Check your feet. Are they cold? Hell has nearly frozen over!
How do I know? Well, two extremely unlikely events have taken place recently leading me to believe it's getting mighty cold down there.
The first one isn't that huge, but it is extremely unlikely. For years and years I have been a t-shirt kind of girl at bedtime. I have lots of nightshirts that are long enough to cover everything that needs to be covered and then some. I DO NOT sway from this. Ever. Army even buys me soft nightshirts for gifts sometimes, and I love getting them! I have enough to stuff and entire drawer full. And I do mean stuff! I do keep shorts/sweats/pj bottoms by the bed in case Linus needs me in the middle of the night, and I do put them on first thing in the morning if I don't hop straight in the shower, but I do not wear them in bed. Ever. I cannot stand the feeling of something on my legs at night. I can't even stand a long nightgown because it bothers me when I roll over. You get the point--t-shirts only.
Last night we had the most wicked thunder. It was rolling thunder that would go on and on and on. Then as soon as one would finally end another would start. Then the rain started. I'm not sure I've ever heard rain that heavy. As I got ready for bed, I glanced at our weather radio (tornadoes are common here, so we keep one by the bed), but there were no warnings. Our subdivision is too new for cable--something about they won't run lines until the entire subdivision is complete--so we have satellite. If there are clouds in the sky, there is no satellite on the tv. Unless we're in the midst of a tropical storm, then we have it. Go figure. I wasn't that worried, until Army said something to me that got me a little concerned. Then I laughed and asked him if it could really happen, and he let me know that he wasn't kidding. Now I was starting to worry. Then we started getting the kind of thunder that shakes the chandelier. Army asked me if I heard a train in the background. He was kidding, but it hit my last nerve. I started to imagine what would happen if a tornado hit, or if our house was struck by lightening. Would you believe it freaked me out enough that I got up and put on a full pair of pajamas? As in top AND bottom. I didn't just put the bottoms by my bed, I put them ON. I had a horrible time sleeping last night, not because of the weather, but because of the bottoms. I did make it the whole night with them though. This morning, Army asked me if hell had frozen over. Yep, it was getting there.
This is far more compelling evidence though. The night I had my migraine, I rode with Army and Linus to pick up some dinner. Sometimes riding in the car with the air conditioner blowing directly in my face helps. Apparently it helps my head, but not my sanity. We're big Johnette Downing fans, so we usually have one of her cd's playing while Linus is in the car. Army left the radio on though while he ran into the restaurant. A song came on, and I changed it, but Linus begged to listed to what she called the tapping song. I changed a few more channels, but I couldn't find anything she liked. My head hurt too badly to even comprehend which channel was the kids channel, and it apparently hurt too badly to just let one of her cd's play. I ended up putting it back on the tapping song on the original station. I canNOT believe I let my child listen to Michael Jackson's Billie Jean!!!
Wait, it gets worse.
When Army got in the car, a new song was on. I told him what I had done, and he was shocked. He even mentioned that my migraine must have been really bad for me to let my four year old listen to Michael Jackson. I closed my eyes and tried to ignore reality as best I could. Then all of a sudden it hit me. MADONNA's Material Girl was on the radio, and he didn't change it.
What kind of parents are we? Wait. Don't answer that!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
An Extra Huh?
I had a horrible migraine yesterday. Nothing I took made a difference. Last night while we ate dinner, Linus was attempting to tell me about her day. Thankfully her daddy was off, so he was able to entertain her most of the day while I took just about every legal drug imaginable. Apparently she watched a series of Scholastic videos we have. They are videos of well known children's books. She told me "Daddy and I watched movies upstairs. We watched Where the Wild Things Are, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, but I can't recall the other one." WHAT??? Exactly how old are you Linus, Seventy? I looked at Army and asked him if I was hearing things or if she just said that. He laughed. Sure enough she said it. My four year old talks like somebody eligible for Medicare.
Later that evening, Army felt sorry for me, so he picked up some mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I was finally feeling like I could possibly eat, so I ate a few. There were many left over this morning. Linus has the same love for mrpbc that I have. Love? Obsession? I'm not quite sure which is more accurate. All I know is they send me to my happy place! Anyway, when Linus noticed them this morning, she ran to the bag. I held her off until after lunch when I noticed her little hand stuffed in the bag. When she pulled it out, she must have had at least five. My hand can barely hold five, no idea how hers can. I guess it's just the power of mrpbc. She unwrapped one and stuck it in her mouth. Then the little booger walked over to my computer and put the wrapper down as she said, "I'm just going to put this over here by your computer. That way it'll look like you ate it and Daddy will let me have more tonight." I asked her if she thought that was wrong since it wasn't exactly telling the truth. She told me that no, it wasn't wrong, it was just smart!
Then I curled up in a fetal position because I know I'm in big trouble when the teenage years hit!
Later that evening, Army felt sorry for me, so he picked up some mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I was finally feeling like I could possibly eat, so I ate a few. There were many left over this morning. Linus has the same love for mrpbc that I have. Love? Obsession? I'm not quite sure which is more accurate. All I know is they send me to my happy place! Anyway, when Linus noticed them this morning, she ran to the bag. I held her off until after lunch when I noticed her little hand stuffed in the bag. When she pulled it out, she must have had at least five. My hand can barely hold five, no idea how hers can. I guess it's just the power of mrpbc. She unwrapped one and stuck it in her mouth. Then the little booger walked over to my computer and put the wrapper down as she said, "I'm just going to put this over here by your computer. That way it'll look like you ate it and Daddy will let me have more tonight." I asked her if she thought that was wrong since it wasn't exactly telling the truth. She told me that no, it wasn't wrong, it was just smart!
Then I curled up in a fetal position because I know I'm in big trouble when the teenage years hit!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
An Extra Peek at Cuteness
Want to see the face behind all the chaos at my house?
I found this pic while I was loading some pics to a cd. I set up a backdrop to take a few shots of Linus last summer. This shot, believe it or not, was not posed. Linus kept grabbing toys to play with while I tried to get her to pose for shots. I finally gave in and told her she could play with one toy for five minutes. She eyed the toys as she tried to figure out which to play with. I snapped this while she was eyeing them. Ignore the backdrop, I still need to make it true black.
It is the essence of Linus!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
An Extra Conversation or Two
Linus has been on a roll today. It all started in the grocery store parking lot. she spotted a man that looked just like my uncle. "Hey, that looks just like my granuncle!" (Grand uncle) She usually calls him Uncle Pop, so I'm not quite sure where that came from.
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This afternoon it was raining very hard. Linus wanted to go out to get something to eat. She had eaten her way through the day, so I told her no, and I let her know I didn't really want to go out in this weather. She ran and got a Pizza Hut coupon card, tore one off, and said, "Now you don't have to go out!" It didn't work. I didn't order a pizza.
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"Mommy, can I have a baby stunk?"
"A what?"
"A stunk."
"Do you mean a skunk?"
"No, I mean a stunk. You know, those black animals with a white stripe that stink when they grow up."
"Linus, that's called a skunk."
"No, Mommy, they are stunks. Why would they call it a skunk? That's just silly. They are called stunks because they stink."
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Linus was being naughty and playing in the bathroom. Army told her to stop, but she kept playing. Then she reached her hand down towards the potty. Army raised his voice and told her not to do it. She looked up at Army and said, "Do not talk to my mommy's daughter that way!" Normally she would have gotten in trouble for talking like that, but we were laughing too hard.
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This afternoon it was raining very hard. Linus wanted to go out to get something to eat. She had eaten her way through the day, so I told her no, and I let her know I didn't really want to go out in this weather. She ran and got a Pizza Hut coupon card, tore one off, and said, "Now you don't have to go out!" It didn't work. I didn't order a pizza.
-----
"Mommy, can I have a baby stunk?"
"A what?"
"A stunk."
"Do you mean a skunk?"
"No, I mean a stunk. You know, those black animals with a white stripe that stink when they grow up."
"Linus, that's called a skunk."
"No, Mommy, they are stunks. Why would they call it a skunk? That's just silly. They are called stunks because they stink."
-----
Linus was being naughty and playing in the bathroom. Army told her to stop, but she kept playing. Then she reached her hand down towards the potty. Army raised his voice and told her not to do it. She looked up at Army and said, "Do not talk to my mommy's daughter that way!" Normally she would have gotten in trouble for talking like that, but we were laughing too hard.
Friday, August 24, 2007
A Little Extra Embarrassment
***WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MAY BE OFFENSIVE***
After I posted the poll earlier letting y'all decide what you wanted to read, I panicked and thought to myself, "Oh PLEASE don't let them pick #1" because I'm almost too embarrassed to post it. Not just because it was embarrassing, but because the word involved is just absolutely gross. My family would be so ashamed! It's a good thing they don't know about this blog, and if they ever find out I'll have to be sure to delete this post. Before I start, I do want to add the my friend's grandfather was an incredible man. He was kind and giving. He was a respected business man where he lived.
***ONE LAST WARNING*** Don't say I didn't warn you!
I was an incredibly naive child. Oh don't get me wrong, I wasn't an angel, but I was naive. I was especially naive when it came to slang terms. When Army and I met, he was shocked at how little slang I knew. A guy said something about "choking the chicken" at a party once, and I naively asked, "What chicken? Why would you do that?" Army nearly died. It became a joke about how naive I was. The guys went back and forth between wanting to expand my knowledge, and feeling horribly guilty for corrupting me.
Anyway, this incident happened the first semester of my freshman year. I already had a reputation for my innocence (haha, that almost makes me sound like I was an angel. Fear not, I could drink with the best of them). I went to my friend's grandparents' house for dinner one evening. After dinner, her grandmother pulled out some strawberries from the fridge. My friend and I dug in to the fresh strawberries, but her grandfather asked for a specific topping using a term I hadn't heard. As soon as her grandmother brought out the whipped cream, I knew what her grandfather's word meant. Ah, I knew using context clues would come in handy some day.
About a week later, we were eating dinner in the school cafeteria. I went to a rather small college, but we did have fraternities. They were all on campus. My friend and I were eating at a frat table (It was about 5 tables long) and the table was full. My friend said she was going to go see if there were any fresh desserts. I told her I was stuffed, I'd remain at the table. I was deep in a conversation with a major crush. No way in hell was I getting up and risking another girl stepping in! Oh how I wish now I had just gotten up.
My friend called to me by name (so everybody in the cafeteria knew who she was talking to!) and told me that they had fresh strawberries. Now, you'd think that I would know better than to use a word that I didn't really know what it meant, but since her grandfather had used it, I knew I was safe. What did my I say when she said, "Hey, Lanny, they have fresh strawberries. You want some?" I stood up and said rather loudly, "That depends. Do they have jism to go on them?"
---SILENCE!---
Oh. My. Goodness. You could hear she swooshing as heads turned to see what pervert just said that. The guy I *had* been talking to was laughing so hard as he sunk under the table. After what felt like hours, one of the guys at my table choked out through his laughter, "It's ok, y'all! It was just Lanny that said that!" The room erupted in a mixture of laughter (guys) and horror (girls). I still had NO idea what I had said wrong. When I asked one of the guys, he said he'd tell me, but that I'd probably rather not know. One of them finally told me, and I was so embarrassed! The major hottie I had been talking to said the sweetest thing. He said that the guys all new I had no idea what it meant, and obviously the girls who were horrified DID know, which made them worse.
That event was a standing joke for years! YEARS! Army still thinks it is hilarious. If Linus isn't around, he'll still ask for whipped cream by another name (ahem) just to embarrass me. I'm still not sure which is worse though--the embarrassment of saying it or just the grossness of the word. To this day, I think it's one of the most disgusting words in the English language.
So, now that you've read it, YOU are tagged. I'll come looking at some of your blogs for your most embarrassing moments!
After I posted the poll earlier letting y'all decide what you wanted to read, I panicked and thought to myself, "Oh PLEASE don't let them pick #1" because I'm almost too embarrassed to post it. Not just because it was embarrassing, but because the word involved is just absolutely gross. My family would be so ashamed! It's a good thing they don't know about this blog, and if they ever find out I'll have to be sure to delete this post. Before I start, I do want to add the my friend's grandfather was an incredible man. He was kind and giving. He was a respected business man where he lived.
***ONE LAST WARNING*** Don't say I didn't warn you!
I was an incredibly naive child. Oh don't get me wrong, I wasn't an angel, but I was naive. I was especially naive when it came to slang terms. When Army and I met, he was shocked at how little slang I knew. A guy said something about "choking the chicken" at a party once, and I naively asked, "What chicken? Why would you do that?" Army nearly died. It became a joke about how naive I was. The guys went back and forth between wanting to expand my knowledge, and feeling horribly guilty for corrupting me.
Anyway, this incident happened the first semester of my freshman year. I already had a reputation for my innocence (haha, that almost makes me sound like I was an angel. Fear not, I could drink with the best of them). I went to my friend's grandparents' house for dinner one evening. After dinner, her grandmother pulled out some strawberries from the fridge. My friend and I dug in to the fresh strawberries, but her grandfather asked for a specific topping using a term I hadn't heard. As soon as her grandmother brought out the whipped cream, I knew what her grandfather's word meant. Ah, I knew using context clues would come in handy some day.
About a week later, we were eating dinner in the school cafeteria. I went to a rather small college, but we did have fraternities. They were all on campus. My friend and I were eating at a frat table (It was about 5 tables long) and the table was full. My friend said she was going to go see if there were any fresh desserts. I told her I was stuffed, I'd remain at the table. I was deep in a conversation with a major crush. No way in hell was I getting up and risking another girl stepping in! Oh how I wish now I had just gotten up.
My friend called to me by name (so everybody in the cafeteria knew who she was talking to!) and told me that they had fresh strawberries. Now, you'd think that I would know better than to use a word that I didn't really know what it meant, but since her grandfather had used it, I knew I was safe. What did my I say when she said, "Hey, Lanny, they have fresh strawberries. You want some?" I stood up and said rather loudly, "That depends. Do they have jism to go on them?"
---SILENCE!---
Oh. My. Goodness. You could hear she swooshing as heads turned to see what pervert just said that. The guy I *had* been talking to was laughing so hard as he sunk under the table. After what felt like hours, one of the guys at my table choked out through his laughter, "It's ok, y'all! It was just Lanny that said that!" The room erupted in a mixture of laughter (guys) and horror (girls). I still had NO idea what I had said wrong. When I asked one of the guys, he said he'd tell me, but that I'd probably rather not know. One of them finally told me, and I was so embarrassed! The major hottie I had been talking to said the sweetest thing. He said that the guys all new I had no idea what it meant, and obviously the girls who were horrified DID know, which made them worse.
That event was a standing joke for years! YEARS! Army still thinks it is hilarious. If Linus isn't around, he'll still ask for whipped cream by another name (ahem) just to embarrass me. I'm still not sure which is worse though--the embarrassment of saying it or just the grossness of the word. To this day, I think it's one of the most disgusting words in the English language.
So, now that you've read it, YOU are tagged. I'll come looking at some of your blogs for your most embarrassing moments!
An Extra Voting Opportunity
I was tagged by a friend. It was her creative way of trying to get me to write my own blog. Only one person knows about my blog IRL, so I can't link her back, or she'd know and spread it. I'll eventually let others know about my blog, but for now, I'm enjoying my IRL friends not knowing.
Her tag was to blog your most embarrassing moment. I actually have three that completely embarrass me, but keep my friends laughing hysterically (and teasing me about the events!). So, I'm letting you vote on which one you want to hear. Poll is on the upper right side. Below gives a brief idea of each one to help you vote.
#1--Happened my freshman year of college and involves the use of the WRONG (very wrong!) word! It may be offensive to some, so keep that in mind when voting.
#2--Happened in college at a frat house. Thank goodness most people were drunk. Again, this was college, and it may be offensive to some, though not terribly.
#3--Happened a few years ago and involves an obygn-ish visit. A man reading this would be squeamish, but I don't think it would be offensive, just embarrassing.
So, vote now. I'll check the votes tonight around 11 and my most embarrassing moment will be up shortly after. Or maybe not. Just kidding, I'll do it.
Her tag was to blog your most embarrassing moment. I actually have three that completely embarrass me, but keep my friends laughing hysterically (and teasing me about the events!). So, I'm letting you vote on which one you want to hear. Poll is on the upper right side. Below gives a brief idea of each one to help you vote.
#1--Happened my freshman year of college and involves the use of the WRONG (very wrong!) word! It may be offensive to some, so keep that in mind when voting.
#2--Happened in college at a frat house. Thank goodness most people were drunk. Again, this was college, and it may be offensive to some, though not terribly.
#3--Happened a few years ago and involves an obygn-ish visit. A man reading this would be squeamish, but I don't think it would be offensive, just embarrassing.
So, vote now. I'll check the votes tonight around 11 and my most embarrassing moment will be up shortly after. Or maybe not. Just kidding, I'll do it.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
A Little Extra Love
My grandmother passed away 10 years ago today. I usually don't dwell on dates of death, but knowing the exact date of death for my grandparents is rather easy: three of the four passed away on the 23rd of the month.
My Memere was an incredible lady. I miss her dearly, as do her other grandchildren. I grew up in a very close knit family. We had dinner probably three to four nights a week at my grandparents' house. The table was full of cousins, aunts, and uncles. She knew our favorite meals, and she rotated them.
I wish Linus had a chance to meet her. Linus would have loved her soft yet spunky demeanor. Memere wasn't afraid to play, even though she had on heels and hose. She lived life, she didn't just go through the motions.
Man, ten years seem like such a long time, yet I can still feel her hugs and smell her like it I saw her yesterday. I can easily picture her soft creamy skin. If only I could really put my arms around her. I can honestly say though, I knew (so did my sister and cousins) what a good person I had in my life. I'm so thankful I was able to see that while she was here, rather than only after she was gone.
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Is anybody else having trouble leaving comments? I've tried to comment on several blogs for the past day or two, but I keep getting a security message that never ends. I click out of it, then it pops back up. I end up having to get off the internet completely to stop it. Of course, now that I've asked this, I'm realizing that if you're having that trouble too, you won't be able to leave a comment to tell me. Ugh! Oddly enough, I can comment on my own blog.
My Memere was an incredible lady. I miss her dearly, as do her other grandchildren. I grew up in a very close knit family. We had dinner probably three to four nights a week at my grandparents' house. The table was full of cousins, aunts, and uncles. She knew our favorite meals, and she rotated them.
I wish Linus had a chance to meet her. Linus would have loved her soft yet spunky demeanor. Memere wasn't afraid to play, even though she had on heels and hose. She lived life, she didn't just go through the motions.
Man, ten years seem like such a long time, yet I can still feel her hugs and smell her like it I saw her yesterday. I can easily picture her soft creamy skin. If only I could really put my arms around her. I can honestly say though, I knew (so did my sister and cousins) what a good person I had in my life. I'm so thankful I was able to see that while she was here, rather than only after she was gone.
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Is anybody else having trouble leaving comments? I've tried to comment on several blogs for the past day or two, but I keep getting a security message that never ends. I click out of it, then it pops back up. I end up having to get off the internet completely to stop it. Of course, now that I've asked this, I'm realizing that if you're having that trouble too, you won't be able to leave a comment to tell me. Ugh! Oddly enough, I can comment on my own blog.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
An Extra Confession
I have a confession. Maybe just by admitting I did this, I'll be too embarrassed to ever do it again.
It's possible that I may have eaten close to a dozen cookies last night. They were good. Damn good. They had Reese's Pieces in them, and the taste of the brown sugar in them sent me into such a happy place that I didn't care how many fat grams were in each one. I love the taste of brown sugar in cookies. It makes a cookie perfect to me. These were perfect. They were the kind of fresh that begins to almost melt when it hits your tongue. Mmmm, I can taste that brown sugar melting now. If I was lucky enough to get one with Reese's Pieces showing at the bottom, I'd become over the top happy. When you get one with RP at the bottom, sugar has collected around the RP and you get that extra little burst of brown sugar.
Poor Linus. Army and I had a babysitter last night, so we went to a fabulous dinner. Then we made the date extra romantic and went grocery shopping. I know, such romance! Anyway, we only eat dessert on Tuesdays and Saturdays (or any special occasion we make up), but we were too full to even think about dessert at the restaurant. There was no way I was letting my dessert day pass me by though, so we decided to pick something up while we were at the store. We looked at small items, but were drawn to our delicious cookies. I could hear them calling me from a few aisles away. When we looked at the cookies, we decided there were way too many (20). The concept of something lasting days and days in our home hasn't quite made it to our lives yet, so we generally buy dessert in small amounts. We looked at smaller cookie containers (10), but those cookies were huge, so 10 huge cookies actually ended up being more cookie than 20 small ones. Army finally decided Linus was likely still awake, so she'd help us with them.
Now my confession gets worse: Linus was awake. We put her to bed before we opened the cookies. The two of us ate all the cookies by ourselves. All. The. Cookies! I really planned to eat only a few. Every now and then, I'd get up from my computer for some more water, and I'd meander over to the cookies and snatch one. Or two. After I'd finish, my tongue would get sad and long for the taste of it's dear friend Brown Sugar. I'd ignore it, but then it would pull the thirst act, and I'd have to get some more water. And eat a cookie. Or two. It was a vicious cycle until only one and a half cookies were left. Since I didn't want to be accused of being the pig who ate them all, I left those two for Army.
I got up this morning with a horrible stomach ache. Big surprise, I know. I didn't even get out of bed to tell Army goodbye. When I did finally haul my larger-than-last-night bum out of bed, I noticed there's still half a cookie left. So far, I'm resisting, but my horrible stomach ache might not be enough to help me resist all day. What about Linus? I offered it to her, but she said, "No thanks, I'm not in to sweets." Little turd!
It's possible that I may have eaten close to a dozen cookies last night. They were good. Damn good. They had Reese's Pieces in them, and the taste of the brown sugar in them sent me into such a happy place that I didn't care how many fat grams were in each one. I love the taste of brown sugar in cookies. It makes a cookie perfect to me. These were perfect. They were the kind of fresh that begins to almost melt when it hits your tongue. Mmmm, I can taste that brown sugar melting now. If I was lucky enough to get one with Reese's Pieces showing at the bottom, I'd become over the top happy. When you get one with RP at the bottom, sugar has collected around the RP and you get that extra little burst of brown sugar.
Poor Linus. Army and I had a babysitter last night, so we went to a fabulous dinner. Then we made the date extra romantic and went grocery shopping. I know, such romance! Anyway, we only eat dessert on Tuesdays and Saturdays (or any special occasion we make up), but we were too full to even think about dessert at the restaurant. There was no way I was letting my dessert day pass me by though, so we decided to pick something up while we were at the store. We looked at small items, but were drawn to our delicious cookies. I could hear them calling me from a few aisles away. When we looked at the cookies, we decided there were way too many (20). The concept of something lasting days and days in our home hasn't quite made it to our lives yet, so we generally buy dessert in small amounts. We looked at smaller cookie containers (10), but those cookies were huge, so 10 huge cookies actually ended up being more cookie than 20 small ones. Army finally decided Linus was likely still awake, so she'd help us with them.
Now my confession gets worse: Linus was awake. We put her to bed before we opened the cookies. The two of us ate all the cookies by ourselves. All. The. Cookies! I really planned to eat only a few. Every now and then, I'd get up from my computer for some more water, and I'd meander over to the cookies and snatch one. Or two. After I'd finish, my tongue would get sad and long for the taste of it's dear friend Brown Sugar. I'd ignore it, but then it would pull the thirst act, and I'd have to get some more water. And eat a cookie. Or two. It was a vicious cycle until only one and a half cookies were left. Since I didn't want to be accused of being the pig who ate them all, I left those two for Army.
I got up this morning with a horrible stomach ache. Big surprise, I know. I didn't even get out of bed to tell Army goodbye. When I did finally haul my larger-than-last-night bum out of bed, I noticed there's still half a cookie left. So far, I'm resisting, but my horrible stomach ache might not be enough to help me resist all day. What about Linus? I offered it to her, but she said, "No thanks, I'm not in to sweets." Little turd!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
A Little Extra Linus
Oh My! It's been quite a day of Linus-isms.
First My car had to go in for repairs today. My car is an '05 and has been in the shop about 11-12 times since January. Um, yeah, I've had almost every part dealing with the gas line, including the TANK, replaced. Anyway, Linus and I were sitting in Army's car while he got the keys for my car at the dealership. Linus kept asking where her daddy was. After a few explanations that didn't work, I finally said, "He's inside paying for the car." Without skipping a beat, she said, "Well, if that's the case, why doesn't he take home that one?" and pointed to an Acura! You know, if you go to the store and pay for a pair of jeans, you come home with a new pair, so we should come home with a new car that works. :)
Second I worked out today. I used to workout everyday, but I haven't been as diligent lately. I usually wait until she's in bed to workout, but we've got a babysitter tonight, so I wanted to fit a workout in early. I'll admit, I was hot and sweaty. Linus turned to me and asked me to say Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, so I did. Then she asked me what line came next, so I said, "I smell the blood of an Englishman." She says, "No, I smell Mommy." I told her that wasn't a nice thing to say, and she said, "but I was trying to be polite!"
And saving the worst for last: Army and I were petting our female dog. We got this dog as a puppy a year ago. Our old dog, who sadly passed away last January, was a male dog. While we were petting our dog, Linus gets concerned and says, "Oh no! She's missing a leg!" I'm either s-l-o-w or really stupid (probably both), so what she meant went entirely over my head. I told her that she wasn't missing any legs and we counted her four legs together. Then Linus said, "but she's missing the little leg between her back two!" I thought Army just might giggle to death. I walked right into that one, and he was able to escape to laugh on his own.
Ahh, the joys of raising a child!
First My car had to go in for repairs today. My car is an '05 and has been in the shop about 11-12 times since January. Um, yeah, I've had almost every part dealing with the gas line, including the TANK, replaced. Anyway, Linus and I were sitting in Army's car while he got the keys for my car at the dealership. Linus kept asking where her daddy was. After a few explanations that didn't work, I finally said, "He's inside paying for the car." Without skipping a beat, she said, "Well, if that's the case, why doesn't he take home that one?" and pointed to an Acura! You know, if you go to the store and pay for a pair of jeans, you come home with a new pair, so we should come home with a new car that works. :)
Second I worked out today. I used to workout everyday, but I haven't been as diligent lately. I usually wait until she's in bed to workout, but we've got a babysitter tonight, so I wanted to fit a workout in early. I'll admit, I was hot and sweaty. Linus turned to me and asked me to say Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, so I did. Then she asked me what line came next, so I said, "I smell the blood of an Englishman." She says, "No, I smell Mommy." I told her that wasn't a nice thing to say, and she said, "but I was trying to be polite!"
And saving the worst for last: Army and I were petting our female dog. We got this dog as a puppy a year ago. Our old dog, who sadly passed away last January, was a male dog. While we were petting our dog, Linus gets concerned and says, "Oh no! She's missing a leg!" I'm either s-l-o-w or really stupid (probably both), so what she meant went entirely over my head. I told her that she wasn't missing any legs and we counted her four legs together. Then Linus said, "but she's missing the little leg between her back two!" I thought Army just might giggle to death. I walked right into that one, and he was able to escape to laugh on his own.
Ahh, the joys of raising a child!
Monday, August 20, 2007
A Little Extra Baby Talk
Poor little Linus is a bit heartbroken. She wants a little brother or sister (actually she wants a little brother AND sister, but we'll have to take it one step at a time!) Many of my friends (whose children, by default, are friends with Linus) are having babies. Many moms of her preschool friends are having babies or just had little ones also. To Linus, everybody has a sibling but her. She lets me know this regularly.
The other day, she was talking about her "greatest" friend, Aiden, getting a little brother soon. She begged for one too, and I let her know it just didn't look likely soon. Aiden and his family visited recently, but due to some travel issues on our part, their visit wasn't as long as we would have liked. When they left, we all said we'd see each other soon. To Linus, soon means tomorrow, maybe the next day, so she's been asking for him to visit again daily. She had question after question:
Linus: Mommy, can Aiden come over today?
Me: No, not today.
Linus: Can he come over soon?
Me: Well, maybe we'll go down there in October. Do you know when October is?
Linus: Yes, I do. October means toooo loooonnngggg away.
Me: Well sweetie, we've got a lot going on for the next few weeks, so I don't think we can go before then.
Linus: I have a great idea Mommy! Why doesn't Aiden come here!
Me: Well, Linus, I'm not sure his mommy is feeling up to a trip right now.
Linus: Ok, well when she does, can they come here?
Me: Sure thing!
Linus: Can they spend the night?
Me: Absolutely!
Linus: Can he sleep on my trundle?
Me: Sure, why not.
Linus: Yippee! Aiden's coming. Aiden's coming.
I reminded her that he wasn't coming right away, and she was fine with it as long as he does come at some point.
This conversation would come back to bite me in the butt this weekend.
We ran into one of her preschool teachers. Linus gave her a great big hug, then said, "Guess what? Aiden is coming to my house and he's going to sleep with me. I'll be on top, he'll be on bottom."
As I'm trying to explain, her teacher said, "Oh, do you have bunk beds?
"No! I just have a pretty white bed for one person. Mommy and daddy have a bed for two people, but it's not a bunk bed either."
Yeah, I quickly let her teacher know that she has a trundle bed under her bed that we pull out when family or out of town friends visit. I also explained to Linus that you can't really say that to other people.
Naturally this is Linus, and she is going to find a way to twist what I've said.
We went to a party this weekend for one of her classmates. She turns to one of her friends who was there with her mother and said, "Hey, guess what? Aiden is coming to spend the night at my house. I'll sleep on top, he'll sleep on the bottom. Mommy said I'm not supposed to tell people he's sleeping with me though." Thankfully her friend has a very similar personality, so her mother didn't even bat an eyelash. She did laugh, but she wasn't shocked or offended in the slightest.
It's a good thing there wasn't an open bar at the party. I was in need!
And just to balance out her badness with some goodness, here's something she said last December when she was on the baby brother or sister kick. Keep in mind it was Christmastime and she definitely had babies on her mind often!
Her version of "now bring us some figgy pudding":
"Now bring us some baby pudding"
She also told me that we would be getting a baby boy. I told her I didn't think we'd be getting a baby boy anytime soon and reminded her that in our family babies grow in our hearts, but in somebody else's tummy. Still she insisted. Finally I said, "No Linus. That's not how it works. We're not having a baby." My precious angel looked at me and said, "Sure Mommy. Yes we are. An angel will come put a baby boy in your tummy just like in Mary's." So sweet!
The other day, she was talking about her "greatest" friend, Aiden, getting a little brother soon. She begged for one too, and I let her know it just didn't look likely soon. Aiden and his family visited recently, but due to some travel issues on our part, their visit wasn't as long as we would have liked. When they left, we all said we'd see each other soon. To Linus, soon means tomorrow, maybe the next day, so she's been asking for him to visit again daily. She had question after question:
Linus: Mommy, can Aiden come over today?
Me: No, not today.
Linus: Can he come over soon?
Me: Well, maybe we'll go down there in October. Do you know when October is?
Linus: Yes, I do. October means toooo loooonnngggg away.
Me: Well sweetie, we've got a lot going on for the next few weeks, so I don't think we can go before then.
Linus: I have a great idea Mommy! Why doesn't Aiden come here!
Me: Well, Linus, I'm not sure his mommy is feeling up to a trip right now.
Linus: Ok, well when she does, can they come here?
Me: Sure thing!
Linus: Can they spend the night?
Me: Absolutely!
Linus: Can he sleep on my trundle?
Me: Sure, why not.
Linus: Yippee! Aiden's coming. Aiden's coming.
I reminded her that he wasn't coming right away, and she was fine with it as long as he does come at some point.
This conversation would come back to bite me in the butt this weekend.
We ran into one of her preschool teachers. Linus gave her a great big hug, then said, "Guess what? Aiden is coming to my house and he's going to sleep with me. I'll be on top, he'll be on bottom."
As I'm trying to explain, her teacher said, "Oh, do you have bunk beds?
"No! I just have a pretty white bed for one person. Mommy and daddy have a bed for two people, but it's not a bunk bed either."
Yeah, I quickly let her teacher know that she has a trundle bed under her bed that we pull out when family or out of town friends visit. I also explained to Linus that you can't really say that to other people.
Naturally this is Linus, and she is going to find a way to twist what I've said.
We went to a party this weekend for one of her classmates. She turns to one of her friends who was there with her mother and said, "Hey, guess what? Aiden is coming to spend the night at my house. I'll sleep on top, he'll sleep on the bottom. Mommy said I'm not supposed to tell people he's sleeping with me though." Thankfully her friend has a very similar personality, so her mother didn't even bat an eyelash. She did laugh, but she wasn't shocked or offended in the slightest.
It's a good thing there wasn't an open bar at the party. I was in need!
And just to balance out her badness with some goodness, here's something she said last December when she was on the baby brother or sister kick. Keep in mind it was Christmastime and she definitely had babies on her mind often!
Her version of "now bring us some figgy pudding":
"Now bring us some baby pudding"
She also told me that we would be getting a baby boy. I told her I didn't think we'd be getting a baby boy anytime soon and reminded her that in our family babies grow in our hearts, but in somebody else's tummy. Still she insisted. Finally I said, "No Linus. That's not how it works. We're not having a baby." My precious angel looked at me and said, "Sure Mommy. Yes we are. An angel will come put a baby boy in your tummy just like in Mary's." So sweet!
Friday, August 17, 2007
An Extra Lesson in Telling Time
Army and I were discussing what to do for dinner since I DON'T cook in this heat. Linus could hear us (barely), but she wasn't really part of the conversation. I suggested one place, and Linus piped up with, "Oooh, yes! I love that restaurant." I suggested another, and she gave her opinion on that one. Eventually we moved on to a new topic. Linus has been hungry all day. ALL day. Anyway, she ran over to me with my little alarm clock in her hands and said, "Look Mommy and Daddy, it's EAT o'clock!" I said, "Hey, don't times have number in them?" She replied, "Mommy, I got the o'clock part, and if you look at the clock, it definitely says EAT o'clock!" Gee, you think she knows how to get her point across?
Thursday, August 16, 2007
An Extra Dose of I'm Eating WHAT?
It's day 10 of 100+ degrees outside, so we continued our trend of eating out rather than heating up the house cooking. I wanted to go to a local bbq restaurant down the road, but Linus said, "I don't really care for that restaurant." What?? I asked her what they serve there, and she replied, "Food that I don't like." Well, fine then smarty. We settled on Piccadilly (cafeteria style). Linus used to call it the carrot store because she loved the carrot souffle there. She always got chicken tenders, carrots, and mashed potatoes. Always. When we arrived tonight she couldn't decide what she wanted, so the lady behind the counter rattled off what was available on the kids plate. She mentioned catfish, corndogs, chopped beef, chicken tenders, and spaghetti. Appetizing, I know. Linus shocked us all and asked for catfish. She's never had it before, mainly because I do not eat fried foods. She used to eat chicken tenders, but recently has followed my lead and doesn't even eat them anymore except McDonalds. Yuck! Not only did she choose catfish, but when they asked her what vegetables she wanted, she requested broccoli and mashed potatoes with gravy. Ah, my grilled-cheese-only child is branching out. After we sat down and all her food was in front of her, she looked at me with HUGE scared eyes, "Am I really eating cats Mommy?" :)
BTW, she loved the catfish, and she even ate most of her broccoli. Gravy wasn't much of a hit though.
BTW, she loved the catfish, and she even ate most of her broccoli. Gravy wasn't much of a hit though.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
An Extra Dose of Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid!
I'm in trouble. Linus is really too young to start playing the words game, but apparently I'm going to have to weigh my words very carefully with this child. Army calls me "Always Right" and Linus "Never Forgets" so he's really in trouble! Tonight we went out to dinner because quite frankly it's waaayyyy too hot to cook. A man at the restaurant was celebrating his birthday, so they had him go through a silly little routine. Linus cheered him on; she loves birthdays. When it was over, she turned to me and said, "Mommy it's your birthday." I knew she meant that she wanted to tell them it was my birthday too so she could participate again. I said, "But it's not my birthday." She responded with, "Let's pretend." I reminded her that since it wasn't true, we'd be telling a lie. "No mommy, it's not a lie if we're pretending!" Oh boy! I'm in for it!
On the way home we made a quick stop at a little market. Army ran in, and Linus and I remained in the car. It was in a small strip mall, so she was looking around at the other stores. One had neon lips, so she announces, "Daddy went in to find a cute girl with red lipstick." Then she looked around some more and saw a neon rose at a nail place. "And he's going to get her a pretty rose to keep that young girl happy!" I promise we do not say things like that nor do we live a lifestyle like that. She doesn't watch adult tv, nor is she ever unsupervised. I have NO idea where she gets this stuff! Trust me though, I'm afraid, I'm very afraid!
On the way home we made a quick stop at a little market. Army ran in, and Linus and I remained in the car. It was in a small strip mall, so she was looking around at the other stores. One had neon lips, so she announces, "Daddy went in to find a cute girl with red lipstick." Then she looked around some more and saw a neon rose at a nail place. "And he's going to get her a pretty rose to keep that young girl happy!" I promise we do not say things like that nor do we live a lifestyle like that. She doesn't watch adult tv, nor is she ever unsupervised. I have NO idea where she gets this stuff! Trust me though, I'm afraid, I'm very afraid!
An Extra Dose of Literal Thinking
I know children are literal thinker at some point, but I love when Linus takes things literally. It opens my eyes to a whole new way of thinking.
One day in January she hurt her foot, and I had her in my lap to comfort her. I was singing the Bye Bye Birdie song to her (We love you Conrad, Oh yes we do. We love you Conrad And we'll be true! When you're not near us, We're blue! Oh, Conrad, we love you) but I substituted Linus for Conrad. When I finished she looked at me like I was crazy, then she said, "You're not blue! Silly Mommy, you're pink!" I love when she says stuff like this.
I told her daddy one morning that I was going to jump in the shower. "NO, Mommy! NO jumping in the shower. Step in carefully!"
One evening we were going out in the 'big car' and her daddy said that he needed to buckle her up so we could get this boat moving. "Daddy, really, this is not a boat. If it were a boat we'd have on life jackets!" Oh my gosh, we cracked up. Totally a literal thinker.
One day in January she hurt her foot, and I had her in my lap to comfort her. I was singing the Bye Bye Birdie song to her (We love you Conrad, Oh yes we do. We love you Conrad And we'll be true! When you're not near us, We're blue! Oh, Conrad, we love you) but I substituted Linus for Conrad. When I finished she looked at me like I was crazy, then she said, "You're not blue! Silly Mommy, you're pink!" I love when she says stuff like this.
I told her daddy one morning that I was going to jump in the shower. "NO, Mommy! NO jumping in the shower. Step in carefully!"
One evening we were going out in the 'big car' and her daddy said that he needed to buckle her up so we could get this boat moving. "Daddy, really, this is not a boat. If it were a boat we'd have on life jackets!" Oh my gosh, we cracked up. Totally a literal thinker.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
A Little Extra Info
I borrowed? stole? this from Katie. It's an easy filler. :) At Kim's request, I had Linus answer the questions too. You'll probably want to skip mine and head right down the Linus answers. Hers are far more entertaining, though some of them scare me! As a side note, she answered the first part before dinner, so she had food on her mind. You'll be able to tell where she got tired of answering them, so we stopped and ate dinner. I had to bribe her with a five minute bedtime extension to get her to answer the remaining ones. Enjoy!
MY 50
1. What year was the best year of your life? 2002 sucked big time, then came my best year yet--2003. 2007 is pretty much sucking too, so I'm looking forward to great things in 2008!
2. One animal or insect that Noah should have left off the ark? Snakes or roaches (do roaches have any purpose at all?)
3. Do you make a wish before blowing out your birthday candles? Absolutely
4. Do you generally open your bills on the day that you receive them? Yeah, I'm the nerd that still gets paper bills! And, yes, I open MY bills immediately. Army pays bills, so I don't even bother looking at water, electricity, etc.
5. How many pillows are on your bed? Six. Army uses 2, I use 1.5. I have no idea what we do with the others. On occasion if he's breathing on me (I canNOT stand breathing on me!), I'll stuff a pillow between our faces.
6. Favorite ice cream flavor? Phish Food (by my two favorite confidantes, Ben & Jerry)
7. What is the most dominate color in your wardrobe? Black. Or green. Maybe red.
8. Have you ever seen a ghost? Nope
9. Would you rather go to a carnival or circus? Everyday at my house is a circus and carnival mixture.
10. Favorite meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Dessert
11. Your favorite fictional animal? Foghorn Leghorn
12. Have you ever flown first-class? Nope
13. Would you go on a reality show? Not a chance
14. Are you more optimistic or pessimistic about the future? optimistic
15. Pancakes or waffles? depends on my mood
16. If you could own a home anywhere in the world, where would it be? coastal carolinas
17. Your favorite Soup of the Day? cheese soup from swensens
20. You go to the zoo; What is the one animal that you want to see? elephants, I've always loved them
21. Potatoes, rice, or pasta? potatoes, but every now and then I get on a rice pilaf kick
22. What is the best movie that you’ve seen this year? Haha! Is this a joke? I never see movies!
23. One of your favorite books when you were a child? Anything Beverly Cleary and the entire Little House series
24. What in your life are you most grateful for? Family, this includes Linus' birth family who happen to be some of the most fabulous people I know
25. You are home alone and use the bathroom; do you close the door? Nope
26. What is your favorite small appliance? Right now, the coffee maker. Linus has been getting up at the crack of dawn lately, and I need liquid help in the early hours
27. Salty snacks or sweet treats? salty-sweet!
28. Are you usually a little early, a little late, or right on time? when I worked--early, if I'm meeting a friend, unfortunately, I'm usually late
29. What is the most daring thing that you have ever done? I went to the French Quarter when I knew I shouldn't. I got caught. ON TV! I think I was about 15-16.
30. Have you ever met someone famous? Yes
31. What was one of your favorite movies as a child? The Sound of Music
32. At what age have you looked your best? Army thought I was hot when we met, so I'll go with 18. It had to be the beer goggles. ;)
33. One person that never fails to make you laugh? Linus!
34. What was the first music that you ever bought? Violent Femmes (blush!)
35. If you could change one thing about your family life when you were a child, what would it be? I wish we didn't move from N.O., but if we hadn't neither my sister nor I would have met our wonderful husbands, so I'm not all that upset about it
36. What is the one thing that you cook that always receives compliments? chicken (any way I make it).
37. From what news source do you receive the bulk of your news? local abc station
38. In the last calendar year, how many people have you told that you love them? lots of them, but they are all family
39. Who received your first kiss? little kiss or real kiss? real kiss was Jeremy
40. The single most important quality in a mate? This is hard! There's not just one. Hmmm, comfort?
41. What do you value most in a relationship? I'll go with comfort again
42. Do you believe that you have a soulmate? If yes, have you already met? Been with him for 15 years.
43. Do you consider yourself well organized? Organized? Very! Neat? Not always
44. On average, how many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror? Depends on the day.
45. Did you ever make a prank phone call? Yep.
46. What one quality do you seek in a friend? Trust is a must
47. Have you ever killed an animal? I *think* I killed a squirrel with my car (by accident!)
48. When you were twelve years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher and a mommy
49. Do you believe in a afterlife? Yep.
50. What would you like to accomplish with the remaining years of your life? I'd love to have more children. I hope I'm a good enough parent that my children look at me as a role model and not an embarrassment. I'd also like to accomplish something that Army has wanted me to do for years.
And now for the good stuff...
The Linus 50 (with editoral comments)
1. What year was the best year of your life? I'm four!
2. One animal or insect that Noah should have left off the ark? donkeys
3. Do you make a wish before blowing out your birthday candles? uh-huh, want to come to my party?
4. Do you generally open your bills on the day that you receive them? No, I blow out my candles when I'm five so they can have my cake. Nobody better hop out of my cake.
5. How many pillows are on your bed? One
6. Favorite ice cream flavor? banilla
7. What is the most dominate color in your wardrobe? yellow, but I wish you would buy more purple (btw, she really doesn't have a lot of yellow)
8. Have you ever seen a ghost? (makes scary face) yes, when my window was open. I'm scared of ghostseses
9. Would you rather go to a carnival or circus? a silly circus with a silly clown (holds belly laughing)
10. Favorite meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? my new cereal (Special K)
11. Your favorite fictional animal? Tom and Jerry
12. Have you ever flown first-class? no I had to flow (you know flow--the past tense of fly!) to M & L's house (actually she's never flowed, er flown)
13. Would you go on a reality show? WHAT?? Are we talking my party? Are we? Are we?
14. Are you more optimistic or pessimistic about the future? I'm a brother (not a clue)
15. Pancakes or waffles? pancakes AND waffles!
16. If you could own a home anywhere in the world, where would it be? a house in Alabunka (Alabama?) with lots of people for my party
17. Your favorite Soup of the Day? big noodles, but not pasketti noodles (actually she LOVES O'Charley's Loaded Potato Soup)
20. You go to the zoo; What is the one animal that you want to see? zebra, I want to ride one, but I also want to ride on a cowboy Yeehaw! I want to wear cowboy boots, yeehaw! Giddyup Pal! (on a side note, I choked on "I want to ride a cowboy and made her clarify what she meant---she said meant a cowboy horse, not a cowboy!)
21. Potatoes, rice, or pasta? I don't like all that food. gross! (She loves mashed potatoes, but gags on rice and pasta--except spaghetti noodles)
22. What is the best movie that you’ve seen this year? Can you take me to a movie, Mommy?
23. One of your favorite books when you were a child? Lion King, and Goodnight Moon, and Where the Wild Things Are, and Cinderella, and my goodnight prayer book, and Curious George, and Froggy, and well, all of my books.
24. What in your life are you most grateful for? presents that I'm going to get for my birthday
25. You are home alone and use the bathroom; do you close the door? I'm never home alone, that's silly Mommy!
26. What is your favorite small appliance? soup
27. Salty snacks or sweet treats? I don't like those two, I like soup
28. Are you usually a little early, a little late, or right on time? I get there when you take me somewhere
29. What is the most daring thing that you have ever done? can you please stop talking to me?30. Have you ever met someone famous? what?
31. What was one of your favorite movies as a child? Lion King! ROOOAAARRRR! Now will you please stop? I'm going to wave my magic wand and put something on your mouth to not talk!32. At what age have you looked your best? UGH! I'm FOUR!
33. One person that never fails to make you laugh? a clown
34. What was the first music that you ever bought? no, I've never bought music
35. If you could change one thing about your family life when you were a child, what would it be? I'd have a brother and a sister
36. What is the one thing that you cook that always receives compliments? I cooked my daddy a cake
37. From what news source do you receive the bulk of your news? my mommy watches news, I don't
38. In the last calendar year, how many people have you told that you love them? 60 (60 is her favorite number)
39. Who received your first kiss? my mommy, I love to kiss Mommy
40. The single most important quality in a mate? G'day Mate!
41. What do you value most in a relationship? Friends
42. Do you believe that you have a soulmate? What's a so-mat? No, I'm a bong-bay-bo (no idea what that means!)
43. Do you consider yourself well organized? I organize my toys
44. On average, how many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror? 1-2-3-4-5!
45. Did you ever make a prank phone call? I called Santa
46. What one quality do you seek in a friend? Friends
47. Have you ever killed an animal? No, that's wrong
48. When you were twelve years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? I want to be a teacher
49. Do you believe in a afterlife? Uh-huh
50. What would you like to accomplish with the remaining years of your life? I want ice cream to eat. Strawberry ice cream. So much that it's too heavy to carry.
MY 50
1. What year was the best year of your life? 2002 sucked big time, then came my best year yet--2003. 2007 is pretty much sucking too, so I'm looking forward to great things in 2008!
2. One animal or insect that Noah should have left off the ark? Snakes or roaches (do roaches have any purpose at all?)
3. Do you make a wish before blowing out your birthday candles? Absolutely
4. Do you generally open your bills on the day that you receive them? Yeah, I'm the nerd that still gets paper bills! And, yes, I open MY bills immediately. Army pays bills, so I don't even bother looking at water, electricity, etc.
5. How many pillows are on your bed? Six. Army uses 2, I use 1.5. I have no idea what we do with the others. On occasion if he's breathing on me (I canNOT stand breathing on me!), I'll stuff a pillow between our faces.
6. Favorite ice cream flavor? Phish Food (by my two favorite confidantes, Ben & Jerry)
7. What is the most dominate color in your wardrobe? Black. Or green. Maybe red.
8. Have you ever seen a ghost? Nope
9. Would you rather go to a carnival or circus? Everyday at my house is a circus and carnival mixture.
10. Favorite meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Dessert
11. Your favorite fictional animal? Foghorn Leghorn
12. Have you ever flown first-class? Nope
13. Would you go on a reality show? Not a chance
14. Are you more optimistic or pessimistic about the future? optimistic
15. Pancakes or waffles? depends on my mood
16. If you could own a home anywhere in the world, where would it be? coastal carolinas
17. Your favorite Soup of the Day? cheese soup from swensens
20. You go to the zoo; What is the one animal that you want to see? elephants, I've always loved them
21. Potatoes, rice, or pasta? potatoes, but every now and then I get on a rice pilaf kick
22. What is the best movie that you’ve seen this year? Haha! Is this a joke? I never see movies!
23. One of your favorite books when you were a child? Anything Beverly Cleary and the entire Little House series
24. What in your life are you most grateful for? Family, this includes Linus' birth family who happen to be some of the most fabulous people I know
25. You are home alone and use the bathroom; do you close the door? Nope
26. What is your favorite small appliance? Right now, the coffee maker. Linus has been getting up at the crack of dawn lately, and I need liquid help in the early hours
27. Salty snacks or sweet treats? salty-sweet!
28. Are you usually a little early, a little late, or right on time? when I worked--early, if I'm meeting a friend, unfortunately, I'm usually late
29. What is the most daring thing that you have ever done? I went to the French Quarter when I knew I shouldn't. I got caught. ON TV! I think I was about 15-16.
30. Have you ever met someone famous? Yes
31. What was one of your favorite movies as a child? The Sound of Music
32. At what age have you looked your best? Army thought I was hot when we met, so I'll go with 18. It had to be the beer goggles. ;)
33. One person that never fails to make you laugh? Linus!
34. What was the first music that you ever bought? Violent Femmes (blush!)
35. If you could change one thing about your family life when you were a child, what would it be? I wish we didn't move from N.O., but if we hadn't neither my sister nor I would have met our wonderful husbands, so I'm not all that upset about it
36. What is the one thing that you cook that always receives compliments? chicken (any way I make it).
37. From what news source do you receive the bulk of your news? local abc station
38. In the last calendar year, how many people have you told that you love them? lots of them, but they are all family
39. Who received your first kiss? little kiss or real kiss? real kiss was Jeremy
40. The single most important quality in a mate? This is hard! There's not just one. Hmmm, comfort?
41. What do you value most in a relationship? I'll go with comfort again
42. Do you believe that you have a soulmate? If yes, have you already met? Been with him for 15 years.
43. Do you consider yourself well organized? Organized? Very! Neat? Not always
44. On average, how many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror? Depends on the day.
45. Did you ever make a prank phone call? Yep.
46. What one quality do you seek in a friend? Trust is a must
47. Have you ever killed an animal? I *think* I killed a squirrel with my car (by accident!)
48. When you were twelve years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher and a mommy
49. Do you believe in a afterlife? Yep.
50. What would you like to accomplish with the remaining years of your life? I'd love to have more children. I hope I'm a good enough parent that my children look at me as a role model and not an embarrassment. I'd also like to accomplish something that Army has wanted me to do for years.
And now for the good stuff...
The Linus 50 (with editoral comments)
1. What year was the best year of your life? I'm four!
2. One animal or insect that Noah should have left off the ark? donkeys
3. Do you make a wish before blowing out your birthday candles? uh-huh, want to come to my party?
4. Do you generally open your bills on the day that you receive them? No, I blow out my candles when I'm five so they can have my cake. Nobody better hop out of my cake.
5. How many pillows are on your bed? One
6. Favorite ice cream flavor? banilla
7. What is the most dominate color in your wardrobe? yellow, but I wish you would buy more purple (btw, she really doesn't have a lot of yellow)
8. Have you ever seen a ghost? (makes scary face) yes, when my window was open. I'm scared of ghostseses
9. Would you rather go to a carnival or circus? a silly circus with a silly clown (holds belly laughing)
10. Favorite meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? my new cereal (Special K)
11. Your favorite fictional animal? Tom and Jerry
12. Have you ever flown first-class? no I had to flow (you know flow--the past tense of fly!) to M & L's house (actually she's never flowed, er flown)
13. Would you go on a reality show? WHAT?? Are we talking my party? Are we? Are we?
14. Are you more optimistic or pessimistic about the future? I'm a brother (not a clue)
15. Pancakes or waffles? pancakes AND waffles!
16. If you could own a home anywhere in the world, where would it be? a house in Alabunka (Alabama?) with lots of people for my party
17. Your favorite Soup of the Day? big noodles, but not pasketti noodles (actually she LOVES O'Charley's Loaded Potato Soup)
20. You go to the zoo; What is the one animal that you want to see? zebra, I want to ride one, but I also want to ride on a cowboy Yeehaw! I want to wear cowboy boots, yeehaw! Giddyup Pal! (on a side note, I choked on "I want to ride a cowboy and made her clarify what she meant---she said meant a cowboy horse, not a cowboy!)
21. Potatoes, rice, or pasta? I don't like all that food. gross! (She loves mashed potatoes, but gags on rice and pasta--except spaghetti noodles)
22. What is the best movie that you’ve seen this year? Can you take me to a movie, Mommy?
23. One of your favorite books when you were a child? Lion King, and Goodnight Moon, and Where the Wild Things Are, and Cinderella, and my goodnight prayer book, and Curious George, and Froggy, and well, all of my books.
24. What in your life are you most grateful for? presents that I'm going to get for my birthday
25. You are home alone and use the bathroom; do you close the door? I'm never home alone, that's silly Mommy!
26. What is your favorite small appliance? soup
27. Salty snacks or sweet treats? I don't like those two, I like soup
28. Are you usually a little early, a little late, or right on time? I get there when you take me somewhere
29. What is the most daring thing that you have ever done? can you please stop talking to me?30. Have you ever met someone famous? what?
31. What was one of your favorite movies as a child? Lion King! ROOOAAARRRR! Now will you please stop? I'm going to wave my magic wand and put something on your mouth to not talk!32. At what age have you looked your best? UGH! I'm FOUR!
33. One person that never fails to make you laugh? a clown
34. What was the first music that you ever bought? no, I've never bought music
35. If you could change one thing about your family life when you were a child, what would it be? I'd have a brother and a sister
36. What is the one thing that you cook that always receives compliments? I cooked my daddy a cake
37. From what news source do you receive the bulk of your news? my mommy watches news, I don't
38. In the last calendar year, how many people have you told that you love them? 60 (60 is her favorite number)
39. Who received your first kiss? my mommy, I love to kiss Mommy
40. The single most important quality in a mate? G'day Mate!
41. What do you value most in a relationship? Friends
42. Do you believe that you have a soulmate? What's a so-mat? No, I'm a bong-bay-bo (no idea what that means!)
43. Do you consider yourself well organized? I organize my toys
44. On average, how many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror? 1-2-3-4-5!
45. Did you ever make a prank phone call? I called Santa
46. What one quality do you seek in a friend? Friends
47. Have you ever killed an animal? No, that's wrong
48. When you were twelve years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? I want to be a teacher
49. Do you believe in a afterlife? Uh-huh
50. What would you like to accomplish with the remaining years of your life? I want ice cream to eat. Strawberry ice cream. So much that it's too heavy to carry.
Monday, August 13, 2007
An Extra Dose of Wordplay
As I drove down one of the major roads in my area, Linus said something that always makes me smile. There is a medium sized church on this road. It has a prominent cross on the front, so Linus knows it's a church. This medium sized church has a gigantic super-sized playground that would make any young child drool. Want to know what she has called this playground since she was 18 months old? A "prayground." Get it? I love it!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
An Extra Dose of Sedatives
My parents came in town this weekend. It's always so nice to see them, and Linus LOVES them. We had a busy weekend. Busy, but great!
Would you believe Linus was really tame for her test? She did keep one lady in the waiting room quite entertained with her clever ways of asking to go home. She fussed just a tiny bit when they got ready to put the iv in, but she did very well after a second or two. I was rather crushed that they wouldn't let me stay with her while they sedated her, but since she didn't cry as they wheeled her off, I decided I better not either. ;) After the test was completed, they let us in the room rather quickly. Poor baby couldn't sit up by herself, and she was really slurring her words, but that's about all the entertainment she gave us. She did get a monstrous case of hiccups, which just made her appear even more drunk. They let us go rather quickly because of Army's medical background and the fact that she was just, well, boringly calm.
Then the fun began. She wanted to go up the stairs (skywalk is on the second floor), not the elevator. We dropped off her wagon and headed towards the stairs. As Army leaned down to pick her up, she protested, "Nnnnooooooo Daaaddddyyyy. I cannnnn doooooooo it myseffffth." Ah, here's what we were looking forward too, bad parents that we are, entertain us baby! We finally agreed that she could walk up the stairs, but only if she held my hand and Army held her from behind. What a sight we were. We made it upstairs and Army realized he didn't get the parking pass stamped. I attempted to corral her while he took off to get it stamped. The ladies at the info desk got quite a kick out of watching her try to walk. "Nnnoooooo, Moooommmyyy! I cannnnn---whoopsie! I cannnn waaaaalk! Whoopsie!" Army returned to, "There'sssssssss my Daddy!" with an attempt to run towards him. She missed and the window got a nice hug instead. Then we walked across they skywalk. About 1/2 way across, she announced, "I waaaannna sthkip." NOT a good idea to let a drunk 4 year old skip. We refused to let her try and held her hands firmly. She tried anyway with us walking at a regular pace and her skipping. Have you ever seen somebody who is loaded skip? Not pretty. Then she tried to sing. At the top of her lungs. Have I mentioned the echo in the skywalk? "Thwiiiinnnnkle, thwiiiinkle lithel ssttttaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." As we approached the elevator, she crouched down and made a grunting face. Army cupped his hands a few inches under her afraid she was about to potty. "No Linus. You're not in a bathroom! Are you ok? What's wrong?" She froze in this position for a few seconds. Army went into medical mode assessing whether she was having a reaction or seizure. I was laughing so hard that I was just working on attempting to breathe. I'm always way to dumb to realize how severe a situation we could be in. Ignorance is bliss sometimes. A few more seconds go by, and he's still attempting to cup his hands underneath her while asking her if she's ok and assessing her. All of a sudden she stands back up and says, "Thassss ruuuuuude Daaaddddyyyyyyy!" We made it to the car, and I picked her up to get her in her carseat. In the, oh say, half a second it took me to get her to her seat, she fell sound asleep. She was wide awake 2 minutes later. The only entertainment we got on the way home was her touching her eyebrows and pulling her hands away from her face like she was trying to move a stray hair. Over and over again. And again and again.
When we got home, she was relatively calm. She still had slightly slurred speech, and she couldn't walk a straight line, but it wasn't too bad. Since I have a sick sense of humor, I grabbed my camera and started recording the little booger trying to walk. Little stinker walked straight the entire time I had the camera. The only funny thing she did so was she walked up to the lens and hugged me and said, "I love you, Mommy!" It was very close up! We snuggled for about an hour, then she was 100% back to normal. Our friends told us how funny their child had been, and we had nothing to tell. Well, nothing unless you count when I talked her into nodding her head, opening her eyes wide, smiling, and saying, "One time at band camp." Army loved that. Yeah, we're sick, no good, rotten parents. But she loves us, I have proof on my camera! :)
Would you believe Linus was really tame for her test? She did keep one lady in the waiting room quite entertained with her clever ways of asking to go home. She fussed just a tiny bit when they got ready to put the iv in, but she did very well after a second or two. I was rather crushed that they wouldn't let me stay with her while they sedated her, but since she didn't cry as they wheeled her off, I decided I better not either. ;) After the test was completed, they let us in the room rather quickly. Poor baby couldn't sit up by herself, and she was really slurring her words, but that's about all the entertainment she gave us. She did get a monstrous case of hiccups, which just made her appear even more drunk. They let us go rather quickly because of Army's medical background and the fact that she was just, well, boringly calm.
Then the fun began. She wanted to go up the stairs (skywalk is on the second floor), not the elevator. We dropped off her wagon and headed towards the stairs. As Army leaned down to pick her up, she protested, "Nnnnooooooo Daaaddddyyyy. I cannnnn doooooooo it myseffffth." Ah, here's what we were looking forward too, bad parents that we are, entertain us baby! We finally agreed that she could walk up the stairs, but only if she held my hand and Army held her from behind. What a sight we were. We made it upstairs and Army realized he didn't get the parking pass stamped. I attempted to corral her while he took off to get it stamped. The ladies at the info desk got quite a kick out of watching her try to walk. "Nnnoooooo, Moooommmyyy! I cannnnn---whoopsie! I cannnn waaaaalk! Whoopsie!" Army returned to, "There'sssssssss my Daddy!" with an attempt to run towards him. She missed and the window got a nice hug instead. Then we walked across they skywalk. About 1/2 way across, she announced, "I waaaannna sthkip." NOT a good idea to let a drunk 4 year old skip. We refused to let her try and held her hands firmly. She tried anyway with us walking at a regular pace and her skipping. Have you ever seen somebody who is loaded skip? Not pretty. Then she tried to sing. At the top of her lungs. Have I mentioned the echo in the skywalk? "Thwiiiinnnnkle, thwiiiinkle lithel ssttttaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." As we approached the elevator, she crouched down and made a grunting face. Army cupped his hands a few inches under her afraid she was about to potty. "No Linus. You're not in a bathroom! Are you ok? What's wrong?" She froze in this position for a few seconds. Army went into medical mode assessing whether she was having a reaction or seizure. I was laughing so hard that I was just working on attempting to breathe. I'm always way to dumb to realize how severe a situation we could be in. Ignorance is bliss sometimes. A few more seconds go by, and he's still attempting to cup his hands underneath her while asking her if she's ok and assessing her. All of a sudden she stands back up and says, "Thassss ruuuuuude Daaaddddyyyyyyy!" We made it to the car, and I picked her up to get her in her carseat. In the, oh say, half a second it took me to get her to her seat, she fell sound asleep. She was wide awake 2 minutes later. The only entertainment we got on the way home was her touching her eyebrows and pulling her hands away from her face like she was trying to move a stray hair. Over and over again. And again and again.
When we got home, she was relatively calm. She still had slightly slurred speech, and she couldn't walk a straight line, but it wasn't too bad. Since I have a sick sense of humor, I grabbed my camera and started recording the little booger trying to walk. Little stinker walked straight the entire time I had the camera. The only funny thing she did so was she walked up to the lens and hugged me and said, "I love you, Mommy!" It was very close up! We snuggled for about an hour, then she was 100% back to normal. Our friends told us how funny their child had been, and we had nothing to tell. Well, nothing unless you count when I talked her into nodding her head, opening her eyes wide, smiling, and saying, "One time at band camp." Army loved that. Yeah, we're sick, no good, rotten parents. But she loves us, I have proof on my camera! :)
Friday, August 10, 2007
Extra Thanks!
We're home. Many thanks for the prayers and good thoughts. Linus did amazingly well. I'll post more later...for now, I'm off to snuggle with my pint size drunk. :)
Thursday, August 9, 2007
An Extra Prayer Request
For those who pray, I'd really appreciate a prayer. For those who do not, nice positive thoughts would be appreciated.
Linus has to have a test tomorrow. She'll have to be sedated. Handing my sleeping baby over to complete strangers is not exactly my cup of tea. I'm not the first to do it, nor will I be the last, but that sure doesn't make it easier.
I'm 100% certain everything will come back fine. It better!
Linus has to have a test tomorrow. She'll have to be sedated. Handing my sleeping baby over to complete strangers is not exactly my cup of tea. I'm not the first to do it, nor will I be the last, but that sure doesn't make it easier.
I'm 100% certain everything will come back fine. It better!
An Extra One for My Dad
Dad had two recent favorite "Linus Moments" that he loved shortly before his accident. The first was a conversation between the two of them. Linus noticed some of Dad's change on a table, and told him "I need that money." Knowing the change was pennies, he reached into his pocket and pulled out some larger coins. Linus immediately said, "No, not that kind of money. I need the paper kind!" That's my child, go for the big ones!
His other favorite happened when my mom was visiting. We (Mom and I) left early one morning to go get my car fixed. I said goodbye to Linus, but she was sleepy and didn't remember where I had gone. She asked her daddy if I had gone to get a tooth fixed (we went to the dentist a few days before) and he told her no, I'd gone to get my car fixed. She jumped out of the car at school and greeted one of the 3K teachers with, "Good morning Ms Lori! My mommy went to get fixed today!"
His other favorite happened when my mom was visiting. We (Mom and I) left early one morning to go get my car fixed. I said goodbye to Linus, but she was sleepy and didn't remember where I had gone. She asked her daddy if I had gone to get a tooth fixed (we went to the dentist a few days before) and he told her no, I'd gone to get my car fixed. She jumped out of the car at school and greeted one of the 3K teachers with, "Good morning Ms Lori! My mommy went to get fixed today!"
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
An Extra Birthday Wish
Today is my father's birthday. My dad suffered a horrific brain injury in the spring. He spent several days in the ICU, many of which he was on life support. They did not expect him to make it, but my dad is a fighter and pulled through. After the ICU, he spent several days on a cardiac unit, and then moved on to a rehab facility where he spent a few more weeks. Now he is participating in out-patient therapy several days a week. It has been my job to keep friends and family updated on my father's condition. The only person in my life who knows about this blog suggested I post an update that I sent out recently in honor of my father's birthday. Here it is:
Not really a medical update, but...
Those of you that know Dad well know that his love for his dog, Copper, runs deep. It runs so deep, in fact, that while he was in the ICU on life support and Mom got a call from their vet telling her that Copper was critically ill and very well may not make it, Mom simply told him, "Do whatever it takes. She has to make it. C's is in the ICU on life support. I cannot bear having to tell him Copper is gone." With that comment, their vet did what it took medically, threw in lots of love and prayers, and saved Copper. His whole staff sent Dad a Get Well card. They know how deep his love is! Mom, Sis, and me: good; Linus, Big A, and KayKay: great; Copper: glorious, absolutely glorious!
My dad and Copper share a mutual love. They are a team. Man and dog...dog that has tea or coffee in the morning to wake up...dog that eats gazillion dollar dog food because she has such severe allergies...dog that has not one, not two, but THREE beds so she can always be comfortable. Four if you include a spot on the sofa next to my dad. You get my point, a team, man and dog. The only thing she may love more than my father is food.
Recently her love has grown a little deeper. Part of Dad's brain injury makes him suffer from some short term memory loss. Lucky for Copper, he forgets that he's already fed her for the day. Multiple times throughout the day he forgets this. She's yet to refuse a meal though. Naturally, she doesn't want to offend her favorite person and not eat what he puts in front of her. Bowl after bowl, she obliges! When she came home from her hospital stay, she was skin and bones, soon we'll need a forklift to get her in the car. :) Man is she going to get depressed as Dad improves!
Happy Birthday Dad!!!!!
Not really a medical update, but...
Those of you that know Dad well know that his love for his dog, Copper, runs deep. It runs so deep, in fact, that while he was in the ICU on life support and Mom got a call from their vet telling her that Copper was critically ill and very well may not make it, Mom simply told him, "Do whatever it takes. She has to make it. C's is in the ICU on life support. I cannot bear having to tell him Copper is gone." With that comment, their vet did what it took medically, threw in lots of love and prayers, and saved Copper. His whole staff sent Dad a Get Well card. They know how deep his love is! Mom, Sis, and me: good; Linus, Big A, and KayKay: great; Copper: glorious, absolutely glorious!
My dad and Copper share a mutual love. They are a team. Man and dog...dog that has tea or coffee in the morning to wake up...dog that eats gazillion dollar dog food because she has such severe allergies...dog that has not one, not two, but THREE beds so she can always be comfortable. Four if you include a spot on the sofa next to my dad. You get my point, a team, man and dog. The only thing she may love more than my father is food.
Recently her love has grown a little deeper. Part of Dad's brain injury makes him suffer from some short term memory loss. Lucky for Copper, he forgets that he's already fed her for the day. Multiple times throughout the day he forgets this. She's yet to refuse a meal though. Naturally, she doesn't want to offend her favorite person and not eat what he puts in front of her. Bowl after bowl, she obliges! When she came home from her hospital stay, she was skin and bones, soon we'll need a forklift to get her in the car. :) Man is she going to get depressed as Dad improves!
Happy Birthday Dad!!!!!
Monday, August 6, 2007
A Little Extra Utensil Lesson
I know all children mispronounce words, usually at horrifically embarrassing times, but every time I think of/see/talk to my brother-in-law (my sis's husband), I immediately go back in my mind to a visit to Shoney's. Linus loved Shoney's when she was little because the manager always chatted with her and played with her. It didn't hurt that she also gave Linus a balloon each visit too. Shoney's had breakfast bar on Wednesday nights, which Linus loved. We loved it too because we knew she'd eat well; Linus could eat her weight in fruit, but hated all things meat. At that point in time, she still ate some vegetables too, which were always on the bar.
Linus is a complete ham and will go to great lengths to get people's attention. She works them until she gets a comment from them, or a nod at the very least. When she was little, she delighted in running up to young guys (late teens/very early twenties) and saying, "Daddy!" as if they were her father and she hadn't seen them in a while. The guys almost always turned bright red and started explaining away to their girlfriends that they did not know who she was nor did they have children. The girls usually found it hysterical. She would also wiggle her hand out of our hands and run up to gray-hairs and get hugs. It's a good thing we live in a relatively safe town! Anyway, she always goes to great lengths to capture attention.
We were near the end of our Shoney's meal, Linus had gathered her fair share of attention, and "the event" happened. Army was eating some pineapple, and Linus wanted it. She begged, "Pease, Daddy" and "Apple! Pease!" Army handed her a piece, but that didn't make her happy. She pointed to his fork, but since she wasn't feeding herself with utensils at that point (at least not large adult forks), we didn't really think much of it. She pointed again, so he tried again to hand her another piece of pineapple. Linus NEVER got upset as a baby, so what happened next shocked us. She pointed to the fork and wailed, "Fok" (I'm sure you can imagine exactly what naughty word it sounded like!) As I shushed her, Army did exactly what we thought she wanted. He put a piece of pineapple on the fork to feed her. Another shriek. "FOK!" At this point all of her new "friends" that she had made were looking at our table. "FOK! FOK! FOK!" I'm not kidding, nearly all eyes were on us at this point. I'm trying to decide if I want to slip under the table or pick her up and take her out. Since her highchair was in the way, it took me a second to attempt to swoop her up and take her out. It all happened in that extra second it took me. She pointed to the fork and yells at the top of her lungs, "FOK!" then she points to herself and yells, "ME!" So for the most part, she yelled, "FOK ME!" for the other patrons to hear. The place erupted in laughter. I turned five shades of red. Linus learned to bow at a young age (always the entertainer), so she bowed as best she could in her highchair, then she began clapping for herself. It was quite a while before we returned!
Linus is a complete ham and will go to great lengths to get people's attention. She works them until she gets a comment from them, or a nod at the very least. When she was little, she delighted in running up to young guys (late teens/very early twenties) and saying, "Daddy!" as if they were her father and she hadn't seen them in a while. The guys almost always turned bright red and started explaining away to their girlfriends that they did not know who she was nor did they have children. The girls usually found it hysterical. She would also wiggle her hand out of our hands and run up to gray-hairs and get hugs. It's a good thing we live in a relatively safe town! Anyway, she always goes to great lengths to capture attention.
We were near the end of our Shoney's meal, Linus had gathered her fair share of attention, and "the event" happened. Army was eating some pineapple, and Linus wanted it. She begged, "Pease, Daddy" and "Apple! Pease!" Army handed her a piece, but that didn't make her happy. She pointed to his fork, but since she wasn't feeding herself with utensils at that point (at least not large adult forks), we didn't really think much of it. She pointed again, so he tried again to hand her another piece of pineapple. Linus NEVER got upset as a baby, so what happened next shocked us. She pointed to the fork and wailed, "Fok" (I'm sure you can imagine exactly what naughty word it sounded like!) As I shushed her, Army did exactly what we thought she wanted. He put a piece of pineapple on the fork to feed her. Another shriek. "FOK!" At this point all of her new "friends" that she had made were looking at our table. "FOK! FOK! FOK!" I'm not kidding, nearly all eyes were on us at this point. I'm trying to decide if I want to slip under the table or pick her up and take her out. Since her highchair was in the way, it took me a second to attempt to swoop her up and take her out. It all happened in that extra second it took me. She pointed to the fork and yells at the top of her lungs, "FOK!" then she points to herself and yells, "ME!" So for the most part, she yelled, "FOK ME!" for the other patrons to hear. The place erupted in laughter. I turned five shades of red. Linus learned to bow at a young age (always the entertainer), so she bowed as best she could in her highchair, then she began clapping for herself. It was quite a while before we returned!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
An Extra Dose of the Birds and the Bees
We loaded up and drove down to Army's brother's house for the day Saturday. My brother-in-law and his wife have a daughter 3 months younger than Linus. These two kiddos love each other so much. It's terrific. Since it's been about 1,000 degrees outside lately, we decided to go the Natural Science Museum. The girls had a ball, but our visit didn't exactly start out on the best note. When we arrived at the museum, we had to wait a few minutes while their Nana arrived and took care of a few things. Linus, naturally, was imitating every animal they had displayed in the upper deck. That child can do a mean lion! The theme at this particular center is birds right now, so we heard Linus do a turkey call, a duck (complete with the waddle!), a rooster, a baby bird, etc. My brother-in-law was playing with the girls, so I took the opportunity to act like I didn't have a clue who that wild child was. Linus noticed that a movie was playing down the hall, so she begged to go see it. We looked at some info on it and decided to go take a peek. We walk in and they are showing birdie porn! I'm not kidding. It was bird after bird getting it on. They even described, in gory detail, what was going on. I looked at Army and said, "Great, her first movie and we take her to birdie porn. We're great parents!" Thankfully, the girls thought the birds were just dancing. Now I know this is natural, and that baby birds have to get here some how, but I'm just not ready for my child to be watching it. The movie said safe for all ages, but I'm not so sure I agree. After a few minutes that felt more like hours, I got up and encouraged Linus to go with me to see some other exhibits. Linus would have nothing to do with it. "NO! Please, Mommy, please let me stay and watch the movie! Plllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaassseee!" Yeah, no, we're going.
We went on to see tons of great exhibit areas. We all had a great time until the girls decided they wanted to watch another little movie. They crawled up on one of the little benches and sat ever so nicely. I know my daughter well. When she's that quiet, I need to worry. I peeked my head around the corner (Army was in there with them, but it was crowded, so the rest of us stood just outside the wall), and I saw Linus looking at the screen very intently. Most parents would be thrilled, but again it scares me. I immediately began scanning the screen and every square inch near it. Then I spotted it, and I knew exactly what she was looking at. Just as I looked back at her, she took off towards the fist-sized red button to push it. I could just as easily call her Dennis the Menace as I call her Linus. The child simply cannot see a button and not push it. She just has to find out what any button does. I grabbed her just in time. Can you imagine how ticked the others would have been if she had restarted that movie? She had to sit a few minutes in time-out, and boy did that produce some tears. "I juuuuust can't be here, Mommy. Daddy, help me. I just don't belong here. I don't. I. Just. Do. Not. Belong. Here!" We left shortly after.
The girls played a little when we got back to Army's brother's house, then we went to dinner. It was yummy, and the girls were incredibly well behaved. Then we got our big bold hint that it was time to leave. Linus blurts out, "Hey everybody, want to see me and my cousin dance like the birds?" I'm not sure we've ever vacated premises so quickly!
We went on to see tons of great exhibit areas. We all had a great time until the girls decided they wanted to watch another little movie. They crawled up on one of the little benches and sat ever so nicely. I know my daughter well. When she's that quiet, I need to worry. I peeked my head around the corner (Army was in there with them, but it was crowded, so the rest of us stood just outside the wall), and I saw Linus looking at the screen very intently. Most parents would be thrilled, but again it scares me. I immediately began scanning the screen and every square inch near it. Then I spotted it, and I knew exactly what she was looking at. Just as I looked back at her, she took off towards the fist-sized red button to push it. I could just as easily call her Dennis the Menace as I call her Linus. The child simply cannot see a button and not push it. She just has to find out what any button does. I grabbed her just in time. Can you imagine how ticked the others would have been if she had restarted that movie? She had to sit a few minutes in time-out, and boy did that produce some tears. "I juuuuust can't be here, Mommy. Daddy, help me. I just don't belong here. I don't. I. Just. Do. Not. Belong. Here!" We left shortly after.
The girls played a little when we got back to Army's brother's house, then we went to dinner. It was yummy, and the girls were incredibly well behaved. Then we got our big bold hint that it was time to leave. Linus blurts out, "Hey everybody, want to see me and my cousin dance like the birds?" I'm not sure we've ever vacated premises so quickly!
Friday, August 3, 2007
An Extra Dose of Blah
I'm usually a rather positive person. Usually. Today? Not so much. I'm not quite as negative as I am annoyed. We put an offer on a house a few weeks ago. All along, his agent kept telling us that anything over $X he'd accept. So we put an offer on the house that was closer to asking price than the agent's $X amount, but we did ask for a few things to be completed. The owner/builder took forever to counter. His counter was higher than the original asking price. We declined. His agent called our agent back a little while later and said, "Please counter again. If you can just come up $Y, he'll accept." So, we tweaked our offer and put it in again. While we were waiting for a response, his agent let us know that there was another offer on the house, but that we didn't need to worry because ours was better. After a few days, he declined our offer and accepted the offer the other couple put in. So the house was a no-go. Then we looked at a ton more houses and realized we could not get a house that size and quality for that price anywhere else. It wasn't particularly my dream home, but I did really like it. The back porch/deck was amazing. So amazing, in fact, that I'd be willing to simply buy the porch and live out there. The yard was a nice yard for Linus and our dog to play in. Fabulous for cookouts, etc. You get the idea...we were starting to regret not getting the house. Regret, not resent, at least not at that point. THREE weeks went by before his agent finally returned our (rather hefty) earnest money check. We looked at some more houses and became quite frustrated with the whole process. Tuesday night we finally decided to take a break from the whole house hunting idea. I was stressing about the whole thing, so stopping just made sense. Well, what do you know...Thursday night, I'm out with a group of friends and I get a message on my cell phone, "This is (agent), please call me as soon as you get a chance. It's important." Then she called again. My cell battery was near zero, and I didn't want to waste what I did have on a lengthy call (plus, I WAS out with friends!), so I called Army and had him call her. When I didn't hear back from him, I figured it wasn't too important. When I got home, I asked him what was so important. Turns out the seller/builder was frustrated with the buyer and wanted to back out of the deal. His agent called our agent and wanted to know if we were interested. So we discussed it again, and decided to go for it. Our agent contacted his agent and set up an appointment to see it again. A little while before our appointment, our agent called to let us know his agent said the other couple found the builder's direct number and worked things out. So we're off again. I'm tired of being jacked around. I'm tired of being used as a pawn. Grr!
We actually built the home we're currently in. I know most people say they'd never build again after building one house, but I would in a heartbeat. I love getting to choose everything--colors, cabinets, counters, fixtures, etc. There are a few things that I consider musts for my next house. I have to have a desk in my kitchen. I have one now, and I use it all the time. I have to have a sink in my laundry room. It's fabulous to throw spit up upon baby clothes in there (hopefully we'll need that again someday!). I also have to have a double oven. I don't have that now, but I'd love it. I also want a gas cook top. One more thing...I have to have a basement (preferably with a main level garage, but I won't push things). Um, yeah, not so easy to find everything I want inside a floor plan I like. I probably do need to build again. I've got one small problem though. Army is on board for getting a new home, but he's completely, entirely, adamantly against building again. What a dud!
So for now, it looks like we're sitting back and waiting a few months before we even entertain the idea of moving again. Blah!
We actually built the home we're currently in. I know most people say they'd never build again after building one house, but I would in a heartbeat. I love getting to choose everything--colors, cabinets, counters, fixtures, etc. There are a few things that I consider musts for my next house. I have to have a desk in my kitchen. I have one now, and I use it all the time. I have to have a sink in my laundry room. It's fabulous to throw spit up upon baby clothes in there (hopefully we'll need that again someday!). I also have to have a double oven. I don't have that now, but I'd love it. I also want a gas cook top. One more thing...I have to have a basement (preferably with a main level garage, but I won't push things). Um, yeah, not so easy to find everything I want inside a floor plan I like. I probably do need to build again. I've got one small problem though. Army is on board for getting a new home, but he's completely, entirely, adamantly against building again. What a dud!
So for now, it looks like we're sitting back and waiting a few months before we even entertain the idea of moving again. Blah!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
An Extra Dose of Language
In honor of Army's birthday, I thought I'd post one of his favorite Linus moments.
On the way home from a preschool event, Linus was talking nonstop (as usual!). She kept saying "libary." Army and I tried to get her to say libRary instead of libary. It took a few back-and-forths, but she never gave up. After she said it correctly, she then says "I have one for you. Can you say defecate?" Whoa! Army and I nearly died! Where the heck did she hear that?????
On the way home from a preschool event, Linus was talking nonstop (as usual!). She kept saying "libary." Army and I tried to get her to say libRary instead of libary. It took a few back-and-forths, but she never gave up. After she said it correctly, she then says "I have one for you. Can you say defecate?" Whoa! Army and I nearly died! Where the heck did she hear that?????
An Extra Yummy Dose of Cake
Today is my husband's birthday. Linus wanted to make a cake for her daddy. Together we mixed, poured, baked, and iced the cake. As soon as Army got home from work, Linus started in with "Do you want some cake, Daddy? I made you a cake. It's chocolate. It's yummy. Want some? We could have a little bite now. Ok?" Army told her over and over that we'd have to have dinner first. She finally relented and ate (and no, she didn't have a grilled cheese!). I made one of Army's favorites: Monterrey Chicken and baked beans. Everybody enjoyed it, and as the last bite was taken, Linus started in again on the cake. "Daddy, ready for your cake? I made a yummy chocolate cake for you. It has chocolate mousse on top. Want some? You ready?" Linus isn't a huge sweets eater, so this was kind of shocking. As Army took his first bite, Linus was glued to his expression. As he smiled and said, "Thanks, Linus, this is so yummy!" she smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it since I made it. If you didn't like it, it would have to be the part Mommy did." Gee thanks!
Monterrey Chicken
4-6 chicken breasts
4-6 T bbq sauce
4-6 slices bacon (I use Hormel Bacon pieces when I'm feeling lazy)
grated cheddar
grated Monterrey jack
Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken breasts in greased glass baking dish. Top each with 1T bbq sauce and one piece bacon. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle cheeses on top and bake another 10 minutes. SO easy!
Baked Beans
1 qt beans (I pick them up at a local restaurant, but I've used canned before)
2 T molasses
Hormel Bacon Pieces
Pour beans into baking dish (I use a glass loaf pan) and add molasses. Stir. Top with bacon pieces. Heat through in oven (10-15 minutes at 350). This is also yummy with onions added, but Army hates onions.
Happy Birthday Army!
Monterrey Chicken
4-6 chicken breasts
4-6 T bbq sauce
4-6 slices bacon (I use Hormel Bacon pieces when I'm feeling lazy)
grated cheddar
grated Monterrey jack
Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken breasts in greased glass baking dish. Top each with 1T bbq sauce and one piece bacon. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle cheeses on top and bake another 10 minutes. SO easy!
Baked Beans
1 qt beans (I pick them up at a local restaurant, but I've used canned before)
2 T molasses
Hormel Bacon Pieces
Pour beans into baking dish (I use a glass loaf pan) and add molasses. Stir. Top with bacon pieces. Heat through in oven (10-15 minutes at 350). This is also yummy with onions added, but Army hates onions.
Happy Birthday Army!
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