This is a copy of the text from one of the children's stories I wrote. The rest were on our old computer which is out of commision. Hopefully we can get our data off of it someday. I didn't want to loose this one too so I am adding it to my external brain.
Squishy Grandma
My favorite place to be in the whole world is sitting on my squishy Grandma's lap.
Some kids have tall, skinny, bony Grandmas. I wouldn't like that. They don't look like they would be comfortable at all.
Some kids have great, big, fluffy Grandmas. I wouldn't like that either. They might be too squishy.
My Grandma is made just right. I think we must have been made for each other because I fit perfect on her lap.
My Mommy's lap is full right now because my baby sister in in her tummy. Her lap is missing but she says it will be back soon once my sister is born.
That's OK because my squishy Grandma's lap is just for me. I don't have to share it with anyone.
It's a good place to read a book, or sing a song, or just talk.
Sometimes I help her with her crocheting.
The best thing about my squishy Grandma is when I need to snuggle or I am tired or just need a hug she always seems to know. She shows up at just the right time.
When my Mommy goes to the doctor so they can check on baby sister I like to take a nap on my squishy Grandma. I can hear my baby sister's heart beat and it sounds like a little train going past us. It makes me sleepy so I just snuggle in.
Maybe when my baby sister is finally born I will let her have a turn on my squishy Grandma's lap. I will have to think about it.
I bet she will be small so maybe we can both fit.
And sometimes, I bet, I will still have my squishy Grandma all to myself.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Snail Mail
Why is it so hard to write a letter? I mean a actual, sit down and put pen to paper, for real letter. I decided I should be a better friend about keeping in touch. It is always nice to GET a letter, especially when you are feeling down or dealing with life's changes or bumps in the road. It is nice to know someone cared enough to write to you. So, almost two weeks ago I decided to write some letters. It doesn't sound that hard.
I went to look for that nice stationary I got as a gift two Christmases ago. This is the perfect time to use it. Unfortunately, we recently moved and the stationary is no where to be found. I hate buying something when I know darn good and well I already have what I need. So I put it off for a few days while I looked. I finally conceded and decided to go purchase some more cards. All I could find were Halloween, birthday, and sympathy cards. No blank cards? I know they used to make them and you could get a huge package so you had plenty to write as much as your heart desired. OK, off to the mall to the actual card/stationary store. This requires taking all of the kids and takes most of the day. Whew, I am tired.
The next day I sat down to start writing. I talk to these people just about every day. We email and chat on the computer and never run out of things to say. Today nothing is happening, my mind is completely blank. What did I want to say? How did I want to say it? I can sit in front of a computer screen and type all day long. If I mess up I just hit delete or cut and paste to rearrange my thoughts into a more sensible order. Writing a real letter is like working without a safety net. I can't erase a mistake; I have no spell check.
Well, maybe I will just address the envelopes. That is easy and maybe I will think of something to say while I do that. Like I said we just moved so I don't have any of those cool labels with the correct address on them. As I write out my return address I realize I don't know any one's real house address. Emails yeah, but not a real address. I have to go to the computer (my external brain) to find the info. So tempting to just shoot off a few quick emails instead, but I resist. I have been known to write everything on the computer and then transcribe it to a actual handwritten document. Maybe that is what I should do--Taylor needs the computer. Come on you can do this.
I take my printed addresses back to the table and finish labeling the envelopes. I begin to struggle through the writing process on a piece of notebook paper so I won't mess up the cards with scribbled out mistakes. I finally get everything written out and start to put pen to stationary. I have to stop to go break up a fight between the kids. On my way back to the table I decide to unpack a box real quick (this is called procrastination and I am very good at it). DRAT! There is the stationary I was looking for. I wonder what else is in here? Next thing I know several hours have gone by. I will have to finish my letters tomorrow.
The next day I am determined. Today is the day I will get these into the mail. I finish transferring every thing to the cards with only a few minor interruptions and start overs involving spilled juice and a pen that sputtered ink as it died. I remembered I wanted to print out a poem and include it with one of the letters. Back to the computer to scan and print. Add the poem and seal every thing up. Now I just need to "Affix first class postage. Mail will not be delivered without a U.S. postage stamp." ARRRRGH! No stamps. I am shuffling through the drawer and all I can find are one cent stamps.
My husband senses my distress and says he will find some or go to the post office. The post office is closed so he starts going through more boxes. A few days later he finds some. Yeah, finally I can end this. Wait, how much is postage now? It keeps going up and these are old stamps. Back to the computer to look it up. It costs 41 cents to mail a letter. My stamps are 37 cents. Remember the one cent stamps I found?
Now my nicely decorated envelopes are finally ready. I stick them on the slot and realize the mail has already run for the day and it's Saturday. Mail doesn't run on Sunday. So my letters are still sitting out there, and will be for the rest of the weekend, mocking me. Hopefully they will get picked up sometime Monday afternoon.
To all my wonderful friends: If you get a letter from me sometime in the middle of next week with a bunch of stamps all over the envelope, now you will know why. If you don't get a letter from me sometime in the middle of next week, now you know why. I think my letter writing days are over. Regardless, know that I love you all and think about you often. You will be reminded of this fact when you get your next email from me.
I went to look for that nice stationary I got as a gift two Christmases ago. This is the perfect time to use it. Unfortunately, we recently moved and the stationary is no where to be found. I hate buying something when I know darn good and well I already have what I need. So I put it off for a few days while I looked. I finally conceded and decided to go purchase some more cards. All I could find were Halloween, birthday, and sympathy cards. No blank cards? I know they used to make them and you could get a huge package so you had plenty to write as much as your heart desired. OK, off to the mall to the actual card/stationary store. This requires taking all of the kids and takes most of the day. Whew, I am tired.
The next day I sat down to start writing. I talk to these people just about every day. We email and chat on the computer and never run out of things to say. Today nothing is happening, my mind is completely blank. What did I want to say? How did I want to say it? I can sit in front of a computer screen and type all day long. If I mess up I just hit delete or cut and paste to rearrange my thoughts into a more sensible order. Writing a real letter is like working without a safety net. I can't erase a mistake; I have no spell check.
Well, maybe I will just address the envelopes. That is easy and maybe I will think of something to say while I do that. Like I said we just moved so I don't have any of those cool labels with the correct address on them. As I write out my return address I realize I don't know any one's real house address. Emails yeah, but not a real address. I have to go to the computer (my external brain) to find the info. So tempting to just shoot off a few quick emails instead, but I resist. I have been known to write everything on the computer and then transcribe it to a actual handwritten document. Maybe that is what I should do--Taylor needs the computer. Come on you can do this.
I take my printed addresses back to the table and finish labeling the envelopes. I begin to struggle through the writing process on a piece of notebook paper so I won't mess up the cards with scribbled out mistakes. I finally get everything written out and start to put pen to stationary. I have to stop to go break up a fight between the kids. On my way back to the table I decide to unpack a box real quick (this is called procrastination and I am very good at it). DRAT! There is the stationary I was looking for. I wonder what else is in here? Next thing I know several hours have gone by. I will have to finish my letters tomorrow.
The next day I am determined. Today is the day I will get these into the mail. I finish transferring every thing to the cards with only a few minor interruptions and start overs involving spilled juice and a pen that sputtered ink as it died. I remembered I wanted to print out a poem and include it with one of the letters. Back to the computer to scan and print. Add the poem and seal every thing up. Now I just need to "Affix first class postage. Mail will not be delivered without a U.S. postage stamp." ARRRRGH! No stamps. I am shuffling through the drawer and all I can find are one cent stamps.
My husband senses my distress and says he will find some or go to the post office. The post office is closed so he starts going through more boxes. A few days later he finds some. Yeah, finally I can end this. Wait, how much is postage now? It keeps going up and these are old stamps. Back to the computer to look it up. It costs 41 cents to mail a letter. My stamps are 37 cents. Remember the one cent stamps I found?
Now my nicely decorated envelopes are finally ready. I stick them on the slot and realize the mail has already run for the day and it's Saturday. Mail doesn't run on Sunday. So my letters are still sitting out there, and will be for the rest of the weekend, mocking me. Hopefully they will get picked up sometime Monday afternoon.
To all my wonderful friends: If you get a letter from me sometime in the middle of next week with a bunch of stamps all over the envelope, now you will know why. If you don't get a letter from me sometime in the middle of next week, now you know why. I think my letter writing days are over. Regardless, know that I love you all and think about you often. You will be reminded of this fact when you get your next email from me.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Just for fun
While I was looking for the waffle pictures I found some other fun stuff. I also figured out how to move pictures around on my posts in HTML. I am finally starting to figure this out.
Grandma in her dancing dress. Don't know when this was taken but it says Maurice Sackett New Orleans in the corner.
This is a blast from the past. My Mom and Aunt Debbie.
Group picture me, Taylor, Grandma, Mom, and sisters Danielle and Sarah.
My wedding picture 1992. My Mom made this dress. I posted one of me and Jeff in our wedding story post.
Another wedding picture. I am still shocked at how much work she put into the dress. It truly was a labor of love and very special to me because my Grandma also helped sew on beads.
My Mom. She won the most beautiful baby contest in high school.
My Grandma, beautiful as well.
Cheer Go Yellow Jackets! Yep, that's me. Circa 1984.
Grandma in her dancing dress. Don't know when this was taken but it says Maurice Sackett New Orleans in the corner.
This is a blast from the past. My Mom and Aunt Debbie. 
Group picture me, Taylor, Grandma, Mom, and sisters Danielle and Sarah.
My wedding picture 1992. My Mom made this dress. I posted one of me and Jeff in our wedding story post.
Another wedding picture. I am still shocked at how much work she put into the dress. It truly was a labor of love and very special to me because my Grandma also helped sew on beads.
My Mom. She won the most beautiful baby contest in high school. 
My Grandma, beautiful as well.
My Mom, Grandparents, and Uncles with the bears at the zoo. June 23 1957
Me on the same bear April 20 1974. My Mom and I were both 2 years old in these pictures.
Taylor 5th grade graduation back before his hair got so shaggy.
Cheer Go Yellow Jackets! Yep, that's me. Circa 1984.
Glam. Me and baby Taylor 12-12-93
Me and my Dad. Circa 1985.
Meeting Jeff''s family for the first time. Thanksgiving 1992.
Back when we were still a family of 3. 1998
Thursday, September 20, 2007
I.F.S.P. Kay Can Talk and Sign!
Kay even knew how to sign at birth. Well, it looks like she is signing Mom anyway.We had our I.F.S.P.(early intervention -- individual family service plan) goal review meeting this morning for baby Kay. She will continue to receive PT one hour per week and they will monitor her speech and add speech services if needed. She can continue with the Sooner Start program for now and we are still pursuing additional services at the center for more PT, ST, and looking into hippo therapy and water therapy there as well.
I am adding a list of Kay's words here because I can never remember all the things she says when they ask. I am sure I am forgetting some now.
As of today she can say:
Mom, Dad, uh oh, Bub (for her brothers), one two three go (no one else would understand this but we know what she is saying. She does it when she is ready to throw a ball), that's right, thank you, ball, blue, up, what's that?, go, yeah, chicken, butterfly (she just says ba fly), Bob (for price is right), duck, dog, Rachel, sign times, cook, bubble, S (apparently her favorite letter, she calls them all that or H), bonk (when she bonks her head on Dad)
I am adding a list of Kay's words here because I can never remember all the things she says when they ask. I am sure I am forgetting some now.
As of today she can say:
Mom, Dad, uh oh, Bub (for her brothers), one two three go (no one else would understand this but we know what she is saying. She does it when she is ready to throw a ball), that's right, thank you, ball, blue, up, what's that?, go, yeah, chicken, butterfly (she just says ba fly), Bob (for price is right), duck, dog, Rachel, sign times, cook, bubble, S (apparently her favorite letter, she calls them all that or H), bonk (when she bonks her head on Dad)
When she says "That's right!" she says it just like Rachel. She does a sign and then tells herself "That's right" in her best Rachel immitation.
She can sign: Hat, finished, milk, more, cat, dog, blue, green, fish, cracker, ball, signing, play, cook, she also claps, waves, and shakes her head no. She tries to finger spell but hasn't quite got it yet. She wiggles her fingers if you show her letters. She tries to do the numbers too.
I have to tell her moment of brilliance for the day (she has a lot of those). She was in the kitchen, went to the cabinet, got out a pot, and signed cook. I said in a amazed voice, "I think she just signed cook". She looked at me like, well duh mom. Signed it again and said "cook!"
Wow! She had to know where the pots were, know what they are for, and say and sign a new word that I have never shown her. That one is all Rachel from Signing Time because I know I have never shown her that sign.
Yeah! Awesome baby! ASL is so cool! Without it I would have never known she knew what cook was. If she had just said it I probably wouldn't have caught it but because she signed too I know for sure that is what she wanted to say.
She makes me so happy!
She can sign: Hat, finished, milk, more, cat, dog, blue, green, fish, cracker, ball, signing, play, cook, she also claps, waves, and shakes her head no. She tries to finger spell but hasn't quite got it yet. She wiggles her fingers if you show her letters. She tries to do the numbers too.
I have to tell her moment of brilliance for the day (she has a lot of those). She was in the kitchen, went to the cabinet, got out a pot, and signed cook. I said in a amazed voice, "I think she just signed cook". She looked at me like, well duh mom. Signed it again and said "cook!"
Wow! She had to know where the pots were, know what they are for, and say and sign a new word that I have never shown her. That one is all Rachel from Signing Time because I know I have never shown her that sign.
Yeah! Awesome baby! ASL is so cool! Without it I would have never known she knew what cook was. If she had just said it I probably wouldn't have caught it but because she signed too I know for sure that is what she wanted to say.
She makes me so happy!
Kay signing more. She liked the flash on the camera so she kept signing more. The photographer had no idea what she was doing and kept trying to get her to put her hands down. I said please just take the picture like that. She is signing. It's perfect.
Taylor and the Waffles
In our Wednesday night chat group we got onto the subject of Eggo waffles. One of the girls in Australia is pregnant and craving waffles and can't get them there. So I commented that Taylor had won 2nd place in the national Eggo waffle design contest in 2000. His prize was a years supply of waffles (52 boxes/520 individual waffles) and a waffle watch. 1st prize was a trip to Orlando, Florida but waffles are nice too.
To enter the contest you had to design a waffle creation. Taylor designed waffle pops -- kinda like a lolly pop, but a waffle on a stick. He decorated it with icing, because syrup falls off. Yeah, I know, real healthy.
So you can take your breakfast with you on the go. It was a pretty good idea. Sonic started making pancakes on a stick not long after that and pop tarts started to come with frosting packs so you could decorate it yourself.
Taylor the Waffle King.
We had so many waffles we got pretty sick of them. But here is what we learned:
Frozen waffles will last basically forever. We had some for over a year and they were still fine.
Frozen waffles are great for teething babies. Cameron came along in May of 2002 and he loved to chew on frozen waffles.
No matter how much you like waffles you can get sick of eating them.
Birds really like waffles too. The kids would throw waffle pieces in the yard when they were finished and watch the birds come feast.
When your kid says "Hey, I want to enter a contest" go ahead and let them. You never know what kind of adventure it may take you on.
Kids like to cook and they can get very creative. I wouldn't have thought of anything edible that could be made from waffles.
In a pinch waffles are a good substitute for bread when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
To enter the contest you had to design a waffle creation. Taylor designed waffle pops -- kinda like a lolly pop, but a waffle on a stick. He decorated it with icing, because syrup falls off. Yeah, I know, real healthy.
So you can take your breakfast with you on the go. It was a pretty good idea. Sonic started making pancakes on a stick not long after that and pop tarts started to come with frosting packs so you could decorate it yourself.
Taylor the Waffle King.We had so many waffles we got pretty sick of them. But here is what we learned:
Frozen waffles will last basically forever. We had some for over a year and they were still fine.
Frozen waffles are great for teething babies. Cameron came along in May of 2002 and he loved to chew on frozen waffles.
No matter how much you like waffles you can get sick of eating them.
Birds really like waffles too. The kids would throw waffle pieces in the yard when they were finished and watch the birds come feast.
When your kid says "Hey, I want to enter a contest" go ahead and let them. You never know what kind of adventure it may take you on.
Kids like to cook and they can get very creative. I wouldn't have thought of anything edible that could be made from waffles.
In a pinch waffles are a good substitute for bread when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
15th Anniversary -- Why I Love My Husband
15th Anniversary -- Why I Love My Husband.
A work in progress.
These are a few of the reasons I love my husband.
We are best friends.
We plan to grow old together and he is not afraid of what that will look like.
He was with my for the birth of all 3 of our children and let me squeeze his hand even though I nearly broke his fingers.
He was with me through High School and loved me even then.
He lets me cry on his shoulder.
He makes me laugh even when I don't think I can.
He supports me in whatever I do.
He takes care of me.
I have spent more of my life with him than without him. (We met when we were 15.)
He does whatever it takes to make sure his family is taken care of.
He is a good man.
He thinks I am beautiful and tells me so often (even when I haven't yet had a shower or brushed my hair.)
I love the way he looks at our children and that he loves them so much.
He is so proud of all of us.
He is interesting, caring, and strong.
He draws me pictures and writes stories for me.
He listens to me.
He humors me when I am being crazy.
We share a history together and sometimes it has been hard but most of the time it is wonderful.
How lucky we are to have this life!
A work in progress.
These are a few of the reasons I love my husband.
We are best friends.
We plan to grow old together and he is not afraid of what that will look like.
He was with my for the birth of all 3 of our children and let me squeeze his hand even though I nearly broke his fingers.
He was with me through High School and loved me even then.
He lets me cry on his shoulder.
He makes me laugh even when I don't think I can.
He supports me in whatever I do.
He takes care of me.
I have spent more of my life with him than without him. (We met when we were 15.)
He does whatever it takes to make sure his family is taken care of.
He is a good man.
He thinks I am beautiful and tells me so often (even when I haven't yet had a shower or brushed my hair.)
I love the way he looks at our children and that he loves them so much.
He is so proud of all of us.
He is interesting, caring, and strong.
He draws me pictures and writes stories for me.
He listens to me.
He humors me when I am being crazy.
We share a history together and sometimes it has been hard but most of the time it is wonderful.
How lucky we are to have this life!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
S.O.T.D. Oklahoma
Sign of the day
Oklahoma
Make an O starting on your left side and as it moves across to your right it turns into a K.
Fun to sign while singing OOOOOOOOklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains.
Oklahoma
Make an O starting on your left side and as it moves across to your right it turns into a K.
Fun to sign while singing OOOOOOOOklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains.
Monday, September 17, 2007
More Cute Cam Quotes
Cam is very patriotic. He read a book called ABC USA. It was actually the first book he learned to read by himself. His favorite picture was the Liberty Bell. He told everyone who would listen about the Liberty Bell and how it has a crack in it and that it lives in Philadelphia and it is on the back of the silver dollar. He was almost 4 at the time so people thought it was great that he knew all about the Liberty Bell.
So one day he comes in and tells us he has a Liberty Butt cause his has a crack in it. We couldn't help but laugh so his comment was totally reinforced. From then on he told everyone he has a Liberty Butt. We get some strange looks about that one.
One day we were watching the leaves fall and I said "Cam look the wind blew that leaf all the way over there" He looked at me a little confused and said "Mom, it's not blue. It's green."
So one day he comes in and tells us he has a Liberty Butt cause his has a crack in it. We couldn't help but laugh so his comment was totally reinforced. From then on he told everyone he has a Liberty Butt. We get some strange looks about that one.
One day we were watching the leaves fall and I said "Cam look the wind blew that leaf all the way over there" He looked at me a little confused and said "Mom, it's not blue. It's green."
Sunday, September 16, 2007
My vacuum cleaner is vomiting
My vacuum cleaner is vomiting. I think it ate too many goldfish crackers. This started 3 days ago when I last tried to vacuum the house. The vacuum started whining then spit the entire contents of its digestive tract onto the family room floor. This mostly consisted of various forms of crackers and pop tart bits.
Today I discovered that 3 days is the maximum amount of time I can go without vacuuming. The entire house has a fine coating of crumbs. I am not sure how this happens because the rule is that food stays in the dining area (HA!). Perhaps the accumulated debris in the dining room combined with the vomited pile in the family room have randomly attached to passing feet and dragging blankets and redistributed themselves throughout the house. Ahhh, the crumbs are taking over.
So my hubby, love of my life, saved us by taking the vacuum apart and pumping it's stomach. Apparently on top of the overeating problem it had a huge hair ball as well. The vacuum is feeling much better (for now) and so am I. Everything has been vacuumed and now we can walk on the floors without needing a tetanus booster. Considering sister's habit of eating abandoned food she finds on the floor I feel sure our family health depends in part on a functioning vacuum.
We might be able to get a few more months use out of that old thing (the vacuum, not the hubby-I am hoping he will be around for another 70 years or so) I love the little joys in life!
Today I discovered that 3 days is the maximum amount of time I can go without vacuuming. The entire house has a fine coating of crumbs. I am not sure how this happens because the rule is that food stays in the dining area (HA!). Perhaps the accumulated debris in the dining room combined with the vomited pile in the family room have randomly attached to passing feet and dragging blankets and redistributed themselves throughout the house. Ahhh, the crumbs are taking over.
So my hubby, love of my life, saved us by taking the vacuum apart and pumping it's stomach. Apparently on top of the overeating problem it had a huge hair ball as well. The vacuum is feeling much better (for now) and so am I. Everything has been vacuumed and now we can walk on the floors without needing a tetanus booster. Considering sister's habit of eating abandoned food she finds on the floor I feel sure our family health depends in part on a functioning vacuum.
We might be able to get a few more months use out of that old thing (the vacuum, not the hubby-I am hoping he will be around for another 70 years or so) I love the little joys in life!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The Quest for the Blankie and Wedding Attire
My sister is getting married in 3 weeks. So begins the desperate search for wedding attire. Today we went to get Cam (the ring bearer) fitted for his tux. So cute and he is so excited. Mom is making a dress for Kay so we went and got the pattern and picked out the fabric. Taylor is an usher so he needed a suit. He outgrew his last one and he needs one for school band concerts anyway so it is actually good timing. I found one at Sears on clearance for 30 bucks. I love a good bargain so I was very excited about that. We got his entire outfit--suit plus shirt and tie for 45.00. He looks so handsome and grown up.
Kay reacting to the wind from the sunroof in the car. Yes, she is also eating breakfast on the run.
I just noticed the date on my camera is off by 12 hours so because this was before noon it says it was yesterday.
Kay reacting to the wind from the sunroof in the car. Yes, she is also eating breakfast on the run.
I just noticed the date on my camera is off by 12 hours so because this was before noon it says it was yesterday.
Now comes the worst part--dress shopping for me. I wasn't even planning to tackle that today (I keep putting it off) but we were near Ross so we went ahead. Usually if I am really needing a dress I can not find anything decent. The only time I can find good clothes is when I have no money to spend. Mom needs a dress too so the quest begins. We were having a really lucky shopping day because we both found the perfect dresses. That's a relief. I even got my shoes and everything was on sale. All that's left is finding a new suit for Jeff and we will be DONE!
While we were at Ross I decided to check out the baby section due to the continuing quest for the blankie. Kay has a very beat up, smelly, blanket that she is absolutely in love with. Her Grandparents in Mississippi sent it to her. They got it at the Wal-Mart in Picayune. It is pink, 47 inches by 57 inches, satin on one side, and fuzzy on the other. The fuzzy side has tone on tone stripes and that is the side she loves. I have searched at Wal-Marts everywhere, looked on websites and ebay. I can't find it. I have tried to find the fabric in stores and no luck there either. If I could find them I would stock pile them for emergencies. Then I could wash hers with out causing world war three.
Here is a picture of the infamous blanket. It actually doesn't look to grubby at the moment but I did have to pick gummy bears off of it before I took this shot. Did I mention that Grandma bought them gummy bears while we were out?
No luck with the blanket at Ross but we found a coat that can be a surrogate. It is pink satin on one side and fuzzy swirls on the other. She has been carrying it around all day along with the blanket. Maybe I can sneak the blanket away for a quick wash.
Kay and her new coat.
We can always tell when she is getting tired because she sucks on her bottom lip and pokes the fuzzies on her blanket. She is very tactile and loves to feel different textures. One of her favorite places to visit is the fabric store. Speaking of tired babies time to go put her to bed now. She just crawled in here and grabbed her coat and blankie.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Sister--the Milkaholic, Wild Haired, Stealth Pooper
Some things about sister that I have noticed lately.
If she goes to bed with her hair even just a little bit damp she looks like Gene Wilder when she wakes up.
If she goes to bed with her hair even just a little bit damp she looks like Gene Wilder when she wakes up.
Of course, she is so cute she can pull it off.
If we decide to tame it a little. I just spray it and it goes back to perfect little ringlets. I love those curls.
She drinks more milk than should be humanly possible. She would be perfectly happy sucking on her sippy cup all day long. We have to limit her so she will eat more; she is truly a milkaholic.
She is a stealth pooper. Most kids you can tell when they are getting ready to take care of business. They hide, or get real quiet, or their face turns red, you can just tell what they are doing. Not sister. I can never tell when she has gone.
It is even more noticeable now that she is starting to use the potty. I am sitting there watching her and she shows no indication. Then when she stands up--surprise! It makes it harder to help her with the potty. If I knew she was getting ready to go I could put her on the potty real quick. I am just guessing at this point and sometimes I get lucky and time it just right.
She is very much a girly-girl. She loves to put on beads or any thing sparkly. If she sees someone wearing any jewelry she has to go check it out. She also likes to wear perfume. We get the body spray that has different "flavors" like vanilla and raspberry.
She is addicted to getting her manicure done. I never paint my nails. Not really any point because with all the cooking and cleaning they are instantly ruined. She would see other people with their nails done and get so excited. Her aunt painted hers for her and she is obsessed now. I had to go buy some polish and she wants me to paint both hers and mine. She watches so intently and when it is done she has to show everyone her pretties. If she decides she wants them done again she holds out her little fingertips to me and wiggles them. It is really fun having someone in the house to be girly with. I makes me think of my Grandma who always had the prettiest nails. She would paint my nails for me when I was a kid.
She has a great sense of humor. She really gets jokes and laughs this big belly laugh. She thinks it is hilarious when her Dad says "No more jibba jabba" like Mr. T.
She can untie any knot but, unfortunately, can't tie her shoes. No matter how tight we tie her shoes or how many times we double knot it she will have it untied in 5 minutes. She is always walking around with her shoes untied.
She is a pen seeking missile. She can find any writing utensil anywhere, anytime. She is not picky; she loves sharpies, crayons, markers, pens, pencils, as well as paint. Quicker than a duck on a June bug she has her weapon and has started her artwork on the nearest flat surface.
As far as she is concerned there are no strangers in the world. In this area she is completely opposite from her brothers. Both the boys were a little shy and had to warm up to new people. If we went someplace new they would be attached to my leg. Sister is quite the social butterfly. Not afraid of anyone. We went to a class at the library for her PT session today and she was in the middle of everything, waving at all the other babies, patting them, giving them toys. She had no interest in me or what I was doing, she had places to go and people to meet.
She instantly gets attached to anyone new and cries when they leave. At the doctors office she saw a new nurse and wanted to play with her. She cried when she went out so the nurse came back and Kay went with her. They went up to the front desk and got some candy. Kay was not the least concerned with where either of her parents were, she had a new friend.
The mail carrier came to our door the other day--same response. She cried when he left and wanted to go walk with him. This could be a problem when she gets older. I am glad she likes people but I don't especially want her to wander off with anyone who comes along. Gonna have to keep a close eye on that one.
Perhaps she will become the first woman president. With her ability to meet and greet and melt the hearts of even the most curmudgeonly she might just take over the world.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Cam's Cute Quote of the day
Cam was being an especially good big brother today. When he got home from school he played with Kay and gave her lots of hugs and kisses and snuggles. He suddenly looked up at me with a huge smile on his face and said "Thank you Mom!"
I said "thanks for what?"
He said, in a very heartfelt fashion, "Thanks for my baby!"
And here is one from the past circa November 2006:
Cameron sitting lost in thought when I ask him what he is thinking about he says "My brain is pink".
I said "thanks for what?"
He said, in a very heartfelt fashion, "Thanks for my baby!"
And here is one from the past circa November 2006:
Cameron sitting lost in thought when I ask him what he is thinking about he says "My brain is pink".
New Signing Time shows
OK I am still saving up to get our own set but my Mom got her set yesterday. We have watched them all several times and they are great. A little different from season one; a bit more advanced obviously. Cameron loves the little skits Hopkins does. He laughs so hard when Hopkins swallows the alarm clock and when he dances. We like that we are learning more phrases instead of just single words. Another wonderful job from the Signing Time gang, not that we expected anything less.
A while back we made a list of places Hopkins would love to visit (you know how we love making lists). In honor of the new shows I thought I would add it here. Hopkins any time you want to start on a concert tour you will have tons of fans come to see you.
Signing Time world (or U.S.) tour coming to a lily pad near you.
Honey Island Swamp, Louisiana
Kermit, West Virginia
Lily Pad Lake, Utah
Hop Island, Australia
Green, Oregon
Bugtussle, Tennessee
Frog Town, Virginia
Bug, Kentucky
Fly, Ohio
Frogville, Oklahoma
Frog Pond, North Carolina
Frog Bay, Wisconsin
Frog Level, South Carolina
Frog Valley, Australia
Frog Moor, South Wales
Toad Suck, Arkansas
Toad Town, California
Toad Hop, Indiana
Possible cute idea for a shirt--we could do a knock off of old concert tees and list all the stops on Hopkins "tour".
A while back we made a list of places Hopkins would love to visit (you know how we love making lists). In honor of the new shows I thought I would add it here. Hopkins any time you want to start on a concert tour you will have tons of fans come to see you.
Signing Time world (or U.S.) tour coming to a lily pad near you.
Honey Island Swamp, Louisiana
Kermit, West Virginia
Lily Pad Lake, Utah
Hop Island, Australia
Green, Oregon
Bugtussle, Tennessee
Frog Town, Virginia
Bug, Kentucky
Fly, Ohio
Frogville, Oklahoma
Frog Pond, North Carolina
Frog Bay, Wisconsin
Frog Level, South Carolina
Frog Valley, Australia
Frog Moor, South Wales
Toad Suck, Arkansas
Toad Town, California
Toad Hop, Indiana
Possible cute idea for a shirt--we could do a knock off of old concert tees and list all the stops on Hopkins "tour".
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Twally Syndrome
TWally Syndrome, Or maybe it's Warget syndrome. The inability to enter a super center such as Wal-Mart or Target without forking over at least 100 bucks.
How do they do it? I go in with a short list and end up spending hundreds on other stuff we really need. How can we possibly go through that much food? Then most of the time when you get home you realize you have forgotten something really important like baby wipes or juice. When you have to go back to get another item after you just spent that much is really adding insult to injury.
We don't eat out. It's too expensive. You would think our food bill would be so much less with making all our meals. We can go shopping and spend 200 on food and within a week the food is gone. There are tumbleweeds blowing around in the cabinets. Where'd it all go? I know we have kids but they are so skinny. How do they get away with eating that much?
I am not skinny. My metabolism is slower than a slug in a salt pile. I don't have a very good diet but I don't eat that much. More often I forget or don't have time to eat. Then when I am about to pass out I eat what is leftover from the kids. Stuff that adults should never, under any circumstances, eat. Things like PB&J, Mac & Cheese, Chicken Nuggets, fine for kids but in adults they cause some kind of chemical reaction which results in too much Badunkadunk. I know Sir Mixalot likes big butts but lets not get crazy.
So it is a mystery. I know the food comes into the house because I put it in the cabinets. What happens after that I can only guess. Whether it's our locust children, goblins, or those pesky spiders again, something is eating us into a huge grocery bill. I should own stock in Target.
How do they do it? I go in with a short list and end up spending hundreds on other stuff we really need. How can we possibly go through that much food? Then most of the time when you get home you realize you have forgotten something really important like baby wipes or juice. When you have to go back to get another item after you just spent that much is really adding insult to injury.
We don't eat out. It's too expensive. You would think our food bill would be so much less with making all our meals. We can go shopping and spend 200 on food and within a week the food is gone. There are tumbleweeds blowing around in the cabinets. Where'd it all go? I know we have kids but they are so skinny. How do they get away with eating that much?
I am not skinny. My metabolism is slower than a slug in a salt pile. I don't have a very good diet but I don't eat that much. More often I forget or don't have time to eat. Then when I am about to pass out I eat what is leftover from the kids. Stuff that adults should never, under any circumstances, eat. Things like PB&J, Mac & Cheese, Chicken Nuggets, fine for kids but in adults they cause some kind of chemical reaction which results in too much Badunkadunk. I know Sir Mixalot likes big butts but lets not get crazy.
So it is a mystery. I know the food comes into the house because I put it in the cabinets. What happens after that I can only guess. Whether it's our locust children, goblins, or those pesky spiders again, something is eating us into a huge grocery bill. I should own stock in Target.
Weird things you have to tell kids
I have been saying for years that I should start a list of weird things you have to tell kids. I work around kids too so I have a lot of weird conversations.
Here are some comments I can remember:
Don’t lick your brother.
Turkey sandwiches do not belong in the air conditioner vent.
Get that doodle bug out of your nose.
Please don’t sing about margaritas at school.
Don’t put boogers on the couch.
Get your brother’s toes out of your mouth.
Sand does not taste good and it makes you thirsty.
Not all of these were said to my own children at least. I am sure I will have many more strange conversations in the future though and I am sure I have forgotten tons of them.
Here are some comments I can remember:
Don’t lick your brother.
Turkey sandwiches do not belong in the air conditioner vent.
Get that doodle bug out of your nose.
Please don’t sing about margaritas at school.
Don’t put boogers on the couch.
Get your brother’s toes out of your mouth.
Sand does not taste good and it makes you thirsty.
Not all of these were said to my own children at least. I am sure I will have many more strange conversations in the future though and I am sure I have forgotten tons of them.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
What's your scariest moment?
My previous post got me thinking about those frightning things that you walk away from and think "I am lucky to be alive". What's your scariest moment?
I have been in more car accidents than I care to remember. Our current car (which is on jacks in our driveway because the front axel is cracked) has been hit 7 times that I can remember. Maybe because it's red people think it is a target. Luckily, they were all minor wrecks with minor injuries and they were all the other drivers fault. I have also had many near misses when cars near me wrecked but I managed to avoid them. Those were all scary.
The scariest moments for me though, were a possible attempted school shooting and a attempted stadium bombing.
I was working at an elementary school along with my mother and my oldest son was attending 1st grade there as well. A man came onto campus with a gun. He wanted the school to release his son to him. I think he was upset because he was going through a divorce.
One of the Moms saw him and thought he seemed suspicious and irratic. She called her husband, who was a police officer who lived nearby, and he came up and found the man. When he started questioning him the man became very upset. The officer searched him and found the gun and arrested him. They were able to get him off campus without incident.
The man had been trying to get into the classroom that was right between my class and my sons class. My moms class was on the other side in the same building. When my husband heard what had happened he said "I could have lost all of you. If he had started shooting inside that class I could have lost all of you just like that."
Not long after that we had a mock school hostage situation to train the campus personnel and to help law enforcment and first responders be prepaired for similar situations. They made it very realistic and very terrifing. They covered victims in fake blood and set off fireworks to simulate gunfire and explosives. I was glad we participated but is was the stuff of nightmares.
I have not been to very many football games in my life. I went to a New Orleans Saints game at the superdome when I was a kid and a OU (University of Oklahoma) game in high school. When I was the director of a child care center I had several of the OU coaches kids in attendance and became friends with the families. The coaches get free tickets to the games so they invited my husband and I to come watch a game.
When we arrived at the gate we were searched before we were allowed to enter. Not a problem, just unusual because they had not done that at past games. We found our seats and met the family on the West side of the stadium. We were enjoying the game and then we heard what sounded and felt like thunder come from behind us. We looked back and said I didn't think it was supposed to rain today. Then our friend's phone started to ring and she was getting tons of text messages. She looked concerned and said "How about we go up to my husband's office".
So we try to leave the stadium through a side door and get up to the attached office building. There are suddenly lots of security personel around and one of them stopped us but when he saw who we were with he said OK go ahead. We got up to the offices and asked "What is going on?" It was now half time and they were not letting anyone leave the stadium. She told us there was some kind of explosion and perhaps we should leave. She said she had some friends who were tailgating nearby so we headed out. The only reason we were able to get out of the building was because we were going out of the office building exit not the stadium exit. We went over to the tailgating section for a while but we were nervous. Things just didn't seem right.
My mom called me and asked if we were alright. She said she was watching the news and they were reporting a bomb at the stadium with at least one fatality. Jeff's sister called. She was outside the stadium as well and saw the police and the crime scene tape in the south oval. We went home not long after that.
The reports of what happened differ greatly. Most of the details were covered up and the official story from OU was that a disturbed student had commited suicide by blowing himself up outside the stadium. Most people accross the country did not even hear about this incident and it was really kept quiet.
No one wanted to say what really happened. That Joel Hinrichs tried to get into the stadium to leave his backpack full of explosives and was turned away because he wouldn't agree to a search. While he was reaching into his backpack, possibly to reset the timer on the bomb, he accidentally detonated it and killed himself. Luckily he was far enough away from the stadium that no one else was injured.
There were over 84,000 people in the stadium including me. I was six months pregnant with my youngest child at the time. Jeff Gordon was also in the crowd with his new wife. You can read more about the incident at these sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_University_of_Oklahoma_bombing
http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/OUfull
I have been in more car accidents than I care to remember. Our current car (which is on jacks in our driveway because the front axel is cracked) has been hit 7 times that I can remember. Maybe because it's red people think it is a target. Luckily, they were all minor wrecks with minor injuries and they were all the other drivers fault. I have also had many near misses when cars near me wrecked but I managed to avoid them. Those were all scary.
The scariest moments for me though, were a possible attempted school shooting and a attempted stadium bombing.
I was working at an elementary school along with my mother and my oldest son was attending 1st grade there as well. A man came onto campus with a gun. He wanted the school to release his son to him. I think he was upset because he was going through a divorce.
One of the Moms saw him and thought he seemed suspicious and irratic. She called her husband, who was a police officer who lived nearby, and he came up and found the man. When he started questioning him the man became very upset. The officer searched him and found the gun and arrested him. They were able to get him off campus without incident.
The man had been trying to get into the classroom that was right between my class and my sons class. My moms class was on the other side in the same building. When my husband heard what had happened he said "I could have lost all of you. If he had started shooting inside that class I could have lost all of you just like that."
Not long after that we had a mock school hostage situation to train the campus personnel and to help law enforcment and first responders be prepaired for similar situations. They made it very realistic and very terrifing. They covered victims in fake blood and set off fireworks to simulate gunfire and explosives. I was glad we participated but is was the stuff of nightmares.
I have not been to very many football games in my life. I went to a New Orleans Saints game at the superdome when I was a kid and a OU (University of Oklahoma) game in high school. When I was the director of a child care center I had several of the OU coaches kids in attendance and became friends with the families. The coaches get free tickets to the games so they invited my husband and I to come watch a game.
When we arrived at the gate we were searched before we were allowed to enter. Not a problem, just unusual because they had not done that at past games. We found our seats and met the family on the West side of the stadium. We were enjoying the game and then we heard what sounded and felt like thunder come from behind us. We looked back and said I didn't think it was supposed to rain today. Then our friend's phone started to ring and she was getting tons of text messages. She looked concerned and said "How about we go up to my husband's office".
So we try to leave the stadium through a side door and get up to the attached office building. There are suddenly lots of security personel around and one of them stopped us but when he saw who we were with he said OK go ahead. We got up to the offices and asked "What is going on?" It was now half time and they were not letting anyone leave the stadium. She told us there was some kind of explosion and perhaps we should leave. She said she had some friends who were tailgating nearby so we headed out. The only reason we were able to get out of the building was because we were going out of the office building exit not the stadium exit. We went over to the tailgating section for a while but we were nervous. Things just didn't seem right.
My mom called me and asked if we were alright. She said she was watching the news and they were reporting a bomb at the stadium with at least one fatality. Jeff's sister called. She was outside the stadium as well and saw the police and the crime scene tape in the south oval. We went home not long after that.
The reports of what happened differ greatly. Most of the details were covered up and the official story from OU was that a disturbed student had commited suicide by blowing himself up outside the stadium. Most people accross the country did not even hear about this incident and it was really kept quiet.
No one wanted to say what really happened. That Joel Hinrichs tried to get into the stadium to leave his backpack full of explosives and was turned away because he wouldn't agree to a search. While he was reaching into his backpack, possibly to reset the timer on the bomb, he accidentally detonated it and killed himself. Luckily he was far enough away from the stadium that no one else was injured.
There were over 84,000 people in the stadium including me. I was six months pregnant with my youngest child at the time. Jeff Gordon was also in the crowd with his new wife. You can read more about the incident at these sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_University_of_Oklahoma_bombing
http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/OUfull
Here are our tickets.Here are some excerpts:
2005 University of Oklahoma bombing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2005 University of Oklahoma bombing occurred on October 1, 2005 at approximately 7:30 p.m, when a bomb went off near the George Lynn Cross Hall on Van Vleet Oval on the University of Oklahoma (OU) main campus. The blast took place less than 200 yards west of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where 84,501 spectators were attending a football game. The bomber, OU student Joel "Joe" Henry Hinrichs III, was killed in the explosion; no one else was killed.
After the incident, speculation began immediately about Hinrichs' motivation and the number of accomplices, if any. An off-duty police officer noted a discussion Hinrichs had with a local feed store owner about ammonium nitrate and had begun an investigation, and his roommate was from Pakistan. The bombing itself was enough to begin rumors of terrorism, which erupted when the explosive agent was found to be TATP, the compound used in a terrorist attack in London in July 2005 in an infamous attempt to destroy a transatlantic flight by igniting a shoe.
Shortly before halftime of the Saturday evening game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Kansas State Wildcats, spectators inside the stadium heard an explosion. The explosion was reported as being heard up to five miles away, but people on the east side of the stadium heard only a rumble like a low-volume thunder, of the type that signals impending rain. A few heard nothing. Spectators were not allowed to leave the stadium at half-time, which caused concern among fans who did hear the explosion. No stadium announcements were made until the third and fourth quarters of play, when bus drivers were asked to leave the stadium and meet at the northwest corner of the Asp Avenue Parking Facility. During the last six minutes of the game, an announcement was made over the public address system in the stadium and over local radio to exit through the south and east gates and to avoid the area, known to students and fans as the South Oval, west of the stadium. No further explanations were given to game attendees because university officials "didn't want to start any kind of panic."
Investigation
According to local media, Hinrichs inquired about purchasing a large quantity of ammonium nitrate, the chief ingredient in the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, at a local feed store two days before the explosion. An off-duty Norman police officer was in the store and overheard the conversation between the feed store owner and Hinrichs. The officer followed Hinrichs out of the store, checked Hinrichs' license plate, and began an investigation when his shift started. That investigation was still in progress when the bomb went off.
http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/OUfull
FAILED SUICIDE BOMBING OUTSIDE OF PACKED OKLAHOMA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL STADIUM
By Douglas J. Hagmann, Director
2 October 2005: Law enforcement sources have confirmed that search and seizure warrants were served today upon the residence of the "suicide bomber," 21-year-old Joel Henry Hinrichs III of Colorado Springs, CO, who was a resident of the Park View Apartments on campus. Speaking strictly "off the record," the officials stated that they recovered "a significant amount" of Islamic "Jihad" type literature.
Further reports by the same officials indicated that the bomb was detonated prematurely when the suspect was either arming a bomb vest or backpack, which contained TATP, a homemade explosive. TATP (triacetone triperoxide)
The same officials, requiring anonymity as the investigation is ongoing, continued to confirm that "other un-detonated explosive devices were found in the area cordoned off by police and federal officials." Initially, information suggested that that the so-called "suicide-bomber" was attempting to attach bombs to the buses parked in the area when one of the bombs detonated prematurely. The investigation has expanded into the possibility that others might have been involved.
The man who was killed in the blast has been officially identified by authorities as Joel Henry Hinrichs III of Colorado Springs, CO., who was a student at the University. In a press conference by University President David Boren, HINRICHS was described as a student who had "emotional difficulties" and reportedly opted to take his own life "near a packed football stadium using an explosive attached to his body."
4 October 2005: It was last Saturday night when 21 year-old Joel Henry Hinrichs III, a college student at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK detonated a large bomb outside of a packed football stadium in America's heartland. The bomb was so large that it could be heard up to four miles away and shattered windows in the George L. Cross building located about 100 yards from the blast.
This blast was undoubtedly one of the largest "silent bombings" in America, and except for media centers with journalistic integrity such as WorldNetDaily and a handful of other Internet news sources, the blast might have been muffled before it could serve as yet another wake-up call to a slumbering public suffering from general malaise and terror fatigue.
5 October 2005: According to confidential sources close to the University of Oklahoma bombing probe, HINRICHS was just one of several others involved in a much larger, much more sinister and pre-planned terrorist plot in the war of Islamic terrorists versus the West in a bombing plot designed to kill innocent Americans, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the details of the investigation but speaking on the condition of anonymity.
In a story that received virtually no media attention since the Saturday "lone suicide bombing" at the O.U. football stadium packed with 84,000 fans, details are emerging that a larger-scale Islamic terrorist operation was to revisit America's heartland for the second time in a decade.
The explosion that killed 21 year-old O.U. student Joel Henry HINRICHS III was to be much larger and was part of a much more deadly planned attack targeting the fans in the packed stadium. In the style reminiscent of the blast at the Murrah building that killed 171 people on 19 April 1995, it was also confirmed that HINRICHS attempted to purchase a large quantity of the fertilizer ammonium nitrate, the very same compound that was used in the Ryder truck bomb just miles from where the Murrah building once stood, and a favorite bomb component used by Middle Eastern terrorists.
"Thankfully, more than a few things went wrong, but the failed plan left HINRICHS holding the bag in the end, literally," added this source. "Otherwise, we could have had a bombing on the scale of Oklahoma City in 1995 of lives lost."
7 October 2005: Found among the items removed from the Park View apartment shared by Joel Henry HINRICHS and Fazal CHEEMA was at least one ticket to the country of Algeria scheduled for a date subsequent to the University bombing. Also found were a variety of explosive materials and other items that would facilitate this and perhaps other terrorist operations.
When HINRICHS walked into the feed store two days prior to the bombing, he was intent on purchasing a large amount of ammonium nitrate, the same component used in the 1995 Murrah Building blast. The attempted fertilizer purchase, travel plans, bomb components, and other items - some found and others yet undiscovered - represent the antithesis of "economic reality" of a financially challenged 21 year-old sometime college student. Regardless of his placement in life, HINRICHS was being provided the money and means to accomplish much larger objectives than what took place last Saturday night.
Excerpt: "Norman Police have confirmed that Hinrichs was briefly investigated days before the bombing when he tried to purchase ammonium nitrate fertilizer from Ellison’s Feed and Seed. Ammonium nitrate is the same chemical used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and killed 168 people(and 3 unborn children)."
September 11th
September 11th changed most Americans forever. It is one of those huge events that you always remember even if you didn't personally know anyone killed or hurt. Most people remember where they were when they heard the news. I was working at an elementary school. I had just gone across to the class my Mom worked in to bring her something. One of the other teachers came in with a shocked look on her face and said her daughter had just called and told her the world trade center had been hit. The news just kept getting worse. Everyone thought we were at war and security concerns were foremost on our minds. Many of the kids went home early from school.
I wanted to do something but felt helpless. My family donated money. I went to donate blood as well but I had been feeling sick for a few days so they advised against it. I watched the news and felt so horrible just like I had after the Oklahoma City bombing.
I soon found out why I had been feeling sick. I was pregnant with our 2nd child. We had been trying to have another baby for many years and had actually given up. In the middle of all that sadness we got our miracle baby.
Here is a sad coincidence. I was pregnant with our 1st when the towers were attacked the first time. I had been asleep and I woke up because I thought I heard an explosion. Weird dream because there is no way I could have heard anyhting. We turned on the news though to check and make sure nothing had happened near our house and that is when we heard about the first attack. I was pregnant with my youngest when a football game we were attending was the target of a bomb. You can read about that in the next post.
When the Oklahoma City bombing happened I was just pulling into the parking lot at work (a child care center). We went on lock down for security because we were in such close proximity to the bomb site. We heard about the child care center in the Murrah Building and we were all just crushed. I stood there looking around at all of the children in our center and I just couldn't understand. How could anyone ever hurt a child?
We saw horrible things that day. Tear full parents coming early to get their children and just hugging them so tight - thank full that they were alive. Many of the parents worked very near the bomb site and they just looked shell shocked.
The worst we saw was a Dad who worked in the water resource building right next to the Murrah site. His wife had to go pick him up because he couldn't find his car. They came straight to the center to get their child because they were so worried. We assured them she was fine and told them they may want to go home and clean up before they got her. They were in shock and didn't even realize he was a mess -clothes all torn and splattered with blood. One of the centers near us had a child who was never picked up. Both parents had been killed.
So today was a very somber post but I feel it is important to remember and hope that we will not have more man made tradgedies.
I wanted to do something but felt helpless. My family donated money. I went to donate blood as well but I had been feeling sick for a few days so they advised against it. I watched the news and felt so horrible just like I had after the Oklahoma City bombing.
I soon found out why I had been feeling sick. I was pregnant with our 2nd child. We had been trying to have another baby for many years and had actually given up. In the middle of all that sadness we got our miracle baby.
Here is a sad coincidence. I was pregnant with our 1st when the towers were attacked the first time. I had been asleep and I woke up because I thought I heard an explosion. Weird dream because there is no way I could have heard anyhting. We turned on the news though to check and make sure nothing had happened near our house and that is when we heard about the first attack. I was pregnant with my youngest when a football game we were attending was the target of a bomb. You can read about that in the next post.
When the Oklahoma City bombing happened I was just pulling into the parking lot at work (a child care center). We went on lock down for security because we were in such close proximity to the bomb site. We heard about the child care center in the Murrah Building and we were all just crushed. I stood there looking around at all of the children in our center and I just couldn't understand. How could anyone ever hurt a child?
We saw horrible things that day. Tear full parents coming early to get their children and just hugging them so tight - thank full that they were alive. Many of the parents worked very near the bomb site and they just looked shell shocked.
The worst we saw was a Dad who worked in the water resource building right next to the Murrah site. His wife had to go pick him up because he couldn't find his car. They came straight to the center to get their child because they were so worried. We assured them she was fine and told them they may want to go home and clean up before they got her. They were in shock and didn't even realize he was a mess -clothes all torn and splattered with blood. One of the centers near us had a child who was never picked up. Both parents had been killed.
So today was a very somber post but I feel it is important to remember and hope that we will not have more man made tradgedies.
Monday, September 10, 2007
My thoughts on laundry
I think I hate doing laundry, or at least I hate doing laundry in my current situation. Let's face it it's never fun. It would be more tolerable if it were really like all those laundry soap commercials. A big, well stocked, and organized laundry room with baskets of clothes neatly separated by color into perfectly sized loads. Machines that operate correctly and time to wash, dry, fold, and put away everything as soon as the cycle is done. In that situation I might not hate doing laundry.
My dryer is broken. It still turns on and rotates. It will even dry the laundry after a cycle that takes approximately 13 hours. Unfortunately, I am not exaggerating. We hung a clothes line in the back yard to help with drying but it has been raining a lot. So we are currently drowning in a larger than usual pile of slightly damp, smelly fabric.
I have no idea how people did house work before the invention of modern appliances. I guess they didn't have as many clothes and didn't wash them as often. Between dragging the rugs out for a good beating, cleaning floors on hands and knees with a scrub brush, hand washing all the dishes, and hauling ice for the icebox, who could blame them. I am tired just thinking about it. Add to that no microwaves for quick meals, central heat and air units, or TV and video games to help entertain the kids and I must say I have it pretty good even with the dryer in the state it is in.
Here is something to ponder, why is it that the coolest hang out spot for spiders is in a huge pile of dirty laundry? Perhaps they think I will never really get to the bottom of the pile and it can be a home to their descendants for generations to come. I really will get to the bottom someday. I hate spiders. They are so sneaky and smug and sarcastic.
On the plus side, I think I have finely broken the kids of playing in the dirty pile. I have redirected them towards the clean laundry pile which is just as big and fun to jump in but smells a little better.
I want to get one of those new washer/dryers that will fit 25 towels at once. The one we have now will fit 9 and I am not talking about the big, expensive, Egyptian cotton, bath sheets but the ratty, cheap, Wal -Mart, barely cover my big butt, towels. We go through an astonishing number of towels in this house. Not only for bathing but for wiping up spills, potty accidents, mud pies, and of course rat-tailing your siblings. POP!
If I could wash bigger loads and dry them in under 3 hours I might be able to get caught up. I will probably be able to afford those fancy machines when my kids grow up and move out on their own, of course I won't need them then.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Our family dictionary
Every family/group has funny words or sayings that become an inside joke. Here is a list of ours.
Squeesypoppers- When you hug someone so big they pop. You have to say squeesy, squeesy, pop when you do this and when you get to the pop you pretend to explode.
Adoribibble- Cameron had trouble saying adorible so he and Taylor always called sister adoribibble and it stuck. It means extra especially adorible.
Pickle color- Green of course. This was one of Taylor's cute words when he was a little one. He was a Dr. Seuss fan.
Grackas- glasses. Cameron couldn't say glasses when he was very little so he would say "Here are your grackas Bub".
Pikas- Pizza. This was one of Taylor's words. He couldn't say pizza when he was very little.
Plonky- Really weird and scary. This is Cameron's made up word. He saw a picture in a book that he didn't really like and said "I don't like that man he's plonky" So when we asked him what plonky meant we got our definition.
Highlarious- Very highly hilarious. This was one of Taylor's made up or modified words. He figured if something was funny when it was hilarious it must be really funny if it is highlarious.
Highronic- Another of Taylor's along the same lines. Something that is very ironic.
Billirubins- When Taylor was born he was jaundiced so we were very concerned about his billirubin levels. To make the sitiuation a little lighter we decided that the way to fix his billirubin levels was to give him billirubins (belly rubbings) while he layed under the light.
Fives- high fives but you specialize them to the occasion much like they do on Scrubs. So if someone just got an A on their report card you give A fives. Just ran the marathon, well, that would be marathon fives. Ate all their dinner-dinner fives. You can fit it to any occasion.
Squeesypoppers- When you hug someone so big they pop. You have to say squeesy, squeesy, pop when you do this and when you get to the pop you pretend to explode.
Adoribibble- Cameron had trouble saying adorible so he and Taylor always called sister adoribibble and it stuck. It means extra especially adorible.
Pickle color- Green of course. This was one of Taylor's cute words when he was a little one. He was a Dr. Seuss fan.
Grackas- glasses. Cameron couldn't say glasses when he was very little so he would say "Here are your grackas Bub".
Pikas- Pizza. This was one of Taylor's words. He couldn't say pizza when he was very little.
Plonky- Really weird and scary. This is Cameron's made up word. He saw a picture in a book that he didn't really like and said "I don't like that man he's plonky" So when we asked him what plonky meant we got our definition.
Highlarious- Very highly hilarious. This was one of Taylor's made up or modified words. He figured if something was funny when it was hilarious it must be really funny if it is highlarious.
Highronic- Another of Taylor's along the same lines. Something that is very ironic.
Billirubins- When Taylor was born he was jaundiced so we were very concerned about his billirubin levels. To make the sitiuation a little lighter we decided that the way to fix his billirubin levels was to give him billirubins (belly rubbings) while he layed under the light.
Fives- high fives but you specialize them to the occasion much like they do on Scrubs. So if someone just got an A on their report card you give A fives. Just ran the marathon, well, that would be marathon fives. Ate all their dinner-dinner fives. You can fit it to any occasion.
Frog jokes
My kids love making lists as you probably figured out from the abundance of them already posted on this site. Today we are doing a list of frog jokes in honor of Hopkins the Signing Time frog and his upcoming birthday celebration. Enjoy!
Why are frogs so happy?
They eat watever bugs them!
How many frogs does it take to screw in a light bulb?
One frog and 37 light bulbs, slippery hands, ya know.
How does a frog feel when he has a broken leg?
Unhoppy.
What happened to the frog's car when his parking meter expired?
It got toad!!
What did the frog order at McDonald's?
French flies and a diet Croak
Why did the frog go to the hospital?
He needed a "hopperation" !
And here is one random cow joke. This was my favorite joke in high school. I heard it from my best friend Marla.
There are a bunch of cows and one bull standing on the top of a hill eating some delicious green grass. It is a very windy day and every time a big gust of wind hits them all the cows roll down the hill. The bull is not disturbed, he only wobbles a bit and keeps on eating. After this happens several times the cows are upset and climb up to the top of the hill once again and ask "Hey Bull! What gives? How come you never roll down the hill and we do every time?"
Wait for it here it comes:
The Bull says "Everyone knows we bulls wobble but we don't fall down!"
This joke is better for kids from the 70's who remember the commercials for Weebles toys. I had the haunted house with the glow in the dark ghost. Loved it wish I still had it.
Why are frogs so happy?
They eat watever bugs them!
How many frogs does it take to screw in a light bulb?
One frog and 37 light bulbs, slippery hands, ya know.
How does a frog feel when he has a broken leg?
Unhoppy.
What happened to the frog's car when his parking meter expired?
It got toad!!
What did the frog order at McDonald's?
French flies and a diet Croak
Why did the frog go to the hospital?
He needed a "hopperation" !
And here is one random cow joke. This was my favorite joke in high school. I heard it from my best friend Marla.
There are a bunch of cows and one bull standing on the top of a hill eating some delicious green grass. It is a very windy day and every time a big gust of wind hits them all the cows roll down the hill. The bull is not disturbed, he only wobbles a bit and keeps on eating. After this happens several times the cows are upset and climb up to the top of the hill once again and ask "Hey Bull! What gives? How come you never roll down the hill and we do every time?"
Wait for it here it comes:
The Bull says "Everyone knows we bulls wobble but we don't fall down!"
This joke is better for kids from the 70's who remember the commercials for Weebles toys. I had the haunted house with the glow in the dark ghost. Loved it wish I still had it.
OKC Marathon
We did the family version of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in 2005. It is a great way to help raise money for the Murrah Building Bombing Memorial and for educational materials.
When Taylor was 6 he saw the memorial for the first time. He went to each little chair (for the children) and said a prayer so they would be happy up in heaven. It is impossible to understand why anyone would ever hurt a child.
This is Taylor before the race. We had to leave at 5 AM so it was still dark. I am glad though because this picture looks beautiful with the sun just starting to rise. We saw this sign along the way and had to get a picture of it.
At the starting line, ready to run. Whenever Cameron sees this picture he counts because they did a count down for us to start running.
The boys running. Cameron was so excited he was jumping.
Mile marker 26.
At the finish line.
Taylor and Cameron with their medals. They are so happy.
Cameron has a flower to leave for Baylee Almon. She is one of the 19 children killed. Many people know her name because of the famous picture of the firefighter carrying her out of the building.
Looking at the reflecting pool, you can see the survivor tree in the background.
When Taylor was 6 he saw the memorial for the first time. He went to each little chair (for the children) and said a prayer so they would be happy up in heaven. It is impossible to understand why anyone would ever hurt a child.
This is Taylor before the race. We had to leave at 5 AM so it was still dark. I am glad though because this picture looks beautiful with the sun just starting to rise. We saw this sign along the way and had to get a picture of it.
At the starting line, ready to run. Whenever Cameron sees this picture he counts because they did a count down for us to start running.
The boys running. Cameron was so excited he was jumping.
Mile marker 26.
At the finish line.
Taylor and Cameron with their medals. They are so happy.
Cameron has a flower to leave for Baylee Almon. She is one of the 19 children killed. Many people know her name because of the famous picture of the firefighter carrying her out of the building.
Looking at the reflecting pool, you can see the survivor tree in the background.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Kaylynne had another big day
Kay was very busy today. She is walking all over the place. It rained today and she loves to play in the puddles so we went outside. She found a thwackum stick (that's the sound it makes when it hits and Kay thinks it is quite funny) and used it to splash in the puddles, pretend to fish, and smack her brother.
Cameron had fun collecting acorns and bug watching. Then Kay saw the lady bug. She was fascinated so I picked it up so she could have a closer look. It crawled on her hand then her shirt and she laughed hysterically.
When we came back inside she had some new tricks for us. She has been working really hard on figuring out how to walk so all of her energy was focused on that task. Her therapists and doctors felt she may be speech delayed. I wasn't sure. I know she understands what we say to her but she only said about 15 words and not very often. She signs about 15 words too so I wasn't so worried. I guess now that she can focus on other things she has decided to catch up.
This week she learned to sign shoes and signing (for Signing Time). Just today she added the signs for spaghetti and popcorn and said shoes, sign time, and that's the Rachel. Can you tell we were watching Signing Time today? It is amazing to see her learning to say/sign so many words so quickly. So perhaps she does not have a speech delay she was just concentrating on other skills.
I think this illustrates once again that ASL works. The words she said today are the words she learned the signs for earlier in the week. Something about the physical action of doing the sign and the reinforcement of being understood really cements the language in their little brains. Next thing you know they can say the word as well. I have seen it before but it never ceases to amaze me. Thank you Signing Time Gang!
We were all so excited about everything she did then she showed us another trick. She has been very interested in the potty lately but she is only 20 months old so I wasn't really pushing it. We brought in the potty chair and have just been letting her get used to it being there. She crawled into the bathroom and was pointing at it so I thought what the heck I'll put her on. As soon as she sat down she peed in the potty. So we had a big celebration. It was just about time for her to go to bed so I stuck another diaper on her but we will try again tomorrow. It may have just been a fluke but maybe it will stick. Talk about a busy girl.
Cameron had fun collecting acorns and bug watching. Then Kay saw the lady bug. She was fascinated so I picked it up so she could have a closer look. It crawled on her hand then her shirt and she laughed hysterically.
When we came back inside she had some new tricks for us. She has been working really hard on figuring out how to walk so all of her energy was focused on that task. Her therapists and doctors felt she may be speech delayed. I wasn't sure. I know she understands what we say to her but she only said about 15 words and not very often. She signs about 15 words too so I wasn't so worried. I guess now that she can focus on other things she has decided to catch up.
This week she learned to sign shoes and signing (for Signing Time). Just today she added the signs for spaghetti and popcorn and said shoes, sign time, and that's the Rachel. Can you tell we were watching Signing Time today? It is amazing to see her learning to say/sign so many words so quickly. So perhaps she does not have a speech delay she was just concentrating on other skills.
I think this illustrates once again that ASL works. The words she said today are the words she learned the signs for earlier in the week. Something about the physical action of doing the sign and the reinforcement of being understood really cements the language in their little brains. Next thing you know they can say the word as well. I have seen it before but it never ceases to amaze me. Thank you Signing Time Gang!
We were all so excited about everything she did then she showed us another trick. She has been very interested in the potty lately but she is only 20 months old so I wasn't really pushing it. We brought in the potty chair and have just been letting her get used to it being there. She crawled into the bathroom and was pointing at it so I thought what the heck I'll put her on. As soon as she sat down she peed in the potty. So we had a big celebration. It was just about time for her to go to bed so I stuck another diaper on her but we will try again tomorrow. It may have just been a fluke but maybe it will stick. Talk about a busy girl.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Reliving the past/Cameron quotes
I spent my computer time today finishing and adding to some of the past posts. Hopefully soon I will get some of the past stories finished so I can focus on current events.
Kaylynne was walking all over the place today. It is amazing.
Taylor played his first concert with the marching band from N. North High. It was raining but luckily it stopped before the football game started.
Cameron had fun at school then painted a lovely picture at home. He let sister paint too.
Here is the story starter from Cam's school for today.
What can you do now that you're big?
The other kids answered
Jump
Walk
Run
Play
Climb
Swim
Cameron said "Clean up my room, play outside, ride a bike, and put my clothes on."
Well, that's all for today I have to go re-attach Mr. Potato Head's butt for like the Bazillionth time today.
Kaylynne was walking all over the place today. It is amazing.
Taylor played his first concert with the marching band from N. North High. It was raining but luckily it stopped before the football game started.
Cameron had fun at school then painted a lovely picture at home. He let sister paint too.
Here is the story starter from Cam's school for today.
What can you do now that you're big?
The other kids answered
Jump
Walk
Run
Play
Climb
Swim
Cameron said "Clean up my room, play outside, ride a bike, and put my clothes on."
Well, that's all for today I have to go re-attach Mr. Potato Head's butt for like the Bazillionth time today.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Our back to school BBQ
Hula fun with Gram
Hula fun with Dan
Group shot
Kay had a happy day
Kay, Uncle Russ and Aunt Danielle
Cam and Gram
Grill Master Jeff
On the swing Grandma, Maddison, and Jennifer
Hula fun with Dan
Group shot
Kay had a happy day
Kay, Uncle Russ and Aunt Danielle
Cam and Gram
Grill Master Jeff
On the swing Grandma, Maddison, and Jennifer
New House/Fixing up
Sold! Move in date June 29 2007
First visit to our new backyard
Working on the wood floors after we pulled up the wall to wall carpeting
First visit to our new backyard
Working on the wood floors after we pulled up the wall to wall carpeting
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