Can I really get 2 for 1?

As you well know, if you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, I have been working diligently on potty training Brannon for the last year. Just in the past few weeks, we've finally made it. He is consistently doing his thing on the potty. Now, over the past week or so, when I get Tierney undressed at night for her nap, she likes to go sit on the little toddler potty. She tells me, "I potty mama." I was pretty sure she didn't even know what she was supposed to do. Tonight, she had been sitting there for a few minutes, chatting away, when I took her off to put her in the tub and lo and behold... there was all kinds of stuff in there. I was SHOCKED!!! She did in that potty what took us a year to get from Brannon! I immediately started making a big deal about it and then she looked in there and burst into tears. In fact, she was terrified. She saw her big "deposit" and freaked out! Her whole body was trembeling and she cried and cried. I am not sure why but after talking to my mom and grandma, have learned this can be a normal reaction. So, here is a picture of Tierney when she realized what she did. We were clapping even though she wasn't so happy about the situation. I am now having dreams of not only getting one kid out of diapers, but dare I think 2!!! Oh the money I'll save......

And this is why I pray.....

I have found this blog is to me, very therapeutic. It is for this reason I post about what happened to us yesterday.
We had our final walk through at our house yesterday afternoon (we close today.) We were leaving and Ben buckled the kids in the car for me (we had Brannon and Tierney with us) while I stood in the driveway asking the builder a couple of questions about the care of our landscaping. About 3 houses down the street was an 18-wheeler Allied moving truck, moving in one of our neighbors. After Ben got the kids in their car seats he came up to us in the driveway (our van was parked along the curb) and was shaking hands with our builder when all of a sudden the semi truck goes by us, backing up. The next thing that happened was like watching it in slow motion. The semi did not back out correctly nor did it seem was he paying attention. It then started backing into the side of my van right where Brannon was sitting!! Ben and I immediately were screaming and running towards the semi- me towards the back (I think all the adrenaline in my body and thought it could just push the semi off my van) while Ben ran towards the driver. My real estate agent and builder were right behind us running and screaming as well. The driver had 2 mexican guys at the rear of the semi waving him back. When they realize the semi was running into my van they just stood there with dumb looks on their faces. I was screaming at them, "My babies are in the car, STOP, STOP!!!!!" The semi though didn't realize it was doing anything wrong and just kept easing into my van. The sound of the metal scraping and screeching and all the screaming from the 4 adults was ringing in my head. Somehow the dumb-ass driving the semi realized he was hitting something, he pulled forwarded and I was in the van immediately. My poor babies were screaming their heads off. The kids were unharmed, but very scared. I scooped both of them out (I don't even know how I had them out of those car seats so fast) and I was holding both of them in my lap on the ground and we were all crying. Brannon asked me the rest of the night why that big truck was trying to run into him. :( My throat still hurts this morning for all the yelling I was doing at the top of my lungs.
All the stuff that happened next took hours: police came, the mexicans guiding the truck backing up disappeared before the police showed up (and I mean literally they ran into the woods and were gone which means they were ILLEGALS, kids crying lots, van is in bad shape, 2 hours later we got to leave, Ben had to argue with Allied moving company's insurance and that conversation will continue today. They want to wait until next week to do anything but our back left tire is now flat and we need them to give us a rental car now because it's our only vehicle that fits our family and WE ARE MOVING TODAY AND SATURDAY!!!!
Every night before I go to bed, I go in and touch each of my kids on their heads and ask Jesus to keep them safe. I truly believe this prayer kept them safe yesterday. Now I am praying that God will help us get through the next couple of days without me having to do a stint in the insane asylum! Thank God my parents will be here this evening to help me!!

Happy Birthday Tierney!

My sweet baby girl is 2 today! She loves Elmo so we are having an Elmo themed day! I can't believe it's been 2 years since she was born! Wow time goes fast!

Halloween and random thoughts.....

We finally made it out of our candy coma today. Although, if Bran sneaks anymore candy, he's heading right back in it. Last night was really fun for the kids. We slummed for candy in one the sections of our new neighborhood. The part I am moving into currently has 2 occupied homes so we couldn't go there! The kids had a great time, although Tierney got quite nervous as the more scary costumes came out. Thanks to my friend Kim, she got the cutest ladybug costume. Brannon insisted on being the same dragon he was last year (the costume was big on him last year and barely fit him this year) so that made that one easy. This is the first year that Wes wanted to be something scary instead of a superhero. He was quite thrilled with himself but his sister and brother didn't want to get too close to him. On Thursday Bran had a costume party at his preschool and on Friday Elmo came to the galleria so we took the little ones to see him before trick or treating. Tierney was slightly afraid but it was priceless seeing and hearing her reaction. All 3 of these events are depicted in the photoshow:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

And now for some random thoughts:
*Tierney's second birthday is Monday. I have so many mixed emotions about this one. On one hand, I love the 2-3 age, it's my favorite. On the other, I am sad that my last baby is not really a baby any longer. I am also having the mommy guilt. She doesn't have any little friends, like the boys did at this age, so we don't have any other little kids that are going to come over and help her celebrate. I can't help but think that if we were back in Mansfield she would have tons of little friends to play with.....
*I am so scared of this election. I know emotions are running high and I hope through all of that people are clearly voting on facts and not emotions. I still have yet to hear from ANYONE a single reason why Barak Obama should be/can be President of the most powerful country in the world. I think his election will be a mistake of monumental proportions and I worry for the future of this country. The last few days are like watching a train wreck in slow motion. I can only pray that people are finally starting to realize he's all fluff and the current media darling, and that does not make a good President. And, I know some of you who read this won't agree with me but too bad, it's my blog. :)
*My 3rd random thought that feel I just have to express is how much I HATE Walmart. All the reasons why I hate Walmart are too long for this post. Let's just say that I think that store is destroying the American economy and it always smells like pee and it deludes people into thinking they are getting a good deal on something when all they are getting is cheap crap. Ok, I'm done. For now......

Photoshow of our New House!

Here are some photos of the new house. I am so excited to finally have a home!!

Make a Smilebox postcard

October 24, 1998- October 24, 2008

Wow! We did it! 10 years!! When I think back of all we've accomplished, done, gone through, over the past 10 years, I am so humbled that someone so wonderful has chosen to put up with me!
To the most wonderful husband in the world: 10 years ago today we stood in front of the most important people in our lives and you promised to always love me, care for me, and move me all over the country! You have fulfilled every promise! Like every married couple we've had our ups and our downs, but you never wavered in your love for me. I don't know what I would do without you, you are my best friend above all else. Because of the love we have for each other, I have my 3 beautiful babies. Thank you for marrying me! I love you!

Is it Thursday Yet?

It's one of those days. It actually started yesterday when I went to pick up Brannon from pre-school. Brannon for the first time, asked to wear underwear instead of a diaper. This is my 3 year and 8 month old child who has refused to potty train. I was so excited because he can pee in the potty but WILL NOT poop in it. So, he really wanted to wear underwear to school and so I thought that was the motivation he needed to poop in the potty. I dropped him off at school and the teacher made a big deal out of him in underwear. Something that you need to know is Bran is a hider pooper. He prefers to go hide when he poops. When I picked him up yesterday, the teacher had told me that he peed in the potty fine but she was determined to not let him out of her sight. If he can't hide, he won't poop. I pick him up at 1pm. At 12:40 they were on the playground and a little boy fell down. When she helped the little boy up, she then quickly tried to locate Brannon. Sure enough, he seized on the opportunity to go into the tunnel slide, and poop his underwear!!! So, when I arrive at 1, they had just finished cleaning him up. I was so disheartened. Attempting to potty train Brannon has been a lot of work and frustration. He has never had the desire to do it and has fought it every step of the way. I finally thought we had broken a barrier, but obviously not. So as I am loading him and Tierney, who I had with me, back in the car, my cell rings. Wesley's school is calling to tell me he is sick and has a 102 fever. Wonderful.
As soon as I get Wes home, he throws up. Luckily he got MOST of it in the toilet. I get Bran and Tierney down for their naps, get the remaining vomit cleaned up, attend to Wes then clean myself up.
Did I mention Ben is out of town????
I finish off the day just trying to cope: Wes had thrown up one more time, the fever kept coming back, had to attempt to keep the other 2 away from him in a very small apartment, while trying to fulfill all my other mommy duties for the evening. I finally go to bed last night completely exhausted. I didn't get much sleep though because Macy decided last night would be a good night to attempt to sleep on my head or when that failed, play with my hair. I got up at 1am- Wes' fever was back so I woke him up and dosed him with Tylenol. He then woke at 5am whining, fever was back, I drugged him again and climbed back into bed praying to all that was Holy that I would get some sleep. No luck.
Wes comes in my room at 6:30 because he says he can't swallow. I get out a flash light, and when I looked down his throat I was not shocked to see that it was huge and red with white pockets on it. I no sooner get him in my bed, when I hear Tierney in her room talking. What the hell? It's 6:30. She's ALWAYS good until at least 8:30 if we don't wake her before that. I tried to put the pillow over my head but she kept talking. Now she has woken up Brannon who is in my room telling me that Tierney's room smells. I go into Tierney's room to see what is wrong, open the door, and I was almost knocked dead by the smell that assaulted my nostrils. Then, I was greeted by the artistic abilities of my daughter, who had taken off her diaper and attempted some sort of art with her own poop. It was all over her crib, and her body and her walls. I wanted to run, far far away......
One hour later, the crib materials are in the wash, the crib and Tierney both have been disinfected, and I was silently cursing Ben for having the good sense to leave me when all hell was about to break loose.
The rest of the day continued down that path. Here's the summary... all 3 kids fighting while I was in the shower to take Wes to the Dr, Brannon threw a book at my head while I was driving them to the Dr, long wait at the Dr where Brannon knocked over a small table that had books and pamphlets all over it, Wesley has Strep throat, Dr checks 2 other kids for good measure and both of them have the beginnings of strep, antibiotics for all 3, long wait at Target pharmacy for drugs, while waiting we are shopping and Tierney grabs glass on shelf while I am getting bread and drops it and it breaks everywhere, Brannon threw a temper tantrum because I wouldn't buy Lightening McQueen band-aids (we already have some), Tierney then joins in screaming because a) she always cries acappella when someone else cries and b) waking up at 6:30 has finally caught up with her and she is tired and hungry (it's now 1:00), I drive home and there are no parking spots near my apartment so I have to park far away and haul 3 kids and groceries into apartment, while giving them some lunch Brannon drops his soup on the floor- I have to clean up.....
Ben is still gone. It's 4pm, little ones will be waking up any second and I have to get through the rest of this day.
God help me.

Ben & Kara's Excellent Adventure

Make a Smilebox photobook

Our trip to Canada was awesome! We had such a great time. I missed the kids terribly but it was so good to be away with Ben. We did remember why we married each other 10 years ago in October! It was so cold, we loved the break from the Texas heat (even though we had to do some shopping when we got there for not packing heavy enough clothes!)

Enjoy the photo album!

Our first trip since having children... Prayers PLEASE!!

Ben and I are heading to Whistler Canada on Thursday morning. Next month is our 10 year anniversary so we are taking our first trip together since we had kids. True to my nature, I wasn't going anywhere without a deal. We are flying into Seattle and then driving to Whistler, this way we could use FREE mileage tickets on Southwest. We are staying at the Fairmont Chateau, which during the winter the rooms start at $800 per night. We got the room for $147!!! We're looking forward to hiking, ziptreking, and being in some cooler weather. But, first we have to get there. For those that know me at all, you know I am terrified of flying. I hate it in fact. I do not like giving my life over to someone I don't know, powerless to help the situation should one arise. I try to avoid flying if I can. But, after years of saying we would go somewhere together for our 10 year, it's finally here. I have to do it. I have to do this for Ben who thinks I am a big weeny. So, we updated our estate plan and off we go. We fly out Thursday morning and return Monday night. My babies are going to my parents house. Pray for us! Any prayers offered up asking us not to die in a plane crash will be greatly appreciated.

Can I get a SHOUT for the Supermom!!!!

I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face, tears of happiness. I am watching FOX news and to see who has been nominated for McCain's VP pick has filled me with empowerment. To see a mom of 5, a family woman, get nominated for the second highest position in the country is incredible! I gave up my career to become a mom. For the past several years I have felt like a baby factory and a milk machine. I feel like Sarah Palin represents me. For one thing, she will be such a great voice for moms, working and staying at home, plus issues that matter to families. Secondly, if she can achieve this with 5 kids, then I can too! Many people have asked me when I am running for some sort of political office. I LOVE politics. I remember marching in a parade when my Grandpa ran for Indiana Representative with a t-shirt on that said "Vote for my Grandpa." Even as a child, I loved it! He lost, but only cause he was on the wrong ticket. You might say I learned my first political lesson: be a republican! Now, I can see that having children and putting them first, doesn't have to mean it's the death of a potential political career. I think I can see a State Representative election in my future!!!

What age to give a Pedicure

Most of you know how desperately I wanted a girl. I am very much a girl's girl and I needed a Protege. Praise the lord, (and Ben) that I got one! I am so eager to indoctrinate her in the ways of girlhood, but I want to make sure I am not rushing it either.
Whenever I get a pedicure, my mini me spots it immediately. She will squat down and point to my toes and say "Piddy Mommy piddy!" She is 21 months now and I want to paint her toes so badly. I found a cute "little girl pink" today at home, oops, I mean Target. Should I use it? I don't want her to look like a hoochie but it would make her so happy! She doesn't put her feet in her mouth anymore. Is she too young for a toe polish? Respond with a comment or answer in the poll.

See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil

This motto seems to work well for the kids so we'll go with it!

Our GREAT friends Jill and Dave Mapes were here with their kids (Grahm 6, Lexi 4, and Tristan 22 months.) We had a fabulous day with them, showing them around Austin/Lakeway and of course the new house. The kids played until they could play no more. And Lexi and Brannon did what only they can do very best: disappeared, gave us a heart attack trying to find them, and then claiming they had discovered a secret hideout. They babies had to blow each other kisses and poke each other in the eyes, and the oldest boys decided they need to form a club with only themselves in it. We ended the day eating at The Oasis. If you've never been there, it's an Austin institution. Check out the website- the sunset is amazing!

http://oasis-austin.com/

I love Jill like a sister and I am so so happy she came to see me!

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. C. S. Lewis

I'm Baaaaack!!

I know, I've been absent. It occurred to me that I spend all my time blogging about the kids and the family, but not so much about all my adventures. Well, my adventures are what is keeping me from my place in bloggdom. As a few friends and family members know, I have been having some health issues. What looked for the past couple of months to be PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) is now looking to be a thyroid issue. I have been on and of hormones and medications and suffering through so many blood drawls my arms look like I am a crack addict! It's been a long road and it's not ever yet. The main problem is that my blood levels don't show that I have a thyroid problem, because they compare my levels to the "average" person. However, I have almost every symptom of hypothyroidism (too low). The more I learn, I realize there are a lot of people out there that have thyroid problems and their levels weren't "Average" either. If that's you, please let me know, I want to do what you have done/are doing about it! My OBGYN is referring me to a specialist in Austin that is experienced at dealing with "special" people like me. But, the last couple of months have wrecked havoc on me with all the hormones and medications. It's been all I can do to keep up with our kids and new life in Austin.

Ok, enough about, more about the offspring of me (they're cuter anyway!) Wes starts 3rd grade on the 25th. Yes, I did say 3rd grade. No, I am not sure how he grew up so fast either. He's very excited to get back to the social aspect of school, and maybe learn something along the way too.

Brannon still thinks he is a dinosaur. In fact we usually have to address him as "T-Rex." As in, "T-Rex, would you stop hitting you sister." OR "T-Rex, don't bite the kitten." OR "T-rex, mommy T-Rex is getting very angry at you for trying to eat the couch!" He told me today: "Mommy T-Rex, be very careful when you hug me and kiss me because my teef are very sharp."

Tierney is all girl. She just turned 21 months and is obsessed with shoes and hair bows. But, she's also one tough cookie. She doesn't let anyone (mostly T-rex) get away with doing anything to her. She doesn't hesitate to give him a wallop on the head if he makes her mad.

So, that's all for now. I will start posting again more regularly with fun antidotes and stories about what's up. I do miss blogging, and besides, we are now entering prime political season and I have a lot to say about that. I have very strong political opinions (I inherited that trait from my Grandpa) and I am not too good at not stating what I think/feel about the issues. If you don't like it, you can post a comment (I never mind a good debate) but since all but 4 of you don't do that then I guess you'll have to start your own blog (expressing how much you don't agree with my political views.)

So, to quote Paris Hilton: "I love white haired old dudes!"

*These are pictures of the kids at Wesley's 8th birthday party at Dave N Busters (Tierney had been eating so hence the food on her face!)

I'm in Love!!!

So, just like the tech nerd that I am, I got up at 5:30 on Friday morning to wait in line for one of these....mankind's best invention...the iphone! I am very excited and most of all I am so happy to have a cell phone after 2 weeks of not having one! I was reading somewhere this weekend that said that the iphone was the most coveted item of the century.
On to other news- I won't be posting this week as I am heading to my mom's house with the kids while Ben travels so that I can get out of this apartment. I am hoping to get a couple of books read and to work on my tan.

Happy Birthday Wesley!

How is it possible that my first born child is 8 years old!?! The years have gone by so fast, although I have made him promise that I will always be the most important girl in his life. (He said, "Well of course you will be Mom.") He is such a sweet boy, who loves his family, and has a real zest for life. I don't think I've ever seen a child with a bigger imagination! I still think of him as my baby, even though he has huge feet!!

We love you so much Wesley! You are growing into such a handsome, smart, funny, kind, generous, loving little man. But, do Mommy a favor and STOP growing up!!!

It's A Girl!!!!!

We've done it again and added a new member to our family! It's a girl and we've named her Macy. Ok, I told you all I am done having kids so don't go there. No, this little girl is of the feline species. When our kitty Bailey died in March, I promised the kids that when we moved into our house we would get another kitty. But.... we didn't quite make it that long! My girlfriend Corrie (sucker #1) called me about 5 weeks ago when she rescued a stray cat that had just given birth under a hot, dirty loading dock and her husband's warehouse. She's a vet tech so she took care of the whole brood for 5 weeks (while recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid, God Bless her.) So now here is an available kitten that needs a good home. Enter sucker #2- me. We picked her out a couple of weeks ago when we went up to Mansfield to visit and we got her today. The kids love her and Brannon and Tierney think the only way to communicate with her is to meow as loud as they can, in her face.

How appropriate that today was Friday the 13th and we got an all black kitty with the most beautiful blue eyes!

Everything in Life Starts with a Solid Foundation

The house is slowly (well, too slow for us) but surely coming along. The frame is on it's way up but here is a picture of my family (Wes is standing behind Brannon) on our foundation (taken last week.) The view can't be seen from here but you can see the plethora of trees in the back yard. Also, the back of the house is about 8 feet up from the ground- all solid foundation. It's exciting to watch our house being built!

Secondly, take some time today to be thankful for the foundation you've been given. I think we all know how fleeting and fragile life is, but sometimes it just has to slap you in the face. A friend of mine, Meredith Hatch was killed this past Sunday. She was training for a race (cycling) and riding with her trainer on a neighborhood street Sunday morning when she was struck by a truck going over 60 mph, driven by a drunk driver. This was a senseless, stupid tragedy. She was the director of the preschool Wesley went too in Mansfield. She knew every child and every parent that walked through that door. She always had a smile on her face and she made every child feel important and special. She was a mom of 3 young boys and only 38. I think the one thing I can do to honor her life and make since of her death is to be so thankful for everything I have been given, because everyday is a gift.

"Here comes the bride...."

Yeah! I am so happy for my cousin Christy who got engaged this weekend! I don't have sisters so my aunts and cousins are very special to me! Christy is my closest in age female cousin. She's smart, beautiful, generous, kind and most importantly, Tierney's Godmother! Jacob finally popped the question and we are happy he will be part of our family. Congrats to both of you, we are so very happy for you!

All this wedding stuff these days is getting me in the mood to get married again. I don't think anyone will want a 32 year old- mini van driving- part time zookeeper- part time maid- part time chauffeur- mother of 3 so I guess I have to stick with the husband I have (sorry Ben!) When I brought to him that up for our 10 year anniversary (this October) that we could have another wedding, he told me to forget it-we have our hands full just planning birthday parties!

Cheap Wine of the Week (posted a couple of days late)

Well, there's no picture of the Cheap Wine of the Week because this wine is so cheap I guess it doesn't even have a website. I found this wine when I was in HEB on Friday and they were doing a wine tasting over in the gourmet cheese area. They were sampling a $5.89 bottle of wine and a $37 bottle of wine. I took a sample of both along with a taste of Aged Irish Cheddar Cheese (oh so good!) The cheap wine was "La Di Da" White Zinfandel. It was described as a fun, social, sipping wine. I liked it, I bought some, and it's perfect for a sipping on a summer afternoon.

Cheap Wine of the Week

Ok, I didn't post a cheap wine last week because the wine we tried was yucka. I guess that will happen when buying cheap wine. But, I did find a good one this week. This one was a whopping $6.29! Hold on to your wallets! It's Night Harvest Merlot. It was very smooth (again, for a cheap wine, we gotta keep this in perspective) and it has some berry undertones, which I like. It's a great "drink while you cook" wine. I liked it so much that I want to try the Shiraz next. Here's the website, just cause it's a cute one: http://www.nightharvest.com/wines/

And, for extra coolness, the cork is black. Let me know what you think if you try it!

Celebrating the wedding of our great friends

I jsut wanted to do a quick post in honor of our good friends Michael and Brandy Yeargan who got married last night. It was a great wedding here in Austin and we are so happy for them. Michael is one of Ben's oldest friends, his roomate in college, a fellow Marine, the Best Man for our wedding and a GREAT guy. We are so happy he found his perfect match in Brandy. We are excited to be in the same city together, after all these years, and we wish them all the wonderful things in life they deserve. Here's a picture of them and a picture of Ben and I, we were so excited to be out without the kids (for the first time in months and months!!)

Pictures

Things have been relatively quiet here this past week (i.e. no Brannon mis-adventures) mostly due to me being very sick (fever, chills, migraines, etc) and so we've all been trapped in the house (Ben is traveling more than he is home these days.) Anyway.... I haven't emptied pictures off my camera in awhile so I am doing that now. I thought I would post a few cute ones.

The 1st picture is Wesley at school last week on Pioneer Day. The kids and teachers dressed up as pioneers and went through the entire day as a pioneer school. They made candles, ate pioneer food, wrote with a quill and ink, played pioneer games, learned to square dance, made things with yarn, etc. He had a blast and it really gave him an idea what it was like be a child in the 18oo's. We love Wesley's new school and teacher, she is so creative. And, of course Wes has adjusted well. He's so social and outgoing this move hasn't really slowed him down!

The 2nd picture is Brannon digging in the dirt with...you guessed it... his dinosaurs. I know we have a ton of pictures of him doing that but that really is all he does (besides get into trouble.) And with that grin on his face, who could ever guess what that little boy is capable of! He always has at least one dinosaur, if not 5 in his hands so we don't have any pictures of him without them!

The 3rd picture is Tierney in our Octopus Chair. She loves that chair and loves to sit in it and "pretend" to read or just suck her thumb. She making progress towards walking now- she's almost got it! Just in time for her 18 month milestone! (The orthopedist said last week that she is hyper flexible and she's having a hard time training her muscles to get them to do what they are supposed to. She said that she will get it very soon and then to put her in gymnastics!) She loves to toddle across the room just to get over to the octopus and sit on it!

Cheap Wine of the week that is really 2

So, I have been meaning to blog about my cheap wine of the week, ever since last week when I discovered a really good cheap wine. But then, I have been so busy this past week I didn't have time to blog. Then, I found my cheap wine of this week. So, now I am doing the cheap wine of the week, but this week also has last week's recommendation.

Last Week: Rex Goliath Merlot. This wine has a picture of a rooster on it but most importantly it only set me back $6. It's quite smooth for a cheap wine and after drinking a couple glasses Ben found it amusing to talk about the wine with a cock on it.

This Week: S.O.B. (Sun of a Beach) Chardonnay. I was making Mushroom and Goat Cheese stuffed Chicken Breasts tonight with sauteed red potatoes and grilled zucchini and portobello mushrooms. Notice I said "was." That's because I bought a cheap white wine to go with my meal. Like any good cook, I opened it before I started cooking and now I am not cooking anymore. Drinking this good cheap wine (again only $6) made me have no desire but to do anything but sit on my patio and drink my wine enjoying the beautiful breeze and 70 degree weather on my back porch. So now the kids are eating the good 'ole chicken nugget standby (they are shaped like dinosaurs so that means extra points for mommy) and then Ben and I will continue to sit on the porch because we are lazy wine drinkers.

Have a great weekend!

Brannon is now officially a Holy Terror!

For those of you that know Brannon, you know he can be described as my "spirited" child. While Wesley walks the straight and narrow path, Brannon prefers to RUN down every crooked one he can find! Never mind the minor incident this week when I took him to Chick Fil-A and he walked by someone's table, grabbed a chicken nugget, popped it in his mouth and continued on to the playroom. And no, I am not talking about the incident this week where he found a cactus bush, grabbed it with both hands and tried to pull it out of the ground (amazing he did not get a single needle in him.) No, I am referring to a few days ago when Wes was at first communion class at our new church. When we went to pick him up, he was in the church listening to the priest, so I, along with about 30 other moms were waiting in the lobby just outside the sanctuary doors. Brannon of course brought with him a couple of dinosaurs (we don't leave home without them) and I have Tierney on my hip. I walked over to the doors that lead to the sanctuary (they are glass) to see if I could locate Wes. Brannon was looking through the doors with me. Then, I spot Wes and lean down to point him out to Brannon. Brannon's gone. I look to my right and left, he couldn't have gone far, I only had my eyes off him for 10 seconds. I spin around and dart my eyes across the lobby. When I finally locate him, I wanted to disappear. In the center of the lobby area is a big white stone pedestal about 4.5 ft high. On top of the pedestal is a glass bowl containing the Holy Water. Somehow Brannon had hoisted himself up, stomach propped on the pedestal edge, feet dangling in the air, DRINKING the Holy Water like a dog. Oh, and for good measure the dinosaurs were in the bowl too, looking like 2 birds taking a bath. Words cannot describe the heat in my face, the embarrassment I felt and all those moms were watching him. I run over and pulled him down and he tells me that he was thirsty and his dinosaurs wanted a bath "puz dey were dirty." His little curls framing his face are wet, as is the front of his shirt. Being that no one in this church yet know us by name, I am sure I will now be known as "the mother who let her child drink Holy Water."

Here's a picture of my little Angel, playing with his dinosaurs in my mom's garden.

Hello? Hellooooo? Anyone there?

Is anyone out there? In know someone must be. I have gotten over 1200 hits on my blog since I started it 3 months ago. That's over 400 hits a month. Yet, I only have about 4 posted comments (thanks Holly!) Hey all you readers! Please don't be afraid to say something and make yourself known! It helps me feels like I am not talking to a wall/computer screen.

Ok, next topic: The Tudors!!! For those of you that know me well, you know I am only slightly obsessed with history, specifically English history (hey there again Holly!) Yes, I was the DORK in college with the major in biomedical science and I almost had a minor (9 hours short) in history. I took history classes for fun. Stop laughing. Even now, one of my greatest relaxation techniques is to read history books ie: historical biographies, historical fiction, etc. My favorite period of history is Tudor England. The drama that occurred in about a 40 year time period is like Desperate Housewives on steroids. And, even better, it changed the face of the world at the time and the course of history. It truly is a part of the world we live in today. But, I digress......
The Tudors was on last night and the first episode of the second season did not disappoint. It took me the whole first season to get over the fact that Jonathon Reese Myers was cast as Henry- he doesn't even have the classic Tudor red hair! But now, I am so into his portrayal of this famous King, I don't care about the rest. He really nails Henry's volatile temper, the self doubt and the mental instability that starts to show itself during this time. Of course, the costume designer takes many liberties, trying to make things look fabulous and grand, but some of the designs she puts Anne in are just crazy. I wish she would stick to making it a little more authentic, but Showtime wants all the flashiness and flesh it can get. I will wait until the second episode to make more comments I have about the relationship between Henry and Anne because I think some of the things they may show next week will be important. If you have not seen this series, the first season is on DVD and it's awesome. Let me know if you watch it, or you have seen it. That would require you to make a comment though! ;)

"Austin, we have landed"

Does life's roller coaster ever slow down, even for a brief rest? I thought I would have been used to this by now. This was our 8th move since we've been married. Too bad we're not getting frequent mover miles we can cash in! It seems to get harder each time though, I think mostly because of the kids. It's not even getting them readjusted that's the worst- it's hauling all their CRAP! Where did we get all this stuff, seriously? With each child I've birthed, our household load has doubled. I am not sure how that works. You should have seen us traveling to Austin, each of us in a car (Ben in the company car with the cat and me in the mom-mobile with the kids and the dog.) Yes, a mini van can be a low-rider! No sooner had we started out when Tierney decided to start screaming. Loudly. So I am leaned back in my seat trying to pat her leg to get her to slow down and I was hyper-extending myself. Which caused me to push down harder with my right foot on the gas pedal. Which caused me to get my FIRST speeding ticket!! (And Ben was behind me, and did he pull over with me? Nooooo, the nitwit KEPT GOING! Yes, that's right, he left me on the side of the highway with the loaded down minivan (including the opened bottle of half drunk Kahlua - we didn't want to throw that away!) The officer comes over, I tell him my story, as the dog is barking her head off and Tierney is sucking in vast amount of air trying to stop crying. He tells me that from now on, I need to pull over to calm my kids down and not do it while I was driving. Are you kidding me?? He must not have kids. By the way, I was only going 77 mph. (And no, he never saw my Kahlua.)
We arrived Monday night and dealt with the typical things, things in the apartment that needed to get done (that should have been fixed before we ever checked in), dealing with all the incompetent people at AT&T because they couldn't get us a dial tone on our phone, the mounds of boxes and packing paper all over the apartment, trying to find a grocery store so I could get some milk for the kids, the crying and temper tantrums from a 3 year old, the whining and complaining of a 7 year old, the clingyness of a 1 year old who has no idea where she is, and the needing a glass (or 5) of wine by a 32 year old. Some lines we've heard over the past days: *Mommy, I want to go home - Brannon
*Mom, I want to go home- Wesley
*MOMMYYYYY, MOMMYYYYY, AHHHHH- Tierney
*Mommy- dis partment not our house- Brannon
*Mommy, I can't sleep in dis room puz it's a dragon factry- Brannon
*Kara, can you find me the finger nail clippers- Ben
*Mom, I think there at least a million trees on all these hills- Wes
*I gotta get my bb gun to shoot the deer- Wes (When he saw dear tracks on our property)
*Kara, did you find those finger nail clippers yet- Ben (yes, that's exactly what I am trying to find in the 20+ boxes stacked up all over this apartment!!!)
*Mommy, can I kick Tierney- Brannon.
*No, Brannon, you may not kick your sister!!!- Me
*Why not mom, I want to- Brannon
*Because that would hurt Tierney and it's not nice to kick people.- Me
*Awwwwwwwww.... dat stinks- Brannon


Everyone has asked about our house. They are starting the actual building process in about 8-10 days. During the last 3 months they have been getting all the permitting, digging up the many many cedar trees on our lot (they left the oaks) and finalizing all our design stuff. We are still on track, if the weather doesn't do anything too strange to have a completed house and be out of this apartment in August! The apartment is on the opposite side of the golf course than our neighborhood so it's very very close. In fact, Ben took the kids and dog to the park in our neighborhood today while I unpacked boxes. Hopefully if we do this enough we will start to meet some people before we move in.
In closing, Happy Birthday to our friends Mary Alice Kaspar, Amy Taylor and Michael Yeargan (forgive me if I forgot anyone else!) Oddly enough, you are all here! Hopefully we will see you soon!
Also, season 2 of The Tudors is on tomorrow night (Sunday) and I am so stoked I can hardly stand it. I love love love this show so look for my commentary because I have to talk about each episode after I watch it.

Ode to Grandma

My Grandma is....

beautiful... inside and out

faithful

a fabulous cook

scatterbrained

funny

forgiving

a great hugger

my rock

one of my biggest fans

a role model

someone I cannot live without

perfect in a every way

Happy Birthday Grandma! I love you so much and I can't wait to see you again! You always have made me feel loved and treasured. Thank you for being the perfect Grandma!

Bye Bye Bailey

Our precious kitty died yesterday. We got Bailey when Ben and I were first married. He has traveled with us to Hawaii and back. Unfortunately, his time had come and he was very sick and we had to make the agonizing decision to put him to sleep. We knew he wasn't going to make it through the stress of the move. My good friend and neighbor Corrie, is a vet tech and we sent him into the clinic with her and she held him the whole time. We then picked him up and took him to my mom's house where we had a little funeral for him and buried him in their woods. I am so proud of Wesley. While he is very sad, he is acting like such a little man. He gathered rocks for the headstone and helped in the burial process. We will miss our Bailey cat, he was a loved part of our family for 9 years.

On another note, we move in 2.5 weeks. We've signed a lease for an apartment, the movers have come to do their appraisal, I have resigned as a VP of the PTA, and we're starting the goodbye process. With this being the 8th move it is definitely the hardest yet, in terms of emotion. We are so tied into this community and Wes' school and we have such an extensive network of friends, it's making this really really hard. However, Ben and I are only staying positive around the kids, especially Wes who is concerned the kids in Austin won't want to be his friend. Although, as my friend Jill said, "Wes could talk to a brick wall. He will make friends." Gee, I wonder where he gets that from! ;)

To end this blog on a couple of high notes: CONGRATULATIONS to my gorgeous friends Mary Alice and Amy for the births of their little girl (Arielle Elizabeth on Feb 15th) and little boy (Graham Barret born on the 21st.) Since you both live in Austin and New Braunfels I will be able to see you both very soon! I am so so happy for both of you. Welcome to the newest members of your family!

And lastly, Happy Birthday to my brother Ryan, also born on the 21st, albeit 29 years ago. Here's to a great year in front of you and a fresh start! You are doing the right things and there will be good things in store for you!

Happy Birthday to my little Boy!!!

3 Years ago today my sweet little boy was born! He has been such a fun and unpredictable part of our lives. We never know what he is going to say or do or come up with. He's so creative and fun and I am so excited to celebrate such a wonderful day with him. His party is on Sunday afternoon and he tells everyone he's having a "dinosaur bir-day. " I'll post pictures of the big event in the next couple of days!

On another note, we sold our house today! We signed all our paperwork this morning and we close on March 10th! Austin, here we come! Say a prayer for us that the move goes smoothly.....with 3 kids and 3 animals, this will be quite an adventure!