Happiness is...

My little boy saying "Mom, are you okay?" after every cough or sneeze I make

Listening to my daughter sing Christmas carols and learn the words to all the "grown up" ones all throughout the month of December

The sound of my kids squealing with happiness when they see extended family and all their grandmas and grandpas

Knowing that my husband loves me despite my faults and shortcomings, and that he always will

Feeling supported and encouraged by family and friends who know opening a private practice has been a life long dream of mine

Opening up a gift certificate for housekeeping services for Christmas and knowing that my husband bought it even though the "great sale" he learned about earlier in the month was over

The crackling sound the fire makes in the fireplace

Taking a walk in the neighborhood with the kids and noticing the warm smell of someone burning a fire...and then realizing it is our home that is making our little spot of the world smell so nice

Knowing that I know when there is enough

Watching A Christmas Story at least twice during the 24 hour marathon on TBS every year

Plug

I ordered Jack a backpack from (http://kidstravelzone.com) It shipped very quickly and they did a beautiful job adding his name and a picture to personalize it. When it arrived, I opened it up and realized I had accidentally ordered him the "big kid backpack" rather than the "little kid backpack". The backpack is so big Jack could climb inside it! I called the company (which is just a couple working out of their home I think) to tell them of my error and ask if there was anything I could do.

They not only said they would send me out the little backpack with the emblems and writing I had requested, but they told me to just keep the big backpack for when Jack gets bigger. Since they were letting me keep TWO backpacks, I offered to pay for the little backpack so that they would not lose money over my error, which they declined. They only asked that I order from them again sometime. Which of course I will do. A million times. Check out their website..they do GREAT work and are a wonderful, kind couple!

Kate-isms

Heard tonight at dinner-

K: Why does Molly keep woofin' all the time?

M: Do you mean barking?

K: Yeah, but I like to call it "woofin'"

And then later-

K: Oooooh, I broke it! (said in her best 4 y.o. whine) Daddy! Can you come fix this princess?

D: That one breaks alot, let me see if I can fix it.

K: That's why I call you Handy Manny. I mean, Handy Daddy.

I have to get this on camera...

My son loves all things that "go". He loves cars, trucks, motorcycles, trains...anything with wheels. As many little boys do, he has developed a love for Thomas the Train. His favorite train is Percy. I love to hear him talk about all his favorite things...his speech is so cute these days.

He often takes a Thomas the Train book with him while he and Mommy run errands together on Mondays. Today, while we were looking for t-shirts for Daddy at Kohl's, Jack started playing one of his favorite games. "Where is...." Speech is a funny thing with two year olds.

If you haven't already figured out where I am going with this, he began saying "Where is Percy? Wook, Mommy. There he is! There's Percy! Hi Percy!" But he can't say his "r" very well, so I got some funny looks. But not from the moms of two year old little boys. They all nodded their heads with a knowing smile.

Kid funnies

Kate: "Mom, can you do me a favorite?"
Mom: "Sure babe. What?"
Kate: "Can I please have some water? And I want it fresh this time."

Kate dictionary: favorite = favor
fresh = with ice


----------------------------------------



Jack: "Wook! A penis! A penis!"
Mom: "No Jack, tractors don't have penises. Only boys
have penises."

For the record, he did have the tractor turned upside down and was pointing to a plastic bump in between the two front wheels. At least he knew where it should be.


----------------------------------------

Father time...or Mother time, rather

I have been feeling old lately. Not like "one foot in the grave" old, but definitely older. The other day I was in my house with my children peacefully sleeping in their rooms. I had this moment where it dawned on me that I was a grown up. Does that ever happen to you? I mean, I am thirty-four years old and am at an age where I REMEMBER my parents being this age. And I am pretty sure they were grown ups. In some ways, it feels overwhelming and disconcerting. Am I a grown up? When did this happen? How come nobody told me? Most of the time, I feel like I am just pretending to be grown up. Does anyone else feel like that?

I started thinking about what criteria made me consider people "grown ups" when I was a kid. Here is my list thus far...

Grown ups:

1. Have nice houses
2. Drink coffee in the mornings
3. Sometimes have children
4. Have jobs that don't require clocking in/out
5. Have bank accounts that actually have savings in it
6. Have or has had a life partner
7. Make food in crock pots
8. Hide certain junk food from the other people living in their home
9. Have gray hair
10. Have cars that aren't junky
11. Appreciate clothing/shoes that do not come from the local discount store
12. Listen to NPR
13. Watch the world news at night
14. Are interested in learning more. Especially about things they cared nothing
about when they were in school. Like history. And science. And foreign
language.
15. Eat fruits and vegetables on purpose
16. Have a hangover from drinking two or more glasses of wine
17. Are viewed as "professionals" in their field of work
18. Start telling the same stories over and over again
19. Lecture their kids even when they KNOW the kids are not listening
20. Complain about their knees/neck/back hurting alot

Well...shit. The verdict is in.

The face

My baby turned two years old a couple of days ago. And while I've written a "Two year" letter to him a million times in my head, this picture and this song express so much more than my simple words ever could. This picture was taken by my husband while Jack was looking at me (and wearing his bicycle helmet backwards). This is the face I see and I immediately forget the world around me.

Nothin' but trouble

Overheard today at my house:

Jack: Aaaaah! Whaaaaaaaaaa! (Insert sounds from 2 year old losing his sh#t)

Mommy: Jack? What's wrong? Kate? What's wrong with Jack?

Kate: Nothing Mommy. Jack was just sharing his snack with me.



She's tricky, but not quite tricky enough.

Kate's first "official" day of preschool

Of course, she had to strike a "dance" pose for her picture! She attends a private in-home preschool on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. She loves school and even got a special pink backback for her birthday from her best friend, Lily. She loves carrying her "papers" back and forth in it. Kate is already trying to convince me that she has to ride the big yellow school bus to Kindergarten next fall instead of having Mommy take her and pick her up. Gasp. Ummm....NO!

Offensive and disrespectful

As you all know, I work with the developmentally disabled population. My clients all have some sort of disability that causes them cognitive and/OR physical slowness in development. Some of my clients are babies, some are 95 years old. Some live in their own homes. Some live in group homes. Some live in nursing homes. Some communicate like you and I do, some do not. Some use sign language. Some have no communication skills whatsoever. Some can walk, some cannot. Some can toilet, dress, feed, and bathe themselves and some cannot. Some can manage their emotions/behaviors within a reasonable manner, and some cannot. Some of my clients can read/write and work, and some cannot.

My clients are all human beings. They all have hearts. They all have souls. As such, they all deserve respect.

Please stop using the word "retard" as an insult/comment/descriptor in your life. While you likely mean no disrespect or bigotry, it is an offensive and disrespectful term. Much like the "n" word, or using "gay" to describe something in a negative way, it originated as a descriptor to label many of my clients. It has become common slang language and used in light-hearted and "comical" ways to negatively describe a person. It is disrespectful and offensive.

We are all humans. We all need to be treated with respect. For those of you who have never stopped to think about how that word can hurt others, you no longer have the excuse of not having thought about it. You are thinking of it now. Stop using it. It hurts.

Happiness

I love my life right now. For real. Absolutely love it. :)

Wandering Indiana

My consulting job takes me on the road typically at least two days per week. I have been doing alot of working in Indianapolis lately, which has given me ample "deep thoughts" time. It has also given me a new area to learn with lots to do in my down time. Here are some random thoughts I had today...

1. ***NEWSFLASH***
To Taylor Swift's best guy friend:
She is totally in love with you. Open your eyes and see it. Either date her or tell her its never gonna happen so she can stop writing the same song over and over again.

2. "Wow! There is a mama elephant with her baby!!!"

3. "I'm not going to get lost, I'm not going to get lost, I'm not going to get lost." (as I drove downtown Indy)

4. "I can do this, let's see... the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. I need to go west. So I'll go this way. Dang. It's one way. That's okay..I'll just go around the block."

5. "Shoot. That sign says I am in the northeast quadrant....that ain't west."

6. "Did I just think "ain't?"

7. "Just keep swimming...just keep swimming...just keep swimming" (from Nemo)

8. Several hours later... "My niche should be designing clothes for four year olds. I could fill the LARGE GAPING HOLE that falls in little girl clothing between 'baby-ish and hoochy-mama'"

It's a random life I lead.

True Confessions

1. I smile every time I hear Pete from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse say "Mickey the Mouse". Then I say it too.

2. I hate that my baby boy has been sick, but have LOVED having him sleep with me the past two nights.

3. The other day I was driving to a friend's birthday party and was humming the theme from "The Berenstein Bears". There were no kids in my car.

4. The thought of my kids playing with the germ-infested toys in the doctor's office waiting room makes me want to hurl. But, I totally considered letting my coughing, sneezing, snot dripping son play with them this morning. (I said "considered"... don't worry, I kept him occupied with a snack on my lap instead)

5. Sometimes I feel sad that my kids look nothing like me. Not that I am vain, but hey, a little resemblance wouldn't be bad.

The truth of things

Another post stolen from my friend Kelly, who got it from another blog. I found so many of these to be true, I had to share them!


-I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

-More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me.

-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

-I don’t understand the purpose of the line, “I don’t need to drink to have fun.” Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they’ve invented the lighter?

-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you’re going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you’re crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

-That’s enough, Nickelback.

-I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

-Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the “people you may know”
feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

-Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ’s. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft.

-There is a great need for sarcasm font.

-Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f was going on when I first saw it.

-I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I’ll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone’s laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I’m still the only one who really, really gets it.

-How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

-I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
- I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

- A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

- Was learning cursive really necessary?

- Lol has gone from meaning, “laugh out loud” to “I have nothing else to say”.

- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

- Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

- My brother’s Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads.
Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, “Cuz we beat you, and you hate us.”
Classy, bro.

- Whenever someone says “I’m not book smart, but I’m street smart”, all I hear is “I’m not real smart, but I’m imaginary smart”.

- How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear what they said?

- I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

- Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using ‘as in examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss’s last name to an attorney and said “Yes that’s G as in…(10 second lapse)..ummm…Goonies”

-What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

- While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it…thanks Mario Kart.

- MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

- Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

- I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

-Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

- I would like to officially coin the phrase ‘catching the swine flu’ to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: “Dave caught the swine flu last night.”

-I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

- Bad decisions make good stories

-Whenever I’m Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don’t mind if I do!

- Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I’m from, this shouldn’t be a problem….

-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you’ve made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

-Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don’t want to have to restart my collection.

-There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

-I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

- “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this ever.

-I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There’s so much pressure. ‘I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren’t watching this. It’s only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?’

-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What’d you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

-When I meet a new girl, I’m terrified of mentioning something she hasn’t already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

-I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it’s on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

-Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles…

- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

-Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

-It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

-I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn’t know what do to with it.

-Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time…

-My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day “Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?” How the hell do I respond to that?

-It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

-I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

-I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

-The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There’s nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

Wake up call

Our mornings have gotten better and better of late. Our children have been sleeping in until 7:30 -8:00 am. Which is AWESOME! Even if we stay up to watch our 10pm shows, it's just not that bad. And just when you think the cute sayings are gone b/c your four year old is soooo old, there is a new one!

This morning this is what we woke up to coming through the baby monitor:

Kate: "Daddy....Daddy.....wooo hooo.....Daddy" (think "yoo hoo" but way cuter)

How can you NOT wake up smiling to that? Even on a Monday!

Nicki-ology

A fun post from my friend Kelly's blog! Copy it and fill in your answers and post it in the comment section, FB page, or blog

*********** FOODOLOGY***************

What is your salad dressing of choice? Depends on my mood (ranch, blue cheese, 1000 island, vinagarette)

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? PF Changs

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? cereal

What are your pizza toppings of choice? cheese, ham and pineapple, stms barbecue

What do you like to put on your toast? butter

***********TECHNOLOGY***************

How many televisions are in your house? 3 (one in family room, one in basement, one dead one in the garage)

What color is your cellphone? black

Do you have an iPod? of course

***************BIOLOGY******************
Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right

Have you ever had anything removed from your body? My wisdom teeth; my children

What is the last heavy item you lifted? idk, my son?

Have you ever been knocked unconscious? yes

************BULLOLOGY**************
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? yes

If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I like my name

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? no

**************FAVORITOLOGY****************
Season? Fall

Holiday? Christmas

Day of the week? Sunday

Month? October

***********CURRENTOLOGY*****************
Missing someone? Not really

Mood? calm

What are you listening to? all kinds of things

Current worry? not too worried right now

***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************
First place you went this morning? The potty

What's the last movie you saw? The Ugly Truth- great!

***************OTHER-OLOGY*****************
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? 1

Last time you had a run-in with the cops? Oh my...years ago.

Last person you talked to? Kelly

Last person you hugged? Kate

Do you always answer your phone? No.

It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? hmmmm...not sure, could be anyone really

If you could change your eye color what would it be? I like my eye color

Do you own a digital camera? Yes

Have you ever had a pet fish? yes

Favorite Christmas song(s)? The Christmas Song by Nat Cole

What's on your wish list for your birthday? don't have a list yet

Can you do push ups? Sure, but do I? no.

Can you do the splits? Nope

Does the future make you more nervous or excited? Excited

Do you have any saved texts? No

Have you ever been in a car accident? Yes

Do you have an accent? I don't think so.

What is the last movie to make you cry? I can't remember.

Plans tonight? Work work work

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? yes

Name 3 things you bought yesterday? popcorn, diet coke, birthday card

Have you ever been given roses? Yes...but its been way too long

Met someone who changed your life? Yes

How will you bring in the New Year? Hopefully giving my hubby a smooch

What song represents you? there are many

Name two people who might complete this? unsure

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? yes

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year? Yes

Do you have any tattoos/piercings? just ears pierced

Does anyone love you? Yes

Would you be a pirate? No

What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't sing in the shower, but there is always one playing in my head

Ever had someone sing to you? yes...LOVE it!

When did you last cry? The other night after talking to my daughter about Kindergarten

Do you like to cuddle? Yes, but I don't get enough of it

Have you held hands with anyone today? No

Who was the last person you took a picture of? kate and jack

Are most of the friends in your life new or old? a mixture of both

Do you like pulpy orange juice? Not really.

What is something your friends make fun of you for? talking too much probably

The fourth year....

Four!!!!

Dear Kate,

How on earth you can already be four years old is beyond my comprehension. I cannot believe it! You are so smart, baby girl. You are on the verge of reading, are doing some simple addition, writing your name, and are so ready to go to school. Daddy and I have mixed feelings about you starting school next Fall, as you will no doubt be the youngest in your grade. However, it is impossible to imagine holding you back until you are six, since you are so ready this year!

You are still very much a dancer and performer. You pretend, pretend, pretend, all day long. When I ask you what you want to be when you grow up, it changes depending on the day. But mostly you answer, "A dancer AND a mommy." You have a best friend now, and love having girl time. Your social network has broadened and you have also made a couple of good friends at dance class. Everyone we meet when we are out and about, you deem as your friend. You are a dear, sweet girl.

This year you took a full nine months of dance and loved every minute of it. There was a big recital in June and you did GREAT! You didn't even hestitate when they moved you up into the front row b/c the little girl who was there ran off the stage crying. My big girl! You have been taking swimming lessons all summer and are starting to feel more comfortable in the water. You are more comfortable getting your face wet and have begun floating on your back and belly.

You are very much into princesses, singing, dress up, and all things GIRL. You love playing with baby dolls, people, and doll houses. You are also pedaling your big girl bike this summer and are VERY PROUD of yourself for that big accomplishment. Your fave colors are pink and purple and you ask Mommy almost every day if they are my fave colors too. ;)

Daddy and I are so proud of the big/little girl you have become. You are kind and thoughtful, although have no problems speaking your mind when you are in a familiar situation. You love having a little brother and are such a good role model for him. You have already taught him so much! I am amazed at all he has picked up from you! You completely amaze me at how brave you are! You want to ride "big kid" rides when we are at carnivals, despite not being quite tall enough to do so yet. On our recent trip to Holiday World, you even went on a big water slide with Daddy and a roller coaster with Mommy. (Even though Mommy was about to back out at the last minute, even though it was a "kid" coaster.)

You amaze us every day with all that you are learning and thinking about. You are such a smart and beautiful soul. We are so thankful God blessed us with you.

All my love,

Mommy

Once bitten, twice shy...

I walked into the kitchen a few days ago and found this. Apparently, a little one year old boy (who shall remain nameless) can verify that the first bite of an apple is the best. Earlier in the day he had been sitting at the counter coloring...next to the fruit bowl. Stinker. ;)

Kate's perspective..

Infomercial

There is a short commercial that I've seen a couple of times for a "new, GENUINE leather Buxton bag"...it apparently organizes your makeup, money, papers, and even carries two water bottles! It is also touted to look fashionable with a variety of outfits and comes in black, red, or tan! It allows for hands-free carrying! Amazing! Innovative!






Some would all it a cheap purse.....

Irritation

Do Dora and Diego's voices irritate anyone else? Not just their voices, but also the way the ask questions and talk.

"Can YOU find the BIGGEST TREE in the FOREST???"


Makes me want to throw my shoe through the television.


But maybe that's just me.

Spring pictures

My first baby

Kate is very much into playing with babies. She likes being "the mommy" and also taking turns as "the baby". Sometimes she plays with baby dolls, but sometimes she turns a book, headband, or play food into her baby. It all depends on the day. There is no lack of imagination in my girl. As such, there is alot of baby talk at our house. Kate often calls herself "my first baby". I have told her that she is my first baby and even though she is a big girl, she will always be my first baby. Even when she is old "like 11?" she asked.

My first baby is fast approaching four years old. I know, it's so hard for me to believe. Four sounds so... so..... OLD. When did my four and a half pound baby girl turn into an almost FOUR YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL???

Last week Kate was eating non-stop. She typically eats a decent breakfast, lunch, and snacks and has little interest in dinner. This last week she was eating second helpings of almost everything and needed all three snacks too. Her sleep has been very erratic and she has been having a hard time staying asleep all night. She is up by 6:30 every morning and has been falling asleep closer to 8:30-9:00 pm. So today, we are beginning the transition to "rest time" and slowly giving up nap time. Rest time is time she spends in her bed with a Magna Doodle and books. Quiet time to keep mommy sane. Some days she will still nap, but on these days where her energy is limitless and she is no where near tired, I am okay with implementing rest time. It's been a good run....

(sniff sniff)

Out of the mouths of babes

Jack's babbles have taken on much more "word-like" qualities. I know it is only a matter of weeks before his vocabularly will explode even more and I will lose track of it all!

"Ma!" - Still my personal fave
"Dad! Daaaaaddy!" - No doubt Dan's fave
"Yeah" - said slowly with a sigh and a deep voice
"NO!" - with much conviction and defiance
"Dis?" - a question he asks about every picture or interesting item he sees
"Hyeee" - hi! said with the most enthusiasm you've ever heard
"Ba bye" - wants to go anywhere anytime anyplace
"Yay!" - said with a clap of hands about any kind of song, tune, or silly face
"Allll" - Jack-ese for all done or all gone (this is another one of my faves)
"Moooo" - what a cow says
"Baaaa" - sheep
"ohn ohn" pig
"mew" - cat
"ooooo" - elephant with his arm raised
"woo woo" - said in a whisper for a dog
"tee tee" - birdspeak
"five" - for give me high five or low five
"soos" - shoes
"ssssss" - when mommy makes him say sorry to Kate for hitting her
"orse" - horse (a word I'd never heard him say before until his speech eval of course! He's such a stinker!)
"ook" - book
"ball" - you get it right?
"Kay" - big sis
"Keyyyee" - Kelly

He's saying some other things randomly too. Despite his later onset of a consistent vocabulary, he sometimes stuns us with two syllable words and phrases like toothbrush, yes please, thank you, and others. He's totally holding out on us!

Here chicky chicky

(I know! TWO POSTS in one day! WTF????)

Just wanted to tell everyone that you have 24 hours to download a coupon at Oprah.com which is good for a FREE TWO PIECE GRILLED CHICKEN DINNER for EVERY member of your family from KFC. (Includes two sides and a biscuit don't ya know!) They are promoting their new grilled chicken apparantly. The coupon has to be used during the next two weeks.

So says Oprah.

So says I.

How well do you know your partner?

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
Motorcycle racing, Hockey playoffs, crime show

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Ranch

3. What's one food he doesn't like?
There is one type of seafood he doesn't like, I forget what it is. Let's see, he likes clams, escargot, mussels...oysters maybe?

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?
Beam and Coke

What high school did he go to?
Talawanda High School in Oxford, Ohio

6. What size shoe does he wear?
10 or 10.5

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
Money! (stolen answer from Christina, but totally true about my husband too!)

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
A really good Ruben sandwich or Italian sub

9. What would he eat every day if he could?
Ice cream

10. What is his favorite cereal?
He's not a big cereal eater, he prefers eggs

11. What would he never wear?
I don't know, he'd probably wear anything on a dare

12. What is his favorite sports team?
Detroit Redwings, Colts, IU, Ohio State

13. Who did he vote for?
O-BA-MA!!!!

Who is his best friend?
Me

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Let him be the one who gets up with the kids in the morning...almost every morning (I know!!! But in my defense, he is such a morning person and I am just...not.)


16. What is his heritage?
Hmmm...probably German, Irish, English like so many of us

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday - what kind of cake?
Carrot cake with cream cheese icing

18. Did he play sports in high school?
Hockey and track to stay in shape in the off season

19. What could he spend hours doing?
Watching TV, listening to music, playing with the kids

20. What is one unique talent he has?
He is THE most patient person I have ever met. Ever. I mean, he makes Job look hasty sometimes. I wish some of it would rub off on me, but it hasn't in 11 years.

A day in the life...

Wednesday, March 18th

7:00 am Hear the kids get up; be thankful hubby gets up with them; doze off and on
wish I hadn't stayed up so late and woken up 100 times during the night

7:45 am Husband comes up to take a shower and make sure I get my butt out of bed

8:00 am Downstairs and making coffee

8:15 am Kiss hubby goodbye; decide if I want to stay awake I have to get out
of the house today

8:20 am Turn on cartoons for the kids and open the playroom. Head upstairs to clean
up and get dressed; encourage my 3 year old to get dressed and get her teeth
brushed

8:45 am Fight with my 3 year old to get dressed; wrangle my 1 year old and get him
dressed; pack the diaper bag; grab a handful of cashews and call it my
breakfast

9:00 am Truce with my 3 year old. shoes, shoes, everyone shoes! Get everyone loaded
into the car

9:15 am Drop off expired library books, drop off hubby's wallet at work; to Target
to look at bathroom accessories; Load the kids into the double stroller and
walk the mall; eat early lunch at Chic-Fil-A; browse Old Navy; back to the
car

11:30 am To the park; chase Jack around everything BUT the playground equipment;
listen to my sweet girl's laughter as she runs and plays with the other
kids

12:00 pm Heartbreak to 3 year old that we have to leave the park, but Mama knows it
is only a matter of minutes before younger brother loses his sh*$ because
he is exhausted

12:15 pm Arrive home. Shoes off, 3 year old to potty; change baby's diaper; read 2 books to baby and put him down for nap. Head downstairs to find 3 y.o.
who is playing "hide from mommy game". Find her (in her bed under the
covers)fully clothed including shoes, glasses. Take off her shoes and
glasses and jeans b/c it is too hot (or is it just me?). Read her 2 books

12:25 pm Use the bathroom. Alone.

12:26 pm Check email. Get sucked into Facebook for at least 15 minutes

12:45 pm Make phone calls for work. Schedule appointments for tomorrow and Saturday

1:10 pm Call friend and gab for a few as I unload/reload the dishwasher, sweep the
kitchen floor; pick up toys, pick up more toys, get cupcake ingredients out
and craft items together for 3 year old to make birthday card

1:35 pm Try to read book for fun

1:36 pm Hear baby cry. Wait.

1:37 pm Baby crying. Change his stinky diaper. Rock baby. Put back down. Baby
cries. Rock baby some more. Enjoy rocking the baby as I never get to
anymore. Lay him back down after several more minutes of smelling his
sweet head and reminiscing about how much he has grown

2:00 pm Answer phone

2:10 pm More work phone calls (notice baby is not sleeping and is babbling)

2:15 pm Baby is crying again. Get him up. Get him a snack.

2:20 pm 3 year old is up. Give her snack. Preheat oven for cupcakes.

2:30 pm Make cupcakes with 3 year old and try to keep baby entertained.

3:00 pm Kids playing. Get baby to write on birthday card. Have 3 year old
decorate and write her name on birthday card.

4:00 pm Clean up mess. Clean up more mess. Talk self into making spaghetti for
dinner but only b/c it is bath night for the kids. Put frosting on
cupcakes and have 3 year old add the sprinkles.

4:15 pm Talk on the phone to friend while getting stuff out for dinner. Sweep
kitchen floor AGAIN and the area where the kids' eat (Secretly eat
cupcake while hiding from kids)

5:00 pm Start dinner as hubby is working late; Intervene with kids' fighting in
playroom

5:15 pm Get kids ready for dinner. Clean up more mess. And then more again.

5:25 pm Sit down with kids for dinner.

5:45 pm Head upstairs to get work out clothing on. Then back down to get the
kids to KEEP EATING AND STOP PLAYING!

6:15 pm Hubby home. Make his plate and give him quick rundown of rule that no kids
get cupcakes if they don't eat a decent amount for dinner.

6:20 pm Work out

7:10 pm Back home. Hubby has bathed kids! (He's GREAT eh???) Finish cleaning up
dinner. Get kids and hubby cupcakes for snack. Resist the temptation to
have another one. Everyone cleans up toys!!! Get kids' teeth brushed;
Deal with cranky baby who did not take long enough nap.

7:30 pm Tired of cranky baby. Take him up to bed. Read two books. Search for
missing paci. Hubby finds one and saves the day. 3 year old watching a
cartoon before bed. Baby to bed.

8:15 pm 3 year old to bed. Daddy reads her two books. Check email and FB. Surf
web for news since I never get to watch it anymore. Finish blog


The following is My Plan for the rest of the night...Lord only knows what will really happen!

8:30 pm Type report for an hour because I HAVE to. Prepare stuff for work tomorrow

9:00 pm Get kids' clothes ready for morning as hubby has early meeting and it is
just me to get them up dressed and to sitter's by 8am.

9:15 pm READ MY BOOK

10:30 pm Get ready for bed

11:00 pm Wish I could keep reading my book....zzzzzzzzz

Oscars

Seriously, is Sean Penn not THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY actor EVER????? Love him! Sorry, just had to get that out!

Boys will be boys...

Sometimes pictures really do say a thousand words! (Notice the busted lip, the big scratch under his eye, the crayons up his nose, climbing on the table, and the "Al Bundy" pose)

Clearing out the cobwebs

I have lots of thoughts swimming around in my head right now. Lots of random thoughts and ideas. I'm going to purge some of them into this blog to see if it will clear out some space in there. So bear with me....

1. I am doing a great job working out 3 days per week at Curves. Go me! Have you been there, ladies? They have this Curve Smart program which CUSTOMIZES your body, strength, range of motion, and goals onto a computer chip. Then you put the computer chip into each machine and it adjusts the reps, resistance, and range of motion based on YOUR body. It ramps you up as needed to make sure you never plateau. Instant feedback. Like a personal trainer with you at all times. How cool is that? LOVE it! Total accountability and kicks my competetiveness into gear as I try to make the machine give me a green light. You check your heart rate as you go along to ensure you are getting it up into the targeted area. Oh yeah, and there is this hand held thing that you hold once per month and it reads your body fat percentage so you know how much body fat you are changing into muscle. No fat-pinching calipers! AWESOME. I kind of thought Curves would be some easy going workout. Not so, not so at all. And there is a big variety of women there...moms, docs, profs, a few students, an army lady....

2. I am studying for my licensure exam. Indiana Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Big test. Lots of money to take it. Lots of money to buy study materials for it. 170 questions. Multiple choice. One wrong answer, one less likely answer, and two right answers, but I pick the "one they are looking for". Nice eh? My friends who have taken it say "it's counter-intuitive". So the answer I think it is? It's not. Great. Four hours long. Have to get a 70% to pass. Licensure allows me to bill insurance companies for services if I want to do any private practice. It also helps me with the consulting work I've been doing for Headstart. Big test. Am I nervous? Yes.

3. I want to make a bucket list. You know, a list of things I want to accomplish/experience in my life time. Do you have one? What is on it? I'll post mine later. Too busy studying for the darn test to do it...

4. Facebook is sucking away my life. Seriously. Why is it so intriguing to find out where people from your past are and how their lives turned out? Voyeurism. With permission. That's all it is. But I have to say, I have met a lot of people in my life and have lived a lot of places. I absolutely LOVE having a way to reconnect with people from my past. I swear 80% of my past is on FB now and its all happened in the past 6-12 months. Incredible. You think there really isn't anyone you are interested in finding, and then all of a sudden, everyone you've ever played barbies with, got in trouble at school with, played sports with, had slumber parties with, ditched school with, drank with, lived in a dorm with, worked a past job with, extended family you NEVER see, ...there they are. You didn't know you missed them. But you did! Are you on FB?

And grows and grows and grows...

My sweet boy is almost sixteen months old. I cannot believe how fast time goes! I know I say that all the time, but REALLY, why does it have to go by so quickly? J will be 16 months on February 1st. (Yes, I am just getting his 15 month update posted!) His check up at the pediatrician went well. He is 31 1/2 inches long (50-75%) and 23 pounds, 2 oz (25-50%). J is wearing size 18 month clothes and will surely pass up his "big" sis by his second birthday! He has most of his teeth and we are just seeing the last four begin to break through this week (yay!).

Little mister loves books, trucks, and music. He also loves hats and puts everything on his head! He loves to dance and is a big flirt! It is physically impossible NOT to smile when he smiles at you; which makes teaching him not to touch certain things tricky. J is always on the go. He doesn't sit still for long! He loves to climb and Mommy has found him standing on top of the slide and on top of the table in K's room. One of J's favorite "no no" activities is standing on the couch, saying "Whooooooa" and then falling straight backwards onto his back. He thinks it's hilarious and of course, Mommy and Daddy just know he will fall off the couch so find it less humorous. When he gets mad, he gets MAD, and lets us know about it.

J loves his big sis more than anyone. He follows her around like a little shadow. He isn't saying much yet, although suddenly will say something unexpected leaving Daddy and I to look at each other like "did he just say that?"

He is a bright light in our family!!

Today is the day

Dear K and J,

I have started so many posts trying to express to you the feeling I have regarding this year's election. All of them come up short; it is difficult to put some things into words. But today, I will finish the post I started back in November.

In a couple of hours, Mr. Obama will officially become our 44th President. He has inspired millions of people to take charge of not only their lives, but their families, neighborhoods, communities, and government. He is just a man, no better or worse than any other man. But he has chosen to embark on a journey that will change the lives of all of us. He has chosen to be "the one" to steer our country in a new direction. With his decision, he is sacrificing more than any of us can imagine.

He is a Daddy, and just like your Daddy, I believe his first and last thoughts of every day are about his two kids and how much he loves them. I believe that he will think of how his decisions will impact his girls and their future. I believe that Mrs. Obama prays for the health and happiness of her family every night just as your mommy does. And just like your mommy and daddy, they will make mistakes. They will likely make big mistakes. But I believe they will take responsibility for the mistakes they make and will do their best to learn from them.

He is inheriting a list of problems that Mommy can not begin to describe. They are problems we have all had a part in and we all need to take part in finding the solutions. That is our job as Americans. We need to help each other and take care of each other and notice the similarities in each other, rather than focusing on the differences.

Millions of people are in the streets of Washington. They are from all walks of life. They are standing out there in the cold, so excited to witness this historic day. And millions more of us are in our homes and offices, watching it all unfold on television.

I know you will read about this time in your history books. I know you will ask me and Daddy about it. I hope that we still feel as inspired and focused as we do today. I am so grateful that our country will be a better place for you. When he makes his speech in a few hours, I know he will remind us that this day is much less about him, and much more about YOU. And me. And all of us. Together.

One like the other

I'm pretty sure my kids are going to hate these pics when they are older. But I think they are so cute dressed in the same Christmas jammies!!! I'm pretty sure next year big sis will say "absolutely not!" when I ask them to wear matching jammies for Christmas.