Kudzoosu

Peace at last...Bill Murray style

2010-08-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged this year. Oh I've written posts only to delete them. Blogging was feeling so narcissistic, I just couldn't bring myself to write. Why would anyone care about my day? Then I reminded myself, this isn't for others to read as much as it is for me to read. For me to read back years from now and remember what 2010 was like.
Our sweet little baby Wyatt is now our sweet little toddler Wyatt. We started noticing some delays in speech so we became proactive. His hearing was fine and he was cognitively A-OK, he just had no words. He started speech, developmental and occupational therapy on a weekly basis and he is now doing great. Within the past few weeks, we have seen an enormous jump in his vocabulary. He's a talking machine. A difficult to understand talking machine but a talking machine nonetheless.
In Jan, we decided to remove Seth from public school. It was not a good fit. We started to homeschool. I can honestly say that I love looking at curriculum, coming up with field trips and making out lesson plans. You would think that would make me a great teacher. Instead I was forced to deal with the fact that in the face of adversity (or an unwilling, eye-rolling student) I found myself irritated and easily beat down. The wind can be removed from my sails by a six year old faster than I had ever expected. I was unprepared for the stress of homeschooling. The responsibility to teach your child everything they need to know academically in addition to teaching them how to be a good and productive human being can be overwhelming. I knew plenty of homeschoolers and they seemed to be doing just fine. I was not. I knew plenty of parents to higher needs children and they seemed to be doing just fine. I was not. I knew plenty of stay at home moms who managed to have clean, well behaved children, clean homes and dinner on the table and they were doing fine. I was not. We sit down every weekday morning to have our school time and all the while...Wyatt is systematically destroying the house. He is a viking. Seriously. While cleaning crayon off the floor with the same towel I used 7 minutes earlier to clean a quart of half & half up from the floor it hit me. Remember the scene in Meatballs when Bill Murray was telling the team that it didn't matter if they lost the game because in the grand scheme of things it just doesn't matter? It just doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter. Little losses like a basketball game at summer camp or crayon on the floor..really..it just doesn't matter. Really. I'm blessed with a very unusual situation. Scott works from home. Seth is home and I get to teach him myself. I get to shape his education. I get to control (as much as I can) the amount and type of stimulation to help him have the best day he can. Seth and Wyatt get to spend more early childhood quality time together than most non-twin siblings. While I do enjoy (and miss) my quiet time, I realize I'll have plenty one day. Maybe more than I want. For now...I'll remind myself daily that the little stuff..it just doesn't matter.

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'till tomorrow,
for babies grow up, I've learned to my sorrow.
So settle down cobwebs, dust, go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep

This Old Gingerbread House

2009-12-21T15:25:00.000-08:00

The supplies!

Getting started :)

Seth concentrating.

Wyatt being sneaky

S-n-L

Luken rocking the icing.

Wyatt (as always) was such a good boy.

Keeley did a great job!

Seth and Luken working hard

Wyatt is watching.

Seth's Snowman

Seth's house is complete

Today we had some friends over to play and build gingerbread houses. Well..technically they weren't gingerbread houses at all. We built them out of graham crackers and decorated them with icing and candies. As in life, Mom and Dad laid the foundation and then turned it over for the children to take over. They took their time decorating each little house. They all did a great job. Wyatt enjoyed table surfing for stray crackers and unsupervised candies. Happy Holidays!!

Do You See What I See? Do You Hear What I Hear?

2009-12-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

Seth's "cool face"

Whats going here this holiday season? First of all, Seth got glasses. Despite the fact that Seth failed several eye exams given by the school...despite the fact that he can't catch a ball...despite the fact that I too, wore glasses as a child...I didn't think he actually needed glasses. I thought he just wanted to look like Scott. We took him to the eye doctor and his vision is 20/150. Poor kid. His glasses came in today. I wouldn't say that he's exactly excited about wearing them but I know the difference it will make. He keeps asking me when he can take them off. I told him he could take them off when his contacts come in...in about 8 years.
And Wyatt...sweet baby Wyatt. Wyatt doesn't talk. At all. He grunts. He's like an adorable, tiny Tim Allen. At his 18 month wellness check up, the pediatrician suggested we have is hearing tested. Today I took him to an audiologist and thankfully there is no hearing loss. It's not uncommon in cases of a difficult birth like the one he had. I didn't know. He will start speech therapy in early January so we'll have him up to speed soon :)
We are now enjoying the season...seeing all of the sights and hearing all the sounds perfectly. Perfect.

Feels like Felt

2009-12-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

Felt supplies

Wyatt and Sesame Street felt guys

Seth telling a story to Wyatt

I had saved a post from The Green Wife's blog about felt boards a while back. Seth loved felt boards and I thought Wyatt may like one. Friday, Wyatt and I loaded up and headed to Hobby Lobby to buy supplies. It didn't take long to cover the board and I spent a little while that day cutting out shapes. Seth made of list of things he wanted me to make so I stayed up that night making them. A boy, girl, tiger, etc. The boys have had so much fun since. Seth loves coming up with stories to tell Wyatt and Wyatt enjoys putting the shapes up on the board.

It's Christmas Time in Texas

2009-12-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

It's Santa's Rodeo..we'd hang our boots for stockings but our feet would get too cold..so gather around the campfire and thank God for all your blessings..yippee ki-yi-yay get along little doggie, it's Christmas time in Texas :)

Did I mention it snowed? Yep..for about 2 hours it snowed. Hard. Of course it didn't stick because two days earlier it was 70+ degrees. We didn't let that ruin our good time :) Seth had to go on to school but Wyatt got to play in it. He played until his little baby hands were frozen and I forced him to come in. Good times though.

Cabin Camping in Oklahoma

2009-11-18T06:40:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a while. We've had Halloween, parties and camping trips since my last blog. Boooo me, right? The camping trip was the most recent. I had been feeling a bit closed in. I needed to get into some wide open spaces and fast. The boys needed to be able to get out and explore. We picked Beaver Bend, OK. While it was lovely, it was far. Too far. We've decided to do this more often but closer to home.

In Beaver Bend, we rented a cabin. It was beautiful. Very fancy. That's right..a fancy cabin. Not what we were looking for. Did I mention it was in a neighborhood? Yes..a fancy cabin with a HOA. Whatever dude. We complained and switched cabins the next day. The 2nd cabin wasn't as "nice." It was absolutely perfect. The boys explored. We built camp fires, poked things with sticks, had fun at a little festival...it was exactly what we needed. Wish we could have stayed longer.

Oktoberfest

2009-09-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we enjoyed a family outing to Oktoberfest in Addison. In the past, it was always near 100 degrees. Last weekend it was in the 80s and perfect. The kids played in the fountains, watched a puppet show, did the chicken dance, watched me lose my new lens and win a carnival goldfish. Good times. Timmy the goldfish (or Oktoberfish as Rebecca named him) passed this morning. Good-bye Timmy.

It's a Bluesy Rainy kind of Evening

2009-09-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Seth creating...

Cider keeping a watchful eye...

Wyatt gives Cowboy a massage...

Cowboy and his boy...

Wyatt "Fingers" Whigham

It seems like monsoon season in Dallas. Seriously..it has rained every day for the past 7 days. We have had a few breaks in the rain over the past 48 hours but it is still raining on and off. My children normally go out to play in the rain but after the first few days of rainy play I had to start keeping them inside. I don't want them to kill what little grass will grow in the yard. Tonight we had a peaceful, laid back kinda evening. After dinner Seth decided to write a comic book, Wyatt played with the dogs and Scott entertained the whole family by playing some blues. A fitting end to a perfectly lovely (yet wet) day.

Cute Wyatt in Sept

2009-09-10T03:45:00.000-07:00

I know, right? Freaking adorable!

I think this goes on my head...

That's better...

It's a pants off - dance off!

Yesterday was such a hot day. Wyatt and I bought a big, fat watermelon. As soon as we picked Seth up from school, we hung out outside and enjoyed what we hope to be..the last of the summer heat. Later Wyatt decided to wear Seth's backpack on his head and try to dance off his watermelon high.

Speechless

2009-09-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

There has been such an uproar about President Obama speaking to "the youth" of America. I think it's a great idea..stay in school, work hard, do your best, etc. That is, I thought it was a great idea. Seth's school has decided to show the speech to all grades. Kindergarten?!? They sent home a form for me to sign if I decided not to allow Seth to watch it. It seems so harsh, so black and white. (No pun intended!) It's like me signing the form is making some sort of declaration...some political statement...some stance about the President's views, his party or maybe even him personally. Oh sure, maybe it's not really that big of a deal. Maybe most of the class will be sitting this one out. It just irritates me that instead of me signing a form showing that I want him to participate, I have to sign a form to deny him from participation. Will I run the risk of making myself look like an unbending right winged nut job? Will I look like I have a racial issue? Thank you for making me dwell on this all weekend! Ugh. As I said to a friend earlier, I think the President of the United States of America should have the right to use public school as a forum. It's really not that. It's simply that my dear 5 year old with ADHD lacks the ability to sit still and/or be quiet. He can't sit through a tv show without a certain amount of chatter and fidgeting. We go to Church. I do not bring Seth into the service with me because he will be disruptive. So instead, he goes to a service designed for a child. This is logical. Why do I have to feel guilt and worry over what is so obviously common sense?? The picture above was taken as Seth and Wyatt watched President Obama being sworn into office. I love this picture. I am proud of this picture and everything that it stands for. I love this country. I love having freedom and choice. I just don't like feeling like my back is against the wall. In the end, I have to go with my gut and do what I feel is best for my kid. He'll have to miss this one. You want my child to participate? Come in person and be prepared with puppets, magic tricks and balloon animals.

Sidewalk Chalk Painting

2009-09-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you to my friend Nush for the idea of sidewalk chalk painting! The boys had a great time. This morning after reading her blog, Wyatt and I went to the Goodwill in search of a muffin tin. We didn't find one but did find a vegetable tray for .59, so we decided it was perfect. "We" being me. Wyatt didn't care either way. When we got home, I gathered up broken bits, chunks and scraps of sidewalk chalk and let them melt into water. Once Seth got home from school, we had a painting party :) Seth painted, Wyatt liked stirring but that's OK. Someone had to do it. Good times.

A Giant Batch of Hatch

2009-08-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

A lovely stack of hatch chilies

What they look like roasted and ready.

Yummmm...I'd love to go to their festival one day.

August in North Texas is almost unbearable. Know what helps you get through it? Hatch chili season. The season is coming to an end, sad I know. BUT at least my freezer is full of processed chilies. I couldn't be happier. I spent hours on Friday peeling roasted chilies. Saturday, Scott and I spent hours de-seeding, chopping, measuring and freezing chilies. I feel ready for the winter now. We've had hatch chili eggs, hatch salsa, hatch lime dip, quesadillas..if we've thought of it, we've made it. Some people in Hatch, New Mexico (wait...there's a NEW Mexico??) say they can tell if the chilies come from North or South of I-40. Oh to have been lucky enough to earn this skill!! Practice makes perfect, luck ducks. Today is the last day for roasted chilies at Central Market. I highly suggest to you all, go get yours now. Do it. Right now. Seriously. Go.

The Big K

2009-08-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Seth making the "K" in sign language. (no..it's not right but thats OK)

Seth walks with Daddy and Y to school.

Seth and I walking into the school. He wanted to hold my hand. I love that.

Seth and the teacher. We should call her "Miss Maybe" after my Mom's temp/perm cat.

I remember my first day of school. I was pretty sure the party was over. My days of sleeping in had to come to a standstill. I want Seth to love school. I want him to wake up in the morning and be excited to go. Today was the first day of kindergarten. The Big K. I had to wake him up 4 times. I had to uncover his sweet little head 4 times. I had to make him respond to me..FOUR. Different. Times. (Haha Looks like the apple is resting in the shade of the tree!) Scott's genes helped him read at four, my genes made him sleep in. It's a good balance. Anyway, once he finally got up and ready to go, we headed out as a family on this big day. Seth's teacher is a temporary/possibly permanent teacher. He really liked her so I hope she stays around. He was super excited about the cafeteria. Apparently so excited, he neglected to actually eat the lunch I packed. He did however, eat it on the 4 min car ride home. Silly boy. He enjoyed being the only boy at the girl heavy lunch table. Looks like the party is not over. It would appear that it's only just begun. :) I love my boy.

The Sacrifices We Make

2009-08-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

What a one year old can do while you chop vegetables. Amazing.

He learned to climb barstools today.

The poor living room.

People love to warn soon-to-be Moms about the sacrifices that come with this maternal position. You are told how your sleep, your beauty, your body, your free time..will all suffer in the name of raising children. And to some degree, they are right. You start convincing yourself that caffeine is your friend, beauty is over rated and yoga pants look best when they have been worn for 3 days in a row. I was thinking about these "sacrifices" as I was putting away laundry yesterday. My clean and orderly bathroom and bedroom were sacrificed in the name of keeping the children busy, while I put away clothes. Today, it was my kitchen and living room up on the altar. I felt I had no choice but to allow these rooms to be destroyed by the worlds cutest 15 month old in order to prepare nourishment for his little body. Nigel Short says “A good sacrifice is one that is not necessarily sound but leaves your opponent dazed and confused.” Dazed, confused and/or possibly entertained? I'm abandoning the notion that my house, as a whole, can be clean and orderly at the same time. And while this does bother me, I know in the grand scheme of things, it is a temporary situation. Two decades from now, my boys will not remember if every closet was systematically arranged, if every sock was still married to it's original partner or if occasionally, they were dried after a bath with the towels we reserve for the car and dogs. Reflecting on the day once they are in bed asleep I realize, it's not that much of a sacrifice, it's not that big of a deal and it's just not that big of a mess. I'll happily do it again tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that....

I Am an Artist

2009-08-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

There is a book called "I Am an Artist" by Pat Lowery Collins that I love to read to Seth. It's such a sweet and beautiful book. Art has never really been Seth's thing. At least not yet. In life, all interests and hobbies are subject to change. It is however, Wyatt's thing..at least for the moment. I found him one day at the table in his sweet little pjs justa colorin' away. He sneaks into Scott's office to get to the markers. I've had to hide the box of crayons in a cabinet because if he can see them, he will climb to them come hell or high water.

Now I don't expect him to grow up and be an artist for a living. The life of an artist is a hard knock life for sure. If I could pick, I'd rather my children be really good at math but we don't pick these things now do we?

It makes my heart swell to see fat little fingers curl around a crayon. Now if only I could FIND the purple crayon. Note to self...don't leave the baby alone with crayons.

Slap me some skin my brotha'

2009-08-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

The boys decided to swing for a bit. While swinging, I heard Seth say..come on man..slap me some skin. Haha Wyatt thought it was the funniest thing. They were the high five'n white guys for a good 5 mins. The other photos are just a couple of fun pictures.

Little boy...BIG Ouchie

2009-08-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Well Wyatt is one tough little guy. Tough? Check. Capable? Check. Aware of gravity? Eh..not so much. I can't say this wouldn't have happened if I had been watching..oh I totally watched it happen. He's just faster than I am. He climbed the ladder and them went right over the top. Eeeek...didn't see that coming.

Tumble dry on low, when needed

2009-08-06T13:04:00.001-07:00

Dryers are fun. They must be. Both of my boys love the dryer. And what's not to love? Small space. Lots of light. Lots of little holes for little fingers. An echo to boot? So here are my boys..both in the dryer..both at 14 months old. Can you tell them apart? :)

The Dog Days of Summer

2009-08-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

It was 746 degrees today. Or something like that. I can't understand it but my dogs still want to go outside and find the sunniest patch of grass and grab a nap. Weird-o dogs!! But whatever, right? I mean, they don't tell me where to nap. And I guess I do understand napping when and where you can. Can't blame 'em I guess.

Arrgggggggg...it's a White Pirate

2009-08-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

Last night I created a tasty little cocktail. I'm not saying I'm the first to mix these ingredients together..I'm not saying that this name doesn't exist somewhere. If you've had this at some frat mixer, keep it to yourself. Let me bask in the glory that is my happy concoction. It's just a take off of a White Russian. Ladies and gentlemen..I give you...the White Pirate!

2 oz Kaluah
2 oz Rum
4 oz cream (that's right...4 oz. No one said this was good for you. Live it up.)

As you can see from the ice cubes in Scott's White Pirate, it made for a happy drink. LOL

Out of Africa...I mean Fossil Rim

2009-07-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

Took the whole family to Fossil Rim Zoo a few weeks ago. It's a beautiful drive through zoo. Wyatt and Seth loved it. Getting to feed the animals was a real treat. Of course making me sit in the back seat while Seth rides in the front was probably just as big of a thrill. Everyone should take a little trip out there. Beautiful cafe at the end of the trail.

Redneck Life Preserver

2009-07-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

Saw these and it made me laugh. Just throw these here life jugs out to the fella that fell in would ya?

In the Land of the Lost

2009-07-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

I kept looking over my shoulder for Big Alice the whole time at the Dinosaur Valley State Park. Was that Chaka hiding behind that rock? Hmmmm...If you are in the area, you must check out the Dinosaur Park. Real tracks. It's awesome!!

104? That's just mean.

2009-07-10T07:33:00.001-07:00

Seriously? 104 degrees today? I do like having a mild Texas winter but 104? That seems hateful. August is usually hotter than July. I can't imagine what will happen then. I may melt. Maybe I should have a summer home in Alaska? Oh well..until then we will just cool off the redneck way...box fan, water hose and ice pops. Here's hoping you all find a cool place in the shade.

Crossword Fail

2009-07-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is in Seth's "Fun with Words" puzzle book. Now I do realize that swastikas normally face the other way and yes...this would technically be an ancient symbol..it still funny to me. 99.9% of the population don't know it to be the ancient symbol. They see what I see.

Exchange Server Training Videos

2009-06-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say that Scott's company, LearnItFirst.com, has tons and tons of great Exchange 2007 training videos. They have Exchange 2003 videos too as well as entire Windows 2003 and Windows 2008 classes online. Check it out - http://www.learnitfirst.com/Course/222/Exchange-2007.aspx

Happy New Year and all that Jazz

2009-01-05T13:47:00.000-08:00

I got busy with the holidays and let the blog slide. I'm sure sooo many noticed. Ha ;) In any case I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I hope you got off on the right start, ate your black eyed peas and cabbage. Did you make your resolutions? Have you broken any so far? I'm pretty good about mine. Learn to play chess was one. How I managed to get this far in my life w/o knowing I'll never know BUT Scott taught me. Bought me a chess set even. I've won exactly one game. It's a hard game. Did you know that? The boys are good. Healthy and happier than ever. Wyatt follows Seth around. Seth has really taken to accomplishing 100 or so crayola masterpieces a day. Legos are big favorite. Wyatt likes electrical outlets. I guess Santa missed the boat on that one because he just brought him toys. Anyway, I'm sharing a few of my favorite photos. Hope everyone has a beautiful 2009.

Wyatts New Tricks at 6 Months

2008-11-30T06:58:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Wyatt is already six months old. He has six teeth, loves to crawl, loves our dog Cowboy, weighs 22 lbs and is 29 inches tall. He's also learned some new tricks. He can find missing coins, buttons and marbles you once thought lost forever. He can stir up and redistribute the dog food all over the kitchen floor in no time. He can locate and offer a taste test to all electrical outlets. He can help take the Christmas ornaments that hang on the lower limbs so you don't strain your back leaning down to get them. And yesterday..he started this little trick...

Politics and a 4 year old

2008-11-05T04:58:00.000-08:00

Seth...who should be president? Obama or McCain?
Ummm....I'm going to pick Obama.
Really? Ok. Do you know why?
Yes..because his name starts with O and that's a good letter.

So there you have it folks. I'll let you know if he can correctly pick the super bowl champs with the same 4 year old logic in a couple of months.

Congrats to Obama. Not my pick but he has our support and prayers.

May the Force be with you

2008-11-03T19:05:00.001-08:00

With Seth as Anakin Skywalker and Wyatt pulling off a mean Yoda I know feel safer. Ok..how cute are they? Seriously. This is tell your friends you saw the cutest boys cute. This is give them extra candy cute. This is parents fight over claiming the cuteness gene cute. This is..ok..this is a proud Momma going on and on. Still cute though.

Not Your Momma's Mother's Ring

2008-10-29T04:59:00.000-07:00

My wonderful friend Jackie took a photo of my mother's ring. I absolutely love my ring. I wanted something that represented my boys but couldn't find something other than the gold & birthstone combo. That just wasn't me. Scott gave this ring to me after the birth of Wyatt. The interlocking rings hand stamped with the boys' names means so much to me. It's not a fancy piece of jewelry but then again, I'm just not a fancy piece of jewelry type of girl. At least not at the moment. I reserve the right to change my mind later in life thus making Scott buy me a big diamond. Until then, this simple ring is my most prize possession. It was made by Ft. Worth's own Nelle & Lizzy. If you are in the market for something really simple but really cool, check them out.

www.nelleandlizzy.com

Kandi the Hottie

2008-10-27T05:43:00.001-07:00

My friend Kandi was the 3rd photographer that took our photos last weekend. I so, so love this photo :) Check out Kandice Ray Photography's link. She is an amazing photographer and a dear, sweet friend.

Jackie the Fabulous

2008-10-23T04:21:00.000-07:00

Jackie is on DFWs Most Fabulous list for sure. She also took our family photos on Sunday. The picture of Seth alone is one of my all time favorites. He looks like a commercial. Don't you want to buy whatever he is selling? Wyatt was so sleepy at this point. He drifted off to la-la land right after this.

Rebecca the Beautiful

2008-10-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you my sweet friend Rebecca for taking some family photos this weekend. Everyone can check out Rebecca's blog on my blog list. She has two gorgeous children and her photography shows them off. I'm posting one of my favorites :) Thank you Rebecca.

Vote for Abby!

2008-10-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone must go vote for Abigail Minks. Not just b/c Abby's Mom is my beautiful, Mississippi girl friend Laura but b/c Abby is very kissable. Shes just a gorgeous baby!! She's made it into the 2nd round so go help her out :)

http://www.1061kissfm.com/pages/contests/baby/

Milk and Honey

2008-10-13T06:52:00.001-07:00

Last Friday my friend Chera took photos of the boys. It was so much fun and Chera has such an incredible eye. I was thinking about my boys this morning and noting their similarities and their differences. Basically they look alike but are colored different. Seth is golden. His colors are so rich. If you put him in the sun, he shines like a piece of wheat. Honey. Wyatt has pure and creamy skin. If you put him in the sun, he washes out a bit. If you put him in the shade, his skin glows. Milk. Chera still managed to get the best out of both of them. I looked at this photo this morning and I realized that as long as Scott and I have our boys, we will always live in the land of Milk & Honey. It's a beautiful thing.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

2008-10-03T12:36:00.001-07:00

Well...we didn't actually see Charlie Brown but we did go looking for the great pumpkin. I love this time of year. It was actually pretty chilly when we got to the patch this morning. Luckily Wyatt was snug as a bug in his maya wrap and Seth was using kinetic energy to stay warm. Bounce houses are a wonderful thing. Thought I would share some of my favorites from today.

Damn You HGTV

2008-09-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

Damn you HGTV...you have ruined my life. Before I found you, I was happy. I thought I was pretty well organized. Now everywhere I look I see things that need a change. My house has an abundance of clutter and an unfortunate lack of shelves. This wall needs to have a warm color, the cabinets need to be painted..Oh! or maybe replaced?! This floor! Who picked out this floor? Damn you HGTV and your hot carpenters with fabulous hair. Damn you and your team of good-looking, cool-chick craftsmen. Or is that craftswomen? Anyway...Damn you to hell for making me want to put a skill saw on my Amazon wish list. I hope you are happy that I lie awake at night wondering where I could get my hot little hands on painters stilts. I wonder if Santa will bring me a tool belt and nail gun? I've been a good girl. LOL

Home from Florida

2008-09-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

I love Destin. I love the beach. I love vacation. It was a fun week. We took tons of photos but these are some of my favorites. The first photo is the happy dance that went on for about 5 mins. Do you have any idea how happy you have to be to actually get into this position? Pretty darn happy :) Then we have Wyatt's very first dip in the ocean. It's good to be home. The dogs missed us. Can't wait to go back again. A toast to Destin...until we meet again...

Thank you Michele

2008-09-16T08:08:00.001-07:00

Thank you my sweet Michele for the Nightmare Before Christmas hat for Wyatt. He's had it on all day long. I just had to take a photo of him wearing it. Plus he's got on his Halloween socks that are about to become baby legs. Playing dress up is still fun.

A Metallica Funny

2008-09-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

This is brilliant!!!!

Sing Us a Song Piano Man

2008-09-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

Wyatt had a ball playing on Seth's old keyboard. He played for about 10 to 15 mins while in Scott's lap. He was so cute.

Seth as Jack

2008-09-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

Seth cut out pieces of paper and taped them to his neck to make himself look like Jack from a Nightmare Before Christmas. I wish I knew how to make him a real Jack costume for Halloween. In any case..he wore these until his neck was red and itchy.

And Wy is still cute

2008-09-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

So many of my blog posts center around Seth and that doesn't seem so fair. Seth just does more than Wyatt. BUT Wyatt has mastered the back to tummy roll so now he's an adorable rolling monster. He's about 18 lbs and only 3.5 months old. He's an awesome baby, loves his sling, loves his Momma and Daddy and adores watching Seth be silly.

Pumpkin Cookies

2008-09-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween. Today Seth and I made awesome pumpkin cookies. He decided that he was a hard-hat wearing chef and was a bit bummed when I told him that we had to actually use the bowl for the cookies. The feeling passed when I allowed him to grate nutmeg into our pumpkin mixture while chanting "NUTMEG!!!!" For those that don't know, "nutmeg" is when someone kicks a soccer ball through your legs. It's also tasty in cookies. We also picked up a copy of "A Nightmare Before Christmas" today. At the moment it's dark and cool outside, little Wy is asleep, I'm having pumpkin cookies and a fresh cup of coffee and Seth dancing around while watching Jack. Have I mentioned that I love Halloween?

Pumpkin Cookies:
2 C WW Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs vanilla
"some" nutmeg
1 C butter (soft)
1 C brown sugar, packed
1 C pumpkin
1 egg
1 C nuts, chopped (we used walnuts)
1 C oatmeal

Beat Butter and sugar together until fluffy. Then beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Mix all dry ingredients together then gradually add into the pumpkin/sugar mix. 400 degrees for about 10 mins. They are more like cake than a crispy cookie

We love Halloween

2008-09-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

So what if we've already started in with the Halloween decorations. So what if I've been shopping for costume material and pumpkin recipes. I've got a kid that loves all things Halloween..and I can't blame him!

Cami...for your consideration...

2008-08-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

My dear, sweet, beautiful friend Cami has a great blog. (check it out..really.) She has White Trash Wednesday and it always proves to be a great read. I was going through some old photos and saw this. Cami..what do you think? WTW worthy?? LOL

For anyone that doesn't know the story...Seth was reading a book about hands. He decided that the middle finger was so awesome it should actually be called, The King of Fingers. I thought it was fitting. And no..he has no idea what it really means. Geesh...

And just because Wyatt is so cute

2008-08-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

Nothing new to report about Wyatt. He's an awesome baby. Big baby. Adorable baby to be exact. Some see Scott in him but I see my sister Alison.

Cori the Midwife :)

2008-08-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

Wednesday my midwife Cori came over with her son to play. We had a ton of kids here but what's really cool is that Cori delivered three of the babies here. Pretty awesome. We love Cori.

Dirty boy

2008-08-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

What would childhood be if mud pies weren't encouraged?? Mud is our friend. And because children are waterproof and stain resistant, it makes for a easy water hose clean up.

Seth the Chef

2008-08-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Seth loves to cook. Yes I know, all children love to cook. But saying that would imply that my child isn't super awesome at it so I'll just say my child really, really loves to cook. He could crack and egg w/o getting shell into the bowl before he was 3. I was 20 before I could do that! Anyway, we made cookies on Wednesday and then some really awesome ratatouille yesterday. I pretty much just let him pick out the veggies and that's what we went with. Asparagus, zucchini, squash, spinach, tomatoes, onion and his favorite thing...rice. The kid could live off of rice. And since I haven't updated my blog lately, I thought I'd share these photos.

Don Ho Eat Your Heart Out

2008-07-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

You've got nothing but wine and Hawaii over our Tiny Bubbles!! We spent some time out in the oppressive heat to have some fun with Gymboree's bubbles. Just in case you A) live under a rock (and apparently have internet to view my blog) or B) don't have children..Gymboree has the world's best bubble juice. Seth had a great time, Wyatt laughed the whole time. He even blew a few tiny bubbles himself.

Zen and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance

2008-07-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

Seth spent about 45 mins fixing his bike this morning. Such concentration. Such dedication to the sport of cycling. He then spent another 45 mins around the house looking for something to break...I mean fix. Let me know if you have any needs for a four year old with a desire to fix everything and we will be right over.

Have hammer...will travel.

Two Months Old & a Tribute to Metal

2008-07-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

Wyatt is two month old. I can't believe how fast it has flown by. He had his two month check up today. My big boy is 25.5 inches long and 15 lbs 8oz. He is all giggles and smiles lately. My sweet AC/DC lovin' friend Linz gave him this awesome onesie making him the coolest kid on the swing set.

Got a bored 4 year old?

2008-07-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Today's trick....If you have a bored four year old, a bag of mixed nuts and a hammer..you've got an afternoon my friend! Seth has been having a ball smashing walnuts on the patio. Fingers, schmingers.

I need a garden

2008-07-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

I grew up with a garden. Everyone I knew had a garden for that matter. Now the only way to get fresh veggies, fruits and herbs is to pay through the nose at farmers markets or places like Central Market. I'm not saying I'm ready to live out in the country but having enough land to grow a few things wouldn't be horrible. We recently took the boys to the farmers market. Seth had a ball. Wyatt didn't complain so I'll take that has him having a fab time as well. My days of shopping for shoes has been replaced with shopping for locally grown produce. Who would have thunk it??

My Two Boys

2008-07-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

I have the coolest little boys. Seth is four. He's an amazing, loud, funny, ball of energy. He can read (slight Momma brag...cut me some slack) is Star Wars crazy and loves his new bike :)

Wyatt is 9 weeks old now. He has the sweetest smile. He is my #1 fan..aka..he wants me to hold him. All. The. Time. That's OK though...the days are long but the years are short.

My Cool Texas Friends

2008-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've been very blessed in my life. From an early age I had good female role models in my Mom, aunts and grandmother. I made very close friendships as a child and teen and I'm lucky enough to still have them in my life today. It took a while to make that connection when I moved to Dallas. Through Dallas Area Moms I have been able to continue my winning streak.

Wyatt's birth story

2008-07-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

Yes I know Wyatt is 2 months old but I'm posting his birth story b/c not everyone that I'm friends with has heard it. Just so you know.

2008-07-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

My contractions started 7 minutes apart about 9pm. This was nothing unusual since I had been having steady contractions for 3 weeks. I was 6 days past my due date, huge, ready and assuming this was just another night of contractions that disappear as soon as they get to the magic “5 mins apart” point. At 10 pm they were 6 mins apart and I decided to go ahead and go to bed. At 11:11, I woke to a very strong contraction. I timed the next couple and they were almost 5 mins apart. At 12:30, I decided to wake my husband Scott up. I told him, “I don’t know if this is it or not but go ahead and get up and sit with me."

At 1:00 Scott suggested that we call Cori. Contractions were strong and 5 mins apart. Green light! I got on my yoga ball and we called Cori. She there by 1:30 am. Around 2 am Cori checks me and I was dilated to 5 cm. We put in a movie and wait. At 4 am my contractions were 4 mins 30 secs apart and I was at 7 cm. I was still on my yoga ball, drinking water, watching movies and dealing pretty well with the pain. Tina and Amanda came around 5 or 5:30. I was so excited because I knew it wouldn’t be long. The contractions were starting to get pretty intense and I moved to the bed. My four year old Seth woke up at 6 am and climbed into the bed with me for a few mins. Everyone explained to him that I was OK but that the baby would be here soon. Cori asked me to try to give a little push on the next contraction to see if it made it feel better. It did feel better but not for long.

I pushed while on my side for a bit but we weren’t really getting anywhere. Cori broke my water to help Wyatt move down. I had expected a relief but didn’t really find one. Next Cori had me get off the bed and have Scott hold me up and let gravity give me some help. Wyatt wasn’t moving to a better position this way either. Hugging the yoga ball and sitting on the toilet weren’t really giving me any help. I remember at this point deciding that I needed to just lie down so I was half in my water closet and half in my bathroom. This was not my shining moment. I was exhausted and frustrated and screaming. I couldn’t imagine that I could push any harder than I was. I had read tons of birth stories. Gravity was supposed to make him move into position! Cori suggested I move back to the bed. With the help of Cori, Tina and Amanda I was able to get back into bed. I would guess that this was what finally helped Wyatt move down into position. Once I got to the bed Cori and Scott had to hold my legs since I could no longer hold them up on my own. Finally! Wyatt Scott was born after 90 mins of intense pain and pushing. He came out screaming his little bruised and mis-shapened head off.

Our road to meeting Wyatt had been a long time coming. We had tried for years to get pregnant w/o assistance. Finally we had to have a team of doctors along with months of self injections, acupuncture, patches and pills to get pregnant and stay pregnant. I knew that after such a medical start, I was done feeling like a science experiment and wanted something beautiful and natural. The pregnancy certainly didn’t start out the pregnancy of my dreams but the baby and home birth experience certainly were. I can’t imagine doing it any other way. I always felt confident in Cori even when the confidence in myself was lacking. After he was born I felt like I had finished a marathon, climbed Mt.Everest and stopped a speeding train. I don’t think there is anything I couldn’t do now. I had a home birth, hear me roar.

Wyatt Scott...9 lbs 9 oz, 22 3/4 inches long.

My first blog post

2008-07-16T10:57:00.001-07:00

Ok..not exactly my very first blog post but my first here. I'll say that myspace doesn't count. I'm always behind on updating anything online but I will do my best. This blog will take top priority. Ok..right behind being a wife, mom, friend, daughter, sister, pet owner...

More to come. I know..you are on the edge of your seat.