5 Texans: December 2007

26 December 2007

Libby loves...

books
toys

Addi

Disney princesses

dogs

movie

Barbie

Wibby

I read her a book about what Elmo loves today and the last line asked her what she loved. That was her list, in no particular order, I'm sure!

I think she should add do-nuts to the list, or, at least the chocolate icing :)

25 December 2007

17 December 2007

The problem with an upstairs playroom

How am I supposed to get all the toys I want to play with down the stairs?!

16 December 2007

Last night, Bryan and I painted the town red!

Or, at least as red as we could get it for 2 Thirty-Somethings with 2 kids and one on the way drving a minivan!

So, really more a shade of pale, pale pink.

We met another couple for dinner at N9NE Steakhouse and, let me just tell you, this pregnant stay-at-home mom was feeling oh-so-out-of-place amid all the "Dallas Big Hair", 4-inch heels, and 4-inch miniskirts. But they had food and food makes me happy. Plus, the girls spent the night with my grandparents and, as any stay-at-home mom would agree, a night (every once in a while) without kids is like a spa vacation.

The girls were wired and ready for a Night o' Fun when Bryan and I dropped them off last evening. Maybe a little too wired since they didn't go to sleep until 11:30. Apparently there was lots of waking in the night also. According to Addi, "Libby needed to sleep by herself because she kept waking me up hundreds of times!"

Did I mention it was their first time to share a bed?!

My grandmother did say that she left the bathroom light on for them, but wasn't sure they really needed it because they certainly knew their way to her room. Don't worry though, "John just slept right through it all." I couldn't help chuckling and stating that "somehow the men are always able to sleep 'through it all'!" I have a feeling Meme is snoozing as I type this catching up some of her lost sleep courtesy of the Parker twosome :)

That's exactly what the twosome's doing. Each in their own beds this time.

It warms my heart that my children will have memories of their great-grandparents. These are my mom's parents and they lived about 5 minutes from the house I grew up in. My brother and I were their only grandchildren for quite some time and they spoiled us rotten. Papa always used to try and get us to say we were "mean and rotten". Meme would always say, "No, you're not. Tell Papa you're sweet and precious." Of course, we always told Papa we were "sweet and precious" I remember this going on with my cousins also and was happy to hear Libby tell me today she was "sweet and precious", but "Papa mean and rotten!"

I don't know that Meme and Papa will ever be up to keeping the girls for us again, but we so appreciated that they did last night.

13 December 2007

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I've struggled as an adult (or, at least since I've had children) to really feel that way at Christmas-time.

Part of the problem is my tendency to procrastinate. 'Cause procrastination leads to stress.

I'm not an early shopper. I wish I would run out in March and get all my Christmas shopping done. Instead I spend countless hours on the computer and driving to various stores desparately searching for the scooter that got all 5 stars in the ToysRUs reviews a week or two before the big day.

I love getting Christmas cards. I don't particularly enjoy writing out all the addresses on the envelopes of our cards. And, I really don't like spending any time at the post office buying stamps. Each year Bryan makes a request for a Christmas letter to be enclosed with our family card. However, y'all know who would be in charge of that. Maybe next year when we won't have just moved. Of course, I'll have 3 kids next year. I knew someone once who always sent out a New Years' letter. I might could get our Christmas letter out by New Years!

I have learned that life won't just slow down. There will always be something screaming for your attention, especially when you're a Mom. Sometimes you just have to hit the pause button.

I did that today. The girls and I got up (even though the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed with my scratchy throat), acted lazy, finally got around to breakfast, dressed and ran to the grocery store to buy all the ingredients we'd need to bake.

Actually, we didn't run, at all. We took our time. We walked slowly through the aisles. The girls sang and danced to Albertsons' elevator-music versions of Christmas classics. There was hardly another soul in the store and all the employees were eager to help. The store manager even offered to help me out with my cart. It took me by surprise (I'm still getting re-acquainted with this Texas hospitality) and I immediately refused. He offered again. I again politely refused, but was really impressed with his offer.

Though what in the world would I have done while he loaded my car?! Buckled in Libby, making sure the straps were nice and tight and started the car so the heater could get going?! I don't know that I could have functioned at those things without also having to load the car, being extra careful not to smash the eggs and put the cart up and referee an argument at the same time! No, as nice as his offer was, I needed to take care of the groceries myself.

Believe it or not, there was not even an argument to referee. We, instead, had a peaceful drive to McDonalds where we picked up lunch and headed home to eat. As the girls began eating, I unloaded the groceries. Then I looked for a Christmas movie. I really wanted to watch Miracle on 34th Street, but forgot we don't have a vcr downstairs. I grabbed White Christmas because it was the only "Christmas" dvd, but it wasn't in its case.

So, we baked Christmas goodies all afternoon with the only background noise being our laughter. We didn't quite finish, but I'll have tomorrow afternoon and Saturday morning. Then we'll deliver the treats to our neighbors and pack a few boxes to send off to a couple families we won't be seeing this Christmas.

Bryan got home and took us to eat Mexican tonight. Yum! It was a great ending to an even better day.

My throat is still scratchy, but I feel recharged for card addressing and present hunting. I even remembered to buy stamps at Albertsons today!

(Although, I don't, at the moment, feel recharged for uploading pictures from my camera. I'll have to add pictures tomorrow.)

12 December 2007

Her New Skill (besides enjoying a chocolate donut)

Each night I put Libby to bed we have a little routine. We must follow it or bedtime turns into lots of screaming and crying (and, yes, at least initially, the screaming and crying is coming from her).

First, I change her diaper and put her into pajamas. Then we go to the bathroom to brush her teeth and she "washes" her hands and drinks water from the bathroom sink. The next step is crucial. She walks up the 2 steps of her stool onto her bed and crawls under the covers. If I ever try to hurry this event up by placing her into bed, the tantrum begins. After that she always says, "Tover up me! Tover up me, Mommy!" and I do. Next she requests two songs and a prayer. I always have to ask her which songs even though they are always Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Jesus Loves Me, respectively. The prayer consists of her naming everyone she's ever met and me praying for those people. The last thing we have to do is hug and kiss.

Last night, though, she decided she needed to tell me "sometin". When I walked back to her bedside, she smiled and said, "Sing Twinkle, Twinkle?" I told her no because we'd already sang and it was time to go to sleep. Then she tried, " I wan pray, Mommy!" Again, I told her no. Her last plea was, "I need tell Mommy a secret!" I ended up leaving her room with her still protesting.

I can remember when Addi started trying to delay bedtime. That was when putting her to bed became such agony. Apparently that is just what's in store for me with Libby. But, I know that it won't last forever.

Don't tell her, but I'll secretly cherish each and every delay until she no longer wants me around at all.

11 December 2007

Did you hear the one...

about the Aggie that walked into the DPS office to get a new drivers license because she had to have a Texas license in order to take Defensive Driving for a speeding ticket she got just days after moving back to Texas?

It turns out that little mini-diploma card they give you when you graduate from Texas A&M University really does serve a purpose. I mean, other than being your membership card in The Association of Former Students.

Today, I waited in line with my 2 kids for an hour only to almost be turned away without a Texas drivers license. I had my North Carolina license, my insurance card, my car registration, my social security card and even a piece of mail with my name and new address, just in case.

However, my car is not in my name. I mean, technically it isn't my car. All I do is drive it and put gas in it occasionally. Plus, Bryan decided a couple weeks ago that the Pilot just wouldn't cut it with 3 kids and he spent too many hours in a dealership haggling over my new Odyssey. I didn't even see what color it was until he got home with it, so I certainly didn't get to sign my name on anything for it.

So, I was supposed to have my lisence plus two other forms of identification. One was the social security card. I didn't have anything else on the list. The lady kept reading items off the list in hopes that I could pull my birth certificate out of my jacket pocket. I kept listing the items I did have in my wallet, including a Sam's card and my expired dependent military id, in the hopes that she would say, "Oh, a Sam's card is right here. Number 32 on the list of DPS Acceptable Forms of Secondary Identification."

Things were not looking good.

Then, she read, "High School Diploma?".

Of course, I have this little, rather homemade-looking, laminated card that's been in my wallet since my college graduation. It has never been used for anything, until today. They accepted it as my secondary form of id?!!

I walked out of there with my paper license and a promise that my new Texas drivers license would be in my mail box within two weeks.

I think Aggie joke, Schmaggie joke, the joke's on them!

07 December 2007

This one's for you, Tom!

My brain is fried.

I don't know where to begin. There has been so much to blog about and now that I'm sitting at the computer, I can't think of one thing.

But, threats have been issued and so I can no longer put off the task of blogging. (I would hate for you to have to make a comment, Tom :)

I guess I'll begin with the most recent and work backwards and then, I promise, I won't wait forever to blog again.

Blogging Before Boxes! Blogging Before Boxes!

I had an appointment with the baby doctor today. It was a grueling appointment filled with bloodwork (that didn't work the first time - I can still feel pain shooting down my arm into my fingertips!), talking with the doctor, an ultrasound (and, no, we still don't know!), and - I've saved the best for last - talking with the financial coordinator to confirm that this child will be the financial death of us.

You're on your own for college, Kid! Bringing you into the world will cost us a small fortune!

We did find out some encouraging news though. It seems that couples with more than one daughter versus more than one son are 50% more likely to remain out of a nursing home because daughters are more likely to take in their parents. (I wonder if I could've thrown in another "more"?!) The doctor shared that tidbit and I looked at Bryan and proclaimed that I could so see Addi being the one adding on to her house to make room for her aging, senile parents. Libby will be the one who moves far, far away. Kind of like us...No, not like us at all :)

Addi really wanted to stay home with Meme and Papa (my grandparents who came over to watch the girls for me), but only after she made sure Bryan would be at the appointment so I wouldn't have to go by myself. Her sweetness melts my heart.

[Ashley and any other first-time pregnant readers should probably skip right over this next paragraph]

I have about 12 weeks to go and I had a mild anxiety attack on the way home from the appointment. 12 weeks will fly by and, at some point, I am going to have to get this baby out of me! I've done that twice already, so this is not a Fear of the Unknown thing. It is most certainly a Fear of the Known :) Bryan asked if it would help me to realize that there isn't a thing I can do about it, at this point.

And, he, obviously, has never given birth - I'm actually wondering if he was present the other 2 times I did! The realization that nothing can be done about it is exactly what scares the pants off me! But, thanks for your attempt at encouragement, Babe. It really warms my heart :)

In other Baby News...my old friend, Becky just had her second, a little girl this time. Funny enough she and Steve lived in Fayetteville, NC when they had their son Cade. A week or so before her due date with Cade, Addi and I drove down to visit. That night she went into labor.

I moved back just in time to do it again! Our other old friend, Ashley (who is also pregnant...her first), the girls and I drove to Belton, TX last week to see Becky (and Steve and Cade, of course) while we were all still pregnant at the same time. She went into labor the next day!

If I could figure out a way to sell that service, I would be very rich!

Man, if I could just figure out a way to do it to myself, I'd be very happy :)

What else is going on? Well, we've decorated the inside of our house for Christmas. Actually, I'm pretty sure we're missing a few boxes of decorations, but we've got the trees up. I don't think the outside is getting done this year. There are too many things I want finished inside that I need Bryan's help with than to send him outside to stake lights along our front walk. I didn't hear him complain too loudly about that decision. In fact, it took about 30 seconds for the "Outside Christmas Decorations" boxes to disappear into the attic after I made my wishes known.

Both girls really got into decorating the trees this year and they both seem really excited about Santa. We'll see if that lasts when we get in line to have their picture taken with the Jolly Old Man.

Besides that we've been really busy. I'm not sure with what though! It even seems like going to the park near our house has been something we've wanted to do more of, but other things have taken priority. The girls and I did take a walk Thursday morning and ended up at the park. You can literally see it from Addi's bedroom window. It is closer (and much better) than our neighborhood playground. The girls played until I almost froze and forced them to leave. We should have gone back today since it was warm again, but, honestly, I couldn't have any sugar until this afternoon when I was finished at the doctor (gestational diabetes screening), so I spent the late afternoon hiding out in small increments of time. I think I might've eaten an entire bag of cookies and washed it down with a cold Dr. Pepper. Fine, I ate the whole bag and I don't feel a bit guilty about it! Don't judge, my doctor just told me that my weight gain was great! Besides, I made a Cooking Light supper tonight.

There's probably more, but I need to save that for the next post.

I'll end with a few visuals to aid in my extremely ~~verbose~~ painful catch-up post!