A Day In Our Life...

Throwback Thursday

2012-01-26T17:37:00.000-06:00

Hair Accessories were awesome. Yeah. I rocked some fun hair accessories back then. Of course only when my hair was long enough. I had the boy cut. My mom chopped off ALL of my hair like a boy because I would cry when she brushed it. I don't remember crying when she brushed it, but I CERTAINLY remember crying when she cut it off. It was traumatizing and horrible. I was made fun of terribly. It was soooo short. So, her solution was to give me a home perm. Do you remember those. Perms at HOME, by your mother? Ugh. The smell. I remember leaning over my sink with my head down, while so took out those pink and blue (smallest rollers made) perm rollers, and dropped them into the sink below. And the HORROR, when I finally was done and looked in the mirror to see what my 1/2 inch long hair looked like in a tight roll perm. My sister always had this beautiful long blonde hair. It always was done with something "fancy". She had these barretts with ribbons, exactly like the ones pictures. Alternating ribbon colors and if they were *really* fancy, we had beads at the end of the ribbons. Ribbons streamed from the end of the barretts, and were about as long as your hair. My mom made them. I thought they were the coolest things.

Later came the banana clips. I loved those. I always tried to wear them in my hair (when I had enough), but it never worked out the way it was supposed to. My hair was too heavy. So the banana clip would either pop open, or eventually sag to the bottom of my head, and scratch the back of my neck. I don't know what possessed me to want to wear one anyways. You look like a horse with this bunch of hair streaming down your head. Awful.

I was the era of big, hair sprayed, stiff bangs. Teased hair. Sun-in. Perms. Rat tails. Whew. Thank goodness it's over!

Big stuff....

2012-01-19T23:49:00.001-06:00

So my little one made progress today. She rolled from her tummy to her back for the first time. It's pretty exciting considering they said they would not remove her helmet until she accomplished this goal! So yeahhh!

Also, I have a confession. I am the slacker parent who dreads teaching their child to ride their bike without training wheels. Almost as much as I dread teaching them to tie their shoes. Is that awful to admit? It's like I have this fear. Those are BIG ACCOMPLISHMENTS! Those are thing BIG KIDS do. It scares me how quick my children are growing up. So, Elaina still has training wheels on her bike. And she's totally cool with it. I mean we have a lot of falls just on our own two legs, so any extra help..... the weather was gorgeous today. 78* in January!! We were playing outside and Elaina is riding her bike around, and all of a sudden one of her training wheels falls off. (FYI- her DAD put them on) She took a small tumble, and cried a little. I walked over, picked up the wheel and tried to show her she could ride with one training wheel and try to balance a little. She rode some on her one wheel, with the biggest grin. A big girl grin. I am taking in those moments of seeing them conquer new things.

As I scooted them up to bed tonight, and yelled up for them to brush their teeth, and I would tuck them in in a minute, Elaina yells back down, "mom, in case you see I have different underwear, it 'cause I got them from nurse Nancy (school nurse). I didn't know if I had to fart or poop, and it ended up that a poop came out. So she gave me new panties. I forgot my poop underwear there, so maybe you can ask for them back from her tomorrow.". Trying not to laugh uncontrollably, I said "I'm not sure she will save them. I think I'll just let her throw those away."

Man, being a mom is hard work. But, boy do they make me smile!

Love you little milk face

2012-01-17T17:15:00.001-06:00

I love the way your lip is curled. You have milk all over your chin, and you are sleeping so content in my arms. Please don't let me ever forget this feeling.

When Did I lose my "cool"?

2012-01-17T13:47:00.000-06:00

So, this week was kind of a reality check for me. Last Friday the kids came home and in Julia's folder was the date for when they are showing the "video" at school. You know, the health "education" video? (I don't want to type it, for fear of who it would draw to the blog from searches) Anyways, I have not previewed it. I mentioned I might want to go on the day they show it, and she was not okay with that. It was in that instant that I felt I had lost my "cool" factor. She told me it would be awkward. I excused myself up to my room and sulked a little. Racking my brain wondering why she thought it was awkward. I mean, granted, I would be MORTIFIED if my mother did that. But I was COOL, right? She knew I was hurt too, and went to bed that night sulking. I asked her why she was sad, and she said she was sorry, I could come if I wanted to. I declined politely, (though I didn't want to) but told her that regardless of the awkward-ness of it all, her and I were going to have a talk about it, and that there were some things that I needed her to know about it, that the video may not include. That there are things that God says about it, that school does not. Ugh. This is soo happening too soon. When did she become so young lady? I am soo.... OLD.

The next day Connor was playing his iTouch. He is currently playing a game where you hatch dragon eggs, and build a village, harvest plants, etc. He showed it to me, and asked me to play it, so I could "friend" him on the game. So, I did, and frequently throughout the day he would check on my progress, to see how I was doing. Now, normally when Connor talks video game to me, it sounds like this: "Hey, mom! Wah wah wah wah wah Pokemon, wah wah wah wah wah Pikachu, wah wah wah wah." I don't understand a WORD of what he is talking about. I hear the character names, and understand NOTHING. So, here I am playing a game, I understand and my son is totaly excited about it. So, what do I do? I BUY the jewels and food, to get myself further than him. So, that he will THINK I am REALLY COOL. Did it work, yes. For a second. Until he figured out I did it. Then He wanted me to buy him some. But, I know he is still so excited to have me playing with him. And I loves he keeping checking on me. Maybe I'll stay cool to him for just a little bit longer.

Where I came from

2012-01-16T13:49:00.000-06:00

This is where I grew up. The small yellow farmhouse in Minnesota. The house looks the same. This picture was taken August of 2011. The grass maybe a little greener.... That tree was a baby tree when I was younger, with a small corner flower bed around it. It seemed so big when I was little. My memories of it are so vivid. At least so I thought. My bedroom was on the second floor on the left. I shared it with my sister. The playroom was in the middle on the second floor. It was more like a common area in between the bedroom, where we hung out and played. My brothers room was on the back right, second floor. My parents was on the back right first floor. Kitchen on the left first floor, and the family room was in the middle and living room on the right. It had a basement too. Completely unfinished cement basement. Used for storing things, canned goods etc. We had 7 acres in a very small town. Well, it was not in town.... it was down the highway from town. My dad worked in a bakery for a while, and then he worked at a drainage supply company of some sort. Can't remember the name. My mom stayed home for a while, taking care of us and the farm. She drove our school bus once we started going to school and then when we were all in school full day (after kinder) she bought the country store in town. It was a great childhood.

Hello? Are you there?

2012-01-16T00:02:00.001-06:00

So, most years I don't set a resolution for the New Year. Mostly because I don't Wang to disappoint myself. But this year I set several. One of which is this. My blog. I was so faithful about blogging, and then like most everyone, Facebook came along. I updated my life in one sentence instead of the usual blurb accompanied by pictures. I printed my past blog entries in the amazing hardcover book, and put it on the shelf with the rest of my photo albums. (all of which have become digitized as well.) Anyways, I have found over this past year that my kids REALLY enjoy reading my blog book. They will sit on the couch and laugh and reminisce for quite sometime. AND, I love seeing them do that! So, one of my resolutions, is to update my blog! How? Well, each picture I take is dated, so I plan on trying to go backwards one year.... because my computer crashed about a year ago. At the same time I hope to blog forwards. One of each. This is going to be my year of memories! I am happy I can share some of them with you, but most of all, I am happy I am sharing them with my kids! I love you guys!!

Gadgets

2012-01-03T21:36:00.002-06:00

iTouch: the new love in her life

Clean or dirty?

2012-01-02T21:37:00.002-06:00

Yep, I'm THAT mom. Clean child on one side, dirty dishes on the other.

Totally irresistible!

She just LOOKS like she is TRYING to get into trouble!!

New years eve

2012-01-01T21:43:00.001-06:00

We were given some AWESOME tickets to the Spurs game. They played Utah Jazz and won. We were on the floor only 10 rows back. We saw lots of people we knew there. We even got to go back to the "family room" where all of the players kids hang out. Elaina wanted to stay in there and play with her friend Jessie, and Connor wanted to stay in there and eat. He said the food looked GOOOD!

Jessica Kozak and I toasting!

I love this guy with all my heart.

Wow! I still can't believe there are SIX of us!

Karla and I

Julia with her friends, left to right - Kristin, Lindsey, Hallie, and Julia

We toasted as a family after we got home to the new year, and new adventures!

Alamo bowl

2011-12-29T23:14:00.000-06:00

Baylor vs. Washington! What a great game!! Our friends gave us free tickets (and parking-AWESOME) to the Alamo bowl. It is my first bowl game, and we all had sooo much fun! Julia was off with Grandma Judy doing a "ghost tour" downtown for her birthday. It was so fun to be part of such a big game! There were 65,000 loud and crazy fans there!

Silly girls

Half time

Eden's first bowl game!

Family picture outside of the alamo dome with the Tower of Americas in the background.Elaina fell asleep on the way home! Way too late!!

Bart and Cory and Carter Barnett

Riverwalk Christmas lights

2011-12-26T23:15:00.000-06:00

The riverwalk has always been something they painted in pictures with these beautiful lights hanging from the tree. This year they changed it up. Its the 1st year they decorated with led lights, but instead of hanging lights they wrapped the trees. I am not so sure I like it. Its pretty and festive, but I loved the hanging lights. (Excuse the cell phone pictures)

Christmas day

2011-12-25T20:55:00.001-06:00

I can say with confidence that our family had a great Christmas together. I had such a good time just being TOGETHER with our family of 6. We enjoyed spending time with each other, and can say for the most part the kids got along quite well with each other. It was a nice change! Eden started Christmas morning out strong, but tired after playing with the paper of only one present, and tuckered out shorthly after trying to eat the paper.

We always try to get a picture of the kids scrambling down the stairs to see what Santa brought them. Its really quite cruel on our part to make them "wait till I get the camera" but funny too. I know when I am scrambling around, they are just DYING to run down the stairs. I am waiting for the year that one of them trips down the stairs trying to beat the others.

See what I mean? She was OUT!

Julia is 11 now, and all she is interested in is name brand clothes, and gift cards. Abercrombie, Miss Me (not on my wallet) Joe's Jeans, Vera Bradley, anything else over $100.00

Daddy got one of the two pecans that Grandpa Jimmy's pecan tree produced this year. He LOVES pecans, and we gave him a pecan tree two Christmases ago, and it's growing slowly but surely. He has even nursed it through the record drought we had here in Texas this year.

Connor playing his Pokemon gameboy. He is interested in anything electronic, but his big gift requests were Skylanders and Pokemon anything.

Elaina doesn't care what she gets, really. As long as its not Dora, because Dora is for babies. She is over the moon, because she told Santa she wanted a princess radio (and told him how to BUILD it) and a go-go dog, that walks. She got both. And can't stop singing Katy Perry's Fireworks song on her princess kareoke.

I am so blessed by my family.

Hut hut....

2011-12-19T23:06:00.001-06:00

Eden has torticollis. Her muscle on one side of her neck is tight, so she has this tilt to her neck, because of the tightness. I noticed it early on, and brought it up to the pediatrician at her two month appointment and I was brushed off. She was developing a large flat spot on one side of the back of her head (cone head too). She started physical therapy through Easter Seals. We went to STAR Cranial Center, and had a 3D scan of her head done to tell us how crooked her head was. She had a decent "deviation", meaning she was fairly crooked. One month later went back for a second scan to see if it had changed. Her head had grown one centimeter, as do most babied heads this age, but it followed the EXACT SAME path as it was previously, following the crooked path. After deliberating we decided to pay for her to have a helmet, to try to correct the problem. While she remains in physical therapy for her neck, after only two weeks, there is already a significant difference in her head shape from the helmet. They put this cotton sock like thing over her head to get a more accurate depiction of her head shape. They lay her n this little box snd in seconds these light lasers scan the outside of her head.

Here she is on the day we picked up her helmet....She smiled for the first ten minutes. She HATES this helmet now. So do I. It stinks, literally. She sweats like crazy in it. She pulls at it. The velcro sticks to everything. She wakes up every hour and a half through the night with it. It is both of our NEMESIS. I thought she would get used to it, but she hasn't yet, and its been over 2 weeks. BUT, her head is turning into a more beautiful round head again. I just want her to be the best she can be, and I will love her no matter what.

Meeeet BEVO!

2011-12-17T20:52:00.000-06:00

Bevo is our new dog! He is a rescue dog, that was in a foster home. He is the sweetest little thing ever. A long haired dachshund/ chow mix or some sort. His legs are about 3 inches high... sooo sweet! since Celi our french bulldog died, Maggie had been so sad. she was not herself at all. We knew she needed another little buddy. Now she is back to her normal self again. They sleep together, and love playing together. He is 2-3 years old, and sweet as pie. The perfect addition to our family!

Council of toes

2011-12-14T20:51:00.000-06:00

Eden has this thing. She LOVES her toes. I know all babies at this age love thier toes, but she REALLY loves her toes. I mean, can't stop playing with them, loves her toes. She has become a round little butterball, who grunts as she grabs at her toes. I love it. If you talk to her, her first reaction is to grab her toes before she talks back, or makes faces back to you. So, we call them her "council of toes". We joke, that she has to meet with her council, or have a meeting with her council every time she grabs them. If socks come of its like she has this magnetic force ulling her feet and hands together. She cracks me up. I love those fat puffy feet so much.

Serious Business: First time seeing Santa

2011-12-10T06:59:00.001-06:00

Eden yanked the HECK out of this Santa's beard!! It was a REAL BEARD. Poor guy.

Here he is saying "Is this YOUR KID?"

"Seriously Mom? I gotta sit on that guy's lap?"

Eden saw Santa for the first time at the Rivercenter Mall on the Riverwalk.

Ugly sweater party

2011-12-02T22:32:00.000-06:00

Each year we host an ugly sweater party with some of our friends. We try to keep this party really small. It seems it is getting harder to keep it quiet though. Anyways, we all try to find the UGLIEST sweater we can find, bring some drinks and appetizer and come hang out. We vote for the ugliest sweater winner, (guys vote for girls, girls vote for guys) and this year a traveling trophy was awarded. Next year it will come back to the party, and next years winner will carry on the tradition. we then go on to do the white elephant exchange.... always fun, as you never know what your gonna get. Here are some pics from the party.

Black Friday

2011-11-25T07:06:00.001-06:00

This is Toys 'r'us on Thanksgiving night at 10 pm. I had nothing in particular I wanted to buy, I just think its fun. Crazy? Absolutely. I LOVE the adrenaline rush of going out in the madness. The line went all the way around the side, down the back alley of the strip mall. It took over an hour to get into the door. News crews were there, and some guys yelling about something religious. It wasn't very effective.

Yep, I went out in that.

Eden at Halloween 2010

2011-10-25T23:08:00.000-05:00

Eden 3 months old

2011-10-04T23:10:00.000-05:00

9 weeks old

2011-09-13T23:08:00.000-05:00

I took off it's horns

2011-05-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

Tonight I was helping Elaina clean her room. She loves her toys, and plays almost equally with each one of them. Unlike the other two kids, who want a toy, that is the newest fad, and it only lasts about... one night. She has always had a deep love for horses, and has a ton of plastic, stuffed, miniature, you-name-it -she's-got-it horse toys. She was rubbing this little velvet miniature animal on my arm, saying "horsey loves you". "awww... " I said. "Thank you". Then I turned to look at the horse, which more resembled a baby calf, and it had two holes in its head. "I think it's actually a cow, Elaina" "I know," she said, "but I took off it's horns, and now I call it a horse". Good enough, then.

What am I?

2011-04-29T19:10:00.002-05:00

Today we were sitting at Taco Cabana eating dinner. Connor looked at me and asked, "Mom, what am I?" I said, "What do you mean what are you?" He replies "Am I Mexican?" (Insert picture of blond haired, blue eyed son here)

"No, Connor, you are not Mexican."

Only one kid

2011-04-27T19:11:00.001-05:00

This afternoon we were sitting on the couch, watching TV and some show with twins came on. Elaina said to me "I hope when I grow up I don't have two kids" I giggled, and said "Why?" she smiled and said "'Cause I don't want to do all that work. I only want one at a time."

Rainbow Underpants

2011-04-01T23:04:00.001-05:00

While driving in the car, out of no where, Elaina spouts, "Mom, it takes a real man to wear rainbow underpants." Uh, yeah. Random.

Goodbye Ricky

2011-03-25T10:56:00.000-05:00

My kitty is gone. I had him since we got married. We adopted him when he was six weeks old. He made 10 moves with us, across 14 years. He was the best cat ever. always wanting to be around people, but not bothersome. He used to sleep on my bed, ntil we moved to Texas. Then he moved on to Julia's bed. She was really attached to him too. We will all miss Ricky. I love you.

Christmas Nuts

2010-12-05T09:22:00.002-06:00

So, a few weeks ago, I was in Target trying to get a jump start on Christmas shopping. Elaina had been coughing pretty bad, but no other symptoms, so I sent her to school anyways. It was a bout 1:30 in the afternoon, and my cell phone rings. I got it out of my purse, and looked at the caller I.D. Ughhh. Its school. I just knew the nurse was calling about Elaina. "Hello?" "Hello, this is nurse Nancy calling." "uh, huh...." (Rolling my eyes, waiting to hear about Elaina's cough) "I have Elaina in the nurse's office...." (See, I KNEW IT!) "She was out on the playground, and quote, unquote 'got kicked in the nuts'" Oh. my. gosh. Did my 5 year old REALLY tell the teacher that, who the sent her to the nurse, and she told that to the nurse?!?!? Humiliation most definitely should have set in, but instead I began laughing out loud. Hysterically. "I think she will be okay" I said. "Yes, she has an ice pack on them now" Even more reason to laugh. My daughter is icing her non existent nuts. I love it. And I love that girl.

It's the little things

2010-11-02T07:10:00.004-05:00

I am seeing how little I remember about the kids and what they say and do as each year comes to a close. Everyone tells you "it goes by so fast" and you really don't believe them at first. You're just so tired you can barely gt through the day, let alone think about a year. And then they start school, and sports, and all of a sudden life gets so busy. I am oping blogging again will help me remember the little things, even if I need this to remind me what those were.

Yesterday we were driving in the car to Walmart. Julia was saying how when she sees Connor in the halls at school she runs up to him and gives him a kiss and a hug. (insert big mommy smile) Apparently Connor was getting made fun of for this, so Julia and Connor came up with a secret handshake to do in school together, so they can say I love you without getting made fun of.

This morning Elaina was getting dressed and doing her usual antics. Taking FOREVER.... putting the leg in the wrong side of the jeans, and her head in the wrong hole of the shirt. I need to wake that girl up 20 minutes earlier just to get her ready. After she was finished getting dressed she looked and Julia, Connor and myself and said "Did you enjoy the show?"

These little things I am thankful for, to put a big smile on my heart each day. I love those kids of mine!