Time Change, Inside Man & More

First of all, we still have not recovered from losing that hour Sunday morning! I don't know why losing an hour is so hard on us, but from what my mom says, it's always been tough on me. I need more hours in the day, not less! Hopefully, tonight will be better for all of us.

Sammy & I saw Inside Man the other evening. We both enjoyed it. However, I LOVED the theme song for it. It's called "Chaiyya Chaiyya Bollywood Joint" and it's a really excellent song! I'm usually not a huge fan of Indian music, but I would download this in a heartbeat, if I could. Unfortunately, iTunes doesn't offer it for sale as a single & I'm really not interested in the entire soundtrack. There were several requests on the iTunes site to download this one song only, so maybe they will soon offer it by itself.

The kids talked about baby chicks today at school. They were telling me all about them on the way home and eventually, we got around to singing "Old Macdonald". We sang about chicks, cows, horses and pigs. On the 5th verse, I asked the kids what else lived on a farm. While they were thinking, I suggested sheep. Samuel replied, "Sheep don't live on a farm. They live in Heaven with Jesus." So, I asked him where a lamb lived & he told me that lambs lived on a farm, so we were able to sing about them on Old Macdonald's farm. It's funny to see how their little minds work.

Lastly, I am really enjoying saving money by playing the Grocery Game! I got LOADS of cleaning supplies last night, several freezer meals that Sammy can take to work and other necessities. My original total was $150 something... after my Tom Thumb discount card, my total went down to $80 something... then after all my coupons, my total went down to $61!! I saved 59% of my total bill! How awesome is that? Plus, I got lots of cleaning supplies and dental products at rock bottom prices, so we are stocked up on those! I'm finally hitting the point where I just need to maintain my pantry. I've built up my stockpile and I'm able to use what I have in there. Mostly, I really enjoy the saving money part!! Who wouldn't?!?

Gotta run... another tea party is in full swing & my attendance is demanded!

Thank Goodness for Sammy!

After listening to an acquaintance complain about his wife (she doesn't clean, cook or help out... so he says), I started realizing how thankful I am for my husband's help. Before we had kids, I worked a full-time job outside of the house. So, when it came time to cook and clean, it was just understood that we would split these chores. Sammy did most of the cooking, because he enjoys it and is MUCH better at it than I am. And, I don't mind doing the dishes afterward. I prefer to sort, wash and fold the laundry, but I HATE putting it away. Sammy doesn't mind that part. I will dust and vacuum... Sammy will clean the bathrooms. This is always how we have worked (for the most part). After the kids were born and we made the decision that I would stay at home, this routine continued. I am thankful that he realizes that even though I am at home with the kids, I am still holding down a full-time job. I often forget to say it, but thanks for all your help, Sammy!

HI!

Nicholas is one of "those" kids. You know the type... they have to say "hi" or "bye" until the person they are talking to responds back. He'll pick out one person at the grocery store, the restaurant, at church or at the twins' preschool and say the appropriate greeting over & over until he gets the same greeting returned to him. The other night, we ate dinner at Fuddruckers. While we were sitting down eating, an employee starts refilling the napkin receptacles that are located on each table. She's getting closer to the empty tables surrounding us. (Our "rule" when we all go out to eat... we should always look for a table far away from the other customers. Otherwise, we'll run them outta the place!) Once she's within earshot, Nicholas starts waving and softly says, "Hi". The employee either doesn't hear or is trying to ignore him. He says it again and again, no reply. And, again and again. By this time, she has passed our table & has gone on to the empty table on the other side of us. After a few more "hi"s, which got a little bit louder each time, she finally turns to look at him and says "hi" back. YEA!! He has made progress and can now move on to his next conquest. Honestly, the boy does not give up! He's persistent with his greetings! I wonder what this says about him?

Lacking Faith

Why do I feel like we're getting kicked while we're already down? I was telling Sammy this evening that I know in my heart that God will take care of us, but for some reason or another, I CANNOT convince myself to stop worrying and let Him take over.

We experienced flood damage with the most recent rains, which quickly turned to sewage damage. (Thank you very much, city of Richardson!) The flat tire we had on the way home from Belton blew out again last night while we were running errands. (Thankfully, Firestone replaced it at no cost to us. But, it was still a huge pain!) The Kiwi carpet cleaners that have been visiting us regularly since Monday told us we would need 2 additional dehumidifiers in our home to dry the cement underneath the damaged carpet quicker. (We already have 3 that have been running nonstop since Tuesday morning.) So, they brought in the 2 large machines today, plugged one in & blew a fuse. They tried plugging it in 2 more times & the same thing happened each time. Scratch that plan. We'll just all dehumidify for longer! Tomorrow, they are ripping up the carpet in our bedroom & hallway. Today, they tested the baseboards for a humidity reading & they all read at 100%. So, they will also be taking out the baseboards & testing underneath those. I'm almost positive the wall beneath will be ruined, as well.

Meanwhile, the city of Richardson has told us to go ahead & either get the work done (taking a chance that they might pay for it) or just get estimates and turn those in to the Claims Department. But, this is not something that we can just get an estimate for & wait to see if they will pay for the work... so, we pretty much have to get it done & pray that it will be covered. I'm so frustrated & worried & tired & irritated & just generally ticked off that this is happening. Sammy really tries to help me see the positive side of things (we still have a house, we are healthy, our kids are happy, we have good jobs), but I think I'm experiencing an enormous lack of faith. I want answers & I want them now! I want things done & I want them done now! I don't want to wait for God's timing. I'm not that patient.

However, as I said earlier, I honestly do know that God will take care of us. I know that His ways are better than mine and that it won't do me any good to worry about the future. Why can't I convince myself of this, then, when things get rough?

Tea Party

Sydney got her very first tea party set last night. I'm pretty sure most little girls have already had several tea parties by the age of 4, but Sydney is just now catching up. We had a tea party last night before bedtime & even conned Daddy & Samuel to join in. (The pretend cake & donut was really what lured them in!) It's cute to watch her, because she is really enjoying serving us tea in the pretty little cups. She holds the cups & plates so carefully & daintily. (Is "daintily" even a word??) And, she turns into such a "girly" girl when she serves us... talking in a sweet, high pitched voice & being so gentle with everything. I love the toys that entice kids to use their imaginations & this tea set has definitely accomplished that.

I can't wait for our next tea party after school today!

Big Boy Bed

I can't believe my 18 month old is already in a big boy bed! We didn't move the twins into beds until they were 22 months old. And, even then, all we did was take the side railing off the crib until they got used to the idea. We had to do that out of necessity... Samuel was climbing out of his crib & getting stuck at the top of the railing. However, with Nicholas, we just took down his crib temporarily to set up the bed for guests. But, he loves his big bed, goes down easily in it, hasn't tried to escape (yet!) and stays there until it is time to wake up in the morning. So, we decided to go ahead & leave it in his room. I knew it was just a matter of time before we would have had to set it up again anyway, so I guess this saves us some trouble later on down the road. It just makes him seem so much more older now... which, in turn, makes me a little sad. I'm not ready for my baby to grow up!

Birthday Party

The twins had a fun birthday party at Encouragym! Here are some pictures that my sister & nephew took...

Samuel enjoying his Batman cake:

Sydney enjoying her Barbie cake (and Kool-Aid, it seems!):

Nicholas having a blast!


The kids having fun on the bouncy slide:

And, last, but not least... Mom & Dad going down the bouncy slide:

Home Sweet Home

Well, after leaving Belton around midnight... a flat tire at 2:15 am... and rain the entire way... we finally made it home very early this morning at 3 am! All to avoid the Sunday spring break traffic! And, when Mom called this morning to tell me that traffic in Bastrop was bumper to bumper, we realized that it was, in fact, worth the tiring drive home last night. We're glad to be home, cozy & warm, instead of on those very slick roads. Just coming into Dallas, we passed 4 wrecks... at 3 in the morning!!! Some were multiple vehicles, some were single cars that had spun out of control. At first, I thought maybe we didn't have any traction on our tires, because we kept hydroplaning and skidding on the highway. Then, when I saw all the wrecked cars, I realized it just must be the super slick roads. Needless to say, I was going slow & had both hands at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel. I got honked at once (again at 3 in the morning... what were they thinking?!?) for going too slow in the left hand lane while passing a wreck on the right. Dallas drivers are insane!

We had a great time visiting Mom & Dad and can't wait to go back again. When we do, though, I'm going to remember the Benadryl and the breathing machine. Those Central TX allergies are the worst!!

Life on the Farm

We're spending a few days at Mimi & Papa's house while Sammy is filming a basketball festival in Belton. The kids are having a blast & getting dirtier than they have ever been in their short life! Papa scattered corn to entice the wild turkey to come close to the house, but three kids & 2 dogs were a little too noisy for that this morning. (These turkeys get spooked easily!) So, they are anxiously awaiting to see the turkeys in the morning. We walked up & down the farm road... got tangled in dangling spider webs... watched buzzards chowing down on some poor, deceased creature... waved at a dump truck that passed by a few times and threw dust in our faces... and swung on the swings hanging from the oak trees.




I know this area needs rain desperately, but the kids were glad that the threatening clouds did not produce any today. Wait until we leave & then let the rain come!

This farm life suits us all very well! Sure wish we could live closer, but we'll just have to make the most of our visits to the farm!

Four Years Ago...

Four years ago today, I was spending my very first day at home with the twins, Sydney & Samuel. They turned 4 on Sunday, March 12, and I can hardly believe it! How can it already have been that long ago? I remember the feeling of shock when I found out I was pregnant with 2 precious babies... and then the feeling of sheer joy & excitement when it was discovered I was carrying a boy and a girl. That was about 4 years and 4 months ago. And, I vividly remember the sonographer carefully studying the screen of the Level 2 sonogram on March 11th. He was very silent and very somber. He tried "buzzing" Samuel several times with his little vibrator instrument to get Samuel to move or respond. He turned me over on one side, then the other. He buzzed some more. He studied the screen. He pushed on Samuel with both hands. Then, he finally turned to Sammy & I and said, "I think we should go ahead and get them out." HUH?!? Like today?? I was totally unprepared for that! But, I was so ready to meet my sweet babies... and to not look like a beached whale anymore! Turns out, Miss Piggy Sydney was sucking all the nourishment away from Samuel. To this day, she can out-eat him in just about anything! So, after 24 hours of labor, we met Sydney & Samuel. Sydney arrived first after a few easy pushes & then Samuel decided it would be fun to join the Cirque du Soleil in utero! He flipped around and caused us quite a scare. When his little heartrate plummeted, the docs decided a C-section would be safer for all involved. So, 25 minutes later, Samuel decided to grace us with his presence.

And, that was all 4 years ago! WOW! These have been absolutely the best 4 years of my life!!

And the winner is...

Samuel snuggled in the recliner next to me last night to watch some of the Academy Awards show. He especially liked it when they showed clips of the animated films. He loves watching Wallace & Gromit, so he was excited to see that clip. So, this morning, I thought it was pretty cute when he started "judging" his toys. He was playing with some cars and announced, "And, the winner is monster truck!" Then, he turned to me and said, "And, the winner is Mommy!" Eventually, his dad, brother, sister and even himself were declared winners. Most of his toys were winners, also. I love these times in our day, when everything is perfect and we're all winners... atleast according to Samuel!

No No!

We've hit the stage where Nicholas is now pointing his index finger back at us & telling us "no no". This is funny & annoying, all at the same time. It's annoying because he'll do something that he absolutely knows is wrong, look at me, point that index finger at me & say "no no". He's basically punishing himself, but that finger is directed at me. Which makes it pretty darn funny! He's imitating exactly what we do.

I now have 3 little copycats running around this house!

I LOVE Spring!

Technically, spring may not have arrived just yet, but this weather is certainly acting that way. And, I love it!! We've been outside all morning long & just came inside for a snack. Nicholas said he wanted some "bapples", so he grabbed a tomato out of the fridge & handed it to me. He would have been in for quite a surprise if I had given him a slice of that tomato! Instead, I cut up an apple for the kids. He was so excited about it! (Come to think of it, he gets really excited about most food! He's just like his mommy!)

Which reminds me of another reason I love this season... fruit tastes so much better in the spring & summer. YUM!! I love going to the Farmer's Market & buying my produce there this time of year. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. When I was pregnant with Nicholas, my biggest craving was homegrown, vine-ripe tomatoes. I didn't like the leathery kind they sell in the grocery stores. It had to be blood red & sweet. My mom has a friend back home that grew tomatoes in his garden & he sent some up my way to help satisfy my craving. When I ran out of those (it only took about a day!), I went to the Farmer's Market in Plano & stocked up there. And, I made several more visits that summer! I ate TONS of tomatoes covered in salt! They were delicious!

Hmmmm... now that I'm remembering that, maybe that's why Nicholas handed me the tomato in the fridge. Maybe he would have liked it after all.

8

Today, the number 8 holds a special place in my heart... it's how long I've been married to my love, Sammy. There have been many changes, struggles, deaths, births & several other life-changing events in the 8 years we've been married, but throughout it all, we have grown closer & deeper in love. And, I thank God for that every day! I thank God for working on us continually so that we can be a model of love and devotion to our children. I thank God for softening my heart at times when I wanted out. And, I thank God for softening Sammy's heart at times when I'm sure he wanted out, as well. I thank God for being involved in our marraige and for shaping us to "be as one".

Sammy, thank you for being such a wonderful husband, friend & father. Our boys are so blessed to have you as their example of how a husband should treat his wife. And Sydney is blessed to have you as an example of how a lady should be treated.

I love you! Happy anniversary!

Like I said, ALWAYS the last to know...

So, after talking to Sammy's aunt, we discovered that his great-uncle does indeed own that lodge in Baffin Bay. And, we found out from reading it in a magazine!! How random is that?!?!

Now, if this were my family we were talking about, this would be normal. We don't have very close relations to our extended family. In fact, I have cousins and a whole slew of relatives in California that I've never even met. But, Sammy's family is pretty tight. They have family reunions constantly, Sammy used to work for his great-uncle and used to live down the road from him in Kingsville. We still see them pretty much every time we visit South Texas. It's obviously been a while since we've visited.

So, if you're ever in South Texas (and by South Texas, I mean really South!) and are needing a place to stay, be sure to look up Baffin on the Rocks and enjoy some good saltwater fishing!

Texas Highways

In January, I made a comment to my Mom about how I love the Texas Highways magazines I read while I am at her house or at my Grandmother's home. So, she sent me a gift subscription! Thanks, Mom!! I have received 2 subscriptions so far & I devour it from cover to cover. The state of Texas intrigues me & I really do love living here. In this most recent issue, they featured a section on Baffin Bay, which is right where I grew up. Actually, I grew up in Kingsville, but we all considered Baffin Bay part of Kingsville territory. So, as I'm laying in bed last night reading this section on Baffin Bay, I read about a new lodge that just opened up for fishermen, hunters, bird watchers, etc. (Baffin Bay doesn't attract much more than these people.) In the article, they listed the co-owner as Curtis Dawson, which is Sammy's great-uncle in Kingsville. So, I woke Sammy out of his snoring slumber to ask him if he knew anything about Sonny (his name is Curtis, but his family calls him Sonny) owning a lodge near Baffin Bay. He had no idea, which is so typical, because we are ALWAYS the very last in his family to know anything that happens. So, I'm about to shoot an e-mail to Sammy's aunt & ask her. Maybe it's another Curtis Dawson, but I highly doubt it. It's too small of a town for that coincidence. We'll see...

However, getting back to the TH magazine, I really enjoy all the issues I've read & I am so excited to be receiving it monthly now! And, by the way, Mom, did I mention how much I like your Suburban...

Samuel's New Low

Yesterday, Samuel (my son, NOT my husband!) announced to us that his toots smell good. Ewwwwww! He is JUST like a man!

Laundry & Debt

Somebody recently commented how it was great that I could keep 4 kids (my own 3, plus the one I babysit during the day) and get all my laundry done. HA!!! What a joke! I have a love/hate relationship with laundry... I HATE having so much laundry to do, yet I am so very thankful for all the clothes/linens that we do have. And, I am thankful that I own a washing machine & a dryer. It's always hard to feel sorry for yourself when you think of the alternative.

We are $60 away from paying off one of our bills that we had originally put on the back burner. YEA! This really feels like a huge accomplishment & makes all the little extra odd jobs we've taken seem very worthwhile! I am anxious to make an even bigger dent in our debt. So, if you see me spending frivolously... STOP ME!

Doggy Heaven

Before Christmas 2004, we had our oldest dog, Mystery, put to sleep. She was 14 years old & had suffered from arthritis for so long. We felt putting her to sleep was the most humane way to end her life. This was my dog since 1990, so I asked Sammy to please take her while the kids & I were away visiting my parents. I didn't want to have to take her myself & I really didn't want to be there when it happened. She was a very special member of our family. So, while we were gone, Sammy did the deed & then told me about it later. Anyway, fast forward to 2006... the kids have been asking a lot about Mystery lately. It's amazing to me how much they remember, since they were only 2 at the time. But, they ask for her constantly. And, they ask if we can go get her & bring her home. I've given them the "cutesy" simple answer that Mystery is in Doggy Heaven and she is healthy & happy and she wants to stay there because she likes it there. Sometimes they'll protest, but they mostly give in & move on to another topic. Well, this evening, the twins & I were running errands around town. We were going to Old Navy, which happens to be right next door to Petco, which is where we take our youngest dog, Dallas, to be groomed. So, while I was parking, Sydney points to Petco & asks me, "Mommy, is that doggy Heaven? Are we going to get Mystery?" It was so cute & so sad at the same time. I guess I need to explain Doggy Heaven a little better...

Freakin' Out!

Sydney has this bad habit of asking people "What are you doing?", even when she can clearly see exactly what they are doing. For her, it's like saying, "Hi, how are you?" to someone. She does this ALL the time! So, this morning we were sitting at the breakfast table. All 3 kids were eating waffles & I was feeding them to Nicholas. (He still has a tendency to throw his food on the floor, which really annoys me! I'd rather just feed him myself than help him to learn his independence.) In the middle of breakfast, Sydney asks me, "Mommy, what are you doing?" She can obviously see that I'm sitting across the table from her feeding Nicholas, so I just give this exasperated sigh & then Samuel chimes in, "She's freakin' out."

Hmmmm... wonder where he heard that?!?!