Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!!!

Sometimes life is so hilarious. Seriously. It's so weird how seemingly unrelated events can stick in your head and make other things that happen later laugh out loud funny!!!

This all started when one of my awesome aunts posted this blog post( http://thebloggess.com/2011/06/and-thats-why-you-should-learn-to-pick-your-battles/)by my now favorite blogger ever. I am fairly certain that if I met her, we would be best friends forever. I'm so serious!!! Anywho, read the link if you want my story to make any kind of sense at all. I'm perfectly aware that it still might not make sense to anyone but me, but I'm okay with that. Because I enjoy laughing, even if no one else gets the joke.

So, after my entire family read that entry, we all began making jokes about chickens. Another awesome aunt of mine bought a metal chicken and put it on her porch and waited for her husband to notice. My mom made my dad pull over at a farm stand where she saw a giant metal rooster so she could take this picture.

She included the link to the above story and said she had found Beyonce's older brother Bubba. HA!!! Needless to say, we all think chickens and roosters are hilarious now.

Then, the other day, I saw this photo on Facebook and laughed hysterically because it involves a rooster and that's just funny. Plus, he's on stilts. I showed it to everyone in my house. Joe thought it was funny. Seth didn't get it and Stella just yelled, "BIRD!!! Tweet Tweet!!"

Yesterday, it was raining. And cold. I was driving down one of the main busy roads in my area and noticed a rooster trying to run across the road. I felt so bad for that rooster! I mean, it was going to get hit by a car! Luckily, the car it was running around in front of just sat there, patiently waiting for it to move. It got across the road and I cheered! Right on Rooster!!!

So, then I texted Joe: Dude, I just saw a rooster running down the street. I'm not even kidding.

He replied: On stilts?

Best text conversation ever!

P.S. It would be my dream come true if Jenny somehow saw this post. Just because I am certain she would find it funny. And because I am pretty sure she'd ask me to be her best friend.

Shenanigans

Yesterday, as I was dropping my kids off at daycare so I could happily skip down the road to work singing Tra La La La La, I opened Seth's backpack to make sure I didn't miss anything I needed. I found dirt, papers, weird little boy toys, a cereal bar, a bag of popcorn and cayenne pepper. Cayenne Pepper?? I pulled it out and this is what happened.

Me: Why do you have cayenne pepper in your backpack?

Seth:*shrug*

Me: Seriously dude. What is it for? I mean, how did you even reach it when it is in a cabinet even I have to stand on a stool to reach?

Seth: *grins with full on adorable dimple action* and *shrug* I don't know...

I naively thought he wanted to flavor his popcorn with it. And come to think of it, I'm not even sure where he got the popcorn. But then based upon my extensive research using my Facebook friends, I realized that he most likely was up to something.

When I returned home to talk to Joe, we had this conversation.

Me: You know what I found in Seth's backpack this morning?

Joe: What? Oh, hey! You know what I'd really like for Christmas?

Me: What?

Joe: For all the laundry to washed, dried, folded and put away.

Me: How much does that cost? I'll hire someone to do that for you.

Joe: Geez, you're a nice wife. What did you find in Seth's backpack?

Me: Hey man, beggars can't be choosers. Cayenne Pepper! Wtf!

Joe: Huh? Cayenne Pepper? In his backpack?

Me: Yes! How did he even reach the cabinet?

Joe: Um, Karen, I have turned around for 10 seconds and found Stella up on the counter trying to reach that   cabinet. So, I'm sure he can reach it.

Me: What???? OMG, she could fall and bust her head!!! What do you think he was doing with it?

Joe: IDK, probably trying to prank someone.

Me: Damn. They were right.

So, apparently, if your kid has a random spice in his backpack for no apparent reason, he is up to some sort of shenanigans...FYI.

A sticker? Seriously?

This past weekend, my baby turned 2. This is so depressing. But that's not what my story is about. My story is about being THAT mom. You know, the one who has a screaming kid in a public place. Yea, that one.

Saturday morning, I dressed the kids up for Christmas pictures. Stella was having none of that...as you can see here in her facial expression...

Perhaps I should have known that this was not the day to run errands, but they had to be done with her party the next day. So, after her nap, I ventured out. It was cold and raining. I ran the errands and was at the last store, picking up the last few things we needed. I don't even remember what set her off, but Stella began getting fussy and was getting close to tantrum status. 

Of course, you know it's the law that when your kid is being a total brat that there will only be 3 checkers and like 5 million customers in line and you will undoubtedly pick the one line where the person at the front has coupons and complains about the price of every item. Oh and don't forget that the cashier will have issues and have to call for help. Yep. This is what happened to me. And then it began. Stella started to cry about whatever it was. I really don't remember what. 

So, I'm standing there, holding her while she climbs all over me, contorts her body in ways that can't possibly be human, and screams at the top of her lungs, "MOMMY!! NO MOMMY!!!" People start looking at us. Seth starts laughing, because I guess it's hilarious when your little sister starts acting a fool. Me? I start sweating. My anxiety is kicking in. I am sure my face is bright red. But I will.not.back.down. Nope, I will keep calm and pretend it isn't bothering me. I am trying my best to ignore her because the more I say, "Oh Stella, sweetie, we will be done soon, it's alright" in my nice voice, the more she screams and the louder it gets. So, I just stop trying to say anything to her and try to keep her from hurting herself. I just try not to look at the people who are staring at me like I have two heads, even though I really just want to say to them to mind their own business. I mean, don't they realize it is just as embarrassing to me as it is annoying to them? 

Anywho, it seems to be slowing down, which is good because we have been standing in this line without moving for at least 10 minutes. I swear it had to be that long. Ok, so it was probably more like 5 but it really felt longer than that. Suddenly, Stella bit me. Ohmygosh, she bit me! I could not believe it! It hurt really bad too, so now I am not only sweating profusely and beet red, but also have tears in my eyes. I of course said, "No Bite Stella! We do not bite!" in my firmest mom voice. This set off a brand new fit of screaming. Oh gosh. This is just great. I didn't know what to do anymore so I just held her and let her scream. Everyone stared at me. I wanted to scream. I mean, look, we all read the articles and every book under the sun to learn how to deal with a tantrum. Some say take the child away to calm down. Well, this was not practical in this case because I had already been standing in line for so long and if I left now, I'd just have to stand in line again and she'd just flip out again. Also, it was cold and raining outside. So taking her outside wasn't the best option. Yes, we all know there are things we are supposed to do when our kid throws a tantrum. But none of those things really work in the heat of the moment in public. Plus, you can't reason with a toddler. It just doesn't work. 

Finally, after what seems like ALL FREAKING DAY LONG, we make it to the cashier. She asks how I am and I very honestly say "Well, embarrassed, how are you?" She hands Stella a sticker. And she stops crying!!! She even smiles. And sits down in the cart, happily playing with her sticker. You have got to me kidding me!!!??? Some teenage girl just gives her a random, orange sticker that merely says "thank you" on it and that shuts her up???!!! I nearly cried. From frustration or elation, I'm not sure which, but it really doesn't matter. 

All I know is that I'm pretty sure we've all been there, in public, with a screaming child acting completely nutso like they are possessed by some demon. Everyone looks at you like you're an alien and like they would never ever let their kid act that way. But let me tell you something. They probably would. Because at the end of the day, the kid will calm down and will smile and you'll be so happy, you forget about the tantrum that got you all flustered in the first place.

Oh and by the way, the spot she bit me? Right on the neck. And it looks like I have a hickey. And people have been staring at that too. Fantastic.

Red Headed Freak

In the mornings, I drop my kids off at daycare. Stella goes in one room and Seth goes in another. Generally, he walks straight into his and I come back to tell him goodbye after I get his sister settled.

*Note* I died my hair a lovely shade of auburn this past weekend. Yes, it's pertinent to the story.

Anywho...I got Stella settled and went to Seth's room to say goodbye. He was sitting at a table holding court with two girls who were clearly entranced with whatever he was talking about. Star Wars or Transformers, I'm sure. Very stimulating conversation. I kept saying his name over and over but he didn't hear me. So, I walked over to him and said his name once more.

He looked up at me with that mischievous grin and said, "Hi, you red headed freak!" At this exact moment, a mother was sitting her daughter, who was definitely not more than 4 or 5 years old, down at the table and her eyes got so wide. She definitely did not approve of his endearing greeting. I was in panic mode! She is judging me with those eyes! She thinks my kid is a hooligan!! OH DEAR GOD, what do I do!???!!!

Of course I immediately said, "Seth, that is not an appropriate thing to say to anyone. We don't want others repeating something like that." I said this in my very calm, nice mother who never cusses voice. The other mother swiftly nodded and left. WHEW. Fuck, that was close. Man, I thought it was going to get ugly. Really, I found his outburst quite hilarious. I almost laughed. Out loud.

Wasabi is NOT a decongestant

I am coming out of what might be the worst sinus infection I've ever had. I mean, it was bad. I thought it was a normal cold. At least, that's how it started anyway. I woke up with a sore throat on last Sunday and by Friday, my face was puffy and I couldn't breathe if my life depended on it!

Thursday, I was so miserable that I didn't know what else to do. I had tried everything! I had tried vapo-rub, I had tried running the shower as hot as possible and sitting in the steam. I had tried sudafed, sinex, and all the other decongestants I could get my hands on. I was desperate!!! So, after Seth's baseball practice Thursday, I stopped at my favorite sushi place and got the Louisiana Roll. I got that because it is one of the spiciest rolls on the menu and I knew it would also have wasabi. Surely, if I put some wasabi on my sushi, it would clear up my head!

I got home and I put a tiny amount of the wasabi on my sushi and ate it. Nothing. Seriously. Nothing. I didn't taste it. I thought...hmmm...normally, that small amount would make my nose burn and my eyes water! So, I put a bigger glob on the next piece. I put it in my mouth, so hungry for sweet relief...but once again, I tasted nothing. Nothing at all!! I wanted to cry. I put a small amount directly on my tongue...I am completely serious. I was that desperate. It didn't work. I would have cried, by my sinuses were so swollen I think my tear ducts were broken.

I went to Care Now the next day after going to work for a whopping 20 minutes. My boss took one look at me and said, "Go home!" So, I drove to Care Now, feeling like my head would explode from the pressure at any moment. When the nurse asked me if I had taken any medications, I told her everything I had tried to clear up my congestion, including eating wasabi.

So, the dr comes in, takes one look at me and says, "You definitely have a sinus infection. Even your face is swollen!" Of course, she did an exam and said everything was super swollen and she would recommend a steroid shot in addition to antibiotics. And then as she is looking at the chart, she makes a funny face. I can't imagine what she is looking at. And this became a strange and awkward conversation.

Dr: Huh.

Me: What is it?

Dr: I guess I've never heard of this before. You took wasabi decongestant?

Me: Um. No. What?

Dr: It says here that you took wasabi decongestant to try to clear your sinuses.

Me: Oh. Um, I tried to eat some because I was that desperate. It's not like it comes in pill form or something.

She started laughing and showed me that the nurse had written it down as a medicine. Ha! Silly nurse.

Later that night, as I laid there feeling sorry for myself, Seth crawled into bed with me and grinned that adorable dimpled grin at me.

Seth: Snuggle me. I'm ready for bed.

Me: I am sick and weak. Want to be a big boy and snuggle yourself?

Seth: No! I'm not a big boy. I'm a little tiny boy the size of an acorn.

Me: Say what?

Seth: Snuggle me!

Me: Ok. You win.

Who can resist those dimples? Seriously.

What do you DO all day?

I was the first out of my friends to have a child. I was a very young 21 when Seth blessed my life. Parenthood has changed me in so many ways. One of the things I still have a hard time with to this day is the loss of friendships once kids are in the picture. I lost quite a few. As the years have gone on, friends have come and gone and the ones I lost are now starting to have children themselves. I can only hope that they might look back on how they acted towards me and say, "Oh. I get it now." Someone posted this article, and I had to share because it speaks the truth.

Obesity

It's no secret that I struggle with my weight. I never used to have issues losing weight or staying thin. However, during my engagement to my husband, I was plagued with a malfunctioning gall bladder and lost about 25 pounds because I could not eat anything without pain. I lived on jello and chicken broth. Once the gall bladder came out, I gained that weight back and then some because I went nuts eating. Then I got pregnant with Stella. Since she was born, I have gone up and down, but mostly up. I have never gotten back down to my previous weight. At this point in time, I am 40 pounds higher than I should be.

At work, we had a health assessment to get a discount on our insurance premium. They weigh you, take your blood pressure and cholesterol, put the results in some program and then assess you points based on their findings. According to my BMI, I land in the extreme obesity category. I know I am overweight. But extremely obese? That's pretty harsh.

This morning I received a text from my mother. It said, "Daddy said to tell you that if 40 lbs over is extremely obese, at least you are in good company. He is too and he thinks he is very handsome so that makes you fabulous."

BEST. TEXT. EVER.

Thanks Daddy!!!

And then I got to work, sat down and started working. My chair broke. Yep, it broke. I am totally not even kidding. It broke and I almost fell on my ass. And I thought, damn, maybe I am extremely obese.

But, you know what? It's ok. One day, I'll get to the weight I really want to be. Maybe not tomorrow and maybe not this month, but I'll get there. In the meantime, I think I need to learn to start loving myself again. I have to tell myself that my body produced two beautiful 10 pound children. Every day, I give my all to being everything to everyone. I am a good person. These things matter more than my weight.

My good friend told me I have the body of the Goddess. She even googled them and sent me pictures of them and said that a long time ago, a woman with my body would be worshiped and seen as an ideal bearer of children. This is why my friends are my friends and my parents rock. They always know how to make me feel better when I'm down.

Little Rangers

My son joined a team called the Rangers last summer for a tournament. He plays short stop and he does a great job in that position. He stayed with the team for the fall season and we plan to stick with the team for as long as they'll have us because they ROCK!!! Seth is so happy with these kids and I love them all and the coach and assistant coaches are absolutely awesome!

This past weekend, we went to a tournament and despite some difficulties in the other recent tournaments, we managed to get 2nd place at this one and qualified for a World Series tournament next summer. The boys have been working SO hard on their defense and it really shows. They played absolutely amazing this weekend and I  have never been much of a yeller or a screamer, but I will admit I scream my heart out at these games. I jump up and down and I clap until my hands hurt and I get nervous when it's close. I absolutely love watching my son and his team play and I get so excited for every boy. They are amazing kids.

I have heard a lot of people say that baseball is boring recently. Our Texas Rangers are in the World Series so more people are paying attention. I love baseball. I never got into football, but baseball is the best. I don't see how anyone can find it boring. But I especially think that it is impossible for it to be boring at the level my son is playing. It is pretty action packed when the teams are good. I love it. I am passionate about it and I am beyond proud of my son's natural talent and his perseverance to get better. He practices ALL the time. He lives for baseball.

Here is a video one of the dads made of the last two games we played in the tournament. It's pretty awesome. Seth was wearing #8.

Chicken Fajitas Please

So, if you know me, you know I love me some mexican food. Yummy!

The other day, I left home without making my lunch and had to venture out for lunch during the work day. I decided some fajitas would be great, so I pulled into the Taco Cabana drive thru. They have a personal chicken fajitas skillet that I enjoy.

After the standard "Welcome to Taco Cabana" greeting I was left in silence. Finally the girl mumbled almost inaudibly, "Order when you're ready."

This is the conversation that followed:

Me: I would like the personal sized chicken fajitas with no beans, please.

Silence, lasting like a whole 30 long seconds and then...

Her: Chicken Fajitas...what?

Me: Um. Chicken Fajitas. With no beans. Exactly what I said.

Her: But chicken fajitas what? Chicken Fajita tacos? Chicken Fajita Quesadilla?

At this point, I realize I'm dealing with a real winner so I decided to stick to my guns.

Me: Um, no. Chicken Fajitas. Period. Like I said. Personal sized, with no beans.

Her: But there are several fajita options on the menu. Do you want tacos? Do you want a pound of fajitas?

Me: *HEAVY SIGH* No. I don't want tacos. I want fajitas. I said this. Do you no longer have the personal fajita skillet?

Her: Ok, pull around.

After rolling my eyes, I pull up to the window. And then she starts calling me Hun. Oh good lord, why did she have to do that? I hate it when people call me hun, honey, sweetie, or any other pet name like that. I am not your sweetie. I am a random stranger that means nothing to you. Please do not insult me with your weird niceties. UGH. Anyway...

Her: That'll be whatever the amount was.

Then she says: Hun, when you say chicken fajitas, no one knows what you're talking about.

Me: Are you kidding me? You aren't serious right now. If someone asks for chicken fajitas, naturally I assume they want CHICKEN FAJITAS!!! I mean, it's on the menu. If I wanted chicken fajita tacos, I would have said so.

Her: Well, hun, we didn't know what you meant.

I just looked at her completely stunned. I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm not a complete moron. I am pretty sure when I eat at any tex mex restaurant and I order the chicken fajitas, the waiter brings me the chicken fajitas!! WTH!!

She gives me my food and has the audacity to tell me to have a good day HUN. UGH.

The best part? They gave me beef fajitas. The jerks.

My Family

We had a parent teacher conference on Monday with Seth's teacher. He is doing very well in 2nd grade. She had nothing but wonderful news with regard to his grades, skills, and behavior. Yay! She also gave us a sample of his writing. She asked the kids to write about their family and she intended to use that to show parents where our kids' writing skills are at currently. Here is what Seth wrote.

Wow. I'm so glad the teacher thinks we sleep and play on Facebook all day. That's pretty awesome parenting!

F*** You Mom!!

A glimpse into the future or a random coincidence? I suppose this remains to be seen.

Out of the Park!!!

Over the weekend, Seth's team went to a AA tournament. On Saturday morning, we played a game that we ended up losing, but my wonderful kiddo helped to get the 2 points we got.

There was one runner on base, and Seth was up to bat. He had two strikes. I really thought he was going to strike out. And then, the pitch came in and PING!!! He hit the ball. It went up in the air and I  thought it was going to be foul. But it wasn't. And it went over the fence. OVER THE FENCE!!!!

My 8 year old baby boy hit a homerun out of the park!!! He ran the bases and all the boys ran out of the dugout to greet him at home plate. I, of course, ran over to the dugout to meet him and he was blushing, looking very embarrassed.

My son doesn't care to be the center of attention. If you know him well, you probably would never believe this, but he is really very shy. I stuck my fingers through the fence for a high five and he gave me a tiny little smile, which he immediately covered with his hand in order to hide it and then gave me one little finger. This is his new way of giving a high five. He points his finger and you are supposed to touch his finger with your finger. It's kind of like a fist bump, except with just one finger.

I love that boy. He rocks my socks off every day!

Supermom I am not...

I guess it's time I turned my cape back in. Sometimes I try to pretend like I have all my shit together, but the truth is that parenting for me is like a fly by the seat of your pants adventure.

Trying to balance a full time job that has the strictest attendance policy ever heard of, an 8 year old in 2nd grade who plays baseball, a toddler that thinks she is 13, a husband who is stuck on the night shift and a house that is never really clean is like walking into a lion's den hoping you won't get eaten alive.

As a mom, I am supposed to be the one who is organized and takes care of everything. I'm the one who knows where everything is and when everything is. But lately, I have been a little more scatterbrained than normal because I've had an extra load of stuff to deal with.

For some reason, I ended up at a job really far away from my house. Like, it takes me an hour to get there in the morning and an hour to get home in the afternoon. If it wasn't for the stupid highway known as 35 that makes me want to stab people, it probably would only take half an hour, but it takes about an hour. Also, we chose to keep Seth in tri-cities for baseball because he was happy there, even after we moved pretty far north, so on days when there is a game or practice during the week, we are in the car quite a bit since due to traffic, it also take about an hour to make it to the tri-cities area.

Tuesday, I got off work at 4 pm and headed to the daycare to get the kiddums. Practice was at 6 pm. I was having a really bad day. We ran home to change and got right back on the road. And then we got stuck in traffic on 820. It was like a parking lot. There was no way we were going to make it to practice at 6. Seth began to cry. This set Stella off. And so there we were, sitting on 820, not moving, while my kids screamed and cried in the backseat. Best. Ride. Ever.

Fast forward to yesterday. I'm sitting at work, counting down the last hour of my day when I receive a text. It says, "Game at 6 tonight. Be there at 5:30." At first, it didn't register and I just put my phone down. And then I picked it back up and looked at it and yelled out loud, "OH FUCK!!!" It was 3:30. If I didn't leave work right then, there was absolutely no way ever that I would make it to the ballpark by 5:30.

OMG!!! I went into panic mode. My heart started beating out of my chest. Stupid anxiety. How could I have forgotten there was a game!!??? How could I NOT know my kid had a game?? This has never happened to me! What kind of mom was I??? OMG, where is his uniform? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! So, I jumped up and ran out of work early. I will probably get in trouble for that later, but I don't really care that much. I jumped in Maude the Mini-van and drove like a bat out of hell and called the daycare.

Me: OMG, I need to speak to my kid because he has a baseball game and I totally forgot and I don't know where his uniform is and I'll never make it on time and I have to find his uniform and has his school bus made it in yet? Can I talk to him? Is that ok?

Daycare Lady:  Um, who is your kid?

Me: Oh. Seth.

Seth gets on the phone and he's all: WHAT? I can't hear you. Hello???

Me: Seth, omg, you have a game and I didn't know and we have to hurry, where is your uniform?

Seth: Um, I can't hear you.

Me: SETH CAN YOU HEAR ME?

Seth: Yes, you don't have to yell.

Me: Where is your uniform?

Seth: IDK

Me: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Ok, I'll see you soon.

So, I continue breaking a bunch of laws and skid into my driveway and run inside and start throwing things around, looking for his uniform. You might deduce from that sentence that I am also not very organized in my home. It's true. I'm not. I suck at cleaning. Especially at laundry. Laundry is everywhere. It's like it reproduces overnight or something. Anyway, I finally find the uniform and it's underneath a dirty blanket and it smells awful!!! So, out comes the febreeze. I sprayed the shirt like crazy and then dried it for 2 minutes in the dryer and then pulled it out. Still a little funky. So, I sprayed it with Bath & Body Works Pineapple scent.  Ha ha.

I get to the daycare and grab Seth, and he's like: OMG, MOM, you didn't tell me I had a game! When is it? Who are we playing? Where is my uniform?

Me: It's in the backseat, let's go.

He grabs the shirt and says: Mom, it smells funny. Like a girl.

Woops.

So, we are driving, and this time I'm going slower because it's not ok to break laws when you have children in the car and then suddenly Stella starts yelling.

Stella: Nugg-IT!!!!

Seth: Mom, Stella said nugget.

Stella: Nugg-IT!!!! Nugg-IT!!! PWEESE!!!!!

Me: Stella, I do not have nuggets in the car. My name is Mom, not McDonald's.

Stella: NUGG-IT!!!!!!

So, Seth and I have a good chuckle and he informs me he is also starving. So, because I am a total genius and took back roads instead of the highway, I made it to the general vicinity of the game before 5:30, and I pulled into Chic-fil-a. Stella begins screaming NUGGITS!!!!! and I asked her if she would like a cheeseburger. She didn't think this was that funny and screamed NOOOOO!!!! NUGGGITTTSSSS!!!!

I got the kids some nuggets. We drove to the park and then we won our game 15-0. Seth hit a home run. He also got a game ball. We ended the night smiling and happy. See?

So, maybe I'm not supermom, but I am a mom. And I do try my best and give it my all. Every day. And that is all that matters.

A little extra tidbit

So, I decided to actually reply to my blanket email from Sonic. Here is what I said.

Dear Sonic Drive-In Customer Service Manager:

It is quite apparent to me that you did not even take the time to read my concern and have just sent me a blanket response. Obviously, one supervisor at one store will not be able to change the fact that you no longer have the best item on your menu. I really wish that I could make it clear to you how much I really and truly loved that sandwich. I also really wish that you actually cared.

Sincerely,

Sad, breaded chicken sandwichless customer


And here is what I got in return a few seconds after I hit send.

You have replied to an unmonitored email account for Sonic Drive-In.

Should you require further assistance, please contact us at 1-866-OK-SONIC (866-657-6642).

Sigh. Thanks for nothing Sonic. Thanks.

Gee Thanks Sonic

So, Saturday evening, my kiddo had a baseball game, in which he did amazingly well of course! Anyway, we drove to Sonic after the game so he could have some grub after such a great work out. I decided, 'what the hey!' and went to order my favorite sandwich of all time. So, I press the red button and wait for the way too loud tinny voice that always scares the crap out of me. "MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER PLEASE!?" At this point, I always jump about 5 feet out of my seat and have a heart attack. But once I am calm, I then recite my order.

"I would like a number whatever it was that Seth wanted, and I would like a Breaded Chicken Sandwich, with mustard instead of mayo, on a white bun and add cheese and pickles!" My taste buds were already excited for this delicious treasure! I have been eating this same sandwich for over 10 years now! We got our food and headed home. I open my sandwich and there is not the breaded chicken patty I am accustomed to, but three chicken strips. WTH SONIC??!!! I, of course, being the optimist that I am, decided that they had made a mistake or must have been out of the correct chicken and went ahead and ate the poor substitute of a sandwich. It was NOT delicious. My taste buds cried.

Sunday, I decided we would head to Sonic once again, because we pretty much had no food in the house, the kids were getting restless and loud while Joe was trying to sleep(he works nights), and I was insanely thirsty. Sonic not only has the best drinks, but the coolest ice and the best cups as well. So, off we went. I decided after the torture of a sandwich from the night before, that I deserved the delicious taste of that beloved chicken sandwich.

So, I go to order it and the girl says, "OH, I'M SORRY, WE ONLY HAVE GRILLED CHICKEN OR CRISPY CHICKEN STRIP SANDWICHES!!"

And after I am done jumping out of my skin, I am like, "What?? You don't have the breaded chicken sandwich anymore??"

She yells back, "ONE SECOND PLEASE!!!!" And I'm thinking to myself..."This cannot be true. How could they possibly no longer have the BEST ITEM on the menu?"

She comes back and scares the shit out of me again, "MA'AM, I'M SORRY. WE DON'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE!!"

And I thought I would cry. She asked if she could offer me something else and I said no she couldn't because that is what I wanted. And I left. Today, I decided to send a complaint to Sonic's customer service. So, I got on their website. I found the contact me section and wrote in my note about what I was upset about, which was the lack of the best item on the menu. However, they made me choose a particular location, which I thought was dumb because it's all of them, not just that one, but whatevs. I hit enter. This is what I got in return:

Dear Karen Hughes:

We are very sorry that your 09/25/2011 visit to Sonic Drive-In did not live up to expectations and are grateful to you for telling us about it. If people like you did not bring these matters to our attention, we would never be able to fix them. We have forwarded your comments to the appropriate drive-in supervisor for the location that you visited. If you have any further concerns in the future, please share them with us. Our goal is to continuously improve the Sonic Drive-In experience and to keep you as regular guest.

Sincerely,

Sonic Drive-In

Customer Service Manager

Um. Dear Customer Service Manager:

Obviously, you did not read my letter AT ALL. Forwarding my concern to the appropriate drive-in supervisor will not change the fact that Sonic no longer has the delicious breaded chicken sandwich on the menu. That supervisor will read my note and be like, "Okay, whatever." and throw it away. Obviously, you have just sent me a blanket response and don't really care about my issue at all.  Really? Sonic, I'm very disappointed in you. Sigh. 

Sincerely, 

Annoyed Customer 

sans breaded chicken sandwich

Where's your baby Stella?

Stella has taken to playing with her babies a lot. She pats their backs, tells them "Shhh", rocks them, puts them to bed and covers them with towels, clothes, etc, and of course, throws them on the floor by their hair when she is angry. What good mom doesn't do that?

Anyway, yesterday, she was being cute and putting her baby to bed on her potty. What an awesome bed!! I wish I got to go to bed on the potty when I was a baby! She then grabbed her baby by the hair and set her gently on the couch, while she got her towel ready to cover her up. Seth took the baby and hid it, and Stella didn't seem to notice since she had become distracted by playing peek-a-boo with her towel. When she went to cover up the baby, finally, Seth says, "Where's your baby Stella?" at which point, she lifts up the towel and is totally surprised to see that the baby is not there!!! It was pretty funny. Luckily for you, I got it on video.

A Different Kind of September 11th Story

While I do remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on that fateful day in 2001 10 years ago, that story has taken a back burner to where I was and what I was doing on that same day 8 years ago.

September 11, 2003, I was in the hospital giving birth to my precious son and it was the happiest day of my life in my short 21 years. And so I will share that story.

There was a full moon on September 10th, and around 6 pm that evening, I lost my mucous plug. Yes, that is nasty. I won't even try to sugar coat it. But, after that, and I mean, almost within the hour, I began to have contractions. As I was a first time mom and didn't know anything besides what I read in my What to Expect While Expecting book about childbirth or pregnancy(this was before I was internet or computer savvy, ok?), I wasn't quite sure what to do. So, I called my then boyfriend at work and told him I was in labor. He came home shortly after and we began timing my contractions. As I was overdue and was supposed to have my baby on September 7th, I had an appointment at 11 am with my ob/gyn the next day. My contractions never really got closer than 6 or 7 minutes apart throughout the night. I was uncomfortable, but not in pain and took several warm baths to ease my discomfort.

At 11 am, in the dr's office, Dr Gordon checked me and informed us that I was indeed 2 centimeters and that it was time! Woohoo!! He said to go get checked in at the hospital and he'd be over shortly to break my water. Mark(the boyfriend at the time) and I walked to the car and I called my mom. "It's time! We're going to the hospital now!" I told her and she of course said she was on her way. It was beginning to sprinkle. We drove across the parking lot to the women's center and proudly told the nurses at the station we were there to have a baby! They got me all checked in and hooked up to all sorts of contraptions. The first nurse I had I didn't really care for and I was very, very relieved when the nurse who taught our Lamaze class saw my name on the door and asked to replace the other nurse. She was awesome!

I was given some pitocin and Dr Gordon broke my water. He mentioned that there was meconium in the water and that I wouldn't get to hold the baby directly after he was born because they'd want to check him right away. But that this was normal for overdue babies and not to worry. It started to really hurt. I didn't want to get an epidural and was trying to struggle through the pain. My boyfriends dad kept feeding me ice chips. That was really annoying and I felt like screaming at him to stop it, but I knew he was just trying to be nice. My family was all there and so many of my friends were there. I began to hold my breath during contractions. Mark was such an attentive boyfriend and he somehow remembered the breathing we were taught in our class and held my hand and helped with this. I was given some sort of pain medication. I don't remember what it was, but I was still attempting to go without the epidural.

I was around 7 centimeters somewhere around 4 in the afternoon and I finally asked for the epidural. They came to give it to me, but I don't think it worked right. I mean, I have since had another baby and had an epi with her and I felt NOTHING at all after that epi. Anyway...within a few minutes of getting the epidural I began to feel alot of pressure and screamed at Mark to get the nurse "RIGHT NOW!!!" He of course, took off running for the nurses. They came in and sure enough, it was time to push!!! Now, let me tell you...I was told that with the epidural, and being a first time mom, that I would not feel much and would probably push for hours. Bullshit I say!!! That child was coming! It hurt like hell! I won't lie. I started cussing. I literally only pushed for about 20 minutes, if even that long and he popped on out a little before 5:30 pm. But not before I saw stars. I swear to you, I saw stars when his head came out. I let out the mother of all screams and there was blackness and stars. Oh my goodness! They held him up for me to see. He was HUGE!!!! They took him to the little crib to check him out and clean him up before they brought him to me. He was 10 lbs!!! He was adorable and wonderful and perfect. He spent no time at all in that birth canal either, as his head was perfectly round. He was very aware and alert and held his little head up to look at me. I was in love and absolutely enamored with him. This September 11th was the best day of my life and brought such joy to everyone there.

From that day on, he has done nothing but make me a happy, proud mom and I see September 11 as a joyous occasion to celebrate the happy day of my son's birth. This past Sunday, he turned 8 years old. In the last 8 years, he has grown from a chubby cheeked, fat little cherub into a tall, skinny, silly, and very talented little boy. He is so smart and so wonderful and he makes us laugh every day. He is my son and I wouldn't have him any other way or have him born on any other day. And that is what I was doing 8 years ago on September 11.

Sleep Walking Toddler

Recently, Stella has not been sleeping well. Actually, she has never really been a great sleeper. After having Seth, who slept through the night almost from day one, and still can sleep upwards of 15 hours at a time, I had no idea what was coming when Stella was born. But we did have a period of several months where she actually slept through the entire night. It was pure bliss. I don't really know what causes her problems at night since most of the time when she wakes up, she doesn't even know what she wants.

I have tried just letting her cry herself back to sleep, but that generally doesn't work as she just gets more upset and begins to hyperventilate. I have also tried patting her back, but it's kind of hard to pat someone's back if they refuse to lay down. Joe works the night shift, and on his days off stays on the same schedule. His office is across the hall from her room. He can hear her when she wakes up. At first I thought maybe she was just waking up because she could hear him moving around, but some nights she would stay asleep even when he was there. Then I thought maybe she was waking up because she knew Daddy would come and get her. Don't get me wrong, I have been very appreciative that he is taking care of her at night so I can sleep. It has been very helpful. But I was starting to think she was only doing it to get attention and I was very close to telling Joe to ignore her. But then she kept on waking up, even when he was at work and I knew she couldn't hear him. Grrr.

Then we started daycare and she has been sick since two days into the first week. So, of course she is waking up. She can't breathe. But now, not only is she waking at night, but also waking up uber early in the morning, like at 5 am. I don't get up until 5:30 for work. It is much more difficult to get ready for work with a toddler pulling at your leg and screaming "MOMMY!!!" My toddler doesn't care about tv unless it is her idea, and she doesn't want to eat that early, she just wants to be held. So, nothing I do works. I have to shower with her hands and face plastered to the shower door, staring at me, while whining, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy." It's humorous and heartbreaking at the same time.

Her most recent weird habit is that she wakes up in the middle of night screaming bloody murder. I will pick her up, and she will start pointing and grunting until I go into the kitchen. This is what happened this morning. I'm thinking she needs a drink of water, so I pour a cup and hand it to her. "NO!" she will yell and bat it away. She points to the pantry and cries, "Cracker!" I'm thinking...it's 3 o'clock in the morning, how can she want crackers? By this time, I'm so tired and out of it, that I'll try anything. So, I get her a package of crackers, which she then cradles in her arm like a baby doll and says, "Thank you." Odd, I think. But she happily lays her head down on my shoulder and steadies her breathing. So, I take her back to bed with her unopened package of crackers and lay her down. She contentedly rolls over and sticks her butt in the air and passes out.

When I went to get her this morning, she was still clutching her unopened package of crackers. I don't get it. What a strange comfort that is. She doesn't even want to eat the crackers. But she has been doing this for a week or so. I wonder if it's possible to sleep walk while being carried?

Shrimp and Grits WITH CHEESE!

Recently, I was having a conversation with my dear friend Celeste regarding my weight loss journey. She was looking at some pictures of me from my cousin's wedding. She mentioned that I looked great. She said she could see I have lost weight in my waist. I said I still thought I looked pretty heavy and this is the conversation that followed. It's funny because we are talking about two different things at once. Well, it was funny to me anyway...I will leave out the chatter before the grit convo.

Celeste: Eh. That just means it's a bigger challenge...But you've got the true grit to fight and win!!!

Me: LOL. You said grit.

Celeste: Yea, like the movie, True Grit...

Me: I have never seen it. But I still think grit is a funny word. 

Celeste: Me neither, but I know of it. Oh. I don't think it's a funny word, but ok. 

Me: It reminds me of grits. Those are gross. And to tell someone they have true grit just makes me laugh. Idk, I'm odd I guess. 

Celeste: True Grit means you won't stop fighting for your goal or your beliefs. Like in Kill Bill when Uma Thurman came back with a revenge...and she overcame the physical barriers that came from her being in a coma...

Or like in Riding in Cars with Boys.

Me: Ick. Don't talk about Kill Bill. Blech.

Celeste: How she never gave up on going to college and becoming a writer. That's true grit. 

Me: I know. But it's still funny.

Celeste: When you fall you get back up. 

Me: And it still makes me think of grits. With cheese. LMAO. Shrimp and grits.

Celeste: Even if you fall and break a leg, you still get back up...

Me: HA HA HA HA HA HA

Celeste: Even if you get decapitated. You get up! 

Me: Shrimp and Grits. WITH CHEESE!!!!

Celeste: That should be your new motto.

Me: Shrimp and Grits?

Celeste: No, Shrimp and Grits with Cheese!

Me: I should post that as my status. But then people would think I am eating that. And I would never eat that. Maybe I'll put it in my blog. It's kind of humorous.

(pause)

I just realized that you said you get back up even when you get decapitated. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Celeste: LMAO

• 
  

Oh Seth

My son is hilarious. He is a real riot. I mean, really. Yesterday, he was being pretty ugly and was not listening to me at all. I finally gave up and sent him to his room and told him to stay there for a while. He goes stomping up the stairs, and I hear his door close. After about 5 minutes, I hear him begin to talk on the baby monitor. This is a small portion of his groveling...


After a while, I let him come out of his room. He had drawn me a picture with the words "I'm very very sorry."
This kid. What'll I do with him?

Kiddisms

I came across a note I posted in FB a while back and it still made me giggle, so I'm putting here as well.

My son says the funniest things sometimes. So I thought I would share one that he recently said. The conversation began like this...(we were driving-which is when he babbles incessantly)
Seth: "Mommy, how many kids does Busha have?"
Me: "She has seven kids"
"Mommy? How did she hold seven kids in her tummy? Wouldn't that hurt?"
"She didn't have them all at once dear, she had them one at a time, except for Aunt Mary and Aunt Theresa."
"Oh...well, her and your grandpa, you know, the one who is in Heaven? They must've kissed for a long time when they got married."
"Oh?" I said..."Why do you say that?"
"Well, I don't think you and Daddy will have another baby because you only kissed for a minute at your wedding, and you got pregnant with one baby."
I thought this was funny, and then he asked if anyone had more babies than Busha. So, I said, "Well, yes, there is a lady on tv who has 19 kids."
He said, "19??? How could she put 19 babies in her tummy? That must've hurt. Oh my GOSH. That is ALOT of babies." Then he was silent for a moment. Then he said, "OH MY GOSH Mommy! That means that lady and her husband kissed for 19 minutes at their wedding! That is SO GROSS!"
LOL. I love my son and I will be so sad when I have to explain that the number of babies you get has nothing to do with how long you kiss at your wedding, nor does it really have anything to do with your wedding. LOL.

What is wrong with Stella?

Poor baby Stella has had a rough time of it lately. She began having diarrhea way more than normal and it continued almost every day for nearly two months before I went back to the pediatrician and explained my concern that this could not be a virus.

He immediately ordered some stool samples and ran some tests. We found out that her stool had some reducing substances and she was not digesting something properly. We were sent to a specialist. Upon seeing the specialist we were asked for more stool samples and we had to have Stella's blood taken(Needle Pricks and Boo Boos).

Last week, I got a letter in the mail stating that her blood test results were negative, so she probably doesn't have celiac disease! Great news! I had high hopes that the stool samples would come back great since we cut dairy from her diet.

And then I got the call this morning that the reducing substances were still present in her stool after all and they want to do a scope on her to go into all her digestive areas in her intestines and do biopsies in order to determine what it is that she can't digest properly. I of course, stopped really listening after they said scope. I've had scopes, I know what this entails...my poor baby.

As a mother, some of the hardest and most difficult times have been when my children are ill. When my son had to get tubes in his ears, it wasn't a difficult procedure, but I sure felt scared and worried. I just want to know what is wrong with Stella and not have to put her through all these tests. I feel so helpless.

Potty Training

I decided Stella is ready to be potty trained because she hides in the corner to go number 2 and says "Ewww, poopy". She also grabs at her diaper when she pees.

So, we got her a potty. The first time we sat her on it, she scratched the back of her leg and ran away screaming. She ended up with a bruise. Then she decided the soft ring she is supposed to sit on must be a chew toy and ran around with it in her mouth.

Now, she thinks it is great fun to yell, "Pee Pee!!!! Potty!!!" and sit on the potty. She doesn't pee in it, only sits, stands, sits again, and then runs around naked and laughing hysterically at me while I chase her holding a diaper. What great fun!

This weekend, I missed the cues by 10 minutes every time. I seriously thought I was catching her right on time, and would take her to potty, where nothing happened except for the above scenario until I finally got her diaper on her. She promptly used the bathroom in the diaper. Oh well, she isn't 2 yet and she is the most adorable giggling, streaker I've ever seen.

I wonder how I ever potty trained Seth at all....

Comments

Random post here...I have been posting away for nearly a year now, and have never gotten any comments on the blog. I didn't think much of it because it isn't always that interesting or exciting to anyone but me anyway.

But yesterday, I realized after I shared the blog on facebook and people were commenting there, that no one could post comments on the blog itself! Woops! That's a pretty big mistake not to notice for a year!

Anyway, I fixed it. You can all comment away now. I hope you'll forgive my tragic blogging mistake, as I am not an accomplished blogger.

Carry on.

Seth Convos

Last night in the car on the way home from baseball practice, Seth said to me, "Mom, turn down the radio. I need to tell you something." Every time he says this I think something uber serious is coming. It always ends up being something pretty silly or interesting. Our convo went like this...

Seth: "Mom, I figured out how to fall asleep faster at night."

Me: "Oh really? Do tell."

Seth: "You know my alarm clock? The one that makes that annoying noise in the morning? Well, it has the radio on it and I found this station that I like."

Me: "What station?"

Seth: "I don't know. It's like 94. Or 95. Or 99. But it plays really slow music and sometimes there are some words but usually there aren't any. It is SOOO boring and I fall asleep really fast. But I like it."

Me: "Oh you like it even though it's boring? Hmmm, does it make you happy?"

Seth: "Oh yes, and it gives me good feelings and sweet dreams. Can we listen to it now? I'm so tired from practice."

Me: "Sure, let's do that. What station is it?"

Seth: "Mom, I told you! 94, or 95, or 99...I don't know!"

Me: "Ok then..." we pressed seek and went through every station. We had lot of laughs while he said "NO!! Not this!!" until we happened across a classical station. He said, "YES!!!"

So, we listened for a moment. The song had some violins(I think, I'm not a band expert), and it sounded pretty dark.

Seth: "Mom. I don't like this song. It is not giving me good feelings. It is kind of scary. I might have a nightmare now. Please turn it off."

"Alright son, " I said, while laughing and putting it back on Kiss FM. He immediately exclaimed the song on the radio was his "favorite song" and started singing along.

I love that kid.

Needle Pricks and Boo Boos

I am not so great at updating this blog. I guess I'm not sure what exactly it is that I'm updating. I mean, is this mundane boring stories about what's going on in our lives or inspirational stories about things that mean something to me? Is it a collection of memories and pictures? I am really not sure, but maybe through this process, I'll eventually figure it out and my blog will see better and more frequent posts.

Yesterday I had to take Stella to see a GI specialist. She had diarrhea. Alot of it. For nearly two months. At first, the dr just told me it was a virus and babies her age can have diarrhea for 10-12 days. Oh lord, 10-12 days is like torture! So, I just gave her alot of yogurt and some probiotics and lots of water and went about my way. But it continued to happen. Alot. I started to become worried and took her back to the dr. He asked me a series of questions, noted that while she had not lost weight, she had not gained any either, and then looked perplexed. He sent me home with several jars to put her poo in. Gross. But anything for my baby! I dutifully spooned poo into the jars and then had Joe take them to the dr for me. The first test came back normal. Then I got a phone call about one of the tests. They said, "Blah blah blah, big medical word, sugars, blah blah, needs to see a specialist, blah." I felt sad. I had no idea what they said, except that for now, I should stop giving her dairy.

I stopped giving her dairy, except for a little cheese here and there and it seemed she was getting better. But then she ate alot of pasta one night and threw up all night and had terrible diarrhea the next day. I thought surely it was a bug. When I told the specialist of this, he said he wanted to test her for Celiac Disease(which is basically a gluten allergy, or something to that affect). He also wanted to test her for a lactose and a dairy allergy. He gave me more poo jars to fill up, and sent us to the children's hospital for a blood draw. I was scared. I felt awful watching her play unknowingly in the waiting area. However, it was not so bad. The nurses kept her very distracted and she hardly noticed the blood being taken. She even got a lollipop.

I took my sweet baby home and left her in her capable nanny's hands and went on to work. I came home after work and gave her tons of extra hugs and kisses. While she, Seth, Joe and I were sitting in the front room chatting and playing, she wandered over to a baby gate we have not yet installed, but had just propped up on a table. She was pulling on the edge. All three of us lunged toward her as I screamed, "Get it. She's going to pull it down!!!" It seemed like it was slow motion, but we didn't get there in time. She pulled it down on herself and busted her lip. It bled. I started crying. She was screaming. I quickly scooped her up and ran into the kitchen to get some paper towels, but Seth was already handing me a wipey. She was ok. We gave her a popsicle and she happily sucked on it while it dripped all over her and dyed her blue. Her lip was swollen, but she was happy again.

What a day my princess had yesterday!!

Working Girl

No, no, no...I'm not working on the corner!!! I mean, I work for a living...sort of. Recently, Joe and I have discovered that despite our best efforts at saving, and utilizing my amazing administrative skills at a decent paying job, we are breaking even. We pay for childcare of course, and it seems after insurance is taken out of my check, and childcare is paid, I only have enough left each week for gas! This is the reason I really don't see how single moms get by! I was a single mom for a while, but I totally cheated and lived with my parents. Had it not been for them, I don't know what I would have done, especially since I made like $3/hr less than I do now at that time! Wow.

So, it looks like perhaps we will go back to me staying at home. When, we are not totally sure, because we do need to have insurance for our family of four, and right now, I am the carrier, so that is pretty important. But, at some point, when he is able to get insurance through work, and we have been able to save up some money, we will make that transition. This makes me so happy! I miss my kids a ridiculous amount during the day. I find myself texting my nanny more than doing my job(insert shrug here), just so I can know what they are up to all day. I have discovered that the "corporate" world no longer agrees with me. I am not a fan of having to pretend to be in a great mood all day when you aren't. I hate the fact that there are fake people in the workplace that set out to make other people's days hard. I hate that people will backstab one another to get higher in the company. I hate the monotony of doing the exact same thing day after day, week after week. It's mind numbing. Being in payroll, I really dislike being in charge of people's money and having them yell at you when you make a mistake. You have to be a robot. Having spent 2 years at home after I lost my job in 2009, I have now seen both worlds.

Don't get me wrong...I am no domestic goddess. I mean...I have a pretty severe anxiety disorder, which I take medication for. I'm not completely nuts as my husband would probably tell you(lol), but I do freak out over really weird things pretty easily. It is seriously hard to go to work every day with seemingly normal people and hide the fact that I would like to pull my hair out because I had to drive over a bridge to get there. But, being at home with my kids is my feng shui...it really is. Despite the fact that I am self admittedly lazy and not the best housekeeper, I am a great mom. I love my kids to pieces and would do anything in the world for them. I absolutely adore them, even when they are being bratty. I think they are tiny geniuses and I love playing with them and watching them learn something new every day. If all I ever had to do the rest of my life was be a mom, I would die a very happy lady. When people ask what I want to do, I usually say I'd like to be a teacher someday...or work with kids that have special needs, maybe even teach elementary music, but truthfully, all I really ever wanted to be was a mom. I am finally a mom and I can't wait until I can be a full time mom again. It is my favorite job in the world. Also, it is the most rewarding job I have ever and will ever do in my life.

2nd Place

The World Series Baseball tournament is over. The Rangers got 2nd Place!! Seth fit right in with the boys as if he'd played with them from the beginning and he did SO well. I am extremely proud of him. The coach did an amazing job with the kids and we really like him. Seth is hoping to play with the Rangers again in the fall. There were some awesome plays made by every boy on the team and some amazing hits. Every single boy is very talented and it was an honor to get to watch them all play and to have my son included! The other parents made me feel so welcome and were so nice.

One of the games was particularly close and hard, and we ended up playing a couple of extra innings because we were tied. We fought very hard for the extra points we finally scored at the end, when one of our boys hit a grand slam! But we still had to get three outs since the other team was home team. They only needed 3 points to beat us after getting a couple of runs and had two outs and I believe at least one boy on base, if not more. I can't remember now, because I was shaking so hard, I nearly fainted. The batter was up and he hit a fly ball, and Seth reached up and caught it!!! I jumped up and down and screamed SOOOOO hard, I nearly peed my pants! It was so exciting! The coaches ran out on the field to greet the players as they came off the field and Seth was lifted into the air! The boys jumped up and down in excitement and we moved on to the next level!!! Here is a picture of the catch where you can see the 2nd baseman pumping his fist with excitement as Seth caught the ball, and a picture of Seth with his 2nd place trophy at the end of the very last game of the tournament.

If I may brag...

I am so very excited and proud that Seth was hand picked to be on a great team for a world series baseball tournament. This team is a very talented team that has been playing together for a while. They play fall, spring and tournament baseball. We have played against them more than once. They win every time!

I got an email on Friday from the coach that stated he would love to have Seth on his team for this upcoming tournament because a couple of his players had gotten too old, and he was missing his short stop(the position Seth usually plays). He said he had observed Seth make some great plays this season and said that he was such a great player that he is 100% sure having him on their team would take them to the next level!!! OMG!!! Now, I have confirmation that what I thought is really true. My kid is super talented!!!

I was surprised to learn that the selecting of players starts so young, but apparently, it is something that does happen. For this reason, we will likely start playing Seth in our local baseball league after next year so that his high school coaches will be able to see him play and know who he is. I never would have thought we would need to worry about this until I realized that the high school coaches from tri cities(where we play now) have been at several of our games, observing the kids. I mean, who would think that high schools start looking at age 7 and 8???

Seth is super excited to get to play for this team and a little nervous about playing with kids he doesn't know since he has only played with the same group of kids the last 3 years. We think it's going to be a great experience for him to work with another coach. It is important that he learns different styles of coaching because you never know what kind of coach you will get in school!

It never gets old watching him throw the ball so perfectly or catching fly balls while diving through the air. It never gets old to see him bust that ball to the fence and come running across home plate with a huge grin on his face. I love my little man and I'm so very proud of his talent. He came by it naturally and it's such a joy to get to see him do what he loves to do. To have other people ask for him to be on their team makes me burst with pride that I could never put into words for you to even understand!! Go Seth!!

There's No Place Like Home

Click your heels together and say it..."There's no place like home. There's no place like home." Well, we aren't in Kansas, but we're not in Oz either. But it sure did feel like we might be going there on Tuesday night!!

Tuesday evening, I put Stella to bed at her normal bed time, and then proceeded to sit on the couch and watch some recorded tv with Setharoni. We were just cuddling, and talking about how his day was when I got a text from my mother. "Are you watching tv?" it said..."There is a tornado coming your way." I looked outside and noticed it did look rather green...and put the tv on channel 5. There was good old David Finfrock talking about the tornado currently on the ground in Saginaw! WHAT? I began to feel a bit of panic. We live in North Fort Worth. We are on the very outskirts of Saginaw. The tornado there was literally just a couple of miles away! It hit the neighborhood right next to our good friends' house! No sooner than I opened the back door to get a better look, and see how green it looked, did the hail begin to pelt the ground. And then, horror upon horrors, the sirens went off!!!!

I ran into the bedroom where Joe was sleeping(he has started working a different schedule), woke him, and told him there was a tornado coming. He looked up at me, groggy, and said, "Huh?" I said, "A tornado is coming right now!!" He jumped up, ran to the back door and opened it, of course. We could hear something. It was loud. I ran upstairs and got Stella out of bed and we threw blankets and pillows into the tub, telling Seth to get in. The poor little guy was petrified. He was literally shaking and saying he didn't want to die. I felt terrible because I was also very scared and could feel the anxiety attack creeping up on me, but I had to stay calm for him. I told him it would not hit us, and we would not die. He asked if I was scared and I lied. I said no. Stella thought it was a fun game to be hanging out in the bathtub with her family. She was laughing and having a great time. We heard the hail pelting the house and we heard the wind swirling loudly outside the house. It sounded very strange. The sirens stopped. Joe went to investigate against Seth's protests. He cried, "Please don't leave us Daddy." It was heartbreaking. But he came back rather quickly. He said it looked ugly outside. We were receiving play by plays through text from my mom and our friend of what the news was saying and it didn't sound good.

It was then that I realized I could hear Daisy, our sweet little dog crying from the laundry room. I went to get her and I couldn't help but go sneak a peak. I went out into the front yard and looked up. I saw rotation. I ran back in and locked the door(like that would help)right as the sirens went off again!! I went back into the bathroom with my family and my dog. We stayed there for a while until we were told the threat was over. The sirens went off twice after we already vacated the bathroom, but according to the news, the tornadoes were all east of us by then. I learned later that the rotation I saw most likely formed the tornado that ripped through Keller and North Richland Hills. My poor Mommy and Daddy had a tornado less than a mile from their house, the one I grew up in. Here is a picture a friend sent me of that tornado. It terrifies me to think of what could have happened on Tuesday night and I feel so blessed that all of my friends and family are safe, with minimal or no damage at all. Seth slept in our bed that night. I'm glad that we are a comfort to him. Although I did feel terrible about how scared he was, I am glad that I did not admit to him that I was scared too.

Mom-mobile

I am now the proud owner of a brand spanking new mini-van and proud of it!!

Growing up, people would probably never expect me to ever drive a mini-van. I was quite the um...shall we say rebellious type...and was pretty free spirited. But ever since the birth of my amazing, beautiful son Seth, I have embraced the title of MOM and I love being one with every beat of my heart. Some would say driving a mini-van is not an exciting venture, but I am so happy to have one! I'm happy to have the room to lug my children around in comfort and excited to have room for any stowaways that may someday begin coming home with our kids. I am proud of being a mom, proud of who I have become and proud to drive my mini-van!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

A Poem by Nicholas Gordon:

Before I was myself you made me, me

With love and patience, discipline and tears,

Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,

Allowing me to sail upon my sea,

Though well within the headlands of your fears.

Before I was myself you made me, me



With dreams enough of what I was to be

And hopes that would be sculpted by the years,

Then bit by bit stepped back to set me free,



Relinquishing your powers gradually

To let me shape myself among my peers.

Before I was myself you made me, me,



And being good and wise, you gracefully

As dancers when the last sweet cadence nears

Bit by bit stepped back to set me free.



For love inspires learning naturally:

The mind assents to what the heart reveres.

And so it was through love you made me, me

By slowly stepping back to set me free.

Happy Mother's Day to my Mommy! She is my mom, my best friend and the most amazing woman I've ever known.

Coming Home

The picture I posted on my previous post about Seth and his awesome baseball skills was from t-ball. I wanted to show off two pictures from the game when he hit a home run. The first is him hitting the ball and the second is him coming home. Great pictures by a great woman, Detta Owens. She's my Mommy. She takes pictures. So I Smile...

Happy Easter!!

The kids saw the Easter Bunny a couple of weeks ago. Here is the picture. Stella thought the bunny was quite hilarious.

Yesterday, as the kids opened their Easter baskets, Seth held up an item and non-chalantly said, "You gave me this," and then moved on to the next thing. I was so shocked, I didn't say anything at first so I waited until he picked up another item and said it again! I said, "What do you mean I gave you that?" He said, "I saw it in your closet!" Oh no!!! The secret's out! I countered with, "What were you doing in my closet?" but I already knew the answer. He always takes a bath or a shower in our bathroom. What is it about mom and dad's room that makes it so much better? Funny thing is, I also bathe Stella in our bathroom, just because it is easier. LOL. Perhaps it is my fault I got him into the habit. Oh well. I left it at that, and he didn't say anything else. Maybe he still believes a little. Ha ha.

Stella wasn't entirely impressed with the whole basket thing or hunting Easter eggs. She took things out of her basket, looked at them intensely and then either brought them to me, or threw them down on the floor next to her. It was quite comical. She definitely didn't care about putting eggs in her basket. She mostly took them out and threw them. She got a sweet little lamb from her Godmother and Godfather. I made it give her a kiss, which she promptly wiped off her face, but later in the day, she made Uncle Sammy(my uncle, her godfather)give it kisses several times and she did take it to bed with her last night. Perhaps she likes it. LOL.

I dyed eggs with Seth and we had so much fun doing it. It was my first time to do it on my own. I'd say overall, it was successful. We experimented with the colors and tried to make different ones. I then made deviled eggs out of those. They were so yummy! I put jalapenos in them. Best idea ever. Also, Seth got a kite from my Mommy, which is exciting because there is a is a huge field across from our house to fly it in!! I enjoyed spending time with my family on Easter. It was a great time!

Beautiful Children

I have some amazing, beautiful children and sometimes I just feel compelled to show them off. So, here you go...pictures taken by Detta Owens(my mommy).

Boys and their Bodily Noises

What is it about burps and farts that fascinates boys so much? My son is obsessed with fart noises. If he farts, he laughs hysterically. Okay, okay, I will admit this is probably my fault since I find farts funny too. Nothing is cuter than a little baby who farts and doesn't even notice it happened. Don't be shy! Go ahead and admit it, farts sound funny!! But, still, I don't go around trying to replicate the noise...Seth on the other hand is a very sophisticated and talented arm pit farter. He can make every kind of fart sound with his arm pits. Some days, all I hear are fart sounds, followed by his cute little giggle.

He can make loud farts, short farts, quiet farts, long farts. He can even make the ones that sound like the air coming out of a balloon. He also uses the back of his knee to make fart noises. There have been several times that he has made an armpit fart and I said, "Seth, say excuse me!!" and then I realized it was just his armpit. Yep, my kid is super talented!