Happy Chaps

Happy Birthday Preston!

2010-09-10T00:01:00.002-05:00

In honor of Preston's 6th birthday I thought I would share six things I love about him:

1. His love for donuts. Even the kind you buy in the package at the gas station.

2. His crazy obsession for marble runs.

3. He's not afraid to just be himself and that includes his obsession for purple.

4. How easily he adapts to change and yet deeply longs for order.

5. He's always willing to give extra snuggles.

6. The way he loves everyone and isn't afraid to tell them so.

Happy 6th Birthday to my sweet, silly, and lovable Preston!

Friendship for Grown-ups by Lisa Whelchel - A Review

2010-06-09T12:07:00.004-05:00

Friendship for Grown-ups - What I Missed & Learned Along the Way by Lisa Whelchel

It may be an old cliché but it was the cover of the book that I judged. It was the cover that got me all excited to read this book. First of all I’m a huge fan of the TV show Facts of Life. What’s that got to do with anything? Well Lisa Whelchel just happens to be ‘Blair’ from Facts of Life. Remember? She was the beautiful blonde but somewhat snobby rich girl who roomed with Tootie, Jo and Natalie at Eastland Academy for girls, along with Mrs. Garrett as their counselor. Classic 80’s TV. I was even a fan when they all graduated and opened up ‘Edna’s Edibles’ later to become a quirky boutique called ‘Over Our Heads’. Or when Beverly Ann took over for Mrs. Garrett, or when when George and Andy are included in the cast... I could go on and on. See, told you I was a fan. A huge fan.

Secondly I was drawn to the actual title. Friendship for Grown-ups. Grown-up is a word we typically use when talking about adults with our kids. We don’t usually say, ‘Watch out for that grown-up crossing the street!’ when we’re around other adults. As children grown-ups are something to admire; they’re independent, they’ve got it all together, they make their own decisions, they drive, they’re cool. Then once we’re one of those grown-ups we realize it’s not cool after all. It’s hard being a grown-up. It’s even harder making friends as a grown-up.

Suddenly other grown-ups aren’t instantly your best friend if you share an ice cream sandwich with them. They don’t flock around you if you happen to show up at the playground with a soccer ball. Grown-up friends are a lot more finicky and the selection process turns out to be as challenging as winning Survivor – sometimes we're just left standing holding a smoking torch.

In this book, Lisa shares her struggles with gaining friendships in the grown-up world. Although this isn’t a boo-hoo-woe-is-me-I’m-a-celebrity kind of book, Lisa gets real honest about her inabilities to trust, to open up, or to go deep in any kind of friendship. To my surprise it turns out that Lisa and I had much more in common than just our blonde hair. Like Lisa, I also married a pastor, moved to Texas, and became a mom. During this process for each of us our longing for genuine friendship grew and we both found ourselves on our knees asking the Lord to bring us that friend that would fulfill that desire.

Throughout this book, Lisa assures us that she hasn’t “arrived”, but she’s willing to share her experiences and the lessons she’s learned with her readers to help us along in our grown-up friendship journey. She shares practical tips like taking the time to nurture the friendships we have by sending an email, texts or a quick phone call just to check in with a friend. She explains the “classification” of friends not to discriminate but to really take a heart check and see where we stand with our friends. Is a casual friend the kind we really want to bear our soul to? What about our really close friend? Is she the one we just keep casually on the side to go shopping for shoes with? Lisa tells us that it’s ok to have friends that serve different purposes in our lives. Most importantly we need to be real with our friends. It’s hard to overcome walls that have been built up by dishonesty or feigned feelings when it comes to friends.

Lisa’s down-to-earth approach is refreshing. Reading her book was like sitting down with a good friend who is willing to guide and accompany you on your grown-up friendship journey. Probably the best part of the book is the appendices found at the end which include even more practical advice and tips. Everything from prayer to conversation is included here.

I really enjoyed Lisa Whelchel’s Friendship for Grown-ups. This is a book I plan to keep right in the front of my bookshelf so that I can turn to it when I'm feeling all alone on the playground. I may be all grown-up but I’ll never be too old to play with my friends. So anybody want to be my friend? I'll bring my Strawberry Shortcake doll and some ice cream.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Chip Off the 'Ole Block

2010-06-02T15:20:00.003-05:00

Preston and I were playing "Grocery Store". With a bag in hand he goes around the house finding things to purchase. I'm the cashier and upon checkout I add up his total and he says, "Wait! I think I have a coupon. It's here in the bottom of my purse somewhere!"

Gotta love that kid!

Saying Goodbye

2010-05-12T14:03:00.009-05:00

Today was an emotional day for me (first of many I am sure). For the past four years - minus a little time off when I had Connor - Preston and I had been attending Bible Study Fellowship on Wednesday mornings. When we first moved to Dallas I didn't have any mommy friends and I was eager to find my place in this big metropolis. Fortunately my mother-in-law suggested that I find a local BSF chapter and join. Preston was only sixteen months old, and discovering that they didn't offer childcare until the age of two I was forced to wait patiently (or not so patiently) until September. Preston had been two for exactly one whole day when we started BSF together in 2006. And even though I was a bit nervous leaving him for those couple of hours, Preston walked right into the classroom and never looked back.

The great thing about BSF is that the little ones learn exactly what the mommy's are learning - age appropriately, of course. They don't just babysit or "watch" your child; they teach, interact, and love on your child. That first year we were blessed with two of the best teachers - Mrs. D and Mrs. S. These were two of the most loving and generous people I have ever met. They not only instilled the word of God into Preston's life, but supported and encouraged me as well. When Preston went through his biting phase, they reassured me that he was normal and that he would grow out of it. As we approached potty training they offered advice and reassured me that he'd get it eventually. And he did. On both accounts.

As the next three years passed Preston had different teachers at BSF, and each one of them was special in their own way. But it was that first year with Mrs. D and Mrs. S that made all the difference. Even though he was no longer in their class, Preston always stopped to give them a hug on his way to his own class. I never had to prompt him, it was as if he realized just how special they were as well.

Today was Preston's last day with Bible Study Fellowship. Of course Connor (they now offer classes for under two) and I will continue in the fall, but Preston will be starting kindergarten. In honor of this last day, we made a small token for each of the teachers who had touched his life along the way.

And yes, I'm going to miss seeing Preston run down the sidewalk to enter the church and praying he doesn't fall and skin his knee. I'll also miss watching him search for his name badge outside the classroom door. I'll especially miss the coaxing necessary to convince him it was time to go. Despite the bittersweet emotions, I can rest assured that the lessons and love poured into him will one day spill out onto others.

The Finished Product

2010-05-10T10:36:00.009-05:00

Remember this?

That's right. The weird box looking thing that I planned to give my mom for Mothers Day (or is it Mother's Day, whatever). Well with my box of misfit tools in hand my boys and I headed to the garage for a little makeover magic. Or at least a little demolition which is always good for the soul.

With just a little bit of effort and a hammer I was able to remove the sides. I used the saw for the bits that just wouldn't come off - that was some kind of special glue they used there! The sandpaper was for the even smaller bits that refused to budge. And voila! All that's left is the bottom and a few scraps. You'll see what I did with those scraps in a minute.

Preston helped me paint the edges and those mysterious scraps white and the flat part a pale blue. Connor supervised. He's not really good at that though - too many coffee breaks, sheesh!

With the paint I had on hand (no pun intended) the boys left their mark. Just FYI, five year olds are better at this than one year olds. How Connor didn't end up rainbow colored, I'll never know. Then Preston helped me paint the grass.

I used the left over pieces to fashion a little fence and then added a few artistic details. And there you have it. A little sign for my mom's garden from two cute grandkids and one kind of crafty daughter.

Happy Mothers Day, Mom. Hope you enjoyed it.

In Progress...

2010-05-04T16:14:00.006-05:00

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Seriously, Mom. It's all yours. Do you like it?

Ok, ok it won't exactly look like this when you get it.

Preston, Connor and I have been working hard to transform it into something else.

Unfortunately, one of them had to go take a nap so hopefully we can get it finished in time.

And for all my other readers - if there are any - I'll be sure and post

a photo of the completed project. After Mother's Day.

What You Lookin' At?

2010-04-01T13:33:00.005-05:00

A certain person I know woke up the other day from his nap. He had funny hair. I had to document it. This is proof that even with very little hair, one can have a bad hair day.

Just look at it. It defies logic, I tell ya.

What was he doing in his sleep anyway?

"Aww Mom, you're not going to put this on your blog are you?"

Why yes, yes I am.

You Sunk My Battleship!

2010-03-31T14:43:00.018-05:00

And so the totally 80's Spring Break continues. Like I said before, I hadn't intentionally tried to relive my rad childhood, it just kind of happened. Since we had such a fun-filled couple of days we decided to keep our fun at home. I hadn't really planned anything on this day, but Preston had one big thing he wanted to accomlish. Eat donuts! That kid is crazy about donuts. Especially the kind with sprinkles. So what kind of mom would I be if I didn't oblige his crazy obsessions now and then? A no-fun mom, that's what. And since I wasn't getting dressed to actually go buy donuts, we made them instead.

With sprinkles of course. Oh and I ran out of powderd sugar, so I made up a maple glaze with pancake syrup. I wouldn't recommend it, it was really sweet.

But we needed something for the sprinkles to stick to.

Besides what's a little extra sugar to a little boy with lots of energy?

Connor got to eat the holes (sans sugar) and he really like them.

Really, really liked them.

"Hey mom, we need some more holes over here!"

Later Connor took his nap so Preston and I were able to play a little Battleship.

I kept encouraging him to stand up and shout "You sunk my battleship!"

But he just thought I was weird.

Hey, it's how we always played it. And that's how they did it on the commerical. But then again, I never played it while watching opera either.

Later since it was such a beautiful day we headed to the duck pond park where we saw...

a heron...

some turtles...

oh yeah, and a duck. Actually we saw several but this little fellow caught my eye.

Preston playing at the playground.

Connor plays a little tune.

Preston playing in the slide.

Now it's time to go home.

Good Times Just Keep Rolling

2010-03-30T15:29:00.008-05:00

It wasn't intentional but this year's Spring Break was filled with all sorts of things from my childhood. Last time it was a Push-up, this time it's roller skating. I spent nearly every Tuesday night of my elementary school years at the skating rink. I still remember my white rollerskates that my mom probably picked up at a garage sale - no more ugly rental skates - complete with pink pom-poms. I was the epitome of cool... or so I thought.

So join me now as we re-live the 80's.

Why yes, that is the same geometric carpet you remember. Colorblocking was so in.

And while our fashion sense has changed and I no longer curl my bangs to defy gravity, one thing hasn't changed... skating is hard when you first try it.

Note the death grip on the bar there. And although there is a fierce look of concentration, Preston didn't hesitate one bit. I'd like to say he got his confidence from me... but his daddy would say it was his lower center of gravity that gave him the extra advantage. Ok, but he got that from me too.

Later, the nice roller rink people brought out these nifty "walkers". There was no stopping him now.

Can you not just hear Michael Jackson's "Beat It" in the background? We did.

And what was Connor doing during this 80's flashback? Well he was chillin in the stroller with his best dude, Mason.

I'm pretty sure I overheard them say something about a "gnarly video game". Totally.

Spring Break

2010-03-16T17:03:00.011-05:00

This week is Spring Break in our neck of the woods. And even though Preston is only in pre-K he gets a break from school too. Today is usually a school day and since it was kind of cold and damp out we decided to break out the playdough for a little fun. Of course Mommy has to limit the fun to just the circle of the snowman table cloth. It's still fun, but contained fun.

Preston showing off his sea urchin with pink hair.

This was Connor's first playdough experience so he's still just checking it out.

(Oh and we were originally going to make slime out of cornstarch but that was a big fat fail, so we got out the playdough. So now you know why Connor has white stuff all over him.)

Making more sea urchin hair.

Checking out the various playdough tools.

After Connor's nap and lunch for everybody the sun came out a little so we decided to go for a walk.

Connor sporting a new hat, which came off several times during the walk. Along with the shoes.

Preston and Connor all ready to go.

Since there were no neighbor kids to hang out with, we decided to walk to the Shell gas station and get ourselves a treat.

Preston picked a Push-Up! (My favorite when I was a kid. Check out that retro wrapper too!)

Connor and I went with the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich. Yum!

Hey Connor, save some for Mommy!

Halloween Part 2

2009-11-12T23:05:00.015-06:00

For the rest of the Halloween festivities we walked down to the church just down the street from us and attended their fall festival. We've gone every year since we moved here so it's just become a tradition for us. It's so easy since we can walk there and it gives Preston the illusion that he's trick-or-treating even if we just stop at the neighbor's house. Sadly, we learned that this will be the last year for the fall festival at that church since they are moving to another building in the next town. I know Preston will miss going. He will probably always call that church his "Halloween church" whenever we pass it.

We got there a little a little early and not all the games were manned. So you know what that means! Free bucket of candy!!!

Just kidding. We told Mario here that he could only take two.

Here he is playing roll the dice game. Or better known as "Craps".

Turns out that's not so easy with gloves on and a creepy clown eyeballing you. Hey, I thought the church flyer said no scary costumes!

Next up, the hockey game. Always a hit with the little guys.

What form...

What grace...

What moonwalk?

Now it was time for Connor to try his hand at winning candy.

How about a little fishing?

Connor was not excited.

"What do you mean you want me to catch a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?"

Every year they have door prizes to giveaway. This year you registered for the prizes by putting your name in a hat. So I went ahead and signed up all four of us. Well guess who won?

That's right. Little sleepy Connor was carried up on stage to accept his prize of this adorable teddy bear that he clung onto for the rest of the night. I have to admit that even though this was Connor's first year attending the fall festival it wasn't his first time to win something there. Last year I (at 7 months pregnant) won the very last door prize of the evening which just happened to be a really cute baby toy. He certainly is a lucky little fella.

Next up - the Costume Contest! This is the first year that they have done this that we know of. One of the church staffers brought up several contestants on the stage they felt were worthy of being judged. Preston was the first one chosen. I couldn't believe how well behaved he was up on stage all by himself. And when it was his turn to talk into the microphone he clearly stated his name and who he was dressed up as. We were so proud.

Unfortunately, Preston didn't win the grand prize. That award went to the lobster and two chefs you see standing next to him. What you can't see is the big stock pot the baby lobster was in. It was really a cute costume.

However, lots of applause and cheers (especially from mom and dad) made up for the loss and Preston didn't seem to mind.

I mean who would, when you go home with a loot like this?!

I'm pretty sure that Reese's Peanut Butter Cup never made it back into the bag.

Halloween Part 1

2009-11-10T23:02:00.008-06:00

I am so far behind posting photos. And the next few posts will probably seem out of order but I just had to share some of my boys and how cute they were on Halloween.

Preston is really into Mario right now. So we thought it fitting that he dress up as Mario for Halloween. And since I'm pretty frugal these days it also seemed like a relatively cheap costume to put together. Turns out that I spent only $1 - yes! $1 to make both boys costumes. Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

First I need to show you the cute trick-or-treat bags that I picked up at the dollar store. (Yes, I spent more on the bags to hold the loot than I did the actual costumes.) These bags had a cute jack-0-lantern face on one side and I cut out felt and glued their names on the other.

Time to pose with your bags, boys.

Connor wasn't too sure what to do with his, so Phillip improvised the "holding". We made sure to remove the bag from around his neck prior to adding candy to it.

And here's Mario showing off his bag. Yes, the high water overalls were intentional. I felt that it really completed the video game "geek" factor.

Connor went as "Power Ups". For those not in the know, power ups are kind of like little helps that Mario collects on the way. The mushrooms give Mario extra lives and the flower gives him fire power.

In case you were curious here's how I made his costume: one already owned pajama sleeper light blue + cut out felt in the shapes of power ups + hot glue (not while child is wearing!) = one super cute Super Mario Galaxy Power Up!

Uh oh Mario! Looks like your power ups are getting away! You better go get them!

Why do you laugh, Mario? Does your mustache tickle?

Here's the recipe for a great Mario costume: one already owned size 24 month overalls that your too skinny 5 year old can still wear *gasp* + one borrowed red shirt + brown shoes + mustache shaped felt attached with elastic + already owned red hat with felt M + one pair of white gloves $1 = one cute super plumber! (Remember? Mario was a plumber when he first appeared on Donkey Kong.)

Good work Mario! You caught your power up! Now go save Princess Peach!

Connor's Photo Shoot

2009-10-16T11:51:00.002-05:00

I got the link to the rest of Connor's photos from his photoshoot yesterday. Good news they are awesome, bad news is the link is only good for 5 days. That means you have until 5pm October 19 to place an order.

Click here to view the photos. You will need my log in and password (or you could set up your own). Once logged in use the access code: connorgrape.

Enjoy!

Playing Catch Up

2009-10-14T23:18:00.004-05:00

Yikes! Has it really been almost a month since I've updated my blog. Sorry mom - I'm pretty sure she's my lone reader - I'll try to do better.

Lots of exciting things have happened, especially in the photography category. Both boys got a professional photoshoot. However, not together, and not with the same photographer so I've got lots of links to share.

First up, Preston had a photoshoot with my friend Jennifer Mazy. Mazy is an amazing photographer. I especially love her work with newborns. She has a gift of bringing on baby fever - no matter how long it's been since you've had a baby.

Here's the link to Preston's proofs. You'll need to enter the site (on the bottom) and then on the left and you'll see "Info". Click that. Then you'll see "Client Proofs". Click that. And now sit back and look at that sweet, sweet baby. Wait, that baby's not mine... let's move on.

For username enter "models". And now enter "models" for password. Don't use the quotations. Click "Submit".

Now you'll have to scroll past several other kiddos before you get to Preston. Or you can just sit back and enjoy the slideshow. There's music too, so as long as you don't wake anybody up go ahead and turn up the sound. Preston's photos come around number 39 or so. Be sure and see them all, there's about 13 or so. The little girl immediately following Preston was at our photoshoot as well and they have been friends for quite a while and they are only a few days apart in age. They were very cute together, unfortunately we don't get to see them very often.

For immediate family, you might recognize photo number 135 as that is the one that earned Preston this:
For those that don't know, that's a local free magazine that is available at neighborhood grocery stores, restaurants, etc. Cool, huh?

Secondly, Connor had his professional photoshoot with a Jennifer as well. But with a different Jennifer, this time with Jennifer Lauren. She is another amazing photographer but has an altogether different look with her photography. She really has a way of capturing the eyes. We spent nearly two hours together and I learned so much from just watching her work. It was truly a joy to get to know her and I now consider her a good friend.

Ok, ready for trip to the internets folks? On your mark... get set... click!

Unfortunately Jennifer hasn't completed the photos from Connor's photoshoot, but you can click here for a sneak peek on Jennifer's blog. (I promise I'll share the link to the full reveal when I get it.)

Once you get to Jennifer's blog the first thing you might notice is Jennifer's reflection in the eye in her welcome post. That is Connor's eye! I told you she had a way with eyes. Connor is also up at the top in her rotating header, but you're going to want to see the rest.

So keep scrolling down and you'll see a handful of Connor. We thought we would go for a little bit different look this time and I think it suits him well. He was just all smiles throughout the whole process. Not even a diaper blow-out would spoil his mood. It was perfect. I can't wait for the rest of the photos.

Want to own some of these portraits of my beautiful children? Well, do you mom? Good news, both photographers are offering discounts of their prints for us to purchase. Now these are professionals so they won't be Walgreens pricing, but they also won't be Walgreens quality - much, much better! Let me know (mom) if you want any and we'll place an order.

So that ought to just about catch us up... at least for now.

What's Up Doc?

2009-09-21T15:09:00.007-05:00

It's the day every child looks forward to. They wait with anticipation at seeing their favorite person. Is it Santa Clause? The Easter Bunny? Is it the Great Pumpkin? Nope. For Preston, it's Dr. G. No, not Dr. G. the medical examimer. Now that would be just weird.

It's Dr. G., the pediatrician. Really, that's what she goes by. It's so much easier than butchering her name when I call to make an appointment. However, it's very awkward when you're filling out medical paperwork and you suddenly have no clue what her real last name is.

The morning of Preston's appointment we were in the car discussing that afternoon's events which was going to his five year well with Dr. G. I explained to Preston that he was going for a check up. Of course the obvious five year old question was "What's a check up?"

My response was brief and vague: It's a time when you go the doctor and she checks to make sure your body is working well and she answers any questions you have about your body. Now be quiet while mommy navigates through heavy traffic.

Well I suppose I ignited a spark in him somewhere because once we got home he immediately had a list of questions he wanted to ask the doctor. And being the good mom/cook/cleaner/secretary that I am, promptly took dictation. Here's what he came up with all on his own:

He was so proud of his list of questions. He carried them with him to the appointment and told everyone from the receptionist to the nurse that he had his "list" for the doctor. He barely let the doctor get in the patient room before he shoved the list in her hand. Thank goodness, Dr. G. has been around kids a time or two and was more than gracious to take the time to answer his questions right away.

Number one was easy for her, "Today". Uh-oh, that pesky chicken pox vaccine. She quickly went to the next question as to not lose her captive audience, literally. The next three questions all tied in together so all she had to do was explain the digestive system in a way that a five-year-old can understand. As you can imagine this led to questions about elimination. *Sigh* Oh to be the mom of boys.

Fortunately, Preston got all of his questions answered to his satisfaction and a clean bill of health. He is ready to take on the year that is five. He looks good doesn't he?

Ok, well he might need a little plastic surgery for that floating head and wiggly nose, but all in all I'd say he's looking mighty fine.

Oh wait, this is better. Although I think the self-portrait with the mouth wide open is a more accurate representation.

First Day of School

2009-09-09T17:22:00.010-05:00

Well it's not big school, it's pre-school but that's a big deal around here. Preston was super excited about going to school this year. He met the teacher last week and was disappointed that he couldn't stay and play. Of course the first thing he asked Miss Katie was if she had "blocks and marbles" (translation: a marble run). When she said that she did, Preston insisted that she get them out for him so he could play. It took quite a bit of convincing but we were finally able to leave. While most kids were crying because they thought they were staying - mine was crying because he had to go.

So on Tuesday, Preston gets to pick his special breakfast which is waffle with strawberries.

Meanwhile, I get his lunch all packed and ready to go. A peanut butter and strawberry jam Uncrustable (bought on sale nearly free, but probably never again as they are so expensive), grapes, Go-Gurt (yogurt in a tube which I froze first so it will thaw by lunchtime), a Capri Sun, and a special note from mom. Sorry for the lack of vegetable, it was the first day.

His lunchbox that he picked out among our collection. Yes, it's Sesame Street. Yes, it's old. Yes, it's ok that he took it.

All ready to go!

Being silly.

A rare photo with mommy. Yes, I do exist!

One with Daddy.

Walking into the school. Once we got inside he looked back and me and said, "Mom, I know my way there" and took off like a light. I was nearly running (with Connor strapped to me) to catch up with him. Like he thought I was going to just let him go in by himself. Don't grow up too fast buddy!

With his teacher, Miss Katie.

I had a very busy day running errands. The day just flew by. I really didn't have time to miss him.

When I picked him up they had just come in from recess and he was all hot and sweaty. I asked him if he had a good day and he said, "I had a GREAT day!" I guess that pretty much says it all.

I'm so proud of my big guy.

New Blog: Come Pray With Us!

2009-09-08T00:15:00.007-05:00

My friend and I took on a new adventure last week and started a new blog dedicated just for moms. As fellow moms we understand that it's not always easy to find the time to pray. We're all busy and let's face it, life happens. And while nothing can replace your daily quiet time with the Lord, our goal is to provide a place where moms just like you gather together and pray.

In just a short amount of time you can encourage and be encouraged as we lift up our requests to the Lord. No matter where you are or what you are doing, it's ok to say, "Just a moment, mom's praying".

Come check us out and let us know what you think. If you'd like to join the many women who are praying daily, you can sign up as a follower.

We'd love to lift you up in prayer, so if you have a prayer request let us know at momsprayingblog@yahoo.com.

On the Hunt

2009-08-28T00:33:00.003-05:00

My local moms groups hosted a photo scavenger hunt for the month of July. The goal was to find each of the items on the list and take a picture of it with your child(ren). We got kind of a late start as we were out of town for the first week, and we had to get creative with a few of them. But we had a lot of fun running around town trying to hunt down the items on our list.

Check out the slideshow below to see all the things we had to track down.

Our entry for "Old school" even won us a free photoshoot with one of the professional mom photographers in our group! How cool is that?!

2009-08-28T00:32:00.001-05:00

Surprise!

2009-08-24T00:49:00.011-05:00

Eight months old.

I love this age.

Every day we're starting to see more and more of Connor's personality.

It's so much fun discovering if he's...

funny

clever

adventurous

or mischievous.

Turns out, he is all four of those things and much more.

This was evidenced by how I found him in his crib one morning.

A Houdini in the making.

(Note the stragetically placed diaper in the background.)

And the Winner is...

2009-08-20T10:37:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all those who entered my contest and made suggestions for the name of my mommy prayer group. There were so many good suggestions, that I honestly could not decide. While I may still use one of the suggestions, I decided to go ahead and just choose a winner randomly. Seemed fair enough, right?

So without further delay, the winner chosen by Random.org is Sandy! She made comment number 17 with "Mommy Has Faith".

Congratulations Sandy! I'll be contacting you to get your address so that I can mail your prize to you.

Thanks again, to everyone who participated. You ladies are a creative bunch! As soon as I nail down the name, I'll be sure and post here as well.

Help Wanted - and a Giveaway!

2009-08-07T13:13:00.005-05:00

Do you have a way with words?

Do you have a creative flair for writing?

Do you like to talk?

Do you use words in your every day life?

If you said yes to any of the above, then have I got a job for you!

I have a concept for a future project and I'm stumped for what to call it. And to help get your creative juices flowing I'm going to entice you with a little ~~bribe~~ prize.

Hold your horses, I'll get to the prize in just a minute. First, here's what I need from you.

I need a clever name/title for a prayer group for moms/women. Here are just a few guidelines:

It does need to be original. So while Women of Faith is a great suggestion, I unfortunately can't use it.

You can mention "moms", "women" or any other name suggesting as such in the name. However, there should be an emphasis on prayer, faith, or Christianity as that's what the group is all about. You can use alliterations, acronyms or any other verbiage you like.

You must leave your suggestion in the comments section of this post. If you tell me in person, over the phone, on Facebook, or in a text I will forget it. That's just how my brain works.

One suggestion per comment please, but you can leave multiple comments. (This is to your advantage - you'll see in a minute.)

Be sure and leave me a way to contact you if you win. Something like an email address, blog address, or your handle if you are on my moms board. If I know you in person you must tell me three things you like about me - just kidding! Just let me know who you are when you leave a comment.

You have until Friday, August 14 at midnight to post your comment.

I will pick a winning name/title from the suggestions in the comments on Saturday, August 15. If, for some reason, I don't use one of the suggestions, the winner will be picked at random using the random number generator. So make as many suggestions as you like, no matter how lame you think it is!

And now to the good stuff. Here is what the winner receives!

It's not much, but it is hand made by moi. And I'm sure it would look beautiful in your home, or office, or kitchen, or in your friend's home. Hey, I won't tell if you re-gift it!

This little beauty will be either delivered to you via the postal service of when I see you in person, whichever is the fastest.

So lay it on me. Give me your best suggestions!

Wordless Wednesday: I'm Lovin' it!

2009-08-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Somebody's had a little too much "special sauce".

"Mom, can we pretend he's not with us?"

It's Wednesday! It's Wordless! See more here and here.

Somebody's Gonna Be In Trouuuuble!

2009-08-04T10:33:00.005-05:00

In the words of Tootie from The Facts of Life: "... and make that a double."

It's 10:30 at night. Your doorbell rings. You think your hubby is in the office working. You peek out the front door and you see a big truck with lots of lights.

Is it a firetruck? Ambulance? Oh dear, what could it be?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

It's REPO-MAN!

And no, he wasn't looking for us!

Apparently Adam (last name withheld) is a little behind on his payments and will no longer have access to his Jeep Wrangler. That is, if the big burly (and somewhat scary) individual that was standing on my porch can find his car.

Now the question is, who is Adam and why was he using our address?

Oh and hubby? He was in bed. Asleep. Missed the whole thing!

And thank goodness the doorbell didn't wake up the little ones, otherwise Repo-Man would have to answer to Mini Mean Momma!

Life Is a Highway

2009-07-31T09:00:00.005-05:00

Being a mother of all boys means

finding Hot Wheels under your pillow.

It's a Swim Thing

2009-07-19T20:59:00.021-05:00

Preston started swim class the day after we got back from our trip. Thanks to Great Granddad, we were able to sign him up at the local rec center. Last year we went to the YMCA and I wasn't impressed with his teacher, so I thought we'd try someplace new.

I'm so glad we did because Preston got an excellent teacher. Chris was extra patient and kind and had a lot of fun while teaching. And since he only had one other student besides Preston it was like having private lessons. And for an added bonus our entrance to swim class allowed us to visit the city pool (located at the rec center) for free, so we often stayed after to enjoy a little fun in the sun. We almost forgot that it was a hundred and ten degrees outside.

Waiting for swim class to start

Teacher Chris, classmate Emma, and Preston having a little pow wow.

Practicing floating like a starfish

Not quite sure about it yet

Starting to get the hang of it

By the end of the session he had mastered floating on his back

Connor hung out in the stroller and cheered brother on

Waiting for your turn is sometimes boring

Preston showing off his mad swimming skills

Now that's some concentration

Towards the end of nearly every class Chris would take the kids outside and have them jump off the diving board and swim to the edge of the pool. Emma showed no fear and would jump right in. Preston needed a little more coaxing. He would get all excited but as soon as he got about half way out on the board he would turn around and head back down the ladder. Poor fella. I don't think it was the jumping but the wobbly diving board that made him nervous.

Finally Chris convinced Preston to jump from the side of the pool instead.

Chris asked Preston to "pinky swear" that he'll jump off the diving board next time and he did! Sorry, I wasn't able to get pictures of it. But you'll just have to trust me that he did it. After he jumped, he was ready to end the class and leave, but his teacher and I convinced him to do it one more time. This was such a great accomplishment for him. I know he was really scared and it took every ounce of bravery he had in him to do it.

One quick funny:

During class his teacher Chris would hold him in the water and repeat, "Dunkin' donuts" as he swung him back and forth. The point was to get them ready to be dunked in the water.

One day at home, Preston and I were playing and he asked me to sing the "Donkey Donuts" song. I had no clue what he was talking about until he started "singing" it the way his swim teacher does. I nearly lost it. I guess the dunking part was lost on Preston.

Preston had accomplished all of the class goals (something he didn't do last year). He is able to swim a few feet, float on his back, and knows the proper stroke and kicking techniques. Chris said that this was his best class by far. After our disappointment from last year, it was so refreshing to see Preston learn and accomplish something he tried so hard to do.

I'm the Dumb One

2009-07-16T15:13:00.006-05:00

This morning Preston came up to me and asked me a question about the Wii. I had only been up for a total of 5 minutes and I was still processing that it was actually 7 o'clock so I just quickly answered, "I don't know."

Preston: "That's ok. I'll ask Daddy, he's smart."

5 PM Update -

Preston was asking me why there were little white specks on his Crocs. Truly puzzled I again answered, "I don't know."

Preston: "I'll ask Daddy when he gets home, he knows lots of things."

Gold Spandex is Totally Gnarly

2009-06-26T00:21:00.001-05:00

Remember the movie Fame? You might remember the motion picture or maybe the popular TV series, but I'm certain you remember the theme song. Remember? Remember? Irene Cara? Any of this ring a bell?

If not, go here. Do it now. Trust me, you're going to want to see what we thought was cool in the eighties. Totally radical, dude.

Besides it'll help the following story make much more sense.

So, we take Preston to go see Up at the theatre. One of the previews just happen to be the new movie Fame (a remake of course). They play the theme song throughout the entire trailer.

Here's the last thing we hear as the screen fades to black:

Fame

I'm gonna live forever

Baby remember my name

Remember

Remember my name

Fame

Just as the theatre gets quiet and we're all poised for the movie to finally start, Preston calls out:

"What was their name?"

That's solid gold right there, folks.

I Spy Cup

2009-06-24T17:51:00.010-05:00

Have you seen these I Spy bags going around Etsy lately? They're these little fabric pocket thingys that have little trinkets hidden in them. Kids can spend hours playing with them as they hunt for treasures. I have several friends who keep them in the car for long car rides or boring doctor visits. They're really cute, but kind of pricey for us.

Recently a friend pointed me to this blog where a mom made her own I Spy jar. Nifty! I had been looking for something like this for Preston for our upcoming road trip. However, I had visions of that heavy glass jar laying in a million pieces on the pavement at the first pit stop. Not good.

Ingenuity struck and I came up with my very own version: The I Spy Cup.

I remembered I had a plastic travel coffee mug that I had purchased at Dollar Tree (yes, for a dollar) for another project that didn't happen. This particular mug allows you to remove the portion that holds the liquid so that you can insert your own customized liner. (Cute idea, just never got around to doing it. Besides I don't drink coffee and the mug is too small for my iced tea addiction.)

Here's what it looked like with the liner removed.

(As you can see I already cut it, I forgot to take a picture before I got started.)

First I needed to remove the "cup" portion so that I could preserve the lid. This way just by simply unscrewing the top I can fill it (and refill it) easily. Using a razor knife I cut around the cup.

Once the cup is removed it was time to find the trinkets to put in it. After a quick search around the house I was able to find several small pieces to fit inside my I Spy Cup. Here are just a few of the things I found: game pieces, a marble, a bouncy ball, an eraser, buttons and some jewelry beads.

I just filled up the remainder of the cup with rice(uncooked of course) and now Preston has his very own I Spy Cup!

I can't wait to use this on our next road trip. I'm thinking just about the time the DVD player has lost it's appeal would be the perfect opportunity to surprise Preston.

I even took a picture of each of the hidden treasures and made Bingo cards. I printed two different ones so that he and Daddy can play together.

Connor Photos

2009-06-18T08:03:00.002-05:00

Just a few random photos of Connor. Enjoy!

2009-06-18T08:02:00.001-05:00

A Kiss is Still a Kiss

2009-06-15T15:26:00.008-05:00

Every night at bedtime Preston has the same routine; brush teeth, story, prayers, then hugs and kisses. Fortunately my four year old doesn't complain about giving mommy her snuggles, but no matter what he always wipes off my kisses. Finally, I couldn't help but ask him why he always wiped off my smooches.

It is this response that made me so proud to be his mommy. He told me, "Mommy, I'm not wiping off your kisses, I'm rubbing them in so I can keep them forever." So while I know that there will come a day where he will be too cool to get kisses from his mommy, for now I'm making sure he's got plenty.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

2009-05-14T04:00:00.000-05:00

It started out as a normal day. It was the day after Easter and Connor was lying on his back on the floor while I put away his laundry. I stepped out of his room for a second and I came back to find this:

That's right, he managed to flip himself all the way over. Mobility is in our future!

Not sure who was more surprised, me or Connor. ;)

Slideshow: Easter

2009-05-12T13:01:00.000-05:00

If you're a fellow blogger, I think you'll agree that posting photos can be ultra-time consuming and aggravating. Formatting and titles don't always show up the way you want them to and you can spend hours trying to fix it to no avail. It's for this reason that I'm always months behind sharing photos with you. However, that is all about to change. I present to you... The Slide Show! *crossing fingers in hopes this works*

2009-05-12T12:56:00.000-05:00

Connor: Two Months

2009-04-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

Connor: The First Month

2009-04-26T23:46:00.004-05:00

Extreme Bloggy Makeover

2009-04-25T00:19:00.007-05:00

So say it with me... "Bus driver, move that bus!"

[Dust settling] *cough cough*

Look up there! That's right! I've got a brand spankin' new blog header. Isn't it purty? I'm very happy with it. It even has one of those nifty sub-headings (or is it a bi-line?). It's incredible how long I agonized over those few simple words as evidenced by reading here, here, oh and here. Anybody think that Elaine is still reading to finally get an answer to her question? No, probably not.

Now if you're like my mom and was peeking around earlier you may have seen a completely different header up there. I was just trying one on for size when one of the two children distracted me (or it could have been the hubs) and I forgot to take my "tester" down. In the meantime inspiration struck and this was the end result. Far better than the first one, trust me.

"Welcome home bloggy header, welcome home."

Frugal Friday: Chill Out

2009-04-24T14:23:00.003-05:00

Your fridge is a great place to save money. Check out these cool savings...

Did you know you can freeze whole gallons of milk? It's true. Just put the whole thing in the freezer unopened. (The plastic container will expand once frozen so don't be surprised.) Stock up when it goes on sale and then when you get low just pop one in the fridge and it'll be thawed in a day or so.
Store bread in the freezer as well. When you're ready to make a PB&J just set it out on the counter and you'll have a tasty sandwich in no time.
A friend and I share a supersized package of yeast from one of those warehouse type stores. I put it in a ziploc baggy and store it in the fridge. It is so much cheaper and it lasts forever!

Have Staple Gun... Will Redecorate!

2009-04-21T10:12:00.007-05:00

I found this lovely pair of bar stools while dumpster diving.

I liked them because they were black as they would match the wrought iron look I have going on in the kitchen. I also liked that they were somewhat more compact and shorter than typical bar stools as I would be using them at the kitchen counter rather than an actual "bar". But really I loved them because they were free.

Unfortunately, they had this small problem.

The original owner had used black electrical tape to cover one of the unsightly holes. And when my dad fixed one of the legs he added his own strip of electrical tape to the other one. However, over time that electrical tape disappeared and hitched a ride with someone - I'm not telling who, just know that I discreetly removed it from your backside and avoided embarrassment for you and for me.

So, with staple gun in hand (thanks Granddad!) I went to work covering these little gems.

Found this beautiful red and cream toile fabric in the clearance bin at Walmart for $4. It goes great in my red kitchen and there's plenty left over for more projects.

Another dumpster dive find success!

Homemade Goodies

2009-04-11T23:29:00.005-05:00

Happy Easter!

Close up of Preston's shirt that my mom made. Isn't it cute?

Close up of Connor's bib that my mom made.

Super cute and super sized for big messes.
(Sorry, Connor was in mid-sneeze.)

Wordless Wednesday: Crazy Cute!

2009-04-01T00:01:00.004-05:00

Gotta love that smile!

Thanks for visiting. For more Wordless Wednesday surf on over here and here.

He Ain't Heavy...

2009-03-27T00:34:00.007-05:00

What Connor is really thinking...

"Look at that guy. That's my big brother."

"I think he's cool."

"Hey brother, whatcha doin' with that ring? I want to try that."

"NO! NEVERMIND! TAKE THE RING AWAY!

"Look at my brother. I think he's cool."

Wordless Wednesday: Merry Maid?

2009-03-24T23:58:00.005-05:00

Alternate title: Future Blackmail Photo

(And just for the record, he volunteered!)

Do you like looking at photos? Do you not like looking at words?

Then check out more Wordless Wednesday here and here.

Up, Up and Away

2009-03-19T23:03:00.014-05:00

Recently, Preston had been begging us to take him on his first airplane ride. Since we had no trips planned in the near future, we had placated him by telling him it was too expensive. However, I found this great deal by this company that would take you in the air for forty-five minutes and then land right back where you started. So I booked the "flight", met a few friends at the hanger and Preston got to take his first flight. What could go wrong, right?

Preston boarding the plane.

Finding his seat

Oh goody, a window seat next to his buddy

Preparing to take off - What do you see, Preston?

Oh no! We left Connor on the runway!

Wait!! Don't take off without us!

JUST KIDDING!

Alright, we weren't really flying, but it was a real airplane.

You'll find this plane at the American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. It's a neat little museum dedicated to all things about flight and American Airlines. We met up there for a playdate with some friends. And while most of the exhibits were a bit boring to a bunch of preschoolers, they did get a kick out of being in this old airplane.

Standing at the entrance to the cockpit

(I don't think that canvas netting meets today's FAA regulations, do you?)

Oh and notice the shirt he's wearing?

See, h'es in an airplane museum? Wearing an airplane shirt?

I'm clever like that.

Preston checking out what first class feels like.

Don't get too comfortable, buddy. This family flies coach.

Checking out how a helicopter propeller works.

Connor's Birth Announcement

2009-03-19T00:31:00.003-05:00

Here's a copy of Connor's birth announcement that I sent out last month.

Card design and photographs by me.

Green Day

2009-03-17T15:43:00.003-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

(Connor's shirt says "The best things come in small packages")

Now Available on Video...

2009-03-16T15:07:00.007-05:00

I was trying to take some photos of Connor smiling, but I was always just a fraction of a second from actually snapping it. Fortunately, I thought to use the video function on my camera. Unfortunately he had decided he was hungry and was intent on eating his hands. Oh well it made for some interesting video footage.

Of course I have to apologize for the poor quality, and the shaky camera handling (holding baby in one hand and camera in the other is not easy), and sorry for my bobble headed baby.

So with all the proper excuses out of the way, I present three original Happy Chaps productions, starring Connor as the Happy, Hungry Baby, Preston as the Hyped Up Preschooler, and myself as the Crazy Voice-Over Lady Who is Withholding Milk.

This first video is titled "Yes, Baby!" It features Connor and myself saying "Yes" repeatedly. I'm not exactly sure why, but the word was evoking all sorts of smiles before the camera was rolling so I went with it. Of course once the red light came on, Connor decides I'm more annoying than humorous and tries to tell me to get a new word. Baby actors are sooo demanding.

This next featurette is a sequel to "Yes, Baby!" and is titled "Surprise!" It features Connor in his most demanding role yet. (Note: rated G for "Gross")

And finally, due to much demand Connor now stars with his brother in this musical. Lyrics and choreography by Preston.

Frugal Friday: Where's the Cheap Beef?

2009-03-13T08:15:00.000-05:00

Or the chicken, or the pork for that matter? Next time in you're in the grocery store try looking in the not so obvious places. For instance, in my grocery store you'll find the discounted meat way at the end of the display cooler. Tucked next to the employee entrance to the butcher counter I can find a treasure of marked down steaks, cutlets, or chops. Take a look around and if you don't find the clearance bin, ask!

Grocery stores generally do their markdowns in the morning, so you might want to get there early. And don't be afraid of the expiration date. Fortunately, meat doesn't know how to read so it doesn't know when to turn bad. Of course use your discretion, if it looks unappetizing don't buy it.

I use the discounted section to stock up on steaks and ground beef that I'll take home and repackage and freeze right away. When it comes to mealtime I can never tell which meat was marked down and which wasn't. It's all yummy to me.

Wordless Wednesday: Hey Buddy, I'm Walkin' Here

2009-03-11T00:00:00.002-05:00

Daily cattle drive through downtown Fort Worth.

Thanks for stopping by.

There's more Wordless Wednesday here and here.

And The Answer Is...

2009-03-07T23:07:00.003-06:00

For those that were playing the "Which kid is which?" game here is the answer.

I think pretty much everyone got it right. Even my mother! ;)

Wordless Wednesday: A Face Only a Mother Could Love

2009-03-04T00:04:00.008-06:00

Alternate title: "What you talkin' about Willis?"

I love portrait outtakes! LOL!

For more Wordless Wednesday check out here and here.

The Mind of a Four Year Old

2009-03-03T14:34:00.010-06:00

I recently sat down with Preston and asked him the following questions. His answers were honest and unsolicited, which translates into not entirely accurate and somewhat embarrassing. Join me as we delve into the mind of a four year old.

1. What is something mommy always says to you?

Get in time out. (Hey now, I maybe said it once in the last week, sheesh!)

2. What makes mommy happy?

Doing something good.

3. What makes mommy sad?

I do something really, really sad for you. It really upset you.

4. How does your mommy make you laugh?

Like tickling me.

5. What was your mommy like as a child?

You liked to play blocks and marbles when you were five.

6. How old is your mommy?

I don’t know. 17? (Wow, thank you for that!)

7. How tall is your mommy?

I have to count. [counting out loud] 18! (18 what we're not sure, but I'll take it!)

8. What is mommy's favorite thing to do?

Play blocks and marbles and play wii, any kind of stuff you want. And I really love you so much. (Can you tell what he'd rather be doing right now?)

9. What does your mommy do when you're not around?

Work, any kind of work you want.

10. If your mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?

Playing blocks and marbles.

11. What is your mommy really good at?

Wii.

12. What is your mommy not very good at?

Not very good at building blocks and marbles. (Apparently he changed his mind about me being famous for that)

13. What does your mommy do for a job?

You work on the computer. Actually help me put the jars away, all the cans in the recycling bin and I put all the paper away too with you.

14. What is your mommy's favorite food?

Pizza.

15. What makes you proud of your mommy?

Doing something cool for me.

16. If your mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Miss Piggy. (Ok, technically not a cartoon character, but it is still the coolest answer ever!)

17. What do you and your mommy do together?

You can play with wii with me all the time you want to.

18. How are you and your mommy the same?

Because we we both have two eyes and one nose and one mouth.

19. How are you and your mommy different?

Our shirts are different.

20. How do you know your mommy loves you?

Because you like me so much.

21. What does your mommy like most about your daddy?

You love him so much because everybody is a family.

22. Where is your mommy's favorite place to go?

The mall.

Thanks to Phillip's cousin Melissa for the idea.

Double Take

2009-03-01T10:31:00.002-06:00

They say proof is in the pudding, in this case it is in the photo. Several people have commented on just how much Connor looks like his big brother, so I decided to have a little fun with it. I took one of my favorite photos of Preston and recreated it with Connor. So you tell me... which kid is which?

Ok, pencils down everybody. It's time to leave your answer in the comments. Check back here soon for the answer.

Preston's a Party Animal

2009-02-16T13:37:00.000-06:00

In October of last year we attended Marsha and Jacob's wedding (Phillip's cousin). Like her sister Monica just a few months prior her church ceremony in Arlington was followed up by a rockin' reception at her father's house. (I hope to have photos of Monica's June wedding posted soon as well. I'm working my way back through the photos.)

As you'll see from the following photos Preston was all about the dance floor. His dance partner was the lovely Ava Grace (a cousin).

The cake. The bride had a sunflower theme.

Look at those moves!

Dancing With The Stars here we come!

Or mabe not. Ha ha.

They certainly had everyone's attention.

This was some kind of line dance that the wedding party was doing. It was so cute to see the little ones jump right in there and dance along.

I love how I caught Ava Grace in the air.

Time to take a break for cake.

Oh dear, now he's dancing with the wedding party.

Taking a break with daddy.

Marsha, the beautiful bride.

Natalie is in the background.

Preston and his cousin Katie.

Aunt Vicky and Karen (Nana).

Uncle Blake and Aunt Natalie

Disco Fever!
(I'm pretty sure he gets it from me)

Heavenly Words

2009-02-12T22:16:00.004-06:00

This is the conversation that took place at bedtime tonight:

Preston: I want Jesus to come out of my heart.

Me: No, you want Jesus to stay in your heart, that is how he talks to us.

Preston: But I can't hear him.

Me: If you be real still and quiet you will hear him.

Preston: I tried that before, I didn't hear him.

Me: Maybe you weren't quiet enough?

Preston: I was quiet and I didn't hear him. I want him to talk to me.

Me: Well you just have to listen really hard. He'll talk to you. Now let's go to bed.

Preston: Ok, I'll try it right now. [He now lays really still and doesn't say a word for like 3 seconds] See?! I don't hear him!

Me: Hmmm.

Preston: I want to ask him a question. I'll do it right now. [Lowering his head and talking to his heart] Jesus I want you to talk to me. [Pause] He's not talking!

Me: He'll talk to you don't worry. If you are still and quiet enough Jesus will talk to you. Sometimes you have to wait for Jesus, he doesn't always answer right away. Sometimes you just have to give it more time. Time to get under the covers now.

Preston: Ok, I'll try again. [Lays still and quiet for 5 seconds] I heard him!!

Me: Really? You did? What did he say?

Preston: He said, I love you.

A Portrait of Friends

2009-02-11T08:34:00.006-06:00

Recently, I was honored when two of my closest friends endulged me and let me photograph their little ones. We set up our photoshoot last fall and we had such a good time. We had originally wanted to shoot at the church down the street with the really cool door that I used for Preston's photoshoot. Unfortunately that very morning of the photoshoot I drove by the church and they were in the process of replacing that door with something completely different. I was so disappointed. I loved that door! Fortunately my friend Micki suggested the Catholic church in town. It doesn't have a really cool weathered door, but it has a lot of photo oppotunities.

It was so much fun playing professional photographer for the day. These girls are all just beautiful. I hope that they let me do it again soon. Now that I'm not 8 months pregnant I'll be able to get around a little easier.

I only have a few of Preston as I was trying to focus on the other little ones. But here are a couple. He was much more happy playing in the leaves than getting his photo taken anyway.

This is Kylie and Maya. Maya wasn't into having her picture taken that day but we got a couple of good shots. This first one is my all time favorite of the whole shoot.

This is my friend Melissa and her family. Her girls Dakota and Cadence are just precious and so photogenic.

Update Time

2009-01-22T16:15:00.021-06:00

So many pictures so little time. I'm going to do my best to get caught up in the next few days so watch out. Posts may not be in any kind of chronological or sensical order, but at least it's something, right?

Here are a few photos from Christmas.

Cousins. All boys. All happy.

Well, maybe not all happy.

"Really, like can we be done now?"

"There, there... were those big boys bothering you?"

Gray, Chase, and Preston Christmas morning with their stockings full.

Chase gets a book/game

Gray gets a Star Wars yo-yo

Time to open Preston's gift from Santa

Wee! It's a Wii!

Rampa gave Preston a cool truck

Chase got a box of junk... which turned out to be his pin-striping

kit from Grandma and Grandpa

Gray sports some Texas pride

The older boys give Preston a huge box of

Rescue Hero toys

Best gift ever... Green Bags!

Or is this the best gift ever? Rock Band!

Not the Rock Band game...

"Sorry boys, it was out of stock"

Major disappoinment...

Just kidding!

Baby Connor is Here!

2008-12-28T16:34:00.013-06:00

Connor Mason entered the world on December 18, 2008 at 12:34 pm,

measuring 19 1/4 inches and weighing 8 lbs 1 oz.

Details to come later. Meanwhile enjoy some photos.

Family Portraits

2008-12-10T14:41:00.018-06:00

I know you're anxious, but don't scroll down for the photos just yet. I have to give you a little bit of backstory first.

I'm currently plugged into a fantastic on-line group of moms that are local to my area. It has been such a blessing to not only my life but to Preston's as well. We have many, many friends who love to have playdates and when we're not meeting in person we're talking just about anything and everything on-line. One aspect that continues to amaze me is just how talented this group of women is. From crafts to cooking to photography - you name it, someone can do it, and do it well. We have at least a couple of dozen women who are either professional photographers or semi-professional. And then there are the rest of us aspiring photographers or wannabes.

My good friend Chera was once one of us wannabes (that's probably not an accurate description as she's always had amazing photography skills) but has worked her way through the trenches to become one of the best photographers I know. It has been such a joy to watch her photography skills improve by leaps and bounds. She has such a talent working with little ones and really captures the spirit of the child. She really isn't in it for the money, she truly loves her work and for that I adore her. Not to mention she has the most precious, adorable little girl, Cassidy.

Talking with Chera one day she graciously agreed to do what we call a mini-session swap. Basically she spends about 10-15 minutes taking some photos of my family and then we swap and I do the same for hers. I really wanted to get a few family shots done before our newest addition arrived. And since there are practically zero photos of me pregnant with Preston, I wanted at least one for this one. Unfortunately the weather was quite uncooperative - 35 mile per hour winds and bitter cold does not make for good outside photos, especially for sweet Cassidy. She was not digging the cold or wind at all. The good news is Chera didn't let it slow her down and got some good shots of us anyway. We tried really hard to act like it wasn't freezing and the wind was blowing, but as you'll see it wasn't easy. Please enjoy. And if you get a chance stop by her blog Chera25 Photography and check out more of her fantastic photos.

And here are just a couple that I took of Chera and her sweet family. I took these with her camera which completely puts my old Sony to shame. I've had camera envy ever since.

This one is Chera's favorite. She said it shows the "real" them and plans to use it for their Christmas card. I love that!

And we did finally get a little smile out of Cassidy. I told you she was cute!

10 Days and Counting

2008-12-08T23:38:00.004-06:00

Hard to believe but we are just a little over a week away from meeting the newest member of our family. And while we still have a bunch of loose ends to tie up - one including actually coming up with a name - we're enjoying this last bit of time as a family of three.

Preston seems to be more and more excited about baby brother coming. He probably talks almost as much about baby brother as he does Christmas. Hope he's not disappointed in either. Four year olds can be so finicky.

I was so blessed recently to have been thrown a baby shower. Phillip's great aunt opened her wonderful home and co-hosted with my mother-in-law and my good friend Micki. It was a lovely afternoon of food, fellowship and of course presents for baby boy. It was a really nice turn out and thankfully no corny games were played. Unfortunately I'm not able to figure out how to post the photos here since they were shared with me on Shutterfly. So I'll just share the link. Click here.

After browsing those photos you may have noticed that my hair looks a little different. I have been growing out my hair for the last 18 months so that I can donate to Locks of Love again. I was also waiting closer to my due date so that I would have a fuss free new 'do with a newborn and all. I was able to go to the same stylist that I donated with last time and I think he did a fantastic job. I gave him free reign and while it took a little getting used to I really do like it, and it is super easy and fast to fix. I feel blessed that my hair grows so fast that I can at least help brighten a sick child's day with a full head of hair.

And becuase I know you're asking: I'm feeling pretty good. My blood pressure has been creeping up the last two visits and doc says I need to take it easy but that ain't easy. We're still scheduled for a c-section on the 18th, so we're not really calling it the "due date" anymore but "THE date". That is unless little one has plans of his own. My feet are swelling and my back hurts and darn it if I don't have to pee every 10 minutes - but other than that I feel great. ;)

This week is crazy busy for us. Phillip's work party, my family coming to town, a mom's night out with the girls, cookie swap, and possibly more family trying to squeeze in one last visit before baby gets here. I'll do my best to keep you updated. Here's a little nugget to hold on to though... I'll have some family portraits (professional no less!) to share with you very, very soon. Stay tuned.

Place Your Photo Order

2008-11-03T14:42:00.012-06:00

I sent out this email to family and friends regarding how to order their favorite print from Preston's photo shoot.

Dear Family,

We wanted to share with you some portraits from Preston 4 year photo shoot. We’re really pleased with how they turned out and hope you will be too. You can view them by clicking on the following link to Cindy’s blog.

We would be happy to send you your very own copy of one of these portraits in any size you prefer. Unlike most professional portraits where we would only get to send you one pose in whatever size they give us, you get to pick the one you like best.

Once you make your decision, email us with the following information:
- Name of photo(s) (i.e. "Green pole")
- Your preferred size of each photo (4 x 6 are standard but will also do 5 x 7 and 8 x 10 if that is your preference)
- Color or black and white

Please make your selection from any of the following portraits. Remember that any photo can be made black and white and vice versa. And if you just simply cannot make up your mind and need more than one photo that can be arranged as well. (Can't say as I blame you, I can't pick my favorite either.)

"Close up" in color

"Close up" in black and white

"Standing door"

"Looking down"

"Laughing"

"Tongue"

"Funny face"

"Green pole"

What'd You Say?!

2008-10-22T15:51:00.002-05:00

So recently Preston has been coming up to us with some whoppers. And by whoppers I mean out-of-the-blue-seemingly-out-of-context-where'd-you-hear-that kind of sayings. This usually happens while we are having a conversation in the car. Here are a couple of examples:

Preston: Daddy, I saw you on top of the fence yesterday.

Daddy: Oh, really? I don't remember being on the fence.

Preston: I saw you, it was really funny.

Me: What was Daddy doing on the fence?

Preston: I don't know, he was up there and then he fell off.

This conversation just happened to take place after Phillip mentioned to me that he was "on the fence" about some decision.

And there is this one:

Preston: Nana, why was her head cut off?

Me: *Gasp*

Nana: Where did he hear that?

Me: *Shrugs* What are you talking about, Preston?

Preston: Her head, why was it cut off?

None of us were quite sure where to go with that... until suddenly I realized that Nana had just said, describing a co-worker, that she was "running around like a chicken with her head cut off".

This is just proof that kids hang on to your every word. They may not obey every word, but they hear it.

Secret Identity Revealed!

2008-10-20T10:46:00.004-05:00

Yes, it's true, my disguise as a mild mannered housewife has been compromised. I will now reveal to the entire world (ok my mom and the other two occassional readers) who the real Cindy is.

Click here.

I Joined the Army!

2008-10-03T15:49:00.004-05:00

No, not that army. I don't think they let 7 months pregnant women enlist anyway. But I did join The Army of Women. This is an organization that researches breast cancer by way of studying healthy women. In other words, they are looking for a cure and that's the most important thing.

Here are their two main goals:

To recruit one million healthy women of every age and ethnicity, including breast cancer survivors and women at high-risk for the disease, to partner with breast cancer researchers and directly participate in the research that will eradicate breast cancer once and for all.
To challenge the scientific community to expand its current focus to include breast cancer prevention research conducted on healthy women.

The best part is, it's so easy to join. All you have to do is sign up, answer a few questions and if you qualify you could be contacted to participate in a study near you that is looking for volunteers. Click here to be a part of the one million women who can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.

Change Is Good... Right?

2008-10-02T23:33:00.007-05:00

Don't forget to scroll down and see some pretty awesome pics

of my little man.

(If I do say so myself.)

*warning this is going to get long, you might want to grab a cup of coffee or a Diet Pepsi*

These last few weeks have been so crazy. While Baby Boy has been cooking and growing, I've been a wreck trying to figure out what to do about my OB. I had purposefully chosen this OB/GYN prior to getting pregnant knowing that I should be established with an OB should I need one. Well you know how that turned out... I needed one. Unfortunately, I needed to wait until the better insurance kicked in so even though that meant no prenatal care until I was nearly out of my first trimester, I was ok with that. Well the busybody receptionist at my OB's office didn't see it that way and I had to fight my way in to get an appointment. That certainly did not start out well.

Unfortunately things continued to get worse. I was shuffled from office to office despite expressing a preference for using the office closest to me. I was told one thing and then called the night before an appointment that I would need to change locations or some nonsense. I tried to be understanding as I was often told by different nurses on different occassions that "we are going through some staff changes", "we're upgrading some software that everyone has to learn". Fine. It's a learning curve for everybody (including me). I get that.

I was willing to deal with a few logistical mishaps as long as I continued to like the OB. Well, I can't tell you if that came true or not because not once... I repeat, not once in the 3 months that I have been going to that office did I see my OB. I was always seen by the Physician Assistant. Nothing against PA's, I happened to like this one, but seriously I can't see the doctor?! Even when I questioned this, I was given excuses. "Oh I don't know why they didn't schedule you with the doctor." Oh ok, are we back to the front office staff again? Great.

The final straw was last Thursday when I was scheduled to have my gestational diabetes test. I intentionally scheduled it super early so that I could get it over with, leave Phillip and Preston at home and still get them both to work and classes, respectively. This way I could go, drink the ten times worse than Kool-aid drink, sit an hour and not have to entertain a four year old, give my blood and be home by 8:30 am, 9 at the latest. Well the night before I get a call once again asking me to come to the less convenient location simply because they wanted to make sure there was a "provider" (aka PA) there and somehow that would make things easier for them and making sure my blood was taken right at that "hour" mark (that's important for this kind of test). So even though I wasn't scheduled with a doctor (or PA) only with a nurse - I checked when this appointment was scheduled because remember I wanted to see my OB - I complied.

I show up, the receptionist gives me her usual blank look and has no clue as to why I am there. She keeps telling me I'm there for a routine OB. No, I insist I'm just here for my diabetes screening. They send me back where I'm seen by a different PA (where did she come from?!) and by now I'm seething. This PA insists that I'm here for both routine check and screening. Fine whatever, this way I don't have to come back in two weeks for the routine check I'm already scheduled for. Oh no! I have to come back then too. Why? Nobody could tell me.

Ok, just give me the drink I've still got that hour to kill and I need to get home. I drink. I sit, sit, sit... read, read, read... watch a little 'I Love Lucy'. ('Lucy' was really funny... must have been the sugar.) Ok, time's up, let's give a little blood.

Oh no here's trouble. I've got deep, rolling veins. I've been through this before. The nurse is panicing because she can't find a vein. She pokes once. Nope. Twice. Nope. She calls another nurse. I tell her, you know this happened last time and there is only one nurse that was able to get me on the first try. Oh gee, guess which office she is at. That's right... the other office that I was originally scheduled for! So nurse #2 takes a stab... literally a stab that sends a shooting pain up my arm. I'm in tears. I'm coming down off this sugar high and I'm supposed to be on my way home now. Nurse #2 tells me that no one has ever cried on her and she can't deal with me and leaves. Good riddance, I say! Nurse #1 comes back with the PA and they both poke, dig, prod and finally get a vein in my hand. Were you keeping count? Let me help you out. That's five times that I was poked before actually getting some blood out of me.

I'm now seriously late getting back home. Preston misses his first class, Phillip is late to work as well. And did I mention that I'm coming down off a sugar high? Did I mention I'm a hormonal pregnant lady? Ok then, so you won't judge me when I tell you that I was an emotional wreck.

I spend the rest of the afternoon trying to decide what to do. Do I stay? (By the way, I had many more issues with this OB office that I just won't get into here.) Do I take a chance to try to find another doctor that will take me at nearly 7 months pregnant? After much consideration, I called a good friend who is also pregnant and insisted she give me the name of her OB that she's been raving about. I called them up and not only were they more than happy to see me at nearly 7 months pregnant (remember my first OB didn't want to see me at 3 months along) I could get in almost immediately.

So today was my first appointment with my new OB, Dr. F. I was really nervous about having to kind of start all over (my first OB was either unable or unwilling to release my records, but that seems to have been resolved now), but I really like my new OB. He took his time with me and answered all my questions and was sympathetic to my previous unpleasant experience. Even though we weren't able to really get down to the nitty gritty as my records were MIA, he made a point to make sure I felt comfortable with him and that we had the same philosophy when it came to the birth of my baby. The staff was nice - that's an improvement. The nurses staff was as well, although it is yet to be seen if they can get blood out of me.

So lots of changes. New OB. New hospital. Bring on the new baby.

The Reveal!

2008-10-01T21:39:00.008-05:00

Here is the finished product from Preston's 4 year photoshoot. Enjoy!

Sneak Peek

2008-09-29T12:05:00.006-05:00

Every year about this time, I'm scouring the coupons trying to find a good deal on some professional portraits. Of course, I use the term "professional" loosely as I'm too cheap to go anywhere other than WalMart or JCPenney. Sometimes we get good photos... most of the time they're just ok. And I'm really good about saying "No" when it comes to all those "extras" they try get you to buy so really spending $9.95 for an 8 x 10, a couple of 5 x 7's, and the hundreds of wallet sized photos - that are always left over - isn't too bad.

But this year is different. I'm hiring a real "non-professional" to do Preston's 4 year portraits. Me! So after spending a morning "on location", I've got a few snaps that should look nice on our portrait "Hall of Fame" (literally, a hall of framed portraits). Isn't that what everybody does with their 8 x 10's? I couldn't wait to get home and edit a few, so here's a sneak peek. Enjoy my handsome little man!

I Suppose I Could Get a Pair of Stilts

2008-09-24T21:47:00.003-05:00

"How's the weather down there?" "Mind if I set my drink on you?" "Hey shortstuff!"

Ok, ok I get it. I'm short. And if you're not family, you are probably asking, 'How short are you?'. I'm 4 ft 6 in. There's some debate over whether I am 4 ft 6in or 4 ft 8in, whatever. Short is short. Just know that I am not even 5 ft tall. It's ok. I'm ok. I've been this way ever since like what... fourth, fifth grade? I'm not sure, I just know I've always been short. In fact, most of my family is short so we think we're normal. Does it stink sometimes? Sure. Like when I'm in a crowd of people and all I see are people's belt buckles or worse yet, their navels. Or when I'm at the store and I can't reach something and I have to either ask a total stranger or go without. (And man, I really needed the cinnamon that day! Why do they feel the need to alphabetize spices anyway?) Fortunately I have a four year old who can stand in the cart and reach things for me now.

Speaking of said four year old, he's not all that tall himself. Preston just had his four year well visit and just like all the previous times we check height and weight and wait for the doctor to chart it and see how he's grown. I don't know if other moms have anxiety about the "chart" but I'm right there leaning over the doctor's shoulder just waiting to see where she puts that little dot. It all started when Preston was just a newborn and his weight was progressively decreasing. Once he started gaining weight again we found that Preston was just going to stay on his own little chart. Actually his height/weight ratio doesn't even get "on" the chart, he's always stayed below it in the less than 5% range. However, every pediatrician we've ever seen has always said, as long as he stays on his own chart everything is fine.

Well fast forward to last Monday and one of my worst fears was realized. He fell off his own chart. His weight was good, but he only grew an inch and a half over the last year. So his pediatrician puts on her concerned hat and recommends we get a "bone growth x-ray" to determine bone age. Basically, an x-ray is taken of a child's hand and wrist and then compared to "norms" for children of the same age. Preston had his x-ray done and the doctor determined that Preston's bone age is that of a 3 year old (he just turned 4 earlier this month). This means that his little body is just a little bit delayed when it comes to growth. The bad news would have been if his bone age showed that of a 4 year old, that would indicate that something was not growing properly. Fortunately he's growing, just a bit slowly.

This actually has a name: Constitutional Growth Delay. Sounds like some kind of problem you have in your high school American History class, doesn't it? It really just means that Preston will likely start puberty a year later than his peers and at the end of puberty we'll see his height max out to the projected 5 ft 5 in. Still not all that tall, but we'll take it. Hey, it's almost a foot taller than me! Cannot fathom one day having to look up to my son.

But being short isn't all that bad. I'm often mistaken for someone much younger. When I was much younger I could get the child discount for most everything. I trick or treated until I was 18. (I probably still would if it didn't embarrass my husband.) Being height-challenged definitely has it's ups and downs. Although I was kind of hoping to spare my children from the "down" part. I mean, I did all that I could. I married a man who is 6 ft tall just to "breed some height back into the family", just like my momma told me to.

Preston's 4th Birthday Party

2008-09-17T15:50:00.014-05:00

We celebrated Preston's 4th birthday on Sunday September, 7. He wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese like we did for his 3rd. But this time we went to a "new" Chuck E. Cheese (basically just a different location than last years). Unfortunately only one of the few friends we invited was able to attend. I don't think Preston noticed, as he thinks everybody at Chuck E. Cheese is there for him anyway.

First stop, playing games. Notice the tongue, that helps you play better.

Checking out the air hockey table.

Air hockey rules!

Playing games with his Ra-Ra.

Time to open presents!

Discovering what is inside the box.

Yay for wriggly track! (This goes with his marble run)

Speed Racer cake which almost didn't happen.

(Ugh! I might be able to talk about it when he's sixteen)

Make a wish!

Our friend Corbin enjoying some blue icing.

Meeting Chuck E. Cheese.

Getting ready to dance with Chuck E. Cheese.

(They gave all the kids free tickets after they danced.)

After the party we headed to Preston's first night at Awana. It's a weekly Bible based program for preschoolers and school aged children. They teach them scripture, play games, tell stories, have a snack, and sing songs. We got to stick around for the first night and Preston had a really good time. There's even another Preston in his class, which totally blew his mind. He looks forward to going every week. And it gives mom and dad a chance to hang out.

Happy Day!

2008-09-10T06:57:00.005-05:00

Nearly four years ago (within the hour of me posting this), this special little guy entered our lives.

Happy 4th Birthday Preston!

Where Does The Time Go?

2008-09-08T11:03:00.009-05:00

Has it really been over a month since I last posted? Bad, bad blogger. My apologies to anybody who still actually reads this thing.

Let's see, since there's been so much going on I'll have to update you with some highlights:

We found out that we are expecting another little boy. I shall remain Queen of My Castle. The Lone Bearer of Estrogen. The One with the Most Shoes. Preston is just thrilled to have a little brother to play with, and we are too.

We have been re-doing the hubby's office. We moved him into the guest bedroom, which means the daybed for guests needed to go. We decided to go ahead and move Preston out of the toddler bed and into the day bed. He looks so tiny in that twin size bed but as you can see he loves it. We still need to get him a comforter, the vintage Sesame Street sheets I've been hanging onto all these years finally came in handy. The old office will become the baby's nursery, so we'll be painting in there soon.

Speaking of painting. We painted the new office (the old guest room) and Preston got to help. It's kind of a blue/gray color depending on the light of the day. I think we're happy with it.

We've also been shopping quite a bit at our new favorite store. Thanks to my sister and her husband for putting up with us as we bought some bulky furniture for the office that wouldn't fit in our own car. They were life savers! And thanks to my friend Micki who helped us put it all together. I always knew having a friend who is a former Marine would come in handy someday.

We've also since upgraded our internet, got rid of our landline, and found a new home for that old monster of a desk that we used to have. I still feel sorry for the guy who bought it from us. Especially after he told us that he was going to put it in his upstairs office. I hope he doesn't send us the chiropractor bill.

Between visits to my OB (everything's great!) I've been to the dentist to get some long overdue dental work done. It's not been fun, but necessary. Take care of your teeth people!

We've also been getting ready for a certain little boy to turn four this week. I'll be posting more about his birthday party and events later on. Hopefully that things have calmed down a bit I'll be posting more.

Baby's First Photos

2008-07-28T16:51:00.006-05:00

I had my first OB appointment on July 3rd and was fortunate enough to also get a sneak peek at the baby. Here a few ultrasound pics from Baby's first portrait session. Sorry I'm a little late posting these as we were having scanner issues. So, here's your first peek at Baby #2. And no Mom, we don't know if it is a boy or girl yet.

Here is baby waving for the camera.

Skeletor Baby

Baby had flipped all the way over by the end of the session.

Baby was very active and when the sonographer (is that the correct term?) first started the ultrasound the baby had his/her hand behind his/her head. Ironically, this is how we often saw Preston when we would have ultrasounds with him. Even after he was born he would put one hand behind his head when sleeping, and even still today when he's exhausted we'll find him like that. Too cute!

The appointment went well. My blood pressure was good (thank goodness!) and I'm right on target to deliver by c-section on December 27. This date may change as the doctor allows a 7 day window prior to due date, and with the holidays we might try to have the baby home by Christmas. My only issue at the doctor's office was when they tried to take blood. Apparently I have very deep veins and when the nurse couldn't find one, she went to find one in my hand. Well she found one alright, and she blew the vein while trying to get blood. I ended up with a nasty and painful bruise on my hand for several days aftwards. She felt really bad and ended up calling in another nurse who found a vein in my arm right away.

I have another OB appointment this week and we'll be having another ultrasound. Since I'll be almost 20 weeks we should be able to find out the sex... that is if the baby cooperates. We'll be taking Preston with us as he's all excited about finding out if he'll have a baby brother or sister. If you ask him what he thinks it will be, he'll tell you "I don't know, only the doctor knows." Preston's never been one for suppositions. Stick to the facts, man.

Cute or Creepy?

2008-07-19T11:40:00.000-05:00

See that little widget on the left hand column? The one that says "Countdown To Baby!"? Well I added it a while back because I had seen it on other blogs and thought it was kind of a cute way to keep everybody informed on how the baby was doing. When I installed it, I played around with the due dates just to see how accurate the development of the baby in the virutal womb was. Sorry to disappoint but you won't be seeing much change in virtual baby. It pretty much looks the same now as it will at nine months. So even though my belly will be full with baby and there won't be much wiggle room, virtual baby will still look as though it resides in the world's largest uterus. Uhm... ok.

So what do you think of virtual baby over there? Cute or creepy? Keep it or lose it? I want to hear from you, you're the ones that have to look at it.

Frugal Friday: I love CVS!

2008-07-18T10:52:00.005-05:00

At the beginning of the year I was probably hitting CVS a few times a week. With internet coupons, the Sunday inserts, and the tips I was getting from A Full Cup, I would walk out of CVS with several bags and usually just pay only a dollar or so. It was such a rush... almost like stealing. Not that I've stolen before, but that's what I imagine it felt like.

Well recently CVS has cut down on their coupons so some of the really good deals are few and far between, but if you do your homework there are still plenty of deals to be had. For instance it may not look like much, but I got all this below without paying a dime. Check it out:

2 Boxes Colgate Toothpaste - $2.79 (buy one get one free)

$.75 off manufacturer coupon

$1.00 off CVS coupon (receipt coupon)

Total for 2 boxes of toothpaste: $.29

CVS Panty Liners - $.89

Extra Care Bucks: $.99

Total : -$.10 (They paid me to take it out of the store!)

2 Sodas - $1.39 each = $2.78

Extra Care Bucks: $1.00

Total for 2 Sodas: $1.78 ($.89 each)

Benefiber Chewables - $11.69 each = $23.38

$5.00 Manufacturer Coupon

Extra Care Bucks (when you spend $20): $10

Total for 2 Benefiber: $3.38

Total Cost of Purchase (prior to coupons and ECB): $29.84

Extra Care Buck from pervious purchase: $.50

Total Cost of Purchase (with discounts): $4.85

Total paid out of pocket: $0.00

So how was my total $0.00? I had a prescription filled at CVS and they gave me a $30 gift card that I used for this purchase. Still $4.85 for all that (especially the Benefiber) is a great deal. I only purchased the sodas as I needed extra items to equal all my coupons I was using. When shopping at CVS make sure the total items you are purchasing are equal to or greater than the coupons/Extra Care Bucks you are using. This is important. It doesn't matter how many coupons you use per item (I used 3 coupons for 2 boxes of toothpaste) but I had to have other items in my cart to balance it out.

It does take some time clipping coupons and scouring the ads to find the best deals, but with the help of A Full Cup and My Frugal Friend they have made the work that much easier. Go check out their sites for some more awesome frugal tips!

Swim Class

2008-07-16T16:25:00.011-05:00

Preston finished his swim class the week of July 4th and so I have a few more pictures to share with you. While he didn't make great strides in the area of swimming, he did learn a few basic principles and seems to be very comfortable with putting his face in the water. On the last day of class, Preston's teacher handed out "report cards" indicating whether each of the goals had been met. Here is what Preston accomplished:

Jump into deep water, swim 5 feet, turn around and swim back to the wall with a float belt

Know pool and class rules

Float on back 20 seconds with a float belt

Select and put on a PFD (Personal Floatation Device)

Perform a reaching assist

Participated in age appropriate water sports and games to reinforce skills and encourage fun in the water (uhm, he was all about fun in the water)

Participated in discussion on core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility

Although Preston didn't advance to the next level class, he still had a lot of fun.

Learning about those "core values" and water safety

Picking out his PFD. I think it weighs more than him.

"Yup, this thing is heavy."

It might be hard to tell, but here Preston is utilizing his "life saving" skills and rescuing his "drowning" teacher with a swim noodle.

And we do it all with a smile on our face. That's a Happy Chap!

And for your viewing pleasure a video of swim class. I just discovered (aka remembered) that there is a video feature on my camera so I thought I'd test it out. The quality is not all that great, but you get the idea.

Preston reminds me more of a cat being forced to swim with all that wiggling but hey, at least he's having a good time, right?

Bear Necessities

2008-07-10T09:54:00.008-05:00

This little bear has been causing some big troubles around this house lately. First a little backstory. This bear first came into our lives when I was pregnant with Preston. A friend from my Lifegroup gave me the bear in a gift basket that she gave to me at my baby shower. Unfortunately, I don't even remember her name anymore, which drove Preston crazy as he was always asking who gave him the bear. (I finally just said that mommy and daddy gave it to him, and he seemed satisfied with that answer.) Probably about the time that Preston was around a year old we started encouraging Preston to sleep with the bear. It really wasn't until he was about two and half or three that he really embraced bear and he began to be a permanent fixture, especially at bedtime. We knew that Preston had fully accepted the bear as his own when he finally gave him a name - Bear. Yes, just Bear.

Now Bear did not always look like he does now. At one time he wore a really cute pale blue rabbit suit. Don't ask me why, it seemed to be some sort of pajamas or something. I think the species confusion bothered Preston and one day he just decided that Bear no longer needed to be a bear in a rabbit suit. Or perhaps he just prefers him naked.

In the last six months or so, Bear's role has changed somewhat. Where once Bear was only a consideration at bedtime, now I find Preston playing in his room with Bear, talking to him, or even insisting we take him on car rides. Bear has graduated from snuggly thing to playmate, Preston and he are rarely separated. Which leads me to the issue at hand.

It all started Sunday when Preston was getting ready for quiet time (aka naptime) and Bear was nowhere to be found. Generally, Bear can be found quite easily on the floor of the living room (although he is the same color as the carpet which has proven to be a challenge). However, on this day even after a full-on search by all parties, Bear was officially lost. Now we knew he was in the house, but he wasn't in any of his usual hiding places. Quiet time continued as planned, but Preston was none too happy about it. However, I had issues of my own. That evening Preston was going to his Nana's to spend the night and I knew that if Bear did not show up to go to Nana's, Nana was going to have a long night ahead of her. Quiet time is one thing, but bedtime without Bear could be... well a bear. Fortunately, on a whim I thought to look in a wicker basket sitting in the dining room and there Bear was. Nana's sanity is saved.

Tuesday Bear is missing again. And again it is just before quiet time. I am starting to get the feeling that maybe Bear is trying to tell us something. After searching all the usual places and the wicker basket, I call off the hunt and proceed to lecture a three year old about the benefits of keeping better track of your toys. (Yeah, that oughta work.) Several hours later, Phillip comes home from work and immediately finds Bear in our bedroom. Bedtime crisis averted once again. Or so we think.

However, that very same night just a couple of hours after Bear has been found, he's missing again. Maybe I should have had the talk with him? The search party is tired and fed up so we retreat. Bear must spend the night alone. Serves him right for sneaking off again.

Wednesday morning - no Bear.

Wednesday afternoon - no Bear.

Wednesday evening - no Bear.

Another bedtime and Bear is still missing. How long can a bear survive in these elements?

Thursday morning, it's a new day and determination sets in. We start the search again. If Bear is still alive out there, we'll find him. Our search does not take long as I catch a glimpse of something furry and brown in the distance. Could it be? Yes it is! Nestled among the blocks of Preston's marble run is the one and only Bear. Looking no worse for wear, Preston and Bear are reunited once again. It is now Thursday afternoon and my only hope is that he hasn't run off again. Bears (and boys) can be so mischeivous, but gosh if they aren't so cute!

Wordless Wednesday: God Bless America

2008-07-09T13:18:00.004-05:00

Celebrating the USA!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun check out here and here.

Wordless Wednesday: Say Cheese!

2008-07-02T09:17:00.006-05:00

STOP!!! I accidentally linked the wrong Wordless Wednesday,

so if the year is 2009, please click for my latest Wordless entry.

"Just like Mommy"

For more Wordless Wednesday click here and here.

Welcome!

2008-07-01T14:30:00.003-05:00

I realized recently that I've kind of been keeping this blog thing a secret. Not intentional just never got around to telling everybody the address. So if this is your first time visiting, you are going to want to check out our BIG NEWS first (for you internet novices click on the underlined words). After that feel free to wander around and check out some of my ramblings (er, I mean highly intelligent and well thought out posts). Oh and there are plenty of photos of a really cute kid, don't miss those! Be sure and leave me a comment and let me know you were here!

Why Didn't I Think of These?

2008-07-01T13:20:00.001-05:00

Ever have one of those moments where you think "Wish I'd thought of that?" Perhaps you wish you had invented Post-Its, or the twinkie, or even the internet. For me, I wish I had thought of putting really cute sayings on kids clothes. Especially being a mom of a boy, I like to choose clothes that sometimes make a statement or stand out (boys clothes are typically boooorrrr-ing). Thanks to a site called Foodfight I don't have to come up with witty sayings for my boy's t-shirts, I can just order from them. Although if I had been thinking I might have actually come up with some of these:

A few obvious faves:

For nostalgia purposes:

Just because:

Because there are not nearly enough shirts with Foosball on them:

For when Preston gets to go on his own trip to Alaska with Grandma and Grandpa

(Sorry Gray, the biggest size is a 5T):

And one for the girls:

Join The Club

2008-06-30T14:15:00.004-05:00

About once a week we visit our local library. However, since summer has begun it seems we haven't been as often. In fact I hadn't realized how long it had been until our most recent visit. It seems our local library is doing a reading club for the summer called the Texas Reading Club Jubilee. They have set up a special area in the library just for this event. Student volunteers man the desk to sign up new members or to recommend books for young readers. Unfortunately this designated reading club area has replaced Preston's favorite area containing the maze toy and puzzle table. After showing his obvious disappointment and disgust for the library's audacity to remove his favorite toys, he proceeds to the reading club desk to ask (aka harass) the poor student volunteers. Since we were there I thought I'd find was it was all about and lucky for Preston the reading club welcomed readers beginning at age 3. So we signed him up. As a Texas Reading Club Jubliee Member, every day we log how many minutes he reads (or is read to, since he's not reading yet). Then at the end of the week he turns in his log for a prize, for a total of 5 weeks. Preston was so proud to have his name put on a paper cactus and tacked to the big bulletin board with all the other reading club members. I think he's forgotten all about the maze toy and puzzle table now. We checked out a couple books and read them both the very first day... several times.

Here he is showing off his books, bookmark, and reading log.

Just Keep Swimming

2008-06-24T21:34:00.012-05:00

Preston started swim lessons this week. Here's just a few pics. (Sorry they're blurry and kind of dark.)

Waiting for class to start. (He's the short one in the blue shorts)

I like to call this one "Oreo" or "SPF 50 Required". (Is my boy white or what?!)

Practicing the breathing technique with the rings.

Kicking. Our favorite part.

Stroke... breathe... stroke...

Taking the dumbell out for a swim... I'm talking about the swim apparatus!

Notice the technique. Tongue out allows you to swim better.

(Oh and notice how the instructor has one eye back on the kids? Too funny!)

Let's try swimming on our back.

Looking not so sure.

"Mom, are you sure this guy is a 'certified instructor'?"

"It's all good!"

The Big Brother's New Do

2008-06-02T11:03:00.005-05:00

First of all if haven't heard our big news, you'll want to click here.

We finally broke down and decided to pay a professional to cut Preston's hair. Up until then my mother-in-law or myself have been trimming it here and there. I can't speak for my mother-in-law but I had no clue what I was doing and thus Preston's hair has suffered for it.

Phillip was needing to get his hair cut so we decided to go ahead and let them take a whack at Preston. As Phillip is a simple (and thrifty) kind of guy he just goes to one of those walk-in type places. Preston was called first and although the hair dresser (or is it hair stylist... beautician... beauty salon person? I haven't a clue) didn't speak much English I attempted to tell her what I'd like to have done with Preston. I kind of wanted to keep the bowl cut we had going but I had fears that she would shave the back and sides and Preston would look walk out looking like Mo of the 3 Stooges. Helmet hair is not cool. Anyway as I was laboriously trying to explain, "Just do like we have here, nothing fancy, nothing adult or teenage looking, uhm... more like a trim, well not like a trim... uhm..." At this point I'm sure she's either thinking "Oh, I got one of those moms" or "I cannot understand a thing she is saying". Thankfully she interrupts me and says, "You want little boy hair cut?" Uhm, yes that's what a I want, do that. Although I'm pretty sure that directly translates from English to her native language to mean "Shut up woman. I cut, you like." Regardless I think she did a really good job. Not exactly what I thought I wanted, but she did cut and I do like. Sorry Karen, our boys no longer have matching hair-do's.

Coming Soon December 2008!

2008-06-01T16:25:00.006-05:00

It's June 1st and what better time than to think about December. A time of cooler weather, snow (for some) and Christmas; my favorite time of year. To help us get in the mood here's what we have to look forward to this December:

First of all December means Christmas! And who isn't excited about Christmas? Preston will be four and will without a doubt be super excited about you-know-who coming to visit.

A new Star Trek movie! That's right Star Trek XI (that's number eleven, folks). I have to admit that I actually saw one or two of the first ten, but I think I'll pass on this one.

This Park Avenue vanity will be available for purchase in December. Break out your platinum Visas friends, this one is going to cost you $1083.33 and I'm pretty sure that doesn't include shipping. Hey it is on sale!

Another movie set to release this December is Opus: The Last Christmas. This one is on my must-see list as I've always been a huge Bloom County Fan. It'll be interesting to see how Opus makes it on the big screen.

A new Sesame Street book for hardcore Muppet/Sesame fans is being released December 26, 2008. "Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street" will be a hardcover book consisting of 384 pages and promises to be full of Muppety Goodness.

And last but certainly not least there will be a new HappyChap arriving December of 2008. Merry Christmas everybody!

Summertime, Summertime, Sum Sum, Summertime...

2008-05-23T15:26:00.010-05:00

Your calendar may still say spring but here in Texas it's summer! We've had our first full week of 90 degree temperatures and our lows have only been around the upper 70's. That's a record high for a low. Or a record low as a high... I'm confused. Anyway it's hot! I've been too lazy to break out the blow up pool so the hose and sprinkler have been getting a work out. Munchkin much prefers playing with the actual hose than the sprinkler so I decided to put him to work.

"That's right, you're doing a fine job," I say as I sit on the porch and sip my iced tea.

Let's focus here. Water plants... not shoes.

"When you're done can you get me another iced tea?"

He takes his watering very seriously.

Just so you know that I'm not all bad, I let the little guy have some fun with our homemade waterslide.

Checking it out first.

Cowabunga!

Success!

Did I mention it's hot here?

My New Gig

2008-05-20T00:21:00.004-05:00

Since I often find myself struggling to find something interesting to blog about I decided to up and get a job. Let's just ignore the fact that I've got about a dozen "drafts" all half-written and completely boring waiting just below the surface of blogland. But anyway, I thought I'd actually DO something interesting and then I'd get to blog about it. (Gee after all this hype I hope it's worth it.)

Now my sister decided to get a job too. I'm not sure who got theirs first, but since she's the oldest and she can probably still beat me up I'll say it was her. What is that you say? "Doesn't my sister already have a job as a high paid elementary school teacher and thus lives in her mansion upon the high hill of the land?" you ask. Uhm sort of. "Why would your sister want to spend her summers making more money waiting tables in the land of plenty?" you ask. Beats me but this post isn't about her, it's about ME and MY new job. Sorry sis, get your own blog.

Now for those of you wondering (all two of you) yes, I'm still going to stay at home with my little munchkin, it's not like I decided to wait tables or something. And I'm sure all of the diners out there are thanking their timely refilled drinks right about now. But I'm in the food service business sort of. A friend of mine runs a Joy of Connecting thingy (technical term) out of her home. About twice a month she invites women of the community who own their own business into her home to network with other women. It really is a beautiful thing. It's women rallying together to help each other and get their businesses off the ground. It's not quite as touching as one of those Hallmark commericals but it still gets you right here.

Basically she has hired myself and a couple of other moms to help prepare and serve food during these events. So for about 5 hours I cook, clean, serve, and help out wherever possible. Kind of like being at home. And also like home I get to eat this yummy food we have prepared once everyone else has been served and taken care of. Gosh who knew I could get paid for that?! Then for a couple of hours the ladies take turns yacking (technical term) about their business and what they do. So far I've met a masseuse, yoga instructor, hardwood floor installer, several photographers, caterer, makeup artist, dog groomer, and a personal life coach (whatever that is). My life will be complete once I meet that doggy life coach/makeup artist.

Oh and the best part. I get paid. Paid pretty well for 5 hours of doing stuff I would/should be doing at home. Of course did those things magically get done here at my house? Well no, but munchkin looked well fed and he was fast asleep when I got home so that's all I can ask.

Wordless Wednesday: Show Off

2008-05-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

Found this little fella sunbathing on my windowsill. Ain't he cute?

Fore more Wordless Wednesday fun check out here and here.

You Can Stop Voting Now

2008-05-01T22:48:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all who have voted for my Kroger bag. I just read the fine print in the contest and in order for my submission to even be considered I would have to place in the top ten in terms of most votes. I have 15 votes. Pretty good, huh? I just checked the current standing and I would need to find a few thousand friends fast in order to even come close before the contest ends. Number ten currently stands with 8,743 votes. Ron O. in Alabama has 36,366 votes. Wow, he's one popular guy. Think he's got any friends he'd be willing to loan me? Or perhaps share his secret method of voting for himself on multiple computers? I think my library only has about a dozen computers and frankly I just don't have the time and energy to cheat.

Oh well, at least I'll get my free bag. That is if I can ever find one in the store. Maybe Ron O. sent his buddies out to collect them all.

Oh and yes, that Iris was one of the ones that bloomed in my front yard. Pretty isn't it?

A Work of Art

2008-04-28T19:05:00.005-05:00

I recently shared my bluebonnet photos on a local mom's board and was contacted by a fellow member. Christine, whom I had never met asked me if she could digitally paint one of my photos. Christine is extremely talented and I believe, truly has an eye for art. On her site JAZ Creations she shows off some of what she calls "Fractal Art" I'm not quite sure what it is, but I've never seen anything like it. It's kind of earthy and yet outer-worldly but it is all beautiful. She's now trying her hand at digital painting and wanted to practice on one of my photos. She was so sweet that she updated me as she went along in the process. (Which didn't take as long as I thought it would.) It was truly amazing to watch my not-so-special photo take shape into something so magnificent. Take a look at what she did.

Before

After

What do you think? I think she can stop practicing now, I think it's absolutely stunning. Aren't I lucky that she picked my photo to paint? I plan to have this printed to canvas and put it on display. Soon she'll be adding this portrait to her website as she'll be offering digital painting to all you other lucky people. So if you are interested in having a photo digitally painted, Christine is your woman.

Frugal Friday: Help Me Win a $500 Gift Card

2008-04-25T14:23:00.004-05:00

I know what you are thinking. How does helping me win $500 help you save money? I'll get to that, I promise. First, I'm going to have to beg for a minute. Kroger is giving away a $500 gift card and you can help me win! I designed my own Kroger bag and in order to be considered for the $500 gift card, I need your votes. You can check it out here. Or go here, and type in the number 23521 in the search field. You can also go here to design your own bag and here is where the frugal part for you comes in. You'll receive a FREE reusable Kroger shopping bag when you design your own and register your Kroger card. How cool is that? Saving money and the environment, that's a deal! Of course it might hurt my feelings a little if you then wanted to vote for your own bag and not mine. But I'll get over it, I promise.

Here is the image I used in my design of my bag, in case you want to see a better version of it. It doesn't show up very well on the Kroger site.

Ok, so now go vote! Pretty please?

The Hills Are Alive With... Bluebonnets

2008-04-17T11:54:00.011-05:00

It's that time of year. Time for thunderstorms, taxes, and the NBA Playoffs. Also time for Texans to precariously perch along the sides of busy highways to traipse their children through knee high grass to get that coveted picture of the Texas state wildflower. Bluebonnets. Fortunately, we didn't have to risk our lives for these photos. We found a lovely abandoned lot off the main trail in Denton for these beauties. You might have seen a sneak peek in my Wordless Wednesday yesterday, but I now present the rest for your enjoyment.

Standing amongst them

Found a ladybug.

Running

Lots of running.

And I shall run until I can run no more.

This is when earth tilted on it's axis and we all went sideways.

What? You didn't feel that? Ok, just kidding, I don't know what happened, but I take good pictures on accident, don't I?

Bluebonnets are fun! (I'm running out of comments.)

Not a bluebonnet but I thought the DOF was neat.

Actually, I was just checking to see if he had clean fingernails. Phew! All good!

I actually had a request from Tokyo for a close-up of a bluebonnet, so here you go, lulu.

Ain't it purdy? All us Texans talk like that, ya know?

Wordless Wednesday: Bluebonnets

2008-04-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

It's Bluebonnet season here in Texas!

Thanks for stopping by!

If you want more Wordless check out here and here.

Next Stop Hollywood!

2008-04-09T22:56:00.002-05:00

Preston had his television debut today! And Preston could have cared less. *sigh* Apparently when you are three and you've been on the cover of the local insert of the paper, finding yourself in a sea of faces on the TV screen is not that exciting.

A little backstory: I belong to a local mom's group online. It is a great community of moms from various backgrounds, ethnicities, and stages of life. Although the online group is confined to the DFW area, I have actually only met a few of these women in real life. At over 1,000 members it has become a challenge and Dallas is bigger than you might think, ya'all. The great thing about this group is that we are all moms and we care about each other. It has quickly become my biggest resource when I need to find the best park, kid-friendly eats, recipes, rash identifiers (really!), and just plain and simple good old fashioned mom advice. Granted some advice I'd just as soon do without, but that's not so much unlike real life don't you think? But unlike other mom boards there is that potential you might actually meet one of these ladies someday so a lot of the rudeness/self-righteousness is missing when there is no real anonymity. Not to say we don't have our drama, but most of the time it's all hugs and support. If you are going through it, 99% of the time another momma has gone through it too.

So recently our local news station WFAA has taken an interest in our moms board and decided to make it a feature in their Good Morning Texas show which airs after Good Morning America. During this segment they interviewed Nicole, the mom who started it all and showed clips from a playdate held on Monday that we attended.

You'll have to look fast, but when they show the group shot of everyone yelling, "Good Morning Texas" you'll see me (in pink) holding Preston. Look just right of the center behind the kids. He had no interest in standing with the other kids, or yelling "Good Morning Texas" or being on television whatsoever. So being the good mom I am held him up for all the world... er, Texas to see. He'll thank me someday.

For the life of me I cannot figure out how to post the video here. So please (pretty please) click on this link. Mom, see where it is underlined? Click that word. ;)

Workin' On My Skillz

2008-04-06T22:22:00.004-05:00

Ok, I've not been posting much, I know. I have a confession to make. I've been with another blog. (GASP!) Yes, it is true Pioneer Woman has been stealing my time away from this blog. (Did that sound weird? Oh well.) It really shouldn't be that big of a surprise. I did mention, however briefly, my diversion to Pioneer Woman in my post about Bar-b-que Weiners. Not only does PW (that's Pioneer Woman - I'm lazy) cook, but she does take beautiful photographs. She also shares some great tips for those amateur photographers (like myself) who like to play in Photoshop. While I don't have any cows or Wranglers to take photos of I do have a very cute three year old (if I do say so myself). So just to show that all my PW reading has not gone to waste, I will share a little bit of what I have learned from good ole' PW. (I don't know if she's old, I just like using a little southern twang now and then - it keeps those west coast readers on their toes.) Sheez, that is the last time I'll use parentheses, I promise. (I think.)

Here is just a sampling of what I have learned:

A photo SOOC (Straight out of the camera - see, I really am lazy.)

Now, the same photo edited.

Besides the obvious black and white conversion and crop, I sharpened his eyes so that they sparkled a little more and added the "burned edge effect". Try to ignore the fact that the entire photo is a tad out of focus. Good thing I'm not taking any of this too seriously otherwise I would have felt bad for have not taken a better photo of a constantly moving three year old who has taken to actually putting his hand in front of the camera like I'm the papparazzi. Next time I will try hiding behind the bushes when he comes out of the 7-11. I hear that works.

Aloha

2008-03-26T22:30:00.003-05:00

This is Hawaii:

This is Hawaii when your friend Karen goes there:

A whole lotta nothin'!

Just kidding! I have to give my friend Karen over at Shama-lama Mama a hard time about not posting her photos from her trip to Hawaii yet. Oh sure, she's got plenty of excuses. Something about packing, moving, taking care of 3 boys, and some other nonsense. Whatever! Get with it girlfriend! ;)

Although my friendly banter (aka pestering) did result in her mentioning me in her blog not once but seven times! She only mentioned her mom once. How cool am I?

However, pay no attention to the fact that my blog had not been updated in a couple of weeks. I could just say that I'm so deprived of photos of palm trees and endless beaches that I can't bring myself to blog. Yeah, that's it!

Frugal Friday: Tortilla Chips

2008-03-14T22:17:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Frugal Friday!

Have you ever accidentally forgot to put the clip back on your bag of tortilla chips? Wait, don't throw out those stale chips! All hope is not lost! Spread them evenly on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 350 and in about 5 minutes you'll have warm crisp chips. Bring on the hot sauce!

To find out how Frugal Friday got started go here. If you have a frugal tip you'd like to share, just let me know. I promise to give you full credit and I'll even link your blog.

Wordless Wednesday: Frosty Comes To Texas

2008-03-12T00:00:00.003-05:00

" Where's the corn cob pipe and button nose?"

Hey, you work with whatcha got.

For more wordless fun go here and here.

You Know You Wanna Cook This... You Really Do

2008-03-10T11:32:00.008-05:00

Dinner challenge: Your friend calls you to have dinner at her house since both of your husbands are working late. You must find something that you can make by only using the ingredients you have on hand, it must be kid friendly, and it has to be gluten/wheat free.

Dinner Solution: Bar-b-que Weiners (or as my friend's daughter would say, Hot Dogs in Ketchup Sauce!)

So in Pioneer Woman fashion (if you haven't been reading her cooking blog I highly recommdend it) I bring you my favorite in a pinch recipe:

Bar-b-que Weiners

The cast of characters: Butter, Brown Sugar, Vinegar, Mustard, Ketchup, about 4-5 cut up hot dogs (use gluten free or turkey if desired), and rice. I tried to convince the rice to get in the picture but it wanted to be in it by itself. Whatever, I don't deal with Diva rice.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in large frying pan. I'm sure Pioneer Woman would have used twice as much butter, but whatever. Add cut up dogs. Cook a few minutes on some heat. You want more direction than that? They are hot dogs people, not lamb chops!

Add 1 cup of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of vinegar, and 1/3 cup of water to the pan and you get this creamy mixture. I know what you're thinking. Water wanted to be in the first picture but vinegar said no. Those two just don't seem to get along.

Cook some rice while you were doing all that other stuff and then serve like this:

Notice no vegetables or other sides are needed. Don't even try to put some on the plate. I'm serious, the weiners will just get jealous. See that one heading to the edge of the plate? I just casually mentioned that I might heat up some rolls and that one took off. In the end I decided to let it go. That's what they say isn't it? If you love something set it free.

Bar-b-que Weiners (aka Hot Dogs in Ketchup Sauce)

(adapted from my Mom's recipe - ok, ok, I just left out the onions, it's really her recipe)

2 tbl butter

4-5 cut up hot dogs

1 cup ketchup

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbl white vinegar

1 tbl mustard

Cook hot dogs in butter until slightly brown. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until creamy mixture. Serve over cooked rice.

Enjoy! And please forgive me Pioneer Woman.

Frugal Friday: Make Your Own Foaming Soap

2008-03-08T17:35:00.002-06:00

Welcome To Frugal Friday! (a little late)

Reuse those foaming soap dispensers by adding 1 tablespoon of your favorite hand soap, fill up with water and shake. Because life is too short to lather up yourself.

To find out how Frugal Friday got started go here. If you have a frugal tip you'd like to share, just let me know. I promise to give you full credit and I'll even link your blog.