My New Pad

I am moving my blog. HERE. It's still under construction. The blog roll and meta thingies on the right haven't been used yet, so they're just place holders. Anyway... whatcha think of my new pad? Update your subscriptions. If you want.

Gun Slinging Haleys

Zack attended Camp Skeeter which is something his school does for all third graders at the end of every school year. The kids fabric paint a shirt with the logo of a bug and the camp title, make things to buy in the "depot" with bucks they earn during the year for being good, and this year they also made marshmallow guns. Zack came home with the prototype, Seth wanted one, and Daddy came through with a trip to Lowe's.

In fact, we all got one! We used a pipe cutter clamp thingy to cut the long piece of pvc pipe which Josh had already purchased for a previous manly project with our neighbor John. We cut our own (except Seth... he asked for help) pipe and then put our own gun together with fittings, following Zack's model. And then Josh got out the electrical tape to decorate his and the kids followed suit. I got out the scrapbook stickers to decorate mine and Seth followed my inspiration. Any project is made better with stickers, right? Unless you're going for the military-I'll-woop-you-don't-mess-with-me look.

Here are the measurements to ours and the pics (all except Zack's... maybe he took his back to school today) so you can go make your own. Make sure all the fittings are slip style and not threaded. Also, we bought all the fittings in bags of 10... it's cheaper... and we just need another pvc pipe to make one for Zoe when she gets bigger.

• 1 straight piece at 7.25 inches, pvc pipe 1/2 inch
• 6 straight pieces at 3.25 inches, pvc pipe 1/2 inch (or you can make one longer for your forward grip like I did... mine was the last one to be cut, so I just left the extra inch or so that was leftover)
• 2 caps, 1/2 inch slip
• 2 elbows, 1/2 inch slip
• 2 tees, 1/2 inch slip

If you live in my area, Kroger is having a sale on mini marshmallows which are needed for ammo. Marshmallows as ammo... talk about an oxymoron, but those soft and seemingly harmless pellets hurt when they're blown hard by these weapons. Oh, I forgot to say how to load ammo... put a mini marshmallow in the mouth piece and then blow. Simple, yeah? You would think that you need to plug the hole going back to the back grip, but you don't need to worry. The capped end provides the pressure needed to blow the ammo out the tube that doesn't have a cap.

Another tip... push the marshmallow in a little bit so that it doesn't touch your tongue before you blow. It keeps the marshmallows from getting sticky so you can use them again and it keeps you from inhaling them accidentally so you don't choke and die.

One more tip...play outside. I'm paranoid that we have forgotten mini marshmallows in our living room. When they're wet and somebody steps on them, they are hard to get out of the carpet.

On second thought... marshmallows are nasty little buggers.

My Favorite Drink

I poured my favorite drink today and then I thought I'd take a picture of it. So in case you want to try it, here's the recipe:

1 glass (or plastic cup impersonating a glass)
lots of ice
ibc cream soda (it's caffeine-free unlike A&W)
heavy cream (yup. that's right. not half and half)

Fill glass with ice, pour cream soda over that, then float heavy cream over that. The cream sits at the top, but will get mixed in with the soda eventually (but I try to prolong the separation for as long as I can by taking slow sips). When you take a sip there's the crispy sweet of the soda mixed with the mild, fattening goodness of cream.

What a great combination... you'll have a heart attack and a diabetic coma all at once. You're welcome.

More Onesies, Burp Cloths, Etc.

First, Zoe is all better. Thanks to all you well-wishers. And I scored some chocolate at the dollar store the other day, so I'm good. I mean, Zoe thanks you for helping her get better! Actually, I got sick too, and slept most of Memorial Day while Josh and the kids slaved away in the yard. Josh calls one of the sago palms "Cousin It" and they gave him a big time hair cut. He'll probably blog about it. Anyway, I'm all better, too. By the way, did you know that Twix Java is out? As if that candy bar needed any more incentive to eat it.

Second, Sarah and I are totally addicted to the Ting Tings lately (their song "Shut Up and Let Me Go" is in an ipod commercial). We did Gwen for a while, and we still go back to her in the car, but now when I walk by Sarah's room I can hear "Imagine all the girls... ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah" blaring. Josh knows what we like and turned us on to them. But it's a good thing Sarah has him to also expose her to a variety of really great music. She eats everything up that he teaches her. She has a drum pad that she practices on, she learned a song on the ukulele, and yesterday I heard her playing the electric bass. I gotta figure out how to do the hyper text (and be cool like Juli and Angry Asian and Homemade by Jill and Josh) to link to the video he posted. **I know how to use the link button now!! Check out my girl playing her grandpa's Kamaka. (Thanks papa'!)

Now for the crafty pics...

First set has really soft yellow felt with bunnies that a friend (M) gave me in a big bag of fabric scraps she didn't want anymore. I only had a little left and I really wanted to make something the baby could touch, so I made a soft toy. B is for baby, burp, bunny or Bailey (name of the baby that is coming in October... yeah, they already got her name). Then when you flip the burp cloth or the soft toy it's a D for Daddy. (Or a q or a p... you get the idea.) The socks will probably fall apart... I didn't stitch around the hearts because the fabric is stretchy and I'm just not savvy enough on the sewing machine to do stretchy. So it's just for looks.



The next set is more of the same with some extra touches. I sewed ribbon on one edge of the fabric on the burp cloth. I made a hair bow clip with the same ribbon. And then I got an original thought for the socks. I crocheted pieces of fabric to the edge. It's really easy to crochet the edge of socks and I've seen people do it with chain stitches and beads for little girls, but beads and babies don't mix (as if pieces of fabric can't get caught in a baby's airway). I have no idea if these fabric pieces are secure enough. Who knows what will happen when they get washed. So it seems that these socks are for looks, too. I predict that the baby I made this for will have an outfit for each day of every month and year and so will only need to wear the socks once anyway... heh heh. This set has one other piece coming so I'll post it when I'm done.




And that's all the pics I have for you today.

I want to thank Josh's Grandma for buying me this sewing machine years ago... without it I would not be able to escape into a craft world. And thanks to Josh's mom for taking the time to teach me how to sew... one thing I remember is that "spit" is one of the tools of the trade. And then the German lady I took a class from when I was pregnant with my first baby... she deserves my thanks, too. She helped me learn how to make stuff from a pattern... kind of.

Now that the kids are older, I am able to help them make little sewing projects, too. Sarah made a soft bookmark out of the fabric scraps after cutting out a pattern for a shirt we're making for her. (She said, "Now I just need a book to put it in.") Who knows if we'll be able to make it through this pattern and still be related to each other. We've already had little spats just cutting out the pieces. Uh, Mom... What? I don't know if this is the right line. Did you cut it already? Just a little. Why didn't you ask me before you cut it if you weren't sure?

Baby Onesie & Matching Burp Cloths

Before Zoe monopolized my day and night by being sick, I managed to make these less-than-perfect-but-still-cute baby gifts.

I used Wonder Under to get the fabric squares ironed to the front and back of the onesie. Then I zigzag stitched around the edges.


I like the banana-butt... inspired by the onesie I bought in a store for my nephew. (Front said "I heart Mommy" and back bottom said "Mommy hearts Me".) I got the onesies from Target, they are Circo brand... much nicer than the Gerber ones. I got the cloth diapers at Target, too, and these pics were taken before I ironed/stitched some squares to the opposite end of the fabric encased end. So... they got cuter, but you'll have to use your imagination.

I'm Sick, Send Gifts

Look at this sad picture of Zoe. Her first experience of a fever and she's only four months old. Makes you want to send chocolates, huh? Anything to ease the pain... well, she'll get some eventually! It'll just be processed through the mommy milk factory first. Purely for her benefit.

My first video post on youtube!

Zoe has been eyeballing her feet for weeks. Today she managed to reach them on her own. Here's proof!

Random Events of the Day

I am recovering from the craziness of last week. I got some work done in 15 minute intervals with Zoe awake and in 30 minute intervals with her sleeping. Can't complain because she sleeps through the night... and I have stayed up in the wee hours to get work done without interruptions. Luckily, I'm past the need for that this week.

Seth is also home with us today because he had a fever yesterday, stayed home from church, and then threw up in the evening. (Thanks a lot, Nancy! We caught your flu bug.) He has been parked on the couch ever since. He slept there and woke up with a tummy ache this morning. I gave him Motrin and water and then he threw up again (in the toilet, thank the gods... the toilet gods). So... I 86'd the water. I've been giving him cups of ice and that seems to be working. I threw in a few Saltines a couple of hours ago because the poor boy hasn't eaten anything for two days. He kept it down, so I just now gave him a few more. He has had a huge dose of TV today. I'll probably keep him home one more day.

I had already offered to pick up the Kindergartners (my Seth and Susie's little boy) for this week, but had to call Susie to let her know that I couldn't today. I left messages, but wasn't able to get her, so I decided that if I didn't get a call, I would still go and get her boy rather than leave him stranded there, the last boy standing.

Right before it was time to leave, I was holding Zoe on the recliner. She was in my lap, but really on the seat and I was holding her there. All of a sudden she turned to the right and puked down the side of my arm into the corner of the seat. Eww. I cleaned that mess up and then sat her again on the recliner thinking nothing of it. The next thing I know, there is a huge fart and I'm covered in poop. She got my shirt, my shorts, the string tie on my shorts, down the front of the recliner which channeled a nice poop waterfall onto the floor ending in a yellow pool on the carpet. With two minutes to departure, I had to change and bathe the child in hyper speed mode. I finally got out the door and was relieved to find out that Susie's husband came to the rescue. Whew.

Back at home, I realized that I should take Seth and Zoe (now very sleepy) in the car to run errands. I needed to turn in Zack's Twilight Camp forms before the deadline. It's a 3-day Day Camp for Cub Scouts and they needed dates of immunizations on the medical form. While I was looking for his immunization card, I found a birthday card for my niece that I was supposed to have sent two months ago. OOoops. Karmen's birthday was in February. I was sending it late back when I put it in this particular bag... and so today I was doubly aware of needing to run errands (even with a sick boy in tow). I decided I would get my Auntie of the Year trophy out later to polish it.

Did you know that Sonic has the best Fresh Fruit Strawberry Slush? You can get them for half price during "Happy Hour" from 2-4pm. I got one today (Route 44 oz. size, of course) since I was in the car and the baby was sleeping soundly in her car seat and the timing was right in the middle of Happy Hour. I think this is the third one I've had in the last week and a half. (Timing has been good all these times!) If I was Diabetic, I would have to give these up. No amount of protein can make up for the sugar and carbs in this icy beverage that is perfect for combating the oncoming Texas heat of summer.

I'm almost done with my crocheted edge blanket. I did two burp cloths and got the first line around the blanket. It's bigger and takes longer, but once the first line is done, it goes quickly. I'm going to give it away to a friend who just had a baby girl. I could keep it for Zoe, but she's too big for it now... plus I'm really not a burp cloth kind of gal. I only use them when I remember to. Same with bibs. Zoe is a slobber monster and I noticed that I keep taking pictures of her with wet clothes. If I were to put a bib on her it wouldn't look so bad.


This picture was taken last night when I was grilling dinner. The kids were playing Sequence and were in charge of keeping her happy since I was covered in bug spray. What a happy scene I came across with them all hanging out not killing each other. The Bumbo seat was given to us by the Pyrcz Family along with a bunch of other life-saving baby things... the swing, the bouncy seat, the bungee door jamb thingy that we're too scared to use but she's still too young for anyway. We love the Pyrcz's.

I bought another huge bag of Deer Corn on the way back from Port A. My plan was to buy it on the way down (but we left too late going down) so that I could share it with Josh's mom and grandmas. Once this big bag is opened, you gotta use it or lose it... lots of critters show up in a half used bag. They don't sell it in smaller bags, but you can't go wrong with $5 bucks for a 50 pound bag. I made a bunch of Corny Bags to give as Christmas gifts last year, but you can always use more than one. I might post the instructions and poem later. I should probably get permission from Brooke since I stole the idea from her. Anyway, the bag is sitting on our dining room table waiting for me to have some time to give it some attention. Any of you locals want some? Send me a 100-page essay telling me why I should share with you. JUST KIDDING.

Gotta go. Kids need to eat.

Sunday Dress

This post goes out to Auntie Sig. She sent the dress and the shoes (one of three pairs--holy moly!) and Zoe wore them to church yesterday. This picture was taken after church since it was such a nice day. By the time I remembered to take the pictures, Zack was the only one still dressed in his church clothes, so he held her for the little shoot in our front yard.

Thank you Auntie Sig!

Getting Her Feet Wet

Here are pictures of Zoe's first time at the beach.

Grandma Niki lowered her down to the sand to stand her up, but she hiked her feet up like she didn't want to be put down. It took a few seconds to finally get her standing in it.

Josh said that the close up picture of her feet was a microcosm of her getting her feet wet in life.











p.s. don'tcha love the strawberry outfit?? it was a bday present for me from susie.

Light by Josh

My girl reprise

We did it! We introduced Zoe to her grandparents and great-grandparents on Mother's Day weekend. Here's the picture I wanted to take.

For Moms with Pre-teens

Sometimes I pick books off the shelf in the kids section of the library (I'm not a snob about what books I read) and I love going to the Book Fair at my kids' school. It's very easy to justify that you're supporting the school when you buy books there. There's also the guilt trip you give yourself about helping your kids read more and how can they do that if you don't buy them books? We do hit the library quite often, so I'm avoiding the truth that the big puppy dog eyes work on me--or more like cat eyes if you're Puss in Boots in the Shrek movies. My point is, I usually spend more than I should, but all on books--we don't do the posters and trinkets and pencils and really awesome impulse items that have no place being at a book fair.

Well, I found The Sea of Monsters at the school's book fair a couple of years ago. It looked cool and I thought Sarah would read it. She didn't. So when I decided that I would read it, I was bummed that it was Book Two of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I had to wait and get the first book from the library.

When I did get it and read it, it was pretty dang good. It had lots of action, was heavy on the sarcasm (Sarah loves reading these parts back to me and then laughing), and is an introduction to mythology. (I like Homer's books and my 9th grade English teacher, Mr. Peebles had a lot to do with that. He was such a great teacher.) After reading the first book, I moved on through the series, getting books three and four from the library also. Still, Sarah didn't read them.

And then a couple of months ago, I banned her from reading the Harry Potter and Eragon books. I think she has read all seven of the HP books at least 5 times each. She has read Eldest nine times. She lives in these books and I wanted her to expand her horizons. And I think it is working.

Desperate for something to read, Sarah finally borrowed The Lightning Thief. She then raced through the other three books, borrowing them from the library like I did. The second she read the last page of the fourth book and closed it, she began counting down the days for when the next book would be out. She acted like she was in pain because she couldn't stand to wait even another minute.

The fifth book of Rick Riordan's series came out two weeks ago (the same week as The Host--and I noticed that in my previous blog I put that it came out last week... I've been so busy that I lost a week in my internal clock... I'm jet-lagged without even leaving my own time zone) and I bought it for her along with book one, three, and four to complete her collection. Aren't I an awesome mom? Now she's reading them over and over again...

I foresee another ban in the future. If you have a kid around 11 years old who needs something to read, I highly recommend this series.

Incidentally, when I was surfing through Rick Riordan's website, I picked up on another series by Erin Hunter since he claimed that she was his son's favorite author. I also found the Inkheart series which I checked out, read and found it really creative. I couldn't get to the first of the Warrior books by Erin Hunter, so I offered to let Sarah read it first. She surprised me by reading Into the Wild even though I suggested she read it.

We went online and requested the next two books through our library and she can't wait. Again.

I Read The Host

I really enjoyed this book by Stephenie Meyer. I'm not going to really review it because I don't want to give anything away. I just wanted you to know that I read it... nah nuh nah nuh nah naaah! The book came out last week, I got it a couple of days later and didn't put it down until I finished it the next morning.

This did feel different from the Twilight series, so go get it! Unless you already did... tell me what you thought!

Creative Juices

I'm back on deadline with my day job and all I want to do is make stuff. Several of my friends are expecting, and in my internet wave riding adventures, I found Jill. She posts her creative projects a la Martha Stewart on her blog and I just love her style. I want to make dolls (even though I don't particularly care for dolls and cut the hair off all my Barbies when I was a little girl), burp cloths, and cloth baby shoes. (All of these are on Jill's blog... I've added her to my faves, so check her out.)

In addition to the projects of my new virtual BFF (whether she likes it or not) I'm crocheting the edges of blankets and burp cloths. The proper way to get the holes around the edges is made by a hemstitching machine—a very rare and very expensive machine. You can send your fabric off to someone who owns one of these machines and they'll send it back with perfect holes perfect for crocheting. I paid just over three bucks for a winged needle and have developed my own process of zigzag stitching and crocheting in the holes made by the winged needle. It requires a little more umph to get the needle through the hole, but I think I like the results. I'd rather pay in sweat than dollars. I'll add a picture so you can steal the idea from me and get your own creative juices flowing. Then we can neglect our day jobs together...
Oh snap! I probably should watch what I write because I got a call from my boss today and she announced that she had read my blog. Well, maybe that was just a one time thing since it was a post dedicated to her... anyway, I'm getting off right. now. to. go. get. some. work. done. yeah. that's right.

Feliz Cinco De Mayo

I actually made enchiladas for dinner tonight. I didn't do it on purpose... we just happened to have all the ingredients for it and then while I was making them Sarah said, "Cinco de mayo food?" and I was like, "Yeaaahhhh."

We also thought about "Auntie Lana" (who I like to call Lana Lang) since it's her birthday. Happy Birthday Lana!!

Hasta.

Free Hugs

If you have been to josh's blog lately you will have noticed his infatuation with the Sick Puppies (it's not just all about Emma Anzai and how she rocks the bass and goes off on stage and how she really is a very accomplished bass player). He drove to Austin with his buddy to see them in concert (and not just take a picture with the band and then cut everybody out except for him and EA and then write Josh hearts Emma all over the dang place) and came back with a t-shirt for me sporting the "Free Hugs" sign on the front. If you're confused... I'll post a link to the video. Long story short... Sick Puppies recorded a song for a dude holding a "Free Hugs" sign. It's actually very cool.

So I went to the mall on Saturday wearing my "Free Hugs" t-shirt in public for the first time.

Hang on, first let me give you a little background. The first time I put on this shirt, Zoe splashed me with spit-up. The second time I put it on, I splashed oil on it and immediately had to take it off and hand wash it so it wouldn't stain. And the third time I put it on was Saturday. Josh said, "Be careful, you might get hugged wearing that shirt."

Lo and behold, I'm walking through the mall pushing a stroller with the three older kids in tow, and I glance up and the most unusually dressed person steps in front of me with arms spread wide. It took me a split second to realize what was happening and with a big smile I said, "Do you want a hug?" So I did! I hugged the guy with spiked hair that I wasn't sure was a guy or girl. This wasn't just a lean forward-barely-touch-and-then-lightly-tap-his-back kind of hug. I hugged him the way I would a good friend, and we held it long enough for it to be heartfelt and before it got too creepy. And then I simply continued walking without looking back. I was laughing and incredulous that someone actually got my shirt. My kids must have thought I was nuts.

Later, Zack reflected my own thoughts by saying, "Was that a guy or a girl?" Sarah said, "It was a guy! Of course it was a guy!" and Seth said, "With spikey hair." So that's all I remember about the encounter. Sarah said that he worked there because of the logo he had on the front and back of his shirt. I'll have to ask my friend Julie if the description fits anyone she knows since she works there, too.

Well, here's my picture wearing the shirt on the same day I got my first hug (because there may just be many more encounters in my future, who knows?), laugh it up, watch the vid and tell me what you think!

My girl, my girl... talkin' 'bout my girl...

Eleven years ago I was pretty much doing the same thing I am right now... taking care of a squishy, yummy girl who has my nose. Get a load of this picture which was taken on Mother's Day 1997 by my mother-in-law on the lanai at her house on the island of O'ahu in Hawaii Kai, Hawaii. (~Conjunction junction, what's your function?~) Note the dress Sarah is wearing. I still have it and am going to put it on Zoe on Mother's Day this year. Hopefully, we'll be on another island, this time in the Gulf of Mexico, introducing Zoe to her grandparents and great-grandparents. This blog post, however is dedicated to my Sarah. I realize that she deserves some praise (and because I am usually only posting stuff about Zoe) in light of recent events.

Sarah came home yesterday and casually told us that she scored 100% on the Math TAKS test. Josh praised her saying she should have been yelling that the moment she walked in the door. She has gotten that score before on a TAKS test, but not in Math. It must have been in Language Arts. She also came in the top 5 out of about 20 kids in the Math Olympiad program at her school which enabled her to be on the Math Olympiad Team representing her school in a competition between 11 schools which took place yesterday. They came in 3rd place. Woo hoo!

So we took the family to Cold Stone for some ice cream in her honor. More importantly, when Sarah wanted a chocolate-dipped waffle bowl, we let her get it. And then she shared pieces of it with her brothers. She is usually pretty generous with them (unless they're touching her stuff). I was really proud of her.

I think we'll keep her.

P.S. This is a late post... was 'sposed to go on Friday, April 25 so these events actually took place on Thursday, April 24.

Hanging with the Boss

My boss took me to lunch today. She came all the way out from California! Well, not just to see me... she's actually in the Houston area on vacation with her husband and another couple. Still, it made me feel good that she made the time to come and see me and Zoe. There were added benefits, too, because my house hasn't been this clean in weeks! I turn into a clean freak when company is coming.

As part of my need to make my boss welcome, I finally took the newspapers to the school to put in their recycling bins (with Sarah's help). The school gets credit, we feel good about saving the Earth, and everybody's happy. Only the newspapers have to take over a good portion of my kitchen before I get to that point. I'm almost de-sensitized to their presence because I hardly recognize the new space I'm living in now that they're gone and I wonder how I could have ever let it go on and on like that. Anyway, Happy Belated Earth Day.

Back to the subject of my boss... she is one of the most generous people I know. She treats her employees like family (in which case, I could have left the house alone because when you're family, you're not company, therefore, my clean-freak switch is not flipped to full capacity). The bonuses at Christmas and birthdays and sometimes just because have always seemed to me to come at just the right time. I love that she has been an instrument in the hands of God and an answer to my prayers countless times--whether she knows it or not. I appreciate her as a woman in the world today who owns her own company, but family has always come first. She is also very laid back. Her company keeps growing, but she never stresses anybody out with demands or expectations. She leaves people to their work and it all gets done. And if it's less than perfect? Well, there's always next month to do better. Once, I asked for a raise--it took me ten minutes to get the words out and a split second for her to say yes. My boss is everyone's fantasy boss.

Oh, and I know she doesn't read my blog, so this isn't a kiss up... she never read any of my reviews that I wrote for her company, so why start? She said she knew I was doing a good job because when I was writing the reviews she didn't hear any complaints about the reviews which was not the case before I got the job. October will be my 10 year anniversary with them. It has been the best temporal job ever.

(The best job ever is motherhood.)

Zack the Photographer

On Saturday, April 12, Zack and I went to a baptism together. I let him be in charge of the camera and he took a lot of shots of everything, but I wanted to post my favorites he took of Zoe. She is everybody's muse.

Stress Management

Got this in an email from a friend. I thought it would make a good post. If you don't want to read all of this, just look at the picture of Zoe. She takes stress away very nicely... just by looking at her.

This was excellent description of stress, and then wisdom to cope with it.
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked ‘How heavy is this glass of water?’

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

The lecturer replied, ‘The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.’

He continued, ‘And that’s the way it is with stress management. ‘If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work/life down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you’ve rested.’

Life is short. Enjoy!

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
1. Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4. Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
5. If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
6. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8. Never buy a car you can’t push.
9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
10. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
11. Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12. The second mouse gets the cheese.
13. When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
15. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
16. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
17. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp,some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they al l have to live in the same box.
18. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Jumping Jumperoo

Zoe inherited a Jumperoo from Susie! Life is made a little bit easier with this dealy. You can pop baby in there for a break from holding her and that gives you about 10-15 minutes before she starts to squawk. It has come in handy a lot in the few days that we've had it. In the mornings, when she's extra happy, she smiles at the toys like they're her long lost friends. She can't actually grab them yet, but she goes cross-eyed trying to.

She is really concentrating hard on her hands lately. She's at the age when she's starting to realize that their hers and she controls them. She hasn't mastered them yet and she will not untuck the thumb. The kids crack up watching her suck on her wrist, arms, and untucked thumb (with the other four fingers covering her nose and poking her eyes). I have started to put a bib on her because of all the slobber she produces. If she weren't a baby it'd be really gross.

I'm patiently waiting for the day when she finds her thumb because she will not take a pacifier. She gets this look like, "Oh, no, you didn't." She tries to push it out and if you persist, she gets really mad. I've given up because the little rubber things do not live up to their name in Zoe's case.

She is a really good baby and I don't have much to complain about. During the day her feedings can be at 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-hour intervals, but at night, once she goes down... she's pretty much zonked until morning. Sometimes she throws me for a loop and wakes up at 4am, but I just nurse her in the bed and she goes back to sleep. It does make daytime work on my computer a challenge, especially since my desk is right in the room with her, but so far, I've had miracles happen each month... I don't know how it all gets done, but it does.

Speaking of work... I should go get some done. One relief of the to-do list that I have to mention in parting is that Josh and I finished our taxes this past weekend. Oh, yeah! It was the first time doing it together and we nearly failed before we began, but we did it -- all pau, done, finished -- and we are still married.

'Sup Peeps!

Wow... sorry to make you wait a whole month for another post. People were starting to get on me about it--you know who you are--but now I have lots to write about!

First off, Josh tapped a gas line. Not in the way you would think (for those of you who know Josh) but an actual gas line to our house. He had help and motivation from his friend John Kendrick. John lives down the street and is always outside in his garage making something. (His latest: a canoe. Seriously.) They dug a trench, accidentally cut the internet cable (which Josh totally fixed, upping his sexy geek image in my eyes), and even welded copper pipe. I'm sure Josh will blog about it, but just so you know, it's good to have a John... he wants to tackle changing the joints on Josh's truck next. It's like over $1000 to get it done at our local automotive place, but John thinks all you need is a manual, tools, and some parts for a few hundred bucks. Go for it, John!

Now we have a natural gas grill in our backyard. We bought it for way cheap, already assembled from Lowe's without knowing that it was a natural gas grill. It was funny when we brought it home, dropped our jaws when we realized this, did some reasearch and discovered that our really great deal was going to cost another $800 in order to get used. I'm really glad that it never came to that since we have a John... and now we are able to grill dinner at least once a week. Woo hoo! I like carcinogens.

Next on my list of things to tell you, the boys finally got haircuts. I took them to Walmart after Sarah insisted that there was a salon there. Sometimes our brains can be so selective in what they remember, and I just couldn't picture it. So we went... and there it was, at the front entrance like always and the boys were stoked. It's not Snip-Its, but it will work. Zack is particularly vain about his hair and he really liked the short back and sides when he was done. Seth liked it, too, and kept getting called baby. The funny thing about getting their hair done there was listening to the hairstylists--all black ladies--tell their stories. I felt like we were in an Eddie Murphy movie. When we first got there they were yelling back and forth to each other, "What's the baby's name?" "Seth!" "What's the baby's name?" "SETH!" I had written my name with a two on the waiting list and they were trying to write in the boys' actual names. And when they started to cut hair, one lady would stop cutting to put her two cents into the conversation. Man, it took us a while to get out of there!

So the boys looked good on my birthday week. I got new nursing bras on my birthday. I went to the mall because JC Penney's has the best selection and I was happy to see that there was a bra sale going on. All of my kids (except sleeping Zoe in her stroller) were beside themselves when they found that I had dragged them to the lingerie department. The groans were felt before they erupted from their mouths, but I had a helpful girl that helped me get what I wanted and checked out in record timing. We were out of there quickly and headed for Bath and Body Works for some anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, and there was a sale there, too! Lucky me! I was born on St. Patrick's Day, afterall. I got Coconut Lime Verbena and Tropical Passionfruit--both are green! Josh met up with us and we hit Target before making it home for him to make dinner for me... what else? Corned beef and cabbage. It was a nice way to end my actual birthday, but my birthday week didn't stop there. I also got surprised with a rootbeer/cream soda float dessert night, time shopping for clothes by myself (and sleeping Zoe in her stroller), and a virus on my computer.

The virus on my computer was a blessing in disguise. Josh helped me kill it by reformatting my c drive. Then he painstakingly reinstalled all the programs that I need for work. It's so nice to have a geek husband. I highly recommend them.

Speaking of marriage... Josh gave a great talk last Sunday. He quoted his mom, he got choked up several times, and he talked about when he first resonated with me. All good stuff. I love my husband.

Last Sunday we also said goodbye to Nana 'Nita and Auntie Chole (pronounced cole-ee, short for Nichole). Nana 'Nita was able to come from Wednesday to Sunday. She brought her famous empanadas for Josh, made Chamorro Corn Soup (made with chicken and coconut milk and, of course, corn), Beef Cudo (included swiss chard that Sarah brought home from the fifth grade garden at school), and was constantly doing the dishes. She even swept and mopped the bathroom floors and cleaned the toilets. I kept telling her to stop, but she was determined to help me since she says that I do too much. I even got a massage sitting at my computer trying to finish my work. This all in addition to taking care of baby. Zoe is the main reason she came in the first place. She did spend time getting to know the bigger kids, too. We love Nana 'Nita!

My single, jet-setter sister, Nichole, didn't come until late Friday night from New York City. We took the kids to pick her up from the airport and take her to the car rental place. Then we had a short panic drive through the woods around Bush Airport before finally making it to her hotel. She insisted on staying in a hotel and getting a car since it came in a package. Nana 'Nita stayed with her. And while we normally would have loved to go in to jump on the beds in their room, the kids were all crashed out.

We met up the next day for a reconnaissance* trip to the Galleria (an underground mall near downtown Houston complete with ice skating rink). There are lots of upscale shops at the Galleria and walking into Neiman-Marcus from the parking lot was like going through an incredible shrinking machine. I felt really intimidated by my surroundings at first, and then I remembered who I was and that the place was a living example of Lehi's dream of the great and spacious building with no foundation. Then it became comical... walking through the make-up and fragrance department to get out and into the mall... there were more employees than customers dressed up in striking suits and flawless make-up... I even saw a GUY with about a pound of make up on. He wore a black suit with a black shirt and black tie. It all worked in that setting, but taken out of context to say, the real world, it was just funny.

*Before I ramble on and forget to tell you why we were there... let me explain my sister's job. She works for J. Crew's art department as an assistant to a fashion designer. Everything in the store now she has seen a year before it came out. Her boss, an ex-model, circles stuff out of high fashion magazines and tells Nichole to go buy them. Thousands of dollars later and having visited all the top fashion stores in New York City, my sis completes the mission. This is my wide-eyed view of what she does, and if I'm wrong, please correct me in a comment! Lately, however, she has been entrusted with choosing the music for the J. Crew stores. This is HUGE. So we were there to listen to what stores were playing what and visit the J. Crew store at the Galleria. Josh bought a J. Crew bracelet for Sarah while we were there. Zoe decided she wasn't interested in sleeping in the stroller and wanted to nurse (and she usually gets what she wants). Seth heely-ed all over the place and Zack did back rolls over a cushioned bench.

And then we were done. It went so fast... we hardly ever go to the Galleria unless we have out-of-town visitors, and there really isn't much point in hanging out there when the thought of spending $8000 on a hand bag makes you want to cough up a lung. So we did the one thing Nichole wanted to do while in Texas... we went out for Texas BBQ. Completely satiated, we went home with leftovers and spent the rest of the day playing Wii. We discovered that Nana 'Nita really likes to bowl, Auntie Chole digs Guitar Hero, and that we are not the only ones that think the racing cow game on Wii Play is hilarious. We also nailed Nana 'Nita's Mii. It looks just like her.

We were sad to see them go, but it was a really great visit. Thanks for coming Nana 'Nita and Auntie Chole! We'll have to see if we can make it to California to see Tata and Uncle Rob's new baby, Devon. I like to call him Little Devo... like the band.

That leaves this last week for me to catch you up on... let's see... my allergies have really brought me down. I am coughing so much that I was unable to go on Seth's field trip on Friday. It would have been nice to go with him to the Children's Museum of Houston, but I prefer to hack away in private. When I'm up on my meds it's not so bad except for the occasional episode, and it only takes one of those in public to make you wish you had stayed home. So I did. Seth was mostly bummed that Zoe wouldn't be there. He got over it, though.

Yesterday we watched General Conference. It's the first one since President Hinckley died, so we tried to instill in the children the excitement of having a whole new prophet and presidency of the Church. Thomas S. Monson is the new president of the Church and prophet. His counselors are favorites with me already. I saw Henry B. Eyering at a stake meeting in CA back when we lived there. He is an especially tender hearted man when he speaks and very powerful with words. Dieter F. Uchtdorf is new to the Quorum of the Twelve, but memorable and very charismatic. How I am able to love these three men can only be explained by the way the Spirit touches my heart when I hear them speak. I will probably blog more on my impressions of Conference later after hearing the rest of the sessions today.

Before I close, I have to make mention of Subway. We've recently moved from Whataburger to Subway in our Saturday outings/slam tournaments. Right now any footlong sub is $5. We were there for a couple of hours last night drinking unlimited soda and playing slam. Sarah ended Daddy's winning streak--go Sarah, go Sarah, it's your birthday!

And Zoe slept in her stroller.

Strawberry Shortcake

Here's Zoe in the strawberry outfit that Auntie Kristen sent. I LOVE it! You know me and strawberries. It's hard to find cute strawberry stuff. I didn't think this outfit would be as cute as it is on her... comes with butt ruffle and strawberries all over. Why do I like it so much? It must be her personality. Nah, that can't be it!

For the last couple of days all I've done is hold her. She won't let me put her down for more than an hour, but usually only a half hour. The night before last I brought her to bed with me because I was so tired. She slept like a champ, and then I couldn't put her in her own bed last night either. I've started the trend that all my babies ended up taking. You know, the trend when you start wondering why in the world you spent money on a baby bed when they don't sleep in it?

This morning I was really desperate for a shower, so I popped her in front of the TV. Yes! I'm corrupting my child at 7.5 weeks old! The evil mommy habits are starting already. She was vibrating away watching Elmo's World so I left her there and got cleaned up. When I came back she was asleep. Woo hoo!! That lasted about 10 minutes.

So I picked her up and she had a poop that was a 6.3 on the richter scale. I had to change her clothes and everything. Then I held her some more, but I needed to type an email response so I put her on my bed for a minute. She voiced her disapproval of that arrangement, but when I was about to get up and get her again, I turned around and saw that she was asleep. This is how I'm able to blog... we'll see how long this lasts.

Woops, not long... there she goes again. By the way, the pumpkin hat is something Seth has been dying to put on her and I finally gave in.

Knight Rider

OK, so I've been mentally gathering material for blogs and now it's all coming out since I've finished my last calendar for the month... doesn't mean I don't have other things to do, it's just that none of it is due today. Oh, and baby happens to be asleep. I don't think I've ever posted more than two times in one day. Just consider your coupon tripled.

Josh and I watched the pilot for the new Knight Rider series last week sometime. I used to watch this every week back when David Hasselhoff was hot. Only we didn't say he was hot. We probably said he was "bitchen" or something totally 80's. I was 12 when it came out and could recognize the predictability of it... I was mature enough to know that a talking car that always wins would get old someday. My brother, Robert, was 8 (my Zack's age) and he loved Knight Rider more than air. I bet him $5 that by the time he was 16 he wouldn't love Knight Rider anymore, but he ruffled with indignation at the thought that such a thing could ever occur and declared "I will always love Knight Rider!" Of course, he turned 16, lost interest in KITT and Michael Knight, conveniently forgot the bet and I never got my $5.

So naturally, when I heard the theme music start on the new and improved Knight Rider, I thought of my brother. I liked that they didn't change the theme music, but only updated it a little. I also like that it's a continuation of the original show with lots of references to "25 years ago". And it really was 25 years ago when this show first aired... and I never thought I would reach a point where 25 years would fit in my life span. I can actually say, "I was there 25 years ago!" It doesn't make me feel old, it makes me feel accomplished! I've reached a milestone.

The new driver, Justin Bruening, is kinda hot... I could watch this show to see him in action--even though the predictability is still there. I really like the voice of KITT. And I like the new mustang diggs they've made KITT into. Mustangs rule Trans Ams any day. I thought the love interest was kind of eyeliddy... you know what I mean? She's like Clay Aiken with the slow blinking in her acting. It's kind of irritating.

Are there any Knight Rider fans out there? Anybody see the new Knight Rider and want to comment?

Zoe in Action

Here's footage of Zoe (at 6 weeks - meant to do this last Saturday) hanging out with Medo (Croatian for "bear" and named by Auntie Maria who is from Zagreb). She sneezes, she kicks, she punches, she makes baby sounds, she fusses. I tried to get her to do the sky diving pose she does when she's on her tummy, but it didn't get off the ground.

Blessing Baby

We are blessing baby Zoe on Sunday, March 2. (At 2:30pm, come if you can!)

Monday was Family Home Evening and I gave a lesson about the importance of names. We read the accounts of how John the Baptist and Jesus received their names (Luke 1:5-14, 26-33). Names are important to Heavenly Father. I asked who should bless the baby and why is it like Jesus blessing the children in Mark 10:16. Zack said that Daddy was going to bless Zoe. Sarah said it was because he has the Melchizedek Priesthood. So I pointed out that this was the same authority that Jesus used when he blessed the children. Priesthood holders still need to keep their lives clean and pure to be able to use this authority... they have to be worthy, and I said how grateful I was that their Daddy blessed each one of them. I told how I cried at each of their blessings because it was such a sacred and important event. I told them to pay attention to the feelings they have when Zoe is blessed next week.

We talked about their names and how they received them and why, and then we let them look at some baby pictures of themselves. They really liked seeing themselves as the baby--totally different perspective with Zoe in our lives now. Seth especially was carrying the pictures around with him until it was time to eat dinner. Zack's pictures were of him just weeks old on the day he was blessed. He was blessed the youngest since we had so much family and friends in town, we decided to do it while everyone was there. What a great day that was.

Then, I let them help decide what Zoe should wear. I showed them Sarah's blessing dress that Grandma Niki bought 11 years ago which looks like a traditional Catholic christening dress, a cute pink dress with tiny black polka dots that the Bowens gave us because it was so cute Brooke couldn't resist it, and later (after I dug it out of a box in the attic) I showed them a white cotton dress of Sarah's that I bought for her blessing day.

Even though babies don't have to wear white for their blessing day, a lot of people still do it. There's like a cultural pressure to do it. The rebel in me wants to put Zoe in the pink dress, and as cute as it is, Josh thinks the dots might make the dress irreverent/too casual for this big event. I could go the sentimental route and use the same dress Sarah was blessed in, but it's a big fancy white dress and not rebellious at all. Then there's the simple white cotton dress with emboidered flowers. It's kind of a mix because there are colored flowers and a pink scalloped edge on the collar, but it's still white to appease the cultural demand. It happens to be everybody's favorite, but this is not a democracy... Josh says I get final say no matter what everybody wants... so what do you think I should do? Let's hear your words of advice and opinions on the matter.

Girls' Night Out -- Oh Yeah!

All my California friends went out to see 27 Dresses for a girls' night out weeks ago. I was so bummed that I couldn't go with them, but I kept my "Debbie Downer" negative comments to myself. I think I even wished them a happy day. I didn't want to ruin the perfect happiness of my girlfriends by throwing out a guilt trip for my being in Texas. It's not like their lives have to be morose or stop completely just because I'm not there. And now I can happily report that I've seen 27 Dresses with a couple of girlfriends! No one need pity me! (Read: I no longer feel sorry for myself!)

Susie's sister Nancy came from Utah for a visit, and last night we went to see the movie--just us girls (and my Zoe). It was fun to meet Nancy in person--she's way cool, but I already knew that from reading her blog. Anyone who can have six kids (which include an adorable Downs Syndrome boy and a set of twins) and still have their sanity intact is way up there on my list of cool people to know.

We all enjoyed the movie... it was the perfect chick flick. No matter what the critics say about the lack of originality in the script, it was way fun to watch. Girls just wanna have fun! We're not thinking about how smart the script is. I loved the bar scene (when Jane goes "outside" to unleash obscenities in one big breath), the yoga scene (where sidekick homegirl gets to show her true colors and make us laugh), and when homeboy admits that he cried at a wedding. Benny and the Jets was hilarious, too--talk about the perfect song to muck up the lyrics to. Who even knows what the heck Elton John is singing about in that song anyway? Be honest... if you know without googling it, do tell.

Zoe slept through the whole movie. She's a big one-month-old and I was a little worried about how she would do, but she slept in my arms through the loud movie, bouncing up and down when I laughed, and merely fluttering her eyelids during the baby crying sounds in the commercial where they politely tell you to keep quiet during the movie. I was very happy that I didn't have to bust it out during the movie. She waited until we got home before making me pay the full price of going out (read on).

After the movie, we went out for appetizers and dessert. I got fried mushrooms, fried cheese, and fried twinkies. I think I'm good on the fried food for a while. Susie and Nancy got "Death by Chocolate" which reminded me of the Mud Pie from a Kaneohe, Hawaii restaurant... (the Chart House? I can't remember the name.) The Mud Pie had an Oreo cookie crust, a layer of Kona Coffee Ice Cream, a layer of Chocolate Mac Nut Ice Cream, then a thick layer of hot fudge over the top. The slice ended up being five inches tall... it was glorious. Well, I think Nancy was trying to hit all her old haunts and the dessert wasn't like she remembered it. It had an Oreo cookie crust, one giant layer of Rocky Road Ice Cream, and a thick layer of Magic Shell chocolate over the top. Susie agreed that they had changed something and it wasn't as good.

Before we left, I took Zoe to the bathroom for a diaper change and she got to use the Koala changing table thingy for the first time. She looked like she was digging it. It was fun being "out on the town". I even carried her in her car seat. Technically, I'm supposed to wait one more week, but I didn't feel any pain at the time. Today, however, is a different story. I'm so sore! Zoe's amazing adventures last night didn't help, either.

We got home around 10:20pm. Guess what time Zoe went to sleep? 3:40 in the frickin morning! She was so exhausted that she slept for 8 hours... hallelujah, right? Wrong. Sleeping 8 hours is great when it's like from midnight to 8am. That would have me singing with the choirs of angels, but getting up at noon is not something to get excited about. Plus, my boobs were like rocks. I had to wake her up to save me... and it hurt when she finally did wake up and get latched on. I had to purposefully tell myself to relax my arms when I was feeding her... my arms were clenched so tight. Normally, these days, nursing doesn't hurt much at all. We just have to stay on a regular schedule and I will make it through OK.

So I hit the Tylenol today to cope. Zoe is sleeping soundly at the moment. She slept earlier so that I could clean the fridge, and now I have to go finish the job. There's nothing like splashed soda all over the inside of your fridge to motivate you to clean out the entire thing with soapy warm water.

Man! It's dinner time and I haven't had lunch yet.

Daddies Make the Best Beds

I'm not talking about a male person with progeny putting sheets and blankets on a bed in a pleasing manner. I'm talking about the progeny sleeping peacefully for hours on said male person in a blissfully comatose state. The picture says it all...

Zoe is doing very well and having lots of firsts this weekend.

Friday night she had her first viewing of Avatar The Last Air Bender... well, we watched and she did what babies do... eat, burp, poop, sleep, repeat... but we noted her presence and congratulated her on being in our family for Avatar night. We are in the final book of the series, so she is coming in late, but we'll happily watch it again with her from the pilot... we love this show!

On Saturday, she experienced her first trip to our neighborhood Whataburger (Texas fast food chain that started in Corpus Christi)... she slept in her carseat while we mourned the loss of our regular table which is now too small because we have added a Zoe to our family. So we ate our burgers and fries at a new table on the other side of the restaurant. Nobody remembered to bring the cards, so we learned a new game from Sarah and Zack (the two have wildly different versions of the same game) called Chopsticks. You use just your fingers, so you can always have this game "handy" wherever you go. It has been our family tradition for the last year or so to go to Whataburger to play cards, eat and drink copious amounts of free refill soda... Josh started it. We have begun to see the fruits of our labor because there was a lady eating by herself who struck up a conversation with us. She first asked how old the baby was, then if all the children were mine, and then she said that our children were so well behaved. Way cool... and very successful night out. Of course, right after she left is when the beatings began.

And today, Zoe went to church for the first time. It was my first time in five weeks, but a whole new ball of stimulation for Zoe. She ate before we left, but stayed awake when we got there. She noticed the ceilings, made grunting noises during the opening prayer, cried during the sacrament talks, and was quiet when I took her to the foyer. It makes me think she's 4 weeks going on 13 years of age. I voluntarily held her for most of the time and ultimately had to feed her again, but she still did not sleep. Josh wanted to keep her with him while I went to Primary, and I thought he was very brave because Zoe was fussing a little and still wide awake. I later found them parked in the foyer... Daddy being his best tempurpedic self.