Withdrawl

I'm working on Day 3 without my sacred Diet Coke. It has been brutal. Yesterday afternoon I was literally jittery and someone thought that I was not in the best of moods. I didn't realize that I was actually an addict-I thought this drinking habit was just a guilty pleasure.

Guess not.

This morning even Todd was craving some of that luscious carbonated caffeinated beverage. He mentioned switching to beer.

I headed for the wine cabinet.

Kidding...but still. I don't know how I'm going to last another 37 days!!! Life is just not as glorious without my Big A Cokes, which I guess is the entire point of the sacrifice.

Talk about Sacrifice

I had a business dinner Wednesday night at Del Frisco's, a place I have heard many good things about, but had not had the opportunity to eat there. Being that I am a steak lover, it was definitely a place I have wanted to try over the years. Unfortunately for me, my first opportunity fell on Ash Wednesday. A day that I should be fasting all day and then eating a reasonable supper. And to top it off, NO MEAT! By the time we arrived I had talked myself into ordering fish and hoped they had sword fish (my favorite) on the menu. I was very dissappointed when the menu only had tuna and salmon. I like both, but I wanted something not on the Chili's menu. I was seriously pondering the steak and just asking forgiveness when the waiter arrived and presented the specials. The last item he mentioned was swordfish. There truly is a God and he was looking out for me last night. I guess I will try the steak next time.

a lenten sacrifice

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent-the 40 days before Easter. As Catholics, we make small physical sacrifices during this time, such as giving up meat on Fridays. This is really the first year we've talked about the "giving up" during Lent with our kids. I've always abstained from the meat, etc., but now with Father Todd in the house, we are more cognitive of all the Catholic Traditions. Tanner plans on giving up candy, and Madison is still overwhelmed at the idea of giving ANYTHING UP, so we'll see what she comes up with in the morning.

Which brings me to my lenten sacrifice-I'm going to give up DIET COKE for Lent. I know what some of you are thinking-that I won't last 40 minutes, let alone 40 days-but I'm going to try. Todd is also making the same sacrifice. So, now that you all know, I'll be caught red-handed if I fall off the wagon. The first test will be when I get home from Mass tomorrow night solo with all 3 kids. (Todd will be dining at Del Frisco's. Ask him what he plans on ordering-just ask him!)

I'm going to go figure out the coffee maker now.

o happy day!

Tonight, I turned in my girl scout cookie money and paperwork! No more nagging voice in the back of my mind telling me to double check this number or pick up another box of carmel delights!! Our troop cleared $634, which will help us have a superfun campout and end of school field trip. To those of you who listened to me moan and groan about all the math, and those who bought boxes of cookies again and again...THANK YOU!!!

happy happy day. :)

Only 34 More to Go! (Danielle is powering down now!)

I find it very funny how someone (me) can be so obnoxious about a guy that is so non controversial, and as a result, create such disdain from all of my friends and family. They all literally root for the guy to hit the wall, blow an engine, get passed, etc. Whatever it takes to simmer me down I guess! I have more than enough bravado to make up for my driver's calm and cool demeanor at the track. On that point, I am certain all of my friends will agree! Especially if you are watching the race with me. You won't be able fit my ego in Texas Motor Speedway if the #17 car is racing for the lead there. "Pull those straps tight one more time"..."Boogity Boogity Boogity, Let's go racin boys!"

Daddy Daughter Dance

"It was the best night ever!" Madison told me this morning as she went over every detail of her Daddy Daughter Dance from last night. We spent the whole day in anticipation of the big night, and event made a field trip to Sweet and Sassy to get glammed up for the event-glitter, nails, hair-the works!
Madison and her friend, Quinn, waiting for their manicures-look at that rock star hair!!

Once Madison was dressed and ready to go, I made them pose for a few pictures of course-and made them promise to eat somewhere spaghetti-free for the dinner portion of their date. :)

When they arrived, Madison immediately pulled Todd out on the dance floor and they boogied down to Hannah Montana, Taylor Swift, the Chicken Dance, and YMCA. Todd even snuck in a few 2 steppin' lessons complete with twirls and dips. Madison felt like a princess, and was still giddy this morning when we talked about it. She promised she will go when she's 16, 17, and forever-guess we'll have to hold her to that. :)

Saturday Night Movie Review: Death Race

In 2012, amid economic chaos and high unemployment, Americans by the millions watch criminals with life sentences race armored cars on Terminal Island.

I thought there was some irony in the premise for this movie given the state of our times. I rented this movie tonight because I knew Danielle would not be home to watch it with me. This is one of those guilty pleasure type movies that I get to see very seldomly. I honestly cannot think of one other person that would watch it with me. If you like brainless, brawn, death and mayhem entertainment, then this movie is for you. I rented the unrated version and man were there some gruesome scenes. It looked really good on the blue ray player to boot. I can hear the groans now!

A Day at the Park

Yesterday, on the way to Tanner's piano lesson, we stopped by a park we used to frequent in Keller. I'm sappy like that and like to cruise down memory lane from time to time. I'm probably making my kids into saps too-but that's not so bad, is it?

Tanner's Presidential Policy

Translation: If I were President I would help people be safe by making medicine.

Who says kids don't listen? :)

#17

Well, not that anyone will care, but my favorite driver won the coveted Daytona 500 today. Yes it was rain shortened, but all of the drivers knew that would happen, So the best were at the front of the pack and Matt came out on top. Congratulations to Matt Kenseth and the rest of the Dewalt team. Here is to hoping for another championship in 2009. Something Jr. could only dream about at this point!

the Daytona 500 tradition...

A few years ago, we declared Daytona 500 weekend a holiday with our friends Shelly and Jared. We vowed to always stop down and spend the weekend together, and also not to stress when we couldn't attend birthday parties, Christmas gatherings, or other celebrations throughout the year. It was the perfect solution for that annoying guilt when our families would be constantly double-booked, and Daytona (the apparent Superbowl of NASCAR) seemed the most fitting event in light of the boys' intense admiration of the 'sport'. We've shared many laughs, beers, stories, pictures, and dinners over the years, and of course, recall all of them every year we repeat the tradition.

This year began with the treehouse project-the treehouse without a tree as it has been pointed out to me. Once we mentioned a building project, Sona and Kevin jumped at the chance to help, and everyone was assembled Saturday morning by 8:30. I was shocked. The boys set to work, and the girls started cooking. We had many tasty treats and projects planned for the kids since it was also Valentine's Day.

We started with the bird feeder project Grady and I did earlier this week during the infamous injury-filled playgroup. Grady felt super special that he was the "leader" of this one, and he showed the other 4 how to smear the peanut butter "just right" on the pine cones before rolling them in birdseed. Now our trees our very nicely decorated with these homemade bird feeders.Meanwhile, the boys kept working away. Kevin, being the out-of-the-box-thinker, gave some much needed advice to Jared and Todd on some design elements, while Jared and Todd mostly bickered like little old ladies over every wood cut. It was a comedy routine in the making for sure.

To set the Valentine's Day mood, the kids made cards for EVERYONE with some superfun glitter puff paint and foam hearts. This project was golden. Not only did it keep them busy for over an hour-but I think I even heard some sounds of love and joy as they worked on them.

With two crafts under our belt, we took a much needed break for refreshment. Sona brought Little Black Dress (a merlot), and we ranked it a 3 on our little wine tasting scale.

During all the crafting and wine tasting, the boys made a lot of progress on the Fort. We attribute the productivity to Jared's 3pm beer curfew-meaning no drinking until after that time. What a concept!! :)

By this time the kids were getting excited about the finished product-they could see all the fun in the making!

To channel their excitement, we headed back inside to make heart shaped Valentine cookies-complete with frosting and tee tiny heart sprinkles.

The boys worked until dark, having accomplished over 11 hours of work! We treated them to an enchilada dinner, and game of Partini-which we give 2 thumbs up by the way. Shelly had us rolling with her humming abilities, and Todd kept us right on track with the rules. Both very important elements to the fun of the game.

Todd was up early this morning hoping to put the final touches on the Fort before the big race. He and Jared finished up the ladder, walls, and rope climb. They also made future plans for a slide, rock climbing wall, and swings...guess we'll be adding on to the Fort throughout the years.

The boys had barely hammered in the last nail before the kids scrambled to the top sharing in the first official play in the Fort. I'm looking forward to many weekends, summers, and holidays spent playing, camping, and relaxing in the Fort-not to mention just sending them out to play for hours and hours upon end.
The Daytona 500-or as it's being called now the Daytona 380-just ended, with Matt Kennseth as the winner. The race was cut short because of rain, so noone is giving much credit to Todd's favorite guy. I can hear the jokes for years to come-maybe the kids will even retell the story in the Fort one day. It gives me warm fuzzies to think of the fun memories. :)

July 21, 2009

By the good graces of God and some help from a friend, I will finally get to see Coldplay live in concert this summer. Can't wait! Of course you all knew that, since I am gay for Coldplay and all!

Subbing Suicide

Tomorrow I am subbing in Tanner's kindergarten classroom. As a teacher who prefers those crazy 7th graders, this should be interesting. I'm pretty sure I was high when I agreed as a favor to his teacher. It's a full moon, Friday the 13th, and a Valentine party-complete with red icing cupcakes brought by yours truly. Lord-you'll need to pay extra attention to me tomorrow.

and Mary? Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Edit: I survived, but don't plan on teaching kindergarten full time. :) Everyone received their valentines, cupcakes, cookies, and bingo sheet-along with other treats and eats...I'm having mine now in a long stemmed glass.

Playgroup

I'm a big fan of Playgroups. When I first embarked on this stay-at-home-mommy journey, I combed the internet looking for a Mom group. Noone really told me the necessity that such a group would hold for me, but as a now 6ish year veteran of not one, but two playgroups, I will tell you-they are a must for the stay homers. It's very easy to get sucked into your own little world with your babies, to detach from the realities of things like World News, Make-Up, and Adult Conversation. Once, when Tanner was about 3 months old, I was riding in the car with Todd not knowing what to do with myself-no screaming child, no baby music to find, no bottle to fill. At that point Todd stopped down, looked at me, and told me to get out more-that WE needed to get out more WITHOUT the kids. The way he said it startled me, but at the same time I knew he was right. I was going a little nutso...enter Playgroup. I found the said Mom group, called the Mom in charge, and on a Tuesday knocked on a stranger's door. They welcomed me with open arms; they introduced Madison to the other kids; they fed us both lunch; they told stories of their own children and family lives. They made me feel normal. From that moment on, there was no stopping me from missing Tuesday Playgroup. If we were well, we were there-because yes, the kids had the opportunity to play, but also-I formed a connection with these moms. They saw me at my most vulnerable-a new mom, and they still liked me, reassured me, and laughed with me. They gave me advice without sounding condescending. They gave me hugs when I just knew I was sending my children into future therapy. They assured me that all the craziness in my life was normal, and that I would gain some control over my surroundings eventually. They said all this because they were in the same place I was-needing the same reassurances thrown their direction. We shared our Tuesday mornings, we shared our children, and we shared our lives. They were a lifeline for me, and I dearly missed them upon our Big Move. I mourned that support system. I felt naked with only my crazy thoughts and even crazier children to surround me.

Slowly, I began to form friendships here, and put out a few feelers to these Moms to see if they would like to meet and play. To my surprise, they jumped on the chance-maybe needing those connections and bonds as much as I did. Last year, we met at McDonald's and the park. We went on a few fieldtrips over the summer, and this year our little group has really molded into something quite special. We celebrate our blessings, hurt for our hardships, and look forward to that weekly retreat into friendship. A friendship that feels safe, accepting, and fun.

Today was the perfect example of how we've grown from awkward acquaintances to real-live friends. We took time out from our normal routine to celebrate a new baby-due in March. We brought diapers for the new mom (or really I guess the new baby), packed lunches for the kids, and tasted Valentine's treats and official Baby Shower Cake-complete with finger holes.
The kids made bird feeders with pine cones, peanut butter and birdseed...
We walked down to a newly constructed fort (constructed by the MOM by the way!). The kids ran and played with the dogs-laughing in the sun.Here you will begin to understand the guts of my story. While admiring the wonderful fort, Grady decided it was time for a potty break, pulled down his pants, peed, and unexpectedly-surprisingly even to him-pooped. Pooped right there on the dirt. Right there. I was hangin' in the fort when I saw the "O NO-what do I do now face", and scurried up to get him. Scurry is the key word-as I did this, I lost my footing, and both Grady and I came crashing down on some rocks. Blood, skin, and poop all around us. My gracious playgroup grabbed my camera, helped me to my feet, cleaned up the feces, and a wound care specialist even gave me some instructions for my injury. I was mortified on so many levels, but these girls-they began telling stories of how their children had done the same thing...expected pee and surprised with poo. This is key-a mom HAS to know that her children aren't the worst in the world. She NEEDS to know that someone else has lived through the same experience and come out of it with her sanity intact. This is playgroup.

The rest of the afternoon, the kids settled with Curious George and their Valentine Lollipops.
The moms savored some of the non-finger-holed side of the Baby Cake, and took the time to laugh at ourselves and our crazy kids. Before I left, I made a note to show Grady the Baby Belly of Honor. His amazement was obvious, and the rest of the day he talked about "when that baby comes to playgroup."
I cherish these Mommy Moments, especially as my kids are growing older, and I feel my role changing with them. I'm no longer just surviving the baby chaos; I'm wading through the tricky issues of molding these babies into people. People that make good choices, care for their world, cherish relationships, and thank God everyday for their many blessings. I only wish these next stages were as simple as unexpected poo and weekly playgroup.

Coffee

I don't drink coffee on a daily basis. I'm fine with a fancy shmancy Starbucks when I'm really cold-or it's Christmas, but as far as the day to day "grind"-I don't partake.

I think I need to learn to drink it though-I see the way people look forward to it, and how it seems to liven up their whole mood and morning routine. With the amount of sleep I grab every night (or rather don't grab), I need a little chemical pick me up to enhance my cognitive abilities.

Right? Is it time I grew up and bought a coffee maker?

Edit: Or maybe I just need to get more sleep. Amazingly, last night I conquered NINE HOURS OF SLEEP! I think I could pretty much solve all the world's problems today. Watch out!

Treehouse Part 1

My lifelong dream of having a treehouse has been set in motion. I don't know who is more excited-me or the kids. I can't wait to see the finished product. I can think of worlds of adventures and hours of fun just waiting to be tapped.

Jared drew out the design, and Todd went shopping. Today the boys laid the groundwork for the frame, and next weekend they plan to finish the job.

The boys worked HARD all afternoon..never stopping for a cold refreshment or friendly conversation.
I'll post updates as they happen; I've said since this idea was born that I wouldn't believe it until I saw it-looks like I might have to eat those words?

Menage a Trois-a definition

Menage a Trois...

Todd's Aunt gave us this bottle for Christmas, and raved about how she LOVED the Menage a Trois...she went on and on about how much she loved it. She made this the House Wine at her restaurant in Nocona, and recommended it to everyone. And no, she didn't know the meaning of the label; she was enlightened by her extended family during the Holidays, and took her embarrassment well. I think she still loves the wine though. :) We gave it a 4 on our 5 point scale.

Cheers!

Juno

2 Thumbs up for this movie. I loved Juno's character; even in a less-than-perfect situation, she kept her originality and character intact. I loved her parents-I can only hope I would be as calm and level headed...I cried, of course-but still a strong 2 thumbs up.

On a sidenote-Madison watched it with us (not entirely), which led to a few interesting conversations about love, babies, and more love. I'm hoping this was one of those times to just "keep the conversation constant" that everyone talks about. Parenting. Hard stuff.

bad week

I won't whine about the details, but let's just say that this has been one of those "when it rains it pours" kind of weeks, which got me to thinking...

Why does it have to pour when it rains? Every time I was hit this week with some catastrophe, I couldn't even stand up before I was knocked on my butt again by something else. Wouldn't it be much nicer if it only sprinkled every now and then? THAT I might could handle with a little more grace and ease than the hailstorms that tend to blow my direction.

I'm inhaling deeply, choosing a bottle of wine, and plan to just look forward to next week. Surely things will look better in a few mornings. Surely I'm do for a little sunshine and rainbows to look my direction.:)

Back to Reality

I was kidnapped last Friday by the Twilight series (Stephanie Meyer). I was apprehensive about reading these books because of my real-life irrational fear of vampires, but eventually I succumbed to the peer pressure all around me, and tentatively started the first of the 4 book series on Friday. Yesterday, I finished Breaking Dawn, the last of the series. Every waking (or should have been sleeping) moment in these last days was filled with my addiction to Bella and Edward.

These books are geared toward teens, which the writing style definitely reflects, but even so, I identified with the characters on an emotional level. I was instantly thrust into those crazy teenage emotions of insecurity, uncertainty, friendship and love. Through all the surface stories in these books, they truly do tell a great love story.

I mean, who doesn't want to fall in love with a life-saving, protective, intelligent, smolderingly hot vampire? :)

Now that I've broken the seal with these seemingly baby vampire books-a friend is trying to get me to read Interview with a Vampire, etc by Anne Rice, but I don't know that I can-irrational fears win out most of the time.