ugly sick viruses that linger...

Our poor A Bear has been battling a high fever since Saturday. We were visiting Modge and Podge Sat. evening and woke up Sunday morning with her fever being 104.2. Of course it really bothered us so we took her to the ER. The doc tried his best to have a bed side manner with a three year old but you could tell he was very uncomfortable. He looked her over and said that all was clear - ears, nose, throat, breathing, etc. So we felt like fools and took her home and did the tylenol/motrin pattern. It is just a virus he said!
As of yesterday, MM was having a difficult time breathing and was using her inhaler and treatment machine at school for the third day in a row. Since she had been on steriods for this two weeks ago, we went to the doc for another plan of attack. Right now MM is missing some recess and play time at school and this really bothers me. She needs that time to let loose, yell out loud, play with her friends, and just be a kid. So we increased some of her other meds to see what will happen.
Meanwhile as MM is getting checked out and taking a breathing treatment in the office, A Bear is becoming pailer and pailer and breathing heavier and heavier. So I ask for them to listen to her breathing and tell me what we should do. Dr. H decided to examine her too and I am glad he did! A Bear has massive ear infections in both ears - almost to the point he was surprised they had not burst! She also has a tight chest and a bad cough. B and I must have taken her to the ER right at the beginning of this.
Hind sight is 20-/20. I should have know something was going on with her ears when she asked me to blare the cartoons on tv so she could hear them. We asked her repeatedly if anything hurt....her answer was always no! So what we have learned is that A Bear has a high tolerance for pain.
So off to the pharmacy we trotted to get some omicef for Abear as well as some aubertol and to get a higher dose of flovent for MM! God willing they will get better soon.
Momma is about to go stir crazy in this house - they have to get better so we can get out some :)

Thanksgiving 2007

Well God put in my place this Thanksgiving. As of the beginning of November no one was coming here for Thanksgiving and we were not traveling either (mom's surgery, Brent's schedule, etc.). So our plan was to go to the Hilton for brunch. No cooking, no cleaning....just food and football! About a week before Thanksgiving Brent's cousin and his boys were invited to our home for Thanksgiving by extended family's request. So that meant I had to cook. Igrumbled and got pissy about it.....I even thought about letting Kroger's or HEB do it for me. I was not finding joy in this great occasion. But something came over me and I mustered up the energy and patience to work this out. Shopping at 6 am the Wed. before Thanksgiving, I had the thought that I am going to just have to give it my all and make what I can make....although in the back of my head there was a voice saying it won't be like MIL's cooking or Aunt B's cooking.
But I did it! I am proud to say that I had a relaxing day in the kitchen making all the favorite foods for the big day! It seemed to all fall into place - the preparation, the cooking, and the food. (It does help to have a double oven!) We even had some great conversation over the meal and Brent got to hang out with his cousin and get the scoop on A&M football and the coaching situation.
We has mostly traditional foods: turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes (yummy!), green bean bundles, broccoli rice cheese casserole, potato rolls, cranberry sauce.... and some nontraditional additions - red wine margaritas!
I was able to end this great day visiting my friend's newborn baby boy all by myself - no sharing! It was great. God really showed me that I can find joy in the little things and it is great to have the ability and means to cook for friends and family. It was a great Thanksgiving afterall.

Bad Bad Blogger...

Well this time of year always seems to be a little overwhelming for me. I am not sure why I cannot deal with it better - maybe it is the time change, maybe it is the hustle and bustle of the season. This year I want to slow down and take a moment to really sit in the silence of the season and show God how thankful I am for His Son.

I am trying to create some meaningful traditions for our family that let us celebrate this season together as well as extending God's love to those around us. When I was little my parents had a Christmas countdown pocket hanging that they would put little ideas in for each of the days. I am following in their footsteps by doing the same thing for our girls. Modge gave me some advice when I was choosing the ideas - make some of the service oriented in order to be a model of God's love to others. I look forward to seeing how the girls do with giving this year. I bet they are going to be very happy to help others in a little way!

I made my countdown boxes in the fashion of Ali Edwards (http://www.aliedwards.typepad.com/) and then I created little cards that goes inside each of the boxes. Some of the ideas are:
donate food to the food bank
go out for breakfast with Daddy
go visit Santa's Wonderland
take cookies to the firemen
make Christmas cards for grandparents
etc.

I am excited to start this with the girls and I will let you know how it goes!

Trying to stay on top of the shopping, wrapping, and planning the weekend getaways to see all the family...but most importantly remembering the reason for the season - Christ's birth.

God bless you and Merry Christmas!

My Halloween Tree

For Halloween this year, I decided to make a Halloween tree out of scrap supplies and some imagination. Here is how it turned out! I created cube ornaments, black bats, added spider webs, spiders, and clear ornaments filled with Halloween curled paper! It was a lot of fun to make. The tree is a black twig (spray paint) and it is in a black cauldron with split peas in the top.

Bat Feast and Halloween Festivities

The Bat Buffet

They were supposed to give us their scariest faces!!!

MM has been learning about bats at school the past few weeks. At the end of their celebration they were able to have a bat feast. They got to sample several of the things that bats eat including kiwi, mango, bananas, strawberries, raisins (pretend bat gauno!) , worms (gummy of course), whip cream (they pretended this was pollen) and red juice for the blood drinking bats! Then in the afternoon, many moms came to help and the students rotated through stations where they got tatoos, made monster hands, measured with candy corn, participated in a right and left story, and make spooky suckers while following directions. All the kiddos had fun!

Animal Parade

The Chicken on the Move...

A Bear got to take part in an animal parade at her preschool to celebrate Halloween. All the students were encouraged to dress as an animal. She was going to be Minnie, but then we remembered we had a chicken! I have to say....A Bear is a great chicken!

Happy Halloween!

The ghosts of our neighborhood!

The Pumpkin Trails

The Witch's Brew

Minnie & A Rock Star

The girls had a terrific time last night trick or treating in the neighborhood. Our street is normally very quiet and last night it came alive. It was great to see all the kids out dressed in their favorite costumes. We had Minnie Mouse and a Rock Star. They are just growing up too fast!

(Excuse the quality of some of the pics - my digital camera broke and I had to use a disposal....boy am I spoiled with my digital!)

Funny Things Addie Says

*A Bear was talking about school one day and then she had a conversation with herself about some piglets. I was trying to remember when the last time was that she saw the piglets at Grandpa's house and it had been awhile. So I listened a little more intently to see what she was talking about. Then I asked her and this was her response: I played with the piglets today at school...and since I knew there were no pigs at school I asked her what the piglets names are. She then said Nathan, Jake, and Sarah. These three kids happen to all be related...they are triplets! So in Addie's world triplets = piglets! Too funny.

*Yesterday, when I was making lunch, A Bear was in the kitchen talking with me while I made lunch. After I put the bread back in the bread box she yelled at me "Mommy, that is just like the garage door...it's a garage for the bread!" She is very young to be making the connections - but it is fun and keeps life interesting!

*More funnies to come soon...

Edited to Add: "Mommy, I need to stop growing because I am going to crack the house!" What she doesn't understand is that the living room ceiling is about 20 feet high...it made me laugh!

Edited to Add: After M&M decided to say a real prayer at the dinner table instead of a song prayer, A Bear looked up at M&M and said "That was a FINE prayer....we should sell it ONLINE!" I do not know where she gets these things! I think we have an entrepenuer on our hands!

Sneak Peek of Halloween

This was on sale for a great deal and we had already talked about the idea...

she loves it and asked to put it on everyday!

Beat the hell outta MS

This past weekend B and I took the girls to the first A game of the season. They were really excited about the game and anxious to wear their new A gear. I think they were excited and enjoying the game until about the third quarter when they both seemed to peeter out. Since it was a night game we pretty much expected that. Although when it was time for the A Band to play at halftime, both of the girls were glued to the field. They love the music and oohed and aahed at the movement of the band. It was fun but I think it will be awhile before we take both of them again. After the game we got to go behind the stands and wait for the A to walk off the field to the locker rooms. It was fun seeing all the guys and I was really impressed with #13. He was great with the kiddos, taking time to sign things and talk with them. It was also funny too that A Bear maybe came up to the middle of his calf...he is one big guy! So it looks like we will be enjoying the rest of the football season kid free if we go to the stadium or together around the tube.

Addie's School Year Has Begun

A Bear at her first day of Ballet &Tap Class

Mrs. K, Mrs. S and A Bear

Yesterday A had her first day at her new preschool. She walked into her room like an old pro - put her backpack and lunchbox up by herself, dropped off her mat and then went straight to the home center. I did not even get a hug or a kiss goodbye...she was ready to be with her friends. When I picked her up from school in the afternoon she was full of stories. She told me about the triplets (piglets) that are in her class, the layout of the playground that she played on and all that she did in music class. She loved it! We celebrated the end of her first day with ice cream at McDonald's. She was dripping pretty much head to toe by the time we left, all the while with a grin from ear to ear.

After a short nap and picking up M from school, I got A all dressed in her pink tights, pink leotard, and her tiny little ballet shoes. She had her first tap/ballet class yesterday! Momma was a little giddy to say the least...I think A Bear is going to be my dancer! Her class was so much fun to watch. They let the girls where wings and talked about being graceful like butterflies. They used magic wands and tiaras too! She had so much fun she even went to sleep wearing a leotard and her tap shoes, refusing to let us take them off.

Praises to God for making this transition easy for A. We miss B and the wonderful teachers and staff but we also feel just at home at her new school too. My little girl is growing up and I am enjoying seeing who is she becoming. Hugs to my A Bear

M's First Day of her New School

Yesterday M had her first day of first grade. M had told us that she was a little nervous about starting a new school and having new classmates but B and I think she was really excited. It just so happened that M got up on her own yesterday morning and got herself dressed for school....at 2:30 AM! She came into our bedroom and said she was ready for school. We let her crawl in bed with us and go back to sleep for a few hours. When she finally woke up for school she was really excited. We got her backpack loaded up and A and I took her to her classroom. Her school can never complain about parent involvement.....there were parents everywhere. You could barely move around in M's classroom. Ms. S was very excited to see all the kiddos and had playdoh for them to play with on their desks. M put up her backpack and got busy making things. Later at dinner she told us that she made a hat using the tube and then a basketball that she practiced throwing into the tube.

When A and I picked her up from school she had a grin ear to ear. She loved her first day and loves Ms. S as well. She told us all about circle time where she is in charge of the calendar this week, recess and the new area they are making, and the pets that they have in their room. There are 2 hermit crabs and they are going to get a snake and one more animal too.

After we arrived at home, M opened her backpack and handed me a folder with my homework in it. All of the first day and back to school papers! So I did my homework while M and A played and M told A all about her day.

To celebrate a great first day, we meet Daddy at M's favorite restaurant for dinner. She got to tell Daddy all about her day again and it was great to see her so excited about school. I know she is going to have a great year. She has already made a friend that she talks about a lot. I am really excited about her placement as well. Ms.S is fantastic :)

Splashin' Away Mermaid Style

This past Saturday, we celebrated M's 6th birthday with friends and family in our home town. We had a swimming party and a barbeque at M and P's and we all had a blast. M swam with her friends for 2 hours and then they all played outside while Daddy cooked. Each child got to make a ocean scene with foam stickers and we had more games planned but we never got to them. M got a lot of things from her wishlist including a Hannah Montana Barbie, a High School Musical 2 cd, great clothes, money, and walkie talkies. We had a great feast and an awesome cake for dessert! Yum...white cake with buttercream frosting! Thanks go out to M and P for hosting the party and all our friends for traveling to see our pretty birthday girl. We love you all! (Pictures to come soon).

Spending the day with Daddy

Today A Bear and I got a chance to relax with Daddy. He had the day off and we started the day just relaxing. A's preschool teacher came to the house this morning and took a tour of her space. She then sat on the couch with A Bear and read her Brown Bear, Brown Bear. I thought it was pretty smart of her to bring that book - she immediately was able to tell if A knew her colors and her animals! A did great...B and I were at the kitchen table and we could hear them talking. A then talked Ms. K into reading 2 more books to her. They took pictures for the first day of school and then we said goodbye.
We then went to eat some yummy mexican food with daddy and A keep us in stitches at the restaurant - just being her silly self! Afterwards, A and I showed Daddy Mommy's new favorite store, Heartworks. It is a lot like Country Faire...just right here! I am already going to order some plates that I saw there through my mom :) Then we headed to HEB to order M's Little Mermaid cake. Finally it was time to get M from camp and tonight we are going to hang out as a family and watch Jump In! on Disney. We wish we could have more of these days with our Daddy.

Alternative Swimming in HOT HOT Texas

Swimming in Mommy and Daddy's whirlpool bath tub....at least it beats the heat and it makes A Bear happy...as well as our bathroom floor really wet!

It has been a few days...

It has been a few days since I last posted and I think I am just know catching up with my rest from a very crazy and busy July. We celebrated M's birthday this past weekend. She wanted to see Ratoutille so we went to the matinee while Daddy was working. Then we made a stop at Toys R Us so M could visit Geoffrey and get her birthday crown and balloon. She picked out a baby My Little Pony for her birthday surprise. When Daddy got home we went to eat at Roadhouse (M thinks it is Logan's from Austin...basically the same thing). She ordered her favorites - mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. The highlight of the evening was her sitting on the birthday saddle while all the servers gave her a big Yehaw! She stayed on the saddle for about 30 minutes and then we finally decided to come home to enjoy some funfetti brownies - the birthday girl's wish! M opened her family presents and she got a Miley Stewart doll from her sister and some Ariel things (beach ball, bathing suit, and barbie) from Mommy and Daddy. It was a fantastic day and a wonderful celebration of our first born. It is hard for me to believe that B and I have been parents for 6 years. It also was a little ironic that 6 years later we ate dinner at the very restaurant that I unknowingly went into labor with her 6 years ago. Who would have thought that would have happened!!!

Our first two-story

B and I are so excited about our new house. It is our first two story that we have owned. The girls have an awesome room upstairs that they share. They also have an awesome toy room with a wall closet that they can hideaway in and read books or plays with their toys. There is also another room upstairs - either awaiting P Bear #3 if that happens or a fun rec room/sports room/study for Daddy.
Downstairs we have a dining room, an eating room, a great living room, a huge and gorgeous kitchen, a laundry room (praise the Lord for this), a pantry and a wetbar area (butler's pantry). I also have an office that I am still deciding how to finish it off. Then we have a beach guestroom and heaven down the hallway.
B and I have our own oasis at the other end of the house. I love our room and all the natural light that comes in but I am gaga over my bathroom. It is painted fantastically and we also have a jacuzzi tub. I still can't believe that this is our house. We look forward to making some memories at this house. Hopefully we will be here for a little while :) I will post pics soon!

Coming Home to College Station

B and I meet in BCS in 1994. We dated throughout our college studies (or was that parties?). We got married and have been together ever since. We lived here in our first little house that was built in 1952 (maybe 1200 sq ft). We loved it - 2 bedroom, great kitchen, living and eating area and an extra ???? room. It was a little rec room when we moved in and a bedroom by the time we left. We knew it was a perfect place to bring a baby home to. So on Thanksgiving weekend of 2000, Band I made that dream come true and 9 months later we had our precious little M. Born in the greatest land of A..... and we thought possibly raised in Aland. But when she was 10 months old we moved to be close to family and allow B to work not too far away. We have bounced around since then making our longest stop of 3 years recently , and now we have come home.

It is different...we are older....not exactly in the party scene still....but we are enthused to be back in the spirit of being an A and the talk of A Football beginning soon. We are also enjoying some of our favorite places to eat too!

I now find myself searching the internet for things to do with kids in the area...before it was which bar, which night and who had the cheapest drinks. But we have found a lot. Parks galore, a great Children's Musuem, awesome libraries, and tons of young families at church.

So to say we have come full circle would be true. M is excited about being in Aland and going to school with kids who get it - the A spirit that is and A Bear would be fine anywhere.

Hannah Montana Craze in our house!

Well it seems that M has found her first tween show to watch and enjoy like we did with Saved By the Bell! It is amazing how quickly she is growing up. It feels like yesterday that I just had her and now almost 6 years later she is a cute girl - I can't even say Baby Girl anymore because it is just not true. So for the time being I will be watching and discussing the issues that come up in Hannah Montana and learning all the songs that I am sure will find their way to my ipod soon and also to the car! I have to say - it is a great wholesome show that I am not afraid to watch with her. A Bear thinks she is Hannah when the theme song comes on with all of her dancing and signing...it is quite entertaining!

The good life....

Daily Glimpses of the Good Life...

B and I are blessed to have two wonderful girls that keep us entertained and in stitches a lot. Everyday we are reminded of the blessing to have our health, our families, our home and a great place to live - none other than the USA! God is good.