tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915982145099337912024-03-12T21:00:11.555-07:00Combined AverageAverage and ordinary days
add up to an amazing and extraordinary lifeIt's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.comBlogger246125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-68643470787769130942017-04-20T20:10:00.001-07:002017-04-21T05:15:03.810-07:00You don't get it. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSZ-9zSbBQd8wQRZOFbB0xUh8H0Ze5aFhFPvgCBvWfmq8WiaL4h21IJztcDESHMDe8kGZNKDjctc03ba_pdgclL66kTCQiErvvggcmQ8D9YGQM3uDf-CNCo__QvaUYPgZCZ5HCtUq9_o/s1600/telstra-pay-tv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSZ-9zSbBQd8wQRZOFbB0xUh8H0Ze5aFhFPvgCBvWfmq8WiaL4h21IJztcDESHMDe8kGZNKDjctc03ba_pdgclL66kTCQiErvvggcmQ8D9YGQM3uDf-CNCo__QvaUYPgZCZ5HCtUq9_o/s320/telstra-pay-tv.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t
think you get it. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">I don’t think you understand life with ADHD.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have you seen the short film “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ71vgRzCA4" target="_blank">Falling Letters</a>”? Do you think that is what ADHD is like? I don't. Life with ADHD
is not slow, or sweet at all. It’s a technicolor, non-stop, exhausting barrage
of information that you are expected to prioritize, sort, react and respond to
with limited access to will power and self-control. Life with ADHD is not a
quiet moment of distractedness. It’s being in front of a Jumbotron broken into
the ever-changing scenes of the moment. They are all equally loud, and equally
sized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Imagine standing in the electronics aisle and every TV is on
a different channel. We have to figure out, through trial and (A LOT) of error,
which of those TVs are important, which one we are supposed to focus on,
which one we should react to, and which one we should ignore. It would be so
incredibly nice to turn a few off, or even down, but we can’t. WE CAN’T!!! And it’s
exhausting. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our thoughts, and writing, and conversations hop from topic
to topic, often circling back, because all of the TVs in front of us seem
equally important, and if we don’t comment or react right in-the-moment, the scene
may change. It seems like impulsiveness, but it's more than that. It is a
driving need to process as much as we can before it slips away. Sometimes it feels like we are trying to hold sand in an open hand, sifting through the grains of information as fast as we can as it falls through our fingers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Think of a child in a classroom. The teacher, the chalkboard, the sound of the air-conditioning , the stain on the shirt of
the kid next to you, the worksheet in front of you, the crayon with weird white
stuff on it...<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To a “normal" child all of these are easy to focus
on in three dimensions. You push back and block out the little things without even realizing you are doing it. The
teacher’s voice is loudest, the chalkboard the prominent backdrop, the worksheet
in front of you the most important thing to work on. The air-conditioning and
stained shirt and odd crayon residue are just small things on the periphery
that beg no attention or notice. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A child with ADHD, like my son, on the other hand is bombarded with all
these stimuli equally. The teacher’s voice is drowned out by the way the hum of
the air-conditioning pulses. The child’s shirt stain and all it various color is
more mesmerizing than what is on the chalkboard. The need to explore the
strange white stuff on the crayon is more interesting and therefore more important than the worksheet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we learn to cope. We learn to physically wrench our
focus onto the teacher. Sometimes physically putting up a hand to block the
view of the stained shirt, or putting a finger in our ear to block out the
sound of the air-conditioning. We twist and turn in our seat or click our pen because the movement and rhythm helps us focus. Creating a controlled distraction that we can put on autopilot to drown out others. We start to drift, then pull our attention back, over and over, squeezing the focus from our mind like an
athlete squeezes one more shaky rep out of his workout routine. We read the same line over and over, jump from question to question, working in no particular order. As we write, our mind drifts. We pull it back, but it's too late. What were we writing? We forget, so we move on planning to come back to it. Finally, we get to the end, catch our
breath. It took everything we had in that moment, but we finished.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then comes the poor grade from you, the negative feedback from me. “Rushed” “Sloppy”
“More Effort Needed”. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My son takes his medicine every morning to help make our jobs easier. I know first hand the calmness it brings. It's like someone hands you a remote. One by one you can turn down the distracting televisions, scroll through the channels with ease, only there aren't as many anymore, and they all have turned black and white. See the medicine helps, but it numbs his personality, and he crashes back into technicolor reality the moment it wears off. It's like jerking the remote away and blasting the volume.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, the physical and emotional back lash of being on medication takes its toll. My son struggles to gain weight, and gets little sleep and night, as if his mind is working overtime to get through all those shows he had shut off. But on the days we miss it, he can't do anything right. He's distracted and loud, impulsive and messy, and God knows we let him know it. T<span style="font-size: 12pt;">he
barrage of negative feedback visibly crushes him. So I tell myself it is worth it because I yell less, his teachers like him more, and in the long run, he won’t grow up feeling like he can't do anything right, and just give up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But deep deep down, I know making him easier to deal with is not truly the answer. ADHD does not have to be a curse, it has the potential to be a gift. These children can be taught to change, or they can be taught to change the world. ADHD has a remarkable place in history. Presidents, prime ministers, actors, artist, musicians, scientists, engineers, some of our best and brightest showed signs of ADHD.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Think back to standing in that electronics aisle. While you can
only focus on a one or two televisions, and digest the world directly in front
of you, ADHD children can take in dozens of channels at once. And when they
find a TV that is playing something they like, they are able to focus on it at
the exclusion of everyone and everything. They will notice every detail of the
program, and re-watch it over and over, memorizing the lines. Taking things
apart, building, constructing, creating, inventing, rehearsing, LEARNING.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes that's right, my ADHD son can learn. Yes, he is harder to teach, and frustrating to talk to, and
difficult to keep engaged, but he does not think like you. He thinks bigger and
broader and smaller and deeper. He tries harder and worries endlessly. He is
bright and has so much potential. What do you do with it? Do you dig deeper and find a way to
ignite the spark that unlocks it. Do you nurture and encourage that drive or
shove it in a box in the dark where it is less distracting? Do you understand how much your actions impact him? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So please, I beg of you, do not give up on us. Do not give up on my son. Because here's the thing, he's not failing, we are. And the sad part is, you don't get it. </div>
It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-20823847376182839022014-01-24T23:45:00.004-08:002014-01-31T23:36:08.225-08:00GeorgeI desperately wanted to name one of our children George (or Georgia), but my husband just couldn't get behind it. I don't blame him, before the royal baby came along, it wasn't the coolest or most popular name on the charts. My argument was always that with men like George Washington, George Clooney, George Patton and the George Bushes rocking the name, how could our child not rock the hell out of it too?!<br />
<br />
There was another reason the name George held a particularly special place in my heart. My Grandad's name was George, and he embodied everything I could hope for in one of my children. Kindness, strength, love, faith, intelligence, self discipline, humor, devotion, perseverance, humility and simplicity (in all the best ways), and I (along with many others) just loved him. I don't smoke and I'm not a fan of clouds of nicotine, but the smell of cigarette smoke reminds me of him, and I can't hate it, no matter how hard I try. Smoking was his <i>one</i> bad habit...well, that and bourbon if you count cocktails as a bad habit (which I totally don't). <br />
<br />
But there's another George that captured my heart....George Strait. I don't know why, either. I grew up in a small south Texas town, but it wasn't a farming community or anything. I'm not a cowgirl. I didn't ever own a pair of cowboy boots until this year! That being said, the first dance I learned was the 2-step, and the first music I learned to love was country music. <br />
<br />
My grandparents (all 4, including grandad George!) lived in a small town in the panhandle of Texas called Borger. It was an 11 hour drive from my hometown to there, more if we stopped. We went without fail every summer I was growing up, and along the way I'd see this great state of Texas in all its lovely forms. From coastal planes, to the pine trees of east texas, to the dusty panhandle, and as I admired the beautiful scenery that was my home state, country music would serenade us through the tape deck. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
George was special though...being from Texas, his music somehow sounded more like 'home' that any of the other artists. I would stay with my aunt a lot in the summer growing up, and when his songs would come on the radio, she'd say..."Shhh! It's George!" :) And one of my favorite memories of my baby brother is when he suddenly started singing along to the chorus of "If You're Thinking You Want A Stranger (There's One Coming Home)". My brother was tiny at the time, but it just proved how many times we'd all heard those songs. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
George became immortalized in my heart, though, when my dad was driving back and forth to see his mom before she passed away. Borger was a little bitty town, so when Grandma was in the hospital, it was in the near-by city of Amarillo. Dad would leave Friday after work and drive all night to get to Amarillo by Saturday morning to be with Grandma over the weekend before heading home. He did this at least 5 or 6 times before she passed away. And every time I hear the fiddle solo that opens for the George Strait song "Amarillo by morning" I can't help but picture my dad on those empty roads and the sun coming up over the lonely Texas Panhandle plains as he drove to say, 'goodbye' to his mom. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After Grandma passed away, we didn't go to Borger as often anymore. Grandad would travel to see us. But, about that time Dad took me to see George at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. We had gone to the Rodeo several times before...once a year almost, and I had seen tons of people sing, but George was incredible. He connected with the crowd in a way I'd never experience before, and where most people rode a convertible out of the arena waving to the crowd, he hopped off the stage onto a horse and trotted around the arena. He was a true Texas cowboy riding away and he embodied everything gracious and kind and simple I loved about my home state and my Dad and my Grandad, and to this day, his music instantly takes me back to my childhood. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
George doesn't tour very often, and about a year ago I had mentioned to Stephen that seeing him in concert one last time before he retired was on my bucket list. About a week after I made that statement, George announce his farewell tour. The timing could not have been worse, though. I was pregnant with our third child, due smack dab in the middle of his first leg through Texas. We tried 3 or 4 times to make it happen, but it just wasn't possible. I had all but given up, when Christmas rolled around this year. I was looking through a stack of cards from family when I came across an envelope with my name written in big bubble letters across the front. I assumed it was from my little sister, but when I opened it, this is what I saw:<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWeWyZmEc7URL80QhsPUDIjRpu9J0MzIy3ym-2JGX3MwAf5PNbOdHLOa8_vYvpYouZzJWU7Lue0x-_adOtxlUuGl3s9jkO3oXMFlhGvvD06yHjtn3QXuZ_FT-P4WK0US9C_hDyQwbKAc/s1600/photo-53.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWeWyZmEc7URL80QhsPUDIjRpu9J0MzIy3ym-2JGX3MwAf5PNbOdHLOa8_vYvpYouZzJWU7Lue0x-_adOtxlUuGl3s9jkO3oXMFlhGvvD06yHjtn3QXuZ_FT-P4WK0US9C_hDyQwbKAc/s1600/photo-53.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFVxJrss5QOFBOKJphMB0aLkR07kVQ9LHZvZdkk31wsg78i35mPFFyxHKLZypVmNISGm13kFB7Dcmvjg6L1MrfVaK4PnNkhu2acxU4pn-bgVXih6dw1MzgK3-P55fO7ADNdzUhwh3jHY/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFVxJrss5QOFBOKJphMB0aLkR07kVQ9LHZvZdkk31wsg78i35mPFFyxHKLZypVmNISGm13kFB7Dcmvjg6L1MrfVaK4PnNkhu2acxU4pn-bgVXih6dw1MzgK3-P55fO7ADNdzUhwh3jHY/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
I was shocked! I couldn't believe my amazing husband, Stephen, got me tickets to see my George!!!!!!! We're going to his Baton Rouge show, and I CAN. NOT. WAIT!! And at some point during that concert - probably when he sings "Amarillo by Morning" or "The Cowboy Rides Away" or both - I'm going to cry. It's going to happen. I'm going to cry big ol' buckets for the summer memories that are getting dusty as I get older, for my Grandad who I miss every day, for the love I have for my Daddy and what George means to him, and for the loss of a simpler time. I'll get nostalgic and melancholy, and then I'll look at my husband who will grin from ear to ear, and the corners of his eyes will crinkle with the sweet wrinkles of age that I adore. And I will think of our three incredible babies...none named George, but who are part of his legacy. I'll be reminded that the past was incredible, but the present is pretty amazing, and the future is full of possibilities. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
George is my past. Stephen is my present, and together with Carter, Jack and Grace, they are my future. So here's to George, and one last farewell!! </div>
It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-83130903009833802572013-09-16T01:06:00.002-07:002013-09-23T08:33:59.130-07:00Labor of Love - Grace's Nursery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Grace's nursery is finished! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOLu6mT9JctypsIXrZElvlHLSwXXAqmt0Ih3t12RP0VsCuboPz3H_EU9IiBmn84B7R9voXBHOziWVCBckc0xVDXb8QiD2PLxlIh7jQ3rF5nrKa_S-zoPlVt38xBz3tMMCZu88hHSyujI/s1600/IMG_3576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOLu6mT9JctypsIXrZElvlHLSwXXAqmt0Ih3t12RP0VsCuboPz3H_EU9IiBmn84B7R9voXBHOziWVCBckc0xVDXb8QiD2PLxlIh7jQ3rF5nrKa_S-zoPlVt38xBz3tMMCZu88hHSyujI/s320/IMG_3576.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLt4Ahecn-8IwvmEFD5RKu_SC7ZGWuDIivavoQO_iKRpqncEYqZlT9TOpLFWYJfG-qXia2Zby8r9hP33kSQxU0frSMeG4MTN6qRAUcjWjV07NQcxMxtWqOLJgCDyMh9wofnhu_PJnS2nE/s1600/IMG_3564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLt4Ahecn-8IwvmEFD5RKu_SC7ZGWuDIivavoQO_iKRpqncEYqZlT9TOpLFWYJfG-qXia2Zby8r9hP33kSQxU0frSMeG4MTN6qRAUcjWjV07NQcxMxtWqOLJgCDyMh9wofnhu_PJnS2nE/s320/IMG_3564.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNO0iuZO4et-r3AHBBn0RpoW6rJvTciJx4srRRHxCcvH2AqHcnjeSD7Tsui8foIQrQVZb2GoQFkXOCOZuGFU-RlwW11n8mQq011hrcuKw4w5lqyE3itrJiVvROwBG3WF7ImfvlaGx7Js/s1600/IMG_3575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNO0iuZO4et-r3AHBBn0RpoW6rJvTciJx4srRRHxCcvH2AqHcnjeSD7Tsui8foIQrQVZb2GoQFkXOCOZuGFU-RlwW11n8mQq011hrcuKw4w5lqyE3itrJiVvROwBG3WF7ImfvlaGx7Js/s320/IMG_3575.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcByRbWP8vsBVudY3kOuMHGnjpLiIU6Mnp6XmkmXVILw69fsobl5HNw6Bukb1aq36L_IWKyP_oVoQbCxULSEN6n5Xkl-oCVfk6REDEn3Pj2UyvpFu07oxi2_CJHVINg7LClInMTha3nI/s1600/IMG_3581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcByRbWP8vsBVudY3kOuMHGnjpLiIU6Mnp6XmkmXVILw69fsobl5HNw6Bukb1aq36L_IWKyP_oVoQbCxULSEN6n5Xkl-oCVfk6REDEn3Pj2UyvpFu07oxi2_CJHVINg7LClInMTha3nI/s320/IMG_3581.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjmMZovNqmfc62TT2B-idKSkTdcvLNF4NRZu4wLGskcrDEurrEsD5TJYzppwpndUJpB21J6suwgzHmLu25BfuV0TvxUalrEg7F_xsbu2gFQyRdakjtBeCaH69QlEASGF0ecZ_M1NFRxo/s1600/IMG_3744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjmMZovNqmfc62TT2B-idKSkTdcvLNF4NRZu4wLGskcrDEurrEsD5TJYzppwpndUJpB21J6suwgzHmLu25BfuV0TvxUalrEg7F_xsbu2gFQyRdakjtBeCaH69QlEASGF0ecZ_M1NFRxo/s320/IMG_3744.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjmZBoTra5K-8XZQIFlXPI5_B3NHNsGb77tLCxQ3Dh_dslSnSbjq96w8sHlDR0GFBUxGY9EPC38sR_u1ZFyei4sm3e77MEN_wZdfKumesIb1H02ki32SGS1M2tNnL8yaNZPGLfPvOgM0/s1600/IMG_3789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjmZBoTra5K-8XZQIFlXPI5_B3NHNsGb77tLCxQ3Dh_dslSnSbjq96w8sHlDR0GFBUxGY9EPC38sR_u1ZFyei4sm3e77MEN_wZdfKumesIb1H02ki32SGS1M2tNnL8yaNZPGLfPvOgM0/s320/IMG_3789.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbhqyO7v6whN0HZK5iPDswkJswi0ZDrA4iYsGop0Ybv7qF0CIrxAknPGJcUKtR3Px9h7WlscC-N-f-n4xTjtf1BYwIBDKpvCK08gdWbN3mgoVhlQRVg_yGkq9chrN4njy8DjjiY_rwl4/s1600/IMG_3790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbhqyO7v6whN0HZK5iPDswkJswi0ZDrA4iYsGop0Ybv7qF0CIrxAknPGJcUKtR3Px9h7WlscC-N-f-n4xTjtf1BYwIBDKpvCK08gdWbN3mgoVhlQRVg_yGkq9chrN4njy8DjjiY_rwl4/s320/IMG_3790.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVfHMAMta-CLmiSmWlbA8Oovd45Ig3NdBvRI3SFG4jL86XdTzQlVTS1fzx8r5RBsVp_wkwuGllExSG6xzq2urOSvIpDTT2RePnXGmzVp3Z_A5PLHFBN_8PMcG8tJnK6PAQyMbshzAv2s/s1600/IMG_3883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVfHMAMta-CLmiSmWlbA8Oovd45Ig3NdBvRI3SFG4jL86XdTzQlVTS1fzx8r5RBsVp_wkwuGllExSG6xzq2urOSvIpDTT2RePnXGmzVp3Z_A5PLHFBN_8PMcG8tJnK6PAQyMbshzAv2s/s320/IMG_3883.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsjDrQSFelk9OCCKUUcsCgPrYZ3GDWmFaXuPaDYTCTaxA5Kr4oiptmc9YQe2VrIHBJ_4n_SHBzYocOP_Zy-y3GOzVfMV30Z6b1QvzVUzsTCQEDraeKbdHXXfBaylDMhMYF5AHRhASB0Y/s1600/IMG_3782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsjDrQSFelk9OCCKUUcsCgPrYZ3GDWmFaXuPaDYTCTaxA5Kr4oiptmc9YQe2VrIHBJ_4n_SHBzYocOP_Zy-y3GOzVfMV30Z6b1QvzVUzsTCQEDraeKbdHXXfBaylDMhMYF5AHRhASB0Y/s320/IMG_3782.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
It all started with <a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=19192046&color=000&navAction=jump&itemdescription=true" target="_blank">this tapestry</a> I bought on sale from Urban Outfitters before our middle child was born. It's a navy, orange, pink, and light blue illustrated forest scene with a whimsical folk-ish vibe, and I knew it would be perfection in a girl's room. Of course, we had a boy, so the tapestry went into a drawer, and clearly I never got around to getting rid of it. Score one for being a procrastinating pack-rat! As soon as we found out we'd be welcoming a baby girl into this room, I dug it out, put a black out liner on the back and turned it into 3 roman shades. It became a jumping-off point for the rest of the space, and looks like this fantastic fairy tale world is outside her window when the shades are down.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
The crib, book shelves, drapes, chair, side table, dresser, mirror and wall color (Behr Urban mist) were all left overs from the room's previous design, and were all either too costly or too time consuming (i.e. I was too lazy) to change. Still, I wanted to make the room girly, fun, and a smile-worthy space that our daughter would love and could grow into. I'm so happy with how it turned out - I feel like I found a good balance between form and function. And since this is my third and final nursery to decorate, I don't feel bad at all for saying it's my favorite of the three by far! :)</div>
It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-47954904324540285012013-09-15T21:39:00.002-07:002013-09-16T00:39:09.720-07:00School Daze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPh5PKLJfxQRcVcVxcylOb5dk7n2e0GZuV56mhLKlKGWrFnRusi6iddqBoGU5iXnex3qZCLFxdh-jG0MyRUafxp42zW9pR-jrSaOPC8B-D1fLCIHO9PT4bTrUr2hvMIKDqrSRGYSeeE0/s1600/IMG_3605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPh5PKLJfxQRcVcVxcylOb5dk7n2e0GZuV56mhLKlKGWrFnRusi6iddqBoGU5iXnex3qZCLFxdh-jG0MyRUafxp42zW9pR-jrSaOPC8B-D1fLCIHO9PT4bTrUr2hvMIKDqrSRGYSeeE0/s320/IMG_3605.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTQ1zQ3Xgylr2XL96Z6ACcLy3N1L3jsySVYmHimZzIqYywsxpxxJeeSaHvi5tNWa6Fs7jIlbkQgIR1si-o1J_QLoMrabvYiHck3qiyZ4YQGfdv-jw6J1JJ8yt1zxMmp9dcPxUGwCqIyo/s1600/IMG_3708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTQ1zQ3Xgylr2XL96Z6ACcLy3N1L3jsySVYmHimZzIqYywsxpxxJeeSaHvi5tNWa6Fs7jIlbkQgIR1si-o1J_QLoMrabvYiHck3qiyZ4YQGfdv-jw6J1JJ8yt1zxMmp9dcPxUGwCqIyo/s320/IMG_3708.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
As a stay-at-home-mom, the end of summer meant zilch for a while, but this year was different. All three kiddos started some form of school this year and all three had a big 'first'.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Miss Grace started MDO on Wednesdays this year. I've only had the tiniest bit of regret/remorse/emotion about handing over my 6 month old. It helps that her teachers are absolutely amazing, but it also helps that I'm so desperate to get stuff done without kids, I pretty much kiss her goodbye and sprint out the door. There's always so much to tackle in those brief 5.5 hours, I barely have time to pee, let alone get emotional.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Jack started his first year of preschool. It's really a tiny distinction...same building, same hours, but 'preschool' didn't technically start until this year. Biggest changes are they don't take naps and they must be fully potty trained. The no-naps thing was a breeze...unlike Carter, Jack hasn't napped on a regular basis for over a year. In fact, the very first thing he said when I picked him up was, "Mommy, they didn't make us take a nap, so I got to go outside TWO times!!!' The potty training on the other hand we squeezed in juuuust under the wire. And if he comes out of the bathroom without his pants half as often as he does at home, I'm dreading the first parent-teacher conference. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We also added a kindergartener to the ranks this year - yay Carter!! Leading up to the big day, I felt what any other normal parent of a public school aged child would...relief and excitement that I would have a child in school 5 days a week for FREE. Surprisingly, though, I found myself getting really nostalgic towards the end of summer. We even took a last minute family vacation to soak up those last few days with him. By the time meet-the-teacher rolled around, though, I was so caught up in the logistics of it all, I didn't really stop moving long enough to get emotional. The school relaxed its visitor policy to allow the parents to walk kids to class, so on the first day, and the second, drop off was a breeze. Then on day 3 when I had to drop Carter off, and all I saw was that big backpack headed through those big double doors, I officially lost it. I had to pull over I was crying so hard. He just looked too little to be going to such a big school. It was more than that too, from now on, there won't be a school year that goes by that he is home with me during the week...he's at an age I remember so clearly...he's beginning a journey that's going to be filled with ups and downs and things I can't protect him from. I know my job is far from over, but it was the end of a chapter and the realization hit me hard. Anyway, it was another reminder that even though the first five years are some of the hardest and most challenging, they are over in the blink of an eye. </div>
</div>
It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-86545984821849541352013-09-05T21:19:00.000-07:002013-09-05T22:24:54.932-07:00You are beautiful<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XT_vNUTjFMfBK2GgMRNOo63nqgqJsM_Ie_avbMwCXG4VBHE2yB9N3lI_ULkrQ9bSrTq9NpLM4TGyeg7-YE1lRwydSV4zUKbdn32W52pL_2bz42FQqVOjlTOwcoR2V-5jpIO13QftKPc/s1600/photo-46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XT_vNUTjFMfBK2GgMRNOo63nqgqJsM_Ie_avbMwCXG4VBHE2yB9N3lI_ULkrQ9bSrTq9NpLM4TGyeg7-YE1lRwydSV4zUKbdn32W52pL_2bz42FQqVOjlTOwcoR2V-5jpIO13QftKPc/s320/photo-46.jpg" width="320" /></a>There is beauty everywhere in every place. There is beauty in our differences. There is beauty in your smile, there is beauty in your laugh, there is beauty in your crazy hair, and your chunky thighs and tiny nose. Self acceptance...that's what I pray for you. I want you to love yourself my sweet Gracie girl. I want you to have confidence in yourself and make yourself laugh. And despite my prayers, I know deep down, you're still going to be plagued by self doubt. I know this because every female I've ever met suffers from this, even the most beautiful ones. And believe me sweet girl, I am surrounded by some truly beautiful women. I hope you surround yourself with beautiful women too. Take them in and love them and tell them how beautiful they are, on the inside and out. Women need each other...we gain something from these friendships that is hard to put into words. And when you are surrounded by these beautiful women, full of flaws they struggle to see past, remind yourself that they don't see your flaws...they see how smart and strong and amazing you are, and cherish your friendship. You may have a few catty women in the bunch, but know they need your love more than the others...they are struggling with self doubt more than the others...love them, but don't listen to them. Call me instead. I'll tell you how beautiful you are, and I'll be so frustrated when you don't believe me, or roll your eyes and tell me I have to think that because I'm your mom. And while it's true, I'm going to always think you are the most beautiful girl in the world, and that no other girl can hold a candle to you, it's not because you are undeserving of this...it's because you. are. beautiful. It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-16928853846804390532013-08-28T21:31:00.003-07:002013-09-02T22:58:45.220-07:00Foxy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt6vqFavY6m_cOSNXc-UlGmUAtPRvyAp-LqFh9LTs0Q7IzR_dnqIaatxjXLKa4G9jMfyGLzmCGvfm3m6LgkQ9Fteiu9hNPjHSEqQ7bflkQBxcel0Vs3Pd2D_aHK3GlkYsg8YkHzsbFcI/s1600/IMG_3582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIt6vqFavY6m_cOSNXc-UlGmUAtPRvyAp-LqFh9LTs0Q7IzR_dnqIaatxjXLKa4G9jMfyGLzmCGvfm3m6LgkQ9Fteiu9hNPjHSEqQ7bflkQBxcel0Vs3Pd2D_aHK3GlkYsg8YkHzsbFcI/s320/IMG_3582.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
I wanted something big and bold over the crib in our daughter's nursery. I spent hours hunting around Etsy, but decided to try my hand at painting something.<br />
<br />
I used a 50% off coupon to purchase the biggest, deepest canvas I could find at Michael's (4'x5'). It sat in the nursery for weeks...I felt like those <a href="http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/characters/underpants-gnomes" target="_blank">underpants gnomes from Southpark</a>. Step 1: Buy Giant Canvas. Step 2: ?????? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I finally found <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/253116441530234958/" target="_blank">this</a> on Pinterest and figured it looked simple enough. I grabbed 2 quarts of paint from the hardware store in pink and white, a few paint brushes, and got to work.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Even though I took my time planning and sketching, I messed up my first two attempts. I was able to paint over my mistakes, but was completely stressed by the experience and began searching around for less intimidating alternatives. I wound up in my gift wrap closet, and had one of those 'aha!' moments when I saw a pile of red tissue paper. A quick search on pinterest for 'fox illustrations' revealed some simple geometric designs and I got busy cutting. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The process is pretty straight forward...cut out the pieces, place them on the canvas, move and trim as needed, then mod podge the pieces down starting with the bottom layer and working your way up.<br />
<br />
I loved the freedom of being able to tweak things before committing to a shape or placement. One downside to this method is the tissue paper can tear if you are not careful..I had to water down the mod podge a little to keep it from pulling the paper too hard. It's also helpful to have a few extra pieces cut out in case something goes wrong, then you can just peel up the botched layer (while it's still wet) and put another piece down. Each layer needs to dry for an hour or 2 before moving on to the next, but I found this process worked well with my mom-schedule. I could pop in and lay down a layer in just a few minutes then walk away for days if I needed to, rather than trying to find a large chunk of time to spend on the project. </div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9Ey4du9BlRDP5zkLNuUj2SEIx0nBMitbRanwUP0yTKjiZrxl_KJHMZc7R5gy3FCwTeuTWxed8HIV1BKti8jWJhhrhpdzVa51znUttohFu3MJxpi8xL3eXwSSCALcM3dT9Dn9eEK3ZZY/s1600/photo-39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9Ey4du9BlRDP5zkLNuUj2SEIx0nBMitbRanwUP0yTKjiZrxl_KJHMZc7R5gy3FCwTeuTWxed8HIV1BKti8jWJhhrhpdzVa51znUttohFu3MJxpi8xL3eXwSSCALcM3dT9Dn9eEK3ZZY/s320/photo-39.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The other speed bump I encountered was how transparent the white tissue paper became once it came in contact with the mod podge. I ended up doing about five layers of white to get it to show up, and it was still more transparent that I would have liked. You could save a lot of time by doing one or two layers of white tissue, then going over it with white paint, but after my failed attempts with paint, working with more tissue paper seemed easier to me at the time. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugHNdPklQVbxJX_zoPPeRbYc9NTyjMF1xbxgcvmS8CfifDpNpSqeVr1rg_ZEZQiJ36xMc5k4avqqutLj4iUvTAaagZSrMEbhOwn1vsUZ9FMNvbc_NCtejJyQKmglxSoqI-iMtocwZhnA/s1600/photo-40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugHNdPklQVbxJX_zoPPeRbYc9NTyjMF1xbxgcvmS8CfifDpNpSqeVr1rg_ZEZQiJ36xMc5k4avqqutLj4iUvTAaagZSrMEbhOwn1vsUZ9FMNvbc_NCtejJyQKmglxSoqI-iMtocwZhnA/s320/photo-40.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMMPlqEsom82a3YPmognWav0PApq31WWP0Fpt-FhSz3xSkFHYAQu67tvXXYGEMC7nR1VS-adOLeDpUjRkI5_RG870f93HiA7bQSWATk43T_zpBwUQG4fQg4HmEiHea2YSXMXIoqrNERE/s1600/photo-42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMMPlqEsom82a3YPmognWav0PApq31WWP0Fpt-FhSz3xSkFHYAQu67tvXXYGEMC7nR1VS-adOLeDpUjRkI5_RG870f93HiA7bQSWATk43T_zpBwUQG4fQg4HmEiHea2YSXMXIoqrNERE/s320/photo-42.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In the end, I kinda like how the various layers show through...I think it gives it character! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzYBbuaVOKOFgTOGz1PPkGs-21kPRzdBLMNVyDB-UIr8y97CJ0mjsqZ58J4PPt3BPwrk9_Q-sEaFxu8aKs3KM1f3uTyJWn1H3uzi9Hf0-N7r9nTw9hXKIaETqMUXA1Po5Ja6TWdsH-vM/s1600/photo-45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzYBbuaVOKOFgTOGz1PPkGs-21kPRzdBLMNVyDB-UIr8y97CJ0mjsqZ58J4PPt3BPwrk9_Q-sEaFxu8aKs3KM1f3uTyJWn1H3uzi9Hf0-N7r9nTw9hXKIaETqMUXA1Po5Ja6TWdsH-vM/s320/photo-45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The gold leaves were a late addition. I didn't plan on doing anything else besides the fox, but he just looked so lonely all by himself, I pulled some inspiration from my <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/253116441530234958/" target="_blank">original design idea</a>. Fun fact, that tissue paper is from anthropologie...it's what they used to wrap some purchases I made for the nursery in. Waste not, want not! :) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This project probably ended up costing about $90 ($50 of that was for the canvas), but could easily be done for a fraction of the price if working on a smaller canvas. Time wise, I spread it out over two weekends, but you could knock it out in a weekend or even a day depending on the number of layers your design has. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm thrilled with the outcome, and so is Grace! She loves the bright colors and contrast and I absolutely love that I was able to create something special and one-of-a-kind for my daughter's nursery. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1on9UVL5VgjP_NZMBk6X3zzSbZtVTsspAjkTnqDrJEtKClriEpjziU3BHabueRkMguk7Z_BsYAtunX5V_KcPaw_W5scNjh53hgB1YDAlbe-_2lIOr0hb41j0-xEf45nFTy5ob01Cqag/s1600/IMG_3558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1on9UVL5VgjP_NZMBk6X3zzSbZtVTsspAjkTnqDrJEtKClriEpjziU3BHabueRkMguk7Z_BsYAtunX5V_KcPaw_W5scNjh53hgB1YDAlbe-_2lIOr0hb41j0-xEf45nFTy5ob01Cqag/s320/IMG_3558.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-42833570804190312482013-08-25T22:08:00.002-07:002013-08-25T22:08:38.159-07:00It's not pretty.Hahahaha....wrote this a while back, so I can say, we're doing better! But honestly, having a baby is TOUGH! We were so glad when Grace hit the 6month mark. NO MORE INFANTS IN THE CHILDRESS HOUSE! WOOO WHOOO!!!<br />
<br />
<br />
So, we've recently added another human to the house. She is wonderful, beautiful, adorable, healthy, and everything we prayed for. And at this moment she is crying herself blue in the other room because she refuses to sleep, and I refuse to feed her AGAIN (to recap, she ate at 7, 9 and 10). We need a schedule STAT, I am losing my mind. She cluster feeds 24-7 and never. goes. to. sleep. I have never felt so resentful towards something the size of a watermelon. So when you see those soft-focused, black and white pictures of moms gazing lovingly at their precious children, know that it's all an illusion. REAL motherhood is not pretty. It's me sitting here in pajamas I had on yesterday, hair that hasn't been washed since last week, teeth that haven't been brushed because I'm guzzling coffee and blogging to keep from crying. <br />
<br />
As for going from 2 kids to 3....I wish someone would have warned me!!!! When I was pregnant with our second, everyone felt the need to tell me just how hard having 2 kids would be. Granted I was having 2 under 2, but every single mom, grandmother, aunt or postal worker I encountered seemed to feel compelled to let me know how hard the first 6 months would be. Some people said it would take a year to adjust. The general population had me so terrified of the challenge that the stress I felt anticipating 2 under 2 far outweighed the stress I felt actually raising 2 kids under 2.<br />
<br />
When I was pregnant with number 3 however, the only comments I got were, 'Do you know what you are you having? another boy??' Seriously, that was it...people just wanted to know if it was a third boy. No one seemed to feel the need to tell me that my brain was about to explode from levels of exhaustion and stress I didn't think humanly possible. Maybe people just thought, 'She has two kids already, she knows what she's in for!!'<br />
<br />
Um, NO! Here's the reason, my second child SLEPT! Don't get me wrong, that kid makes me pull my hair out and pushes my buttons like no other, but for the first six months of his life, he was the perfect child...never cried, never spit up, never pooped (no exaggeration, he only pooped every other week), and he slept all the time. In fact, he slept so much I would repeatedly ask the pediatrician if he was mentally ok. We travelled all over, and called him our little hotel baby...when he was hungry, I'd feed him, and the rest of the time he slept. When he finally did wake up between 4 and 6 months, I was excited about it - it meant a chance to finally interact with him. <br />
<br />
Grace on the other hand never actually slept before she decided between 6 and 8 weeks that she no longer need any sleep at all, and is only happy if she is being fed and/or held, something that is impossible to do 24-7 when you only have 1 child, let alone 3. And mornings are THE WORST. For instance, it is 11:30 and she has been awake since 6 AM. This is no special circumstance either, she does this EVERY DAY. We can't get anywhere in the morning without having to listen to her scream. I have even started putting her in the car and coming back into the house to get all out stuff ready because it is literally impossible to pack up 3 kids and my haggard self for school, church or whatever without forgetting 20 things when you can't hear yourself think due to the infant SCREAMING in the background. <br />
<br />
So needless to say, this momma is tapped out. And while I know at some point I will regret wishing her childhood away, here's me, throwing handfuls of money into fountains, craning my neck for shooting stars and scrambling for any other opportunity to WISH HER CHILDHOOD AWAY. I can not WAIT until she sleeps, preferably through the night and is done nursing/bottle feeding. While we're at it, I'd really like her to be potty trained and in school at least 3 days a week. <br />
<br />
Like I said, it's not pretty.It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-42475837406546782202013-08-25T22:04:00.002-07:002013-09-02T22:24:43.793-07:00Happiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzAphRvfUGcV9a_j1WbPmYZZuhNR19DmK845KGlZiztI25XZaa-XPvyL7Dgy1dOX7DRk_jqmM4zxtRL2KqWYxQU0OvPbdcMKfZRCnWA3MT2Wokz-P3zaA0tA3_Suzg6VDY-403en-osew/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-08-26+at+12.00.53+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzAphRvfUGcV9a_j1WbPmYZZuhNR19DmK845KGlZiztI25XZaa-XPvyL7Dgy1dOX7DRk_jqmM4zxtRL2KqWYxQU0OvPbdcMKfZRCnWA3MT2Wokz-P3zaA0tA3_Suzg6VDY-403en-osew/s320/Screen+shot+2013-08-26+at+12.00.53+AM.png" title="You are my sunshine!" width="320" /></a></div>
Having a little girl has given me a reason to reflect like never before. I had a happy childhood and an amazing up-bringing, but I have to admit that I struggle every minute of every day with self-doubt. I am so incredibly blessed, but even in the face of all we have been graced with, I struggle with finding happiness and contentment, and<b> </b>I often wonder if this is an inherently female trait. At the end of the day, I have found that happiness is a choice, if not a direct side effect of your choices. Surrounding myself with positive people, especially women, and choosing to focus on what I DO have instead of what I don't, has become more important to me as life marches on.<br />
<br />
I want (all my children, but especially) my daughter, to realize that you don't have to be the smartest, or the best looking or the best dressed in the room to be special. All you have to do to be special is to make other people feel special. That's all anyone wants...to feel special. Don't ever deny anyone the opportunity to feel special...as humans, we need it! Notice something unique about others and let them know that they are special. If you think of something nice, SAY IT! So often we keep compliments to ourselves...out of fear of sounding dumb, out of fear of giving the person we compliment power over us, out of FEAR....that's all it is. March past that fear and spread love and compliments and encouragement, and what you will find is happiness. Give people a moment of relief from their own insecurities, and that will give you joy. <br />
<br />
So maybe it is selfish of me to encourage my children to be positive, but I'm ok with that. I want (all my children, but especially) my daughter to chose to see that glass as half-full, because if you do, you will never be in-need of friends...I learned that from your Daddy! That man is the biggest ray of sunshine God ever put on this earth in the form of a man. Learn from him and not me! I love you so much and I will try every day to grow into a woman you would describe as 'confident'. Until then, look to your amazing daddy and know that you are all incredible, and loved, and because of your blessings, God wants you to bless others!!!! <br />
<br />
It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-72068443895701853422013-05-14T16:25:00.000-07:002013-05-14T16:25:21.097-07:00To wait or not to wait.Waiting to find out if you are having a boy or a girl until the day of delivery is something I think is gaining in popularity. I feel like technology gave us a big push towards immediate gratification in all aspects of life in the last decade (or 3?), and that trend is slowly ebbing as people realize there is joy in having a to wait for something from time to time. I think the gender reveal has followed suit...much like forcing yourself to wait until Christmas morning to open a present, there's a lot of fun in the anticipation of a surprise. That being said, I think finding out the gender of your baby early is not always about being patient or impatient.<br />
<br />
We found out what we were having at the second trimester ultrasound for our first 2 children. For the third, we decided to wait until the delivery day. I don't like saying "we wanted it to be a surprise" because that's not an accurate statement....it's still a surprise, no matter when you find out, instead I'll say, "we wanted to wait for the surprise." An even more accurate statement would be, "<i>my husband</i> wanted to wait for the surprise." Don't get me wrong, I was on board. I was kinda curious if it would make a difference. I mean, most people I talked to that had waited until the delivery day said it was an amazing experience, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I also didn't for one second want to be disappointed about the gender of this baby. Also, I knew if I found out we were having a girl with a lot of time to spare before her arrival, I would spend WAY more money than necessary on a nursery and clothes. So we waited for our surprise, and here is my honest-to-God opinion: <b>If you are going to wait for the surprise, do it for the first child or don't do it at all. </b><br />
<br />
Allow me to elaborate...<br />
<br />
First: there is a huge urge to nest when you are pregnant, and when you don't know if you are having a boy or a girl, especially the second or third time around, your nesting capabilities are limited. You can't purge boy clothes or girl clothes, your preparations are limited, so you find other outlets. We cleaned out our kitchen cabinets, garage, office and bedrooms. I mean, all that energy has to go somewhere, and honestly all that stuff needed to get done, but what REALLY needed to get done was shipping off and consigning 5 years of boy clothes and purchasing a few girl clothes. Stuff that ended up getting done in the wee hours of the morning between feeding sessions because I needed to get it done while Thing 1 and Thing 2 were sleeping and not running through my piles of clothes.<br />
<br />
Second: Gender neutral baby items. If you wait to find out the gender of your first child, you end up purchasing and receiving all gender neutral baby items. This is what we should all do as parents, especially with big ticket items like pack-n-plays and car seats anyway, but we don't. We try to, but who wants to put their little princess in anything other than the pink sparkly bouncy seat?? Anyway, all this gender neutral loot is perfect to reuse for subsequent children regardless of gender. If you find out the gender early for your first child and not the second or third, there is a good chance your daughter will wear dinosaur pajamas for the first three months of her life.<br />
<br />
Third: Waiting may make it harder for some moms to bond with their baby. It is a well kept secret that many mothers don't bond right away with their babies. I know, I know, you're all shocked, but it's the truth, and here's the kicker...for many moms, that amount of time increases with each child. So if it's possibly going to take longer to fall in love with your second or third child, why give yourself an the added deficit of not knowing what you are having and being able to visualize and mentally prepare for that baby? On the other hand, most parents really do fall in love quite quickly with their first child (because there is nothing else to do other than stare at them 24/7). Plus you don't know what to expect or have anything to compare it to on your first go-round, so if the bonding process takes slightly longer than average because you waited to find out the gender, you're none-the-wiser. <br />
<br />
Forth: It was somewhat overrated. This is my personal opinion but one that I know a few other people share. For many people the surprise is worth the wait, that just wasn't the case for me. I was going to be surprised no matter when I found out, and frankly finding out anything after 20 hours of hard labor is a little anti-climactic. I know some women say the unknown helps motivate them through the hard moments of labor, but I personally wasn't any more or less motivated that when we did know the gender.<br />
<br />
At the end of the day, waiting or not waiting is a deeply personal decision, and there's not a right or wrong answer. I've just shared my point of view because, I think it's important for people to see that it's not about being patient or impatient, there are pros and cons to waiting. It's about doing what's right for your family and enjoying the journey! :)It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-43710582731240330082013-01-17T14:45:00.000-08:002013-01-17T15:15:00.394-08:00Fast, Good AND Cheap!Have you heard that saying "Fast, Good, or Cheap; you only get 2"? Well my little project today was all three! That hardly ever happens for me on projects, except <a href="http://combinedaverage.blogspot.com/2011/01/best-six-bucks-i-ever-spent.html">this time</a>. <br />
I wanted to keep the cutting boards in my cabinet upright - I was sick of them being stacked, but even though they were a pain to put away and get out, I didn't want to do anything complicated, permanent or expensive. Enter <a href="http://pinterest.com/grobie/">Pinterest</a>! Saw a genius idea for using tension rods in cabinets to store baking sheets and decided to give it a try for my cutting board dilemma. <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BZTG7W/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00">Tension rods were from Amazon</a>, and 4 rods (2 x 2-packs) cost about $22 (free shipping thanks to amazon prime trial). The whole project took <i>maybe</i> 5 minutes to install (include opening the package and unwrapping them). The clearance was tight - exactly 11", so they just barely fit, but they were high enough quality that I was able to use some muscle to get them into place without bending them. Like I said, Fast, Good AND Cheap!! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmIJ20Q6um8gWc3-n1OYDe2f9jwUgyOZeNcBq5hx_SC-n-xzHEeknGoZaZ4DxATqxRGDgmo2bTKcVru-YVFNa7xIHyNQdpyRoKQ0RUaIBtHujUzstbYXvenEkNdu4STRHJvgioYfR_7A/s1600/photo-38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmIJ20Q6um8gWc3-n1OYDe2f9jwUgyOZeNcBq5hx_SC-n-xzHEeknGoZaZ4DxATqxRGDgmo2bTKcVru-YVFNa7xIHyNQdpyRoKQ0RUaIBtHujUzstbYXvenEkNdu4STRHJvgioYfR_7A/s320/photo-38.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-48085814057860435452012-12-16T14:39:00.001-08:002013-09-24T19:41:42.640-07:00Christmas TrashThis is the second year we have made Texas Trash (Modified Chex Party Mix) by the bucket load to give to anyone and everyone that we want to say 'Thank You' or 'Merry Christmas' to. My husband and children can't get enough of it, and I like that it is a salty treat that breaks up the endless stream of cakes, cookies and candy that seem to accompany the holiday season. <br />
<br />
Teachers, choir directors, neighbors, etc, usually get their fair share in a pretty tin (I love the Container Store's selection), and the postman, trash guys and Terminix man get theirs in disposable tupperware containers with ribbon. <br />
<br />
I bug my mother-in-law for her recipe every year, which is a modified version of the original recipe. What's funny is I modify her modified recipe, and after making a dozen of these 'double modified' batches, I figured it was time to write both recipes down.<br />
<br />
Here's the recipe my wonderful mother-in-law, Alice, has emailed me at least 3 times.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Original Chex
Party Mix</b> (recipe on the back of Chex cereal boxes)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 cups Corn Chex cereal</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 cups Rice Chex cereal</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 cups Wheat Chex cereal</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup mixed nuts (Alice uses 1 cup lightly salted peanuts plus 1 cup
pecan halves)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup bite-size pretzels</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup garlic-flavor bagel chips (Alice does not use these)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6 tablespoons butter or margarine</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (Alice uses slightly less)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
¾ teaspoon garlic powder</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ teaspoon onion powder</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Alice melts the butter in a big roasting pan, then add the
seasonings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix all the cereals
and nuts together and then mix in with the butter and seasonings to coat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees,
stirring every 15 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spread
on paper towels to cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Store in
airtight container.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The recipe says to use a large microwavable bowl and mix the
cereals, nuts, pretzels, and bagel chips together; set aside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In small microwavable bowl, microwave
butter uncovered on high about 40 seconds or until melted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in seasonings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour over cereal mixture, stir until
evenly coated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Microwave uncovered
on high 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spread on paper towels to cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Store in airtight container.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWW1TrryR7Kxi4LVQosFTzBCL28x_wInj4bLrSUgRqht_zNyHhn8SwSjTxFN4mIVO0H4jRWExRtpT2G-SwqsxiwCPuDUBrlxNVsuAcSI_TTAhf6jz4U-6DqMUviD0Ofjjg75tcrqzc7Y/s1600/IMG_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWW1TrryR7Kxi4LVQosFTzBCL28x_wInj4bLrSUgRqht_zNyHhn8SwSjTxFN4mIVO0H4jRWExRtpT2G-SwqsxiwCPuDUBrlxNVsuAcSI_TTAhf6jz4U-6DqMUviD0Ofjjg75tcrqzc7Y/s320/IMG_0164.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My mother-in-law's trash is delicious! We love it, but after some trial and error, decided we liked it amped up a bit (basically our version has more butter and double the seasonings). We also let the kids help a lot which leads to some less-than precise measuring and generous pouring of anywhere from 1/8- 1/4 cup more of each of the first 7 ingredients. That may be why we were craving more seasoning! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Christmas Trash</b></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Warning: this tasty treat contains tree nuts, gluten, dairy, and is definitely NOT low in salt or fat. That's what makes it so good!</span></b><br />
<b>
</b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
3 cups Corn Chex cereal </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
3 cups Rice Chex cereal</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
3 cups Wheat Chex cereal</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
1 cup lightly salted peanuts </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
1 cup pecan halves</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
1 cup bite-size pretzels or pretzel sticks</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
1 cup garlic-flavor bagel chips </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
1 stick (8 Tbs) butter</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
3 teaspoons seasoned salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;">1</b><b style="font-weight: normal;">½</b><b style="font-weight: normal;"> </b>teaspoon garlic powder<br />
1 teaspoon onion powder</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Melt the butter in a big roasting pan in the oven while it preheats to 250 degrees. While the oven is preheating and the butter is melting, combine the cereal, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips in a large bowl (I don't even bother to stir them together, just dump them in, and as I mentioned before, we measure generously with heaping cup-fulls of all the cereals, pretzels and nuts). Once the butter is melted, add the seasonings into the pan and whisk to combine with the melted butter. I pour the butter and seasoning mix out of the roasting pan and into the large bowl over the cereals. Then I pour the cereal and seasonings back into the roasting pan. I find this extra step helps coat everything a little better than just putting the dry ingredients on top of the butter and seasonings and trying to mix it up from the bottom of the pan. Using a large spoon, gently fold everything together to ensure even coating, then bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. This is when everyone sneaks a taste or two :) Then we box up leftovers in air tight containers. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VbhSauvk29WaR5xdyyIi-h45H8ZB0tPUFYnMjoHCn2Ol1INf1tfT6TyrTnHSmNkpvH9xIgeFe70JU1OJvkDrXx6kv6Jb2zabAPXTV6lkOb-KzLjJ37Ta6eC98BUoR7-_Hl9IY8SGOHc/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VbhSauvk29WaR5xdyyIi-h45H8ZB0tPUFYnMjoHCn2Ol1INf1tfT6TyrTnHSmNkpvH9xIgeFe70JU1OJvkDrXx6kv6Jb2zabAPXTV6lkOb-KzLjJ37Ta6eC98BUoR7-_Hl9IY8SGOHc/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIM3qWdB00z2f9C6ikCKLmZX7NHAayjxnCag2NATTisi63CuQdWPJYmIVlUlcPVMvyyP4_MX76_jm8H0K8IO-yNYpyoj_kdTZDA8qIyet1Yha2wyy84xwHXOc9829KQnQz0oUX-3erpKw/s1600/IMG_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIM3qWdB00z2f9C6ikCKLmZX7NHAayjxnCag2NATTisi63CuQdWPJYmIVlUlcPVMvyyP4_MX76_jm8H0K8IO-yNYpyoj_kdTZDA8qIyet1Yha2wyy84xwHXOc9829KQnQz0oUX-3erpKw/s320/IMG_0072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-1398647661522350012012-10-31T20:36:00.000-07:002012-11-01T01:18:19.875-07:00Halloween is over, the sugar crash is setting inHalloween is over, the sugar crash is setting in, and according to the retail industry, we were supposed to start thinking about Christmas yesterday.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to disrespect the turkey by putting up Christmas decorations just yet, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to start drafting up the ol' family Christmas letter.<br />
<br />
Maybe it's pregnancy hormones or maybe it's just the general state of grumpiness I <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">live in without alcohol, but my husband seemed to think my first letter was too cynical and sarcastic for public circulation. This is my fifth draft. I think it's a winner...Stephen thinks we still have a ways to go.</span><br />
<br />
Dear family and friends,<br />
In keeping with tradition, we have enclosed a family photo that we paid shy of a year's college tuition for. When ever in doubt of our character, kindness, self discipline, generosity, attractiveness or personal hygiene, we hope you will refer to this photo to reassure you that we are happy, calm, smiling, and have it all together, no matter what you may have seen or experienced when dealing with us in person. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Also in keeping with our tradition, here is a brief update on life at the Childress household. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Carter is brilliant, and continues to baffle us by being the smartest child in the world. We aren't 100% out of pull-ups yet, but I know that it is only a side effect of his independent thinking style and genius IQ.
Jack is the world's cutest baby/big boy depending on what mood he's in. Potty training? He wants to be a baby. Playing with knives? Big boy. Fortunately, he's so charming and good looking, we barely even notice we're being blatantly manipulated.
Our beloved cat Scratch is seldom/never mentioned in our holiday correspondence because he is an animal, but that didn't change how deeply saddened we were to lose him earlier this year. Luckily he was returned to us by a concerned neighbor. Stephen is still working at Elite Compression Services so I can stay at home pursuing my passions. They change weekly, but mostly involve parenting.
Stephen and I both celebrated the big 3-2 this year, which means we have now legally been driving for more than half our lives. To celebrate we each scored traffic tickets and took defensive driving online. Despite the new technology and lack of stand up comedy, it was a nice trip down memory lane, since none of the material had been updated since 1996. Certainly the biggest news we have to share is that we will be welcoming a third child into our family in February 2013. We do not know yet if it will be a boy or a girl, but we are positive it will be the most beautiful baby you've ever seen and that we will post an exorbitant number of pictures online, clogging up your Facebook feed and causing you to block if not unfriend us.
In closing we'd like to wish everyone a happy holiday/new year and look forward to getting your Christmas cards so we can confirm that we are still friends.
With genuine love and affection,
The Childresses</span>It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-21223287659501769162012-09-13T15:59:00.000-07:002012-09-13T16:05:17.044-07:00The boys of summerIt was like the movie "Groundhog Day" around here this summer. Every day the same. I was dealing with 'morning' sickness that is more like 'debilitating-all-day' sickness for me, and we finally had to get some help in the form of a girl that came in the mornings to watch the boys for about 6 weeks.<br />
<br />
So everyday was the same...starting at about 3am, I would get sick. Crawl back to bed sometime around 5 or 6am take a Zofran and pray for death. Stephen would wake up with boys at 7am. 8am girl would show up and Stephen would go to work. Noon, Stephen's home for lunch, I take another Zofran. After lunch, Stephen gets boys down for their 'nap', before heading back to work at 1pm. 2pm, after about an hour of (sometimes) quiet time, I pry myself out of bed, apply swimsuits and sunscreen, and it was out the door for swim lessons. After lessons, another Zofran for me, a snack for the boys, then I would plug them into a show, curl up on the couch and zone out until Stephen came home then I would retreat to bed as soon as he'd let me. <br />
<br />
On paper, it kinda sounds like a dream come true, in bed til 2, lazing about all the time, but it was honest-to-God, THE hardest summer of my life. Not being able to take care of my family, even though it was a temporary situation, was surprisingly heart breaking. And even though we were all under the same roof, I really missed them because even when I was awake, it was hard to be present.<br />
<br />
Despite being so sick, I managed to take the boys to swimming lessons almost every day. We had a ton of missed classes because of weather, but squeezed in several make-ups in the last few weeks and I'm so proud of how far they came. <br />
<br />
The first day of swimming lessons was horrible...Jack refused to get in the water. When I threatened to spank him if he didn't cooperate, he flat out said, "I want a spanking." I realized, he wasn't being stubborn, he was just terrified. And no, I didn't spank him, in case you were wondering. Carter got in, sort of, but repeatedly told his coach, his classmates, and anyone else that would listen, that he didn't want to die.<br />
<br />
The last day of summer lessons was a whole different story. They were like two different kids. Carter was gliding underwater with his pancake hands and kicking really well. Jack jumped in, kicked around using a kick board, and put his face under water.<br />
<br />
Their attitude was what I was most proud of, especially Carter's. I signed him up for twice as many lessons as Jack and the schedule was nuts. Mondays and Wednesdays he saw a different teacher than Tuesdays and Thursdays, and to make things crazier, his Monday/Wednesday teacher changed twice over the summer. Didn't matter, every day I'd go upstairs to let him know it was time for swimming lessons, and he'd ask "which coach is it?" I would tell him, then he'd get on his swimsuit and head for door without another question. Other than the first day, he walked right up to the water and did his thing with honest enthusiasm and joy. Every day, and I'm not exaggerating, it was incredible. Jack did really well too. He's two, so clearly there were a few days when his heart wasn't in it, and it took some cajoling to get him in his swimsuit, in the car, and/or in the water, but for the most part he was very cooperative. <br />
<br />
And of course Stephen was amazing this summer. Incredible. Beyond incredible. In fact, words just can't describe how hard he busted his ass to take care of our family almost completely by himself for close to 2 months. His relationship with the boys grew so much too - they all became so close this summer, it was incredible to watch. The three of them were just inseparable...the boys of summer.<br />
<br />
I love my boys. All three of the men in this house are just incredible in their own way. I always knew it, but this summer just reinforced what a lucky lady I am to be a part of this family. It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-70409834987272514022012-07-28T11:48:00.002-07:002012-07-28T12:08:10.024-07:00Made in the USAWe joined some friends to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics last night. They were interesting, right? Theatrical, and not all-together un-entertaining. Anyway, I made a dessert for the festivities. I pieced it together from a couple different recipes I found online, and it miraculously came out well! It was super easy, delicious, and even looked fancy. Sort of. My fruit cutting/arranging skills are pretty amateur, so imagine what it could look like if someone with actual culinary skills took this on!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3kNO4GOl2M38u_tBT62FI5Xg09fAjJrb4_hT4LMmPt-3iNK_NLa4ffBVczNseZG46UZy6yJZuC3PIoxMeyomVqmbf3FVqs59dazFvhIsotsGb9RJIAoeq-iygiasau64WfCbZJMMusU/s1600/photo-39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3kNO4GOl2M38u_tBT62FI5Xg09fAjJrb4_hT4LMmPt-3iNK_NLa4ffBVczNseZG46UZy6yJZuC3PIoxMeyomVqmbf3FVqs59dazFvhIsotsGb9RJIAoeq-iygiasau64WfCbZJMMusU/s320/photo-39.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French pastry, English lemon curd, Italian marscapone cheese, Mexican Fruit, Made in the USA!! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Red White and Blue Fruit Tart</b><br />
<ul>
<li>1 package (of 2) puff pasty sheets</li>
<li>11 oz jar lemon curd</li>
<li>8oz marscapone cheese</li>
<li>2 lbs strawberries, rinsed, hulled and quartered lengthwise</li>
<li>1 pint blueberries, rinsed and patted dry</li>
<li>1/2 cup apricot preserves</li>
<li>1 tsp water</li>
</ul>
<i>Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread thawed puff pasty sheets out side-by-side and press together to create a large rectangle. Fold outside edge in about 1/2 inch to create a 'crust' around the edge. Poke a lot of holes in the center of the puff pastry. Bake approx 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to cool.</i><br />
<i>Mix apricot preserves and water. Heat the mixture in a small saucepan or the microwave until boiling. Remove from heat. Brush the center of the pastry crust (where your filling will go) with approximately half of the mixture. This will create a glaze that helps keep the crust from getting soggy once you add your filling. Save the rest of the mixture.</i><br />
<i>Mix together lemon curd and marscapone until well blended. Set aside.</i><br />
<i>Once the glazed puff pastry is completely cooled, spread the lemon curd and marscapone filling. Arrange the sliced fruit on top.</i><br />
<i>Reheat the apricot glaze and brush over the top of the fruit.</i><br />
<i>Can be served immediately, but for best results, refrigerate for an hour or two before slicing. Makes approx 32 servings.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
The great thing about this recipe is you can use whipped cream instead of marscapone, any type of fruit (I just used red and blue in honor of team USA) and any type of preserve (apricot's what the Joy of Cooking said to use, but more importantly, it's what I had on hand). It's SO easy and versatile. Hope someone out there will try it!It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-25069541379405321752012-06-20T11:45:00.003-07:002012-06-20T11:57:45.847-07:00Forever and ever, amen.Happy 7th anniversary to my amazing husband. I'm looking forward to many many many many more.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJCOO0QKCaJLam84vWjooqkffpouOQUVAA1kIJp3zgZc1khSH2Cqcgu09TXp4mU5uEuSiRn7p6_poO-xzHokXVQkDrRq6Xy-DHl2vKBpiBRVXau2LKtCG9k4s8ihcaUFGRBrvUOxVPHE/s1600/reginac_FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJCOO0QKCaJLam84vWjooqkffpouOQUVAA1kIJp3zgZc1khSH2Cqcgu09TXp4mU5uEuSiRn7p6_poO-xzHokXVQkDrRq6Xy-DHl2vKBpiBRVXau2LKtCG9k4s8ihcaUFGRBrvUOxVPHE/s640/reginac_FINAL.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
Custom Portrait by <a href="http://nanlawson.com/" target="_blank">Nan Lawson</a> 2012 - please credit photo.It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-84202495884954960692012-04-20T15:05:00.001-07:002012-04-20T15:42:16.112-07:00Tips for babysitters from a parent.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiNiNvcrev2E2FA-NFU2G_TrbcFmwJvSJCzL6WzdYTMbLOQqJCBdJq1tr7WbjV8YTmV6jQJijrD0kZsUmNcYIqaTkSjmJcebJ91GMcaXHCOp_wNbxbhyphenhyphenrDJk5i7o6GekwB_eBwPm-QFc/s1600/babysitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiNiNvcrev2E2FA-NFU2G_TrbcFmwJvSJCzL6WzdYTMbLOQqJCBdJq1tr7WbjV8YTmV6jQJijrD0kZsUmNcYIqaTkSjmJcebJ91GMcaXHCOp_wNbxbhyphenhyphenrDJk5i7o6GekwB_eBwPm-QFc/s200/babysitter.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Parents the world over are desperate to find a good baby sitter, and our expectations are frighteningly low. We are DESPERATE to get out of our house and socialize with other adults, so desperate we leave our precious children in the hands of naive, and sometimes frighteningly clueless teenage girls. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We have only been in the babysitting game for about three years, but in that short amount of time we've cycled through at least 10 babysitters and seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. So in an attempt to educate the masses, preach to the choir, or at least get a few "AMEN!"s from my fellow moms, here are a few tips for babysitters.</div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. CALL ME if you have a question, even if it is not an emergency. If you are not sure if what you are experiencing is worth calling about, CALL ME ANYWAY. I promise, I do not want to rush home, nor do any of the parents I know, so if we can work it out with you on the phone, we will. I will not think you are stupid or dumb or irresponsible for calling me. The only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask. You probably don't have children of your own, and if you do, you probably don't understand half of what's coming out of my 2 year old's mouth, so I promise to be understanding. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. If it IS an emergency, keep trying to contact me until you reach me, even if it means using the phone number to the actual restaurant that I took the time to look up and leave for you in case of an emergency. Do not send me a text, and assume if you don't hear back that everything is fine. In fact, just don't ever send me a text. Ever. Because whatever activity led us to hire a baby sitter has very likely also led us to put our phones on vibrate, and while we will check our phone periodically, we probably don't have it sitting on the table. So a phone call, which makes our phones vibrate 5-7 times, is superior to a text, which only makes them vibrate once. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. Assume you are going to have to feed my children at some point. Bonus points if you can manage to feed them healthy food. Also, if you are watching children during a meal time, please feed them that meal. Even though they may act like puppies, children are not animals that only get fed in the morning and at night. Believe it or not, we feed them all 3 meal AND a morning and afternoon snack. And if you are not sure of what (or when) to feed the kids, please ask me, not my kids. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. Spending more than 5 minutes with children means a mess will be made. Please do your best to clean up this mess, particularly when spilled liquid is involved. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5. Only let children watch age appropriate material. If you are unsure of what age appropriate is, please ask me, not my kids. Or better yet, PLAY with the kids and don't turn the TV on at all. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
6. Assume if you are watching young children past 8 or 9pm, that you will need to put them to bed. <br />
Please put them in pj's and clean diapers before bed. If you are not sure of what else a bed time routine entails, please ask me, not the kids. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
7. Do not let the children play with finger nail polish, finger nail polish remover, make up, sharp objects, food coloring, paint, markers, or anything else that will stain their clothes, mark the carpet, ruin my furniture, or cause them bodily harm. If you are not sure of what is ok to play with, and the GIANT playroom isn't providing you with any inspiration, please ask me, not the kids.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
8. I know that you raid the pantry and watch TV. It's one of the perks of babysitting. Just please do it after the kids are asleep. I don't care if you eat my M&M's or watch South Park, but I kinda care if they do.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
9. Please do not ask to be my friend on facebook or twitter. I'm not your friend, I'm your boss. It doesn't mean that I don't like you, I promise. It just means I'm trying to maintain an image of responsibility and the images of me on facebook may or may not always support that.<br />
<br />
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
10. Bring a note card with your name, address, phone number, age, parents' name(s) and contact info as well as an emergency contact (if not your parents). Nope, I'm not kidding. You'd be amazed how many babysitters give me strange "are-you-stalking-me?" looks when I ask for this basic info. To all of those girls, I say the following: Seems crazy, I know, that you would need to provide all this info to your employer, but your employers will ALWAYS need this info, whether it's a job at McDonald's, Apple Computers, or my house. See, your employer is responsible for your whereabouts, so while you are babysitting my kids, I'm pretty much babysitting you. </div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
11. Know what you charge. If you are not sure, do some googling because you will probably be asked at some point, and it is in your best interest to have an answer. We pay our sitter $10/hour for 2 kids because that's what other parents told us to pay (not one sitter we ever asked had an answer). But here's the thing, if our current sitter asked for $12/hour, we'd totally pay it. Heck, we'd probably paid upwards of $20/hour we love her so much. As it is, she never gave us a quote, so we keep it at the current rate. Admittedly, we usually round up to the nearest multiple of $20, because we're almost always stopping by the ATM on our way home to pay her. </div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
12. Babysitting is not a fluff job. Our children mean more to us than you will ever know, more to us that anything you could possibly imagine, and taking care of them is a HUGE responsibility. After my first child was born, I immediately felt this intense sense of guilt over how lightly I took my baby sitting jobs. Don't misunderstand me, I was not a bad babysitter, in fact, I was a pretty darn awesome baby sitter, but I had no idea how HUGE of a responsibility it was, until I had a child of my own. So whatever you do, please please PLEASE keep my children safe. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know as parents, we are not always the easiest employers, but a good baby sitter is worth her weight in gold. If you can manage the above items, I promise you'll never want for babysitting gigs...you'll be fought over and your name will passed around and whispered reverently between moms the world over. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Stay tuned...this post most definitely deserves a counter-part entitled "Tips for parents from a babysitter" because I know from experience, for every clueless babysitter, there are probably ten clueless parents.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-3123342089731447732012-03-09T09:57:00.005-08:002012-03-09T10:29:01.963-08:00Toe up.About a year and a half ago, while I was training for my first half marathon, I broke my toe. We had just moved in to the new house and Jack was choking on something, so I rushed over to help him, kicking a moving box in the process. Stephen was out of town, so I took some Advil and tried to forget about it. I managed to get the kids to school the next day, but knew it was bad. I couldn't get my foot into a regular shoe and was wearing rain boots. Plus my toe was huge...it looked more like a thumb than a toe. Doc confirmed it was a hairline fracture on my 4th toe. <br />
<br />
I was supposed to wear a special shoe the doc gave me, but it was so ugly I walked around in flip flops or barefoot, and ended up whacking the same toe on an end table a week later. Still, I thought it was no big deal. It was just a toe. I was supposed to be taking a break from running while my toe healed, but that was really interfering with my training. So the day after Thanksgiving I gave myself permission to return to running. Because of the chilly temperature, I couldn't really feel my toe, or my feet at all, and ended up running about 8 miles because I felt so good. When my feet thawed out, I knew I had done something bad...but still thought it was no big deal. It was just a toe.<br />
<br />
Then when Carter ran over my flip-flop clad foot with his little wooden lawn mower and I heard a big 'pop' and ended up on the floor writhing in pain, I figured it might be time to call the doctor again.<br />
<br />
This time, the doctor I saw wasn't quite as laid back about things. He looked me in the eye, and said, 'well, it might have started out as a hairline fracture, but you have managed to really screw it up...it's a displaced spiral fracture. I am considering surgery. I'm giving you a boot and if you don't stay off your feet, wear your shoe and let yourself heal, I'm going to surgically stabilize your toe and then put you in a cast.'<br />
<br />
WHAT?! Surgery? Casts?? I thought it was just a stupid toe! What really sucked was I had to completely stop running for 8 weeks. No half marathon for me. Had I followed the doctor's advice the first time around and let my little hairline fracture heal, I could have kept my cardio up on an elliptical or stationary bike for a few weeks, then gotten right back into training. As things were, I'd lost 4 weeks nursing repeated injuries and now was going to lose another 8. I was devastated, but had no other choice. Even now, my toe will ache when it rains or is really humid because the bones don't really line up anymore. <br />
<br />
(Note: I finally got back into training in April of last year, and completed a 15 k, 2 half marathons, a 30k and then a marathon in January. It was awesome. I should do a post on all that.)<br />
<br />
So the timing isn't terrible, I'm not in the middle of training for anything, but I broke another toe this week hitting it on the leg of the couch. Unlike the last break, I knew right away it was royally screwed up because it looked like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbaSlaxHUgfiVTDaiiNtBfWwtJ_ftiPj-N8AShz6YRbcB_2HaX6idvwlb8TzVRWgU-gKlWQSwJI3HhrB5rG19wuvspBtDhhRUtrSoghTm0LjesviW2myC6hyvOngLA_EsovCAMdFcKE8/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbaSlaxHUgfiVTDaiiNtBfWwtJ_ftiPj-N8AShz6YRbcB_2HaX6idvwlb8TzVRWgU-gKlWQSwJI3HhrB5rG19wuvspBtDhhRUtrSoghTm0LjesviW2myC6hyvOngLA_EsovCAMdFcKE8/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I spared you an actual picture (you are welcome) because, as innocuous as the drawing looks, the actual picture just looked wrong...cringe-worthy and really REALLY wrong. In fact, it looked so bad, I ended up letting Stephen take me to the ER (even though it's just a stupid toe) because I didn't know if I could buddy tape it while it was pointing in the wrong direction. In case you are curious, the ER had a very scientific and medical way of handling it. They X-rayed it, and then just pulled it back into place (I almost threw up) and then buddy taped it. So, for all of you taking notes at home, save yourself the $100 ER co-pay and just tape your toe back into place until you can see someone during normal business hours. <br />
<br />
At the foot doctor yesterday, I got some interesting questions...I think they are convinced I smash my toes on purpose considering the frequency in which I show up with "displaced spiral fractures". You think I'm kidding, but they really didn't seem to believe I just hit the couch.<br />
<br />
So, I'm back in a boot for 3 weeks. No running, no jumping, no bare feet and no flip-flops. And believe me, I will be following doctors orders this time around. He was the first to say the boot is over-kill, but like I said, I think he's convinced I go around bashing my feet on things. Anyway, the sooner I can heal, the better, because I've been recently toying with the idea of another marathon. In the mean time, I'll be sporting this very sexy look.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9JuslZ40hsbGBFWHuOuDBi6IhnVsPNolFQE6vsbh4BszFXZFZfJKvSsmOawYCh4HZl2NOqgxyZ5gnUUi9nD9GzHipVrQUS4s0bYAZdWwutrCWAgRpJ2OmSWzEtZHOCIQ7vahC77jWyc/s1600/photo-30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9JuslZ40hsbGBFWHuOuDBi6IhnVsPNolFQE6vsbh4BszFXZFZfJKvSsmOawYCh4HZl2NOqgxyZ5gnUUi9nD9GzHipVrQUS4s0bYAZdWwutrCWAgRpJ2OmSWzEtZHOCIQ7vahC77jWyc/s320/photo-30.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
At least it's still cool enough to get away with jeans...which means it's in the 80's. We're in south Texas remember?It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-19722011529436001342012-01-12T12:11:00.000-08:002012-01-12T12:16:11.119-08:00Cabinet and Hutch need a good homeI've got a big piece of dining room furniture (cabinet + hutch) that needs a good home. I love this cabinet...I bought it thinking it would be perfect in a breakfast room with my grandmothers dining table that we refinished and painted black. It's a work horse too...storage galore. It's safely stored ALL of my wedding china, crystal and flatware for the past four years, with space to spare. Unfortunately we just don't have a good place for it in this house. We're using the dining room as a study, and while we do need some storage in there, this piece is just too big for that room. You can see, we can't even get the doors open right now. So, as hard as it is to get rid of it, I can't hang on to a giant piece of furniture in anticipation of having room for it in some future house.<br />
<br />
It's got a really interesting, concave front to it, and it's a little on the traditional/country side right now, with the two-tone finish, but with new hardware and a coat of paint it and it could go with just about any decor. <br />
<br />
I have no idea what to ask for it, so I'm pretty much just selling it fbo, preferably to a family member or friend so that if/when the time comes that you don't want it anymore you give us a call and let us make you an offer before you sell/donate/toss it.<br />
<br />
The deets:<br />
57" wide<br />
88" tall (cabinet 36"; hutch 52")<br />
Bottom Cabinet is 16.5" deep, Hutch is 13" deep<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlWhRZmI9yh1E9zarWbREbVv1rrkKPL6G3Wq0uij5493PmrbVWJFJApFbp5-7bMm6JPP7i3nRC1JlPiWS-2uCwZxHSc615aBlOM5AlyYlUvVn33r-2LitzJLsGJuN2eC-du6LtSoDASY/s1600/Carter+Stephen+Childress+170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlWhRZmI9yh1E9zarWbREbVv1rrkKPL6G3Wq0uij5493PmrbVWJFJApFbp5-7bMm6JPP7i3nRC1JlPiWS-2uCwZxHSc615aBlOM5AlyYlUvVn33r-2LitzJLsGJuN2eC-du6LtSoDASY/s320/Carter+Stephen+Childress+170.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0f-CyD8N1D_nkPhO7OhFfzQev52o_vMePRwUJe0Mm3Wx6rMylTScYeY23_J1xnYXDguKz_98_j-tkBU10Myhd3cJ65JD7aQ8_rnGSwrGN0A5RnEydUzIHQRG5qZ9ICBuFHgkI-72YY_c/s1600/CSC+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0f-CyD8N1D_nkPhO7OhFfzQev52o_vMePRwUJe0Mm3Wx6rMylTScYeY23_J1xnYXDguKz_98_j-tkBU10Myhd3cJ65JD7aQ8_rnGSwrGN0A5RnEydUzIHQRG5qZ9ICBuFHgkI-72YY_c/s320/CSC+017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jCcSd9Zzg9y7xC6U_G_9crltakzU1-eWLnrRh3gqdk0mMhdMlVPJYXC5dzTP6yZxtkiWTtbvjwI6blQSAwMA0-l82XQDftd74HGKckNpGf2CEXUgz-YpcHyVe7_tWuWfUgPx2DNX6JQ/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jCcSd9Zzg9y7xC6U_G_9crltakzU1-eWLnrRh3gqdk0mMhdMlVPJYXC5dzTP6yZxtkiWTtbvjwI6blQSAwMA0-l82XQDftd74HGKckNpGf2CEXUgz-YpcHyVe7_tWuWfUgPx2DNX6JQ/s320/photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqZtWFYmuFUerKgoxXzn9KYPML58aYl8Vihl5TMFFZ8Y_Y-PeV5r9pHmREch9HADhdSiznSeIGXPpMcWmGz821rpmqs2Z0pQq-BC5Q1pRMGxjjNi-i2WcYs8iQ4MIXf8XfBOCpJMqhxc/s1600/photo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqZtWFYmuFUerKgoxXzn9KYPML58aYl8Vihl5TMFFZ8Y_Y-PeV5r9pHmREch9HADhdSiznSeIGXPpMcWmGz821rpmqs2Z0pQq-BC5Q1pRMGxjjNi-i2WcYs8iQ4MIXf8XfBOCpJMqhxc/s320/photo-1.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaa55UuC2cZsMCQt6hOSLuFYpBowFYkQambVneKhb2RKxgD5saVfS9sT0cdD60mpFBgGvp2SbFRvqDtVPxNDEuKJugampaeZJbzt8SdZBDSd7LkPIqgNANHG1sRx5sp6RFliHP3sHn6ws/s1600/photo-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaa55UuC2cZsMCQt6hOSLuFYpBowFYkQambVneKhb2RKxgD5saVfS9sT0cdD60mpFBgGvp2SbFRvqDtVPxNDEuKJugampaeZJbzt8SdZBDSd7LkPIqgNANHG1sRx5sp6RFliHP3sHn6ws/s320/photo-3.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Give me a shout if you are interested!It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-76573456482899566612011-12-07T20:37:00.000-08:002011-12-07T20:37:05.241-08:00Cake ballsTis the season for sweets, and I recently tried my hand at cake balls for a holiday party (also known as cake pops if you add a stick). I don't think I would have ever attempted them had I known what I was getting myself into (I am not a baker. not even a little bit), but after <strike>a little</strike> a lot of trial and error, I think I've gotten the hang of it well enough to do it again with out quite so many tears.<div><br />
</div><div>So, in case you were interested in trying your hand at a little balling this holiday season, here's the cake ball recipe I used with tips/tricks I've thrown in for the baking-challenged.</div><div><br />
</div><div>1 box cake mix (including oil, water, eggs, and anything else necessary to make the cake)</div><div>1 jar frosting</div><div>1 package bark (candy coating that I found hiding out by the chocolate chips on the baking isle)</div><div><ul><li>Mix up the cake mix and bake according to package directions.</li>
<li>While the cake is still hot (or at least warm), dump it back into the mixer, and turn it on 'low' (essentially destroying the cake you just baked).</li>
<li>Spoon anywhere from half a jar of frosting to a whole jar depending on how 'cakey' you like your balls (I used about 2/3 - 3/4 of a jar). </li>
<li>Let the mixer go until your cake/frosting mix is the consistency of crumbly play-doh (you should see a big ball of dough forming at this point in the bowl).</li>
<li>Turn the mixer off, form the dough into a big ball (any residual dough on the outside of the bowl will be hard to work with and essentially wasted if you don't scrape it off and let it join the big party ball happening in the middle). </li>
<li>Cover and chill (I popped it in the freezer for an hour, and that seemed to work fine, but if ice crystals freak you out, try the fridge for a few hours)</li>
<li>Using a melon baller or a 2Tbs cookie scoop, make all your dough balls. I used the cookie scoop to get a consistent sized ball, but would also hand roll each ball to get a nice shape.</li>
<li>You want to work pretty quickly because I found the dough harder to work with as it warmed up. If things get too impossible, toss it back in the fridge or freezer for a while and then return to balling.</li>
<li>Once all your dough is balled, freeze the balls over night (4 hours minimum). I put all my balls into a big tupperware container and separated the layers with wax paper since I don't have room for a cookie sheet in my freezer.</li>
</ul>The next part was my biggest challenge since I'd never worked with candy coating before, and you may have your own method, but after ruining TWO entire batches of bark and at least a half dozen cake balls, this is what worked best for me.</div><div><ul><li>Working with a half of a package at a time, I would heat the candy coating in a small sauce pan over low heat until melted, then turn the heat off but leave the pot on the warm burner.</li>
<li>One dough ball at a time, I'd plop it into the melted bark then use a silicon spatula to spoon the coating over the top two or three times until the ball was completely coated.</li>
<li>I used a plastic fork, that I broke the middle two tines off of, to scoop the ball out and move it over to a sheet of wax paper to dry.</li>
<li>To get the wet coated ball off the fork with minimal damage, I would set the ball and fork down on the wax paper, place my finger behind the ball (where the tines were broken off), then pull the fork back, while my finger held the ball in place on the wax paper. That probably makes no sense, but seeing as I'm the only one that will read this, I'll hold off on the youtube video for now and just let you use your imagination.</li>
<li>I had a bunch of bark left over, so I drizzled it on top for decoration, and to help hide how lopsided and unevenly coated a few of the balls were.</li>
<li>All done with beautiful cake balls that looked a LITTLE like this....</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIzhf0oXrxvDkK4ElqHd61k0T7KaAquK-WpBzfCXYAaFL16neuUO1kdmWXLros7TI0aDPON6_86c8PNBN60OskeruLfeHb-mkVBYbboZ3qucQS663bZ5OJr0cz2Ra9pO70-n1H_DOqco/s1600/cakeballs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIzhf0oXrxvDkK4ElqHd61k0T7KaAquK-WpBzfCXYAaFL16neuUO1kdmWXLros7TI0aDPON6_86c8PNBN60OskeruLfeHb-mkVBYbboZ3qucQS663bZ5OJr0cz2Ra9pO70-n1H_DOqco/s320/cakeballs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> and this...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihj45L3W7kkdd9wvMQ5nJxboi-8RFbJ9ZliL28l3zzs-rz2B5_H5TtShBYGx3idY1trLzBQbW5UhsFkAB0yZlRew49NeeQJRLTzEa02bIVCR2UFXUgcpySuZ3IlWUY-KiFwgz6ixrn1ZY/s1600/lemon+cake+balls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihj45L3W7kkdd9wvMQ5nJxboi-8RFbJ9ZliL28l3zzs-rz2B5_H5TtShBYGx3idY1trLzBQbW5UhsFkAB0yZlRew49NeeQJRLTzEa02bIVCR2UFXUgcpySuZ3IlWUY-KiFwgz6ixrn1ZY/s1600/lemon+cake+balls.jpg" /></a></div><div><br />
</div></div><div>(images courtesy of <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/category/pops-bites/cake-balls/" target="_blank">bakerella</a> and the <a href="http://thecerealbaker.blogspot.com/2011/08/lemon-cake-balls.html" target="_blank">cereal baker</a>)</div><div>The combinations are pretty endless with cake mix, frosting and bark, but here are the ones I made:</div><div>Lemon: Duncan hines lemon supreme mix, lemon supreme frosting, white bark</div><div>Red Velvet: Duncan hines red velvet mix, creme cheese frosting, chocolate bark</div><div><br />
</div><div>And the ones I want to try next...</div><div>Carrot Cake: Carrot cake, creme cheese frosting, white bark</div><div>German Chocolate: German chocolate cake, coconut pecan frosting, chocolate bark</div><div><br />
</div><div>I have a mom-friend who bakes professionally and her cake ball combinations are insane...french toast with bacon (yes bacon!), churro, candy cane red velvet, margarita, strawberry lime, mexican chocolate and bacardi coconut to name a few. Yea....I'll stick with my beginner combos for now, but if you live in the Houston area and want to try the real thing, you can check out <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Word-of-Mouth-Melanie-Holley-and-Beth-Calcaneo-Co-Owners/172570759452366" target="_blank">Word of Mouth cakes</a> in Spring, TX.</div><div><br />
</div>It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-37212648463232170192011-11-04T20:32:00.000-07:002011-11-04T20:36:44.372-07:00Guess it's time to get a camera.The only camera we use these days are our iphones. We've got a little Canon power shot, but I think it's time to invest in an SLR. As excited as I am about the idea of (finally) getting a decent camera, it's coming at a price. Our amazing photographer, Mackenzie Wheatley, of <a href="http://www.chubbyfoot.com/" target="_blank">chubbyfoot photography</a>, is leaving us to move to Europe. :(<br />
<br />
We were able to squeeze one last mini session in with her, and just to give you an idea of what a loss this is, I've included pics from all the sessions she's done for our family.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Carter in the womb:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfeUrITVOvtpRnVtji68dV33sy5n0jIemTLkWt9SJB5LDvVauYHmwJKCg-vJN6xUfePA8cg5cLhnksPpsu7WthCVLgnaH_W_2TACRUm71JeDYXZ_XZMqSnzifjsE4FDVPF6M-4m_8Jk0/s1600/n584215165_1142175_459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfeUrITVOvtpRnVtji68dV33sy5n0jIemTLkWt9SJB5LDvVauYHmwJKCg-vJN6xUfePA8cg5cLhnksPpsu7WthCVLgnaH_W_2TACRUm71JeDYXZ_XZMqSnzifjsE4FDVPF6M-4m_8Jk0/s320/n584215165_1142175_459.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Carter 2 weeks old:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O2eZgq6FLh28FzyH3rOB-1hkPSXl9m9FyjQZO99T3wGQaNf9dxKqXMoluMDuHbYjkOErtwlk_gmgVbNkUY43ZkXCxdseCblJWKIFE4LsQHW1K-NZy6abYyQHHjcFI61Yoi-IZYfND6c/s1600/IMG_3495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O2eZgq6FLh28FzyH3rOB-1hkPSXl9m9FyjQZO99T3wGQaNf9dxKqXMoluMDuHbYjkOErtwlk_gmgVbNkUY43ZkXCxdseCblJWKIFE4LsQHW1K-NZy6abYyQHHjcFI61Yoi-IZYfND6c/s320/IMG_3495.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht89eHGioVf3KkFEPZ6ZpPiGIfnfkwyVcIZewkNMC0xa9-j7SHsGEovkaDrQTw0RCesExQyi2sOgxpRy03MVnaiw2HstlaCZjm8MLGeeB78vAwQogmQEcgqK-0-xuop8F_XO1Bijm4DHE/s1600/IMG_3463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht89eHGioVf3KkFEPZ6ZpPiGIfnfkwyVcIZewkNMC0xa9-j7SHsGEovkaDrQTw0RCesExQyi2sOgxpRy03MVnaiw2HstlaCZjm8MLGeeB78vAwQogmQEcgqK-0-xuop8F_XO1Bijm4DHE/s320/IMG_3463.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Carter 1 year:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPArpjAcCnqFMbm9PbtiX-6_QjtBSARyVpONaBmkopOnTly9rUBX6V_DYDWLd63dSd4Kd2Phe34XqToCNjIXk2yH8hxL7vaosDgNodPzmuy2EqmkvFE72YQd4fRfQFTxaN-eycamr2lvI/s1600/IMG_4007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPArpjAcCnqFMbm9PbtiX-6_QjtBSARyVpONaBmkopOnTly9rUBX6V_DYDWLd63dSd4Kd2Phe34XqToCNjIXk2yH8hxL7vaosDgNodPzmuy2EqmkvFE72YQd4fRfQFTxaN-eycamr2lvI/s320/IMG_4007.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0g-E8hDxb59EEtKrTZNWm5deKgJosS3IFflMix-hpk3ENTc7kVicCo_A6jji3N0cf0hrK9K6v409zubBs5IvmmGU5WSDLv1aj3-6N_YUhF_oGshDQqGpPgIteRRoptBBmEdIEUI-3-gs/s1600/IMG_4047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0g-E8hDxb59EEtKrTZNWm5deKgJosS3IFflMix-hpk3ENTc7kVicCo_A6jji3N0cf0hrK9K6v409zubBs5IvmmGU5WSDLv1aj3-6N_YUhF_oGshDQqGpPgIteRRoptBBmEdIEUI-3-gs/s320/IMG_4047.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Jack in the womb (Carter 17 months):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7waRn_1TumBys2Rsg-O0XE02vwLHT1fbpZQ4UEL0RNapqpwyHOMExIwf6fkIt2l6cxodTHI2zgn3MnaECOPgHUI1bR8EJDws9xIVN8tfAAlY8LdGWykl71RirKr3DVolLJ3d2VZdq4Y/s1600/IMG_7834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7waRn_1TumBys2Rsg-O0XE02vwLHT1fbpZQ4UEL0RNapqpwyHOMExIwf6fkIt2l6cxodTHI2zgn3MnaECOPgHUI1bR8EJDws9xIVN8tfAAlY8LdGWykl71RirKr3DVolLJ3d2VZdq4Y/s320/IMG_7834.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49cdHNazELUWEggJkR6vZzPpjpEF6i9UmXRoFCTxVEiPC_eDrZH3_12IbosuKc9H9iBm0aUieBKWQuqtXwtjvau05JDeo-FVVQPs79iS7ql1NnGQR1JJOkM-Gkf2KAlz4krbwXjJEkjY/s1600/IMG_7983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49cdHNazELUWEggJkR6vZzPpjpEF6i9UmXRoFCTxVEiPC_eDrZH3_12IbosuKc9H9iBm0aUieBKWQuqtXwtjvau05JDeo-FVVQPs79iS7ql1NnGQR1JJOkM-Gkf2KAlz4krbwXjJEkjY/s320/IMG_7983.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Jack 1 week old (Carter 18 months):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtivJJiL13DgS0ljHle1q3evd1rk9sjb841EnaGBhlx9HJzCv-aFUJa-5ceBLAp8d8Q1B7LDRKfOBhTkbTkImDldDEpeX1BcC7euALwDaQOXqPBs6kcuVK2f-LTPIJyGDGT0ONezv7_dk/s1600/IMG_1311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtivJJiL13DgS0ljHle1q3evd1rk9sjb841EnaGBhlx9HJzCv-aFUJa-5ceBLAp8d8Q1B7LDRKfOBhTkbTkImDldDEpeX1BcC7euALwDaQOXqPBs6kcuVK2f-LTPIJyGDGT0ONezv7_dk/s320/IMG_1311.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JZkyN-Ope7M_t4PCsv5g3-Mc0na-i41GXDJqCKPJKZahz1vHnvR45_xLSiTAokhaIPZzcVyZXYaiHx2r-qAw5imdk5mB3kRCLEVuKEyMHO471Er9iwscR9XI6yATeq9kucNfHWCX0RU/s1600/IMG_1327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JZkyN-Ope7M_t4PCsv5g3-Mc0na-i41GXDJqCKPJKZahz1vHnvR45_xLSiTAokhaIPZzcVyZXYaiHx2r-qAw5imdk5mB3kRCLEVuKEyMHO471Er9iwscR9XI6yATeq9kucNfHWCX0RU/s320/IMG_1327.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Jack 6 months; Carter 2 years;<br />
Married 5 years:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED1uIEO0OnepTEQv4FNkbsiKpMIDuZaEH_PGEvm6pJu-vNeYQPmK0J1t4tkDAPClVn_rzootAAvTUlBZ3Fo0hkp8F7STEnplpYlklbym87Y2-83sI9ckO4lT8JjtBRNFoWn6b58aMtGo/s1600/childress55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED1uIEO0OnepTEQv4FNkbsiKpMIDuZaEH_PGEvm6pJu-vNeYQPmK0J1t4tkDAPClVn_rzootAAvTUlBZ3Fo0hkp8F7STEnplpYlklbym87Y2-83sI9ckO4lT8JjtBRNFoWn6b58aMtGo/s320/childress55.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKlrReA2KSnY44tCcXzcgiI1dZDRcEuz80xHuflV0OyJ0GZ3VuaWDKJe6JmkLYXz5TOB17PTfX2TNeFFxk0ueTFCR5sYl5UwV4PE6sWn3UP2qdt_w2gL5UawnMwi0vMTvM8HpklbnV1k/s1600/childress03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKlrReA2KSnY44tCcXzcgiI1dZDRcEuz80xHuflV0OyJ0GZ3VuaWDKJe6JmkLYXz5TOB17PTfX2TNeFFxk0ueTFCR5sYl5UwV4PE6sWn3UP2qdt_w2gL5UawnMwi0vMTvM8HpklbnV1k/s320/childress03.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Carter 2.5; Jack 1 year;<br />
Our new house (in 1 month when these pics were taken):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzWA9THzHJhQaKFtyCaoMarHNA8YJ1tjZY9I_hiCZ_2rhVN0sqhzoONuMrk_SdRYYa1jIaCzJ2PRi0glmkQFy-ZAxZZqdvIP6kBO2HnH1sc6DVW7Vxm0KgP4lPOf5DuH83TP9wt23p3Y/s1600/Childress_46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzWA9THzHJhQaKFtyCaoMarHNA8YJ1tjZY9I_hiCZ_2rhVN0sqhzoONuMrk_SdRYYa1jIaCzJ2PRi0glmkQFy-ZAxZZqdvIP6kBO2HnH1sc6DVW7Vxm0KgP4lPOf5DuH83TP9wt23p3Y/s320/Childress_46.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrrfYuDmZFAUtjwmbESnVe2ACSp1R1oYUYmNS-k6p-TXXVqH9uTs0LbLf_-M0cLmfJtcCin3CMladRDpWYa2HuslmKzwd05eF-DOU4YFyH1A9FXtsVpamm-Kd2ppa3Rx-cyaRpq2QJNI/s1600/Childress_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrrfYuDmZFAUtjwmbESnVe2ACSp1R1oYUYmNS-k6p-TXXVqH9uTs0LbLf_-M0cLmfJtcCin3CMladRDpWYa2HuslmKzwd05eF-DOU4YFyH1A9FXtsVpamm-Kd2ppa3Rx-cyaRpq2QJNI/s320/Childress_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Most recent session<br />
(Carter 3.5; Jack almost 2; Stephen and I married 6 years):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMGuIlPvd7-mistovO_38Nr74se9XPM0pFKanMUUPN6vTMOgZ0dA49G8yjlTeHV23x2VIjLy1_RP1sU1BvQiK-q3Bow8hIA1diljX6ZGX-4-JiLtRSoTEwEhVH56ZbVY_xGAltioKk4k/s1600/Childress%2528012%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMGuIlPvd7-mistovO_38Nr74se9XPM0pFKanMUUPN6vTMOgZ0dA49G8yjlTeHV23x2VIjLy1_RP1sU1BvQiK-q3Bow8hIA1diljX6ZGX-4-JiLtRSoTEwEhVH56ZbVY_xGAltioKk4k/s320/Childress%2528012%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRCD5SCUq282r-aUVrhd8yKTOES9tP4PQY0EsyZyiA4XEkzRHhedzZYMK6SbUSp9lO-dSF0OZEaCrltEydabtpitFAaqG-30nZxfbtx8OJKwqvWGytev3qXH52XkgqjV2NDKLnyLaejM/s1600/Childress%2528027%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRCD5SCUq282r-aUVrhd8yKTOES9tP4PQY0EsyZyiA4XEkzRHhedzZYMK6SbUSp9lO-dSF0OZEaCrltEydabtpitFAaqG-30nZxfbtx8OJKwqvWGytev3qXH52XkgqjV2NDKLnyLaejM/s320/Childress%2528027%2529.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7HjyevhEimzjbNl2Ln_ZlawSDy1ICzuvMBnz0DndGMJI1lZ8XY9rhV_-7Ti74btuuftkhtaRpqHWbIiW0_et7D1GyaujLH3bj_9TC1Gb0I5UTg5vYVMnhyJSb76TlnQ55XwF7wB0sT8/s1600/Childress%2528001%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7HjyevhEimzjbNl2Ln_ZlawSDy1ICzuvMBnz0DndGMJI1lZ8XY9rhV_-7Ti74btuuftkhtaRpqHWbIiW0_et7D1GyaujLH3bj_9TC1Gb0I5UTg5vYVMnhyJSb76TlnQ55XwF7wB0sT8/s320/Childress%2528001%2529.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5A7BTysx1y38-PHuf6OVz0kpblpxhNAlAU1yolnxHChWByMd0urujDE8bXjWl1GGQuEsRXR27YXjozPDbqDmQsPWJiv5HCWyd_cNBOzPBVQV_crpDJ375U-AkiBYvTtuzqgIV3JR0_0/s1600/Childress%2528020%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5A7BTysx1y38-PHuf6OVz0kpblpxhNAlAU1yolnxHChWByMd0urujDE8bXjWl1GGQuEsRXR27YXjozPDbqDmQsPWJiv5HCWyd_cNBOzPBVQV_crpDJ375U-AkiBYvTtuzqgIV3JR0_0/s320/Childress%2528020%2529.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9ZWu22wBfl2x6DS7J3GJ120x9KE2j0LPtST1i6bqjJIExcPOiEAxwCmW2uLyC6xAXwwL5JoW39riL58zmJS7FxhR0aSlrskp8-ea2yAUH7ShEIQb16T501Wx3ixOvRkjuBYLKPvhAzM/s1600/Childress%2528023%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9ZWu22wBfl2x6DS7J3GJ120x9KE2j0LPtST1i6bqjJIExcPOiEAxwCmW2uLyC6xAXwwL5JoW39riL58zmJS7FxhR0aSlrskp8-ea2yAUH7ShEIQb16T501Wx3ixOvRkjuBYLKPvhAzM/s320/Childress%2528023%2529.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDujnqxVI8HGm00YZepC0Q5F262XIq-3HFCijXBvVDxid46NO786-2TCuyPSIWtIqbEsItgUUzNVNQz4_zpmBcVTmhumlJuDYbu2Uvoap9kTL2e2n8sYD5z9wVzqoa1wLZNeE0XECnAU/s1600/Childress%2528024%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDujnqxVI8HGm00YZepC0Q5F262XIq-3HFCijXBvVDxid46NO786-2TCuyPSIWtIqbEsItgUUzNVNQz4_zpmBcVTmhumlJuDYbu2Uvoap9kTL2e2n8sYD5z9wVzqoa1wLZNeE0XECnAU/s320/Childress%2528024%2529.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br />
We're going to miss you Mackenzie!!!!! Thank you SO much for capturing these precious moments in our life. These pictures are priceless, and mean the world to us, and it has been such a pleasure working with you and getting to know you over the last 4 years. I don't know what we're going to do without you, but wish you all the best in Europe!!!!It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-10397394747272999622011-11-04T19:39:00.000-07:002011-11-04T19:44:31.680-07:00Paint it White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">This summer we tackled (and by tackled, I mean paid a professional to tackle) the monstrous brick fireplace in our breakfast/dining area. We considered white washing it, painting it black or a deep charcoal grey, painting it the same or a lighter shade of the wall color, and what we ultimately opted to do, paint it white. Here are the "why's"<br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Why not white wash?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Finding a local pro experienced in true white washing (with lime) was impossible. I did a lot of looking, and lots of guys were willing to give it a shot, but I figured that was no better than us doing it ourselves (which we didn't have the time or desire to do).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Why not grey or black?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">That dark red/black brick and grey mortor was sucking the beautiful natural light out of the room during the day, and making the place look like a dungeon at night. As a result, painting it a solid, light-sucking dark color seemed counter-productive. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Why white?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">The other end of the kitchen is choc full of glossy white cabinets, so it seemed to make sense that a nice bright white painted brick fireplace would balance things out better than the taupey grey we used on the walls.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And the moment you probably scrolled down for:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;">Before:</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBpSn2_yfGU6LRDMIEcwAzGcA2Gke56RqgAYn2Yko0C4hrTRDnvM7oFSX2EI-pjniWJoL9TZz-fevuQ4TaIuA8sk-uDvfJemiafYy6TVSdMmX5G32Tkfe2ADriG9JBT4HY_mCW-4vwS8/s1600/IMG_6400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBpSn2_yfGU6LRDMIEcwAzGcA2Gke56RqgAYn2Yko0C4hrTRDnvM7oFSX2EI-pjniWJoL9TZz-fevuQ4TaIuA8sk-uDvfJemiafYy6TVSdMmX5G32Tkfe2ADriG9JBT4HY_mCW-4vwS8/s320/IMG_6400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">During:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssRXdvglyfm_tujRBcLkb1cEeRQ1FVs6Q8XE6nQwZs3oQbpG0HxNDytZRZFMMSFUMASe-Dt_Mbymj8R9Dlu3VIsDk2UAEyG-2YtC9J5Wv2Rv_EqcJHzKP1Wa_EPDb6WyZBps1-fXicQE/s1600/photo-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssRXdvglyfm_tujRBcLkb1cEeRQ1FVs6Q8XE6nQwZs3oQbpG0HxNDytZRZFMMSFUMASe-Dt_Mbymj8R9Dlu3VIsDk2UAEyG-2YtC9J5Wv2Rv_EqcJHzKP1Wa_EPDb6WyZBps1-fXicQE/s320/photo-26.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2S9744AnFUL4y7PWSYXGSnL4DvuzBauiROIWiwUShwObAIkfJrvhKtxSF_UP3LP3o2uDZ0Z0mjQjC27GjCWOjLOja0YmmEV18xOOJU6r3mUyDfA7iYHkyQb_SF-E5ofd38_wlqzsLRI/s1600/photo-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2S9744AnFUL4y7PWSYXGSnL4DvuzBauiROIWiwUShwObAIkfJrvhKtxSF_UP3LP3o2uDZ0Z0mjQjC27GjCWOjLOja0YmmEV18xOOJU6r3mUyDfA7iYHkyQb_SF-E5ofd38_wlqzsLRI/s320/photo-25.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRWBJUKBVu6Vdg2fECSiwd6FdbxB1p54mAng4KkjQ_PD2_spr3v2R4xJjwLotfbg8ydT1Ihopt9gv_Tcf42Nzf7VdCCK0mDh98OseRHLeLtAt2mZtoFyfdb218jowBiO_VQH0p_qOMR8/s1600/photo-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRWBJUKBVu6Vdg2fECSiwd6FdbxB1p54mAng4KkjQ_PD2_spr3v2R4xJjwLotfbg8ydT1Ihopt9gv_Tcf42Nzf7VdCCK0mDh98OseRHLeLtAt2mZtoFyfdb218jowBiO_VQH0p_qOMR8/s320/photo-27.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<span id="goog_1626897880"></span><span id="goog_1626897881"></span>It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-77967247971396050842011-10-27T20:58:00.000-07:002011-10-27T20:58:58.108-07:00DudeI've gained a dozen pounds (no exaggeration) and I've quit blogging. I'm not sure if I'm going to ever get it together, but I guess I need to give it a shot. <div><br />
</div><div>Updates:</div><div><br />
</div><div>Jack is talking up a storm. Carter heard us say that and one day busted out at the breakfast table, "Jack's just talkin like a storm!" Ok, back to Jack. He's so stinkin' cute, but he can be a stinker. He's really developed a little attitude. He doesn't like being told "no". Like, at all. Maybe it's because we really didn't tell him "no" for the first 18 months of his life. Like ever. But now we do, and it results in drama, drama, drama. He can throw one impressive fit. It's all we can do to keep him from hurting himself in the heat of the moment. So, he's a little of a loose canon, but 80% of the time, he's awesome, and hilarious. He's learning his colors, shapes and his letters and can identify about 25% of the alphabet and a few numbers. He really does not like the number four because his counting goes like this "one, two, three, five, six, seven..." No matter how many times we correct him. Who needs 4 anyway, right? He loves books. LOVEs them. We've been bad about reading bedtime stories to him like we used to do with Carter (i.e. unlimited numbers until he was practically asleep in the chair with us), but have really been forcing ourselves to spend more time on that. We've gotten him off the paci except at night time and nap time, and I think that's really helped with his talking, not having a constant plug in the pie hole. He's a good eater, but pretty picky. He doesn't like vegetables or fruit or pretty much anything that remotely looks like it grew from the ground. He's a meat and cheese and bread kid. We're getting there though. The other night he ate a huge serving of green beans, and he does like carrots and apples. Baby steps. He's a climber. He's been throwing a leg over the side of the crib and scrambling up cabinets and tables for the past few months. I foresee a toddler bed and lots of furniture straps in our near future. We're about halfway through his first semester of pre school (two days a week) and he's doing fantastic. He was a little quiet/shy/reserved for the first couple of weeks, and there is still some separation anxiety happening at morning drop offs, but other than that, he's really coming along like a champ. His teachers LOVE him. I can hardly get away when I go to pick him up because they love telling me how wonderful and sweet and cuddly and cute he is. It's a tough life :) </div><div><br />
</div><div>Carter is 3 going on 30. He's started sounding out words, which is just mind blowing to me. He's been "reading" for a little while now, but it was more memorization. He would see the letters d-o-g and know that it spelled dog, but not because he was sounding anything out. Just in the past few weeks, he's really gotten good at sounding out and figuring out words he's not familiar with. He's still a very early reader, so consonant clusters (ck, sh, th) are tricky, as well as vowels that don't say their long or short sound (like the silent 'e' or the 'a' in ball), but he's getting there. He's really intuitive and sensitive when people around him are upset, so I have to be careful about wearing my feelings on my shirt sleeves. He loves music and watches more TV than he should. He memorizes things he hears really quickly. He will recite entire versus to songs he's only listened to once, but that I don't know after hearing a dozen times. As a result, I have to REALLY watch my language these days. He also has the ability to outsmart me. A lot. Not on purpose, I just get stumped on how to answer him sometimes. I gave him a spanking when he was about 2 and a half and sent him to time out. He was sobbing and told me "Mommy, we don't hit!" I haven't felt good about spanking ever again. That's not a recent example, but it's stuff like this that just make me really have to think before I interact with him sometimes. We had a slew of flys in the house after having a window replaced. As I'm up on a chair swatting them, Carter asked me what I was doing. I told him I was swatting flys. Later that night, he said, "Mommy, can I ask you a question?" When I said, "yes", he said "why did you kill those flys?" I told him I didn't want them in the house. He told me "Mommy, we don't squash bugs. They just want to go to their home." Seriously!?! I think a lot of kids are like this, but Carter amazes me because he is our first. You just don't think that a little human that has only been on this earth for 3 years can put things together like that, but they do. He also can do some basic math, make patterns, recognize patterns, recite the planets (in order from the sun), and tell you the colors of the rainbow. After lots of back-and-forth, he's using his left hand enough that we are 90% sure he's left handed and 100% sure he's left-footed. Did I mention we think he's a genius? I know, we're really unique, thinking our kids are super special and super smart. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Stephen is doing well. He likes his work. I like him. He puts up with me. It works. Oh, I ran my first half marathon last Sunday. Came in at 2:28 which was a few minutes under my 2:30 time goal. yippee. I'm running another half in November, and my goal is to run the whole thing (I only ran 10 straight miles of the aforementioned race before stopping and walking periodically). I'm training for a full marathon in January, and, fingers crossed, will see the finish line in one piece. My time goal for the full marathon is 6 hours, and I have no intention of ever doing a marathon again. I just want to cross it off the ol' bucket list. I do like half marathons, though. I might keep those up. Half the distance, twice the fun. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Off to bed. I've been cheating on blogger with Kindle. It's awesome. I wonder how many times I said awesome in the course of this blog. Probably not enough. Have an awesome night. I'm out. </div>It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-9800552437134833642011-09-26T19:16:00.000-07:002011-09-26T19:39:35.532-07:00PerspectiveI was reading through blog posts of yore last night, and I came across this <a href="http://combinedaverage.blogspot.com/2009/07/here-we-go-again.html">little gem</a> as well as this <a href="http://combinedaverage.blogspot.com/2009/12/every-new-beginning-comes-from-some.html">bittersweet post</a>.<br />
<br />
I'll let you take a sec to read them. I'll wait. No seriously, go ahead, read them.<br />
<br />
Ok, so I just have to say that a lot of what I was worried about came true...Carter didn't really understand what was going on when Jack showed up. He <i>did</i> have to grow up faster than I would have liked. I <i>do</i> have to split my time, and there were more days that first year than I care to admit when I was still in my pajamas (and still hadn't brushed my teeth) when Mr. C got home from work. Between conflicting nap schedules, feeding schedules, or because someone always seemed to be sick, we didn't get out much, and a mental breakdown always seemed to lurk in the shadows of laundry piles waiting to pounce. BUT, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and I could have never foreseen was how much joy, love, laughter, discipline (good discipline...like self discipline), and perspective Jack would bring to the table. Our little family and just life in general is so much better because he is here. SO much better. He is just awesome.<br />
<br />
Our family is so blessed. My heart is so full. I love both my precious boys so much, and I can't imagine one without the other. 2 under 2 was no cake walk, but it certainly wasn't the unbearable nightmare I envisioned. In fact, now that they are older and we are on the other side of the baby days (pretty soon, I won't even have ONE under two...sniff. sniff.), I just love how close they are in age, because they are each other's best friend. I might even venture to say it has been a dream come true for this stay-at-home mom. Ok, not when they are fighting, but the rest of the time, it's pretty great! :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJylmhGldvcLhNi5-omqIzGoyrLj7WxpFAbzBaVJs4o99ypzS9dCbvw5Dx-0zjcgawuw_MGo8Rx8NQLrzyT-AGtPCjfGRdku-JentlyEhLePfwSm0sKx3g0bddemWHpxtREkPGyW2B3O8/s1600/Diptic-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJylmhGldvcLhNi5-omqIzGoyrLj7WxpFAbzBaVJs4o99ypzS9dCbvw5Dx-0zjcgawuw_MGo8Rx8NQLrzyT-AGtPCjfGRdku-JentlyEhLePfwSm0sKx3g0bddemWHpxtREkPGyW2B3O8/s400/Diptic-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-54522216601414478162011-09-05T16:29:00.000-07:002011-09-05T16:38:48.258-07:00Setting Up the PinsRecently had the privilege of seeing musician and song writer <a href="http://www.saragroves.com/">Sara Groves</a> in concert. I fell in love with her music and just her personality in general. This song especially captured my heart since in speaks to our life and really the whole idea behind this blog. The song is by itself is great, but the music video is just so darn cute, I had to include it.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/I1MQaHQgqrY" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px;">man in a silk tie heads downtown<br />
setting up the pins for knocking em down<br />
people in cars all rushing around<br />
setting up the pins</div><div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px;">let's get rich find a way around<br />
setting up the pins for knocking em down<br />
we'll get gadget with a whirring sound<br />
for setting up the pins</div><div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px;">everyone everywhere some way some how<br />
are setting up the pins for knocking em down</div><div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px;">you can find joy in the fertile ground<br />
setting up the pins and knocking em down<br />
you can try to fight it till you're anger drowned<br />
setting up the pins</div><div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px;">everyone everywhere some way some how<br />
are setting up the pins for knocking em down<br />
it can feel simple but it's really profound<br />
setting up the pins</div><div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px;">rent a tent, build a stage, throw a party, get a gown<br />
buy a ticket, rent a car, pack a bag and leave town,<br />
cook a dinner, clean the kitchen hit the light<br />
brush your teeth, read a book, say a prayer good-night</div><div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px;">everyone everywhere some way some how<br />
are setting up the pins for knocking em down<br />
<b>it can feel simple but it's really profound...</b></div><div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px;">my grandmother had a working song<br />
hummed it low all day long<br />
sing for the beauty that's to be found<br />
in setting up the pins for knocking em down</div><div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful Labor Day. We haven't done a whole bunch, just mainly setting up the pins for knocking them back down tomorrow :) Have a great week!</span></div>It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891598214509933791.post-63802235165657090112011-07-05T08:21:00.000-07:002011-07-05T08:21:34.550-07:00Work in ProgressWe've had some big things happening around our house lately. We replaced all but one of the windows this past week, and had a carpenter/handyman do a little bit of work including building a new mantel, removing the runner from the stairs, adding crown to five rooms, replacing lights in the kitchen, replacing the front door and adding french doors to what used to be the dining room (we are using it as a study). <br />
<br />
In the midst of all the construction zone mayhem, Carter had to have some dental work done. Nothing major, just a filling and some sealants, but because he's three and not cooperative with a teeth cleaning let along a drilling session, they had to put him under general anesthesia to do the work. So there was a whole day in there that had some added stress with all that mess, but luckily Mr. C's mom was here to help with the boys and the house and just generally be amazing, as always. <br />
<br />
I didn't really get any 'before' pics, but here are some 'progress' pics. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmbIbWJdY2iCzB8WDJ8haWcc5J1fEpBPW8-Gza6bCi1oZ6ZTHSKaUI4DRoCJM62zMU0z3BEdFVMXACJTDasmq2MD3VFynlT9EslXbjkGltf0qkgBdAAoKKosQGJ9I-3C9cNsEuo7bcp4/s1600/IMG_6400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmbIbWJdY2iCzB8WDJ8haWcc5J1fEpBPW8-Gza6bCi1oZ6ZTHSKaUI4DRoCJM62zMU0z3BEdFVMXACJTDasmq2MD3VFynlT9EslXbjkGltf0qkgBdAAoKKosQGJ9I-3C9cNsEuo7bcp4/s320/IMG_6400.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New windows and mantel...and a really messy kitchen table.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl06lcIyzqCtgbI5EJOixHTU_x4boECGE0bJfJrGWRJRSiPnlooRb1GJ0v8RSqlpc7F4uXFcITBmr6LbPACXEagvv11dGxvluzcoAb2ovwz8Sw3jJJEAcnxgtLVzAsm_9xmQtNlTEz0AM/s1600/IMG_6401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl06lcIyzqCtgbI5EJOixHTU_x4boECGE0bJfJrGWRJRSiPnlooRb1GJ0v8RSqlpc7F4uXFcITBmr6LbPACXEagvv11dGxvluzcoAb2ovwz8Sw3jJJEAcnxgtLVzAsm_9xmQtNlTEz0AM/s320/IMG_6401.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room with a view, we love these big windows</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixOzD1ak1v1f28aNxvzATfiSHmOejYwtWHDcfj8IBUbXehcA9EbXUUM73_LNk9HemnNhRMVZQOhTaP7G6y7wNRyoSA0MEZ-J1KSqUkssd5oFc5RzYXfz4ORWpQgQg1r0h_my9N2aHJA4/s1600/IMG_6403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixOzD1ak1v1f28aNxvzATfiSHmOejYwtWHDcfj8IBUbXehcA9EbXUUM73_LNk9HemnNhRMVZQOhTaP7G6y7wNRyoSA0MEZ-J1KSqUkssd5oFc5RzYXfz4ORWpQgQg1r0h_my9N2aHJA4/s320/IMG_6403.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New door from the inside (buh-bye leafy glass!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTOjjCj2MjENdRcDDxULeRspk2IXc-Sx9cDfiOnmsZR3Ggw21kT9W4PsGgzucrQqZR4Zt2UB7XAJtupT7i7nB8bpQsWKwj83kEt8kT0yugVx2qRh4wM0NRPluEcgKy6FYFmJiVZWZdg4/s1600/IMG_6404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTOjjCj2MjENdRcDDxULeRspk2IXc-Sx9cDfiOnmsZR3Ggw21kT9W4PsGgzucrQqZR4Zt2UB7XAJtupT7i7nB8bpQsWKwj83kEt8kT0yugVx2qRh4wM0NRPluEcgKy6FYFmJiVZWZdg4/s320/IMG_6404.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New door from the outside - I love the brass hardware.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgon6MBmVhHnb4Rfszql6z2F0P_Jr0oKdF2YY7ZJ-S6zNZ6_l6xyGLJfAJ5fq9u52mm5LtpbcgMFK84bSeEu4lmjZQ475nVeZYE8wHQlI6O9o6fsOAmq4Ho6R-BesY2-kahCAHEq_MyR98/s1600/IMG_6405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgon6MBmVhHnb4Rfszql6z2F0P_Jr0oKdF2YY7ZJ-S6zNZ6_l6xyGLJfAJ5fq9u52mm5LtpbcgMFK84bSeEu4lmjZQ475nVeZYE8wHQlI6O9o6fsOAmq4Ho6R-BesY2-kahCAHEq_MyR98/s320/IMG_6405.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trim in progress, still needs another piece, paint and our house numbers! :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5SPZInxWugH2wvqw_gV_t9MeXePKRorc6B7oA0645ZdIc8_7FDeTyaPqBK1S8FPP1iDhmM_xFK7fXkkpcNqxfTJ60mcN_6Aq7YqgSdeb3TDfFA0qKL2ykPwRNvW-ooXlus4zfadeuW4/s1600/IMG_6406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5SPZInxWugH2wvqw_gV_t9MeXePKRorc6B7oA0645ZdIc8_7FDeTyaPqBK1S8FPP1iDhmM_xFK7fXkkpcNqxfTJ60mcN_6Aq7YqgSdeb3TDfFA0qKL2ykPwRNvW-ooXlus4zfadeuW4/s320/IMG_6406.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New french doors keeping munchkins out of the office</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6pGirXCvKf3MtrFwuWWwYlNP79ceWaqTHII7D69hp99aG4vzIDi6sXF9UHATiCjbldY1y9ADTbzAHe2_D3B4UjrUdte1PGi5B2Uza0CVvnWU0o25CFxPnKfsEfog8W8K_pF2sgUYWKs/s1600/IMG_6409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6pGirXCvKf3MtrFwuWWwYlNP79ceWaqTHII7D69hp99aG4vzIDi6sXF9UHATiCjbldY1y9ADTbzAHe2_D3B4UjrUdte1PGi5B2Uza0CVvnWU0o25CFxPnKfsEfog8W8K_pF2sgUYWKs/s320/IMG_6409.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last window to be replaced is the big one above the door, but it's taking longer to arrive than the rest.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnUTgLRWiiP-COrVl2PSxbZ9oJWCffFHju8ZqGWU4zTYkSrUIsZtRNejRPXEHoAR3eHwQtMlNHLuTuBhg6uQazYO7ck9-3UcZfoNNBtqqbu3ygbEzzEcf-EjxDSd_2nokVtgeT-oRtlI/s1600/IMG_6410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnUTgLRWiiP-COrVl2PSxbZ9oJWCffFHju8ZqGWU4zTYkSrUIsZtRNejRPXEHoAR3eHwQtMlNHLuTuBhg6uQazYO7ck9-3UcZfoNNBtqqbu3ygbEzzEcf-EjxDSd_2nokVtgeT-oRtlI/s320/IMG_6410.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs minus the carpet runner. Next step, sand and paint!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rxNqT3z632KHei4FDX3k9gu5Kqj89-vDtox21wsDM_ryKcF9lhM1SokfZTJJGaNoB27LTSF6EAZ5lR7YfgzGWRhSHXcl8ZZt-VBicGMOEp5Ae0s-LHK_AMPk4lhTPndgeuy_VkoVvJI/s1600/IMG_6462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rxNqT3z632KHei4FDX3k9gu5Kqj89-vDtox21wsDM_ryKcF9lhM1SokfZTJJGaNoB27LTSF6EAZ5lR7YfgzGWRhSHXcl8ZZt-VBicGMOEp5Ae0s-LHK_AMPk4lhTPndgeuy_VkoVvJI/s320/IMG_6462.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New windows/door - curb shot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Painters arrive next week - I promise more pics when they finish!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It's ok to be average!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04144077387112944292noreply@blogger.com1