Marathon Training Progress

8 miles today!
ice bath, please.

Grateful Sunday (on Monday)

Random kid at Chick-fil-A today,
"Daddies are strong, and Mommies are smart!"
I like that kid.
Who doesn't love a Chick-fil-A? It's Kid friendly, clean, closed on Sunday, school friendly, fast, yummy and has no trans fat.
Hoo-Ray for Chick-fil-A!!!

UNO

1. Where is your mobile phone? purse
2. Relationship? fun
3. Your hair? brown
4. Work? hard
5. Your sister(s)? none
6. Your favorite thing? money
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your favorite drink? pina colada
9. Your dream car? BMW
10. The room you're in? living
11. Your shoes? bunches
12. Your fears? few
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? happy
14. Who did you hang out with last weekend? Don
15. What are you not good at? spelling
16. Muffin? blueberry
17. Wish list item? frames
18. Where you grew up? Louisisana
19. The last thing you did? sleep
20. What are you wearing? jammies
21. What are you not wearing? bra
22. Your pet? kids
23. Your computer? Apple
24. Your life? challenging
25. Your mood? anxious
26. Missing? Nicole
27. What are you thinking about? breakfast
28. Your car? new
29. Your kitchen? white
30. Your summer? rainy
31. Your favorite color? red
32. Last time you laughed? evening
33. Last time you cried? Oprah
34. School? elementary
35. Love? family

Thanks, Mindy!
Tricky...tricky...using only one word is tricky.

Don is Tired

Don works a lot. I mean, he hardly even sleeps. For all you medical students and professionals, what kind of hours do you (or your husbands) work? Last night he got home at 1:30am and left again today by 7am. As you all know, he works out of town 4 days a week, during which things are a little better.
Working this hard does have some incredible perks: god's own medical insurance, 4 weeks of vacation, & his hefty salary. I still wonder sometimes, is it worth it? I don't know.
If he were to come home skipping and smiling, I would say yes. But, he doesn't. He comes home tired, grumpy and struggling to tune in to anything.
By the time end if the weekend rolls around he is feeling better, but then, it is time for him to leave again.
I wish there were something I could do to help him. I hate to see him so drained.
Any ideas?


FYI...I am done complaining about Don's job.
We are fortunate he has a good job.

Words of Wisdom

From Audra's Dad:
It is important for parents to be firm on principles and lenient on preferences.

From a colleague of Don's:
Tell your kids you are going on an "adventure." Do not tell them where exactly. This way, if plans
change at the last minute, the kids will never know.

Bayou Wildlife Park

Randi loved feeding the animals.

I am not sure a Mom ever really wants to see a Long Horn eating out of their 3 year old's hand.

These guys were particularly aggressive...Alex finally started telling them "SHEW BIRDS!"

My little jockey in training.

Alex and Cole loved this truck. Not part of the park, but entertaining none the less.

What is one to do with an empty food bucket? Wear it, of course!


Just a few more of our favorites...

Wordless Wednesday

Real Simple Questions

1. What's your best summer memory?
Going to the beach with Kelly Pettiss when we were like 12. We walked up and down the beach singing "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" to all the Condos along the way. Much applause was bestowed upon us.

2. Your chosen form of exercise is:
Pilates...though, I do run a lot.

3. What was your Mother right about?
Never let anyone photograph you when you are doing something questionable.

4. If you suddenly came into $1000 in spare cash and had to spend it all on yourself, what would you do with it?
Get a few things framed...$400.
Arrange baby sitting for a weekend camping trip...$300.
Buy camping supplies...$200.
That leaves...$100, hum, I would probably buy a pretty dress.

5. What's one thing you refuse to eat?
Insects

6. Describe a party you would throw if the tab were taken care of.
I would invite everyone I know over to our house. We would have a band, food galore, and lots of cool lighting. I would also have child care available at an alternate location!

7. The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is....
Don't really have one, unless you count how to stop spending money on things we don't need!

Hogwarts House Sorting

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

I see myself more as a Gryffindor, but they say I am one point more Hufflepuff...no doubt the sorting hat would have sat quietly for a while pondering my fate.

Hufflepuff - 13
Gryffindor - 12
Ravenclaw - 11
Slytherin - 7

Thanks, Emma...that was fun.

Don and I are only on Chapter 2 of the last book, but we are loving it so far. Yes, we read them all aloud. It's more fun that way, even if it is over the phone.

Hymns

I really liked our RS lesson this Sunday. It was about Hymns. I am not a very musical person, so at first, I didn't have much interest in the lesson.
The more the lesson developed, though, I thought back to my childhood. I loved waking up to my Dad singing hymns on Sunday mornings as he cooked pancakes in the kitchen. Yes, he was that loud...I heard "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" all the way across the house.
I also loved singing those special songs to my Mom as we were riding along in the car to do errands. I especially liked the one about sitting on a tack, Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves the Little Children.
The most recent impact hymns have had on my life is when Don asked me to marry him. He is VERY musical and was singing, His Eye is on the Sparrow, while driving us back from a weekend of visiting friends in Dallas. I was resting on his lap.
His singing paused, and I looked up to see why. He had tears in his eyes, lots of tears. I asked what was wrong. He said, "I don't know." I insisted he pull over. Stopped on the side of the Interstate, Don says, "I think someone is telling me I need to marry you. I think it may be my Grandfather."
This wasn't the most decisive or romantic way to propose, so I ask, "Are you serious? Are you asking or thinking?"
He says, "I think I'm asking."
I say, "Are you sure?"
"Yea, I think I am."
"Are you sure?"
"Well, if you don't want me to be..."
"NO, I want you to be, but I don't want you to make a mistake. I want you to be sure."
"I am sure...do you want to marry me?"
"WELL, YEA!"
"OK"
"OK"
(Pause...hug)
"Guess we should get going?"
"Guess so...this isn't real safe. Are you OK to drive?"

Even if one isn't musical, like myself, hymns can play a very special part in one's life. I think I need to start playing my children's hymn CD's more around here. What a cozy feeling they create, and who doesn't want a cozier environment?

This is best rendition of "His Eye is on the Sparrow" I found...

Grateful Sunday (on Monday)

I am thankful for TIVO (or digital recorders).
Bed time is so much more pleasant now a days. I am not rushing through story time or bath time in order to make sure I don't miss that 8pm TV show. Granted I only watch about 3 prime time shows, but I am very faithful.
Also, I LOVE being able to fast forward through ALL the commercials. You know how shows always go to commercial break just when it gets good? No problem...I just zip on through. Seriously, I will wait till' a show is recorded just so I can avoid the commercials.
Pretty shallow thing for which to be thankful, but hey, I'm at least honest.

Oh, No, Swim Lessons!

At about 9:15 this morning I remembered we had our first swim lesson at 9:30.
Here's how the next 10 minutes unfolded:

"Oh, no, Boys! I forgot you guys have swim lessons this morning! We have to go!"
"Right now?"
"Yep, right now. I'll get your swim suites...you guys get naked."
"OK, MOM!"

When I walked back into the kitchen, everyone was naked and slamming down the rest of breakfast.

"Here are your swim suites."
"Got it, Mom!"

They put on their swim suites before I could even get Randi out of the high chair!

"Why are you taking so long, Mom! We gotta go!"
"I have to slip a dress over Randi's head, and then, we can get out of here."
"Let's go, MOOOOMMMM. We are going to be late!"

I wish my kids were always this efficient~

Don's New Assignment

We knew it wouldn't last. Don's new assignment is 3-6 months in New Jersey. He got the assignment today and flew out tonight.
I'm a single parent again. Poo. We are gunna miss him around here.

The World Today

I go back and forth on how happy I am in the world today.
I am happy with my family. I am happy to have such a wide variety of experiences. I am happy to have luxuries like washing machines, treadmills, computers, and microwaves. I am happy to have access to collaborative education. I am happy to live in a time of advanced medicine.
I am not happy, however, with the turmoil in the world. I am sure I feel this more because of the wide availability of information. I hate (yes, I said hate...you know it must be bad) poverty, war, murder, and torture. There is so much of it in the world that I sometimes feel overloaded and desperate for a solution.
I have to figure out how I can be part of the solution. Why have I been waiting around for an unnamed someone to fix these issues?
If I don't take charge, whom will I leave in charge by default?
I need to be the example for my children. I need to teach them how to take responsibility. I need to show them they can make a difference.

Cutting Cole's Beautiful Curls

Last night I decided to cut the boys hair, as I have done all their lives. Well, I ended up cutting off Cole's beautiful curls. I was so sad. Don had to remind me that I didn't cut the curl out of his hair, just some curls off of his head. Don't ask me why, but that made me feel better.


The moral of the story, use a barber once kids have enough hair to style...that is about age 4 around here.

Wordless Wednesday

Why we had lunch outside today...

We had lunch outside on the front porch today...

because we saw this accross the street!

After lunch, the digger drove through the middle of the house, and we had to get a better look!

Alex couldn't stop saying, "THAT'S AWESOME!!! AWESOME!!! AWESOME!!! AWESOME!!!" and Randi kept signing for "more."
It was fun!

Girl's Trip

I am off today thru Sunday for a Girl's Trip!
See ya...

Pool Days

Heart News

I found out yesterday, after pushing through to another Doctor, that I have been having Ventricular Premature Beats. Don't know why.
I will have an echocardiogram next week to determine if the premature beats are being caused by something wrong with my ticker, or if they are just random. The Doctor doesn't seem to be too concerned.
Considering my Grandmother has had several "walking" heart attacks, I am a little concerned I might have had one and it has damaged my heart. We will see...

Wordless Wednesday

ZOO-PRIMATES VISIT

When we visit the zoo we only look at one part...it is just too much too see all at once!
And, yes, Randi is kissing an orangutan. Cole, too, got a little lovin'.

HOUSTON AQUARIUM

The camera battery went dead before I could get pictures of our train ride. Oh, well.