Does anyone else feel crazy?

Reaves Card

2010-12-14T22:51:00.001-06:00

Vintage Glee Christmas Card

For hundreds of Christmas card designs, click here.

View the entire collection of cards.

'Tis the Season....

2010-12-05T15:29:00.012-06:00

of trying to get that "perfect" Christmas card photo. As if the past 6 years weren't hard enough with only 1 and 2 children, this year we have been blessed with a third. Having an 11 month old to try to photograph is sure to be an adventure to say the least!

Thank goodness I only have to take the pictures! The awesome people at Shutterfly have made the rest easy, with their amazing selection of literally HUNDREDS of designs to choose from! I have already ordered 4 photobooks from Shutterfly to give as gifts this year, and if my little sister will get her act together, we will be ordering at least 4 more for our side of the family. If she procrastinates too long I will probably opt for calendars instead since I can get them designed a little faster or I could do a completely cute photo mug!

One of my favorite cards so far is this one because I adore the simple elegance as well as the ability to fit five different photos on the front. Now if the kids will cooperate long enough to GET those five different photos!

I'm also considering ordering Thank You cards this year for the kids to send to the people who took the time to get them gifts. I have ordered them in the past for birthday parties and people really seemed to appreciate them.

Here are a couple of images from last year's Christmas card photo session, and I love them so much I wish I could use the same ones again this year. These were professionally done by Mika at Photos by Mika.

Since I am going to do photos myself this year I feel like they will most likely look more like this one that I used for Valentine's Day one year.

"Pop"

2010-09-20T00:21:00.002-05:00

Friday morning we lost Matthew's grandpa, Pop. His name was J.W. Greenwood and he was technically his step-grandpa, but he was probably more family that some of the blood relatives. I've been around a while, and I met Pop when I was 14. He was a very sweet, goofy, loving man. So much so that he built me a cedar chest for my high school graduation. It is and will forever be one of my most prized possesions because not only did he think enough of me to get me a nice gift, but he put so much work into making it so beautiful and I'm sure that he worked until he got it just the way he wanted.

After Matthew and I got married in Nov. 2002, Pop (and Mom) were the first visitors we had down in Del Rio. They hopped on an Amtrak train in February and spent 24 hours making the trip that took us only 12 hours driving. They stayed for a week and at first that seemed like it would be a LONG time, at least to me, who was having to entertain my grandparents-inlaw. We had alot of fun. I didn't have an iron skillet, so we went all over town looking in second hand shops and antique stores for one that was already seasoned. We found one for $5 in an antique store and Pop got it for me, cleaned all the rust off of it, and it is to this day a wonderful skillet for cornbread and doesn't even stick! We ate with our good friends, Kelly and Norma, while they were visiting and Norma taught Pop how to make pico de gallo which he loved so much that he made more and carried it back on the train with him.

I remember once, when Matthew and I were dating years ago, he (Matthew) asked me if I'd get him a Coke from the fridge. I stood up to go and get it and Pop said, "if you go get it, I'll break your leg." It was a typical Pop statement. He waited on Mom hand and foot and apparently expected Matthew to treat me the same. Then there was the time when I was the only girl left at the deer camp and we were all sitting around the fire one night. Well, Pop farted, and I mean....FARTED. He had this goofy smile on his face as he looked around waiting for someone to congratulate him, but Matthew said, "POP, BRANDY IS RIGHT HERE!!!!" He was so very embarrassed, but it was hilarious.

About three weeks after they spent that week with us, Pop was going to have open heart surgery. During his surgery, something went wrong and he lost oxygen to his brain for a few minutes. He has never been the same. We have watched the man we all knew and loved deteriorate over the last 7 years. Our kids never got to meet the real Pop. They only knew the Pop who rode in a motorized wheelchair and lived at Wagnon Place. That in itself is heartbreaking to me. He was a special man. He took care of his brother, Sonny, until a couple of years ago. He helped Mom care for her parents when they were in the nursing home. He was a dad to three boys who weren't really his own, although I'm not sure he ever thought about that fact. He was a terrific grandpa to eight grandchildren and I have seen that with my own eyes. I wish that he'd had the opportunity to be that for his five great-grandchildren. He will be missed greatly.

Love you, Pop

I joined the Girl Scouts today!

2010-09-07T22:57:00.001-05:00

Yes, you read that right. I, a 29 year old mother of 3, joined the Girl Scouts today with my 5 year old! I took her to sign up and wound up as a co-troop leader. I am actually very excited. I was a Daisy when I was little and I remember some meetings, selling cookies, earning a couple of patches, and attending a Day Camp at Tri-County Lake in Fordyce. I also happen to remember attending the Girl Scout 75th anniversary celebration that was held...in Warren? I remember a big white and green cake and releasing white and green balloons with our names and addresses inside. I'm excited to get started and get the girls' vests ordered!!!

I joined the Girl Scouts today!

2010-09-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

School...and other things to worry about

2010-08-11T13:41:00.001-05:00

So my "baby", Abby, is about to start Kindergarten. I have plenty of anxiety about that one single satement. Add to that the fact that I know NOTHING about her school, teacher, the way it all operates, hardly any of the parents of any Kindergarten students....and it's enough to drive me mad!

We went to orientation last Friday and my anxiety was compounded by 100%. Her teacher seems nice enough, and has been teaching quite a few years. The school has an open classroom setup, which is odd to me. None of the classrooms are actual "rooms". They are all divided off by bookshelves, boards and other things just no actual walls. I, personally, found it distracting because Abby's teacher was softspoken while the lady next to her was quite loud. Not to mention the parents in our class were talking among themselves and not even attempting to listen to the teacher as she explained a few important topics such as how important it was for her to know how each child gets to and from school.

Yesterday I took Abby for a haircut and mentioned my disbelief at the rude parents to the lady who was cutting her hair because I knew she also had a child starting Kindergarten at that school. She was amazed that something like that bothered me! She said, "well, most of us have done it all before and we don't need to hear it again." She went on to say that she hadn't listened to her child's teacher, but she and the person she had been talking to weren't rude about it but that she didn't hear the part about reading and points and needed to go back and ask. The whole point of orientation is to tell all 15 parents crucial info so you don't have to repeat yourself 15 times!

I am going to stop now before my blood pressure goes up. My point is, if the parents don't care....how will their kids learn that education is important? And meanwhile, MY child is stuck in the middle and I am not excited about that at all.

What can I DO?

2010-07-29T23:20:00.000-05:00

Lately I feel the need to DO something. I mean, sure I'm a stay at home mom of 3, so technically I have plenty to do and can't get caught up.

I would like to start babysitting and at least I would be contributing financially to our family while still being with my kids. I am also looking for a way to give back to others. I really think that I would like to volunteer and help foster children in some way. I think if I could give foster parents some relief by babysitting or something similar it would be perfect. I just really have no idea where to find out how I can help. If anyone knows of volunteer programs in Louisiana, please pass along that info.

Dear Alzheimer's....

2010-06-12T23:35:00.002-05:00

I am not a fan of yours.

My sister and I, along with our 5 children, visited our grandma tonight at St. John's Place in Fordyce. I'm not sure that Mamaw ever knew who any of us were. It broke my heart. Mamaw is a tough woman, and I feel like the nursing home has broken her spirit. She so badly wants to go back to her house and tend to her flower beds and be with her dog, Fluffy. She just wants to be outside during the day. I have no doubt that she would work herself silly if only she had the chance.

Mamaw will be 86 in about 3 weeks, and I wish there was some way for her to be at her own house these days. If I lived closer I would happily stay with her 24/7 so that could be a reality. She enjoyed visiting with us, and she loved Sophie. She gave her a bottle, burped her, and Sophie being her usual jovial self cooed, laughed, and played with her. It seemed to make Mamaw happy. I hope that it did. At 86, I hate to see her so unhappy and I hate to be the one to have to make sure the door closes when we all leave. She so badly wants to get out that darn door and always asks me to tell her the code.

It's so hard to see such a strong person in such a helpless situation.

Teachers...

2010-05-13T22:06:00.003-05:00

Lately, as Abby is learning new things it brings back memories of when I was in school and my favorite teachers. I was one of those kids that LOVED school. From day one I loved it. Much of that was because I had the very best Kindergarten teacher a child could ever have. Her name was Miss Linnie Grice.

I will be 29 in a couple of days and I remember exactly what Miss Linnie smelled like. I remember that she kept her paddle (yes, teachers had paddles when I was younger) under a big stuffed puppy dog on top of the filing cabinet. I also remember Drell Rainey had more meetings with that paddle than I'm sure he ever wanted to. I remember at nap time on days when it was raining Miss Linnie would leave the door open and I would listen to the rain.

I remember a pair of monkeys Miss Linnie had above her door that said "left" and "right" and sometimes when I'm thinking really hard about something those monkeys pop into my head. I remember where her alphabet chart and counting chart were hung. I even remember that the bathroom in our classroom smelled like tempra paint.

I remember many times when we sat around the piano in her room singing fun learning songs as a class. I remember making butter in a Mason jar. I remember cleaning the glue off the tables with shaving cream....boy was that fun! Snack time was always fun, and whenever I have to take snacks anywhere for kids I think of Mrs. Ruby Hamilton's peanut butter Rice Krispy Treats. I also remember Miss Linnie making me taste a mushroom at some kind of taste testing thing we did and how gross it was. I still don't like mushrooms no matter how much I want to.

As I sit here thinking I am full of nostalgia and tears are likely at any moment. I can't think of any single bad memory from Miss Linnie's classroom. Well, unless you count one day when I had to stay in at recess to re-color a picture of a blue bird that I rushed through and scribbled on. I find it strange that I don't remember exactly which kids were in my class, although I remember Drell Rainey, Veronica Tolfree, and Vincent Stroud with perfect clarity. I mostly remember Miss Linnie and how much I loved her.

Thanks, Miss Linnie, for all the great memories!

Abby can READ!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-04-08T16:41:00.003-05:00

Yesterday my biggest baby, Abby, came home from school with "sight words" on flashcards. She's in a little preschool here and yesterday she won the phonics game with 61 words! Today she read me 3 books from this set:

http://www.leapfrog.com/en/preschool_toys/sing_along_read_along.html

She is so excited! She's waiting for Daddy so she can read to him.

Heartache

2010-03-31T13:08:00.002-05:00

I have a tremendous heartache lately as I worry and pray for my baby brother. I am the oldest of three kids, and my brother is 17 months younger than me which makes him 27. He has always been a stubborn person, you can't talk to him without him getting mad and he has a horrible temper. He first got into trouble when he was about 16 when he got a DUI. Since then he's had at least one more of those, along with at least one arrest for posession, and who knows how many tickets for other acts of extreme stupidity.

For several years my prayers were that he would simply grow up and act like the man that I know he was raised to be. Recently though, since we've been closer to home I worry even more because I can see the destruction that he is causing himself. Because I can see it myself it worries me more. It is causing my parents and grandparents grief that they do not deserve, and that breaks my heart. I love my brother and I don't want to see bad things happen to him, yet I am seeing them with ever increasing regularity.

Part of me wants to punch him and tell him to really look at what he's doing to himself, and the other part of me wants to hug him and tell him how much I love him and that I don't want to watch his self destruction anymore. I have no idea what to do....I mean, you really can't help an adult who doesn't want to help himself, right?

All I know for sure is that I feel sorry for him on some level, and I know that it hurts to watch someone you love do such awful things when I can't do anything about it. I just want him to stop the drinking and the drugs and get his life right. Somewhere beneath all of that is a good person, one of the most tender hearted little boys I've ever met. A boy who loves elderly people so much that when he was 10 years old, instead of playing with Clint, he would go next door and talk to Aunt Grace for hours. And I don't want to have to go to my baby brother's funeral. Especially one where I will feel sorry for the preacher who will have to lie about the person that he was. I just wish it didn't hurt so much.

Family

2009-09-30T14:00:00.002-05:00

“They can never take away from us the place or two, where always, time stands still. “
-Gene Hill

Let me preface this by saying two things: One, nothing brings a memory crashing back to me the way a song does ( Travelin’ Band and Money for Nothing never fail to make me smile, remembering two kids and their child father dancing to these two songs on a cheap stereo in a rundown house like we were the Vanderbilts, not having a care in the world). And two, there was a period in my life where I was totally obsessed with the group Boston and listened to nothing but the three Boston tapes that I had. But already I digress from my original thought.

I was on my way to work today and heard “Don’t Look Back”, as you might have guessed, a Boston song and immediately thought of one the trout fishing trips that Pop, Dad, Will, and myself used to take every September for about five or six years when I was in junior high and high school. We began taking these when I was in the eighth grade and I can honestly say that I have rarely had as much fun doing anything as I did for the three days that we were in Dripping Springs, Arkansas every year. Dripping Springs was right outside of a little town in north central Arkansas called Pangburn, which has got to be home to the ugliest women in the free world. I don’t think we ever saw one decent looking gal. But once again, I digress. We would go up every during the last weekend in September. The place was a little bit in the mountains and it was beautiful there. Dad and I fished in in one boat and Will and Pop in another. There was always a little friendly competition (sometimes pretty Unfriendly) between the boats and me and Dad always smoked ‘em, in our books anyway. The limit was either six or eight apiece and we would catch our limits sometimes, but usually not, and pretty much relax and do whatever we wanted for a few days.

Once, I caught the biggest trout, by far, that any of us had ever caught. Dad and I normally just put the fish in our “dead well”, as we called the bottom of his boat, but today was to be different. Before I finish this, I just want to remind everyone that there is usually a reason things are left behind or thrown away. That reason would be because they are NO GOOD. Now, back to that fateful day. Dad had found an old bream basket that someone had left on the bank of the river (Little Red by the way) and decided that we should use it. I, being young and naïve, agreed. I can see him now, smiling to himself about someone else’s bad fortune that turned into our good fortune. Well, the first fish that we hooked that morning was my trophy. It really was a nice rainbow and we were even discussing how the trophy shot should be taken when Dad managed to land one of his normal, inferior fish. As he pulled up the basket to put his fish in it, we had just enough time to see my trophy, my white whale, slip through a hole in the basket. That is why we have no picture of this monstrosity. The moral of this story is to never trust other people’s garbage, or your own Dad for that matter, when it comes to fishing.

It is these little stories that we retell over and over again, the stories that would mean nothing to someone else, that always come to my mind. Not how many fish we caught or even how big my trophy was, but how it got away and the things that only men who have “been there” can appreciate. Although I hate to admit it, I wouldn’t trade that fish getting away for anything. Dad and I still laugh about it. And the time t hat Pop’s boat motor died and he and Will had to float backwards down the river a bit before they got it going again. Seeing the look on Pop’s face, as he was wearing his usual one size too small Duxbak hat tightly on the top of his head, you would have thought that he was about to travel down a sixty foot waterfall on some unexplored river in the African jungle instead of a two foot deep “rapid” that was about twenty yards in the middle of the Little Red River. I will never forget his desperate look and how me and Dad laughed until our stomachs hurt. Things that mean nothing to the outsider, but the world to us who saw and lived it.

At last, I come back to my original thought. The song reminded me not only of trout fishing, but one trip in particular. I believe it was the year that I was in ninth or tenth grade and it rained the entire first two days. Living in a tent in the rain can be pretty miserable. Not to mention the fact that we couldn’t have a fire and had to eat bologna sandwiches for EVERY meal. The second afternoon, it was really raining and Dad and I were in his little “champagne” Ranger listening to the radio. Naturally for this time, we were listening to a Boston tape and more specifically, “Don’t Look Back”. Every time I hear it now I think about that moment, and how we were all miserable, just wanting to go home, but no one would say it. We stayed and didn’t catch much and it was pretty uneventful on the whole. But I was thinking today, how I would give almost anything to be able to go back and live it again. I would sit through a tornado just to be able to do it with Pop and Dad and Will. Back before Will and I knew the meaning of responsibility, back before Pop had so much taken from him, back before I realized that Dad didn’t have all the answers. Growing up isn’t having to get a job and pay bills, growing up is finding out that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.

It is such a cheat that we can never realize how good things are and how much we will miss them when they are gone. George “Bird” Evans once wrote that “the perfection of a bird dog, like the perfection of autumn is tinged with sadness because you know, even as it begins that it must end. Time bestows the gift and steals it in the process.” The end of adolescence, like many things, is like this, you too late realize that you truly can’t go home again. That time is the thief of our yesterdays as well as out tomorrows.I loved those times, but if I could go back, I tell myself that I would love them even more. I wouldn’t sleep but instead try to soak up every single moment. Every joke told, every fishing lie, every fish caught, and every evening fire. I would try to pay the attention deserved. I think that true happiness is being able to say at any given moment that there is nowhere else in the world you would rather be and no one else you’d rather be with, and truly mean it. If that is true, that was happiness. Dripping Springs, little Cleos lures, ugly women, and being with three of the best men who have ever sat around in a wet tent and ate cold bologna sandwiches.

“But I’m not homesick for the camp or even the hunting-it’s the time I weep for; how I felt about being where I was and doing what I was doing. This is one place where I was truly happy………..I remember thinking that nothing here should ever change. And it shouldn’t have. But it does.” - Gene Hill

This was written by my wonderful husband, Matthew. I am truly a lucky girl to have someone who can express himself so well, and is not afraid of emotion. -- Brandy

My 10 year high school reunion....

2009-08-28T15:47:00.002-05:00

In some ways it feels like it's been an eternity since I graduated high school, and in others it seems like it was just yesterday. Well, in any case, May marked 10 big ones and since our class president had a baby in April, our reunion got pushed to September.

I went to school in Kingsland, AR...a very small town for anyone who may not know. Kingsland, whose crowning achievement is that it is the birthplace of Johhny Cash, had a population of 449 people during the 2000 census. I was born and raised in New Edinburg, AR which is about 8 miles away, but the NE school closed down the year I started kindergarten. Our school consisted of about 400 people headstart thru seniors, including faculty and staff. Needless to say, everybody knew everybody...and their business.

I went to school for 13 years with mostly the same people. Of course we had a few classmates who would come or go over the years and at our 6th grade graduation we had I think the largest class in all of Cleveland County with either 36 or 38. By the time we were seniors, our numbers had dropped down to 24, and I think only 22 of us actually received diplomas. Regardless of whether we all liked one another or not, we were friends. We had been through alot together, and although many of us have moved away from home, we keep in contact to some extent and still feel a closeness that is very familiar...almost like family.

Today I had the pleasure of contacting our Senior class sponsors and inviting them to our reunion. One, Mr. Powell, I didn't know very well at all. He was a coach that came in my Junior or Senior year, and I never really had any dealings with him until our Sr. Trip. I emailed him and gave him all the info on the reunion and he replied that he already had a commitment that day, wished he could be there, and said that he had been married for 8 years, and had a daughter that would be 3 in January. Then, he asked if I had "any little ones"....which made me laugh out loud. I responded that I had married my highschool sweetheart almost 7 years ago, and that we have a 5 year old, a 3 year old, and are expecting baby number 3 in February. I'm not sure why this amused me so much, but it did. I suppose he wasn't much older than us 10 years ago, I'd say mid twenties. But, by the time I graduated Matthew and I had been dating for almost 3 years, and I think there were some people that were already growing impatient that we weren't at least engaged.

One person in particular, our English/Journalism teacher, Sandra Smead, asked Matthew constantly when he was going to marry me. I suppose in 2002 when our wedding announcement finally came out in the paper she was extremely happy. To me, being 28 and expecting my third child doesn't seem that strange. Maybe it is, but I know at least 2 of my classmates have already had their third child. Maybe it has something to do with a small country town and it's mentality, but I've always wanted to have my kids before I turned 30. I'm glad I felt that way because as tired as they make me these days, I don't think I could keep up with little ones ten years from now!

This has turned into a very long blog, but I'm feeling very nostalgic today, and it has been a long time since I posted anything. I so wish that Mr. Powell could make it to our reunion. I bet the look on his face when he saw all of our kids would be priceless!

New Blog...

2009-06-05T08:30:00.003-05:00

Ok guys, most of you know by now that we're expecting baby #3. I have to find a new doctor and I need help thinking of questions to ask him, so go to my new blog http://the3rdtimearound.blogspot.com/ and help me think!

The Middle Mom....

2009-05-23T01:41:00.003-05:00

Ok, so let me just say that Christie Erwin is my HERO. Maury Draper is another of my heroes. I don't know Christie Erwin at all, and don't really know Maury all that well, but I love them. They are amazing women who are doing amazing things in their everyday lives, and I'm pretty sure they deserve the Congressional Medal of Honor or something. They are both foster moms.

Recently, Maury posted on yet another online networking site that she was going to a book release party for a friend. Her friend, the aforementioned Christie Erwin, had written a book about her experiences as a foster mom. (www.themiddlemom.com) I picked up my copy at the post office this morning. We left Oakdale, LA at noon and finally got to Fordyce for a certain cousin's graduation at 5:40 pm. Graduation was at 7, there was a gathering at her grandparents afterward, and I think the kids and I finally made it to the in-laws at sometime around 10 pm. Some time around 11, Ethan asked to go to bed so we did. I thought I was too tired to read, but I was intrigued by this book so I started it. It is not 1:47 am and I have read 12 out of the 18 chapters and I really don't want to stop. I have to though, because my sobbing is disturbing my sleeping 4 year old and I definitely don't want to wake her up. Besides, I'm getting a headache so I'd better get to bed.

Anyway, I'm not sure how much sense any of the previous stuff made, but here's the moral of the story: READ THE BOOK. And if you are so convicted, find your way to help. Also, hug a foster mom and dad!

Cascarones

2009-04-22T17:09:00.007-05:00

Well, I was thinking that ever since we got married and moved to the border, we've always had cascarones on Easter. I can't believe I let it slip my mind on our first year away! For those of you who haven't lived on the Mexican border, cascarones are confetti filled eggs that you break over people's heads and the superstition goes that it's supposed to bring you good luck. Anyway, they're tons of fun and kids LOVE them. Here are some pics from the past few Easters and all the fun we've had with cascarones.

Abby's 2nd Easter, but the first one she actually got to participate in!

I love these two...."what was that?"

"What are you doing to me?" If looks could kill....poor Alessandra!

My sweet baby! 2006

These are from 2007. It had been raining for several days and we weren't even sure if we'd be able to go outside because it was COLD....in the 30's I believe which is VERY cold for Del Rio!

Our friends' little boy, Raymon, was very serious about this!

Abby had a blast!

See the store bought ones? Those were the ones I brought! ;)

I'll have to get the laptop out for the ones from last year. I'm too lazy for that right now! More later!

Bippo the Hippo

2009-04-01T09:01:00.002-05:00

Well, I finally got up the nerve to take the kids to the dentist this year. I'm horrible, but I never wanted to take Abby to anyone that might scare her or make her dread the dentist like some people do. I searched for a pediatric dentist while we were in Del Rio, but the closest was in San Antonio which was a 200 mile drive and I just couldn't imagine driving that far and still having a pleasant experience with a child in a dental chair.

After we moved, I found www.bippothehippo.com and to my delight Dr. Brasher was only 35 miles from us! So, new dental insurance card in hand, I took her. Matthew took the day off and stayed with Ethan because I wasn't sure what to expect from her. To my surprise, she did amazing, and was HAPPY to be there! Her hygenist's name was Carrie, and she showed her everything before she started, brused her teeth (they don't use the electric polisher thing on the kids), flossed, then she asked Abby if she could take pictures....and Abby said YES! She did an entire set of x-rays, which they said some 6 year olds won't do, and never flinched.

The worst part for her was when Bippo the Hippo came out to take a picture with her. She did take the picture, but she was clutching my hand while she stood on one side of the water fountain and Bippo stood on the other side. They printed us pictures, and even made her a button with one. If I ever get my scanner back, I'll post it, because it's hilarious.

Anyway, yesterday was Ethan's turn, and, well......look for yourself!

Needless to say, he did GREAT! Completely cooperative! You'd never know that I literally have to HOLD HIM DOWN to brush his teeth most days. When his daddy asked him what his favorite part was, it wasn't the stickers or balloon, or goody bag he got....it was the motorcycle he is holding in the pictures. They have a toy room and they got to play before and after his checkup, but he didn't get to bring that motorcycle home. I did promise him something if he was good, and Abby too if she behaved while he was there. They were angels. So, I asked them if they wanted a toy (a small one) or if they wanted to go to the movies....they agreed (gasp) that they wanted to see Monsters vs. Aliens. So we did.

It was a great day! And I didn't feel crazy at all yesterday, which is a real accomplishment for me!

Feelin' crafty....

2009-03-22T22:56:00.003-05:00

I've been looking around for new Easter baskets for the kiddos because ours have seen better days. I really wanted the ones from Pottery Barn Kids, but I just can't make myself spend that much on baskets, no matter how cute they are. Besides, they were out of the one I wanted for Ethan. :)

Anyway, I found this idea for personalized canvas bags on http://asisterforthebean.blogspot.com/ . I decided to give it a try, and it was SO easy, and I absolutely love the kids' bags!

And while I'm not going to use these for Easter, I still LOVE them. I did find some baskets at Michael's and I'm thinking about making liners for them....we'll see if I get around to that.

I can't believe it's March!

2009-03-11T08:18:00.003-05:00

We moved in December, is it really possible that it's March already? I still have boxes of stuff that need to be unpacked. I'm seriously thinking about just having a yardsale with them because I obviously don't NEED what's in them.

We're still trying to sell the house. Monday our realtor called and the same people who submitted an offer last week wanted to re-submit it this week. Last week they started at $18,500 less than the list price, and after all of the negotiating they had come up in price a whopping $5,000. After all of that they still wanted us to pay their closing, repairs, and buy them a home warranty. We came down as much as we feel is acceptable, and gave them our lowest offer again yesterday so we'll see what happens. I'm actually getting annoyed with them, but I would love to sell the house.

We found the kids a pediatrician finally! One that went to medical school in this country, and not Belize. (I know that may sound a little nuts, but I had a bad experience with the first doctor I took Ethan to.) They saw her yesterday and she assured me that Ethan's stiffening/holding his breath until he passed out fits are perfectly normal for a 2 year old. Ethan also got the second dose of his flu shot, which surprisingly, didn't make him cry. He whimpered just a little, but then she put on a SpongeBob Band-Aid and he was fine! Just like every other time they get a shot, I took them to WalMart to pick out a toy. After looking at ALL of the stuff in the store, he decided on a $1 bag of plastic coins with the Easter stuff.

Abby asked to eat lunch at Wendy's because she hasn't had Wendy's since we moved. My kids are so strange. :) It was nice to get to explore in a new direction. Their doctor is in Eunice which is south/southeast of where we live. And on Saturday after Abby's soccer game we're going to go to Lake Charles and explore over there as well. Matthew has an eye appointment there, and we'll have a few hours to waste so that should be fun.

We had Matthew's parents and nephew here last weekend, and on the 21st we're expecting his aunt and uncle to come down. It's actually nice to have regular visitors, especially when they don't stay an entire week! But if someone wants to come and see me for a week, bring it on!

ATTENTION: NEW EDINBURG (AR) GRADS

2009-02-20T16:56:00.000-06:00

Ok, so my Papaw (Jerry Langford) is trying to round up the class pictures from New Edinburg. (The big composite ones that are displayed of the entire class.)

Some classes apparently had 8x10 composites just like the big ones made. If any of you have one, your mom or grandma, aunt, or whoever has one, he would like to get a copy or at the very least get it scanned onto the computer so he can get one made to hang up at the old school.

So, get out the pictures and get to diggin!

Brandy

Insurance....argh!

2009-02-20T13:22:00.002-06:00

First let me say that I am soooooo very thankful that we HAVE insurance, and good insurance at that, but why does it have to be so darn confusing?

Matthew works for the Federal Government, which = great benefits. We have health insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance....the dental and vision just started this year so they're new to me. Ok, so Abby went to the dentist on February 3rd....no cavities, YAY! Her total charge was $170, so I wrote them a check, but they always hold your payment until they receive payment from your insurance. So, I get the estimation of benefits from the dental insurance and it says: health insurance is paying $61.00, and dental will pay the remaining $109.00.

I'm ecstatic, I just saved $170! Then today the dental office left me a message that I owed them $26.00, which I'm not complaining about, but I wondered why since the insurance was supposed to cover the whole thing. So, I started calling insurances. Then I called the office back....."we don't file on health insurance" they told me. They are sending me a SuperBill, whatever that is, so that I can file with my health insurance. Meanwhile, I paid the $26.00.

Once again, I'm not complaining about the money, but why does it have to be so complicated? I mean, we pay a pretty penny for all that insurance, but it's not much when you consider what the government pays and what we would spend out of pocket if we didn't have it. And since it IS paid for, I expect to be able to use it when we need it.

Now, Matthew needs new glasses, and he has an appointment tomorrow and I feel quite sure that I'll get to call everyone all over again for that. At least maybe I won't have to call the dental insurance anymore, and at least everyone I've spoken to so far has been American!

I am afraid...

2009-01-24T14:02:00.003-06:00

that I am raising two little brats. Does anyone else feel like that?

Of course, I try to teach them right from wrong. I try to teach them not to hit each other, not to be mean to each other, to have respect for other people, their things, and their feelings. But what if I'm not doing good enough?

Lately, and I'm not sure how much of it has to do with our moving, Abby has been acting out. Yesterday I told her to go and stand in the corner because she didn't do something I'd asked. She refused. I got up to give her a quick swat on the behind, at which point she dropped to the floor and started kicking me.

Ok, at this point I admit I completely lost my cool. I first removed her shoes. Brand new shoes that we'd bought the day before at Target and that she is absolutely in love with. I put them in the top of my closet because they became the object of her anger when I took them off. She was in the floor having an all out FIT, so I took her outside. (This is something I've done before, and it has immediately calmed her down. At our house in Del Rio, I would stand her outside the back door in our fenced yard, and close the door. When she was done screaming we would talk.) Well, I took her outside, but she screamed like someone was beating her, banged on the door, etc....until I was afraid that someone would call the cops. I brought her inside and put her on her bed.

It took quite a while for her to calm down, and she stayed in her bed most of the day and was not allowed to play with her toys. I didn't know what to do, and I still don't.

I did make up new chore and behavior charts that are on a point/demerit system. Starting tonight we will count up how many stars or stickers each child has earned and they will earn coins (I haven't decided what denomination to start with) for each. Then, we will count up the number of demerits (red x's) and take away one earned coin for each of those. I am hoping that by seeing how her negative behavior will affect her earnings that she'll work to earn more, and lose less.

I just finished reading "Have a New Kid by Friday" and I want to implement that in our house. However, I'm afraid that her behavior recently is too far past what I learned in that book for it to help right now. I want to have good children, and I believe they ARE good children. I just need to learn how to make THAT part of them the more dominant part. Also, how are we as parents supposed to know when something else is bothering a child? Like, what if she's really upset over the move and not having her friends? What do I do? How do I know what to do?

Man, I wish there was an instruction book.

Ok, I need more help...

2009-01-07T15:52:00.003-06:00

This seems to be a continuing topic for me, huh?

Anyway, in the previous post I asked about a cookbook for a graduation or wedding gift. (Thanks Tara!) And in this one I need a little different help. You see we have this cousin. She will be 18 in about 2 weeks, graduating in May, and has recently announced to the world that she is getting married in June or July.

The latter has caused quite a bit of uproar from various family members since she is so young and has only been dating this guy since around May. For much of the time they've been dating he's been at Basic Training, and now is in Italy with the Air Force. Now, having been a teenager in love, I can see her point of view. Also, after having dated and been married to the same person for the last 12 years, I can also see her parents' point of view.

I have seen this coming for a while now, because we are very close thanks to text messaging and various other internet networking. She is a very level-headed girl and fully intends on going to college, online at first while in Italy, and physically attending classes to become an RN upon their return to the states. I've done my best to bring up various points that should be considered and discussed before a person gets married, and she's thoughtfully considered all of them and discussed them with her soon-to-be. I, personally, do not know him, but from the people who do he sounds like a nice young man. He is 20, I believe.

Now, here's where I need help. Can you all, since I know you're all older than 18, and have all been 18 at some point, think of more points that I can have her think about? I understand that she will legally be an adult and can basically do whatever she pleases, but I care and I want her to be as prepared as possible. Since it looks like she will not take a couple of years to get to know this guy better, I want to throw as much helpful knowledge her way as possible.

Also, get your recipes ready, because I'm sure that I'll be asking for that soon! Thanks!

Create-Your-Own-Cookbook

2009-01-06T21:58:00.002-06:00

Does anyone know of a good blank cookbook that I can get for a graduation or wedding gift? Matthew's grandmother gave me one when I was in college and I LOVE it. Only thing I would change is I would want a spiral bound so that it will lay open while I'm trying to read it. Something simple with lots of room to add.....

"Cool Boops"

2008-12-08T22:24:00.002-06:00

Well, we got Ethan's braces on Wednesday while in San Antonio. He seems to like them and keeps calling them "boops" (boots for those not fluent in Ethan). I told him they were cool so now they've become cool boops. He hasn't worn them much since we're still in a hotel but once we get settled we'll start putting them on him more and more. Hopefully he'll continue to be okay with them and get better at walking in them. They slow him down alot, which may not be a bad thing. :)

We start moving into our house tomorrow but will spend one more night in the lovely Best Western Oakdale Inn so we don't have to sleep on the floor or buy air mattresses and bedding for one night.

Help me, all you crafters out there!

2008-11-22T10:10:00.002-06:00

So, we are moving. Our friends are having a going away party for us next weekend, and I am trying to think of something for my kids' friends to do for them so that we can have a tangible keepsake for us to remember and talk about their friends after we move.

I thought about getting colors and paper and having them draw a picture or something and then me actually snapping pics of them with the kids or actually drawing to put with their creations and put them all into a scrapbook.

Any suggestions, anybody done something similar? Most of the kids are 8 and under so it needs to be simple.

*******

New ideas.....

Ok, so I had another thought.....I remember when I was little all us girls would make t-shirts at sleepovers and we'd all sign them and what-not. Since the shirts seem a little girly to me, what if I did pillowcases? Then the kids could have them to help them remember their friends. Is that a little nuts?

So, I mentioned shirts and pillowcases, but I found this really cool book online called Moving with Kids: 25 ways to Ease Your Family's Transition to a New Home By Lori Collins Burgan, Virginia L. Mason.... (which I plan to get if our tiny Waldenbooks has it, which I'm sure they don't)
Google books has an awesome preview of a couple of chapters. I read through a few and she suggested:

picture book or scrapbook with either just pictures of the kids friends or artwork or letters from their friends

tablecloths that each friend could sign

quilt squares for each friend to decorate or write on

So, what do you think?

(I apologize for the dis-jointed post, but I originally blogged this on Myspace and then added to it before copying it here.)

My little stripper....

2008-10-06T10:17:00.003-05:00

has been pretty good lately about not pulling his diaper off, so, of course, I forgot about the onesies for a few days. Yesterday I decided to go to the mall and work on Christmas shopping for the nieces, nephews, and cousins because if I don't then I will be BROKE at Christmas when I'm trying to buy it all. Anyway, I was having a lot of luck finding outfits for three of the little ones when I hear something go **PLOP** at my feet. Yep, it's a diaper. I immediately started to pray that there was no poop inside, and when I picked it up, I was relieved. Although then I was trying to re-dress my nude-from-the-waist-down son in the shopping cart. The whole time he was telling me, "Pants, Momma!" and pointing like they had mysteriously fallen off.

Seriously, it's a good thing they're so darn cute!

Diapers, and Onesies, and Poop oh my!

2008-09-23T10:48:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a LONG time since I blogged on here. I do blog on my Myspace page sometimes if anyone is that interested in my life....lol.

I am having issues with keeping Ethan's diapers on lately. He finally learned how to take his pants off so as soon as that happens, the diaper follows immediately, and he doesn't bother to tell anyone, just the next time I see him, I see his little rear end shining. It's always especially fun when he's pooped in his diaper before he takes it off. Sometimes it just gets all over him, but other times he will decide that he needs to climb on something....say Abby's bed with her pretty daisy comforter and Tinkerbell sheets.

Last Friday I decided we were going to have to invest in him some onesies, and I wasn't even sure if I could find them anymore for him. I thought I was done with them for him and he looks like such a big boy in his regular little t-shirts. So, off we went to Eagle Pass which is about 50 miles away to search at Khol's. I did find that Carter's makes 24 month onesies in both short and long sleeves and I happily bought a big package of them. So far, this seems to be working. Although yesterday when we were getting dressed to leave the house I put the onesie on him first, and he completely freaked out and had a tantrum. (This is something he's recently mastered as well.) He screamed and cried and finally I gave up on the idea of his regular clothes and since we were going to babysit I figured he'd be fine only in the onesie. We left the house, but Ethan was still screaming and hugging the front door trying to get back inside away from his evil mommy.

Today, Abby wanted them to each wear their Halloween shirts, and I totally forgot about the onesie. Well, pretty quick Ethan comes running by with his little white butt shining, no diaper or shorts anywhere in sight. So, I went to the car and found a grey creeper that I'd picked up at Wal Mart and on it went. He's still refusing his shorts, but hopefully he will keep the diaper on for a while.

Just after I got him re-dressed he saw his sippy cup on the table, which I had just rinsed and filled with water. My kids get milk or juice in the morning, I let them choose, then they are allowed water between meals. For lunch, I give them either milk or juice, whichever they didn't have earlier. Always water between meals, I figure it can't hurt them. They drink alot, so I attempt to keep their cups full of water. Well, he was so happy to see his cup, picked it up and took a big drink.........let the water run right out of his mouth onto the floor, threw his cup, and yelled, "NO!". He's now being called "Mr. Reaves" because he has such an attitude. His cup is still on the floor where he threw it, and it will remain there until he empties it.

This job is nothing if not entertaining.....

Long time...

2008-09-02T23:09:00.002-05:00

since I blogged on here....oops! I posted some stuff on Myspace if anyone's interested. Vacation to AR (home) where I saw my nephew come into the world.....AMAZING, found out that Matthew got a job as a Deportation Officer in Louisiana, so we'll be moving soon. Busy, busy...

Anyway, check it out... http://www.myspace.com/brandyreaves

Lately,

2008-05-03T23:37:00.003-05:00

we've been staying really busy. Matthew is on days now on the new ATV/AirBoat unit at work and he seems to really like it, although he is usually exhausted and literally covered in dust when he gets home. We're getting into a nice routine where we're all able to go to bed around the same time, the kids and I get up earlier, go to the gym, play, nap, and wait for Matthew to get home. So far it's working out really well, compared to when I would put the kids down around 9, then wait up with Matthew until after midnight before I went to bed. I get ALOT more sleep this way.

I am searching for the perfect Father's Day gift for Matthew, and I was pretty stumped until today. You see, for some reason, ever since we were in college, Matthew has become a huge fan of Neil Diamond. He's always liked singer-songwriter stuff, and somehow he got turned on to Neil Diamond and became an instant fan. Last week on Idol, they sang ND songs, but most of them were horrible, and he was sadly disappointed. Today he mentioned to me that Neil Diamond is coming to San Antonio! THE PERFECT GIFT! Yay, me! Now I just have to order them on Monday when they go on sale before all the old ladies buy them up! Problem solved.

Also, this evening, I went to a church service directed at women, and I really enjoyed it. I am really ashamed that I have yet to find a church home here, and tonight made me realize how much I miss an actual worship service. So, now I have to start a search for the right church for us. I suppose I will start with the Methodist church since that's where I was raised and will probably feel more comfortable. I'm a little nervous, because back in New Edinburg, AR, my church was SMALL. I'm talkin' 30 people on a fairly good day, and half of them I was related to, and the other half I'd known my entire life. Finding a church away from home is actually intimidating to me for some reason. I'm not a particularly outgoing person, and I don't like attention being drawn to me, and then there's the kids. I know I probably shouldn't worry about this, but it makes me nervous to leave them in a nursery where I don't know anyone!

I know most of that is irrational, but that's how I feel....

Lastly, if you would, say a prayer for my hubby... he is the peer support co-ordinator at work and on top of his normal every day worries, he had some emergency in a town about 30 miles from here this afternoon. One of the chiefs called him after he was home today to go on an emergency call, and he didn't get home until 8 pm. All of that stuff is 100 % confidential, so he can't even talk to me about it and it worries me that he can't. After he got all of that squared away, the chief called with horrible news from a neighboring station...a supervisor's child who was 16 took his own life, and to complicate things, he did it with his parent's service weapon. All of that is sure to cause quite a stir arround here, but those families need prayer. I just wish there was some way for me to help ease the load on some things.

Thanks for listening to my rambling! God Bless!

Thankful...

2008-04-20T22:25:00.005-05:00

I have so much to be thankful for, we all do. But, sometimes it's hard to look past all the worries and stress of everyday life and see exactly what we should see. At least that's how I felt the past week or two. I have the most wonderful husband, two beautiful children, and lots of great friends who are as close as family. By all accounts, I should be the happiest person on Earth!

I saw the doctor on Friday, got a ton of antibiotics for my sinus infection, a B12 shot, and apparently the kick in the pants I needed to shake my funk. Later that day, the kids and I went to watch Abby's friend Isabelle play softball.

I spent Saturday with friends letting the kids play, then on Saturday night we had several people over to watch the UFC fight. We ate WAY too much junk, but we had a blast. The kids played, the guys watched the fight, and us girls just relaxed and "kicked it old school" and played a little Pictionary. It was an awesome night.

The kids slept in this morning since they were up late last night, and since Friday night was Matthew's last midnight shift for quite a while, we all got up at the same time! We went outside and played, worked in the yard, and cleaned up a few things outside that needed to be done. By the time we were done it was lunch time, then I gave the kids a bath and put them down for a nap. Matthew and I got to have a little quiet time alone together, then we dropped the kids off at our friends' house and went to see a movie! Yay, us!

Today was the 12th anniversary of our first date.........April 20, 1996 when we went to his Jr. Prom. That seems like a lifetime ago to me, but I wouldn't trade a minute of it. I am an incredibly lucky girl, and for everything I've been given, I am truly thankful.

I could not have imagined a more perfect day than today has been!

Feelin' better...

2008-04-17T23:49:00.010-05:00

Here's a pic of Ethan eating his peanut butter sandwich the other day. Needless to say, he went straight to the tub when he was done! I just love this pic though, he's just too adorable!

I am starting to feel better today, thankfully. Maybe part of my funky mood was because it was "that time of the month", and now I'm getting out of it. I have an appointment tomorrow morning to check on my iron level and B12 levels, so maybe I'll get another B12 shot. The last one gave me lots of energy, maybe my house will get cleaned this weekend!

Also, we got a cat yesterday. It's a male, and Abby was determined to name him Cinderella even though we gave her lots of boy names to pick from. We kind of forced her to change his name, and we agreed on McLovin' Cinderella to satisfy us as well as her. He's a very sweet cat, and doesn't seem to mind at all that Abby never wants to put him down. Britches, our oldest Boston Terrier (dog) didn't mind him at all and McLovin' didn't mind her either. Rando, on the other hand, (our other BT), thought the cat was attacking his kids or something and chased him a few times, so we're still working on that. I won't leave them alone together for now, so the dogs have to go into the kennel when I leave. Anyway, I'll throw in a pic of the cat too!

I'm holdin' on...

2008-04-16T23:28:00.002-05:00

This week has been incredibly rough for me. We had a very good friend, Sal, come in from NY and spend a few days with us. He is going through a very rough time with a divorce and custody battle, which he lost on Monday. There are a ton of circumstances that indicate to everyone with a brain that he should have custody of his two beautiful little girls, but for some strange reason their mom won custody. I am devastated by the judge's decision in this case, because their mom has no stable place to live, she's been at 4 different places within the last two months. She has no transportation, she has no job, she's had two entire months to get something going, and still, there's nothing.

Sal has an apartment which is set up for the entire family, and was before their mom took the girls all the way back across the country. He has a GOOD job, a stable job, one that can provide for his girls. He has vehicles to get them to and from anywhere they could need to go. He is established in his home, job, and has a stable environment in which to raise those girls, yet the judge that he got in his hearing decided that it would be best for the girls to stay in Texas. That's it, that was what his judgement was based on. Whatever happened to "the best interests of the children?"

I just don't get it. The judge said that he didn't want the state of TX to lose control over the girls. But, there is no order for their mom to stay in this state. She has no family here, they are all in Florida, and she's not even speaking to them, they wanted the girls to go to their dad! I mean, seriously, the state doesn't have anything to do with kids until something bad happens, why does it matter what state they are in? New York has the same courts that Texas has, and neither one would be keeping close watch over them.

After all of this, I am incredibly upset. Those girls are like family to me, and it breaks my heart to know that they are so close to me yet I can't see them. I've struggled with depression for a while now, and this is definitely not helping. I've gotten into a funk that I can't seem to shake, and the bad part is I realize it, and there's nothing I can do. I made an appointment with a counselor for next week through the Employee Assistance Program that is provided through Matthew's job, so hopefully that will make me feel better. I saw her once before, right after I had Abby, I think, and it did make me feel better to have someone listen to me and tell me that I wasn't just nuts.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my worries, it's always better to write things down for me.

Houseguests...

2008-04-14T00:45:00.003-05:00

Our house has been full of guests lately, and our newest ones are our friends who moved to New York around Thanksgiving. Abby is ecstatic to see Emma and Alyssa, and they are having a blast playing together. We went out to Lake Amistad today where they are having a big bass tournament and they had activities for the kids. The kids got free fishing poles, and they got to make their own wooden fish or truck and decorate them. It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed it surrounded by friends, which is always a blessing. I love this pic of the girls....... Abby just looks SO happy!

Words, words, words...

2008-04-09T11:11:00.000-05:00

They are so important. It's how we communicate with the world. Well, a few weeks ago when Ethan went to the doctor (the first time he'd seen this particular lady) it came up that he didn't talk very much. He has a few words, and several signs, but he's just not interested in talking. He's only 17 months old. It just didn't seem like a big deal to me, I mean, Abby has been talking since about 13 months, but all kids do things at different times, right? So, the doctor recommended that he be referred to ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) to evaluate his language. As of today we have had three sessions with ECI, and they are truly a wonderful group of people, they were only interested in trying to decide if Ethan was really behind enough to be concerned and to require their services.

This morning three different people came in and observed Ethan and asked me a ton of questions. Ultimately, they were impressed with his gross motor skills, his fine motor skills, and his socialization skills, all of which he was either right on target with other kids his age, or even more advanced than he should be. His language, after much discussion and observation, was determined to be 1 to 2 months behind. At 18 months, they want him to have about 20 words, and if you count his signs, he has about 15 or 16. To qualify for their services the child must be about 4 months behind, so he doesn't qualify. They said that if he doesn't expand his vocabulary in the next three months, to give them a call and they would re-evaluate him at that time.

I still don't think he's really behind at all, although I'm not the expert, and I am positive that by the end of the summer he will be impossible to keep quiet for any amount of time. He's such a sweet, loving little boy, and I think he's just more interested in throwing things and climbing than he is in talking right now!

More pictures...

2008-04-01T18:14:00.000-05:00

So, I guess I should post a few more pictures of my kiddos, so here we go! These are from Easter, and our get-together at my friend Judy's. Since we are on the Mexican border there are a few "different" traditions........like the pinata.......we have pinatas for practically every occasion. Also, there are cascarones, which are confetti-filled eggs, that you are supposed to crack over other people's heads. I never really knew why this was done, but I looked it up and it's supposed to be good luck. Ethan did NOT like this tradition as you can see from the pictures. Abby, on the other hand, busted so many over my head that it was actually sore for a while.

Question for you photographers....

2008-03-31T13:21:00.000-05:00

Well, two questions actually....

1. What kind of camera do you use and what would you recommend for a beginner? (I really want to go with Canon, but if you think something else is better, lay it on me.)

2. Is there a good book or something that I can get to help me get started? (I already love taking pics, and I'd like to think I have a decent eye for it, but I need to learn about settings and all that I suppose.)

Thanks!

About me...

2008-03-29T12:24:00.000-05:00

Since I've started contacting people who likely have NO IDEA who I am, I figured I'd at least explain that much about myself. My name is Brandy, my maiden name was Daniel, and my married name is Reaves. I grew up in a tiny town in south Arkansas, New Edinburg. I went to school, K-12, at Kingsland which is almost as small as New Edinburg. After that, I attended UAM and majored in Biology, until I psychotically withdrew from school on a Friday, moved my wedding up a full month and got married the next Tuesday, and immediately left home, the only place either of us had ever known, and drove to Texas.

So, by now you're probably thinking that I'm just nuts. Possibly. But, we actually did have a reason to move. My husband, Matthew, had just graduated from his federal law enforcement academy and had to report to his station that Friday. We've been here ever since, and we now have two beautiful children who I am blessed to be able to stay at home with on a daily basis.

I try to keep some of the details to myself in the interest of our personal safety, so if you want more details, email me and if I know you, I'll gladly share!

God Bless, and thanks for reading!

Just another week...

2008-03-29T00:53:00.000-05:00

Well, this week has gone by pretty fast, really. I managed to clean the carpet in the living room and the closet in my room (since my wonderful dog decided it looked like grass!) I love doing things like that because I can actually feel productive and see the results. Also, I've started working on the backyard for the spring and summer. It went to crap last year when we were gone for over 2 months, and we never quite got it back into shape after we got back. I'm working on the back fence area, and again, I LOVE to see my own progress. It's also allowing me to get a little sun so as to kick the extreme-whiteness my skin turns to in the winter. It's important for me to start gradually because it never fails that I will blister like crazy the first time we go anywhere when it gets warmer.

American Idol is starting to get good now, which is yet another highlight of my week. I really like Carly Smithson, David Cook, and Michael Johns. (I think Brooke White is good too, but she's not my favorite.) I thought they all did well this week, especially the guys. I'm ready for Kristy Lee Cook to go home, because I just don't think she's anywhere close to the others. I was glad to see Kimberly Locke on the show as well. She was my very favorite on Season 2, and I still can't believe she didn't go to the final!

The season finale of The Celebrity Apprentice was this week and we missed it! We had people over and Matthew cancelled it recording in the front and we never recorded it in the bedroom! Darn, I really wanted to watch it. I saw tha Piers won, but I would have liked to have been able to watch it!

Guess that's about it from me. My Benadryl is kicking my tail, so I'd better go while I'm still coherent!

Figuring this out...

2008-03-26T13:42:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I've been playing around with the layout and colors on my blog. The only thing I can't seem to figure out is how to include my favorite blogs. I keep putting in the link and it doesn't seem to be showing up! Any tips? Thanks.

Hi all!

2008-03-25T18:45:00.000-05:00

Well, I decided I'd join the Blogspot world. I can always use another outlet for my thoughts, right? And here, I can keep a little more private than on say, my Myspace page. I am a 26 year old stay at home mom of two beautiful children. Abigail is almost 3 1/2 and Ethan is 1 1/2....they are truly wonderful, but they do have a tendency to drive me a little nuts at times. My husband, Matthew, is wonderful as well, but he too has a tendency to drive me nuts. He works long hours in his federal law enforcement position, so I've found that blogging helps me vent.

Right now I am suffereing through a horrible headache while the youngest one is napping and my oldest, the little princess, is climbing all over everything as if there is a jungle gym in my living room.