Not your momma's baby blog...

Things to do while your husband leaves you alone with 2 kids to go to Daytona Beach: Based on a True Story

2012-01-06T10:44:00.001-06:00

1. Cry
2. Rise to the occasion and be awesome because you are totally tough and cool and can handle anything. (Spoiler: this did not happen)
3. Spend 4 hrs in after hours clinic with children.
4. Provide antibiotics to children with double ear infections.
5. Eat entire bag of Goldfish for dinner at 10pm because it was the only thing you could reach without putting down sleeping toddler who wakes up screaming every time her head hits the pillow. Hypothetically.
6. Plot revenge librarian work trip.
7. Remember that librarians don't get work trips.
8. Rethink career.
9. Blame society.

The blog that time forgot...

2012-01-05T13:41:00.002-06:00

My New Year's resolution is to resurrect my blog. I'm also toying with the idea of having my own blog that is unrelated to my girls. We'll see if that ever happens. Clearly we have our hands full here.

Cora and Aidan's Tangled Up Birthday

2011-06-27T14:35:00.008-05:00

Cora is officially one and Aidan turned 4 years old. I can't believe I'm the mother of a 4 year old! I'm sure she can't believe it either. This whole birthdays 2 weeks apart issue is going to get a little complicated but this year we just combined for one big Rapunzel party. You will notice that I totally gave in and ordered cakes from Target this year. I highly recommend it.

I love these sweet sisters. They are so precious and so much fun. I am so lucky to be their mommy.

Almost 1 and Walking

2011-05-21T21:38:00.003-05:00

Cora will be 1 tomorrow! I cannot believe it. This time last year I was in the hospital waiting for a room to open up in the maternity ward and getting pretty anxious that I might not get my epidural in time. I did get it! Even if I only got to have it for about 15 minutes. But those were a nice 15 minutes.

Cora and Aidan looking adorable at Easter. They never ever fight (that is a lie).

Cora's first Sonshine School Program.

Aidan's class. Aidan had been practicing in her room for weeks. She said her program was a secret surprise and we couldn't hear her songs (she should have probably sung quieter).

Proud of our girls!

Cora has also taken her first steps but every time I try and take a picture she immediately sits back down. Maybe on her birthday!

Blog blahs

2011-04-13T22:14:00.007-05:00

Cora will be a year old at the end of next month and I am not too happy about my blog performance during the first year of her life.

I have felt woefully uninspired to blog at all. I've been struggling with the fact that I am, by nature, a somewhat sarcastic person, and I often worry that people will take it the wrong way when I write that way about my kids (I am also a people-pleaser, it is an odd combination). I am also not always terribly inspired to write about the ins and outs of parenthood whereas I could write like 3 pages single spaced about the upcoming Royal Wedding.

My kids are astronomically more important to me; but I'm much better at writing about stuff that's not as important. So I guess I will have to try and find a way to balance that for the 3 1/2 people that read my blog.

Because this little girl is far far too precious to not get her blog due...

Right now Cora and Prince William essentially have the same amount of hair*

*sarcastic

Am I allowed to blog without posting pictures of my kids?

2011-02-17T20:33:00.006-06:00

Hey Uncle Jesse remember when I had a blog?

I don't want to be one of those people who doesn't blog for a month and then starts every post with remember when I used to blog....but remember when I used to blog?

What's really sad is that I had lots of great stuff to talk about and just no time.

I turned 30.

That wasn't actually great but all the hoopla surrounding it was.

My friendsies came. I missed those who couldn't make it! I love them! I love eating mashed potatoes and watching Miss America with them and making fun of delusional "ladies" seeking the hand of Mr. Brad Womack with them.

Then my wonderful sneaky husband sent me on a surprise trip to San Francisco to visit my other half; my separated at birth Egyptian (or is it Turkish ;) sister Lailah

There were trolleys! And boats! And hills! And prisons on islands!

I was forced to eat a bucket of donuts against my will. Forced!

My real sister came down from Portland to hang out with us Turkish kids.

I went to China! But I didn't need a passport. So convenient! And economical.

I can't thank Ben, Lailah, and Lindsay enough. I really needed to get out of dodge for a bit and I had an amazing time.

Did I mention that I have adorable children but no pictures to post? I will fix it I promise.

Long December

2011-01-02T21:38:00.006-06:00

What a crazy month! Here's how it went down:

Ben graduated with his MBA from OC. We are so proud of him! He also turned 31 which is pretty impressive in itself.

Aidan set out milk and cookies for Santa, who was thankfully able to maneuver around the piles of laundry to visit two sweet girls.

Cora decided that if everyone was going to give her cool stuff she was going to figure this crawling thing out ASAP.

Aidan continued her quest to acquire ever Disney Princess product ever made.

Cora rued the slow (normal) hair growth that resulted in Mommy's new fondness for hats.

Ben and Dara resolved to spend less time traveling next Christmas and more quality time with these girls.

We only have a few years with them this way and we want to savor every moment.

Merry Christmas from our family!

2010-12-20T22:50:00.000-06:00

Merry Stripes Christmas

Create unique Christmas cards with Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Outtakes

2010-12-02T21:27:00.007-06:00

This is the picture I wanted to use for my Christmas card.

But I decided to dial it back a bit. It didn't seem fair to only show one side of her personality.

Because there's also this....

And everything in between.

pics from Mandy Stansberry Photography

You Win Halloween

2010-10-29T15:19:00.007-05:00

Aidan was ALL about Halloween this year. She has talked about it for 2 months and we are officially exhausted. She was a fairy princess for her 4 Halloween parties and she wanted Cora to be a flower. In my official unbiased opinion, they were the cutest little fairy and flower you ever did see. We partied at Sonshine School, trick or treated at the dorms, went to Ben's work party and wrapped it all up with our annual Stansberry Halloween bash.

Pumpkin Patch and 5 months

2010-10-22T10:06:00.004-05:00

We took Aidan to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday. These kinds of activities always seem so much more fun before you're smack in the middle of hoards of unsupervised children. Aidan pretty much hated all of the adorable animals but give her any kind of playground equipment and she will be happy for days. We got some great pictures and once Aidan warmed up a little she had a great time.

The only semi-picture we have of Cora at the Pumpkin Patch. Never wake a sleeping baby.

Definitely not afraid of heights

Happy 5 months Cora! I promise I will try and get better at documenting your life!

Sisters

2010-09-23T10:30:00.003-05:00

Aidan is a typical toddler who throws fits and has meltdowns at the drop of a hat. But of all the scenarios we could have imagined for her reaction to Cora, we could never have imagined how wonderful a sister she would be. She loves Cora, she protects her, she entertains her. I'm sure that we have lots of rivalry coming; especially since Cora is getting more mobile and is a wicked hair puller. But we could not be more proud of the way Aidan has treated Cora the past 4 months.

She's totally going to step on her now.

Just the stats ma'am

2010-09-16T11:54:00.003-05:00

We took Cora to her 4 mo. appointment yesterday. She is 14 1/2 lbs and 25 3/4 inches long. I knew she'd be up there on weight but I was shocked that she is in the 90th percentile in height. It's my life long dream to give birth to a person of average height so it's all very exciting.

She smiles

She poses

She flies on Daddy's feet

And then there's Maude

So about that blog....

2010-09-09T17:15:00.006-05:00

...oh yeah I have one. You'll have to cut me some slack, the amount of people I'm responsible for increased by 50% this summer. Or is that 100% or 25% if I count Ben? Those are all wrong aren't they? I'm confused. I'm not very good at math.

Today was Aidan's first day of SS. She is a big 3 yr old and doesn't take naps and goes to the potty by herself and has a hook for her backpack. sob.

Aidan loves school. She loves it so much she gets annoyed when I come to pick her up. I love you too.

Cora is sweeter and bigger every day, maybe there's a correlation. I don't know I'm not a scientist. I'm not good at science or math okay?

8 weeks today!

2010-07-17T22:27:00.002-05:00

This tiny thing..

Is already 8 weeks old!!!

Aidan has decided she can stay.

Cora

2010-06-25T13:48:00.004-05:00

Mandy took some pics of Cora at her house last week. They turned out so perfectly and I so appreciate her making me not forget to do things like this:) I actually ordered birth announcements yesterday, I'm so proud of myself! Usually I feel like a winner if I just take a shower.

Aidan's 3rd Birthday!

2010-06-14T13:51:00.003-05:00

Can you tell I have 2 kids now? I'm only a week and a half late putting up anything about my oldest daughter's 3rd birthday. My hands are a liiiittle full around here.

Aidan requested a Princess Hello Kitty birthday. Fortunately I was able to find party supplies to combine those 2 things.

My mom made cupcakes. I fed Cora.

Vivian gave Aidan a Sleeping Beauty Barbie. It has not left her sight since.

We gave Aidan her first bike. I am not okay with how big she is.

Ben's family gave Aidan a bouncy castle which she of course loves.

Oh yeah and we have this girl. Let's be honest it will probably be awhile before I post again so I will tell you that at her 2 week appt last week she was already up to 8lbs 7 oz. So she may not be photographed as much as her sister but she's getting fed a lot more.

Cora Brooke

2010-05-29T14:43:00.006-05:00

She's here and she's perfect! We are so incredibly blessed with two beautiful daughters! I'll post her birth story soon but I wanted to stop neglecting my blog.

Cora Brooke
7lbs 11 ounces, 20 inches long
Born 1:20am, May 22nd, 2010

Showered and ready to go...

2010-05-16T19:46:00.003-05:00

My friends gave me a wonderful gift in the shower they hosted on Saturday and the gifts keep on coming because Mandy blogged it so I don't have to! I'm too tired to blog:)

I so appreciated the shower and had so much fun. The food was fab and I was especially grateful for my sit and stand stroller and the beautiful quilt that Mandy made.

I'm ready for Cora now which means she has decided not to show up as early as we thought. Babies are stubborn.

Nervous and Excited

2010-05-03T08:21:00.003-05:00

I can't believe we're getting close to hearing the little baby cry again. And I can't believe Aidan was ever this small. It's funny but I can hear Aidan's toddler voice in that little cry too.

I am so excited to meet our new daughter. I feel so much more impatient this time because I just want her to be here! I'm having bouts of insane nesting lunacy which rival Jesse Spano's flirtation with caffeine pills. I'm so excited! I'm so scared!!

Big Sister Day

2010-04-25T15:08:00.003-05:00

Since we can't be quite sure when baby #2 will make her arrival we went ahead and designated yesterday as big sister day. Aidan got to pick out a toy at Build a Bear (she chose Hello Kitty) and then we took her to lunch at Cheesecake Factory. She was also supposed to select a present for the baby, but let's be honest that wasn't her top priority.

Photo Friday- All About Eyes

2010-04-23T10:31:00.001-05:00

Aidan was only about 4 months old when I could put her hair in pony tails. Enter Mandy's contest here.

4d Ultrasound

2010-04-20T11:29:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we had our 4d ultrasound. We discovered that baby #2 has thick short hair, extremely chubby cheeks and is 105% a girl. She's head down but is laying on the complete opposite side of where I thought she was which made me feel kind of dumb. Also she kept licking me! She had both of her hands out and was lapping away like a cat. It was a little weird, but I'll try and take it as a compliment.

Aidan said she looks like a squirrel and lost interest pretty quickly, but I think she's pretty cute. She had her face smooshed right up against me so it was a little hard to get a good shot.

Completely sticking out her tongue! Check out that double chin, I'm a little scared.

Big Sister

2010-04-19T12:34:00.005-05:00

Playing around with my Hipstamatic polaroid pic app on my Iphone. These are the sister shirts I bought for the girls. I was going to go to Hobby Lobby and buy iron on decals and sequins and then I woke up from that dream.

The past week Aidan has suddenly rediscovered things we put in the baby's room. The bumbo, rattles, and of course the bassinet. I hadn't heard her make any noise in a few minutes and was of course prepared for disaster. Aidan had tucked herself into the bassinet because she was the little baby. Ohhhhhhh boy.

Are we there yet?

2010-04-17T13:52:00.002-05:00

I'll be 34 weeks tomorrow. Last night I slept in my bed, the recliner, and the guest bed. Nothing made any difference. We have also reached the stage of pregnancy where people burst into spontaneous giggles when they see me waddle by. Also maybe sometimes I look down just to double check that everything is still where it's supposed to be. Also I think maybe my pelvis is broken.

I just think sometimes people should be honest. If you are supermodel who has never before encountered the joy of carbs, I'm sure pregnancy is just a hunky dory good time. Otherwise, the 3rd trimester gets a little looooong.

We're trying to set a timer every 20 minutes for Aidan to work on potty training. I can sometimes make it 15 minutes before I have to go. Give me an M&M.

And no Aunt Internet I will not miss being pregnant. I will miss the tiny tiny babies but my dwarf body will be just delighted when it is done with its job.

Spring Photo Shoot

2010-04-10T10:00:00.005-05:00

Mandy took pictures of Aidan on Tuesday at Hafer Park. I think this is my favorite photo shoot ever! I'm always surprised at how many good pictures Mandy gets since I witness all the running off and wrestling that's involved with getting a toddler in front of a camera. Especially when one of you is 8 months pregnant. There was a lot of sweating. I think Aidan looks like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz in these pics.

I can't pick a favorite!!!

Aidan has asked me to braid her hair like Aunt Mandy every day since we took these.

Sometimes I like the outtakes the best...

Awwww!

Hmmm...

Sigh...

Photo Friday-Action

2010-04-09T16:40:00.003-05:00

Hey I finally found a picture that Mandy didn't take so I could enter her contest!

This was Halloween 2008. When I say the words pumpkin head I mean it in only the most adorable way. This was the first time I remember her really running around and looking like a big kid.

Check out the contest here

Too Big!

2010-03-23T09:52:00.000-05:00

She's not allowed to get any older.

Keepin it Real

2010-03-22T11:29:00.003-05:00

30 weeks as of yesterday. I've read 3 books on breastfeeding in the last week. If I hear the phrase "breast is best" one more time, I cannot be held responsible for my actions. We need some slogan variety.

Pretty sure Aidan's not getting the whole potty training thing.

2010-03-05T15:17:00.000-06:00

Winter Olympics 2026

2010-03-03T08:58:00.003-06:00

If you think that I did not train my child to love and cheer for the Olympics, you obviously don't know me very well. The Winter Games have been over for 3 days and Aidan still chants USA while jumping on her bed and at one point she could cheer Kim Yu-Na. She also learned to boo whenever Yevgeny Plushensko came on the screen. Enjoy your "platinum" medal jerk. Annnnnyways, Aidan liked the skating the best and liked to put on shoes and a dress and skate around the room. Here is one of her exhibition performances.

Aidan decided her snow boots were the closest thing to skates.

Aidan attempts a quad. I think more skaters would complete them if they could lean on the wall. Or wear diapers.

Oh no, she fell and the crowd gasps.

Oh the shame. This is going to take her off the podium.

Figure skaters always pull it together and bow at the end.

Once Upon a Mattress

2010-02-28T13:42:00.003-06:00

Last night Aidan graduated out of her crib and into her big girl bed. Right now we just have a mattress on the floor while she gets used to being able to roll out of bed.

Several people asked me if I was sad that she was out of her crib. It honestly didn't occur to me to be sad because she was sooooo happy and excited about her new bed and her big girl bedding. I like to feel emotions about 6 months after it's appropriate, so if you see me weeping in the fall it will probably be about her not being in a crib anymore.

Aidan has a double ear infection (AGAIN) so she has not been a happy camper, but once we put that mattress on the floor you would have never known she was sick. She was actually shrieking with glee.

In Baby #2 news, I started my 3rd trimester today. Good thing this baby will have somewhere to sleep now.

My Funny Valentine

2010-02-13T15:02:00.005-06:00

Ben surprised Aidan and I with a Valentine's tea at Inspirations Tea Room. My first thought was, yay I get to eat scones, my second thought was Aidan is going to break everything that isn't nailed down in that place. But she actually did really well! The good thing about her rampant obsession with princesses is that if you just add the word princess on to anything she will love it. So princess tea party, she's totally there.

Hello dainty porcelain cup. Don't make any sudden movements and maybe you will live through the next 30 minutes.

Aidan's princess tea party tray. I think she's going to expect pink sprinkles on her pbj's from now on
Ben and I's tray. Hello lover.

Follow along as my daughter gets drunk on icing and pink food coloring.

Guys is this cupcake moving or is it just me?

You're a pretty cupcake, You're pretty. Zzzzzzz.

Aidan's been asleep for about 3 hours now. The hangover is not going to be pretty.

Criminally Late

2010-01-31T14:35:00.002-06:00

I asked Katie Rowten to make Ben's 30th birthday cake in December and she did such an amazing job. Unfortunately I came down with a 102 fever and strep throat on the day of his party and we had to cancel everything. But the cake was amazing and I so appreciate her doing it. Ben loved it!!

Thank You!

2010-01-27T15:59:00.002-06:00

I just want to give a quick shout out to my husband who made sure I had a great birthday yesterday even if he wasn't in a celebrating mood. He fed me yummy food, bought me perfume, and took me to not one, but TWO bookstores and let me browse to my hearts content. Fortunately for him I get tired pretty early these days.

Thanks Ben, I love you.

One of the reasons I can't blog right now...

2010-01-20T15:09:00.005-06:00

There is a lot of bad stuff going down this week. I can't turn on the news without crying, wanting to punch someone, or adopt 7 Haitian children. Meanwhile my best friend's family is being put through the ringer.

Lailah's sister-in-law Jamie has been serving as a Peace Corps worker in Kazakstan. Instead of sitting around on her butt and complaining about the world she's been out there trying to make it a better place. Jamie was in a car accident and is in a coma. She's been flown from Kazakhstan to an Air Force Base in Afghanistan to Landstuhl Military Hospital and now she's getting flown to Bethesda in the morning. Lailah and her family will have flown thousands and thousands of miles before the week is up and I know they are so exhausted. Please keep Jamie and the rest of the Morris family in your prayers. http://lailahrafik.blogspot.com/

Also please give to Haiti, there's not a person in this country that's worse off than anyone in Haiti right now. And you can tell Rush Limbaugh I said so. In fact you probably should, because I would punch him.

Halfway Mark

2010-01-11T10:33:00.003-06:00

Surprise! You're getting a sister! Ben and I found out at the end of December that we're having another girl. We're really excited and Aidan has seemed more interested in this whole baby thing since we told her about getting to boss around a little sister. I don't think I could have handled giving Aidan's little baby clothes away, I cried just putting them in a box. They will be almost exactly 3 years apart.

I was 20 weeks yesterday so I'm already halfway through this pregnancy. It's going by so quickly this time! Probably because I don't have time to sit and think about it. I feel pretty good except that I am sooo much sleepier this time around.

Christmas in Fort Worth

2010-01-07T08:49:00.003-06:00

Aidan loved helping decorate the Christmas tree at our house.

We got to have the first white Christmas in Fort Worth in 80 years! We didn't bring any snow clothing so we wrapped plastic baggies around her shoes.

The only thing Aidan wanted from Santa was a pink necklace, but Santa got her a doll house too.

Dear Disney marketing department. You win.

Aidan had so many presents she had to take a break from all the hard work of opening them.

Aidan is pretty sad Christmas is over. In fact every night before she goes to sleep she asks if Santa is coming in the morning and she cried when I took down the Christmas tree.

Belated Happy Holidays post

2010-01-05T10:08:00.006-06:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!!!

Thanks for the pictures Mandy!

2 going on 14

2009-12-06T13:46:00.006-06:00

14 is my generic bad attitude age for girls so forgive me if you have a delightful non-moody 14 year old. I was certainly no walk in the park at 14.

Speaking of walks in the park....

Do you think you could smile for Aunt Mandy?
Oh really?

What about just a slightly sarcastic smirk? That's a little better.

I don't know where she gets this.

FYI Men- Do Not Do This

2009-11-30T13:11:00.005-06:00

Please tell me I am not the only one who saw this last night. This is REAL.

I would like to provide a public service announcement for all the husbands out there. This is creepy. Like the husband in Sleeping With the Enemy creepy. Do not do this.

Anti-Dentite

2009-11-25T09:35:00.002-06:00

So when Aidan fell a few weeks ago we tried to focus on the positive aspect of her no longer using a pacifier. Unfortunately, over the past few days we discovered that they may have been another issue. Her front two teeth were knocked pretty hard and now there's some pretty noticeable discoloration. In the grand scheme of things is this a big deal? Absolutely not, but when you combine pregnancy hormones and the first bad thing to happen to your daughter you get something resembling a small Terms of Endearment hospital fit. Needless to say I didn't handle it very well when our regular dentist informed me that it was no big deal and her teeth would fall out in 5 years anyways. Um, anyone else remember Kindergarten and 1st grade? I do I had the biggest rabbity buck teeth ever and was kind of scarred, so this did not help.

So I marched our behinds to the most Edmondy of Edmond pediatric dentists. You know what I'm talking about. Lots of video screens, charge you twice the amount they should, decor like the inside of a Chuckie Cheese. Because I knew that they are used to moms having Terms of Endearment freak outs and wouldn't bat an eye. Can I tell you that I don't care how much he overcharges me? He was so awesome and wonderful and I feel so much better about her teeth being okay and feel silly about even freaking out. I honestly don't know what came over me but I think I just went nuts remembering the teasing I endured as a little girl and the realization that there was nothing I could do to completely prevent Aidan from enduring that. We're going back in 3 weeks and my only job is to keep her from falling again because that could permanently damage them. Just keep a 2 yr old from falling for 3 weeks? Noooooo problem.

The Shrimp

2009-11-22T14:21:00.004-06:00

I guess I should start blogging on baby #2 I don't want them to have a complex some day. According to BabyCenter Baby #2 is a shrimp now. Unfortunately, my morning sickness has not gone away with the start of my 2nd trimester so this picture makes me kind of nauseous. So sorry to any early preggos out there. I had my monthly appointment on Thursday and the baby's heart beat was 156. I don't really believe in the whole gender heart beat thing but feel free to speculate. We're supposed to find out the first week of January. My doctor reminded me that I wasn't actually supposed to try and lose weight while pregnant and I reminded him that he could shut up and pass me the trash can. Just kidding. Sort of.

Update: My doctor just called and my ultrasound got moved up til Dec. 30th! Yay.

Happy Birthday Sesame Street!

2009-11-10T10:48:00.002-06:00

Thank you for providing the one source of entertainment my daughter loves that doesn't drive me up the wall (I'm looking at you Dora, stop yelling everything!)

In honor of little monsters everywhere, my favorite Sesame Street moment.

Could it be?!?

2009-11-09T09:37:00.002-06:00

We have gone almost a week without Aidan's pacifier at all! We had it down to just sleeping but then she got H1N1 and seriously regressed. Last week when she fell and busted her lip open, we took the opportunity to tell her she couldn't use her pacifier because it would hurt her lips. And we have continued saying this every time she has asked for it. Perhaps your child kicked the paci at 8 months, well bully for you. I'm just so glad we seem to be done with looking for that stupid piece of plastic at all hours of the night.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-03T11:04:00.003-06:00

The theme for Stansberry Halloween this year was movies and fortunately Aidan already had her Hermione from Harry Potter costume all picked out. I'm glad that I got to choose a good role model this last time before it turns into like Hannah Montana and cheerleaders every year.

Hermione Granger with her wand and Crookshanks the cat.

Looks like Crookshanks is about to get changed into something bad.

The Rosses were Raising Arizona.

The Evans were Dirty Dancing. Too soon Jay. Too soon. Benjamin was a fireman maybe he worked as a dancer on the weekends I'm not sure.

Ben and I completed the Harry Potter trifecta with Hermione. We were her muggle dentist parents. I thought everyone knew Hermione's parents were dentists but I guess you have to be a true fan. I am only going to be characters that allow me to wear scrubs from now on.

The Stansberry's were Woodstock, although I still think Matt looks more like Almost Famous.

Benjamin wearing his dad's Johnny Castle mullet.

FTW Stockyards

2009-10-31T13:12:00.004-05:00

Pdub

2009-10-30T10:36:00.006-05:00

Mandy and I persevered last night and were very excited to meet Pioneer Woman/Ree Drummond and get our cookbooks signed. It was so gratifying to learn that she is just as nice in person as she seems on her blog, and we met her after she had already been signing autographs for 2 hours. What was extra fun was that she brought all of her kids, her husband (hellooooo cowboy), her sister, her nephew and her mom and GaGa so it was the entire cast of the blog! Her kids are so precious and polite, it makes me want to home school. Her girls were very sweetly walking around the line and talking to people and signing their books.

Aidan was actually pretty patient in the line and Mandy and I switched out taking her and Viv to the children's section at Full Circle which thankfully had toys. The bag of Halloween candy we brought as a last resort may have had something to do with our success as well. We went into the line knowing we would have to leave if the girls just completely lost it but it never really got to that point. We were out of there by 8:30 but I feel bad for the hundreds of people who were behind us in line. Who knows when they got out of there.

Amy Bellgardt took a good picture of Aidan, PW and I.

Hello tired, gray, morning sickness face. Maybe by the time I'm 40 I will look as good as PW.

Sonshine School Halloween

2009-10-29T10:27:00.003-05:00

Here's my little Hermione Granger getting ready to go to her Sonshine School Party. I didn't let her take her wand, that's just a fight waiting to happen.

What I won't be wearing this pregnancy...

2009-10-27T13:10:00.005-05:00

I'm trying to assess what's left of my maternity clothes as they seem to have all disappeared in the past 2 1/2 years. I was browsing the interwebs when I came upon American Apparel's new maternity line. I thought it must be a joke. But this is real. If you are currently expecting, know that you too can purchase a fabulous little outfit like this.

I don't know about you but when I was pregnant I often thought, you know what would make me look better and feel less huge? Some sort of spandex unitard.

I am willing to bet cold hard cash that no one involved with the development of this line has ever been pregnant. Was there a focus group? Did this focus group include pregnant 15 yr olds? I'm not exactly sure that's an audience you should be targeting. I can't for the life of me imagine a pregnant person talking to a designer and saying, You know what I would really love? An outfit that makes it even harder to pee ever 5 minutes. Yeah I want something I have to completely peel down to my ankles.

Oh don't worry there's an option for all the summer mommies too. Order now, they may sell out.

PS Before you ask, no these are not work out clothes. Although I'm not sure that would make it better.

PSS If you think this is cute...just don't talk to me.

Coming May 30th

2009-10-23T09:44:00.002-05:00

Iphone Update

2009-10-07T14:04:00.003-05:00

The bad thing about having a really nice (but bulky) camera is that you often don't feel like lugging it around everywhere. So anything I can capture in the moment ends up slightly blurry on my Iphone.

You would never believe this girl spit out her Pei Wei lo mein just seconds later.

With her daddy spotting her, Aidan can now crawl to the top of the rope pyramid on the playground.

Imitating the preteen models at Wal-Mart. I'm glad that kids will have moved on from Hannah Montana by the time Aidan is in elementary school because that is so right up her alley. Of course she will probably like something much much worse.

Waving the white flag

2009-10-02T20:23:00.002-05:00

I don't know what we did but Aidan and I have hit the contagious virus jackpot. I haven't had the energy to blog in between running to the doctor and Walgreen's and back and forth from my sick bed to my sick couch. Now we have strep throat and I have to say that I preferred the swine flu. I plan on experiencing all the illnesses this fall and then I'll prepare a final report on my favorite.

Back to Life

2009-09-21T07:38:00.004-05:00

I think we are done with the H1N1 virus. I actually prefer the term Swine Flu no matter what the marketing honchos in the pork industry demand we call it. Swine flu is much more catchy. I don't know about everyone else's experience and I know many people have had some serious problems, but this flu didn't seem as bad as others I've had. I will take an insane fever over puking any day.

My sister finally started a blog. Now I get to be even more jealous of her beautiful surroundings.

1st Day of Sonshine School 2009

2009-09-11T21:33:00.003-05:00

Sure she may have thrown a colossal fit on the second day of Sonshine School and smacked her head on the door while trying to escape. And maybe she kicked her teacher a little bit, possibly, allegedly. But on the first day of Sonshine School Aidan was perfect. And since that's what I have pictures of the record will show that Aidan had a perfect first week.

Are you done yet? You are mortifying me.

A typical day...

2009-09-01T10:02:00.002-05:00

Do NOT put this on your blog.

19th Street

2009-08-13T08:22:00.006-05:00

Last week we had dinner with our friends Blake and Rachel. They just got married and are living down in our old stomping grounds on 19th Street in OKC. We went to visit our old landlady Bonnie so she could meet Aidan. She has so lovingly decorated and cared for all of these 100 yr old buildings. It really got me thinking about our time there and how much we loved it. We'd probably still be living somewhere in Mesta Park if we could afford private school:) Our lives were so different just a few short years ago.

My beautiful fireplace decorated for Christmas. I have dreams about that mantle.

Our screened in balcony looking over into what was Jayna's then Lailah's balconies. So many hours were spent on those balconies.

Our view, we kept those doors open all the time until the mammoth sized squirrels would try and break in. I just miss living there so so much.

But then I remember why we moved, and she's pretty great too.

Traveled down the road and back again ...

2009-08-11T08:35:00.007-05:00

The bad part about having an amazing reunion weekend with your girlfriends is that for one thing you're kind of depressed when it's over, but also you're having so much fun you forget to take pictures. We laughed, watched reality TV, ate a lot of cookies, saw Julie and Julia, had fabulous Iron Starr and just generally reveled in our awesomeness. We threw a "surprise" baby shower for Jayna at Inspirations tea room and I managed to remember to bring a camera. The population of our posse is rapidly expanding.

Jayna and I, no I am not nursing Violet. That would be weird. And impossible.

Mandy and Lynn

The guest of honor with her mama Sue.

Chloe, Angie, Mandy and Miranda's back

Tams, yes I did.

Getting pedicures. Morg you look beautiful in this picture, I don't want to hear it.

Anna Jane happened to be in town so I saw even MORE friends. Chloe got to meet her 3rd cousin Aubrie! Soon everyone will be a Lashley.

Photoshoot in Mandy's backyard. Chloe had all of us at her beck and call.

Til next year ladies...

Win Susan

2009-08-06T09:23:00.004-05:00

Last year I started reading a blog that really had an impact on me. I don't even know how I stumbled across it because its about the sport of cycling and I haven't ridden a bike since I was 15 and I am definitely not sporty. The blog is Fat Cyclist and for the past few years Fatty's (Elden's) wife Susan has been fighting cancer. Last night she died, and when I clicked on the blog this morning I burst into tears. I have never met this family, but I have been so struck by how much Elden loved his wife and how strong and graceful she was in the fight of her life. You can read her story here. Fat Cyclist has been raising money for the Lance Armstrong foundation and they have raised well over 1/2 a million dollars in honor of Susan. If you want to see how a husband should love his wife scroll back through the past few months of entries. Susan and Elden have four children so if you feel like leaving your condolences for the family or donating money to the Lance Armstrong foundation, you can do so here.

Brush with Greatness

2009-08-05T11:02:00.004-05:00

Ben and I went on an impromptu date last night and ended up going to see Harry Potter for the 2nd time. Don't be a hater. Anyways, we had just pulled into Harkins in Bricktown when our entry to the movie theater was blocked by a large silver bus. I sarcastically (as is my way) said to Ben, "Oh look, it has Arkansas plates maybe its the Duggars." A SECOND after I said this I looked up and thought hey that little boy kind of looks like a Duggar and so does that girl with the super long hair. And then behind the wheel, in all his hair sprayed, helmet hair glory was Jim Bob Duggar, trying desperately to turn the Duggarpalooza Tour Bus around.

Now here is something you need to know about me. I am afraid of famous people. I get nervous and my initial reaction is to run away. When I met Dwight Yoakum on his tour bus I was a wreck. When I met Hilary and Chelsea Clinton when we lived in Turkey they probably wondered how I got into the honors class group that was welcoming them at the airport.

For all my sarcasm I suffer from a severe case of famous people empathy so I cannot take pictures of them or ask for autographs because I know that I would HATE that if I were famous. So I have no proof that I saw the Duggars, but Ben was there and he's a horrible liar.

When we came out of the movie the whole crew was walking back towards the bus. It was the weirdest thing to watch people you see on TV all the time, even reality TV, walking around like a normal family. The only thing that would have been weirder would be seeing Jon and Kate Plus 8. Then I would have to kick Jon in the you know where (take a cold shower dude) and then tell Kate that I secretly like her and admire her abs. Michelle Duggar is teeny tiny, which is saying a lot after having 18 kids. I actually thought she was one of the daughters at first. All the little boys were running around and acting very cute and the older girls were taking pictures. Also they were not filming and seemed like a very happy family. I secretly hoped I would see them sneaking into a PG movie but alas.

I'm sort of afraid that just breathing the same air as Michelle Duggar will have been enough to get me pregnant.

Laughing

2009-07-29T21:31:00.003-05:00

I kept Vivian last week while her mom was otherwise occupied giving life. The girls had one of those days where they are so sweet and adorable you can hardly stand it. They could not stop laughing at everything.

The strongest bond I have with my friends is our sense of humor and the way we love to laugh. I can already tell these two are going to be funny and I hope they get to laugh together for years to come. They might as well, they don't really have a choice.

Vacation Part 2: Land of Enchantment

2009-07-19T21:27:00.005-05:00

Every time we go to New Mexico I fall more in love with the beautiful, and dramatic scenery. We spent more time in Taos this year and it's my new favorite place. It is so funky and laid back and art and flowers are everywhere.

Shopping in the plaza. I bought this shirt at the Wal-Mart, which was also made of adobe. Or at least painted adobe.

My favorite part of the plaza. So many cool stores, especially if you love jewelry.

Outdoor metal art installations. They turn in the wind.

Doesn't this look like every Southwest calendar you've ever seen? All I need is a dreamcatcher and a howling coyote.

The amazingly cool free hippie playground in Taos. I don't think we could have made it through the day without this.

I love her little legs.

Eating at the Alley Cantina, the oldest restaurant in Taos. So maybe we caved in a little bit on the old pacifier. Only for vacation!

The beautiful valley surrounding Eagle Crest as we were leaving. This water is so still and blue.

Vacation Part 1: Fun times with Mimi and Doodad

2009-07-14T08:42:00.004-05:00

After our 4th of July in Ft. Worth we made our way to Red River, New Mexico. This was my 3rd time to go with Ben. The weather and scenery in Red River are so perfect. At night it got down to 40 degrees and it never got over 80. So you can imagine how I am not loving the triple digits we have now even more than usual. I spent 5 years growing up in Colorado so I have never learned to accept the heat and I still miss the mountains every day.

This picture cracks Ben and I up. It's such a perfect action shot that it looks totally posed. Like a little running mannequin.

Watching the hummingbirds with Mimi

Snuggling with the bear footstool. The rule in Red River is that everything must be decorated in a bear or moose motif. The last time Ben and I went to Red River we actually saw 3 bears by the garbage cans. This time we just saw their paw prints on the bins.

The wildflowers in New Mexico are gorgeous. They're in every yard and windowsill.

Trying on DooDad's glasses. She's very Urkelesque in this pic.

Swim Lessons and 4th of July

2009-07-12T21:35:00.006-05:00

It's really convenient to have a swim instructor in the family. It's not as convenient when your swim instructor lives 3 hrs away. We made good use of being in Ft. Worth and enlisted Anna to help Aidan in the pool. Aidan's greatest joy in life besides flushing entire rolls of toilet paper is making me out to be a big fat liar. So of course I had made a big deal about how badly she had done the last time we had been at the pool (Mandy you can vouch for me). Which means that she was of course pretty perfect for everyone else.

Oooo Swim Instructor face.

First jump into the pool

Mom, I'm getting really sick of all the lies you tell about me. I have always had perfect pool etiquette. You're just jealous.

After we got little Michael Phelps out of the pool we headed out to Ben's grandparents in Granbury, TX. This has kind of become our annual 4th of July spot. I think Texas has good 4th of July celebrations because they don't really have to decorate. The state is pretty much draped in red, white, and blue at all times.

Exbibit A: Texas Sports teams are already the necessary 4th of July colors.

Our little firecracker

Going for a ride in her Papa's walker.

I have no idea if the fireworks were good, I was passed out in bed dehydrated from the scalding heat. But judging from the sounds I vaguely remember hearing in the neighborhood, either I was dreaming about Beirut or Granbury did it up right.

Newsflash

2009-07-02T20:05:00.002-05:00

We'll be out of town for almost 2 weeks but I would be remiss if I didn't break the news that Aidan peed in her potty for the first time on Tuesday night at her Mimi's house. We plan on being pretty laid back about potty training but this is a fun first step. She was so proud!

Chris and Anna's Wedding in Pictures

2009-06-21T21:53:00.006-05:00

Chris and Anna's first dance to "Lucky" by Jason Mraz. They were so adorable. Later I learned that my mother-in-law and Ben's Uncle Ed are really good dancers. You should see them do the twist! Ben's Richardson grandparents won the dance off for the couple who had been married the longest, 61 years! I missed Ben's dancing since I was off trying to perform an exorcism on my daughter but I heard it was pretty fun too.

The view of the reception from the dock. Ben's entire family and all of their friends worked so hard to make this wedding fun for Anna and Chris. Ben did a great job with the ceremony. I was proud of him.

I would love to show you multiple adorable pictures of my angelic flower girl daughter but unfortunately she failed to make an appearance for the weekend and was possessed by something slightly more demonic. P.S. I really loved our bridesmaids bouquets they were gorgeous. You can't really see it but I have a really pretty orchid in my hair too. P.S.S. I am not naked.

I don't think Ben's dad sat down all weekend. Not that there's anything unusual about that fact. He managed to calm Aidan down several times. She LOOKS angelic at least. And she walked down the aisle very nicely which is the most important part.

Now you can start to see Ben and I's eyes glaze over from the exhaustion of trying to make Aidan behave. In fact while we were taking this picture she headed straight for the lake but fortunately Zack Ward intervened.

This is my favorite picture that we took of the Falcon's. The sunset was so beautiful. I just love Anna's dress. She looked like a supermodel. I hate her. Not Really!!!! Just a little, just her arms.

Anna and Chris make out behind her brother's back. It's okay Ben they're married!

Oh look Aidan came back to us! With lovely morning after flower girl hair. Your hair really does get bigger in Texas. You should have seen mine this morning. I looked like Dolly Parton. Strangely there are no pictures.

Random Picture Fun

2009-06-13T13:54:00.006-05:00

We have been so busy lately with baby showers and weddings! Ben's sister's wedding is next Saturday and Ben is now doing the ceremony too! Also I got an Iphone and I'm not going to lie sometimes it's hard for me to drag myself away from it and get back on my actual computer. They need a Blogger app! My pictures have been sitting on my camera forever so I need to get back in gear.

Aidan and I on Mother's Day. Aidan calls earrings pretties.

Aidan with her Mimi and Aunta in Ft. Worth

Aidan on the night of her first Sonshine School Program.

Chris and Anna modeling our his and her's snuggies. Now available in hospital green.

This picture of Vivian and Aidan makes me laugh every time I look at it. Please enlarge this and see the funny face Vivian is making.

Here's a gorgeous picture of you Viv, so you can't be mad at me.

I just realized that every single item of clothing that Aidan is wearing in this blog post came from her Aunta. Thanks Anna!

Aidan's 2nd Birthday

2009-06-07T21:20:00.006-05:00

I'm sure I'll have a couple of posts on Aidan's birthday but I wanted to get some pictures up tonight.In case you can't tell the theme was Finding Nemo. Subtle huh?First of all can we talk about how amazing this cake is? Katie did such an unbelievable job. I almost couldn't cut into the cake. It just seemed wrong. I wish I had taken a picture of Aidan's face when she first saw the cake. She was soooooo excited and kept yelling cake and Nemo!

Blowing out the candles with Daddy.

Going for the first bite. She was much neater this year.

Yum!!!!

Aidan and Viv playing with the train that Aunt Lindsay sent. Let's just pretend they played this nicely alllll day.

Librarianpalooza 09

2009-05-24T21:22:00.005-05:00

I went to a librarian conference at Harding University this week. Believe it or not I actually had a pretty good time. I had to do a presentation on some new cataloging formats which I was pretty nervous about but after that I got to relax and have a good time.

After our meetings we went to the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. It was so interesting and we got to have a backstage tour of the archives. The night before we were lucky enough to get to hear from a professor at Harding who worked in the Clinton White House. He was a great speaker and absolutely fascinating. He had some hilarious stories about working in the White House and his favorite people in the administration were Hillary and Tipper. It was really interesting to hear his insights and he was kind enough to come with us to the library and give us some juicy info that wasn't in the exhibits. Ask me about the Buttmaster. Trust me:)

After the library we were able to visit Little Rock Central High School made famous by the Little Rock Nine who fought for integration in Arkansas public schools. It was really eerie to walk up the same steps they did and imagine how scared they must have been with the mobs screaming at them. The other librarians were so sweet and funny and I heard some hilarious stories.

Fancy Smancy Harding, I guess it pays to have a football team and be BFF's with WalMart:)

Presenting, I was so nervous.

Dr. Jack Shock. He was so funny and interesting.

Clinton Presidential Library

Inside of the library, it was huge.

Replica of the Oval Office. This was so cool.

Little Rock Central High School. It was enormous.

Little Rock Central High School Museum

Flashback Friday-Going to the Chapel

2009-05-08T09:43:00.014-05:00

May’s assignment: Since so many people get married during the month’s of May and June, I have designated May’s theme as “Going To The Chapel”. So get out photos of your wedding, your sibling’s wedding, your best friend’s wedding; heck, you can even post photos of bridal showers, bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, and honeymoons if you’d like (just remember to keep them family friendly).

Okay I may have possibly gotten a little carried away with Flashback Friday this week. But I have so many good wedding pictures and they just brought back so many memories. Check out Melinda's blog since she is the one who comes up with all of these fun challenges. I made no attempt to keep these in chronological order (as evidenced by my waist line) I just wanted everyone to enjoy the fun pictures.

Blog PDA!!

My Ice punch bowl. This was honestly my favorite thing ever. I wish I could have kept it in a freezer and brought it out for special occasions. I still haven't used my china but I totally would have used a frozen punch bowl.

Getting squeezed into my dress. Just call me Scarlett.

My sweet husband.

I found a picture of Mandy! She was a great photographer and I will always claim credit for being her first wedding.

I think we stayed at our reception for about 20 minutes. We were out of there. I love weddings when they're not my own:) I was just way too nervous.

My pictures of Morg's wedding got ruined by my dumb disposable camera so I think I should include an extra picture of her in her bridesmaids dress for my wedding.

Tamra's Wedding in San Antonio. I like our bang.

The lovely bride.

Jayna's wedding in Ft. Gibson, OK. Jayna had princess hair on her wedding day. She also picked the most flattering shade of orange you've ever seen.

And of course she also had fabulous makeup:) Is that MAC Varneesh Mandy? I loved the flower in Mandy's hair by the way it was adorable.

Lailah's rocking bachelorette party in downtown Ft. Worth. I pumped breastmilk in the hotel bathroom. It was wiiiiillllld.

Lailah's Egyptian wedding in Ft. Worth. Lailah's dress was amazing, I am trying to hide the fact that my dress is 2 sizes 2 big (for once in my life).

Lailah gave her bridesmaids really cool jewerly. Me and Aubs and Aidan in the blazing Texas heat.

My sister's wedding in Edmond. Aidan was only around 2 months old. She was soooo tiny.

I hate this photo of me but it was technically Aidan's first time as a flower girl. I carried her down the aisle. I wore the dress she's wearing when I was a baby.

Mandy's wedding outside of Tulsa, OK. Mandy's wedding was one of the most beautiful I've ever been apart of. Everything was so well planned and so much fun. And the night before we got to watch Lynn do belly flops on the trampoline.

Mandy doing my hair at Aubrie's wedding. This picture made me laugh because I always make one of the girls do my hair and makeup at every major event we've ever attended. Jayna does great liquid liner. Mandy is the queen of eyeshadow and lips and Tams and Aubrie have tamed my mane on more than one occasion.

All of Aubrie and Lucas's friends after their wedding. And the most terrifing cake cutting experience of my life. Tall cake + short girl= hijinks that are only funny years after the fact.

Anna Jane's wedding. In the middle of an ice storm I remember all of us just trying to make it to the church in one piece.

The gorgeous bride being entertained.

I believe I am in a dance off (You're welcome Aubrie)

Ode to Matt G.

2009-05-06T08:35:00.000-05:00

You're still the best my friend.

Ballerina Bunny

2009-04-29T09:56:00.004-05:00

Aidan loves to play dress up. We were over at Mandy's a few weeks ago and she demanded to put on Vivian's bunny ears and her tutu. Mandy has completely broken our pact of not making adorable homemade items by the way. Viv's tutu was a little tight around Aidan's belly so Mandy was so sweet (probably because she feels guilty for breaking our pact) and offered to make one for Aidan. She just finished it so I will have to get pictures up soon.

Back Home

2009-04-27T08:20:00.003-05:00

The only thing better than a 3hr road trip with a screaming toddler? Getting puked on less than 30 minutes after walking through the door.

By the way I always say 3hrs when talking about Ft. Worth but when's the last time you drove down I-35 without getting stopped in a traffic standstill for at least 45 minutes. Anyone?

Flashback Friday-Black Tie

2009-04-24T10:02:00.002-05:00

I keep meaning to join in on Melida's fun Friday blog posts but I never have a camera or album handy when I need it.

I suppose instead of Black Tie this should be Plaid Kilt. This was at the Robbie Burns dinner for Chi Lamba Phi our senior year of college. Also known as the LONGEST BANQUET EVER. Even longer than Braveheart. You know what guys in Chi like to talk about? Chi. For hours and hours. I didn't think I was getting out alive. I love those guys but holy cow. I enjoyed my dear Gamma Rho but after 4 hours of Rho Babys I would have had to wrap it up you know?

This is the picture that Ben always makes me crop because of a certain goofy sock situation...

...but today I forgot:)If it makes you feel any better Ben my dress was like a foot too long because me and Tracy Hankins switched dresses the night before and I forgot I was a midget.

Weird. But Cute.

2009-04-20T09:13:00.004-05:00

Spring Photoshoot

2009-04-17T10:09:00.005-05:00

Last Thursday when Oklahoma was burning down and the winds were up to hurricane like levels I decided it would be a good time for Mandy to take Aidan's spring pictures. It was sooooo unbelievably windy. But Mandy is persistent and although she warned me that the goal with photographing little kids is to get one great shot, as usual she came through with several. The thing I love about the pictures Mandy takes of Aidan is that she manages to capture these really awesome moments. You don't get these at JCPenneys with the fake background and the super posed shots. Those are great for framing sometimes, but these are the pictures that I will look back on 20 years from now and all of the amazing memories of Aidan as a toddler will come flooding back.

This first picture cracked us up because Aidan went right up to that tree and struck a classic Senior portrait lean on tree pose.

PS Mandy can also curl a squirming baby's hair with a curling iron like nobody's business.

Chloepalooza

2009-04-16T12:01:00.005-05:00

We were lucky enough to be able to meet sweet little Chloe at the Arter's cookout on Tuesday. The Summer Singers are rapidly experiencing a population explosion. It was so fun to see all of the little ones running around. Chloe is perfect in every way and it's so much fun to see Morg as a mommy.

This is my absolute favorite picture. Ah Motherhood.

This has officially made my day...

2009-04-15T10:17:00.002-05:00

I love a lot of things about England, especially their reality TV shows. This clip from Britain's Got Talent has been all over the internet today but I just had to post it here because it makes me so happy. Especially my beloved Simon's face at 3:59.

You have to be pretty cold hearted to not melt when this lady obliterates everyone's preconceived notions about her. This woman so perfectly embodies the lyrics of that song. Everyone deserves a second chance in life and a chance to shine.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-15T08:30:00.004-05:00

We had a great Easter weekend in Willow, Oklahoma. Willow is a tiny tiny town out in southwest Oklahoma kind of in between Elk City and Altus. My Nana is it's queen.

Aidan helped my Nana fill her bird feeder. There are so many different kinds of birds that hang around her house.

Someone decided to add Aidan to my Nana's Easter centerpiece. She kind of blends right it.

It was way too rainy to hunt Easter Eggs outside so we had to settle for hiding them in the floral couches.

All of Aidan's eggs had Fisher Price Little People hidden in them.

Playing with her loot.

Ben and I took some pictures around my Nana's house. Willow is just out in the middle of nowhere and the sky and the colors are always really intense.

I love this picture of the horizon. I think Oklahoma skies are the most beautiful in the world.

Deep Thoughts

2009-04-10T12:07:00.002-05:00

I renewed my driver's license today. My goal for the year 2013? For the weight on my license to be true.

Flower Girl Training

2009-04-06T08:20:00.004-05:00

My sister-in-law came up for her personal shower this weekend and Aidan had so much fun hanging out with her. On Saturday morning we went flower girl dress shopping (which you should never do with the actual flower girl, hellooooo meltdown). All the sudden I realized that I have no idea if Aidan will be willing to walk in a straight line come the big day or if she will head for the hills (we'll be on an island so she can't get far). So all of you whose little ones have successfully completed their flower girls duties; did you bribe them, practice runway walking? Should I be acclimating her to large crowds and high temperatures right now? Carb-loading? What?

Can I just wear this instead?

Did you notice?

2009-04-03T15:45:00.001-05:00

...that Matt Giraud wasn't in the bottom 3 on American Idol this week? Man a lot more people read my blog than I thought. What will I achieve next?

America do me a favor...

2009-03-27T09:36:00.003-05:00

Start voting for Matt Giraud on American Idol. I almost had a heart attack last night. Are you listening people? He's soooo good. I know the forehead mole keeps growing but he can get the mole removed AFTER we make him famous.

Hats Entertainment

2009-03-25T09:42:00.002-05:00

I find it interesting that a person who screams like a banshee if someone tries to brush her hair is so interested in having something on her head at all times. Also doesn't she look about 6 in the last picture?

Just to put your mind at ease....

2009-03-23T08:33:00.001-05:00

...I wanted you to know that I've hired a professional to make the cake for Aidan's 2nd birthday. Yes it's not until June but no one wants a repeat of this. I just wanted you be to able to sleep at night.

Spring Break

2009-03-20T19:22:00.007-05:00

Hanging out with Aunta. Literally. We saw some people at the zoo today dressed just like this.

That's better.

Grading high school English papers with her Mimi. George Orwell is soooo overrated.

Today we went to the zoo and of course had to see Nemo.

I had visions of Aidan getting her head stuck the whole time she was doing this.

Aidan wasn't as interested in the animals today, she had more fun pushing the stroller and observing the human species in all its weirdness.

And swinging....

....with Daddy.

Holy Inappropriateness

2009-03-13T09:03:00.003-05:00

I've been fairly sick with Strep for the past few days. Fortunately Aidan was already on antibiotics from a previous illness so she has stayed healthy. As all of you parents know sometimes when you're sick you let your kids do things you wouldn't normally do because dear lord you just want to lay down for five minutes before you die.

Anyways, Aidan is OBSESSED with my cell phone and the remote. I tried the whole toy cell phone/remote thing and she just looked at me like I was idiot. Then I got really sneaky and gave her my sister's deactivated cell phone and our old remote we don't use now that we have cable. She tossed them aside like they had a fungus growing on them. This kid is particular with her technology.

So I'm trying to lay down and I give in and let her play with my cell phone. 5 minutes goes by and all of the sudden I hear a voice coming out of the phone. I jump up to to see who she has called and as I hold the phone to my ear I made a startling discovery. My 22 month old daughter has called a 900 number....

John is 21 and has sexy, wavy brown hair and would like to walk on a beach with me and .....I shriek and drop the phone. So Ben when you get our cell phone bill and there's a $10 charge from the Sexy, singles, hotline I hope you know me well enough to know I would never do such a thing, it was your baby daughter.

Although I am kind of impressed she managed to get the male hotline.

Vienna Videos.....in March!

2009-03-08T23:00:00.013-05:00

Read the previous post first but these videos show the New Years atmosphere much better than the pictures. There are no organized fireworks shows in Vienna, with fire trucks and policemen standing at the ready. The basic rule seems to be if you have two hands you can launch fireworks. Fireworks on the street, fireworks out of windows, fireworks hidden in trash cans, fireworks launched out of champagne bottles, and my worst fear sparklers. I get so nervous at weddings when they have sparklers. Sparklers + ring bearers= trouble. But I digress, It was nuts, but so much fun to be a part of. Although I admit to jumping out of my skin a few times.

Earlier in the evening we hung out in front of Rathaus before it got too crowded to move. This was the Broadway show-tunes/Austrian folk-song stage. If you turn up your speakers you can hear a very large man singing "Get Me to The Church on Time"from My Fair Lady in German. And no before you ask, there weren't any Sound of Music songs. There were definite age zones with the different stages and this was kind of the mid 40s crowd. So we decided we should be cool and go down to where the party was a little younger....

...on Kartnerstrasse and Stephansplatz. You can't tell but there were thousands of people surrounding the square but no one could walk through because a bunch of teenagers were launching fireworks into Stephansplatz. This is when Ben and I began to feel old. Although I will say it was comforting to be in a country where we knew no one in the crowd was packing heat. Just fireworks:) Ben and I were just cracking up because it was so different from the Vienna we knew. So to clarify, it's rude to talk above a whisper on the tram, but cool to shoot fireworks at the cathedral where Mozart got married? Got it. Everyone needs a night off once in awhile.

So we hightailed it back to the comparatively calm Rathaus and got to enjoy the final countdown surrounded by people speaking every language imaginable. It was so much fun and everyone was so friendly. And then the fireworks REALLY started. It doesn't seem like much in the video but you have to imagine the same thing going on in pretty much every street in Vienna. We saw fireworks all along our way walking back to the Ubahn and even out by our hostel. We had such a great time and I have to say that it beat watching Ryan Seacrest and like the Jonas Brothers while sitting on my couch.

One time we went to Vienna...

2009-03-08T21:56:00.009-05:00

...and I completely forgot to blog about New Years Eve which was kind of a big part of our experience. I was going to try and explain each thing more but honestly most people who didn't go to Vienna will not be interested in this post anyway:)

First of all anyone who ever went on Vienna Studies would probably not think of Vienna as party central. The people are usually quiet and the city has a pretty sedate atmosphere most of the time. Which is why a big group of loud, obnoxious college students usually garnered some stares. It was kind of nice to slip under the radar this time.

Anyways, Vienna goes absolutely INSANE on New Years. Ben and I could not believe it. We're talking dancing in the streets, shooting fireworks at 500 year old buildings etc. There were so many people and it was really fun.

The big thing for New Years in Vienna is Viel Gluck or Good Luck and so they have lucky symbols on everything. These symbols include four leaf clovers, mushrooms, chimney sweeps, ladybugs, elephants and....

...pigs apparently, lots and lots of pigs. We tried to find out exactly what about pigs is lucky but the explanation was pretty hazy.

Vienna's New Year festivities are spread out over a New Years "trail" through the pedestrian areas of central Vienna. The trail started at the Rathaus and spread out towards Stephansdom.

The trail was marked by these orange a-frame huts that sold food and drink and souvenirs. Everywhere the street opened into a square there was a small stage playing different genres of music. This was the "country" stage right next to Schottenkirche. Hearing Dolly Parton sing 9 to 5 while walking through the streets of Vienna was a surreal experience.

This was the "pop" stage. They had a bunch of dancers that were soooo cheesy. It was hilarious. Did I mention it was crowded? And cold? For those of you who remember this the square in front of Brezl Gwolb.

The most famous bakery in Vienna is Demel. I had eaten there before but Ben never had, unfortunately it was too crowded the whole time we were there to get in. We were so excited that Demel along with several other restaurants, pubs etc. had set up a booth in front of their building. We get sacher torte fresh out of the oven for a lot cheaper than eating indoors.

Kohlmarkt looking towards Graben

The biggest crowds were at Rathaus where the Christmas Market was turned into a New Years Market. They even have special New Years Mugs. Did I mention it was crowded? and cold?

This is looking back at Burgtheater from Rathaus. It was packed solid.

Right before the clock struck midnight and the crazy fireworks started. I have some videos I want to post next that well better highlight the evening.

So let me get this straight...

2009-03-05T15:40:00.002-06:00

Ben was gone for 8 days, then came back and got the flu, The Bachelor turned out to be the biggest jerk in the world, Aidan is miserably sick, and NOW I have to lose an hour of sleep this weekend because of stupid Daylight Savings Time? Come ON!

Photoshop Not Required

2009-03-02T09:45:00.004-06:00

When you look at these pictures full size, Aidan's eyes really are insanely blue. And yes she is wearing a vintage Star Wars shirt and H&M ski hat.

Break out the vitamin C...

2009-02-27T09:04:00.002-06:00

Our house seems to have come down with the flu very suddenly and I really really hope we didn't give it to anyone else. Ben visited 2 flu states in the past week and apparently he carried it home. So far Aidan is fine and I really hope she stays that way.

I take it all back

2009-02-20T10:50:00.004-06:00

Just when I was ready to break up with the internet it saves my life! I am a habitual cell phone loser. I always leave it in the car or get it stuck in the couch cushions, or absentmindedly put it in the fridge. Yes I have done that. This is doubly bad because we don't have a house phone so I can never find it if Ben's not there.

Last night I had looked for my phone for close to an hour. I was so frustrated! I can't even set my alarm without my cell phone. Then I did a desperate Google search and found a site called phonemyphone.com. This is the greatest thing that has ever been invented. You put in your number and it will call your phone for you! You can give it a specific time to call or just say ASAP, you can even tell it how many times to call your phone. Within 60 seconds my phone was ringing and I found the phone under Aidan's crib (Aidan also likes to steal and hide my phone).

Hopefully it didn't charge me $15 or something, but in this case it was worth it.

Sometimes she just eats it.

The thing about the internet is....

2009-02-15T20:25:00.007-06:00

Sometimes it's a big ole pile of crazy and sometimes you need to step back from that crazy and remind yourself that not everyone's as crazy as they seem online. So with that extremely cryptic nugget I guess I'll get back to blogging. Hello friend, I've missed you.

Well let's recap the last 2 months. Okay not really. But I did want to mention that Aidan got a Teddy Ruxpin for Christmas. Oh yeah, the Ruxpin is back!!! (By the way I just Googled Teddy Ruxpin to double check how to spell it and I ran across a few fan sites that would make your lose your mind, this is not helping me get over my fear of the crazy).

Anyways Aidan has fulfilled her father's childhood dreams (apparently I was spoiled rotten) and received a Teddy Ruxpin of her very own. My cousin Sarah and my Nana were so sweet and wanted her to have one because they remembered how much I loved mine.

Guys, I don't want to alarm you or anything but this bear is speaking to me.

Guys?

Once Aidan warmed to old Teddy she started copying his facial expressions. This is her trying to blink like Teddy Ruxpin.

One thing I've noticed about the new Teddy Ruxpin is that it's a bit smaller than my old one. I guess when you don't have to have a VHS tape shoved in your nether regions you can build a smaller bear. Hey technology is great!

Tagged-4th picture in 4th folder

2009-02-04T11:31:00.004-06:00

Tagged by Morg and Mandy

I don't know why I haven't been blogging lately, I need to get back in the swing of things. This was the 4th picture in my 4th folder. Obviously this is my quinceañera. Oh it's our wedding day. I am very proud to say that we were Mandy's first wedding to shoot. This one is funny because we are both making weird faces.

This is my actual favorite of that pose.

Ben looks like he has x-ray vision.

Free Formula

2009-01-16T14:43:00.005-06:00

For my local mom friends:

I received a can of Enfamil formula in the mail yesterday and obviously I don't need it anymore. Anyone need it? First comment, first serve.

Baby Tag

2009-01-16T11:13:00.004-06:00

I still have more Vienna posts but my pictures are being held hostage so....

Tagged by Mandy

1. Were you married at the time? Yes for almost 3 yrs.
2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant? We had been trying but it was the kind of trying where you don't really expect it so I was excited but very freaked out.
3. How old were you? 25, 26 when she was born
4.How did you find out? I had a sudden intuition and went home for lunch and stopped by a CVS. I stopped at CVS because the people at Walgreens are too nosy.
5. Who did you tell first? Um, the nurse at Dr. Shanbour's office? I was antsy waiting for Ben to come home so I called and made my first appointment. I think the 3rd person was the lady at Curves because I told her I was quitting! ( I was really looking for any excuse). The 4th person was Mandy and she guessed because I ordered a Sprite instead of a Coke. That is sad.
6. Did you want to find out the sex? Yes, I can't handle when people don't find out. I would go insane.
7. Due date? June 22nd, 2007
8. Did you deliver late or on time? early, June 6th
9. Did you have morning sickness? I had 2 really bad days of morning sickness. One was Halloween and Mandy threw a party and I was in her bathroom the whole time. I was so bummed!
10. What did you crave? spinach queso, I had aversions to all forms of meat.
11. Who/what irritated you the most? Well unfortnately the dog we had at the time, he kept knocking me down and destroying things that I couldn't bend over to clean up. Poor guy. That and the heartburn. I HATE heartburn.
12. What was your first child's sex? girl
13. How many pounds did you gain throughout pregnancy? I really don't know, I didn't want to know but my Dr. said I gained what I was supposed to.
14. Did you have any complications during pregnancy? Well I found sometimes wetting my pants to have been somewhat complicated. But other than that no.
15. Where did you give birth? Mercy
16. How many hours were you in labor? I think around 12 only 5 of those were at the hospital.
17. Who drove you to the hospital? Ben
18. Who watched? Ben and the 10 drs and nurses, okay maybe it just felt like 10.
19. Was it natural or c-section? Natural, although I'm sure some people would debate that:)
20. Did you take medication to ease the pain? Yes I think they should give you an epidural at around 7 months.
21. How much did your child weigh? 6 lbs, 11 oz
22. Did your child have any complications? Nope except that she was so tiny for a long time. She took care of that.
23. What did you name her? Aidan Blythe
24. How old is your first born today? 19 and 1/2 months.

I tag Morg after Chloe is born, Lynn, Bethany, Olivia (you should start a blog) and Amanda W.

Assorted Vienna

2009-01-12T20:43:00.012-06:00

Karlskirche

Votives inside Stephansdom

Stephansplatz

Inside Demel, the fancy bakery

From the bell tower of Stephansdom

Graben, with the New Years Eve stalls being set up

This is our favorite restaurant in Vienna, Brezl Gwolb. We ate schnitzel, potato soup and freshly baked pretzels down in the candlelit cellar.

Schonbrunn Palace

2009-01-10T18:40:00.011-06:00

When I was on the Vienna studies trip back in 2001 I had a reputation for overly planning and picking out what I (and whoever was with me) was going to see that day. Some people may have possibly referred to me as tour guide Barbie. So since we lost a day and a half in Vienna because of our flight cancellation you can bet that I was determined to make up for it. I made Ben get up soooo early in the morning to go out to Schonbrunn Palace. The early morning was great for pictures though!

Gruss Aus Wien

2009-01-08T11:41:00.015-06:00

Despite all the airplane drama Ben and I had a wonderful 5 year anniversary celebration in Vienna (well actually in an Embassy Suites in Atlanta but whatever). ANYWAYS, we had a great trip and I'm sure I will have several posts on our vacation but here are a few from our first day in Vienna. I'm sure some of these pictures won't mean anything to a lot of people but for people who went on Vienna Studies, especially in the early 2000's :) they should bring back some good memories.

The Maria Theresa monument between the art and natural history museums. This was at 3pm! I forgot how early it gets dark in the winter. It was freezing too! I think the 3 weeks in between when we left before makes a huge difference in temperature.

Inside Kunsthistorisches, my favorite European museum next to the Musee de Orsay in Paris.

Even the horses had earmuffs on.

Coming through the Hofburg onto Kohlmarkt

Eating lumberjack potatoes at Zum Bettlestudent where our group celebrated many birthdays:) I think they had the exact same menus. One of the bad things about having only 2 people on a trip is one of you is going to be the one who gets photographed eating all the time.

Some of the newer Christmas decorations leaving Stephansplatz. You can see Pizza Bizi in the distance Wieners.

Rathaus at night. Vienna's town hall is so beautiful.

Eating gelato at Zanoni and Zanoni. Our group always preferred this to Tichy Eis because it was in the center of everything and open all year round. We bought this hat for our future brother-in-law but I had to break it in because I was so cold.

We also preferred the happy Italians.

Next up: Schonbrunn!