I knew it!

***You Are a Bloody Mary***

You're a fairly serious drinker, who's experimented a lot with different drinks.You're a drunk, but a stable drunk. You don't ever let your drinking get out of control.

What Mixed Drink Are You?http://www.blogthings.com/whatmixeddrinkareyouquiz/

Come on down!

I went to the gym yesterday and walked/ran on the treadmill. I actually walked for about 25 minutes and ran for about 15 minutes (the running part I'm very proud of....haven't ran since right after I found out I was pregnant with Maeve). Anyway, Price Is Right was on, so I thought I'd watch it. I haven't watched that show in years. Not much has changed though. Bob Barker is still the host and I assume that he'll host the show till he meet his Maker. I do worry a bit about his ticker when these people tug and pull on him and jump around like they've won the lottery. But I'm betting he's pretty used to that by now.

One thing I did notice was that ALL of the people that were initially in contestant's row ALL had homemade Bob Barker/Price Is Right t-shirts on. I guess that ups their chances of making it to the stage. They have to do some sort of screening process though. I highly doubt that they just "randomly" pick people. I'm sure that they pick the people that fit the bill for good TV.

Oh and I'm wondering if they play "Plinko" on every show or just one time a week. The crowd went nuts like the biggest rock star stepped out on stage. I did feel sorry for the lady that played the game though. She won 5 Plinko chips and every one of them landed in the "O" slot except the last one. She ended up with $500. So much for $50,000 Plinko.

One game that I'd love to go on is Wheel of Fortune. I've gotten a lot of the bonus round puzzles when the people haven't. I find myself YELLING at the TV and ticked off when they don't guess it within those 10 seconds. Ugh. Plus you have the opportunity to win a heck of a lot more money on there than you do on the Price Is Right.

The funniest game show out there was Press Your Luck. Remember the whammies? LOL!

Yum!

We have a toofie!

I put a finger in Maeve's mouth this afternoon and noticed something above the gumline. Yep, she cut a tooth! WOW! She doesn't seem all that bothered by it, but she won't nap today. *sigh*

My baby is 6 months old tomorrow. *sniff, sniff*

Kyra had her Noah's Ark Halloween carnival at school today. She came home with the motherload of goodies. I can't believe how much stuff she got! She had fun and said they got to play a lot of games (which is right up her alley).

Overall it's been a good day (so far). We'll just see how tonight goes. ;)

The good life....

Life has been kind of hectic and a little rough lately. So, I thought instead of being negative, I'd post a few positive things that I'm thankful for.

1.) Fall is here! I just love that cool, crisp smell that's in the air right now. The weather was gorgeous today!

2.) Kids are healthy. Granted Maeve is up several times a night, but she's fine. She's thriving. She's laughing at me in the middle of the night. *yawn* But she's fine. Kyra never ceases to amaze me. I swear that kid is wise beyond her years. Some of the things that come out of her mouth just floor me.

3.) I've had more time for working out and that alone has improved my mood.

4.) We are going out of town this weekend! I need to get away and see some family!

5.) I made some $$$ at the consignment shop today, so I turned around and bought some clothing for the kiddos and only owed $4! YIPPEEEE!

6.) I calmly asked Richard if he would be so kind as to pick me up my favorite beverage on his way home from work this week. It's a peppermint hot chocolate from none other than Starbucks! He said, "Sure!" YUMMMMM!

7.) House is quiet. Ahhhhh.....

8.) My sister is finally going to show me how she makes those cute blankets by taking two pieces of fleece fabric and tying them together. That's going to be a weekend project and I can't wait!

9.) The Bill Miller's down the road is almost complete. I'm gonna get me some BBQ!

10.) The Astros are in the World Series. Now they just gotta win some games!

The Material Girl

I watched the last half of a documentary on Madonna on Friday night on MTV. It was called, "I've Got A Secret" and it showcased her recent concert tour. Honestly, nothing "wowed" me about her at all. Is anybody else under the impression that Madonna is trying to revive her youth? She was up there singing her hits like, "Holiday" and "Like A Prayer". I honestly thought that she did an interview where she said that she didn't like all of those songs. I guess they were before her "reinventing" stage. I think her age is starting to show too. Maybe that's why the entire show was in black and white (or maybe it was shown that way because it was a documentary....who knows).

Another thing that bothered me was that they showed her kids a lot. They showed Lourdes teaching her mom phrases in French. Yeah, we get that you pay top dollar for this kid to know 5 different languages. Madonna also was laying on the bed with Rocco and she asked him, "Who's the queen, Rocco?" He said, "You are mommy!" Gag.

And what is name anyway? Is it Madonna? Esther? Madge? I swear she's always in an identity crisis. Or maybe it's the media that loves to give her different names for their notoriety. Who knows.

I just think that her 15 minutes were up a long time ago.

The need for speed....

Kyra and I went to the grocery store this evening. We walked in and I saw that there was virtually NOBODY in the checkout lanes. GREAT! We got 3, yes, 3 items. We get back to the checkout lanes and there's people everywhere! Isn't that strange? I swear it was a matter of about 1o minutes and all lanes were full!

One of the lanes had a sign by the number that said, "Fastest Checker In An Hour". I'm not kidding. As one would guess, yep, there were a TON of people in that guy's line.

First of all, how do you determine that one is the "fastest checker"? Is there someone standing there taking note? Do the computers tell them how many customers they check out in an hour?

Second, I would NEVER want to be known as "the fastest checker". What pressure! Dude has this long line and you know that people are standing there thinking, "This guy is slower than molasses!" I'm just wondering how long he got to keep that title. LOL!

Ahhhh....the joys of going to the grocery store on a Saturday night. There's nothing like it. ;)

The idiots at the video store....

This is funny! Soooooo outdated!

Newborn nostalgia....

I was watching some of the baby shows today on TLC and realized that I have never witnessed a vaginal birth. Both of my babies were c-sections. Something in me wants to witness that experience one day....not on my own, but through someone else. I'm happy and content with the way that my babies came into the world because I feel that it was God's will for it to happen the way that it did. But I often wonder about the apprehension and excitement that would come with giving birth vaginally. I hope that I'm lucky enough to get that phone call one day to come up to the hospital and be there for the big event. It might be my sister or it might be someone else. Whatever the case, I'll be ready. And I hope that I don't pass out! LOL!

Cops....

Today I had to get into the correct lane to turn and notice that I had to cut in front of a cop. Not that it's a big deal, but it makes me feel uneasy.....like I cheated on a test or something. I did all of the right things like putting my blinker on and checking my blindspot. :)

So then the cop ends up in the lane next to me and a few blocks down the street, he's in front of me. Fine. What does he do when he nears the light to make a right hand turn? NOTHING. He just slams on the brakes and turns. That is a TOTAL pet peeve of mine. Why can't they turn on their blinker? Ugh. It ticks me off when they expect us to enforce all of the rules, but don't do so themselves. I hope for Anna's sake that it wasn't Jeff in front of me! LOL!

Also, where do cops get gas? Have you ever seen a cop car at a gas station? I haven't. Do they have their own secret pump somewhere? Do they fill up all of the cop cars in the middle of the night? What gives? If someone knows, please tell me!

On the verge....

So I stayed up to watch the Astros last night. Maeve was awake again, so I thought I'd just stay awake to see them win. Um, not gonna happen. What the hell did happen? They were 1 OUT AWAY! 1 OUT! Richard was in here and I was just speechless. I swear that my heart stopped.

I seriously think that some of these sporting events must send some folks over the edge. During that game last night, I think one could experience every emotion there is to experience. Good grief.

So Jen, how are ya doing? ;)

100 things....

1.) Maeve slept through the night last night for the first time in months.
2.) I felt rested this morning.
3.) Kyra and I spent some time together this morning.
4.) We went to the gym and to the library.
5.) She loved it.
6.) I’m currently watching the Food Network.
7.) I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite channel.
8.) I hate to cook, but I like watching others cook.
9.) My favorite personality on there is Paula Dean.
10.) Richard likes Rachael Ray.
11.) I find her annoying.
12.) So does my sister, Lisa.
13.) Oprah is giving Rachael Ray her own show.
14.) I guess she’ll be the next Dr. Phil.
15.) I also find myself watching The Weather Channel a lot.
16.) I heart Jim Cantore.
17.) What is it with me and meteorologists?
18.) Now I’m watching the Astros.
19.) I wish my Granny were here.
20.) She was the biggest Astros fan ever.
21.) I miss her.
22.) Kyra mentions her a lot.
23.) My mom had birthday last Wednesday.
24.) Kyra brought her up out of the blue that exact day.
25.) Her angels must be talking to her.
26.) I’m sick of this hot weather.
27.) October is pretty much my favorite month of the year provided that the cooler weather arrives.
28.) Kyra is going to be a Care Bear for Halloween.
29.) The costume is too small.
30.) But she insisted on getting it anyway.
31.) Maeve is going to be a piggy.
32.) It suits her perfectly.
33.) Have you seen my “chunk” lately?
34.) She still can’t sit up by herself.
35.) But she can roll both ways.
36.) Kyra was pulling herself up to stand at 6 ½ months.
37.) Frankly, that scares me.
38.) I think Maeve is going to do that later on.
39.) She hasn’t cut a tooth yet either.
40.) Kyra cut one at 4 months.
41.) I’m proud to say that I’ve never had a cavity.
42.) My dentist says that I have “virgin teeth.”
43.) I think that’s kind of funny.
44.) By the way, Jen, I love flip flops. ;)
45.) My black Old Navy ones are my favorite.
46.) I wear them everywhere.
47.) Richard and I both can’t stand for closets or cabinets to be left open.
48.) It freaks us out.
49.) I also turn my pillow over several times per night.
50.) I like it when it’s cool on the other side.
51.) Kyra only gets her blankie at naptime or bedtime.
52.) She’s adjusted quite nicely to that.
53.) Her new best friend at school is named Becca.
54.) The other day when they came in from chapel time, they were holding hands.
55.) How cute is that?
56.) I can’t believe my baby will be in Kindergarten next year.
57.) I’m having panic attacks just thinking about it.
58.) Where did the time go?
59.) We are going to get another female Chihuahua one day.
60.) We are going to name her “Ellie”.
61.) We haven’t decided on a color though.
62.) I’d like a chocolate or a black one.
63.) When we got Mia, we were planning on getting a male.
64.) Richard went to pick her up and she was the only pup left in the box.
65.) He said that he couldn’t leave her there.
66.) We should have gotten a dog a lot SOONER than we did.
67.) Mia is now 6 years old.
68.) We got her just before Y2K.
69.) Mia and Calli (Lisa and Nate’s Yorkie) have a love/hate relationship.
70.) Mia and Raider (Lisa and Nate’s Chocolate Lab) have a hate/hate relationship.
71.) Right now all I teach is Body Flow.
72.) I want to get certified to teach Body Step one day.
73.) I don’t know if I can handle more than 2 programs though.
74.) The gym starts to really “die down” during this time of year.
75.) But come January, we’ll be packed again.
76.) Then by February and March, those New Years’ Resolution people mysteriously disappear.
77.) I’m getting pretty bored with The Real World-Austin.
78.) They HAVE NOT showed the gym at all.
79.) However, the Dizzy Rooster is getting lots of airtime.
80.) So are a lot of the other bars on 6th Street.
81.) I have to say that the girls are a lot prettier on TV than they are in person.
82.) Thanks to fabulous editing, I’m sure.
83.) Kyra just told me that “I’m the best mommy ever.”
84.) She tells me this like 10 times a day.
85.) I swear I’m not bribing her and that she says that on her own free will.
86.) I don’t think I’ve ever heard her tell Richard that “he’s the best daddy ever.”
87.) How sad.
88.) Maeve laughs when I “fake” a sneeze.
89.) I’ve had so many people comment on her beautiful blue eyes.
90.) I swear that she’s the mailman’s kid. J
91.) Richard’s mom swears that some Great, Great Uncle had those eyes.
92.) Hmmmmmm……not sure I believe that.
93.) We are done having babies.
94.) I’m fine with that.
95.) I have decided that I really like not being so sleep deprived.
96.) Richard is my hero.
97.) A month ago, he got the “snip snip”.
98.) He said that he doesn’t know what the big deal is about it.
99.) Recovery was a breeze.
100.) I’m at 100!

Awaiting Fall....

I'm so anxious for this "cool" front to come through tomorrow. This summer has been brutal. I am thanking my lucky stars that I was not pregnant during this heatwave. I loved having late April and mid June babies.

That chill in the air gets everyone excited. I went through one of Maeve's drawers today and actually found some stuff that Kyra wore that I had saved. That'll come in handy. The "pumpkin patch" downtown will be more enjoyable to visit as well. I plan on taking the kids there soon. I don't want to wait till most of them are gone. I'll let Kyra pick one. I've never carved a pumpkin before, so it should be interesting.

The kids are wonderful. Kyra is loving school. They have so many fun activities planned there. Last Thursday, they had a bunch of moonwalks set up and the kids jumped in those and played some "carnival-like" games. Next week, they are having a petting zoo come to the school. The local fire department will visit as well with their trucks.

Maeve is so incredibly fun these days. She can roll from tummy to back and back to tummy with no problem at all. She even "army crawls". I tried to see if she could sit up by herself today, but she's a little "top heavy" yet. hehe! I haven't started her on solids yet, but I will when she hits that 6 month mark. Her ped. and I were in no hurry to start sooner. I think she'll do just fine. She loves her breastmilk, so we'll slowly add fruit and veggies to that.

Mia is my last "kid" to update on. She's really taking a liking to the baby. She smells her and licks her if she gets a chance. Maeve is just in awe of the dog. It's hilarious. She gets this look on her face like, "What in the world is that thing?" Mia and Kyra are best buddies. They "play" and Mia snuggles up to Kyra in the bed at night. They are like siblings. I'll be interested to see how this all plays out once we add another dog to the mix. Hopefully, my husband will want to wait till Maeve is a little older. He's talking about getting one early next year and that's waaaaaay too soon for me! I'll have a newly mobile little girl to chase after!

Kyra said to Maeve the other day, "Maeve, I love you more than the bunnies." Yeah, what bunnies? ;)

Someday I will....

-get a full night's sleep again.
-get to go to the bathroom ALONE.
-wear my "diet" clothes again.
-get to take a kidless vacation.
-cook a full meal without being interrupted.
-take a shower without Kyra coming into the bathroom. I swear that kid has a radar for me.
-wear a bikini and feel good about it.
-sit outside at a live music venue while sipping a margarita.
-sit through an entire Mass without a kid asking, "What's that?" or "Is it time to go yet?" Ugh.
-do a triathlon.
-do all of my Christmas shopping online (I actually hope that it'll happen this year).
-have an actual "date" with my husband without there being a child or a pump involved.
-get my boobs back.
-bask in the warm sunshine on a tropical island.
-not have to shave my legs.
-get a much needed deep tissue massage.
-learn my Body Flow on time.

One can dream right?

Boarding up....

Just because I think this is funny....

Dodging a bullet.....

Well we were pretty much spared by yet another hurricane. The scary thing is that they keep hitting more and more westward, so maybe next time we won't be so lucky. I pray that this season ends soon. It's been way too busy and catastrophic.

On that note, I'm sick to death of the people on some of the Houston TV station message boards criticizing officials for making them leave and then criticizing the forecasters for not making the right predictions. Um, with EVERY hurricane, we know that these things have a mind of their own and they'll go in where they want to go in. These people should just be thankful that they have their life to savor and a home to go back to. I think we all learned a lesson from Katrina in that you MUST be prepared and ready to go because you never know when the "big one" will hit and you never know what kind of damage it'll do. As much trouble as it was for everyone to get out of there, I'm glad they did. I hope that they are glad that they left too. Better safe than sorry.

I'm speechless when it comes to poor New Orleans. I really don't know what to say. The levees didn't hold and the city is under water again. It's so disheartening. It makes me wonder if this is God's way of telling them not to rebuild. But if you don't rebuild, then what are you gonna do? Let the city be part of the Gulf? Plus who's going to want to go back to live there? That's a tough situation. I pray that God watches over everyone working down there and that God watches over the people who are starting new lives elsewhere.

Richard's family came to stay here for a few days when we thought that Rita was going to hit closer to Victoria. My dad went to stay with my sister. Lisa and my uncle went down to Victoria and collected all of the photo albums. When they called me that day to say that they had done that, that's when it hit me. One of these things could wipe out my entire hometown. Scary. Very scary.

And to my Aunt Rita....I still love you. :)

Kyra, the babysitter.....

It's no secret that Kyra is a very independent little girl. She thinks that she can do everything....everything from dressing herself to getting something to eat by herself. Can you already see where I'm going with this? ;)

This morning I left to teach at the downtown gym. Richard was resting in our bed and Maeve was napping. Kyra was probably either playing on the computer or watching tv. We've never had to worry about her wrecking the house if we are asleep. We trust her a lot and she's just not the type of kid to make a huge mess.

The monitor stays in our room, but either it was off or Kyra turned it off. In any case, Richard didn't hear Maeve and she woke up. He didn't hear her, but guess who did? That's right. Her sister did. So imagine Richard's surprise when he gets out of bed and see Maeve sitting in her Bumbo seat in the living room! He said that he almost had a heart attack. Kyra said, "See, I can be Maeve's babysitter!" She had gotten her out of her crib and carried her into the living room. I've played that scene over and over in my mind and the thought puts me on the verge of a panic attack. I absolutely cannot believe that Kyra picked Maeve up! Maeve is probably about 17 lbs. now. I'm grateful that she got to her to the Bumbo safely, but what if she would have dropped her?

Richard and I sat Kyra down and told her that although she's a HUGE help with Maeve around the house, she SHOULD NOT ever pick her up. I told her that she can "babysit" without picking her up. Bless her heart though....she was just trying to help and be the wonderful big sister that she is.

I swear there's never a dull moment around here.

Sisterly love....

The girls were so cute tonight. I was giving Maeve a bath in her tub in the sink and Kyra was sitting at on one of the barstools and was singing. Maeve started giggling at her. Then Kyra would laugh. Maeve would laugh too! Finally, Kyra decided to start telling Maeve her "knock knock" jokes. She went on and on...making up the dumbest jokes I'd ever heard. Funny thing is by this time, Maeve was kicking and flailing her arms and laughing hysterically. I told Richard that Maeve must be the only one that thinks Kyra's jokes are funny! :0

It was the first time they've really interacted with each other. Sure Kyra walks around the room and Maeve follows her with her eyes. But this time was different. It was as if they were both on the same page.

I love my girlies!

Girl talk.....

The girls are doing ok this week. Kyra's allergies started bothering her over the weekend. They've gotten better but now Maeve sounds horrible. Ugh. Richard also has them and has almost completely lost his voice. I think there's good ol Mold in the air right now. Lovely. Looks like the girls are following in my footsteps with being highly allergic to that stuff. :(

Maeve has been rolling over constantly. She's all over her crib now. I never know how I'm going to find her when I go in there in the mornings. Last night I also discovered that she's VERY ticklish. I love those sweet belly laughs. She also loves for me to talk to her and she loves to babble back. I love this age where they aren't infants, but they aren't mobile yet either. I wish she could stay like this forever. :)

Kyra continues to crack me up. She came in my bed in the middle of the night because she was having "bad dreams". I asked her what her bad dreams were about and she said that "daddy and Spongebob's teacher were trying to take away my blankie." LOL! Guess she's been watching too much TV. Her imagination is running wild these days. Yesterday, she told me that she has affectionately named her blow-up toy from Sonic. His name is "Bob". Um, ok. She drew a treasure map the other day and was going around the house looking for things that were on that map. Amazing, I tell ya.

We did have a horrible drop-off at school this morning. Some other kid was crying so Kyra decided that she would too. By the time I walked out the door, she was screaming, "Mommy don't leave me!" My heart was breaking. I made a mad dash to the car with Maeve and we got the heck outta there. Poor kiddo. We still have days like that. Tuesday she was fine, but today was another story. I guess it just comes with growing up. I KNOW that Maeve will do it too.

A heavy heart.....

I hate to write about depressing things, but writing is therapy, right? That's just what I need right now.

I'm so saddened by the devastation left by Katrina. I feel a lot like I did after 9/11. I often turn on one of the news channels and just sit there....staring at the images with an enormous sick feeling. I want to turn off the TV, but I just can't. I feel so helpless. I can't imagine how those trapped must feel. I can't imagine how families that are waiting to hear word from their loved ones must feel. I can't imagine how those that fled and are seeing the horrific aftermath on TV of their own city must feel.

I sit here in silence. My kiddos are asleep. They have been bathed, fed, tucked in, hugged, and kissed. My husband is at work, but at least he has a job. We have a house and two working vehicles. We might not have the best of things, but we have luxuries that others do not have and might not have for a long time.

When I think about it being hot outside, I think about those that don't have a/c or electricity. When I packed Kyra's lunch for school tonight, I thought about those that have nothing to eat or drink. When I think to myself that I need to go to bed soon because Maeve might be up during the night, I think of those that haven't slept at all since this nightmare began.

All of my "problems" seem so small now. I pray to God that somehow, in some way, these people can piece their lives back together. My heart goes out to all of the people affected and my thanks goes to those helping them to safety.

You never know when the end is near so you should always let your loved ones know how you feel. So chances are if you are reading this, you know how much I love and care for you.