Monday, December 27, 2010

Silhouette Giveaway!

The Honey We're Home blog is giving away a Silhouette (it's like a Cricut - scrapbooker but it connects to your computer) - check it out! But only after the 31st because I really want to win. Do I NEED it - no. Do I have TIME for it - no, but I'll enter nonetheless!!!!

http://honeywerehome.blogspot.com/2010/12/giveaway-silhouette.html

It's a great blog - AND she's a fellow Houstonian!!!!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Stupid mantel window

Who puts a window over a mantel I ask!?!?!?!? I hate this window. It's supposed to let light in, but it ends up just creating an awful glare. (I had to close the drapes just to get a decent picture) This picture was taken in the middle of the day with the lights ON in the living room. But it's like the outdoor light and indoor light are at war and the outdoor light wins. Normally this is a good thing but in this house with our set up it is just distracting.

My original idea was to put up a square fabric covered board with some nail head trim and then hang a really pretty wreath or mirror from it. In fact, I already cut the boards last week and I was going to assemble it today until...I saw this post from The Lettered Cottage.

I'm thinking of copying/making the Pottery Barn Egan mirror. Yes? No? I am anxiously awaiting their tutorial so I can get started on this project!!!! Do you think it will work? I'll have to add another row of mirrors I think. BUT it will cover the window and help create a little more light in the room with the addition of the mirrors.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Halloween!!!

I think that this picture pretty much sums it all up...
Days before Halloween the girls had been sick with very high fevers - minimum 102...it was just a fever virus but it was not fun. I got the girls good and medicated with Tylenol/Advil and then dressed them for trick-or-treating! Yes, I let the girls spread germs on the street.

FOR THE RECORD:
  1. They were on the upside of the virus.
  2. I only let them go up and down our street.
I told Kendall to ask people to put the candy in her basket instead of her reaching in and germing up all of the candy wrappers. I didn't think she'd remember but sure enough, the first house she sounds all bossy saying "you can just put the candy in my basket." Ahh...I'm so proud! For once she actually listened!!! No, she's really such an awesome kid...

This was Avery's first year of real trick or treating and getting her dresses up was a challege (if you couldn't tell from the first picture). But as usual she followed suit with Kendall and was giddy after the first house. Fever?! What fever? I don't feel the 103 degree aches anymore mom!

Mom and I went to HomeGoods in August and Kendall had begged to go with us. She spotted this Kimono outfit and declared then and there THAT was what she wanted to be for Halloween. I said (trying to disuade her to what I figured she'd truly want) you don't want to be Cinderella or Snow White or Ariel!?

NO! And low and behold she stuck to it. (but she did get the princess candy bucket) If I hadn't been dealing with cranky sick babies for 2 days we'd have done her hair in a bun with chopsticks but by dusk, we were lucky we didn't go in our pjs. Kendall was disappointed that we didn't get her purple flip flops in the picture so I'll do a "redo" for her one of these days...

Overall it was a great short night of trick-or-treating and I'm still eating the tons of candy that I got from the 10 houses we visited!!!

Snuggling...

Kendall was so excited to be "mommy" when Avery actually snuggled with her one morning. It's rare that Avery snuggles with Kendall just because she is often "the one who takes everything away." I should have known sickness was brewing when she layed still so long...


I came in the room the other morning and found Avery like this. Really? With the couch just inches away? Okay!

Young love??!?!?

Sarah (my college roomie) and I have our fingers crossed that someday these two might end up together...

Fall!

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures. I've been working my poor fingers to the bone. Don't you all feel sorry for me? Wha?! No?! Shocking! Okay, enough griping. Here are the kiddos on a recent trip to the closest easiest pumpkin patch to visit! Avery was NOT up for pictures at all. Then again she's never up for pictures.

I try really hard not to be "the mom behind the camera." You know, the one that tries to commemorate every single thing in her child's life with a photographic shot. Instead I try to limit the pictures and enjoy the moment. There was pretty much none of either this day. But this day was meant specifically for pictures.

By the time the "photo shoot" was started I was ready leave. It wasn't fun...it was hot and really windy. These days I get moody easily. I think it's just because I am so tired of constantly chasing Avery who doesn't listen and climbs on everything. Someday I'll miss this age but right now - dear Lord please help me. This kid has some serious will power. But dangit if I don't love the age for the same reason - discovery, new words, interpretation, animation...it's truly entertaining!

Avery (21 months) Pardon the drippy nose...

My girls - Kendall (almost 5) & Avery (21 months)
(by the way, if your name has "grandma" in it anywhere you are getting a copy of this picture)

This is my Avery. She's pretty good about not sucking her thumb all of the time but when she does, this is how it is: thumb in the mouth, fingers in the hair, "nite nite" blanket nearby.
We'll break her of the thumb thing someday but for now - she's my baby. No worries, I will not allow it after the age of what - 2 1/2, 3? We made Kendall give up her pacifier at 2...
Okay, that's all I got for now.
Love love love...

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Softball Days of Fall

Kendall on deck

We started Kendall in softball - REAL softball, not t-ball (although a tee is used if they can't hit 3 pitches). I was hesitant to put her in because I knew that she really didn't know was softball was but the cost wasn't too high and I thought WHY NOT? Of course Mike (a.k.a. Mr. Baseball) was gung-ho about it. Well, come to find out you have to invest another $100 - $150 in equipment and uniforms! Don't even get me started on the lack of information on their website. I'm drafting a list of "what your website is lacking" as we speak...
Kendall & "Avery her friend" as opposed to "Avery her sister"

Anyway, we've had several great practices and today was GAME DAY! 2 games, back to back, 1 hour long each with a 10 minute break in between. It was hot and luckily one of the girls mom's remembered sunscreen because it didn't even cross my mind! Unfortunately Mike (who is usually really good about applying sunscreen) forgot to put some on and stood on the field for all 2 hours so his cheeks are nicely baked.

The girls actually had a lot of fun! The team is made up of girls 6 and under but a couple of the girls are young 7s but they've never played softball before so we let them in.

I thought our team parents would be totally chill, I mean, these kids are young and playing for the first time. Good grief - I was more than surprised. I was expecting light happy cheers "good job girls! That's okay! You'll get it next time!" and really the majority of the people were very good but there were a couple of parents that were all over their kids. I mean, they weren't shouting profanity but they were moaning and groaning and flailing their arms and screaming "GET THE BALL, GET THE BALL!!!!" But NOT in a sweet "encouraging" way. It's one thing to yell TO your kid to run to first, it's a whole other thing to scream AT your kid. I guess I just don't get it, but then again I am really laid back. I want MY kid to have fun and feel good about herself! I wish everyone felt that way.

Luckily, they don't keep score and really the main thing that we are trying to teach them is just to run to first base. I was pleasantly suprised at how well they paid attention and ran after the ball. Of course there were the girls that kindly pointed at the ball as it rolled past - pointing it out for the other girls so that their teammates were sure to know where it was.

All in all it was a great game day. Warm but there was a breeze and no humidity. After the month of August anything feels great! I chased Avery the ENTIRE time so that was not fun but luckily Grandma and Grandpa Brewer will be here next weekend for the game so someone else can chase her for at least one of the hours!

And can I say what a sweet encouraging husband I have? He pushes Kendall just enough and encourages her the whole time but also realizes when she's had it and lets her go do what she really wants to do - go play on the playground at the front of the fields.
Assistant Coach Mike

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

First day of school (3 weeks in)

So I've been a baaaad baaaaaaaaaaad blogger... It's going to be a crazy fall!
  1. We have season tix to the Aggie games - WHOOP! (picture of us at the game later - it's on my phone).
  2. We also signed Kendall up for her first organized sport - SOFTBALL! Well, as organized as 4-6 year olds can be. Kendall knows nothing of the sport. She's been to a baseball game but she of course played more than she watched - which is totally normal. I'm not expecting her to keep player stats. Not that her dad wouldn't eat that up. First practice is tomorrow night. Pictures will surely follow this weekend.
  3. And school is back in session - shhh....can you hear it? Silence. Yes the girls are asleep but it is more quiet than this when they are at school and it is awesome! I love love love my girls, but I love love love having time to myself without having to fix lunch, get somthing to drink, get a napkin, wipe a mouth, get the other something to drink, wash hands, Ty get out of the kitchen, sit back down, put the table down, stop scooting the table, just LEAVE IT ALONE OR YOU ARE BOTH GOING TO YOUR ROOMS!
Where was I? Oh yes...school. So here are the girls on their first day of school. I was having difficulties with my camera so Kendall is a little blurry but you get the gist. Avery insisted on wearing her ugly old croc shoes. Kendall has never cared about what I pick out for her. Avery on the other hand - she is one opinionated chic. So, fine, cute dress, ugly shoes. Avery - 1, mom - 0.

Kendall was more than ready to get back to school. Avery was skeptical but that's where we go to church and she's familiar with the building and of course she wants to do whatever big sister is doing, so she willingly followed. And shockingly - NO TEARS. In the whole toddler class! 10 toddlers aged 18-24 months and not one cried. I think it was a first. Her teachers were pleasantly surprised but waiting for something or someone to trigger the tears. But they never came.

I'll have to get a picture of Avery with her teachers and Kendall with her teachers. The first day was so hectic that I didn't want to add more stress to the teachers. Kendall's teachers ADORE her. She is one of only 3 girls in a class of 12 so she is more than favored. Not too mention that she honestly is a pleasant kid. If she's not, someone please tell me.

Okay, I'm pooped. Time for bed. Love to you all!

Friday, September 3, 2010

New Look!

I started some HTML training and while I would like to say that it helped me with my new blog layout...it didn't. I still can't figure out how to add a "button". I really want the "I Heart Studs" button by Ana White from Knock-off Wood.

However I was able to take off our picture and replace it with this cute one. I have to give credit to Ashely O. of Coffee Break. I saw her linen background and title and linen is one of my all time favorite fabrics. So I grabbed another background but used a similar linen header. I'm sure none of you really care though - I just wanted to her know that my unoriginal self is copying her. It makes me feel better about myself. And if you go to her blog - you have got to turn on your volume. She's got the best music. Totally coffehouse music.

So, onto recent life...the girls met their teachers on Thursday and school starts next Tuesday (can you hear the heavens singing "Haaaaaaaaaallelujah!"? Oh, I suppose I'm the only one who hears that music in my crazy "been wtih the kids too long this summer" head.) Really - I chose to be a stay at home mom but some days I wonder if I really knew what I was signing up for. I work part-time but that doesn't fulfill the "adult interaction" void seeing as how the majority of the time I am parked by my lonely self in front of the computer trying to remember what the heck I'm supposed to be doing. Waaah, wah, wah...what was I talking about? Oh, the girls...

The girls met their teachers yesterday. Avery was there all of 30 minutes in her classroom and has already started with a runny nose and sneezing this morning. Seriously? Well, it's better than fever and vomiting so I'll accept it as enabling a pre-school boost to her immune system. I hope she's over by Tuesday because bygod the girl is going to school. Come hell or high water! THIS MOMMY NEEDS A BREAK.

I envisioned my first day of freedom being filled with chocolate, massages, pedicures and really fattening food but then reality struck this morning when I realized that I have to do a New User Orientation for 2 of our clients. Shucks. So close. I do hope to do the orientation early though, then either head to lunch with friends or go to Freebirds (A&M established burrito joint that's all over Texas now). I've been craving one for months and the closest one is in town.

Well, I've got pictures to edit. While in Dallas for our last visit I tried out using RAW images with my camera and dangit to heck I didn't realize what a chore that is when it comes to editing! Plus I forgot that it was on that setting and took a bunch more pictures...ooohhhh...time time time...I need more time.

This is a completely rambling post...and now....I think I'm done. Off to edit pictures!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Avery - the lizard baby

...Funny Avery, just being...well, Avery. Is this a 2nd child thing?

Summer fun

Well, well, well...look who is finally taking one whole minute to throw a quick post up. My boss (aka - dad) has set forth a "bonus proposition" so I'm working my life away trying to make at least 20 hours a week in work. So far I'm only behind about 2 hours. I'm hyperventilating while I type seeing as how I SHOULD be working but it is after midnight - CAN I HAVE A WHOLE 3O MINUTES TO MYSELF? oh that's right, I don't' get time to myself because I have kids. I forgot. That's OK. They both start "school" a.k.a. mother's day out in two weeks and believe me - the countdown has begun! Kendall is beyond bored out of her tree and it is so flipping hot outside there's not a lot of options for activities.

Yesterday I decided to get some sun on this white white skin, so I threw on my bathing suit and the girls and I headed out in the backyard. I got out the Slip 'n Slide and the water table and they had a good time and I did too! I had to show Kendall how to properly do the slip n slide of course. It hurt a lot less than I thought it would...

...until today...

...and I woke up and my shoulders were KILLING ME. I say "were" but they still are killing me. Whew. But it was still fun. Mike wished he knew where the camera was, but ha ha...he does NOT! I however did break out the camera to capture the girls' fun. Kendall tried but didn't quite have enough trust to completely throw herself down on the ground and now I'm starting to think that she might have been pretty smart seeing how SHE isn't complaining about HER shoulder muscles wreaking havoc on her body today...

Avery just enjoyed saying "two, two, twoooooooooooooo" over and over (mimicking my "one, two, three" countdown for Kendall) and playing in the little sprinkler pillow at the end of the slide. Overall it was a fun afternoon and the grass isn't too terribly ruined. We haven't had much rain so it needed a little extra watering.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Ready

Avery is ready for school! She'll start in just a few weeks. I put her backpack on her and she refused to take it off. She pretty much looked like a turtle. A really cute turtle.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Hannah Bandanna

Kendall wants to be a rock star...or at least she asks me every other day if she can be one. And we do NOT watch or listen to Hannah Montana. Don't we all have an inner desire to be rock stars though? Really?
On another note...I found a tutorial the other day on a FABULOUS blog that is only going to mean distraction, distraction, distraction for me (that's bad). Nicole at Create and Delegate does THE CUTEST stuff with old worn out t-shirts and $1 bandannas, and felt, and fabric scraps, and well, just about anything. I wish I was that naturally crafty!

From her tutorial I learned how to shirr (despite being a bit scared) but I overcame my fear and used a spool of elastic thread that i have no idea where it came from or how long it's been laying around but I used up almost all of it. Okay, so here are the pictures of the dresses. And because this is my blog I am going to over-picture here and put up all of the pictures that I love. And here is where to go to learn how to do make your own bandanna dress!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Projects!!!!

Unbeknown to my husband, I have a million project ideas running through my head. Not that he really cares b/c they don't involve him anyway, BUT here was the first that I'd been pondering on for quite some time. My entertainment center drives me nuts. I really don't LOVE it and I'd rather have something more streamlined like this...
And instead I have a large clunky big screen with cabinets around it. I mean, it's okay...it's just...big. (and don't get me wrong. After we reassembled the 2 ton shelves and put them back in place Mike said, "we should just move all that into another room and get a flat screen on the wall." I know honey...I know...it's my dream too. We just need another oh....500 square feet. We do have plans for a little rearranging once Avery gets into a big girl bed so we'll see. Maybe then...)

Anyway, to me the bookshelves on either side have always been black holes. You can't really see anything in the them b/c the wood is so dark. I've seen in a mag where they added wallpaper to the back of the shelves and I knew this is what I wanted to do.

Well...have you checked out the price of wallpaper lately? I mean really...it's obviously making a comeback because it is ridiculously expensive. Well, not for the old rooster and veggie wallpaper, but for the trendy ones - it's at least $30 a roll and most places making you have buy 2 rolls. But I don't NEED 40 feet of wallpaper, I need about 10. So I've been searching for an alternate for months. Scrapbook paper...no...paint my own...nah...wallpaper scraps - no idea where to even start...

Then last week I was meandering through the Wal-mart that I NEVER go to because it is so far away (it's like 10 miles away...whew...long trek). Anyway, I happened upon shelf liner that looks like the ever popular $90+/roll wallpaper. Now this IS the spongy shelf liner not the self stick but I decided to give it a try. Long story short (I've got a baby screaming in her crib) it worked! So for about $11, my shelves when from this to this!

I think I am going to get 2 bigger baskets for the bottom shelves where the smaller baskets are now. I'll make a few more changes but for now, it just livens them up so much! I love it.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

HELP!

So...can any of you bloggers tell me how to create a cute "logo" header for the top of my blog? As you can see, mine is crooked and I can't get it centered. I don't necessarily love having a gigantic picture of myself up there either...I can't figure out how to resize it, even digging around in html. If you have any ideas or help - lemme know.

THX

Friday, June 11, 2010

10 Years

In anticipation of next week - June 17th - I am writing up this post. Mike and I will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary. I think that making it 10 years for anyone is a huge accomplisment and something to be overly crazily excited about and should be celebrated with a HUGE blowout vacation. But you know what? I've got kids. And I. am. tired. I really just want to park it somewhere - preferably close to a body of water, albeit a lake, beach, pool...and I'd like to have someone bring me lunch, and fruity drinks and have a massage here and there. So we hemmed and hawed and decided to go to Austin's Barton Creek Resort and Spa. And can I just say that I am SO ready to go already. My brain checked out last Monday. I feel like I've got Senioritis and it's only my junior year.

The...days.......are.........dragging............by.....................get me out of here!


I have always wanted to go to Barton Creek Resort. It's on the west side of Austin and I LOVE Austin. Something about the atmosphere. The hills and the green. If I could live anywhere, I think it would be in the hill country. I really hope to someday have a 2nd house there. I do love Texas. There are so many beautiful places on this earth, and Texas has so many of them.


So I'm totally rambling. I recently started scanning in old pictures and here's one for the books! Mike and I had just started dating...ahhh....puppy love.

The rest of the time...

Let's see...how do I explain some of these pictures? i.e. Avery riding shotgun. As you can see in the background there is a brick wall so it's safe to assume the car was stationary. Grandma, the smart woman that she is, was letting her 17 month old granddaughter "play" in her car. Always a good safe form of entertainment, mom! It is kind of funny that the wind is blowing her hair just right.

Ryland (nephew) loves to climb trees and so Kendall "wanted to" and then immediately got scared. (see the terror in her eyes and flailing legs while being held by Uncle Chris).

Not much else...just fun pictures.

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Swimming Fun

Again...at the parents in Big D. This girls had a blast in my mom's old pool under the trees. Ty got in on the fun too! Can you tell I'm digging the collage feature of Picasa (it's a free photo editing software).
There'll be another post one on here soon!
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Coolio Nephews

This past weekend we went to Dallas to my parents house. Kendall could not wait to see her cousins Ryland and Nick (my sister's boys). She adores them - so much that I really wished that we lived closer and could see them more. She thinks Ryland is "so funny" - don't we all!? He is such a ham. And Nick is so sweet to her - as he is to everyone. As soon as they left on Saturday night she burst into tears and was already reminiscing over how much fun she had with them and she was really going to miss them...did i tell you she's my emotional one?
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Huff and Puff














This is my first time using Picasa to do a photo collage. Yeah for me - if you don't mind me tooting my own horn. My friend Selene does it on hers all the time and I figured it out. On. My. Own.

So the other day Kendall - age 4 1/2 - learned to blow up a balloon ALL BY HERSELF! No, it's not brain surgery, it's not reading (working on it), or algebra but it's hard to do! And these were REAL balloons. We'd bought a bag of them for a craft I was going to do (didn't happen). And then Kendall's friend Avery (not sister) came over and they wanted me to blow up all 50,000 of them (okay 25, but it felt like 50K). However my lungs were shot. I got some weird chest something or other and with each balloon I blew up, I about blew out a lung so after 10 balloons I said "look girls, if you want another balloon blown up, you are going to have to do it yourself." Secretly laughing inside knowing that they'd be huffing and puffing themselves into a fantastic NAP (pass out? nap? same difference right?)

But no. Those silly little giggle boxes learned to blow up balloons. There is nothing like the satisfaction of something HUGE like that.

And isn't everything a BIG DEAL at this age?
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Avery - 16 months

She's my thumbsucker. Early on she was SO opinionated - even about a poisonous pacifier.
With Kendall I freaked out about having a thumbsucker and MADE her take a paci.
But jeez louise, with Avery it has saved my shoulder. I was reflecting the other day - no fiddling around the back of the car trying to get it back to her when she flings it. No getting up in the middle of the night to pop it back in.
Granted I'd hate to do a swab of it on any given day and then see what grows in a petri dish
.
One day I looked over and she had her fingers in her ears - and she was screaming. Yeah kiddo...that's what we all want to do too. It was funny to me though that she noticed that it sounded different when she had them in, then out.
Pure genius.

Am I allowed to post naked booty shots on the internet? She'd just gotten out of the bath. No, I should say she about leapt out of the bath when she heard the opening song of Yo Gabba Gabba...I think that the creators of this show smoke a lot of something.

Knock-off Wood - 1st Project!

Yeah! 1st Knock-off Wood project complete. I've been eyeing this shelf for years but could never bring myself to pay the $40 Pottery Barn Kids price. Then a friend of a friend sent me the link to this blog that is going to change my life as I know it! Anyway, this is just my first little project. I think I'm going to make a nother that is a taller/wider one. Then I'll move this one up, then put the other on the bottom.

I took longer to paint the darn thing than it did to build it! Click here to see the tutorial. She says it can be built for less than $5 but starting all new, it cost me around $15 (nails, paint, wood). It doesn't have the nicely routered edges of the PB one, but it's okay - I like it just fine!

I've got to figure out how to hang it closer to the wall though. The "hangers" make it pull away from the wall at the top so it doesn't hang flush - and that drives me just the tency-wency little really bit okay REALLY crazy.

Avery loves it! It is just the perfect height for her to go and grab a book. Of course they never get put back...that's about as probable as the big-bang theory.

further thought...

...of course if I say I'm not going to go to Sea World (see the previous post), then I suppose that I should also abstain from the zoo, the aquarium, and the circus...that's probably not going to happen...especially the zoo...

Again, listen, as my mother pointed out and I tried to stress in my previous post - I'm not a "jump on the bandwagonner." I DO believe that most documentaries are created totally one sided. We NEED to vaccinate our kids, but I think that it is just up to us to be more informed/educated about all things - food, vaccinations, being earth friendly, etc.

We as humans DO humanize animals WAY too much. This is what my mom (in her infinite wisdom) says, "I have absolutely no qualms with eating organic...but did you know that "organic" doesn't mean the animals are treated any better? Did you know that simply washing most fruit and veggies well takes nearly everything off of the skins? And the fact is there is little to no oversight of organic ofarmers, so you often aren't getting what you think you are.
Yes some people treat animals with cruelty. Yes, chicken and beef is pumped full of hormones, etc. Yes, that bothers me. But I spent a lot of years on teh farm with Ed and I saw that cows aren't people. Whether they are standing in a field in Nebraska or in a feedlot, they eat and chew. No emotion, no cares. Then they are killed, for the most part swiftly and pretty painlessly. The documentaries show you the worst of the worst of the worst."

Anyway, I just wanted to throw a little of my own personal retrospect in there. I agree...these movie makers have to sensationalize it to get ratings and oohs and aahs. BUT still, just the way that these people in The Cove movie, rig the stuff to get the secret hidden cameras in and set up...it was pretty cool.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

The Cove

Watch this documentary. What? Documentary? Ho-hum...booooooooring. Let me just tell you as a sometimes watcher of documentaries that they have come a LONG WAY and most of them are freaking incredible. This one - The Cove - is awesome. It has humor, suspense, terror, drama, makes you laugh at parts, then cry, and gasp at the horror. I was TOTALLY worried that it was going to be bloody horror the whole way through but it isn't, it's just a little bit at the end. Just enough to make me want to throw up that brownie I just ate. Okay, I didn't throw it up but it is pretty disturbing. I don't care if they were slaughtering ladybugs - nothing deserves to be tricked, manipulated, trapped, and slaughtered like that.

Let me just say that if you don't know me - I'm a "take it with a grain of salt" person. I never take a crazy activist like person. BUT I do believe that there is a little truth in most of these things and if I can do just a little bit to help out a cause - I'll do it. If we all do a little - it helps a lot.

Again, I AM NOT AN ACTIVIST PEOPLE but just like being a Christian - you either AREN'T or you ARE so while I'm not dedicating or risking my life to protesting to save the dolphins I WILL tell you that you need to watch this movie. I'm pretty sure I'll never visit Sea World again. I'm only one person but I've got a family - and I'm more than happy to show them what dolphins are on TV (through safe documentaries) and in nasty Galveston Bay in the wild.

I'm on a soap box-bear with me. So let's get this straight, I can't eat chicken...because they are treated inhumanely and contain insane amounts of hormones. Can't eat beef - [same story > see chickens]. Oh and this documentary pointed out the massive amounts of mercury that are found in fish because of the ocean being the dumping grounds for power plants, etc. Uh, yeah, that includes TUNA - like SUSHI people...which I've started to really like - OF COURSE. Now I can't eat it. And now, I can't eat or feed my kids un-organic (in-organic?) what's the word here peeps...because some/most? veggies/fruits are treated with a pesticide that interferes with a bugs nervous system - so HELLO. WHAT IS IT DOING THEN TO MY CHILDREN?

According to this study (if the link doesn't work Google "Today Show, pesticides" and one from May 2010 will pop up) - creating much higher instances of A.D.D. GRRRRRRRRREAT. and what do we do to treat A.D.D.? Well, well, well...we treat it with DRUGS. The other out of control industry that is eating us financially and mentally as we know it. We all LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE our prescription drugs don't we?! It's not fair. Who are the geniuses that are spiraling us into this fast-food dependency > drug dependency > food dependency?

So the more I learn, the less I eat. Seriously. Have I lost 10, 20, 50 pounds? Nope. [Dangit] But I eat a lot less. A lot less. What's that old adage? "Eat to live, don't live to eat." I'm trying and day by day - it's working. But my kids are growing and for 2 girls - they eat a LOT. I'm not kidding. I tell my BFF that my girls could totally go head to head with her 2 boys that are the same age [which she "claims" are eating her out of house and home]. So what do I do? There is the ever constant battle of "oh dear God I am so exhausted and tired of making food for my children here just eat this okay stop crying just eat some goldfish i don't feel like cooking AGAIN" and then there is the opposite nuturing side thinking "what am I feeding my kids?"

And then there is the cost issue - organic is pretty pricey - but so is a life of being on drugs to treat A.D.D. Not too mention just the mental stress that comes from "being diagnosed." And the other issue is availability. JUST THIS WEEK [ok last night] I really paid attention to see what they sell that is organic at HEB and they've probably got one of the better selections I think. Bananas? no. Strawberries? no. Tomatoes? yes. No cucumber, no zuccini, no "wild" fruits like blackberries, raspberries (again no strawberries which are supposed to be the MOST chockful of pesticides). Apples, pears, potatoes, some tomatoes, yes, yes, yes... Anyway, so it's cost, availability and just one more dang place for me to have to "go" to hauling 2 young kids. Oh and the pesticide is found in your frozen foods too!!!!!

So have I covered everything? Is anyone tired of me bitching? It's frustrating I tell you. What CAN I eat? Can I consciously continue to eat badly truly knowing of the chemicals and hormones in food not too mention the ruthless slaughtering? Do I really care if stupid (really - not an insult, chickens are pretty darn dumb) are dying literally "cooped" up? Am I going to go broke buying organic? If we fry it, will that kill all of the bad stuff because Kentucky Fried Chicken just came out with their "Double Down, there's so much chicken there wasn't room for a bun" chicken sandwich (540 calories). Please note: I still love my fried food.

So to wrap this up, I think I'll live on miniscule amounts of organic fruits, veggies - supporting my local farmers hopefully and then also cheeses - cheese doesn't hurt anyone right? and a little bit of wine - just to kill any remaining bugs/pesticides. Yep, sounds like a plan. I'm willing to support the ruthless massacre and fermentation of grapes for the betterment of life and health and my own personal sanity.

So what can you do about the dolphins? Check out this site. It's good to be informed people...that's all I'm sayin.

www.takepart.com/thecove/

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Mother's Day

Of course the girls wouldn't cooperate for a pre-dinner photo.

What a mother's day! I love my husband and children and we had a great relaxing, uneventful day....until dinner. It was interesting to say the least. We went to Benijana for dinner with both children in tow...got there 5 minutes early to find out that we were going to have to WAIT an extra 30 minutes to get to our table. OK, SO THE 6:30 RESERVATION DOESN'T STAND? DON'T YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE HUNGRY CHILDREN THAT NEED TO EAT NOW. NOW. NOW - WHEN IS MY DINNER READY - WHERE IS THE FOOD - CAN I HAVE MORE? WHAT IS FOR DESSERT? KIND OF KIDS?!?!?!?

Killing me Benijana. Killing me.

By the time we got to the table, Avery had already put away a large handful of broccoli, a handful of nilla wafers and was starting to gnaw away on the chopsticks.

So I had what I thought would be my secret weapon - the DVD player.

Well, it backfired...big time.

Avery only wanted to play with the buttons ON the DVD player and could have cared less about the D-d-d-d-dora episode that was playing. Seriously?! We ended up creating a little "play area" on the floor for her next to the wall and she climbed and cried and laughed and ate God-only-knows how many disgusting crushed goldfish crackers off of the floor.

I ate as quickly as I could an just prayed that we'd make it through dinner. I got to peer at my new baby nephew that I'd never gotten to meet before and I shuffle one kid to the bathroom, then the other for a diaper change. Mother's day....gotta love it! Luckily I had a wonderfully peaceful nap earlier in the day to help me survive.

Poor Mike - he had the BEST intentions. And I love him for it!

1st Baseball Game - in a LONG time!

Mike did a silent auction at a fundraiser and won tickets to an Astros game so we got to take Kendall (4) to her very first Astros game! It was very exciting. She was pumped and ready to go 2 days before. We wore the size 5/6 jersey we got for her last year - all in all it was a great time and she had a blast - as did we. We haven't been in FOREVER and I really miss the games. We used to have season tickets - back in the old PK days (pre-kid) when we could jet there right after work. Oh how we used to complain about the crowds, the traffic...ahhh...the good 'ole days. Now we just complain - at home...about them losing. Ah well...they lost this game but we had a great time. The "club level" seats weren't too shabby either. Perfect weather...a great array of foods to choose from...it was a perfect night for a baseball game!!!













Hangin' with the best of the BEST - we love you Big Puma!!! (aka Lance Berkman)
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Stellar

I had to google that word before I could do this post...

I'm frustrated...and it is showing. I feel like I'm spreading myself too thin. I struggle between what I NEED to do and what my heart desires. Work vs. hobbies. I need to find an middle ground.

I want to be stellar at photography. NOW. But I suck. I feel like I'm really just not getting it and I'm frustrated because I want to be swimming in the sea of knowledge that is photography, but I don't have a minute to do it! AND I DEFINITELY DONT HAVE THE MONEY. I have about 5 spare minutes a day and then I waste it checking stupid FaceBook. What a black hole it is....and I DON'T EVEN SPEND THAT MUCH TIME ON IT!

Lately when I'm on the computer I feel A.D.D. Urgh, that's another post for another day...

I'm frustrated with myself. I am a jack of all trades but I'm not really GOOD at any one thing. So I try to do everything and end up with 10 yards of unused fabrics, tidbits, scrapbooking paper, unfinished projects out the wazoo.

But then reality hits and if this is my biggest complaint in life - awesome.

But I'm still frustrated. :)

Thursday, April 22, 2010

are you HER?

You know that woman? The one who loves to talk and rant and go on and on regardless of the fact that she has to see that you've obviously lost interest, are picking at your nails or have just said "uh-huh" for the 107th time in a row?

I think that she's the one who created blogging.

And sometimes I feel like I'm her.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Sa-weet!!!

Somehow I was able to dupe Adobe and get a 2nd free trial of Lightroom (photo editing software) woohoo!!! From what I remember 6 months ago I loved it but can I really fork out the $300 for it?! My sweet hubby got me Corel and it works but depsite hours of training I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. And my first Lightroom experience was dreamy. So I'll use my 30 day trial and start saving my pennies...maybe someday I'll get it.

In the meantime here are some pictures I took at my best friend's little sister's baby shower. It was fun! Nice time - no kids...need I say more? But somehow I was still ready for a nap afterwards. ??? Must have been the champagne punch and massive amounts of food. I can definitely see myself doing "party shoots" in the future but I'll have to get my "bossiness" confidence level up. So far I'm excellent at telling food to "hold still and smile" as you will see in the pics but people...I just feel like I'm intruding. Gotta get over that.

And not that these party pics are that great, but I do enjoy taking picures...that's all I'm saying. OH and hello, the main reason for me posting these pictures is to give some props to The Purple Pug who did the "S" centerpiece and cupcake toppers. Kristy does them herself and is unbelieveable. It just adds so much I think! She made some for my daughter's 4 birthday and now I'm just looking for excuses to use her! Check out her stuff - it's ridiculously awesome.

I'm battling a neck spasm (going on one full week) so I'll end and leave some pictures. Hopefully soon I'll have pictures of sweet baby Stella herself!!!! Her mommy has dutifully signed her up to be a free model for the "Kate cause."



Mommy-to-be...um hello...can you even tell she is pregnant here?

Sue (step-mother), Kate (mom-to-be), Sarah (my BFF), and Mother-in-law (I didn't catch her name!!!! )
Food - looks good, don't it!? Cupcakes made my the Cupcake Connisseur, Sarah Moss.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Just Avery....

Anybody seen my sunglasses?!

That's right - I'm a biker chick. Unca Dave I need a new bike - or at least a new paint job.


Bein' a fancy Nancy...

TY!!!! Come and get me! I want to be out there with you!!!!