Slice of Mommyhood

Big Loser

2012-01-04T16:16:00.006-06:00

A year ago, I started a journey towards a healthier me. It was hard at first, getting into the groove of working out on a regular basis when I had basically been a couch potato for the majority of my life. After hitting the gym and not seeing a lot of results, I knew I needed to make another change; this time, to my diet. I went through a healthy lifestyles program with my husband, and worked very hard to change the way we eat, and not on a short term basis. The changes we made were changes we knew we had to make for the long haul if we wanted to be healthier. Everything was going great...until early June...

The company my husband worked for was purchased by a larger company. Thankfully, he was offered another job at the larger company, but the new position meant a change in schedules for both of us. Mr. Morning-Person, who happily went to work at 6am in order to get off in time to pick our kids up from school, had to move to a regular 8a-5p schedule, leaving me, Mrs. Not-A-Morning-Person-In-The-Slightest, to have to make the change to 6am-3pm. Due to this change, I started slipping on my workouts. In May last year, I was right in the middle of running a Couch to 5k program. Once I completed the program and ran my first 5k on July 4, I couldn't muster up the desire to run any farther than that. So, I just quit.

With the switch to mornings came the craving for caffeine in order to keep my eyes open at my desk, which meant back-sliding back into a Pepsi habit I thought I'd kicked.

Now that I've been on my new schedule for 6 months, it doesn't feel like getting my butt out of bed every morning is any easier, but I am much more well-adjusted to it than I was. I started training for my first half-marathon, which will take place in April. And I entered a Biggest Loser type contest. Weigh-ins are on Mondays, with cash prizes awarded weekly and a big cash prize awarded at the end. What could be a better motivator than cash money? Here's hoping that the fifth set of pictures I add to the one above will have me with a lower weight than pictures 3 and 4.

Check back here often, as I hope to post at least weekly updates about my progress.

Starting a New Decade

2011-12-07T17:07:00.003-06:00

Today marks the beginning of a new era for me...an era of no longer being in my twenties.

While it may feel strange that my age now starts with a 3 instead of a 2, I really don't think I'll notice that much difference between the 2 decades.

For every single year of my twenties, I was a wife to my awesome husband. I became a mother at age 20, so I've been wearing that hat for the past decade as well. I also started working at my current place of employment at age 20.

Barring any major upheavals/catastrophes, these three things will remain true for my next decade on earth as well.

I'll still be completely head over heels in love with my wonderful husband.

I'll still be mom to my three great sons (even though by the end of my 30's I'll have one in *GULP* COLLEGE! How freakin' crazy does that sound???).

And I will still work for the same hospital, though I am hoping that I will continue to move up to new positions as the years go by.

The Bucket List of my 30's

-------------------------------

* Run at least 1 half-marathon

* Run at least 1 full-marathon

* Complete at least 1 triathlon

* Get my Master's degree in healthcare administration

* Reach and maintain my goal weight (140 lbs...50 lbs to go)

* Do not get admitted to a mental facility for incurable incessant worrying when my 3 sons get their driver's licenses (You might just want to avoid me in 2018, 2020, and 2021...)

* Get baptized...I know I did this when I was 8, but I feel very strongly that I want to make that public commitment again because I don't believe I fully grasped at the time what I was committing my life to and, more importantly, I don't feel I fully grasped the unmatchable sacrifice that Jesus made for me. I want to make this declaration again, knowing what I know now.

I can't say I will feel this comfortable with turning 40 in 10 years, but for now, my 30's sound pretty darn awesome.

Now I'm going to spend my birthday evening eating pork fried rice and tempura vegetables that my husband cooked for me, followed by a couple of rounds of Uno with the boys.

Dinner with a Side of History

2011-08-22T18:22:00.003-05:00

Tonight at dinner, instead of giving in to the kids insisting on watching something on TV, we left the TV off and started a conversation.

Me: What did you study at school today?

Cutie Pie: We learned about Lewis and Clark.

Me: You did? What did you learn about Lewis and Clark?

Hubby: (Correcting me.) Lois and Clark.

Me: What?

Hubby: LOIS and Clark. (Blank stare from me.) I think it was Lois and Clark...

Me: No, dear, that's Superman.

Hubby: Oh...oops.

Me: (To Hubby) I'm totally blogging about this later. (To Cutie Pie) Please continue.

Cutie Pie: Lewis and Clark set out to find...

Pot Pie: (interrupting) SUPERMAN!

(Laughter from everyone.)

Me: Please continue.

Cutie Pie: Lewis and Clark were two explorers who...

Pot Pie: Peed their pants!!!

(More laughter.)

Me: Please continue. Pot Pie, no more interruptions.

Cutie Pie: Lewis and Clark were two explorers who were sent by Thomas Jefferson to see about reaching the Pacific coast. They had a Native American guide named Sacagawea.

Hubby: Wasn't she an Indian Princess?

Me: I think you're thinking of Pocahontas, sweetheart...

I love having these conversations with the boys as a family. I look forward to every day, asking them what they learned at school. Even though they usually answer "Nothing.", I know they are learning because our conversations are becoming much more informed, much more opinionated. I hope to be able to challenge their thoughts as long as I can, until they are smarter than I am. Then maybe I'll learn a thing or two.

Speaking Of Baptism...

2011-07-21T20:45:00.004-05:00

Tonight at dinner, it was me and the 2 younger pies. We sat at our favorite restaurant and had a wonderful discussion about whatever crossed their minds.

Pot Pie: "When can I get baptized?"

Knowing that in their church camp and VBS this is something that is discussed a lot, it didn't surprise me that this is what they decided to talk about.

Me: Anytime you want. You just have to proclaim that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and believe it with all your heart.

Pot Pie: And you have to know one thing about Jesus...like....Jesus died for our sins!

Pumpkin Pie: Well...(if you have never heard Pumpkin Pie say well, you must...he drags it out with a little baby Southern drawl. It sounds like "whaaaaale"...it's hilariously precious)... He can touch power lines. That is one thing I know about Jesus.

Me: Well, Nothing is impossible for Jesus...this is true...

Pot Pie: Who will baptize us?

Me: Our Pastor, Deron. You know, Seth's dad. Or Ethan's dad, Brian. He is a pastor.

Pumpkin Pie: (in complete shock) He passed away!?!?!

Me: NO! No, he didn't pass away. He's a PAST-OR! He's the pastor at Center Cross.

This led into an entirely different and much more somber discussion about heaven. I wish I knew all the answers to their questions. Pot Pie wants to go to heaven, but he is very concerned because he knows (barring some tragic accident) we won't all go to heaven at the same time and he doesn't want to be separated from mommy and daddy. I try to reassure him that being separated is something he won't have to worry about for a long time, but his tears brought tears of my own. Praying and searching for guidance are high on the to do list now.

Headboard - Before and After

2011-07-08T08:50:00.004-05:00

I am on currently vacation for 2 weeks, which means I have a little extra time to clean and organize, as well as take care of a few projects I have been wanting to do around the house. One such project is the headboard in our bedroom. Here is a before picture:
At the time when we built it, we wanted something functional that we could put our glasses and our phones at night that was in reach (since I have to check my email just one more time before I close my eyes each night...) But as we lived with it, functional was no longer fitting into what I considered nice to look at.

Now, the after:

We had a ton of fence pickets left over from when we added our backyard fence a few years ago. I've tried to think of different projects to do with them, but never really thought about using them for a new headboard until I saw this post at ana-white.com (which is, by far, one of my most favorite places on the internet.)

So, I took the leftover fence pickets, sanded them like crazy, and built this simple headboard a few days ago. A couple of coats of stain and it was complete. I love it! I'm so thrilled with how great it turned out.

Next, I'll be making some matching bedside tables to go with it, because we still need a place to set our glasses and phone at night.

In My Neck of the Woods - Celebrating America!

2011-07-05T12:46:00.009-05:00

Yesterday was a fun filled day celebrating the 4th of July with my husband's brother's family, and we started off the day in a big way!
For the past 9 weeks, my sister-in-law and I have been doing the Couch to 5k running program. She has done a few races in the past, but I have never considered myself to be a runner in any shape or form, so this was a great way for me to work my way into it. Yesterday, we completed the Firecracker 5k in downtown Tulsa! My husband ran as well, and it was an incredible feeling to make it across the finish line. My official time was 42:30. My goal was to do it in under 45:00, so I was happy with it! I'm so glad I did it, and I can't wait to run another one! I am so lucky to have such great cheerleaders rooting for me!

After the 5k, we rested all day in anticipation of a night full of fun, food, and firecrackers!

Here is our beautiful niece's reaction after she threw down a popper.

And here is our crew of boys, each happily blowing up one thing after another with their cousins. Fun was had by all!

Did I mention she's beautiful? She's adorable.

Kid Room Redo

2011-06-19T20:48:00.003-05:00

I am constantly thinking about trying to come up with new and exciting ideas for decorating our house. It's on the small side, but I love the location and I love the fact that our house was built in 1928 and has some neat qualities about it...though sometimes I think I'd give my right arm for another bathroom...but that's a whole other rant...

In our kids' room, their bed started out as a triple bunk bed that we kept in a small bedroom with much higher ceilings...however, we got to a point where our oldest son decided he wanted his own room, so we cut the top bunk off and added longer legs, putting the Love Sac and a TV underneath for the kids to play video games on.

Once we cut the top off, this left bunkbeds for the other two, though they were still really close together, which was fine for our little Pumpkin Pie....

but I had plans for something different...this was my inspiration...

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough room to do this...the room isn't quite long enough...so we did this instead!

The kids love it! And I love that it allows for storage underneath their beds to hide all of their boxes of toys. I also love being able to lay in bed with them and watch cartoons. I'm sure we'll change the paint color shortly, but for now, I'm happy with it. Next up (when I get the chance...), we (well, Clint doesn't know it yet...) will be doing a little redecorating in the backyard...

Spit Take!

2011-06-19T12:41:00.004-05:00

In our house, with our three sons, we deal with quite a few conversations about private parts, especially about the appropriate terms to use when speaking of such areas. I try to answer the kids' questions as honestly and appropriately as possible, with as vague and undetailed answers as I can possibly get away with.

Today while riding in the car, all was quiet until Pot Pie asked a question.

Pot Pie: "Mom, what is another name for private parts?"

Me: "Just, in general? Besides just calling them private parts?"

Pot Pie : Nodding yes.

Me: "Hmm...well, genitalia is another name."

Pot Pie: "Genitalia? What language is that?"

Me: "Its the medical term. If your doctor is charting about your body parts, he or she may call your private parts genitalia."

Pot Pie: "Does everyone know this word?"

Me: "Yes. Its a common term."

Pot Pie: "Even the French? Do they know this term?"

Cutie Pie: "Yes, of course they do. It even sounds like a French word!"

Pot Pie: "Well, my genitalia is HUUUUUGE!"

And that, folks, is what caused me to spit my drink all over the steering wheel.

End of the School Year

2011-06-16T15:44:00.009-05:00

Today marked the last day of the school year for our children. I know they have learned so much this year, and they've grown so much, physically and emotionally. We are very blessed to have three awesome sons. I love watching them experience life and I'm looking forward to a summer of fun with them!

Our Cutie Pie... Here he is on the first day of school.

And here he is today, leaving the building for the last time as a third grader. (Ignore the holey towel...it was water day...)

And here he is with his student of the month award that he was awarded with yesterday for trying his personal best and being most improved! We are so proud of him!

Here is our Pot Pie at the beginning of the school year...

And here he is leaving the building for the last time as a first grader!

Here is our Pumpkin Pie at the beginning of the school year!

And here he is, leaving the building for the last time as a kindergartener!

Wordless Wednesday: A New Chapter in our Boys-Only Family Story

2011-06-08T18:55:00.005-05:00

With a housefull of boys, you think we'd be old pros at team sports, but we've always let the boys take the lead on what they wanted to do. Pot Pie is our gymnast, and is more than content to stick with his chosen sport, especially since he will start competing this year and is looking forward to winning "medals and twophies". Pumpkin Pie is still figuring out what he likes, and will not be choosing any sport at the moment, though more than likely, due to his increased risk of retinal detachment and his not great vision, he will not be playing any contact sports. We may try soccer in the future.

This week marks a change coming to our household. Cutie Pie came to both of us and let us know that he would like to play tackle football. We were both surprised...and more than a little excited!!! I can't wait to see him play, though I must say I'm a little afraid of what we are getting into, since we have NO CLUE what we have signed up for. Practices...games...being team mom...offense?...defense?...special teams?... I thought about picking up a "Football for Dummies" book so I can actually appear to know what is going on in the fall. But first, we hit a huge tent sale to get ready for the season, picking up cleats, football pants, practice jerseys, mouthguards, etc, because speed and agility camp starts next week. Here's to another new adventure!

In My Neck of the Woods: SQL'ing the Day Away

2011-06-07T10:44:00.004-05:00

People often ask me what I do for a living, and then give me this glazed over expression when I tell them I am a financial analyst for a local health system, writing in SQL language to pull data for executive administration and other very important people. Sitting in front of a computer toiling away for 8 hours (or more...) a day compiling reports using a somewhat finicky form of programming may not sound like a blast to anyone else, but I love it!

I graduated college in 2008, and my degree is in applied technology, which basically allowed me the flexibility to choose which technology-related classes I wanted to focus on, with some management and accounting courses mixed in, to complete my degree. Instead of taking those dreadful classes on network administration and computer architecture, I consumed as many classes as I could on programming in Java and database administration, as well as throwing some Photoshop and computer forensics into the mix. I have been with the health system since I was 20 years old, and have worked in various areas, learning as much as I can about the healthcare industry. I have been in my current position for about a year now, and I feel so blessed to come to a job that I love every single day. :)

Pepsi Wishes and Gravy Dreams

2011-04-03T12:35:00.004-05:00

My Sweetie Pie and I are on a diet, and have been since the second week of March. Its through a healthy lifestyles program at the hospital where I work, and each week we meet twice to learn more about portion sizes and food choices, etc.

Today, as we drove home after church, we passed a man holding a sign advertising the incredibly delicious chicken fried steak at Nelson's Buffeteria. As we went by, my husband and I both felt our breaths catch in our throats. I looked at him and said, "We could split one. That wouldn't be so bad." He quickly agreed, and we turned down a side street to reverse our direction and head back towards Nelson's, the home of the aforementioned beefy, chicken fried goodness that is the size of the platter, with a side of mashed potatoes, all covered with cream *GULP* gravy and a large, warm roll...but as we started to pull back out, a wave of strength washed over me, and I turned to my husband and said "We have a weigh in on Tuesday, and I don't want anything to jeopardize it." He agreed, reluctantly, but thankful that I was the strong one (for once...most often he is the voice of reason). We came home and had a very yummy lunch of Shrimp and White Bean Ragout.

This diet has tested me to the very core of my being. For years now, we have prided ourselves on the delicious meals we have created for our family nightly, complete with everything that has now been taken away from us due to the program that we signed up for. Rolls, fried foods, gravy....mmm, gravy....just good Southern cooking that we enjoyed immensely but it wasn't doing anything positive for us nutritionally. We were taking in too much fat, too much salt...just too much, period. Now we are watching our intake, planning meals around what our bodies need, not just what we think sounds good.

It definitely hasn't been easy. And knowing that these are permanent changes we are making has taken some getting used to. When I asked our sons what they wanted to see on our family menu for the week, Pumpkin Pie said he'd like "some chicken wif gwavy on it,", and I said, tearfully, "Me too, baby! Me too..." The kids are getting used to the new way of eating around here as well, and Sweetie Pie and I both feel good about the example we are setting for them, not just with our diet, but also with the exercise we are fitting into our daily schedules, a model of healthy living that we hope they will catch onto and continue to live into their adult lives as well.

With all of this healthy eating around here, I've replaced almost all of my daily beverage intake with water. However, I am allowing myself to indulge, while still following the diet plan from the program, which allows me to have 8 oz of my favorite soft drink a day. So, once a day, I blissfully partake of one of these small cans of Pepsi.

We are committed to sticking with this way of eating for the rest of our lives, because we know its the best way for us to be getting exactly what our bodies need nutritionally. We are already noticing changes in the way our clothes fit, and of course, the numbers on the scale are going down...though Sweetie Pie's are going down much quicker than mine...

Perfect Pairings - Pot Pie

2011-02-20T18:41:00.004-06:00

My little Pot Pie is growing so big! It doesn't seem like it is possible that the little baby we brought home back in 2004 will be turning 7 years old this week! He's such a hilarious little guy, and very smart and so fun to be around. I look forward to whatever God has laid out for him in the future. The bible verses I picked are the ones he was given when he was dedicated at our church.

Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, of good report, any virtue, or praise, think on these things. -- Phillipians 4:8

The God of peace...make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight. -- Hebrews 13:20-21

The Dangers of Romance Novels

2011-02-10T20:05:00.021-06:00

In the past two weeks, under a blanket of the most snow and the coldest temperatures Oklahoma has ever seen, I've occupied my abundance of time at home with books 1-10 of the Southern Vampire Mysteries (thanks to the Kindle app on the iPad, which allowed me access to any book on Amazon I wanted without having to leave the comfort of my warm home), as well as its TV adaptation, seasons 1 and 2 of True Blood (also on the iPad....truly the greatest invention ever!).

Being a huge fan of the television series already, it makes it even more enjoyable to be able to put faces with the characters in the books. I imagine the enjoyment is similar to what the fans of Twilight experience, except that these characters aren't boys...they are men. Sorry if this offends any Twihards out there...just stating a fact...

Exhibit A: Vampire Eric...he flies. Take that, Edward. He also the bluest blue eyes and a cool voice with just a hint of foreign accent. Played by Alexander Skarsgard, who has five times been voted the sexiest man in Sweden....smart people, those Swedes...

Exhibit B: Vampire Bill....played by British actor Stephen Moyer...I could listen to him speak for hours, whether as his character with a proper Southern drawl, or as himself in his own British accent with a penchant for cursing. (If you haven't noticed, I have a thing for accents....my husband is aware of this, and he is fine with it, truly. He uses it to his advantage from time to time...)

Exhibit C: Alcide the Werewolf...in the novels, his character is described as having "arms like tree trunks"...He trained for 5 months to get ready for this role, and from the many, many, MANY shots of him on the show devoid of any shirt, I'd say Joe Manganiello does not disappoint. I liked him as one of Marshall's fellow law students on "How I Met Your Mother"....I LOVE him as the hunky general contractor/werewolf who runs a little hot...

I don't normally make a habit of posting pictures of other men on my blog...

Let me first point out that I am extremely happily married...I love my sweetie pie more than anything in this whole wide world.

And secondly, in my defense, I spent quite a bit of time trying to find pictures of these men fully clothed, so as not to be disrepectful to my sweetie pie, because, like I said, I love him, and I find him even more attractive today than when we first met 10 wonderful years ago.

And thirdly, there is a point to this post...

As I read these books about the heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, and watch the episodes of this show, I can't help but notice a few effects that these activities have on my mood and actions.

For one, after watching this show, I notice a definite increase in the appearance of my Southern accent. Most often it is hidden behind my mom voice or my 'Yes-I'm-in-my-20's-but-I-do-know-what-I'm-talking-about' work voice, but after hearing Mr. Stephen Moyer's portrayal of Vampire Bill Compton's drawl, I can't help but add a few extra syllables in my own conversations.

Secondly, I can't help but feel a little bit jealous of Sookie's, albeit fictional, life. Sure, she has anti-vampire rights activists, maenads, various shape shifters, vampire kings, witches, rogue fairies, etc. trying to harm her or kill her in some capacity or another, but she also has a number of gorgeous (see exhibits A, B, and C) men vying for her attention and doing absolutely anything to be with her. Now, granted, she does have fairy blood, which is extremely intoxicating to vampires but for a couple of technically dead guys who don't have beating hearts, they certainly have a way with words. When Bill proposes to Sookie after vampires and humans are given the right to marry in Vermont, he rents out an entire restaurant because he tells her, "The sight of you is not something I wish to share with others.". How romantic is that? To think that one person finds you so desirable that he wants you all to himself, that he would spare no expense in making sure that he is the only one garnering your attention, and that he makes it a habit to let everyone know "Sookie is mine!". It's very romantic, as well as being very detrimental to the psyche of a woman who spends days trapped in the house, cooking, cleaning, and working while simultaneously keeping three boys occupied enough that they won't harm each other or destroy the house while her husband works 12 hour days and shovels the snow that just keeps falling, leaving him no energy to woo his wife of almost 10 years who, because of the partaking of the romance novels, so desperately wants to be wooed but doesn't bother to change out of her pajamas!?!?!

I know my husband loves me, and that I love him, but everyone wants to feel captivating and desirable, and some days, he's just too tired to make me feel like I'm 1/8th fairy and he's a 173-year old vampire who finds me absolutely intoxicating...

But then, this wonderful man of mine, does something that brings me back to reality, and makes that supernatural wooing sound like a bunch of nonsense...my sweet, handsome husband, who functions on very little sleep to provide for this family at a job that he does so well, and then comes home to clean, cook, and care for us so that we can enjoy family time together, and then alone time together after the kids are in bed...watching him play with our children, being the best dad that he can be, and then sitting on the couch as he listens to my thoughts, ideas, dreams, and ramblings, he makes my heart go pitter-patter much more than a Southern drawl or arms that resemble tree trunks.

Who needs vampires and werewolves? I've got my own hunk right here.

Warning: Irate Blog Post

2011-02-07T21:59:00.005-06:00

I am certain that those of you who know me will be surprised at what you are about to read, because you know me as such a kind-hearted and tolerant person...(why are you snickering?)

Thanks to a little McLinky Monday (does anyone else almost always write McKinky Monday too, or is that just me?) blog prompt over at the Real Housewives of Oklahoma, I now present my top 5 biggest pet peeves!

1. Drawn on Eyebrowns

Why do people think this is attractive? I am sure there are some dire situations where this might be considered okay...maybe....but for the majority of individuals, what is so wrong with the eyebrows God gave you that you should remove them and pencil them in, or heaven forbid, tattoo them on? There should be a waiting period and/or drug test that accompanies requests for these kind of beauty enhancements (using these terms loosely).

2. Unsolicited Advice
I realize that I appear younger than I am...at least, I hope I still do...this has been a massively mind-numbing week at home, balancing work and children during this blizzard....
But when I am with my three sons, and they appear to be out of my control, remember that there are a lot of different situations that play into a child's behavior, so before you tell me how you or someone you know would handle my 5 year old who won't eat his food, or my 6 and 8 year old who won't stop fighting, I want you to take that advice and ~~shove it~~ keep it to yourself. This goes double for when you are a guest in my home. If you don't know me, mind your own business. If you do know me, mind your own business. I am an intelligent, emotionally stable person married to another intelligent, emotionally stable person, with good jobs and 3 great kids who are sometimes affected by lack of sleep or hormones or a step away from the schedule, or all of the above, etc.
Side note: there are a very select number of people that I will accept advice from, whether I ask for it or not. If I haven't told you are one of them, you AREN'T!

3. Facebook Apps
I think that social media is an excellent way to stay connected to my friends and family. However....I don't care about your Mafia, or your farm, or you fish, or your city, or your cafe, or whether or not you think I'm a good kisser. Side note: I think I have finally grown numb to the updates about your profile picture...

4. Mispronounced words
Similar is not pronounced SIM-U-LER. It makes my head hurt when people say words incorrectly. I may not be OCD about anything else, but correct pronounciation just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

5. Stars Who Whine / Paparazzi
Yes, I included these two as one. If I hear Kristen Stewart complain one more time about how hard it is to just live a normal life after playing Bella on Twilight, I'm going to scream! Seriously, you work a couple of months, make more money that I will make in my lifetime, and then complain about how you can't go to the bagel shop because the paparazzi are hounding you. And you! You, paparazzi, why do you have to take a picture of a celebrity getting something to eat? I realize that most of the women in Hollywood are extremely thin, but I do not need photographic evidence that they eat. Nor do I need evidence that they went to the gym, or went grocery shopping, or shared a yacht with Justin Bieber over New Year's Eve (Side note: High Five, Selena Gomez!).

There you have it. I hope you don't think less of me now that you know how I really feel...

So Clean You Could Eat Off It

2011-01-03T00:07:00.003-06:00

Usually at night, as I'm getting comfy in bed, I will check my email or Facebook right before I drift off to sleep. Tonight, my inattention to my husband led to the following conversation, which unfortunately is completely true and makes me look like a moron.

Sweetie Pie: I cleaned my butt off today.

Me: (half-listening, so genuinely confused) Wait....What? You cleaned your butt off? It was that dirty?

SP: (sarcastically) Yes! Yes, it was that dirty, but I cleaned it, shaved it, and even buffed it. You could eat off it! Good night! *rolled over in a humph*

About halfway through his rant, I realized what he really meant, so I started laughing hysterically, and when he heard me begin typing on my phone, he said, "You better not post this."

Oops...

Won't Be Able to Look the Mailman in the Face

2010-12-16T14:24:00.008-06:00

I love having boys…I really do. I recently purchased really cute t-shirts for the boys and for Sweetie Pie and I decided I wanted to try to find a cool mom t-shirt for me. There's www.boymomdesigns.com that has some adorable shirts for moms with sons, and then there's www.thebombmom.com which I absolutely love (and I totally want one for Christmas….*ahem, Sweetie Pie*). Being a mom to sons totally rocks…however, all of that energy and excitement and creativity can put me in an awkward position sometimes.

For instance, a few days ago, I was in the backyard and noticed the tie to my bathrobe hanging from a tree as a makeshift Tarzan rope. "I should grab that," I thought, knowing full well I'd need it. But one of my little pies beckoned, and I ran off without plucking it down from its perch. And boy did I need it this morning. You see, our mailman doesn't leave packages on our porch, due to a problem with stolen packages we experienced over a year ago. (Short story: I was writing a blog about Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, and some young hoodlum decided to steal what he thought was going to be a package full of good stuff, but really it was a box from the Travel Channel with a few packages of chocolate covered crickets. Serves him right…punk). This morning, as I was getting ready for work, the doorbell rang. I panicked. I was wearing only my bathrobe, and I thought for a moment about not answering at all, but I knew if I didn't, I would have to go to the post office tomorrow to get the package, and I didn't really want to do that because the post office is ca-razy right now since Christmas is next week. So I went for it. I held my bathrobe closed and opened the front door, but as I went to open the screen door, our dog, Perry Pie, started to bark and jump, so I was trying to open the screen door, hold Perry, and get the packages in my hands, all of which left me with no hands to hold my bathrobe closed. Suffice it to say, if getting flashed was on the mailman's "To Do List" today, he could have marked "Task Completed" at 8:30 this morning. Only afterward, I thought to myself, "You could have just told him to leave it on the porch…you idiot." Not only did I feel humiliated, I also felt stupid.

Obviously, if my sons didn't use my things as swinging devices in the backyard, it would have saved me some embarrassment, but I truly love to let them experience life the way they want to experience it. Right now, they are using leftover fence planks in our backyard to create opposing forts, and I adore the creativity that they have shown in their play. Being a mom to my little boys is interesting, hilarious, exciting, sometimes scary!, and it just fills my heart knowing they are growing through these experiences. I am so lucky to have 3 little men to love on, and to teach, and to model a happy marriage to so that when they grow up they will be wonderful husbands just like their father.

Now, I really need to go find that bathrobe tie...

If I Had a Dollar for Every Piece of Chicken...

2010-12-06T18:38:00.006-06:00

Tonight at dinner, Pot Pie proudly told us about learning about half dollars at school today.

Pot Pie: Did you know that half dollaws awe fifty cents? (Yup, still speaks with a Jersey accent.)

Me: Yes, I did know that. If you have 2 half dollars, how much do you have?

Pot Pie: Hmm...fifty one cents?

Me: No.....

Pot Pie: Hmmm...sixty cents?

Me: No...If you have two half dollars, that are each worth 50 cents, then in total, you have one dollar, because two half dollars make one whole dollar.

Pot Pie: *Blank Stare*

Me: Look here, at my piece of chicken. Right now, I have one piece of chicken, but if I cut it in half, I have two halves of chicken. If I put it back together, I have....

Pot Pie: A dollaw?

No, son, I haven't found a way to make chicken turn into money.

A Sense (as in 1 of the big 5) of Urgency

2010-11-16T09:59:00.005-06:00

There are many things I think about for the future on a daily basis. Like, retirement. Every time I see a financial planning commercial or story on the web, I think to myself, "Man, I gotta increase contributions and invest more to make sure that Clint and I aren't eating canned meat every night after we retire!" (Who knows? Spam may be a hot commodity in 2046, which would mean something if I actually get to retire at 65. HA!) The same goes for recycling. Every time I throw a plastic bottle away, I think about sea gulls and landfills and tell myself, "One of these days, we're going to recycle." (If only the City of Tulsa provided a much better service for this sort of thing. Every other week pickup? Seriously? Like I want a house full of glass, plastic and paper. Ahem, Mayor Bartlett! I know you're reading...not really, but you should be. This. Is. Riveting.)

However, there is one thing that I feel a much greater sense of urgency about. With Pumpkin Pie entering the world 4 months earlier than expected, we have faced some issues, but nothing compared to what we could have faced, and so I really feel like I have little to complain about with his lot in life. But in reality, there is one thing that is always in the back of my mind. And with a recent visit to the ophthalmologist, it has come screeching to the front of all my other thoughts. Every time Pumpkin Pie goes to visit his eye doctor, his vision is worse. For awhile, we were able to get by on the same lenses, but his most recent visit, after a big growth spurt, showed a significant decrease in his sight.

So, you see, my sense of urgency is over something quite unique. Barring some huge miracle (and believe me, we're praying) or technological advance, my son will be blind almost certainly by the time he reaches adulthood, which raises a few questions for me.

How do I give him life experiences now that will be visually appealing enough to make up for whatever experiences he isn't going to be able to see in the future?

I feel the urge to make a list of places and events, and take him there as soon as I can, no matter the cost. Disney World is at the top. I'm working very hard on making this happen in the next 12 months. I am motivated by the thought of watching his face light up when he sees Mickey Mouse up close for the first time, so no matter what I have to do, I will make this happen. But what after that? He's 5 years old. There are things I can think about that I would like to see, like the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, New York City, Mount Rushmore, etc, but right now, he probably won't care about any of those things. I want him to look back on his childhood and remember seeing some of the greatest sights in the world.

What is he going to do, professionally?

We won't let him just sit at home. He will attend college. He will get a job. But what job? I have searched the web for careers for people who are blind. There are a lot of customer service type positions. There are heartwarming tales about piano tuners and bicycle repairmen. But there are also accompanying miserable stories, such as being taken advantage of by people who tell you they are giving you five $20 bills when really they are giving you five $1 bills. Because we will make sure he gets a good education, I can only hope that he will be able to do something fulfilling. But what? One job that keeps coming up is lawyer. And of course, I can't think about my son's future career without thinking of him taking a similar career path to that of David Paterson (minus the extramarital affairs) Governor Pumpkin Pie has quite a ring to it. Amiright? Right now he wants to be a fireman, and of course I can't break it to him that he most likely won't be able to do that. He also wants to play football, but he has limited peripheral vision, and if he were to get hit really hard, the possibility that his retina could detach is very high. For now, he is content, and doesn't demand a lot of explanation, but the thought of telling him that he can't do something breaks my heart.

Of course, these questions also lead to more questions, like "who will take care of him when Clint and I are gone?" and "will he ever be able to get married?" I want his life to be as normal as possible. I know I'm getting ahead of myself (I mean, he is only 5), and I shouldn't be thinking about tomorrow because tomorrow is God's and whatever He has in store for us all will be part of His plan. And the more I think about living every moment to the fullest today for fear of what he won't be able to see in the future, the more I think, "Shouldn't we be living like this anyway?" Anything could happen tomorrow. Accidents and freak medical occurrences come out of nowhere all the time. I can't live life as though there's a timer about to expire and I can't be on a quest for the perfect childhood all the time, but I will strive for a happy existence, for myself and Clint and for the boys. I want all of my boys to not feel like they missed out on anything, especially hugs, kisses, laughter, smiles, love, patience, understanding, acceptance, and support.

Our latest struggle: ADHD

2010-10-11T20:28:00.011-05:00

When school started this year, we were all excited. Pumpkin Pie was starting Kindergarten. I was afraid that he should have stayed in pre-k; due to his size and his speech delay, I didn't want him getting frustrated with not grasping new things and then hating school. Pot Pie was more than ready for first grade. He was reading pretty well, and we already knew we loved his teachers. Cutie Pie had been looking forward to third grade all summer. We had started working with him on multiplication tables and we had asked around to the other teachers and the teacher he was assigned to came highly recommended from everyone we talked to.

Needless to say, it came as a complete shock to us when Clint called me upset after school on the third day. He told me that Cutie Pie's teacher asked if he was on any medication. When Clint said no, he informed me that she replied he ought to be. Based on the information that we had been given about her, I was slightly less ready to get worked up about it than my husband, who is a protective papa bear. :) I tried to reason with him, that she had about 30 years of experience with third grade students, and that we needed to be open to her suggestions.

The next morning, I spoke to her, and she relayed to me what a difficult time he was having paying attention; that he couldn't finish any assignments in the time she gave him. She told us he seemed to be unable to focus, and she recommended he be evaluated. That day, when I got to work, I immediately called our insurance company, who directed me to a play therapist. I got him an appointment for that day. His evaluation went smoothly, nothing seemed to jump out at the therapist as a potential issue. There were no red flags. I told her we were afraid he had a learning disability, or at the very least, a reading delay since he had tested below grade level. She recommended we get a reading tutor, and if we still felt he needed to be evaluated for attention issues, she referred us to a psychiatrist.

After I took him back to school, my sister-in-law, who has truly been my rock and my shoulder to cry on (albeit, usually through texting because she's crazy busy too) through this whole mess, told me about a reading tutor. I called and scheduled an appointment. Then, I called the pyschiatrist and scheduled another appointment. Then, I sat in my office, and cried. I felt like a failure...the worst mother in the world. I felt like I wasn't supposed to be the mother of a child with ADHD. With everything we went through with Pumpkin Pie, all the time in the hospital, all the speech and occupational and physical therapy, the constant reminder of his speech delay when I ask him to repeat himself or tell him I can't understand him, I should have been able to handle this. But it just seemed like a huge blow. That night, as I sat down to help Cutie Pie with his homework, I noticed how hard it was for him to stay on task. He was fidgeting, easily distracted. He couldn't sit still. I constantly had to redirect him to his paper. It was an unbearable 2 hours. The next day, it was the same thing. After a week of this, we couldn't wait for his appointment with the psychiatrist. While we waited through that agonizing month, it was never far from my mind what we were facing. I laid in bed at night, trying to figure out where we had gone wrong. Too much TV? Too little reading time? Did we praise him enough? Did we baby him too much? I emailed a mutual friend of ours from our old church, who is a mental health professional, and asked him every question I could come up with. He answered each one, and informed me that I needed to quit trying to be a perfect parent, because they don't exist.

One weekend, Clint's brother, who I absolutely love and respect more than he can even imagine, who loves our boys and is one of very few that I feel we can truly count on to be in our corner, came over and told us about a conference he had been in where they talked about lead poisoning being a cause for attention deficit disorder. Immediately, my mind raced, and I googled everything I could find on the the link between lead and ADHD. I was absolutely dismayed. For five years we've lived in our 80+ year old house, which probably has 5 coats of lead paint on the wall underneath the 3 we've painted since we moved in, and we've done a ton of work. I just knew that we had stirred up so much lead dust over the years that surely this was what caused Cutie Pie's ADHD. I felt absolutely helpless thinking, "Great, I have a son with ADHD, and now we have to move as soon as possible.", which started all of these other feelings of hopelessness about the dismal prospect of selling our home in the current real estate market. I called our pediatrician's office and got a referral for 3 blood tests. I had to know. Everyone I talked to told me it was highly unlikely, that they'd have to be eating lead paint chips 24/7 for it to cause any adverse effects, but I wouldn't rest until I knew for sure. We took the boys to get their blood drawn, and then waited an excruciating 7 days for the results, which all, thankfully, came back negative.

Finally, the time came for his appointment with the psychiatrist, Dr. H. She and I talked for an hour, while Cutie Pie sat in front of me and played with the toys in her office. After we spoke, she recommended that he be put on a low dose of medication. She told me the pros and cons of different kinds of medications. I asked her just one question.

"Will the medicine change his personality?"

At that moment, I broke down, trying to cry quietly so he wouldn't notice. I couldn't stand the thought of losing my little boy with the ability to create these amazing sculptures out of Legos, who could sit and sew with me for hours, who makes me laugh with his hilarious outlook on anything and everything. He is so creative and so loving and with a huge heart for helping others, with a huge faith and the ability to talk to God in prayer as though they are sitting across from each other. I refused to put him on any medicine that would change him. She assured me that we could try the medicine, and if we didn't like the result, we could just stop giving it to him, because it wouldn't stay in his system.

That night, I filled his prescription, and started him on the new medication on a Wednesday. I didn't tell his teacher right away that he had started it. The doctor told me not to tell her, because she wanted to see if his teacher would notice a difference without being clued in. After a few days, I asked and his teacher did say she noticed a change in his classroom performance. She said he was able to complete his work, and he was obviously listening more and answering questions. Initially, Clint was really upset with her, but truly she has wanted nothing but the best for Cutie Pie, for him to get the help he needed. We are very blessed to have her as his teacher.

When this whole experience began, we both refused to believe he needed medication. We vowed to do anything we could before we started him on medicine. But now, after being on the medicine, after witnessing the abrupt change, like a light switch was flipped on, Cutie Pie is feeling much more confident in his abilities, and after struggling for so long, its very relieving to watch him come home with less homework since he's finishing more in class, and to complete his homework quickly and with a greater understanding than before. He called me right after school when he made his first 100 on a spelling test. He's still in reading tutoring one night a week, but he's making swift strides, and has already caught up to grade level. We're thrilled with his progress. With the recent advances he has made, we felt a good reward would be something he's been requesting for awhile: a guitar. He started lessons today, and we are excited for him to be passionate about learning to play. This whole experience has shown me once again that I have to trust in God, that I can't make everything right. I have to accept the assistance that is out there, and that people who care about us and about Cutie Pie were put here by God to get us through this endeavor and onto the other side, far away from the issues that plagued him. We are blessed.

Heading for Home

2010-09-02T20:27:00.004-05:00

The first of the month is always stressful with my job. Everyone wants their statistics RIGHTNOW. But I love my job, so I really can't complain too much...

Why am I telling you this? Well, on the first of the month, I'm always ready to come home, and today was no exception. But as I pulled out of the parking garage and onto Utica for the ride home, my husband called, sounding rather frantic. He stammered, "Pot Pie needs to go to urgent care. He needs stitches in his head." For once, I was the calm one. I told him I'd be home in a few moments. When I came in the house, Pot Pie had a towel on the back of his head, and when I say it was covered in blood, this is not an understatement. I quickly got the run down of how this injury took place. Apparently, Pot Pie had been running while carrying an exercise ball through the house. A collision occurred when he ran into Cutie Pie, which caused him to ricochet backwards and hit his head on the corner of the wall, creating a large gash on the back of his head. Pot Pie and I climbed back in the van, and back to the hospital that I was so eager to get away from earlier. He sat patiently while we waited for the doctor, and he was a trooper, even when they gave him shots to numb the area. After it was numb, the doctor put staples in to close the laceration, and he was excited to get his head wrapped in a bandage, or as he put it, "It looks like I just got out of battle!"

After we left Urgent Care, we went for dinner, and then came home, where he ran around the neighborhood taking pictures for potential entries into the Tulsa State Fair, and of course this includes snapping a photo of our crazy neighbor, Mr. Habib!
All in all, what could have been a headache (pun intended) was just another crazy night at the Ryan house!

Hello Again

2010-08-05T18:44:00.008-05:00

Wow. Its been a long time. Since the beginning of the year, things have been extremely busy. I feel like we've been in survival mode for the past 8 months, due to a really super strenuous time for me at work. But, I have started a new position at the hospital, and things are definitely starting to feel normal around here again. :)

Speaking of back to normal, SCHOOL STARTED TODAY! WHOO-HOO! And the moms and dads rejoice. HALLELUJAH!

Here is my biggest boy, CUTIE PIE! He started 3rd grade today. He's looking forward to a year of standardized testing, multiplication tables, and maybe some long division.

Here's POT PIE! He started 1st Grade today! He was so excited to start school today, and he is definitely ready for some homework.

And last, but certainly not least, is PUMPKIN PIE! He's a great big KINDERGARTENER! He had a super fun day!

Here's all of our big boys together, ready to start another great year at school!

IN OTHER NEWS, my sweet hubby has taken up the hobby of photography. Coincidentally, I have taken up the hobby of editing photos in Photoshop. Here's a photo he took of me last week.

And here's a photo I took of him. ISN'T HE HOT!

All in all, things are going pretty well around these here parts. I hope to get back to more active blogging soon. Take care, ya'll!

Church Directory Photo Shoot

2010-02-16T19:38:00.004-06:00

I really wasn't looking forward to this. Things are really crazy at work right now, and I am always looking forward to coming home for the night. Today, however, I was not so lucky.

Its time to update the church directory, and tonight was our scheduled appointment. I rushed home after work to find my wonderful husband cooking our dinner. As I went in to pick out the kids' clothing for the picture, I found Pumpkin Pie in his bed, eating some kind of candy that had turned his face green. I was able to get a lot of it off, but not without making it look like he had a large light green healing bruise all around his mouth. Faaaaaaaantastic.

We sat down to eat a quick dinner, which is where our the frustrations really started. In between mouthfulls, we told the kids to "Hurry up and eat!" and "Be quiet and eat!", which only caused them to eat slower and talk more. Finally, we knew we couldn't prod them to eat any longer, so we told everyone to exit the table and get changed immediately. Cutie Pie and Pot Pie got changed into the outfits I picked out, but Pumpkin Pie couldn't be convinced to change out of his Mickey Mouse shirt...in hindsight, today probably wasn't the best day to let him wear his favorite shirt to school. We were finally able to convince him to take it off, and Cutie Pie helped him to get dressed so that Sweetie Pie and I could finish, which resulted in the following conversation.

Sweetie Pie: Which shirt should I wear?
Me: The white one with the slate blue stripes.
Sweetie Pie: The collar isn't flat and I don't have time to iron it.
Me: Its not that bad. Just put it on.
Sweetie Pie: Then I'll look like a big DORK. What about the green one?
Me: The boys are all wearing red or slate blue. You won't match.
Sweetie Pie: Well, what are you wearing?
Me: A grey dress. Just wear your silver shirt.
Sweetie Pie: Why are you putting on panty hose? They are only shooting from the waist up.
Me: Well, if you must know, I haven't shaved since Martin Luther King Jr. Day when we were at that water park.
Sweetie Pie: WHAT?!?! That's disgusting!
Me: Hey! Its cold outside!
Sweetie Pie: So? Are you growing a winter coat?
Me: (Fuming) Just worry about yourself and the kids so I can finish getting ready. Can you do that, please?!
Sweetie Pie: *Making Wookie noises*
Me: Ugh!

Finally, we make it out the door and load everyone into the truck. Miraculously, we made it to church on time for our appointment, and even more miraculously, they were running ahead of schedule so we were able to start our session immediately upon arrival.

The first shot of the family went very well. All of us were smiling at the photographer as she waved her little bear at us. She kept telling the boys that her bear was a "bad bear" so they always had to keep their eyes on it. But then, when we moved onto the next shot, things started to go downhill. In the first shot, Pumpkin Pie was in my lap, but for the second shot, she wanted to move him and at that moment, he decided to be a momma's boy and wouldn't move out of arms reach, so she had to plan all of the rest of our family shots around Pumpkin Pie and I being together. These family shots became increasingly more difficult to obtain, because Cutie Pie would make sarcastic remarks about her "bad bear" and Pot Pie would draw his arms up into his shirt, making it look like his hands had disappeared, to which he would react with fake surprise. Finally we were through with the family shots, and we breathed a sigh of relief, but as we were gathering our things, the photographer said, "Now, let's do some shots of just the boys and then just some shots of mom and dad."

I wanted to say, "Seriously? Do you need a reason to take up drinking? Because these boys could quite possibly succeed in driving you to it." But I didn't. I knew she was just doing her job, and so we put our things down and I let her begin the torturous job of positioning the boys for their shots. Cutie Pie and Pot Pie followed direction well. Pumpkin Pie, however, was another story. The poor photographer spent so much time running back and forth between the camera and arranging Pumpkin Pie that she was sweating! She would get his arms folded just right, and then when she got back to the camera, he would move them back down to his side. She would tell him to plant his feet, look directly at the camera and tilt his head, but he would quickly move and give her a perfect profile from the side that would rival any mug shot. Once we finished the kids' shots, we moved quickly through three poses of hubby and me.

And then the sales pitch started. She began to go through each picture to see which ones we liked better, but by this time I was ready to take up drinking, so I quickly pointed out the best shot for the directory and a cute one of the boys because I definitely didn't want to make that poor woman feel like she had done all that hard work for nothing, which in hindsight is probably one of their sales tactics...but anyway, we made it through the appointment fairly unscathed (though I don't know if I can say the same for the poor photographer...). I'm glad its over with, and additionally I am glad that these things only come around every 3-4 years. The only regret I have is not signing in under a false name because now when our children act up in church, everyone will be able to find out who we are by searching the faces of tired parents with three boys in the picture directory...

Choices

2010-02-02T20:25:00.006-06:00

When making a choice, I'm the kind of person who looks at all the options. I'm a planner. I have to have a pretty good idea what the outcome will be like for any possible choice I make when I am faced with a decision. This is the case at home, with my kids, at work...there aren't many things I do without a lot of thinking and weighing heavy on my heart, as well as taking it to God in prayer for guidance. I make pro/con lists...I put it into Excel spreadsheets...I brainstorm...I don't go into any big decision lightly.

Today, I found out that the information I had in making a huge decision in the past was actually not correct...

I went to the gynecologist this morning for my annual physical. I just picked a new doctor, and she was reviewing my records from my old doctor and the hospital when I had Pumpkin Pie.

She said “So, you had your third child prematurely due to a …” and I expected her to say “incompetent cervix” which is what I have been told, but she didn’t say that…she said “due to a raging acute infection in your placenta.”

Excuse me?

Those words have never been uttered to me at any time since Pumpkin Pie was born prematurely. I saw my OB/Gyn often in the months following Pumpkin Pie's birth, and he never once told me that any pathology reports came back abnormal.

As I am processing this information, it hits me that my husband had a vasectomy to keep us from having any more children due to my so-called incompetent cervix, because, we, as compassionate, caring individuals, didn't want another child to have to suffer through what Pumpkin Pie suffered through after his birth. But in reality, the likelihood that I would have another premature baby is low because the chance of the same infection occurring is next to nothing.

I have now taken away any chance of ever having any other children with my husband and I am ONLY 28 YEARS OLD!?!?!?

EXCUSE ME?

I...We...didn't make this choice lightly. We were told all about cerclages to fix an incompetent cervix if we ever did decide to have any more children, and we thought about it and decided that the risk was too great. I didn't have the desire to spend any time on bed rest, especially with three other children to care for. We didn't want to risk having another baby in the NICU and dividing time between home and the hospital. After dealing with one sick child, and making it to the other side, closer to normalcy, we figured we'd just count ourselves extremely lucky and very blessed, and get on with our lives, raising our three boys.

I've told people that I'm happy knowing I'm never going to have to worry about getting pregnant, having morning sickness, labor and delivery, late nights with no sleep, diapers...but it wasn't true. I wasn't happy about it at all. I accepted it, because based on the information I had, it was best for us.

The truth is, I'd love to be pregnant again. I'd love to try for a daughter, just one more time. Experience an entire 9 month pregnancy, just once more. Get past the morning sickness and enjoy the fun part, like feeling the baby kick, and waddling around like I have a big basketball under my shirt for a few months...

I know what you're thinking...all hope is not lost. Hubby can get his vasectomy reversed. But the fact of the matter is, he had a really hard time recovering from his vasectomy due to a previous trauma he had, and I would never ask him to go through a reversal, no matter how badly I want to have another child.

There are other ways...sperm donors, etc...but all of that takes a lot of money, and I would feel really selfish taking money for that when the other 3 kids we already have don't deserve to go without just so we can have another child.

So, here I am again, at the door to acceptance. I haven't gone through yet...I'm still processing the news I received today. Still kicking myself for making a permanent decision that I didn't have to make. No one told us to run out and get a vasectomy. We only thought we were making the right decision...a choice that, had we not made it, we'd still be able to afford another child today. This hurt will fade, and I will be accepting of the choices we made, only this time, it will not be the kind of acceptance that one has because its the right choice to make. The acceptance will be for something I cannot change.

Cutie Pie's Christmas Dance

2010-01-29T19:21:00.005-06:00

I should have done this last month, but January has FLOWN by. Here's Cutie Pie with his Hip Hop dance class, doing a Christmas show.

Pillow Talk

2010-01-10T23:26:00.003-06:00

I am convinced that if anyone were to overhear our conversations in bed, they might be inclined to think that my husband and I are a little kooky...I'm not sure if its the combination of his shear exhaustion and my sleeping pills or what, but we usually end up laughing hysterically with tears in our eyes.

For example, tonight as I was checking my email one more time before bed, I mentioned a particular emailed report at work...

Me: These charge stat emails always 'eff up my email.

Sweetie Pie: 'Eff up? How do they mess up your email?

Me: I don't mean they mess up. When I say "'eff up" I mean "fill up"....yeah, that's what I mean.

Sweetie Pie: (between stifled laughter) What? 'Eff up means fill up?

Me: Yes. That's what I mean when I say it.

Sweetie Pie: So...tomorrow night when we're cooking dinner, can I tell you to "'eff up a pot with water"?

Me: (roaring in laughter by this time) Yes, and I'll pretend I'm Rachel Ray. I'm going to 'eff up this pan with EVOO.

By this time, we were both laughing so hard we could hardly understand a word the other was saying.

I thank God every day for a spouse that can make me practically pee my pants from laughing so hard on a daily basis.

Wuv, Twue Wuv...Wevisited

2009-10-30T18:47:00.002-05:00

I posted this a year ago, and I just had to repost it one more time because its my most favorite blog post ever. Enjoy!

October 30 is an anniversary of sorts…

First, let me preface this with a brief history.

It was October 29, 2000…I was sitting in my dorm room at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, chatting with some friends on CollegeClub.com. (It was a rudimentary version of what would become the likes of Myspace and Facebook.) A chat request came from someone named Hatchet69.

Hmmm….sounds like a perverted serial killer, I thought to myself…but basking in the anonymity of the Internet, I accepted the request anyway.

I don’t remember exactly what we talked about, but I do remember enjoying our conversation…I don’t know why, but I felt drawn to this faceless individual. We hadn’t even exchanged pictures, but by the end of the conversation I had agreed to meet him for dinner.

Fast forward 23 hours…there I was, pulling into the parking lot of Del Rancho, thinking to myself, “WHAT AM I DOING? No one even knows what I’m doing or where I am. This is the stuff that Lifetime movies are made of. I’m going to be just another dumb girl statistic! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!”

I took a deep breath, got out of my car, and out of this huge black pickup truck hopped a cute guy in black Wranglers and with a shy smile. There was an awkward moment where I was trying to figure out if he was Hatchet69 and he was trying to figure out if I was NSUTheaterGrl. We laughed nervously and went inside. Over dinner, the awkwardness subsided, and we were soon having a good time. After dinner, we went looking for a movie, but couldn’t find one, and I mentioned the Haunted Castle. The 20 minute car ride to Muskogee was nice. We sat on opposite sides of his truck with the middle console down…I rested my arm on it for a moment. I wanted him to hold my hand, and was engrossed in thinking about moving mine closer to his when he grabbed mine. It caught me off guard and I yanked my hand back to my lap in reaction. He sheepishly shrunk back over to his own side, and for the second time that night, found myself saying in my head “STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!”

I have always been a fan of scary attractions, and he wasn’t about to tell me that he didn’t like them one bit. When we entered The Castle, he wrapped his arms around me and held on tight the entire time. He was unbelievably scared, but didn’t want me to know, and there was no way I was going to let on to him how obvious it was.

After The Castle, we weren’t ready for our date to end. He shyly asked if I wanted to meet his grandma and grandpa. I thought his request was absolutely adorable, and so we drove out to Ma and Pop’s house. We visited with them for awhile, watched some bull riding, and then headed back to my car, neither of us ready for the night to end.

When we got back to Del Rancho, it was close to midnight. I had class the next day, and he had to be at work in Broken Arrow. Still, the impending fatigue we were going to feel the next day couldn’t get either one of us to leave any faster. We sat and talked for a long time that night, and then one of us would remark on how late it was, only to end up talking about something else, until we realized it was 7AM.

The rest, as they say, is history. Four months later, we were engaged, and three months after that, we were married. Now, eight years and three kids later, we are still going strong.

I feel so blessed to have found such a wonderful person to spend my life with. He’s my rock, my best friend. He can make me laugh, even when I’m frustrated with him. He works hard to provide for his family, going in before everyone else to get off in time to pick up the kids from school so that they don’t have to go to after-school care. He has a handsome smile, a kind heart, and beautiful blue eyes that still make me melt. When he sends me an email during the day, or text messages my phone just to check in, I can still get butterflies in my stomach because I am so happy to hear from him! I love him more today than I ever could have imagined that night back in the parking lot eight years ago…

Trip to Walmart

2009-10-17T20:05:00.004-05:00

Do you have any idea what a trip to Walmart for this family of 5 entails?

We usually try to follow a few set guidelines when we go to the store together.
1. We don't go on an empty stomach. Tonight we ate a yummy meal of lobster and shrimp bisque from Bodean Seafood Market, as well as some of their delicious crab cakes. We just brought them home, heated it up, and had a scrumptious meal right in the comfort of our home.
2. We try to go at a time when the kids are not too tired, so there is no gratuitous whining.

On the way to the store tonight, we played some of our favorite travelling music from the greatest hits collection of Veggie Tales. The Hairbrush Song seemed to get Beau riled up, as he proceeded to yell out the end of every line.

"Oh, where is MY HAIRBRUSH?
Oh, where is MY HAIRBRUSH?
Oh, where, oh where, oh where, oh WHERE!!!!
is MY HAIRBRUSH?"

At which point, Clint looked over at me and said, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
But by this time, we were almost there, so we decided to just go for it.

You know, it seems like we get up the courage to take all 3 kids to the store with us right after we forget about how difficult it was the last time we did it. Usually, I only take one child with me to the grocery store...usually that child is Pot Pie. Most often, we pretend like we're on a show like the Crocodile Hunter, and we "hunt" for our groceries.
"Look! Over there! (really bad Australian accents...Pot Pie's is better than mine.) I have spotted the marshmallows. Sneaking up on the marshmallows so we don't give them a fright. I've got them!" You get the idea.

But not this time. This time I gave each child a task to do while we were in the store.
"Cutie Pie, get me 2 white onions."
"Pot Pie, get me 6 of the biggest potatoes you can find."
"Pumpkin Pie, do not try to go head first out of the cart."
This game worked...in the produce aisle. Once we moved onto dairy...not so much.
By the time we reached the freezer section, Cutie Pie is chasing Pot Pie through the aisles, calling him "POOP!" as Pot Pie stops and does a little booty dance, as if to say, "You can't catch me!" and then he takes off again just before Cutie Pie gets to him.

In the checkout line, the lobster bisque seemed to catch up with my husband, who developed a very bad case of gas. So bad, that I'm certain the checker in the line over had tears in her eyes. Cutie Pie said, very loudly, "What's that smell?"
Pot Pie, sniffing his father's behind, said, "Its Daddy!"
The groaning commenced.
Luckily, our checker finished up quickly and we made it out to the truck. My husband loaded the groceries all by himself, while I corralled the kids in the front. After he finished, he loaded up into the truck, and, as if he were saving it for that moment right after he shut the door, again let out a burst of noxious aroma. We are both so stricken by the horrible smell that we simply take off, attempting to get home as quickly as we can.
Cutie Pie, who doesn't always catch on very quickly, said "What is that smell?"
Pot Pie, again answered, "Its Daddy."
Cutie Pie asked, "Where does it come from?"
To which Pot Pie replied "His butt."
To which my Sweetie Pie replied, "Where do you think it came from?"
Cutie Pie, in a quick moment, replied, "Your face!"
Suddenly, the quiet one, Pumpkin Pie, jumps from the car seat he was not belted into and does Pot Pie's booty dance. We scold him for not speaking up about his seatbelt, as that is a very important job we have given him, but after we get him buckled, we turn around, look at each other, and burst out laughing, because what else can you do when you make such a potentially fatal mistake? That's just the way we deal with things, I guess. The rest of the ride home is filled with the kids singing their very favorite songs, loudly, and with Pot Pie getting scolded for adding in the words "Poop" and "Pee" to the lyrics of the songs.

When we finally make it home, we unload the truck, which only results in Pot Pie doing a face plant into the tailgate once, and after everything is put away, the kiddos go to bed, and my Sweetie Pie and I make a pact, once again, to never, EVER, take all of our kids to the store.

March of Dimes Gourmet Gala and Chef's Auction

2009-10-12T19:36:00.011-05:00

As the March of Dimes Ambassador family for Tulsa, we were given the privilege of attending the formal fundraiser event, the Gourmet Gala and Chef's Auction, this past Saturday night.

Jack-Jack was given his very own chef's jacket, and he had a blast being the center of attention, eating all of the pumpkin cookies he wanted, and showing off his brand new shoes!

It was truly a night in heaven for the amateur foodies of the Ryan house. Over 20 of Tulsa's dining establishments, including Michael Fusco's Riverside Grill, Bodean Seafood Restaurant, The Brasserie, The Chalkboard, and many others, provided food for the event, giving the guests a chance to sample some of the tastiest tidbits around! The Star Chef Chairman was Michael Fusco himself, who has worked with this charity that is near and dear to our hearts for years! It was a pleasure to meet him, and we look forward to enjoying dining in his restaurant in the future.

Everything we tasted was FANTASTIC! We started on one side and just worked our way around. The first table we came to was from a couple of guys from Oscar's Gastropub.

These guys were serving a flavorful pork tenderloin with rosemary mash. It was a great way to start off the evening!

Next we were on to the dish prepared by the Chef Chair, Michael Fusco.

He had planned to make a smoked chicken lasagna, but unfortunately, the dish he made was upset from its perch on a serving rack onto the floor below, and he had to make a brand new dish. How infuriating! However, this ziti was delicious! I'm sure he's adept at making any difficult situation come out appetizing!

Next we went on to something a little more adventurous. On the right side of this plate on the triangle is foie gras pate from The Brasserie! It was not what I expected...though it was very tasty! Its just one of those foods I wanted to mark off of my Consumable Bucket List.

Next was a perfectly delectable bowl of lobster bisque from Bodean Seafood. It was warm, savory ladle-full of perfection in a bowl. The picture I took does not do this dish justice.

I have been dreaming about it since this Saturday night...

With all of this yummy food around, Jack-Jack was able to eat anything his little heart desired.

His pick? Chick-Fil-A.

Can't go wrong with chicken nuggets.

It was such a great event, which raised a lot of money for a great organization, and we had a blast! We look forward to attending every year from now on!

Mmmm...lobster bisque... *drool*

Desk Redo

2009-09-17T23:06:00.003-05:00

Here are pictures of a desk that I just refinished.

This was a desk that belonged to my great grandparents, and I always remember standing at it and using my great grandpa's cool pens!

As you can see, my kids added a little of their own artwork to the desk, so we had to refinish it.

I painted it black...

And filled all the holes where the old drawer pulls were so we could just add drawer pulls to the center.

I know...the pictures are crappy. But I love this desk! It has such sentimental value to me, and now it looks absolutely beautiful!

Obama Speech

2009-09-08T20:18:00.005-05:00

Today at the boys' school, the teachers were given the option to show the President's speech in class. Since it was aired at 11am Central time, it seemed to me to be inconvenient because some students were already at lunch. I didn't speak with Pot Pie and Pumpkin Pie's teachers about the speech. For Pre-K and Kindergarten students, the speech seemed to be a little long and lost on kids who aren't entirely sure what a term paper or a science project is.
I did inquire into whether or not Cutie Pie's teachers would decide to show the speech in class. Unfortunately, they didn't have the proper equipment with the right connections in order to show the speech in class. If they had, I would have gladly come to his school to watch the speech with him, so that he and I could discuss it. From what I read in the speech once it was finally released, there was nothing that we don't already try to enforce every day. We are always telling the kids that they need to work hard, stay in school, be good leaders, and set goals for the future. Obama's message about personal responsibility (something that I feel he should be encouraging to everyone, not just our kids) is the same point we try to get across to them at all times. Therefore, Sweetie Pie and I decided that we would show the speech tonight to Cutie Pie. We both had read the text of the speech, and saw no reason not to share it with him.

After he watched it, we both asked him questions about what the President had to say.

Us: "So, what was the President telling you?"

Cutie Pie: "Uhhh...to be nice?"

Close, but not quite.

Us: "What else?"

Cutie Pie: "To work hard! And.....get good grades!"

Us: "Right. What else?"

Pot Pie: "To get POOP grades! BWAHAHAHAHA"

Us: "(Sarcastic) Hilarious. What else? And Pot Pie, don't say Poop again!"

Cutie Pie: "To be good leaders and set a good example. And to go to college."

Us: "Excellent. Who does the President say we will help if we work hard and succeed?"

Cutie Pie: "Uhhh...Jesus!"

Because, when in doubt, Jesus!!!

Us: "Well...how about our country?"

Cutie Pie: "Riiiiight....our country. America!"

Us: "Right!"

Cutie Pie: "Can I have something to eat?"

Because that's how all of our conversations end...

The Rational Child

2009-09-06T12:42:00.005-05:00

Today on the way home from church, Pot Pie asked this question:

"Why are the birds (pronounced "buhds") sitting on the wires?"

Then I, being the silly mother I am, the kind of mother who relishes in preserving my children's juvenile, cartoony visions of the world for as long as I can, replied with:

"They are sitting up there, looking down on us humans thinking to themselves 'Boy, do we have it easy. We just get to sit up here on the wires, watching over everything, eating seeds whenever we want, and taking a dip in a bird bath whenever we feel like it. We don't have any worries or troubles.'"

Pot Pie seemed to accept this answer, but Cutie Pie contemplated it for a moment and then said matter-of-factly:

"Unless they get shot. Then they have worries. And, boy, do they have troubles!"

So much for preserving their childhood innocence...

Labor of Love

2009-09-03T18:50:00.005-05:00

In honor of the upcoming Labor Day weekend, I copied this from Rocks in My Dryer

How long were your labors?

Kid #1, from about 2:00am when I thought I just had gas to around 6:26am when Cutie Pie arrived
Kid #2, from when they started the Pitocin at 7:00am to 9:23am when Pot Pie was born
Kid #3, from about 11:00am when I was informed that there were two legs hanging out and Pumpkin Pie entered the world at 1:26pm

How did you know you were in labor?

Kid #1, severe pain...that I thought was gas...
Kid #2, when the Pitocin kicked in the severe pain that felt like gas...but this time I knew what it was.
Kid #3, the nurses told me I was...

Where did you deliver?

Kid #1, Claremore Regional
Kid #2, Claremore Regional
Kid #3, St John

Drugs?

Kid #1, nope...labored mostly at home and got to the hospital too late
Kid #2, figured I did it just fine without the epidural the first time and decided I could do it without it.
Kid #2, Yes...my first epidural. He was breach.

C-section?

Almost, with Kid #3...he was breach, but then an ultrasound showed he was in the perfect position to just slide out, feet first, with his hands over his head and umbilical cord swung over his shoulder. That's what happens when you give birth to a 1 pound, 6 ounce baby...

Who delivered?

Kid #1, Dr. Knifechief...at the time he wasn't my doctor, but he was on call that night. When he told me to push, I pushed as hard as I thought I could, and he said in what I thought was a condescending voice, "You're going to have to push better than that..."

Kid #2, Dr. Knifechief...this time, I chose him as my doc. They started the Pitocin and he ran to get coffee, but he didn't quite make it and had to come back so I could deliver.

Kid #3, Dr. Stewart...again, not my doctor, but when your water breaks at 22 weeks, they bring in the experts. He's an amazing paranatologist, and if I were to do it again, he's the only one I would trust.

But I'm not doing it again.

Ever. Period.

If you want to play along with this meme, just cut and paste the questions into your own blog, and leave a comment so we can find you!

New Fund the Mission Video for the March of Dimes

2009-09-03T08:07:00.003-05:00

Here's Pumpkin Pie's new Fund the Mission video. Let me know what you think!

Extracurriculars

2009-08-21T23:29:00.005-05:00

I could sit for hours and watch my kids do anything...as long as they are having a good time, and are benefiting either mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, creatively, etc...I will make time to take them to and from any activity they are interested in. So, when Cutie Pie asked to start taking Hip Hop lessons, we were all for it! He's having a blast and he learned so much over the summer...its really making him come out of his shell. He's already enrolled in classes through the school year, and he also asked for voice lessons, so we'll see what happens! We may have a future boy band member on our hands. HA!

This is a video from his last summer dance class...

And speaking of extracurricular activities...for 2 years now, Pot Pie has been taking gymnastics (except for the six months he had to take off when he broke his arm...) He is determined to start competing so that he can win trophies, and he has already informed us that one day he will be at the Olympics. I don't know where the summer Olympics is going to be in 2020 (Wikipedia says a local group is trying to get it set right here in T-Town!), but, whatever city it is in better watch out! Team USA has Pot Pie, and he's going to wipe the mat with them!
Okay, maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself...
This is a video of him on the parallel bars, which currently is his favorite in class. However, last week he started private lessons with his coach, so in December he'll start competing, and he's already decided he wants to master the rings.

Now we just have to figure out what activity can keep Pumpkin Pie's interest...we're thinking along the lines of another dance class...perhaps tap and ballet? He loves to dance, but he mainly only seems interested in contemporary dance, and nobody offers that for 4 year olds...

My Most Influential Role Model

2009-08-17T19:22:00.009-05:00

This weekend marked a very big event in our family. It was an awesome reunion for the Wegley (pronounced just like it looks) side of the family. All 40+ folks gathered at Kiddie Lake in Okmulgee, OK for some yummy BBQ, family memories, and just good ol' fashioned fun. It was great to see all of my family....

Including my beautiful sister and her darling little girl...

My too cool brother and his gorgeous wife...

My crazy Daddy-o! (That shirt is money, pops...)

And my littlest sister...

And littlest brother...

It was a chance for our boys to play with their cousins and their Aunts and Uncles above...

And of course, photo ops were taken advantage of...

Here's my boys with my grandma, their great grandma! And let me just say, that she is one GREAT grandma!

She's the coolest grandma anyone could ever wish for! I hope to be just like her, forever. I cherish the memories of staying with her when I was growing up...waking up to a breakfast of biscuits and chocolate gravy (something I can't get my own children to realize the delectable awesomeness of...), knowing dinner was always going to be on the table at 5, learning to crochet, watching her as she worked tirelessly at the church and the school, as well as her full time job...the quintessential working mother. She raised daughters who are amazing women who work hard and completely enjoy everything life has to offer, who can be described as fantastic mothers themselves. She raised sons who are devoted husbands and fathers...one of whom is especially mine...a wonderful dad who loves all of his kids with every ounce of his being, the ultimate cheerleader, a great listener, who gives all he has to give, and then some. All of my grandma's children are Christians, who take care of their responsibilities and love their families unconditionally. I hope and pray that I can raise my children to be the same way, and that they will love and respect me as much as we all love and respect her.
To my Grandma Norma...you've made a bigger impact on my life than any other person. I love you dearly.

Back to School

2009-08-14T17:07:00.004-05:00

I've been meaning to write about this, but like everything else I try to get done in a day, it falls to the wayside. Here are some pictures of the boys' first day of school.

Cutie Pie's 1st Day of 2nd Grade...geez, I feel old

Pot Pie's 1st Day of Kindergarten...he's developed a little bit of a sarcastic attitude over the summer...Don't know WHERE he gets that from...hopefully it won't get him into a ton of trouble this year...DRUM ROLL PLEASE! This year also marks our littlest one's entrance into public school education. Pumpkin Pie started Pre-K this year, and, for those of you keeping score, you'll notice that means I no longer have any kids in daycare!!! Throw the confetti now. Hip, Hip, Hooray!

While this may seem like I am completely and utterly blissful about this, I actually am crying a little inside. Never again will I send another of my babies to their very first day of big boy school. That hits me a little hard...not that I regret us making the choice to end our days of baby making for fear of a repeat of son number 3's entrance into the world, because I don't regret it. I'm enjoying the freedom of having 3 Mini Clint's around who can completely entertain themselves...

The boys all enjoy going to school, and thankfully they have teachers that we already know and love. We're looking forward to a FANTABULOUS year!!!!

A Kick in the Gut

2009-07-14T19:01:00.011-05:00

Okay...I'll admit. I'm a bad blogger. I just can't find the time to do it these days. I have tons to write about...I'm full of "Not Me's" on Mondays...I could probably post a few pics of my house on Fridays for "Show Us Where You Live" since its currently clean and fairly complete and actually semi-decorated in most rooms. I was even on vacation for two weeks, and not one single blog was created...for that, I apologize to the few who link to my blog and the even fewer who come here hoping for a new glimpse into the life of this Ryan household. Here's a recap...

We started attending a new church in late May and immediately felt like we belonged! The kids love their new church activities and Clint and I have had a great time getting to know everyone in new Life Group. In Sunday school, we've been watching a video series called "Love and Respect" by Emerson Eggerichs. After a few videos, I went and bought the book. The basic premise of the book and the video series is Ephesians 5:33: "Husbands must love their wives and wives must respect their husbands." I was enjoying the videos...reading the book...thinking "This sounds pretty easy..." and then...while on vacation, I flew off the handle. One of those crazy, yelling, irrational rampages. No one was safe...the kids were grounded from anything I could think to ground them from...Wii, TV, computer, toys, snacks, pillows (it was a weak moment). And when Clint got home, he got it too. There was an ice chest in the living room that had been there over a week, and as I walked through the living room with an arm full of clothes, I tripped over it. Once I put the laundry down, I limped back into the living room and kicked the ice chest towards him, telling him in so many words just what kind of non-contributing member of our family I thought he was. All of this, I'm sad to say, was witnessed by our children. Of course I apologized, but the damage was done, and my kids saw first hand how not to control one's self. A few days later, I was reading in the book again and came across a passage that said:

"When your sons grow up, do you want them to be married to a woman like you?"

That statement hit me like a ton of bricks...it was a total kick in the gut. I know I was not being the way I should be. I was being uncaring, irrational, impatient, disrespectful, unrealistic....the list goes on and on. I have now made it my goal every day to exemplify the kind of woman I want my kids to be married to...patient, rational, calm, kind, loving, helpful, and most of all, respectful. I am trying to be more patient with them, taking a deep breath when I get aggravated, and setting realistic expectations and sticking to realistic punishments. I know I can't do this by myself. Not only am I praying to God every day for guidance, strength, and discipline for myself, I've also enlisted the help of my husband. When I start to get hot under the collar, he's there to talk me back down, and let me know that I need to chill out. Since I asked him to keep me in check, its not so hard to hear that I need to cool it. And because I'm treating him with more respect, like the way he deserves to be treated, he's showing a lot of love and being a huge contributor to our household right now. He's always been a great provider and I've been blessed to have him as a partner, but I haven't been showing him. I have spent way too much time nagging him about what he isn't doing instead of acknowledging the contributions he has made to our household, like getting up at 5am to go to go work so that he can get off in time to pick up the kids from school or camp, or coming home and doing laundry or dishes or whatever else needs to be done. As long as we work as a team, together, things are so much easier around here. I feel so blessed to have him, and as our youngest son gets ready to start school next month, and things continue to get crazier around here with gymnastics, and dance classes, and church activities and whatever else we can come up with, we'll be able to handle it all.

I'll shout it from the rooftops. I RESPECT MY HUSBAND! And I feel so incredibly loved. :)

Backyard!

2009-06-02T20:13:00.003-05:00

For the past few weeks, we've been working on our backyard! We are eager to have a backyard oasis to escape to (even if we can hear the Broken Arrow Expressway traffic), plus, it will keep our puppy pal, Marley, contained and prevent him from chasing other neighborhood folk down the street.
Here's the kids' big outside toy. You can hardly see it, but their zip line goes from over the rock wall...

to a tree on the other side of the yard (not pictured)

In the 3 trees pictured here, we'll be putting in a tree house before too long...the kids can't wait!

In this corner of the yard, we'll be doing an outdoor kitchen, complete with a grill and a bar to sit at while one of us cooks.

We're eager to finish our backyard, as well as the rest of the house! Too many plans and ideas, not enough time or funds to get it all done as quickly as I want to get it done!

The proud mother in me can't help but share the following picture...my little future author, Luke, wrote his first book! I'm beaming with excitement and joy over his creative little endeavor! I can't wait to read more of his writing, and soon, whenever he gets this keyboard typing thing down, I'm sure he'll have a blog of his own before we know it!

Rescue Mission

2009-05-18T20:51:00.004-05:00

Tonight started out like any other night. After dinner, we took a family walk like we do every night. When we got back, Clint started watering the garden and the boys were playing in the back of the truck. What began as joyful frolicking soon turned into a dire situation.

Beau was playing with his Batman on the top of the truck when suddenly, it slipped out of his hands, in between the truck bed and the back window. Batman did not fall through to the bottom. He appeared to be lost forever.
But wait! Dad came to the rescue! He climbed under the truck, and reached into the dark crevice, searching into places no one else would dare put their own hands.

And just when we though Batman was lost forever (or at least until the next time I got going pretty fast down the road), Dad found him!

Beau inspected Batman thoroughly. He made sure that Batman didn't have any scratches. Batman had a wet cape, so Beau sniffed it, and proclaimed that it was okay, but that it smelled like "Poop water", to which Jack said "Let me smell!" and he concurred with Beau's previous statement by shouting "EW!".

Afterwards, the victorious father started to scoot out of from under the truck, and all three of his grateful sons came to help, or so it seemed. As Luke and Beau got by each arm to help pull him out, Jack took this opportunity to exact revenge for some previous occurence on Dad, by slapping him in the face. Not shaken, Dad emerged from under the truck and all was once again well with the world.

Ahh...Mother's Day

2009-05-10T18:50:00.007-05:00

Handwritten notes and handmade cards decorate my living room. My three boys know just how to make me feel extra special on this day. Yesterday, my hubby surprised me with a gift certificate to a very nice nail salon that pampered me with a deluxe mani/pedi. We then dropped the kids off for a fun sleepover so that we could be alone, and had an exceptional meal. We've always wanted to try to cook lobster at home and we didn't realize just how freakin' easy it is!

We'll definitely be doing this more often...or, at least when the budget allows for $25 on one pound of meat.

Today, we went to breakfast and then took a drive to check out our campsite for our camping trip that's coming up next month. (I actually asked my husband for a camping chair for Mother's Day, but he said he wasn't walking into that one and got me the spa treatment instead...smart man.)

The rest of the day has been spent lazily lounging on the couch, watching TV shows from this past week and napping sporadically. Clint and the boys made a yummy turkey and gouda melt, topped with spinach and sauteed shallots.
Luke made the drinks.

Beau passed out the plates.

And Jack set the table with silverware (despite the number of forks on the table, it was just the 5 of us...).

Its been a fantastically relaxing day, and I feel so incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful family.

Catching Up

2009-04-30T19:48:00.002-05:00

I meant to do this on Beau's birthday in February, but I can hardly fit anything else in right now. I can't believe Beau turned 5 years old! My little Beau Bear, one of four keepers of my heart, so loveable, so entertaining...his laugh can make me smile even on the worst of days...his eyes twinkle with joy and mischief...he can always be counted on to ask for a sucker or two for his brothers when he gets one at gymnastics or the doctor's office. On Fridays when he gets popcorn at school, he won't open it until he gets home so that he can share it with Jackson. He's famous for his favorite word, "Chicken"...so much so that I nicknamed him Pot Pie. I love his smile, his little Jersey accent, his soft blond hair, his little blue eyes, his carefree outlook...He's my little Pot Pie, and I love him more than he could ever know.

March for Babies 2009

2009-04-25T13:01:00.006-05:00

Thank you to everyone who supported our team this year. It was so much fun for Jack to be the face for the March for Babies and their fight against prematurity. We are so blessed and hope that one day no baby will have to face the fight that Jackson had to overcome. Your support for the March of Dimes doesn't have to end here. Donations can be accepted throughout the entire year and there will be other events as well. Thank you to Kara for taking these awesome pictures today!

We were so lucky to have the outcome we did with Jackson, but unfortunately, not all families can say the same. Please take the time to read on Maddie Spohr, a precious little girl who fought to survive but lost her battle. Please pray for her family as they adjust to being without her.

Fund the Mission

2009-02-26T01:37:00.004-06:00

Below is our fundraising video for the March of Dimes. We are the Ambassador family for 2009 for Tulsa, and we are so excited about working with everyone to raise money for this cause which is so near to our hearts. Let me know what you think!

Not Me! Monday

2009-02-16T20:37:00.005-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday!

Hmmm...its been awhile since I had a Not Me! Monday post...I was actually feeling pretty good about the amount of housework I was keeping up with after finding Fly Lady...And OF COURSE I have not fallen off the wagon, back to my old ways! Why, that would be ridiculous, considering how easy Fly Lady makes it sound. Shine your sink and the rest will get taken care of, right?

I did not take a 2 hour nap on Sunday with a mountain of laundry next to me in my living room.

I did not laugh out loud today when my husband called to tell me that Pumpkin Pie had flushed his Underoos...

I did not pledge to work on Pumpkin Pie's March of Dimes video, only to spend too much time on Facebook and Twitter this evening.

I did not burst out laughing when Marley, our dog, started humping Sweetie Pie's fur-lined Croc....while his foot was in it...

It's the Little Things...

2009-02-06T08:24:00.007-06:00

Last night, the boys and I were sitting on the couch, just before bedtime, playing a game of "Telephone". You know the game, where one person whispers something in another's ear, and when it gets to the last person its the never the way it started. Sweetie Pie walked in and joined our fun little game.

Sweetie Pie whispered in Cutie Pie's ear: "I am in love with mommy."

Cutie Pie giggled, and whispered in Pot Pie's ear: "I am in love with mommy."

Pot Pie rolled his eyes and said in my ear: "Luke is in love with you."

It was the cutest thing ever!

Come on! Everyone on Facebook is doing it....

2009-01-27T13:06:00.002-06:00

Hmmm...this may not be too easy....I open up so much on my blog that there isn't much I haven't already divulged...but I'll give it a try...

25 Random Things About Me
1. I have an incredibly strong sense of smell...which goes well with my husband's severe lack of one.
2. I can never get enough sleep.
3. I don't care for sweets. I will hardly ever eat a sweet breakfast. My breakfast has to be served with a Pepsi.
4. One of my favorite snacks is what my kids have now named a "Peanut Butter Burrito". Its their favorite too...
5. When I am really thinking about something, I'll often repeat the same thing over and over in my head, picturing how it would feel if I typed it on the keyboard.
6. I often sit and picture how I want my backyard to look in the future.
7. Every day, I wake up surprised at what an awesome, comfortable, romantic, sweet, loving relationship I have with my husband.
8. I hit the snooze button way too many times every single morning.
9. I know I should wear makeup and try to get my hair to look presentable on a daily basis...but because of #8 and my 3 Pies it just doesn't happen.
10. In the past week, my Sweetie Pie and I drank 4-12 packs of Pepsi...if this trend continues...we'll spend well over $1000 on Pepsi this year...EEK!
11. I found a website I did in high school by Googling my maiden name. The most recent visitor was from November of 2007 and he proposed marriage.
12. Cutie Pie and Pot Pie are named after the Dukes of Hazzard. Pumpkin Pie is named after my favorite character on All My Children.
13. I have 4 siblings...a brother who is 25, a sister who is 18, and a half brother and half sister who are twins, age 6.
14. I love my job. Its hard to explain what I do, because it encompasses a lot of things for the entire health system. I work best with many deadlines and lots of projects.
15. Having said that...I would really like to do something a little more exciting...like be a detective...or a personal chef to a celebrity.
16. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, I would choose quesadillas.
17. I. love. board games. But I can't hardly ever find anyone to play with me!
18. I am a horrible nail biter. I wish I could give it up...I've tried...I hide my hands a lot.
19. I'm skeptical of this new diet program Rachael Ray is pushing...
20. I'm looking forward to this summer...we're finally going to take our first real family vacation!
21. I can't help but wonder what it would be like to have one more child...
22. I feel overwhelmingly grateful to God every single day for my little Pumpkin Pie's very amazing recovery...
23. I am looking forward to taking the GMAT and starting grad school.
24. I have big plans for my house...if the budget ever allows...
25. My kids always know how to make me laugh...even when I'm trying to discipline them...

My Biggest Boy

2009-01-24T21:36:00.004-06:00

Cutie Pie has had a few moments of struggling this year in school. He doesn't have loads of confidence about his reading ability, and he's kinda moody sometimes. However, for the entire month of January, he hasn't had a single day with a "sad face", meaning he hasn't had more than one warning a day for this entire month! We're very pleased with his growing maturity, and tonight, we rewarded him with an extra special surprise...staying up past bed time to hang out with dad, eating popcorn and watching UFC matches. He's in "Big Boy Heaven"!

Oh, No! Not Me! Monday

2009-01-19T13:23:00.009-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday!

If you read my previous post, you would have witnessed my gushing over what a wonderful husband I have, and how I have been working very hard to be the best for him. Well, let me begin this "Not Me! Monday" with my head hung in shame.

Currently, there is not a battle of wills going on at my house.

I do not go into my bathroom and find the toilet paper in this condition.

In aggravation for being the only person who replaces the toilet paper in the entire house, I do not remedy the situation by doing this...

Which aggravates my Sweetie Pie, who corrects it by doing this...

But, in retaliation for my not half-completing the task, he does this as well...

And even though there is a trash can directly under the toilet paper holder, we are not in a standoff, and we are not refusing to give in until the other realizes HE is wrong and throws all of the empty toilet paper rolls away...

Additionally, I did not encourage my son to take this picture at Lowe's yesterday...

*Giggle*

Man Whisperer

2009-01-17T21:37:00.005-06:00

For Christmas, my MIL gave me a calendar with daily "training tips women can use on their man".
Some of the tidbits of wisdom include the following:

"The Man Whisperer knows that her man's place is around her pinkie." I'd rather spoon.

"Nothing frightens men like a freeze queen. Sit or stand straight and tall, inhale slowly and deliberately, and then slowly exhale, widen your eyes and picture the inside of your body as the Arctic Ice Shelf. Instead of a warm nurturing embrace, give him cold hard steel." Why would I want to frighten my husband? Any of these games just delays getting to the fun stuff.

"All men are babies. Your job is to find the best baby in the bunch." I know what babies are like. I've had 3 of them. My Sweetie Pie is far from being a baby.

"What the Man Whisperer tells herself every day: "He doesn't know how lucky he is." Oh, yes he does. He knows. He tells me quite often.

"Assume the Attitude: Expect compliance." Compliance? No. Contributing? Yes.

"A man is scared to death of a woman who looks as if she might have a couple of thoughts." My husband thinks its hot that I'm smart.

"Thought for the day. One word: Concealer". Yeah, because obviously if he sees you with a zit he's going to hit the floor running.

"Deep down your man is wondering whether he's good enough. Your job is to keep him wondering." I'd rather let him know I appreciate everything he does.

Dopey ideas like these are the reason I don't read Cosmo. Don't get me started on what I think of women who assume men are stupid and that these ridiculous tricks work. Why my MIL thinks I need to "train" her son to do anything is baffling to me. In my opinion, he's not in need of any training at all. He's intelligent, hard working, respectful, handsome, an amazing father....I could go on and on.

However, I must confess. I haven't treated my wonderful husband the way he deserves to be treated...that is, until about 2 weeks ago. I happened upon a blog written by MckMama (If you don't know who she is, you should find out right now!). Upon reading this entry on marriage, my eyes were opened. I saw him in an entirely new light. Before, I based so much of my own happiness on what he did to make me feel special, getting down and feeling disappointed when he wasn't completely falling over himself in awe of me. After reading MckMama's wise words, I made the change to just be happy on my own and to treat him with love and kindness, like Jesus would want me to treat him. Well, once I started this, I noticed a definite change in the way he was treating me. Once I started showering him with love and affection, as well as going out of my way to do nice things for him with no strings attached, he started doing the same thing!!! These changes we made resulted in what we have now labeled "The Week of Pleasure".

Now, we've never had a problem in the boudoir department. As a couple of individuals who married without ever having been with anyone else in our entire lives, there is an amazing bond between the two of us. We haven't had much time pass without some sort of physical contact between the two of us. However, since my eyes were opened by MckMama's blog, our times together haven't just been more frequent; they've been amazingly better in every way.

Here's hoping it turns into "The Month of Pleasure".

Brotherly Love

2009-01-16T22:47:00.010-06:00

Tonight, I updated our family menu for the next two weeks, and also updated our family memory verse. I used to update our memory verse once a week, but it has gone to the wayside. Tonight, I decided to get back on the wagon. I selected Romans 12:10...the boys have actually been having a good couple of weeks, but I never miss an opportunity to get the point of being kind across to them. It must be sticking...Earlier this week, Luke pointed out that I appeared tired, and offered to do the dishes. You know you look tired when your 6 year old points it out...

Today, Luke filled me in on why they are out of school on Monday. He told me all about Martin Luther King Jr and how he had a dream that everyone would treat others equally and that everyone deserves to be treated with respect because we are all people, and nothing else matters. He asked me, "Why would people not be nice to everyone?" Honestly, I didn't have the heart to tell him about the way the world used to be....or sadly, I guess is still somewhat today. How do you explain racism to a 6 year old? How do you ruin a naive child's perceptions of the world outside and tell him that there were...are people that don't like other people simply because of the color of their skin? Why would I ruin him of his knowing true acceptance by pointing out differences that really don't even matter? I just can't do it. My only solution is to just remind them whenever I can about the ol' Golden Rule, slip in a few Bible verses like this week's, and to set the example myself, treating others with love and kindness. I pray their kind hearts continue to grow, with our help and God's love and guidance.

And speaking of great leaders, check out this link to letters of advice written to President Obama, written by kids. You'll definitely smile.

Looking Back

2009-01-11T01:33:00.005-06:00

Its late...I can't sleep...I'm thinking about all of the things I want to accomplish in 2009. 2008 was a big year for me and my fam. In 2008, I:

*Began my final semester of college.
*Started hosting an awesome small group at our house called TRIBE
*Graduated from college with a Bachelor's in Technology
*Got my first tattoo
*Began blogging again
*Got a little closer to finishing our kitchen remodel
*Sweetie Pie shaved his head
*Cutie Pie started first grade
*Pot Pie started pre-k
*I learned how to make pickles!!
*We watched the Olympics and then participated in some games of our own...
*We realized our desire to adopt someday...
*I went on my first women's retreat
*We got our family portraits
*I realized that I am a better mom than I was giving myself credit for...
*My niece was born.
*Cutie Pie started Tae Kwon Do
* I dyed my hair for the first, and last, time...
*I introduced the word "Fart Bucket" to my kids' vocabulary
*We made the tough decision to leave the church we love...
*We got a dog!!!!
*I developed a pie theme for my blog, in hopes that I'll be able to put into production an enjoyable reading experience for anyone who happens upon my blog. I hope that 2009 offers me more creative opportunities to share with you about our family! Happy Reading!

Not the Mom You Think I Am...

2009-01-09T14:23:00.016-06:00

Today at work, a software consultant was in our office, schmoozing with my boss. She brought him around to introduce to everyone, and when she got to me, she repeated the same introduction I've heard time and time again.

"This is Misti! She's the baby around here. She takes care of all of us. She's going to come visit us in the nursing home in a few years to pluck our chin hairs and make sure we aren't drooling on ourselves. And she's Super Mom! She has three boys, and she cooks every night! She is just amazing because this entire health system wouldn't run without her, and then she goes home and takes care of her kids and her husband..."

Don't let the rest of this paragraph fool you. I have a fantastic boss and great co-workers.
However....when she starts this intro, I usually quit listening after "baby"...I don't particularly care to be labeled as the youngest person in the office...being the youngest carries the stigma that I'm inexperienced and incapable, when it really should be saying that I am actually in possession of a sharp mind and the ability to complete my tasks in a timely and efficient manner.

And secondly, I don't particularly enjoy being singled out...Its embarrassing!!! And its a lie!!! Lord knows I don't feel like Super Mom. My exceedingly essential (though dejectedly unacknowledged) role in the administration of the health system keeps me there later than I would like some days, and it requires my attention when I am at home as well. It works out fine with my husband's schedule, because he gets off in time to pick the kids up after school every day. And for the most part, he is fairly helpful around the house, doing the dishes and starting some laundry. He's hoping for a SAHD gig someday soon. However, his version of a "clean house" isn't necessarily the same as mine. He can look at a room with stacked piles and think its tidy, whereas I would prefer the stacked piles be dispersed to their correct locations.

When I finally get home from work, its time to make dinner, which I actually enjoy doing, and it gives me something mindless to do after a stressful day. However, once dinner is finished and I take inventory of what needs to be done around the house, I often find myself overwhelmed with the mounting tasks that are looming, and, more often than not, I feel so inundated that some nights I sit on the couch and do nothing, drowning my sorrows in a bowl of Cap'N Crunch and watching Rock of Love Bus, all the while accepting defeat and saying to myself, "If only I were a stay at home mom..."

But then I think to myself, even if I was a SAHM, there's no guarantee any of this stuff around the house would get done. I would probably acquire a whole new set of to-do's, ones that I can't do because I work, like homeroom mom, or Cub Scout leader, or perhaps I would be able to get a PTA set up for Cutie Pie and Pot Pie's school since my past attempts at starting one have failed. And without my job, we wouldn't have access to the fantastic child care center where Pumpkin Pie attends, and I would most definitely end up home-schooling him every day to get him ready for pre-k and Kindergarten. Would I absolutely love to do all of these things? You betcha! But I'd probably still have a messy home. Laundry and dishes and general organization always take a backseat to everything else that I have going on. I do my best to get things done around the house, but I am very aware of the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. Do I wish my house was more organized? Of course. But I'm more concerned with helping my kids with their homework and spending time with them having fun, as well as quality time with my Sweetie Pie. Sure, most of the time I feel somewhat like an undisciplined failure in the homemaker department, but I'm coping. One of my goals for 2009 is to get more control over my house. I'm hoping for some direction and helpful hints from the handful of people who read my blog. So, feel free to leave me your comments with ideas that can help me...I need all of the help I can get!

Not Me Monday!

2009-01-05T13:08:00.014-06:00

"Not Me Monday" is a cyber confessional booth for moms, where we can clear our conscience by "not" confessing our mommy transgressions.

I did not spend all weekend relaxing in my fur-lined Crocs with my feet propped up. I most certainly did not skimp out on making dinner Saturday night and order pizza...

I did not let the laundry pile up while I watched three, count 'em, three! movies curled up on the couch with my Sweetie Pie this weekend...

I did not hit the snooze button 3 too many times today and end up rushing around getting ready for work. I did not instruct Cutie Pie to make breakfast for he and his brothers...

I did not come home from work early today because Pumpkin Pie is sick and, after medicating him, sit and catch up on all of the sleeze from VH1 last night...

I did not let the dog out only to find that he had pooped in his crate and instead of cleaning it out, I did not put it out on the porch for Sweetie Pie to clean when he gets home...

I did not start a diet today, only to stop by McDonalds on my way home and get some McNuggets for me and Pumpkin Pie...

Ah...clean conscience.

Here's 2 more from dinner...

I did not tell Cutie Pie tonight "Its not burned, its just browned."

I did not tell Pot Pie "Just eat your friggin' sandwich!"

Here I am, 2009

2009-01-03T16:51:00.005-06:00

Everywhere I turn, people are writing about their goals for 2009. I have a few of my own, but I'm afraid they aren't very interesting...

Here they are, in no certain order...

1. Try to write a meaningful, somewhat thought provoking blog at least once a week.
2. Potty train Jackson.
3. House train Marley.
4. I wish to be quite a few pounds lighter at the end of 2009 than I am now at the beginning. I am not naming a specific goal yet...
5. Keep more control over the state of my house. Well, attempt to, anyway.
6. Hit the gym at least 3 times a week.
7. Drink more water and less Pepsi. I'm not giving it completely up yet, but hopefully I'll be able to drink less and cut it out completely eventually. No official Pepsi-less announcement yet, though.
8. Help make Luke and Beau much better readers by the end of 2009.
9. Be much happier with my occupation because of the difference I am making and not just because of the elements of convenience it offers me.
10. Find a new church where I am certain our family will grow as Christians, loving others and being the hands and feet of God.

Swingin'

2008-12-30T00:20:00.004-06:00

I can feel it. I know when its coming. Every little thing irritated the crap out of me at work today, except for an email from an old friend that made me cry and go read Jack's Preemie Blog, which also made me cry...when I got home from work, I yelled at my kids the moment I walked in the door for reasons I can't even recall now, then invited them to help me cook dinner, which I let them take over, staying as patient as a saint, even though they made a mess and fought the whole time. When we sat down to eat, Luke teased Jackson, and because of the re-reading of his blog today, I was feeling very protective of Jack, so I probably went a little overboard in reprimanding Luke about it (though I do want the kids to know that I will not tolerate anyone making fun of anybody else...), and then that made me cry as well.

Yup.

I'm PMS'ing.

I hate this feeling(s)! As I stated in a previous rant, I have a fantastic husband. Yet, when he drifts off to sleep because he's absolutely exhausted from a very hard day at work, I take it as an insult that he isn't all smoochy-smoochy and lovey-dovey while spouting off sonnets or some crap. I know he loves me, but at this time of the month, irrationality kicks in. I am glad that he puts up with my senseless crying and sporadic rages (okay, so maybe its not that bad, but it feels like it!!!). If our positions were reversed and I was the one having to put up with his BS every month, I probably wouldn't be so sensitive and understanding.

If I weren't so tired, I'd cry.

Best. Toy. Ever.

2008-12-29T22:48:00.004-06:00

For me, anyway. I could sit and watch the kids on this thing for hours!!!

Husband Rant

2008-12-22T20:38:00.005-06:00

For the most part, I scored pretty good in the husband department. He's supportive, caring, loving, helps with the kids, works hard to support our family, has a cute butt :), and he does his fair share around the house...most of the time. Today was not quite one of those times. The kids are out of school for Christmas Break, and because of circumstances beyond my control at work, I am unable to take off or even work half a day from home like I had planned. As a result, I had to drop Luke and Beau off at his office for a few hours of watching He-Man on Hulu.com so he could get a little work done before coming home. In his defense, he did pick up Jackson and take him and the other two to get Jack's glasses fixed. However, once they arrived home, little else was accomplished except almost defeating the Riddler on Lego Batman for Wii.

It would have been nice to come home and have some laundry done to fold or dishes washed and put away. I let him know, once or twice, that I was not pleased at the lack of tasks he got completed today, which he responded to with indifference and eye-rolling. However, I wasn't really that bothered about it. I had a nice time, winding down after a long day at work, while I cooked dinner with Jackson. After dinner, Clint, Jack and I unloaded the dishwasher. As Clint was putting away the utensils, he took the meat tenderizer and proceed to hit my butt with it. And then he said, "I thought you needed some tenderizing, because..."

Wait for it...

"You've been such a hard ass."

Yup, that's right folks...Its a regular vat of hilarity around here.

Its alright, though. I wouldn't trade him for anything. Even if his stupid jokes and the fact that I even have to ask him to do the sink load of dishes he keeps walking by irritate the heck out of me.

I'm Bummed...

2008-11-30T20:55:00.006-06:00

This weekend, we had an organizational meeting at our church for the children's program. Because we have more children than anyone else at church (for now, anyway...Congrats, Willistons!), I am, of course, very interested in what they are planning, and I'm sure everyone would have wondered where I was if I had not attended. Our church is very young, with very young people who are not yet married, and if they are, most do not yet have children. A few months ago, it was announced that our church was in the process of scouting out locations for a second church home. We will still have church in the evening in downtown, and we will add a second service at a location in south Tulsa, with a morning service. At the time, I assumed that we would just be copying our current setup, but tonight I found out that is not the case. The plan is to move the time to even later on Sunday nights in the downtown location without Gathering Kids, and then the south Tulsa location will be in the mornings with a complete children's ministry. We have enjoyed going to the Gathering so much, and have really learned a lot about ourselves and how to be Christians who are accepting of everyone and reach out to and love everyone, giving as much as we can to whoever may need it and treating everyone the way Jesus would have treated them, all of which have become our desires for us and our children since we started going to the Gathering. But we want to attend church in our area, on our side of town, and we will not be going to south Tulsa to attend church. So, this week we will begin looking for a new church home, somewhere the kids will flourish and really love to learn about God. That means we will be giving up our small group, and leaving the people we have come to love very much as our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are both very sad about this, but we are sure that God will lead us in the right direction. In the meantime, we'll be praying for what we are supposed to do.

Convo with the Hubs

2008-11-24T16:56:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, we had a full day, though we hadn't planned for it to be that way. I slept in because I was a little tired from working at Habitat for Humanity during the day Saturday followed by a late night with some good friends, so my husband made me a yummy brunch. After a day of shopping together as a family, we got home with our groceries and a couple items we've been wanting for the kitchen. We made dinner and then relaxed as a family. After the kids went to bed, Clint started folding laundry while I cleaned our room and rearranged the furniture (AGAIN). By the time we got in bed, it was well past 11pm. As Clint was drifting off to sleep, the following conversation ensued...(Conversation may be edited to preserve my husband's image as a caring supporter and protector of our family)

Clint: *snore*
Misti: What's the heat set on?
Clint: *yawn* I don't know...
Misti: Do you think its a little warm in here?
Clint: Yes...its nice.
Misti: Maybe you should get up and check...I don't want the kids to burn up and sweat and then get cold and freeze....
Clint: Kiss my butt. You get up and look. (starts to snore again)
Misti: Hey! (slaps him on the arm) Did you lock the van earlier?
Clint: Huh? What? I don't remember...
Misti: Are you serious? My purse is out there!
Clint: So... (Beginning to snore again...)
Misti: Clint! You need to go out and make sure the van is locked!
Clint: What? Oh come on! Where's the clicker?
Misti: (sheepishly) In the van....
Clint: You've got to be kidding me. You go check it.
Misti: NO! I'm not dressed. You are...go out there and check it.
Clint: *furiously throwing back the covers* This is ridiculous.
Misti: Can you check the heat while you're up?
Clint: Kiss my butt!
Misti: (After Clint gets back into bed) Was it locked?
Clint: Yes it was. Not only did I get out of bed for no reason because the van is locked, but its now raining outside.
Misti: (again...sheepishly) I'm sorry...I love you...
Clint: Kiss my butt!

Broken Beau, 'Round the Table, and Family Dominoes

2008-11-17T19:34:00.006-06:00

I don't think I have blogged about this as of yet, but Beau has a broken arm. It was such a freak occurance. He happened to fall on it at just the right angle, and after a conversation with the medical director of the urgent care physicians, I learned that the initial x-ray just barely missed the fracture, by mere millimeters. With the missed fracture, Beau walked around for 6 days with a broken arm...falling on it at gymnastics, attempting to use it at the request of my husband and I who thought that if he used it after what we thought was just a contusion he would get better, and favoring it so that it wouldn't hurt, never really letting us know how bad it was hurting him. He's healing well, says the orthopedist. We keep him in the sling for a few more weeks, and then he should be back to normal.

I hate to admit it, but to keep my blogging integrity, I must. Beau has gas...constantly. I swear, he could probably fart on command. Today was no exception. I was playing with Beau and Jack while Clint and Luke were at Tae Kwon Do, and amidst the fun, Beau let out a very stinky poot. And then another. Perhaps a more proper mother would have thought before she spoke, but I, for some reason, couldn't stop myself, and I called him a...

Fart bucket!

You would have thought I was the headliner on a comedy tour. Beau practically had tears coming from his eyes from laughing so hard at this new word I introduced into his vocabulary today. Sorry, Mrs. Davis...

A short time after I thought the moment had been forgotten, we were sitting at dinner. As we quietly ate, Beau, again, passed gas. This time, Clint commented on his gas, to which Beau replied, "I know! I'm a fart bucket!"

The look I got from my husband was one of bewilderment and shock. Perhaps he had never heard the word uttered before this evening, and certainly not from one of our children. I quickly stuffed my mouth full of smothered chicken and green beans, so that when my husband asked me where he could have possibly heard that word, I was able to just shake my head and, with a mouthful, mumble an inaudible "Idunno..." Of course, Beau gave me up, and Clint just shook his head at me. Oh well, there are worse phrases in the world.

After dinner and some homework, we played a fun game of dominoes as a family. It was hilarious to watch the boys and their fun competitiveness. Luke loves games of all kinds, and Beau loves to play dominoes, especially if he can have the double blank. Jack just likes to steal the dominoes...but fun was had by all!

Seeing Red

2008-11-11T17:26:00.009-06:00

Last night, the hubs and I were watching the Sex and the City movie. When Carrie dyes her hair to change her look and camouflage herself against cruel Vogue readers, I casually commented that I would like to do that, to which Clint gave a non-committal "That's cool...". So today at lunch, I decided to just go for it. I took a long lunch and headed to my favorite salon, Tulsa Hair Co. (it qualifies as my fave because that's where I go the two times a year I get my hair cut....) I told the stylist I wanted something different...I'm tired of my curly "Is it red? Is it blond?" undefinable hair color. And here's what she gave me...

BEFORE

AFTER

I do like it...it looks better than in this picture...everyone at my office thought it looked great and so did Clint! Its fun to try something new. What do you think?

Cutest Baby Item Ever

2008-11-09T09:28:00.004-06:00

As I Twittered a few days ago, I'm in the middle of Christmas shopping. Seeing my kids drooling over the Toys R Us catalog is delightful! HAHA But this year, not only do I have my boys to shop for, I have a new niece! And I do believe that I found the cutest baby item ever! They are called Skid Pants and they are like little baby leg warmers that keep their legs and knees from getting hurt while they are crawling. Here's the set I purchased for Baby Dallie!

They are made by a company called Dittany Baby and its right here in Tulsa! I found the company in an article in Tulsa Kids about Tulsa-based businesses. Run right out and get your little one some!

An Unexpected Answered Prayer

2008-11-05T22:43:00.005-06:00

Have I mentioned that I'm busy? This week that is more true than usual...

For over three years now, our hospital has been preparing for the day that our surgery department would start using an automated charting system that, when the nurse charted procedure and anesthesia times and simply entered the catalog number of an implant or supply, would automatically charge the patient for the times and supplies and alert materials management that the item needed to be restocked. Sounds efficient, right? BWAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm not going to list the reasons that this new system isn't working here...I'll just say that I contemplated joining the circus today...

Anyway, I've been working later than usual, and the kids have had new activities, including tonight, so Clint and Luke rushed off in one direction, and Beau and I rushed off in another. I haven't had the chance to go to the grocery store this week, so as we were leaving gymnastics I ordered Chinese delivery. We met back at home, just as our dinner arrived. After the kids went to bed, I ran to Target to pick up some gifts for a wedding shower, and then to Walmart for groceries. Everything was going fine, until I started checking out and heard the thunder. I looked out the door and saw the buckets of rain...Greaaaaaat. Just what I needed. I pushed my basket outside and stood under the awning for a moment, hoping the rain would stop. A young man, probably early to mid 20's, walked towards me. I didn't really pay much attention to him, except for the fact that he had an extra large umbrella. In my head, I said, "I sure wish I had purchased one of those when I was inside..."
At that moment, the man looked at me and my basket overflowing with groceries...he said to me, "Where are you parked?" I told him, and he said, "Well, let me walk you out there." And he covered me with his umbrella and walked me all the way out to my van, standing there while I unlocked my van and started to load it up. I thanked him profusely, and he smiled and said "Don't worry about it. This rain is so inconvenient." And with that, he walked away. I got into my van, barely wet from the rain, and with such a warm feeling inside of me...I wish I had told him what a blessing he was...that he was an answer to my prayers...but in the cold hard rain we were both just rushing to get to a dry place. I am going to make a point to pay it forward sometime this week. I don't know when I'll get the chance, but I'll be looking for the opportunity.

2008-11-03T21:53:00.005-06:00

I don’t have anything particularly of substance to write about today…just some things I’ve been thinking about.

* I had a dream about a skunk. When I looked it up, it said
To see a skunk in your dream suggests that you may be driving people away or turning people off. Alternatively, it indicates that all is calm about a certain situation but you do not necessarily like it or agree with it.
I’m not sure what this means for me yet…I don’t think I’m driving people away, yet I’m not sure which situation I may or may not be content with…I’ll keep you posted.

*Last week at TRIBE, we talked about being salty. I must admit I had a hard time defining what it means to be salty. Here’s the best explanation I’ve found:
A person committed to Jesus Christ whose purpose it is to season the world with His unconditional love, showing His grace and mercy, causing a general feeling of excitement and heightened interest in others so they will fall in love with Him, too. Causing a state of widespread public excitement and interest through which the external world is apprehended and turned back to God through the bold love of Jesus Christ, resulting in the good news to be preserved and passed on from generation to generation!
While we were discussing, our leader, Josh, asked us to identify people in our lives who we thought were salty. The first person that came to my mind was a fellow TRIBEr, Laurel, who is a patient mother, a healer by occupation, and an eloquent speaker who’s prayers to God are all-encompassing of how everyone in the room feels, yet can’t seem to say quite so beautifully. Her comments and observations are obviously full of a great understanding of and faith in God’s love.

We focused on many verses, but this one in particular hit me.
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

I’ve made a lot of realizations about myself since we started attending the Gathering. Helping others without feeling the need to “toot my own horn” is one of the things I have learned. Jesus said “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.” Since being at the Gathering and around all of the other members, I have felt not only much more compelled to help others as much as I can, but also I have felt much more compassionate, which I have sadly been lacking, for various reasons. I am eager to spread this feeling onto the kids, whether it be helping out here in Tulsa or going on a mission trip.

Another thing I have learned is trying to think before I speak. I absolutely detest people who make comments with an intention of hurting someone’s feelings or making them feel like they have made bad choices or are less of a person. I refuse to make myself feel better by making someone else feel worse. However, I am afraid I do this accidentally sometimes. I make just general observations, and then later realize that what I said may have inadvertently made someone feel bad. Unfortunately, I have quite a few examples of this…like when I make a comment about how awkward pregnancy is or how painful labor is, only to realize I’m conversing with someone who has never experienced the joy of carrying a baby or giving birth, or when I make a comment about what a great man my husband is for taking care of our birth control needs permanently, only to feel bad for unintentionally implying that a man who hasn’t done so isn’t great. I don’t want anyone to think that I am judging them. I don’t know about everyone’s situations or reasons for making the choices they make. It’s their choice and I am in no position to even presume to make a judgment about anything. This is something I’m trying to be careful with every day. I hate to even imagine how many times I have hurt someone’s feelings. I just have to keep working at being more aware of what I’m saying.

*So…these observations turned into much more than I expected…oh well…I got a lot off my chest.

Wuv...Twue Wuv

2008-10-31T14:16:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was an anniversary of sorts…

First, let me preface this with a brief history.

It was October 29, 2000…I was sitting in my dorm room at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, chatting with some friends on CollegeClub.com. (It was a rudimentary version of what would become the likes of Myspace and Facebook.) A chat request came from someone named Hatchet69.

Hmmm….sounds like a perverted serial killer, I thought to myself…but basking in the anonymity of the Internet, I accepted the request anyway.

I don’t remember exactly what we talked about, but I do remember enjoying our conversation…I don’t know why, but I felt drawn to this faceless individual. We hadn’t even exchanged pictures, but by the end of the conversation I had agreed to meet him for dinner.

Fast forward 23 hours…there I was, pulling into the parking lot of Del Rancho, thinking to myself, “WHAT AM I DOING? No one even knows what I’m doing or where I am. This is the stuff that Lifetime movies are made of. I’m going to be just another dumb girl statistic! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!”

I took a deep breath, got out of my car, and out of this huge black pickup truck hopped a cute guy in black Wranglers and with a shy smile. There was an awkward moment where I was trying to figure out if he was Hatchet69 and he was trying to figure out if I was NSUTheaterGrl. We laughed nervously and went inside. Over dinner, the awkwardness subsided, and we were soon having a good time. After dinner, we went looking for a movie, but couldn’t find one, and I mentioned the Haunted Castle. The 20 minute car ride to Muskogee was nice. We sat on opposite sides of his truck with the middle console down…I rested my arm on it for a moment. I wanted him to hold my hand, and was engrossed in thinking about moving mine closer to his when he grabbed mine. It caught me off guard and I yanked my hand back to my lap in reaction. He sheepishly shrunk back over to his own side, and for the second time that night, found myself saying in my head “STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!”

I have always been a fan of scary attractions, and he wasn’t about to tell me that he didn’t like them one bit. When we entered The Castle, he wrapped his arms around me and held on tight the entire time. He was unbelievably scared, but didn’t want me to know, and there was no way I was going to let on to him how obvious it was.

After The Castle, we weren’t ready for our date to end. He shyly asked if I wanted to meet his grandma and grandpa. I thought his request was absolutely adorable, and so we drove out to Ma and Pop’s house. We visited with them for awhile, watched some bull riding, and then headed back to my car, neither of us ready for the night to end.

When we got back to Del Rancho, it was close to midnight. I had class the next day, and he had to be at work in Broken Arrow. Still, the impending fatigue we were going to feel the next day couldn’t get either one of us to leave any faster. We sat and talked for a long time that night, and then one of us would remark on how late it was, only to end up talking about something else, until we realized it was 7AM.

The rest, as they say, is history. Four months later, we were engaged, and three months after that, we were married. Now, eight years and three kids later, we are still going strong.

I feel so blessed to have found such a wonderful person to spend my life with. He’s my rock, my best friend. He can make me laugh, even when I’m frustrated with him. He works hard to provide for his family, going in before everyone else to get off in time to pick up the kids from school so that they don’t have to go to after-school care. He has a handsome smile, a kind heart, and beautiful blue eyes that still make me melt. When he sends me an email during the day, or text messages my phone just to check in, I can still get butterflies in my stomach because I am so happy to hear from him! I love him more today than I ever could have imagined that night back in the parking lot eight years ago…

New Ink

2008-10-27T21:47:00.006-05:00

I'm growing ansy...

Its been almost 6 months since my last tattoo.

I'm really trying very hard to pick out one that I can get for Luke and for Beau, because I feel a little bad that I have a tattoo for Jackson but not the other two. But to pick something that describes and can be associated with Luke and Beau (besides a big General Lee across my back...not happening) is a daunting task.

A tattoo for Beau is actually proving to be a little easier, except picking out the actual tattoo design. Anyone who knows Beau knows what his favorite word is...It makes me laugh everytime he says it...

As for Luke, I don't know what to get!

I was thinking of getting something in Chinese, like son or light, because Luke's name means light.

I am excited to get a new tattoo and to be with Clint when he's gets his first tattoo.

I think we're experiencing a late rebellion of sorts...

A Totally Different Kid...

2008-10-27T20:03:00.005-05:00

We've had a hard time finding an activity that Luke has really liked. We've tried baseball, flag football, soccer, gymnastics...he has gotten bored with each one and wanted to quit halfway through. Tonight, we tried a new activity. Tae Kwon Do...

At first I wasn't totally sold on the idea, but I figured we'd try it and see what happens. Clint said when he first started the class, he was crying because he couldn't keep up with any of the other students during warm up. Luke is so hard on himself and he gets frustrated with himself so easily...Clint told him he'd just have to suck it up and pay attention, if this was something he really wanted to do. And that's just what he did. He had a one-on-one lesson with the co-instructor to get caught up with the rest of the class and very quickly realized that these teachers are not playing around. This is serious stuff and if you don't pay attention or take it seriously, you are going to get hurt.

To say the least, Luke loved it. Looks like we'll be heading to martial arts class two nights a week from now on...

And, in a crazy turn of events, the moment he walked in the door after class, he seemed like a totally different boy. He wasn't jumping around or being his usual, sometimes slightly obnoxious, self. After he finished eating dinner, he asked if he could clear the table and do the dishes. I've never turned down help! He did a great job rinsing and scrubbing the food off the dishes (better than me, even!) And he placed them all expertly in the dishwasher, added the soap and started it up. I was very impressed. I think I'm going to like this!

On Wednesday, Beau starts a new gymnastics class with the Tulsa Parks team coach to start training to join the team. Because their competition season starts next month, he won't be ready to compete until next year, which is fine, because it will give him a lot of time to work on his routines. He's so excited, and so are we!

In the Words of Jack...

2008-10-27T00:34:00.012-05:00

You've got to be kidding me!

Forgive me if this post comes off as sounding gripey, but, you see, in my own defense, I can't seem to get to sleep! I guess I slept so much when I was sick that my sleep schedule is all off.

Brief history here...last weekend, Clint took us to a motorcycle show at Myers Duren (I never thought I would be linking a Harley store from my blog...) As he was giving the kids a lesson in motorcycle anatomy, I went inside to check out the clothing. I think the entire Affliction clothing line is tres hot, but unfortunately cannot see myself spending $45 on a t-shirt that has been "factory frayed". Plus...I must admit that a small part of me has a problem wearing a shirt with the word "sinful" all over it....I mean, we all are, but it just feels way dirtier when its on your shirt...

...Which leads me to tonight...actually this morning...I was browsing online, looking for perhaps a good deal or two (ala Ebay) on some Affliction clothing when I come to the website of a dealer of Affliction and similar clothing brands. When what do my wandering eyes but appear is the 2008 Paris Hilton collection. Oh, this ought to be good...

Good golly, I have never seen so much trashy gold fabric in my life.

Even the bony models have muffin tops in these ridiculous pants.

And I'll be darned if she doesn't have the nerve to sell shirts with her face on them! And her name too, in some horrible sherbert Warhol-esque version. I've never understood why people think is cool...It takes me back to a time of crimped hair in a sideways pony-tail that I do not want to go back to! The only person I can see possibly wearing this is that poor boy who feels the need to defend Britney Spears via web cam...

Puhlease! I wouldn't be caught dead wearing any of these items....

even if she did sell them in my size...

which she doesn't....

A Love Affair...

2008-10-26T12:08:00.007-05:00

Let me first preface this by saying that I am not being compensated in any way for writing this blog. Unless the CEO of Hoover is trolling mommy blogs and decides to send me a coupon or something, there's nothing in this for me.

A year ago, my husband went out and bought me a new vacuum cleaner. I will not divulge anything specifically about this vacuum (I'll just say it rhymes with Whistle...) except to say that it only worked well for about a month, which really is a testament to what a lousy vacuum cleaner it was because honestly I don't use it that often. For roughly 10 months, I did everything I could to make the darn thing work...changed the belts...changed the filters...cleaned the canister out after using it for only a few minutes... Finally I broke down and decided to buy another one. I read some reviews (hey, 8 out of 9 folks on Walmart.com can't be wrong, right?) and went to pick it up. When I saw it in the store, I thought it looked like a toy. I hesitated for a moment, decided I've never had anything against toys, and bought it. When I got it home and used it for the first time, it was fantastic! The dirt and dust in my carpet actually came up into the vacuum! It worked way better than even the first time I used "that other" vacuum that cost us over three times as much! It has a super easy to clean canister and even easier to clean filter. Just the necessary attachments, one button for power, and you pull back on the handle to use it. And the one feature that made me almost not buy it is the one thing I love the most now! It has a thin stick for a handle, which retracts for easy storage AND for shorter folks (aka The KIDS!) to be able to use it easily. Anything that promotes an increase in child labor around here is OK by me. Plus, we all love it so much the carpet gets vacuumed even more frequently now!

So, if you are in the market for a vacuum, try the Hoover Nano Light Upright Compact Vacuum. It gets two thumbs up from this busy mom.

Boo HAHA

2008-10-25T22:58:00.011-05:00

Today was a super fun day. Actually for two reasons...one being that it was the first day I have left the house since Wednesday, considering I haven't been able to sit up without puking. You see, I had a very minor dental procedure on Wednesday that left me feeling a little dizzy Wednesday night, followed by a night of said hurling, followed by an entire Thursday of not eating for fear of hurling, another night of sleepless migraine-induced dizziness, a Friday spent in bed, finally braving dinner that evening, and waking up Saturday morning, not feeling entirely 100% better but picking myself up by my boot-straps because my Indiana Jones needed his jacket. Which brings us to the second reason it was a fun day. It was BooHAHA on Brookside, the annual prequel to the big show (aka Halloween Night Trick or Treating), where all of the businesses on Brookside hand out candy to hundreds of Trick or Treaters. We don't necessarily go out for the candy. In fact, there are so many Trick or Treaters that its really not too fun to attempt to get candy. We prefer browsing the other costumes to standing in lines. We didn't see very many Indiana Jones costumes today, but Luke got quite a few compliments about his, and I beamed every time. Of the homemade costumes, I think Luke's was in the top 2...the only reason I don't say his was the top is because someone had an absolutely fantastic Wall-E costume. Check it out for yourself! (Ignore the mess in the background...gimme break...I've been super sick) He fits the part, don't you think?

Beau and Jack were also super cute today, even though I can't take credit for their costumes besides finding the Transformer online and the Dinosaur (yes, I know its really a dragon...just don't tell Jack) on sale at Old Navy.

After BooHAHA, Beau attended his first classmate party! His friend, Victoria, had an awesome Halloween Party at her house, and Beau obviously likes her a lot. They were attached at the hip most of the party, either jumping in the Jupiter Jump or playing in the backyard. It was so cute to watch them! I had a blast meeting his friends and their parents. Beau is already talking about his 5th birthday party and inviting all of his friends. Too much fun! Here's Jack wearing one of Beau's party favors...

Jack's new favorite thing to say... "Are you kidding me?!?"

Saturday Brunch

2008-10-18T15:23:00.004-05:00

Kilkenny's is by far one of our favorite restaurants. Today, we went there for Saturday brunch. The kids love everything Irish...in fact, we think that's what the new theme is going to be in their room. Here's a pic of Luke and Beau, knocking back a few (root) beers.

The Birds and Bees (Preschool Version)

2008-10-18T11:07:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, my little sister gave birth to her daughter, Dallie Marie. Our family of five made the three hour trek to see her for the first time, and the time in the car allowed for an interesting question and answer period.

Luke: Did Aunt Kalee get married?

Me: No...(dreading the next question)

Luke: Then how did she get pregnant?

Me: Uhhh...(thinking fast) Well...hmm...(look at Clint, who just smiles and shakes his head, then I give up) She just did, sweetie...(Praying he'll drop it and ask me anything else!!!)

Luke: What is her name?

Me: (Thank you, God!) Her name is Dallie.

Beau: I've never heard that name before.

Luke: When is her birthday?

Me: Today!

Luke: Today? Why is today her birthday?

Me: Because this is the day she was birthed.

Luke: Birthed? (Sounds like Burfed)

Beau: Barfed?

Me: Yes, Aunt Kalee gave birth to her today.

Beau: Aunt Kalee barfed her?!?!? GROSS!!!

Jackson: Ew, YUCK!

Nevertheless, it was a fun trip, and here are some pics of my new niece. The first one is of my future sister-in-law, Andrea, holding the baby. The second one is of Luke looking at the baby as Kalee's future mother-in-law holds the baby, with my little sister Diamond next to her. The last picture is of Dallie. She looks just like our cousin Chelsea, who is the daughter of Aunt Billie Jean and everyone always says Kalee looks like she could be Aunt BJ's daughter!

Like we haven't heard enough about change lately...

2008-10-16T22:06:00.010-05:00

For those of you who read my blog, I haven't been very active lately. And there's a reason for it. I mean, another reason besides the fact that I am incredibly busy. I have been struggling with the entire premise of my blog. By writing under the guise of being a beta mom, am I celebrating my own mediocrity? Because I don't necessarily feel mediocre. Don't get me wrong. I know I'm not perfect in any way, shape, or form. I only clean my house when I know other people are going to see it....and even then I only clean the rooms they will physically be in. In fact, my house always seems to have an odd smell. I have been known to bribe my children with whatever I can use (usually TV) to get them to leave me alone so I can get things done. And for heaven's sake, my three year old still gets a bottle! I'm probably not in the top 10% of the best performing mothers I know. (Though I'm not sure how you would quantify that...) I do know that I try my hardest to be the best mom I can be and raise happy children. I think the boys would say I'm a good mom. At least I hope they would say that....I do cook every night. There is a general structure in our household. I attempt to exhibit to the kids a good work ethic with my job. We try to teach the kids the values and traits that Christians should exhibit. My kids are witness to the love that my husband and I have for each other. I think these things make me a darn good mother. Not Beta...Definitely not Alpha. Just the best mom I can possibly be for my kids. And I'm excited, energized and so very blessed to be that for them.
With this revelation, comes change. The title of my blog is changing. (Trying out new titles as we speak...) And the way I view life is changing. I'm changing. And its good. I'm starting to work on my book again, also with a new premise. Watch for updates here. And just know that I am feeling great feelings these days. I'm realizing what I should have known all along. My kids are evidence enough that I am doing alright.

Family Portraits

2008-10-14T20:28:00.005-05:00

Here is a preview of our family portraits. We went to a photographer in Inola who is fantastic!!! If you want to use her, her blog is in my "Best Blogs Ever" section.

Beau's 1st Field Trip

2008-10-14T14:14:00.006-05:00

Beau's class went to the Pumpkin Patch today!

According to Clint, who chaperoned, he had a great time, but he was a little pooped afterward...

1st Annual Gathering Women's Retreat

2008-09-21T16:43:00.005-05:00

This weekend was so much fun! I was able to relax, hang out with some great friends, and I took a shower without someone turning the light out on me. HAHA The ride up there was a lot of fun, with 5 additional people in my van...we only got slightly lost on our way to Eagle Rock...

Here's our cabin. It was super nice!!!

Here's our group during the morning praise and worship study time.

Here is the creek...the water was crystal clear!
This is the creek where a lot of women went exploring, but they said there were spiders, so I just enjoyed it from afar.
Here I am, playing with the self timer on the camera...
Here we are, playing a hilarious game of Catch Phrase! And here is the Van Crew, heading out after all the fun!

Flat Tire

2008-09-17T10:27:00.004-05:00

I must have a lot of stuff on my mind this week, because I had another weird dream last night. This time it was about a flat tire. I was dreaming I was in Walmart (imagine that) and when I came out, I had a flat tire. But not only was the tire flat, it was also completely taken off my van, lying on the ground. The online dream dictionary says....

Seeing tires in your dream, symbolizes that you are dwelling too much in the past and need to move on toward the future. It also refers to your emotional health and how it carries you from one situation to another. Seeing or dreaming that you have a flat tire indicates that you are feeling weary and emotionally drained. Your goals are temporarily hindered and you are unable to progress forward.

Wow...talk about hitting the nail on the head...

Suspicious Minds

2008-09-16T09:34:00.004-05:00

Last night I had an awful dream about a large snake being on the loose in my house. It was quite an upsetting event, resulting in the untimely death of our cat, Gracie. When I woke up this morning, I had a hard time shaking the imprint on my mind, and I mentioned it to a coworker who told me that a snake in your dreams means your horny. No surprise there...But just out of curiousity, I found an online dream dictionary and looked up snakes. Here's what I found...

Snake - A snake, being the ages old symbol of evil or Satan makes it a bad omen to have one show up in a dream. To see a lone snake and feel threatened by it shows that you have a bad enemy that is even then working against you. It is also a warning against bodily harm from an enemy. Should you overcome and kill a threatening snake in your dream shows that you will overcome your adversary and win out.

Well, crap.

I don't know who my enemy or adversary is...but I am now on the defense. Whoever you may be, I've got my eye on you. You won't catch me with my guard down.

A Newfound Desire

2008-09-15T13:15:00.007-05:00

When we had our first son, I was absolutely thrilled. I knew having a boy was going to be a blast. With the other two, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t just the slightest twinge of disenchantment that one of them wasn’t a girl. But I moved on, and of course I wouldn’t trade any of my boys for anything in the world. They are truly the light of my life, the blessing that makes me happy to wake up in the morning and see their cute little faces. I figured that God gave me sons for a reason…probably because I’m not the girliest girl and I might have done some disservice to a daughter once she got to an age where she wanted me to be able to fix her hair and do her makeup, two areas where I am most severely deficient. And Clint seemed to have absolutely no desire to have a daughter whatsoever…he was actually quite happy that none of our children were girls, so he wouldn’t have to worry about any of that stuff that fathers with daughters have to worry about. After going through everything we went through with Jackson, I knew I didn’t want to chance going through pregnancy and possible preterm childbirth again, so I don’t have any regrets at all about Clint having had the vasectomy. I thought I was all done, and never again would I even think of wanting a bigger family...However, I’ve recently become very aware of the fact that I WANT A DAUGHTER!!!
It feels like I have been bombarded with images of quite a few people I know having absolutely beautiful baby girls, and that every movie I’ve watched recently has ended with the star of the movie finding happiness with a daughter…movies that left me practically bawling in my seat, painfully conscious of the fact that I very terribly want a baby girl…a longing that is quickly becoming a thought that consumes my mind constantly and causes heart aching like I have never really experienced...I thought I was all alone in this thinking, but Clint seems to want one too! I couldn’t even concentrate in small group one night while I watched him play with another couple’s daughter. He seems like he would really enjoy having a “daddy’s girl”…We talked about it the other evening and for the first time he was actually open to the idea and he was so very understanding of my feelings about all of it. We came to an agreement that we weren’t going to do anything about it until Jackson gets older, because we are afraid he would have a hard time adjusting to it anytime soon. But good grief…that doesn’t keep me from perusing the adoption websites every chance I get…plus I’ve been looking at bigger houses because Lord knows we already need a bigger house…I know I have to be patient, but that’s never been one of my strong suits either…Right now I'm just praying that God grants me the strength to be patient and that he guards my heart so that I don't just absolutely lose my mind thinking about how we are going to get a daughter.

School Pictures!

2008-09-12T09:40:00.003-05:00

Spooky Time of Year

2008-09-02T20:30:00.013-05:00

With the beginning of September starts one of my favorite countdowns of the year...countdown to Halloween!!!!

We've been talking about Halloween costumes since this summer, and the kids have possibly maybe reached a verdict...this year, it looks like our kids will be dressed as a walking Star Wars ensemble! Luke is, of course, hoping to be his namesake, Luke Skywalker. Beau wants to be a Clone Wars Trooper. And Jack is going to be dressed as Yoda, because, as Luke and Beau said, "He's the smallest."
That leaves me and the hubs to consider possibly continuing the Star Wars theme as Obi Wan and Princess Leia...

Or...we could move onto something else...with Clint's newly shaven head, I'm tempted to go as Popeye and Olive Oyl.

However, if BIL and SIL decide to go with us, I can totally see a group theme, like the Flintstones or Scooby Doo...

I love this time of year!!! Now if only the kids would stick with the costume pick...

Big Boy Glasses, Part 2

2008-09-02T16:56:00.003-05:00

Did I mention that we found Jackson's loaner glasses? His optometrist called and say they had received in the frames in the color that I had originally ordered. We went to get them today after his 4 month recheck (his vision is the same as at his last appointment!), and here's Jackson in his new glasses!

The Gathering Olympics

2008-09-01T20:27:00.007-05:00

Today was our church Labor Day Picnic. The kids had a great time, playing and eating.

After eating, the Gathering Olympics commenced with the first event, the 3 Legged Race, or for Amber and Candice...the bronze winning 3 Legged Fall...followed by Amber waving the TRIBE flag.

Here's our fearless TRIBE leader, Josh, with his ultimately fourth place hula hoop performance, ending up just shy of the bronze medal performance of 3 seconds.

Here's Suz with her game face as our TRIBE cheerleader, sporting the official TRIBE flag, crafted by yours truly.

Here's fellow TRIBER, Tim, with his silver medal winning performance and subsequent ceremonial flag waving in the Croquet event.

Here are the small group leaders, sporting the medals worn by their respective small groups: Jessica from Pursuit, Krista from 29:1, Josh from TRIBE, and Brad from Kaleo.

Here's all the TRIBERS who attended the Labor Day picnic.

After the picnic, we came home and collectively took a big family nap. It was a great day!!!

Lunchtime Boredom

2008-08-25T20:44:00.013-05:00

Today, I barely left my desk. At lunch, I ate some tuna and cucumber slices, and checked out a website that Clint sent me. After an upload of my picture, here's what resulted...

Yearbook picture from 2000: The year I graduated...if only I looked this good.

Yearbook photo from 1994: Hey...this is kinda what I look like now...maybe not so fried...

Yearbook photo from 1990: Now, I know I definately have an actual photo of myself with hair like this.

Yearbook photo 1986: FAME! I'm gonna live forever!

Yearbook photo 1982: MOM!

Yearbook Photo 1980: Bueller's sister

Yearbook Photo 1976: I look like a square...

Yearbook Photo 1974: Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!

Yearbook Photo 1970: Kinda looks like Clint's Aunt Mary Jo...

Yearbook Photo 1968: This looks like my Aunt Jan!

Yearbook Photo 1962: GRANDMA! I knew I looked like her...

If you want to try the website, click here.

1st Grade Watermelon Night

2008-08-19T20:54:00.006-05:00

Tonight was Watermelon Night with Luke's class. They had cut out and colored a cute little rhyming book about watermelons, and so we read it as a family while we ate our yummy watermelon.

I chatted with Luke's teachers and became even more encouraged about what a great year we're going to have!

These two have been team teachers for 10 years now! They are so incredibly cheerful and obviously very driven to see their students succeed. Luke enjoys going to school so much and he loves coming home to do his homework every night. I know this won't last forever, but its nice now!

We also played at the park for awhile during the event. Jack is becoming much more adventurous...

The kids all had a blast! Tomorrow night, Beau's Pre-K Family Picnic!

Differences

2008-08-18T18:31:00.005-05:00

Even though people comment often about how much our sons look alike, there's obvious differences when it comes to their personalities.
For example, every Friday is Popcorn Day at the kids' school. For 50 cents, the kids can purchase a bag of popcorn. Luke happened to have enough change in his pocket to buy a bag, while Beau's teacher had forgotten to tell the kids about Popcorn Day and kindly purchased a bag for each of the students in her class. Luke quickly tore into this bag, while Beau held onto his until he got home. Upon arrival, he grabbed Jackson's hand and said "Come on, Jack. Wanna eat some popcorn?" And they walked into the kitchen together, to share a snack and enjoy some time together. It was absolutely the cutest thing ever and I actually teared up a little when Clint was telling me about it. Luke definitely has his moments of kindness, but Beau is significantly more compassionate towards others, and is quick to offer an encouraging word, especially to Jackson. They have a very close bond...I'm assuming because there are only 15 months between the two of them.
Beau is also pretty shy except around people he knows, and every morning, Luke offers to walk him into the school building, but Beau isn't quite ready for that, so I have walked him into the gym every morning to meet his class. And I don't mind...I actually prefer seeing that he made it to his teacher. With Luke, however, we have finally reached the point in our relationship where he doesn't want anyone to know I exist. The minute I pull the van into the parking lot, he hops out, yells "Bye!" and runs off to join his class. When Beau, Jackson, and I enter the gym, Luke basically ignores me, only acknowleding my presence with a glance out of the corner of his eye. I'm okay with it...sort of...I don't want to embarrass him and I'm glad he's becoming independent...but I do miss the days when he wanted to hold my hand and needed a hug to start the day.
Another difference is their clothing. Luke will wear whatever I say looks good, which, while I know will be shortlived, is a blessing every day that I don't have to fight with him about what he's going to wear. Beau, however, refuses to wear anything I pick out for him. He has to pick out his own clothes, and no matter what, the shorts have to be "slippery". He tells me every morning, "Where are my slippery shorts? I only want to wear slippery shorts." When I tell him that he should just wear what I pick out for him, he says his new favorite phrase, which is "I never get to wear slippery shorts." Its ridiculous!
Jackson, however, is a whole other ball game. He's having a very hard time with the fact that he goes to school by himself while Luke and Beau go to school together. And we have reached a point where everything hurts his feelings. EVERYTHING! Its so bad that I'm concerned about his over-sensitivity. Its hard for other people to realize, because even though he doesn't communicate well, he can understand everything that's said to him. For example, this morning, when I dropped him off at school, he was proudly wearing a bracelet that he had made at church last night. He went to show one of his friends, who quietly stated "You're not my buddy." Jackson's teacher immediately got onto the other child, but not before Jackson was pouting, with his bottom lip sticking out and his head turned down to the floor. When we tried to comfort him, he pushed us away and laid down on the floor, face down, crying into the carpet. Because he can't (won't) talk to us, he has no way of communicating to us how he's feeling besides crying, screaming, and pushing. Its unbelievably frustrating, and we often get the same reaction when we get onto him when he gets in trouble. Its so hard to know what to do sometimes, or even how to handle it. Most often, he ends up crying in his bed and he won't leave his room. He refuses any comfort at all and it breaks my heart to see him that way.

TRIBE - Our Spiritual Family

2008-08-15T09:01:00.004-05:00

Every Thursday night, we open our house for a night with our small group, TRIBE. We all eat together and then usually discuss the past weekend's sermon, or we plan service activities to reach out to the unchurched, especially students at TU. Here are some pictures from last night's meeting.

Oh, Me of Little Faith

2008-08-12T21:00:00.006-05:00

Last night, Luke handed me his homework file with a list of words...I couldn't believe it!

A spelling test? Already?

As a child who is still having a lot of difficulty sitting still and concentrating long enough to even attempt to sound out words, I was a little more than concerned that he was going to have a very difficult time with this. I mentally figured in my head how much time we could devote to this the rest of the week to prepare him for his test on Friday.

TEST? How can they already have a test scheduled for the first full week of school?!?!?!

His list of words was accompanied by a worksheet with various activities: put the words in alphabetical order, a section with different sized boxes to match the words with what shape they make and whether they have a letter that is tall among the others or falls lower than the others, and writing the words five times each. He completed those tasks, and then I made him some flash cards with the reading method I learned from "Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons":

After we read through the words a few times, I gave Luke a practice spelling test. I read the words to him, and he wrote on his page. As I read the words, I would barely get a chance to repeat it and he would be prompting me for the next word. I was concerned, thinking "He must not understand what he's supposed to be doing..."

But when we finished, I looked at his paper and not only did he understand, he wrote all the words correctly! I was so happy!!! And then I was filled with anger at myself for even doubting him for a minute! I know he is smart, but I just worry sometimes that he doesn't listen very well...Now hopefully I can be a little more reassured that he's doing just fine...I know he has great teachers. I just need to QUIT WORRYING! *points finger at self*

I'm Not a Martha...Not Yet a Mary

2008-08-11T16:59:00.008-05:00

In a comment on my last post Channeling Martha, my sister-in-law, Kelly, asked the following question....

I have read that amazing book "Having a Mary Heart in Martha world". I want to be a Mary...I want to relax in the moment and enjoy. I think being a Martha is hard sometimes. Do you?

Though I was referring to Martha Stewart, I can definately see where Kelly is coming from here. I do think being Martha is hard, though I can't honestly say I feel like Martha (Stewart or otherwise). Everyone I work with constantly calls me "Super Mom" and they can't believe how I raise three children, work a full time stressful job, keep house, cook every night, host a weekly small group, volunteer, etc...and I feel like a fraud sometimes. Yes, the part of my house that people see is clean...well, when I know people may see it its clean anyways...but I certainly don't do it alone. When I got home today, Clint had the dishes going, a loaf of bread baking, had laundry washing and drying, and was folding a basket in our bedroom. All I had to do was cook dinner. It's taken us a long time to get to this place, a routine that works for us and doesn't make one parent feel so overloaded. And we don't have any problem letting something slide, like vacuuming or mopping, until it absolutely has to be done.

...but I don't necessarily feel like Mary either...I know it is harder to be Mary. I would love to be able to read the Bible and study God's word, concentrating on the passages and the lessons. I wish I could just sit and spend that time with God without my mind wandering to what needs to be done.

I am going to shoot for just being in the happy middle...getting done what I (we) can, enjoying the blessings God gives us, and trying to make time to spend with God. If I plan it in, it happens more. I don't want to give God whatever is leftover of me...I want to have time that is specifically for God, and not just fit in somewhere. Does that happen? Not as often as I'd like it to...but I'm working on it...that's all I can do, right? And you gotta start somewhere.

Channeling Martha

2008-08-10T12:28:00.032-05:00

Yesterday was the best Saturday I've had in a really long time...
I woke up yesterday with nothing on my to do list. Our new family daily schedule has been working perfectly, so we didn't have any chores to do yesterday...no laundry, no dishes, no cleaning whatsoever. I hadn't planned on getting up early because I played a 9:30 softball game on Friday night, but I really needed to visit the Garlic Lady at the local farmer's market, and if you want the good stuff, you gotta get there early. So, 7:30 yesterday morning, we loaded up the kids and went to the Cherry Street Farmer's Market. This is one of our favorite things to do as a family. Beau loves picking out green beans, while Luke carries our bag until it gets too heavy. Jackson usually rides on Clint's shoulders and checks everything out. While we were there, we picked up the garlic, of course, a special Polish variety that is supposed to retain spicy flavor, as well as some sweet basil for a pesto sauce I have been wanting to try, green beans for Beau, some okra, a couple of dill plants, and we hit the motherload in cucumbers.

After we left the farmer's market, we had to get some breakfast. What better place than Daylight Donuts! We had a yummy meal of donuts and sausage rolls, and enjoyed eating together as a family!

When we got home, we turned on the Olympics and started the pickle making process! We went to our garden and picked some Jalapenos that were just ripe for the picking. This has been our first year trying to grow things, and it hasn't been particularly successful, but we have had fun trying!

Here is my pickle recipe, courtesy of Aunt Jan!

8 pounds pickling cucumbers
4 cups vinegar
12 cups water
1/2 cup pickling salt
Add vinegar, water and salt to a large pan. Bring to a boil. Depending on how many cucumbers you have, you may need to make more brine.

16 garlic cloves
8 jalapenos, cut in half (16 halves)
16 sprigs of dill weed (you may have to add more or less garlic, jalapenos, and dill...there is supposed to be 1 garlic clove, 1 half of a jalapeno and 1 sprig of dill in each jar)

Next we washed all of the vegetables, getting them prepped for the pickling process.

Then we made the brine, first adding the pickling salt to the water and then the vinegar.

While the brine boiled, we filled the jars, each with a pod of garlic, a head of dill, half of a jalapeno, and the cucumbers. Once the liquid boiled, we poured it into the jars and got them ready for canning.

Six minutes in the pressure cooker, and then....

Cucumbers, Before Processing and After

We ended up with over 20 jars of pickles, okra, and a jar of jalapenos that I didn't want to waste. In all, it was a productive day.

With all of the pickling going on, Clint and I ate a late lunch and didn't feel like eating dinner when the kids were hungry. After they went to bed, we fixed a special dinner for just the two of us, grilling some chicken (in the rain...thanks, honey!) that had marinated a good part of the day, along with some sauteed marinated mushrooms and a 3-bean pesto salad (ala Rachael Ray) using the sweet basil we had purchased at the farmers market earlier and some mint that is growing in our front flower bed thanks to our friendly neighbor, Habib. It was a very romantic dinner, capped off by watching a good movie together. It felt like a mini-date night!

Hopefully we'll be able to stay caught up with our new family daily schedule, and we can have more weekends just like it!

Beau's First Day of Pre-K

2008-08-07T23:04:00.005-05:00

His teacher said he had a great first day. I did cry, but only after I left. He told me he had a fun day and that he is looking forward to going back tomorrow.... *sniffle*

Luke's First Day of First Grade

2008-08-05T08:04:00.005-05:00

*sniffle*

The Result of Sunday Evening Boredom

2008-08-03T22:36:00.014-05:00

When I don't have anything else to do (well, when I don't want to do anything) I like to catch up on the news of the day. What better place to do just that than on Yahoo!. As the page came up, the featured headline at the top caught my eye.

Always intrigued by relationship advice, I figured I'd check it out.

According to this article, to increase your chances of retaining an everlasting marriage, follow these guidelines.
1. Get married after about two years of courtship. Oops...two years? Wow...How about 6 months...what's the difference?
2. Rethink living together. You should at least know how to cook a few meals before you move in together...Clint and I were witnessed eating a dinner of powdered mashed potatoes one night...I am embarrassed to even say that.
Sometimes I regret moving in with Clint before we got married, you know, for obvious reasons like keeping the mystery alive and all of that. But then again, I think in some aspects its best to live together and learn each other's faults, so you can get used to them...like my husband's infamous snoring. I knew about it before we got married, and I was able to look past it and still be happily married to him, even though I'm a bit sleep deprived if he falls asleep before I do.
3. Wait until you are a little older to marry. Like, 19? That's okay, right? It sure makes 26 feel old.
4. Talk about the big issues before you get married. See, there's a fine line here...what I consider a big issue isn't a big issue to him at all...
5. You can argue, just don't let it turn into World War III. Oh, yes, we can argue.
6. Do stuff together. Like, argue?
7. Share the chores. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA *snort*
8. Be as polite to each other as you are to strangers. I'm not really that polite to strangers...I'm usually too rushed/preoccupied/oblivious to fake manners.
9. Have issues? Get help! Been there. Done that.
10. Marry someone who wants to be married. Well, that's a sure thing...as much as we do fuss at each other, it always ends with one of us making the other laugh...and that's what I love about our relationship most of all. We're just a couple of goofballs.

After reading that unhelpful bit of information, I decided to go search out some medium length curly hairstyles.

I go for the celebrity hairstyles, because surely there will be some good ideas...

Not bad, though not exactly what I'm looking for...

What the...?!?!?!?

Do I have to wear the bronzer as well, because honestly, orange isn't my color...

Are you kidding me?!?!?

...Seriously?

Can I have her hair AND her chest? Seriously...take the picture from the neck up to my salon and from the neck down to the closest plastic surgeon.

Knife Wielding Little Helpers

2008-08-02T23:07:00.009-05:00

The minute I go in the kitchen, the kids want to come help with whatever I'm doing...I hate to turn them away, especially since I know this yearning to be of assistance won't last forever. Here they are helping cook dinner a few nights ago. I had Velveeta that had to be cut into cubes, which they expertly took care of for me.

After dinner every night, we all clean the kitchen together to get it taken care of quickly. Beau's job is to wipe off the table. He, of course, has his own way of doing it...

I recently finished this book called "Giving Your Child the Excellence Edge" by Vicki Caruana. She writes of helping your child achieve lifelong success by grooming them to be creative thinkers, confident leaders, and independent learners, which is easier said than done. I worry sometimes about how the things we say and the actions we make effect how the kids will turn out, and being good enough as a mother to teach the kids without instructing them all the time. I want them to figure things out on their own, and make the decision themselves to make good choices. Then I wonder if my parents and the parents of generations before worried as much as I worry...I've never asked my parents, or my grandparents, for that matter, if they worried about how their children would turn out. Maybe in the past there wasn't so much to worry about. I don't guess it really matters in the grand scheme of things...perhaps I'm just worrying about worrying too much...

The Skinny

2008-08-02T19:25:00.007-05:00

How I wish this was a blog about weight loss...alas, that is not the case...

My husband was at home all week on vacation, watching the kids until they go back to school next week. He had a lot of fun, got a lot of things done, but all that time away from the stress of work left his brain little else to do but ponder such questions like "What would I look like if I shaved my head?" Well, here's your answer....

I love how everyone's first reaction when they see him is "Misti let you do this?" As if I could stop him! He'll do anything to up his biker cred (well, as much biker cred as an information systems manager can have)...I'm sure a tattoo is not too far down the road. And honestly, I can't complain...I think he looks hot...though now he can't say he doesn't wear a helmet because he likes to feel the wind in his hair...

He's not the only one making a change...the kids are destined to be bikers as well...

Back to School Night: Part III

2008-07-31T23:29:00.005-05:00

Tonight we walked into the kids' school and, because this is Luke's third school year there, he acted like he owned the place. He's now in a grade that starts with a number, and since he's been sporting his age using two hands for over a month now, he's feeling pretty high on the totem pole. This feeling of premature maturity was exacerbated by the many teachers and students who sought him out to welcome him back to school and give him a high-five. His teachers seemed fantastic! He's in a multi-age learning class room with 1st and 2nd graders, and I'm very excited for what this year will bring...

As we walked into Beau's class, I couldn't fight the tears swelling up in my eyes. He timidly checked out the entire classroom, and once he found his favorite activity, the puzzles, he seemed to feel right at home. His teacher seemed impressed with his expert puzzle solving abilities, and she is a fellow blogger, so I think this year will be a great one!

Kitchen Remodel, Month 15

2008-07-31T15:58:00.006-05:00

Since last year, we have been working on remodeling our kitchen...it has been a long, long frustrating process, but its getting there. We've had so fun much working on it, and I am so happy with how things are going now, especially since I now have room to store everything.

It has been a great project for Clint and I to work on together, and through a lot of trial and error we are close to finishing. Last night Clint installed the lights. Hopefully he will return the microwave to where it belongs soon.

The next step will be to tile the backsplash, and I think we finally have the pattern worked out that we want.

Next project: the kids room, including the construction of a triple bunk bed.

I'm baaaack...

2008-07-30T18:45:00.002-05:00

Wow! I can't believe its been over a year since I posted last. Things have been a-changing over the past year. I finally graduated from college in May...

and since then I have been trying to get things back in order around the house, in anticipation of the boys' new school year. Luke will be starting the first grade, and Beau will start Pre-K. I'm excited about what this year will bring, but I was also a little worried about staying on top of everything, so I have instituted a new daily family schedule. Here it is...

Its worked well for us so far...and we're enjoying spending the extra time with the kids helping them with reading and writing. This time usually extends far into the free time that we have scheduled afterwards. I'm hoping we can continue this schedule and help the kids everyday with what they will be learning at school. I know Luke is finally going to start having homework, so it will be fun to watch him learn and help him along as much as we can. I know we are in for a busy school year, but at least it will just be the kids learning this time....

Now Jackson is my only child in daycare. Whoo-Hoo!!! I don't know what I'll do with all the extra moo-lah...oh yeah, pay for glasses. Jackson loves to wear glasses...any glasses he can find...when he finds a different pair of glasses, he takes his off and leaves them wherever. Hence, we are now having to pay for the temporary glasses he was given by the optical shop as well as for the glasses that we had ordered. I would be infuriated, if he wasn't so gosh darn cute!!!

Some of my favorite summer quotes:

"Allright guys, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is we've got pizza. The bad news is there's bad guys in there!" - Beau, while playing Transformers with Luke

"This is a drawing of me. This one is of God, doing the robot!" - Luke after Gathering Kids at church

We're not a fan...

2007-07-19T09:44:00.000-05:00

We bought a new ceiling fan for the living room. It was more than I wanted to spend, but I loved it, so we went ahead and splurged. We got it home and Clint immediately put it up. We turned it on and marveled at our how brightly it lit up our living room. About a week later, we noticed that the top light was dimmer than the bottom light. We figured there was something wrong with it, so Clint took it down, returned it to the store and got new one identical to the first one. He brought it home, installed it, and it worked fine. But then, about a week later, we noticed the bottom light was now dimmer than the top light, and after much complaining on my part, Clint took it down, took it back to the store and got another new one identical to the first two. Again, Clint brought it home, installed it, and it worked fine. After about a week, the third one was dim on both the bottom and the top light. Clint refused to take the ceiling fan down a third time. For about 4 weeks we lived with hardly any light in our living room. It was beginning to get unbearable. Then over the weekend, Luke was playing with the remote for the ceiling fan when both lights came on as bright as the day we installed the fan. Clint and I looked at each other, our mouths gaping open, as we finally realized that the ceiling fan had a dimmer.