MissAdaptation

Copycat

2012-02-11T15:24:00.001-06:00

So, a few of my really good friends posted on their blogs about this really clever idea! So, when I found myself with two loaves of kid bread, and a big jar of cheap peanut butter I said, “self, you are going to do this.” Slapped 9 of these babies together in about 10 minutes, wrapped up up tight, put them back in the bread bag and threw them in the freezer. It’s a little sad what a thrill it gave me, and continues to give me. I can’t wait to throw one in D’s lunch Monday morning and experience the full-on rush of actually having saved myself some time.

Thanks, friends!

Sweetness

2012-02-09T09:43:00.001-06:00

Oh, Finn. Sweet, big-eyed, candy and doughnut loving Finn. I cannot resist you. Even though I know you will only lick off the frosting and leave most of the doughnut in tact, when you ask me for the football shaped doughnut I will buy it for you. Every time.

Took the kids to Krispy Kreme last Saturday on the way to Aunt Becky’s and Granny’s. Every once in a while I realize that I’m doing something that used to frighten me…like taking all three of them somewhere with no restraining device or backup help. We simply get out of the car and walk through the parking lot like normal people, go in, sit down and do whatever. Truly, this is a huge step for me.

We (they) ate doughnuts then went to visit Aunt Becky and Granny for a bit while Daddy took a concealed handgun class (watch out all you Richardson bad guys). It was a good day.

fat mum slim: February photo-a-day challenge

2012-02-01T15:55:00.000-06:00

fat mum slim: February photo-a-day challenge: Doing this!

Happiest Place on Earth

2012-01-31T10:28:00.001-06:00

Claire loves horses. She got the Tangled set with the doll and Maximus and leaves poor Rapunzel to fare for herself while Claire and Max go have good times. I found her four plastic horses, about twelve inches high, at my favorite thrift store a few months ago and she takes at least two of them everywhere we go. We have Buttercup, Apple, Smoke, Brownie, Big Brownie, Maximus and Tiny Horse. She reads books about horses and has long talked about riding one at the zoo. A really great friend of mine gave her an unbelievable rocking horse for Christmas last year, which I think started it all. Baby dolls lie lonely in the floor but the horses make magic happen.

Finally, Aunt Becky made her dream come true.

Major Upheaval

2012-01-30T08:52:00.001-06:00

Friday afternoon was a pretty spectacular day, weather-wise. Just about 70 degrees, sunny. Very nice for January. So, I invited my great friend over after we picked up our kids from school. We’d sit on the patio, drink wine, menu plan, and watch the kids play peacefully.

Finn had been complaining that he didn’t feel well, and that his body hurt. Finn doesn’t complain much but I have a hard time learning these lessons so I kind of down played it. I told my friend, but she said she didn’t mind and we’d stick with our plan. Hurray!

Shortly after we got back from school, Finn puked all over the floor. Panic. Tears. Lysol. Got him cleaned up, as well as the floor and Iain took him back to lie down on our bed. We all continued with our wonderful afternoon. Finn emerged about twenty minutes later and despite my efforts to at least keep him on my lap, insisted on playing baseball. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe the glorious warm day. But again, we just kept chugging along.

Friend and her kids went home later on and all seemed pretty fine. Finn seemed better, just sleepy. Saturday was “family work day” since we were having friends for dinner. Again, Finn seemed fine. We even passed the 24 hour, golden rule mark of kid vomit. Cleaned the house, made pot roast, chocolate cake, had a really fun day. Friends came for dinner. Great time was had by all.

Sunday morning I thought to myself, “I must had had too much wine last night”. But soon realized very differently. Claire and I had both fallen. She seemed to have a brief spurt, and recover quickly like Finn but that would soon prove wrong. I took to bed most of the day. I got up around 2, and Iain went to run some errands. Just about then, Claire resumed being sick and did not stop until well after bedtime. Duncan fell at 4 a.m. Iain is currently in fetal position in our bed.

I am glad for a few things. That Iain and I did not get sick on the same days. That Duncan is old enough to puke in a bucket. That I have a good washer with a sanitize cycle, even though it takes 3 HOURS TO COMPLETE.

Oh, and we managed to get 1 other child, and two other adults (at this point and time…there could be others) sick! Hooray! So, this morning we are having a Shawn the Sheep marathon. Claire is still kind of listless but is drinking Pedialyte. Duncan keeping everything down so I’m hopeful for school tomorrow. I feel great!

Does this post make my butt look big?

2012-01-28T13:02:00.001-06:00

Some of you may remember this post about jeans. I loved it and took it to heart. I immediately got rid of my old jeans with misplaced pockets and decided I would try to find some new ones. I am always trying to lose weight and often find myself in the trap of “when I lose xx pounds I will _________” i.e. buy some new jeans. This time I just decided to do it.

I found myself with some time on my hands last Thursday (my only day in which I have five glorious, kid-free hours) so I went into Stein Mart. There on the clearance rag were a pair that kind of spoke to me. I knew I wanted a dark wash, and that the pockets had to be right. I also knew that there were probably many pairs in Stein Mart that would lead me down the wrong path so I was skeptical. I trudged into the fitting room, braved the terrible lighting and pulled these on. Need I even say how grateful I am that so many jeans now have some lycra? Glory be.

I wondered how I would know about the pockets so I tried to use my phone to snap some pics. Who takes pictures of their backside, much less in a dressing room? It was that important. I got a couple of shots and decided that they looked like they could work. They actually fit, which was reason enough to buy them, but I’m thinking the pockets pass the long-butt test. What do you think?

Photo Book

2012-01-18T16:10:00.001-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly offers exclusive layouts and designs so you can make your book just the way you want.

I had a $20 credit with them (Free! Because I ordered my Christmas cards from them.) and used it on a quickie photo book of the Christmas pics.

January 1

2012-01-01T09:25:00.001-06:00

This day, Time winds th' exhausted chain;
To run the twelvemonth's length again:
I see, the old bald-pated fellow,
With ardent eyes, complexion sallow,
Adjust the unimpair'd machine,
To wheel the equal, dull routine.
The absent lover, minor heir,
In vain assail him with their prayer;
Deaf as my friend, he sees them press,
Nor makes the hour one moment less,
Will you (the Major's with the hounds,
The happy tenants share his rounds;
Coila's fair Rachel's care to-day,
And blooming Keith's engaged with Gray)
From housewife cares a minute borrow,
(That grandchild's cap will do to-morrow,)
And join with me a-moralizing;
This day's propitious to be wise in.
First, what did yesternight deliver?
"Another year has gone for ever."
And what is this day's strong suggestion?
"The passing moment's all we rest on!"
Rest on-for what? what do we here?
Or why regard the passing year?
Will Time, amus'd with proverb'd lore,
Add to our date one minute more?
A few days may-a few years must-
Repose us in the silent dust.
Then, is it wise to damp our bliss?
Yes-all such reasonings are amiss!
The voice of Nature loudly cries,
And many a message from the skies,
That something in us never dies:
That on his frail, uncertain state,
Hang matters of eternal weight:
That future life in worlds unknown
Must take its hue from this alone;
Whether as heavenly glory bright,
Or dark as Misery's woeful night.
Since then, my honour'd first of friends,
On this poor being all depends,
Let us th' important now employ,
And live as those who never die.
Tho' you, with days and honours crown'd,
Witness that filial circle round,
(A sight life's sorrows to repulse,
A sight pale Envy to convulse),
Others now claim your chief regard;
Yourself, you wait your bright reward.

True Image

2011-11-08T12:30:00.001-06:00

A sweet friend of mine at Sarah Thompson Photography took these pictures (and more) of our kids a few weeks ago. It was a really warm day and I just got them in some clean play clothes and ran. Claire and Finn threw pretty spectacular fits in the van on the way there, and I could not convince Duncan to wear shoes other than the hand-me-down cowboy boots he got from a neighbor. And these might be my favorite pictures ever. Especially that shot of Duncan. There are 21 in all, and I am going to have a super time creating a Christmas card this year.

2011-10-30T20:33:00.000-05:00

NBFF

2011-10-10T21:14:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be really honest about something. The term "best friend" kind of bugs me. As a child, it certainly didn't. I had several! Robin, from Day 1. We were inseparable. When I moved away at age 6, we stayed very close. We moved back to Texas after 8th grade, and once again, Robin and I fell right back into our friendship even though we went to different high schools. Best friends once again, and then college room mates and room mates again after she finished law school. Now living in Chicago, I still love her deeply and wish I could see her all the time.

However, during those years I also had Gina, currently living in Manhattan and still one of my closest and dearest even though we hardly get a chance to talk or see each other. Angela. We went to high school together and were also "best friends." And while we lived in New Jersey, I had Sue. Also, a bestie. See, things are already getting confusing.

Now, though, in my adult hood I have a growing disdain for the term. I know, I have issues. But truly, I have so many wonderful and amazing friends. Wish I could think of a word other than amazing. Great. Honorable. Kind. Loyal. Funny. Remarkable. A few have proven themselves to be in-the-trenches-loyal-to-the-bone and I know the minute I got the call that something horrible had happened they would immediately be at my side. Some I have had for 45 years and some for a fraction of that time...but I could not say that any one of them is the best. That would mean that others are not the best! Why does this bug me? I'm not completely sure but it does.

Instead of giving them labels, they just are. Some I see more often than others, some live far away, but all are great and so very important to me. I just don't think if someone said, "who is your best friend?" I could come up with a good answer.

Just a Regular Day

2011-10-10T08:01:00.003-05:00

Well, here we are...ten years later. The place I wanted to be. All of this is really effed up, you know because you can't get your head around it. If Z had lived, we most likely would not have had the life we have now...our path would have been different and I simply cannot imagine not having this life. See? Effed up. So we kind of walk away from those kinds of thoughts. They are not productive and get us nowhere.

While today isn't really like any other day, for the most part it will have to be! Iain is in Seattle and Duncan is out of school so the chaos of all three of them at home (for the third day in a row! with one more to go! gee willikers!) takes over. I had thought about taking all of them to the zoo but a clearer head prevailed this morning and think maybe the local library and Chick Fil A will do. Maybe we will Christen my new Kichen Aid? Make Aunt Becky a birthday card? It's kind of rainy and cloudy so indoor fun is best. Right now the boys have every blanket and pillow on Finn's bed and are pretending it's their ship and the carpet is the water. They have kidnapped Claire's teddy bear and just told her the bad news that her bear has been shredded up by Finn (a shark) in the ocean. That's pretty good.

Happy Birthday Z.

2011-09-30T20:56:00.000-05:00

Gosh I love this kid. He is a baseball freak. Loves it. And it's really fun to watch him love it. We are playing coach pitch this fall with the same team from last spring. Games are a bit of a drive but Claire and Finn have fun running around and they are big enough now that I can relax a bit and just let them. Tonight, the weather was spectacular and it was just a super night.

The Help

2011-09-22T15:54:00.000-05:00

Ten Years

2011-09-20T17:16:00.000-05:00

I remember sitting in a chair in our living room, facing the window, across from Iain and my mom. The words "I just want it to be ten years from now" coming out of my mouth. I am pretty sure I was not thinking that everything would be fine in ten years...probably just that I did not want it to be now. Because now was so brutal and horrific that it felt like it would take me ten years to move an inch from that place. I also remember saying that I was pretty sure I would never feel joy again.

So, voila! Here I am. Ten years later. It's such a difficult thing, to try to figure out how I feel vs. how I thought I would feel. In some respects, life is so much better than I ever thought it would be and in some respects it is no different. That feeling of grief for your child just never goes away. No matter how fast you try to outrun it, you never can. I can so easily drum up those feelings that I felt in those first weeks and months after he died but most times I dare not. Sometimes I do, though. It feels necessary. I don't find it necessary to visit where he is laid to rest, so maybe this is my "visit the cemetery."

It's hard not to stare it right in the face...this ten year anniversary. But, where I am now is very, very good. It is very, very bright and wonderful and full of wonder. I dare not entertain anyone who starts to go down the "if he hadn't died" road, indicating we would not have the children we do have...the living, breathing ones. That is something that not only will we never know, but it does not matter. None of the what if's matter. Learned that lesson the hard way, huh? He did die. And we do have these living, breathing children. No platitudes necessary. And speaking of these children, somehow it has all worked out just the way it was supposed to. God sent them to us just as he sent us Ziggy...I do know that for sure. Some day I might have answers, and I might not, but that doesn't really matter to me anymore either.

I like to think that I no longer have one foot in the grave, longing to be with my dead child. I no longer dwell on the fact that he is dead. I no longer define myself by his death. That is what ten years does. But that's about where it ends. He is still as important and as real, but even more important and more real are the three that followed.

2011-09-05T21:15:00.000-05:00

It got below 90 degrees today, y'all.

2011-08-23T22:37:00.000-05:00

Seriously. Just look at him.

First

2011-08-16T09:32:00.004-05:00

Duncan started first grade this week. I am both shocked and thrilled about this. When we bought this house in May, we bought it mainly because the door that he would exit every day after school is visible from my kitchen window and my front door.

See that hallway in the background? That third window from the end? That's his class. And the window in the foreground? I rest my case. So, when the ink was not yet dry on the papers, we went over to the school to get him registered. And were told that first grade was full for next year, thus he was on a wait list for a spot. No, no, no...I know what you are thinking. It's not a private school! It's our neighborhood public school. After the feeling that I was going to vomit had passed, I immediately scoured the web for possible solutions. After all, when feeling totally out of control there is certainly something you can find on the internet that will help you feel like you have something you can do. Read all the rules and regulations and whatnot and it was a fairly grim outlook. Basically, if no one moved or otherwise gave up their spot, we would be sent to an overflow school of unknown location. Over the next six weeks we visited the new school, called the district, waited for the new principal to come on board and looked at every possible outcome.

Once everyone was back in their offices in late July we pounced on them again, to meet the new principal and hope our options had improved. We were told that they might get a waiver allowing more than 22 students in the class, and if Duncan was #1 or #2 on the list then he would have a spot. Lots of vaguery. So then I did what any other totally panicky momma bear would do and I started calling in favors and leaving messages for people at the Superintendent's office. Lo and behold just a week later they called us, assuring us that Duncan does indeed have a spot.

Drop off yesterday went off splendidly...a real 180 from last year. Two days in and we are going strong. No tears, no "I don't want to go to school"...nothing. All enthusiasm. Hooray!!!

2011-07-31T20:31:00.000-05:00

How is summer almost over? How does he start first grade in three weeks? Summer starts off fun and great and exciting then lags a bit, but towards the end I always want it to last just a bit longer. Seems like there are just a few more things that I want to do that I know we wont have time for. I start to pine for time that is not yet lost, not yet over. While I do enjoy the routine and structure of fall, with school and Wednesday night church, it is not without its headaches of homework and waking up in time to brush teeth and get dressed and making sure the right clothes are clean. I think there are times this summer when Duncan wore the same Beatles tee shirt for at least four days in a row. And no one noticed. This summer we didn't take any grand vacations and Duncan only did one week of day camp, so almost the entire time was spent at home or someplace close by, hanging out...swimming...watching cartoons...playing. I know I'll miss that.

In with the new

2011-07-29T09:08:00.000-05:00

Duncan's bike and scooter got stolen last week so we at least replaced the bike. We went up a size, but it fits him great and even though he seemed to be viscerally attached to his old (and first) bike, he loves the new one. Oh and that school in the background? Yes, that is the school he should go to in a few weeks. See how close it is? I can see the door he will/would come out of from my front door. More on that later.

2011-07-29T09:05:00.000-05:00

Please ignore the unmowed grass in the background. And the ugly dead shrubs. We've had record heat, you know. But as for the focus of these pictures, this boy Finn. He is changing quickly and becoming a friendly, sweet, eager to please child. He is the first to give a hug and a kiss to those he loves and to narrate the events of the day. He lights up (see bottom photo) when he sees Duncan come into view. He has the potential to be our only late sleeper, but is rarely given the chance due to early risers #1 and #2. He loves books, trains, trucks, tractors, M&M's, raw carrots and apples. He is not interested in cake, pizza, hot dogs, spaghetti, hamburgers, bread of any kind, or tortillas. Will quickly say "no like it." He will eat numerous ice cream sandwiches, though. We love you Finn!

2011-07-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

Several times a day, I find Claire on something...a counter top, a table, etc...and often times she has a glass or cup and water is involved. I am trying to find ways to channel this curiosity for good.

2011-07-23T08:48:00.000-05:00

Playing with my new toy. Love that we've upgraded our camera and now need to learn to use it! Day twenty million of over 100 degree heat in Texas so the only way to tolerate the swingset is with the water hose! Everyone loves it. Summer going way too fast, but looking forward to the routine and rhythm of fall.

2011-06-01T08:32:00.003-05:00

I am trying to stay rational and not get overly emotional but today is the last day in our house (and technically it's not even ours anymore!) and tomorrow is Duncan's last day of kindergarten. Sniff.

Traditionally, I do not handle change well. I do not handle things coming to and end well, nor do I handle saying good bye very easily. Even you, crappy old dishwasher. But big, mature trees...I shall miss you most of all.

Today will be a full day. Iain is running stuff out to the dump so that we don't leave any trash for the new owners. I am washing final (ha! will have access to my new washing machine like, tomorrow, but still...it feels so FINAL) loads of laundry, packing up the few dishes we kept unpacked to use, and being amazed at how much stuff we still have to pack. I also need to order cupcakes for Duncan's last day of kinder/birthday celebration, and we have to replace the hall closet door because of this:

We have measured our children in a messy, willy nilly way, but measured them none the less. I know I could take the measurements and start a new door but for some reason I want to take this one. So, Iain, being the great husband, is going to try to get a new door today and replace it...because he has nothing better to do.

Moving van comes first thing in the morning, and they will also come pick up the PODS. Then **poof** the house will be empty. I suppose I will bring Duncan by after school tomorrow, to say good bye. Choke.

But really, I am super excited about our new house. More about that later!

Last Saturday on Saxon Street.

2011-05-28T07:10:00.005-05:00

Today is the last Saturday in our current home. We've been here about 11 and a half years, so that's about 650 Saturdays, give or take a few. The first Saturdays were just Iain and me, probably working in the yard, sleeping late, going to movies and me cooking really nice dinners with food from Central Market. Oh, we also drank alot of wine and kept a spreadsheet of what we drank, the price, how we liked it, etc...oh the life.

Then, in 2001 our Saturdays were initially all about trying to have a baby through intense medical intervention and how we'd pay for it. Then pregnancy! A great portion of 2001 were pregnant Saturdays, full of hope and joy and baby showers. Then Saturdays in 2001 were about death and grief and sorrow. Those were the darkest Saturdays of all. Excruciating. They seemed endless and only nightfall brought some relief.

Those Saturdays lasted a long time. I don't have alot of memories of how we filled our days for a few years, but we slowly emerged back into a life.

In about 2004, Saturdays become good and great again. Hope was involved. Iain started an MBA program and was gone for two Saturdays a month, and once again, pregnancy! Those Saturdays that Iain was gone were hard at first, but after a bit became a bit of a little treasure. While pregnant with Duncan is was some nice alone time for me. Total freedom! Little did I know how special that alone time would be. Iain would have to leave for class on Friday night, and would not be home until Saturday night. Wow, while I would not trade for that again it sure does seem particularly lovely now. Once Duncan was born those Saturdays changed but were still okay. I am sure it seemed really difficult with a newborn but seriously. It was ONE baby. My mom and sister were living back in town at this point so Saturdays became alot about family time with a new baby.

Those were mostly very good Saturdays! Although, at the time, they could seem long and lonely. Not alot of structure with newborns. Alot of moment to moment existence and alot of that nice freedom gone. Poof! But still, looking back....one baby!

Once Claire and Finn came along, Saturdays got a little more hectic. At first, they were just a blur. Iain and I running on very little sleep, one kid stops napping and two babies sleeping in the dining room (for four months.) I honestly don't know how we did it, but we did. So now, Claire and Finn are two and a half, and Duncan is almost six and our Saturdays have a fairly nice rhythm. Certainly easier than it has been in years. They are all old enough to go in the back yard and keep themselves busy, or play in their rooms...but seem most content when they are in the same room as Iain and me. Sometimes I think the size of our house would have no bearing on how many children we would have underfoot. They just like to be with us. So we hang out, play tee ball, swing high, have cheetah runs, play basketball, chat with neighbors, eat, climb, scream, laugh, and get through our Saturdays on Saxon Street.

Today was a crazy one...this last Saturday. Packing with all three of them under foot is challenging. Claire loves to put things in boxes and carry things around, so she undoes alot of what I have just done. Duncan seems a bit anxious about it all and wants to know where his things are...I inadvertently packed his baseball pants and he had to wear shorts to his game today. It caused him some initial stress. Finn just runs around with cars. As long as he has those, he is unfazed. We got them all cleaned (well 2 out of 3), fed, and to bed and will close the chapter on this routine of our lives. To start anew next Saturday.

Pack, rats!

2011-05-20T09:09:00.002-05:00

So, here is how I pack.

Feel inspired. Tape one box together. Walk around in stupor for ten - twenty minutes trying to figure out what to put in box. Finally decide. Fill box. Feel proud. Then feel overwhelmed. Go sit. Stare at house. Walk from room to room examining how much stuff is still left. Make no plan. Tend to children's needs. Check email. Brush hair. Pace. Try to decide whether or not to have another cup of coffee. Wash hands. Look for reading glasses. Find newspaper and read Arts & Life section to confirm new Johnny Depp movie is not worth the babysitting money. Disassemble twins high chairs to find unspeakable things on the underside of seat. Throw seat covers in washing machine, on sanitize, and stand in awe of wonderful washing machine that is soon to belong to mother and sister because previous owner is leaving me her Whirlpool Duet Sport. Am bounced back to reality that we are moving in less than two weeks and need to pack. Repeat.

A Moving Experience

2011-05-02T09:12:00.001-05:00

So, we have sold our house, and apparently bought a new one! We are moving! In just under four weeks. I am very excited, and very overwhelmed. May was busy, as it was. But now, we must pack and do everything else that is involved in moving all of our worldly goods to another location, along with three small children. Things that are keeping me up at night include:

When do we dismantle and move the cribs? We can move our things into the new house on June 2nd, and must be out of our current home by midnight on June 3rd. Do we save the cribs for last? Do them first? My head. It swims.
Where do we sleep on June 2nd? Current house? New house? Must have all beds in one place.
Duncan's last day of school is also June 2nd! That just adds to the mix somehow.
Okay, so my list is not as long as I thought it would be.

We had a small garage sale today, got rid of some stuff and made about $100. Not enough to buy the camera that I want but enough to justify some Thai food perhaps. Gratefully, our parents all came to help with the kids and it really was kind of fun. We have about two weeks until we close on both houses, then about three more days until we have to be out of here. Sometimes I just sit and stare at all the stuff and overwhelm myself.

Should I move the twins into big girl and big boy beds when we move? See, more questions.

Should we keep the twins in the same room or put the boys together?

Argh.

I am also trying to eat from the pantry and freezer. I would really like to eat up what we've got and not either throw away or move frozen food and canned goods. Things might get rather creative around here for the next two weeks or so! Tonight I did pretty good. I made a homemade pasta sauce with a can of organic tomatoes, oregano, garlic, basil. Yummy. Cooked up some frozen tortellini. Used a can of Pillsbury pizza dough and made a kind of ghetto version of bruschetta but it was good. Let me tell you. Oh, and the 8 green beans that I picked from our garden! We can each have one, then three lucky folks get an extra. Feeding my family.

Game On!

2011-04-16T20:22:00.001-05:00

Oh, we love tee ball. We love, love, love it! Everyone goes and everyone has fun. Today, my heart almost burst when Duncan was awarded the game ball. I know coach is most likely picking one kid a week at random, cuz they all play their little hearts out, but it does make you swell a bit.

House Love

2011-04-14T10:34:00.003-05:00

So, it appears we have sold our house. We are out of the option period, and are not set to close until May 31 which is both good and bad. The offer came very quickly (2 days) and so far all has gone well. It is a buyer's market so much to Iain's dismay there was not much bargaining and gaming to be done but the offer was fair and we accepted. I have many very mixed emotions. This house...well, we love this house. There are so many really good things about this house that I try to put into words but sometimes fail. But I'm going to try again.

When I am lying on the big, comfy green couch that was a hand me down from my sister, and it's the middle of the day, and the lights are off, and the wood blinds are half-way down on the big picture window nearby, and the ceiling fan is on it's just one of those perfect moments. I can't even say why. Everything just seems right. I think it has to do with my childhood and being on the back screened-in porch at my grandparents' farm, on an old twin bed, with a fan on and windows open, hearing the trains go by and the cows mooing in the pasture. That memory is one of my greatest happy places, and the feeling I get on the green couch is similiar.

Six (of our ten) windows look out onto green. We are on a corner lot, facing a green belt. Only one window looks onto a neighbors house, and it's a small one over the washing machine. The others face front, with neighbors across the street and all the trees in between. I love it. I have to have big trees to be happy.

There are only two doors into this house. Front and back. When Iain is out of town, I feel confident that I can hear anything that might be weird like boogie men. Not there there has ever been a boogie man, but if there were I would hear him coming. I have a hard time being a grown up in these instances.

Our neighbors are great. The least of these are a bit nutty and weird, but (I assume) harmless. Everyone else is fantastic and we will miss them.

Our house is so small that in case of fire (or above-mentioned boogie man) I could get them and escape quickly. I lie in bed at night and obsess about this.

This was our first home together, and we have been here since January 2000. I have loved, loved, loved this house. But soon, I shall blog about all that drives me crazy about it. That will make it easier to leave.

American Farmland Trust: Take Action

2011-03-29T07:12:00.000-05:00

American Farmland Trust: Take Action

2011-03-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

Spring Break 2010

2011-03-20T18:20:00.005-05:00

While I cannot say I am sorry to see it go all together, I am kind of glad. I love having Duncan home with me, but like the rhythm and routine of the school week. It was a demanding week, but not in any way a bad one.

Monday - I took Duncan to meet up with two of his favorite cousins to play at Ellen's out in Cedar Hill. He hardly looked back or waited for the van to come to a complete stop when I dropped him off. Claire and Finn and I went back to my sister's for a bit, then went to go pick up Duncan at about dinner time and came on home. Iain was still here, and got to spend some time with Duncan before bed.

Tuesday - Iain left early. What did the kids and I do? I honestly can't remember. I am sitting here trying to, but can't. This is not good. Surely we did something. Oh yes. Okay, it's all coming back to me. Duncan went to the Dallas Zoo for their spring break zoo camp with some friends. I dropped him off at about 8:45, so that my friend could drive them all down there, then came home with Claire and Finn. The three of us did nothing remarkable or exciting. By 3:15 it was time to head down to the zoo to pick up Duncan and his two buddies and deliver them to their parents. Got three kids in my way back seat (hurrah!) and got everyone home safely. This is where things go south for a bit. Duncan told me his tummy hurt after he ate and before he went to bed. You know how you have those little red flags that go up, but at the time you just wish them away/ignore them? And then later in retrospect, you realize how it was not a little red flag after all but was a HUGE RED FLAG? Yes, me too. I put him to bed, knowing how tired he was from the zoo. Then around 11:30 I heard the puking. It was all over the bedding and him, so I go into crisis mode. Get him to the potty, quickly. Get him a wet wash cloth (cuz that's what my mom always did), then strip the bed and get some clean makeshift bedding on there. Get him back in the bed, get him a "recepticle", put 1/2 the puke bedding on the front porch (thinking clearly? maybe not....but let's go with it) and get some of it in the washing machine. Say a little prayer of gratitude for my sanitize cycle. We had two more brief episodes of sick during the night. No one got much sleep.

Wednesday - Slow day. Duncan stayed on the couch most of the day and I spent most of it praying I would not get sick. No one else did. Everyone went to bed early.

Thursday - Everyone feels good! I had a woman coming over to help me stage the house to get it ready to sell. She came in and started rearranging furniture and telling me what to do. It was for the most part really helpful and when she left I felt totally drained and overwhelmed, but the house looked great and I knew what was on my to do list. Among other things, no pillow cases - only shams. Bigger is better. Prospective buyers do not look to see clocks. Apparently, finding out what time it is can be a shock. Hurried her out the door after her hour was up and got everyone down for some rest time. Reatlor came at 2:00 and left me feeling even more drained and overwhelmed. After she left, packed all the kids in the van and went to the park. That lasted about an hour, and it was really hot. Came home, ate, bathed kids and again put them all to bed. Exhausted. Drained. But still not vomiting!! Hurray!

Friday - Another big day for Duncan! Poor Finn and Claire. Just riding in the van with mom. We left for Duncanville early, and met my cousin Donna (who had taken all the boys on Monday, too) at a park. Left D with her, and went to my sister's to wait out the morning. I knew the twins would not nap at her house, so when it was time to go pick up D after lunch, I just packed them in the van and we all came back home. I was so grateful that they did not fall asleep on the way home. And even more grateful that they went down for a half decent nap when we did get home, around 2:00. Rest of the evening...not too exciting, but fun. Outside, play, bed.

All of a sudden am feeling like I've got a cold and am really tired! Oh no! Must go to bed. Pics tomorrow!

Christie

Toto, we're not at Elizabeth Arden Anymore

2011-03-10T19:09:00.002-06:00

Today I went to King Spa with a gift certificate that Iain got me for my birthday. I will preface this post by saying there was alot of naked nakedness. If you think, "I wonder if she was naked during that", chances are I was. Am I'm okay with that. Not that any of you sit around wondering about my nakedness, but I think it's pertitent to the story. And then we shall never speak of it again.

I started out my morning with a great new haircut. You know how it always looks extra good when your stylist blows it out? Yeah, that lasted about an hour and a half. After my hair cut I went straight to the spa. I drove under the giraffe gate (there are three giant giraffes on top of the gate that you drive through to get there), parked my minivan and walked in. Very clean, very pretty. Very friendly staff. They gave me a key on a wrist thingie, told me to take off my shoes, grab a pair of pink shorts and tee shirt and go to the ladies' locker room. Once in there, another very nice lady showed me my locker for my shoes and another bigger locker for my clothes. She then brought me a large towel, and told me they are free the first time but after today would cost me $2. I did not see anyone else with a big towel. Most of the ladies in there were Korean, but there was a group of women that I guessed were mommy friends having a day to themselves, all in their pink shorts and tee shirts, leaving the wet area as I was arriving. As soon as I was "ready" I was told to go into the wet sauna area and to shower before I did anything else. I walked through two large frosted glass doors into a very large room that had at least 30 showers, all with soap and shampoo, three large hot tubs of varying degrees, a cold pool, a more traditional wet sauna, and a row of pink massage tables behind some frost glass partitions with images of Homer and Marge Simpson on them. I kid you not. At this point, many thoughts are going through my head but mostly, "go with it." So I did. I got into the least hot of the hot tubs and was the only one in there. It was not very crowded and most of the ladies kept to themselves doing whatever.

I had about 45 minutes until my body scrub and massage so I soaked for a bit longer then put on my pink outfit and left the safety of the ladies locker room and explored the common areas. There was a place to eat, and many rooms that were different saunas with different types of walls (amethyst, gold, other minerals, salt, etc...) Really interesting. I sat and read my Living Oprah book until it was time for my body scrub. My great friend Marjorie has gone to King Spa before. She is half Korean, and has gone with her mom for these body scrubs so I had some idea of what was coming. I got on one of the pink tables behind the Simpson wall, while an older Korean lady in leopard underwear (seriously) started scrubbing my skin with these mitts made of some kind of silk which felt like sandpaper. It didn't hurt...and actually felt really good. Every once in a while she would douse me with a bucket of hot water, to wash off the dead skin that was quickly accumulating on the table. I only opened my eyes every once in a while, for many reasons, but when I did was immediately sorry because I would catch a glimpse of what she was sloughing off. This body scrub is not for the modest. I've never had anything waxed, but I imagine it's a similar experience. And that's all we'll say about that.

The scrub lasted about thirty minutes. I was then told to shower and given some Olay body wash to use. Leopard Mama cleaned the table and got it ready for my Korean massage. Marjorie told me she thought they would go easy on my since I am a blonde haired white chick, but I'm not so sure. She pounded on me like a piece of chicken. Or cube steak. At one point, I thought, "is she mad at me? Did I not use the Olay wash correctly?" Then, while I was lying on my stomach, I realized she had climbed up on the table and was standing on the soles of my feet. Kind of jumping, kind of stomping. I also should add that all of the pounding and kneading was done with hot towels. She would put a hot towel on my back, and pound/knead my back. Same for arms, legs, etc..

This lasted an hour and I have to tell you, when it was all over it was amazing. I don't know if I've ever felt that relaxed. I showered, got dressed, got my shoes, turned in my key and drove off, basking in the glow of my King Spa experience. If you have an adventurous side, I would highly suggest it!

To Infiniti and beyond!

2011-02-18T19:34:00.005-06:00

Today did not start out so great. Finn has been feverish off and on since Wednesday night. He woke up at 4:30 this morning, screaming and pretty hot to the touch. I put him in bed with me, but neither of us really ever fell back asleep until I finally put him back in his own bed around 5:30, when he and Claire both decided to cry for an undetermined amount of time. I know that Duncan was awake at this point and it all starts to get foggy. Somehow, I got Duncan to school on time and he was in relatively good spirits. He got to wear his new Good Citizen tee shirt, so maybe that had something to do with it. And it was his day to bring snacks.

I knew Finn was not feeling well, and Claire had not slept well but we had things to do. Like sell our old Infiniti at Car Max. I must also add that this was a MOPS day. I rarely miss MOPS. But today, with Finn's fever I knew I could not bring him so we had to miss which put me in a grouchy mood to begin with. I will try to make the Car Max saga brief, but cannot leave out many details or the whole story loses something.

Our Infiniti is '98. It has 135K miles on it. We bought it right after Ziggy died, almost ten years ago and it's been a good car. I drove it for years, then at some point it became Iain's car. It needed some work and some cash put into it at this point. We were talking about putting money into it when my sister decided to sell her '00 Acura. Bam. We decided to buy my sister's car for Iain for not much more than we were going to put into the Infiniti, and the Acura is a MUCH better car and only has 85K miles on it! Win win!

My sister came to our house Tuesday night to see Duncan get his award at school (Good Citzen! Yay!) and brought the Acura. She and Iain headed to Car Max afterward to sell the Infiniti and she would leave the Acura with us. First roadblock. I am also on the title and since I was not present, they could not sell it. Plan B. Iain will keep the Acura and drive it to the airport Wednesday. Becky took the Infiniti home and will meet me at Car Max on Thursday and we will get the deal done. Iain signs a Power of Attorney at Car Max, notarized, so he will not also have to be present and I can sign for him. **foreshadowing**

Thursday after school, I drove to Car Max to meet my sister. Did I mention I could not find my driver's license? Because I could not. So I grabbed my birth certificate and said a prayer and went to a car dealership with all three of my children in the afternoon. Claire in her pink shiny nightgown, because she refused to take it off. In a genius move, Car Max put play areas in their show rooms. My sister stayed with the kids in what is not unlike a McDonald's play place while I went back to the business office to seal the deal! Oh, I am sorry Mrs. Michie, you must have a government issued photo ID.

Okay, Plan C. There is a DPS not five minutes from Car Max! It's only 3:30 so I can easily hurry over there, get a new license (I even have my birth certificate!) and be back in time to sell the Infiniti so I can pay my sister so she can go pay for her new car that she has already sealed the deal on. I drive speedily but safely to the DPS and see "SORRY! WE HAD A BUSTED WATER PIPE AND FLOODED! YOU WILL HAVE TO DRIVE ACROSS HELL'S HALF ACRE TO GET A NEW LICENSE". I laugh. I cry. I call my sister. We forge Plan D. I go back to Car Max, leave the Infiniti and we all pile in the minivan and drive to the complete other side of Dallas where they drop me off at DPS and my sister takes my now three hungry, cranky children to a drive thru while I fill out my form and get my picture taken. Oh, and they don't let you wear your baseball cap in your driver's license photo even if you haven't washed your hair in three days. Becky and the kids come get me just as Iain calls. He is nervous about me leaving the Infiniti in the lot but OH MY GAWD I can't go back there again with all these children tonight. Really, truly, I cannot. We go to my mom's and shake off the afternoon with pizza, animal crackers, and Bailey's on the rocks.

Fast forward to today. Armed with my brand new driver's license I marched my snotty-nosed, feverish, cranky twins into Car Max (or Car's Max as Finn calls it...it's fun! It has cars! And a play area!) ready to sell this dad gum car. After about a 45 minute wait, one bag of Skittles, 1 bag of Lay's and 1 bag of cookies (for them, not me) they called me over with this "don't be pissed at us!" look. Turns out that back in September when the emissions test was done some genius tech entered the mileage as 165K instead of 135K so now there is a 30K mile discrepancy between "the records" and the odometer. I do not know who holds "the records" only that Car's Max depends on them. The look on my face, and the howls from my now over-the-top impatient two and a half year old twins was enough for them to call for someone from another department to come over, look at everything and give me his stamp of approval for a sale. Blah, blah, blah...type, type, type...wait, wait, wait...okay, Mrs. Schmitchy, all we need is your husband's driver's license! SCREEEEEECH. What? At this point, I considered my options of jumping over the counter and typing the check myself, calling Iain in California, or falling to the floor like Finn and Claire were about to do. Instead I turned into Agressive Mommy of Toddlers and in my best sarcastic voice asked why they had my husband execute the power of attorney without getting his driver's license, knowing he would not be there to complete the sale with me? Or something like that. I also think the tears forming in my eyeballs helped, and they agreed to let Iain fax them a copy.

And that's all it takes to sell a car at Car's Max!

Running vs. Parenting

2011-02-12T17:55:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I'm brand new at this running thing. But, I am also kind of proud of myself for not quitting yet. I started the day after my 45th birthday, September 28th, with the couch to 5K program and am now doing the bridge to 10K. That being said, I have not moved beyond a 5K but can run it fairly comfortably. And, as hard as it is to get started, once I get going I really like the way it makes me feel. It can be grueling at times, and seems like there is no way I can get through it but somehow something kicks in and I stick with it and in the end feel pretty good about myself.

Not unlike parenting. Well, parenting preschoolers as far as I know. I suppose they both fall under the "anything worth doing is worth doing well" category and the "no one said life is easy" category. Both feel like real accomplishments. Both are good for me. Both have intrinsic value.

I have never been a good exerciser. Much less running. I would see people running and think to myself, "I just don't get it. It looks awful and boring and I don't see how anyone could find that enjoyable." What I did not know was what happens when you run. It's not just putting one foot in front of the other and pounding the pavement. For me, the first ten minutes are pretty bad. I think there is no way I can finish (I know, it's a helpful way to think!) but after those first ten minutes very interesting things start to happen. I start to have interesting streams of thought, I feel burst of energy (periodically) where I find myself pushing myself much harder than I did last time I ran. People use the term "runner's high" and while I don't quite feel high, I do feel changes in my mood, outlook, energy and a certain clarity of mind where there previously was fog. It's great. And I am really loving it.

It's also hard, and an uphill battle and something that I am working daily on mastering...much like parenting. Knowing I will not ever truly master either endeavor, both of them help me with the other. Running seems to make me a better parent and I'm hoping that in some way parenting will help make me a better runner.

13.1

Generating Generosity

2011-02-08T17:25:00.005-06:00

My sister just gave us the bedroom furniture that she was using in her guest room (she has right of first refusal if we ever decide to get something else) . I think it is beautiful and am so happy to have matching bedroom furniture for the first time since we've been married (13 years!). I feel very grown up and kind of rich. My sister bought the furniture when I was in high school in the early 80's. It's solid wood, and very high quality but hardly new. I love it.

My friend Marjorie gave me, a few years ago, her old patio furniture that she just didn't feel like fit her patio any more. We had been using some old folding chairs and the set she gave me, a settee, two chairs, and a table, with cushions, is really nice. We have used it and enjoyed it tremendously for years! I am sure when she bought it, she paid for for it than I would have been able to and it has allowed me to be proud to have friends over and sit outside. I love it.

My cousin Linda, earlier this fall, gave us a playset that her twin girls have outgrown. I remember very clearly the first time Duncan went to their house and played on it and how he loved it. We had been using an old metal swingset that we bought on Craigslist a few years ago, which was fine, but he was outgrowing it quickly. This set is something they can all three play on for many years and again, it makes me proud to have friends over to play and is so wonderful to sit outside with our children while they enjoy it. I love it.

So today, as I sat outside and realized how many people have given us so many things...a beautiful toy horse for Claire, clothes for our kids, just so much...and how good it makes me feel. And I realized that it really does feel good to give. I have also tried to up my giving to others. I have beautiful, useful, perfectly fine things that I can pass along as well and hopefull create those feelings in someone else. It's a much better feeling than to try to sell it on Ebay or on Craiglist for a fraction. It feels good to create wealth, so to speak. To hopefully make other people feel good. Just like the feelings I have when getting new bedroom furniture, or a playset or patio furniture. Having others be generous with me has shown me how to in turn be generous with others and I love it.

Unexpected gifts

2011-02-02T21:28:00.002-06:00

Ahhhh. All of the children are sleeping soundly. It is very very cold. Iain is out of town. And tomorrow is Day 3 of no school because of ice. To say I am wiped is an understatement. I have not left the house since I picked up Duncan from school on Monday at 3:00. So, we are going on 72 hours of togetherness. A common theme I have noticed, among my mom friends, on Facebook and blogs is chatting about being home with our kids and having no where to go. But, not really in a bad way. It is hard to be at home with young children. They can be very draining. You do not have any time to turn it off. You are always on as mom. If I want to go to the bathroom, by myself, I either have to go quickly before one of them can catch me and follow me in or risk one, two or three of them following me in there. Once in there, they all start to wreak havoc in different ways. Going for the toothbrushes, wanting the toilet paper, getting in the shower, etc..and that's just the tip of the iceberg. So, three solid days alone with them with no backup (hubs is traveling...ice on the roads...home-bound) is a little scary. Fortunately, it's come one day at a time instead of someone saying, "hey, the roads are going to be really icy and you are going to be home with your kids for three days!"

However comma, I have been struck by what a gift these days have been. I know that there will come a time when Duncan, and Claire and Finn, are old enough that they don't want to hang out with me and have dance parties, or lie on the couch under a blanket and watch movies, or have pretend birthday parties. They will not hang on my every word, and my every movement. This, the way things are right now, will pass. I do not want to look back and wish I'd slowed down and done things differently.

So being home with no where to go has forced us to slow our pace. We aren't a terribly fast-paced family to begin with. We don't (currently) do any outside activities besides church...no sports, no lessons. If it's a weekend, we are usually at home if we aren't spending it with family. But during the week, we do go to the Y and perhaps friends homes or the park if the weather is good. But this week? Nuthin. And it's been good. It's been a gift.

2011-02-02T15:56:00.000-06:00

Even when it's not your birthday, it's fun to pretend that it is and eat a cup of frosting...especially when you've been snowed in for two days going on three.

2011-01-27T22:05:00.001-06:00

When you have bad allergies, and bad eczema, it's good to roll around in wood chips.

Toothy Pegs

2011-01-24T23:13:00.000-06:00

Lost two in one day! That one you see kind of dangling? Yep, it came out later that same day.

2011-01-18T23:27:00.000-06:00

This is the face of the child that is currently making me laugh the hardest.

Weekend Recap

2011-01-18T08:12:00.002-06:00

Boy, this was a great weekend. They aren't all this way. We've had our share of, "We're glad that's over" weekends. But this one was pretty great.

Iain came home on Thursday night instead of Friday, so we had a good running start. Nothing terribly exciting or eventful on Friday, but it was relaxed and easy which was good. I took the babies to a playdate and church and then we went to Chick Fil A for lunch with friends. Saturday was cold, rainy and dreary but we got some things done, napped and then had plans for game night with friends. My sister came over to watch the babies and we took Duncan with us. It was a great night with good friends, even though Duncan got to bed terribly late (for him) and had a couple of night terrors after we got him into bed. And night terrors? Are freaky. He sits straight up, trembles, is sweaty, rambles on and on, but is inconsoleable and does not respond to us unless it is a firm, direct order to lie down or put his head down. I was up alot with him over night and was totally done by Sunday morning...another cold, wet day. We stayed home from church, and I did my best to make it to 11:30 when Iain took Duncan to ride the train and to lunch and Claire and Finn went down for a nap. And so did I. I made something for dinner and all little children went to bed early so Mommy didn't die of exhaustion.

On Monday, Iain was off work and Duncan was off school so we packed them all up and hauled them to Fair Park to the Children's Aquarium. Fun! Sharks! Horseshoe crabs! Sea turtles! Finn loved it. Could not stand still and ran around from tank to tank yelling, "Daddy! Come here! Fish!" As soon as Claire realized there were alligators, she wanted nothing to do with any of it. We walked out of the park just in time to catch the MLK Day parade coming down the boulevard and into Fair Park. It was one of those really great family moments. Everyone was happy, having a good time and it was a real unexpected surprise. We got them all home, fed, then Iain took Duncan ice skating and I put Claire and Finn down for a nap. We had a tiny hiccup when Claire puked but it was just one of those quirky kid pukes where they never puke again and seem to feel fine. I bathed her and put her back to bed and she fell right back asleep.

After Iain and Duncan got home, and the babies woke up, I took them out to see my mom and sister for a visit, just to make sure we completely wore them all out. Which we did. After a nice visit at Becky's and Mom's it was back home and to bed for them all! Today, Iain had to fly to California but Duncan had another day off of school and I was really grateful for that. I just was not ready to get back in the full swing of the daily grind. In fact, I would keep him home all week if I could.

I hope you all had a great weekend, too!

Should we ever find ourselves with some extra cash

2011-01-13T21:32:00.001-06:00

I love these.

2011-01-11T09:24:00.003-06:00

We had a very teary drop off at school this morning, which fills my head with doubts about sending Duncan to school. We are quite fond of his teacher, and believe she is doing a great job. I have no issues with her whatsoever. Nor do I really have any issues with what he is learning, or the amount of work. Monday nights are the most difficult, because we are coming off the weekend, Iain is often leaving town, and those are the nights that he often has the most homework. Usually 3-4 worksheets of writing, which is his weakest area. So, it can be a total beating.

Again, when I picked him up he was happy and had a good day. When I talked to him about his teary goodbye he said it was simply because he wanted to be with me. Sigh. As a parent, I hope it is always this way. But now, when he is 5 it makes it hard to get him out of my minivan on a cold January day and scoot him in the door to kindergarten. The soft and squishy side of my brain tells me "just let him stay home with you!" but I know better. It is hard for me, though.

We are three days away from the end of the third six week period of the school year. That is half way. I am shocked at how this year is whizzing by. We still do not know what we are going to do about first grade. Our options seem to be:

Stay where we are and hope we get into the Gifted and Talented program to provide him with more academic rigor
Sell our house and move
Get into Dealey (a Dallas ISD Montessori - there are about 36 spots for 1st grade next year)
Private school

Honestly, all of them have advantages and disadvantages and I'm all over the board about them. The Dealey option is the one we have the least control over. Staying where we are or private school is where we have the most control. Selling our house is possibly the least attractive to me up front, but if we did sell I would be deliriously happy.

Time is creeping up on us, though, and it's time to act. Ugh. With that, I leave you. Am exhausted now.

My (mostly) Organic Cake Balls - Step 2

2011-01-06T20:30:00.005-06:00

I had alot to do today, but on my list was to hunt down everything I needed to make an organic cake ball.

I hit Target first and the only organic ingredient I could find there was the flour. At that point, I had to go have lunch with Duncan at school where he would eat things that are definitely not organic. After lunch, I went to Michael's, where they do not sell anything organic, but they do sell fun things and I needed fun things for my MOPS Steering Retreat this weekend. After Michael's I headed to my beloved Central Market to find the rest of what I needed for my organic cake balls.

I will just say this. Central Market has alot of things. And an unbelievable wine supply where I came very close to buying the Mommy's Time Out white. But they do not sell organic chocolate chips. What is up with that? I got eggs and butter but no chips. I also got some juice for breakfast at the retreat, tomaotes for the soup at the retreat, and heavy cream. Also for the soup. After picking up Duncan, coming home to two happy babies playing in the back yard with the best babysitter anyone ever dreamed of, and somehow surviving the hours between 5 and 7, I got everyone in bed and started baking.

I also made a rookie mistake. I did not read my recipe before I shopped. I tried to do it from memory. So, started out without organic buttermilk and baking soda. I did have baking powder, so just subsituted. Just used regular (organic) milk but had to add non-organic lemon juice to it to give it acidity. Also did not have any shortening...organic or poisonous....so just used all butter. Cakes are now cooling and I'll see how they taste. Then will make my frosting and make the actual balls tomorrow.

~Christie

Step 1

2011-01-05T09:03:00.003-06:00

Woke up this morning with a terrible head cold. Tried to give myself some time before first child was awake and ended up with about five minutes. Somehow, got diapers changed, clothes changed, and Duncan fed and ready for school. Dropped off a kind of sad, mopey boy at kindergarten and came home. Took Sudafed and an ibuprofen chaser in hopes I will start to feel okay. If I were single, or even childless, I would have called in sick.

Trying to finish laundry and think about what needs to be done to consider putting our house on the market again. It seems overwhelming at times, but something I believe we need to do. There are more days than not that I feel like we are tripping over each other in the kitchen. Mostly because we are.

Iain is back in LA taking care of some critical and rather unpleasant business but will be home early on Friday and we have a date night of sorts planned. Our church has a once a month deal where we can bring our kids for free, attend a 45 minute discussion on a marriage-related topic, then have about 2 hours to ourselves to have dinner and talk. It's really great and does give us a chance to spend time together. And since the real fun doesn't start for another 8 or 9 years we need all the help we can get right now. The timing will be good, since we will have tweens and a teenager at that point. Duncan will be 14 and Claire and Finn will be 11. Anything that can keep us out of The Home as long as possible is good news.

I have had an itch to bring some income to the household for a while. More than just a financial need, I believe. I've tossed around a few ideas but have kind of settled on one in particular that appeals to me. I've been making cake balls for years, and am amazed at the cake ball interest. So, since it is something I really enjoy I am going to perhaps make and sell organic cakeballs out of the back of my minivan. It sounds kind of crazy when I put it like that and makes me think of people selling Mexican flags on the corners but I think it could work. I could tweet my location, and what flavors I have, and sell them at different spots around town. I could also bring my kids with me, which is key. I could also get one of those wrap advertising things for my van. This idea particularly appeals to me for some reason, but I am not sure why. It is odd. My genius husband helped me talk it through and is totally supportive. So, this weekend I am going to see if I can successfully make an organic cake ball. Step 1.

So, tomorrow, I shop. I will let you know how it goes.

2011-01-03T10:43:00.003-06:00

I have decided, after two weeks of vacation from school, that I like this rhythm. I like the (relative) calm of the mornings. And when I say relative, I mean no lunches to be packed, no uniform to be put on, no backpack to be inspected, etc... I am not looking forward to bringing Duncan back to school tomorrow, which surprises me. I just want to keep him home and have fun, and read, and have quiet time, and tell him to stop stepping on his sister, etc...

As a side note, I am again getting sucked into The Bachelor. I did not watch Brad Womack's first season so have no ill will against him. And he's from Austin, so I kind of like him already. A few observations:

Vampire fangs should be reason enough to get a rose just so we can all watch the crazy as long as possible.
Really shiny sapphire blue satin dresses do not look expensive on television.
It is obviously very trendy to have very long hair, parted down the middle. Marcia Brady would be proud.
I am really glad that the producers finally figured out they do not need to hvae some token Bachelor/ettes of different races just to please the general public. They do, however, need to have Bachelorettes and Bachelors who are NOT WHITE.
America will not love you if you do high kicks when you get out of a limo...in a mini-dress.

Now back to our regular programming.

Iain and I face the new year with some decisions to make and actions to take. Why are we not living in our bigger house in a better school district? I wish I knew. Why are we still in this place? I do hope that things will start to fall into place so that we can get Duncan, and eventually Claire and Finn, into a school where they will blossom and we will be able to get involved. Gratefully, he loves his teacher this year and we do feel really good about her. But that is just about where it ends.

I also am planning to start my own business. More about that later. I have a few things that have been twirling around in my head. And I feel a need to provide income, for a few different reasons. So, I need to pray about it and move forward. Then see what happens.

Happy New Year!

Goodbye 2010

2010-12-30T09:54:00.002-06:00

January - Lots of friend's birthday parties, Claire and Finn turned 15 months old, Claire got sick, chose name for our MOPS cookbook, we had an ant problem, saw my OB, got a haircut on the 28th.
February - Weighed six pounds less than I do now (sob), had a huge snowstorm in Dallas, my Aunt Peg's third husband died (she is already passed away) and my sweet friend Diana's father died. Spoke with Realtor for first time.
March - Have inside of house painted, attend Mommy Swap, have windows washed. Not a thrilling month for the Michies.
April - Easter Egg Hunt, many open houses at which no one makes us an offer, Claire and Finn to 18 month checkup, put our house on the market, take pictures in bluebonnets.
May - Pass the Notebook party for MOPS Steering Team, New York City for cousin Ross's wedding (most fun I'd had all year), niece Brittany graduates from Texas A&M, end of preschool for Duncan (and lots of crying for me).
June - Duncan's 5th birthday, niece Kathleen graduates from high school, attend Mommy Swap, 12th wedding anniversary, vacation Bible school, visit Martha T. Reilly Elementary, lower price on house, lots of swimming, look at lots of houses. Dream about living in some of them.
July - 4th of July parade, more swimming, big family vacation to Priest Lake in Idaho, did not attend many Zumba classes I had written down in my calendar, Duncan has his first country club experience with sweet friend.
August - So.Hot. Lots of swimming and running from air conditioned car to air conditioned house. Lots of white space on my calendar so I don't think we did much else. Did get my iphone, which deserves recongnition because it has changed my life. MOPS cookbook kickoff party. My former boss died suddenly. 5 year checkup for Duncan. Kindergarten. Sadness. Lots of crying. Buy "new" minivan.
September - MOPS starts back up for Fall. My brother and his girlfriend come to visit from Spokane. Westminster Youth Choir Reunion. Begin to sell MOPS cookbooks. Start to exercise regularly and begin Couch to 5K program. Also start to have regular Tuesday playdates. Turn 45. Buy good night cream. Iain goes to first PTA meeting and is sorely disappointed. Texas State Fair!
October - Ziggy's birthday. Becky's birthday. Claire and Finn's birthday. Iain and Duncan have first Father-Son weekend trip to Georgia with Mobley and Wilson. Claire and Finn turn 2! Halloween. First teacher conference and report card for Duncan. Duncan to dentist. No cavities! Take house off the market. Sadness.
November - Tour Dealey Elementary. MOPS Cookbooks shipped! Thanksgiving. Still doing Couch to 5K. My brother Doug gets married. Sister Becky to Hawaii.
December - Iain still traveling alot. Still running. Last MOPS meeting of semester. Attend another Mommy Swap. Bake lots of cookies. Get hair cut. Family Christmas party. Turn in application to Dealey. Friend has brain surgery. Do not participate in Jingle Bell run because Duncan is sick but we cheer Daddy on! Christmas. Prepare for 2011. Will celebrate 2010 with great friends.

Love,

Christie

Late December Picnic!

2010-12-20T22:42:00.000-06:00

We love you, Texas weather. Late December picnics on our new playset picnic table are tons of fun. Many more winter days like this one would really rock mommy's world.

Weekend Recap

2010-12-19T20:18:00.004-06:00

My lack of being able to move my pictures around still hinders me. It is a challenge I am not afraid to rise to, however. But I digress. Friday was Duncan's class Christmas party...oh, excuse me...I mean holiday party. I went through the process to be able to walk in the front door of the school and down the hall to his classroom to pass out chips and sit in a tiny chair and listen to five and six year olds tell me about their worlds. And by process I mean I had to agree to a criminal background check. To go to my kid's party. But whatever. I did. And I went. Duncan was super happy to have me there and I was super happy to do it. He was proud for me to see where he sits (Table 2) and who he sits with (all girls) and all the art displayed around the room. And I really do like his teacher. So I passed out chips and then sat and talked to Duncan and his table mates about math, the politics of stealing crayons from other's crayon boxes, pop rocks, and all other matters kindergarten. It was really pretty fun and made both of us happy.

On Saturday, I got started baking. I had plans to go to a cookie exchange on Sunday and needed to make 8 dozen cookies. I decided on a salted caramel thumbprint, which actually turned out to be pretty easy. It took me all day, but I did get all 8 dozen of them made, with the help of my super husband going to the store for me only one time. A good friend came by for a short visit, and before we knew it it was bed time. After we got all the kids fed and in jammies, we took them to go look at Christmas lights in a neighborhood not too far away. Each street picks a different theme and everyone decorates (well, mostly everyone...I suppose if you don't decorate you are asked to move but I'm not sure.) There was a Peanuts street, a 12 Days of Christmas street, a Biblical/Religious street, etc...Oh, and a 12 Days of a Redneck Christmas street. See Monster Truck below. Anyway, it's a good spot because unlike some parts of Dallas I don't come home feeling completely overwhelmed at our lack of space and lack of Christmas lights. Got all the kids in bed pretty quickly. Instead of having time to finish my Christmas cards last night, though, I had to finish my cookies and was in bed by about 11:00. Saturday Night Live could not hold my interest. Oh, and the remote control to our TV broke, sending us into a tailspin and causing us to stumble around trying to figure out how anyone ever changed channels before remote controls....well, remote controls and DVR's.

This morning was church and I took the kids and Iain stayed home. Afterwards, came home and got everyone fed and the babies down for naps. Duncan had expressed interest in going with me to the cookie swap and since kids were welcome, I let him come with me. After about twenty minutes he was bored silly (as I had warned him he would be) so since it was only down the street I ran him home and went back to enjoy myself. I came home with 8 dozen cookies. Just what we need! I have already packed up a tin for our sweet neighbors across the street and am going to give away quite a few more, except the gingerbread men. Duncan has asked that I keep those. And I shall.

Friends

2010-12-14T08:06:00.002-06:00

I have a new, but great, friend who is having brain surgery today. We initially grew to be friends over me asking for people to do the 30 Day Shred with me. She did it. I did not. But we became friends anyway! I see her at church on Sundays, and we email and FB message back and forth during the week. So, while we do not live in the same part of town, have not been friends for very long, and only see each other once a week I think we have become dear friends. Sometimes that happens and you just can't explain it.

So, today, she is having brain surgery. She's brave and strong but still...it's brain surgery. She should come through just fine and walk away 100% and I'd like any of you who happen to read this today, if you are a praying person, to say a little prayer for my new, wonderful friend.

~Christie

Weekend Recap

2010-12-13T15:45:00.004-06:00

I am determined to get this up before Wednesday.

Friday was very awesome and very exciting. My MOPS group had arranged a Mother's Day Out for all of us, where we could drop off our kids for three hours, for $10 a kid. So, for $20 I got 2x3 hours of childcare. Cannot be beat. I got oldest dropped of at kindergarten then got a coffee, some cash and got the littles dropped off. I had planned my time pretty carefully, so as not to waste any precious, child-free minutes. I hit the shopping center right next to our church and scored some serious bargains at Stein Mart. I knew I needed a new 2011 planner, and knew the one I wanted so I drove up to Borders but they did not have it. Cursed the fact that I'd wasted precious time. Went back to the shopping center where I started and hit a gift shop (score!) and Tuesday Morning (disappointed) then called a great friend to meet me at Fuzzy Taco for lunch. Can I just go on and on about the beauty of the Big Salad? Man. That was good.

Time to go pick up my (hopefully) exhausted kids. And go home. For naps. Except we didn't...and when I say "we" I mean them. Oh, we had banter and hijinx from the bedroom but not a wink of sleep. I needed to pick up Duncan and drive him downtown to drop him off with my sister, who was taking him to the Polar Express at the IMAX theater in Fort Worth. Can I just say that one should not always depend on one's navigation system in one's car to get one to one's destination in the most expedient way? I will not go on and on about it but. Suckage.

I got Duncan dropped off and as soon as I did meltdown 1 and 2 started. Got them home, in the bath and in jammies as quickly as I could, at the cost of missing my Sunday School Christmas party. I was really looking forward to going, but since Iain was on his way back from LA and the babies would have been a big puddle of toddler shortly after dropping them off, I elected to stay home. I got on my own pajamas soon after I put them in theirs and waited for Hubs to get home.

Dang. I'm just on Friday?

My sister calls at this point with a teary Duncan, at the IMAX theater saying he wants to come home. I talk him off the ledge, tell my sister to feed him and for them to call me back. Did not hear back so I assumed he snapped out of it and continued to try to relax. Iain got home at about 8:30 and I am sure I was a vision in my flannel, lying on the heating pad.

My sister emailed me later to tell me that Duncan was fine, in case you are wondering. Large steam trains on movie screens and Whataburger can cure a host of ills and fears.

On Saturday, Iain got up and went to go play raquetball with his Dad and I stayed home with the babies and kind of piddled and got ready. We had a family get together that afternoon, and headed up north of Dallas as soon as Claire and Finn woke up from naps. Duncan met us there with my mom and sister. When we arrived, he was having fun with distant cousins his own age so I was grateful for that. We did sufficient family visiting, then drove home in time to get Claire and Finn to bed and Duncan shortly afterwards. Blur.

On Sunday, the kids all had a Birthday Party for Jesus at church (which Iain was helping with) so after a rocky start we all made it to church by 9:30. I was so grateful that we had nothing to do after church! We put up some Christmas lights outside and just stayed home. Iain went to meet a friend from B-school later for drinks, but by then I was already in my flannels looking hopefully towards bedtime.

And **poof**...it's gone.

~Christie

Weekend Recap

2010-12-06T06:29:00.006-06:00

Wow, that one went amazing fast. As a side note, why am I doing this at 6:30 A.M. in the dark (except for the lights from the Christmas tree) without having had my coffee? Your guess is as good as mine.

So, I shall start with Thursday night because this was kind of a three day weekend for me. Although, I suppose there is an argument to be made it was a five day weekend because Iain left on Wednesday and when that happens time just seems to go all wonky and I never know what day it is anyway. But Thursday night seems a good kicking off spot. We had our MOPS Steering Christmas party that night, so I got myself a baby sitter and kicked up my heels (except I wore cute embellished flats...and I know they are called that because I read about it on someone else's blog). Hostess did the most perfect job! Lots of cocktails, candles, china, crystal, food, and good friends.
On Friday morning, I had our MOPS Christmas Tea...it was the last meeting of the semester and our genius speaker coordinator had the whole idea. It was really fun and festive and a good time was had by all the moms, I think. I could try to talk about how important MOPS is to me but I would get all blubbery and sad right now and it's just too early. But it was gorgeous!

Okay, back to weekend. Friday night, Iain got home...no parties!

On Saturday, he got started finishing putting together the playset that my fabulous cousin so generously gave us. His dad, a/k/a Pawpaw came over to help, and also took Duncan to McDonald's and played with all the kids in the leaves, and was a great, huge help overall. His dad has been spending more time with us and the kids and I must say it's been great. They are all quite attached to him and I can see why. He's very tall, with a Scottish accent, a shock of white hair...quite a fabulous grandpa. We thought he'd be Granda but he's ended up being Pawpaw because that's all Claire can say and it's stuck, I think.

On Saturday night I went to a Mommy Swap with some friends and came away with some treasures. They are always so fun, goodies aside. The social aspect is the big draw for me, that and getting rid of so many things that just take up space in my house! We were in a friend's parents' beautiful home, laughed alot and donated alot of great stuff to Good Will. Oh, and I got Iain a practically brand new raquet for raquet ball and a Dora backpack for Claire. And a brand new karate outfit for Duncan. And there was pizza. And wine. It was so fun!

On Sunday...well, it was really the highlight of the whole weekend. I packed up the twins and dropped them off at church then Duncan and I drove over to our church's water stop at the White Rock Marathon. My great friend was running and we went to cheer her on. It was amazing! While we waited for her to zoom past us, we saw some amazing runners, cheered, rang cow bells, handed out cups of water and Gatorade and hopefully shone the light of Christ in the process. My friend has reached a level of celebrity with Duncan, so it was hard to wait but he did a great job and when she did run past us, was so kind and generous and thoughtful enough to slow down enough to give him a fast hug and a smile. It made his day!

By Sunday night we were all spent, but it was a good weekend! Why do I always take until Wednesday to get these weekend recaps done?

Christie

Advent, Day 2

2010-12-02T13:01:00.001-06:00

We rocked the playground at the Y today with some shiny pink Disney Princess cowboy boots.

Droopy diapers didn't slow us down either.

And sometimes, it's best just to march along...

and enjoy the day!

Chillin'

2010-12-01T11:46:00.000-06:00

Dear Santa

2010-11-26T09:01:00.002-06:00

I have tried really hard to be a good wife/mom/friend/sister/daughter this year. I know, I know, tryin' is lyin' or for the birds or whatever but it has to count for something, right? So, anyhoo, back to me.

Material things are nice, and there are a few I've got my eye on so let's just get those out of the way quickly.

I would love some black cowboy boots. And one of those holster thingies for my ipod or iphone so when I'm at the gym I don't have to hold it while I work out and look pretty geeky. Because I run now, you know. Did you hear? But that is really all I can think of.

My real list would be:

the ability for all of our children to sleep until 8:00 on Saturdays
snow on Christmas Eve again this year because last year? Spectacular.
the knowledge and security that Duncan would be in a good school next year for first grade, that we felt good about, where he would be challenged and could make real friends that he could actually play with after school
that we lived in a neighborhood with kids
for me to find something I can do, that is kind of creative, that would also generate some income
for me to continue to run, and perhaps participate in a half marathon by this time next year
for my MOPS group to have a solid steering team again next year (I will be lead coordinator)
that my chin hairs will magically stop growing

Thank you, Santa.

~Christie

Weekend Recap

2010-11-15T08:20:00.002-06:00

Iain left town on Friday, which is rare, and difficult because it causes me to do weird things like sit in front of the television on a Friday night thinking "Saturday Night Live comes on in about 15 minutes" then thinking even weirder things like "No! I am crazy! It's Monday!" Except, it's Friday. Sadness at the crazy.

On Saturday, my father in law came over to pick up Duncan to take him to a koi pond and to lunch. This was great not only in a grandson-grandfather bonding way, but in a Mommy-is-sick-and-needs-a-nap way, too. As soon as they were out the door, I put Claire and Finn in bed and curled up on the couch myself. I think we all slept a few hours, but I really can't remember. It was fleeting, but it was glorious. Duncan and Grandpa came home about three hours later, with soup and cornbread for me. Grandpa stayed for a cup of coffee, then headed out. I can hardly blame him because it was about 4:00 at this point and we all know what that means in a house with three small children. The rest of the evening is a blur, but I think everyone went to bed early enough that I was not a complete crazy person by bedtime. I am sure I spent the remainer of the evening doing constructive, worthwhile things like catching up on blogs and seeing how many Maroon Albeo Amfractus I can breed in Pocket Frogs. Why, when Iain travels am I completely brain dead by the time I get all the children asleep? Oh, I think I just answered my own question.

Sunday came and I was still feeling really bad so I called my sister and asked if I could just bring the kids, dump them on her and sleep. Well, not really in that way. I did, however, go over there mid-morning and as soon as Claire and Finn went down for a nap, my sister took Duncan with her to a street fair and I went to sleep...for three hours, ya'll! Duncan had a great day and I felt alot better when I woke up. Got all of them home and in bed at a reasonable hour. Whew! Weekend? Survived. And it's only Wednesday when I'm getting this all typed up.

Eating from the pantry

2010-11-13T09:07:00.004-06:00

Iain left town yesterday morning, so naturally I came down with a cold last night. And am low on milk. And help. My mom and sister have lives, and are busy so plans to go out there to leave babies and get my shopping done were thwarted. Today, I had hoped to go out there after Grandpa and Duncan go on their outing (more later) but my mom has things to do and my sister is going to a concert in Fort Worth. Again, thwarted.

Today, however, I might have a decent plan B. Grandpa is coming to get Duncan to take him to feed the koi at his health club, then to McDonald's. I'm hoping I can convince him how fun and special it will be to go to the grocery store, too, with his grandson and get me some milk. If I have milk, I can make it. We will eat from the pantry and be just fine.

For breakfast? Frozen peaches for Claire and Finn and cinnamon toast for Duncan. Only about half a loaf of bread left, but we do have tortillas. Finn does not eat bread OR tortillas, so we should be fine. I have 3/4 of a jar of peanut butter, apples, Cheerios to beat the band, one organic frozen bean burrito (that baby is mine), some soup, Tater Tots, and some organic frozen green beans. What am I worried about? Heck, I could have company!

So, lunch and dinner went fairly well. Dinner was baked potato and green beans...Claire and Finn eat them like candy and Duncan is no slob either. In fact, I began to wonder why I was so worried about not being able to make it to the grocery store today in the first place. In for a penny, in for a pound, though so I shall forge ahead. Part of my worry, I think, is that there is nothing sweet in the house. This is not entirely a bad thing, since I am trying to lose some weight but sometimes it's nice. There is leftover Halloween candy, but it's all the non-chocolate kind so it may as well not exist as far as I'm concerned. As a side note, I did bake all of the potatoes in the oven and plan to make a big pot of baked potato soup with them at some point. The weather is finally chilly enough for soup. I ate a plain one for dinner and it was yummy. Duncan ate two of them.

On a food side note, I'm watching Julie and Julia and am finding myself wanting to bake something. And have a dinner party. We need a better dining room table, honey.

~Christie

Good vs. Bad

2010-11-11T12:45:00.003-06:00

Some fashion decisions are good:

and some are bad:

School Lunch

2010-11-10T12:18:00.002-06:00

So fun.

2010-11-10T12:08:00.002-06:00

This will be one of those cop-out, random thought, list blog posts. But secretly, I love reading them because my attention span is pretty short most days.

I love the show Parenthood.
The house next door has an offer, which makes me very super excited because maybe, FINALLY, things are turning around in our neighborhood. Hey, people with no kids! Come live over here! It's beautiful, close to the lake, lots of mature trees, creeks, and unique 1950's homes that all look different. Just crappy schools.
Claire and Finn are both napping. The past two days? Not so much. So today, I am super grateful.
The sides of my calves are sore, but I am on week 6 of my Couch to 5K program.
Duncan is doing so much better in kindergarten. He can't wait to leave the house in the morning and is proud of himself when he does well on homework and tests. We are bursting.
We are starting to look at different schools for 1st grade. We toured one yesterday that we both like...alot. Makes me nervous how much I like it.
I have watched seasons 1-5 of Weeds on Netflix on demand and now need Season 6 badly. It is not on Netflix. Help me.

~Christie

Happy Day of the Dead!

2010-11-01T14:12:00.002-05:00

Okay, so technically it's tomorrow but I can't really say Happy Halloween anymore, like I wanted to, so Happy Dios De Los Muertos.

We are home from school, and already have homework done which puts a little pep in my step considering it's Monday and Iain is out of town again. One less battle to fight tonight. One less egg to fry.

Randomness:

I bought my husband a navy blue, waffle weave, long sleeve shirt at Big Lots for $7 and I just put it on myself...and I love it. Might have to go back.
Our next door neighbor is mowing his lawn in the dark. They have their house on the market and showed it today. My fantasy is that they are going to have a second showing and sell it, which would be good news for us since we also want to try to sell ours again. I will subscribe to the old "if they can, we can" theory.
Roasted red peppers and feta cheese are really good together.
I am on week 5 of the Couch to 5K program. I have not skipped a single run, nor have I stopped running during my sessions before I am supposed to. I am shocked at, and proud of myself. My first goal is to complete a 5K, perhaps in December. My favorite song to run to is Hey Ya by Outkast.
I am once again emotionally invested in a team I paid no attention to until the playoffs. What does this say about me?

We had our second annual Halloween party last weekend. I cut the guest list back this year just because Iain was traveling so much and I felt a little overwhelmed, but still wanted to have it, mostly for Duncan. It was great! We had 9 kids, 7 adults, 1 cat, at cupcakes, cake balls, chili, veggies, fruit kabobs, and Fritos, drank Pimm's, beer, water, fruit punch, and coffee, went ghost hunting, decorated pumpkins, played football and watched the Rangers beat the giants. I can't wait to have it again next year and hope we are finally in a new and bigger house, and can expand our guest list.

Duncan has done a real 180 when it comes to school. This morning he could not wait to get out the door and when he came home he told me he wished he could "stay at school all day and learn." Prayers? Meet answer.

Now I am going to get my eager to learn boy off to bed,

Christie

A Tale of Two Cakes

2010-10-21T20:01:00.004-05:00

The cake on the left a "Pumpkin Pie Cake" was baked today, by yours truly. It contains pumpkin, flour, sugar, eggs, oil, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

The cake on the left would not win a beauty contest with the cake on the right. It needs frosting, but is most likely slated for a glaze, or maybe something with cream cheese. Or maybe just whipped cream?

The cake on the right was baked, well, I don't know when it was baked but it has to be sold by October 27, 2010. It contains sugar, bleached wheat flour, whole eggs, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, cocoa, soybean oil, nonfat milk, corn syrun, high fructose corn syrup, leavening, cornstarch, modified food starch, salt, propylene glycol mono & diesters, natural and artifical flavor, mono Y diglycerides, guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, coconut oil, soybean lecithin, phosphoric acid, polysorbate 60, potassium sorbate & sodium bensozate , dextrin, confectioner's glaze, carnauba wax, may contain FD&C colors: Red 3&40, Yellow 5&6, Blue 1&2, Lakes Red 3& 40, Yellow 5&6, Blue 1&2 Blue. Contains wheat, soy, egg & milk products.

I am not allowed to bring the cake on the left to Duncan's school for the cake walk at his Fall Carnival. Instead, I must bring the cake on the right. So, instead of taking home a cake baked with ingredients you can pronounce, and probably have in your own pantry, you could walk away with $4.99 worth of crap you can't pronounce and you get to pump your kids full of it! And isn't propolyne glycol the same as anti-freeze?

Stupid.

Home Alone

2010-10-15T20:54:00.003-05:00

Iain and Duncan got on a plane and flew to Georgia today with two of Iain's b-school pals and their boys. Oh, how I wish I could be a fly on the wall! I know they will have a great time, even though the littles will miss their mommies just a bit, and bug the daddies just a bit. But the daddies are all top-notch and great fun will be had. I just hope they take pictures and change underwear.

My mom and sister are keeping Claire and Finn tonight. After I dropped off Man and Boy #1 at the airport, I went to my sister's and mom's and hung around just long enough to not feel like I was leaving my children and running out the door, and went to get a manicure and pedicure.

I was there over TWO hours. I waited almost an hour, but once they got started it was pretty relaxing. I think my toes and fingernails look pretty good! I made a brief stop in the Tuesday Morning next door, filled a basket with things I thought I needed them put them all back and left empty handed. Why do I do that? It must fill a need.

My next stop was Sally Beauty Supply because the hair needs help. I had the most helpful, awesome girl help me pick a hair color and goop to mix it with, got some good top coat for my new nails and was back in the van.

Next stop? TCBY for a small cone. I hadn't eaten since before we left for the airport but wasn't really that hungry for something dinner-ish. The fro-yo hit the spot. Then, straight home to get caught up on my guilty pleasure television...Project Runway.

The strange, twisty part? I'm a bit lonely. I am surrounded by people all day every day. Mostly little people, but sometimes big people too. And I love being alone. I love being alone in my home. I crave it, and was really looking forward to this little 24-hour time period. And I AM enjoying it. But, I am a little lonely and missing my family...just enough. Not overwhelmingly so. There is a wonderful, warm security in being surrounded by your family at night. I am so lucky to have that.

Interview with Myself

2010-10-12T07:18:00.002-05:00

I ran into myself the other day, and thought I'd take the opportunity to ask myself some questions.

Me: So, I've noticed that you have an unusual system regarding your clean laundry. What is it that inspired you to just move it from the chair to the bed, then the bed back to the chair, and so on, for days? Rather than just putting it away?

Myself: Most days, it works for me. Until, that is, I have something much more pressing and time-sensitive that needs to get done. Then, putting away the laundry seems like a good idea. It's the little known 8th habit of highly effective people.

Me: So, what is up with your hair?

Myself: I know there is someone to blame for my hair, I'm just not sure who at this point. I was talked into an all-over color, a very blonde all over color. And when I try to go really, really blonde I tend to get kind of red as well (which I don't like.) So now, I have some pretty heinous roots AND my hair is starting to look yellowy and brassy and that vague strawberry blonde, which again I hate. (Note: I hate it on me...I have no ill-will towards anyone else who wants to go that color.) I think I will remedy with another all-over, darker color.

Me: What are you making for dinner tonight?

Myself: Well, tonight we are going to church for dinner. The bad side of this plan is that Iain is out of town so I will have to get all three of them there, out of the car, into the church, down to the Fellowship Hall, get Claire and Finn into high chairs, get food for them, watch while they don't eat it and throw it on the floor, clean them and get them back upstairs. The good side is that I can feed them all, and myself, for about five bucks, I don't have to cook it, and I can then drop them all three off for music and missions for an hour while I join some friends for fellowship and devotionals (which usually turns into a totally fun gab session, with some devotion thrown in for good measure.) And the sweet ladies in Claire and Finn's class will put them in their jammies for me.

Me: How are your kids doing?

Myself: Oh, fine! Duncan just got his first report card and it was good. Tomorrow night is our first ever parent/teacher conference. What do I wear? We only have ten minutes so it's kind of like speed dating. Finn is just as loud as he is sweet. He wakes up wanting to give eveyone a kiss. Takes his blankie everywhere. Tells a mean knock-knock joke and still wont eat anything besides dry cereal, chips, apple slices, tater tots, fish sticks and crackers. He wants to be just like Duncan. Claire. Oh, where do I start. Sugar and spice. Sweet and sour. She has embraced the age of 2 more than the boys. Fiercely independent but wants to be included in everything. Nuts about her Daddy. A bit on the dramatic side. Sometimes (often) hear her saying, "Help! Mommy! I stuck!" from her crib. Love her.

Me: So, what else would you like to tell our readers? What else is going on?

Myself: Life is good.

Losin' it

2010-10-11T20:54:00.002-05:00

So, as soon as Duncan started kindergarten I started going back to the gym. He has never done too great in the child care (not sure exactly why) but Claire and Finn do fabulous. They toddle right down the sidewalk, in the door, greet all the Silver Sneakers crew, and go straight to the child care room where they walk in practically without looking back.

So, I started out walking on the treadmill. And that was good, for a while. Then I realized how many people I knew had taken up running, several with the couch to 5K program. So, being that I am the person who has said things like "I don't understand you people who run" and "I have never run and I know I never will"...I started running. And I like it. See, that's all you have to do. Say you don't like something and you'll never do it then BAM! You will be doing it.

So, I have been doing the couch to 5K program for about three weeks. Some things I have learned:

It is far better and easier to run, and run faster and longer, with good music. I initially made the mistake of trying to watch CNN while I ran.
Good shoes seem critical.
Even if I cannot hear myself singing Ice Ice Baby, everyone else at the Y can.
I can see how and why people love the sport, but I have a long way to go.
I do not see how I can run outside in Texas, in the summer.

So, while I have not stepped on the scale in many weeks I think I've lost some weight but one of the things I do while I am running/walking is to envision a certain pair of jeans being so big that I have to give them away.

I will let you know when that happens.

On This Day

2010-10-10T18:35:00.002-05:00

Nine years ago today I gave birth to a baby boy, who probably would have weighed about nine pounds if he had not lost so much blood. He looked alot like Iain and he looked alot like me. He lived about 36 hours. The purpose of this post is not to re-hash his death and how horrific that was. It is too painful of a process and I rarely do it anymore.

The purpose of this post, however, is to talk about what this day does to me now. Nine years later.

On this day, I have him on my mind all day long. It is a heavy weight but I relish it in a way...it is a time that I feel like I can devote to that, and I don't have much time for that anymore.

On this day, no matter how ill-behaved our living breathing children are, I seem to be able to renew my patience, my gratitude and my ability to put things in perspective. That is a real gift. I know horrific and terrible, and nothing that I experience in my day to day life at this point is either! Temper tantrums pass (and I had some doozies today), crayon can be washed off, messes can be cleaned up. My dad had a philosophy that if it wont matter in two weeks, don't waste too much time worrying about it today. I take that one step further. If nobody is dying, you can fight through it, work it out, clean it up, make it better or sleep it off.

So, on this day, hug and kiss your kids and give yourself a break. Keep it in perspective. And pray for those who have lost a child to miscarriage, still birth or infant death.

~Christie

It Is Good To Be Duncan

2010-10-09T21:18:00.005-05:00

This weekend (and it's not yet over, people) started on Thursday and has gone full force for Boy #1.

After school on Thursday we picked him up from school and went straight to the Texas State Fair. While we are still working on holiday traditions, one thing our family does every year, without fail, no matter what the weather, or how pregnant I am, is go to the State Fair of Texas. So this year, we planned to go on a week day, after school. And it was totally fun. The weather was a bit hot at first, but soon cooled down. We spent time at the Hands On Farm, saw Big Tex, the newly refurbished Children's Aquarium (where Duncan finally worked up the nerve to pet a sting ray...after almost an hour of trying), rode the Texas Star ferris wheel, ate corny dogs and cotton candy (well, except for Finn who only eats raisins and chips), and watched the parade. There was minimal grumpiness and foot stomping. Duncan and Iain also went to look at the cars in the auto show, and sat in a Corvette and one of those hot new Camaros. And he got to ride the race car ride on the Kidway. Really, does it get much better if you are five?

All three came home exhausted and probably over stimulated but it was totally worth it.

Friday after school, I could tell he was tired, but we must press on! There is more fun to be had! He had a birthday party to go to for one of his best little friends that involved happy meals and miniature golf. I noticed he was starting to break down, but we pushed through...even when he planted himself firmly in his booster seat when I was dropping him off at the party. I texted the boy's mom later to see if all was well, and it was. I picked him up at about 8:15 and found a happy, running, out of breath from excitement boy. Again, a late night but it was Friday so it was good. Home and to bed.

Today we woke up early..big surprise...and left almost immediately for my mom's and sister's. My mom and her "friend who is a man", Leroy, took Duncan to a parade and festival in the small town where Leroy lives. I sent him with a small plastic bucket for candy, that was to be thrown from the parade floats. Like, about the size of a Cool Whip tub small. My sister, Claire and Finn and I hung out at my sister's house while he was gone. About an hour and a half later, he came home with a grocery sack full of candy. And a big smile on his face. I heard about the "Jesus times" village with the camels and the donkeys...and the bounce house. I guess Jesus would have probably enjoyed a bounce house, huh?

We all had some down time then got ready to go for dinner to celebrate my sister's birthday. We had Italian food (except Finn...because...well, you know why) and the kids played in a little enclosed play area that was right outside the restaraunt. Then back to my mom's and sister's for cheesecake. Well, Claire, Becky and I had cheesecake. Duncan had...wait...a coffee cup full of whipped cream with sprinkles on it and Finn had nothing. Because he only eats raisins and chips. Then it was baths for the babies and home. And to bed! Oh my heavens to bed!

Tomorrow we shall worship our lord and come home and not leave the house until Monday morning.

I Will Not Talk Him Off The Ledge

2010-10-04T20:06:00.003-05:00

Why is it I think of reasonably good things to blog about while I am driving? Then I get home and it's all vanished from my brain. Ah...middle age.

Iain is traveling so I had to take Duncan to school this morning. I was kind of looking forward to it, because I have not done it since the first week of school. I got the babies changed and dressed, got Duncan dressed, got a decent lunch for him made, his backpack ready, and a cup of coffee in my system and we were out the door a few minutes before 8:00. I looked back at him while we were driving and saw tears welling up in his eyes and a very crest-fallen look on his face. Heavy sigh. I pulled up in front of the school where Thee Shall Not Park and told him he'd have to walk inside by himself. As he walked away, with his Spiderman back pack and his red Converse tennis shoes he looked So.Very.Small to me. I held it together but barely, and suddenly longed for the days of him driving me nuts, play dates, blanket forts and seeing him in his underwear all day long, refusing to put shorts on. Perhaps this is normal and what all moms feel, while watching their very small five year old boys put on a brave face for mom and trudge into kindergarten...but perhaps not.

So, I took Claire and Finn to the Y, put them in child care and worked out. I am doing the Couch to 5K training program and no one is more surprised than me that I am enjoying it. I do need some good music though because right now all I have on my ipod is Eye of the Tiger. I am not a music person.

After the Y, we came home and had some lunch (and when I say "we" I mean Claire and I...Finn had a few Cheerios this morning and I'm sure was absolutely stuffed) and I put them down for a nap. I cleaned house while they slept and think I have finally caught up from the few days a few weeks ago when Claire and I both got the pukes. Suddenly, it was time to go pick up Duncan and I was really ready and anxious to see him. Pick up has gotten alot better from a logistical stand point. I pull up on a side street, right outside the door where his class gets out. It is now only his class that comes out of this door, and if I get there early enough can just pop out of the car and meet him at the door, never having to step more than twenty or thirty feet. When I got him today, he was very disappointed. Because now, all the kids from his class come out the door and sit on a little ledge just outside the door and wait for their moms and dads. I suppose this is the equivalent of...well....I'm not sure but I guess it's the thing to do and he wanted to do it but I got there too soon so he didn't get to sit on the ledge and wait for me. I promised him that tomorrow I will let him sit on the ledge. Even if I am sitting twenty feet away staring at him from the van.

We drove straight out to my sister's and mom's to say good bye to my brother and his wife who were here visiting from Montana. Duncan is really fond of both of them so it was important to me and to him that we go say goodbye. They left for the airport shortly after we got there but it was worth the trip out and back home again. We came home, got the babies to bed, and Duncan and I sat down at the table to get his homework done. He had to trace his name four times and write it ten times. And that took at least. Forty five. Minutes. Finally got them all in bed and asleep and am now watching The Event and burning my new Nefertiti candle (b-day gift from my sis) and am about to have a Tom Collins.

And tomorrow, my son shall sit on the ledge with what I can only assume are the cool kids.

~Christie

Feels Like Monday

2010-09-28T12:01:00.004-05:00

It is Tuesday, but since Duncan was out of school yesterday and my oldest brother was in town and it was my birthday, today feels like Monday. And my house looks like well, I don't know what. All I know is I feel like I have not been home since last Wednesday when Claire started puking.

Thursday after school we went out to my mom's and sister's to visit my brother and his girlfriend. Claire seemed to feel fine, but as time passed I began to question how good I felt. By 5:00 I knew I was sunk, and quickly puked in my mom's potty before we left for home. So very, very, very grateful that Iain did not have to go to Hawaii so he was home to get all Littles in bed and tend to them. I got in bed and threw up four more times before finally falling sound asleep around 11:00. Strangely I woke up around 6:00 the next morning feeling completely fine, which was good because it was MOPS. And it takes alot of puking to keep me from a MOPS meeting so off we went.

On Saturday I had a rehearsal for my the youth choir reunion that was going on this weekend. 100 or so of us came back to Oak Cliff Presbyterian to take part in remembering something that was a hugely significant part of our lives at some point. It was quite amazing how Mr. E was able to rehearse adults who had been in the choir from the 50's through the 80's and we actually sounded pretty good. After rehearsal it was back to my mom's and sister's to visit, then home late with our three wild, wide awake kids (at about 8:30 p.m.)

On Sunday, Iain and Duncan took off to get my phone fixed while I took the babies to my mom's and sister's (again!) so that my aunt could babysit them during their nap and I could go back to Oak Cliff Pres for warm up before our 3:00 concert. The concert was amazing. Really, really moving and great fun. We laughed at how they should get a bus and take us all on tour. Sunday night we went back to my mom's and sister's to eat and visit and once again, got our kids home and to bed late.

Monday. The zoo! Fun! Beautiful weather! Took all three kids and met a sweet friend from preschool that he has not seen since his 5th birthday party in early June. They literally ran together from across the parking lot and embraced and I heard, "I've missed you so much!" Though.I.Might.Die. from the cuteness. Let Claire and Finn run free in the children's area, climb, slide, pet goats, look at ducks, koi, small animal poo, chickens, pigs, giant rabbits and a pony. So much fun! I have pictures, but cannot figure out how to insert them so that they aren't all at the top of this post. But I will figure that out.

After the zoo, we all went...wait for it...back to my mom's and sister's for my birthday. I put the babies down and went upstairs and took a two hour nap. Might have been the best nap of my life. My mom made a great dinner, an excellent chocolate cake, presents were opened and we got the kids home late, but happy. The weather was cool and they got to run in my sister's front yard and play hide and seek in the dark with their dad and uncle Doug. It really doesn't get much better.

Love,
45 year-old me

Monday...my birthday! We went to the zoo because a cool front finally blew through Dallas and the weather was perfect with a capital P. Met a sweet friend from preschool and had a fabulous morning!

2010-09-21T20:41:00.002-05:00

So many random thoughts.
I have an overwhelming urge to raise chickens in my back yard.
I do not want to eat them, but I do want to provide eggs for my friends and family.
I have a song about a monkey riding on a pig stuck in my head. Thank you, sister Becky and cousin Linda.
My oldest brother is coming to visit this weekend and my other brother next...from the Pacific Northwest...and I cannot seem to remember.
I am really glad that Glee is back on.
Monday is my 45th birthday. That is half way to 90.
I need to plan Claire and Finn's 2nd birthday party and am thinking a "trains and tutus" cake.
I want to write a book. Ha!
I am training for a 5K. Which surprises you more? That I want to write a book or that I've started running?
Or that I'm almost 45 and have two almost 2 year-olds?
I'm glad that the house is off the market but am thinking alot about putting it back on. I am a planner.
I like alot of the songs on Glee but I rarely know who really sings them. Billionaire?
I am really excited about my first pumpkin spice latte but wont have one until it's below 70 degrees. It's principle, people.

Thanks for the brain purge!

The Big O

2010-09-20T20:43:00.003-05:00

I watched Food, Inc. recently and have had my eyes opened (even further) to how I want to feed my family. It might be a long time...and possibly forever, before I buy regular grocery store meat and poultry.

So, today I set off to the grocery store. I had three choices. Whole Foods, Central Market, or
Tom Thumb (Safeway.) Whole Foods is probably the most expensive and does well with organic but not so great with local produce. Central Market does an excellent job with high quality meat, fish and local produce, and kind of gives me the warmies to shop there, but it is impossible to buy paper towels that dont cost six dollars. So, Tom Thumb it was. Parking and shopping carts are also big factors for me. Whole Foods has great carts for two babies. It looks like a race car and they are at the top and back of the cart...right near me. And they are clean and new. Central Market has the second best option. The two seater, but it's the kind where the seat part takes up the entire back third of the cart and looks like a Six Flags ride. They sit up straight in a seat and are harnessed in. Again, though, they are closer to me and I know exactly what they are doing. Tom Thumb has some of the worst carts (but not THE worst). They are those awful car cart things, where I can put them in the pink-eye ridden car part, that sometimes has straps to secure them in but I can't see them and things are at eye level and within reach. So, I put them up in the traditional seat (where there is room for two) and if I am lucky enough to find a cart with buckles, I secure them in. Today I got the one with buckles...and the sticky, broken wheels. Pushing it around a corner usually took two or three tries and I got sympathetic looks from strangers. Better than hairy eye balls, I suppose.

We hit the aisles. I managed to only buy organic where I felt it mattered. Non-organic items included lemons (used only for grown up Tom Collins cocktails...no children are harmed in the squeezing of the lemons and hopefully the gin negates any pesticides), that Baby Bel soft swiss cheese that I love on sandwiches right now and I could find no options for, club soda (see Tom Collins), and sandwich bread (I did buy Orowheat which has no high fructose corn syrup). I did not buy any meat because they only carry organic chicken and it's kind of expensive on an otherwise pretty big shopping trip. Also, big advantage Central Market. I love their butchers and their meat. It just seems like it comes from a more trusted source and they make all their sausage in house. Have I mentioned how much I love that store?

So, my total was $100. With no diapers and no meat. Next time I'll try Central Market, spend the same amount and see how it stacks up.

Here's to not filling our families with pesticides,
Christie

The Real Cost of a Spork

2010-09-13T16:32:00.001-05:00

So, Duncan came home early last week and said, "Mom, the lady in the cafeteria told me to tell you to put a spoon in my lunch or a nickel, because sporks cost five cents." The look on my face must have been telling, because he was like, "no, really."

Some background. Duncan attends a public elementary where approximately 88% of the kids qualify for free lunch (and breakfast!). As someone put it, he is the "rich kid". Note: I drive a used minivan, we live in a 1600 square foot home and most of our furniture is hand me downs. We do not even have a headboard. But, I am blessed and fortunate...just not rich. So, the whole incident just did not sit well with us. Almost everyone gets a free lunch, but our kid can't get a stupid plastic spork without shelling out a nickel. We grumbled and laughed about how Iain would storm into the lunchroom, throwing sporks about and making a fuss.

So, the following Monday, Iain sent an email to the "school liaison" asking her if this was indeed true (because you never know with a five year old) and she said yes. He also brought up the fact that he had offered to build the school a website and was basically told "talk to the hand." This is a poor school. It has poor parents. Free lunches. Not alot of resources. It seemed counter intuitive that they would turn down an opportunity to have someone build them a website, where they could put the school calendar, announcements, accomplishments, and contact information. Because right now? If you don't see it on the sign in front of the school, for which most of the alphabet is missing and they use a backwards 3 for an "E", then you have a hard time figuring it out.

At this point, the principal got involved and again expressed reticence over a website. Because as we all know, it's just a fad. Her emails got more and more terse and when Iain asked repeatedly for an email list for contacts at the school, and getting a few hand-picked names and addresses, she told him she does not give that to the "general public." Okay. So, this is what we are up against. And it's frustrating. I think we all tried to have a really good attitude about this school, and we certainly never say anything negative in front of Duncan. Perhaps this is part of being in the very large public school system. And Duncan's teary, weepy, sad -faced good byes are more about him being separated from us than from the school itself. But it's still hard and frustrating and I know that people are having happy experiences with kindergarten and kids that walk through the door without tears and not letting go of mom at this point.

So, we forge ahead, trying to build a good relationship with his teacher and planning to attend the first PTA meeting next Tuesday. Duncan seems to have made some real friendships already and is happy with his teacher. He likes going to the library (they go for two weeks, then rotate with gym, art, music and computers, I think) and eating lunch in the cafeteria. He likes Lila, Maurice, Melvin and Maya. He says good bye to everyone in the hallway in the afternoon. He even likes the janitor (who is very sweet and funny...I can see why.) So, there are bright spots but there are also some real frustrations for us as parents. I suppose it would be worse if it were the other way around.

~Christie

Another week gone by

2010-09-07T22:58:00.001-05:00

One of the things Duncan has struggled with in the past year is writing and coloring. He is a big motor skills kid. One of the things you must do in kindergarten is write and color! Whee! Last night his homework involved tracing his name four times, then writing it ten times. It was not as bad as I had feared, but we got it back today in his folder and she pointed out two things, mainly. One is the upper case A's in his name...they need to be lower case. The other is that I put his name on it, and he needs to do that. We are to have him practice writing his name. Oh, dread...thy name is penmanship practice.

This weeks highlights include:

Celebrating my mom's 84th birthday, with a home made lemon pie with coconut meringue. Oh yes, it is good. Lots of eggs, butter, lemon juice, sugar...delish. Strangely, it was almost too chilly to swim.
Tuesday is kind of a blur.
Church on Wednesday was thrilling in the "go to the basement there are tornadoes coming" kind of way.
Claire and Finn both had terrible colds all week and did not sleep well. Thus, neither did we.
A quick trip to Aunt Becky's and Granny's on Thursday and a "new" couch for Iain's office.
MOPS finally started again for me. Oh, glory day! I always walk away feeling refreshed and renewed even though I am co-coordinator this year and actually have to pray out loud in front of 90 women. It has been a while since I've done that! Probably best that my co-chair sprung it on my last minute today.
I am getting a new laptop! Big, big deal. Very excited. Thank you, honey!

So now it is Friday. All the children are asleep in their beds. The weekend is upon us, a birthday party, church, etc...hopefully a family visit or two. Swimming, perhaps? Cowboy football, certainly.

Signing off,
Christie

First Week in the Books

2010-08-27T17:25:00.002-05:00

Week one of kindergarten is so over. In contrast to Day 1, I would say things are better but there is plenty of room for improvement. Drop off is the worst part. I am able to park and walk to the front door of the school with him, but once inside I can go no further and have to put him in line of all the other kindergarteners marching to class, along the Blue Line of Tape That is not to be Strayed From. This is when the tears begin...sobbing tears. Clinging to me tears. Yesterday the sweet librarian grabbed him and gently took his hand...he later told me that she eats books for lunch. I am not sure if she was trying to be scary or funny, but he fortunately thought it was funny and I think they bonded.

As a side note, Claire has a new habit of throwing everything into the kitchen sink. And, I have decided that I prefer almonds to pecans.

So, back to kindergarten. Aside from the rather stark contrast to preschool, and the trauma of drop off, I think we are doing okay. He has made three friends, Lila, Zachary and Maurice. We met Lila at Meet The Teacher night and he took an instant liking to her. I get full reports of sitting next to her at lunch, etc...Zachary is a very sweet kid who he met the first day, and Maurice is new as of today (to the friend list.) Maurice rates because he rides the bus. And that is exotic and fascinating.

A strange, but wonderful, byproduct of kindergarten appears to be a newfound fascination with making his bed and cleaning his room. I cannot explain this, and just call 'em as I see 'em.

So, drop off in the morning seems to be our most difficult hurdle at this point. I believe we can come up with some strategy to make this easier on him, and I will post our progress on that front. I still, to be honest, do not love this little school. We are one week in and in the one exchange I have had with his teacher that has lasted more than three seconds she told me that he cries every morning and that she has to shut the window shades so he wont look out the windows for me, and that he has difficulty writing his name (quelle surprise!). I think it's time for our first parent/teacher conference...because none of that really tells me anything. What do you do when he cries? Do you really have to shut the blinds? And are you concerned that one week in, that he can't write his name too well? Ah...the frustration begins.

~Christie

Tears in my pot pie

2010-08-22T17:44:00.001-05:00

Late yesterday afternoon on First Day of Kindergarten Eve, a dear friend sent me a prayer for Duncan. Reading it caused those great big squirty tears to shoot out of my eyes and into the pot pie I was making for dinner.

I had been doing okay up until that point. Then I started thinking about all of the people that he could come into contact with, over which Iain and I have no control. In preschool, he was so easily accessible to us. I could stop by, enter the code, walk in the hallway and to his classroom. I could email his teachers, pick up the phone and call anyone up there and they knew me, and more importantly, they knew my child. I could pick him up early, I could keep him home. Alot of control. Kindergarten? Not so much.

When we dropped him off today, we were able to walk him all the way to his class but tomorrow it's bye-bye at the door...you are on your own, baby chick. And it's killing me. I know it's time. I know he's old enough. Don't I? He seems so small in that big school with all those older kids...and I feel so out of touch with the powers that be at that school. And I'll save my thoughts about the other moms and dads...and grandparents....for another post. Do I sound like a big Debbie Downer? Well, yes, perhaps I do. Give me my moment.

A Kinder Kinder

2010-08-19T21:57:00.002-05:00

We have three days left until Duncan starts kindergarten. Fortunately, I have enough going on these three days that I can hardly think about it. Until I get in bed at night.

Last night, he woke up calling for me. I finally got up and out of bed and saw that he had his light on and was crying in the bed. He told me he had a bad dream, so I crawled in next to him until he fell asleep again. The clock in our bedrooom is unplugged, because I had to plug in my phone charger, because Finn figured out how to get to it when it was charging in the kitchen, but I digress. So long story short I have no idea what time it was.

At some point today he told me that it was a bad dream about kindergarten...that "Leo" was unkind to him on the playground and would not share. So we had a little heart to heart about kindergarten and addressed some of his fears. I think he believed, for a time, that all of his old Pre-K peeps were all staying together at his preschool and that Iain and I were yanking his sweet self out of there and sending him to the school down the strees. Once this sunk it, that everyone was going to a new school, he felt a bit better. But still nervous.

We bought his new school uniforms yesterday. I knew it had to be done and my week and weekend are crazybusy to I just loaded up all three of them and went to Target to buy them. We have (sadly) made the leap from the little boys/toddler clothing section to the boys'. And I am not happy with what I find. Skulls? Chains? I kid you not when I tell you I could not find a belt for him that did not have a skull or a chain or something dangling from it. But, we did find the red collared polo shirts, white collared polo shirts and navy shorts and pants. I just hope he doesn't look like he's going to work at Tom Thumb, because that is almost exactly what I had to wear when I worked there in 1982.

We also got Buzz Lightyear shoes.

We do not have a new lunch box or backpack. I got him a really nice lunchbox from Lands End last year and it's monogrammed so I can't even pass it on to Finn. But maybe a new backpack.

All that to say that we have meet the teacher tomorrow night, and hopefully he will meet some kids in his class and start to feel connected and have a better idea of what it will be like. I do think he's excited, because he talks about it so much. But, I also think he's very, very nervous. It could get ugly Monday morning.

Oh, and we are buying a new van tomorrow, I have to take him for his 5 year checkup tomorrow afternoon, meet the teacher tomorrow night, a family swim party Saturday, a huge MOPS cookbook event at church on Sunday (organized by yours truly with the help of some really awesome women) and it's promotion Sunday for Sunday School. And it's Iain's and my turn to bring donuts.

See you Monday night!

Christie

The strings they are a tuggin'

2010-08-11T20:40:00.003-05:00

First of all, can I just say how ever lovin' hot it is in Dallas? There. I've said it. I swear they said it was 108 today. With a heat index of 752.

After the initial chaos of the morning died down, and I had consumed two cups of coffee, I got everyone in the van and we drove up to the local elementary school to get the paperwork to get Duncan enrolled for kindergarten. Everyone is so nice and my fears are subsiding but thinking about that first day...leaving him there...can't go there really. It is a sweet little school but almost all parents in our neighborhood choose to move when it is time for their kids to start kinder. I will bring the papers back tomorrow and get him enrolled and ask for a specific teacher that we met on our tour of the school. I think he will do fine, but we have agreed to keep our house on the market and that ultimately it is really not where we want him.

I just can't think about it for too long, really. 8-3, five days a week. That's a long time. Crazy to think about. Didn't we just bring him home from the hospital? Okay, I have to stop.

So, after that we came home and had more chaos. Finn is trying to figure out how to open the refrigerator...which scares me on many levels. We made lunch, ate and then it was naptime. For Claire, Finn and maybe Mommy. Okay, I just strongly suggested that Duncan and I lie down and have "quiet time". I may have nodded off.

Later in the afternoon I had our sitter (who goes back to college next week...sob) come so I could take Duncan and go pick up a friend and have some fun. So, Duncan and Grant piled in the back of the van and talked like only 5 year old boys can and then ate and played like only 5 year old boys can.

After we were home, and I had Duncan in the bed he said, "Mom, thanks for making Claire." Then rolled over and said, "Dear God, thank you for my baby sister...keep my whole family safe and take us around the world." Not sure where that trip around the world came from but the rest of it kind of killed me.

~Christie

The Big U Turn

2010-08-08T21:53:00.002-05:00

When my oldest brother, who is now 61, was in college at Texas Tech, he and some friends did what they call "The Big U Turn". They just drove to Canada, from Lubbock, turned around and drove back. Kind of stupid, kind of genius. I don't know for sure, but I imagine that the drive up there was fun...for a few hours...then got long and tedious and at some point kept going simply because they'd gone too far to turn back. Then, an immediate U-Turn in the opposite direction.

That's kind of what it's like around here lately.

A few days ago, I wrote about some big decisions we were making and where we had ended up on most of them. Well, it looks like things are changing. Or might change.

First and foremost are our plans for kindergarten for Duncan. I was approached by a mom I know from Duncan's preschool one day last week. She stopped me in the hallway at our church to tell me that her next door neighbor is one of the kindergarten teachers at our neighborhood elementary school...where we would have to send Duncan if we chose public school. She also used words like "dynamic" and "fantastic" in describing her. I walked away thinking to myself, "hmmm...perhaps we should revisit the idea of our neighborhood school." And that's what we have done. My sister commented that Duncan sounded disappointed at the prospect of not "going" to kindergarten. Piece of information #2. Is THIS God talking to me? Is THIS Him giving me the clear direction I have prayed for oh so many, many nights in a row? So.Confusing.

On a completely different note, I really need a haircut.

So, now that I am doing a complete 180, my big U Turn, on Duncan's schooling there seem to be a million things to consider. School supplies, lunches, uniforms. The list goes on and on. Most people probably start planning this months in advance. We have two weeks!

I think I'll have alot to blog about.

~Christie

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

2010-08-03T21:18:00.003-05:00

So, August is a big month for our family. We have alot going on and alot of decisions to make. They kind of all tie together, so it's hard to prioritize but I think we are making progress.

Big, Stressful Decision #1 - Three years ago we leased a pretty, shiny, new Camry. That was 2007. I drove it for a year and loved it deeply. The last time I drove that car and thought of it as mine was October 23, 2008. To the hospital. Because I was in labor (yes I drove myself...that's another story). I've been driving my mom's 2000 Toyota Sienna ever since. It is NOT pretty or shiny or new. But it holds all three of our kids and it runs. So my mom has been driving the Camry for two years and now the lease is ending and we have to turn it in. We hoped to just buy my mom's old van since (see below) we aren't sure what kind of budget we'll have going forward. It's been well taken care of and probably (unfortunately?) has lots of life left in it. Although Duncan's "special trash compartment" might have devalued it a bit. My mom was up and down, back and forth, all over the place as to whether or not she wanted to sell it so we were unsure as to whether or not we'd buy a new van, or her old one.

Big Stressful Decision #2 - Our house has been on the market since April 6th. We were hopeful that by now, we would have sold and moved so that Duncan could start school at a kindergarten we felt good about. This is not the case. We have shown it perhaps 15 - 20 times and have not had a single offer. We have lowered our price two times and wonder if at this point, it's not too low. At this point, we are not going to sell in time for us to move before school starts so do we keep it on the market, as is; take it off the market and give it a "rest period" and try again next spring or do we spend some money, make some changes and still try to sell this fall, at a higher price...which leads us to...

Big, Stressful Decision #3 - The one piece of feedback we get over and over on our house is that our kitchen is too small/not updated. So, we got a few bids on a remodel that would be pretty incredible and probably help sell our house quicker. No guarantees, of course. The downsides are the money, the time, the mess. The benefits would be that for the duration of the time we have left in this house we would have a fabulous kitchen, and that we would very likely sell the house faster. However, being faced with possibly having to buy a new car instead of an old, crappy uh, I mean previously owned one impacted our decision. We had bids, had talked money, and I think were really close to pulling the trigger, but then doubt started creeping in.

Big, Stressful Decision #4 - Duncan turned five in June and we completely anticipated that he would start kindergarten this August. We also anticipated that we would live in an area with a good neighborhood school. Do we send him to the neighborhood school? We tried to get a transfer but were unsuccessful. Our local school is not terrible. As Iain said, he will not get stabbed. We visited and were not completely horrified. We did not love it. I did not think, "this will be such a good place for him". I had people tell me "it's only kindergarten", which is true only I don't really agree with the "only" part. He's there at least six hours a day, five days a week. With people I don't know. Without us. Without the people he's been with most days, all of his life. That's a harsh change. So, to send him somewhere that we don't feel really confident about, where we aren't sure he'll get what he needs just doesn't feel right to us. I went back and forth almost daily on what to do but after MUCH prayer the answers started to come to me.

Not so big not so stressful decision - My cell phone was up for renewal and Iain got me a new one. Oh, iPhone...where have you been all my life?

So, as of right now, we are buying my mom's old van, selling her the Camry, not remodeling the kitchen, homeschooling Duncan (yes, I said homeschooling...I am sure I will have lots of good material on that one, don't you think?), and still hoping our house sells and that we can still move to a good school.

~Christie

It's Good To Be Duncan

2010-07-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

Oh!

2010-07-21T21:46:00.000-05:00

Just a snippet from our vay-cay. Possibly my favorite pic evah of Iain with one of the kids. She made that face every time she heard the elephant trumpet on the iPad (totally cool new toy, btw.) So glad my sister got it on film. Well, not on film, but on digital thingy.

God Knows If You're Lying

2010-07-20T15:04:00.003-05:00

The day started out innocently enough...everyone slept until 7:30, and we were all in our pajamas...dining room table fort still in place, with every pillow and most blankets. First cup of coffee consumed but no diapers changed and certainly no breakfast made. Then, at about 8:30 the phone rang...it was the showing service asking to show the house between 10 and 10:30. I was kind of excited! There was alot to do but if Duncan was cooperative, and I moved fast I could get the house picked up, get the babies changed and fly out the door in time.

I was in the kitchen, about to refill my Keurig coffee maker when I heard Finn...in our bedroom...from behind the door. He had locked himself in. I didn't immediately panic because I had seen Iain pick the lock not too long ago. But, luck was not on my side and I simply could not get him out. His pudgy little fingers poking out from underneath the door, I tried to call Iain but it was just after 6:00 a.m. in SoCal. So, I called my mother...because...um...when all else fails call your 84 year-old mother who is twenty miles away. She told me to call 911, which I did and was transferred to the fire department who said they would immediately come to our rescue.

When the fire engine came down the street, sirens and lights blazing, Duncan was on the verge of bursting. Claire was clinging to me. And Finn..well, still crying in our bedroom. Five fire fighters...one toddler. They freed him and left, with a few neighbors looking on wondering what in the world was going on.

We (read: me) grabbed any remaining Hot Wheels, dirty laundry, mail and miscellaneous, threw it in the laundry basket a-go-go and got in the van and fled. We drove around, looked at horses at a nearby horse barn, trains, tractors, houses for sale and finally came home and went across the street to a sweet neighbors house until I was sure they had come and gone.

Later on in the day, as the afternoon creeped up on us, they all got pretty ramped up. At one point, Duncan was flying through the living room pushing a little car of Finn's and the next thing I knew he was right next to Claire and she was crying on the tile. When I asked him what happened, he replied, "she just fell". I asked him if he was telling me the truth then actually hear "God knows if you're lying" come out of my mouth. Who AM I? Oh dear.

There was then a naked in front yard episode and I knew bedtime was drawing very near. By 7:00 he was in bed and by 7:30 was asleep.

It was a rough day.

Priest Lake

2010-07-19T22:20:00.003-05:00

Whew. Won't do that again. And by "that" I mean flying half way across country with two toddlers. It is mostly a blur at this point. I do recall Claire throwing raisins about the cabin and screaming "I stuck!" while I was trying to confine her to my lap. And on the way home our plane out of Spokane being delayed and Iain having to run up and down the airport (and I mean at a clip...not just jogging) with the twins in their stroller to keep them from completely coming unglued. And waking up at 4:00 a.m. to get there, and getting home at 1:00 a.m. coming back.

But oh, the best part? The very best part? Is when we all started puking. At our peak, there were 15 adults at the lake with us. And most of us fell like little soldiers. Duncan was the first...with his blue bubble gum ice cream...on the beach. I was sure he had just had too much junk food and too little sleep. Kids puke alot, right? So I got him inside, and put him in one of the beds to sleep it off. Meanwhile, my sister in law fell victim upstairs. I still did not put two and two together. All of the rest of us felt fine! It was so weird how Duncan and Frankie both go sick! Then...in the middle of the night...I heard my sister. And I knew. I will not get sick, I will not get sick, I will not get sick. I kept praying it over and over and over again. Oh and Iain? Was downstairs in the bed with Duncan. The next morning came, and I slowly felt it coming on until it hit me, then quickly my mom. Then Iain. As we all lay flat on our backs in misery, I passed off all our children to my 19 year-old niece, and my thirty-something niece and her husband. My oldest brother also got sick at some point.

By the end of the day, I was feeling like I could function. My sister in law was as well, but not my mom, my sister or Iain. Is this TMI? Long story short(er) we all recovered but man...it sucked. There is no other way to put it.

Other thoughts about our vacation?

The Michies will no longer fly for vacation. Until our children are old enough to go to the bathroom on their own, and be trusted to sit in a seat and entertain themselves.
I was smart and insightful enough not to bring any reading materials on this trip.
Cool, dark, basement storage rooms make better rooms for babies to sleep in that light, airy beach house bedrooms.
5 year old boys can probably get by for at least 10 days with one pair of underwear.
I had no idea my 84 year old mother watched The Bachelorette.
Self-important business man in coach, giving me the hairy eyeball because of my kids? You aren't that important.
I need good coffee. Every day.
Campfires on the beach, in a sweatshirt and shorts, in the summertime, are one of life's greatest pleasures. Even more so with your kids.
Coming home is always the best part.

~Christie

2010-07-10T09:57:00.003-05:00

So, it's Saturday morning. Iain had to go to work and I'm home with Claire and Finn. I can only assume Duncan is having the time of his life at the lake. He is surrounded by fun family and a beach, and my brother's boat, and clear, freezing cold water of Priest Lake. And I do mean freezing. Glacier lake freezing. But, unlike our Texas "lakes" the water is crystal clear and the bottom is pebbles or sand..not the disgusting muck of Texas "lakes" that I can no longer tolerate nor even think about. I have this weird thing about my feet. But I digress.

So, our flight leaves Monday morning at 6:30 a.m. Which means we have to be at the airport at 5:30 a.m. Which means we need to leave home at 4:30 a.m. Which means I have to get everything done today and tomorrow and go to bed tomorrow afternoon.

Oh, and did I mention we are having an open house tomorrow? Yes, that makes it more interesting doesn't it? Actually, I worked this week on keeping the house clean and tidy so I think with minimal effort we will be ready for the house part. It's the packing part that I need to focus on. I am seriously considering sleeping in my clothes. And bringing the babies on the plane in their pajamas. I almost always get some kind of anxiety about airline travel and all that can go wrong...even when it's just me.

Preparedness is key, gentle readers.

10:09 p.m. Got more done today that I thought I would. Am feeling ready. Drinking a gin and tonic so will turn in soon. More tomorrow.

Got my Shred DVD today!

Y'all might get bored with me

2010-07-08T08:37:00.003-05:00

Breakfast: Raisin Bran. Nectarine was too "mealy" but Finn and Claire loved it.

I still do not have my Shred DVD but am also planning to hit a Zumba class at the Y on Saturday morning. Am sure spouse will be fully supportive of me doing this, even if it means it's "Special Daddy Time" on Saturday mornings. I could take the babies with me, but they don't change diapers at this particular Y, which really irks me. The "workers", on the few times I've taken my kids, sit in big rockers and just sit back and watch. It is my only complaint about that particular branch, but it's a big one. The Y that is closer to us has a far superior child care set up and the staff are first class. They interact with the kids and babies, change diapers whether or not they really need to be changed, take them to a bounce house or outside, etc...But I digress.

Does lifting two almost 30 pound babies all day count for anything?

For my mid-morning snack (because breakfast around here is at 6:30 ish y'all...my kids are roosters) was a Feel Full Smoothie. 1 serving sugar-free instant breakfast, 1 cup skim milk, 1 small banana and 1 tbsp. peanut butter. I added ice and blended. Yummy and yes, feeling very full.

It seems like Iain and I have so much going on right now, but life also feels good. There is movement but none of it feels gloom and doom. Selling the house, remodeling the kitchen, vacation, kindergarten. See? None of it terrible. Just alot. Okay, for me, the kindergarten issue is the most stressful.

I must go now. And look at baby clothes and try to figure out how my baby boy turned five and is old enough to go to kindergarten.

Shred Dread Day 2 and Kitchen Issues

2010-07-07T17:48:00.003-05:00

So, I don't have the DVD yet, but I did order it yesterday. I feel like that is a step in the right direction. I also recruited three amigas to do this along with me. I feel like we need a catchy group name. "ShredHeads" has already been taken. The only thing I have come up with is Cole Slaw, and I do not believe that is funny or appropriate so all suggestions are welcome. And even if someone understood it, they still might not think it was funny.

I just had dinner and it was super yummy. Got the idea out of a magazine article on losing weight...so I did not just pull it out of thin air. I took one of those 100 calorie sandwich thins and spread "light" brie on it, sliced green apple and shaved turkey breast. It was delish!

On the kitchen front, we are considering a remodel. While trying to sell our house, the only negative comment we hear (and we hear it over and over again) is that our kitchen is too small. Tell me about it, sister. So, we believe that a remodel is in order. We have two bids and if all goes well, could have it done in a matter of weeks. Kindergarten starts next month and I am not at all prepared to drop him off at the school down the street but am afraid that is what we will end up doing. However, my hope is that if we can get the remodel done quickly, we can sell the house more quickly and then can move. I would love to be all settled by a certain day on which people eat alot of turkey and pie but don't dare breathe that thought out loud.

There is so much to do. Financing, finalize plans, etc...but I think the only thing we can do is just get started. So, I should get thinner and my kitchen should get prettier. We will both undergo huge improvements.

Shred Dread

2010-07-06T09:00:00.003-05:00

So, in the interests of keepin' it real, I have decided to combine The Shred with Weight Watchers and see how I do after 30 days. Three full-term pregnancies, three vertical c-sections, one set of twins and a looming 45th birthday make something drastic necessary.

I will take before pics, but will not post them until I also have my after pics. We have vacation next week, but I'm planning on starting as soon as I can find a copy of the DVD, and will do what I can while we are on our trip. Probably wont involve doing The Shred in the living room of the lakehouse with fourteen other members of my family.

I hear that I might feel so crippled I am unable to type, so bear with me.

2010-06-30T12:13:00.000-05:00

Our crops...corn and pumpkins...about one month later.

Idol Worship

2010-06-30T12:11:00.000-05:00

Big brother is cramming grapes in his mouth...guess who else thought that would be fun?

Zoo Freaks

2010-06-23T20:45:00.002-05:00

We took all the kids to the Dallas Zoo today, despite the fact that it's hotter than you-know-where and Claire is getting over pneumonia. It was great! With plenty of water, a bit of shade, standing under a mister or two, and hogging the giant fans they have set up at the new exhibit, you can survive the zoo with three kids in the Texas heat. They will even give you free cups of ice, which makes Finn very happy.

2010-06-17T20:09:00.002-05:00

Ever had a girl so mad about the fact you'd put her to bed that she pulled everything off her dresser and threw everything out of her crib? Yeah, me too.

Ever had a five year old build a train track that comes out his door, down the hallway and into the family room? Yeah, me too.

Ever had twin twenty month-olds start to pinch each other over who got to stand on the car toy so they could reach the counter and grab the plate of green beans? Yeah, me too.

Ever had twin toddlers so tired from no morning nap AND vacation Bible school that you are convinced they'll sleep for hours when you put them down and they prove you wrong. Completely wrong. Yeah, me too.

Ever, at the end of the day, despite the chaos and the noise, and the crying and the mess completely and utterly grateful for all of your children? Yeah, me too.

Two Suckers

2010-06-16T21:50:00.002-05:00

After vacation Bible school today, I had a babysitter come so I could take Duncan to a movie. Iain took him once, but it was about a year ago and he got a little scared so they left. My sister took him once, about six months ago and said he did well. I wanted to have a fun summer with him, since we will be throwing him to the wolves this August when we send him to kindergarten (okay, not really, but I have issues.) So, I wanted to take him to a movie. I looked at the list of choices and tried to decide between the lesser of two evils. Shrek III or Marmaduke. I called a friend to see if she and her daughter, one of Duncan's favorite friends, wanted to join us. She weighed in that they had seen Shrek III and while intense in a Disney-all-the-mommies-die sort of way, it was probably the easier for us mommies to sit through. Good point.

We got to the theater and Duncan commented on how hot it was outside and how cool it was inside. Smart boy! It was a "movie studio grille" so we sat at a table, in nice swivel chairs and donned our 3D glasses. We all looked awesome. We ordered popcorn, two strawberry lemonades, a Diet Dr. Pepper and an iced tea and settled in. I was prepared for nerves, and almost prefaced it with a "if you get scared just tell me and we can step out" but decided against it. And my genius paid off. He was mesmerized. I don't think he ever took his eyes off the screen except to look over at his friend Ashley and say, "hey Ashley, how's it goin'?" and to look at me and tell me how hilarious the movie was. Success! We had a super time. Tons of fun with my boy...love that. Cannot think about kinder or I will cry.

So, we left the theater and went to the bank to deposit some expense checks (hi honey! See? I'm takin' care of business, in addition to all the fun and games...) and go to the grocery store. Duncan got not one but two suckers from the teller which just about put him over the edge in the "this is a great day" department.

One Thousand Cats

2010-06-05T08:49:00.002-05:00

Duncan and I had a conversation this morning about things we want in our new house. We decided that we will have a thousand cats (his idea) and a five story, family bunk bed which will be in the living room. Every morning we will wake up and watch TV. From the top bunk, there will be a slide that will go through the entire house and end up in our pool in the back yard. We will also have a very long diving board so that you can get a good running start before diving in.

2010-05-31T21:23:00.001-05:00

This Memorial Day was pretty laid back. We had Duncan's family birthday party yesterday and boy was in the pool for oh, about six or seven solid hours with minimal food breaks. So, we all stayed home today and just had a family day. It was also hot. Very, very hot. Duncan and I ran some errands in the late morning while the babies napped and Iain worked in the yard. We went to Office Depot to get printer ink, then to Krispy Kreme for a doughnut for Duncan and coffee for me, then to one of my all-time favorite stores...Central Market. Oh, the produce! The wine! The bakery! Such.Fabulousness. All under one roof. But, I stuck to my list and put back the bottle of "Mommy's Time Out" wine that was my impulse purchase...because I wanted to drink it and blog about it. We did get goodies for dinner tonight, though. Came home and whittled away the time with three tired kids on a hot day with no pool.
What else did we do? Oh, we planted pumpkins and corn! Duncan thought it was a good idea until he got outside and actually had to dig and work in the very hot sun. He freely admitted to being too hot, too tired, and too thirsty but upon threat of no garden at all, or of not being able to water it once planted he reluctantly helped finish the task. Then Iain fired up the grill/smoker and we put the sausages and baby backs on.
Finn had the hardest day of all...a fat lip AND a bloody nose...two separate falls. He is full throttle and does everything, including running and falling, with gusto. He was hot, tired, cranky and went to bed before the rest of us sat down to dinner where Claire at two small ears of corn and sausage with gusto.
It was a good day.

Sing Along

2010-05-25T22:02:00.002-05:00

Today was Duncan's sing along at his preschool. End of the school year. I'm experiencing many emotions and can't help but think back to when he was 1 and I started him at Wilshire for Mother's Day Out. So, almost four years to the day later, he is finishing up. I hope I don't forget to take a picture on Thursday. I'll do a side by side comparison!

Yellow bandana. Middle row.

2010-05-14T15:20:00.002-05:00

This morning started out better than most...I think. I was so bleary eyed I can't remember at this point. The big downfall to early bedtimes is early rising times, but our kids seem to wake up early no matter when they go to bed. It is Friday, and after my first cup of coffee things started to make sense and fall into place. I begged Duncan to stay in bed until Daddy's clock had a 7 as the first number, but it didn't work. I love you, Keurig.

We had a big birthday party at Pump It Up at 10:30, which was good. Aunt Becky and Janie came over to take care of Claire and Finn so I could take Duncan and not have to chase two babies the entire time. While I am on the subject, HUGE shout out to my sister and friend who helped me out. Duncan got to spend a solid two hours with his best buddies, and hardly noticed that I was anywhere nearby. He was a big, sweat MESS by the time they ate pizza and the joy he was feeling was obvious. Boy loves him some Pump It Up and being with his friends. After the ritual of eating/licking only the frosting and leaving the bare, naked cake he was ready to go home to see Aunt Becky and Janie. Got a precious book and lollipop the size of his head the way out the door.

Black clouds loomed but we stopped at Whole Foods because, well, they have a cupcake bar. I wanted to get something for Becky and Janie for helping me out so I let Duncan pick out their cupcakes...you get to pick the cake flavor, the frosting flavor and the sprinkles. It's totally fun! Got our cupcakes, some milk and bananas and drove home before the skies opened up.

It's been a pretty good week...lots of time in the backyard playing with the water hose and sprinkler, and a trip to my mom's and sister's for a visit. The spring has been a great deal easier than the winter was with three small children and home and a traveling husband. I no longer feel like I will lose my mind by 3:00. Claire and Finn are fairly proficient (large scab on Claire's forehead not withstanding) at going up and down the four concrete steps onto our concrete patio. We have a good backyard for play...lots of shade, just enough sun, plenty of patio to grass ratio, and it's tidy. There is a soft, shady place for me to sit and read (!!!) in between keeping a lid on the chaos. Yes, spring is far better.

Had a surprisingly pleasant afternoon, considering we were all inside due to the storms. Duncan was pretty spent from his morning so was not bouncing off the walls, but still had the energy to entertain Claire and Finn. They think he is the funniest thing on two legs and laugh (sometimes before the tears!) and are totally enamored with him. As are we. It is good to be Duncan.

I got all three in the tub, got them fairly clean and got the babies out before someone chipped a tooth. Dinner was mandarin oranges, fish sticks, tater tots and perhaps a few cupcake remnants.

Daddy should be home by early afternoon tomorrow and not a minute too soon.

2010-04-12T12:47:00.002-05:00

Iain just left for the airport for a short (3-day) trip to SoCal (yo), Claire and Finn have been puking all morning but gratefully seem to have stopped, and I have to pick up Duncan in about an hour and a half.

We had our first open house yesterday and according to our Realtor, it was successful. She believed she only had about a ten minute window where no one was here. Let's just hope they weren't ALL nosy neighbors. And since I am the ultimate nosy neighbor, I know how important it is to go to open houses of the people on your street. I'm just sayin'. The house really does look good (see post below) and I am proud of it. I just don't want to own it anymore! I pray for our buyer, that God sends them quickly and that they are reasonable and fair.

My adult niece and her husband and baby are here from Seattle so we'll go out to my sister's and mom's after I pick up Duncan. Again, I hope the puking is over.

I'm sitting at the dining room table, looking out our huge picture window and see our lovely, shady and now very green yard, huge shade trees, and our landscape architect neighbor's red buds in full bloom and behind all that, the green belt. I would also see my red tulips but Duncan has beheaded them all.

Who wouldn't want to buy this place (besides someone who wants a huge kitchen and plenty of storage)?

~C

11607 Saxon Street, Dallas, TX, 75218 - MLS #11377811 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com®

2010-04-10T10:41:00.000-05:00

11607 Saxon Street, Dallas, TX, 75218 - MLS #11377811 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com®

Home Made

2010-04-05T21:25:00.002-05:00

Our house went on the market today. When I saw the sign in the yard I got a little verklempt and felt my adrenaline surge. We have lived here since January 2000. I remember the day we moved in very clearly. There was an ice storm and the moving truck hardly made it. Since then, there have been many days and nights that have made it our home. We have endured our very darkest days here, in this house. We have also had our most joyous, light-filled days. I know, intellectually, that it is brick, mortar, wood and stone. But emotionally, it is so much more than that. It is full of memories. Duncan will most likely have few, if not foggy, memories of this home (even though the photographs of him here are in the low hundreds of thousands...) and Finn and Claire certainly wont have any.

Fortunately, I anticipate and look forward to with great joy the making of a new home. This one filled with laughter and chaos, happy holidays, birthday parties, family, friends, dinners (around a large, round dinner table that I am currently seeking out), and regular ol' nights at home as a family of five. Lots of love. Lots of good food. Lots of time. Together.