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.