Blog Update Part 2

Pictures: Mason with the castle bouncer (Carter is inside); Me, Jennie, and Lorie with 3 of the 6 kids, Carter, Presley, and Eli; Mason and Carter with Gigi, Grandad, and Tigger all snuggled up for Polar Express movie night.

Blog Update

Dec. 14-22 Mason had asthma all every day and fever in the afternoon/evenings - missed the last 4 days of the school semester, including his party and Polar Express day.
Dec. 21 Mason's cardiologist visit - not great news - his heart is more enlarged and Dr. Kimberling is looking for a surgeon to contact about a possible repair surgery - we'll discuss it in a month.
Dec. 22 We had Christmas in Tulsa with Gigi and Grandad - Mason got the pirate ship he asked (begged) for and several rocket/space toys - Carter got the castle bouncer - Mason was thrilled with his gifts until he saw the castle bouncer, which is when he asked, "Why did I just get space stuff? Did I do something bad?" - Kids!!
Dec. 23 We left Dad at home alone and traveled with Gigi and Grandad to the Texas Panhandle - Stopped off in White Deer to see Uncle Bryan, Aunt Kandy, Chris, Lorie, Kezi, Sam, and Eli, as well as Brandon and his precious baby girl Presley, oh, and David and Jennie - Six kids/babies who had a ball playing together - Carter made fast friends with his little 'cousins' Eli and Sam - You've never seen so many sippie cups in one room!
Dec. 24 I went to the Christmas Eve service at FBC Borger, the church where I grew up - the most surreal experience I've had in awhile - It was a scene straight from a recurring dream I have - It was a nice service and fun to see people I haven't seen in years (decades), but I'm still not sure I was actually there.
Dec. 25 Christmas morning at Gigi and Grandad's house - I had laid out stockings and one gift per child by the fireplace - Mason bursts through the dining room's double doors (where the Christmas tree is) and then, a few seconds later, opens the second set of doors to find me in the kitchen - "Well," he says matter-of-factly, "I guess I was on the naughty list because Santa didn't bring me anything." - He obviously didn't notice the fireplace on his way to the tree. We don't claim the gifts are from Santa, and we certainly don't hold the 'naughty list' over his head - I guess he's thinking of the Polar Express movie.
Dec. 26 After a morning of listening to Mason's "I'm bored" chant, we got in the car and went to Amarillo to see Gran Hanna - Becky went with us, and of course we shopped a little along the way - My prize purchase was the coat I got 60% off (Did I mention that I forgot to pack any warm things for myself, including a coat? I had to buy tennis shoes at Walmart and a few sweaters at Kohl's just to be able to dress myself the rest of the week.)

Happy Half Birthday To You

Mason is officially 5 1/2 today. I only know that because his teacher celebrates half birthdays for kids with summer birthdays.

Notice the look on Carter's face in his 'beauty shop' picture (and the football hold he uses with his baby).

Ick

The pictures are from yesterday afternoon when we ventured outside for a few minutes. Today the ice is melting, and it has rained all day. So it's muddy and icky outside. The trees are all bent, broken, and gnarled. But we still have electricity, so I'm not complaining. Two thirds of the of the area is is the dark (and cold) so I'd say we lucked out.

Winter Wonderland - Sort Of

Lots of rain + 25 degrees = ice on roads, tree limbs, and power lines

The sound of tree limbs cracking under pressure is so bizarre - kind of scary. 100,000 houses in the area without power. No school today for any district in the area, except Mason's school. They take off every Monday after a four day weekend (making it a 5 day weekend), but they don't close when the roads are a solid sheet of ice and everyone else is out for a snow day? Well, I'm not getting out to take him to school - I've declared it a pajama day. Picture note: The trees are usually behind the fence, not in our backyard.

God'sGreenEarth

I've had a blog about everyday ways to improve the environment for about three weeks, and it's made me realize how out of the loop I am with technology. I just figured out a few months ago what a blog is, and I thought I was very hip. Ha! I don't understand the real blog world at all. I the terms they use in the FAQs are Greek to me - my simple little questions aren't even on the map. My questions are right up there with "How do you turn on the computer?" It has been an interesting challenge, though, and I think I'm learning as I go. The address is

www.godsgreenearth.wordpress.com

My last entry was about cutting down on junk mail - including my particularly devious plan to give credit card companies a taste of their own medicine. We'll see if it catches on!

Toddler Training

Our family is moving from 'make the baby happy' phase to 'teach the toddler' phase, which is a transition that involves tears for everyone. Carter had a blissfully happy week without his binky when he moved to a big boy bed a couple of months ago, but then he remembered his old friend and gets more attached to it every day. He wants 'bink and Boo,' his bear, with him 24/7. So we're working on keeping the bink in the bedroom and Boo at home (except they're both allowed at Sunday school - for the sanity of the nursery workers). He's not happy about it, but I think we're making progress (maybe).

Sidenote: We added to the curb appeal of our house yesterday by accident. We had a handyman come fix the handrail and move the beam to better support the roof. But when he took out a portion of the handrail, we decided the house looked better without it. So instead of fixing it, he hauled it off, and I love the new look! Our front porch is so much bigger. All these years I've wished the porch was big enough to put a bench so I could sit and watch the kids play in the front. Now that we're planning to sell the house, I finally have the space for a bench.

Mom's Day Out

I helped host a bridal shower Saturday at the Tivoli Inn Tea Room. We had so much fun, and the food was delicious! As I was putting some of the presents back in the box to load in the car, it occurred to me that my old dishes and towels used to be new in a box, too. One day, many years ago, I had a bridal shower and people brought me presents. It's hard to believe now. I think I need another shower - do they do 12-year-wedding-anniversary showers? Probably not.



Shower highlights: The gorgeous paisley bowl and platter (that I may have to give myself for Christmas) and the set of Candlewick dishes from the 50's that the groom's grandmother gave the bride.

The Chore Chain

chore chain (n.) - A series of household duties that must be accomplished in a certain order or they cannot be completed at all. Ex. Mary wants to clean the fish bowl, which takes five minutes, but first she must move the dirt dishes out of the kitchen sink, and in order to do that she must take the clean dishes out of the dishwasher and put them away, thereby extending the fish bowl chore from 5 minutes to 45.

Only women understand the chore chain dilemma. Men just see the dirty fish bowl and wonder why it hasn't been cleaned when it only takes five minutes.

The Gift of Giving

We've decided to make our family Christmas celebrations more about the true miracle of God's ultimate gift to us - Jesus Christ - and less about Santa. Easier said than done. This was my conversation with Mason during his bath tonight.

Mom: Santa is a fun story, but do you know the real reason we celebrate Christmas?

Mason: Jesus.

Mom: That's right! God gave us the best gift we'll ever receive when he came to earth as a baby so that we can live in Heaven with him forever someday. That's what really makes Christmas special.

Mason: So who gives us presents?

Mom: People who love you give you presents because it's fun to think of what someone might like and give it to them. Maybe you could think of something to give someone this Christmas to make them happy.

Mason: I could get myself a new electric train.

Mom: But that wouldn't be a gift. You have to give something to someone else for it to be a gift.

Mason: Well then, I could give my old electric train to someone and then get myself a new one.

We'll try again next Christmas.

Okie Thanksgiving

Thankful

I'm thankful for the family that God has given me - we're having such a good time in Norman with Mimi and Grandpa Trent. We spent Thanksgiving Day in Guthrie at Uncle Rocky's new house and then came here to await the much-anticipated OU-OSU game. Jas, his dad, and his brother fully plan to freeze their tail off at the stadium today. I plan to watch it on TV.

Yesterday I was lying down with Carter for a little nap, and Mason decided to join us. I was surrounded in a full-size bed by 2 warm little bodies and 3 fuzzy bears (Big Bear, Little Bear, and Boo). Mason and his bear friends didn't stay long, but it was cozy while it lasted!

'Tis the Season...

...for a bad case of the "I wants." The kids are bombarded with one toy commercial after another. Even Carter points and says "I'nt dat!" (I want that) Of course, the last thing he said that about was a 'Learn to be a Princess' DVD and dance mat.

...for the temptation to spend too much money. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm done Christmas shopping.

...for extra trash in the ol' land fills. To find fun ways to reduce and reuse things for the holidays, check out Family Fun magazine's December issue. They have a "Green Holiday" section with great crafts and giftwrap ideas using things you would normally throw away. My favorite is the gingerbread folk made from brown grocery bags. I also like the aluminum ornaments made from disposable pie tins (after the pie is gone, of course).

Christmas Parade

We went to the Jenks Christmas parade with Christina and Joe this morning. We had on sweaters because I wasn't sure about the weather, but it had to have been 70 degrees out there at 9:30 a.m... in November. Also, I made it to Target last night to buy the rest of Mason and Carter's Christmas presents. All done. Yeah!!

Carefully Choreographed Fits

At almost 21 months, Carter is all about taking other kids' toys, hitting them or spitting at them when he doesn't get his way, and - my favorite - throwing dramatic fits. He lets out a loud wail and then looks around to make sure there's nothing behind him before he throws himself down, lowering his head more slowly to avoid hitting it on the hard floor. He learned that lesson the hard way. Then he makes a pitiful, over-exaggerated frowny face and 'cries' a tearless, complaining cry, looking at us off and on to make sure we're looking. I have to get it on video because it's very creative, and (hopefully) won't last forever.

I'm trying to shop smarter and earlier for Christmas this year. I'd love to do it all online, but the shipping charges are a killer. I did order Mason's space shuttle tent and a personalized book for Carter from lillyskids.com, but I think I'm going to have to drive to Target to pick up the Pirate corsair with skull hideout and the Diego animal rescue station. I hate to pay another $15 shipping charge when I could get in the car and go buy them at the store. I should have gone yesterday or the day before - Friday night on 71st street, especially in November and December, is a traffic nightmare. After I buy 2 or 3 family gifts, I think I'm done. We simplified both the Trent and Hanna family Christmases this year to avoid having to buy tons of little gifts, so I might be finished Christmas shopping before December even gets here! There's a first time for everything.

You have to be super sleepy...

...to fall asleep on the wood floor with the nebulizer running and Stuart Little turned up extra loud to compensate for the nebulizer.

Mason is at school today. He still coughs some, but it's a lot better. I wrote a long, rambling note to his teacher explaining his current health situation and asking her (without sounding too pathetic) to please call me if he gets worse. My anxiousness is payback for every time I rolled my eyes at the notes of worried, overprotective parents when I was a teacher. I've turned into one of them. Oh well...at least I'm not the parent who defends their child in the face of obvious guilt (yet :-).

p.s. I did spell check on this post, and got 'Belize' as a suggestion to replace nebulizer ??

Holiday Mood

Okay, it's far enough into November that I can let myself get excited about the holidays (even though we have the AC on today because it's a humid 75 degrees outside). I'm posting pictures of the table I decorated for the Ladies Gala because it helps set a Thanksgiving mood. If I didn't have small children around 24/7, I would set my own table this way and leave it until December. Someday I'm going to be fancy - when Carter quits dragging the hairdryer into the kitchen every day and bouncing my decorative pumpkin like a basketball.

Mason is staying home from school today because his asthma is still making him cough almost constantly. I took him to the children's urgent care center on Saturday because he had a fever and was coughing nonstop, even with breathing treatments all day long. They gave him a liquid steroid to take, in addition to the inhaled cortisteroid that he takes every day with his nebulizer, but it doesn't seem to be helping. He takes it for three more days, so hopefully it will help at some point this week.

It's a Cousin! (Boy)

Baby Asher came today around noon - just in time for lunch - 8lbs7oz and 19 inches. I've been so excited that my boys will have a cousin, but it just occurred to me that I'm an aunt! I've never been an aunt. I'll have to decide if I want to be 'Ahhnt Angela' or 'Ant Angela.' The picture is Asher with his Mimi (and Mason and Carter's Mimi).

The picture of Mason is a snapshot of our lives this week - the poor kid has had one breathing treatment after another. We visited Dr. Baker today, and he decided we need to run, not walk, to the pediatric allergy clinic. He's been telling me to check into it for about a year, but he was more proactive today. He called the clinic for me.

Super Toys

I get frustrated with toy stores and toy sections of department stores because the toys are all the same - Fisher Price and Hasbro mass productions. The specialty toy stores are neat, but overpriced. So I was thrilled today when I found the coolest toy catalog ever in my mailbox. Lilly's Kids. Never heard of it, but I'll be ordering all of Mason's Christmas gifts from them. There were some unique things I won't be ordering, too - like the plastic ice skating rink for your backyard - a snow painting kit - a blowup toboggan. How cool is that?!?! I will be ordering the bed tent and at least one of the 'space' theme toys. I can't wait!

Okay, I just looked at lillyskids.com and I'm even more excited! It's a division of Lillian Vernon - which explains the low prices. They have even more awesome Christmas gifts on the website - like the space shuttle bed tent in the picture. I was just going to get the sports one, but Mason will flip when he sees the space shuttle. I wonder if I can sneak in his room Christmas Eve and get it on his bed while he's sleeping so he wakes up in it. Christmas morning. He would LOVE that!!

Carter Einstein

Since we got satellite a few weeks ago, Carter is off the Barney kick and now loves Little Einsteins and Deigo. He calls them "Tines" and "Gego Go." He does everything the little cartoon characters (with very big heads) tell him to do. He pat, pat, pats to give Rocket more power. He raises his hands as high as he can and says "Bapof!!" I think he has Rocket's blastoff confused with the space shuttle launch that Mason watches over and over because he tries to do a countdown before he says blastoff. "Ten, fi, to...BAPOF!!" It's very cute. I would post a video clip, but he clams up and refuses to perform when I get out the camera. Smart kid! (He looks JUST LIKE his dad in the first pic.)

The Pursuit of Healthyness

As flu season approaches, I've been looking for ways to boost our immune systems - alternatives to the flu shot. I'm just not convinced that the shot is effective. And it has well- documented potential dangers. Besides, everyone I know who gets the silly thing gets really sick - more than just the 'mild flu symptoms' the doctors warn about. SO we're taking cod liver oil. It's a little fishy...and, well, oily...but it's not bad. Mason and I take it every day in a shot of orange juice. Carter gets it every few days, although he's not exactly a willing participant. We're also taking vitamin C, and my cousin Sonii - my natural health consultant - recommends a probiotic. I haven't looked for that yet.

Carter has had a fever since last night. No other symptoms. Maybe I should have given him more cod liver oil. He seemed better when he went to bed. We'll see if he needs Tylenol at midnight and 4:30 like last night. Fun times for mom!

Learning More Every Day

Kindergarten is an amazing year! Mason is growing up and learning so much so fast that I find myself wanting to slow down the little clock inside of him that keeps speeding up. He can sound out words and recognize a good amount of site words. He couldn't do that a few weeks ago! His little knowledge bank fills up more every day. Of course, he thinks it's full - much more full than mine, anyway.

We had a fun Halloween/Fall Festival experience last night. Mason and I worked the "Fishing Pond" at church and then came home to Trick-or-Treat with Carter, Wanda, and Sadie (the peacock wienie dog). Mason's 'Dash' costume was too big (because I didn't know costumes had sizes - go figure) but he didn't seem to notice. He wanted to wear the Thomas the Train costume 2 years in a row, so maybe he'll want to be Dash another year or 2.

The 57 Days of Christmas

I was driving down Main Street Jenks today, and what did I see? Christmas wreaths on the lamp posts and little green trees. I thought it was still October, but I must be wrong because Kohl's and Walmart have Christmas displays up, too. I haven't even found Carter a Halloween costume yet. Maybe if I wait til tomorrow they'll be half off - or less!

New Beginnings

We had our first family "Awana" meeting tonight on our living room rug, and it was a HUGE success. Awana is the program our church has for kids on Sunday nights, and it's a great Bible study and memorization program. It is, however, 2 full hours and Mason hates it - despite the activities, games, and snacks. He's a homebody and already hates the fact that he has to be at school all day on weekdays. Add children's choir, Sunday School, and Awana to the away-from-home time, and you get a miserable Mason. So we decided to get the Awana books and do it at our house as a family. Mason was thrilled about the idea from the first mention, and he designated himself "project teacher." He even put on a polo shirt for the occasion. After our lesson, Mason gave us our project (coloring sheets) to work on, and then we played Candy Land (for lack of a Biblical-theme game). It was fun!

Mason is also learning how to play the piano - sort of. He started playing the piano at Mimi's house a few weeks ago and quickly picked up Twinkle Twinkle and Mary had a Little Lamb. So Gigi bought him the John W. Schaum first piano book and started giving him "lessons" on his little keyboard. Between Mason's piano skills and Carter's singing talent (ABC song 24/7 - still) we should have a family show in Branson soon!

$65 Worth of Motivation

I don't know how many times we've said that we need to replace the extra house key that we keep hidden in the garage for emergencies. It disappeared a long time ago, leaving us with just one house key on Jas's car keyring. We always go through the garage to get in the house, so we never need a house key. It just wasn't a priority to replace the spare. Until last night. We (actually Jas, but I won't nitpick) locked the door from the garage to the house and then locked the front door on our way out to go eat dinner. We returned from a nice dinner (nice except for the screaming toddler who hates his car seat and restaurant highchairs) to find ourselves locked out of the house on a Saturday night. Just so you know, there is only one locksmith working on Saturday night, and it's a ripoff business called "Liberty Lock" - a call center out of NYC who contracts locksmiths in Tulsa and other cities to come to your house and charge $65 for 30 seconds of work. There's actually a BBB ripoff alert for this group, but what do you do when no one else can come? Long story short, I got 5 new house keys today and placed them strategically to avoid a visit from Liberty again.

"Life without God is no life at all..."

My heart is heavy today because I feel the evil in this world. It's easy to ignore it most of the time, but there are moments when I feel sad that so many people believe Satan's lies and end up choosing a hopeless life without God. I received an email warning about the new Narnia knockoff movie starring Nicole Kidman, and then I watched the trailer. Based on a book by atheist Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass is one book of a trilogy that Pullman wrote to combat the Christian evangelism of the Narnia series. The most disturbing aspect of the website was the section that allows visitors - mostly kids, I'm guessing - to find their own 'daemon.' Everyone in the story has an animal demon that is a part of them. Satan is SO unoriginal - animal spirit mysticism has been a part of secular cultures on every continent in every century. But it's not this particular book or movie that upsets me so much - it's the general misunderstanding of God's love. I've recently had a deep conversation about atheism/God/evolution/etc. with a loved one, so I've thought a lot about what I believe and why. God's love is so real to me, and I see His hand in my life so clearly that it's hard for me to understand how people hate Him or don't believe in Him. There are things about Him I can't wrap my mind around/don't understand/wish I knew. But every time I get frustrated by these things, He sends me a clear message and peace in my heart that His love is sufficient for me if I'll just trust Him. I guess there are people who can't bring themselves to release their questions and fears without concrete proof of something. But this is what I don't understand: Humans are not solely concrete beings - this world is not solely a concrete world - so WHY, WHY, WHY are we expecting concrete proof to explain the meaning/origin of life? Do you really think that finding water on Mars - even the Holy Grail, an amoeba on Mars - will explain how and why we are here? Science has a history of bringing us answers that only open up Pandora's box of more questions. Don't get me wrong, as the mother of a heart patient, I'm thankful for science - particularly medical science. But how many "scientific breakthroughs" are cancelled out later when scientists realize that information was completely wrong? A lot! That's because science is fallible - it relies on human interpretaion and understanding, afterall. Yet Satan is able to lure so many people away from God with the "hope" of future scientific discovery - like the proverbial dangling carrot. Here is what I know for sure: People who have given their lives to and placed their faith in the Almighty God have a peace and a hope that shows in thier eyes, in their words, and in their lives. We are all works in progress - not perfect - not to be relied on as an "example." But we know who we are and where we are going. People who deny God have a demeanor of discontent, even hate many times, that belies their anger and their deep fears of what is to come. After all, as my good friend KJ said, life without God is no life at all. Amen, sister. Amen.

Motherhood is...

...a constant process of putting things back where they belong.

...trying to explain to a toddler why he can't eat Bisquick out of the box when there's a picture of pancakes on the front.

...getting the kids all dressed in the morning, but forgetting to put on makeup until you catch a glimpse of yourself in the rear view mirror.

...realizing that your own mother wasn't as crazy as you thought she was - she was just going through motherhood.

...the fine line between bliss and insanity.

...taking enormous pleasure in the rare event of going to the store alone.

...holding onto the precious moments while looking forward to the freedom to come in about 18 years.

...figuring out that you knew much more about raising kids before you actually had any.

I don't know why I keep thinking of these "motherhood is" phrases. They just keep popping into my head, and I thought I'd blog them - very 21st century of me, I think. The Bisquick one was inspired by my trip to "big" store with both kids earlier this evening. I could actually write a whole book of phrases about store trips alone. I may have to make a t-shirt out of the "bliss and insanity" one to sell on my CafePress store. I'll get right on that.

The Funeral

I don't usually feel ridiculous for crying at a funeral, but this is just silly. I found myself crying while watching John Black's funeral on Days of our Lives. Especially dumb since this isn't the first time he's died. He's never had an actual funeral, though, so I'm guessing the actor is really leaving this time. He was never my favorite actor on the show - too over-dramatic (even for a soap opera). I'm getting up to do dishes before I totally lose touch with reality and feel the urge to send Marlena a sympathy card.

Baby Shower

It's getting very close to the arrival of Mason and Carter's little baby cousin, Asher. We all went to his shower in Norman this weekend and had a great time! We scored tears from Uncle Scooter with the embroidered '5' (his high school soccer number) on the baby shirt designed to look like a jersey. Mason's favorite activity was making art with the paint 'swirler' that Aunt Betsy bought him. Of course, now he thinks we're going to play with it every day at home - he's in for a disappointment. Mom doesn't do paint.

Pictures: Artists Mason and Betsy; Carter's mascara art on his face (anyone need makeup tips?); Mason's super-handsome kindergarten picture

I Won!

I got a letter in the mail today telling me that I have finally won one of the many contests that I enter online. I see a contest, I feel obligated to enter - and end up with thousands of junk e-mails in return. But today all my efforts have paid off. I entered a Disney "Storybook Vacation" sweepstakes - you choose your dream Disney vacation and enter to win it. I was on the verge of getting excited enough to call everyone I know when I read that my entry had been chosen in a random drawing for the first prize. But then I read on. The free vacation must have been the grand prize, because first prize was a free Disney ringtone download. Just what I need - 'When You Wish Upon a Star' on my cell phone. And even that prize isn't available anymore. So my "fun replacement" prize is a Lilo and Stitch game download - "of greater value," according to the letter. It seems to me that both a ringtone download and a game download are of equal value - neither of them costs Disney a dime. But nobody asked me. Thanks, Disney!

Mason came home today with his brown paper lunch sack in his backpack - again. He won't throw it away at school. Apparently, there is a lunch attendant that goes to battle with him every day to get him to throw it in the trash. I'm guessing Mason wins because he always makes it home with the sack. I'm so proud!

My Web Favorites

• Bible.com - Easiest search engine to find that one verse you can't quite remember


• familyfun.com - TONS of fabulous ideas for every aspect of life with kids


• realsimple.com - Greatest magazine on earth has every article online one month after publication...organizing tips + decorating ideas + recipes = invaluable resource


• allrecipes.com - LOVE the ingredient search for when I need to use up some random ingredient in the fridge; also love the ratings and comments by people who have already made the recipe


• 30daygourmet.com - Not the best web setup, but the recipes are freezer-friendly so I can make 2 meals at once and save one for a lazy-day-dinner
  
• froogle.com - I never make a big purchase without checking this site to compare prices. You can find the same item at 10 different stores with 10 different prices.


• citywrites.com - Unique, hand-written and drawn cards by my talented, entreprenurial friend, KJ


• leportraits.com - Another entreprenurial friend who turned her photography talent into a business


• cafepress.com/LittleLinguist - My small Cafe Press store selling t-shirts, bags, etc. with my foreign language designs (mostly French)


• cafepress.com/newlittleone - My friend Emily's huge Cafe Press store with all kinds of designs for weddings, kids, maternity, friends, sisters, etc. She is the Cafe Press master!


• smilebox.com - My favorite e-card site with slideshow style cards for every occasion. It's super easy to add photos, video clips, and music to really cute pre-made backgrounds.

I Love My DVR

I'm getting closer to joining the 21st century - I still don't have an MP3 player, but I DO have a DVR and I LOVE it! I've recorded hours and hours of Dora, Curious George, and their other cartoon friends. Not that I let my kids watch hours of TV every day, but there are many times, especially weekends, when they want to watch something and nothing is on. DVR to the rescue! Okay, so I also record Days of Our Lives so I can watch it during nap time. And Mason reminds me every day that I need to record the space shuttle launch later this month. He'll watch that a thousand times!

I read Karen Kingsbury's A Thousand Tomorrows in one day yesterday. It wasn't her best work, but it was short, and I had to find out what happened to poor Ali, the barrel racer with cystic fibrosis. I started reading the other book I checked out but quickly realized that I had already read it. I really want to read the newest book by my all time favorite author, Maeve Binchy, but I'll have to buy that one if I want it anytime soon.

I Love the Library

Mason and I visited the library this weekend without any other kids - it's a whole different experience without toddlers. Our favorite library has a whole room just for kids with kids' restrooms, water fountain, kid-size computer equipment, and a really cool story time room that looks like a jungle with a volcano to climb on after the story is over. I've always loved libraries, but this one takes the excitement of reading to a whole new level. And it's free!! Mason checked out some books about space (although one was in Spanish, and we didn't notice until we got home), and I checked out some level-one reading books for him as well as a couple of Karen Kingsbury books for myself. I haven't read a book in a few months because I keep telling myself that I should be working on finishing writing my own book(s) before I spend my time reading. But every night before I go to bed, I wish I had a good book to read. Oh yeah, Mason also checked out 2 DVDs - The Big Train Trip, which he's checked out a hundred times, and Toy Story.

Haircut Fun

I took the boys to our friend Tabi's house to get their hair cut this afternoon. I put it off as long as possible because neither one of them are great haircut customers. Sure enough, Mason actually screamed at the top of his lungs almost the whole time. At one point, he yelled, "She's cutting off my ear!!" That kid has the wildest, weirdest imagination. I hope he can learn to chill out someday because right now he freaks out about everything. Fun for me! Their haircuts look really cute, though, and Carter didn't cry this time. So it all worked out. After that we went to the park with Emily, Destiny, and Kaylee. Mason was thrilled that we got to go in the "woods." It was actually a frisbee golf course in a patch of trees, but whatever.

Mason is learning so much so fast. He knows enough letter sounds and enough about space that he read his solar system poster to me last night. He had to sound out a few of the planet names, but he got them all pretty quickly. He's learning math concepts pretty well, too. He tells me he's a "very good student." I just hope and pray he continues to think of himself as a good student and a lifelong learner. After 10 years of teaching 6th grade, I know that kids' opinion of their own abilities often changes after a few years of school. I hope I'm a good enough teacher to keep that from happening to my own child!

Tuesday, Tuesday

I just went outside to secure the bicycle and little car (big storms outside), and I found a HUGE spider right by the front door. I'll let Jas take care of that when he comes home :-).

I watched part of The Singing Bee tonight, and....well...is that seriously a real show? What an incredibly stupid game show concept. I actually turned on the TV to watch The Biggest Loser, thinking it might motivate me in my own weight loss pursuit. It's not working, though. I have gotten a pretty good workout the past two days. Of course, I've eaten too much junk food the past two days, too. One step forward...

Fair Day

Mason, Carter, and I are watching High School Musical. I have to get Carter's dancing on video - great blackmail material when he's a teenager.

We all went to the fair today with our very kind, patient friend, Wanda. Anyone lacking those qualities wouldn't be able to stand a day at the fair with the craziness we bring along. Anyway, the highlights : the Sky Ride (twice); the farm simulation game where Mason got to perform farm tasks, earn money, and shop at the general store; the birthing center where we saw baby chicks, lambs, and piglets. After an exhausting day, $5 for lemonade, $8 for entry, and $3 per ride, Mason was full of gratitude and sweet expressions of thanks to his parents for the wonderful day - NOT. Typical kid - he griped and complained all the way to the car about all the things he didn't get to do. I'm sure he'll be much more kind and grateful when he's 12 or 13. HA!

Alien Invasion

Mason and I got a huge kick out of the tiny little spaceman that appeared in his bedroom this evening. The funniest part was when he ran away from us, squealing.

The state fair started yesterday. We usually try to go for at least an hour or two - even though the masses of people, eating everything-under-the-sun-on-a-stick, get on our nerves pretty quickly. Ya' gotta' love the fair!

Growing Up Too Fast

Mason explained friction to me today. He said that it was what the space shuttle had when it reentered the Earth's atmosphere. Then he simplified the explanation, for non-rocket-scientists like myself, with a more concrete example of rubbing your hands together.

Carter has started sleeping in a big boy bed this week - the other twin bed in Mason's room. He loves it! When he was sleeping in his crib, he was waking up about 1:00 a.m., crying for me to bring him to bed with me. Now that he's sharing a room with Mason, he stays put until time to get up (or almost time to get up). He still sleeps in his crib for nap time, but at night he thinks he's big stuff getting to sleep where the big kids sleep. When it's time for our nighttime prayer, he gets his "boo" and crawls up in his new bed. For now, I lie down with him until he falls asleep. But I plan to phase that out over the next few months. We're also slowly reducing his pacifier time. I try to only let him have one at bedtime.

Snack Time

I found a recipe for munch mix on one of my favorite websites, familyfun.com , and changed it some to make a delicious, healthy snack. Unfortunately, I like it more than the kids do, but still...

Mix: Air-popped popcorn, cinnamon/sugar, banana chips, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips (it calls for roasted peanuts, and those would be great, too). Shake well in a Ziploc bag and enjoy!

I feel like I've been really productive lately, trying to stay on top of things. But there is always so much more to do than I can get to. Keeping up with the kitchen, alone, is a full-time job. As soon as I clean it, it's time to mess it up again with another meal. And don't get me started on the laundry. It seems like all of these things get in the way of what I really want to do.

I'm trying to fit in time to write articles - I wrote one today to submit to a Christian women's magazine. Pastor Steven preached a message Sunday that, once again, spoke directly to my heart - words from God to me. It was about God giving us a bigger calling than we could ever dream of or fulfill on our own. He pointed out that because God's word is a 'lamp unto our path' it just illuminates one step at a time. You have to have the faith to take that step before He reveals the next one. I'm sure that message had a personal meaning to everyone listening, but it told me I need to be writing and submitting my work for publication - so my life can glorify HIM, which is why I'm here in the first place. Now if God could just help me figure out how to focus on writing with a bunch of kids around - like the one who is holding out a box of crackers to me right now, begging me to open it. Snack time - again.

Funny Photo Shoot

Click the picture to enlarge. Mason's favorite is the bottom center.

Kelvin vs. Celsius

What's my 5-year-old watching on Saturday morning? Power Rangers? Mickey Mouse Clubhouse? Cartoons of any kind? No to all. He's watching a documentary on his favorite channel - the NASA channel. I'm not sure what it's about exactly, but they spent about 5 minutes explaining the Kelvin scale as compared to the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales. They lost me at 'Kelvin' - nightmare flashbacks of high school science classes. Mason loves it, though. He won't let me change the channel.

I'm an idiot

I just left the most embarrassing phone message of my entire life - seriously. I got up the motivation and courage to contact the editor of the Tulsa Kids magazine about some articles I submitted in the spring, and then I completely lost my train of thought, my focus, my purpose for calling - you name it I lost it. The highlight was the string of ummm's toward the end when I was trying to remember the names of the articles I sent. Why didn't I listen to the little voice inside that told me to write those down before I called? If she actually calls me back, she's a saint.

Mason's visit was good news/bad news. After an echo cardiogram, EKG, 3 blood tests, a CT scan of his sinuses, and a stool sample (fun for Mom), the good news is that nothing is wrong with him. The bad news is that we still don't know why he might have recurring fevers. Those docs sure charge a lot to tell you they can't help you, don't they? At least we know Mason doesn't have some terrible illness - that's a blessing!

I Tiss You!

I love the one-and-a-half age. Even though the little boogers are into everything and can throw one heck of a hissy fit, they're hilarious when they discover their ability to make other people laugh. Carter says, "Wook, Mama, wook!" When I 'wook' at him and he has my attention, he makes a silly little face or does a goofy dance. Then he looks back at me to make sure I'm laughing. His favorite phrase is, "I tiss you," which is followed by a wet, slobbery baby kiss. He's a love!

Mason can be funny, too, but we're used to his antics now that he's 5. He's not going to be a professional comedian, though - he's more likely to be a rocket scientist. He LOVES space. Once again, he does not get that from his mother. We've had the NASA channel for about a week, and he would much rather watch that - even the incredibly boring press conferences - than the goofy kids shows that are on (except Sponge Bob, and he only wants to watch that because he's not allowed to). He wants to get out his telescope every night - thankfully it's too cloudy some nights, because Mom is bored to tears with the whole astronomy scene.

Just one day at a spa - please!!

Okay, so I actually took the time to get ready one day this week - make up, hair, pretty cute outfit - fairly rare occurrence for me these days. I didn't end up leaving the house or seeing any other adults all day. A few days later I didn't have the time to do more than brush my hair and throw on a tacky t-shirt and shorts (as usual). I ended up having to leave in a hurry late in the day and didn't even pay attention to what I looked like. Naturally, I found myself in one place after another where everyone else had obviously spent more than 5 minutes on their morning routine. The icing on the cake was running into an old acquaintance from OBU who recognized me at Chic-Fil-A. If it wasn't bad enough that he and his wife were impeccably dressed, he approached me just after I took the most enormous bite I have ever taken of a chicken sandwich and I couldn't even respond for what seemed like an eternity. Nice. It wasn't until they left (I did manage to swallow and have a decent conversation) that I realized my kids looked a little like street urchins with their unkempt hair and dirty faces. Murphy's law? Lesson in humility? I'm still trying to decide.

Appointment to have a CT scan on Mason's sinuses this Wednesday. The nurse said there "probably" wouldn't be needles involved. Great.

Pediatric Specialist # 6

Mason and I visited Dr. Sharma's office today - the infectious disease specialist - to try to get to the bottom of his mysterious come-n-go fevers. The pediatrician and cardiologist ruled out the conditions they could test for, so Dr. Sharma was the next step in the journey. He really thinks the root cause is a chronic sinus infection that is going to take more than just a 10 day round of Augmentin to clear. He ordered more blood tests (Mason wasn't thrilled about that, but didn't try to run out the door like last time) and a CT scan of his sinuses. We got the blood work over with today and are waiting for the CT people to call for an appointment. We'll meet with Dr. Sharma again next Thursday, and he fully expects to turn us over to an ear, nose, throat doctor. If I'm counting correctly, that will be the 6th kind of pediatric specialist Mason has seen - but I may be forgetting one or two. There was the baby hernia surgeon when he was 5 months, the eye specialist when he was 18 months and we thought he was cross-eyed (turns out he developed the eye-crossing-for-humor skill early), the cardiologist and pulmonologist we worked with when he was in the PICU, and Dr. Sharma (who also saw him at the hospital, but doesn't remember). Thank goodness we have good health insurance and specialist visits are only $40! The pulmonologist sent us a bill before he had our insurance information, and it was $800 for about an hour, maybe 2, on Mason's case. I SOO should have been a doctor (except that I hate hospitals, blood, biology, and pretty much everything else medical).

Day of Firsts

Carter tried salsa for the first time yesterday - he liked it, but not as much as his brother liked it the first time he tried it. We'll see if he turns out to be as big of a chips and salsa fan as Mason someday.

Mason got back on his bike yesterday for the first time in about a year. He got it for his 4th birthday, fell of of it in the first 5 minutes and refused to ride it again. After supper last night, when I suggested we try his bike again, he agreed grudgingly. "This is a terrible day. I had to go to school, I had to get a breathing treatment, and now I have to ride my bike." I pray those kind of terrible days are the worst ones he ever has! Once we got our neighbor friends, the Ranfords, to help us air up the tires, Mason figured out that his bike is much easier to maneuver now that he's taller. He loved it and begged to ride longer when it was time to go inside.

OU Fever

We traveled to Norman for the 2nd OU game this weekend (a win, thank goodness) and to see Mimi and Grandpa Trent and the gang. We had a great time, but Mason had a fever again most of the weekend. It looks like we're going to have to see Dr. Sharma - the infectious disease specialist (very nice man, but hard to understand his Indian accent). Jas and I scoured the internet for info on possible conditions that could cause recurring fevers. We basically scared ourselves to death (with the mention of leukemia, hodgkins, and such) and decided to let a professional handle the diagnosis. It's times like this that I wonder how on earth people face the trials of life without God and the support of a loving church. Even through tears of worry, I still have a calm peace that everything will be okay. God loves Mason more than I ever could, and His plans for that precious little boy are bigger and better than I'll ever be able to imagine.

Pictures: Carter's 18 month pic; Mason sleeping by his electric train (when I turned it off, he looked up and said, "Hey, I'm still playing with that!")

Thursday Thoughts

Laugh of the Day: The guy in the truck in front of me today who used the red light stop time to brush his hair back with big, sweeping motions and then spray it all over with a heavy layer of aerosol hairspray. When I caught a sight of his 80's mustache in his side mirror, I laughed hysterically. Luckily only kids were in the car with me, and they just joined in the laughter without question.

sidenote: notice the orange, brown, and blue theme of the outfits in the family pic below - NOT planned, I promise

Labor Day Weekend

Thank goodness for long weekends - I finally got a desperately needed nap (or 2). Mom and Dad came with David and Jennie, who we hadn't seen since Christmas. We had a great time! Mason was thrilled to be reunited with his precious electric train (that usually lives at Gigi and Grandad's house because Mom isn't fond of it). The visit to the aquarium was a big hit, too - especially the sharks that swim over your head. Carter was glued to Grandad's side - he had a grand time showing off for everyone. He also made eating out a little difficult. Time to start the 'toddler quarantine' - the year when we stay away from restaurants for the sake of everyone involved. We even managed to convince Gigi and Grandad to babysit so we could take in a movie with David and Jennie - The Bourne Ultimatum. I like the Bourne series, and this one was a good one. I should have taken Dramamine before watching it, though - very shaky camera work. Definitely the best weekend we've had in a long time!

Random Thoughts

Mason finally attended a full week of school (except Tuesday morning when we were at the cardiologist). He was telling me all about nocturnal animals one day when he came home. They read a story about raccoons in class. He never comments on the fiction stories, but he LOVES nonfiction. Definitely doesn't take after his mom.

Shopping at Old Time Pottery was funny tonight. Mason didn't mind shopping at Ross because they had toys, and he got a new Cars nightlight. But the pottery warehouse was too much for him. I was looking for plates to use at the table I'm hosting for the ladies' ministry 'gala,' and Mason picked the square white plates right away. The more I looked, the more he insisted the square, white plates were the best ones. He finally said, "Just pick a plate and let's go."

I kept an 11 month old baby today, and Carter was SO jealous. They actually played well together most of the time, but they got tired and cranky at the same time. When I tried to rock the baby to sleep in Carter's rocker in his room, he rounded the corner and got the funniest little betrayed look on his face. He looked like a husband who just discovered another man's truck in the driveway (to use a country song example). He's also developed a high-pitched, ear-piercing squeal that he uses when he's mad. It's a miracle anyone got a nap today!

Silly Boys

This is Carter's new favorite song to go around singing 24/7 - the alphabet song in baby language. He still throws in 'eieio' every now and then, but he doesn't sing Old McDonald nearly as much as ABC.

Mason and I have a new inside joke today. It goes like this:

Person 1: I spy something white

Person 2: Is it the trash can?

Person 1: Yes.

Repeat over and over and laugh hysterically. Not funny? Well, that's why it's called an inside joke. We were playing 'I spy' at the cardiologist's office today while we waited forever, and we ran out of things to spy very quickly. Great report from Dr. K. No answers about why Mason might be having mysterious, recurring fevers, though.

Couch Potato Baby

Carter loves TV. He always has, which is so weird to me because Mason never cared about it at all until he was three or four. Carter would turn his head to see the screen when he was a tiny baby. When he turned one, he started pointing to the characters and talking to them with the cutest little excited voice. Now he's reached a new TV watching step at one and a half. Today he pointed to the TV and pulled my hand to go change the channel. He kept saying one word over and over, and I finally figured out it was 'Barney.' Yes, I've raised a Barney fan. I am NOT, I repeat NOT, having a Barney birthday party or buying him Barney shoes - just for the record. It is kind of cute that he has a favorite TV show, though. I'll have to buy him his own little remote to hold on the couch while he watches Barney and Baby Bop.

He looks so cute at the 'big kid' table with the girls.

Kids!

When Mason got home from school today he asked, "Mom, is today the last day of school?" I tried to break it to him nicely that it's only the 6th day of about 180.

I overheard a mom at the Just Between Friends consignment sale telling her son, "Honey, that's what shopping is. You have to look at everything." I was thankful that Wanda was able to keep my kids at home for the sale, or I would have been having the same exasperated conversation. Another funny thing about that sale - it comes along twice a year, and I see the same 5 or 6 people at about every other sale. It's people that I used to know pretty well, but haven't seen anywhere else in years. I have to admit there is one I actually avoid when I see her coming. I KNOW it's not nice, but it's the truth!

Happy Day

Happy item #1 - Mason feels much better and is at school today. They haven't called for me to come get him, so I guess that's a good sign.

Happy item #2 - A family friend, Will Bigham, won The Lot reality show contest last night. It was produced by Steven Spielberg, and the winner gets to work with Dreamworks studios on a $1 million production. It couldn't have gone to a more deserving person. Will and his wife moved to Hollywood to pursue their dreams, but were just about tapped out financially. Now that Will is hobnobbing with the big wigs, I'm sure they'll be able to raise their 2 daughters more comfortably. CONGRATULATIONS WILL!

Mason Update

Mason officially crossed over the line of missing more school days than he's attended today. His pediatrician is working with his cardiologist to decide if his symptoms might be heart-related at this point. Every time I think he's turned a corner and is feeling better, he gets another fever or needs another breathing treatment. Poor baby!
Meds he took yesterday:

• Enalapril
• Digoxin
• Xopenex
• Pulmicort
• Augminten
• Claritin
• Singulair
• Tylonol
• Flintstone vitamin (the only one he took without a fight)

Laverne, Shirley, and Me

Any mom will tell you that sleep deprivation goes with the territory for the first few years (it better not last more than a few years). Every time I think I'm going to cry because I'm so tired, I think of the Laverne and Shirley episode when they signed up for a sleep deprivation study to get cash for an expensive party (where they hoped to meet and marry rich doctors, of course). It was so funny to watch when I was a kid, but I thought it was an exaggeration. It wasn't - you really do stupid things and fall asleep spontaneously when you don't get to sleep at night. Carter has actually slept better the past couple of nights, but Mason has made up for that by waking up sick. Breathing treatments at 2:00 a.m., medicine at 4:00, etc. Of course, it doesn't help that I'm a sucker for 'movie night' on weekends that inevitably lasts until at least midnight. Those are the nights the kids wake up the most and let me sleep the least. You'd think I'd learn my lesson. Just for the record, Mason is home from school again today. He's missed as many days as he's attended - but we have a doctor's note, by golly!

The POWER of God's Word

In my 20-something years as a Christian, I've heard a lot of preachers. I've attended little churches, big churches, and enormous, 'super-churches' to hear sermons from all kinds of speakers - some famous, some unknown. Many of them have touched my life and put into English the lessons that God wants me to learn. But the most profound, powerful messages I have ever heard have come from our current pastor, Steven McAbee. Today's message about Christian virtues, Dressing with Distinction, was AWESOME! No one speaks the truth of God better than Steven. This was one of those days when I felt God speaking directly to me to answer some questions I've had and turn around some of my backward thinking. I actually formed a question in my mind while I was putting on Carter's shoes this morning at home, and God answered it directly through the words of our Sunday school teacher, Ben, who also brings a great lesson. Ask, and you shall receive!

Favorite phrase of the day: 'How can we refuse to forgive for so little, when God forgave us for so MUCH?'

Pool Party #2

We had our Sunday school class over for a fellowship at our house tonight. Luckily the rain held off until after everyone left because our backyard holds a ton more people than our house. The kids had a fabulous time splashing in the pool. Well, all the kids except Mason. He's so uptight about being with lots of other kids - especially when they're a little on the wild side. Overall, though, it was a great time!

2nd Day

I didn't get pictures of Mason's first day of school, so I made up for it today - the second day.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is one of those days I will be glad to have behind me. I'm not exactly dreading it - more like anxious about it. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God..." (Thank you KJ for making me memorize Philippians 4:4-14 all those years ago at OBU. I admit I thought you were crazy for pulling me into one of the dorm prayer rooms - that I didn't even know existed - and telling me that we were going to memorize 10 verses. That passage has come in handy a hundred times since then!)

Mason is starting kindergarten tomorrow morning. He was really excited about it earlier in the summer, and I thought it would be a breeze. Oh yeah, this is MY life - nothing is that easy! He's started saying he doesn't want to go the past few weeks. He also has had a fever off and on the past few days (Carter, too - fun stuff around here) and didn't feel great at Open House tonight. He LOVED pre-k, and I he has an awesome k teacher. So I know he'll love it once he gets used to it. I'm just ready to get the first day over with.

I also have 5 kids all day tomorrow. Unless Mason stays home with a fever. Then I'll have 6.

Melmo

Fun 'mom' moment yesterday: Mason bought Carter an Elmo stuffed animal at a garage sale in our neighborhood. It was 50 cents, and Carter LOVED it from the moment he saw it. He said "Melmo, Melmo..." over and over, but I wasn't planning to buy it (small house...too much stuff already). Mason really thought Carter needed to have it, though, so he offered to buy it with his money. I should point out that his money has been burning a hole in his pocket for weeks, and he's offered to buy several other things at times. But still, it was sweet!

This morning, on our 'stroller-cise' walk/jog, we passed the house where we bought Elmo. Carter pointed and said "Melmo,Melmo..." I think he might be a genius. (Notice the casual reference to my 7:00 am workout - I decided to quit making excuses and start making changes!)

Turning Over a New Brick Wall

My friend Collyn (best friend since 2nd grade :-) pointed out that turning over a new leaf is a misnomer. A leaf is easy to turn over - habits aren't that easy to break. She called it the 1000 lb new leaf...I changed it to the brick wall. She and I both want to use the beginning of the school year to mark the beginning of better habits - especially in the area of fitness. I read a Fitness magazine cover to cover last night and got some really good ideas. I loved their mix and match meal ideas...just what I need to help me keep with in the recommended amount of calories. I've never really paid attention to portion sizes or calories, and it appears that I'm just taking in too many...plain and simple! I also realized that I'm wasting time waiting for the perfect situation to workout...I can fit in smaller workouts throughout the day - even if I don't have my 'workout clothes' on. Mason and I did a workout with 5 lb weights yesterday while we were watching TV. It was fun, and it let me fit in an opportunity to do ab exercises. Unfortunately, summer heat has finally hit Tulsa, so fitness walking outside isn't realistic most of the day. But I have been walking with the boys to the park in the evenings and trying to run around while I'm there. By the way, I also read Harper's Bazaar last night and learned that my whole wardrobe is "Out." Oh well...I guess it's a good thing I live in Oklahoma!

Wednesday's Thoughts

As I was picking up a few toys off the floor, Mason looked very confused and asked, "Why are you cleaning up? Is someone coming over?" Not sure what that says about my housekeeping in general, but...

Mason starts Kindergarten one week from today. I'm so excited because he's getting bored at home and driving both of us crazy. I'm also a little teary, though. It sound cliche to say 'It seems like yesterday..." but it really doesn't seem possible that 5 years have gone by since he was a little bundle in a blanket at the hospital. Sniff, sniff...

WWSPD Update

Skinny people habits I will not be adopting:
- Waking up at 4:30 am to workout
- Running 10 miles a day/training for marathons
- Running any amount of miles - I hate running
- Eating Grape Nuts and peanut butter for dinner (luv ya' Christina :-)

Skinny people habits I can handle:
- Drinking tons of water
- Avoiding pop - to quote a popular diet book "Soda is liquid Satan"
- Avoiding snacks - this one is hard when you stay home with kids
- Eating smaller portions
- Eating leaner foods with fewer calories
- Working out - I love working out, but it's still hard to do with the kids and the budget restrictions we have right now. This one will be the hardest step to conquer until I have the money to join a gym with childcare, or until Jas get a job that allows him to be home before bedtime.

Note to Becky: I DID stick with WWSPD last night at Arby's. I ate the kid's meal turkey on whole grain sandwich.

Certified Bargain Shopper

It's official - I'm a penny pincher. Just one more example of how I've turned into my mother, although I take penny pinching to heights she never dreamed of. I spent this morning at my favorite consignment shop where I dropped of a load of baby clothes and picked up a load of kindergarten clothes. Gap cargo pants, adjustable waist, perfect condition for $5. Calvin Klein t-shirt for $2. Need I say more? Now I have to prepare the remaining baby clothes and items to sell at the Just Between Friends sale in a couple of weeks - how do people live without the JBF sale? I've bought entire maternity wardrobes and baby layettes at the sale, and then sold them right back again the next year - free clothes! (almost) My other money-saving pursuit involves my new favorite grocery store - Aldi. After years of shopping at the gigantor Wal-mart stores, I have seen the light and started buying most of my groceries at the little 4-aisle store where you 'rent' a cart for a quarter and bring your own bags (also very 'green' for the environmentalist in me). I'd ride the bus to get there, but somehow I can't imagine how I could wrestle Carter, Mason, and bags of groceries on a bus.

Updates:
1. I FOUND MY RING - Actually my mom found it under the couch, right next to the remote control that had been missing for a week.
2. The WWSPD diet only works if you actually eat like skinny people - not just observe their habits. I'll work on that phase tomorrow (after I finish the bag of kettle corn my parents left here)

Binky Quest

My life has become defined by some odd rituals - like the never ending search for binkies that really may drive me crazy before Carter outgrows them. I buy them by the case, and he loses them by the truckload. I either have 5 readily available, or I can't find one to save my life.

I took the boys to the mall last night for the first time in months. I didn't have any money to spend, but the Japanese food place at the food court sounded good (NOT on my WWSPD diet, but I did get steamed rice instead of fried - and a water instead of pop). It was fun, even though Mason was toying with the idea of being a brat when we first got there. We ate and played at the playland, and then topped it off with ice cream at the end. We even ended up with a pair of jeans for Mason - on sale at Children's Place. Side note: the clothes at CP and A&F look like they're the same size - especially the girls' tops. Hmmmmm....

Kid with a Camera

Mason got a Fisher Price digital camera for his birthday. His photo portfolio includes several cars, trees, his favorite neighborhood rabbit, and a montage of me changing Carter's diaper. The one he took of me making cookies (from a package, of course) is a true snapshot of our life from Mason's perspective. I used his camera to snap the pic of him with Gracie - check out her shampoo commercial hair.