Goodnight Mom

Goodnight Mom

In the messy green
family room
There was a telemarketer
ringing the telephone
And a crying toddler
because his brother
just popped his
red balloon
And a picture of -

The cow jumping over the moon
(which someone colored on
with permanent marker)
And there was a missing
teddy bear, and a girl with
gum in her hair

And one to be scolded
And laundry to be folded
And a very hungry spouse
And something stinky in the house
(that no one else seemed to smell)

And a comb and a brush and a colicky
baby who just won't shush
and a frazzled mommy screaming #*%#@

Goodnight messy room
Goodnight scribbled-on moon
Goodnight cow getting out while she can
Goodnight telemarketers and the
popped balloon

Goodnight long-gone teddy bear
Goodnight cereal bar smeared all
over the dining room chair

Goodnight spitup
And goodnight leaky sippy cup
Goodnight much-too-little house and
goodnight grumpy spouse
Goodnight comb and goodnight brush
And goodnight to a certain 4 year old
who just needs to hush right now I mean it

Goodnight Elmo
Goodnight toys we'll pich up tomorrow,
or the next day
Hello chardonnay and Tivo -
"me" time finally!!

Regarding the new Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act

If you haven't heard about this, please read into it. I am friends with a lot of WAHM (work at home moms) that make wonderful, chemical free, children's items. If this law goes into effect then they will be loosing their income, many which rely heavily on what they bring in. Moms who make hair bows and ribbons, cloth diapers, sew wonderful childrens clothing, knit hats and scarves and mittens, dads and grandpas who carve beautiful wooden toys! Many small businesses that specialize in these types of one of a kind items will also go out of business. Think of craft fairs being policed! And if you have any of these items you can't sell them on Ebay because they will be considered illegal items. Don't think that the government won't be cracking down on the "little people"? They have a special internet unit set up to watch out for sites like Hyena Cart and Etsy that specialize in handmade creations. They are not thinking this law through all the way. The reason this law is being passed is due to the large number of recent toy recalls containg lead and other hazardous chemicals. Note though, NONE of these toys were manufactured in the UNITED STATES. They were all "Made in China." However, the American craftsmen and women are going to suffer for this. Please read the informative article below and do what you can to help ammend this law and save these peoples livelyhoods. Our economy is in the toilet already, imagine what it will be like after Febuary 10th when this law takes hold.

Copied from CoolMomPicks:

We're all for strengthening the safety standards of mass-produced toys, clothes, and accessories made in China, and banning toxins like phthalates and lead. But this year, congress passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months and will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust. The very same ones that we often feature here and in our yearly special edition gift guides.
With this act going into effect February 10 2009 so many people we love will be affected: Moms who sew beautiful handmade waldorf dolls out of home, artists who have spent decades hand-carving trucks and cars out of natural woods, that guy at the craft show who sold you the cute handmade puzzle--even larger US companies who employ local workers and have not once had any sort of safety issue will no longer be able to sell their goods. Not without investing tens of thousands of dollars into third-party testing and labeling, just to prove that toys that never had a single toxic chemical in them still don't have a single toxic chemical in them.

How to Get Involved -- it only takes 5 minutes of your time!
-Find your congress person and senators and write a letter like the sample here.Particularly if they serve on the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection or the House Committee on Small Business.
-Send an email directly to the CPSC or contact chairperson Nancy Nord at 301-504-7923
-Vote for amending the law on Change.org, digg style: With enough votes it will be presented to President Obama in January!
-Place the Save Handmade! button on your blog or website to help spread the word to everyone you know who cares about protecting the little guy and preserving beautiful items made with love for our children.
Fantastic Resources
-The Handmade Toy Alliance (check out their proposed changes, a lot of which make a whole lot of sense
-CPSIA Facebook Group
-CPSIA information group on ning
-Z Recommends: Five steps you can take to save natural toys (excellent reading)
-Fashion Incubator
-The Smart Mama
-Etsy business forums (including this specific thread on local media coverage
-Twitter: Search using the #CPSIA hashtag
-Endangered Whimsy - a blog gallery of handmade products endangered by the CPSIA. Feel free to submit yours.
-Video: Handmade Portraits
-Excellent letter from Rick Woldenberg, Chairman of Learning Resources, to CPSC on improvements to the act. Also see the You Tube videos in which he addresses the CPSC panel in November. Well worth a watch. (1 of 3)

My kid is weird

I give him toys. I give him stuffed animals. I give him things to occupy his time. Do you know what he wants as a lovey? Do you know what he wants to snuggle with? Do you know what he adores?
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MY PAMPERED CHEF OVEN MITT!!! Yup, he loves it. He rubs it agains his face. He snuggles it. He puts his little hand in it and waves it around. He carries it all over like it's a baby. Can I get a "HUH?"

Happy Holidays

The kids and I went to see Santa tonight. Addison hopped right up into Santa's lap and hugged him. Lina just snuggled against him and Caleb looked at him like "What the heck are you?" It was comical. Sorry for the crappy quality of picture but this was scanned in.

Not much going on here

Just a quick little note. I've been busy holiday shopping and am so glad to be DONE with it. With the exception of the kids' "big" gifts that they'll get on Daddy's surprise visit home in January. The girls are getting L- a bike and A- a scooter. Caleb, I have no clue! Maybe a toddler swingset or something.

Addie goes for her speech therapy evals on Monday. I spoke with the therapist a few days ago and she seems wonderfully nice. With what I told her over the phone, it seemed like she feels Addie will need some help. Of course Addison just gets super excited when I mention that we are going to the building called School. She's so ready to start.

Lina went for an eval with an orthodontist the other week. She needs to get 3 teeth pulled, which we are doing on Dec 9 and then we wait 6 months to let her teeth straighten as much as possible on their own. For being as big mouthed as she is (wink wink) she has a tiny mouth and her teeth are very overcrowded. Dr. H also recommended having an upper expander put in and partial braces with rubberbands to help her jaw grow a little bigger. Anyone know of any good dental insurance that covers orthodontics? Ours gives us a $1500 lump sum and the rest is up to us. OY! We won't start any of this until we are moved to where ever it is the Army sends us next, just so that Lina can be familiar and comfy with the Dr doing all the work.

Caleb is doing good. He is walking all over now. Still can't get up from the middle of the floor so there's still a good bit of crawling. I'd say it's about 50/50 now. He's got a ton of attitude and is very feisty. We'll have our hands full with him for sure. He definitely knows what he likes, doesn't like, wants, and doesn't.

Sound advice

-”Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of s**t.”

Rules for a Homecoming

WARNING to the Service Men who are Returning from Being Away on Deployment

Some things to keep in mind as you return home from your adventure. You will have to be very patient with your wife as she adjusts to your presence after all the time she has spent without you there.

1. As soon as you walk through the door, take out the trash immediately, as she is sick of doing it.

2. Do not be alarmed if she jumps over the couch and runs 60 miles an hour to get to the telephone when it rings, she thinks it is you calling, and that is one call she isn't going to miss!

3. Forgive her for any nightly beatings that may occur to your body. This thrashing that happens is because she is used to having the bed all to herself. In extreme conditions, she may start screaming thinking you are someone she doesn't know and she may even call the police to report she is being robbed. If you are attempting to make love to her, you may be in jail on rape charges until she realizes you are her husband and are home from overseas.

4. Dinner time will require some adjusting. Do not say a word if she cuts up your meat before she puts it on the table. Ignore the fact that there will not be a place setting for you. You may not even have a chair to sit in as she has probably used it to reach those high things in the cupboards that you used to get for her. Do not expect home cooked meals. She is used to making quick foods and kids T.V. dinners. Although you are looking forward to having home cooked meals, she is not looking forward to making them. You may even find a peanut butter and jelly sandwich waiting for you one night. Just eat it and be thankful it is there.

5. If there is an errand to run, RUN IT! Your life could depend on it. After having to drag all the kids to the store just for a gallon of milk, she may shoot bullets from her eyes if you refuse!

6. You may not understand her language as she has had to speak to the children a lot during the time that you have been gone. What she may say to you if you are complaining about people at work, "Tell them your mommy will come out there if they don't play nice." If you stub your toe, she may say, "Ooh, did you get a boo boo." Bare with her, this will eventually subside and she will speak normally.

7. THIS IS IMPORTANT: Do not walk in the bathroom if she is in the shower. She may suspect an intruder and try to kill you! She forgets you are home!

8. Last but not least, expect tears. Lots of them. Just as your heart is the only thing the military hasn't confiscated, her heart is the only thing that loneliness has not robbed her of. Love that has been saved up for as long as you have been gone is bound to make your wife a tad bit emotional. With a little bit of patience and understanding on both your parts, your home coming will be all that you expect it to be, as long as you follow the rules above.

Caleb learning to walk (excuse the mess on the floor. that's his fave cabinet to get in.)




A few days later and you can already see more stability




The girls playing with Baby Sheba, the mountain lion cub, at McClelland's Critters

Blurbs and Updates

Sorry it's been a while. I know I'm slacking. It was brought to my attention though that people DO in fact read this so I need to keep it fresh. (Thanks Michelle!)

Caleb has started walking. Still the uneasy, wobbly, steps but he's trying. He will now just let go of whatever he pulls up on and tries to go to what he wants. His longest stretch was from my dishwasher to my stove where I was standing. Yeah, I cried. And yeah, I called my mom to squeal. It's bittersweet with Chris being gone. I kind of want to push Caleb down to keep him from walking until Chris gets home to see.

And speaking of Chris coming home.... He is going to be home for some R&R in January. To say that I can't wait is just the biggest understatement ever. This woman is ready for her man to be home. The trash needs to be taken out.... =) When this tour started, he was originally supposed to be home at the end of January just in time for Lina's birthday. He promised he'd be home for it since well, he's missed it a lot. They extended him though and we both thought the promise was going to be broken. Luckily, he's going to be TDY to Ft. Campbell mid-January and was able to take leave in conjunction with that so he's renting a car and driving in. We're surprising the girls. They don't know that Daddy is coming home! Can't wait to see their faces when Daddy walks in the door!!

I'm in the process of starting Addison in speech therapy. We registered her at the school yesterday. Monday we will go for our meeting with the therapist. She'll evaluate Addie and determine what test need to be done and then set up a schedule for her to come in. Addie doesn't get that it's not "school" so she's stoked. She's really ready to be in school and just being in the building gets her excited. She's really going to be happy when she starts PreK next fall.

Angelina is doing good. Her first report card was okay. She talks too much (wonder where she gets that from) and doesn't use her time wisely (again with the wondering). However, she is reading really well, digs math, and can speak a lot of Spanish. Last night was her first Brownie patch ceremony of the year. She earned 5 Try Its and 4 Fun Patches. I sewed on three of the fun patches last night to her vest. Thank God the try its are iron on!!

I haven't been doing to much lately. I've been tired a lot. The reality of Chris being gone for the holidays is kicking in and I'm starting to feel a touch of depression. Thankfully, I've got like 90% of my Christmas shopping done. Just purged the girls' room and got rid of a bunch of crap. I was able to Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) two big bags of barbies and bratz and their accessories. That felt nice. I'm also preparing to do an Earth Day Try It for the Brownies. Carrie calls me the troops Earth Mom so I'm going to talk to the girls about recycling, cloth diapering, water/energy conservation, using glass vs plastic and paper, etc. (I type this while my heater has been running nonstop for a week but damn it's cold and if you know me, you know I loathe the cold! So it's all good there if I make up for it in other areas.) If you have any ideas on how I can teach this to a bunch of 7 year olds, feel free to shoot me an email or comment.

And oh yeah, after Christmas rolls around, I'll be able to start doing photo shoots of kids and families and just about anything else! Chris bought me a Nikon D90 for Christmas!! I've got a field guide and some books on order so I can read up and learn about it before then. It's gorgeous from what I can tell on the box. It's here at the house but I can't open it or use it until Chris gives me the okay since it's not yet Christmas. OY! The wait is killing me. I have three kids in this house that I MUST SHOOT!!!!

Gonna go grab some videos and pictures and upload them now. Hope you enjoyed my novelette of updates.

Amber Alert

This was posted by an online friend of mine. Please keep a look out for this little girl!

My little 8 year old niece, Aly, was taken from her family earlier this evening in Denver. She is known to be with a hispanic male and a female. They were driving a silver or light colored suburban or suv type rent a car. More than likely are headed to California or the Kansas area. If you see anything suspicious please call the authorities. And please pass this on! My brother and sister-in-law are in agony!

Caleb Update

So yeah, I love our pediatrician.

His dr's nurse called this morning with some bloodwork reports and his u/s report. They checked him for lead and it came back as a 5. The normal range being b/t 1-10. So it's moderate. They told me to check his toys, our paint, etc. Well, I'm trying to keep his toys as natural as possible, wood, wool, cloth, as to avoid chemicals. And yes, our paint is chipping due to us living in older then dirt housing, but it's just chipping in the back. He's only in the back to sleep and not to chew on the walls. She said that they aren't "worried" but Dr H likes the levels to be 1 or 2. He's going to be rechecked at his 15 month appt.

Also, she said that they wrote wrong what percentile Caleb is in. He's not in the 50th he is in the 5th. Yes, I know that is a big difference but I expected it. When I came home to chart him on the breastfed babies chart it was around that percentile. So they wanted to make sure I didn't have any concerns about his weight, etc. I laughed and said no, that we just have small kiddos. His other percentiles were right. He's average heigth with a big ole head!

And for ultrasound.... Both testicles are in the canal and should descend on their own. The left higher then the right but they are not in his abdomen! Let's take a minute here to do a happy dance!

This will also be re-evaluated at his 15 month check and at his 18 month check. I'm so stinkin happy right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This will a

Labels

As for the election, I'm so sick of hearing that Obama is African American. Last time I checked, his mother and maternal grandparents were/are white. He is mixed, a mutt, just like the rest of us. He is an AMERICAN! Unless you were born in Africa and come here to be naturalized then you are an African-American. Same thing for Latinos and Asians! The only people who should automatically have something in front of their "American" status are NATIVE AMERICANS!!! We talk so much about racism and how we can eliminate it. Well first, eliminate LABELS! No more ETHIC AMERICANS. Let's all just BE AMERICANS! It is great that we, as a nation, were able to overlook the darker color of his skin. It is a very historical moment. I didn't vote for Obama, but not because I am prejudice to his ethniticity. I just don't like him. So, I sit here with mixed emotions about the election.

Seriously, keep your opinions to yourself please

I don't care who you vote for. JUST VOTE! But when you start throwing your canidates propoganda at me telling me I'm going to be sorry for the way I FEEL AND THINK, keep your crap to yourself! Seriously getting irritated. Let one more person tell me something about who I stand behind and they are gonna get an ass whoopin!!

Little boys....

I had to take Caleb in to have a bilateral scrotal/abdominal ultrasound done today. At every well baby check, our dr has had a hard time finding C's left testicle. When we went in for his 1 year well baby, he had an even harder time finding it. The ultrasound confirmed that his left testicle is very high in his abdomen and his right one isn't much lower. The good news, both are there and aren't missing, they just haven't moved into their new "home" yet. If they don't come down on their own soon, Caleb may be looking at surgery to bring them down. Here's some info that I've garnered from Mayo Clinic. Two risk factors for having this are 1) premature birth before 37 weeks and 2) low birth weight. We can check both of those for Caleb.

Definition
Undescended testicle (cryptorchidism) is a testicle that hasn't moved into its proper position in the bag of skin hanging behind the penis (scrotum) prior to the birth of a baby boy.
About 2 to 5 percent of baby boys are born with one or two undescended testicles. An undescended testicle is more common among baby boys born prematurely, or before 37 weeks. It's rare for boys with cryptorchidism to have two undescended testicles.
For most boys born with one or two undescended testicles, the problem corrects itself within the first few months of life. If your infant has an undescended testicle that doesn't correct itself, surgery can usually be used to relocate it into the scrotum.

Complications
In order for testicles to develop and function normally, they need to be slightly cooler than normal body temperature. The scrotum provides this cooler environment. Until a boy is 3 or 4 years old, the testicles undergo changes that affect how well they function later.

• An undescended testicle isn't in a cooler environment. This might increase the risk of complications later in life. These complications include:
  Testicular cancer. Testicular cancer usually begins in the cells in the testicle that produce immature sperm. What causes these cells to develop into cancer is unknown. Men who've had an undescended testicle have an increased risk of testicular cancer.
  
• Fertility problems. Low sperm counts, poor sperm quality and impaired fertility are more likely to occur among men who have had an undescended testicle.
  Other complications related to the abnormal location of the undescended testicle include:
  
• Testicular torsion. Testicular torsion is the twisting of the spermatic cord, which contains blood vessels, nerves and the tube that carries semen from the testicle to the penis. This painful condition cuts off blood to the testicle. If not treated promptly, it may result in the loss of the testicle. An undescended testicle increases the risk of testicular torsion.
  
• Trauma. If a testicle is located in the groin, it may be damaged from pressure against the pubic bone.
  
• Inguinal hernia. An undescended testicle may be associated with an inguinal hernia. If the opening between the abdomen and the inguinal canal is too loose, a portion of the intestines can push into the groin.

Tests and diagnosis
Your doctor can easily determine that a testicle hasn't descended into the scrotum. The goal of further examination is to locate the position of the testicle and monitor changes in its position. If the testicle is in the groin, your doctor may be able locate it by touch. If it can't be felt (nonpalpable), then he or she will likely refer you to a pediatric urologist for further tests. About 20 percent of undescended testicles are nonpalpable.
If your son has a nonpalpable testicle, the pediatric urologist may order one or more of the following procedures:

Ultrasound. An ultrasound is a noninvasive device that uses sound waves to create images of internal structures of the body. An ultrasound may enable the pediatric urologist to locate a nonpalpable testicle, particularly if it's located within the groin.

Treatments and drugs
The goal of treatment is to move the undescended testicle to its proper location in the scrotum. Early treatment may lower the risk of complications of an undescended testicle, such as the risk of infertility and testicular cancer.

Surgery An undescended testicle is usually corrected with surgery. The surgeon carefully manipulates the testicle into the scrotum and stitches it into place. This procedure usually requires relatively small incisions and may be performed with laparoscopic devices.
When your son has surgery will depend on a number factors, such as your son's health and how difficult the procedure might be. Your surgeon will likely recommend doing the surgery after your son is 3 to 6 months old and before he is 15 months old. Early surgical treatment appears to lower the risk of later complications.

In some cases, the testicle may be poorly developed, abnormal or dead tissue. The surgeon will remove this testicular tissue.

If your son also has an inguinal hernia associated with the undescended testicle, the hernia is repaired during the surgery.

After surgery, the surgeon will monitor the testicle to see that it continues to develop, function properly and stay in place. Monitoring may include:

• Physical exam
• Ultrasound examination of the scrotum
• Tests of hormone levels
• Hormone treatment Hormone treatment involves the injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). This hormone could cause the testicle to move to your son's scrotum, but hormone treatment is usually less effective than surgery is. There's some evidence that hormone treatment may contribute to early onset of puberty (precocious puberty).
• Other treatments If your son doesn't have one or both testicles — either missing or didn't survive after surgery — you may consider saline testicular implants for the scrotum that can be implanted during late childhood or adolescence. These implants — testicle-shaped nodules filled with a fluid — result in the "appearance" of two testicles in the scrotum.
• If your son doesn't have at least one healthy testicle, your doctor will refer you to a hormone specialist (endocrinologist) to discuss future hormone treatments that would be necessary to bring about puberty and physical maturity.

So please say a little prayer for Caleb that this corrects itself soon. I can't handle him having surgery without Chris home.

If you can't say anything nice

... Then don't be a waitress!

The kids and I went to one of our favorite places, The Diner, for dinner tonight. We haven't been in a few months so I thought it would be a nice treat. It also makes us think of Chris when we are there and how he gorges himself on their breakfast burrito. =) The service is always very friendly and the food fast to the table and yummy.

Tonight, the stars must've been misaligned or something. There was a new lady there that I had never seen before. She walked up to us with a "hmpf" and asked "WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Huh? Isn't it supposed to be "Hi! Are you ready to order?" or something along those lines? So I ask if she has hot chocolate since that's what the girls want and she said "It's on the menu." Well we hadn't gotten any menus yet, that is why I am asking. She then gets our drinks to us 5 minutes later and we were ready to order but she walks away. When she finally comes back, Lina tells her what she wants (silver dollar pancakes, 1 scrambled egg with cheese, and 1 slice of bacon) and I order for Addie, Caleb, and I (patty melt with cheesey hashbrown, side of chicken fingers, and mickey mouse pancake.) She puts in the order and we proceed to wait over 40 minutes for our food. When she brought it out, Lina's was all wrong, sausage, grits, toast, and an egg. Lina about started crying. I told her "My daughter ordered silver dollar pancakes, not this." And she told me "THIS is the child's meal that you said she wanted." And I said "No, she wanted the childs pancake meal." Then when I asked her where the chicken fingers were she huffed and walked away. I saw her looking for our ticket which she did write chicken fingers on and she called them in. I didn't even mention to her that my hashbrowns were missing cheese. Poor Lina and Caleb sat another 15 minutes without their food. I got Caleb's to go since they were piping hot and Lina inhaled hers. When she brought our bill, the chicken fingers weren't charged on it. She still didn't get a tip. UGH!

Happy First Birthday Caleb!!!

Monster Mash

We had our Girl Scout Monster Mash last night. (From a Mom's stand point, it sucked as I predicted it would.) Totally not worth it for the attitude thrown at me, the lack of fun for the kids, and Angelina having a reaction to her face paint. At least the kids looked cute in their customes.

Unicorns don't always fart rainbows

And this is what it looks like at the Stevens' household when they don't.

Headaches SUCK

More posts to come when this one (hopefully) passes. We're on day 3.

That is all.

Where'd you get the red hair kid?

Seriously, it seems to be getting more and more red to it! And yeah, the kids made the scarecrow at our fall festival. Isn't he cute?

Gonna be sick tomorrow

How can I tell? I'm sick to m stomach. Just plain out nauseated. And what does that mean for me? That I am going to be laid up in bed tomorrow with a migraine. The boy and I are going to bed now. I hope that sleep will combat this queasy feeling and the ensuing headache.

Two funnies

While driving past a cow pasture....

Angelina: Addie, look at all those yummy cheeseburgers!!!
Addie: Na-uh Lina, those are cows!


Same trip a little further down the road....

Addison: Hey Momma, where are we?
Me: We're in Alabama Addie.
Addison: Oh like Sweet Home Alabama?
Me: pulling over from laughing so hard

We've gone country

Last night we went with our Brownie Troop to Aplin Farms. It was so much fun. We got to go through a "mini farm" where the kids "milked cows", collected eggs, dug for potatos, picked apples, watched inside of a bee hive, took a hayride, picked pumpkins out the patch, picked sunflowers out of the field, walked through a corn maze and had a bonfire. (Tired just from reading that??)

Today we went to our housing areas Fall Festival. We made a scarecrow, got halloween temp tatoos, ate cotton candy, took yet another hayride, made peanut butter birdseed feeders, cake walked, ate lunch, and had a grand ole time.

Of course I have pictures and of course I will put them up for your viewing pleasure. Will probably be tonight or tomorrow though since there's a lot of em.

Our day at the park

We had a blast yesterday with Ashely and her daughters Raegan and Kaelyn as well as Rachel and her sons Riley, Mason, and Leland. The kids got to enjoy happy meals, play for several hours, and feed the geese. It was a gorgeous day out and they all had a lot of fun! Here are some pics of the day.

Lubba chillin in his ride


Leland wants to slide


But decides not to


Caleb tries the slide


And likes it!


Angelina shows us her monkey side


Kaelyn and Addie climb


The older kiddos take a rid


My kiddos take a slide


The babies go flying


Caleb and I go swinging


Leland decides it's time for a rest RIGHT NOW


Raegan and Lina rest in the shade


Caleb was "dancing"


Feeding the geese

We went to the park today. Had lots of fun. Next was Brownies and rhe girls earned their Sports Try It. Went to PX, fixed dinner, wrapped presents, played with kids, need to crash. Sooooooooo tired. Cramping. Gotta clean master-hole-in-the-wall 1/2 bath before maintainence comes tomorrow. Will post pics of park tomorrow before Leland's bday party. Sorry this is scattered and for typos. Eyes have gone blurry. Heeding the call of my bed now!

P.S. Goodnight Chris. Sweet dreams. Love n miss you Babe.

I fought the commissary!

And I won! hehe! Actually, it wasn't too bad today since we got there shortly after it opened and payday isn't technically til tomorrow. I got us some food and felt good until we went to pay. When did groceries get so freakin' expensive? I about choked as I forked over our debit card to the cashier. So even though I won the battle of the lanes, they still won the battle of the money.

We got a great new diaper in the mail today. My friend Kim stalked it for me while I was in New Orleans. It's the coolest crossword puzzle print. I also got some (gasp) diaper pins for Caleb's new diapers. I sold 1/2 of his Mutts and have used that money to get some new night time diapers for him. They are prefitteds so you have to snappi or pin them. I tell ya though, my boy wakes up DRY to the touch in these diapers where as the others he always soaked through them. We love them! For those wondering, they are Bagshot Row Bamboo (bsrb) One Size Overnights. Great WAHM, great customer service, great diapers.

And get this, Caleb took a 2 1/2 hour nap today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe it! He never does that. I got so much done. Cleaned the refrigerator, gave Cora a lengthy flea bath, brushed her, vacuumed the floor, read with Angelina, set up a finger painting station for Addison, did some laundry. Wow!

The Chris and Annie story

Ah, the love of my life.... what can I say? He stole my heart at the age of 16. We did the whole high school sweetheart thing, dances, dates, hanging out on the "ooga" seat, etc. Then he went away to boot camp and I wrote letters daily to him. He wrote me a few times. We had a lot of long distance between us through boot camp, AIT, and him moving to Florida while I was still home in Louisiana. Eventually, we got our act back together and I moved in with him in our teeny tiny little first apartment. 6 months later, we decided to up and get married. I was 20, he was 22. We moved into a bigger apartment and got a cat. Our time there was fun as Chris' sister lived in the same complex as well as some really great friends of ours. We got pregnant, had a miscarriage, and bought a house next. We got pregnant again, worked our butts off, got our house settled, loved our cat and new neighbors, and had a baby girl (Angelina). Chris was working as a land surveyor and I was a co-manager of the Gymboree store in the Avenues Mall. Our little life was pleasant but hard. 9/11 happened and Chris had just gotten out of the Marine Corps. He wanted desperately to do something for our country and for our family (times were rough!) so he enlisted in the Army. Off to Virginia he went for training. Lina, Champ and I moved to New Orleans. Champ passed away right after we moved and both of us took it hard. He was our first baby and we love(d) him so much. While Chris was busy studying the anatomy of a helicopter, I worked at a bank and Lina stayed at home with my MawMaw. Once Chris was done, we moved to Fort Campbell, KY. We made some stellar friends there! Chris was gone a lot and the adjustment to being an active duty family was difficult for both of us. We made it through though and had another little girl (Addison) while at Campbell. We also somehow managed to get ourselves two bulldogs while at Campbell. hehe! I was beginning to enjoy being a SAHM and Chris, although deployed a lot, enjoyed being a soldier. Dreams were bigger then being a just a joe though, so he put in his packet for flight school. He was picked up on his second go 'round and off to Ft. Rucker, AL we went. Chris went through WOC school and Flight school. I got pregnant... again... and we had a baby boy (Caleb). Our bully Amos decided he did not like having a brother, so he went to live with a great family with lots of other dogs and some older kids to love on and play with. Chris graduated from flight school and now is a proud Blackhawk pilot!! He had to leave shortly after graduation and the birth of Caleb to go to Egypt for a 15 month tour. I still stay at home, teaching Addie preschool stuff and playing with Caleb while Angelina goes to second grade. We miss each other very much and the kids miss their Daddy. We look forward to him coming home in April and then moving to wherever the Army sends us. It's been a crazy and chaotic but wonderful and loving ten years of marriage (13+ years together). I wouldn't trade it for the world.

And there you have it, the Chris and Annie story!

Picture Blog

Just some pics from our recent trip to New Orleans for Beth and Jake's wedding & MawMaw's 90th bday party!!!

Goofy Lina


Funny Addie


My Baby


Lina was a Jr. Bridesmaid


Addie was a flower girl (here with MawMaw)


Little guy and I were there to look good! =)


Our little family at the wedding


MawMaw and I on her 90th birthday


Addie and I in front of the St. Louis Cathedral & Jackson Square


The girls in Jackson Square


The girls at Margaritaville


Caleb after our trip to the French Quarter still has tons of smiles!

Tomorrow can we go to......

Genevieve and Mykal's? =( How do you explain to a 3 year old that her two bff's are a loooooooooong way away? When I told her no, we can't go and visit them tomorrow you could just see her little heart breaking. Her face just went totally sad and the little light in her eyes went out. I feel so bad for her. She misses her friends so much. Right now she is coloring them pictures for us to mail to them. That makes her feel a little better.

OH EM GEE Bitches!!!

Y'all have got to check out this new site produced by Ashton Kutcher! It's called Blah Girls and it's my new favorite place on the web EVER!! I about had labor like pains in my sides from laughing so hard! Check it out!

Music of the Night

Yeah, okay, so I get goosebumps EVERY time I hear this song. And DC singing it just makes my spine tingle. It is my absolute favorite song ever! Thought I would share the lyrics with y'all.

Night-time sharpens,heightens each sensation Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defences

...Softly, gently night unfurls its splendour
Grasp it, sense it - tremulous and tender
Turn your face awayfrom the garish light of day,turn your thoughts awayfrom cold, unfeeling light -and listen to the music of the night
...Close your eyes and surrender to yourdarkest dreams!
Purge your thoughts of the lifeyou knew before!
Close your eyes,let your spirit start to soar!
And you'll liveas you've never lived before
...Softly, deftly,music shall surround you
...Feel it, hear it,closing in around you
...Open up your mind,let your fantasies unwind,
in this darkness whichyou know you cannot fight
-the darkness of the music of the night
...Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world!
Leave all thoughtsof the world you knew before!
Let your soul take you where you long to be!
Only then can you belong to me
...Floating, falling, sweet intoxication!
Touch me, trust me savour each sensation!
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in to the power of the music that I write
-the power of the music of the night

...You alone can make my song take flight
-help me make the music of the night . . .

When Caleb wakes up

Remind me to ask him if pink crayons taste good. Just went to spray out his dirty diaper and it is speckled with bits of pink. Hilarious I tell ya!!! The boy eats everything. I'm surprised I haven't dug out a bug from his mouth. If he ever gets a hold of a roach corpse, beware. There's going to be hurling and mouth scrubbing and more hurling and bleach poured down throats... (well, not bleach but maybe listerine). And holy heck did that diaper stink. Seriously, I didn't spray it right away b/c he was so tired that I rocked him to sleep first. Stunk up my living room, stuck up the hall as I walked it to the bathroom, my bathroom now reaks. Fabreeze here I come.

Random Annie-ness

Just some tidbits about your favorite hobbit sized girl...........

1. I lurve David Cook!
2. Certified rescue scuba diver
3. Favorite wine is Cafe' Zin
4. Middle name is Marie
5. Unlike Hobbits, my feet aren't big
6. I'm a cloth diaper fanatic
7. I would still love to be a vet when I grow up
8. Weddings = Stress.... elope!
9. Bring on the beach
10. I wear smacks nearly year round
11. Used to play the violin
12. Now only play the radio
13. Collector of reindeer, state quarters & pelicans
14. I lurve Anne Rice
15. New Orleans = Home
16. I worship my own way. Just b/c I don't go to church doesn't mean I don't believe.
17. Sweet tea is bliss in a cup
18. I miss my husband
19. I want to go bowling
20. I hate roaches

New blog

Yup, so I'm going to try to keep this one up. It's gonna be where I fill ya in on what's up with us. Hopefully I'll get a new, snazzy layout soon. Right now, we are gonna be plain jane.

ETA: Well, didn't stay plain for long. Played with some PSP to get a pretty little banner!