean REALLY ANNOYED.

I know. It's an odd thing to get annoyed at. And I'm not using proper grammer either. But I feel like I only have a few things that I allow to be "mine" - and that/those shows were one of them and now they're gone and I'm mad about it!

ARG!

Update, as promised!!

Sorry I've been scarce...but here's an update (I'll give you all the short version)

1. We've moved, and are 95% moved and settled into the new house
2. I managed to get a staph infection in the process, actually, prior to the move if you want to truly get technical - got a rocephin shot (antibiotic #1) and antibiotic #2 (about a week and a half ago)
3. The sulfer-based antibiotic(#2) given to me to treat the staph infection caused a secondary infection (NOT fun), which necessitated another antibiotic (#3) ON TOP of the other antibiotic to treat the secondary infection (approximately 4-5 days after the onset of the staph infection...Tuesday of last week)
4. I missed most of last week at work.
5. I finished both of those antibiotics yesterday and thought I was over with it all.
6. I called the dr's office this morning to get the results of the staph culture and found out I have MRSA staph - so the ENTIRE family has to bathe in hepiclens soap & use bactroban in our nasal cavity (sorry, TMI, I'm sure) and on any cuts/scratches/wounds for 10 days, AND I have to take ANOTHER antibiotic (#4) for 10 days.

It's been oh-so-fun around here...and the move and my healing time would have been greatly dimished, in my opinion, if my mom hadn't been staying with us, so a BIG thank you goes to Grandma for all the help!! The kids already miss you terribly!!

And, it probably goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, prayers would be MUCH appreciated for healing!! I especially would like prayers that NO ONE else in the family gets even ONE IOTA of this. I'll take it all so that neither of the kids gets this.

Kellen funny...

Our internet is going in and out in our new house (yes, we've moved and I haven't updated you, sorry!), so I'll make this quick:

1. While reading him his story before nap today, he asks me when he'll see Jesus and God, and I tell him that we'll see them when we die. He proceeds to tell me that for him that will be a long time, but not for me 'cause I'm old. "You know Mommy, you ARE getting older, you know?"

I didn't take offense, promise, but had to hold in the peals of laughter to finish the story and NOT wake up Tatum. And I promise, I DID tell him not to say that to anyone else, so don't blame me if he says it to you someday.

2. Then he told me a joke..."Have you ever seen a dog in the bathtub with his clothes on? That's so funny."

Ok, so the poor kid has my non-ability to tell jokes and sense of comedic timing...but he's trying!

3. I'll preface by saying that this one isn't a funny....Since I've been sick (ok, flame me later for not updating the blog...when the internet it working properly I will, I promise!) every time he prays, he asks God to make Mommy feel better. It is so absolutely sweet!!

It can't be time for those...

So I knew that Tatum was teething, but thought she was getting her eye teeth (which I still think are trying to come in). However, I was brushing her teeth tonight and then saw a flash - W-A-Y back in her mouth.

She wouldn't let me look, so I rubbed orajel on her gums and then felt it...then T-H-E-M...first the left MOLAR, then the right MOLAR on the top...they aren't all the way through, and the left is further through than the right, but they're almost there...

I would say that the left broke through 2 days ago and the right a day ago...but the middle's haven't broken through yet.

No wonder she's chewing on everything!! How can it already be time for her to be getting her 2 year molars???

More please

I decided today that after work, me and the kids were gonna have some fun! I swung by Chick-Fil-A for "Milkshake Monday", grabbed dinner, and Kellen, Tatum and I quickly ate and headed to the pool for some afternoon fun before bath and bedtime. Well, that plan worked really well, and little did I know that I had the makings of a little waterbaby on my hands!

We went to the pool for a little while yesterday afternoon, and Tatum started out tightly attached to me. Typical, I thought, since it was our first pool trip of the summer. She ended up loving the pool, and floated around on her tummy, back, went underwater and even ended her own private lesson by kicking on the side of the pool and then jumping into the water to me. She did great as well! Ms Cymon is just the greatest!!

At any rate, she walked into the pool all on her own today, even though she had to walk past the sprinkly fountains - for those of you that don't know - little Miss Tatum does NOT like to get splashed in the face. At all. Well, she walked by them, and got her face wet, and it didn't seem to bother her that much! YAY!

She proceeded to walk into the water, all the way up to her chin! We floated and played and she had a fun time. Then we decided to try out the shell slide. Kellen, of course, helped his little sister climb up the stairs and position herself on the slide.

Then off she went. Into the water, under the water, quickly grabbed up by Mommy and squeals of delight abounded. She LOVED it! Rapidly signing "more", she quickly indicated her enthusiasm with this particular activity, much to the amazement of the pool-goers sitting around observing this little pool-princess...

I lost count of how many times she went down that slide...she just loved it and the entire pool experience today.

Swim lesson pictures...

I just cannot get over what a great job he did yesterday in the pool...He even swam for a while WITH HIS FACE IN THE WATER!!!

Unbelievable...simply unbelievable.

Kellen's 1st Swim Lesson

Kellen had his first private swim lesson today and he did WONDERFULLY!! Kellen did more in this lesson with Ms Cymon - and was more enthused about doing things - than he's been in two weeks worth of lessons X four years through CS (I started him in lessons in '04)...(Now, I understand that there are pros and cons to private lessons vs classes, but WOW!!)

The only problem that we had was that there were a LOT of people in the pool area when we arrived waiting on their bus (apparently when camps stay at this location, that's where they meet to wait on buses) and they didn't leave until 8:30, so we didn't get the lesson started until ~ 8:25 because Kellen was being really shy (???don't know what that was about???)

He warmed up to her quickly, and she was G-R-E-A-T with him...

Training Day #2

YAY! Two days in a row!! I'm going to have the wierdest tan lines, too...

Anyway...the kids did GREAT today...Kellen played on the playground and Tatum just hung out in the stroller getting a ride. It wasn't so bad pushing her, I'll just have to continually remind myself NOT to hunch over while I'm jogging, which I appear to have a tendency to do while pushing the stroller.

I timed myself today...I did 1 mile in 12:10 - not bad considering yesterday was the first day of any "real" activity in a L-O-N-G time.

Which brings me to my question...geared really to anyone but primary to the more experienced runners (or those to access with more experienced runners) out there...

What's a "good" goal pace for running/jogging?

I know that it's highly individualized, but give me a ballpark here (feel free to add a comment)

You know me...the Type-A personality trying to shoot for something other than (or in addition to) mileage.

Pace per mile for a 5K
Pace per mile for a 10K
Pace per mile for a half marathon

And, to clarify, I'm not taking for "elite" athletes here...just ranges for the normal person...I want something to shoot for, not a number that will make me want to shoot myself.

Training day #1

Well, I started training!

I just went and jogged my first mile - and did good on the first 1/3, but had to stop due to kids and lost my momentum. I then jogged the rest of the way with a non-jogging stroller pushing a 25+lb Tatum...Considering that during the 2nd lap (on an outdoor track that a 1/3 lap) I had to stop to console a screaming Kellen who thought I was going to run away because I was so far away from him and he couldn't keep up with me, (and I couldn't get it through his head that he didn't have to follow the path to get to me...he could cut through the GRASS!! - a realization that never did sink through) then got him settled on the playground equipment and finally finished my mile jogging the entire way but the very last portion...I guess it wasn't too bad. Especially considering that this was my first time back doing anything physical since before I had Tatum. (Whoa, scary - isn't it?!?)

Except for two guys playing basketball and another that came to the park later riding his bike, we had the park to ourselves. I think those guys might think I'm crazy, but hey - who cares? All-in-all, for a first day of training and for the kids not being used to this routine, I think it went well. Kellen didn't want to leave the park, even though he didn't quite understand why I was running in circles. But he did comment that I was running fast (bless his heart, I can't wait until he actually sees someone that CAN run really fast LOL).

I just feel so outta it! At any rate, at least I beat that "but I just can't get started" mentality...I'm excited about this and now I'm at least "started" on my training...And I feel really good right now!!

Taking the plunge

So I'm contemplating (well, I'm beyond contemplating at this point - I'm trying to figure out training logistics, i.e., how to find time to train when I have a hubby who works so much and what to do with the kids, etc.) training for a half-marathon. Specifically the Houston Half Marathon in Jaunary 2009.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Wish me luck.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Fathers Day to my daddy...to whom I am and will always be his little Princess Lynn..

Happy Fathers Day to the wonderful father of my beautiful and precious children...Watching you with them makes me love you even more than I ever thought possible! You are a great father to them both and I am honored that God is allowing us to raise these children together.

Happy Fathers Day to all the daddy's out there! Hug your babies!!

SOLD!!

Our house, that is. WHOOP! After two "official" days of being on the market. Praise God!

I guess I should offically say that the sale is pending, because the place is still in our name, but everything should be going through on Monday or Tuesday, and all of the paperwork and fiscal finalization should *hopefully* be through by the end of this coming week.

Yay!

Now we'll just have to deal with transition issues...Kellen has already told me today that he's going to be sad and miss our house when we move to our new house. Matt and I are so excited, but we have to remember that this house is ALL he's EVER known, so we'll have to respect his anxiety about this change and validate his apprehension and sadness. He likes the new house, but he WILL miss this house. We'll just have to be prepared for some of those transition issues when we do make the move...

Double Rainbow

Isn't God cool?

Pictures and Video...

It's been a while, so forgive me, but the pictures are long overdue...here are some pictures and video from the family reunion weekend (Memorial Day)...We can all clean up nicely, now can't we?

What is it with boys, tools and big piles of rocks? Is it genetic?

One of Kellen and Matt's side trips...they included Paw Paw on this one...
By the time the wedding rolled around, Kellen was just utterly worn out...and asleep in Daddy's arms. Now Tatum, on the other hand, was being loud. And in an old country church, even sitting in the back, that just doesn't fly. So I heard that the wedding was nice and interesting....but didn't actually see it for myself. At least we know Aunt Bea got married successfully!
Tatum was more interested in playing outside...that was LOADS more fun for her than sitting inside having to be quiet in a church. Can ya' blame her? The weather was gorgeous!

A visit later to Aunt Emma's was in order as well, and the kids had fun outside yet again...Kellen was, as always, so entertaining for Tatum!

And what would a family reunion weekend be with out some water play, huh? Tatum would have NO PART of the splash-hose or water guns...but the kiddie pool was just her speed, and size!
Kellen, on the other hand...wanted to play with the real water...and had fun doing so. His fun just included wanting to play but not actually wanting to get his face wet. It was interesting to watch. You can see the sequence as he battles the water splashing hose...Just look at the intensity on that face!

And then a video to prove that his Daddy and Mommy may have had a little bit of fun playing with him and that water hose as well...



He also had quite a bit of fun at the hotel pool....Look at this little boy all decked out in his Spider Man attire. He's set and ready to go! Unfortunately for us, the goggles were worth what we paid for them, but he loved the boogie board and snorkle, so it was worth it!

Hmmm

The #1 way you know it's time for a new pedicure:

Your son looks at your feet and says, "Mommy, the pink isn't pink all over on your toes! There are white spaces!"

Yup...it's that bad. And I'm not exactly sure why I'm sharing with the world, but whatever...

"When I grow up"

According to Kellen, when he grows up he's going to build things...like fences and houses and anything else that he sees that he wants to build.

He told me this on the way to school this morning, as we passed by a construction site and he commented, "Those guys are really working hard to build that big house!"

So I asked him what about taking care of the cows and shooting the birds to eat that he had told me he wanted to do.

His response? He's going to do LOTS of things when he grows up. And he'll need his Mommy to tell him how to do it and make sure that he gets up in time to do it.

That prompted the beginning of an introductory lesson in "responsibility" - at a 5 year (er...4 yr 11 month) old level. You know, the "when you're old enough to have a big boy job, Mommy won't have to tell you how to do it or when to get up to do it because you'll be responsible enough to do it yourself" type of a conversation.

It was quite funny and ended with him telling me, "But I'll always be your son, Mommy."

Yes, baby...that you will...

It's gone

It's amazing what a difference a piece of furniture makes...especially one that seems to symbolize the "baby" aspect of MY BABY.

Wondering what I'm talking about?

Well, we sold Tatum's highchair today. I actually sold it to a mom on a mom's board that I'm on...and she picked it up while I was at work. Matt actually took it out of the house and stuff, so it was gone when I walked in the house today.

WOW.

It was just another realization of how much she's grown up. My little baby girl. That's not quite such a baby anymore.

WOW.

We have her sitting in one of those contraptions that attaches to the actual table and "floats" off of the ground...a great space saver and it allows her to actually sit at the table with her brother, which she loves. We have been using it for a while, and NOT using the highchair, so since we're trying to be more efficient with our STUFF and space, especially considering our pending move, it needed to go.

But it really took me aback when I walked into the house and didn't see it, despite the fact that I knew I wasn't going to see it. Adjustments, changes...life goes on, now doesn't it?

Wonder what little sentimental thing is going to get me next?

Some things I learned...

while Kellen was at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's...

1. Tatum REALLY enjoys being with her big brother...and misses him terribly when he isn't around. As in, she looked for him when we got home last night at the house, then when I asked if she wanted to call and talk to Kellen, shook her head, YES, then babbled to him on the phone when we FINALLY connected with him. It was ADORABLE!
2. And while on the phone with big brother, I learned that Maw Maw and Paw Paw will pay an arm and a leg to feed him pizza and let him play games just because he wants to (well, not really an arm and a leg, but maybe a couple of fingers *grin*), but then again, they do only have another 2 months to spend that kind of time with him before he starts school *sniff* - AND - Incredible Pizza really is incredible...
3. Tatum LOVES to play. And is a squealer while this oh-so-favorite of activities. One of her favorite games is "Getcha' " and it consists of me running after her saying, "I'm gonna' getcha' ", her laughing and squealing, running away until such time as she decides she WANTS to be "gotten" then stopping, turning around, and letting me "get her". Getting her consists of tickling - which she ADORES! and blowing raspberries on her tummy, which makes her giggle and squeal with delight.
4. Tatum also loves getting into cabinets and drawers, something that Kellen didn't care that much about AT ALL. She'll try EVERY cabinet and drawer in the kitchen until she finds one that either doesn't have a child-proof contraption on it or one that does that she can open anyway (apparently there are some that she's strong enough to pull open despite the safety features...go figure). She'll then proceed to pull whatever is in that particular cabinet or drawer out, much to her delight and my dismay, until such point in time as I catch her and she runs away, thinking we'll play the "Getcha' " game. (Note to Mommy and Daddy, the new house MUST have approprate child safety mechanisms on ALL necessary cabinets and drawers, as finding your daughter with a package is lightbulbs in her hands is rather concerning)

It was a LOT of fun just to play with her and interact with her one-on-one last night...even if it was for a relatively short period of time....With bedtime being around 7 and all...She's such a joy!!

She's a bully?

We had quite the busy day over here today. Here's what I (with the kids help) have gotten done:

• I've kept the laundry going and think I *might* have one more load TOTAL if you count Tatum's dirty diapers, with some random pieces of dirty laundry here and there;
• The dishes are done in the dishwasher and need to be put away;
• Kellen has gotten his room picked up - including sheets changed and laundered;
• I picked up Tatum's room before her nap - including sheets changed and laundered as well;
• The kitchen floors have just been swept and mopped;
• In the midst of this, Kellen was supposed to have his Little Dragon class at 10 AM, we went there and there was no one there, save for one other parent and kid no instructor, doors locked, nada.
• So we went straight to the grocery store because I decided that today would be a good day for a partial once-a-month cooking spree. (Can we say avoidance?)
• So I made a batch of pizza pasta casserole, cooled three pans of it and they are now sitting, all nice, wrapped up and labeled, in the freezer. I also have 3 more lbs of meat awaiting me to decide which recipe I'm going to tackle next. Yes, after I get Kellen to bed I'm going to try and finish out the cooking - crazy me. Perhaps I can finish watching the episode and a half of LOST that I need to catch up on at the same time...
• Kellen played outside for a while during Tatums nap (he "rested" for a bit but never did actually go to sleep, so after an hour or so, I let him get up and go outside to play (with modified supervision and locks on the gates, mind you). Boy did he have fun!
• We also hung out with some friends at McDonalds - sorry Ronald McDonald's, as Kellen refers to it - playing for a while. This is where I discovered what I've referenced as the title of this post.

Apparently Tatum has a bully streak...maybe it's a tendency...maybe it's just because she's used to playing with her brother, although I really haven't seen her do this with him. She was aggressive to poor Sophie at McDonalds. And Sophie just took it! Vicky and I are both of the mind to let the two of them work it out, thank goodness, but the biggest thing we had to worry about were their overprotective big brothers trying to solve their problems for them! Now THAT was funny (and sweet, really...if you think about it), although we were telling the boys to just leave them alone. But they were both really just trying to help...

At any rate, Tatum would steal Sophie's "baby", Sophie would scream, we would tell Tatum to stop doing that (at least I think I told her to stop) and then tell her to give it back, she would walk over to Sophie and give it back to her (most of the time - there was a time or two that Tatum did a straight up "psyc" to Sophie - oh my!). Vicky would tell Sophie to say thank you and then Tatum would do the sign for "Thank you" and then Sophie would throw the baby on the ground and get mad that Tatum would pick it up and repeat the cycle. I did NOT do a very good job of keeping a poker face on this one...really and truly I did not. But I have just never seen her act this way.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure how many times I've actually seen her interact with kids her own age! I drop her off at daycare, see some interaction there...same at pick up, same type of thing at church nursery, but I haven't taken her many places where there are kids her own age and actually been WITH her while she's interacted with them. Wow...Hadn't thought about that until just now.

Is this the behavior that daycare has only alluded to as the reason that Tatum has been bitten? As in...Tatum took a friends toy and the friend got mad and bit Tatum on the "insert bitten body part here" Hmmm...Again, I had not observed this behavior until today...but my my my...

Is she a bully? Was she just playing rough? Being overly friendly? Goodness...

Dr. Gerren

The title of the post should say it all, shouldn't it?

SHE PASSED HER DEFENSE!!!!

Now the final hurdle will be the changes/edits and finishing touches on her dissertation, with a June 20th submission deadline if she wants to make the August 2008 graduation. Officially; however, she has a year after her defense to submit her dissertation to the thesis clerk - but I don't think she wants to go there at all with that long of a time frame!

Way to go, Mom...I'm so proud of you and your hard work, dedication and determination. You've always said that I have the stick-to-it-ness...but if so, I certainly got it from someone, now didn't I?

Wish her luck...and say a prayer!

Mom is officially defending her dissertation tomorrow afternoon at 1:30. And even this process, what should be the downhill slide, has been riddled with bumps. But, she's here!

Please say a prayer that she have the words that she needs when she needs them to express what she has worked so long and hard to accomplish that she is able to convey her research effectively and appropriately to her committee members during this defense.

God, I have a question

During our prayers tonight, Kellen decided to ask God a question...and the conversation went something along these lines...

God, I need to ask you a question. Do you ever get tired?

(Slight pause)

You don't?

Why don't you get tired?

(Pause)

Is it because that's just how you were made?

(Pause)

Oh it is. Oh, ok.

Memorial Day

Maw Maw got Kellen a 2008 flag shirt and we wanted him to wear it in celebration of Memorial Day. The problem was that he was already dressed yesterday morning when we got the shirt out. For those of you that don't know, once Kellen gets dressed, it's rather difficult to get him to change his clothes unless you have a REALLY GOOD REASON.

So, I sat down and talked with him about Memorial Day...What it means, why we celebrate it, and why we wanted him to wear his special flag shirt.

For the rest of the day, he went up to people, pointed out his flag shirt, and proclaimed something to the effect of,

"I'm wearing this flag shirt to remember all of the people who have fought and died so that we can live and be free."

Thank you to all who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we can do just that...and thank you to the families of those individuals. God Bless you.

Version 2.0

I've learned that if Tatum doesn't think that her dinner and bedtime routine is happening at the appropriate time (approximately 6:00 PM for a start time), she will morph into someone elses child. Whose child she becomes I'm not quite sure...perhaps the child of revenge...you know, the "Just wait 'till you have children of your own child" that I've heard told to me a time or two...When I relay stories to my mom, sometimes during this "witching hour" as I'm trying to get her ready for bed amidst the screaming that ensues when you take her out of the bath too soon, although she's virtually falling asleep IN the bathtub - mom just laughs and says to me, "I know dear, I raised that child, too...the one who had to have HER ROUTINE and have it HER WAY. I know just what you're talking about honey."

But I sometimes forget those stories...the stories that my mom tells, although not too often, actually, about not being able to attend church on Sunday morning for years when I was little...initially because of nursing me and my nap schedule, and then because when I napped I HAD to nap in MY OWN crib or bed...at MY OWN designated nap time. I simply remember the stories about my stubborn streak and being the strong willed child - you know, the stories that get told at family gatherings OVER and OVER again...The ones that start out,

"Do you remember when Rebecca was little and she.....(insert story here)"

and end up with the entire family laughing and telling me how much of a handful I was as a child.

I have a feeling that I'm raising version 2.0 of that type of a child. She loves her routine - thrives on it, actually...is ready to start her entire bedtime ritual at 6 or 6:15, which starts with dinner and ends with me holding her next to her crib and then just laying her down with her paci and strategically placing her lovies, blanket and glow worm in her crib with her, telling her goodnight and walking out. That's it. But that's her routine.

And as much as I would, on some nights, LOVE to rock and snuggle and love on her, that just really makes her mad and messes her up big time for the night!

Did I create this creature of habit or was she simply born this way?

...and green...

Mommy (singing to Kellen while he's taking a bath): Jesus loves the little children. All God's children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they..

Kellen: And green.

Mommy: What?

Kellen: And green.

Mommy: What do you mean, green?

Kellen: Well, what about Shrek? God loves Shrek, too, right?

Mommy (still singing, only now smiling even bigger and laughing): They are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Kellen: Mommy, why are you smiling so much?

Mommy: Kellen, you just make Mommy smile.

Random tidbits

I'm going through magazines, so you'll get random tidbits here in a few bullets...Enjoy!

"Do good in minutes" Change a lightbulb: If every household replace its five most frequently used lights with Energy Star bulbs, it would have the same effect on reducing greenhouse gases as if we took 8 million cars off the road. Bonus: You'd save about $60 a year. (From the March 2007 Parenting magazine)

Raise a money-smart kid: 5 simple things you can start teaching your child today (From the April 2007 Parenting magazine)
1. Don't say "We can't affort it" (talk to them about budgeting and making choices about where to spend money)
2. Show them the money (let them see you balance your checkbook, record debit/credit card purchases, etc)
3. Talk about how much things cost (make lists of actual expenses and income and, at age appropriate stages, discuss household expenses)
4. Buy something that isn't on your list (make lists and shop from those, but explain why sometimes you might purchase something NOT on your list - discuss that accordingly)
5. Be open with your spouse (team effort in the finance area)

4 Things you just can't teach a kid -Deborah Skolnik (From the June 2007 Parenting Magazine)
1. Flowers don't taste as good as they smell.
2. You can't save an ice pop under your bed.
3. Pushing the elevator button seven times doesn't make it come any faster.
4. The bathroom has a door for a reason

Greener Cleaning (From the June 2007 Parenting Magazine)
1. Air it out. Leave windows open during and after cleaning so that the chemicals don't linger in the air.
2. Buy "green" alternatives
3. Make your own: Try:

• A mix of baking soda and distilled white vinegar to scrub the toilet
• Distilled white vinegar mixed with warm water to clean hardwood floors
• Begetable-based soap with a few drops of lavendar essential oil to make an antiseptic cleaning spray

4. Do what you can. Using green cleaners even some of the time is better than never. To learn more, visit householdproducts.nim.nih.gov.

Quick-fix ways to save the planet - Annie Schoening (From June 2007 Parenting Magazine)

To conserve:

Electricity: Plug electronics into a power strip and turn it off when you go out and at night. You'll save $20 - 50 a year. (Plugged in items use electricity even when they're off).

Hot water: Save entergy by doing laundry in cold water (using a special detergent like Tide Coldwater). Your clothes will be just as clean, and you'll pocket $60 annually.

Heating/Air conditioning: Install a programmable thermostat. Set it to use less heat and A/C when you're out or asleep, and save $150 each year.

The green house: Moms tips for an eco-friendly home (From October 2007 Parenting Magazine)

Conquer kid clutter! (From November 2007 Parenting Magazine)

Kid rooms

• Divide and conquer
• Rotate the goods
• Create activity zones
• Hold off on bookshelves

Craft supplies

• Keep a vinyl tablecloth with the art supplies
• Toss the flimsy crayon boxes
• Make a marker-saver.
• Separate supplies for easier access.

Dress-up stuff

• Load up a big bin or two
• Use hooks for the things that are easily crushed or lost

Toys and games

• Label them
• Tape 'em
• Store puzzles smarter

How to be a great mom: 7 qualities you need for your preschooler (From the December/January 2008 Parenting Magazine)

1. Resolve
2. A Sense of fantasy
3. Forethought
4. Stoicism
5. Nonchalance
6. Dexterity
7. Empathy

Easy Ways to be an eco-family (from November 2007 Working Mother magazine)

Home Sweet eco-Home: Our room-by-room shopping guide to environment friendly shopping products (from November 2007 Working Mother magazine)

Seven Secrets of Stress Management

Seven Secrets of Stress Management

by Rick Warren

Then Jesus said, “Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.” There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. Mark 6:31 (NLT)
*** *** *** ***
Jesus experienced enormous stress and pressure, yet it didn’t seem to disturb his peace of mind. In spite of opposition, constant demands, and little privacy, his life reflected a calm sense of balance.

What was his secret?

Identification – Know who you are (John 8:12)

Eighteen times Jesus publicly defined himself. There was no doubt in his mind as to who he was. If you are unsure of your identity, you’ll allow others to pressure you into their molds. Trying to be someone you’re not causes stress!

Dedication – Know who you want (John 5:30)

You can’t please everyone. Even God can’t! Just about the time you get “Crowd A” happy, then “Crowd B” willbe upset with you. Jesus never let the fear of rejection manipulate him. No one can pressure you without your permission.

Organization – Set clear goals (John 8:14)

Jesus said, “I know where I came from and where I am going.” (NIV) Preparation prevents pressure, but procrastination produces it. You work by either priorities or pressures.

Concentration – Focus on one thing at a time (Luke 4:42-44)

You can’t chase two rabbits at the same time! Jesus knew how to handle interruptions without being distracted from his primary goal.

Delegation – Don’t try to do everything yourself (Mark 3:14)

We get tense when we feel it all depends on us. Jesus enlisted twelve disciples. Don’t allow perfectionism, or the fear that others may do a better job, to keep you from involving others in the task.

Meditation – Make a habit of prayer (Mark 1:35)

No matter how busy Jesus got, he found time to get alone to pray everyday. A daily quiet time is a great stress decompression chamber. Use this time to talk to God about your pressures and problems, evaluate your priorities, and discover the rules for successful living by reading the Bible.

Relaxation – Take time to enjoy life (Mark 6:30-31)

Balance is the key to stress management. Work must be balanced with fun and worship.

Update on Tatum

Well, she was absolutely FINE this morning - NO FEVER AT ALL...normal temp....Her lines on the knee were still there and the redness hadn't spread, but the lines on her hand had completely gone away - who knows why??? But, the redness on her finger and knuckle had seemed to subside somewhat...

So into the doctors office we went. Got weighed (24.9 lbs - my BIG GIRL!!) and then talked with the nurse, played while we waited on the doctor, then talked with the doctor...He agreed that they were insect bites, but didn't think they were infected, just that she was having a mild reaction to them - and suggested that we put hydrocortisone cream on them a few times a day. Several times on the knee and then twice (if possible) on the hand - before nap and bedtime - times when she would be less likely to put her hands into her mouth and eat the medicine

However, in the routine check that ensued, he DID find that she has a dousey of an ear infection in her left ear. So it's a round of antibiotics for her, which will/should help in case the insect bite could have turned into an infection. WHEW!

At any rate, I'm glad that we caught all of this, because I can't imagine how much she would have hurt getting on a plane with an ear infection! OUCH!!

Mommy time

From my Working Mother magazine...

Focus on You: 3 Guilt-Free Hours

Daydream and rules: time can't be spent with spouse or with children

Quiz:
1. You pull double shifts taking care of everyone else, yet you neglect yourself. What drives you to do this? Guilt that you're not spending enough time with your kids? Concern that you're falling behind in your career? List three reasons why you feel you can't slow down. Now imagine that you have to slow down. What would happen?

2. Write down a guilty-mom moment that still makes you cringe. Now think about whether there were unexpected benefits for your child. For example, your son says, "All my friends' mommies pick them up right after school. Why do I have to go to after-care?" Did he actually enjoy after-care? Make new friends? Try to find something redemptive that came from that moment.

3. What makes you feel guilty on a regular basis? Is it Evan's mom doing museum-worthy art projects with her kids while yours make do with a bucket of broken crayons? Is it leaving your sick child with a babysitter instead of being with her yourself?

4. List the three activities you most dislike doing with your kids. Dread supervising math homework? Resent driving them to karate on Saturday mornings? Choose one activity that you could stop doing today. (Introduce your spouse to the joys of karate carpool.) Choose another activity you could get help with. (Could you recruit a high school student as a tutor?)

5. List three things you realistically could do to make your life easier at home. What stops you from doing each of these things? Now take a hard look at your excuses. No money for help with the housework? Is there something you could cut from your budget to afford help once a month? Choose one of your lamest excuses and find a solution.

6. Imagine that all of your responsibilities are on hold for three hours. What would you do with that free time all to yourself? How would it make you a better mom, partner and employee?

7. Name someone you'd call in a crisis or someone who could help you get back on track if you drift off course.

8. Guess what? You just figured out where you can get three guilt-free hours (see your answers to questions 4 and 5). You've also figured out why you so desperately need this time (see your answer to question 6). Now commit to it. You officially have permission to take three hours off, so get out your calendar and block out the time. To keep you committed, have the person from question 7 sign the bottom of this page. This person is going to hold you to it. Now go. Be guilt-free!

Tatum woes...

About two days ago I noticed something that looked like a bite on Tatum's middle finger on her right hand. I didn't think much of it at the time. I noticed yesterday that the area looked somewhat red, and then today even redder still...and as the day has gone on, it's gotten progressively redder...and is swollen and "tight"...and has begun (in my opinion, Matt doesn't agree) to "streak" down her knuckle and into her hand. She's also started to run a slightly elevated temp...(100.2 rectally).

I called our pediatrician's office, they took my information, put me on hold, talked with the dr on call, then told me they had no other appointment this afternoon and to take her into the ER. At this point, I'll defer to Matt and will agree that I'm probably overreacting somewhat, so I called the office back, was told that I can give her some Benadryl and to bring her in ASAP on Monday. (He made several good points regarding his argument not to take her into the ER based on her current condition...if that changes, we'll revisit).

I'll just keep an eye on her tonight and am glad that her appt is virtually first thing in the morning!

UPDATE:
Her temp was elevated slightly before - and then after (uh oh) her cool bath, so before bedtime she got some Tylenol. After her bath Daddy drew the outlines on her to mark the current redness so that we could tell if it's spreading, both on her hand and on her knee. Oh, and yes, to add to the fun, we noticed another spot on her knee. Again, it looks like an insect bite, but it's starting to get red and not looking all that great.

She was fussing at around 9, so she got some more Benadryl at around 9:30, and she settled back down again pretty quickly with another pacifier (hmmm...wonder why she was fussy, huh? lost pacifier, anyone?) and is back to sleep now. She seemed cool, but I didn't want to completely wake her up to take her temperature (she REALLY hates having her temperature taken - I mean REALLY).

10 hours until her doctors appointment....we'll see how it all goes!

Graduation

So Kellen's pre-school graduation is this afternoon. He's so excited!

(Me, on the other hand, cannot believe that it's time for him to "graduate" from pre-school. Tissues, anyone?)

I'll post pictures and probably video later!

The biter

And no, it isn't my daughter...but there's a biter in her midst. And I don't know if she's getting the bulk of the biting, but she got bitten (again) today by this kiddo. On her back.

I will say, though, that the kid did bite in apparent frustration at having their toy snatched from them by my daughter. But still.

The last time she was bitten it was because she dared get in front of said kid and I guess put her hand on a doorway near the kids mouth. Still not quite sure on the details of that one, but suffice it to say, the teeth marks were there for a few days.

Ouch.

I've been told that the workers are doing all that they can and are utilizing a variety of age appropriate behavior modification techniques on the kid.

I guess nowadays you can't just bite 'em back to show the kid how much it hurts someone else when you do that to them, huh?

Perhaps this is why my darling Tatum has starting to bite a bit when she's upset? Learned behavior, perhaps???

Perspective

I got this forwarded to me, and my friend got this from an article on Parents.com

· When she takes a running leap and lands on top of me, she is questioning whether she will always be able to lean on me. And because I always want her to know the answer is yes, I tolerate it.

· When she yells "No!" and points her finger, returning the glare she undoubtedly learned from me, she is asserting herself. I couldn't be more relieved. I hope she will maintain that perseverance right into her teen years, when she can use it on any boy who dares to try to get fresh with her. And into her adult years, when her stubbornness will be called "determination."

· When she attempts to stick a bobby pin she's found into the light socket, she is exploring her world and trying to discover how things work. Perhaps she'll be an engineer one day.

· When she draws on the walls with a purple crayon, she is expressing her creativity. I try to think of her as an artist in training. And even more important, she is learning the value of leaving her mark on the world.

· When she breaks my favorite lamp and flashes her award-winning smile just as I am coming toward her, she is practicing her people skills. Perhaps she'll be a great politician (though I hope she'd be the rare kind who maintains integrity).

· When she tries to stuff the kitten into her brother's lunchbox, she is experimenting with spatial concepts.

· When she wrestles with her brother over a toy, calling "Mine!" loud enough to be heard down the street, she is being bold and going for what she wants. I just hope that in the future, if she doesn't get her way, her solution won't be to bite in retaliation.

· When she climbs our chain-link fence with bare feet, she is proving that no challenge is too difficult for her to meet. And when I discover her playing in the yard of the neighbors who live behind us, she is reaching beyond her own little world, refusing to be provincial.

· When she lies on top of her 7-month-old sister, crushing the baby with enthusiastic hugs and kisses, she is unabashedly wearing her heart on her sleeve.

· When she insists I read The Little Engine That Could to her again, for the seventh time in a row, she is teaching me patience.

· When she dumps macaroni all over the kitchen floor, stops to acknowledge my "No!" by turning briefly to look at me, and then goes right back to what she was doing, she is showing her ability to follow through with a task.

· When she gets tickled over something I take for granted -- the toast popping up from the toaster when it's browned, for instance -- she is blessing me unaware. How many times have I longed to see the world through the eyes of a child once again? Thanks to her, I can.

· When I catch her trying to eat the cat's food, she is proving that she will not be a picky eater -- and that she has survival skills, which may come in handy later in life (especially if she ends up on some reality TV show).

· When she gleefully rips off her dry diaper, throws it in the sink, and races for the toilet, then refuses to sit on it, she is exercising her prerogative to change her mind.

· When I call her name and she immediately breaks into a sprint in the other direction, she is listening to her own inner voice and refusing to be a conformist.

· When she suddenly decides to throw a tantrum in the middle of a restaurant, she is teaching me humility. And that leftovers reheated later at home usually taste just as good as food served fresh.

· When she steps into my enormous shoes, which swallow her tiny feet, and clumsily tries to walk in them, she makes me reflect upon my great responsibility to provide a good role model for her to follow.

· And when she stands on the kitchen table with no pants on, refusing to even put on a diaper, and dances... well, I can only think the worst about that. So I try not to read too much into it, because I am choosing to remain positive.

When I grow up...

According to Kellen...

"I'm going to take care of baby cows and shoot birds to eat."

I'm not sure that he's ever been around baby cows - other than perhaps at some petting zoo?? or ever been around the shooting of birds. Hmmmm...interesting, huh?

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

I was sent this in an email, and although it doesn't all apply (yet), I can understand the sentiment:

Invisible Mom

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
1. No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
2. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
3. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
4. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

****************
Edited to add:

So, for everyone out there in the process of building the cathedrals currently known as our offspring, take a deep breath, ask God for patience - understanding what He has to give you to endure in order for you to develop patience, know trust and remember that our treasures are not stored here on this earth - they're waiting for us in a much better place. And while we may not see the fruit of our labors in this earthly lifetime, there will be rewards that will make it worth it on an eternal scope. Stay the course that God has laid out for you, follow His will, and cherish the gifts that He has entrusted for you to raise.

Happy Mother's Day to you all!

She's going to defend!!!

My mom, who has been working on her dissertation and trying to finish her PhD, has hit virtually every stumbling block known to man during her journey. In no certain order - Her major professor retired, which of course required a complete overhaul of her committee - a process which, in essence, took at least a years worth of time; her research focus has shifted quite a bit throughout the course of her program to evolve to its current state; she didn't know and wasn't told (and I wasn't working in advising and didn't realize) that she could petition for a waiver of the residency requirement, so did several full-time semesters in a row to meet the residency requirement, WHILE working full-time AND commuting from her full-time position TO TAMU...yes, I typed that correctly, with SEVERAL different preps in her teaching position; she took a summer off (virtually the only time she really has to work heavily on her research) to take care of my grandmother after her wreck a couple summers ago, delaying her further (NOT that she regrets that, just a fact that it impacted her program); she has a VERY heavy teaching load in and of itself, which takes a great deal of time during the long semesters AND lives 2 1/2 hours away from TAMU.

There's more, but that isn't the point of this particular blog....

At any rate, she has been sending her dissertation chapters to her committee chairs all semester long...and in utter frustration sent another message to one of her chairs last week asking what it was that she was supposed to do...because if she didn't defend her dissertation by the end of this month (May) she would have to re-do her preliminary examinations. YUCK!

His response was, in a nutshell - move forward with the defense!

Whoo hoo!!!...Or should I say, in Aggie-speak - a BIG FAT WHOOP!!!

New Tooth

Well, I had a feeling that some of Tatum's recent "crazy child" behavior was being caused by something other than her just being a toot. Now, I'm not saying that she isn't a toot. And she comes by that honestly. But I just won't say from whom. For those of you that know both Matt and I, I'll let you argue amongst yourselves on that one. *grin*

At any rate, we were eating dinner tonight and I noticed it...I KNEW that she was getting a tooth and it finally had popped on through. Her bottom left incisor.

YAY!!

That make a grand total of 7 teeth. Whoo hoo!

Way to go baby girl! I'm glad that you finally got that through and I hope it isn't hurting you quite so much any more!!

3.0

Congratulations Sweetie!!!

Grades posted today, and Matt got a 3.0. I think that's WONDERFUL, and am so proud of him. He knows that it's good, I think he's proud and happy as well, but quite honestly, there also a part of him that's bummed.

He went in and talked with his English prof, and walked out of that meeting thinking he was going to get an A in that class, largely in part because, if my understanding of that meeting is correct, that's pretty much what he was told. Then another meeting later and final grades are out and that's not quite the case. He just barely missed getting an A in that class.

BUT, considering that he juggled his family, a full-time job which required QUITE A BIT of shift switching over the entire semester just so that he could make it to class (since attendance was a requirement), AND a part-time job, I think that's pretty good and am SO PROUD OF HIM!!

Now, we just need a babysitter so that I can take him out for a steak dinner to celebrate properly!!

Well, well, well

Behaved, that is...

Kellen got sent home from school yesterday with a fairly low grade temp. He was acting fine last night, so I didn't worry much. He got ready for bed and I gave him a hug, noticed that he felt REALLY warm, so took his temp.

103.2...Um....gave him some Children's aspirin (I have NO idea WHY I gave him children's aspirin...not sure why I didn't give him tylenol first...I ALWAYS give tylenol first...dummy mommy moment, apparently...I had quite a few of those last night and I'll include them here to make you all feel better about YOUR dummy mommy moments), and took his temp again 20 minutes later.

Still at 103.2.

Matt was finishing up classes, and was getting not only his grade for his final, but his final grade in the class. I texted Matt after both times, and apparently the temps and lack of decrease in them warranted a return phone call, letting me know that he was on his way home and that if we couldn't get the fever to break that we very well might make a trip to the ER.

SIDENOTES: 1) Why did I give ASPIRIN??? 2) Why did I give ANYTHING aside from the normal Tylenol first??? 3) Why did I try a chewable medicine? For the first time? And not the drops that we normally give? 4) Why don't I go through our medicine cabinet on a more regular basis? I realized, after I gave him the medicine, that it had expired.....wait for it....

















in May of........















2005!!! I guess we bought it when he was born after I read some laundry list of all the medicines needed to bring a baby home from the hospital, then read something else that said don't use it, and didn't/hadn't, but just never threw it away. Apparently all of that escaped my mind last night and I used it anyway. Good gosh who knows??? What a dummy-mommy moment for me!! (See, told you that I would make you feel better about yourselves!)

At any rate....the aspirin took a bit longer than the tylenol normally does to break his fever, but it was started to come down slowly. I took it about 20 minutes after the 2nd time (total time lapse of about 40-45 minutes from initial temp) and it was at 102.7. Normally we notice at least a slight difference in the temp within a half hour after administering tylenol (infant drops). This medication that I gave was completely different than the norm (Again - what was WITH me???)

At any rate, his fever finally REALLY broke around 10:30...as in his sheets were SOAKED. So we moved him into the Sponge Bob couch that has set up permanent residence in our bedroom. He spent the rest of the night in our room with us and had NO problems at all. He woke up fine this morning with no sign of a fever, but with Matt on a 24, and today being Stage 1 of "projection graduation" - AKA the 1st set of grades for graduating seniors being due, I couldn't really miss (not to mention the fact that I had an exec board for which I'm now president, an administrative lunch for a faculty candidate we're interviewing, and an Education Committee meeting in which we reviewed over a half dozen degree plans for our graduate students, most of whom were blocked from registration from OGS - ARG!!). It just wasn't really a great day to miss work. (And yes, everyone in my department knows that my family comes first, just in case you're wondering.)

So, we loaded up quite a bit of stuff - DVD player, movies, colors & activity books, sponge bob couch, pillow & blankets, LeapFrog reading writing system, etc., and he came to the office with me.

Luckily, I had my annual performance review yesterday afternoon before I got the call to pick up Kellen, and it went well, so I kinda' feel "safe" right now. However, he was SO WELL BEHAVED that it didn't really matter!!

WHEW!!

I got lots of comments about him being in the office today, but NONE of them were negative...I'm sure glad that he behaved, though!! It would have the day much more difficult had he not...

Bottom-line, he's feeling MUCH better, and has shown no signs of fever at all today. So, not only was he well behaved, he's all around WELL!!

God said, "No"

Well, God knows the way that I like things...no unclear decisions, bright and shining billboard-like beacons - pathways lit with His signs directing me along His path. Matt and I were recently faced with a decision that we needed to make. We both prayed and came to the same decision...one in which we felt that God was directing.

Well, God said, "No." Despite both Matt and I feeling like He had said yes. It was in regard to our housing situation. At any rate....the house that we thought we were supposed to be getting into got leased between the time that we looked at it and when we were trying to fill out an application for it.

I won't lie and say that I'm not disappointed, but we asked God to not allow us to be confused, to be crystal clear regarding the decisions we had to make, and to close ANY and ALL doors that were supposed to be closed and to ONLY open the doors that we needed opened. The door can't be closed much more than this, huh?

Ok God, whatcha' got in store for us?

Where did THIS come from??

So I was awoken this morning at 5:30 to the screaming symphony of Tatum...she does that when she goes to sleep later than usual, and that was my reward for taking her and Kellen to the park yesterday afternoon as THEIR reward for having a good day.

At any rate, I got up so quickly I didn't have time to put on my glasses, but noticed that my left eye was even fuzzier than usual (and that's really saying something). I figured I had some "sleep" in my eye and tried to rub it out, took care of Tatum, rocked her, settled her down, etc...

I went, got my glasses, walked into the bathroom, flipped on the lightswitch and realized immediately that I looked like something completely SCARY (and not just because it was almost 6 AM at this point....)

My left eye is COMPLETELY bloodshot. Pink eye? UG.

It was itching me yesterday, but I had worked in the yard pulling weeds and thought I just got some dirt in my eye, which I guess is still a possibility...

Luckily, we have some antibiotic eyedrops hanging around, and I started those immediately...Hopefully I won't look like a scary monster trying to go to church this morning! LOL

I'm sure that Kellen will have a comment or two to say about THIS when he wakes up!

New belt

No, we didn't go shopping. I did; however, forget to post that Kellen is now a yellow belt in his Krav Maga. Two weeks ago, he got his yellow belt during his Saturday lesson (Matt took him that morning, so I don't really have a lot more details). What we do have; however, are absolutely priceless pictures!


We're so proud of him!

And by the way, the look of adoration on my husbands face as he's hugging our child makes me fall in love with him all over again. Doesn't that image just show how much he absolutely adores Kellen? Oh my goodness I just LOVE that picture of the two of them! You could NEVER in a million years stage a picture like that!

Ironman

Oh my goodness!!!...this movie was AWESOME!!!

According to Matt, who some of you may not know is a Marvel maniac, this is "hands-down, the best super hero movie they've made based on a Marvel comic." While I'm not the comic critic that he is, I do have to agree that the move IS SO GOOD!!

We went to watch it Friday afternoon during a matinee (I took a half-day off on Friday afternoon and it was SO NICE!!), we came out and Matt said, "I want to go watch it again RIGHT NOW!" My comment was, "We don't have enough time to do that AND pick up the kids by 6:15." I would have EASILY been able to watch it again, too!!

It is violent, (hello - it's a superhero movie, and about someone that is getting back at a bad guy within a weapons manufacturing company, what do you expect?), but not graphically so (at least in my opinion) - as in, they show things being blown up, but there were only a few instances where you saw people's injuries, and even then, it wasn't blatant. Other than one sexually-explicit scene (to set the stage for the main characters initial personality issues/flaw), Matt and I probably wouldn't have a problem letting Kellen watch it. Although we would have to explain things to him during the movie.

For those that haven't seen the trailer yet (where have you been?) check it out here at http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/ironman/

God is good...

So I come home Tuesday from work, still needing to write & type my speech for the awards ceremony on Wednesday, to discover that our monitor was on the fritz...as in flickering on and off on its own...and I'm thinking that's not a good thing.

Ug.

Just out of curiousity, how long has it been since anyone has handwritten a speech? Really? On lined notebook paper?

So that's what I did, then edited it, then rewrote the final version. And I have to say, what a lost art. LOL (And just in case you're wondering, I think the speech went really well!)

At any rate, on Wednesday morning as we're getting ready for the breakfast, Matt is in the shower and asks me if I had taken an exceptionally long shower or if I was running the dishwasher, or laundray...Um, regular length shower and no.

Problem!!

Apparently we were losing hot water. Rapidly.

We made it to the breakfast and he investigated the situation later in the day...and this morning I had to go to a co-workers to get ready for work because we still didn't have hot water in the house. At all.

He had the lovely job today of draining the water heater and trying to figure out the issue. I feel like we JUST did this not too long ago...Really. And we were both hoping and praying that it was either a heating coil or a heating element and NOT the water heater itself.

So, as of this morning...our monitor was caput and we had zilch in the way of hot water.

However...as my post titled indicates, God is good.

I was given a monitor by a friend on one of my moms boards (what a generous gift!! and it's a flat screen that actually fits into our computer cabinet, which is something that Matt was really concerned about). I swung by her house at lunch today to pick it up. Matt set it up AS SOON as I walked in the door for lunch (luckily, he had lunch waiting on me, so I didn't mind being tossed aside for a monitor LOL).

I/he/we don't know whether it was the heating element and/or the heater coil, because he replaced them both. In fact, they were both probably bad, because he did one (not sure which was first) tested it, still didn't have hot water, then changed the other but didn't have time to test it before he want to take his final. So, I tested the water when I got home with the kids, and WE HAVE HOT WATER!!!

Again, God is good...two things that could have gone very differently ended up taking time, but not much $$$ to be resolved.

Thank you, God!