Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had an amazing day at Sea World and then had dinner with family. We are beat and I am ready for bed...I will post more later...Enjoy some T-Day art from Miss T....

Notice the writing on the pictures...the girl is really starting to have some new major skills!!!

You can call me a fool now....

How she does it I have no idea but nothing slips past my girl…NOTHING. For the past few weeks N and I have been busy planning an early Xmas treat for the family, we are going to piggy back on N’s soccer tournament and take T to Sea World. The tournament starts mid day Friday and we will leave tomorrow night and spend the entire day Thursday…yes Turkey Day…at the land of the sea. I have an Aunt who lives in San Diego so it is working out perfectly to have T-Day dinner at her house….and use the visit to Aunt B and the soccer tournament as a fool proof cover for the trip…yeah not so much.

This morning, the morning where the sky is black and it is the first of coldish (maybe rainy) days here, someone decided that she was going to wear a tank top and a skirt to school. When told that it is too cold outside for that kind of outfit, Tae responded with “but I look cool!!!!” …countered with “sorry it’s not gonna happen” we had a little 7:30 am melt down and then got properly dressed and out the door for school. In the car we discussed how Mommy is taking care of Tae and if Tae wants to be safe she needs to listen to what Mommy is saying (N and I try to enforce this story all the time but I am not convinced it is working), then she sneezed three times and I saw my window of opportunity…”see you are already getting the sniffles from wearing those summer clothes when it is winter”…I know I was stretching the truth a bit…sometimes I really have to work it. Then I proceeded to let her know that when we go to visit Aunt B we are going to have to wear warm clothes the whole time because it is a lot colder there than it is here. I told her that I was going to go to Tar*get and buy her some gloves and she would need to pick out which winter hat she wanted to take out of the closet….again working it about how freezing it was going to be and how we would not be able to take “summer” clothes. This is what the child comes back with…..
Child: “What about when we get wet?”
Me: “Why would we be getting wet?”
Child: “When we go on the log ride”
Me thinking you have got to be kidding: “Where are WE going to be going on a log ride???”
Child: “When we go to Sea World, you said you get wet on the log ride!!!”
Me. thinking I can still save this: “We aren’t going to Sea World, Why would you think we are going to Sea World???”
Child…with 7:30 am melt down resurfacing: “Because we are going to San Diego and Sea World is IN San Diego…AND YOU said WE WERE GOING SOME DAY!!!!”
Me: “Okay, yes we are going to Sea World”
Child: just smiles.
So who’s the fool now?????

Here are some random pictures:

Tae has been REALLY into creating her own hair styles...on this day she wanted "SUPER" curly hair...here is what we came up with....

Once the buns were removed Tae decided it was to "Poofy" and we went with pig tails..

Next she wanted "braids all over"...turned out pretty cute...she was disappointed when I was not able to add beads to the braids :( Funny girl.

You know those days when you are too tired to argue and you let your kid do unmentionable things...just to avoid the fight...like wear their bicycle helmet out to dinner...you've had those days too, right????

And I just thought this was impressive...biting and holding a full water bottle in your mouth...I can't do it. I know it's bad for her teeth and she stopped...right after I got a picture...I know I am weird.

As a side note, I received my first ornament from the exchange I entered and it is really cute. I will have to post a picture soon...just waiting for a few more to arrive. I did buy all my supplies, just haven't made any yet...hope to start soon...hope.

A little playing...

So we have had a fairly hectic weekend which translates to "Mom wanted to get 500 things accomplished and is now frustrated that she only completed about 4"...I did have a little photo shoot with miss T this afternoon and I am happy with a few of the shots. This isn't one of the best and I have only played with it a little in photo*shop...a few minutes here and there as I fight the bed time battle....I need to put some better catch lights in her eyes but this one is growing on me...what do you think???? If you click on it and make it bigger you will like it a lot more I promise....nothing really looks great in 2x4...just my opinion :)

Bird snatcher....

Dog is on the patio….

Mom sees dog jump into the air and run with something in her mouth…..

Dog has killed a bird…

Mom and daughter lock dog out of house to figure out what to do….

Mom wipes dog's mouth out with diaper wipes…repeatedly and daughter suggests we add some soap too…skip the soap dog might get sick….

Mom puts dog away and uses dust pan and box to collect poor bird….

Mom frightened bird will spring back to life and fly at her face….

Daughter screams when there is blood on the ground….

Mom and daughter walk box with limp dead bird to dumpster….

Mom tosses dust pan too, it will never be used again….

Daughter exclaims….this is so disgusting!!!! I can’t wait to tell my friends!!!!….

Daughter adds it would be sick to find something like that in your room...mom thinks "YEAH really sick"....

Mom and daughter wash hands three times and mom is still cringing at the hunting ability of the cat/dog/pirate killer...

Poor bird.

Poor mom.

Hello Dolly...

So we took a nice little day trip to Canyon Lake to take the Dolly Steamboat ride...they call it the "little Grand Canyon". It was a lot of fun and one of those touristy activities that you wouldn't always think of. It was a perfect day, a little cloudy at first but the sun came out and then later in the day we even got some RAIN. We drove bit further north (west???) to go to Tortilla Flats for lunch, the same place we have tried to go before didn't quite make it (not entirely sure we made it all the way there this time either). So above is the video (slide show) of the boat ride and below are few from lunch and some other cute ones. Enjoy :)

Pretty self explanatory...don't you love how Tae's face is smashed into the toilet seat in this one???

The ENTIRE place was covered with dollars...it was slightly torturous for a 4 year old but she did fine....they should be safe should the restaurant face some hard times.

All of the bathroom stalls had these headless ladies painted on them so when you stood up (after your business) your head was on the body. It was hilarious, Tae just had to go back in and get her picture. You can't see her but Grammy in holding Tae up :)

Bar stools with saddles as the seat...it too a bit of time to get T to sit on one because she wouldn't sit next to anyone...but we did it.

Superstition Mountain

That was fun....

So….I have a post, a picture post, I have been working on from Grammy’s visit…but there are sooo many pictures from our boat trip that I had to make a video and Blogger is not cooperating right now in the video uploading department. So I will have to work on it more tonight…devastating I know.

Miss T and I had a fun night last night…or should I say we had a battle of the blonds…a challenge of minds, or maybe just a Mom being tortured by her lippie 4 year old…you pick. My favorite moment was when she was yelling at me because I would not let her have any candy and so I told her I needed some space and it was time for her to go to her room (I was surprisingly composed) at which point she started kicking everything in her path as she walked to her room (very humorous) only to get to her room and SLAM her door with such force that it jumped the door jamb (not humorous) and was seriously stuck. I was not aware of the door issue until I heard screaming (once again directed at me and how horrible I was) because apparently Tae thought I had locked her in her room (a little humorous). At which point I had to bump the door with my shoulder to pop it open only to be greeted by more yelling and several (sad…seriously sad) attempts to kick me… this resulted in some additional time in her room. Trying my best to resolve the situation (since N wasn’t due home for a few more hours) I decided that most likely she was experiencing tired-hungry combo and dinner and bed would be my best move…isn’t that what you would have thought???? So, she was all calm and sweet eating her dinner… put up a bit of a fight while putting on her jams but more or less showed all her usual signs of just needing a good nights sleep. But NO…she stayed awake for 3.5 hours after I put her down and refused to go to sleep…it would be one thing if she stayed in her bed or even in her room but that is just not a skill she has mastered…she truly was out to TORTURE me last night!!! My latest conclusion to the afternoon grumpiness is sugar…they have been having sugar at school and upon further investigation (read interrogation) Tae told me yesterday they had suckers and cookies (said with pride). Add the treat I put in her lunch box and TADA…you have sugar crazed 4 year old spouting off at the mouth. Not sure what to do about this…but I have to think of something….I can only imagine what tonight will be like since we are already 3.5 hours behind on sleep. Damn sugar.

Note that she did come out of her room last night to tell me she was sorry she had been a MEANIE and were still besties…Glad to still be besties and also glad I didn’t cause myself any permanent injuries while banging my head on the wall. Man, and to think I want more of these…but overall it is all about being besties and days filled with sweetness…so yeah shower me with more. That last comment is directed to the giver of belly babes….just incase you were confused I want to make myself clear…YES I do want more…send belly babe(s) NOW!!!! Please and thank you.

On another note, I am joining a little “I don’t want to be a fatty” blog club. So now you can add my weight loss tactics to your list of awesome things to read at this oh so exciting blog. And if you want to join, just click over at Pho for Five and add your name to the list…should be…well….interesting.

That's all for now.....

Jess Runkle...

Have you met our dog?? She is a girl dog with a boy’s name..Bru for short. Many members of our family have a love hate relationship with this little 10 pound ball of ADHD energy that is part cat (I swear she is at least a third feline) and will stare at a spot of light on the wall for hours. Miss Tae though has all love for Bru…part of me thinks that (at times) Tae interacts with Bru as if she were her sibling…and true to a small child’s nature likes to mildly torture our poor dog with games that seem like fun to a 4 year old….lately it has been trying to make her clothes fit the dog. After a few days of watching Bru look at me with eyes that said “RESCUE ME” as she tried to walk (and hide forever) with a sun dress tied around her neck, I made a deal with Tae that if we got Bru her own clothes…she would give the dog some much needed space…so this is what we came up with. ARRGH!!!!!

As for the title, if you ask Tae what kind of dog Bru is she will tell you she is a “Jess Runkles”….If you don’t get it…our dog is a Jack Russell…she also thinks we should get 3 more Jess Runkles…and that is just crazy talk. And, I know poor dog :( but seriously doesn’t the hat just kill you?? Too bad we can’t take her out trick or treating next Halloween…the vicious beast would try to take down a few kids…no joke…she is not friendly to strangers.

Oh Happy Day!!!.....

Let's celebrate me and all my cuteness today...OK???....And how about a little story too??...I'll have to save the story for later...we gotta get to dance people...the T is waiting.

***Update***

The birthday was great and the gifts were perfect (thanks for the gifts family)...but most of all it is just really touching to see how appreciated I am...I love birthdays because they create an opportunity for people to feel special...and while everyone should feel special more than just one day a year...it is nice to have that one day to count on. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the gifts, but the best gift is knowing you are loved and important to your friends and family....at least in my book :)

Walking Skills are Questionable...

So, this morning as I walked into work I fell up the stairs, yes you read that right UP the stairs. I was feeling very proud of myself for not smacking my face on the steps above me and for gracefully managing not to drop any of my belongings, until I looked up and noticed the conference room (which has a wall of windows over looking the lobby) was full of people. I am not sure if anyone noticed (hopefully not) but that just added insult to injury…ya know? So feeling all stupid and special I walked back to my desk to tell my coworker about my skills only to look down and see my toe was covered in blood…and maybe embarrassment isn’t my only issue here. Sister to the rescue!!!.... who gleefully poured peroxide on my wound and bandaged me up (we have some weird joy with using peroxide, our dad used it for every cut we had as kids, so we get excited being able to inflict the pain of peroxide on others…kinda sick I guess). So I hobbled back to my desk with my split toe (don’t worry I didn’t chip my polish…just split the underside) to enjoy the balloons, streamers, card and my two favorite sparkling juices (the juice was from sister and Buns of course)….Because tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY…and everyone at my office, apparently, loves me because we don’t do too much for birthdays around here. So there is a big chocolate cake in the kitchen (again from sister) waiting for me to enjoy and sister is gleefully laughing (just short of peeing her pants) at me hobbling down the hall. I received an amazing b-day gift already…someone thought I was 23 and seriously that is a great gift in my book (the belly babe thing would have trumped it but we aren’t talking about that whole issue right now)…overall (even with all the ridiculousness of my walking issues) I am having a pretty good day.

Hey and who can stay bummed for too long when you have this beautiful and hilarious girl to snuggle…or chase…Yee Haw, Ya’ll!



P.S. Thanks for the extra love :) I needed that.

As I said....

....the call of DOOM came from the woman who is incessantly my bearer of bad news. Maybe next time?....I am sad.

The Call....

I am sitting here waiting for what seems like the call of "DOOM"...but I am feeling somewhat optimistic about the results. I am not a patient person when it comes to surprises and information I really want...If I new a way to sneak into that lab and get my results...trust me I would. Since that clearly is not an option, all I can do is just sit here and wait for my results...hoping they will call and let me know I am a soon to be fat bellied girl walking around in pure joy...relishing in every pain and gripe I may feel...because I will be SO happy to feel them...don't let me down Dr. Assistant lady...if you do I might not have a very happy smile the next time we meet. And if you do not call today as PROMISED... You will be infuriating ME as well as my family...we might have to give you a little smack down....just thought you would want to be prepared.

Crafty Fun For Mama...

I am very excited to be participating in this awesome ornament exchange...you make 10 ornaments and mail them to the people in your group...then you sit back and wait for your 10 ornaments to arrive....HOW COOL. Also it is international so I have to send one of mine to Poland...I am excited to see what everyone comes up with. Husband was sweet and said "but yours will be the best, make sure you make extras for us." A big thanks to Shelba and Sister for sharing the fun with me. I wish I knew about it sooner to share the coolness, but registration is already closed for this year...Sorry.

Pricey Habit

Should I kick this habit…or do I need to start ordering in bulk…do they carry these at C*stco??? I had this idea in my head that once we achieved (this what seems like impossible pregnancy) I would keep it to myself so that I wouldn’t have to discuss if the unmentionable happened again…but then I realized…one, I already posted on here that I was starting the ovulation pills (not to mention I said I was trying to get pregnant and you all are pretty smart) and two, that if I did that I wouldn’t have anyone to fall back on. I have to say that I am not pregnant…I think the beginning of this post is a bit misleading (sorry) and I feel like I am grasping for something that is not there. I feel really bad because I know N is a little freaked out about me…he says he can see me about to burst and honestly I think I am about to. The combination of the trip to Vietnam and my personal emotions in regards to babies has really done a number on me. I am a blubbering mess that seems to be coming loose at the seams. I think I am doing a fairly good job of keeping it together…but my heart is just a mess...I can't seem to breathe. If you haven’t been to an orphanage or you haven’t at least looked at my pictures of the kids….I am sorry but you will have no idea what I am talking about. If you haven’t had an empty spot in your heart and your life…you won’t understand either. I always pride myself on what a strong person I am, sister and I are strong girls…but I am feeling defeated continually. If peeing on a stick makes me feel better…momentarily…since they always say “NO”…I am going to keep on peeing, because I need that moment, even if I feel let down in the end. While jokes are funny and I am the first to make them…this REALLY sucks!

Love this song....

It makes me smile and feel happy...reminds me of my buddy Jack :)

School Parade & Trick-or-Treat....

Every year Tae’s awesome school has a little parade for Halloween…you can see the pictures from the one last year here. She was adorable as were all the other kids...

Trick-or-Treat

Tae was really into Halloween this year; she really likes the spooky aspect and is fascinated by all the ghoulish stuff. We had the usual group for trick-or-treating and all the kiddos had a great time…especially Poppy who was having a blast scaring all the kids in his spooky mask. The little ones lasted about 3-4 blocks and Bunny went out for more. T got a decent amount of candy and has slowly forgotten about it, which is fine with me.

Poppy