Second tag

1. How many kids do you have? 2

2.What are their ages? Nora, 2 1/2 and Elyn, one on Wednesday

3.What time do you start your day? Nora usually comes to my bed around 7:15 and Elyn wakes up about 30 seconds later

4.What do you eat for breakfast? It varies...ALWAYS yogurt (Nora, drinkable yogurt and Elyn, YoBaby) and then we add to it. Some mornings, frozen pancakes or cereal. This morning Nora requested eggs, so I scrambled her some. Elyn usually gets a banana. I try and keep it simple...we are all still waking up.

5.Do your kids watch TV? Yep. And I bet yours do too. Nora didn't like TV until she was about 18 months old. Elyn hasn't developed a taste for it, but I have hope that she will enjoy it before too long. Nora is allowed to watch one show after her afternoon nap, usually Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, or Tigger and Pooh. And some days she watches a show in the mornings while I am getting ready. We break the rule on Saturdays and let her watch more...I mean, her daddy gets to watch loads of football on Saturdays so why shouldn't she get to watch a little bit more too. She's not really into movies, they require too much of a time commitment and her attention span isn't ready for it.


6.What are their favorite activities? Elyn's favorite activity is to follow me around and beg to be picked up. It's a fun game. She does love playing with her sister, but for short spurts. Nora loves to play in her room, with her kitchen and play food. She also enjoys reading books. They both love to play outside, especially in the sandbox.

7.Do you get a break during the day for some down time? Absolutely! For about two hours every afternoon while they are napping. I'm not as productive with that "down time" as I should be though. It's so tempting just to sit on the couch and watch a show I have DVRd instead of cleaning or doing laundry.

8. How do you end your day? The girls are in bed by 7:45 and, depending on the day, we will do school work, watch tv, check blogs, or read. We don't get in bed until about 11pm.

9. What is your best parenting advice? Enjoy the day and all parts of it. I don't get stressed if my house isn't perfect (although I do like it picked up) and I try to let Nora (and eventually Elyn) do things on her own. Let them explore, it's the only way they will learn.

Tag...anyone who wants to participate.

Tag...you're it!

I've recently been "tagged". Twice. So, while I sit here waiting for my husband to call it a day on his homework, I thought I would respond.

Here is the first one, from Kerri. I was also tagged by Julie and will try and get to that one tomorrow. I know, I know, the anticipation will most likely drive you wild, but it will give you something to come back for.

I'm pretty sure I have done one like this before, but I always have random things to share about myself...so, here we go:

1. I always tap the top of my Diet Coke can before opening it. ALWAYS. My husband thinks it is funny. I don't know when I started it, but if I was asked to open the can without the initial tap, I don't think I could do it without holding the can away from my face. Something about the one tap makes me feel better about the drink not spewing all over me.
2. I have given away more clothes in the last three years (read: after babies) than I own right now. It's sad. Sad that I used to have so many clothes and sad that I will never wear them again. I console myself by saying they will be so far out of style by the time I could fit into them that I would not want the wear them.
3. When I was in 4th grade, I got very, very sick at a friends sleepover. I threw up EVERYWHERE and was mortified. We had eaten KFC that night. To this day, the smell of KFC biscuits make me nauseous.
4. I am a pretty decent driver. And I define "decent" as: rarely get a ticket, no wrecks, limited honking at me from other drivers. My term of "decent" is pretty broad. Matthew would probably tell you otherwise. ANYWAY...when I was 16, I made some pretty rookie mistakes. I backed into a parked car, ran some stoplights...you know, basic stuff. The one incident that sticks with me is when I fell off of Julie's driveway. I was backing up out of her circle drive and half of my car fell into the ditch. Mr. Hamilton came to the rescue. I don't like circle drives, even now. If I have to park in one, I usually make sure I am parked so that I don't have to back out of it, just pull forward.
5. I did not have a cell phone until I had graduated from college. I know, how did I function? What made me break down and buy one? My car broke down and I was on a back road all alone. I had to walk to a gas station and call my friend, Ray Patton, to come and get me. I made a collect call. The next day, I went and got a "car phone"...which I rarely used and when I did, it was truly only in the car.
6. When I taught school, I would usually get there EARLY in the mornings. It wasn't unusual for me to arrive an hour and a half before school actually started (that way I could leave as soon as school was out). My first years of teaching were in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I lived about 30 minutes away and because I was such an early bird, I had to leave my apartment at insane hours. One winter day I drove all the way to school only to find out that it had been canceled because of snow. There was not a single snow flake on the ground or in the sky. If I had taken the time to watch the weather I would have saved myself some driving.
7. When I was in high school, I enjoyed a little theater. I participated in several plays and musicals. Every now and then I would even nab the lead. I loved everything about acting and being on the stage, but my favorite part...the performance. Put me in a costume and makeup, give me some well written words to say, and blind me with stage lights and I'm loving it. HOWEVER, do not ask me to perform in front of a group of people without the assistance of a script and bright lights. I'm uncomfortable and insecure. Maybe one day I'll be back under the glare of some spotlights...maybe.

Okay, I now tag...Laura, Amy W., Dallas, Summer, Melody, Kim, and Danielle

Don't feel like you have to participate, only if you have time.

Birthday girl

Although her birthday is not officially until Wednesday, we celebrated this afternoon.

It's hard to believe she is (almost) one!

She loved her cake and threw an ENORMOUS temper tantrum when we pried her fingers off of the sweets.

More to come about my sweet baby girl on her big day, October 1st.

Pay It Forward...and get a prize!

*************Congrats Kim, Erin, and Amy...sorry Marty, you have to have a blog. Maybe this will motivate you to start one. You can still "pay it forward" though. Kim and Erin, click on "contact me" off of my profile and email me your address so I can send you your "prize". Amy, yours will be in the mail to you next week. Thanks for playing!!!!**************

I have yet to see my fabulous gift from Rachel, although, I know it will be completely fabulous because it is coming from her. I will find out Sunday and dream until then...

What am I talking about, you might ask? Well, I am paying it forward with a premeditated act of kindness. Would you like to be the owner of a fun gift and give in return? Well, read some more...

THE RULES: The main focus is doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than that the recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and pay it forward.

I will send a small, fun gift to the first 3 bloggers who post a comment on this entry. In turn, those three will post this information and pick 3 people they want to send something to and then the game will continue!!

If you are interested in participating, be one of the first 3 bloggers to leave a comment!! The little something you send can be something you made, bought, were given or found, anything you want!! Just a gift that will make the person's day!!

You have to promise that you will then post about this on your blog, link back to me, and then send something to the first three people who sign up to play along through your blog. Doesn't this sound like fun!!??

All of you lurkers out there who never comment, now is your chance to prove to me that you frequent my blog.

Have fun!

Ramblings

I jog again tonight...we'll see how the ole' bladder holds out. Thank you to all of you that commented, either here or on Facebook or in person. Good to know I am not alone in my problem.
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This weekend I am hosting a birthday party.

For my baby!!!!! Sigh. It's impossible that she is almost one.
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When I started teaching classes for Harding a few years ago, I thought, "Hey, this is going to be great! Adults instead of kids...how easy!"

I was wrong.

I teach two classes right now and one class is like an AP class and the other one is not. (If you read this blog and you are in my classes...and congrats for finding my online journal because I never gave you the address...consider yourself in the AP class...I'm not telling which is which).

It is the most frustrating thing to "discipline" GRADUATE students! I mean, come on, get your work done! You are paying a ton of money to further your education. I gave you every single assignment at the beginning of the semester, it's not like I am surprising you with them.

I hate, HATE, having to look at grown adults and tell them, "Well, because you didn't turn your paper in on time, I will have to deduct points. Let's look at the syllabus, shall we. It says right here that I will take off X number of points for each day it is late. Did you have a family emergency that hindered you from completing this? (In my head...please let it be an emergency, please let it be an emergency) Oh, no emergency, you just didn't get to it. Well, turn it in when you can and I will be sure and get it back to you in a timely manner with your deductions for tardiness."

Aughhhhhhh!!!!!

It really is amazing to me that these TEACHERS that I am instructing would never let their own students get away with what they are trying to do.

Of course, most of my students are very prompt with their work, engaged in discussions, prepared for class...but it is the two or three who leave me shaking my head in disappointment.

I do not expect them to know the material, that is why I have been hired, but I do expect them to show up to class with a functioning brain.

(There, it's off my chest now).
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One of my friends from Searcy, Lori Newby, battled breast cancer a few years ago. She went through chemo and had a double mastectomy. She fought that battle and won. Now she has another battle. Her 6 month scans revealed that the cancer has returned. Please pray for her as she once again fights and for her sweet, sweet family as they stand strong beside her.
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We had to have our garage door replaced last week. When we got home from our vacation we found it had been dented. Of course, we immediately accused Matthew's mom. Prime suspect. She had been taking care of Nora and Elyn and we figured she had had enough and slammed into the door to get back at us. After calling and threatening a law suit if she didn't give us the number of her insurance company, we decided it might not be her after all. (Obviously, I am kidding...geez, what kind of daughter-in-law do you think I am?)

We thought maybe the tropical storm winds had done it in. Unlikely though because the wind was blowing north, not west.

Or maybe some kids ran into it on their bike.

Or maybe someone threw something at it.

Or maybe someone did run into it with a car.

We're not Columbo, we may never know.

Anyway, we ended up having to have it replaced. See ya' later $500, it was nice to have you in the bank for a second, hope you enjoyed your stay.

When Matthew got home from class last night, he noticed that two other garage doors on our street have similar dents on them.

We may turn into Columbo with this new evidence.

Looking more and more like vandalism to us.

And we live in the hood apparently.

I'll keep you updated as our neighborhood watch goes into effect.
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Did I mention that I am testing my bladder again today. I think I'll wear black shorts...just in case.

The ugly side of running

Bear with me as I venture into a side of blogging that I rarely go.

A side that is embarrassing.

Oh sure, I am honest on my blog, I get comments about that all the time.

But I'm honest about my parenting and how it daily kicks my butt.

Rarely am I honest about embarrassing things.

Glad you dropped by today for the post. It's a milestone.

If you don't like to read about things that might potentially cause you some discomfort, then stop reading.

If you get great joy out of the trials and tribulations of others, then this post is for you.

As many of you know, I have been training for a 1/2 marathon. And it hurts!

When I ran my 1/2 marathons a few years ago, I was a few pounds (okay, 20) lighter. It's not fun hauling around all this extra weight. I keep running in hopes that I will drop the pounds on the side of the road and then my load will be...well, lighter.

Also, when I was training before I didn't have kids which made finding the time to train MUCH, MUCH, MUCH easier! I have been hitting the road after Matthew gets home or, as I did today, in the heat of the afternoon. I have also had to do a good deal of running on the treadmill. Boring!

These two factors have made the training less enjoyable and more difficult.

But I'm not giving up! I am determined to cross that finish line in December.

Although the extra weight that I am carrying around and the lack of time to train might not hinder my running, this next issue will almost certainly squelch my dream.

Here it is folks...the embarrassing part...

Lack of bladder control.

Oh. My. Goodness. It's a serious problem.

Before I had kids I used to laugh at friends who would talk about how having kids ruined their bladders. Now, I am one of those people.

I cannot run over 3 miles without having to pee.

I could have gone to the bathroom immediately before leaving for a run and it still doesn't matter, my bladder is screaming at me.

The worst part, I am usually running through neighborhoods when the urge hits. And most of the neighborhoods don't have Port-A-Potties on the corners.

(I am really revealing a lot about myself in this post...oh how I want to quit writing, my face is getting red and I am getting a little shaky. But in the interest of getting some sympathy, I will press on)

When the urge hits, my brain immediately starts going into overdrive and shouting at my bladder to get control. Imagine a drill sergeant yelling at his boot camp boys..."You better not leak! Get some control RIGHT NOW!!!! What are you? Two-years-old? I don't want to hear it...get control and keep it! Don't even think about or will you be on KP for the rest of this week!!!! Do you hear me??"

It's kind of like that.

But, my bladder is the boot camp boy who failed and was sent home before the training was even over. It leaks.

How embarrassing.

I know I have many, many lurkers out there. I am told all the time, "Hey, I read your blog." Well, great, that's just great. I'm glad I provide reading pleasure for you, I really am.

But, now, I need something from you. Are you a mom who has weak bladder control during physical activity? (thank goodness my bladder still has control during everyday things...thank goodness) Well, if you are, please lie to me and tell me it will get better.

Please.

If you are not one of those who lies, then tell me the truth. The awful truth.

Am I always going to leak?

It's so embarrassing.

I know each car I pass while I am running knows my secret. And they are laughing.

And it's okay if you are too. It's funny, just not very comfortable.

I think one of my next blogs will be all about the many ways these kids altered my body and functions.

It will be a very long post.

"The Boy"

We have a new member of our family. Surprise!

This new member is known as "the boy".

And only Nora can see him.

Nora's imaginary friend, The Boy.

Every time we get in the van, she buckles "the boy" into the backseat.

Every meal time, she tells "the boy", "Get out of my seat boy...please."

She only adds the please because I have told her many times that she needs to speak sweetly to "the boy".

Who does she play with the most during the day? Not her sister. Nope, it's "the boy".

She puts "the boy" down for his nap and asks me to go wake him up.

We have wondered many times if we were only going to have daughters. What would our house look like with only girls?

Well, thanks to Nora and her vivid imagination, we finally have added some testosterone to the mix.

In the form of an imaginary friend known as "the boy".

Ten Things Tuesday (started on Tuesday, posted on Wednesday)...the New York edition

Here are 10 (or more) things for which I am thankful, from our trip to New York.

1. No matter how many times we saw the Empire State Building, Matthew took a picture. I was going through the picture tonight and I think we had around 50, just of that building. I am thankful that my husband had so much excitement during our trip!

2. Although I did enjoy my trip and Matthew and I plan on going again in a few years, I am thankful not to live there. I totally understand how you could LOVE living there. If I were still single and had zero kids then I would be up for moving, but I honestly can say that I cannot imagine living there right now. So busy and crazy transportation. I am thankful for my quiet little street and the ease of driving my car.
3. I watch the Today Show each and every morning. Nora knows the names of the anchors and will say to me, "Look mama, it's Matt (or Meredith, or Ann, or Al)." I am so thankful that I was able to see where it all takes place! I guess I hadn't had my daily dose of V8 and that is why I am leaning. Or I am so excited that I can't even stand up straight. I don't know.
4. FAO Schwarz...I was so excited to go. I have been there before and remember the grandeur, but was looking forward to Matthew seeing it all. And I was looking forward to picking out a toy for Nora and Elyn. However, when we showed up...the store was CLOSED!!!!!! Why was it closed you might ask? For a private party! Some kid was having his bar mitzvah celebration there. Some rich kid, obviously. So, what am I thankful for? I am so thankful that I had not spent the previous two weeks telling my kids that we were going to go to the biggest toy store ever and they would get to pick out any toy that they wanted. There were some kids outside the store who had parents who had made those promises and they were NOT happy. I felt sorry for the kids...but mostly, I felt sorry for the parents.
5a. I am thankful that we walked through Central Park. It was a nice walk and the benches we found to rest our tired feet were a huge reason to be thankful for too!

5b. For finding Tavern on the Green in Central Park and for a VERY nice dinner. Very nice!

6a. I am thankful that we did not melt. Sunday was a record day for NY and not just because Derek Jeter tied Lou Gehrig's record. There were record weather highs on Sunday. Our seats at the Yankees game? In the sun. See that necklace around my neck? I have a nice tan line from it right now. It is quite lovely.

6b. I am thankful that we made it to this game ALIVE. A guy on the subway told us that we were very ambitious for trying to go to both games on the same day. He was right. Getting transportation to Giants Stadium was difficult to say the least. While we were waiting in line for a taxi, this guy comes up to us and tells his "cab" is ready to take us where we need to go. We hop in his van (all 8 of us) and head out. Several times on the ride over, we were less than an inch away from plowing into cars and buses in front of us. I kept laughing, a nervous laugh, because I was, well, nervous. When he finally pulled up to the stadium, he told us it would be FORTY DOLLARS a person. Needless to say, we did not pay that amount. But we were all very glad to walk into the game, breathing.

7. That tourists stood in reverence as they watched the construction going on at Ground Zero.

8a. As mentioned above, I watch the Today Show every morning. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to see and talk to the lady below. Not the best picture but it's what Matthew got with a few second notice. On Monday morning, Aaron, my BIL, was standing beside me and said, "Look, look, there is someone." He didn't know exactly who it was (and later told me that he thought it was Katie Couric). I looked at just the right time and stood face to face with Mrs. Viera. I said, "Hi.". She put her hand on my shoulder and said, "Hi.". It was the kind of "hi" that meant, "don't talk to me, I am very busy, but I will take 2 seconds to recognize you, but that is all I am able to give right now...Hi." Highlight of my trip right here.

8b. This is where we were when I had my NY highlight. Serious news reporting was going on this day! I am thankful that we didn't see anyone leaping out windows or men in suits crying.

9. See the woman in white in the picture below? She was our China Town tour guide (yep, made it to China Town!). We were walking around when she comes up to us and whispers, "Watches, purses?". Um, does she read my blog too? Obviously, that is why we were there! She walks us, very quickly, down the street and to a bunch of guys sitting there. Aaron looks around, like, where is the watch store. The guy sitting on the street...he's the watch store. the guy is sweating like crazy, looking around for police and barely letting us look at the watches. After some "bargaining" with the store, we walked away with two Rolex's. The little lady then rushes us across the street and into an apartment building. Matthew, Aaron, and I follow her, not concerned at all about getting hurt. Hey, we are experiencing New York here! She takes us up two flights of stairs, down a skinny hallway, and into an apartment that is covered with purses!!!! I choose one and walk out, $38 poorer, with my "Gucci". It was the most authentic looking of the them all. Although, they all looked pretty real!!!!! I got what I went for after all.

10. I am thankful that I got to eat a hot dog from a street vendor. I know, it's crazy to be thankful for that, but this picture was taken as we were headed back to our hotel to get our bags and leave. It was the first time I had eaten a hot dog. I almost let the opportunity pass me by.

Bonus: I am thankful that I was able to go on vacation with some great people. There are many different personalities in this group which could have made for some great fireworks, but I'm happy to say that it was a great trip with fantastic memories!

Home!

We're home and the girls didn't seem as excited to me as I expected them to. Although, I have gotten a few extra hugs and they're both sticking closer than usual.

I came home to see 3 new teeth pocking through Elyn's little gums.

Nora talks so much more and seems to have thinned out and grown taller.

All of my laundry was done, dishes were washed, trash all stored in garage, clean sheets were on my bed, and dinner for tonight is in the fridge.

Thanks Gram!

And, we have a dented garage.

Lots of things happened while we were away. Hopefully I can post a photo journal of our time later tonight (if I'm not passed out asleep on the couch).

Sports Extravaganza

Sports Extravaganza 2008 is now officially done. It was a day filled with many transportation "memories" and lots of smells of hot dogs. Here are some things that happened:

Saw this guy hit a home run. It resulted in...
this. Apparently, kind of a big deal.
Saw this guy. His team lost, but it was neat to see him. (Even if he's not Tom Brady).
Tomorrow we finish up our sightseeing and hope to make it to the airport on time.

I miss those girls. But, it's really nice not to have to push a stroller around.

I HEART New York!

We're here, we're here!

And we are currently exhausted! Beyond exhaustion.

It felt like we walked the New York City Marathon today. Although, we just toured a small part of the city.

Tomorrow is "sports day".

I better go to bed and rest up for the festivities!

Stop and smell the roses

Growing up one of the chores that I hated the most was pulling weeds out of flower beds. Just thinking about the dirt that would collect under my fingernails makes me shudder. And it was usually the hottest day of the summer that I was summoned outside to pull the thousands of weeds that had popped up over night. I remember my mom and sister discussing “dead heading” plants as if it wasn’t some kind of flower murder.

I also detested trimming the bushes. Such a tedious job. If landscaping were my job, we would have had flowerbeds full of white rock and yard ornaments.

When I graduated from college, I moved to Nashville with my friend, Clair.

Clair grew up as an apprentice to some yard/plant/flower experts.

The girl knew her way around a nursery…which I learned had a double meaning after living with Clair. When she told me her parents owned a nursery I was a little shocked because Clair and snotty kids didn’t really go together. She had a fear of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) with all small children and believed that an act of Congress should take place making it mandatory for toddlers to wear helmets.

Clair is about to purchase her own little helmet. We’ll find out if she needs pink or blue in March.

I learned the alternate definition for nursery when I started seeing pots of bulbs and greenery pop up all over our apartment.

Because Clair knew that I did not share her love she never put me in charge of her babies when she went out of town. When she would go visit her parents during the holidays, she put her plants in the BATHTUB!

Sheer genius I tell you.

From what I can remember, which is limited because I never actually helped to make sure the plants were thriving, she would fill the bathtub up with some water. An inch, maybe? I have absolutely no idea how she did it, but when I would come back to our apartment after my Christmas vacation, the plants always seemed to have grown 3 feet.

They enjoyed their vacation too, in their own personal sauna.

And let me tell you, there must be a secret to the bathtub sauna. I tried this method one time when I went on vacation and came back to some dead plants and a dirty bathtub.

Eventually, Clair and I moved out of our apartment into an actual house. Truly, “house” is too generous a term for what we moved into. “Postage stamp” is a better description.

A postage stamp that smelled like fabric softener. I used fabric softener to take down the wallpaper in my bedroom and the smell never went away. I have to use dryer sheets now because fabric softener makes me a little sick.

As luck would have it, our teeny, tiny house came with a teeny, tiny yard.

Which I promptly turned over to Clair. I was NO help whatsoever in beautifying our flowerbed. I am positive that several grumblings including my name passed Clair’s lips. I was useless. Clair, I am sorry that I was such a slacker…I am publicly apologizing for my ignorance.

Actually, I am not even sure that Clair reads my blog. But, if she does, I guarantee you that she has been nodding her head at all of the above and is probably a little teary eyed over my public apology.

Or thinking, “It’s about stinking time!”.

Huge props to Clair, because she made our postage stamp a decorated postage stamp.

Eventually, Clair moved to Kentucky and I had to find a dwelling on my own.

I chose an apartment. There is no yard!

BUT, thanks to the influence of Clair, saw the benefit of having something pretty growing.

I went to Lowe’s and purchased a pot, some soil, and a few pansies.

These are the flowers that I killed in my bathtub a few weeks later.

I hung up my gardening gloves for good after that.

Guess what God did? He took care of me. He allowed me to marry a man who LIKES to work in the yard. God really, really loves me!

Because I am a submissive wife, like I have been instructed, I help some in the yard. I go out and say, “Hey honey, looks great! Maybe you should mow the yard in diagonal stripes instead of straight rows.”

I make trips to Lowe’s, the NURSERY section, and look at the foliage offerings and state my opinion (although, I really don’t care).

I actually get my hands in the dirt and plant some flowers with him.

Wife of the year, don’t you think?

I have mowed our yard before.

Once. I was hot and sweaty and dirty afterwards and didn’t enjoy it.

My time spent in our yard, doing work, is minimal.

When I got home from Harrison last night, I saw that I sign had been place in our yard.

My first thought was, “Did Matthew put our house up for sale and not tell me about it?” I wasn’t even upset by it, just curious about how much he was asking for it.

As I shined my cars headlights onto the sign, to see which Realtor he had gone with, this is what I saw…

I really feel like I should add at the bottom, with a black marker, “by Matthew”.

But, if you want to know the honest truth, this “honor” is a bit embarrassing to us. When we go on walks, we will point out yards that have been chosen in the past and say to each other, “You’re kidding!!!! THAT YARD was chosen? I mean, it’s a nice yard, but “Yard of the Month”, kind of pushing it, don’t you think?”

Now, people are going to walk past our house and whisper to each other, “You’re kidding?”

Nope, not kidding, this girl won. Black thumbs and all.

Oh, and her green thumbed husband.

I remember

Out of the loop...and I'm okay with that

I was recently made fun of by a friend of mine, Nicola.

On my status update on Facebook, I had written something like, "I am listening to "Hey Ya!" by Outkast and dancing.". Nicola chastised me by answering my status update with, "2002 called and they want their song back".

Funny Nicola.

You're still my friend though. Lucky girl!

But let me tell you, the BEST running song is "Hey Ya!". I was running today and a little winded and that song came up on my ipod (although we all know that it is not really an ipod, but I write "ipod" just to make it easier on my readers...you're welcome) and I couldn't help but "shake it like a Polaroid picture"!

So, if you are a runner and you don't have this song on your running playlist, add it today! It makes the run more enjoyable, I promise!

But, I'm sure it's been on your playlist since 2002. Like Nicola.

I have just spent the past 3 years listening to "Itsy Bitsy Spider". I'm out of the loop!

By the way, "Itsy Bitsy Spider" is NOT a good running song.

What's your favorite running song?

Is the view of 5th Ave good from the stadium?

Oh, Scott, your comment on the previous post makes me laugh...

"Was Tom Brady my quarterback on my Fantasy football team?"

My only dedication to Fantasy football is making sure Matthew is dedicated enough to win his $15 back.

Yep, he put money on his team.

Don't judge. You can cheer him along with me and hope he wins the the whole shebang...he doesn't have Tom Brady either so his chances are looking up.

So, since I clearly am not mourning the loss of my first-round-pick QB (you like that, how I included some FF chatter? I pay attention.), why am I so distraught about Tom Brady's demise?

Let's go back a little bit:
Matthew's dad (aka Pops) grew up loving Mickey Mantle and The Yankees. You know, back when baseball wasn't about the money but more about the team that you played on (I'm just quoting here, not my actual opinion).

Pops has never been to Yankee stadium. He just turned 59. And as far as I'm concerned, it's a crying shame that he has never been to New York in all those 59 years.

He's been to South Africa. But not New York...in America.

Well, Yankee Stadium is being torn down this year.

It was a news flash for me too.

My thoughtful husband got this idea in his head a few months ago that his dad had to go to Yankee Stadium before it was torn down. He's sweet that way...thinking of others.

So, he talked to his sisters and brother to see if they wanted to go too. A big surprise for Pops!

Unbeknownst (love that word) to Pops we have been secretly planning: "Kidnap Pops to NY 2008".

Matthew's step-mom (aka LeeLee) obviously has been in on the planning and doing her best to keep the surprise hidden.

However, we all underestimated Pops deep, DEEP love for golf. Seriously underestimated.

He announced to LeeLee about a week ago that he was entering in a golf tournament. The same weekend he didn't know he was supposed to be fulfilling his childhood dreams.

So, she had to let the cat out of the bag and explain that he was the guest of honor at a special party that several thousand people were going to be at. And shortly after that party, the "party place" was going to be torn down.

At first Pops doesn't believe her. According to the story we heard, it took several moments of him saying, "You lying to me...a surprise trip? No, your lying to me! My kids wouldn't do that. You're kidding me!" You get the idea.

Now that Pops is on board with the trip, he is pretty excited.

Okay, now let me sidebar for a second...

When Matthew ran the New York idea past me, I gave it two thumbs up...way up. Visions of Tiffanys, Broadway shows, visit to Ground Zero, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, knock-off purse shopping in Chinatown, and star sighting danced through my head. Then he told me about the Yankees game and I quickly reconfigured my touristy plans to accommodate the game and figured, with some extra quick walking and a little bit less sleep, I would still be able to hit all of the hot spots.

AND I was excited about some one on one time with my husband. Stealing some moments with just him, walking peacefully down 5th Avenue, taking in all the sights, hand in hand were also thoughts that went through my head.

Crazy thoughts is what they were.

Back to Pops...
He lives in Southern Mississippi. Home of one famous star quarterback, who happens to play golf at the same country club as Pops. This same quarterback is playing with his brand-new team that same weekend, in New York (well, New Jersey really). The QB's agent also lives in this southern town and Pops knows him.

He knows him so well that he felt no qualms about asking him for some tickets to the football game.

And he got them, eight of them, with parking passes.

Which is funny because we need subway passes, or bus passes, or ferry passes.

I have no idea how we are supposed to get there.

Our Sunday in New York is shaping up like this:
*Get to Yankee Stadium about 11am to walk around outside park to look at memorials.
*Watch game (starts about 1pm)
*Leave game before it is over. I know, I know this is the REASON we are going to NYC, so why are we leaving early? Because...
*We have to hightail it to the New York Jets game, which is just 14 miles away, but I'm sure takes tourists hours to get to.
*Watch Jets...and hopefully get to see famous QB from Mississippi

Do you hear my touristy plans crashing down all around me? The sound is deafening from where I sit.

To console myself, I went to see who the Jets were playing next Sunday. I figured it would be some loser team who had never won anything.

Nope. It's the Patriots.

Maybe you have heard of them.

They may have won one or three Super Bowls. And they have kind of a famous quarterback.

WHO IS INJURED!!!!!

As soon as I saw that the Jets were playing TOM BRADY, I immediately forgot about my plans for statues and purses. I mean, Tom Brady!

And now, he's hurt.

Since he's not playing maybe he would like to come sit in the seats, beside me.

Or, since he's free, maybe he would like to go to China Town with me and shop for knock-off designer handbags.

And then we can go jump on the piano at FAO Schwartz.

No, probably not, his knee hurts.

I guess my souvenir will be a jersey. And a hotdog.

Bernard Pollard, how could you?

Report: Brady has major knee damage: Patriots QB Tom Brady
left the club's Week 1 game vs. Kansas City with a left knee injury after he was
hit by Chiefs DB Bernard Pollard and fell to the ground awkwardly. Yahoo! Sports and Peter King of Sports Illustrated are reporting Sunday night that Brady has major ligament damage in his knee, possibly a torn ACL. Before the injury, Brady had completed 7-of-11 passes for 76 yards before leaving. Brady was helped off the field and into the club's locker room, not walking under his own power. He did not return
to the game as Matt Cassel took over. Pats head coach Bill Belichick didn't have an update after the game. An official word might come tomorrow.

Now, normally, I wouldn't care about anything like this. I mean, sure, I'd be sad not to see handsome Tom Brady in his uniform, but my sadness goes beyond that.

Why do I care so much? Stay tuned to find out...

Excuses...

I feel like I am really going to be letting down my tried and true readers (my family) this semester. When I do have a few minutes to post, I am tired and only want to sit on the couch with my feet propped up.

AND, forget about me being witty or insightful. That is being zapped right out of me after going a few rounds with my toddler during the day. At night I have nothing left to give, other than the occasional chuckle when something on TV strikes my fancy.

Speaking of Nora, I am still not potty-training her. One of my favorite blogs put it best the other day..."Giving a toddler control over anything is a bad idea." Amen sister!


I am still running. I run about 2 1/2 miles 3-4 times a week. But let me tell you, that is not going to cut it pretty soon. I need to be able to run 6 miles by the end of this month-my first long run. If I had to run 4 miles right now, I think I could do it. I would need a gurney at the end of the route and possibly oxygen, but I could do it. Let's hope that by the end of September, I have the same "confidence" with 6 miles.

Matthew took this picture last night while I was in Harrison teaching. I haven't asked him if Elyn climbed up in the chair all by herself or not, although it wouldn't surprise me one bit if she did. Aren't they cute.
We had a get together tonight with some of Matthew co-workers. The swimming pool that is behind Nora is the pool that we swam at several times this summer. She was sad that we didn't swim tonight. Baby, it was 72 degrees outside and daddy and mama don't want hypothermia. She consoled herself by playing with the rocks and making "castles".
The slide was also nice to ease the blow of not swimming.
Elyn thought it was pretty amusing just pushing her stroller (or tonight, highchair) all over the deck.
But, she wanted to slide also...so we let her. Actually, all she really wanted to do tonight was to be held. By me. And only me. I pawned her off on Matthew and that lasted for about 10 minutes. Those 10 minutes were peaceful.

One of Matthew's co-workers had a baby boy about 4 months ago. I cannot even imagine what life would be like if this picture were a representation of my everyday. It makes me a little sick to think about it.

Good news though, Nora looks like she would be able to help out. Too bad she can't find something to wash her face off. Does her mother not love her????
So, that's what you get tonight. Sorry. It's lame, I know.

One day soon, I will have an insightful post, filled with humor and deep thoughts. Well, maybe not soon, but one day.

Matthew and I leave next weekend for NYC!!!!!! Our first trip without the girls. Am I nervous? To the point of vomiting, thank you. We are excited and really look forward to it. It's a whirlwind trip. We leave Saturday morning when the sun rises and get back Monday night around 8pm. I have never been away from Elyn for a night, nothing like baptism by fire, huh.

More about New York later.

Night.

11 months old!

Aahhhhhhhh (screaming)...one more month left of Elyn being zero. I remember EXACTLY what I was doing 13 months ago. And I remember how HUGE I felt (and looked, I'm sure). (By the way, happy anniversary Landon and Brandi.)

My baby is 11 months old. Wow. Did you know that when Nora was 11 months old we were pregnant with Elyn...and had NO IDEA.

I am confident that I am not currently incubating a third baby.

Confident!

Did you know that when I found out I was pregnant with Elyn (3 days after I turned 30), I cried for about 2 weeks?

And now, well, I can't imagine not having her. I didn't realize we needed her until she came.

She is so much fun. We laugh all the time at the faces she makes and the sounds that she says.

When we tell her, "Say please, Elyn" she throws both of her arms up over her head.

She gets "so big" and "please" confused...a lot.

She is walking all over the place! ALL OVER! I think by next week I will have to put a bell around her neck to keep track of her.

She sleeps for 11 1/2 to 12 hours each night.

She is almost done with her morning nap, but I am holding on for a few more weeks.

She naps for about 2 hours in the afternoon.

She eats mostly table food and is drinking milk. She's not too crazy about milk though, she would rather drink water. I can't say I blame her. Perhaps I should let her watch the commercials that show how milk can be figure flattering.

I'm still her favorite person, but she is starting to show a serious liking for Matthew.

She LOVES Nora and wants to be playing with/near/around Nora at all times.

She is getting so big!

I don't want to waste this month always thinking, "She's almost one!". I want to enjoy her being 11 months old.

She is only 11 months old for 30 days.

And in that 30 days, she will get bigger, say more, laugh a ton, hold her arms up for me to pick her up, love on us all, and capture our hearts even more than she already has.

It's going to go too fast!