The traveling bug.....

Sometimes I feel the need to get in the car and drive. Now is one of those times. But honestly, one day I want to do much more than that. I have a friend that's halfway around the world that I'm emailing right now. She's visiting Slovakia. How cool is that? It sounds so beautiful over there. She said that Vienna, Austria is like a fairytale. I can imagine all of the castles and beautiful scenery over there. I feel like I'm this little piece of the world and can't wait to have the chance to travel beyond borders and oceans one day. I'd like to do it when my kids are grown. I just hope I have someone to do it with. Richard HATES to travel. He'd rather stay home. Um, he hated Vegas, so what does that tell you? I just want to able to have the opportunity to travel and be going with someone who enjoys it as much as I do. One of the top places on my list is Germany. I'd also like to visit Ireland because I've heard how beautiful it is. So, I'm counting on at least a few of my friends to step up to the plate one day! Let's go!

Jennifer, I'm so sorry that you're having to move. That sucks. I know that this post of mine didn't help you much. :(

Guess what I got?

I got a treadmill! Richard went and bought me one at Oshman's today! YAY! I've wanted one for a while now. I originally wanted a jogging stroller, but I can only use that for a limited time. This treadmill will last a long time and I can put the baby down by it and continue walking or walk with her in tow! I can walk in any kind of weather! Richard put it out in his shop, so I can watch TV while I walk or jam out to music on my mp3 player or on his surround sound out there! I'm so excited! I LOVE teaching at the gyms, but sometimes I just want to work out here at home too. Now I'll get to!

Just had to share.......

Snow? What snow?

Well as many of you have heard by now, it snowed in Victoria on Christmas Eve/Day. We were in La Grange and we missed it all. We did however hear about it from numerous people calling us about it. Grrrrr! My cousins were in Ganado and they showed us pics on their laptop. I had a cousin in Corpus that called us to tell us that it was snowing there as well....A LOT! I've seen more pictures on the internet. I guess I'm a bit bitter and jealous because we didn't get to see it! Kyra would have been in heaven. Too bad it won't happen again.....for a LONG time. We had a "dusting" of snow in February up here. Now that I see the FOOT of snow that was down there, I realize that we really didn't get that much up here. I still cannot believe that the snow "line" traveled up Hwy. 59 to Houston and didn't go any farther north. How strange is that? Even stranger is that I've heard that people saw a lot of lightning and heard thunder before the storm. My dad told me that there's an old saying that if you hear thunder before a storm in December that the weather is likely to repeat itself. Oh yeah. When? I'd like to know so I can be there next time! My dad is equally upset that he didn't get to see it. I think he called everyone he knew in Victoria to get their reaction so that he could live vicariously through them. Oh well. There's always next year?!

We had a great Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we went to La Grange and had Christmas at Lisa's. On Christmas Day, we drove to Cypress to Richard's uncle's and then drove back to La Grange that evening. My dad had birthday on Christmas, so we had family over. It was a low key celebration, but was fun. Kyra got to play with her cousins, William and Kalyn. We are glad to be home though. I'm glad to get back to working out this week. I always feel the need to work out after a long holiday break.

Merry Christmas!

We are busy this week, so I thought I'd share a bit of what is going on. Richard's mom, Debbie is here with our niece Valerie. They came up on Saturday. Kyra is thrilled. She's got a "big sister" this week. It almost feels weird because I've seldomly been bothered or bugged by Kyra. I'm not used to that! hehe! The girls are having so much fun. They are staying till Thursday morning and then will go back to Victoria.

On Christmas Eve, we are going to Lisa and Nathan's in La Grange. We are celebrating there with my mom's side of the family. Then on Christmas Day, we'll go to Cypress (just west of Houston) to see Richard's Uncle Gary and celebrate at his house. We'll come back to Lisa and Nathan's that night to celebrate my dad's birthday and then come back here on the 26th. Whew! I'll need a nice long nap after this weekend! We are going to be busy!

I didn't know when we'd celebrate with Richard's mom and all of the other cousins, but I think we are going to Victoria on the 1st to have Christmas down there. So, we'll be going to Victoria next weekend. I can't remember the last time we've been down there! Unfortunately with Richard working every other weekend, we don't get down there much.

Thank you to all who sent Christmas cards! I love getting photographs of families and kiddos!

I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas! If you travel, be safe. Enjoy this time with your family......reflecting on old memories and making new ones!

Holiday burnout?

Why oh why do they start the Christmas season earlier and earlier every year? I feel like I'm already experiencing holiday "burnout". I feel like I've seen all of the Christmas lights in the world, watched every Christmas special known to man on TV, wrapped 50,000 gifts, and heard every Christmas carol ever written. I'm tired. I'm almost relieved that Christmas will be here in a little over a week. I think Kyra is anxious too. Poor thing. It must be even harder when you're a kid. Kids don't have a lot of comprehension when it comes to "time" and how long something takes. When I found out I was pregnant and we told Kyra she said, "Great! So will we be getting the baby tomorrow?" Um, I wish it worked that way, but it doesn't. I guess she thought that we could just go to the store and buy one like we'd buy a baby doll.

Maybe I'm feeling a little depressed....I really don't know. With these crazy hormones, I have good days and bad days. With these allergies, I have good days and bad days. My body is so messed up right now! That's why I cringe when women say that they LOVE being pregnant. Ok, why? It's so hard on one's body. That's why I'm glad that this is my last one and I'll never have to do it again!

It's not like I'm mad about it. It's just not my favorite thing in the world. We found out the most wonderful thing this week....that we are having another GIRL! I'm so excited. I think I'm more excited for Kyra....that she'll have a little sister to play with. Since I was a big sister, I get to tell Kyra what happens when you are the big sister. Your little sister will bug the heck out of you. She'll annoy you to no end. She WON'T leave you alone. She'll tell on you. Since she's the youngest, she'll get her way. All of those fun things. Most of all, a little sister ADORES you. You are her idol (well for a short time anyway). Same sex siblings share a bond like no other. I'm so glad that Kyra will have a sister soon.

So are we seeing the light at the end of the tunnel yet?

What a year.....

I've just realized that the year is almost over with. Where did the time go? I have to say that this year is one that I'll remember for a long time....perhaps because there were so many highs and lows this year. It was one heck of a rollercoaster ride, so I thought I'd recap.

In January, a few things happened. First of all, I decided to get serious about weight loss. I had exercised for years, so that was never a problem. My problem is that I never watched what I put into my mouth! So, I decided to hit it hard and tackle the South Beach Diet. I had heard so much about it, so I had to try it. I signed up online. The first few weeks were rough, but they got easier and guess what? The pounds came off! It really worked! From January through August, I lost 30 lbs.! I couldn't believe it. It does take a lot of hard work and dedication though. I found myself in sizes that I wasn't even in in high school! I'm definitely going back on it after baby #2 is born. Also in January, my Granny celebrated her 80th birthday. She didn't want a party, but we gave her one anyway. It was a blessing in disguise.

February, March, and April passed without any major happenings. I think of it as a "rest" period. Oh, I did have a birthday though in March and turned 27! 30 is even closer now. ACK!

May was a tough month. Later in the month, we found out that the stomach woes that Granny had been having were happening as a result of something much worse. She had pancreatic cancer. We were stunned. It all happened so quickly. Granny was brave and took it all in stride. She didn't want treatment. The cancer was quickly spreading to her liver and other organs as well.

In early June, Granny passed away. She was our rock. I took Kyra to see her in the hospital a few days before she died. I told her that I loved her and I'd never forget the times we shared together. I thanked her for being such a role model after my mom died. She hugged and kissed Kyra and told her that she loved her. She told me that Kyra would never remember her. That's not true. Just the other weekend, we were walking out of church and Kyra turns to me and says, "I miss Granny." She knows that Granny is in Heaven along with Grandma Tootsie and "Pap Pap" (Richard's dad) and Chad too.

I still hear Granny's voice. It's so fresh on my mind. I still think that she's just a phone call away, but I'm wrong. She's closer than that. She's in my heart and on my mind all the time. I went through my recipe box the other day and there are so many recipes that she had written down for me. I miss the little things though....the cards and letters that she'd send to Kyra and I, the smell of her house this time of year, sleeping under electric blankets. Gosh, I miss her. I really do. I bought a poinsettia yesterday and I think I'll start to do that every year at Christmas....to remember Granny.

Shortly after that, Kyra turned 3! I have a 3 year old! We had a wonderful party here for her with lots of family and friends. She had fun.

In July, Richard turned 27 (see he's on my tail!). We also had a lot of showers and preparations for Lisa and Nathan's wedding that month, so we were busy.

On August 21st, Lisa and Nathan got married. We were all in the wedding. Kyra did as well as could be expected for a 3 year old. It was so much fun. She looked like a doll in her dress and had so much fun with April and Emily. It was a long day, but we made it through! Kyra konked out before we even hit the highway leaving DaCosta that night!

Shortly after the wedding, we received an even bigger surprise. We were expecting #2! We knew that we wanted to start trying after the wedding (but it happened BEFORE!), but we had NO IDEA how quickly it would happen. Let's just say that we decided one month and were pregnant the next! We walked around for 2 weeks without saying a word to each other. We were in shock. It took us 10 months to get pregnant with Kyra.

September came and went. Then the baseball playoffs started heating up. The Astros kept winning and winning and winning! It was so exciting. I remember sitting on the sofa and bawling my eyes out after they had won one of the playoffs. My thoughts shifted to Granny. Granny was one of the biggest Astros fans. She watched all the games that were on TV, knew who was pitching at least a week ahead of time, and knew who had hit homeruns weeks ago. She kept up with all of that. I kept saying that if there was one year for the Astros to go this far, it's this year. Granny was helping her boys. It's unfortunate that the Cards beat them, but I'm so glad the BoSox won the World Series! YAY!

We survived Halloween, WURSTFEST, and Thanksgiving and we are now in the Christmas season. I'm now 20 weeks pregnant (halfway there!) and I can't wait to see what 2005 brings! You'll probably be hearing stories about poop, coos, and rolling over! Ahhhhh....I can't wait!

Happy Holidays and be sure to spend time with those you love this holiday season. Life is short, so make the most of every moment. ;)

Light my fire.....

2250.....that's how many lights we just purchased from Walmart to put outside. We are Christmas light virgins. We've NEVER put lights up outside. But, this year we have a 3 1/2 year old that constantly reminds us that "everyone else has Christmas lights up....except us!" So, off to Walmart we went. That place is crazy. The Christmas section itself is pure chaos....people everywhere "trying" to make decisions about what they want. Ugh. Then Richard decides to take Kyra to the shoe department because she needs new shoes. Bad idea. Kyra is VERY particular about shoes and clothes now. So, there we sat for 20 minutes....waiting for her to make a decision. We finally settled on a pair of Care Bears velcro tennis shoes. By the way, the person that invented velcro is a freakin genius. I thank God for that person. We finally left that place and in the parking lot a lady asked us if we could "spare some quarters". Richard said loudly, "Now is NOT the time!" LOL!

On Saturday, I met an old friend at Starbucks in San Marcos. I hadn't seen her since Richard and I got married. We sat and talked and talked in Starbucks from 1:00-5:30! 4 1/2 hours! We had a lot to catch up on! Our lives have changed A LOT since we last saw each other. I'm just glad we've kept in touch! We used to work at the gym together in Victoria. Man, those were the days. I was nothing short of a lunatic....teaching 2-3 classes per day. I don't know if my body could do that anymore. I teach 2 classes on Tuesdays now, but one is Flow!

Hope everyone is ok and enjoying the Christmas season. Reality hit me a few days ago when I took Kyra to see Santa. Next year, I'll have not one, but TWO kiddos sitting on Santa's lap! ACK! I'm looking forward to it though....that and getting my body back!

Deja vu......

I've had nothing to complain about so far in this pregnancy. Sure I had nausea for what seemed like forever and had no energy for the first 12+ weeks. That's pretty much a given though, right? Now I find myself experiencing a whole new set of problems....but ones that I remember very well when I was pregnant with Kyra. Today was a crummy day. I didn't feel good at all. I felt lethargic and couldn't move very fast. I taught at noon and then came home to eat. That didn't make me feel better either. I finally called the doctor's office and talked myself into believing that I had a lot of the same things that I had with Kyra. First of all, when I get to this point in my pregnancy, I become anemic. The baby takes all of my nutrients and I have none left to give. What takes care of this is some simple over the counter iron pills. So, I got some today. Richard and I were laughing that Kyra was "stealing" all the food from me and still does even out of the womb. That child walks around the house all day saying, "I'm hungry." Some things never change! LOL!

Another reason why I'm having headaches and sinus troubles is because the cedar is starting to pop up in the pollen counts. Lovely. I can take Allegra while pregnant. I did with Kyra. So, I'm asking for it tomorrow when I go see the doctor.

When I was pregnant with Kyra, I had a drop in my blood pressure at 23 weeks. I'm only 19 weeks, but that could be what's happening too. It makes you feel terrible. At least I know what to expect this time around.

So bottom line is that every pregnancy is NOT different. Mine have been similar so far. I guess my body just knows how to react. I feel more at ease now because I've been through this before. I think I know more than the doctors do sometime. ;)

We're finding out on December 15th if it's a boy or a girl. Hopefully we'll have some cooperation from the baby on that day.

Word to the mother.....

I read an interesting article the other day about something, so I thought I'd share. They had done a survey over in Great Britain polling people about what they thought was the most beautiful word in the English language. Imagine my surprise when I read that the most beautiful word is in fact, "Mother". They could choose any word out there and "Mother" ranked #1 out of 100 words. Unbelievable.

So, now I guess they need to do a poll asking what the nastiest word in the English language is. How interesting would that be? I for one would LOVE to know all the answers to that one and I'll bet the farm that the #1 nastiest word in the English language is the notorious "F" word that often follows "Mother". How ironic is that? Only in our language do you find the most beautiful word the the ugliest one used together!

For inquiring minds that want to know, here's list of the rest of the words in the top 10. They are: "passion", "smile", "love", "eternity", "fantastic", "destiny", "freedom", "liberty" and "tranquility".

The word "Father" didn't make the top 100 list at all.

Texas rivalry....

So I'm sitting here watching the start of the UT/A&M game and I heard on the radio the other day that the Aggies were going to have their Midnight Yell Practice on the SOUTH STEPS OF THE CAPITAL Thursday night/Friday morning. Um, what is wrong with this picture? The Capital is nearly ON UT's campus. In my opinion, Austin and the Longhorns are waaaaay too nice and I can't believe that they allow that to take place. Imagine if the tables were turned....a bunch of "t-sips" march together and yell on A&M's campus the night before the big game. I don't know but something tells me that it wouldn't go over very well with the Aggies. I mean can you imagine? The thought of the Aggies welcoming that idea makes me laugh because it would NEVER happen. I'm sure the Longhorns are intimidated enough just by wearing their burnt orange shirts to Kyle Field. They don't need to schedule a "yell" on the campus to prove a point.

This is what a lot of you don't know. Way back when, in the good ol days when the A&M/UT game was played on Thanksgiving Day, we used to go....EVERY YEAR. I've seen first hand how freakin LOUD and OBNOXIOUS fans from both sides can be. It's ridiculous and funny all at the same time. If you've never been to a game and want to see first hand how important the game of football is in the state of Texas, then I suggest you go. It's really unbelievable. These fans make the great high school rivalries seem like pee wee football. This game is for all the glory....all the glory in the state of Texas for the next year. And then it happens all over again. This brings me to my next point.

I'm neutral on my position. I'm not sitting here yelling at my TV. Instead, I'm taking it all in like a tourist in Vegas. I don't get all fired up. I don't lose sleep over the game. I don't call up my friends and say, "Did you see that?" The game is just that to me.....a game. I do always want to see a good close game though. That makes it even more interesting. The aftermath of this game is like no other....people are usually elated or banging their heads against a wall.

The funniest thing is seeing a sea of maroon shirts with a burnt orange shirt in the middle or seeing a sea of burnt orange shirts with a maroon shirt in the middle. That shows you just how divided this state really is on this day.

I just hope that every fan on either side escapes without serious injury because this day and this game is brutal.

Football rant over. May the best team WIN!

Happy Thanksgiving!

To family and friends, old and new.....Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you feel very blessed this year. I know I do. I have so much to be thankful for. Gosh how things have changed in a year's time! My life is extremely happy and bountiful right now and all of you had a part in that!

We are spending Thanksgiving at home. I'm hoping that we'll be able to venture out to San Marcos or Austin tomorrow and eat out as a family. We seldom do that these days. On Saturday, Kyra and I will go to La Grange (Richard has to work) and then ride with Lisa and Nathan to St. John to Sandra and Gary's. It'll be nice and we'll get to enjoy some fried turkey and a bonfire thanks to the colder weather! YAY!

We got all of our Christmas decorations put up. Richard still refuses to put anything up outside (scrooge), but I'm pressing him to do it. It doesn't have to be much. I just want Kyra to enjoy it. She loved helping put up the tree. She's still asking EVERY DAY when she can go sit on Santa's lap. She still has a hard time believing that Santa lives at the North Pole. Last year, I asked her where he lives and she promptly replied, "At the mall!" hehe! This year she has learned that the reindeer pull Santa's sleigh. She's getting more familiar with concepts like that. It's so cute.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend! Stay safe! Oh, and for those braving the malls on Friday....more power to ya! I'll wait to do my shopping later!

Enough already.....

OK, I am officially sick of the rain. It's making all of us crazy. Richard and Kyra both have cabin fever and it's driving me nuts! I got out a while today to work with Janet, but came home early. It was pretty bad and getting worse. It's stopped for now, but I hear that more is on the way.

I just don't understand these idiots that want to drive through high water. I came upon some this morning and turned around. People were behind me honking and motioning for me to go through. Um, no. I do not have a HUGE 4x4 truck like you do, so I'm not taking that chance. I was in my little car. :( It's my decision whether I want to drown or be safe. I chose the latter. Water is one thing, but the way people drive is another thing. It amazes me that in heavy rain, people will still drive 75-80 down the interstate. I cannot see what's 10 feet in front of me and yet they are zooming past me. Every time I drive in the rain, I pray that I'm not next to some lunatic who's destined for a wreck.

Then there's the people in the right lane. Yes, I drive in the right lane, but I pass up these people. They are driving 35-40 in the rain. I saw one car this morning that had its hazards on. Now I've heard that in other states if it's raining really hard, you should drive with your hazards on. However, we live in Texas where if you drive with your hazards on, your car had better be on its last leg or there had better be a woman in the back seat about to give birth. Can someone please direct me to a website about recommended traffic precautions in Texas? I doubt that "hazards" and "rain" will be mentioned in the same sentence, but you never know. I for one thought that hazard lights were for emergencies only. I doubt a heavy downpour is an emergency unless you are one of the idiots that I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

OK, that's my rain rant for the evening. This blog was a downer, but I'm feeling pretty crappy right now. Hopefully, Thanksgiving will be dry!

I love.....

I got this idea from a radio station the other day. Someone made a list of things that they love. Here's mine.

I LOVE:
-my family (including my dog)
-sandwiches
-the smell of cedar....so much that I want to live in a log cabin one day.
-the jersey sheets on my bed....I will NEVER go back to plain ol sheets ever again!
-Christmas
-COLD weather
-candles
-listening to live music
-Wurstfest
-the smell of buttery popcorn in a movie theater
-my DVR
-silence (around here it's golden!)
-to vacuum (I'm obsessed!)
-the smell of baby bath or lotion
-when Kyra picks flowers for me
-taking a roadtrip to somewhere I've never been before
-Seinfeld reruns
-to dance
-getting flowers (which NEVER happens)
-Souper Salad
-my mp3 player
-Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate
-when Kyra sings
-Barnes and Noble
-the beach
-to sweat
-Mary Kay's Satin Hands
-Wanda Sykes....she's hilarious!
-to sleep
-Body Flow
-water with lemon
-to laugh
-when out of the blue Kyra says, "I love you, mommy!"
-the smell of freshly cut grass
-Strawberry Cheesecake (but I never eat it because I feel too guilty!)
-Oprah (who doesn't?)
-getting a pedicure
-getting a massage (James in Victoria is still my favorite!)
-gift cards
-the library

Is that enough? I'll add more one day as I think of more things. Hope you were able to learn a little more about me!

Fountain of youth.....

I really don't have much to talk about right now, so I'll just say what comes to mind. This time of year always makes me realize just how old I really am. Christmas decorations are slowly showing up everywhere and there's more talk from Kyra about seeing Santa. She's dying to get to the mall so that she can sit on his lap and tell him what she wants for Christmas. Last year, I took her and we walked up to the big display and she saw him and was beyond giddy. It was so cute. Kyra talks about Santa and where he "lives" and what toys he "makes". She wonders how he gets into peoples' houses. The other day she asked that and I said, "Well, he goes down the chimney." She suddenly realized that we don't have a chimney. So I told her that Santa carries a "magic key" that allows him to get into everyone's houses. She bought that! hehe! She's just FULL of questions. I just hope that they are all as easy to answer as that one was.

The bottom line is that I remember sitting on Santa's lap and telling him what I wanted for Christmas. I remember Lisa and I being in the bathroom with the door closed and all of a sudden the doorbell rang and we ran into the den only to find a TON of presents under the tree. I remember hitting up all the cool neighborhoods in Victoria to look at Christmas lights. We'd even have family members from out of town come too. I remember shooting fireworks at Grandpa and Grandma Brossmann's house (and burning a hole in my coat). I remember the hayrides and hey, does anybody remember the ICE on the tank? Thought so! I have to dig that photo out of everybody running for old time's sake. My mom snapped that at just the right time.

Where did the time go? Seems like just yesterday I was enjoying all of the things that Kyra is enjoying right now. While I feel REALLY old, I also feel young. I thank God that I have a child to experience all of that with again. There's nothing more exciting than seeing Christmas through their eyes. Seeing Kyra's face as she opens all of her presents is priceless. I've never been more proud of being a mom.

Testing.....again

Yesterday, I had a long blog all typed out and then the site went down. Crap. So, I'll try this again.

Anyone else loving this weather? I wish it were a little cooler, but that looks to be coming soon. I can't wait. I HATE summer. I love fall/winter. The heat just frustrates me. There's only so much you can do to stay cool. When you want to stay warm, you can do a lot more. It cracks me up how the stores (coughOldNavycough) put out "blizzard" clothes in late August/early September. There's the fleece, sweaters, and just overall nonsense clothes....nonsense because weather like that doesn't happen in Texas and if it does happen, it lasts one day. Remember last Valentine's Day when it snowed? I think everyone was wearing shorts the next week, so things change....often. Since it was so warm for Halloween, I'm convinced that Kyra will be able to go as "Bikini Barbie" next year with no problem at all. Ugh.

I'm fascinated with the weather so it's only fitting that I have a small crush on a meteorologist. Does anyone know who I'm talking about? Well, if you've seen Jim Spencer on KXAN in Austin then you know that the man must eat, breathe, and sleep weather. He's the most passionate weather personality that I've ever seen. If you watch one of his 3 minute segments, you'll clearly see how much he loves his job AND Austin, Texas. Sometimes he scares people though. He needs to remember that residents in Jarrell WILL take cover if you say "tornado" and "Jarrell" all in the same sentence. That's just Jim though....always putting a unique spin on the weather. *sigh*

So I'm watching this hilarious show on VH-1 right now. It's called "Motormouth". There are hidden cameras in cars taping these fools singing at the top of their lungs. It's funny. These people make Karaoke look like a piece of cake. They are horrible! I love it! I hate to admit though that indeed I'm one of those fools. Yes, I sing loudly in two places: the car and the shower. Who doesn't?

Until next time......

Only in Austin.....

I moved to Austin in late June 1998 after we were married (Richard had already been here a year). I had lived in Victoria, College Station, San Antonio, and finally settled in Austin. It was a nice city. I always wanted to live in Austin. I just couldn't believe that I had finally gotten there.

But, soon after moving here, I found that things were different. I saw some things that would have made my dad say, "Cover your eyes." Only I couldn't. It was right there staring me in the face. It's scary at first because you're not used to everything that you are exposed to. But, after living here 6 1/2 years, you get used to it and it just becomes second nature. Yes, Austin is "weird", but I love it.

I've seen some strange things since moving here. If you ever want to see first hand what I'm talking about, just go visit 6th street on a Friday or Saturday night. You'll see an array of people. I'm not going to stereotype right now though. I'll leave that up to you.

What you have to remember is that Austin is diverse. That's what makes it "Austin". I love this city (and yes, I still consider myself a resident even if I live on the outskirts....just like a Mission Valley or Inez resident would call Victoria "home"). I feel comfortable now.

If you've been in Austin lately, you'll see that Austin has a city-wide "homeless" campaign. They are on every street corner with their signs. The sayings on the signs are hilarious. I know that there's a brain behind this whole campaign. It almost seems like it's a business. The saddest thing is that these people DO NOT look like they are homeless. They have nice clothes (at least the ones I've seen do) and nice jewelry. They are drinking a Coke and smiling. They don't look broke at all. I've seen (and smelled) a lot worse. People are giving them money left and right. They do little jigs and just look happy. I've never given anything to them because I like to know where my money is going. When they take it, who knows where it'll end up. Also, I'd rather NOT roll the window down and give them money because if I did, then Miss Tattle Tale (Kyra) would report to Richard.

Today, I saw the funniest thing ever. I was stopped at a light and at the light to the left of me, there was a guy that was cleaning peoples' windshields (for inquiring minds, he was at Stassney and 35). Remember those guys at the gas stations that used to do that? He had a bucket out there and everything. He did this all while people were stopped at a light! He had a system down too. He'd do 1-2 cars per red light. It was amazing. I guess he was just working for tips. I felt like telling him that he should have been down in South Texas a few months ago when those pesky Lovebugs were so bad! He'd be a millionaire now!

Honestly, I live in (ok nearby) the best city in the world! I'd have serious withdrawals if I ever had to move!

Fit for a dog.....

Yesterday, I posted about Kyra. It's only fitting that today I feel like posting about Mia! Where do I start? Well, Mia is going on 5 precious years with us (time flies!). I really cannot believe it. It seems like yesterday that Richard left a note at the house for me saying that he went to go get a puppy. I'll never forget that day. He came home with a box and in it was the tiniest dog I have ever seen. I've never had a dog, so I had no idea what to do. We went to Petco and bought her a crate, some toys, and some food. We warmed up towels for her to lay on (and she STILL likes to lay on laundry that's just come out of the dryer). We put her in our tiny bathroom at night and heard her cry like a baby. We all of a sudden felt like parents because she cried on and off all night long.

One weekend when Mia was about 2 weeks old, we went to Victoria to a wedding. My sister insisted that Mia sleep in the bed with her. And so it began. Mia has been our sleeping buddy ever since. I love it. I never worry at night anymore. I'm not scared. I have a built-in security blanket and guard dog! Granted Mia's bark is bigger than her bite, but the stupid people that come knocking at my door don't that! Mia chases them away and I don't even open the door!

People often where we came up with the name Mia. Before we had gotten her, I was up watching Leno one night and Jennifer Love Hewitt was on there and she brought her chihuahua on the show with her. Her name was Mia. I fully expected Richard to come home with a male dog, so imagine my surprise when he comes home with a female and asks, "Well what do we name her?" I said, "How about Mia?" He said, "Mia....I like it!" And so it was. Richard said that Mia was the only little puppy left at the owners' and he COULD NOT leave her there!

We *might* get another dog one day. We've contemplated it many times. Maybe when the next baby is a little older, we'll get one. We have many adoptees though, so we are happy. There's Calli (Lisa and Nathan's dog) that comes and visits. Mia and Calli are like sisters. They have a love/hate relationship. And there's now Tia and Honey too. They are Robbie and Janet's dogs and we sit for them on an occasional weekend. They get along great with Mia and they do very well here. Kyra is in HEAVEN when all of the other dogs come. Kyra loves Mia. They look out for one another just like siblings do. :)

I didn't know what I was missing until I got a dog. Neither did my dad. He treats Mia and Calli like they are his babies. You should see these dogs with him. They curl up on his lap and love on him like he's the best person in the world! He showers them with attention. He's such a softie now! I love it!

Well, that's Mia in a nutshell (or is it?). Never have I met such a lazy dog. She sleeps 90% of the day! The other 10% she is eating! hehe!

My Kyra.....

A few of you have been asking how Kyra has been doing, so I'll update. She's doing fabulously. She's now almost 3 1/2. First of all, we potty trained right around her birthday this summer. I never forced her....I just let her take the lead. I borrrowed a video from our library with other kids on it and she just decided that she could do it too. We haven't looked back. For worried mommies....they'll go when they are ready. Trust me. People kept telling me that and they were right.

Kyra attends a Mother's Day Out on Tuesday and Thursday from 9-2. She loves it. She's made many friends and loves her teachers. I have to say that they keep those kiddos busy. Kyra comes home with crafts every time she leaves there. This week they are learning about feelings. Kyra came home singing a song about blinking your eyes and hearing with your ears. It's cute because for a while I had no idea where she learned all of this, but then she replies, "I learned it at my gool." hehe!

Let's see what her favorites are. Well, it's not hard to figure out that she adores mommy, daddy, and Mia. She loves playing games on the computer. She's a pro at controlling the mouse. Her daddy taught her how in one day. It's really amazing to watch. She knows how to start the computer and open Explorer and click on the links for her games. I know that I wasn't doing that at 3 1/2. She also like Dora.....A LOT. Other favorites are Dragontales on PBS and Higglytown Heroes on Playhouse Disney. Gone are the days of the Wiggles. I don't miss them at all. ;) She's very imaginative at this age and likes to "role play" with toys and dolls. She names everything. I find myself watching her in awe and just chuckling to myself. It's cute. She also likes to fingerpaint and draw. She is learning how to recognize numbers and letters. Her sentences are getting easier to understand. I know that because Kyra talks to her Papoo (Bear) on the phone every night and even he said that he can understand her better now.

Kyra still doesn't want to sleep in her own bed. But, we didn't want her sleeping with us in our itty bitty Queen sized bed either. So, we compromised. She sleeps in our room on the floor in her Disney Princess sleeping bag that her Grandma Debbie gave her for her birthday! hehe! Hey, as long as she's not kicking me all night long I don't care where she sleeps!

Kyra is very excited about being a big sister. She continuously tells me that she wants to get diapers for the baby and wants to hold and feed the baby. I think she'll be a HUGE help. She knows that mommy's tummy is growing and kisses it. She changes her mind daily on whether she thinks it's a boy or a girl. We *do* plan on finding out within the next month or two. We'll let you know.

Well, I guess that's it for now. She's an absolute joy in our lives. I sometimes look at her and still can't believe that God sent me a precious little girl. I just hope that she enjoys me being her mommy as much as I enjoy her being my daughter.