Apartment Five B

Where To Find Us

2010-12-09T21:09:00.000-06:00

It has been almost a year and a half since the last post on this blog. We all joined Facebook and left Blogspot behind. A few of us have found other blogging homes since then:

Sarah shares her adventures in motherhood with a big dose of humor on http://alittlewhineandcheese.com/.

Kelly hasn't blogged in a while but she showcases her creative side on http://kslife.wordpress.com/.

And I am just figuring out the direction I want my blog to take at http://twinklingofani.blogspot.com/.

We hope you'll come visit at us at our personal blogs. And maybe someday we'll all come back to visit Apartment 5B.

Happy birthday, Kelly!

2009-07-16T23:29:00.002-06:00

Happy birthday, dear friend! Sorry I'm just now getting around to posting this. Seems we've moved most of the action over to Facebook. Hope you had a wonderful day! We expect a full report of the festivities.

Testicular cancer, schmesticular schmancer

2009-05-15T07:30:00.000-06:00

5/12/2009: I have been waiting for several weeks to be able to post this. I am so happy to announce that I am going to be an aunt again. (For those keeping track at home, that's three similar announcements in 18 months, all different parents.) Anyway, this time it is my brother Robbie and his wife Jenni. Most of you will remember that Robbie had testicular cancer 2 years ago at this time. He had surgery to remove the affected testicle and then went through 9 weeks of chemotherapy, so even though tests indicated he would probably be able to have kids naturally, it wasn't guaranteed.

Jenni is due around December 1st. They heard a strong heartbeat at the doctor's office today. And we are so excited to meet little Rubik (their nickname for the baby until they find out the sex - more on that in a month or two so stay tuned).

5/14/2009 Update: Here is a link to Jenni's version of the story, which I suppose is the one that matters most. Also, since Robbie posted this information as his Facebook profile I guess I can share. If I have a niece, she will be called Ruby Mae. If I have a nephew, he will be Maverick Russell. As in, "I'm Charlotte Blackwood." "I'm Maverick." "Maverick?? Did your mother not like you or something?" "No, it's my call sign." "Oh, you're a pilot!" "That's right, a naval aviator."

Today is Etsy Day!

2009-04-24T09:41:00.006-06:00

A group of Etsy sellers got together and declared today, April 24, as ETSY DAY. Don't know what Etsy is? Etsy is an "online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade." Clothes, toys, craft patterns, leather goods, candles, jewelry, papergoods, art prints, you name it, someone on Etsy is creating it. And it is a spectacular website for finding one-of-a-kind and even customized gifts. Mother's Day is just around the corner, after all. My Etsy ID is johannai if you want to check out some of my favorites, such as...

- Bookplates by oiseaux
- Mobiles by spindesigns and SaltyandSweet
- Jewelry by hazelnutcottage
- Accessories by kailochic, hollystalder, moxieandoliver, redrubyrose, awcombes and post
- Shadow puppets by orangemoontoys
- Polynesian items by islandcostumes, KaLimaNanea, solcreations1, and ohanabylea
- Wall Art by wardomatic, lindsayart, kellyrae, irenesuchocki, yellena, Geninne and elloh
- Party and cake decorating supplies by HeyYoYo and LayerCakeShop
- Gifts for moms and kids by shutthefrontdoor

I could go on and on. Do you have a favorite? Tell us about it in the comments.

Jumping the Shark

2009-04-01T22:43:00.005-06:00

I thought the term was ubiquitous but since I've had several questions as to what my last post was about I thought I'd provide a primer.

From wikipedia:

Jumping the shark is a colloquialism coined by Jon Hein and used by TV critics and fans to denote that point in a TV show or movie series' history where the plot veers off into absurd story lines or out-of-the-ordinary characterizations, particularly for a show with falling ratings apparently becoming more desperate to draw viewers in. In the process of undergoing these changes, the TV or movie series loses its original appeal. Shows that have "jumped the shark" are typically deemed to have passed their peak.

So to give an example, many people think that Moonlighting jumped the shark when Maddie and David finally hooked up. And Jon and I just had a discussion about at what point The Cosby Show jumped. He says it was when Olivia was added - I say it was the addition of Pam. The Jump The Shark website is no more but you can still get the book from Amazon. Hope that helps. What are you favorite, or most frustrating, jump the shark moments?

Uh-oh...

2009-03-31T22:32:00.002-06:00

Did My Boys just jump the shark? Your thoughts in the comments, please.

This is a test.

2009-03-22T22:03:00.005-06:00

This is only a test. A test to see if I can type an entire post with one hand. Not so fun. I am almost ashamed to explain why I have to do this. Yesterday morning I tripped over Ray on our morning walk. I put my arms out straight in front of me to try to avoid crushing the dog and knew immediately that I was hurt. Jon couldn't leave work right away so I got Ray home and my parents met me there to take me to the E.R. (Don't any doctors' offices have Saturday hours? I couldn't find one.) I guess it's just a sprain - the x-rays were clear - but wow, does it hurt. It's pretty frustrating not to be able to do simple things like put my hair in a ponytail but I should be feeling better by the end of the week. Which is good, since we are going to Seattle to visit my sister-in-law Rachel on Thursday. I very much hope we have this flight attendant on our trip.

Happy Birthday Jo!

2009-03-18T10:01:00.002-06:00

Music Survey

2009-03-08T20:41:00.001-06:00

Greg posted a fun music survey over on Bloggy McBloggerson.

Happy birthday, Megan!

2009-03-03T21:37:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-16T14:54:00.003-06:00

To all my girls at Apt. 5b. My love for you transcends language:

Je t'aime
Te amo
Ya ti-bya lyu blyu
Ani o hev ot cha
I love you

The sounds are all as different
As the lands from which they came
And though the words are all unique
Our hearts are still the same

Love in any language
Straight from the heart
Pulls us all together
Never apart
And once we learn to speak it
All the world will hear
Love in any language
Fluently spoken here

We teach the young our differences
Yet look how we're the same
We love to laugh, to dream our dreams
We know the sting of pain

From Leningrad to Lexington
The farmer loves his land
And daddies all get misty-eyed
To give their daughter's hand

Oh maybe when we realize
How much there is to share
We'll find too much in common
To pretend it isn't there

Love in any language
Straight from the heart
Pulls us all together
Never apart
And once we learn to speak it
All the world will hear
Love in any language
Fluently spoken here

Tho' the rehtoric of government
May keep us worlds apart
There's no misinterpreting
The language of the heart

Love in any language
Straight from the heart
Pulls us all together
Never apart
And once we learn to speak it
All the world will hear
Love in any language
Fluently spoken here

Happy birthday, Heather!!!

2009-02-02T22:59:00.002-06:00

We love you and can't wait to see you! We're so glad you're finally here at Apt 5B with us!

An Update on Kelly

2008-12-27T22:58:00.014-06:00

I'm sure you were all missing me terribly. To set the scene for my come back post, I'd like you to know I am wearing, of course, my reindeer pajamas (see my facebook profile if you need a visual), my new slippers and my new leopard scarf. I think I look very dashing, plus my parents' house is very cold.

Let's see, I've promised an update on my life. We'll start with the disturbing news - my parents have celebrity crushes. I just think this is very weird to hear my sixty something parents discussing these crushes. I mean, The Office will never be the same for me now that my dad has declared Angela "sexy." And my mom likes Fritz from The Closer. I know you are glad to know this.

So I have had a series of baking tragedies lately. It's almost ended my will to bake. I really blame Martha Stewart for this. She has led me to believe that I had the ability to do these things, which I obviously don't. For my homeroom I decided to make cupcakes. Chocolate with chocolate chips. They ended up tasting an awful lot like sawdust with wood chips. Rather than starting over again, I decided that frosting would solve all my problems. Only the frosting turned out too runny and hot pink (no, 17 drops of "red" food coloring is clearly NOT enough to make red icing). I left my sad little cakes on the counter for the night and when I woke up there was icing all over my kitchen and very little on my cakes. You know you're in bad shape when high school boys won't eat it... and that's exactly what happened. I had to throw them all away in shame.

But that is nothing compared to what happened when I tried to make marshmallows. Trust me, just buy jet puffed next time, no matter what Martha tells you, they are NOT easy. It started with a large amount of smoke and ended with a half hour of me scraping burned sugar off the range with a razor blade. In the middle it involved this taffy like substance getting all over my hair, clothes, hands, etc. We finally managed to scrape about half into a pan praying they would rise like loaves of bread and be the perfect marshmallowey consistency. Of coure this did not happen and we ended up using our concoction to make rice krispy treats. Ironically, this song played on the radio during our escapade.

I'm not even going to tell you what happened to the cheesecake I made when my sister and her new boyfriend came over for dinner. Some things are just too embarassing to put on the internet.

There are many more wild and exciting things going on with me, but I think I need to give you all a chace to process all this excitement so that I don't overwhelm you.

Pre-Christmas Post

2008-12-24T12:10:00.003-06:00

The New York Times had an article this week about how people are turning to crafty and handmade gifts this year in an effort to save money and personalize Christmas. I did that as well, but instead of making the gifts myself, I shopped on etsy.com, "an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade." I figured we are close enough to the present opening that I can give a shout out to the artists I purchased from without giving anything away.

Art from kellyrae

Art from lindsayart

Address labels and stickers from SimplyEmbellish

T-shirt and onesies from phippsart

Baby accessories from hushboutique

Christmas Shopping

2008-12-16T21:12:00.003-06:00

So for anyone out there that still needs a Christmas gift for a little girl (or maybe even a big girl), check out these auctions on eBay. There are 7 beautiful dolls available, handmade by Alicia Paulson. They are similar to the pattern in her new book Stitched In Time. Each one benefits a different organization such as World Vision or the Red Cross. But hurry, there are only 35 hours left. Here's the full scoop, including a little background for each of the girls pictured below. Happy bidding!

A New Way of Life

2008-12-13T12:59:00.008-06:00

We've been dog parents for 3 weeks now and except for a few small bumps in the road, it has been really nice. Jon's new favorite time of day is his morning walk with Ray. (Should I be jealous?) I look around the apartment and think of how much we've altered our schedules and space to accommodate our little one. We've rearranged our bedroom to make room for a soft crate and we've given up some valuable real estate on the first floor for a gigantic food and water bowl, a fluffy bed, a metal crate, a baby gate to guard the stairs, and toy box. We eat at our table now instead of on the couch - it's bar height so it makes it hard for Ray to beg - and we snack standing up at the counter which is probably better for us because we don't eat as much.

This time of year, Jon works a lot of extra hours and it can be a little lonely around the house so I am really enjoying having a companion to hang out with and take care of. We talk on the phone just as much as always but now there is always a dog report involved: where Ray was walked, for how long, was he good on the leash, did he do something naughty or incredibly cute. I told Jon that eventually this won't be so new and we'll go back to talking about other things. I imagine this is exactly what it's like to have a new baby, right down to getting up in the middle of the night to take him outside. (Thankfully, we're over that.)

By the way, Ray is not 7 months as we were originally told. He's probably somewhere between 12 and 18 months, so he is about as big as he's going to get. He might fill out a bit but he's definitely on the small side for a lab. That's fine with us. And we found a phenomenal vet right down the street since we can't take him to Houston every time he needs shots or has the sniffles.

Not long after we got Ray we also realized that we have more cable than we thought we were paying for. Until we sort it out, we are enjoying ESPN, TLC, Animal Panet, and National Geographic. We've watched all of the recent episodes of Dog Whisperer (that Cesar Millan is a genius), It's Me Or The Dog, Dog Town, Whale Wars, and What Not To Wear (Marianna's story is my favorite). Kristy, if you'd go to work for the Houston SPCA I could watch you on TV. That would be cool.

As for Cesar Millan's show, it always bugs me that he hangs out in Vegas, Los Angeles, and Arizona - very sunny, hot places - and he and has trainees never wear sunglasses. Random, yes, but it is a problem for me almost everytime I watch. Has anyone else noticed this?

Not much else going on here. Just keeping our eyes on this situation. Will let you know if there's any news.

These eyes get me every time.

Happy birthday, Katie!

2008-11-30T21:54:00.002-06:00

Hope you found a fun way to celebrate. We love you!!!

Placeholder

2008-11-21T15:26:00.003-06:00

This post is just a placeholder until we get vital stats, but Megan had babies last night. Big ones. If you're keeping score at home, that's 4 boys. Five, if you count Todd, and I guess we should. As soon as we get some vital stats, we'll post them. And hopefully Megan or Todd can stop by briefly and post a picture (or two). Yay for new babies!

Introducing...

2008-11-20T23:54:00.008-06:00

Ray LaMontagne Iwaszkowiec
approximately 7 months old
51 pounds, about 28 inches tall

What I Didn't Expect While Expecting

2008-11-10T13:35:00.006-06:00

There's a classic pregnancy book called What to Expect When Expecting, and I thought I'd share a few of the things I didn't expect during this third pregnancy. Not all though, as some are truly gross and embarrassing.

1. The stares - I don't go out much anymore. There are two main reasons - it takes up too much energy and people stare and then talk about me as I'm going by. Yes, I know my belly is big and I'm waddling, but could you be a little more discreet?

2. The breathing - I no longer breathe through my nose, as I need lots of oxygen with each breath. So I am now a loud mouth-breather. Also, if I stand up, I am out of breath. If I walk 15 steps to the kitchen, I sound like I just ran a 5k.

3. The heat - with two babies, my metabolism is extra high (it's worse than being pregnant in South Florida). That means that even though it's 30 degrees outside today, the heaters are not turned on. Todd goes to bed with two layers of clothes and three layers of blankets. I go to bed with shorts, t-shirt, cold water, and a fan blowing on me all night.

4. The size - I am wearing a lot of size medium workout/fleece pants that I wore pre-pregnancy (woohoo!!), coupled with XL and XXL pregnancy shirts. And they're still not completely covering me. At church a few weeks ago a friend's husband was talking to Todd. Here's what he said. "So I guess I haven't seen Megan in a while. WOW."

5. The numbness - my hands are continually numb (even while I'm trying to type this they are falling asleep). I have developed pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome. My hands must hang over the edge of the bed/couch at night in order to not fall asleep.

6. The morning sickness - typically morning sickness ends around the start of the second trimester (about 14 weeks in). My morning sickness began April 5th (it was at the zoo and I predicted that I must be pregnant) and hasn't let up.

7. The thirst - I drink about 3/4 gallon of milk and easily over 64 oz. of water daily. Combine that with 11 lbs. resting on the bladder, and that's another reason why I don't get out that much! I leave the bathroom and sometimes turn around and go right back in.

8. The food - with twins, I have the pleasant task of eating as much protein and calcium as possible. That means a HUGE bowl of ice cream each night (it is for the babies, of course) and ordering steak whenever possible. I'm supposed to consume a lot of iron as well, with the suggestion of eating liver, but gladly will take the little iron vitamin instead. This is the only time in my life where the experts want me to eat more protein than fruits/vegetables and I fully intend to take advantage of it.

9. This is normal - I bring in questions to my ob each week about new aches and symptoms that have developed, and it's ALL normal.

10. The kindness of others - it all began early in the summer. Every time I rode the bus, someone offered their seat. Friends from church offer to bring over meals. And my favorite has been Todd. I am completely amazed at how unselfish he has been, helping out as much as possible. Washing dishes, taking care of all the needs of the boys, vacuuming, picking up, grocery shopping, doing laundry, basically everything except cooking supper (and that's only because we don't want to die of food poisoning nor eat hot dogs each night), he's kindly and without complaint taken over everything for me.

CSI:Miami

2008-11-02T20:35:00.002-06:00

Yes, it's my new favorite show. I can't watch it enough. Hope everyone is well. I'm sorry I haven't been a great poster. It's been great to see everyone on facebook when I get around to it! Nothing super new or exciting here, just busy with work and church and Eric and Mario (the wondercat) and the gym!

Heather the Hijacker

2008-10-17T08:51:00.003-06:00

Hey girls, where is everyone? I'm starting to feel like I'm hijacking the blog. I know I can be a bit of a windbag on paper, but it really has been nearly a month since I last posted. (I did say nearly!) I don't really have anything interesting to report except that we are all healthy at the moment. These days that's newsworthy. I also wanted to let you know that I've started a blog for our family. I think I've contracted the blogging itch and I don't want to completely take over Apartment Five B. You're welcome to check it out. The URL is http://owensinvietnam@blogspot.com. I'll continue to post to this blog as well, but do tell me if I'm an unwitting hijacker. I don't mean to be.

Spoke Too Soon

2008-09-27T05:24:00.004-06:00

As it turns out, I did have dengue. I broke down and went to the doctor last Monday expecting to be sent home with advice to drink lots and rest. Instead, I ended up in the ER on an IV for several hours. A few days and a few blood tests later my platelet count finally started rising again. Now I'm on 24/7 mosquito patrol with Caleb as my trusty sidekick. Whenever he hears a loud "smack" he shouts, "Hey mosquito, don't you bite my babies!" If only they listened...

Tropical Fevers

2008-09-19T02:14:00.004-06:00

I can't promise such regular posting in the future. This one is actually a shameless attempt to solicit your sympathy. Caleb and Nathan and I are battling yet another round of viral fever. In the subtropics fevers are like ketchup. They come in "97 Varieties." The doctors never really bother to figure out which of the 97 is the current culprit since they all require the same basic treatment. (If I hear "Tylenol and fluids" one more time I think I'll scream.)

Since I can't boast of dengue or something impressive like that, let me describe the agony in detail. The fever creeps up slowly, a tenth of a degree at a time. When it passes 101 it feels like every muscle in my body is contracting at once. I start to shiver and can't find enough blankets in the house. (We don't have many since the temperature in HCMC almost never drops below 75 and is usually in the high 80s.) The fever peaks around 104 and hovers there for a while. I start wondering what songs I'd like sung at my funeral and whether I have anything suitable to wear in the coffin. (Remember the good old purple dress I wore when we left our wedding? That's at the top of the list. Ten-years-old but still faithful--you've got to love clothing like that. As an aside, can you tell I really need to do some shopping when we are back in the States. Does anyone know of good resale shops in the Wheaton area?) Finally the Tylenol or ibuprofen kicks in and the fever starts to relent leaving me sweaty and shaky and tired. For the next several hours I wander around in a fog trying to take care of the boys, fold laundry, etc. all the while feeling like a 90-year-old arthritic and wishing I had one of those clever walkers with the wheels on front. Just when I begin to hope that the fever is losing hold, it starts creeping up again. This goes on for a couple days. Then the fever peaks at lower and lower temperatures until finally it goes away leaving me wiped out for another week or two.

Unfortunately, this is my third round of viral fever in the past six months. In between fevers of unknown origin I also had two bouts of antibiotic resistant strep. (Thanks to all the streetside pharmacists who hand out antibiotics 3-4 pills at a time to any paying customer, antibiotic resistance is a big problem here.) At the risk of sounding really whiny, I'm sick of being sick. I suppose I should be grateful that the boys seem to have lower temperatures and bounce back more quickly, but it's really hard to care for a fussy infant and an ornery toddler when I'm fussy and ornery myself. Daniel helps out as much as he can, but he can't completely clear his schedule every time one of us gets sick. At this rate, he'd never get anything done.

Anyway, I think that's sufficient to evoke some sympathy. Sorry to whine and run, but I think it's time to take more ibuprofen. I will try to write again soon.

To Bare or Not to Bare?

2008-09-15T01:44:00.005-06:00

I hope everyone has weathered the storm in Texas. Thanks for keeping us up-to-date, Jo. We made it back from our beach vacation (albeit a week ago) and I thought I would post some random thoughts related to that. I should preface this with a disclaimer, though. It is strictly intended to be descriptive not prescriptive. My musings are for your reading pleasure (assuming you are killing time while at work, sick of the evening line-up on TV, or otherwise desperate for diversion). This is not to propagandize the wearing of one-piece swimsuits. That said, let me continue...

We went to the beach last weekend and while I managed to remember our emergency first-aid kit, our portable DVD player with Bob the Builder DVD set on continuous play, and Nathan's inflatable boat, I completely forgot to pack my bathing suit. This proved to be a real dilemma. Several of the little mom and pop stores carried western style bathing suits, but not in western sizes. I know I am not a perfect eight by any means, but in the States I'm somewhere around average. In Vietnam, not so. The lady at the first shop gave me three or four of her biggest one-piece suits and I managed to wriggle into one that had XXXXL marked on the tag. I was feeling pretty satisfied with myself until I looked in the foggy mirror she had hanging on the garage wall. The suit was the right width, but not the right length. I was dismayed to discover that pulling the straps over my shoulders resulted in a very unattractive shortage on the other end. With no other solution in sight, I asked to look at the bikinis she had on display.

You all know me well enough to give the previous sentence it's due gasp without further explanation, but it has been a long time since we've seen each other. I should clarify that the last time I wore a bikini I was four years old and running through a sprinkler in my parents' backyard. Said bikini was a hand-me-down from my cousin.

As I huddled half-naked behind a piece of gauzy polyester fabric that separated the “dressing room” from the rest of the garage-turned-souvenir shop, I began to ponder this question: What is the fundamental difference between being a person of moral character and being a prude? And, practically speaking, do I feel completely embarrassed by this hot pink, strappy bikini because I am in the former category or the latter?

To further complicate matters, you may remember that I was reading The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins on our trip to the beach. Have you ever read a book and found yourself identifying much too closely with one of the unsympathetic characters? Well, Miss Clack and I hit it off from the start. She was earnest, upright, sensible, principled, committed, and a complete and utter prude. She lacked all ability to show compassion or to identify true goodness in others. Unfortunately, she got under my skin. For several days prior to my moment behind the gauze curtain, I had been scratching my head, trying to figure out the difference between goodness and prudery, and hoping that I didn't land in the Miss Clack camp. The bikini became my moment to shine—to prove once and for all that I wasn't a prude.

I handed over 130,000 dong (about eight dollars) and left with my pink bikini in a very small plastic bag. When I got back to the hotel room I immediately reeled Daniel into the situation. Poor guy. He was pleasantly surprised by the bikini within four walls, but was not so sure about its effect in the light of day. Thus ensued a very long conversation about character and wisdom and whether any action is morally neutral. I will spare you the details. In the end, Daniel said something about not gratifying even innocent impulses at the expense of others, and the mental lights finally flickered on for me. The way forward was written in neon at dusk.

The problem with Miss Clack was precisely the problem with the pink bikini. Miss Clack was so preoccupied with her own moral stature and her code of conduct that she couldn't respond genuinely and compassionately to the needs of others around her. Ditto for me and the bikini. I was so concerned with proving my own daring and my own moral perspicuity that I suddenly forgot to be concerned with the affect of my decision upon others. A prude is ultimately more committed to preserving or proving her moral identity than to loving and serving others. Therefore, only a prude would wear the pink bikini!

Phew, problem solved...except that I still had three days left at the beach, no bathing suit, and a toddler clamoring for me to go swimming with him. In the end, I managed to find a one-piece, jumbo-sized swimsuit that bore an unfortunate resemblance to a wrestling uniform. At least I could be confident that I was not remotely in danger of inspiring any lustful thoughts. This was confirmed later in the day when we happened upon a group of Vietnamese men covertly snapping cell phone pictures of all the foreign women in bikinis. I, on the other hand, flew safely under the radar in my wrestling uniform. Thank you, Miss Clack.

Update from Houston

2008-09-13T09:27:00.010-06:00

It was a relief to see this Facebook status posted from Christa's phone this morning. I talked to Kristy last night and they were prepared. They were basically just waiting for the power to go out. They were somewhat concerned about some large trees in their neighbor's yard but Kristy said that their house sits high enough on the lot that they weren't too worried about flooding. Even if their house is safe, the rest of their city is going to be a mess for awhile.

As for the rest of Texas, Ike is coming for you next. Sarah, Rachel H, Laura C, Danielle, Kelly C., and Mitsi, be safe and update when you can.

Update, 9-13-08 11:05 a.m.: Got a text from Kristy. No damage to their house or cars and no major flooding at their house either. Still no power so they are sticking to texting message for now to conserve battery power. Laura just texted from Palestine, TX - they've got 45-50 mph winds and lots of rain but they're doing okay.

Happy Birthday, Kristy!!!

2008-09-07T11:22:00.002-06:00

Happy 31st! We love you! I hope you and Christa have fun plans for celebrating.

Gettin' on the Wagon

2008-09-01T06:06:00.001-06:00

Hey Girls, I thought I would finally jump on the bloggin' wagon. I have followed “ApartmentFiveB” in fits and starts, but somehow I've never made the effort to post. I could invent some excuses, but I'm a miserable liar. The truth is I just never got around to it. Sorry for being so distant.

So what does one write in a debut post? What I'm doing--watching Caleb send Nathan skidding across the living room in his walker (can a nine-month-old get whiplash?). What I'm reading--The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (I'm down to the dregs at the local bookstore). What I'm listening to--the construction crew next door taking down a concrete wall with hammers (“tink, tink, tink, tink, tink...” add about three thousand more “tinks” and you get the idea). Where I'm going--to the beach this weekend! (Imagine yourself in a desert clawing at sand and praying the palm trees aren't a mirage. That approaches how ready I am for a vacation.)

What I'm thinking about--hmm, that's more complicated. The bulk of my life at the moment is consumed (devoured?) by two little boys. The advent of parenthood has turned everything completely topsy turvy. I know I can be a bit of a drama queen (wink to Sarah), but who knew life could become so delicious and so draining in one fell swoop. I haven't been this tired since that dreadful, procrastination-enforced, triple all-nighter I pulled in an attempt to finish my senior seminar portfolio at Wheaton. (What was I thinking?!?) The trouble with the current situation is that there is no reprieve in sight, unless you consider kindergarten a light at the end of the tunnel.

Without minimizing the havoc these pint-sized imposters wreak on the system, parenting is also the most amazing endeavor I've yet undertaken. I am exhausted, but I've never enjoyed anything as much as I enjoy watching Caleb and Nathan grow and change. Children really are amazing. I am learning so much from the days I spend caring for them...but that topic probably deserves a post of it's own.

I'll draw this to a close, but by way of update, here are a few stats:

--Daniel and I celebrated our eighth anniversary in June.
--In July, we passed the five year mark in Vietnam.
--Caleb will be three in October.
--Nathan will have his first birthday in November.

And the big news is...(pause for effect)...we are planning to come back to Wheaton next summer. We are due for a one-year stint in the States, but we may take an extended time for study. Daniel is applying to Wheaton and to Trinity for their PhD programs. Our preference would be for him to do the Wheaton program (in large part because it's fully funded!), but it's pretty competitive. If he gets in, we'll be back for three years. Plenty of time to catch up with all of you in person.

I'll sign off for now. Hopefully it won't be another eight years before I post again.

BFW Squared

2008-07-27T20:05:00.002-06:00

Big Fun Weekend in Balmy Fort Worth

And a good time was had by all.

(Shoutout to our in absentia members.

We missed you, but we'll see you on Facebook.)

Highlights:

*Homemade pizza and breadsticks. Always a hit with this crowd.

*Chloe wowed "The Aunties" with her sunny disposition, superhuman leg strength and drooling capacity.

*Sophie filled in as entertainer, reading, singing, and constantly asking Kel to take off her glasses (apparently Soph doesn't think they suit).

*Getting significantly lost on the way to Dallas Love Field, driving on the tollway with no cash and writing four, yes four, separate checks to the North Texas Tollway Authority. Oh yeah, and

forgetting to sign one--I'm totally going to jail for that.

*Milkshakes at 1am.

*Certain people hijacking certain other people's computers and signing them up for social networking sites (Facebook, anyone?).

*Flair.

*Lazing about for an entire day, catching up and gazing adoringly at the children.

*Not getting significantly lost the second time around to Dallas Love Field.

*The food court at Hulen Mall.

In summary:

Six tolls and gas for five trips to the airport: $92

Middle-of-the-night Milkshakes: $10.50

Making new memories with old friends: Priceless

Kelly's Blog Dump 7/14/08

2008-07-14T01:06:00.011-06:00

Okay, so I finally caved in and got a facebook. I swear I spent 8 hours on it today. Sad. Sick. Fun. But it has brought up a dilemma for me- what to do about students- current and former? I've had a couple of friend requests and am not sure what to do.

Along the lines of technology, I also finally played my first games of wii. I am an excellent virtual bowler, which just shows you how inaccurate the game really is. I worked up quite a sweat boxing my sister. My mom couldn't figure out how to time the shots in tennis so she just would frantically wave her controller back and forth in a frenzy hoping to hit the ball. Surprisingly, she often would.

Bravo is giving me a great birthday gift this year.

Also here is the promised haircut shot. I don't know why it's so fuzzy.

Here are just a few Nashville shots.

Besides sight seeing I had a really great time with all my relatives. Last time we got together I posted a picture of my then 1 year old second cousin Jack smoking a cigarette. Well, he has developed a new vice now that he's in his "terrible twos"

Introducing...

2008-07-10T08:53:00.007-06:00

Updated with correct stats.....

Kelly, sorry to bump your post, but I need to introduce you all to someone.

This is my brand new niece, Irene Hope. She arrived by c-section last night at 11:26 after a long, grueling day of unproductive labor and weighed in at 9 pounds, 22 inches long. It sounds like Shannon was really a trooper through it all. Irene had a little trouble breathing right at the beginning but mom & daughter are both stable and doing well now. Isn't she beautiful? Welcome to the family, Little Sparky.

Add it to the Map

2008-07-10T08:09:00.002-06:00

Now I have to add another city to my map. We decided to go to the Atlanta area to see my grandma for a couple of days before we fly out of Nashville. All I can say is humidity and mosquitos. Although my bites are not as bad as the chigger epidimic of 2007 (AKA Jo's luau) it is still pretty itchy. And I am reminded of why I moved out of my parents' house- my mother's snoring kept me up most of the night last night. Sometimes vacations help me appreciate my "real" life!

Hey Ladies!!

2008-07-08T05:50:00.002-06:00

My friends do all kinds of exciting things! It's been a pretty low key summer, but I kind of find that I'm a home body. I definitely would like to do more traveling at some point. I worked two long days over the 4th of July weekend, but it was actually really productive, which relieved a lot of stress-there is hardly every anything going on at my weekend job, so I was able to get caught up on some works from my full time job. Kelly, all of those hairstyles looked great-I don't know how you're going to pick just one! :)

Best Date Ever

2008-07-05T21:42:00.003-06:00

I just got back from an evening that I told Todd was blog-worthy. It was the best date (aside from the proposal) we ever had. It had a rocky start, though, as the bus was late and then jam-packed. One of the best things about being pregnant is that a lot of people offer their seats to you on the bus - sometimes you've got to rub your tummy a few times and give seated people the sad puppy eyes, but that usually does the trick.

Our first stop was Fulton's on the River. It was situated by the lovely green Chicago River. Everything is a la carte. We dined on calamari for appetizers, bread and soup, and then steak. Todd had the petite 16 oz. portion of a bone-in Ribeye, and I had the 24 oz. Porterhouse. The sad thing is that after that, I wasn't stuffed. Not that I wanted to be, but a 1 1/2 pound steak doesn't make me stuffed?! There were two lovely couples that sat next to us and after my steak was served, one lady said "look at that - oink, oink". We knew right then we were in high society. I did hear her tell the other lady at the table that they go out about twice a year, so I figure she just needs to get out more or maybe she was jealous. I'm pregnant, and gosh darn it, I can eat a whole cow if it keeps me from feeling sick!

Then we took a walk down Michigan Avenue. It was nice because with so many people, at the Taste of Chicago, the rest of downtown wasn't overwhelmingly busy. (I may need to add a blog about the TOC experience.) We walked down to Water Tower Plaza and did some shopping, and then headed over to the biggest indulgence... The Chocolate Bar at the Peninsula.

The Chocolate Bar is amazing. It's an all-you-can-eat chocolate/dessert buffet - can you imagine?! Bite sized portions of probably 20-30 different desserts. Plus they had some great jazz playing in the background - the singer was a little wacky, but she sang well.

Todd kept the whole night a secret, but promised that at the end I'd be able to tell him that he knows me well - he's right!

On the Road Again

2008-07-03T08:29:00.005-06:00

I'm leaving again tomorrow for a family reunion in Nashville. I'm travelling a lot in July, every weekend in fact. After Nashville is a conference in Colorado, followed by a Big Fun Weekend in Dallas to meet the newest addition to the family, Chloe, and wrapping up with a weekend in Sedona. Just for a fun, I made a map of my travels this summer, not including Europe.

View Larger Map

Haircut

2008-06-29T20:46:00.007-06:00

I recently got my hair cut and highlights. It was a bit drastic for me since I've basically had the same color and cut forever. And yes, for the last several years I have been cutting it myself with kitchen scissors. Dull kitchen scissors. So here are a few "teaser" pictures of my new "do"

Did I get my hair done like this?

Or is it like this?

Perhaps a photo of my real hair will show up soon!

Fat Pants

2008-06-26T09:21:00.003-06:00

So Todd is in his fourth week of work for the summer. During the school year he often walks to school, which is a little over a mile, but now he walks just to and from bus stops so is not getting nearly as much exercise. Also, the firm pays for lunch EVERY day. Needless to say he's not choosing salads when he's eating out. So with all of this, he is weighing about 25 pounds more than usual. We're not sure if all of that was gained in three weeks, but he has gone up a size in his dress pants since last summer. He proudly tells his coworkers that he had to buy fat pants because his skinny pants don't fit anymore. With how much these new pants cost (he's quickly become a Brooks Brothers snob), if he gains more weight and can't wear the fat pants, he will be forced to wear my maternity pants. :)

In other news, we went to a Cubs game last night. Firm sponsored, so of course I gained a few pounds! It was a meat-lover's dream with hot dogs, sausages, pulled pork, cheeseburgers, and a few veggie burgers. The boys had a great time being babysat. The babysitter seemed quite amused with Anders. His plate was filled with vegetables, which he chose, and later for dessert he chose pickles over ice cream. She had spooned out the pickles into a bowl, and after eating that he proceeded to drink the leftover pickle juice. He said he loved it. I swear he resembles Todd's side more than mine!

Flood Update

2008-06-24T22:54:00.003-06:00

Okay, since everybody is asking I just thought I'd give a quick update on the flood. We're fine. New Town is dry and will probably stay that way. The highway is closed tonight because the flood is forcing deer to higher ground and the water is right up to the shoulder of 370. It's going to continue to spread through most of the day tomorrow so I guess there is the possibility that it could cause New Town Boulevard to be closed but we could still get in and out the back way. I have some pictures posted on Flickr - they're not great but there are a few of the view from 370 that should give you some perspective.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9347435@N06/sets/72157605778300006/

Correction

2008-06-21T20:35:00.003-06:00

Further evidence that Sophie's a brilliant little 2-year-old. She is already (unwittingly) correcting my grammar.

Me: Sophie, if you stick your fingers in the car door when it's shutting it will hurt really bad.

Sophie: It will hurt really badly?

Me: Yes, Sophie, it will hurt really badly.

I stand corrected. (And I don't mind at all.)

Where I Was

2008-06-14T16:08:00.026-06:00

Sorry I didn't post from Europe. But I am back. I was on a school trip to Edinburgh, Scotland; London, Oxford and Stratford upon Avon, England (obviously); and Paris. Here are a few picture highlights.

The Elephant House coffee shop in Edinburgh where Rowling wrote the first HP. (By the way, I also drove past the Eagle and Child in Oxford which is where the Inklings [Tolkien, Lewis, etc] hung out, but no pics)

The view from the window of the Elephant House is of Edinburgh Castle. Looks just like my vision of Hogwarts.

Just couldn't resist this obvious shot.

Another obvious shot, but London's Tower Bridge is so darn pretty I couldn't help myself.
Another view of London from the Milennium Bridge. Apparently it used to wobble, but I can vouch that it's wobble-free now.
Here's Big Ben and the Eye, which we rode and was very cool.

As an English teacher I was duty bound to go to the recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theater.

I thought this was an appropriate shot ("Swan at the Globe") since that is what some of my students call me Swan.

Proof the British like their beer. I enjoyed fish and chips and a beer at a pub on the Thames while a soccer game was playing the background. Could there be a more British scene?

The famous white cliffs of Dover. This is the view from our ferry as we crossed the channel to France.

Me and Monet. Proof that I got some culture in France.

This was the view of Greenland from our plane. I couldn't believe how beautiful, not to mention cold looking!

Be assured, there are many more pictures where those come from! Bear with me if I post more soon.

By request, more from Florida...

2008-06-04T20:05:00.006-06:00

Check out our Florida pictures on our Flickr gallery.

Also, Megan, to answer your question on behalf of Kelly, she's in Europe. If she gets a chance, she said she'd try to post sometime during her trip.

Where I Am...

2008-06-01T19:05:00.008-06:00

Megan, to answer the question posed in your post title, I am in FLORIDA! We're enjoying our annual trip to St. George Island.

Here's our house. It's called Starry Night.

Here's the view from the back of our house facing the bay.

Dinner Saturday night at Harry A's. Not sure of the purpose of the giant menus.

Base camp. This is the view from the front our house facing the gulf.

More later, but for now I have to go enjoy my vacation! Jeremy & Shannon, I hope this is enticing you to join us tomorrow. Show these to the doctor and explain how relaxing it is and I'm sure she'll say a dose of St. George is just what Sparky needs.

Where is everyone?

2008-05-30T07:45:00.003-06:00

I hope that lack of blogging means that everyone is having a wonderful, busy May.

Todd gave himself his last haircut. And this is why:

No, that's not him, but it looks a little like what he did to himself! He actually shaved off one of his sideburns as well until he noticed the clipper wasn't on. Needless to say, he wore caps for quite a few weeks. He's finally getting a haircut today in preparation for beginning his summer job.

Lost

Did anyone see the last episode last night? I'm surprised I could sleep last night after all of that. At least questions from over the season were answered.

And last, Death Cab for Cutie is coming on Tuesday. Hopefully the weather forecast is off as usual - they're calling for rain and it's an outdoor concert.

A Concert & A Send-Off

2008-04-28T19:56:00.009-06:00

We had a bittersweet weekend. The sweet part. My parents and Jon and I had dinner Friday night at a super yummy Brazilian restaurant in the city called Yemanja. I highly recommend it. Jon says, "It is the best Brazilian food I've had in a long time. The best empanadas. Really good caipirinhas. The only bad thing was they didn't give me enough rice with my feijoada." The best part was they gave us free pão de queijo (cheesy bread) even though it's not even on the menu.

After dinner, Jon, my mom, and I went to the Lucas School House for a great concert. It certainly wouldn't appeal to everyone but we all really enjoyed it. We went to see Jake Shimabukuro, an amazing ukelele player from Hawaii. Considering the show was just "an Asian guy playing 4 strings," (Jake's words), it was an incredibly diverse show. He used his ukelele to imitate a Japanese koto, a snare drum (which he used to play in his high school marching band), and a banjo. He covered Cyndi Lauper, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles, and played bluegrass, classical, and Hawaiian.

After the concert, we got the opportunity to go up and shake Jake's hand. He's very generous with his time and it was great to chat with him for a moment. My mom tried to take some pictures - all I can say is that we're going to have to have a camera lesson because this is what we got for the shot of me and Jake together.

I did get my ukelele signed and my copy of hula girls, a Japanese movie that Jake composed the music for. (By the way, the ukelele as been signed by several awesome Hawaiian musicians - Cyril Pahinui, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom, Eric Gillion, Patrick Landeza, and Willie K.

We ended the evening with a trip to channel 5 and Jon's first visit to the set. This is the SportsPlus set that my dad helped design.

The bitter. On Saturday, we went to a good-bye party for our good friends Matt and Vicki. They're off on their adventure to Guam. You guys will be missed. We expect lots of posts/pictures/skyping/etc. Have fun and hopefully we'll get over there to see you sometime soon!

Bumping Jo's Post (The News) updated

2008-04-21T14:02:00.006-06:00

Sorry for bumping the Memphis post down, but I guess it's time to share news from our family - baby #3 is on its way! I'll have my first ob appointment in a few weeks, but according to the online calendars, I'm due mid-December. Elijah has already nicknamed the baby - Oven. He is very excited about the baby. For Anders, though, if it doesn't have anything to do with legos, he's really not that interested. He's been really excited about starting kindergarten next year until this morning when he found out that they don't play with legos at school.

Our university hospital has many urban legends about the maternity area. So we decided to take a tour last weekend. I was pleased to see that the triage area that supposedly has laboring women circled around a room in beds (I was totally picturing the Friends episode with Monica in labor next to Janice), is really just a double hospital room. And it has wifi, so if I feel as adventurous as Sarah, I can blog while in the hospital (but don't count on it).

The hardest part about this pregnancy is I gained about five pounds the day I found out, and even though the baby is right now the size of a lentil, I am already in maternity clothes. And how can something that small make me so sick and so tired all the time? I've had more naps in the last couple of weeks than I've had in the last four years!

And a p.s. to an earlier post - I found two friends to go with me to see Death Cab for Cutie! It should be lots of fun - Millenium Park on the lawn. And yes, the tickets really are $10.

Walking In Memphis

2008-04-20T22:13:00.005-06:00

Apparenly our blog doesn't have good timing. I've been told recently (and it has been referenced in another blog's comments) that we tend to have little eruptions of posts and then we go dormant for a while. We can't help it that the interesting things in our separate lives all seem to happen at the same time. So, while I hate to push Kelly's fantabulous new prom post out of the top spot, I do want to share some highlights of our trip to Memphis this weekend for Jon's cousin's wedding.

Highlights:

- an earthquake. This was actually Friday morning before we left - I slept through it but it woke Jon up. I did feel the aftershock though.

- apparently the gas pumps in Arkansas have not been upgraded with the automatic shut-off feature so we lost a little gas and polluted the environment. It coudn't be just a broken gas pump - we're totally blaming it on Arkansas.

- Jon (accidentally?) setting the bread basket on fire at the rehearsal dinner. Too bad we didn't get a picture but we were busy putting it out. The food at the rehearsal dinner was fan-tas-tic, though.

- the d.j. at the reception introducing a song by Michael Bubble. Who?

- eating yummy Ethiopian food at Abyssnia.

- eating Jon's favorite empanadas at On The Border.

- a hotel with complementary chocolate chip cookies, the most comfortable king-sized beds, and real cable.

- my first visit to Lambert's, home of the "throwed rolls."

- driving past Graceland - it wasn't what I expected. I always pictured it in a more rural setting. I also couldn't believe that people would pay $30-70 to walk through the house.

- the Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma Outlets. Good thing we were on a schedule - I didn't have time to do any damage. This trip at least.

- meeting the Memphis half of Jon's family. It was good to finally meet everyone and put faces to names and images to places. Everyone was super nice.

It's interesting that so many of these highlights focus on food...

The I sisters-in-law: Rachel, Johanna, Amie, and Shannon

Prom 2008

2008-04-20T00:49:00.004-06:00

Ah the joys of prom...

Me and my lovely date

Me and teacher friends (Meg, Meghan, Joanna, Me)... really, were your teachers ever this good looking?

One last cute shot of more of the crew.

Did you know they still dance to Spice Girls? And there's a whole new generation who like to do the "Thriller" dance. And I still can't do the electric slide.

We've Hit the Trifecta!

2008-04-06T16:45:00.004-06:00

Introducing the cousins:
Elizabeth Marie, Chloe Elizabeth and Avery Elizabeth (clockwise from top).

Cute for now, sure to be trouble in the very near future!

For some cute baby humor, check out Avery's dancing debut. Definitely worth watching, very well (although inappropriately) choreographed by her daddy.

Missing college days right now

2008-04-01T13:10:00.003-06:00

I have to admit, I loved the college years. Although I usually would rather live in the present, one aspect I miss the most is going to events with friends. I've been checking out some great concerts in the city and know that if it were 10 years ago, I could probably drag one of you along. There are three concerts in the area I would love to go to - Iron and Wine, Death Cab for Cutie, and the Ryan Montbleu Band. Tix are cheap ($10!), and yet I bet that none of my friends (and definitely not hubby) here would be interested in joining - it's too late at night, too hard to find babysitting, too old to go out and have fun, etc. I'm already depressed that Jack Johnson won't be playing in Chicago. Sigh...

Pickle Cake

2008-03-31T17:28:00.004-06:00

So Anders asked for a blueberry cake for his birthday. What did Elijah ask for? A pickle cake. This morning I called up a local grocery store that offers custom cakes. The conversation:

Me: Do you make custom birthday cakes?
Baker: Yes we do. How do you want it decorated?
Me: Well, um, it's for my four year old and he wants a pickle birthday cake.
Baker: HAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAA. Sorry, we can't do that.

At least I made her day.

So here's my plan. I welcome ANY suggestions from you guys. Triple chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Mix white frosting with green food coloring and create a giant pickle. Then put some chocolate sprinkles on it. Do you think that sounds good?

THEY'RE BAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-03-31T17:25:00.003-06:00

And they're hanging tough (sorry, that was a little too cheesy). I can hardly wait to see what these guys look like after 15 years!

Bathroom Remodel

2008-03-30T21:13:00.010-06:00

I know our readers are dying to see what is up in my bathroom. Don't worry, the following pictures are not graphic, although some are ugly. I bring you: The Evolution of a Bathroom

What it looked like when I bought it:

My original bathroom design on a very limited budget:

My latest creation (new tile floor, new toilet, lights, sink, paint, etc.) on a still limited budget:

The last thing I need is artwork. This is what I'm considering.

Happy Birthday, Baby Greetings, and a Must-see movie for all!

2008-03-18T12:55:00.002-06:00

First things first: Jo, happy happy Birthday! And to you too, Sarah, whose birthday I have long since given up on trying to remember. Happy 31st!

And to Sarah especially, thank you for being so understanding about this weekend. We did end up seeing my uncle on Sunday morning for a bit, and he seemed to be recovering well. There was on moment when he got up off the couch, yelped, and stumbled. I thought, holy crap, his guts are going to come out! But really it was just his leg that fell asleep! Haa! (For those of you not in the know...my uncle had to have an emergency gallbladder-ectomy this weekend and because of the changes in the schedule, Christa and I were unable to make it to Ft. Worth to see mom and meet little Chloe.)

So the movie is called, "For the Bible Tells me so." Essentially, the movie introduces several different gay people who were brought up in Christian households and how they recognized and eventually dealt with the apparent disconnect between their Christian beliefs and their own sexual identity. I basically watched the movie through my tears. The stories shared in this movie are so powerful and they are, in different ways, my story. They put a voice to my experience in a way that I haven't myself done yet and my heart just resonated with the experiences each of these people have lived through. Please, please, please look for this movie and watch it. And if you can't find it, let me know and I will send it to you. I think it's that important.

One particular story that I resonated with especially was told by a young woman named Chrissy. She grew up catholic and was unsuccessful in the dating arena for most of high school and college. She figured she just hadn't found the right guy yet. Later in college, she began dating a guy who really was her best friend. After 5-6 years, they got married and she was happy to be marrying her best friend. After several years of marriage, Chrissy met a woman who she clicked with immediately. They spent tons of time together and quickly became very close. Chrissy described herself as always wanting to be with her, spend more time with her, etc. After a while, Chrissy's friend, a little awkwardly, told her that she was a lesbian and that she felt badly because they had gotten so close and she had not really found a good way to tell Chrissy about her sexual identity. She wasn't flirting with Chrissy or trying to split up her marriage, but in that conversation, Chrissy says that a light went off and she realized that she hadn't been waiting for the right guy all those years...she was waiting for the right girl. And when she met her, her whole world righted itself and she was whole, she was herself with this woman.

Why didn't she figure this out before? According to Chrissy (and this is exactly how I feel), things that are not options are simply not entertained. As a young catholic, Chrissy learned that to be gay and to commit suicide were both "abominations" to God and that you would get a one-way ticket straight to hell for either one. So no gay and no suicide. It wasn't even in her realm of possibility. Not until much later in life.

This is, in so many ways, my story. There are more things in the movie that are so important for straight people to hear, to see, especially people who come from Christian backgrounds like all of ours. And I want to talk about them with you all, but instead of me trying to lay it all out there, see the movie!

The last thing I'll say about the film at this point is this: the movie does a great job at showing the audience how alienating the process of coming out can be for gay Christians. This alienation, utter aloneness, feelings of rejection and abandonment, all of it I have experienced, and still continue to feel. Can you imagine the uproar if Christa and I went to a Wheaton reunion? Held hands while walking across the quad? There is not doubt in my mind that I would be asked to leave. And that is alienation. So it's in an attempt to recover a more satisfying relationship with Wheaton and my dear friends from there that I'm encouraging this movie so much.

So let me know what you find and what you think.

Birthday Wishes for Jo!

2008-03-18T10:11:00.004-06:00

Hau`oli Lā Hānau

catch up

2008-03-16T05:56:00.002-06:00

Sarah, Chloe is beautiful. I can't wait to hear the Sophie-isms that will surely emerge with a new baby at home! I don't have much to report but wanted to let you guys know that I'm here and enjoyed catching up on your news. Church and work are keeping Eric and I busy enough, and after taking a break for way too long, I've really been enjoying working out at the gym. Congrats to Kristy on passing the boards-I don't know if this is something they teach you in class, but complimenting people's pets gets you far! The new vet that I took Mario to said he was a good groomer and I felt a surge of pride for my little guy's hygiene-I kid you not! I hope Kelly has resolved the complicated feelings that arose in seeing Uncle Jessie/John Stamos (sigh)! Take care! Have a blessed Palm Sunday today

Introducing...

2008-03-11T22:24:00.006-06:00

Sarah, I don't want to steal your thunder with this post but our readers will want to know. Just delete this one when you get around to posting your own.

I'd like to introduce the beautiful Chloe Elizabeth. She arrived on March 10 at 10:48 p.m. and was 9 pounds, 8 ounces, 22 1/2 inches long. She was the biggest baby born that night - not surprising if you know her daddy. Also not surprising is the red hair, hidden in the photo below by her little hat. Mother and baby and safe and well.

From the Front Lines

2008-03-10T11:01:00.004-06:00

This post is brought to you by Harris Methodist Hospital and their fantabulous wireless internet. How is it that women have been bringing new life into the world for thousands of years without it??

That's right, you all are getting a post straight from what will (eventually) be my delivery room. I feel a little bit like Pheobe on that episode of friends where she has the heart attack--typing away on my computer while awaiting one of the most significant events of my life. But hey, I've got to kill time somehow.

At this point I'm hooked up to varoius machines, which are serving to illustrate that nothing, I repeat, nothing, is happening in my uterus at the moment. When the doctor comes in, hopefully we can get this show on the road and convince Little Miss to come out, although she is proving to be a bit more stubborn than her sister was.

I'll post pictures (of the baby, not of the process) when I get them.

Birthday Love

2008-03-09T19:38:00.002-06:00

I was dreading my 31st birthday. Not because of the painful process of aging. No, instead I was dreading it because I was expecting an uncomfortable and unproductive visit to my OB. And indeed, that is what I got. But, thanks to all the birthday love I received from everyone the day was not entirely lost. I'd like to share a few of my favorite birthday wishes, although I must issue a Parental Advisory for the content.

On my voicemail (from spaghettipie, received while I was at the OB):

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
I guess you're getting an exam of your hoo-hoo,
Happy Birthday to you.

In my email (from cdub):

My birthday wish for you:
May no baby come forth today (unless you are miserably large)
So that you never have to share your birthday with another (unless you are selfless like me and do not mind.)

A birthday card (from Anna):

Pictured on the front are two friends having coffee.
Friend 1: Where's your birthday party going to be at?

Friend 2: Don't end your sentence with a preposition.

Inside the card:
Friend 1: Where's your birthday party going to be at, Bitch?

Overheard talking to herself at naptime (from Sophie):
"Today is Mommy's birthday.
Happy birthday, Mom."

And this one is not a birthday wish, but it was a gift in its own way.

Lying in bed with Mommy after hearing Daddy yell at the tv
(from Sophie, who gets in trouble for yelling):
"I need to go stop him. He's having a bad choice."
Yes, having a bad choice indeed. Tee hee.

It was a happy birthday after all.

Birthday Wishes for Sarah

2008-03-05T20:20:00.003-06:00

Happy birthday, Sarah! What's the latest on Chloe's arrival?

Birthday wishes for Megan

2008-03-03T20:01:00.003-06:00

Waiting

2008-03-03T16:53:00.003-06:00

I got my fortune cookie yesterday. The fortune was interesting "Your ability to find the silly in the serious will take you far." The numbers not so helpful. But on the back there was a single word, "Wait." And I said to myself, "That's just fantastic for you to say, Mr. Fortune Cookie, you're not the one who has been toting around another human for approximately 266 days. Hmpf." Anyway, my due date has arrived, and I'm just waiting for this baby to come out. The biggest problem is that I have cleared my schedule for the week "just in case" (I should have known better) and now I'm basically really bored. I'll go check in with the dr. on my birthday--just what I always wanted for my birthday, an intrusive cervical exam--and see how Little Miss is doing. I'll keep you posted.

In other waiting news, we are also waiting to see if anyone wants to buy our snowcone stand, as I am not completely sure how I will be running the thing while caring full-time for two small children this summer. So, if anyone wants to buy our snowcone stand, here's the posting on Craigslist.

And finally, I'd like to close with David's fortune from yesterday, "Good news of long-awaited event will arrive soon." I'm fairly certain this fortune has nothing to do with my having a baby, but is instead referring to the Baylor Men's basektball team and their re-entry into the NCAA Tournament after a hiatus of 20 years.

I laughed so hard I cried...

2008-03-01T19:33:00.004-06:00

Today, Jon got up and made us some Brazilian coffee. Then we walked to breakfast at our new local diner, passing the canals and lakes on the way. And this afternoon we took a load of bottles and cans to the recycling center. Ouch.

School for Sale!

2008-02-29T11:49:00.004-06:00

I got an email from one of my high school teachers showing my former grade school and junior high/high school for sale. The schools consolidated with other towns, and they built a new building. How odd to see them on ebay!

And a funny side note. If you scroll down and look at the pictures, you'll notice pictures of the new gym and the old gym. The old gym was remodeled when I was in high school, so is actually more updated than the new gym. Makes a lot of sense, huh?!

My Hubby

2008-02-25T20:49:00.004-06:00

Wakes me up on time, scrapes my windshield, mixes my coffee with just the right amount of Coffeemate, and puts out some breakfast. Everyday. Even when he doesn't have to get up. Just because he knows I don't function very well in the morning. *Sigh.* It doesn't get much better.

My Weekend

2008-02-24T22:54:00.009-06:00

We haven't had a Hawaiian Minute on this blog in a while. This weekend, I had about 840 of them as I attended my halau's annual hula and Tahitian dance workshop. We had participants from Tulsa, Dallas, Chicago, Indianapolis and we were so fortunate to have hula instruction from Kumu Hula Keali'i Ceballos of Halau Keali'i O Nalani, Tahitian dance instruction from Riki Liufau and her daughter Tiana from Nonosina Polynesia Inc., and Tahitian drumming from Derek Keil of Teriki's Polynesia. Believe me when I say that this was a big deal. It may have been snowy and cold outside, but inside the community college we had a little taste of the Pacific islands.

^^^ The beautiful ladies of Halau Hui Hula 'O Punahele.

^^^ All of the participants that had hula on Day 1 dancing "Ka Ua Kilihune," taught to us by Kumu Keali'i, danced as a tribute to my kumu, Dori. That's me in the bright pink and blue dress.

^^^ What an honor. Me with Kumu Keali'i Ceballos.

^^^ Girls in the Tahitian class. The ones in lime pareos are from my halau.

^^^ Tiana Liufau teaching Tahitian dance.

The Academy got it right on this one....

2008-02-24T21:52:00.004-06:00

Congratulations to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Best Song Oscar winners tonight for "Falling Slowly" from Once. Great song, great movie, great acceptance speech(es).

Also, I completely forgot to note this last week but we hit our 2 year anniversary of this blog on Valentine's Day! 2 years! Congratulations, girls. Here's to many more!

The Most Comfortable Place in the World. . .

2008-02-16T17:55:00.006-06:00

is apparently my womb.

I went to the doctor last Wed, about 10 days shy of my due date, and it appears that little miss Chloe (that's her name) is quite comfortable in there and has made no effort whatsoever to start the whole process of being born. Yeah, so dial down the emergency mode, folks, any phone calls from me in the next week have very little chance of being related to actually having a baby. I'm just going on with life and acting like she's never going to come. With Sophie, I was chomping at the bit to have her. I was so excited and also very, very hot and swollen (may I recommend winter/spring babies?). With Chloe, I'm thinking, the longer she stays in there, the more days I have to rest up before all heck breaks loose here. I'll keep you all posted, but don't hold your breath.

In other news, Sophie has a new trick. After her first day in Sunday School (instead of the toddler room) and hearing the lesson about the feeding of the 5,000, she has taken it upon herself to preach. She got a mic stand and a Bible and started reading. Apparently, every page in that Bible reads "Jesus do anything" because after she turned each page, that's what she said.

Her vocabulary has also expanded to include "widicwous", "dewishous", and "adowabow". We think she is all of the above. Oh, and for the last two days, her requested reading has been The Illustrated NFL Playbook, circa 1988. Not making this stuff up, people. By the time she's three, I'm hoping she'll have a pretty good grasp of the virtures of the 3-4 defense and the West Coast Offense.

Also, if you're interested, my writer's group has written some Reflections on Lent. They are posted every M/W/F throughout Lent. I wrote the one about bacon. Go figure.

One last thing, the other day I googled Chloe's name (Chloe Elizabeth) and found this funny blog. Read the post from 2/22, you'll like it, I promise.

Dr.-To-Be Kyle

2008-02-11T22:27:00.000-06:00

Just to expand on what Megan wrote below and what Christa posted on her blog, we are way overdue in announcing that Kristy passed her boards!!! Kris, if I had a pet and I lived in Houston, you would be my vet! We're so proud of you! It's so nice to have a doctor in the family.

Delicious Treats Just In Time For V-Day

2008-02-11T21:54:00.000-06:00

I have so much to blog about and no idea where to start. So, we'll start with the fun stuff: reviews of yummy treats...

I've been a fan of Pepperidge Farms cookies for as long as I can remember. Who isn't? But they've outdone themselves this time.

I've mentioned this one before, but it's a good one. It's like Reese's married to 3 Musketeers.

And speaking of 3 Musketeers, they've got a new variety as well - 3 Musketeers Mint with Dark Chocolate. Yum.

And these sounded good in the store, but don't bother. I think they're okay, but my brother thought they were so bad he spit them out.

Anyone else have some good recommendations?

My Update

2008-02-06T19:02:00.000-06:00

We watched the ABC Super Tuesday program last night. My question to Todd was if it really is this exciting of an election, or am I just getting old.

I've probably mentioned it before, but Obama is a law professor at U of C (though is taking extended time off), and lives 4 blocks from us. He lives across the street from my church and we are stared down by secret service each week as we walk by - I'm sure my boys look quite threatening of their safety. I love the new campaign song created by will.i.am. I actually teared up because I'm that much of a sap.

We listen to a lot of Jack Johnson and G. Love and Secret Sauce around here (and unfortunately Bubbly, which is Anders' third favorite song, after the Itsy Bitsy Spider and the ever popular ABC's), and Elijah declared that when he grows up, he's going to be G. Love. Then we decided that since the name's taken, he could be called E. Love. To Todd's relief, he changed his mind again and now will be known as Hunter in a few years. Speaking of Jack Johnson, here's an amusing video of his (and another, which is almost as good). I must talk about J. J. often, because Elijah is convinced that we are friends. And right now he is standing beside me dancing because once again I'm playing Sitting, Waiting, Wishing. I got that as a ringtone last summer, and it sounded SO bad on my phone that I got another one almost immediately.

And last, my baby turned 5. Amazing. So in honor of that, I'm posting a few pics. We got a great one of Anders seeing his birthday cake the first time. Let me tell you first about his birthday supper. We asked him to pick each part of his supper. So here it was... frozen peas (kept frozen) for veggies (although I've heard that technically they're fruit as well - it's all about the seeds), tomatoes for fruit, hot dogs for the main course, and a white cake with blueberries. We had a soccer theme, so the blueberries helped create a soccer ball. Not exactly Martha Stewart, but still got a very sweet expression from Anders. As you can tell, he was excited when he saw the cake.

Cake picture

And one current pic of the boys...

P.S. I just saw Krista's blog - congrats to Kristy for passing!!!!!!

And The Winner Is. . .

2008-02-02T16:43:00.001-06:00

And really, is anyone surprised at this outcome?? I'm glad I only lost out by 13%. Maybe I'll have bettter luck with the next one--although I'd love to get a redhead.

Tender Moments and Other News

2008-01-29T08:44:00.001-06:00

Last night I was lying in bed with Sophie as she fell asleep. I was singing a gentle lullaby and she reached her sweet little hand out to touch my face. But instead of the gentle caress I was expecting, she grabbed my nose and shouted "HONK!" Needless to say, the lullably quickly disintegrated into giggles and a full-scale nose honking battle. So much for winding down.

In other news, this is my first post using our new wireless router. Our other one has been out of service for months now and we've had a 50 ft. cord running the length of our house since then. I'm so glad that I don't have to trip over that cord anymore.

And finally, I have 5 weeks until my due date. I'm not totally huge yet, but am expecting remarkable growth over the next few weeks, which means I will continue to become more and more unwieldy and awkward with each passing day. Too bad y'all aren't here to make fun of me when I try to tie my shoes.

Outbreak

2008-01-23T10:11:00.001-06:00

Well, I haven't posted in a while. I figured that being home sick today gives me a good opportunity. Here's a list of the other people I know that also took sick days today: my mom, my dad (and he hardly ever takes sick days except for things like heart attacks), my brother, the youth minister at our church, our music minister and his wife, and my sister-in-law Jenni's mom and dad. Oh, and Jenni is also not feeling well but she decided to go into work today. I am not even joking - we are all home with similar flu-like symptoms. Chills, body aches, high fever, dry cough. It's really fun, let me tell you. So, I guess it's that time of year. I recommend loads of vitamin C and antibacterial wipes/gel.

In other news....

I'm looking forward to this: U23D.

I am a fan of this new product (although my favorite Reese's product is the original peanut butter cup in the miniature size):

I recommend my friend Rachel's blog for great shopping deals. For instance, she posted a link to a website that will give you frequently updated codes for free Redbox rentals: http://theotherhuse.blogspot.com/.

I'm reading this book and think you should too:

My Favorite Picture

2008-01-20T22:23:00.000-06:00

I'm tired of looking at my giant belly every time I get on the blog, so I'm posting another one.

This is my favorite picture right now and is the wallpaper on my laptop. For me, it's a quick bad-mood killer. Enjoy.

The View From Up Here: Sarah's Picture Dump, Part I

2008-01-16T14:27:00.001-06:00

The Giant Orb That Is My Belly

(Oh, and my feet.)

Me at 33 weeks.

My Sweeties on Christmas Eve.

Sophie and her new cousin, Elizabeth Marie.

The brothers and their little girls.

Happy 2008!

If You Like Law & Order. . .

2008-01-15T16:25:00.000-06:00

(And I know you do.) Then watch this SNL clip. It's genius-especially Sam Watterson.

MY minor BRUSH WITH A minor CELEBRITY

2008-01-14T13:33:00.000-06:00

Friday night we gave my dad his Christmas present, which was a concert with his beloved Beach Boys. We have all been to many BB concerts with him over the years and pretty much knew what to expect: old men in Hawaiian shirts, old men in non-Hawaiian shirts, trophy wives, etc. But this concert proved to be a little different. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, thanks to the writers' strike, the BB had a celebrity guest drummer. BB and Full House fans alike should be uniting on this one: John Stamos. He used to play with them and I guess he got bored since he couldn't work on ER and begged to come back and tour (at least that's what the BB said, but it could very well be the other way around). Anyway he was there, sweating up a storm, playing the guitar, drumming, and even singing. I'll even admit it, he was pretty hot, but it did make me feel a little dirty to think about Uncle Jessie in that way.

Persuasion

2008-01-14T11:01:00.000-06:00

How many watched it last night?? I loved it (minus the kiss at the end - that was painful) - thanks Kelly for reminding us about it! I'm tempted to try to read Northanger Abbey before next Sunday's movie.

Talking Politics With My Mom

2008-01-11T10:09:00.000-06:00

At the risk of bringing up the potentially volatile subject of politics, I have to relay the most recent phone call I had with my mother:

Me: Hi Mom, whatcha doing?

Mom: Watching the debates. I have to decide who to vote for.

Me: I'm too lazy to watch the debates. You'll just tell me who I have to vote for anyway.

Mom: No I won't. You can vote for whoever you want.

Me: Then I'm voting for Hillary.

Mom: No you're not. Now get off the phone so I can find out what's wrong with Ron Paul. Click.

A Theory

2008-01-10T15:53:00.000-06:00

I know that I owe several long-ish posts, including, but not limited to: a holiday recap, recent Soph-isms, and pictures, pictures, pictures. (I didn't have any good belly ones of me, and will take one when/if I ever put on makeup again.) But I wanted to break my posting dry spell with a short little post regarding my latest insight on my journey of self-obsessed self-discovery.

I am a neat freak.

Please, please, stop laughing. If you've doubled over in laughter, take a moment to realign yourself before reading on. (Note: For those who have never had the privilege of a) living with me or b)stopping by my house unannounced, I will let you know that my living quarters in reality, whether dormitory of single-family home, have never exactly matched the above statement. I am, in fact, the girl who fell asleep with a bagel in her bunk bed, only to have it fall onto her roommate who was sleeping in the bunk below.)

But upon recent reflection, I have come to realize that I crave order and organization. I discovered this after my recent 10-week clean out my closets/cupboards/attic campaign. The pleasure I took both in creating the organizational system and in reveling in its completed glory were a little shocking, if not a little unhealthy. I charged into the Christmas season with a clean and truly organized house. I have also recently noticed my tendency to organize the minutia around me. Example: While sitting in a meeting, I looked down and noticed that all the assorted candies provided by the presenter had somehow made their way into a symmetrical design. Hmmm. This also happens with assortments of pens, toys or random piles of change. It's as if I can't help myself.

During the holidays, I had houseguests for 16 days. I hosted several parties. My house stayed clean and orderly almost the entire time. My most recent guest left on Sunday. Since then my family and I have been living in relative squalor. So how does that qualify me as a neat freak??

My basic theory is this: Clutter and mess (e.g. the boxes sitting in my living room waiting for me to put my Christmas decorations away) make me frustrated, irritable and depressed. Order and organization energize me. As soon as I let my guard down and the clutter begins to pile up at all, I get discouraged and overwhelmed. I do what any self-respecting person would do and throw in the towel. I sit on the couch eating old Christmas candy and watching that terrible game show "Merv Griffin's Crossword." (The only thing on at 2pm.) And I'm stuck. My lack of inertia to get up and do the dishes and fold the laundry then sneaks its way into other tasks, such as posting to the blog in a timely manner and returning phone calls. Next thing I know, I haven't showered in two days and my toddler is watching Cinderella on a 24-hour loop.

So I've got to find a way to stay on top of the mess and clutter that ordinary life creates AND be quicker to recognize clutter-induced depression when it appears. Which reminds me, I've got to go fold this laundry that's been living in baskets for four days. I'll reappear when the Christmas decorations finally come down. . .

Calling All Jane Fans

2008-01-10T09:27:00.000-06:00

I don't think any of you are quite as Jane nerdy as I am, but I wanted to alert anyone interested that PBS is airing some new Jane Austen movies on Masterpiece Theater. It's on Sunday nights here, but I'm not sure if that's just my local station. The first one is this Sunday. Here's the link.

By the way, I saw a preview of the movie, The Accidental Husband. I was very upset- since when is the beloved Colin Firth relegated to the role of the uptight British guy who doesn't get the girl? Don't people know he's Mr. Darcy?

The Best of 2007

2007-12-29T23:01:00.000-06:00

I'm compiling a list. I know- shocker. What was the best of 2007. Movie, TV, song, book, food, anything. If you have any suggestions, let me know. I will unveil said list soon. Be warned, I have eclectic taste. As Carrie Fisher says in When Harry Meet Sally "Everybody thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor but they couldn't possibly all have good taste." Well, I of course think I have good taste.

Kelly's Christmas Update 2007

2007-12-29T22:19:00.001-06:00

My Christmas too was very nice and relaxing. I stayed in my pajamas the entire day. Speaking of pajamas, guess what my mom bought us?I stayed in those pajamas even when my mom's friend Patty and her daughter Sarah came over. The fact that Sarah is one of my students seemed to not phase me at all. Do I have any shame? Or are those just really cute pajamas?

Besides the pajamas I got all sorts of other fun gifts. I got a nice new digital camera, DVDs (The Office seasons 1 & 2, Gilmore Girls season 7, Ocean's 13, Steel Magnolias), a jewelry box, and lots of little fun stuff.

My sister got me something I need like a hole in the head. But I don't think I can have too many of these.

Oh and I got one more thing-a kitchen sink. Literally. Thanks Mom!

The one unexpected gift came from my grandma. My sister got a check for $50. But I guess I'll be saving hundreds!

Rachel and I also enjoyed a gift her sister and brother in law got.

Guitar Hero is very fun and addictive. I think the kicks and dancing hurt my score but it made me look cooler. And guitar is all about looking cool, right?

Jo's Christmas 2007 Update

2007-12-28T10:46:00.000-06:00

First, here is my whole family, both sides, at church on Christmas Eve. Front row: Jeremy, Shannon (with bun in the oven – that’s right, I’m going to be an aunt!), Me, Jon, Leigh, Amie, Jeff, Carlos. Back row: Bob, Patty, Jenni, Robbie, Rachel. I think we are a good looking bunch and it was really cool that everyone was there together. Thanks for coming, all!

Later that evening…the first round of presents. My dad asked for “peace of mind.” Here he is opening my brother’s gift – pork brains. Robbie was never a very good speller.

Once again everyone was way too extravagant. For example…

- Green iPod Nano. Thanks, baby. I’m listening to it right now.
- The 2007 Merrie Monarch Festival on DVD. 10.5 hours of hula heaven.
- Meet Me Under The Mistletoe hat. It works, by the way.
- Flip Camcorder. So cute. So convenient. I’m still playing around with it, but watch for video posts soon.
- Lucky Lou shoes. These were probably the biggest surprise. I’d had my eye on these for, literally, years. You must follow the link to the picture and see them. I can’t wait until it’s warm enough to wear them out.
- Lands End slippers. It’s always nice when something you find online or in a catalog lives up to your expectations. These are warm and comfy and oh so cute.

The question of the day on Tuesday: what was your most surprising gift? How about your favorite? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Merry Christmas Eve!

2007-12-24T08:19:00.000-06:00

Hi, I hope everyone has a great Christmas. I picked up "Once" at the video store, which Kelly recommended months ago and I've been wanting to see it ever since. It wasn't playing in any theaters near me, and I never got around to seeing it-I can't wait to watch it!!

Better late than never?

2007-12-17T20:23:00.000-06:00

Hi, girls, sorry it's been a while. My cat Mario is snuggled up as I write this. Eric and I just got back from a four day weekend in Hershey, PA, where we celebrated our five year anniversary. Time has gone by so quickly. I enjoyed catching up on everyone's posts, and I appreciate the birthday shout-outs!! I'm still getting settled into the job I started in August-it's a neat program, but I still have a lot to learn, so it's been frustrating. Eric is doing well! Hope everyone is doing well. I'm with Megan on the Christmas cards...I don't do them! But I'm sending merry thoughts your way. Hope all are well.

Holiday Fun

2007-12-17T14:14:00.000-06:00

This weekend I participated in a fun tradition around here. There's a neighborhood in which everyone decorates their homes for Christmas. They have hayrides and walkthroughs and such all season long. I have participated a couple of times in a 5K run through the neighborhood. It's really fun to run and see the lights and such. This Sunday night was the annual Jingle Bell Run.

I went with two of my co-workers and their sister. Yes, we are all that tall. The short one on the end is my mother. Here's me with my personal cheering section:

There was one sad thing that happened, although I take no personal responsibility, even though some newspapers blamed it on the runners.

One last Christmas anecdote, my sister who teaches kindergarten told me:

One of her students prayed the other day, in the most sincere voice possible:

"Dear Lord, I pray for all the children...

who don't know...

Santa.

Please, let them hear the bells."

We don't know what she meant either.

Season of Giving

2007-12-13T10:11:00.000-06:00

Since this is the season of giving, I decided to get myself a gift. That's what Christmas is all about, right? So I got myself something I have wanted literally for years! As of last night, I now have a DVR. I am assured this will change my life forever. With the DVR and my new satellite TV service I also have three free months of some movie channels. So last night I was up until ungodly hours setting my DVR to tape all the movies I want. But my DVR only holds 150 hours so I will have to hold back the madness at some point.

I also splurged ( I am really bad- I know, I think it's the thrill that I just finished my grad school finals and I'm going crazy) on a really nice purse. For years I have been buying purses from Target (I know- there is no shame) and Ross and the like. I have been very happy with these purchases (except for the one Kate Spade knock off I bought on the street in South Carolina which Wendy assures me was sewn in a sweat shop by a child- I feel pretty guilty about that one) but I saw this one and I just had to have it. I will try to include a picture later.

To counteract all this selfishness, last night I also tried giving a little back. So I spent some time in prison. No joke. My church went Christmas carrolling in prison. My pastor took me a little aback when after singing he said, "now we want to hold hands with you and pray for you." Hold hands??? I signed up for singing- not PDA. But, in the end, it was actually really nice. The prisoners were very respectful and seemed genuinely glad to see us there. And if you were wondering what prisoners watch on TV, I can answer: wrestling, American Movie Classics, and Emeril. I'm not joking.

Jo's Blog Dump 12/12/07

2007-12-12T18:53:00.000-06:00

Our weather has been craptastic this week. There have been a lot of accidents and injuries on the roads. I'm not sure of the details but Jon and I came across a startling, but amusing, sight yesterday. The traffic was a little heavy on the highway but we didn't see any accidents or anything. A minute later we saw what was causing the slow-down: lots of little stuffed monkeys scattered all over the road. Some still had some shape, but most were pretty flat and some were even leaking stuffing. I wonder where they came from.

Funny story. Saturday night at work a guy asked if we had a biography section. I explained that we don't, all biographies are shelved according to the person's place in history or culture. So he said, "Where would I find the biographies on Jesus?" No joke.

I'm thinking of getting a perm. Or as Jon says, a temp. I'm hoping for the look on the right.

I am super excited for this:

What is a blog dump? A list. I love lists. Apparently, so does everyone else.

Advent

2007-12-08T09:36:00.000-06:00

This is a little late, but I wanted to post a link to an Advent Devotional/Reflection Guide put out by my church. It's a great way to keep your heart and mind focused throughout this month.

Jo's Blog Dump 12/5/2007

2007-12-05T13:37:00.000-06:00

Check out my hula halau's new website at:

http://huihulaopunahele.blogspot.com/

The Onion, for Christians. Hilarious.

http://www.larknews.com/

Jon did a very nice post for the Mizzou game the other night - it was a running diary during the game against OU and I made a special halftime appearance. This is the first year I have ever cared about college football. Slightly disappointing end to the season, but still fun.

http://scan2000.blogspot.com/2007/12/almost.html

Robbie and Jenni adopted a dog. She's wonderful. I love her. Pictures are at the link below. I'll be adding better ones soon (maybe tonight?). We get to dog-sit soon when they go on a trip with the youth from church.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9347435@N06/sets/72157603378964545/

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

2007-12-03T08:50:00.000-06:00

We found the boys on the couch after lunch enjoying a lazy day. Anders was reading the comics and Elijah was playing the harmonica.

And another pic of the boys, watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special (which seems to be on at least once a week, including tonight) and eating popcorn. Don't you wish you still had the footed pajamas?

And since I'm posting pictures, here's one more. Halloween night trick-or-treating with their friends Susie and Adam. Poor Susie had to inform everyone that she was not a crocodile or dragon, but was a dinosaur.

The Triumphant Return

2007-12-01T18:14:00.000-06:00

About a year ago, a tragic thing happened. One day, all of the Wendy's in our area were just...abandoned. From the outside, they looked normal. But when you would get up to the door, you'd realize it was locked, the furniture inside was topsy-turvy, and there was no one in sight. It was such a mystery. Some of the restaurants had handwritten signs posted in the windows informing confused customers that the store had closed, but most didn't even have that. Adding to the mystery was the fact that the commercials continued to air often in our area. It was cruel along the lines of rubbing salt in an open wound.

For a while, I was worried that this strange and sad occurence was going to sweep the whole country, but when we would drive to Chicago we would see plenty of stores that were most assuredly open all along the way. In fact, Lincoln became a favorite stop the last few trips just because of its cozy and convenient Wendy's.

In St. Louis, word trickled out that the franchise group that owned 50 Wendy's stores in our area had gone bankrupt. In fact, even their payroll checks had bounced. Over time, I resigned myself to the fact that Wendy's, like Chick-Fil-A (at least until recently) and Dunkin' Donuts, was destined to be a road trip treat only for me. That is, until today.

Wendy's is back. The store closest to our mall has reopened. For dinner tonight, I had a spicy chicken sandwich, fries, Coke, and frosty. (Cholesteral, schmolesteral.) Word has gotten out. The drive-thru line stretched almost into the street and the line inside was just as long. But no one was complaining. The attitude of the customers in the store seemed to be a very contented, "That's okay. I'll wait. I've waited this long, another 10 minutes won't matter." And you know what, it was worth it. That spicy chicken was just as good as I remembered. It had not been inflated in my memory in the slightest. It's a good day in The Lou.

Happy Birthday, Katie

2007-11-30T22:00:00.000-06:00

Hope it's a good one. We love you!!!

Sorry, Grandma

2007-11-28T13:57:00.000-06:00

Monday night I watched Dancing with the Stars for the first time. My grandmother insisted. She is a huge Marie Osmond fan. In fact, she made me vote for Marie five times. Even after her scary doll dance. If you didn't watch it, this is all you need to see.

Or watch some of the video here.

I believe one judge mentioned Bride of Chucky.

Needless to say, our votes were not enough and poor Marie didn't win.

It Pays to Be a Nerd

2007-11-28T13:22:00.000-06:00

Ladies and Gents, it's time to put your nerdiness to good use!

There's a fairly new website designed to donate food to hungry people. Basically, you go to it and see how nerdy you are by knowing/guessing the definitions of words. For each correct answer, the owners of the site donate grains of rice to the UN's World Food Programme. It keeps track of your stats and lets you know your vocab level (1-50). Try it out. I did check it out on Snopes and the story clears. Kel, you should assign this to your students!

Your Thoughts on The Bachelor

2007-11-21T13:37:00.000-06:00

Brad Womack: Gentleman or Jerk? Discuss.

Changes

2007-11-20T22:34:00.000-06:00

I got some startling but not altogether surprising news last week at the doctor. I have high cholesterol. Not high enough to immediately go on medicine, but high enough that I have to make some changes so that when I see the doctor again in a few months there is some marked improvement. I'm not sure if this just makes me feel old or if it just makes me feel like a full-fledged card-carrying member of my family. My dad had triple bypass after his 2nd heart attack a few years ago, his dad died young after his 2nd heart attack, my mom's untreated cholesterol is over 300, her brother had his first heart attack in his early 30s, and her father had heart disease as well. If there was ever a question about whether or not I belonged to these people, it's been answered now.

So, as most of you know, I'm a bit of a picky eater. Truthfully, I don't know many adults pickier than me (except my brother - and now we know he belongs to us too). So, the changes I'm making will be gradual. There are a lot of easy things I can do though - supplements (about 23 capsules a day), nuts, switching to soy milk (this one is going to be hard), dark chocolate (good thing I love love love it), Cheerios, garlic. I'll let you know how it goes. Oh, and are you sitting down? I joined a gym. Stop snickering. It had to be done.

Is there any possible way that Sonic's new Mac and Cheese Snacks could be considered heart healthy? Pretty please?

"Fwick"

2007-11-15T16:15:00.001-06:00

I've had a less than stellar day and an even less stellar attitude.

I also have a two-year-old who doubles as a digital voice recorder.

You figure it out.

Rock Star

2007-11-12T14:49:00.000-06:00

I jogged today for 30 straight minutes, and have now been proclaimed a rock star by my workout friend. Woohoo! It's been years since I've tried running, and I don't think I ever got up to 30 minutes before. Granted, I was going pretty slow, but at least I stuck with it!

The gym at UofC is a lot more sophisticated than our alma mater. I can watch cable tv during every workout, including the music channels. My favorite workout song is Clumsy by Fergie (I can't believe I'm admitting this) and I crack up almost every time I see the video, especially the car scenes. VH1 seems to show the same videos each morning between 6:30 and 7:30, and I've caught myself singing a few times, and this morning almost started moving my arms around for an upper body dance (the props move). I probably would've lost my workout friend if I hadn't stopped myself in time! It's bad enough that we probably are banned from a local Starbucks after I spilled a Venti coffee all over the counter during rush hour after one of our workouts.