Thursday, March 30, 2006

Cleanup on aisle 14.....

Ah yes, those are the words that you never want to hear while in a grocery store and know that they pertain to you. *sigh*

I took Maeve grocery shopping today while Kyra was at school. Richard and I took Maeve to two different Academys over the weekend and she was really good, so I decided to take her to HEB today.

She was really, really good. She just babbled and babbled and looked at everything. She even got some admirers. One little girl kept saying, "Hi baby!" as we met in a few aisles. It was so cute.

Then we come to aisle 14. One one side of aisle 14 is all baby stuff. On the other side is cosmetics. I had just grabbed some jars of baby food and put them into the 3/4 full basket. I was grabbing a few other baby items when it occured to me that my child has little hands that like to touch and feel and grab and THROW. OMG. The next think I knew, she had grabbed a jar of baby food and threw it on the ground. Of course the floors are concrete, so the jar broke and there was glass and pureed baby food everywhere. I called upon the sweet, sweet cosmetics lady who said that she'd take care of it and said, "Don't worry, this happens everyday. I promise." Uh huh. Sure it does. You're only saying that to make me feel better.

She leaves the aisle and then I hear on the loudspeaker, "Cleanup on aisle 14." Yeah, thanks Maeve! We hightailed it out of aisle 14 as fast as we could. *blush*

Thursday Thirteen....

13 things that my children (especially Kyra) have too much of:

1.) Stuffed animals- If these animals were real, my house would be a zoo. Seriously, where did all of the bunnies, bears, fish, reindeer, etc. come from? Sweet Jesus there's a lot of them!

2.) Toothbrushes- Now I know that this doesn't pertain to Maeve yet, but I have never come across so many toothbrushes of Kyra's in my life. I guess I need to throw some away that aren't used anymore. Of the ones that she does use, I bet there's 3 or 4 of those! She got one from the dentist. One I bought at the store. She got another one at school. Ugh.

3.) Happy Meal/Kid's Meal toys- Don't even get me started on this crap. Sure they are fun toys at the moment and they keep a kid entertained in the car on the drive home. But that's about where they stop being interesting. Then they are all over the house....in drawers, bags, closets. Why can't you just give my kid a sticker? That would be just as good.

4.) Cups- I think we've accumulated kid's cups from every restaurant in town. You know what's funny though? We hardly ever eat out. Yet all of the cups remain. *sigh*

5.) Crayons- We have every crayon color known to man and then some. What gets me is that they do not stay intact for long. They break. Then Kyra comes in the kitchen and pulls out the scotch tape and tries to tape them back together. Grrrrrrr!

6.) Books- This is precisely why I need to get rid of some of them. We go to the library once a week and get 7 books....one to read each night before bed. Plus we've read all of the 200 books in her closet already....probably several times. :(

7.) Shoes- I still haven't bought Maeve a decent pair of shoes yet (I know, bad mommy), but I think Kyra makes up for that. I keep finding shoes everywhere! And I don't buy her shoes either. It's my shoe obsessed sister that thinks that Kyra needs 5 pairs of tennis shoes, 5 pairs of flip flops, and 5 pairs of sandals. ;)

8.) Paper- Thank you Richard for buying Kyra the 1,000 pieces of construction paper that keep coming out of her room. Thanks a lot.

9.) Games- We have everything from Elefun to Chutes and Ladders to Caribou to Candyland. Throw in Memory and a few Dora games and you've got yourself a freakin toy store!

10.) DVDs- Let's just say that we could open up a Blockbuster and have more than enough DVDs for their kids'/family section. *sigh*

11.) Battery operated toys- I'm so sick of buying AA batteries. If you don't have children right now, do yourself a favor and start a "battery fund". You'll be glad you did. ;)

12.) Hair accessories- And thank you Aunt La La for buying Kyra all of these clips, ponytail holders, rubber bands, etc. that are unable to hold her hair yet because it's still baby thin. *sigh*

13.) Coloring books- I keep finding them everywhere. They are all colored in too, so I need to chunk a few of them. Shhhhh....don't tell Kyra. ;)

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

We have a mama!

Maeve was very busy today. She pulled up to stand against so many things. Usually, she's just on her knees, but today I caught her several times standing and fussing and not knowing what to do next! LOL!

Then this afternoon I was in the kitchen and she crawled all the way from the living room to me and wanted to be picked up, so she said, "Mama?" I was thrilled! Up until now, it's been, "dadadadadadada" all damn day. Plus I really don't think that she knew what she was babbling about when she said, "dada". She called me "mama"! Granted in a few years I'll probably wish she would have never learn the word "mama", but it was nice to hear today. :)

She's baaaaaaaack......

I just adore the Fruitcake Lady! I love it when she's on Leno.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Update on Richard.....

Richard was scheduled to have surgery on his nose last Friday. The sugery that he was having done was a septoplasty. I seriously don't know how the poor boy breathes, so it needed to be done. Anyway, we dropped the kids off at our old neighbors' house and went to the Surgicare center. They prepped him and called me back to sit with him during the lunch hour (they were waiting for the doctors to get there). Richard had told me that when the nurse put him on a pulse machine, she noticed that it was irregular. I didn't think anything of it and actually thought that he was joking around with me. Soon she came back and said that she thought that the anesthesiologist should take a look at it. In the meantime, she said that she wanted to do an EKG to check things out further. After doing this, the anesthesiologist and the doctor came in and talked with us and said that they didn't think it was a good idea to do the surgery since it was elective and they thought that Richard should go and see a cardiologist to get clearance for it. So, all of that work was for nothing! We left there and made an appointment for today (Monday) with a cardiologist across the street.

Richard went to the cardiologist today at 3 and all he did was listen to Richard's heart and concluded that indeed, the beat is irregular. He told Richard to come back tomorrow and get a monitor that he has to wear for 24 hours (which he's pissed about). He'll take it back on Wednesday. I think that they might want to do a scan of the heart too. I don't know much because Richard was in the foulest of moods when he got home and when he's like that, you can't get anything out of him. (Sounds like a man, right?)

Anyway, Richard's condition is known as a Premature Ventricular Contraction or PVC. I'll update as soon as I know more later Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm sure he's not going to be fun to live with the next two days. :(

O.M.G.

So Maeve was rather fussy this afternoon and since I had been gone till about 2:00, all she wanted was mommy. We nursed and cuddled and then she played with Kyra. This evening she was almost at her breaking point and it was obvious that she wanted a bath and a boob. Kyra took note and lifted up her shirt and said, "I'll give you my boobie, Maeve!" Richard and I looked at each other and burst into laughter. Kyra wasn't kidding either. That's what was so funny about it.

I guess she *really* missed her sister while she was away for the weekend! LOL! ;)

Sunday, March 26, 2006

A Maeve post....

Kyra's been gone at my sister's this weekend, so I've gotten a lot of one on one time with Maeve. She's becoming more and more interesting by the day. First off, she's crawling EVERYWHERE! She now follows me all over the house. It's bad because she's into everything, but it's good because her mobility has definitely lessened her separation anxiety. That's her separation anxiety around the house. She's not very fond of other people picking her up. Her eyes immediately come back to me and she gets this look on her face that says, "You're not leaving me are you?" Poor baby. With Kyra, I felt very guilty and afraid that I was spoiling her. But now I know that ALL babies go through this. It's a normal part of their development and this too shall pass.

Maeve's newest game is taking the toys that are in the bathtub and throwing them on the floor. Niiiiice. At the end, there's more water on the floor than there is in the bathtub. *sigh*

She does babble a heck of a lot now. She still thinks everything is "da da" and says that nearly all day long. I've also heard "na na" come out of her mouth. I thought maybe she was trying to say "nurse" or "night night", but she seems to repeat "na na" when I say "no no" to her! LOL!

I have been sneaking some whole milk in her cereal and have even added a bit to her breastmilk in her bottles. We did the same with Kyra when she was 11 months old. So far, so good. We are still nursing and will see what happens after her first birthday. Ideally, I'd like to hit the 15 month mark and then think about weaning, but I (or she) might be ready to do it sooner than that.

So that's my goober in a nutshell. I can't believe that she'll be a year old in a month! *sniff, sniff*

Friday, March 24, 2006

It warms my heart...

Richard put Kyra to bed tonight. She doesn't want to fall asleep in her room, so she goes in our bed and we carry her to her bed when she falls asleep.

Anyway, I just peeked in our room and I see Richard reading Kyra a book. It's the sweetest thing. It just warms my heart. :)

25 signs that you've grown up....

I stole this from Audrey's blog. I'm honestly saddened by how much of these apply to me. I think that it should be named "25 signs that you're married and/or have kids" though. ;)

25 signs that you've grown up....

1. Your houseplants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.

2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.

3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.

4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.

5. You hear your favorite song in an elevator.

6. You watch the Weather Channel.

7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of "hook up" and "break up."

8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.

9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."

10. You're the one calling the police because those %&@# kids next door won't turn down the stereo.

11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.

12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.

13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.

14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's leftovers.

15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

16. You take naps.

17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.

18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.

19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.

20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff."

21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.

22. "I just can't drink the way I used to" replaces "I'm never going to drink that much again."

23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.

24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar.

25. When you find out your friend is pregnant you congratulate them instead of asking "Oh S*$# what the hell happened?"

Bonus:

26: You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you and can't find one to save your sorry old butt. Then you forward it to a bunch of old pals & friends 'cause you know they'll enjoy it & do the same.

My backwards kid....

Conversation this morning:

Me: "Kyra, you put your jeans on backwards. Take them off and put them on the right way."

About 30 minutes pass by. I see her again and notice that he jeans are still on backwards.

Me: "Kyra, I thought I told you to put your jeans on the right way."

Kyra: "But I want the hearts in the front because I like to look at them."

Alrighty then.

Wouldn't it bother her having her jeans on backwards? I cringe at the very thought. Ugh.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Kyra's new pet....

Kyra chose this one last night. Frito is a female! ;)


my pet!

Thursday Thirteen....

13 life defining moments.....

1.) My ongoing relationship with God- I like to think that I'm a pretty good Christian. I attended Catholic school for 13 years and loved every minute of it. I hope to pass on a lot of the values that I learned to my children. They will not attend Catholic school, but they will know God and be attending church with me. I pray with them nightly and will teach them as much as I know. I will try to answer all questions as best I can. I want them to know that God is always there for them even when it seems like nobody is. I want them to pray and feel comfortable with their relationship with God. I want them to know that God has helped me out through difficult times and He can do the same with them.

2.) My mom's death- My mom died when I was barely 14. My sister was barely 11. Our world came tumbling down. We were broken. We had a hard time believing that all could be ok again. We had to teach ourselves to do many household things that my mom did. It was tough, but we got through it. We are stronger because of it.

3.) Meeting Richard for the first time- I do not believe in love at first sight, but I do believe that when you meet someone that you have a connection to, you'll feel it immediately. And I did. I'll never forget that night in April of 1995 when this "kid" in jeans, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes came knocking at my door. My life was forever changed.

4.) Joining a gym- My friend Shannon encouraged me to do this in February of 1994. I was never one to play sports or do much of anything through high school, so I was a bit hesitant. But this was something that my body needed very badly. I'm so glad that I got active and even tried a few step classes. The music seemed to motivate me and soon after that, I became an instructor.

5.) Getting married- I watch our wedding videos time and time again and each time I watch them, I pick up on something new. They are timeless. So many people on the videos I've lost touch with. Some have gotten divorced. Some have died. It's really strange to think that it was just 8 years ago. I'm so glad that we got married when we did so Richard's dad and my Granny were there to witness it.

6.) Richard's dad's death- When my mom died, it was only my Granny and my aunt at the hospital with her. My dad was on his way home to get us girls. I will never forget the moment that the phone rang. My heart sank. I knew she was gone. I lived with guilt for 8 years. I felt guilty that my dad was not there with my mom when she died. Richard's dad got sick and we were there for him when he passed away. It was an exhausting day. I did have a huge revelation that day. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I realized that there's no way a 14 year old and an 11 year old could see their own mother die right before their eyes. So it was then that I firmly believed that God took my mom when he did to lessen the pain. Richard's dad also held my hand a lot that day and told Richard and I how much he loved us and to live life to the fullest. His expression was always a peaceful one. He died without pain. And for that I'm thankful.

7.) Getting a dog- About 2 months after Richard's dad died, we got Mia. Richard left one day and left a note saying that he was going to get a dog. I had never had one before, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It turns out that it was one of the best decisions that we'd ever made. She is a constant light in our lives. She's taught me how to be patient. She healed the both of us. And now 6 years later, she's still our "baby". I can't imagine my life without her.

8.) Kyra's birth- Emotionally, I had a very hard pregnancy with Kyra. I should have seen a lot of "red flags" during that time, but I attributed it to just hormones and being miserable those last few months. I had gained so much weight and ate everything in sight. Kyra's birth wasn't so bad. It was coming home that was horrible. She cried and cried and screamed and screamed. I "tried" to breastfeed, but gave up. She was "colicky" and no formula would keep her from screaming. We finally resorted to the expensive stuff. After my mother-in-law suggested it, I saw a therapist and immediately went on antidepressants. Ahhhh...then life was good again. I learned a big lesson here. Don't ever be afraid to ask for help. That's what professionals are there for. I was embarrassed to admit that something was wrong. I'm so glad I got the help that I needed. It made life a heck of a lot easier. I was able to finally enjoy my first born, my Kyra. She's quite the character and I think all of you know that. I'm so happy that she came into my life.

9.) Getting Body Flow certified- I did NO research on this class, but decided to take the certification. I was not prepared for the module at all. I didn't even bring a Yoga mat the first day. What the heck did I get myself into? Well, it was one of the most uplifting experiences of my life. Teaching Body Flow has been a joy. I've learned a new way to work out and better my mind and my body. There are so many benefits to this class that there's no way I could list them all here. You get the picture. ;)

10.) Moving away from the city- Richard came upon this house in May of 2003. He drove me out here and we looked at it. I liked it a lot, but I was hesitant. See, I don't like change. I like my own little world of comfort and routine. I wanted to live IN AUSTIN. I soon found out that Austin isn't that far away from where we are now. I still consider myself to live there since we are just down the road. So many good things have happened since moving out here. I'm not afraid to go outside at night. I don't freak out if a door is left unlocked. I can live with a car being unlocked. It's the little things that have made living out here totally worth it. Oh, and the girls will go to wonderful schools. I'm very happy about that.

11.) Going on the South Beach Diet- Within a period of about 8 months, I lost 30 lbs. I was very unhappy with my body and wanted to do something about it. Exercise was never a problem, but my eating habits were. This diet taught me how to read labels and make better food choices. I'm not 100% on the diet right now, but I might go back to it in the near future. All I know is that I've never felt more healthy and vibrant like I did when I was on this diet. It truly changed my life.

12.) My Granny's death- Nobody saw this coming....not even her. It all happened so fast. Granny was our rock, our foundation. I still can't believe that she's gone. She went fast, but she was so ready to go. She wanted to leave this Earth and be with the Lord. She wasn't scared. She embraced it. She prayed every single day and read the Bible every single day. She loved her family and friends. I live my life by her example. We all miss her so much.

13.) Maeve's birth- Since Kyra's birth was one that was more traumatic than I wanted it to be, I was determined for Maeve's to be different. And it was! I had a repeat c-section, but I really educated myself with breastfeeding. Richard and I took a 3 hour class before her birth and I bought books. I felt like I was ready. I was more relaxed and at ease and ready to enjoy my baby. Nursing was hard at first, but we got through the rough spots and I'm happy to report that almost 11 months later, we are still nursing! Maeve is such a joy too. Her expressive eyes light up a room. I can't believe that she's almost a year old! *sniff, sniff*

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

I'm still here!

I'm sorry it's been a while since you've seen a post. I'm still sitting here in "choreography-land" and trying to avoid it at all costs. I have 2.5 weeks to learn it all. I really intend to sit down with it this weekend since we'll be home. Richard has his surgery on Friday. I don't think that he fully knows what to expect and like he said, it might be better that way. I can tell that he's nervous and doesn't want to think about it. Just say a prayer or two that all goes well. It's a minor procedure, but I'm sure it'll be uncomfortable since it's his nose. And you know how men are when they are not feeling well. I just hope and pray that he's better by Monday, so I can get out of the house. I have to get CPR re-certified next Monday.

Lisa came for a visit yesterday and left this morning. Kyra was heartbroken this morning when she woke up to find that she and Calli had left. *sigh*

And then the "Bad Mommy Award" goes to me. This morning I hear Kyra talking about a battery. They are gone from one of the remotes. One is on the floor and the other is in Maeve's mouth. Ugh. I'm half upset with myself for not taking them away sooner and I'm half upset with Kyra for sitting there like it was no big deal. I sat Kyra down and told her that if Maeve has anything in her mouth, to come and tell me. I don't care if it's a toy. I just want to have a heads up about it next time. So that put me in a bad mood this morning.

I just want our life to stay boring and dull. It's better that way.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

OK Jen, this is for you....

I went to http://www.myheritage.com and this is what it came up with for me.

62% Charlize Theron
56% Catherine Zeta-Jones
55% Gwen Stefani
53% Justine Henin-Hardenne (Isn't she a tennis player?)
53% Marcia Cross
52% Farrah Fawcett
51% Frank Lampard (WTF? I look like a dude?)
50% Angelina Jolie (Now that's more like it!)
48% Keira Knightley
47% Cameron Diaz

So there you have it.

Friday, March 17, 2006

They're doing it again....

I'm really beginning to dislike The National Weather Service. Earlier today, there was a 60% chance of rain for tomorrow (Saturday). Now it's down to 30%. Damn them for getting me all excited. Now I bet it won't rain at all this weekend. *sigh*

Please God let it rain so that the lakes can have SOME water in them this summer. If not, my husband will go crazy. Amen.

Pillow talk.....



Tom Cruise must pump a little bit more air into Katie Holmes' pillow every few days or so. LOL!

It's shaping up to be a lazy weekend.....

Richard has to work all weekend and it's supposed to rain. A LOT. I hope the weather gods get it right this time because we really need the rain.

I had every intention of taking the girls to the gym this morning, but Maeve is super fussy, was warm this morning (I'm thinking low grade fever), and only took an hour nap. So, we are staying home. I'll work out outside in Richard's shop this afternoon. I'm going to run through the entire Body Flow release. I'll focus more on Step tomorrow. Have I mentioned how interesting it is to learn 2 programs at once? My brain is in Les Mills mode all day long. I have the portable DVD player sitting next to this computer and I keep playing the DVDs and CDs over and over again. Richard said that sooner or later I'll learn everything. LOL! Oh and I have a teeny tiny crush on the new guy in the Flow DVD. I wish that I could have gone to a Quarterly to see him. I bet he's even yummier in person. ;)

I think that Maeve has some teeth shifting around too. Lovely. She's had her entire fist in her mouth for the past 2 days. That kid always decides to cut teeth on a weekend! LOL! Right now, she's "talking" to the Teletubbies.

Kyra embarrassed the heck out of me yesterday. We went to a birthday party for one of her friends and they had one of those pinatas where everyone pulls a ribbon and the candy falls out. Kyra was in the middle of it all and the kids were grabbing the candy and I hear this scream and see Kyra stand up and start stomping around and throw a full-blown tantrum. I immediately take her in the house and calm her down and tell her that we need to apologize to the little girl having the party AND her mother. When we went back outside, all of the girls were giving Kyra their candy. It was so sweet. But when I heard Kyra's yell, my heart sank. I knew it was MY KID that was misbehaving. I dreaded doing something about it, but she had to learn. She never acts like that, so I was a bit surprised. The mom that hosted the party *tried* to make me feel better by saying that her daughter did the same thing at a party the other weekend.

Oh and I found out that a lot of 4-5 year olds eat like Kyra does. Thank God I'm not alone. I think they are in that transitional age where they are still exposed to a lot of junk, yet don't know the meaning of healthy foods just quite yet. Kyra tried to convince me to give her potato chips for a snack this morning. I didn't give in. She got some graham crackers instead. Granted the graham crackers probably had a lot of sugar, but they sound better than potato chips, right? (BTW, my DAD is the one that buys Kyra potato chips and Cheetos, so I'm not the guilty party on that either.)

Have a great weekend! I might blog if something blog-worthy comes up!

Thursday, March 16, 2006

A lesson learned....

Here's an article about how we should never take life for granted. We never know when the end is near. Everyday tell those that you care about that you love them.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/14078483.htm

Is there snow in the forecast?

Will wonders never cease?

-Kyra asked for carrot sticks and ranch dressing for a snack this morning. WTF? Coming from a very picky eater, this is HUGE!

-Maeve is working on a 3 hour nap. WTF? This kid never naps for more than an hour or two (at the most).

I'm actually getting a chance to sit down DURING THE DAY and learn my Step and Flow choreography! YAY!

Thursday Thirteen....

13 celebrities that I wish would fall off the face of the earth....

1.) Lindsay Lohan- I do not understand this girl's popularity at all. She's ugly. And the latest comment from her was that she wouldn't mind having a quickie wedding in Vegas like Britney Spears did "just to see what marriage is like." Idiot.

2.) Tom Cruise- Every time I think about how much I liked "Top Gun" I cringe. This guy is a wackjob. He's a control freak and I refuse to go see another movie with him in it. He really gives me the creeps.

3.) Tara Reid- I know she was in the "American Pie" movies, but now she's making a living as the "professional party girl". She was on a local radio station a few months ago and swore that there's more to her than partying. Yeah, and I'm Mother Teresa.

4.) Michael Jackson- This guy has got serious issues and never will redeem himself with a music career, so why not put him out of his misery? Any dude that takes away children from their mother and names them Prince Michael, Princess Michael, and Blankie should have his sanity questioned.

5.) Paris(ite) Hilton- I'm sick of hearing about her. Go away!

6.) Kevin Federline- No comment.

7.) Star Jones- This woman is the most vain person on the planet. She got sponsors to donate free stuff for her wedding (like she's freakin broke!). She's lost all of this weight by "exercising" (*coughstomachstapledcough*) and has written a book about her love affair with her gay husband. I heard that she wants to have another wedding since she's lost even more weight. WTF? Get over yourself already! I really hope that she gains some of her weight back. She's starting to look like a tarantula with those beety eyes.

8.) Joan Rivers- Pretty soon all of that plastic is going to melt out in the sun. You're OLD lady!

9.) Nicole Ritchie- If this girl gets any skinnier, she'll just blow away. So out of all 13 candidates, this one could be the first to go.

10.) Gilbert Gottfried- Kyra watches "Cyberchase" and he's the voice of the bird on that show. His voice is annoying. I used to wonder if he just makes his voice sound like that. Now I'm starting to believe that he really talks like that. And I hate the way his face scrunches up when he talks. He's just ugly.

11.) Jessica Simpson- This girl has just ruined her squeaky clean image over the years. She's starting to look more and more trashy. Dumb things come out of her mouth and I just don't know what she's going to do now that she doesn't have a husband. Oh wait, she'll just run off to daddy. He'll take care of her. ;)

12.) Ashlee Simpson- While Jessica can sing, this girl has ZERO talent. Hey Jen, here's another candidate for "The Surreal Life". I see it in her not-so-distant future.

13.) Penelope Cruz- Why you ask? So Matthew McConaughey can be MINE! ALL MINE! Mwhahahahahaha!

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Very clever....

Long time, no blog....

Yes, I'm still here! We survived a long weekend in Victoria. We left on Saturday and came back on Monday. It was good to get away, but I'm so glad to be home. I hate traveling with a 10 month old. You have to drag half of your house along and she's not exactly happy strapped in a car seat for 2 hours. Ugh.

Yesterday was my birthday. Yeah, I'm 29 and holding. LOL! It was such a great day. I went to work out and then went to Target ALONE. I came home, ate lunch, and went for my hour and a half massage! It was HEAVEN! Unfortunately, time went by too fast. I need to go have another one soon! It felt really good to have a day of pampering and I've decided to ask for a massage for all of the holidays out of the year! LOL! To all of you that send cards, emails, or even called me, THANK YOU! I felt so loved. :)

Then last night we got a visit from John, Julie, William, Kalyn, and Nadia (cousins from Brenham). They were on their way to San Antonio and wanted to stop by. The kids played and had a ball. Even the babies babbled to one another. It was so cute. Pics to come soon.

We are resting for the remainder of the week. Kyra has a birthday party to attend tomorrow afternoon and Richard has to work all weekend, but that's it. As for me, I'll be learning my Body Step and Body Flow. It's almost time for another round of launches (can you believe that?).

Maeve has been playing in her crib for an hour now and still isn't asleep. I hear her in there just yacking away. Crazy kid. She's not been happy anywhere else today.

Friday, March 10, 2006

If you can't beat'em, join'em.....

I guess Kyra thought that Maeve was needing some company in her crib this afternoon. Those two are still in there playing as I type. Crazy kids!

Go away!


So Maeve is finally sleeping when the doorbell rings....not once, but twice. Thank God I had the door to our bedroom closed and Mia barked in there while Maeve stayed asleep. I did answer the door and this girl went on and on....trying to sell me a Kirby vacuum cleaner. I told her that I have someone clean my carpets every 6 months and I totally trust this man and then she says, "But how fast do they dry?" Why that's none of your damn business. Then she asked what area in my home gets the most traffic and asked if she could see it. WTF? I then told her that I was totally ticked off that she even came to my door because I have a baby that's sleeping, so she then left in a hurry. Ugh.

I'm getting me a damn sign this weekend. They are at Office Depot, so I'm sending my dad to get one today for me. He was happy to oblige. He hates door to door salespeople too!

Happy Birthday Jen!

Hope you have a wonderful day and a great weekend with your family! Love ya!

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Da da da da da......

This is all I hear all day long *sigh* Maeve calls everything "da". She points to something and it's "da". She sees the dog and she's "da". Tonight Kyra was talking to her while she was in the bathtub and Kyra says, "It's Ky-ra". She kept repeating her name over and over again in hopes that Maeve would say her name. It was so cute. Maeve's favorite place to babble is in her crib. She's there right now. She stands up in her crib and sits down and keeps babbling. Before you know it, it's quiet. The kid has babbled herself to sleep. I'm so thankful that she really likes her crib and that it's not an unhappy place for her. Shoot sometimes I cannot get her to calm down and she'll fuss until I put her in her crib! No kidding! Strange child. I think because I still let her sleep with the heartbeat bear and I have her soft music playing, it's a familiar environment to her and therefore she's not scared.

I do however understand that this child is going to be quite vocal. She lets everyone know that she's in the room! LOL! ;)

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Thursday Thirteen....

So I was watching this show last night on VH1 and decided to come up with a list of....

13 of my favorite childhood toys (in no particular order):

1.) Sticker books- I had several sticker books. I loved collecting stickers. My favorite were the scratch n' sniff ones. I used to have friends over to have a "sticker party". LOL!

2.) Slip N' Slide- We had a yellow one. I remember when my cousin stayed with us one summer and we spent countless hours outside on that thing. Gosh those summers ruled!

3.) Barbie- My sister and I had everything Barbie. We had the Jeep, the Corvette, the house equipped with all furniture, the swimming pool, and countless cases of Barbie dolls, Kens, and clothes. We even had Barbie weddings and we had my mom be the "photographer" and take pictures! Yep, we were Barbie obsessed!

4.) Care Bears- The craze started in the 80's and I was there. I remember the exact day that we went to go to the Care Bears Movie at the movie theater. A storm came through and knocked out all of the power at the movie theater. We were sitting there in the dark and because there were a lot of babies and kids there, there was a lot of crying. When we went home, we played out in the street in the water puddles. Weird how you remember things like that.

5.) Speak & Spell- Kyra has Leap Pad and I had the Speak & Spell. It was one of the first interactive games of our generation. I only wish that Richard had one. He can't spell to this day (shhhhh....don't tell him that I told you that!).

6.) Simon- Remember that you had to press the green, red, blue and yellow in the order that they lighted up? Genius! My cousins had this game at their house and we always played it when we visited them.

7.) Lite Brite- Yet another toy that I loved! Do they make them anymore? If they do, I bet they aren't like they used to be. Those little pieces are probably choking hazards at this day in age (and what isn't?). In any case, the one that we had definitely was a vintage one.

8.) Silly Putty- Now this stuff drove my mom crazy. We loved it, but somehow it always ended up in our hair or on our shoes. Ugh. Anybody do anything fun with Silly Putty?

9.) Cabbage Patch Kids- I will never forget the Christmas that my sister and I got Cabbage Patch Kids. We wore the biggest smiles for days, even months afterward. We were in awe that they were given names and birthdays. We thought that was so cool! Kyra has one, but never plays with it. I think that Cabbage Patch Kids' 15 minutes were up about 20 years ago! LOL!

10.) Play Doh- There's nothing like it and there still isn't. What kid doesn't love Play Doh? It comes in so many different colors. You can mold it into so many different things. Heck, I think I even tried eating the stuff on a dare one time. ;) It's the one thing that allows the utmost artistic creativity among kiddos. It'll be around forever.

11.) Little People- We loved Little People! We still have all of the stuff at my dad's and Kyra plays with it. Today, the Little People aren't so "little" anymore. Again, I think they've made them bigger because of possible choking hazards. They just don't look the same. All of the vintage stuff is going for a fortune on ebay! Now I know what to do if I need a quick $500! LOL!

12.) Magic 8 Ball- We asked this thing numerous questions. Sometimes we liked the answer and sometimes we didn't. I can't believe that I actually believed this thing! LOL!

13.) Nintendo- We were still a little young when Atari came out, but we totally jumped on the Nintendo bandwagon. Super Mario Brothers ROCKED! I remember getting so mad when my sister got to a higher level than I did. Oh, and that music is still playing in my head. Ugh.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Online pregnancy test....

Are you pregnant?

http://www.thepregnancytester.com/

According to this, I'm pregnant and will give birth to a 15 lb. 5 oz. boy (no thank you!). He'll have black hair and hazel eyes and the daddy is the neighbor's kid! LOL! The damn thing also called me a hussie! ;)

So funny!

Monday, March 06, 2006

Earworm Monday....

This is totally dedicated to my husband......whose body would go through serious withdrawals if I ever took it away. Thank God Kyra does not care for it at all. Yeah kid, stick to juice, milk, and water and you'll be fine.

Busy week ahead.....

Gosh I have a lot to do this week. Today Kyra and I went to the gym and Richard took Maeve to Mona's so that he could get a few errands done. Kyra and I had a nice quiet lunch and then we went to the library. The other two still aren't back yet, so it's nice and quiet and around here.

Tomorrow I'll work out after I take Kyra to school and then I'm getting my hair cut at noon. When I pick Kyra up from school at 2, I'll have Mia with me because we are going to take her to the vet on the way back home. She's due for her annual exam and shots.

Wednesday I have to teach Flow and then I will come home and immerse myself in baking cupcakes. Kyra is the "Star Student" at school this week and she's been talking about taking chocolate cupcakes to school for ages. On Thursday, she'll get up in front of the class and talk about herself and show the class pictures of herself and then they'll all feast on cupcakes! LOL!

Friday will be "packing day" because we are leaving on Saturday to go to Victoria and will not be returning till Monday. The fun doesn't end there. My birthday is next Tuesday. I'm taking a day for myself. I'll work out in the morning and then I'm getting my hour and a half massage in the afternoon. Maybe we'll venture out to eat in the evening. I really want to make it special for myself this year!

Sunday, March 05, 2006

You've Got Questions. We've Got Slogan.

OMG! I love this! Thanks Alien!

I entered all of our names and this is what it came up with.

"When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Kyra Overnight." (How did it know that she was gone last night? LOL!)


"Gee, Your Maeve Smells Terrific." (Yeah, she smells of poop! LOL!)


"Richard Not Included." (LMAO!)

"You'll Look a Little Lovelier Each Day with Fabulous Pink Kim." (What am I? A lipstick? A deodorant? LOL!)


An earworm for Jen.....

I've had this stuck in my head for a while now. I had to search for it to see if the theme song was even out there. It is....complete with video! LOL! ;)

I loved this show. We watched it every Saturday morning.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

A definite improvement....

Today was so much better than yesterday! Maeve was up twice last night, but slept till 7 this morning. I slept good as well. It's amazing how much I've dreamt this week. I think since she's sleeping better at night, I do too and therefore I enter a much deeper sleep.

Anywho, during her morning nap, I went outside and practiced my Body Step. I now know tracks 1, 2, and 4. YAY! I'm going to keep practicing this week and learn more. I'm on my way to start team teaching a bit and then hopefully I'll be ready to film my video within another month or so. I'm very excited to get the green light to teach.

During Maeve's afternoon nap, I showered and got things ready because I decided that we were going to church tonight. We went at 5 in Austin and met Melissa, Dean, and Jake there. Afterwards, we went out to eat and then Melissa asked if Kyra wanted to spend the night. It's a good thing that I packed a bag for her just in case. I told Kyra that she was spending the night at Jake's and she got all excited. I didn't even have to tell her twice. She never gets nervous or scared about staying with someone. She loves it. I'm glad. So, Maeve and I came home and I gave her a bath and she's now in her crib "talking" herself to sleep. I have to sub a Body Flow class at 11:30 tomorrow, so I'll go pick up Kyra after that.

So, it was a better day. Maeve is still really clingy, but since she's crawling, she just follows me all over the house. ;)

Friday, March 03, 2006

It's been one of those days....

I love my kids, but I don't have to like them all the time, right? Ugh. Today I seriously contemplated driving to the store and buying some wine so that I can chill out.

Maeve has been horribly defiant today. She cries. I pick her up. Then she's crying because she wants to be put down so that she can get into everything. WTF? Kid, you're confusing me. I feel like a failure today. I have tried and tried to comfort her, but nothing works. I think she needs to take longer naps. 2 hours just isn't long enough for her to be rested and happy. I remember that Kyra's naps were 3-4 hours long each. Maeve is sleeping well at night (knock on wood), but is just so darn fussy during the day. I'm waiting for the dreaded runny nose to show up. Then I'll know that another tooth is on its way. I've put her in her crib for the second time today just to play because that's where she's happiest. I can't wait to feed her dinner and give her a bath. Maybe that'll relax her a bit.

Kyra is so darn needy today too. She's been begging for food and drink. I promise I'm not starving the kid. ;) She had me paint her fingernails and toenails and now wants me to help her with her magnetic calendar. She printed something out on the computer and wanted me to cut everything out for her. Ugh. I need a break!

I'm going to bed tonight praying for a better day tomorrow. Richard has to work all weekend, so I'm on my own.....again. :(

WOOOOHOOOO!

I just booked me an hour and a half massage on the day of my birthday! Richard insisted on me doing it and doesn't care what it costs. I booked it online and the lady is right down the road in Kyle. Turns out that my first session will only be $55! SWEEEEET!

I'm so darn excited!

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Hooray for Maeve!

I'm happy to report that Maeve and I went to the gym this morning and she was in the Kids Club for a whopping 30 minutes! That's HUUUUUGE! I took her for the first time last week just to feel it out and she cried a little, so I was a bit worried today. They had bubbles to distract her. LOL! Kyra never lasted longer than 10 minutes at a time, so I'm so proud of my little goober!

I think I'm going to try her tomorrow too. Kyra will be there too so maybe she'll do better. This is all an "experiment" and I don't mind not getting that much of a workout. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are my hard core workout days and that's when Maeve stays with her daddy. ;)

Thursday Thirteen....

13 best decisions that I've ever made (some along with some help, of course).......

1.) I'm so glad that my best friend Kristen gave this guy my phone number. He called me one night and I agreed to a blind date. Soon after that, I asked him to the prom. He went with me. Oh, and did I mention that his name was Richard? ;)

2.) I'm glad that Richard and I got married while we were young. Usually people regret it, but I don't. We got married in June of '98 and his dad passed away in October '99. He was so happy that Richard and I were together, so I'm glad that he got to see us have the big wedding that he always wanted Richard to have.

3.) I'm so glad that my friend Shannon talked me into joining a gym way back in February of '94. Goodness has it been that long? Granted it took me MONTHS to set foot in the aerobics room, but once I did, I never left! LOL! I made some great friends in the early gym days including my friend Lynette who I stayed with this past weekend.

4.) I'm so glad that Richard left me a note in December of '99 saying that he went to go get a puppy. He came home with her and I immediately fell in love. I was a bit nervous because I'd never had a dog before. But we made the adjustment and couldn't have been happier with Miss Mia. You see, Mia started a trend. After Mia came Calli and after Calli came Raider and now Megan and Mike have Duke. These are all people that would have never gotten dogs before. Oh and I must mention how Mia has melted the hearts of many, but mostly my dad. He did not like dogs to much, but when Mia came along, that was it. Mia worships him and vice versa. :)

5.) I'm so glad that we got pregnant with Kyra when we did. We tried for 10 months. It was a long 10 months, but I honestly believe that it wasn't meant to happen any earlier than it did. And Kyra got to spend a lot of precious time with my Granny before she died. At least my Granny got to see one of her great-grandchildren. Also, Kyra will never forget her. She still talks about her a few times a week.

6.) I'm so glad that I signed up to take the personal training workshop in October of '99. That's where I met Jen! She's one of my best friends and we are so much alike that it's scary! LOL! ;)

7.) I'm so glad that I got talked into taking the Body Flow training in October of '02. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I soon found out that I was stepping way out of my comfort zone. Teaching this class has changed me as an instructor and as a person. I've completely changed my views on yoga and have exercised in ways that I never thought were possible. It has improved me physically and mentally.

8.) I'm so glad that Richard ventured to this neighborhood after stopping by his friend's house back in May of 2003. He saw this house and called right away for a showing. He talked me into coming with him and we decided that we had to have it. It was the best move that we could have ever made. Our neighborhood in Austin was getting scarier and scarier and I'm so glad that we moved out of the city. It's quieter out here and the schools are fabulous. It's definitely given me the piece of mind that I longed for.

9.) I'm so glad that we decided to wait till Kyra was at least 3 to have another baby. It's been a breeze adjusting to having 2 kiddos. Kyra has been the biggest help and hasn't expressed any jealousy or hatred at all so far. I have been able to concentrate on nursing and Kyra's been very patient with that. She totally understands. I'm so proud of her. Even though they are 4 years apart, there's no doubt in my mind that they will be the best of friends.

10.) I'm so glad that we decided to upgrade from a minivan to a suburban. Good Lord, did we need the room. To this day, we have no 3rd seat in the suburban and I LOVE IT! There's plenty of room back there for all of the crap that we seem to drag along on trips. Richard says that we pack our entire house. I believe it. LOL!

11.) I'm so glad that I was so persistent with breastfeeding this time around. Before Maeve was born, we took a 3 hour breastfeeding class. I also got lots of info. online and just learned as much as I could. After Maeve was born, I had help from a lactation consultant and Richard was so supportive during his month off and he still is! It's been a wonderful 10 months. It got so much easier after about 8 weeks or so. Richard tells his friends that we are still at it and is praising me for all of the money that we've saved by not having to buy formula. I guess he's somewhat proud. ;) I have no idea when I want to wean. I hope that it happens slowly within the next 6 months or so.

12.) I'm so glad that I took the Body Step training this past weekend! I got the call late last Wednesday and decided to do it! It was an exhausting weekend, but I'm so glad that I did it! It's yet another adventure that I've decided to embark on. I can't wait to start teaching!

13.) I'm so glad that I decided to start a blog. ;)

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Right under our noses....

I found this article on the media section of the breastfeeding board that I frequent. I honestly believe that they could be onto something with this. They might not have the "cure" perfected yet, but if it helps prolong a person's life, then I'm all for it.

http://www.nbc5i.com/health/7575314/detail.html

My head is spinning.....

I feel very overwhelmed today. I really need to sit down and make a list of all the things I need to do. But maybe I'll just blog about it instead. Here goes.

-Mia needs a good bath and her nails clipped. I hate doing both. So I procrastinate until the sound of her nails hitting the floor irritates the heck out of me. She's also due for her annual exam and I have yet to make the appointment. I got the notice in the mail the other day. She'll also need her rabies shot. I'm calling tomorrow, I swear.

-I need a haircut. It's getting yucky. I have no idea what I want the stylist to do with it either. Ugh.

-I need to learn and perfect the Body Step release that I trained on this weekend because in a few days I'll be getting my new Body Flow stuff in the mail and will have to learn that within a month. AND since launch lasts 4 weeks, I'll need to practice team teaching Body Step in March. April is launch month and May is when I have to submit my video of me teaching the class. Argh! I'm wondering if it was a good idea to take on two programs?!

-I need to order more MK stuff by March 15th. Add that to the list as well.

-I need to make an appt. to get my teeth cleaned. I'm due for that in March too.

-The license tags and inspections for both vehicles expire in March and April. Ugh. Add that to the list. Crap.

-The end of April will be here soon, so I need to start thinking about a birthday party for Maeve. Once that's over with, I need to start thinking about a birthday party for Kyra.

-Back to gym stuff, my CPR is up in May and if I want to continue teaching, I need to get re-certified. One more thing to add to the list.

OK, I really need to stop NOW or a panic attack will ensue. I'm off to write everything down on paper and stick it on the fridge.