What's going on?

First of all, my body still hasn't adjusted to daylight savings time yet. I keep wanting to be up past 11 and usually that means that I don't fall asleep till after midnight. Ugh. The good thing is that the kiddos have been sleeping late in the morning. I think Maeve slept till well after 8 this morning. I pumped before I left, so I didn't even get to nurse her! I bet they are up at 7am tomorrow morning....the one morning that I CAN sleep in. :(

I hated that they had "country night" on American Idol tonight. Kellie and Bucky got praises from the judges and I think that they suck. So who knows who's going home this week. Is it just me or is Taylor losing steam? He seems so plain now. What happened? Oh and Mandesa singing Shania Twain made my ears bleed. I do not like Shania at all. And Ace still looks like he's taking a crap when he sings. He's like "Constantine revisited". Ugh.

I'm half ass jealous of my sister this week. No, scratch that. I'm sooooo jealous of her and Nathan. Tomorrow morning, they are flying out of Houston to Playa Del Carmen for her friend's wedding that she's in. They'll be back on Sunday. I'm sure she'll have plenty of stories and beautiful pictures to show me when she gets back. I wish I could take a trip to paradise!

I learned today to never underestimate the crawling power of an 11 month old. Jesus she's fast. She's come a long way in a month's time. Tonight she was cruising along the loveseat. She's into cabinets, drawers.....you name it. I think it's safe to say that we are going to have our hands full with this one.

Richard blew up Kyra's little pool this afternoon and she went swimming in it. He put it next to the slide and she slid down and into it. I walk outside and all I hear is "CANNONBALL!" LOL! Crazy kid. I have no idea where she got that from.

Walmart on a Saturday evening....

Ugh. It's not the greatest place to be. All I had to pick up was some photos that I had uploaded online and some new crayons for Kyra. That's it.

So I'm in the line to pick up my photos and I hear on the loudspeaker, "This is an Amber Alert for a 10 year old boy in a gray shirt. Your mother is looking for you. Please come to ladies' apparel immediately." WTF? How on earth would the kid know where ladies' apparel is in a Walmart Supercenter?

I got lost once. It was in a Weiner's (low-end department store). They took me to customer service and described what I was wearing. They asked me what my mom's name was and I said, "Mommy." My mom came immediately and got me. I would think that the same thing would have happened with this little boy. But I guess his mom was looking for him before he was looking for his mom. Oh and I taught Kyra at a very young age what her mommy and daddy's "real" names are.

Also, I think all teenagers in town are working at Walmart on the weekends. Ugh. Kyra could have checked me out faster than some of them. They were just taking their sweet little time. I could tell that some people were just as frustrated as I was....especially since they have all of these people waiting in line and about 3 lanes open. Grrrrrr! It's a Saturday! It's a weekend!

I sincerely hope that the Walmart here in Buda is better than the one in South Austin. And kudos to our HEB here in Buda for having every lane open most of the time. You rock!

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. ;)

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.

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! ;)

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*

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.

Kyra's new pet....

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

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*

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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! ;)

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.

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!

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!

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.

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. ;)

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!

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. ;)

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.

My world record holder....

Conversation with Kyra tonight:

Me: "I can't wait to be a Grandma one day."

Kyra: "I don't want you to be a Grandma. I want you to be my mommy forever."

Me: "I will be your mommy forever but when you and Maeve have children then I'll be their Grandma."

Kyra: "Oh."

Me: "So Kyra, how many kids are you going to have?"

Kyra: "58!"

At this point I was ready to faint.

After a long pause, Kyra says, "I'm just kidding" and bursts into laughter.

BTW, I just told Richard about this conversation and he said, "Um, I'm not buying gifts for 58 kids."

LOL!

I'm wondering if anyone in the world even has 58 kids. Is that even possible?

Weekend update....

I had a wonderful weekend. But first let me tell all of you that Maeve pulled herself up to stand on Saturday! I missed it! My sister and my BIL were here and Lisa said that she walked into her room and she was standing in her crib! She pulls up on everything now! What a big girl I have! *sniff, sniff* Tomorrow she will be 10 months old! I can't believe it. What happened to my little baby?

I left early on Saturday morning. I knew that I was in for a long, demanding weekend and boy was I ever right! We worked out so many times on Saturday and even more yesterday, but it was so worth it. I learned so much about Body Step and can't wait to sharpen my skills, learn the release, submit my video, and become a certified Body Step instructor. I didn't sleep much on Saturday night because I was so nervous about teaching my track yesterday, but I did fine....even better than I expected. I still have a long way to go till I feel confident enough to submit a video of myself teaching, but I'll get there. I have 3 months to do that. All in all, it was a great weekend. BUT, I missed my babies so much! Yesterday when I got home, the first thing that I did was nurse Maeve. I was so happy to see her! I did have time to pump all weekend, but it's not fun being so attached to that thing.

Last night I was mentally and physically exhausted. We were all in bed by 8:00 and Richard let me sleep in this morning, so I slept for 12 hours. I needed that sleep so much. I'm not working out today or tomorrow (I think). I'm so sore and just want to rest and take a mental break. I'll pick right back up on Wednesday when I teach Flow. My muscles need to stretch. I might even do it today or tomorrow too. It's amazing how I start craving Flow just so I can feel better. It's like medicine for the body.

So that's it in a nutshell. I'm glad that it's over with. I'm also glad that I didn't have that much time to think about it after getting the call last Wednesday that I was in for the training. I think it was better that way.

Have a great week!

A weekend away....

I'm taking it easy today because I need to rest up for the weekend. I'm taking the Body Step training in San Antonio. I'm so excited. My sister Lisa and my BIL Nathan are coming up tonight after work to help Richard take care of the kiddos. They are bringing their dogs Calli and Raider, so my house will be a zoo all weekend! LOL! On Saturday night, I'm staying with my friend Lynette in New Braunfels. I'll return on Sunday evening after a long weekend of working out, learning, and fun! I'm going to rest on Monday and hang out with my kiddos. I know that Kyra will have fun this weekend, but I'm a little worried about Maeve. We've never been away from each other overnight before. I hope that she does well. I will miss both of them bunches.

So look for an exhausting update on Monday! Have a great weekend!

Another church sign....

This one is at the church across the street from our house.

"Come in and try our Sundays....they are better than Baskin Robbins."

LOL!

Thursday Thirteen...

13 things that I'm happy about right now.....

1.) Maeve slept from 8:30 last night till 7 this morning. I never heard her during the night, so I guess that night or two of fussing was worth it! I got sleep last night and feel oh so rested!

2.) I'm taking the Body Step training this weekend in San Antonio! Soon I'll be certified! I'm so pumped about that!

3.) I'm staying with a friend on Saturday night in New Braunfels and will get to have a nice, restful night's sleep! Plus, she's one of my dearest friends and we love to gab! Should be fun!

4.) I finally took off those 5 pounds that I gained when Maeve was 6 months old. It was hard, but I did it. Ideally, I'd like to lose 15-20 more and keep it off, but it's going to be really tough to do that. I just think that my body has trouble "letting go" even though I'm eating good. Ugh.

5.) It's quiet. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE silence?

6.) Kyra handed me a whopping 51 cents last night (a half dollar piece and a penny) and insisted that she's buying ice cream for everyone this weekend at the mall! LOL! I love that kid.

7.) This season of American Idol. It's gonna be really good!

8.) I *think* Kyra has changed her mind about riding the bus to Kinder. Good. The bus comes at 6:30 and they don't start school till 7:30. I DO NOT want my child on the bus for an hour! I want her home with me!

9.) Money shows up in unexpected places. YIPPPEEEEE!

10.) I'm waiting for the new Body Flow release to show up in my mailbox any day now. It's like Christmas when that thing comes!

11.) My birthday is in less than a month. Richard asked what I want (which he NEVER does). I told him "a massage!" (*fingers crossed* that he sends me to get one!)

12.) Maeve has found her tongue and has been sticking it out all day long. It's hilarious!

13.) The sun decided to peek out today! YAY!

That's just wrong....

A husband was in BIG trouble when he forgot his wedding anniversary.

"Tomorrow," his wife angrily told him, "there had better be something in our driveway that goes from zero to 200 in two seconds flat!"

The next morning, the wife looked outside and saw a small package in the driveway. She brought it inside, opened it ... and found a brand new bathroom scale.

Funeral services for her husband have been set for Saturday.

WOW!

That's right, WOW! There are no words. And she's also blind!

A clueless commercial....

I saw a commercial for Aspercreme tonight and it made me angry. Why? Because they showed a person doing yoga in it! WTF? If that person were doing yoga to reap its youthful benefits, then they would not need to be using Aspercreme! That's totally sending a mixed message! I found a good link that describes the benefits in a nutshell. Here it is. I've had a lot of people take my Body Flow class because they are nursing injuries. They crave the yoga to make their bodies stronger and help them feel better. I've even had individuals tell me that yoga did for them what doctors and medicine couldn't do.

I just didn't like that the Aspercreme commercial was telling me that in order to do yoga, I had to use Aspercreme. Ugh.

A day with dad.....

My dad is visiting today and spending the night. We visited all afternoon and were constantly running through the channels to see what was on. We came across the usual soap operas and other chick shows on HGTV, TLC, etc. Imagine my surprise when my dad wants me to try to find this on TV (yes, I'm posting the link because I don't actually want to post that stuff here). OMG! My dad watches "trash tv"! LOL! Then he watched this too! By this time, I was floored. He even admitted to watching this too! I didn't think that my dad had that much time on his hands now that he's retired, but maybe he does! LOL!

This was just cracking me up. I thought all that he watched was the History Channel, Weather Channel, and Food Network!

On the move.....

We have a crawler! Yes, a full-time crawler! Maeve is all over the house! I guess it really started on Valentine's Day. She went from scooting to learning how to move around on all fours. I cannot keep up with her either. She's in one room, down the hall, in the kitchen, in our room, in our bathroom. ACK! Her favorite room to play in is Kyra's room. Kyra just opens the door for her now and says, "Mommy, I don't want her to be sad, so I let her in my room." We've come a long way since that sign last week! LOL! Now if I could only get Maeve to quit grinding her teeth. It's a horrible sound. I've heard that it's baby's way of releasing tension. So, I got out some pots and pans and let her bang away. Too bad Kyra thinks that it's a "game" for her and takes them into her room. WTF? I'm almost relieved that it took Maeve 9 1/2 months to crawl. I see a trip to Target for baby proofing items in my future!

Rewind to the roller skating rink.....

If there's one place that I remember visiting as a kid, it's the roller skating rink. I swear that we probably went a few times a month and had countless birthday parties there. A few years ago, my nephew had his birthday party there. It was like stepping into a time warp. That place hasn't changed much at all! I loved it! I still remember holding hands with a 4th grade "boyfriend" and skating to the best music! I remember doing the "Hokey Pokey" out in the middle of the rink. I remember the "Limbo" contests. I remember having to skate in the opposite direction when the whistle blew. Those were such good times.

So in the spirit of those roller skating days, I've come up with a list of songs that we used to skate to. This took a little research because I couldn't remember all of them. Here are a few:

"Mickey" by Toni Basil
"Centerfold" by J. Geils Band
"Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" by Wham!
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper
"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins
"The Heat of the Moment" by Asia
"Take On Me" by A-Ha
"I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany (*blush*)
"Higher Love" by Steve Winwood
"Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves
"Shout" by Tears for Fears
"Cherry Pie" by Warrant (LOL!)
"Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake (I've really had Whitesnake in my head lately)
"Come On Feel The Noize" by Quiet Riot
"Round and Round" by Ratt (Are you seeing a "hair band" trend here?)
.....and the song that we skated to while holding hands was "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Ritchie

Anybody got any more favorites that I missed?

Thursday Thirteen....

13 things that annoy the heck out of me:

1.) People that pass you on the road and then speed up....only to have to sit at a red light that's a half a mile down the road. Look idiot, what's your hurry? The light is red and you'd have to sit at it whether you're in front of me or behind me. We're all in the same boat here.

2.) Lindsay Lohan. I do not understand Hollywood's obsession with her. In my opinion, she's not pretty, can't sing, probably can't act (haven't seen anything with her in it) and is too skinny. What's so special about her?

3.) Maeve has a new hobby....grinding her teeth. It's the most horrible sound in the world. Richard cannot be around her when she does it. I put my finger to her mouth and say, "No, no", but that doesn't work. She still does it. *sigh*

4.) The idiots that would knock on the door or ring the doorbell when I had a sign on the door that said, "Do not knock on door or ring doorbell....baby sleeping." Um, unless they are illiterate or no habla Ingles, they have no excuse. Leave us the heck alone!

5.) People that I email that don't email me back. You know who you are. What the heck's the problem? The past is the past. Welcome to an ADULT friendship! I promise I don't bite. ;)

6.) Mia decides at about 3 in the morning that she's going to perform a self-cleaning under the covers while I'm trying to sleep. Seriously dog, quick licking yourself!

7.) People that let their kids play in the neighborhood and have no idea what they are doing or where they are. I came upon this little gem this past weekend while visiting Kyra and Maeve's godparents at their house. We were outside and a little boy that was 3 was outside with no adult supervision (except for us). WTF is wrong with parents these days? Keep track of your own freakin kid and yes, worry a bit about where they are! Geez!

8.) That old woman at the gym that takes Jackie's step class on Mondays that always bitches about the volume being too loud. Look hag, move away from the speaker! You're right in front of it! Get some earplugs and suck it up or take the Silver Sneakers class that's right after ours! Some of us like to work out to blaring music! It motivates us!

9.) This flippin weather. Today's high: 78. Tomorrow's high: 47. WTF?

10.) Mold. I'm allergic to it and it's in the air right now. I'm sick and it sucks.

11.) People that don't get out of the damn way at the grocery store. You do not have to take up the entire width of an aisle with your damn basket. Move already!

12.) The checkout lanes at the grocery store that are filled with candy and a bunch of other crap that my kid doesn't need. Once again, in my opinion they need to have kid-friendly aisles with no candy so that the entire checking out experience is a much happier one. I don't want to look like Satan himself anymore when my kid asks for something and I say, "No, not today."

13.) Richard's friends that call at all hours to talk to him. Um, here's a newsflash: WE HAVE KIDS! It shouldn't be news to you!

***I'd kindly like to point out that I didn't bitch or moan about Richard directly, which HAS to be a first! LOL!

OMG! Remember this?

I saw another blog mentioning this show and now I can't get the theme song out of my head!

http://www.toonarific.com/show_page.php?show_id=1437&pt_id=1

And I had a Dotty Dog. She was my favorite!

A "sign" of things to come.....

So I found this taped on the door to Kyra's room this morning. She told me that it says, "No babies allowed in my room." I guess that means that she's not too happy with Maeve's recent mobility. But, then again Kyra insisted on covering Maeve up with a blanket this morning so they could play "tent", so she must like her sister somewhat! ;)

Be my valentine.....

Happy Valentine's Day! It's usually just like any other day around here. Richard did surprise me with a beautiful card though that totally describes where we are right now in our marriage. I love it and I love him! He offered to get Kyra from school and take her out to eat, so that's where he is right now. He even got her a card. He's a great daddy!

I really wanted to highlight the way I feel about my 4 loves that I look forward to waking up to every single day. I hope that it gives you a little peek into why I'm so proud to be a wife and a mommy right now.

Richard- Where do I begin? Richard came into my life at a time where I had just about given up on love and he never left. I was very persistent with him and always was there for him "as a friend". Nothing more. Then one night, I told myself that I needed to forget about him and move on and lo and behold that's when the phone rang. I was in shock. Who knew? I still remember all of the crazy times that we shared together early on and cannot believe that we were so stupid. But you do crazy things for love, right? I can't believe that we've known each other for 11 years now and have been married for almost 8 of those! WOW! We fit together really well and we enjoy the smallest and goofiest things. I really don't think either one of us could be married to anyone else because there's no way that they'd put up with all of our crap! LOL! I've seen just about every aspect of him.....anger, excitement, sadness, grief, happiness. Through it all, I love him more and more every day even if he is a total pain in the ass sometimes. We have had some speed bumps along the way, but we always came out better and stronger. The love that he has for me and the girls just amazes me. He is such a "hands-on" daddy and cherishes every moment with his family. I love him more than words can say.

Kyra- She is the most sensitive and caring 4 year old that I've ever met and I'm not just saying that because she's my own. I mean it. I honestly do not know where she comes up with half of the stuff that she does. She's amazing. Yesterday, she told me that she misses her Granny (says this numerous times per week) and wishes that she could send a Valentine up to Heaven for her. Then she was concerned and asked if God plans a Valentine's Day for all of those in Heaven. This morning on the way to school, she told me that she missed her "Whales" class (her class last year). She also made a Valentine card for Maeve this morning and wrote all of our names on it. She's always going out of her way to make others happy. I see her getting into a profession like teaching where you always have to give of yourself and make a difference in the lives of others. She still comes and sits on my lap when Maeve isn't around and says, "Mommy, you're the best mommy. I love you." My heart just melts. My favorite time with her is bedtime. We brush teeth and potty and then I read a book to her. Then we say prayers. If you read previous blogs, you'll see that Kyra likes to pray for some pretty weird things. But, it's sweet and I softly chuckle. We hug and kiss and then she goes to sleep. She doesn't want to fall asleep in her bed, so when Richard is here, we carry her to her room after she falls asleep. When Richard works, she sleeps with me the entire night. She really thinks that's a treat! Kyra is so passionate and caring toward Mia and Maeve too. They are her best friends. She wants Mia in the bed with her at night when she falls asleep. She sweet talks to Maeve all of the time and shares her toys with her. I love seeing the two of them play together. It's the greatest reward any mother could want. I love the way Kyra thinks that her Papoo (my dad) hung the moon! My Kyra has made me a better mommy and I adore her. I love her big brown eyes. They are so expressive and full of joy and love. I still call her my "Kika" and she hates it. But, she's my baby and always will be!

Maeve- Maeve has been with me for the shortest amount of time, but I cannot believe how much my heart has grown over the last 9 1/2 months. I can't imagine my life without my "little bear". I was much more relaxed when she was born and wanted to give nursing a go. We struggled with many issues at first, but we made it through the rough times and now I really love our nursing relationship. I'm not ready to stop just yet and neither is she. I love the way she looks up at me when she nurses and strokes my face. I love the way she gives me a warm smile when she wakes up and kicks her leg and flails her arms in excitement. I love the way that she "talks" to the water in the tub. I love the way that she fusses when she wants her daddy to pick her up. I love her gorgeous blue eyes. I still have to pinch myself because I cannot believe that I have a child with blue eyes. I love the way she screeches in delight when she is greeted by Kyra. I love the way she studies my face when I'm doing something that she's totally interested in. That serious look is priceless. I love the way she sucks on her two middle fingers when she wants to go to sleep. It's adorable. I cannot wait to see how her little personality develops and I cannot wait to hear what she's interested in. I look forward to watching my baby grow up. Just when I thought that my heart couldn't get bigger after having Kyra, it just doubled with more love after I had Maeve.

Mia- Mia is like one of my children. I've never thought of her as "just a dog". She plays with all of us. She sleeps with Richard and I. She doesn't speak, but she melts all of our hearts. She greets us when we walk in the door. She sits on our laps and looks at us with those cute doggy eyes. She barks when strangers come to the door to protect us. She loves to find the tiniest of spaces to crawl into and cuddle up. She adores blankets and laundry just out of the dryer. She loves the heating pad and the electric blanket. She's the laziest of dogs, but the most loving. I never had a dog before Mia, and totally wish that I would have. BUT, I'm glad that Mia came into my life as my 1st dog. I really couldn't have asked for a better one. We are going to expand our family with another dog in a few years. I cannot wait. I hope that Mia isn't too jealous. :)

I hope that you've gotten a better idea of why I love my family so much. They mean the world to me. Without them, I am nothing.

Love to all! *smooch*

I adore this restaurant!

I have never been to Jaime's here in Austin, but the local news did a story on the restaurant tonight and talked about how they encourage breastfeeding mothers to come and eat there. They want to start a trend and hope other restaurants in Austin will follow their lead! I'm overjoyed because finally a restaurant "gets it". Here's a pic of a sign that they have out front that was on the news and that's on their website!

Tampon art.....

This is for the Martha Stewarts out there! LOL!

http://spiderwalkblogg.blogspot.com/2006/02/spider-walks-oddities.html
(Courtesy of Spiderwalk's blog)

Dental love.....

I'm so proud of my hubby today. In about 30 minutes, Richard is having a TON of dental work done. They said that it's going to take about an hour and a half to get it all done and that's just ON ONE SIDE of his mouth! He will have to go back for them to finish the other side.

Richard has been putting off going to the dentist for years now. All of the 8 fillings in his mouth need to be replaced. He has a new cavity that's going to have to be filled. He hasn't had his teeth cleaned in years, so I'm sure that his teeth and his gums will appreciate the cleaning that's going to happen when all of the other work is done.

Richard HATES everything associated with the dentist. Seriously. He won't even go with me to Kyra's dentist. I think it really stems from bad experiences as a child. That's why it's my mission to let Kyra and Maeve have the most positive experiences. I had a wonderful dentist and a wonderful orthodontist too, so the many trips to visit both of them didn't bother me at all.

Richard made it his mission to get his teeth taken care of this year. He's also got some nose issues, so he'll be headed to an ENT soon as well. I'm really proud of him. He'll slowly realize that doctors are not bad people. ;) Every time he complains, I say, "Look, I endured 2 pregnancies and had 2 c-sections, so your situation is a piece of cake!"

Oh and this must be the week of teeth because my sister Lisa is having her wisdom teeth taken out on Friday!

A trip to the theater.....

Melissa and I took Kyra and Jake to see "Curious George" this afternoon. What's pitiful is that I cannot remember the last time I saw a movie in the theater. I honestly think that it was before Kyra was born. I did the coolest thing though. I went online beforehand and bought tickets. It was much easier that way and we just walked right in. I used fandango.com to do it.

Things haven't changed much. Concessions still cost an arm and a leg. I think it's gotten worse. I got Kyra a "Kid's Reel" and that came with a small drink, a small popcorn, and a little travel size M&M for $4.75. Before we got to the theater, I went by a convenient store and bought some peanuts and a flavored water and tucked it in my purse. I think I'm gong to do that next time for Kyra....especially if we go more often. Stupid expensive food!

The movie was good. I was thinking that children's movies, especially animated ones would be a lot more interesting if I'd have a drink or two beforehand! LOL! Do they sell THOSE at the theater? ;)

As the nose runs.....

Maeve has a stuffy nose today. Wonderful. That means that she's working on toofie #7. I felt in her mouth and sure enough, there's a bump on top AGAIN. That would make 5 teeth on top and just 2 on the bottom. I took her to the doctor for her 9 month checkup the other week and the pediatrician looked in her mouth and said, "Woah!" My thoughts exactly. I wish the teething gods would give this kid a break already. Geez! She was extra fussy today and didn't nap for more than 45 minutes at a time, so we are in for a rough few days. Ugh.

On another note, Kyra, Richard, and I were watching TV and this is what conversation commenced.

Kyra: "Daddy, can I speak to you ALONE in my room?"

Richard: "Sure Kyra."

Me: "I can't come? When will I find out what you two are talking about?"

Kyra: "In about 20 years!"

WTF?

They went in her room and "talked" but I never did find out what was so important that she just HAD to talk to her daddy and not me. :(

I'm easy to please....

Richard got this at Target tonight. It's an oil heater. We already have one from a few Christmases ago. My aunt had Richard's name and got him one for his shop. Well, we've found that Maeve's room is so cold at night, so we keep it in her room. So now the shop is without one, which I hate because I cannot work out in there because it's so cold. So, Richard spent $25 and bought another one. He just called from work to tell me. I'm so excited! I can finally just go out in the shop and know that it's warm in there and do Flow, Pump, or walk on my treadmill! YIPPEEE!

It's the little things.....

I'm so bored....

I've done NOTHING today. I haven't cleaned, I haven't straightened anything up around the house. It's a mess. I don't care. The weather is nasty and I have no desire to work out AT ALL. Maybe I'll do Flow tomorrow here at home. I feel icky when I don't work out, so that's probably why I'm in a bad mood. I just took a shower, so I guess I did SOMETHING. Maeve is napping and Kyra is watching tv, so it was nice to do that in peace. It seems like Kyra has a radar for when I'm in the bathroom and comes in there and says, "Mommy, what are you doing?" Um, what do you think I'm doing? Richard now locks the door. Lucky him. He claims she's "at that age". I wish I could lock the door. She understands when daddy's in there, but with me, she'd be banging on the door and wondering why it's locked. Ugh.

When Maeve is awake, I'm not bored. I spend my time chasing her all over the house. She loves to crawl in Kyra's room but completely ignores her own and the bathroom (which are also right there). Crazy kid!

Thursday Thirteen....

1.) It's a great week for TV! First there was Idol. The Grammy Awards were on last night. Tonight is Dancing With The Stars. Tomorrow night is the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics! So much TV, so little time! ;)

2.) I saw some pics of Maeve as a newborn the other day and really got all sad and teary-eyed. I told Richard that if we could have afforded it, I would have loved to have a 3rd child. He agreed. We also agreed that we are happy with our two girls though and look forward to watching them grow up.

3.) Richard's favorite thing to do when he comes home from work in the morning is play the guitar for Maeve. He sits there with it and she just stares at him in awe. It's so cute. She also wants daddy to pick her up. He does, and then he lets her bang on it! LOL!

4.) I've decided that North Austin drivers must be horrible. When listening to traffic reports on the radio, there are always wrecks in North Austin. I wonder if they really drive that bad. Susan, do you know? ;)

5.) We are going to the beach this summer! We are going to be photographed on the beach and plan on hooking up with the CC ladies! I can't wait!

6.) I feel like I'm getting old because I wake up in the morning with sore muscles and cracking bones. I'm sure the colder weather and the fact that I overexerted myself working out this week doesn't help things. :(

7.) Maeve is almost 10 months old and I still can't get over how blue her eyes are. It still hasn't sunk in that I have a child with blue eyes.

8.) Kyra is at MDO right now. I can't wait to pick her up in an hour. I'm really going to miss her in the fall when she goes to Kinder. *sigh*

9.) I really need to give Mia a bath. She doesn't stink or anything, but I've been putting it off and really need to do it. I like to do it when the weather is warmer. I guess today is my last chance because it's going to be cold tomorrow again.

10.) I was going to try taking Maeve and Kyra to the gym tomorrow, but it's supposed to rain, so I think we'll just stay home and I'll do Yoga here instead. :)

11.) Kyra told me that she wants to marry me. I think it's cute that she thinks so highly of me. LOL!

12.) Maeve is usually in bed by 7 and Kyra is usually in bed by 8. I love that. I get some "me" time.

13.) I think I'll watch Idol on the DVR now. I missed it last night.

Panic attacks....

Oh yes, they are soon on the horizon. Here's why I'm prone to having them.

-Maeve is mobile. She's not crawling on her hands and knees, but she's army crawling and if she wants to get somewhere, then she does.

-Today Maeve stared at herself in a mirror for about 30 minutes and tried to put up to kneel against it. Soon she'll be standing. And then walking. :(

-Speaking of standing, she stood up against her bed (with my help) and stayed there for about 30 minutes laughing and being completely happy. That kid WANTS to be upright. She's very independent and doesn't want my help with much. When she's on her own, we are so screwed.

-Have I mentioned that Kyra starts Kinder in the fall?

-Have I also mentioned that Kyra wants to ride the bus? *shudder* My BABY wants to ride the bus! Mommy doesn't know if she likes that idea.

-Today it hit me that it's February. Next month is March, and then is April. April means that Maeve turns a year old. Last night I was watching "Friends" and Emma had her 1st birthday and I just burst into tears (stupid hormones). My BABY will be a year old soon!

-With Maeve growing up, I'm sure that weaning is around the bend. I have mixed feelings over that. In a way, I'm ready for us to be done, but the other part of me wants her to nurse for at least another year or two. After all, she's my FIRST nursing baby, but also my LAST baby. *sigh*

This consistently cracks me up....

http://www.khou.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=9

This is a weather message board from a TV station in Houston. I was tuned into it during the impending landfall of Hurricane Rita. I kept it in my "favorites" and visit it from time to time....especially when I want a good laugh. Some of the people that post on it are obsessed with it snowing in Texas. Well, not just Texas, but Southeast Texas! Why are they so obsessed, you ask? Well, on December 24, 2004, pigs flew, shrimp whistled (you get the point), and snow fell along the Texas coast. My hometown of Victoria received a foot of snow. Yes, all of the folks down there woke up to a White Christmas. So, it's the mission of the people on this message board to take everything literally. When the temperature is predicted to be below 32 or rain or frozen precipitation is mentioned, they automatically think "snow" and start wetting their pants. They are obsessed with models and forecasts and predictions. It's hilarious! Go there and read some of the messages yourself. I've never come across people so passionate about the weather.

Self portrait #3.....

This was taken in May of 1990. The reason I know that is because of my little cousin Joshua on the left. He was an income tax baby and was born on April 15, 1990. I chose this picture because it was one of the last few taken before my mom passed away. My mom is just to the left of my Aunt Glenda, who is in the pink shirt holding my cousin Mark. My dad is just behind my mom. I am next to my Aunt Sandra in the red shirt. My sister Lisa has the white Texas t-shirt on. Just when I thought Lisa's smile was cheesy enough, I see Megan just below her! LOL! This photo was taken at a family reunion. This is my mom's side of the family. I've just missed my mom in so many ways lately and was happy when I found a picture of her. I know that a lot of you probably haven't seen a picture of her before, so I wanted to share and this was the perfect opportunity. Enjoy!

Cheap entertainment.....

This is why you have kids, right? LOL! This is what we had them doing tonight. Kyra was all for it. Maeve looks a bit scared, doesn't she? ;) Actually, she loved it. This went on for a good 10-15 minutes and then all of a sudden, Richard and I hear a blood curdling scream from Maeve. Kyra pushed her a little too hard and she fell over backwards. Maeve was crying because she was hurt and Kyra was crying because she hurt her little sister! Poor babies! They're no worse for the wear though!

Somebody stop me before I strangle him.....

Yes I'm talking about Richard. He came home this morning from work and for some reason he started rambling about guys at work and that turned into rambling about their kids. Then he has the nerve to say this gem:

"I thought that breastmilk makes kids smarter. There are guys at work whose kids are formula-fed and their kids are crawling and walking. I just don't get why Maeve isn't doing all of that yet."

Um, maybe because she's not ready yet, ya dumbass. Geez! Give the kid a break! She's just 9 months old. She could be doing all of that tomorrow! I went on to explain to him that all kids develop at different rates and probably part of the reason why Maeve isn't in a hurry is because she has a sister that does everything for her. Then I explained further that when Maeve is totally mobile (she's "scooting" or "army crawling" right now), his life as he knows it will be over with and he'll be chasing her all over the house because she'll be into EVERYTHING. I told him that he should be in no hurry for that to happen.

Then I told him to go to work tonight and ask his friends how many times their formula-fed kids have been to the doctor. I figured that might shut him up. Oh and I offered to buy a $20 can of formula and *try* to give it to Maeve if that would make him feel better. That REALLY shut him up.

I just wanted to hit him this morning. He's been nothing but supportive so far and then he comes home with this nonsense? Ugh!

Friday funny.....

(courtesy of Kyra, of course)

We had just pulled out of the driveway this morning, when I hear Kyra belt out this doozy:
"Mommy, I think I want to join a golf team so daddy can watch me play golf on TV. Then you and him can sit there and say, 'That's our little girl!'"

WTF?

20 truths to remember....

I got this in an email from my friend Emily. I highlighted the ones that I really like. ;)

1. Faith is the ability to not panic.
2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.
3. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.
4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
6. Do the math. Count your blessings.
7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
8. Dear God, I have a problem. It's me.
9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
10. Laugh every day, it's like inner jogging.
11. The most important things in your home are the people.
12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.
13. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.
14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead. (OMG! I HAVE to send this one to Richard!)
16. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.
17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it, otherwise it's just hear say.
18. Its all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.
19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle - it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.
20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others
think you are.

Let it go....

I got this in an email today. I love it!

LET IT GO......IN 2006
By T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this!

When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk.Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not forus. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay. Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over.

And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over.

Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it.

Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to......LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains .......LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth.....LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you ........LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge......LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction......LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude.......LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better......LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him......LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship.......LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves......LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed ..........LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to......LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2006!!! LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left .. think about it, and then. LET IT GO!!!

"The Battle is the Lord's!"