tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262586402024-03-05T09:29:04.016-06:00Grabham Gabmeredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-90473045778320958852011-04-22T15:01:00.001-05:002011-04-22T15:08:02.316-05:00let me explain...<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYF5l-S5A_-EfeDaYZCW9zHfP9exg1FKcjPb_lOiPc3Ke77DIQJ4K3FD62fjRpqSxJgRbS0Kep8lbxQOAp5eVDKI9cvjBzu1MDmh-zgF_OgoXH3jT96ESml1DweANrex7IX8/s1600/IMG_4558.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYF5l-S5A_-EfeDaYZCW9zHfP9exg1FKcjPb_lOiPc3Ke77DIQJ4K3FD62fjRpqSxJgRbS0Kep8lbxQOAp5eVDKI9cvjBzu1MDmh-zgF_OgoXH3jT96ESml1DweANrex7IX8/s400/IMG_4558.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598468992883221586" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><br />"see what had happened was..." - a quote from an old Bill Cosby standup routine. love it.<div>One of the truths is this. Stella was playing a game on my laptop. I told her to put the laptop away and get ready for school. She did it immediately. But she put it "away" on the ottoman. Rex followed behind her and threw my laptop on the floor. My laptop (lifeline) didn't kinda break. The apple store called it "worst case scenario." What?</div><div>It was an arduous journey through computer repair/nerd land. If Mark said, "Well I am Mark, I am the data recovery specialist" one more time!</div><div>The other truth is that I lost ALL of my pictures. The weird part is that I asked (paid) Mark-I-am-the-data-recovery-specialist to recover them specifically and I still didn't have them. Long story. Now I do. Some of them I even have in sextuplicate. Is that a word?</div><div>The last truth is that I got out of the routine.</div><div>Anyway. We are back now and my little babies are so good.</div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipbl2SdDKIFxcHbuvg_rSYfKNF6JrQHkNzKmlVBhN0w31Xah_G5HFbh27LaidKHec5IDl-oibmRONzHBnquXZ3uY5nlkW2O_e3cj05p8avnJGD0UcGdB8bNeIYBgRQ1m4r1E/s1600/IMG_4521.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipbl2SdDKIFxcHbuvg_rSYfKNF6JrQHkNzKmlVBhN0w31Xah_G5HFbh27LaidKHec5IDl-oibmRONzHBnquXZ3uY5nlkW2O_e3cj05p8avnJGD0UcGdB8bNeIYBgRQ1m4r1E/s400/IMG_4521.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598468987008474690" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipbl2SdDKIFxcHbuvg_rSYfKNF6JrQHkNzKmlVBhN0w31Xah_G5HFbh27LaidKHec5IDl-oibmRONzHBnquXZ3uY5nlkW2O_e3cj05p8avnJGD0UcGdB8bNeIYBgRQ1m4r1E/s1600/IMG_4521.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0e-ZhXadnCWhv3PtiS-M4vkM5ybb-vry8PrLXXZ2_widGLBWTh6zc_fVfsqpBPObofagk5GZKr_64zJuK1-rRBiWy2LP0CGxFEVm8pUEyzEcBqYvJudlEu5Y6v-gL-Y_8HL0/s1600/IMG_4520.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0e-ZhXadnCWhv3PtiS-M4vkM5ybb-vry8PrLXXZ2_widGLBWTh6zc_fVfsqpBPObofagk5GZKr_64zJuK1-rRBiWy2LP0CGxFEVm8pUEyzEcBqYvJudlEu5Y6v-gL-Y_8HL0/s400/IMG_4520.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598468983806321538" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div>I'll start with SJ. I firmly, firmly believe in <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=birth+order+book+leman&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=ivnsb&resnum=3&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1440&bih=780&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=8775513904746881347&sa=X&ei=lAGxTYvIJcWV0QHxrqGlCQ&ved=0CFsQ8gIwAA#">The Birth Order Book</a>. Stella is precious and smart and amazing. However, we are opposites! She is type a all the way, bossy, competitive, obsessive. At the same time she is creative, sweet, caring, compassionate, patient, and very thoughtful. For example, she wanted to learn to snap. I showed her how. She let it marinate for about a day and then she got it. She didn't just get it, she got blisters on all of her "snapping fingers" on both hands. She snapped non stop for 2 weeks. WOW. I had no idea you could snap blisters onto your own fingers. Thats dedication and its typical Stella Jane. Stella is very opinionated, scientific and thinks way ahead. She is always hypothesizing and running experiments. Its really cute (scary) to hear her rationalizations. Yesterday after watching Bambi she said, "This movie is so sweet because when they all get to be teenagers they match up with girl teenagers." So many things race through my mind when I hear these comments from my little girl. Sadly, its already clear that she is boy crazy. I do not know why. But Bambi? Thats all she got out of Bambi? Well no. That wasn't all. About 30 minutes later she said,</div><div>"Mommy is it called 'buttheads'?</div><div>"Excuse me?"</div><div>"When Bambi and that other deer get into a fight with their horns?"</div><div>"Oh... yes." Buttheads. Butt heads. Huge difference.</div><div>Love her to pieces.</div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfZXIzzdMwnBDXE6gnZoKb7ROUdj2qtRS48tWW9n8Tkdr-pKauXlcQxklpxn-aqLusaQDBfEMQboFDlFemDU-Ts6SFSA6U1R4fXM3Mf2ISOsBYUE1c2HZwiP0DAq-ZfXnbqU/s1600/IMG_4578.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfZXIzzdMwnBDXE6gnZoKb7ROUdj2qtRS48tWW9n8Tkdr-pKauXlcQxklpxn-aqLusaQDBfEMQboFDlFemDU-Ts6SFSA6U1R4fXM3Mf2ISOsBYUE1c2HZwiP0DAq-ZfXnbqU/s400/IMG_4578.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598497399458678882" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div>Yatesie. This boy is a new man. No more tantrums. Stays in his bed at bedtime. He is pure boy though. See his one knee kneel picture below? Have you ever seen a little girl do that? No. He is also sloooooooooow motion man. (Thank you again Birth Order Book) Basically if Stella likes it, does it, says it, reads it, breathes it, eats it, drinks it, Yates will NOT. He refuses to eat lunch or dinner. He refuses to tee tee at school. He does love oatmeal, cheese sticks, yogurt and nutri grain bars oh and calamari. Thank goodness or he would starve to death. Last weekend he spotted calamari in the frozen foods section at Costco. Talk about needle in a haystack. Needless to say we bought them and he wants calamari for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He loves to jump, run, climb, smash, crash, be outside and annoy. I think S and Y are learning so much about gender relations having each other. What a huge bonus. Yates gives the best hugs. He says he learned them at school. Please. Love that boy.</div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-pZKARQAn4x-YeLSVRVPdGvX-40aIQbTwPbVyfDAPCjMgJKbQnQJB8y2HTtjbFWuXCQ6xEjV19QET8DxBsDJSbIGPdopVsQCt_kfQAI6VsonkA4vZp6Dvxppw84-yUjov3w/s1600/IMG_4563.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-pZKARQAn4x-YeLSVRVPdGvX-40aIQbTwPbVyfDAPCjMgJKbQnQJB8y2HTtjbFWuXCQ6xEjV19QET8DxBsDJSbIGPdopVsQCt_kfQAI6VsonkA4vZp6Dvxppw84-yUjov3w/s400/IMG_4563.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598497412144289042" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJZ5A5XQZ0wTmpYiUbsCOYkhs3ik9-Bv36T_H21zSztI-C_uoYnSZ2djV0wfbHADQ4KWnnAZmq7vL1vmMxmObDEZl_XxjMPMVSjopywtj1z186qr4x0p7I6qmFDd7UNGEUCs/s1600/IMG_4567.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJZ5A5XQZ0wTmpYiUbsCOYkhs3ik9-Bv36T_H21zSztI-C_uoYnSZ2djV0wfbHADQ4KWnnAZmq7vL1vmMxmObDEZl_XxjMPMVSjopywtj1z186qr4x0p7I6qmFDd7UNGEUCs/s400/IMG_4567.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598497403819673122" style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>Rexie. What a sweet little baby. He had his 15 month checkup today and was hilarious. He sat in an adult chair and let Dr. Neely listen to his heart and check his ears all by himself. Dr. Neely was shocked at his compliance and at his huuuuuuuuuuge feet. Said Rex will be tall. Yay! He is wearing Yates' shoes from last summer. (reminder, they are 2 years apart) R has learned to be loud, very loud. He calls me Daaaaaah-deeeeeee and can really get loud with it. He calls Michael Dadee too. Somehow its a little bit different. Rex loves to eat. As soon as I get him out of his highchair, he runs to the pantry and begs for something else. We are working on that situation. Rex loves to climb, has learned to run and as I always say, he is so patient. He gets the short end of the stick every day. He gets his meals at odd times, he gets woken up from naps and crammed in the car, he gets abused by his older siblings. But he still has a huge smile. Love this boy too!</div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBHg3xthaUgfKWKasvhiPmww_IwpSNu0D8sskSOg2gzhxtTJqbDHJqMRLXZ6IvCy3vquXHtg2na9SSDKntqiQPs8n81kZkfRDJ2GoWTUAboC6uhVSnCYGdN1jAAVWqXnSdMk/s1600/IMG_4539.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBHg3xthaUgfKWKasvhiPmww_IwpSNu0D8sskSOg2gzhxtTJqbDHJqMRLXZ6IvCy3vquXHtg2na9SSDKntqiQPs8n81kZkfRDJ2GoWTUAboC6uhVSnCYGdN1jAAVWqXnSdMk/s400/IMG_4539.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598468989035845314" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTtgZUFFBmlVVUwy9uTAIceGgbtpw7EJFAkZdmxLD-8nYl6PvY1FxbWu8LAOHa-cyu9Clnfe8qp6_HPtiHDlTH4ef5dQU8V7ThY46pV-gnMra6oqPy-aJF7YxAme1jPdDRcw/s1600/IMG_4561.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTtgZUFFBmlVVUwy9uTAIceGgbtpw7EJFAkZdmxLD-8nYl6PvY1FxbWu8LAOHa-cyu9Clnfe8qp6_HPtiHDlTH4ef5dQU8V7ThY46pV-gnMra6oqPy-aJF7YxAme1jPdDRcw/s400/IMG_4561.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598497399071485602" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>I will try to do better at blogging from this point on.</div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht65_rPzOREycWJ2r09XVXPi0ZN7NNLUyHvG419298MtUvNGVlhRpuZZsewlIcp5O1bymOgxBfmenZTLCLc-HCneyyz3ESXk6-QcQw1cDAIHoQrx8NSlWS9gj4N1YW9i6D3VA/s1600/IMG_4585.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht65_rPzOREycWJ2r09XVXPi0ZN7NNLUyHvG419298MtUvNGVlhRpuZZsewlIcp5O1bymOgxBfmenZTLCLc-HCneyyz3ESXk6-QcQw1cDAIHoQrx8NSlWS9gj4N1YW9i6D3VA/s400/IMG_4585.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598497402051962722" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfO4Rrm_OTA1sorso-s9NAi3z4K6OTM0tGqHnYyVZacSVM6XF_pgZIWlJEmW32XScD0Jtn01IOvCnW5ldSu0FGBOhaeSb__CbyogpwiaNEltvAobq58PXN1xL6s0cDRoQ0LYE/s1600/IMG_4518.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfO4Rrm_OTA1sorso-s9NAi3z4K6OTM0tGqHnYyVZacSVM6XF_pgZIWlJEmW32XScD0Jtn01IOvCnW5ldSu0FGBOhaeSb__CbyogpwiaNEltvAobq58PXN1xL6s0cDRoQ0LYE/s400/IMG_4518.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598468979231878706" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-70807185863434594462011-02-04T20:58:00.008-06:002011-02-08T16:51:43.965-06:00Busy, busy, busy<div style="text-align: left;">Daddy came home from work early today. Blizzard of 2011. I'm sure the neighbors love us : ) Or feel sorry for us for being completely loony...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxzccYXSmp3mdKM3yOPSVwkeSAx9hD1UUBimuCZlu-jIaBi7NDASNVk3sIttVfOrThnVb4iKgxARQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>I have been so busy trying squeeze in all of the things I want to do with all of the things I have to do. pant, pant, pant. I'm doing it. I'm doing it. It can be done... Me and <a href="http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-atlanta/season-3/bio/phaedra-parks">Mrs. Phaedra Parks</a> "really <i>can</i> have it all"... if only I could say it like she does. Totally kidding, but I do loooove me some real housewives... all of them... all of the cities... love!<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlBYF_RQqjgDDs58dljZwf7HgE977GM2G_OdzZVSNFFXG2Knbn5Nnht_AzLhp2rpL61CiCwjLITPKy4z8sXVnTnQl1R98ji0SywaU3gElvXuGPZsOmeC6A1mpxA5RcCRvMJgupg/s1600/IMG_2468.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlBYF_RQqjgDDs58dljZwf7HgE977GM2G_OdzZVSNFFXG2Knbn5Nnht_AzLhp2rpL61CiCwjLITPKy4z8sXVnTnQl1R98ji0SywaU3gElvXuGPZsOmeC6A1mpxA5RcCRvMJgupg/s400/IMG_2468.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570045556991854386" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; ">New Toy Tamer Shelf... built by me, all 425 lbs of it : )</div></div><div><br /><div>The kids are all fabulous. Stella is her usual literal, bossy, domineering self. We like to think its not her fault. Its her birth order/ only girl/ little mommy complex. We really do stay on her to keep her from absolutely crushing her brothers with her sheer presence. She is precious, perfect, thoughtful, loving, sweet and most always has the best intentions. Its just that people don't always want their stories finished for them or their imaginary game rules changed or the light switched flipped 1/2 a second before they could reach it on their own or to be talked over or overruled or wrapped in beads or reeled into a race or surrounded by unusually high volume/and rate of motion. She is a force for sure. Brilliant as ever, she asks questions like, "Mommy what is mortal?" before I even open my eyes in the morning... and she's only warming up. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eOUJs9NKIu8od2HAOtw8ZfyBiXQfQ4lm421dR_mjZDM7qj2x9FAxMOiwzPBm_mKF7_qWJRjCUA9q7zXzsJMiNYyw6XmaWkRtnkSYc7st2F-wveoeNULigWHByWJtWPMu47QNTA/s1600/IMG_4147.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eOUJs9NKIu8od2HAOtw8ZfyBiXQfQ4lm421dR_mjZDM7qj2x9FAxMOiwzPBm_mKF7_qWJRjCUA9q7zXzsJMiNYyw6XmaWkRtnkSYc7st2F-wveoeNULigWHByWJtWPMu47QNTA/s400/IMG_4147.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570046007863040770" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Yates is still reveling in his birthday glory. He loves to push the boundaries as far as he can. He is dying to know what happens when you get to the 3 of 1,2,3. He doesn't mind being corrected for the same issue 2 million times a day. It just doesn't phase him at all. He will wait for ever for his chocolate milk if he isn't quite ready to ask for it politely. He likes to ask for something (without the please) be corrected for the missing please, then just say, "please." I think he is totally cheating the system. I'm onto it and it isn't going to fly. New rule. I need the whole sentence with the please all bundled up into one polite package. We do this literally 8000 times a day. Wouldn't it be simpler to just say please the first time? You'd think. Y is still very cautious, but strong willed at the same time. He completely lost it the other day when I wouldn't allow him to shimmy/tiptoe (barefoot of course) along the 2" outer edge of the cooktop, barely holding on to the ventahood while I was boiling a pot of water. Really? Does anyone else see this as uber dangerous and completely out of the question? Y rationalized that he had no intention of falling and hurting himself so why couldn't he just walk around up there with the boiling water and FIRE. Call me crazy. Y has started gymnastics and really loves it. He is the only kid in his class and I think its good for him. Lots of attention!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZz9xEsUfkRBzSctjymQVu-tiPAdq8XmqT9IbfsXq9Fd0UZIwbzPMgqepusp7SmLmYdzWb0UzxE2OOCqx3eipZ3PJKoolMbEcvvHr3suW4C-Pe5UzQFNJ8H3PgFqiYFdsIbJMAw/s1600/IMG_2433.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZz9xEsUfkRBzSctjymQVu-tiPAdq8XmqT9IbfsXq9Fd0UZIwbzPMgqepusp7SmLmYdzWb0UzxE2OOCqx3eipZ3PJKoolMbEcvvHr3suW4C-Pe5UzQFNJ8H3PgFqiYFdsIbJMAw/s400/IMG_2433.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570045571662658706" style="cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Rex, oh Rex. Another force, tasmanian devil in the flesh on a permanent seek and destroy mission. Now <i>he</i> can wreck some stuff... like we needed any help. He really loves all things crash, smash and bang. He really ought to look into adding a word or two to his vocab. uh-uh-uh isn't descriptive enough. He picks up on everything swirling around in here, knows how to hold and shoot a toy gun and is a professional truck scooter arounder complete with sound effects. If you can make truck sounds, you really should say a word or two. One of the cutest things he does is start waving when he is tired. Nap time or bed time he will get his paci and giraffe binky and just start waving. See ya! Another funny thing he does is pull up on his shirt when he wants to be taken out of his high chair. He is the perfect candidate for baby sign language. Someone ought to teach him that... </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeFMJXrcnAQTzF_15S0C3hKEqHaTGad3ysjyEGgMPYssgsYA-irW0k5MXREg4s-GnQwbipG72RYhYLs56hfO4BmyekVuZz-QfHt4ZtkOuZsylJ178jr7gaoNfTLPcngdJnSKj6A/s1600/IMG_4107.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeFMJXrcnAQTzF_15S0C3hKEqHaTGad3ysjyEGgMPYssgsYA-irW0k5MXREg4s-GnQwbipG72RYhYLs56hfO4BmyekVuZz-QfHt4ZtkOuZsylJ178jr7gaoNfTLPcngdJnSKj6A/s400/IMG_4107.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570045566173311586" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">teensy little side note. starting a new blog, cause i'm so current with this one, for my new art expedition ; )</div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-29111563164661749072011-01-31T14:27:00.009-06:002011-02-04T20:53:14.181-06:00Yates is 3!<div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjc80qw88GcROlzuRcZ-W7HKM2i4SdFzhQsVnYJ3xU10OGDoq971X2P_kg4nVm9IMddGuYbCKkU5HeuP0RSnscGBbtiqFrSX07J90OCF53XUMO4iYFmhvF7oUKB8uX30Te57JRKA/s1600/IMG_4125.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjc80qw88GcROlzuRcZ-W7HKM2i4SdFzhQsVnYJ3xU10OGDoq971X2P_kg4nVm9IMddGuYbCKkU5HeuP0RSnscGBbtiqFrSX07J90OCF53XUMO4iYFmhvF7oUKB8uX30Te57JRKA/s400/IMG_4125.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570030946788026450" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Third Birthday Yates!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I really don't know where the time has gone with Mr. Yates. It just doesn't seem like he should be three. He is delighted to be three and we celebrated his big day as hard as we could. Stella suggested to Yates that he should have a fireman party and that was all it took. We had a great day and a super fun party with all of our friends and family.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlLgP72US3HB3qPDRhS66_Ge54oabzSMhDBb8PSnwe2ObNNgClxcyQKfGXNxRbakAyUSeKPG0BcCXWye_NbvGrfK41lMGjQDi9Qtc0mY1YilOijugs6WexK4pK2iFXmIj7AzdvA/s1600/IMG_4144.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlLgP72US3HB3qPDRhS66_Ge54oabzSMhDBb8PSnwe2ObNNgClxcyQKfGXNxRbakAyUSeKPG0BcCXWye_NbvGrfK41lMGjQDi9Qtc0mY1YilOijugs6WexK4pK2iFXmIj7AzdvA/s400/IMG_4144.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570026884349224434" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sitting in the firetruck with Stella</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We had some of Yates' favorites, pizza and brownies and lots and lots of firetrucks. A fireman friend, Brian, loaned us all of his real fireman gear and gave us fireman coloring books and crayons. He even included a real patch (that Yates wore on a tshirt) and a Dallas Fireman tshirt. So, so generous! We rented a huge firetruck bounce house that was super fun. I think Michael played in it for at least 2 hours. The biggest surprise was having the fireman from our local fire station stop by in the huge fire engine. Bop and Gabby delivered a bribe earlier in the day and begged them to stop by if they were available and they did. I had already given up on the idea after calling every Dallas Fire Dept # I could find and being told "no way" over and over. Leave it to Bop. The kids loved seeing the fire engine and getting to climb through it. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhNyEG12BINZmDb9FKtORrdFMwbx2oZdh7NP442aIkdijpwC_iajd_nCvph-2dzenYVLakooiTBw44dAXUQUKyKyYEE3iPKJW9FVSszjd2OGtSYAJ6x485irA-eVX9ojZ6oPsqg/s1600/IMG_4131.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhNyEG12BINZmDb9FKtORrdFMwbx2oZdh7NP442aIkdijpwC_iajd_nCvph-2dzenYVLakooiTBw44dAXUQUKyKyYEE3iPKJW9FVSszjd2OGtSYAJ6x485irA-eVX9ojZ6oPsqg/s400/IMG_4131.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570026877467980658" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The dudes hanging out with the firemen</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Aside from the fabulous celebration we have the real Yates. He is a very sweet and sensitive "big" boy. (He is not little if you ask him!) He is a non-conformist for sure. He is coming out of a very frustrated stage that we are still working through. With a super sized personality as a sister and baby brother I know Yates feels the squeeze no matter how special we try to make him feel. Luckily his daddy is a middle child and turned out fantastically. Yates has an amazing imagination and plays soooo hard. It is so cute to listen to him playing and to the scenarios he is creating. He is so thoughtful and gives the best hugs. He says he learned those hugs from his school... really? Yates is a master noise maker and does the best helicopter sounds among many others. He "does not like his bed" and sneaks down stairs like a silent ninja multiple times eeeevery single night. He loves going to the grocery store and detests school mornings (understatement of the century). He has the best laugh and gets tickled so easily. He is my sweet big boy. He has taught me so much about raising boys and about how far patience and understanding will go. Happy Birthday Yates! We love you!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhyX5oqticsO8TZeeCBdehilY9_vn-xw0pF6DQRASnezYjySXzNCZ30TO06nd-yLFRnJvsAStsfIWmqYav3LveZhuZa6WN3HOHH41ZaBTeblpkrv6Y3rX5GA5sOKHuf2t8uAHcQ/s1600/IMG_4115.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhyX5oqticsO8TZeeCBdehilY9_vn-xw0pF6DQRASnezYjySXzNCZ30TO06nd-yLFRnJvsAStsfIWmqYav3LveZhuZa6WN3HOHH41ZaBTeblpkrv6Y3rX5GA5sOKHuf2t8uAHcQ/s400/IMG_4115.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570026866710531154" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Climbing/screaming on the awesome jungle gym from Gigi and Gabby</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjlIrOkllG-6R95XodynIolpG4QrUpjM53V7wt8t8TWot5rSzDYDpC4vxFTc4SC6T3-6WQF0xEINcRtgeBU82bDZnIxwLf9qTH5G2W9x0mFQYdT8hdn2RGgm_E1cmmdcF9dP52g/s1600/IMG_4196.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjlIrOkllG-6R95XodynIolpG4QrUpjM53V7wt8t8TWot5rSzDYDpC4vxFTc4SC6T3-6WQF0xEINcRtgeBU82bDZnIxwLf9qTH5G2W9x0mFQYdT8hdn2RGgm_E1cmmdcF9dP52g/s400/IMG_4196.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570030293238766562" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday and Good Morning Shot #3</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZWvTdgQKtNQ2cj9IRN_hT2jlCGLjQ4X349MhpeQmWMRmW2n5_5mqfsd93-VtrMBGN-d8fBb2ye6xPaxROiG4fwueql5UoBaOqBhnokqj7vobQMEiLX6PP7qH4mKryWEKBHzvmQ/s1600/IMG_4217.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZWvTdgQKtNQ2cj9IRN_hT2jlCGLjQ4X349MhpeQmWMRmW2n5_5mqfsd93-VtrMBGN-d8fBb2ye6xPaxROiG4fwueql5UoBaOqBhnokqj7vobQMEiLX6PP7qH4mKryWEKBHzvmQ/s400/IMG_4217.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570030301038826322" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Buzz Lightyear Birthday Bike</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmvhU3F2dIkopVoHvkmR2XMbgfyqmhKDDulS7lf58wf-JL0JTHBKor28kMWu8J5iFhnITFm4tkFSdW_5gV98IpT7nsZxg8SpJ33f89iapbB36LuA8l9y1_XfVDL2PjUWnB_wPJQ/s1600/IMG_4189.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmvhU3F2dIkopVoHvkmR2XMbgfyqmhKDDulS7lf58wf-JL0JTHBKor28kMWu8J5iFhnITFm4tkFSdW_5gV98IpT7nsZxg8SpJ33f89iapbB36LuA8l9y1_XfVDL2PjUWnB_wPJQ/s400/IMG_4189.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570030298101898466" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Men Playing Firetrucks...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJuCMh1-qreJnAWcp8bMqdk_1DFWxl_5fTlYOqKzgnEdnVT-5cIFidfhHytEhIHHCJotXBElKXjoPexAMaUklKemVcvIoubCv3fUdJdG6muQho42SfNXvQGfKlOFjG1651oyjLQ/s1600/IMG_4113.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJuCMh1-qreJnAWcp8bMqdk_1DFWxl_5fTlYOqKzgnEdnVT-5cIFidfhHytEhIHHCJotXBElKXjoPexAMaUklKemVcvIoubCv3fUdJdG6muQho42SfNXvQGfKlOFjG1651oyjLQ/s320/IMG_4113.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570032722967824834" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJMAiP4jC_XoiT18R9uQ1Id5DtWtw4LOdH50hvE_fZVlXY6BXp7k6c1W-ZYOH29DCRg7WKBGn280F4oT01vqUk68ugg6gsT0kTIRGHvyBUVfZAxzmEyTIIvceevSKn7_hDuGMoA/s1600/IMG_4112.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJMAiP4jC_XoiT18R9uQ1Id5DtWtw4LOdH50hvE_fZVlXY6BXp7k6c1W-ZYOH29DCRg7WKBGn280F4oT01vqUk68ugg6gsT0kTIRGHvyBUVfZAxzmEyTIIvceevSKn7_hDuGMoA/s320/IMG_4112.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570032715939745714" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9scLHPCgLVGC7ujuNMSsc904CitmVITbUYgjtpEpLDBG75bxPdEBfXAinmJfaOh7rbUsYGhupuyvb-0VR2C02deYP_9s5Kj2ytyXuMXIpog-YqnXwHaLdgVMcjUAtr1mmIwH_Vg/s1600/IMG_4111.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9scLHPCgLVGC7ujuNMSsc904CitmVITbUYgjtpEpLDBG75bxPdEBfXAinmJfaOh7rbUsYGhupuyvb-0VR2C02deYP_9s5Kj2ytyXuMXIpog-YqnXwHaLdgVMcjUAtr1mmIwH_Vg/s320/IMG_4111.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570032710602093298" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a> </div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbU_V94BR1Ze02xQskb19c3eruSVzqD-M6Ourn6uG0tL-Hg9cJ-9PKe8nB4EMnXg0M1vYp8n3TAKw2S5Xonbno6uLLdW56aSI5ECGHB02HSyNTmYtvXkv6WcWKh8lRKJkt-GjqA/s1600/IMG_4110.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbU_V94BR1Ze02xQskb19c3eruSVzqD-M6Ourn6uG0tL-Hg9cJ-9PKe8nB4EMnXg0M1vYp8n3TAKw2S5Xonbno6uLLdW56aSI5ECGHB02HSyNTmYtvXkv6WcWKh8lRKJkt-GjqA/s320/IMG_4110.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570032705311214530" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-24920485203635148452011-01-16T21:07:00.008-06:002011-01-16T22:16:46.546-06:00Happy Belated New Year...<div style="text-align: left;">So doing a better job at blogging obviously wasn't on my New Years resolution list. I do want to do better but a resolution probably won't help.<div>It has been a loooong time. Rex turned one on Thursday!!! We celebrated with Bop and Pink and a highly inappropriate kids birthday dinner at NHS Grille. The adults enjoyed themselves as best as we could. The kids just hung in there. Luckily Yates loves calamari (strange b/c he is uber picky) if you can order it plain, Stella loves mac and cheese and bread and Rex will eat anything that he can catch. We had a group birthday cake baking effort and opened presents.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ciazkjoEUHQYD9LA-z7zbWnBhhxRIR9E0jOuXVgIniTU3nE1yU8rqTUdQOWDonjYe9nkUEALKM3-ZHWu11KmP2qVzm2drt-Xmm9cG0_jej9OrXbxHsmetR3UtFvk9nQ56uMk9w/s1600/IMG_4043.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ciazkjoEUHQYD9LA-z7zbWnBhhxRIR9E0jOuXVgIniTU3nE1yU8rqTUdQOWDonjYe9nkUEALKM3-ZHWu11KmP2qVzm2drt-Xmm9cG0_jej9OrXbxHsmetR3UtFvk9nQ56uMk9w/s400/IMG_4043.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562994082619471058" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 350px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I love taking the babies pictures when I wake them up on their birthdays. Here is Rex's 1st of many...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwpC-Zy1ao7_W-WCoRyeXz4RmvdRykAxerqdVqKnyO2O3ZkN6Y1pU2i-X5pf_C7AG13p_WdPdtMqj95qVq5R_Xr7RrDr76S2iOu1IKpDAl9uBmthwnqAx5HFpNXwlS2OnEf7Hog/s1600/IMG_4048.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwpC-Zy1ao7_W-WCoRyeXz4RmvdRykAxerqdVqKnyO2O3ZkN6Y1pU2i-X5pf_C7AG13p_WdPdtMqj95qVq5R_Xr7RrDr76S2iOu1IKpDAl9uBmthwnqAx5HFpNXwlS2OnEf7Hog/s400/IMG_4048.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562994076671547666" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rex doing his 1st Birthday masterpiece. I love these so much...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDl_CR64bzXQ6tQdoH8myLIIF-iGkxWt1o6FKdrXapAIGtDXy_maTD9B79OZ8EHAU4mnUY_ntgBiQ7biI6HgXu6cvO0lAqpMLcUQPM0b_0FW2otwFw45_rJuDvGclGkAqDZwr2A/s1600/IMG_4087.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDl_CR64bzXQ6tQdoH8myLIIF-iGkxWt1o6FKdrXapAIGtDXy_maTD9B79OZ8EHAU4mnUY_ntgBiQ7biI6HgXu6cvO0lAqpMLcUQPM0b_0FW2otwFw45_rJuDvGclGkAqDZwr2A/s400/IMG_4087.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562994095980682178" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Having a little birthday cake with Stella and Daddy</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJarv_iMLybUN0JPKDov9vfBFHZ5ZZeMWNyBU6lHnxxs10iezcJvofJ9anOSnD7kldCIuj99v2gnkOetazBZ7bRUQmgNOFLREAR5DunaRswFn5IR7wEoi8WyA7DY_bOZgzwOAmQg/s1600/IMG_4100.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJarv_iMLybUN0JPKDov9vfBFHZ5ZZeMWNyBU6lHnxxs10iezcJvofJ9anOSnD7kldCIuj99v2gnkOetazBZ7bRUQmgNOFLREAR5DunaRswFn5IR7wEoi8WyA7DY_bOZgzwOAmQg/s400/IMG_4100.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562994093843104034" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Opening a present</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMT8ogTDZAVAxCoaiEbPwNJL62TMEmoH9Iy5a5y5L9Hj2Xja1OouVC22FH15-3WM0TNMEjq4L2uWIh5_Ph28ovR7WWTZ0M5RwS46dTPXDr9ca2Ikm5EY78LfZkM6Ngvs_34nNAA/s1600/IMG_4102.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMT8ogTDZAVAxCoaiEbPwNJL62TMEmoH9Iy5a5y5L9Hj2Xja1OouVC22FH15-3WM0TNMEjq4L2uWIh5_Ph28ovR7WWTZ0M5RwS46dTPXDr9ca2Ikm5EY78LfZkM6Ngvs_34nNAA/s400/IMG_4102.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562994084057565074" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yates documenting...</div><br /><br /><div>Our little mini party pales in comparison to what a precious baby Rex is. He deserves fireworks and a full circus, sweet, sweet boy. He loves his big brother and sister and tries all day every day to be and do just like them. He actually keeps up really well and is going to be one tough cookie. He is almost always in such a good humor and does so well putting up with our hectic schedules and the terrible nappus interuptus situation. Rex is always smiling. He is very good at making copy cat sounds, but doesn't have any actual words... except Dada. When I ask him to say <i>Mommy</i>, he says <i>Dada. </i>Michael loves it and its fine with me. He is our sweet little baby and can just stay that way. </div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know what it is about the turning of the calendar but it is fabulous. Whoever came up with resolutions, thank you. We all know that resolutions are hard to stick to, but just the idea of a fresh start, another chance is such a relief. I have wiped my slate clean from 2010 and am trying desperately to work every day on my resolutions. I am desperate to focus on art and creativity this year. I enrolled in an abstract art class and hope to hone my art and really find my true style. </div><div>2011 is also the year to go as natural and organic as I can. I have always had a preference for fruits and vegetables and whole/healthy/unprocessed foods. The thought of what is actually in processed foods just turns my stomach. Pesticides, chemicals, meat processing, high fructose corn syrup... all of that irks me. I hope that offering my family "real" food will teach them the correct way to eat and make them all healthier overall. </div><div>And finally, I want to work on my stress management... whatever that entails... I will be doing it. Lots of deep breaths and counting to 10 I guess. Happy New Year!</div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-40805930311283315502010-12-09T14:43:00.004-06:002010-12-09T14:56:43.408-06:00Taco Info<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRkO_wl43UaljWZflX4aX315eD0aDFqUab518dY-ibtvh3pdU4HmzQ2-MXQu7c0USO7CZo3d36OYeGOcOBzCdYeiIjk6kekPWA33k9qKcTBqDd6UFJshO_8L0jWX39MTY7O42ag/s1600/IMG_3812.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRkO_wl43UaljWZflX4aX315eD0aDFqUab518dY-ibtvh3pdU4HmzQ2-MXQu7c0USO7CZo3d36OYeGOcOBzCdYeiIjk6kekPWA33k9qKcTBqDd6UFJshO_8L0jWX39MTY7O42ag/s400/IMG_3812.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548788879400090530" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Yates: "Mom, when I get bigger like you and Daddy I want to eat a taco."<div>Me: "OK. You can eat a taco any time. You don't have to wait until you get big."</div><div>Yates: "No, I do, because I want some spicy stuff on it."</div><div>Me: "You do?"</div><div>Yates: "Yes, not just cheese."</div><div>Me: "Ok, just let me know when you're ready."</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-74663684948119515452010-11-14T19:39:00.003-06:002010-11-14T20:14:12.252-06:00The Baby Is...WALKING!<div>10 months and 1 day and Rex just took 4 steps! He's been standing without holding on alot and has been taking 1 step for about a week, but tonight was his best so far! Michael said that it must be the feet dangling behind his unzipped footed sleeper giving him a little extra balance. Of course we missed the four steps, but here's a little video. At least you can enjoy his outfit.</div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxaAxTNc0JjBUcHZkqW0hOPdoNB8ruD9ijodbeNTjwqIazPwEPwUDzsnP-kJ_yn3XPHNdpZ9Mc65jE' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-83716674728045824382010-11-11T13:46:00.004-06:002010-11-14T20:31:09.174-06:00Yates"Mom, I saw a lawn mower man wipe snot on his shirt."<div>"What? Where?"</div><div>"Outside."</div><div>"Sick!"</div><div>"No, it was awe-ome. That's what mans do."</div><div><br /></div><div>This comment was after Yates found the pretend ghost hiding behind my bathtub and needed me to spray it with ghost (hair) spray. It was also after Yates carried Rex from one room to the next by the throat, feet dangling. And after he exploded bubble gum toothpaste all over my face and clothes because it was too spicy. And after he came completely unglued because he wanted me to order him a mocha at Starbucks and after Mr. Too Spicy ate 3 adult sized bowls of actually spicy gumbo for lunch. He followed it all up with, "Mommy, take a video of me sitting in this chair." Talk about an action packed video... He is one hilarious full time boy and all of that was before noon. Whew!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzpKh2PRfkOPaDNbtbcRQliN5JcEJwaV85iffahzDBmTfLmTL2T232YoyqK4dKOhO-Ofo7oxxEyc14' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-24619365362248771372010-10-24T10:43:00.002-05:002010-10-24T11:14:55.256-05:00My BirthdayToday is my birthday. For my birthday I am collecting baby items for a dear friend, Robin Hancock, who is the founder and director of Acacia Tree in Uganda. She has always loved babies and now saves lives every day. <div><br /></div><div>"We focus on giving loving care to abandoned, orphaned and severely malnourished children under 3 years old. Whenever possible, we try to help infants stay with their families by providing formula, bottles, clothing, etc. AcaciaTree will also provide a home for up to 10 babies who have no one to care for them." -AcaciaTree.com<br /><div><br /></div><div><img src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs263.snc4/39504_146416755370127_100000054092030_435797_4343869_n.jpg" width="720" height="540" id="myphoto" /><br /><div><br /></div><div>I will be picking up baby items on Friday, Oct 29th, then delivering them to Robin's family in Fairfield on Saturday. If anyone has things I can pick up please let me know. </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs059.ash2/36328_136776759669720_117087881638608_422822_6761095_n.jpg" id="myphoto" /></div><div><br /></div><div>I asked for a list of items from Robin and here it is:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">we have babies 0-3 years. Most of the kids are so malnourished when they arrive that they wear size 3-6 or 6-9 months no matter how old they are. We could use sleepers in that size. Boys & girls.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">Here are a few other things:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">-toys for 6-18 months</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">-FuzziBunz cloth diapers size Large (a dozen)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">-bibs (for babies just starting to eat but with plastic backing to stop food soaking through!)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">-toddler bibs with the pocket to catch food</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">-travel swing</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">Also, we are fundraising to pay for our rent a year in advance. Right now we are paying every three months and struggling a bit since its $2400 at a time. We'd love to pay for a year and not have to think about it until next year! So if people you know would like to get involved that would be a HUGE HUGE help to us! Our rent for a year is $9600. We'd love to have their contact info so I can send them my monthly email update too!!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs099.snc4/36328_136773359670060_117087881638608_422805_6177290_n.jpg" id="myphoto" /></div><div><br /></div><div>If you don't have baby items you can give, you can make a donation here- http://www.zembakids.blogspot.com/</div><div><br /></div><div>http://acaciatreeuganda.com/#/home</div><div><br /></div></div></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-84012755363543742042010-10-19T22:17:00.006-05:002010-11-14T20:18:53.474-06:00La Ti Da<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sometimes when I have so much to do, I get stuck. Right now I have so much to do and I am stuck. Since I'm stuck I'll just write a little.<div>Things have been so crazy. Seriously during the day I don't have a spare second. Nothing ever gets finished. I can't remember what I was doing or what I was about to do or why. Luckily Michael swoops in at the end of the day and does the dishes and helps bathe the dirty babies and gets them to bed. Total life saver. I wish the pace wasn't so frantic. I honestly try to maintain a calm peaceful atmosphere at home, but sometimes there is no use. At dinner this evening Michael, Rex and I dined to the ear drum splitting hysterical over tired wild animal lunatics that had invaded my children's bodies. We had a soccer game @ 5:30 on a school day and lets just say they were beyond coo coo. They both decided that they weren't hungry and decided to play out the last drops of energy they could muster at full throttle. I didn't realize how loud they could be left un-shushed. Michael did the close-the-eyes-with-a-slight-upward-head-tilt and said, "Pencil me in for later. We can talk then."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviwILf2tulxxJV72tzxVPggIP040xahzBzImR9BMk5IoAfd7cz2cwj-AtCDLcoT8VOyhb3eSD1LS3hasi1aXK0t39Gf_XhrgEChHt9LG9aV8VOeP2_OZei-5D2ae_KbrCOoi3fw/s1600/IMG_3514.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviwILf2tulxxJV72tzxVPggIP040xahzBzImR9BMk5IoAfd7cz2cwj-AtCDLcoT8VOyhb3eSD1LS3hasi1aXK0t39Gf_XhrgEChHt9LG9aV8VOeP2_OZei-5D2ae_KbrCOoi3fw/s400/IMG_3514.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529973308546892658" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div>Our weekend was nuts. The highlight being that we had our family photos taken by Kelly Pollard. We love her! She is an amazing person that happens to take phenomenal photographs. Sometimes I get a really specific idea in my head and I did for these photos. I chose a new location and didn't even really have a chance to tell Kelly what I was wanting. But no surprise, she captured the exact feeling I was hoping for. The kids were beyond exhausted and didn't perform as well as they could have but the results were still so great. I got a phone call from a decorator friend today complimenting me on the photos and she used all of the buzz words I had in my head. You have no idea how that made my day. She totally got it. If she's the only one, I am happy. </div><div>http://www.lala-photography.com/blog/</div><div><br /></div><div>This weekend Stella was eating pez out of a Jesse from Toy Story pez thing and she said, "Daddy how does this work?" Michael said, "You tilt her head back and... wait! What do you mean? I see you eating them. You know how it works." "No Daddy, I mean the construction and the gears! How does it wooooork?!?" I don't know if I have even seen a daddy beam like he did. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgLtEoBuPCFTaCwrmccFYSKvcPwIRP46WEf85ZmJE-T3YeSAWN1UNCfjpvaBBAkoM_mSbaCOC5Yz5CrAbZeimp5TI_LHNyuPwh_mLpEu2kJAX37lE52hSM5seRtqKSgOw-PukwA/s1600/IMG_3503.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgLtEoBuPCFTaCwrmccFYSKvcPwIRP46WEf85ZmJE-T3YeSAWN1UNCfjpvaBBAkoM_mSbaCOC5Yz5CrAbZeimp5TI_LHNyuPwh_mLpEu2kJAX37lE52hSM5seRtqKSgOw-PukwA/s400/IMG_3503.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529973296587205154" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; ">Corn Dogs at the Fair... </div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>She honestly neeeever stops talking and I physically can't hear it all. Other people talk sometimes too. Last night she was going on and on and on about her new "hair salon" she was opening. She's never even stepped foot in a "hair salon". But anyway, everyone was going to get a job. "Mommy is going to help me design the hair. Daddy is going to be in charge of putting the sign up so people will know, you know, where we are and if we're there and stuff. Yates is going to cut the hair. Daddy can also brush the hair. Bop can comb the hair. There's not going to be a 'payer' though. Its free." Great. Free hair cuts. We will all work for you for free while you boss us all around. Sounds like every other day of my life. I mean its this non stop!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS8lgIQPR_rcolEY3sTk-cAs_ayTRDmo-uKt4GPiF4nfWQXsVPr6oyho58eBksrTmjEkpWqGy-J85tavEqCgU958sR1fpdCy5Jm4hyphenhyphenPuVLf4nfXf7yPAUGakuy6k7zrYnvtPUkg/s1600/IMG_3538.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS8lgIQPR_rcolEY3sTk-cAs_ayTRDmo-uKt4GPiF4nfWQXsVPr6oyho58eBksrTmjEkpWqGy-J85tavEqCgU958sR1fpdCy5Jm4hyphenhyphenPuVLf4nfXf7yPAUGakuy6k7zrYnvtPUkg/s400/IMG_3538.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529973287991554498" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Mr Yates Grabham is a nut. He is super sneaky smart and has us all confused... just the way he wants it. He is a major tidy bowl and I hope its not going to fester into crazy lint roller guy or something. Now that I say that he does lint roll the couch for me... Today after picking him up from school he said, "Mommy can we wash our jeep?" (Referring to the toy escalade parked alongside my car in the garage) "Sure. How do you want to wash it?" Y: "I had a broom that went like this and it didn't get it." M: "So do you need a wash cloth?" (He carried a wet wash cloth around for about 4 hours yesterday cleaning... the floor, the wall, an army man the ottoman...) Y: "Yeah!!" M: "Ooooo-k" 30 minutes later... still at it.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KQ22dhA2TcaXjZqpv0CkTECZY27tFmBrSapeuiJi2BWNW7cFpaaj3vX4ya1SzFpUcxoO9zx27gO602Kyn-1pgQSnlB4FS01i4C4v4PSk354Y6lySLvdJcE_y3aAPFIWiKm15uA/s1600/IMG_3620.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KQ22dhA2TcaXjZqpv0CkTECZY27tFmBrSapeuiJi2BWNW7cFpaaj3vX4ya1SzFpUcxoO9zx27gO602Kyn-1pgQSnlB4FS01i4C4v4PSk354Y6lySLvdJcE_y3aAPFIWiKm15uA/s400/IMG_3620.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529973287170837586" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And Rex. He is a different kind of dude. He looooves to throw balls and chase them over and over. He eats like nothing I've ever seen, ravenous. I mean in one sitting he will eat an applesauce cup (adult sized serving not baby), an adult yogurt, 10 grapes, 20 cheez-its, 4 chicken nuggets off someone elses plate, a cheese stick... whatever I can throw at him. I eventually just take him out of his hair chair. I think he'd sit and eat all day. Yesterday he had already had an applesauce, grapes, strawberries, goldfish, pasta and blue berries and he was screaming b/c he wanted Yates' peanut butter and jelly. I thought. Ok fine. I'll make you one. If you don't like it or have a reaction and have to be rushed to the ER I'll just eat it in the car. He ate the whoooole thing. Crust and all. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_HxFpruPUh_zCjlCfWsxQxi03xdwKd9GyjrP1XOTuE0wYlTzp6iFyZ8ypPLV0eVIYkxDcTgSWkSQy7JZIsAHYMmI_V9HmmV15rj012IESr6UR0Xh8twOgguxI2YXFKqjuXvZtg/s1600/IMG_3552.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_HxFpruPUh_zCjlCfWsxQxi03xdwKd9GyjrP1XOTuE0wYlTzp6iFyZ8ypPLV0eVIYkxDcTgSWkSQy7JZIsAHYMmI_V9HmmV15rj012IESr6UR0Xh8twOgguxI2YXFKqjuXvZtg/s400/IMG_3552.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529973316504783762" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div></div><div><br /></div></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-67451637907961799702010-10-16T11:10:00.001-05:002010-10-16T11:10:04.153-05:00?Can I blog from my phone?<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/mtgrabham/GrabhamGab?authkey=Gv1sRgCPLcquKF-pH1zAE#5528676893025549394'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRb1OaPywz-vAvSpDbp6vwU66Y9hRNOEuuUpmnS7CwUclhcyrVA713_FUlOn8zkYdV_rYe7eNVGf5-eEnCenAVqsGksNqw7EVQv0m7SBWXMzi-GUvm9VNStyntZlHjv8RnWeF3w/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='320' height='320' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-43801287583668792762010-10-07T10:35:00.011-05:002010-10-08T13:22:59.211-05:00who are these people?<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbeqLnrGnMGf0j0Sprsexi8H1P_MC0opuFqqemx7F7XO8yCGWt-llc8BXBOa7uD4MACtepbKHEnBSHSDePK5taMn5WBlKxsbi2jVfjC7ytahgsr4E62gLs639104cTId-t0_glA/s1600/IMG_3452.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbeqLnrGnMGf0j0Sprsexi8H1P_MC0opuFqqemx7F7XO8yCGWt-llc8BXBOa7uD4MACtepbKHEnBSHSDePK5taMn5WBlKxsbi2jVfjC7ytahgsr4E62gLs639104cTId-t0_glA/s400/IMG_3452.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525731338635032530" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Yates and I were running into CVS yesterday to drop off a prescription. The drive through window was "broken" of course. So Yates' no shoes situation became an issue. I had forgotten that he didn't have shoes until he made his way to the car door to climb out... </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Me: "Yates! You don't have any shoes! Oh well, come on. I'll just have to carry you."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Yates: "Ooooh maaaaan. Now I'm not going to be able to do any man stupf in there."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">...really? I wonder what that was going to include...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQdg9n-Eascb4gGWD6oWegXsk7CEF6Zja7jY913BnLZW-MGDLUZVVV_q6s3rps3Z_gENsykUc-kCzF1qMevD-jcl29EXB0mXymeW-2B02BCCXFD8xnI5AIZERMOnj0aKAO2CI7w/s1600/IMG_3472.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQdg9n-Eascb4gGWD6oWegXsk7CEF6Zja7jY913BnLZW-MGDLUZVVV_q6s3rps3Z_gENsykUc-kCzF1qMevD-jcl29EXB0mXymeW-2B02BCCXFD8xnI5AIZERMOnj0aKAO2CI7w/s400/IMG_3472.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525737767598048658" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fancy Nancy Party, and thats Kelly Raspberry in the corner!!!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Stella was wearing super hot fuzzy footed pjs the other night and said, "Look these pjs have stoppers on the feet. Like tentacles, made out of scratch." </div><div>...what?... what?</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoSX6sWssTkglgaSaOtUqS2uEjxlnHR-YslgfwrELX5VxLTC78RiiaC73sQZjb3B6IHCv1CWl0uyFhOwy0M9Dk0o2xOPp9lqT8HLZdjwBp4-l27NIpDMq3njj3V36-vkb13BPlA/s1600/IMG_3478.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoSX6sWssTkglgaSaOtUqS2uEjxlnHR-YslgfwrELX5VxLTC78RiiaC73sQZjb3B6IHCv1CWl0uyFhOwy0M9Dk0o2xOPp9lqT8HLZdjwBp4-l27NIpDMq3njj3V36-vkb13BPlA/s400/IMG_3478.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525731372657331506" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Gun Safety" in the house with Daddy...?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Yates: <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">“Mommy, why are you putting your makeup on?”</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Me: "Because it looks pretty."<br />Yates: "It doesn’t look pretty. It looks like you have yucky stupf all ober your face."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">...thanks.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vCBtUKIh-ujbGjNUdCr_gU8eTwZlt-xMbB6aIRWcIek4YyS54juAIKE0LEnUfDuxU9VN8_M_3vfIteh1ZctgZxQ7wCxC5Uq2Jy13lTnpysoDcegrfKr3267_1P_bZvR7GN5jJw/s1600/IMG_3460.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vCBtUKIh-ujbGjNUdCr_gU8eTwZlt-xMbB6aIRWcIek4YyS54juAIKE0LEnUfDuxU9VN8_M_3vfIteh1ZctgZxQ7wCxC5Uq2Jy13lTnpysoDcegrfKr3267_1P_bZvR7GN5jJw/s400/IMG_3460.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525731364473517410" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">S and Y playing outside used to include them coming in and out every 30 seconds whining and tattling. I didn't realize playing outside needed a how to lesson. But it did. First I told them not to come in until I told them it was time. Then I locked the door. It sounds harsh, but it was and is now glorious. (and I don't have to lock the door anymore)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Stella: "Mom, is there any way we could have like breakfast for dinner, like pancakes and fruit and stuff?"<br />Me: "Well, we don’t have pancakes or fruit b/c I am going to the grocery store tomorrow, but we do have waffles, apple sauce and orange juice."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Stella: "Ok, fine. That will work as long as you’ll agree to letting me have syrup on the waffles. Will you agree to that?"<br />Me: "Yes, I will agree to that."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Stella: "OK. Great."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">...this girl is all business.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_yyZfhquEef7nxgVDPbcQx_tV5IIwTtip2xph6c3UpgQnwDRxM9XNtAStSER7UTm4L6SnDWX51q5VQW1IafjRMqacw2-JwyJb7548MttcXW0w_ugu3yOGVvaocan81NQCEQ1kw/s1600/IMG_3481.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_yyZfhquEef7nxgVDPbcQx_tV5IIwTtip2xph6c3UpgQnwDRxM9XNtAStSER7UTm4L6SnDWX51q5VQW1IafjRMqacw2-JwyJb7548MttcXW0w_ugu3yOGVvaocan81NQCEQ1kw/s400/IMG_3481.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525731378396140546" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">Rex has been fighting sleep a little lately, so I was trying a technique I saw on Super Nanny about 10 thousand years ago. I was desperate to keep him quiet b/c I had just gotten Yates down for a much needed nap. So I laid down on the floor next to his crib. He was very amused by this and began launching toys at me. The first couple I thought were no big deal. But then I realized he was really throwing toys AT me on PURPOSE repeatedly. He would drop down in his crib rummage around and come up with something new... push, pull, drag it over the rail and bombs away.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">... I seriously underestimated this little baby. He's probably thinking, duh, mother. I can totally strategize and execute all by myself. I'm 8 months old...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkTurm3thNEXcFZnxruvAWfEKaN5PezydAVvgZG-xuAYfeuy6HUvrQYnFBfDNonkOH4DTQxYvgZKOLNF0B7BT0Dg6ov6-AOgG3kt5BZw6Yf33sQ1Uyv1J8qk9IvNGnW6Nvq7BaQ/s1600/IMG_3466.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkTurm3thNEXcFZnxruvAWfEKaN5PezydAVvgZG-xuAYfeuy6HUvrQYnFBfDNonkOH4DTQxYvgZKOLNF0B7BT0Dg6ov6-AOgG3kt5BZw6Yf33sQ1Uyv1J8qk9IvNGnW6Nvq7BaQ/s400/IMG_3466.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525731369277821138" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">not good... but he loves it!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhh3HmaubxGuwDewBb95gA0Ir8fp1BFfR4upes1wTWT8BLueP5zXd_ZF5wE2Z53d42fGYbPO1bFZT6_mtA8u8SwBRrNsSoul_9VuGVU-0Ia3YilNgz8_ta0p2SIPeCRDpSYWSYA/s1600/IMG_3500.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhh3HmaubxGuwDewBb95gA0Ir8fp1BFfR4upes1wTWT8BLueP5zXd_ZF5wE2Z53d42fGYbPO1bFZT6_mtA8u8SwBRrNsSoul_9VuGVU-0Ia3YilNgz8_ta0p2SIPeCRDpSYWSYA/s400/IMG_3500.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525737766802802290" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mr. Food Foot. Take a bite, rub some on your foot, another bite, more on the foot, at every meal.</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">...Why? He has been a foot propper upper since day one. I guess I will look back at this and remember that he has always had to put his feet up on things, me, the highchair, hopefully not his desk at school.</span></b></span></div></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">Me: "Aaaaahhh!"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">Stella: "What is it mom?"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">Me: "We just hit a bird!"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">Stella: "With what?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">Me: "Our car."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">Stella: "Where?"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">Me: "On the windshield."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">Stella: "Cool."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">... what? cool? I don't think so.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAH_QboRZA47WreHw_FQLWj6bu90csNMHGnKotAIYAPHK6N9GOEhiZGys0pgyhHrjNRDuJCkQaYDNeOj95ZC63roNeWyGD1654s6g9nv3L6azQnK7DIaimUDtuNwgm2D_HwQipQ/s1600/IMG_3496.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAH_QboRZA47WreHw_FQLWj6bu90csNMHGnKotAIYAPHK6N9GOEhiZGys0pgyhHrjNRDuJCkQaYDNeOj95ZC63roNeWyGD1654s6g9nv3L6azQnK7DIaimUDtuNwgm2D_HwQipQ/s400/IMG_3496.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525737762513921218" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Stella's school had Blessing of the Pets Day yesterday, St Francis Day. We took Sasha and Oscar to school and Sasha got an extra special blessing from Chaplain Rhonda. Hopefully she'll be 100% very soon.</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-80144053203214568782010-09-21T13:13:00.003-05:002010-09-27T22:44:18.202-05:002 Stories...<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrARWFWbscwa3iHJhTeAc9UL8y9JlSsG9H0nR4cXziIpgGKR_WANREE9RCvhagpdCeO_N8FdAi7TDfXQZfv9zQcBuKjbxxLw72U-09zLa-h_z0TjIE8mNXCMSNEZYiBKmFPWDUw/s1600/IMG_3432.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrARWFWbscwa3iHJhTeAc9UL8y9JlSsG9H0nR4cXziIpgGKR_WANREE9RCvhagpdCeO_N8FdAi7TDfXQZfv9zQcBuKjbxxLw72U-09zLa-h_z0TjIE8mNXCMSNEZYiBKmFPWDUw/s400/IMG_3432.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521804317171754162" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">just a swangin'</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nh3PbaRInuc3O0tvDO4X-UAxNcCe5QyGSH0BMpH5XiUO2RDFFbD32DJpYdR7D7iHgm6iZ_5bviSRz2OOnH3xbuVcXEJNf07rgyuBYh7sk6WcYCjk8nvCQMK_5ng0nf9ygz2bjg/s1600/IMG_3442.JPG"></a><br /><div><div>Story 1 - Sensitive...</div>On Yates first day of school, he cried and cried when I dropped him off. It was heart breaking. I hate that part of school. He stopped before I even got to the door and I knew he would be fine. The next day... Thursday, he walked in happily and started playing. It was great! I was so relieved that he was happy to be there and didn't have to go through the sad part.<div>Stella, Rex and I got back home and I immediately put Rex down for his morning nap. When I came downstairs, Stella said, "Mom, some lady called you." What? Where? When? I was totally confused. Apparently someone had called my cell phone and Stella answered it and "took the message." She has never answered my phone, therefore doesn't know what to say on a phone much less how to take a message. I kept asking Stella what she said and what "the lady" said and all she could tell me what that she (Stella) said, "what." Not very helpful. So I looked at my call history and it was Yates' school. Oh no... Thats the worst call. So I called them back and they informed me that Yates had thrown up in the classroom and that he was waiting for me to come get him in the office. Oh no... Ok. I called Michael on the off chance that he could run pick Yates up and he did! Yay!</div><div>So Yates walks in the door in his backup shirt from his bag and I asked him if he was feeling ok. He said he was feeling fine. "So what happened? Did you throw up?" "I did! A boy pooped in his pants and I barfed aaalll ober da place!" Oh... ok. So you smelled poop and threw up and had to have your daddy bring you home. oh, yates...</div><div>Needless to say, the boy is very sensitive to smells, to temperature, to bug bites, to noise. He interviews whoever is going potty and wants to know what they are doing in there to make sure its safe for him to breathe. He goes potty with a can of air freshener on his lap and sprays little squirts around the bathroom until he's finished. And no one is allowed in the bathroom while he is in there. He says, "Go in nere! I dont bant you to smawill it." Ok. If his food is 1 degree above cold, its way too hot and he will cry. If he walks outside of the house, he WILL get a bug bite. If a bulldozer, garbage truck, helicopter, airplane, dump truck, back hoe whatever is in a 2 mile radius of his ears, he perks up, opens his eyes wide and says, "sssshhhh, listen... I hear a _____." Sensitive... or super powers.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nh3PbaRInuc3O0tvDO4X-UAxNcCe5QyGSH0BMpH5XiUO2RDFFbD32DJpYdR7D7iHgm6iZ_5bviSRz2OOnH3xbuVcXEJNf07rgyuBYh7sk6WcYCjk8nvCQMK_5ng0nf9ygz2bjg/s1600/IMG_3442.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nh3PbaRInuc3O0tvDO4X-UAxNcCe5QyGSH0BMpH5XiUO2RDFFbD32DJpYdR7D7iHgm6iZ_5bviSRz2OOnH3xbuVcXEJNf07rgyuBYh7sk6WcYCjk8nvCQMK_5ng0nf9ygz2bjg/s400/IMG_3442.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521804326140559234" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; ">Yates "Bightyear"</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Story 2, Ridiculous...</div><div>Several weeks ago, SYR and I went back to the pottery store to paint a gift for Pink and Bop's anniversary. As we were painting Troy Aikman and his daughter walked in. Let me just add that when/if I see a celebrity, I try to ignore them b/c I think I would be so annoyed with people looking at/talking to/bugging me all the time. So I just made sure I turned my back to him and his daughter so they could paint their pottery. I just really didn't want to be annoying. Too bad... So Yates decided he needed to go poop, bad, right now! Ok fine, we walk over to the bathroom. It is just a single door, single bathroom situation that opens up to the painting area, near a little sink you can use to wash your paint brushes. We start to go into the bathroom and STOP!!! There is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge disgusting roach right in the middle of the floor. I have issues and I can NOT go in there. I start to back out and Troy and his daughter have come to the sink area to clean up. I need a man to help me with this roach and lucky me, here is a man. I had made such a conscious effort to not bother him and here I go... "Excuse me. I hate to ask you this, but there is a huuuuuuge roach in there and I am petrifried. I need a man to go get it and you're the only one here..." How dumb does that sound? Dumb. He said, "uuuuuhhhh, yeah, i'll get it." He was thrilled let me tell you.</div><div>Now if you're thinking I need to get help with my fear of roaches, you're right. I do, but I do not want to. After the Troy Aikman incident, I had to have a neighbor come get one we had imported from our Florida trip. Its bad. I know it. But I'm fine with it. The poor dudes I rope into exterminating for me are the people who really get the short end of the stick. Thank you men who pick up bugs. Thank you Michael for realizing that I am not kidding about being scared of roaches... after 5 years of marriage, and for getting them for me. </div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwIiK6tlsAilXJemnQFWPrsEy2B9SV0wtj5l5vJBBaO3N6IOv-J2sVslw8gzHtLaRtOYfpFoVLhjbjZ5jbmuPyDnYhLPFuy_I8kSigHDWbPxEVuDVjSQJ2QQCrV6Df4AyyeAxKA/s1600/IMG_3451.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwIiK6tlsAilXJemnQFWPrsEy2B9SV0wtj5l5vJBBaO3N6IOv-J2sVslw8gzHtLaRtOYfpFoVLhjbjZ5jbmuPyDnYhLPFuy_I8kSigHDWbPxEVuDVjSQJ2QQCrV6Df4AyyeAxKA/s400/IMG_3451.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521804311382772402" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwIiK6tlsAilXJemnQFWPrsEy2B9SV0wtj5l5vJBBaO3N6IOv-J2sVslw8gzHtLaRtOYfpFoVLhjbjZ5jbmuPyDnYhLPFuy_I8kSigHDWbPxEVuDVjSQJ2QQCrV6Df4AyyeAxKA/s1600/IMG_3451.JPG"></a>sweaty girls after the game</div></div><div><br /></div></div></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-19052669960473201452010-09-17T17:19:00.002-05:002010-09-17T17:22:00.814-05:00"I'm going to color this background dark blue because princes and princesses usually start dancing around midnight, right mommy?" - SJ<div><br /></div><div>"B-I-N-E-O, B-I-N-E-O, B-I-N-E-O and beeno buz his namo and old mac don-old had a parm... Thats a new song mommy." - Y</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-35877989570554520752010-09-12T22:25:00.007-05:002010-09-14T12:37:32.249-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOokyanfxHT9sfXVzchCbnpcV54aExPyfXpMHJ1Dj5h4IKJiduhxdqZyrBlAR03oGDbilUo0hpsleCOPBfn4WYNGQYgAB40qrhe1XUwkk6WiGzuz2QBFgEW8GLhO8hCpC1RC92A/s1600/IMG_3406.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOokyanfxHT9sfXVzchCbnpcV54aExPyfXpMHJ1Dj5h4IKJiduhxdqZyrBlAR03oGDbilUo0hpsleCOPBfn4WYNGQYgAB40qrhe1XUwkk6WiGzuz2QBFgEW8GLhO8hCpC1RC92A/s400/IMG_3406.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516234256507631410" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">During Rex's nap one day, Stella and Yates were playing way too loudly. After I had asked them over and over to be quiet, sure enough they woke Rex up. I was not happy, so I told them to go up there and tell him they were sorry for being too loud and waking him up. I really just needed a second to finish up whatever I was doing and didn't want Rex screaming. I went up to get him and this is what I found... perfect.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Yates is really coming out of his shell lately. If only I could get him to stop using "B"sounds in place of "Ws." "Bears my blado?" = Where's my water? We're working on it, he just doesn't want to do it right.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72NTcqunAAR1-QY9r0LBNbBRb1gqCC75ZIP2RhzwkCIGjJ077NlXVIpBSJ158cnkqN0pbbRocyCITAEMYxTbdC-VFjv7p5UXxSqIjZFkcQW_eRoyQhwRpnv7aDAbhJmBcE86VmA/s1600/IMG_3363.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72NTcqunAAR1-QY9r0LBNbBRb1gqCC75ZIP2RhzwkCIGjJ077NlXVIpBSJ158cnkqN0pbbRocyCITAEMYxTbdC-VFjv7p5UXxSqIjZFkcQW_eRoyQhwRpnv7aDAbhJmBcE86VmA/s400/IMG_3363.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516234292305666034" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRk2osJoOyBPb2CjO1dVazuG_ETQmFlELozuwILmFA0mCkh6m03BEX5Vx0rObBF1PdkMbm0kAuj4UAQajU5Q-6UwvCf9q3bRpZtbuSp1iBiZC8e0Qx_eTWEDoVND__-PWkzULCQ/s1600/IMG_3335.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRk2osJoOyBPb2CjO1dVazuG_ETQmFlELozuwILmFA0mCkh6m03BEX5Vx0rObBF1PdkMbm0kAuj4UAQajU5Q-6UwvCf9q3bRpZtbuSp1iBiZC8e0Qx_eTWEDoVND__-PWkzULCQ/s400/IMG_3335.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516236855113678114" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72NTcqunAAR1-QY9r0LBNbBRb1gqCC75ZIP2RhzwkCIGjJ077NlXVIpBSJ158cnkqN0pbbRocyCITAEMYxTbdC-VFjv7p5UXxSqIjZFkcQW_eRoyQhwRpnv7aDAbhJmBcE86VmA/s1600/IMG_3363.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvdqoEP0j8Sm1IQFCTe2t36Ma2624ICiSUk24t6ey55z-rnv8fYBk4buSFWn1mZIYOvEIgmU9wJaafoKUr6A3mw8bAVTV7fUjNOZxif49adGEwKg76Kribg2VmoPP0EiN7Npt5g/s1600/IMG_3326.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvdqoEP0j8Sm1IQFCTe2t36Ma2624ICiSUk24t6ey55z-rnv8fYBk4buSFWn1mZIYOvEIgmU9wJaafoKUr6A3mw8bAVTV7fUjNOZxif49adGEwKg76Kribg2VmoPP0EiN7Npt5g/s400/IMG_3326.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516236845987721202" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Train PJs - check, Bulldozer spoon - check, Airplane bowl - check, Wrench - check, 18 wheeler for your fruit - check</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX57ipHPuThHtsphXRSS3qS47t2tQcCBvzZWyBe060T9kSsjEJRMIE7vBpNw3dmDUaZPUQqJihKqHMmIFKoAY_5rc3PyKwrlYtIaJclFdHbTIFEEoT-1c6Ox2f4Ry7TmXbHQQ5Eg/s1600/IMG_3340.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX57ipHPuThHtsphXRSS3qS47t2tQcCBvzZWyBe060T9kSsjEJRMIE7vBpNw3dmDUaZPUQqJihKqHMmIFKoAY_5rc3PyKwrlYtIaJclFdHbTIFEEoT-1c6Ox2f4Ry7TmXbHQQ5Eg/s400/IMG_3340.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516236872727632578" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQTeOw8f5vSbr8lLvuzqi8PeMMypNKmdKqY03KP7le8iYVauBPv11r9_SRzHH9e1hSYE7n2tTjpm8QvNXppLD3cHt9lZYwWD2vi7cbmow9x1VZjW1jhAi-FfswjGc3xH_z4FBGA/s1600/IMG_3404.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQTeOw8f5vSbr8lLvuzqi8PeMMypNKmdKqY03KP7le8iYVauBPv11r9_SRzHH9e1hSYE7n2tTjpm8QvNXppLD3cHt9lZYwWD2vi7cbmow9x1VZjW1jhAi-FfswjGc3xH_z4FBGA/s400/IMG_3404.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516236879222468978" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">nothin' like climbing trees in your underwear and hanging out with your daddy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnmi_3fFwoac4cbcXwNOP7l8qsJPtUrKzTzMzR9lPNfUrLREaKoxwVj4Q27VMlCut0xluwjiyTomCP9NK5zn0q4WA6xUGdBfZr0XUKhouzZqBQNA2GYzfDHIKTAwQWmJwncVcrw/s1600/IMG_3324.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnmi_3fFwoac4cbcXwNOP7l8qsJPtUrKzTzMzR9lPNfUrLREaKoxwVj4Q27VMlCut0xluwjiyTomCP9NK5zn0q4WA6xUGdBfZr0XUKhouzZqBQNA2GYzfDHIKTAwQWmJwncVcrw/s400/IMG_3324.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516236895407356962" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvdqoEP0j8Sm1IQFCTe2t36Ma2624ICiSUk24t6ey55z-rnv8fYBk4buSFWn1mZIYOvEIgmU9wJaafoKUr6A3mw8bAVTV7fUjNOZxif49adGEwKg76Kribg2VmoPP0EiN7Npt5g/s1600/IMG_3326.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPzVW6jSwKbTjAnjbiA4yvy5LU9y3Htq1PNzklaMNVnRRk0sF75jgqpDYIWeQJu8Cu4oURCaIa_krkRq0aMqowG8OQwwH7KXZe9H2tNxbVAnweSVwhAOUSUj_iitepYfjWBL9lg/s1600/IMG_3390.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPzVW6jSwKbTjAnjbiA4yvy5LU9y3Htq1PNzklaMNVnRRk0sF75jgqpDYIWeQJu8Cu4oURCaIa_krkRq0aMqowG8OQwwH7KXZe9H2tNxbVAnweSVwhAOUSUj_iitepYfjWBL9lg/s400/IMG_3390.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516234282605438882" /></a></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Stella's First Soccer Practice</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPzVW6jSwKbTjAnjbiA4yvy5LU9y3Htq1PNzklaMNVnRRk0sF75jgqpDYIWeQJu8Cu4oURCaIa_krkRq0aMqowG8OQwwH7KXZe9H2tNxbVAnweSVwhAOUSUj_iitepYfjWBL9lg/s1600/IMG_3390.JPG"></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PDE4q2a65zjTh6jZpyOSySMQCebD-TNacJW_wT4fDGVEa223TegFIkYRBZTNK7I-bJ_X9zr3weJY31a46BdBaZ_l_N0z7euIj_F2M6p-32CK2eQ2W-BeuS2KBiPI3AJf84UlSg/s1600/IMG_3405.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PDE4q2a65zjTh6jZpyOSySMQCebD-TNacJW_wT4fDGVEa223TegFIkYRBZTNK7I-bJ_X9zr3weJY31a46BdBaZ_l_N0z7euIj_F2M6p-32CK2eQ2W-BeuS2KBiPI3AJf84UlSg/s400/IMG_3405.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516234266860032866" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Daddy coaching Rex on the sideline.</div></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-39889458733242714872010-09-10T22:42:00.006-05:002010-09-12T22:17:27.515-05:00toot, toot.........tootI will begin by saying that I have had a rough week. Threw a little fit this evening, cried a little bit, got it back together and was ready to do a big rant of a blog to just get it all off my chest. Then 20/20 came on with some sick little kids and straightened me right up. I got a little lesson in be happy, be thankful and quit whining. So, lucky you... no rant tonight.<div><br /><div>Some of you may remember how pleasant I was during the home building process. (Not very) I got fed up with the builder and it got ugly. Anyway, I did get a wonderful house and home for my family. Yes it was very hard, yes it was all worth it and yes I would do it again. One of the many struggles I had while building the house was conveying my vision and having it carried out, specifically in the kitchen and master bath. It took lots and lots of arguing and redoing, but we did get everything right and I do love it. </div><div>A few months ago our builder called to see if we would mind him having a photographer over to take some pictures of our house to enter into the dallas home builder association design contest. Sure Why not. Which rooms? The kitchen (major battle #1) and the master bathroom (major battle #2). Of course those are the rooms. I find it very odd that the builder argued most every decision I made in those rooms, but now he thinks they are good enough to enter into a design contest. I also find it odd that he didn't design one square inch of either room, but... whatever. Long story, but guess what. Out of all of the new homes entered in Dallas, MY kitchen won FIRST PLACE!!! Amazing, surprising, very validating. After all of that drama the builder wins an award. I have to say it... thats my award. So toot toot. Thats me. I tooted my own horn.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetnIlHGxCmPI_GYwauhlgdCtpsqAmEVaaHrK9oYFaszk9UGv0KJYwgyCEh5a3YLEyL90BDsWIZJiabr6CaJ9dWzDDpyM_gnySxPas50k466da9hQQHsdKmINswO9Ma9kHZzTxiw/s1600/Kitchen.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetnIlHGxCmPI_GYwauhlgdCtpsqAmEVaaHrK9oYFaszk9UGv0KJYwgyCEh5a3YLEyL90BDsWIZJiabr6CaJ9dWzDDpyM_gnySxPas50k466da9hQQHsdKmINswO9Ma9kHZzTxiw/s400/Kitchen.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515505501158383202" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuklmMToarj3cN2tQ6EJ7g77uVrV5r8up8ZzRHTxneeAB0labKgdTptzNdm0mcKSN3Kce4qXD9x6ioBOEuBV-Dpl-Zwg2rvVy0N-mdMJ0n0st6tr1eU8bJEFFOFd8tacUcnHbLg/s1600/Master+Bath.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuklmMToarj3cN2tQ6EJ7g77uVrV5r8up8ZzRHTxneeAB0labKgdTptzNdm0mcKSN3Kce4qXD9x6ioBOEuBV-Dpl-Zwg2rvVy0N-mdMJ0n0st6tr1eU8bJEFFOFd8tacUcnHbLg/s400/Master+Bath.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515505509203855554" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The last toot is Rex! Holy Moly! I don't know what has gotten into him. He has been a handful and a half lately. I keep telling myself that its just hard while we are adjusting to our new back to school schedules, he is over tired, its a phase and/or any combination of those things. My precious little angel couldn't just be being bad. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHYSVftWc_M3B2qxoqyNkuzStBpiaiZiXX_OCEWqLbxMAH-NKO2Ci25N5pTjAzQ2LlFgAuGSG7pDB1j1K27Ky9TblTwT_Fgqi5ezDbCyCWV_WUhqeKo_gNNl4lNWth8Bn8f17HQ/s1600/IMG_3353.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHYSVftWc_M3B2qxoqyNkuzStBpiaiZiXX_OCEWqLbxMAH-NKO2Ci25N5pTjAzQ2LlFgAuGSG7pDB1j1K27Ky9TblTwT_Fgqi5ezDbCyCWV_WUhqeKo_gNNl4lNWth8Bn8f17HQ/s400/IMG_3353.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515506210133866466" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>Well he is now throwing full out fits if he is mildly unhappy. I understand a good fit now and then. But this (and others lately)... seem a little gratuitous. Today Yates wanted to go to chic-fil-a and Rex apparently did not. Yates played on the playground, Rex was fine. We sat down to eat and Rex flipped out. He screamed and thrashed and snorted throughout the entire meal. I couldn't even hold onto him b/c he was flailing around like a nut! I tried everything I could think of and was so embarrassed. I had to rush Yates through is nuggets and high tail it to the car. Put the toot in his car seat and I swear he faked sleep. He layed his head down and closed his eyes. I buckled Yates in and looked back at the little baby I was feeling sorry for b/c he must have been so sleepy to have been acting so terrible and he was smiling at me. What? Toot! If he's so smart he should just tell me that he doesn't want to go to chic-fil-a next time... save us and chic-fil-a a lot of nonsense.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwzO8wn0g8sUsIayOv9ynVIKH0ZdklmzK2LssgGNLVrHUaux2O1I0jUPla7eOgLAGBffTOjzZi3zmToKSTluay69qp0TjYe7hPxVmq2dfmYTVJ0GiaU2ZE3LAbCgF9NwIUP6Y1Q/s1600/IMG_3410.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwzO8wn0g8sUsIayOv9ynVIKH0ZdklmzK2LssgGNLVrHUaux2O1I0jUPla7eOgLAGBffTOjzZi3zmToKSTluay69qp0TjYe7hPxVmq2dfmYTVJ0GiaU2ZE3LAbCgF9NwIUP6Y1Q/s400/IMG_3410.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515505535263354514" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div>He has also decided that when he is sleepy, he wants to nurse but he doesn't want the milk. So he will nurse, jerk away, spit, scream, repeat. I'm thinking, easy solution. Here's your pacifier. Nope, he screams louder b/c he really doesn't want the pacifier, he throws the pacifier, then tries to nurse, jerk away, spit, scream, repeat some more. Needless to say he's been having to soothe himself to sleep a little bit lately. Toot! As any good mommy should say, "Its just a phase." </div><div>Doesn't he just have that look in his eye?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIk_SlbxS81UWfYDxgQeKl5TYSgjkXVzSjLMJhI683gSpJsqHVR1lcRkSeNw6v5jrG35dC13PIBiAKFFC4upFwLP4ghWUinkEZefpRD6yN7vxv5lBf6sAoAAu-e2_Q8CSXWMTA4g/s1600/IMG_3403.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIk_SlbxS81UWfYDxgQeKl5TYSgjkXVzSjLMJhI683gSpJsqHVR1lcRkSeNw6v5jrG35dC13PIBiAKFFC4upFwLP4ghWUinkEZefpRD6yN7vxv5lBf6sAoAAu-e2_Q8CSXWMTA4g/s400/IMG_3403.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515505518565406834" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-52938292721280668162010-09-02T15:50:00.003-05:002010-09-02T22:09:57.092-05:00Today after school Stella was standing in the kitchen drawing at one of the bar stools... wearing a regular dress AND her Belle dress AND her huge tutu of course:<div><br /></div><div>Me: "Stella, what are you drawing?"</div><div>Stella: "Its just an abstract with black."</div><div>Me: "Oh."</div><div><br /></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-31543095113194832662010-09-02T12:15:00.007-05:002010-09-02T23:35:28.734-05:00oh where, oh where has my little blog gone?We have been so busy trying to squeeze out every last drop of summer that I haven't blogged in ages. Now, I have some serious catching up to do. <div>It will be easiest to recap in reverse order of events. The current situation is a mild back to school chaos. Our schedules are totally haywire and I am paralyzed by confusion trying to figure out a way to make it all work. Nap time and the strict carpool line are in a huge battle with each other right now. If Stella could just have a driver, our problems would be solved... or maybe she could just ride her Barbie bike back and forth. That would work too. The boys have to nap or we will all suffer. Finding a time for them to get long enough naps or ideally an uninterrupted nap is the problem. Where there's a will there's a way... right?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSumAQT8TAqc-Kzd8wUPvewd54MhENnrpbToWxek7Q9MsfWLBgvmIyRHtdQzOgFGTb5hZKHxdmoVNbdVUeOw0clsUdJ38q4xP__kBK0B3UzFb5Fg0gs5AZrpPetOnkbwUSQJ26kA/s1600/IMG_3315.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSumAQT8TAqc-Kzd8wUPvewd54MhENnrpbToWxek7Q9MsfWLBgvmIyRHtdQzOgFGTb5hZKHxdmoVNbdVUeOw0clsUdJ38q4xP__kBK0B3UzFb5Fg0gs5AZrpPetOnkbwUSQJ26kA/s400/IMG_3315.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512533121017524738" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>So big sister Stella is in real school! She started pre-k at Good Shepherd on August 25th. She is in the afternoon 1/2 day class every day and so far it is going really well. We have her school schedule down, its just the poor little brothers that aren't sorted out. So not fair. She has a cute little uniform and backpack and off she goes. Every day I ask her to tell me one thing she learned during school that day and I haven't gotten a good answer yet. Still waiting. Today she took her paints and paint brushes to show and tell. How cute!</div><div><b>Yates</b></div><div>The boys are doing great. Yates is loving some time without Stella's constant high energy and volume levels. For the first time in his life he is getting a chance to talk without being talked over or corrected. I am really happy for this time for and with him. Last night we were trying to get Stella to choose her favorite thing to take to show and tell and Yates interjected, "Hey, my favorite thing is 'hot cholly meeulk'." (What he calls chocolate milk and yes, he is addicted.)</div><div><b>Rex</b></div><div>Rex is crawling and can say "da-da." He is still so smiley and cute. He has completely learned a baby of the family technique - he is big time into fake crying. It is so silly. When Stella or Yates touch him in the face or head or even get too close to him he screams and cries. Pa-lease! The cute things he is doing is playing little games like trying to "get me" and he laughs hysterically if I hold him in the air tilt him forward. So funny. </div><div><b>Atlanta</b></div><div>Last weekend, we attended my cousin Tiffany's wedding in Atlanta with my parents. The Wednesday before we left, also the first day of school, Rex woke up with a 103+ fever. He was irritable and lethargic with the fever so I ran him to the doctor knowing we were flying to Atlanta Saturday morning. The doctor said he had a virus and we were fine to go. But poor Rex kept the fever and felt terrible the entire rest of the week and weekend. We just took turns holding him constantly so he could sleep everywhere we went. We were all so sore from so much big limp baby holding. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80lf56y6OuB74z_9evfFPwlNPyyVz28gSW8oSClh-Cp2L0fP2icy8HE5B5IAtJvFmkyZz8A61oo1XvhqdTF7UvqJRQBBBCP945Ie5KGqSszwbPvEYZ8Dmg6UEwXGyj3EipTESaQ/s1600/rexbigcarseat.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80lf56y6OuB74z_9evfFPwlNPyyVz28gSW8oSClh-Cp2L0fP2icy8HE5B5IAtJvFmkyZz8A61oo1XvhqdTF7UvqJRQBBBCP945Ie5KGqSszwbPvEYZ8Dmg6UEwXGyj3EipTESaQ/s400/rexbigcarseat.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512533095236726146" style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Rex was in a near coma for days, but I put him in the big boy carseat on the way to the doctor and he came to life...</b></span></div><div> The wedding was very nice and we are so happy for Tiffany and Rex (her new husband/ major name coincidence). We crammed so many things into the weekend, Latino street fair with tons of food and bouncy things for the kids (FUUUN!), Braves game (the boys officially started their baseball field tour and got their first baseball), </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6CBzh9rfZ4bMHQdci7UQNCn56Q77iBsCz6TpW51zFe_d6DTYgXXAj5ilp9SS9ptHhQV7knDvdwqOkqV9zfAL5dI5OOVMZt00JhRYb1RHAYin8axK_R-Q8wLk3IKZ7GjTlMj6OQ/s1600/bravesgame.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6CBzh9rfZ4bMHQdci7UQNCn56Q77iBsCz6TpW51zFe_d6DTYgXXAj5ilp9SS9ptHhQV7knDvdwqOkqV9zfAL5dI5OOVMZt00JhRYb1RHAYin8axK_R-Q8wLk3IKZ7GjTlMj6OQ/s400/bravesgame.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512533087193254546" style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6CBzh9rfZ4bMHQdci7UQNCn56Q77iBsCz6TpW51zFe_d6DTYgXXAj5ilp9SS9ptHhQV7knDvdwqOkqV9zfAL5dI5OOVMZt00JhRYb1RHAYin8axK_R-Q8wLk3IKZ7GjTlMj6OQ/s1600/bravesgame.JPG"></a>nice restaurant (Yates and Rex slept through an entire dinner) and after so much fun we almost missed the wedding... the whole reason we were there! We got into a huge argument over the directions and got all turned around and barely made it in time! Terrible! Tiffany looked beautiful, the bridesmaids dresses were fabulous and Tiffany's decor was really pretty. She had a fun photo booth that caught some really hilarious pictures.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="-webkit-user-select: none" src="http://smilebooth.smugmug.com/Smilebooth/tiffany-rex/MG4621/989811573_EEdeG-M-1.jpg" /><img style="-webkit-user-select: none" src="http://smilebooth.smugmug.com/Smilebooth/tiffany-rex/MG4629/989812730_oU4VZ-M-1.jpg" /><img style="-webkit-user-select: none" src="http://smilebooth.smugmug.com/Smilebooth/tiffany-rex/MG4616/989810959_PxxjE-M-1.jpg" /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>California</b></div><div>We were in California with the whole Grabham family up until the first day of school. We stayed in a great house in an amazing location in Dana point. The house was the very last house on a huge cliff overlooking the ocean and bordered a nature preserve. The house amusingly had "wall to wall" carpet and the kids loooooved it! They ran and jumped and flipped and rolled and cartwheeled and did handstands and crawled and squirmed. Who knew? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FzYVroUPPGHZrtyxQQy-fYQxT2Lw74bSWFZXePQzU2RN5RSA9smF2_Y_wL6FS0YVoEOGxp3bH515GGUAU4AO55caONaUlgXgGN4wqAwogPNjfKI3KRGmIP_KlrvSBBdAvkf7RA/s1600/grabhammenbeach.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FzYVroUPPGHZrtyxQQy-fYQxT2Lw74bSWFZXePQzU2RN5RSA9smF2_Y_wL6FS0YVoEOGxp3bH515GGUAU4AO55caONaUlgXgGN4wqAwogPNjfKI3KRGmIP_KlrvSBBdAvkf7RA/s400/grabhammenbeach.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512536366781323682" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">How many Grabham men can you get on one beach?</span></b></div><div>We got to spend time with precious baby cousin Charlee and celebrate Anne's birthday with her. Michael and I got to do some art shopping and a little regular shopping and that was fun. We had a seriously exhausting hike to the beach from the house, but we went every day anyway. Loved it! </div><div>Stella is a beach girl through and through. We are always amazed at how sandy she gets. She leaves no portion of her body sand free. After the beach one day she was writing a list of words. She had a coloring book with some blank lines and she decided she needed to write a word on each line that went with a color. The first color was grey and the word she wrote was "PALKIN." It took me a minute to get it, but then I did... Oooohhh... pelican... of course... A few days later she was hiding golf balls around the house and drew a map in the carpet to help people find the hidden balls. What? Who draws maps when they're 4? She is too much.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRn4zprO0r2pGtkV9Dt9A_a-Ipp1ukXX8BSC_ZDyos0K1bVKllhCx8oygz5Syu0L9Afp5KDxM2uuj95g18iBXyMOjrE0nf9cscdpee0QhmPthgs4VHIVRkW7iL8uUAPNRL7QIFTQ/s1600/SJsandnap.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRn4zprO0r2pGtkV9Dt9A_a-Ipp1ukXX8BSC_ZDyos0K1bVKllhCx8oygz5Syu0L9Afp5KDxM2uuj95g18iBXyMOjrE0nf9cscdpee0QhmPthgs4VHIVRkW7iL8uUAPNRL7QIFTQ/s400/SJsandnap.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512533105128352530" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">She really fell asleep like this. Michael had to move an umbrella over her...</span></b></div><div>Yates had fun chasing the "toikeys" (seagulls), digging holes and moving sand. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCc2d0Guma_quShZy9oNRAa_tGNzNGNcU_7LcaSHATSuKOQ9re20BPF5tabT6Ty-XFJ6UHCkiQsBhOst-xA-bqSBtLmzf2n3yXjEELyTVv3QNYHq8HSSs-ePIcn5wAljFVAcBy0Q/s1600/Yatesbeach.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCc2d0Guma_quShZy9oNRAa_tGNzNGNcU_7LcaSHATSuKOQ9re20BPF5tabT6Ty-XFJ6UHCkiQsBhOst-xA-bqSBtLmzf2n3yXjEELyTVv3QNYHq8HSSs-ePIcn5wAljFVAcBy0Q/s400/Yatesbeach.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512533111353555250" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div>Rex ate sand and ate more sand and ate more sand and ate more sand. It was so gross. He couldn't get enough and he had the diapers to prove it. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LCLrJ9xxUzaxJPC8MQyjFoeYl2OZYv2kQHVyaHXEUJwePf7xFsgb6NoBWrrzC3u0Qm04K39s3fNbUmj2WzwOF5PJ2MOf4CTQx0cnw8ABQauavinjptyBcS0PweFjsJkNd-Yvhg/s1600/IMG_3292.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LCLrJ9xxUzaxJPC8MQyjFoeYl2OZYv2kQHVyaHXEUJwePf7xFsgb6NoBWrrzC3u0Qm04K39s3fNbUmj2WzwOF5PJ2MOf4CTQx0cnw8ABQauavinjptyBcS0PweFjsJkNd-Yvhg/s400/IMG_3292.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512536349042285858" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div>I am so glad they all like the beach. If we could only get them to carry their own gear... ugh! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZpwKYe9DQOvB6j1VU9KlaiE2qJK9dJHwhKqcBKiJBexO1TQ17f0KUSVDjq5lk_oxAVqlHaelv3ZcXQ2GbbUPSqkmAahhlL77EAvB6vkSFwv243lQU1K7n7cOtrjxujyZLM0hPw/s1600/IMG_3299.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZpwKYe9DQOvB6j1VU9KlaiE2qJK9dJHwhKqcBKiJBexO1TQ17f0KUSVDjq5lk_oxAVqlHaelv3ZcXQ2GbbUPSqkmAahhlL77EAvB6vkSFwv243lQU1K7n7cOtrjxujyZLM0hPw/s400/IMG_3299.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512536356513570626" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bye Bye Summer : (</div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-29663228831300641972010-08-05T22:26:00.007-05:002010-08-08T23:02:35.501-05:00Duh...<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCT2rnn5YCfO5ksPMvN8SlVpwJSAwkT7eaqA6nwZjxQnBFmhFMJ8xYkoRBbZ0cSdpp132U3bJ6dcD_waZ41HNvRehj2qyl9BPTGOhr8ALocnLRH7WziPTbhn09jYacjyUwscp8TA/s1600/IMG_3183.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCT2rnn5YCfO5ksPMvN8SlVpwJSAwkT7eaqA6nwZjxQnBFmhFMJ8xYkoRBbZ0cSdpp132U3bJ6dcD_waZ41HNvRehj2qyl9BPTGOhr8ALocnLRH7WziPTbhn09jYacjyUwscp8TA/s400/IMG_3183.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503254585418412546" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">SJ reading to Rex</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This was a bit of our dinner conversation Thursday night:</div><div><br /></div><div>Yates: "Mommy, where did I get my blue truck?"</div><div>Me: "Gigi and Gabby at Christmas."</div><div>Yates: "Oh... Where did I get my 'Light-ing Mic King tar'?"</div><div>Me: "Ummm, I don't remember."</div><div>Michael: "Target, Buddy. It came from Target."</div><div>Yates: "Oh... Mommy! This came from Tardet!"</div><div>Me: "Oh, ok, great."</div><div>Yates: "Mommy, Where did I get my 'darbage' man truck?"</div><div>Me: "Pink and Bop at Christmas."</div><div>Yates: "Oh......... Mommy, where did we get our people?"</div><div>Me: "Our people? What?"</div><div>Yates: "Yeah, like me, Dallah, Bex, Daddy, Sasha."</div><div>Stella: "God made the people and we 'buyed' the dogs!"</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8k5JjndUZJf_PNT_06gNcT2s7RcXNZOktlGo4wsLYlpdI_jsyCnMWPp-zGAa50Rl1hIP-2bxhyphenhyphen8Xwnp12EATcmC9pTgkIv2D3W-RMt3SXvzUjTKyKK06jvVyQqBnT-pdCk2UxQ/s1600/IMG_3207.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8k5JjndUZJf_PNT_06gNcT2s7RcXNZOktlGo4wsLYlpdI_jsyCnMWPp-zGAa50Rl1hIP-2bxhyphenhyphen8Xwnp12EATcmC9pTgkIv2D3W-RMt3SXvzUjTKyKK06jvVyQqBnT-pdCk2UxQ/s400/IMG_3207.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503254578169311202" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Some guys Michael works with parked a four wheeler on a trailer at our house for a few hours one day. Yates was in heaven. He climbed on it in the 100 degree blazing hot weather for an hour asking me what every button, fender, screw, knob, hinge, bolt, light, hose... did. At one point I pointed to the trailer and asked Yates if it indeed was a trailer since we had identified every other thing out there and he tilted his head to the side, squinted and said, "Yeah, it should be."</div><div><br /></div><div>Rex = overachiever. He's trying so hard to crawl but first he had to master pushups.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpTVnsB2_8xLjFDydjcWqw8-LIlvTPZhWXtT7920BJdG6K_k69SiDlmKKCaGwDg6-C5Dcsm4mIcm1iOlVLISkjDv_rP66a-gsCE0AlkajGGVjOxPfOnFTSvundieXZxr8dd7Ghw/s1600/IMG_3270.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpTVnsB2_8xLjFDydjcWqw8-LIlvTPZhWXtT7920BJdG6K_k69SiDlmKKCaGwDg6-C5Dcsm4mIcm1iOlVLISkjDv_rP66a-gsCE0AlkajGGVjOxPfOnFTSvundieXZxr8dd7Ghw/s400/IMG_3270.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503254597620349538" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCzXDTauRWBpiMyymb9Vni1d2K6Cu5YKJ-L26NT04sjTF8oWkTpsIXaRJUSFcuNpSY3eM6udzt4iu-80X-c2kCkhyFvLZTKNXTGiokNINhsByq81YwBumUEgrHYyJIn-T1wJ8VQ/s1600/IMG_3269.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCzXDTauRWBpiMyymb9Vni1d2K6Cu5YKJ-L26NT04sjTF8oWkTpsIXaRJUSFcuNpSY3eM6udzt4iu-80X-c2kCkhyFvLZTKNXTGiokNINhsByq81YwBumUEgrHYyJIn-T1wJ8VQ/s400/IMG_3269.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503254593881025570" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCV4x6MQa7zPVmrFrg3MWeGDlvdM0Uplpl7cpE2DeEzVCdCq6zM0ceWSC2j6jKDKBEtKuYwuCBV85tROsnThjCrgS_RplrNYCMVuD1R6joLp12PsI8nylnKlthpXTQoS1f0byPiA/s1600/IMG_3268.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCV4x6MQa7zPVmrFrg3MWeGDlvdM0Uplpl7cpE2DeEzVCdCq6zM0ceWSC2j6jKDKBEtKuYwuCBV85tROsnThjCrgS_RplrNYCMVuD1R6joLp12PsI8nylnKlthpXTQoS1f0byPiA/s400/IMG_3268.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503254569650600322" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-57155611087205485482010-07-28T21:28:00.006-05:002010-07-28T22:03:07.337-05:00Normal? Normal...<div style="text-align: left;">Today was a full day. We ran lots and lots of errands. Usually we can only make two or three stops before something goes haywire. We managed to get away without Yates' flip flops, but lucky for us we store no less than 10 alternative pairs of shoes in our car. We were able to adjust and wear our fireman boots all day instead. This was great because they matched his pajama shirt he chose to wear today so well.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl96O1AGyqgV4AHV0AekyjNhoo5S7bAukiNUL4QjGApd9IxF4nIm3DhZNS4ep3U9iYdMCJ4V3bk87MGQp8L9rTsUFRaPFq8vpbrBgrB7okbdeIJ7_dskQQa8nsZ7eUtTYjzxOrGw/s1600/IMG_3116.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl96O1AGyqgV4AHV0AekyjNhoo5S7bAukiNUL4QjGApd9IxF4nIm3DhZNS4ep3U9iYdMCJ4V3bk87MGQp8L9rTsUFRaPFq8vpbrBgrB7okbdeIJ7_dskQQa8nsZ7eUtTYjzxOrGw/s400/IMG_3116.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499157565395714914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdn3kSUOUGva25tMEIblhL-lm2THWV5pMinnVUxZrgku87LgnfYi5mBqZ91NwApcTZSumJAnpK1Ra1pvYjc-ACx5v1OTHS-wRw7CQdgkgxebh0blM4_sokOfC0gwbbPizBKyqAg/s1600/IMG_3100.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdn3kSUOUGva25tMEIblhL-lm2THWV5pMinnVUxZrgku87LgnfYi5mBqZ91NwApcTZSumJAnpK1Ra1pvYjc-ACx5v1OTHS-wRw7CQdgkgxebh0blM4_sokOfC0gwbbPizBKyqAg/s400/IMG_3100.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499157586895226354" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a><br /><div>I don't even think I can remember what all we did today because we did so much. I do know that we made some returns, some purchases, handled some franchise tax issues, went potty lots of times, had lunch at Cafe "Buffetts" (Express) which ended abruptly by Yates throwing up in his bowl of macaroni, sat on the phone with Canon... twice, sat on the phone with the Texas Controller's office... twice, went to the bank, shipped a package, ordered some gifts, went to try on new swimsuits for mommy, cleaned up Sasha pee, stripped and washed some cushions she tee teed on, made dinner, picked up the house, bathed 3 babies, brushed some teeth, cut Stella's hair, rescued Rex from sucking on a battery, put all three babies to bed, and of course I got pooped on. Now I am waiting on Michael to get home. I guess it was just a normal day ; )</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uslwEmXPqy0-_doS5TKRcf7x4Ufb0yZOxli_Rl2uDZA7xAv67mSq-w6_C_AECGb8OosK7SeW3YaLgFPLeCW08ddDhmUwAtccu-bAvHzpirn1kiDtQgaB75ZH6ky32IfgrarVgA/s1600/IMG_3069.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uslwEmXPqy0-_doS5TKRcf7x4Ufb0yZOxli_Rl2uDZA7xAv67mSq-w6_C_AECGb8OosK7SeW3YaLgFPLeCW08ddDhmUwAtccu-bAvHzpirn1kiDtQgaB75ZH6ky32IfgrarVgA/s400/IMG_3069.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499157557638310914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyM5IDJQupwPHooqjvoiuE1jA9yo6n1WZFke92UgYv8PhwQu6RE4ZL7THh4NbSeEKNukJay5ESMkvNLWP70KptWMc4d7Apd84ejrqMVsZQw4Vim7re8wPlnZcNsYygupv81sp5WQ/s1600/IMG_3151.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyM5IDJQupwPHooqjvoiuE1jA9yo6n1WZFke92UgYv8PhwQu6RE4ZL7THh4NbSeEKNukJay5ESMkvNLWP70KptWMc4d7Apd84ejrqMVsZQw4Vim7re8wPlnZcNsYygupv81sp5WQ/s400/IMG_3151.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499157576426018130" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>If I ever do have a real normal day again, there is no telling what I will do. I'm vacillating between writing a book and becoming a full-time-crazy-cigarette-smoking-up-all-night-artist. Fortunately for my family's sake, I don't have time to succumb to either of those urges. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbazIBeICWfcxdTU51v_LnXDP8SHX8MafTAqBMLRM_UGzWJWCIGtwYcfDjbhmrORZ-vFOQBdk-JiXVTSVk0RktSKgdiUAPJBEuGXouVTkoQEx3UuAKxYjpgQgo5afv-WHXi5MRXw/s1600/IMG_2989.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbazIBeICWfcxdTU51v_LnXDP8SHX8MafTAqBMLRM_UGzWJWCIGtwYcfDjbhmrORZ-vFOQBdk-JiXVTSVk0RktSKgdiUAPJBEuGXouVTkoQEx3UuAKxYjpgQgo5afv-WHXi5MRXw/s400/IMG_2989.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499157550045749202" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 329px; " /></a></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-63411113433167562252010-07-13T22:42:00.007-05:002010-07-13T23:29:38.423-05:00my little baby<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYytPJrWrm4eDvUVucA5RQSX1SUDfFzxxCJluFJgaHLAx6j_82zJO352I0Q3e1L84YfNbctmonnmND9zD9HtaMO8nblZFPl4AAk_UPSghVoBUPrEFhxXXBcDc1O_HbecuOSncEA/s1600/IMG_3019.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYytPJrWrm4eDvUVucA5RQSX1SUDfFzxxCJluFJgaHLAx6j_82zJO352I0Q3e1L84YfNbctmonnmND9zD9HtaMO8nblZFPl4AAk_UPSghVoBUPrEFhxXXBcDc1O_HbecuOSncEA/s400/IMG_3019.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493606568767702898" /></a></div>Rex is 6 months old today!!! And I must say, he is one good lookin' kid. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbALuyLRX-tl_kAND_xmBj7QjnJzIO807MDNmr9e-cCXlXk3TYxeZXetQhDfiPqrE_i-m26iGci8TZKjYyw6k8KN6onH1upFLyz8r6U27Bay5zFjBOOwhpX8rtfsyj5lRzKbmxw/s1600/IMG_3048.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbALuyLRX-tl_kAND_xmBj7QjnJzIO807MDNmr9e-cCXlXk3TYxeZXetQhDfiPqrE_i-m26iGci8TZKjYyw6k8KN6onH1upFLyz8r6U27Bay5zFjBOOwhpX8rtfsyj5lRzKbmxw/s400/IMG_3048.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493606589409645042" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div>For some reason he decided to be fussy today and he is never, ever, ever fussy. I thought it was odd that he picked his very first 1/2 birthday to fuss.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Other than today, Rex is still so happy, so easy, so calm and compliant. He loves watching Stella and Yates and he has the most amazing laugh and precious smile. He smiles all the time and rarely ever cries. The only times he cries are for the obvious reasons... hungry, dirty, sleepy... pretty straight forward. Lately, he has been loving playing on the floor. He rolls and rolls around and scoots backward. He isn't crawling, but he can really move.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxVXhnGkLjWJd6ogRwEZEs46VBjSwTcd1DtWkpp2lJC69MjYZqB6VuB8kzvU3THVW7ahWWDPt6oMYc' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div>Gearing up for his 1/2 birthday Rex tried some banana baby food, teething biscuits and stars. He liked all of it. He didn't wince, or shiver or make a face like Stella and Yates did. He just ate. I pretty much wet my pants the first time S and Y tried food b/c their reactions were so hilarious and dramatic. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4NgDQHKjalrJRPm1fEMfJqE__90_Uks_INO4km4357FLuLKQ96FX40vkPAi4eVzU7V7YLdPBzMQPfLfUUqOZ0KX5SP7Z-FbUUv86o1waXZsSWBwsM-0UfifECfcr_0WyA3PlUQ/s1600/IMG_3060.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4NgDQHKjalrJRPm1fEMfJqE__90_Uks_INO4km4357FLuLKQ96FX40vkPAi4eVzU7V7YLdPBzMQPfLfUUqOZ0KX5SP7Z-FbUUv86o1waXZsSWBwsM-0UfifECfcr_0WyA3PlUQ/s400/IMG_3060.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493606616454806114" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div>He is officially not allowed to sit in his bumbo any more. He has jumped out of it several times and this morning he jumped out of it as soon as his bootie touched the bottom of the seat. He jumps out and lands in a belly flop/ sky diving sort of position. So safe. Rex is my constant companion. He goes everywhere I go. I'm surprised we haven't glued together somehow. He literally cries if he can't reach me. So, I just wag him around all day, every day. He doesn't sit on my hip very well for very long. He always corkscrews in my arms until I let him sit facing out on my hip. He loves it, but my arm is so tired by the end of the day.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSPekLfNkLI_OGJjZRj34q5wK9M4eN0TBb9cyteVdVwGu4SvSW0bqAWCOFOx2SHHRcJ5uWb_J95mIQ0xXnp1EeiGgoqOws-d-z7XJXcILzzQowBGfcz2vEIpsCjZ4mkkPwhbpJQ/s1600/IMG_3033.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSPekLfNkLI_OGJjZRj34q5wK9M4eN0TBb9cyteVdVwGu4SvSW0bqAWCOFOx2SHHRcJ5uWb_J95mIQ0xXnp1EeiGgoqOws-d-z7XJXcILzzQowBGfcz2vEIpsCjZ4mkkPwhbpJQ/s400/IMG_3033.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493606581296130530" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>Six months is our official co-sleeping cut off, so its time for Rex to make the big move to his crib. By 6 months I think we are all ready, but its so sad to have to end it. I will not be sad to say goodbye to the crick I've had in my neck since he was born, but I will miss his sweet little face sleeping next to me.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHRCQ0fF0yQNE1fxODfAUou0jc9dYez1F0OmkbXth7b8NVdBIIQT2wbw-nmdiXoSKGRDKeJgqO2M5rLA1lfpTOl5QnigWHfy1sLHM3I8KbEfMvSXeMhUXL8qMjVo5ISfuSe1qFw/s1600/IMG_3057.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHRCQ0fF0yQNE1fxODfAUou0jc9dYez1F0OmkbXth7b8NVdBIIQT2wbw-nmdiXoSKGRDKeJgqO2M5rLA1lfpTOl5QnigWHfy1sLHM3I8KbEfMvSXeMhUXL8qMjVo5ISfuSe1qFw/s400/IMG_3057.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493606608618269074" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I still have a blog to write about our fabulous vacation, but this one had to come first...</div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-66799932337612689862010-07-01T14:58:00.012-05:002010-07-07T09:06:43.210-05:00All together now...<div><div><br /><div>Countdown (countup) to vacation... Is it just us or does everyone get sick or something when its time to go on a trip.</div><div><br /></div><div>#1 Sasha Louise</div>Poor Sasha has been "sick" since the beginning of May. Stella, Yates, Rex, Sasha and I have probably spent 12 hours together lately at one vet or another. With my mild case of germophobia and 30 little fingers to watch this is great. Anyway, Sasha's ordeal started one night while Michael was out of town. She was sleeping on her bed and started to whine, then she barked, jumped up ran and stood in an awkward place in our bedroom. It worried me, so I got up and checked her out. She was limping but seemed to be fine, so we went back to bed. After that night her limping kept getting worse and worse. At her worst she could barely raise herself up off the floor and would lay around on the floor all day crying loudly. It was so sad. She would wail if we went upstairs because she couldn't. She would cry so loudly that most days I would have to carry her up and down the stairs. This is bad because I fall down the stairs about once a week alone. Carrying a huge brown dog doesn't make it any easier for me. We just kept taking her to vets and trying different drug combinations. Finally, four days before we left for our vacation, a specialist diagnosed her "lameness" as an immune mediated arthritis most likely caused by a tick bite. What I understood is that she contracted rocky mountain spotted fever from this tick bite and her immune system went into overdrive trying to heal and began to attack her joints causing pain and "lameness." <div>Poor baby has had 2 rounds of antibiotics and is on prednisone and pain medication. She seems like she feels much better and is able to get around now. But now we are dealing with side effects from the medications. The prednisone is making her unable to "control her bladder" to put it nicely. She just lays down, totally pees everywhere, doesn't even know it and lays in it. Its awful, sad and a huge mess. I've been following her around with a towel and sneaking it under her everywhere she lays down. </div><div><br /></div><div>#2 Yates Meredith</div><div>One afternoon (3 days before vacation) Stella, Yates, Rex and I were getting ready go to swim with the Belf girls. Stella was sitting on the bathroom counter, Rex was in his bumbo, I was sitting on the floor pumping (gross, I know, but I'm just saying my hands were full) and Yates was playing around on the floor. Yates decided that he wanted to get up on the counter where Stella was sitting and was trying to climb the drawer fronts and knobs to get up there. Stella did not want him up with her and pushed him. In a split second, his toes slipped off the knob he was perched on and his top teeth hit the countertop breaking 3 of them!!!!! He was screaming, crying and bleeding. It was terrible. He calmed down quickly considering and I immediately called my mom. One of his front teeth was bleeding around the gum and was very loose. The bloody one and two others were broken. Of course I had visions of all these teeth falling out in my hands. </div><div>Stella got a serious reprimand and Yates said he still wanted to go swim. It wouldn't have done any good to sit around and think about those teeth, so off to the pool we went. </div><div>The next day, I took him into the dentist and had his teeth checked. His xrays looked good other than the fact that the teeth had been pushed up a bit, no serious damage. We will go back in a week or two to recheck everything.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMsvwIVNu83yD0LBbwUpvg7VOghhhrSXmEGe0eK_q0NwliSD12elor8l9mXnNVz1QjPXzyJBub_8ahQk_BBvjaez5i7NSGHGtRpvkJx9W5xPUiWTvLAsztuVfm1VA_zioE-Xhew/s1600/teeth.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMsvwIVNu83yD0LBbwUpvg7VOghhhrSXmEGe0eK_q0NwliSD12elor8l9mXnNVz1QjPXzyJBub_8ahQk_BBvjaez5i7NSGHGtRpvkJx9W5xPUiWTvLAsztuVfm1VA_zioE-Xhew/s400/teeth.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491161273524205810" style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>For now, Yates has 3 messed up teeth and our marble counter top has 3 teeth marks in it. He is one tough little guy. </div><div><br /></div><div>#3 Stella Jane</div><div>We're off. All packed up in the car, headed to Florida for a week of beach and sun. Everything is going great, we hadn't forgotten anything and we are so looking forward to some time to relax. It was Saturday evening, about 3 hours into our 12 hour drive to Florida and we were in East Texas nearing the Louisiana border. I looked back at Stella and she had full out snot running out of her right eye, worse than I have ever seen! Great. We're stuck in this car, on a Saturday, in the middle of no where with a serious eye infection. I get on the phone and start calling doctors to call in something for us along our route. Simple enough, right? Wrong. No one will prescribe a medication for an eye infection without seeing it first to determine if its viral or bacterial. Also, we had about 45 miles until we were in Louisiana where no Texas doctors could help us. Ok, no big deal. We have a family friend ENT doctor in Louisiana. We'll try to call him. Called and got some suggestions from him to help us limp along until we could find someone to see Stella. Michael and I almost wore our iphones out looking for 24 hour clinics on I-20. Here's a hint... THERE ARENT ANY! There are, but "open 24/7" means 9-5 Monday - Friday to them. Stella was getting worse and worse. Her eye was swollen shut and she had an inch wide glob of goo running from her eye all the way down her cheek. This was not going to wait until Monday. We stopped at an emergency room in Monroe, but they had a 4 hour wait. Not going to work. They suggested a pediatric after hours clinic that we could try to make it to. It was 9:45, the place closed at 10:00 so we raced to find it. We made it with 4 minutes to spare. I ran up to the door... they close at 8 on Saturdays... Back in the car. Back on the highway. Back on the iphones. Finally we found a clinic we thought would work in Jackson, MS. We had planned to drive through the night, but stopped, got a hotel room and packed all 5 of us in there. Poor Michael slept with Stella with a pillow in between them and I slept with the boys, hoping to keep them from getting sick too. Yates and Rex, slept against me so close that when I got up in the morning leaving them asleep, the spot left between them was about 6" wide. Anyway, Sunday morning, Father's Day, we unglue Stella's eye, grab some breakfast and head over to this clinic. We spend about four hours total, waiting and getting prescriptions filled. Stella got a shot and three medications that she had to take throughout the entire vacation. Poor thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>A few of our normal moments:</div><div><br /></div><div>Yates tells us that when Rex gets bigger he is going to teach him "bulldozer stupff, dump truck stupff, man stupff." Lesson one: chain saw stupff.<div><br /><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Plb0eTQlIoNP6EQYmXH0hee8_DzoEdT3QhHVwoN7V41RkP-hO2uQgjcd5hRNaaAQagEBhywl3I86sI_Iq3lOj0maX3dGxX6oRNz_-vmmzvE86Nztd35Q7CnHhDCn8tzYnoKAQQ/s1600/IMG_2770.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Plb0eTQlIoNP6EQYmXH0hee8_DzoEdT3QhHVwoN7V41RkP-hO2uQgjcd5hRNaaAQagEBhywl3I86sI_Iq3lOj0maX3dGxX6oRNz_-vmmzvE86Nztd35Q7CnHhDCn8tzYnoKAQQ/s400/IMG_2770.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491159713332962354" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; ">Several days a week S and Y play in our shoes. Usually they are "cleaning them" for us. This day they were so proud they told me to go get the camera. </div><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwz0jROUp70ofv1ygaFsX0ciI3SU5GiE34ZY179579DgaBULqYsluNcZlGeUymwIupDE5C7N3d3tBYHwMRO3vQDmUhF4fKmXVXjOPTsXIvAYz_Rm069PDwYhwYCb3U40vnG0QlQ/s1600/IMG_2754.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwz0jROUp70ofv1ygaFsX0ciI3SU5GiE34ZY179579DgaBULqYsluNcZlGeUymwIupDE5C7N3d3tBYHwMRO3vQDmUhF4fKmXVXjOPTsXIvAYz_Rm069PDwYhwYCb3U40vnG0QlQ/s400/IMG_2754.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491159707717493570" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwz0jROUp70ofv1ygaFsX0ciI3SU5GiE34ZY179579DgaBULqYsluNcZlGeUymwIupDE5C7N3d3tBYHwMRO3vQDmUhF4fKmXVXjOPTsXIvAYz_Rm069PDwYhwYCb3U40vnG0QlQ/s1600/IMG_2754.JPG"></a>Yates has a lot of work to do. Cape, swim suit, flip flops and his "weeder," Cape, underwear, and remote control bullozer. Work, work, work.<br /><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EpL4oofunf_ucgogs1th0nBkUNiEkYIxl9vKYAV05Ne2MtBVZGIaUA-OX1XearXhNBRHbA3cEwtfv1n8t6JaICWhgU9CtmvsWphv6ApJgaEUh852D7ZUhuMyAO3qJnyRU5IvRQ/s1600/IMG_2778.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EpL4oofunf_ucgogs1th0nBkUNiEkYIxl9vKYAV05Ne2MtBVZGIaUA-OX1XearXhNBRHbA3cEwtfv1n8t6JaICWhgU9CtmvsWphv6ApJgaEUh852D7ZUhuMyAO3qJnyRU5IvRQ/s400/IMG_2778.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491159698559359874" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbMLlkCCnYKgkjTPCuxo-IehvxnyZjlhWbIa8FaI4D-Lo2lHuJgwc27OrZs8V_hgHNdLPQKYsU_EnLLVTjS9FWePd7Z-JHxCYI9GMu5-6LI-iOR1bV8z56bjCVqqEqBARAQEb4g/s400/IMG_2792.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491159682362662434" style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-37829543075598484312010-06-15T23:45:00.005-05:002010-07-01T14:54:37.194-05:00Pool, Party, Pottery, Pancakes... Part 2The rest of the story was that we went to one of those pottery places where you can paint the piece you choose. Stella loved it! I loved it! Yates participated for a while then decided to roam around and barely touch everything in there. At one point he pulled his shorts off and put them back on. Who knows... S and Y made father's day gifts for Michael, a mug and a lidded box. They're going to be sooo cute!<div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY3orGFc1nHtHGm0zq3wmVjX9JtSzig09Z3KICQxklzaZ7Nl8zIiK0Ka8M_piicuAyjAFnXz537jHm03tq-Q0UAXi6pqOFZJ6e4LEDQ9vjWVhiX4nbsYK4nn6Q75IGb_5PiAolA/s1600/pottery.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY3orGFc1nHtHGm0zq3wmVjX9JtSzig09Z3KICQxklzaZ7Nl8zIiK0Ka8M_piicuAyjAFnXz537jHm03tq-Q0UAXi6pqOFZJ6e4LEDQ9vjWVhiX4nbsYK4nn6Q75IGb_5PiAolA/s400/pottery.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483232183182198850" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div> <div style="text-align: left;">As we were leaving it started to pour and we were soaked. Once we had all made it into the car we were all laughing so hard b/c we were so, so wet. It turned into some silly song about our hair being wet, our toes being wet and even our baby was all wet. Sweet Rex looked pretty confused about how and why he had gotten so wet but didn't complain.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIzcFDolWctOdhGyLJ1kk5D_lVv0UIItJRlq59FtburtIkDFG4EJrp03yWkTZl7xBKMUdkowR7fjY-hCYnKWURH-eWerK1zdKfV7TiFxQBvkucJf5OJH9eNHUkRmLt_UcUL6fyQ/s400/pancakes.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483232176024869186" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div>We ended up at Breadwinners for lunch and the kids both chose to have pancakes for lunch. Its summertime. Why not?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJXHnOwtdKKCZlluycHMYDgTibOuXNJ_EYJLXidFwlRAeJV-DfoYTkYkSG_H1e__RdaoeSzk3hL5iX5b89X5_Il45cxWo0W3MjJDcPtavsV1RqykyBM5HI62y_bPhuXjsCqkfZg/s1600/peace.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJXHnOwtdKKCZlluycHMYDgTibOuXNJ_EYJLXidFwlRAeJV-DfoYTkYkSG_H1e__RdaoeSzk3hL5iX5b89X5_Il45cxWo0W3MjJDcPtavsV1RqykyBM5HI62y_bPhuXjsCqkfZg/s400/peace.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483232177595752018" style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">All of these pictures are from my iphone. Sorry about that. But this last one is a rare shot of Stella and Yates sitting together peacefully. Yates walked up to Stella and asked if he could sit with her... how cute. She said sure and made him a spot. </div><div style="text-align: left;">I'd also like to point out Yates' shirts in these pictures. One is a too small turquoise tshirt with Bam Bam's body and neck. Its pretty atrocious, but he loves it and insists on wearing it. If the Bam Bam shirt is dirty, then he insists on wearing his too small gray bulldozer shirt. One might say, buy the boy some clothes that fit. I do! I've even sacrificed my own fashion rules and have purchased shirts with cranes and jeeps and stuff on them. He will not wear them. Basically, Yates is only happy with his outfit 2 days a week. Bam Bam day and bulldozer day. The rest of the week he regretfully settles on some of his more attractive shirts. We have the same issue with the shoes. Right now he is only wearing old, too tight green crocs or his rainbow flip flops. I took his little bootie to Nordstrom and showed him the wall of crocs. I told him he could choose any color he wanted. "Nope, I like green." "Well, lets get you a new green pair that fit better." "Nope, I like these." This went on and on and on. He didn't budge. We tried looking at new shirts too. "Nope, I not like those shirts." So, if you see Yates looking silly, thats why. He's a man.</div></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-33338763474089220032010-06-10T21:58:00.010-05:002010-06-15T23:43:41.514-05:00Pool, Party, Pottery, Pancakes...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarF3HVDrzM9R7fhNCjc7_ijl4OX7U2eRelgh3oPbgER8LuRnJLKeC_okPbMajSP0eBsqGQTP-1u_gZOT5V49ReLogEHqBEHQYnnQgJPgBIwamHWA4WDYBFKq3SEBOIIPoMmqaPA/s1600/IMG_2616.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarF3HVDrzM9R7fhNCjc7_ijl4OX7U2eRelgh3oPbgER8LuRnJLKeC_okPbMajSP0eBsqGQTP-1u_gZOT5V49ReLogEHqBEHQYnnQgJPgBIwamHWA4WDYBFKq3SEBOIIPoMmqaPA/s400/IMG_2616.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483219622673642194" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>walking to the pool</b></span></div>The summer bonanza continues...<div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJYrLQ6I1GDOKr95j14iRlXSgfy6oSFcL4ZlmY08Ta8tIRXRZSffw6NzbvppJ5kOLOfXF_PQ4fI9FSpeG6mc5Q4PYqiGTGnYwBGjG9NFysV1jSdfu5iGSRixHdarhxn_31S8xiA/s1600/IMG_2634.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJYrLQ6I1GDOKr95j14iRlXSgfy6oSFcL4ZlmY08Ta8tIRXRZSffw6NzbvppJ5kOLOfXF_PQ4fI9FSpeG6mc5Q4PYqiGTGnYwBGjG9NFysV1jSdfu5iGSRixHdarhxn_31S8xiA/s400/IMG_2634.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483219637585166226" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 249px; " /></a></div><div>We've been spending some time at the pool and the kids are loving it. This picture is IT for me. All of my babies (and me) having fun in the pool... my favorite. Stella has even been jumping in with her head going under. Yates is fearless. He loves to jump in and go under over and over and over. Luckily he waits for a catcher b/c he drops to the bottom like a rock is happy to stay there. Rex is happy as a lark as long as I'll hold him. Gets sleepy, takes a nap in his stroller, then is ready for more. Such an easy baby!</div><div><br /></div><div>My little Stella baby turned 4!!!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1y-pT5r0XxgJEi7qJsaPr3C-LhFBe-TeUmXbxFmQxnwU2Q3fNW-cWSNQ2snu-1tdrxSiPnPgpM1D92JmSMKcba8UvXFC59fpE3EImSfrZqLelFY6f1jHCTR9Kiqzwe6FY5Q7kJw/s1600/IMG_2683.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1y-pT5r0XxgJEi7qJsaPr3C-LhFBe-TeUmXbxFmQxnwU2Q3fNW-cWSNQ2snu-1tdrxSiPnPgpM1D92JmSMKcba8UvXFC59fpE3EImSfrZqLelFY6f1jHCTR9Kiqzwe6FY5Q7kJw/s400/IMG_2683.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483219660509891314" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iSzohFFCnWegtUP_29nNEamhFPDsEf1hlDwDswt4hkORw36zSMkHNBE-6vUY8OInbn2RxAN60f0hX7UMyehe7RwG2Qgb_Ez7RGdUFI4N-0Zhv5psEOePyr3cvlikzBca4w6_OA/s1600/IMG_2685.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iSzohFFCnWegtUP_29nNEamhFPDsEf1hlDwDswt4hkORw36zSMkHNBE-6vUY8OInbn2RxAN60f0hX7UMyehe7RwG2Qgb_Ez7RGdUFI4N-0Zhv5psEOePyr3cvlikzBca4w6_OA/s400/IMG_2685.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483219668192145442" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-size:small;">that face. she was so happy.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iSzohFFCnWegtUP_29nNEamhFPDsEf1hlDwDswt4hkORw36zSMkHNBE-6vUY8OInbn2RxAN60f0hX7UMyehe7RwG2Qgb_Ez7RGdUFI4N-0Zhv5psEOePyr3cvlikzBca4w6_OA/s1600/IMG_2685.JPG"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnwcqDWYpnj9-qAt4IdE8ypiOMOnUP2L_x9_9j1NruanIv5yVpjqvQpwtEdnQl6NUD3fqX3OW7Mqew1t9Q4wam0SlFBGIuOh081_3Qn1j4WSdDt7tS2MUkmYR3fpL_q2CUUdvaA/s1600/IMG_2695.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnwcqDWYpnj9-qAt4IdE8ypiOMOnUP2L_x9_9j1NruanIv5yVpjqvQpwtEdnQl6NUD3fqX3OW7Mqew1t9Q4wam0SlFBGIuOh081_3Qn1j4WSdDt7tS2MUkmYR3fpL_q2CUUdvaA/s400/IMG_2695.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483222237268343506" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div>I absolutely can not believe she is four years old. I can't stand it. She is such an amazing little girl. I am so lucky to be her mommy. I have said a thousand times that she surprises me every day and she does. I wish I had time to sit and stare and play and talk to her alone, one on one, all day every day. It breaks my heart every time she is telling one of her super long drawn out stories and I don't get the whole thing or when she needs me to look or help and I just can't. Its hard to know that you can't do it all when you want to so much. I love her so much and hope that I do well enough as her mommy to help her reach her full potential. </div><div>So, to celebrate the big day Gigi, Gabby, Pink and Bop came and we had a big huge fabulous Butterfly Sprinkler party (totally her idea) with lots and lots of friends. It turned out really well and the kids had lots of fun, despite the fact that it was about 200 degrees outside. The grandparents all helped so much and I couldn't have done that day without them. </div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TMOrykw9sKcpHKhiOLCkUU4kLTV76Kw6k6hOdQw0fyN43fgGWnKW0glZyPff8ma7anQHzuUvbTJ0RKD4YxohftFJXiYgoumXIoRvpj0F3Lc7brs90Pl73PLbPlAJN9pWF8Cv0A/s1600/IMG_2724.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TMOrykw9sKcpHKhiOLCkUU4kLTV76Kw6k6hOdQw0fyN43fgGWnKW0glZyPff8ma7anQHzuUvbTJ0RKD4YxohftFJXiYgoumXIoRvpj0F3Lc7brs90Pl73PLbPlAJN9pWF8Cv0A/s400/IMG_2724.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483222253950292834" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-size:small;">The real birthday morning. I gave her a "singing candle" in the center of a donut and she thought it was amazing. </span></div></div><div>On the real birthday day we took a long trip up the tollway, rode the carousel and went to the Disney store. The carousel was a hit and S and Y chose one Disney toy. I told them they could eacg choose 1 thing in the store. Out of all of the things there S chose another Ariel Barbie and sweet little Yates chose a blue Buzz Lightyear flip phone off of the junk rack... they are so random.</div><div>-- real quick story about the tollway-- </div><div>S and Y are obsessed with the tollway. They have these conversations in the back of the car about whether or not we're on the tollway. Yates will say, "Dallah (stella) we on tooooollbaaay" and she'll say, "Oookay, let me pull my puppy up." Sounds weird but its their ritual. Stella has this stuffed yorkie with no name and a purple collar and leash, who is laced through the granny bar. When we're on the tollway, she HAS TO pull the puppy's leash and have him dangle in the window. Why? I have no idea, but its hilarious to me over and over. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Another day we decided to go... I'll have to finish this later.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJPYACfjusCNoC9WkEXLx9j_WupjKoSUDyO1bc3hLWSu_pb1x_sAveInedLerzsCo8qIbzmJrWwqr1cqjgAcpUGsvl2YHqUNR46R0iH1mRpCzKjdCAm5THTNVnXbQXBMXFz2sdg/s1600/IMG_2716.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJPYACfjusCNoC9WkEXLx9j_WupjKoSUDyO1bc3hLWSu_pb1x_sAveInedLerzsCo8qIbzmJrWwqr1cqjgAcpUGsvl2YHqUNR46R0iH1mRpCzKjdCAm5THTNVnXbQXBMXFz2sdg/s400/IMG_2716.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483222246188137170" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-size:small;">Green eyes? I can't decide...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcVHiQzNmW7prd8wz4_Z_RaItmCq0RqRsW4q05v_clrlJTfritdHNpLXoJw6vrj3zcWE_eLJkA_dFaS492YUYYojYjcbOGhXwWOT9OFGNodf4Jv4hJipjoR4RATiTmBEHtFKeWA/s1600/IMG_2656.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcVHiQzNmW7prd8wz4_Z_RaItmCq0RqRsW4q05v_clrlJTfritdHNpLXoJw6vrj3zcWE_eLJkA_dFaS492YUYYojYjcbOGhXwWOT9OFGNodf4Jv4hJipjoR4RATiTmBEHtFKeWA/s400/IMG_2656.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483219651657496466" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-size:small;">Pink gave Yates a viewmaster. He LOVES it!</span></div></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-2897265949454531742010-05-28T15:22:00.004-05:002010-05-28T22:37:29.365-05:00Summertime...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHTinDsLrerVEmwgQ2jQw0EEf92mB0IjKemgmeD-UM5AgH5eZhxt2-Mh35k-eW4fO_a-2iTd3ePJsKhld21Uu2Xfd9mdn1VZ-51oywUiXxBi_7Roryggy2fiVdSz1nWYfidpFEQ/s1600/IMG_2572.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHTinDsLrerVEmwgQ2jQw0EEf92mB0IjKemgmeD-UM5AgH5eZhxt2-Mh35k-eW4fO_a-2iTd3ePJsKhld21Uu2Xfd9mdn1VZ-51oywUiXxBi_7Roryggy2fiVdSz1nWYfidpFEQ/s400/IMG_2572.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476526752704442754" /></a></div>I don't know who is more excited about summertime, me or the babies. I haven't planned a single activity for anyone this summer and I want be able to go and do anything we want at any time. I have been accused of having on overly fantasized idea of life and it shows in my thoughts for the summer. <div>Tuesday was wild! We started out by going to the Dallas Aquarium. The kids really liked it this time. On all of our previous visits we just buzzed through, but they were really interested and on the hunt for Nemo, Dory and Gill. Thank goodness those guys were at the end. We finished up by having lunch at the restaurant there. The kids got complimented again during lunch. I won't go into detail, but it is always so nice. We came home for naps and Yates refused. He keeps climbing out of his bed. I put him back over and over but some days I can only do it so many times. We'll figure it out.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7f1wq69IOtrOTruAoY5IgSoJQDA9o2ykXzcvh-oGo4UYuuYoxbeZCgU1yGnbinRXLfZ7W2O382ytK8ltRQ8puPXOZmMdvDMBSi2-DT4QwCJRPqPgaR0ONTRR16Sb-iWhY7Zkhig/s1600/IMG_2578.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7f1wq69IOtrOTruAoY5IgSoJQDA9o2ykXzcvh-oGo4UYuuYoxbeZCgU1yGnbinRXLfZ7W2O382ytK8ltRQ8puPXOZmMdvDMBSi2-DT4QwCJRPqPgaR0ONTRR16Sb-iWhY7Zkhig/s400/IMG_2578.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476526764431132162" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div>The Belf girls came over to swim after the nap battle and they all had so much fun! Right after we finished swimming our builder and a photographer came over to take pictures of our kitchen and master bathroom. He is entering them into some best builder contest and I find it hilarious! These are the 2 rooms he fought me the hardest on. If I said black, he said white. If I said up, he said down. Now look. Michael always tries to diffuse me by saying that I should take these incidents as compliments, but still.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9ZFjZ51fx7OTTey5D4Rdsm9CnG4RtOP5TQlldYW1gWuiAls2LyNAv-1MIR24iseMN_OxJm9CgFGTHjPdPo50iBiYX2MGg888hkqb6GjpY6m-vMOXgIbkbrIrj3i-9BsZJAgsqw/s1600/IMG_2591.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9ZFjZ51fx7OTTey5D4Rdsm9CnG4RtOP5TQlldYW1gWuiAls2LyNAv-1MIR24iseMN_OxJm9CgFGTHjPdPo50iBiYX2MGg888hkqb6GjpY6m-vMOXgIbkbrIrj3i-9BsZJAgsqw/s400/IMG_2591.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476526773368731666" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a></div><div>Today, to carry on our summer fun, we went to Coffee Park aaaand the chick-fil-a play ground. S and Y loooove Coffee Park. It is really nice and we were the only people there. Maybe because it was 99 degrees outside. Oh, also today, on the way to Coffee Park, Stella was screaming from the back of the car, "Look, there is that tree that I had a leaf from and Bop was telling me about it when Rex got bathed." What? I had no idea what she was saying, but vaguely remember her having a dried up leaf at church after Rex's baptism. I asked her if that was what she was referring to. She said yes and that Bop told her that the leaf came from a tree that has big white flowers on it, a magnolia. Once she got all of that explained, I looked out of the car window and sure enough. A huge magnolia. Maybe this isn't weird, but I was shocked that she could identify a tree from a dried up leaf and a verbal description. That girl surprises me every day.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have to mention that I am really happy for Lee DeWyze. Something about him just seems so nice and genuine. I hope he does really well. </div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26258640.post-33220949583312604822010-05-24T18:08:00.004-05:002010-05-24T18:26:14.016-05:00Denise's JourneyIf you want to know how the recital went... I don't even know what to say. I am honestly blown away by the entire thing. I think I already mentioned that this is the 60th anniversary of City Ballet and this years recital told the story of the founder's life. I cried and I cried and I cried some more. It was so unbelievably beautiful and well done. It rivaled professional ballets I have seen. I'm not kidding. Even the tiniest dancers were perfect. I was expecting a student recital and that is not what this was. It was a full blown production. Loved it, loved it, loved it!!! Don't worry, I bought the video and if you come over you will be required to sit through the entire thing.<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizi6Ird-3VejkhFMoX3xiS5pf1uxFjveESauCBc7ky88JPiSsSSBJ6Nhd56U2PTNcWU1iz6EgQypr02FNduGM42fTLhf1XK6VQ6nlR-j49FjbRs1SL3gKj7LQ2pIJcHywOJKRpTw/s1600/IMG_2543.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizi6Ird-3VejkhFMoX3xiS5pf1uxFjveESauCBc7ky88JPiSsSSBJ6Nhd56U2PTNcWU1iz6EgQypr02FNduGM42fTLhf1XK6VQ6nlR-j49FjbRs1SL3gKj7LQ2pIJcHywOJKRpTw/s400/IMG_2543.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474980683306899538" style="cursor: pointer; width: 271px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ballerina getting her 1st bouquet from Daddy</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ji4MhItDzH_tPkzhhpqmHrOhmaxJZU8KvHpx1guwNg3bF087LxrkTae1fVs2b9g5_5o-4yqoDGsSFdcsmUsnkmkPWlTAKaApZkOgRDCOrAKo-jHDvNuX6VgAqM8xfvzw3_qPHw/s1600/IMG_2553.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ji4MhItDzH_tPkzhhpqmHrOhmaxJZU8KvHpx1guwNg3bF087LxrkTae1fVs2b9g5_5o-4yqoDGsSFdcsmUsnkmkPWlTAKaApZkOgRDCOrAKo-jHDvNuX6VgAqM8xfvzw3_qPHw/s400/IMG_2553.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474980691924313922" style="cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">... and purple tulips from Bop</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I had to write to thank Mrs. Brown and I'm copying it here to try to help explain how amazing it really was.</div><div><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Dear Mrs. Brown,</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I wanted to write to thank you for sharing your story with us and for allowing my daughter Stella (a baby chick) to take part of City Ballet and the recital this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My entire family was so moved by the recital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The content, choreography, costume design and ballet dancers were more beautiful, touching, provoking, professional, captivating, emotional and thorough than I ever imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I don’t know if I can put into words how impressed we were with the entire production, how honored and thankful we were to be a part of it and how proud we are to have done so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have personally had a life long draw to the Jewish people and their suffering throughout World War II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When other children were reading Nancy Drew and Amelia Bedelia, I was reading biographies of Jewish children who had survived that terrible time in history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Strangely, my grandfather was raised in Emhouse and that is the part of the production that Stella represented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is so amazing how life works, but it did make Denise’s Journey even more special and a bit personal for us.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We look forward to many more years with you all and with City Ballet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Thank Mrs. Evelyn for always being so kind to Stella for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Thank you again for the stunning portrayal of your story and for allowing us to also “touch heaven.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Meredith Grabham</p> <!--EndFragment--> <div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03663917603128654118noreply@blogger.com3