The Hogan's 5

2010-01-12T01:08:00.002-06:00

So apparently I fell off the blogging bandwagon, then got run over by it. I returned at 11pm on Dec. 23rd from a wonderful week-long pre-Christmas trip to my sister's house. I arrived home to a completely dead computer. It wouldn't even turn on. So, after a trip to Geek Squad the day after Christmas, I found out that it would cost more to fix my 5-year-old computer than it would be to buy a new one. I shopped for a week and am finally up and running on the new ones. All my stuff is still stuck on the old one, though, because I don't want to pay Geek Squad $159 to get it off. And that was the cheapest quote I got. No new pictures for a while either. My old computer had a slot for my camera card and my new one doesn't. I haven't the faintest idea where the USB plug is. So, bear with me. I will share our pictures from Christmas hopefully before summer.

Bits and Pieces

2009-11-23T23:34:00.003-06:00

Here are some random video clips of the kids.

Thomas the Tank Engine outing:

Warehouse full of streetcars awaiting restoration. The live band was really neat.

Riding Thomas. Note George's reaction when he hears the whistle blow

Spinning:

Sweetness

2009-11-23T23:20:00.004-06:00

Kate made me breakfast in bed this morning (because that's what she thinks big girls do). Thank goodness she couldn't get the step stool out or she would have tried to make me coffee, too.

Pictures for Daddy

2009-11-13T10:26:00.001-06:00

Halloween and Newer

2009-11-04T14:13:00.003-06:00

I think we may have a supermodel in our future.

Ruby's Diner, the kids' favorite restaurant

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-22T21:48:00.003-05:00

I don't know why George looks like he has a Charlie Brown head in this photo.

Yes, that's a stick on Kate's head.

Pumpkin museum

Ya-hoo!

2009-10-15T23:56:00.002-05:00

Day 2 of riding with no training wheels. Turn your volume up.

A Little Bit of Lately

2009-10-15T22:40:00.006-05:00

See how long my hair is?

I had "one of those days" and my neighbor brought me flowers.

The rainbow I saw 5 minutes after I got the flowers.

George's favorite place to chill.

Told you. (Yes, that's a pink purse).

I thought I'd take on a project and teach Kate to ride her bike without training wheels. It took all of 15 minutes before she could ride completely by herself. Must be the skirt.

It rained 2 days in a row!

George's raincoat from Uncle Mitch and Lisa.

George loves markers--both coloring with and eating them.

George got a train book from Daddy and took it to the corner so no one would bother him. Did I mention that George LOVES trains?

My Little Redneck

2009-10-03T00:27:00.003-05:00

And so appropriate on the night I posted my camo Waffle House shirt.

Thank goodness it's Friday

2009-10-03T00:20:00.007-05:00

Note to self: Don't wear a Waffle House shirt unless you want all the neighbors asking,

"Is there a Waffle House here?!?"

I have to admit I like bedtime on these nights.

Big Day

2009-10-02T21:17:00.001-05:00

A first today: George climbed up the slide (not the steps) all by himself.

US Navy Video Feature - The Calling

2009-10-02T11:40:00.001-05:00

US Navy Video Feature - The Calling

Shared via AddThis

Anchors Aweigh

2009-10-02T11:34:00.006-05:00

Phillip participated in a burial-at-sea for 15 former servicemembers. Yes, they look happy, but I think it was the ashes of retirees or their family members.

(For those of you who care, Phillip's XO is the tall guy in the middle, his commanding officer is to the right of the XO and the ship's CO is at the far right.)

Manning the rails as the ship pulled away.

Indy films rock

2009-09-21T09:57:00.003-05:00

I really love independent films. Don't get me wrong--I love a good Matthew McConaughey chick flick as much as the next girl, but there's something about indy films that make you want to make the world a better place. Maybe it's the kinds of films I choose, but it seems to be consistent.
I joined Netflix while Phillip is deployed for something to do when I have nothing to do. Okay, I always have something to do but I don't always feel like doing it.
These are some of my favorites:
The Motorcycle Diaries: The story of 2 cousins/doctors who take a road trip around South America on a bum motorcycle, their ultimate destination being a leper colony. The language is kinda bad (even worse because you have to read it in the subtitles), but the message is good.
The Girl in the Cafe: Two loners meet in a cafe and he invites her to attend the G8 summit with him. Not an entirely believable story with security measures being what they are, but a strong message about ending poverty.
Henry Poole is Here: The story line isn't as important as the internal faith struggle of a terminally-ill man. It gave me a good perspective of how people who were never raised with or have walked away from faith must feel when they are presented with the idea of believing in something that seems so unbelievable.
Arranged: The story of two teachers, one Muslim and one Orthodox Jew, who become friends after their students ask them if they hate each other.

World's Worst Blogger, I know

2009-09-19T11:11:00.004-05:00

I'll have to be better now that Phillip is gone. Here's a recap of what we've been up to this month:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035290&id=1286237581&l=5367a8b04c

Since Mommy didn't want to pay expedited shipping...

2009-08-29T11:00:00.004-05:00

We bought Kate this awesome scooter for her birthday. It was delivered during our trip to the mountains. It's designed for kids 3-5 years old, though the website says that parents have reported that kids as young as 18 months are able to use it themselves. I didn't believe it...until now. This was George's first time on it.

Happy Birthday, my sweet Kate

2009-08-25T10:41:00.003-05:00

I can't believe Kate is 4! We had a breakfast party yesterday with 3 of her friends.

Fairy wands: pretzel rods, white chocolate, sprinkles.

2009-08-20T00:20:00.001-05:00

This will forever be one of my favorite commercials:

Neglect

2009-08-19T23:51:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the lack of new posts. Hannah has been sick, which we found out today is MONO!!! Poor girl has been just miserable and her tonsils are the size of small animals. Phillip has no other way to get pictures besides the blog because of all their security, but he has been in the field for a week and doesn't have computer access anyways.
Things to watch for: Kate's 4th birthday party on Monday and our mini vacations to Big Bear and San Diego over the next two weeks.

Keeping cool in the water

2009-07-31T20:44:00.006-05:00

We FINALLY found rash guards at the Rip Curl outlet near our house.

I saw three ships come sailing in...(you might have to click on the pic to see all 3).

Lately

2009-07-29T22:34:00.006-05:00

A typical Kate-in-La-La-Land picture.

Like father, like daughter: "Mom, I'm not going to smile because I'm pretty sure you're not suppose to take pictures in Chick-fil-a."

George's first time in the big-kid play space.

Big sisters are the best!

George's new favorite toy: the orange bungee.

We went to a puppet show on base with Kate's BFF, Reeder, from preschool last year. Kate adored her dress and talked about it for weeks. I found it at the outlet last week.

Me and my littlest love.

We often see Phillip's ships if we drive on the 5. However, he informed me today that none of these are his ship because was was in a different location. He has guys on all 3 ships, so he flies on a helicopter between them.

WAY off in the distance (to the right of the tree).

Another one (to the right of the beacon).

Nostaglia

2009-07-21T01:12:00.004-05:00

I all of the sudden have gotten to urge to go camping. The girls have been begging to go for the longest time and George would have such a blast playing in the dirt with rocks and sticks. Phillip and I haven't been camping since before Hannah was born. In fact, we spent our first two anniversaries in the Nantahala National Forest, the first year with my parents and the second year with his.
I have an incredibly ridiculous fear of wild animals, bears and mountain lions in particular. That fear wasn't helped by the fact that on the California national parks website, it suggests placing your baby's car seat in the metal locker on site to prevent the bears from breaking into your car to get it. Uh, maybe my fear is completely natural. When I was a kid, we went camping in Yellowstone and there are signs everywhere about locking up your food and pouring your dirty dish water into the outhouse. Well, I went to dump the water one night and ended up spilling it all in the outhouse. I woke up in the middle of the night and had to go to the bathroom SO bad, but I just knew there would be a bear in there licking up the bacon-grease water I had spilled earlier.
Anyways, I hope we end up going. We had a tent years ago, but a mouse died in it in the garage, so we threw it away. It stunk. It was only a 2-person tent, so it wouldn't have done us any good now. I'm sure for the price of buying all-new camping gear, we could probably fly to Hawaii for a week. I want my kids to have all the great memories I have from my childhood: fishing, camping, hiking, and lots of junk souvenirs that I, for some reason, still have to this day.

Seriously, who lives in LA?

2009-07-20T10:32:00.004-05:00

So my nephew got married a couple of weeks ago. He's in the Navy and will be stationed near Ventura, CA, so I decided to see how far that is from us. Here's what google maps said:

Suggested routes
I-5 S 154 mi
2 hours 43 mins (5 hours 20 mins in traffic)

Fabulous.

Everybody was kung fu fighting

2009-07-18T15:00:00.001-05:00

D-U-N Done

2009-07-17T10:02:00.003-05:00

I came across this photo this morning. It was taken about a month before George was born. Whew! How does one function with a belly that huge? After dreaming that I was pregnant by surprise again and Sotomayor was my OB, I think I'm really done.

I'll have the hoof and mouth with side of e.coli, please

2009-07-15T13:38:00.007-05:00

We went to the nicest, cleanest petting zoo EVER this past Saturday. The kids had a blast. It's a privately-owned farm that's open to the public. I was impressed; unlike most petting zoos that only distribute those foul-smelling food pellets from the gumball machine, we purchased baskets of fresh vegetables. Even the outhouses were the cleanest I've ever been in. Kate said, "This is a fun bathroom." I wouldn't exactly say that... We did use hand sanitizer--lots and lots of hand sanitizer.

After the goat-poop-on-Phillip's-shorts incident at the San Antonio zoo, we opted to feed the goats through the fence.

The carrots were just long enough that George's fingers didn't get nibbled. I don't want him to be afraid of goats. Kate is just now getting over her fear of birds after the peacock tried to steal her PB&J in Austin two years ago.

I felt like were back in Texas. The sun was hot that day; the car said 79 degrees, but I think it felt at least 85.

Paging Dr. Hogan

2009-07-15T11:03:00.001-05:00

Now this is what I call a church picnic...

2009-07-06T00:52:00.006-05:00

I'm really liking our new church. There's something nice about being back in our own denomination. Finding a church in Oceanside was exhausting, so as long as this church was good and the kids liked it (and they LOVED it from day 1), we decided we would stay there. To my surprise, I am liking it more every week. There is a wonderful dynamic between the older, retired population and the younger families. So many times churches are either young or old, or have two different services which essentially make it two churches. Today, for example, many of the retirees wore their dress uniforms for the special Independence Day service. I was moved to tears to see how proud, even to this day, they are to wear that uniform.

After church was the picnic and classic car show in the parking lot. The church members provided the cars.

Happy 4th

2009-07-05T10:51:00.006-05:00

I make this pie every year.

Our neighborhood had a block party. The kids and I decorated the wagon. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather: low 70s. Sure beats the near 100 temps we had in Austin last year!

Do I have to say that my kids love ribs?

We had to bundle for the fireworks.

The Adventures of Chaplain Hogan, Pt. 1

2009-07-01T22:46:00.002-05:00

Received this email from my love tonight:

Let me tell you a little story I like to call “Ode to a treadmill at sea.”
There’s this really cool room just beneath the bridge that we call the cardio bridge. It’s a long skinny room with windows all the way across the front just like the bridge above it where the Captain drives the ship. It has a bunch of workout equipment like bikes, stairclimber, and a treadmill. Well, who wouldn’t enjoy gazing over the bow of the ship, watching the waves on the open Pacific Ocean? At sea, there are swells that tend to rock the ship pretty significantly, but I won’t let that keep me from getting my cardio on. So, I’m running with my ipod on, watching the ocean, doing pretty well adjusting to the rocking motion of the ship. Suddenly, I think I see a humongous whale right in front of us and I forget for a minute that I am running 7 mph on a one and a half foot wide strip of rubber. Needless to say I snapped out of my amazement when I stepped off the belt and heard both feet smack the electrical box on the wall behind me. I acted on my lightening fast reflexes and latched on to the treadmills handles and pulled myself up, narrowly averting disaster. Of course, my heart was now beating faster than it was while running. It scared the mess out of me! There’s got to be a sermon illustration in this somewhere! Maybe “keeping your eye on the prize (not the whale),” or “staying on the straight and narrow.” Maybe I should try the bike. Thought you’d get a kick out of this.

Hurry back!

2009-06-28T10:14:00.003-05:00

Phillip left this morning for his first at-sea period. 2 weeks. Some people drown their sorrow, stress, anxiety in alcohol. I drink coffee. And eat molten chocolate cake. I'll probably need to have my teeth bleached by the time Phillip's long deployment is over. Oh well, at least my dental insurance pays half!

Round 2

2009-06-26T22:37:00.003-05:00

So ghetto van went back the the shop this week. The rat smell has slowly started coming back. Apparently there were still nests that weren't discovered the first time; thankfully they were only in the engine. While the van was in the shop, I drove a rental. A giant rental. A Chrysler Aspen. For being such an oversized SUV, it was remarkably small inside. There was no way we could have gotten 3 car seats in the middle seat. I've been thinking about going back to an SUV when ghetto van dies. After my week in the Aspen, NO WAY. I have such door ding anxiety! The van doors slide open, so we NEVER have to worry about whacking other people's cars. The Aspen's doors open all the way, which is nice, but holding George in one arm and trying to wake a sleeping 3-year-old and get her unbuckled with one hand while trying to not let the door hit the next car is impossible.
I feel like I need to care that I look like a total stay-at-home mom driving a van, but I really don't. I did resist the van when we were in the market after our Yukon ended up nearly being a lemon, but it only took one drive and I was hooked. And after a week of too-small parking spaces and door-ding anxiety, I love it all the more:)

We're back online

2009-06-26T12:17:00.003-05:00

Finally! I hope to get some updates posted at some point today. Phillip leaves on Sunday for his first at-sea period before his big deployment. He'll be back in two weeks.

Away we go!

2009-06-16T09:47:00.005-05:00

I am so ridiculously excited to move tomorrow. I hope it's a sign of good things to come. I am most excited that this move does not involve pregnancy, a newborn, or long distances. We won't even need to stop for a potty break!

South Carolina to North Carolina: Hannah was 5 weeks old, 356 miles took us 9 hours

North Carolina to Memphis, TN: 7 months pregnant, 864 miles (crashed with my parents between selling our house and moving into seminary housing)

Memphis, TN to Austin, TX: now 35 weeks pregnant, 648 miles, 1 gazillion degrees the day we moved in, took 9 days for our water to be turned on

Austin, TX to Pensacola, FL: George was 2.5 months old, 713 miles, one radiator cap and a stop at a Louisiana mall food court that screamed "food poisoning".

Pensacola, FL to Oceanside, CA: 2025 miles, 4 days. Need I say more?

Oceanside, CA to San Clemente, CA: 26.5 miles!!!!

Just a kid

2009-06-15T22:14:00.004-05:00

We made it to Chuck E. Cheese tonight. The girls didn't know we had rescheduled until Daddy got home from work.

We really need to find a Dave and Buster's for Phillip:

Sarah: Here Daddy. Each girl has 17 tokens and George gets 6.

Phillip: Do I get any?

Sarah: You and George get 6. I didn't know you wanted any. Do you want me to get you some?

Phillip: (in the most martyr-est voice you've ever heard) No. I'll share with George.

My Little Van Gogh

2009-06-14T13:00:00.004-05:00

Hannah's class did a unit on Van Gogh. Her teacher is responsible for art since there is not an art teacher at Hannah's school. Sad, I know. This is Hannah's interpretation of "Starry Night." She did an interpretation of "Sunflowers" as well, but her teacher is entering it in the art show at the San Diego County Fair, so it won't be returned to us until July. I love them both and they are going in frames in our new house.

Seriously!

2009-06-14T00:18:00.001-05:00

Superglue incident #3 tonight. I'm not kidding. I quickly pulled my fingers apart before they got super stuck. Maybe that's what I get for buying bobo superglue.

Word to the Wise...

2009-06-13T17:24:00.002-05:00

Don't tell your kids that you are taking them to Chuck E. Cheese for supper until Daddy is safely home from work.
Phillip had to go to the hospital with one of his guys just as he was leaving and he didn't get home until 8:30pm.

Bet you wish you were me tonight

2009-06-12T18:34:00.004-05:00

We're off to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate Hannah's last day of school. Joy. Chuck E. Cheese is so ghetto. I mean, what other place comes to your table as asks if you want to buy a balloon for your kids? We didn't have a single dime on us last time since this world now functions on check cards and they wouldn't accept our Chuck E. tokens.
I heard a bit on the morning show in the car the other day. They were talking about all the places to eat in San Diego that haven't changed their decor in the last 40 years. Someone asked if Chuck E. Cheese was still the same and everyone said yes. If I hadn't forgotten my phone at home, I would have totally called in. It is not the same anymore! Where are the animal heads on the wall that sing? The movie theater under the stage? The ball pit where I lost my charm necklace in 2nd grade?
Speaking of places that haven't changed--someone called in and said he went to his mom's house and drank from a B-100 glass. Everyone laughed. I guess B-100 isn't around anymore. I remember that station was always on when we'd go to the pool on the base when we lived in San Diego. (You know that pool, the one where Iceman has his promotion ceremony in "Top Gun").

I am glad school is done, especially since Hannah has been talking of "my dream boy in 3rd grade named Todd" for 3 days now. Yikes! New school, here we come.

Confiscated

2009-06-09T15:26:00.002-05:00

I have now sucessfully superglued my finger, not once but twice, this week to the object I was repairing. Thank goodness I still had enough dexterity to remove the object with polish remover by myself. I think superglue will be off limits while Phillip is gone.

Rip-Off (the bottle of cooking spray, not my new gadget to replace it)

2009-06-07T11:06:00.004-05:00

I finally bought a Misto after the last bottle of non-stick spray I bought cost $5.29!!! You pump the top to create pressure instead of using a propellant.

Gotta Love the Weekend

2009-06-07T02:23:00.005-05:00

I didn't really appreciate the weekends when Phillip was in seminary. He was home a lot between classes during the day. Now that he's working nearly 12-hour days, I have come to crave weekends.
Kate and I found telescoping marshmallow sticks in the Target dollar section. We tried them out on Friday night.

Tonight we ate at a pizza place at the beach, got some coffee, and walked on the sand at sunset.

I wasn't exaggerating

2009-06-07T02:21:00.001-05:00

I'm too sexy for these glasses

2009-06-05T16:24:00.006-05:00

Phillip FINALLY made it to the eye doctor after years and years of buying drugstore reading glasses. He couldn't have made it through seminary without those $24 glasses.

A friend of his from Officer School in Rhose Island is stationed at the hospital. She did his eye exam, dilated his eyes, and sent him out to pick frames before his eyes got blurry. As soon as he made it to the frame shop, he couldn't see a thing. Here's what he picked:

I'm only half-kidding. These are his birth-control glasses (BCGs) for the field and any other training that would mess up his good glasses. He did get a nice set of frames, with the help of his doctor/friend, of course, since he couldn't see them. He showed Hannah his BCGs and asked if she liked them. The poor girl was horrified, but didn't want to hurt Daddy's feelings. Later I had to ASSURE her that he would never need to wear them in public.

After the kids were asleep, Phillip and I started cutting up about his glasses. Glasses have always been a source of jokes in our house. He got a horrible pair of Napolean-Dynamitish gold-framed ones a couple of years ago from the Navy and his many-a-cheapo reading glasses have been repaired with tape, gorilla glue, paper clips (only to be worn in the house from that point).

Here's a couple of statements from our laugh session about those BCGs. (It would have been so much funnier if Mitch and Lisa Marie were there!) Wait, you need another look at them:

Phillip: They feel like they're made of wood. I think they would have gone with George Washington's teeth.

Sarah: Wow, they really magnify your eyes. Wait, if I take a picture, will the flash burn your retinas like a magnifying glass?

Phillip: Sabrina (the eye doctor) said I have a freckle on my retina. It's okay as long as it doesn't get bigger.

He had been buying 1.5-strength lenses himself, but Sabrina gave him a 5.0! He says they don't seem any different than his. Let's all give him a round of applause.

Good Ol' Walmart

2009-06-05T13:57:00.002-05:00

Cashier: Ma'am, would you like to donate a dollar to Children's Miracle Network today?

Me: Sure.

Cashier: I wish someone would give me a dollar. I'm as non-profit as they come.

Good Changes

2009-06-02T15:49:00.004-05:00

It's amazing how your life changes when you have kids. Since Hannah started kindergarten, we have followed that same routine on school nights: homework, dinner, a little playtime, bath, bed. Always the same. Never changes. I can't remember the last time we went somewhere after supper. There is simply not enough time to get anything else done before the kids need to be in bed. How strange it will be as our kids get older and we start loosening up on the schedule. When we got married, I went to bed at 9:30pm since that had been my bedtime just 2 months prior in high school!
All that to say...tonight is an exception to the schedule. Hannah's second grade program, "It's a Jungle Out There," is at 6pm. She had a dress rehearsal/performance for the school yesterday. On our way home, she said, "Momma, I was so stage-fright, but I didn't pee on the floor or anything."

A week late

2009-05-29T22:28:00.010-05:00

Wow, it has taken me a whole week to post about our long weekend. Here are the highlights:

Saturday:

We headed to San Diego for the afternoon. We went to the Gaslamp District and found our first cupcake place (it was actually called a "cupcake lounge"). They have become all the rage in Austin. It was crowded downtown since a jazz fest had some of the streets blocked off and there was a Padres game later that day.

Phillip was being a little paranoid about George getting chocolate frosting on Daddy's white shirt.

G-man loves cupcakes.

We headed to the base next to see the ship Phillip will be cruising on. It was big and really gray.

We went to Balboa Park and rode the carousel. I'm sure we have pictures of me riding that same carousel when I was a kid. It will be 100 years old next year and all of the animals, with the exception of 2 pairs, are original. George rode a bitty horse.

It was the longest, fastest ride we've ever been on!

Potty break at the Natural History museum. At $25 per person, we weren't stopping in on a whim 45 minutes before closing. I found out today that it is free for military families on the first Tuesday of each month.

Sunday:

Charley's Tacos after church, thanks to my friend Sara (and Kelly who first made them for me). Daddy went to the base for a haircut and came home with a (piece-of-junk) slip'n'slide. George loved it, but the girls got all banged up. We let it dry and packed it up.

Monday:

We returned the slip'n'slide and picked up a new charcoal grill. Our faithful but nearly-rusted-through gas grill didn't make the trip from Austin. We haven't had charcoal since Hannah was 5 weeks old, when we left that grill in S.C. after it wouldn't fit on the moving truck to N.C. We made ribs, corn-on-the-cob and The Lady's mac and cheese. Homemade cherry pie and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

We switched out the bump'n'bruise for a pool.

George liked it...

until Kate pulled his bottom in.

Then he was more content to be outside the pool.

The End.

In other news...I have switched from sugar to Splenda in my coffee. Now that's huge.

God Changes People

2009-05-24T21:22:00.004-05:00

I adore my 5-year-old nephew, Jack. I had to steal this straight off my sister's blog:

Jack: Mommy, did you know that God changes people?

Angie: Yes, He does.

Jack: Just like He changed Saul to Paul.

Angie: That's right!

Jack: And Anakin to Darth Vader.

Where have I been?

2009-05-20T13:25:00.008-05:00

I got a new One Step Ahead catalog today and was very interested in their huge selection of baby gates. Our current landlord has small kids, so he was gracious enough to leave his baby gates behind for us to use, but we'll need new ones once we move. However, I discovered all these gadgets that I didn't know even existed. I don't know how I've been mothering without them:)
No guessing, no forgetting! These color-changing wristbands alert you when it's time to reapply sunscreen or even seek shade. Each time during the day that you cover your child with sunscreen, just coat the UV wristband, too. Adjustable, waterproof, and disposable. Calibrated to work with sunscreens SPF 15 and higher. Sun monitors are sensitive to both UVA and UVB rays. For ages 12 months and up.
SolarSafe® Monitor Wristbands 7-Pack Item #: 15208 $7.95

Introducing a faster, easier way to potty train boys: with the world's only flushable toddler urinal! Now boys can learn to go standing up from the start (just like Daddy!). The low basin makes aiming easier, promoting success and reducing mess. Kids love pushing the flush button when they're done. (Boys love it so much, they may even train faster.) Includes fillable water tank (no plumbing needed) and removable holding tray with all-day capacity. Great for transitioning to standing, too. Height adjustable, for 18 months-4 years. 5-minute assembly. Colors may vary. This item may arrive in manufacturer's box with a picture of the item showing. Peter Potty® Toddler Urinal
Item #: 13060
$47.95

Half the challenge of potty training: reminding kids when it's time to go! Potty Watch does it for you, alerting kids with music and lights that truly gets their attention. Set at regular 30, 60, or 90-minute intervals. Bonus: in "play" mode kids can sing along with the music while they are going potty, encouraging them to try long enough to get results. Pediatrician recommended. (Another reason to love this watch: others on the market cost four times more!) Imported. Requires 2 AG-13 button cell batteries (included). For ages 18 mos. and up.
Potty Watch™
Item #: 13528
$10.95

We love this all-natural remedy for colic, gas, and fussiness — and so does our Parents Panel! Put this soothing herbal pack on baby's upset tummy, and watch her quickly shift from cranky to calm. No drops or drugs — it comforts with gentle warmth and the natural aromatherapy of lavender, chamomile, and lemongrass. (Bonus: you'll feel calmer, too!) Just microwave 30 seconds. Size adjustable, with Velcro® closure. For birth-8 months. Imported.
Happi Tummi™
Item #: 13194
$19.95

Finally! No more playing "dropsy" with teething biscuits, bagels, and finger foods. Just lasso this silicone loop around your child's treat, adjust to fit, and clip to his top. Keeps food clean, ends waste, and spares you from endlessly retrieving dropped snacks. Great for use in strollers, shopping carts, and restaurant highchairs (all which seem to inspire kids to drop their food). But so convenient, you'll use it at home, too. Imported.
Snacker Catcher
Item #: 15103
$8.95

95°F inside your sun-baked car? With this powerfully cooling sun shade, you can keep your child's car seat around a comfortable 69°F! That's right: in performance tests, the heat-deflecting cover lowered temperatures by an average of 26°. With elasticized edge for easy on/off. Folds flat and loops closed for compact storage. Imported.
Car Seat Sun Shade
Item #: 15014
$8.95

I have to admit I like this one. Anything to keep the kids from falling in. Now if we could only do something about those auto-flush toilets in public that scare Kate to death...

Random

2009-05-20T11:22:00.004-05:00

Some events (rather, non-events) of the past week:

George got stuck in the Barbie house (please note that he is fussing because he wants to see the himself on the camera screen).

Tea party at 9am (we each had 4 cups).
My Southern boy! I made red beans and rice, collards, and cornbread and he ate every bit.

It was our turn to flock. I wanted to plug the lights in, but these CA houses don't have exterior outlets.

George loves his new birthday rocking chair that my grandpa made.

Phillip was issued his gear for the deployment. Kate said, "I'm saying 'cheese', but you can't see my mouth."

Chicago

2009-05-17T23:31:00.005-05:00

Phillip left Thursday afternoon from San Diego to fly to his brother's graduation from boot camp in Great Lakes. He was lucky enough to get non-stop flights there and back on Southwest.

Click here for pictures until I get them transferred from the laptop. (They're towards the bottom).

What a night

2009-05-17T23:15:00.006-05:00

Tonight we got flocked. Our church is doing a flocking fundraiser for VBS. The girls were so excited. Since Kate lost Barth, she momentarily got attached to the flamingos like pets.

Then, for the big news...we had our first earthquake. A pretty significant shake, we thought. Apparently not that big for the rest of everyone else who lives here because waited and waited for an immediate news break that never came. I had to go online to find something.

It was a 5.1 in L.A., but was big enough to wedge our front door at the bottom. We were pretty sure that this house has stuctural problems and now we are even more sure.

Carrot Cake

2009-05-16T11:32:00.004-05:00

I keep meaning to write a post with all my favorite recipes, but digging them all up would me I wouldn't actually post until next year. So, they'll come one at a time.
Alton Brown says that the density of carrot cake actually makes it a muffin, so I guess that means I can eat it for breakfast?!?! His recipe is my very favorite. I decorate the base of mine with Annie's bunny grahams.
If I get around to making it today, I'll post a picture.

Mommy of the Year

2009-05-15T19:06:00.003-05:00

Yes!!! I have finally won! My sweet, sweet baby boy awoke from his nap covered with chocolate. Only it wasn't chocolate. He was covered HEAD TO TOE and couldn't have been happier. He had quite a time. I'm not sure if he did it before he fell asleep or when he woke up, but I had to wrap him in a blanket and put him in the tub with his clothes on. And this all happened 15 minutes before I needed to leave to pick Hannah up from school.
I'd like to thank wonderful husband, my mom, my dad, my sister, my kids...

Sweet Mother, It's Caseload Sale

2009-05-15T13:38:00.005-05:00

Caseload sales at the commissary are NO JOKE. I only go to the commissary about once a month to stock up on dry goods and frozen items, since I buy meat, milk and produce at great prices at a local place I have come to adore. I haven't been there in several weeks, so I didn't know it was caseload weekend. I've been shopping on pay day before, and as long as I get there early and keep up a good pace, I usually have no problems. Except on caseload weekend. I pulled into the parking lot 10 minutes after opening and spent another 10 minutes trying to find a place to park. We got a cart and took a quick stroll around the parking lot sale. I did see a couple of good items: 2 huge jars of Skippy peanut butter for $6, a 4-pack of Suave kids shampoo for $3.50. Just as I was reaching my hand towards the peanut butter, I got a glimpse of the line. No thanks. We turned right around and went to do our regulary-scheduled shopping inside.
The store was clearly set up by a woman;) Paper and cleaning products are first, then pet items, cereal, snacks. It's organized so that you stack the larger items on the bottom and work up to smaller items, like condiments, soup, that kind of stuff. Frozen/refrigerated food is last. As I worked my way through the dry good to the frozen cases, my heart fell. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LINE. The line was all the way across the front of the store and wrapping around the side. I guess the caseload sale brings people inside as well while they're there. I called it quits right then and went to secure my place before it got any longer. I was out of real estate anyways since I opt for the basket that seats 2 kids over the one that only seats 1 child with more storage space. Now, understand that Camp Pendleton is the size of Rhode Island. Most of the land is undeveloped, but because there are no Super Walmarts here, the commissary is the cheapest place to shop in general. All 25 registers were open and hoppin'. I would guess that I was about the 20th person in line and I made it through in less time than I spend sitting in the Starbucks drive-thru. I was shocked, amazed, and so very thankful. George was on his last leg.
I may return on Saturday to the caseload sale; my bagger said that Saturday afternoon should be pretty dead since most people rush to get there on Friday.
Whew. I need a nap.

Mommy is a Liar

2009-05-14T23:36:00.005-05:00

Day 5.
Can you guess what was suppose to happen? They're just as pink as they were on Sunday.

Friday came early

2009-05-14T23:22:00.004-05:00

Phillip left this afternoon for Chicago; his brother is graduating from Navy boot camp tomorrow morning. I wanted to take the kids (read: take Mommy) to In-N-Out on Friday night, but decided to go tonight instead. We ate our burgers and fries on a blanket in the family room and watched "Willy Wonka."My way: cheese, sauce, grilled onions.

conjoined

2009-05-14T23:20:00.002-05:00

I wonder if something is up with the water here because this is the 4th local strawberry we have gotten that looks like this.

Phillip's fav

2009-05-14T23:17:00.003-05:00

Quick and simple!

Sarah's Key Lime Pie

1c graham cracker crumbs
4T butter, melted

(or use a ready-made crust)

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3c key lime juice or lime juice (found near the alcohol, not the kind in the plastic lime bottle)
4 egg yolks

Mix graham crumbs with melted butter and press into 9” pie pan. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 250 degrees. Mix milk and key lime juice. Add egg yolks one at a time. Pour into crust and bake for 20 minutes. Chill for several hours. Top with sweetened whip cream.

Bride Wars

2009-05-09T11:33:00.006-05:00

So we watched that movie last night. It was cute. I even cried. But I was most sad that I live on the other side of the country from my sister. She's always been my best friend since we moved around so much. Maybe, just maybe, we will live within a day's drive of her one day.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-08T13:15:00.002-05:00

My sister sent me this silly video for Mother's Day:)

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=Il1.jdaruYyYO8bEPYOatDU1OTY1&referred_by=15835185-XctlTpx

Killer Abs

2009-05-08T10:40:00.004-05:00

George LOVES LOVES LOVES to play outside. If he sees someone go out, he follows, and if he can't follow, he throws a fit. Now that we no longer have a dog, the kids can actually play in the grass. Water is really expensive here--like $130/month--so we've cut back watering the lawn to every couple of days. (Only the back yard, though, or we'll get another letter from the HOA about our brown grass). The water bill is down $25, but now the grass is kind of crunchy and George won't crawl on his knees.

Ghetto

2009-05-07T23:58:00.005-05:00

Yea! My new stroller is supposed to come tomorrow! I've really needed one since I sold mine. I remembered the day my mom flew in that I had an old $10 umbrella stroller from before the kids were born stashed in the garage somewhere. Well, I found it, set it up, and parked it behind the van so I could put it in the back before we left for the airport. Got everyone loaded up. Huh? Did I just run over something? I forgot to load the stroller in the van and it must have been positioned just right that the back-up sensors didn't catch it. I ran over the front wheels of the stroller with the back wheels of the van.
And Phillip is worried about leaving me home with the kids for 7 months...

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T21:04:00.002-05:00

Being that we are of Caucasian, non-Latino descent, I'm not sure if fajitas come from Mexico, but that's how we celebrated. Hannah gave us the history lesson of the day over dinner.

Partners in Crime

2009-05-05T11:54:00.004-05:00

George and Kate tried working together to get Hannah's password diary open. No luck this time, but they have gotten it open in the past. I think it's funny how George knows to speak into the microphone once the voice starts talking.

Our new stomping ground

2009-05-04T18:07:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we went up to San Clemente to check out the beach and the town. We showed Kate the house (since she was asleep the day before on our way to Costa Mesa). She, of course, was thrilled to see the playgrounds. The pool should be finished at the end of the year...just in time for the rainy...cold...winter season.
We ate lunch at the pier, walked around a bit and played in the sand. From what we've read, San Clemente is the "wholesome, family-friendly" beach town of Orange County. The best part? There is a Krispy Kreme just a few miles from our house!

Sunscreen lineup

Hannah had a Shirley Temple.

Kate was very proud of her coloring,

George makes the worst faces but loves lemons.

Compromise

2009-05-04T10:27:00.007-05:00

Thanks for all of your votes on the stroller. And the winner is...neither. I sat down to order the apple stroller and it went off sale at midnight. Since Maclaren comes out with new models every year, I could not bring myself to pay full price knowing that, in January, I could buy the same stroller for half the price. I am thrifty by nature (and nurture), and though I'm getting better, I still haven't whipped it completely. I did love the apples stroller more, but I ended up purchasing last year's model for over $100 less. It's a good compromise I think.

Uncle Mitch would be proud

2009-05-03T10:20:00.003-05:00

I forgot again that I can't take video this way. Sorry.

I found out yesterday that George just loves "The Backyardigans" theme song. When he is sitting down, he swings his arms from side to side to dance.

The New House

2009-05-03T10:12:00.005-05:00

So here's our new house. It's a duplex in base housing. The foreclosure we wanted ended up being priced WAY more than our agent said it would be priced. Oh well. We took the girls by our new house yesterday on our way up to Costa Mesa. Now we'll be only 30 minutes from our friends there. We'll be moving mid- to the end of June after Hannah finishes school.

The yards aren't fenced since it is a "No Pet" housing area, so we have a huge playground for a back yard.

(Bitty) Big Boy

2009-05-02T11:19:00.006-05:00

George went for his 12-month well check yesterday. I guessed that he would weigh 17 pounds and I was right! Actually he weighs 17 lbs 15 oz. He in the 25-50th percentile for his height and 75th for his head, but he weight doesn't even fall on the growth curve. I wasn't surprised. Hannah weighed 16 pounds at 1 year and 18 pounds at 2 years. Kate weighed 18 pounds at 1 year. As soon as the doctor asks how tall Phillip and I are, all concern is gone. Next time I should tell the doctor that dad is 6'7".

Big Boy fed himself yogurt with a spoon this morning.

Just look at those teeth (and that neck. I'm not too concern about his weight with rolls like that).

It works!

2009-05-01T12:10:00.003-05:00

Not bad. Not bad at all. Just a little brown at the bottom after 1 day in the fridge. I think that after just a few avocados, this little puppy has paid for itself!

The Adventures of Flat Sue

2009-04-30T13:50:00.006-05:00

Hannah is doing a Flat Stanley project at school. If you're not familiar with Flat Stanley, he's the main character in the series of kids' books by the same name. He gets flattened when a bulletin board falls on him, so his parents send him on adventures around the world in an envelope because it's cheaper than airfare. Hannah chose to send her Flat Sue to Poppy in Afghanistan. Here's some of Sue's adventures:

Countries who currently have soldiers on Poppy's base (L to R): United States, United Nations (NATO), Afghanistan, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, New Zealand

Two American guards at the gate

Afghan guards at the gate

(They can barely contain their excitement).

He Walks!

2009-04-30T00:36:00.004-05:00

Much to our delight, George decided to show off his new skills tonight for the camera.

Have you seen this on TV?

2009-04-29T18:52:00.004-05:00

I found this product at Bed Bath and Beyond and thought I'd give it a try. Avocados are so plentiful here, so they never cost more than $.50 a piece. I always have at least a couple on hand, some in the cabinet to ripen and more in the fridge to replace the ones in the cabinet. My problem is, though, that I try not to eat an entire avocado on my sandwich, so I'm left with the other half that gets brown in the fridge even if I put lemon juice on it. My solution: the Avo Saver! It totally seems like it would be an As-Seen-on-TV product. It has a space for the pit (which apparently keeps it from oxidizing as quickly). I'll let you know how it works!

Exercise your right to vote

2009-04-29T11:25:00.008-05:00

I sold my stroller and infant car seat on Craig's List with the intention of buying a new umbrella stroller immediately. Well, Phillip thinks I needs a stroller that reclines since the once I had planned on buying doesn't, so I've been looking, looking, looking (George actually slept in the jogger at Legoland, so I now agree). Here are my 2 choices:

I LOVE the green and black one, but I don't know if it is too girly for George. It has an apple motif. Let me know whether you prefer apples or red.

I'm Melting

2009-04-28T18:41:00.002-05:00

This morning when we dropped Kate off at preschool, she kissed me, then George. As we were walking away, George waved and said, "Bye." All on his own. With no prompting. No better way to start the morning:)

Legoland, Part Deux

2009-04-27T11:36:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, we hit up Legoland for a second time. Our BOGO free tickets were set to expire at the end of the month. See the photo album to the right for all of our new pictures.
Since the area is so military friendly, we can get free family admission to Sea World one time this year. Phillip gets a free 3-day ticket to Disney and free admission all year to the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park.
Speaking of perks, we got our name slated for base housing in San Mateo. It's a gated community with a guard (as opposed to actually being on the base) that is walking distance to the beach! It is also walking distance to old San Clemente, a beach town. We really miss that about Austin; we could walk to get coffee, donuts, dinner and movies. If we want the house, our move-in date would be mid-June. Better yet, since we were on the waiting list for base housing when we moved here and there was nothing available, TMO will move us into base housing (read: FREE). No packing or hauling for us!

My Sweetpea

2009-04-24T10:35:00.003-05:00

George finally cut his 2 top teeth yesterday.

I'm sure they'll start showing up in pictures very soon.

What do you do when it's a hundred degrees in Southern California and you don't have A/C?

2009-04-21T23:51:00.003-05:00

You let the kids run in the sprinklers like of bunch of rednecks. That's what:)

George was afraid of the water.

Here's to You, Austin

2009-04-21T23:45:00.004-05:00

In honor of our favorite crepe place in Austin (served on my UT platter, of course).
Phillip's favorite: cinnamon sugar with cream cheese icing and toasted coconut
Sarah's favorite: Nutella with bananas and strawberries

http://fliphappycrepes.com/

Whew! What a Day

2009-04-20T10:48:00.006-05:00

Saturday morning we headed up to American Girl Place in Beverly Hills. After being stuck in L.A. traffic for hours, we made it to the cafe just in time for our reservation. It is so much fun! All of the little girls there were having a birthday, so every time the staff would come out to sing, all of the little girls in the restaurant would sing to each other. It was great. I mean GREAT! Hannah received quite a bit of money for her birthday since most of our family knew we were taking her there, so she had enough to buy a new doll. Hannah is usually indecisive with her own money, but she knew exactly what she wanted. Better yet, second grade has honed her math skills and she could calculate prices in her head to know exactly what she could afford. Kate had a bit of money, too, and got her Bitty Baby a new outfit and a backpack.

After walking around the outdoor mall (and seeing all of the strollers I've been looking at in action), we sat in traffic some more and got home just in time to order Chinese for supper. WE had cake after supper. Hannah designed it and I made it. I realize it's a bit on tacky side, but it's better than store-bought and what Hannah wanted most.

It was an all-around, wonderful day to remember.

Just Another Day at the Office

2009-04-16T22:59:00.004-05:00

Phillip went to the helo dunker today and learned how to get out of a helicopter if it crashes over water. Two hours in 73 degree water sounds like fun to me. He's been home for hours now and is still cold and has a head full of water.
They watched a video of a helicopter crash from several years ago. Turns out that he knew used to work with the corpsman who was killed on that crash. Phillip knew he had died, but didn't know the circumstances until today.
That's Phillip in the wet suit. Haha. Just kidding. This is exactly what he did today. He was strapped into his seat just like the guys on the left and right.

2009-04-16T19:09:00.003-05:00

We've been looking at the local bulldog rescue sites. If our kids were older, we would totally adopt this pair.Name: Lola & Jiggs

Age: 5

Gender: Female

Location: Southern California, CA

Reason given up for adoption: Owners lost home.

Temperament: Good as pair

Health Condition: Good - some special needs

Placement Limitations: So Cal, adult home or teenagers acceptable, as a pair.

Lola and Jiggs are a pair of bulldogs looking for a home together. They are both in the 5/6 year range and always been with each other. The two have special needs -- Lola (brown and white) on the left, has some vision issues and need to have her cleaned and eye drops. Jiggs (all white) on the right - recently had ear canal surgery and they were removed, he is now effectively deaf. Together they are a pair and depend on each other, Lola depends on Jiggs to see things and alert her and Jiggs depends on Lola to hear first.. they stay very close to each other when sleeping, though independent when playing in the house. They can hop up in beach chairs, love treats and attentive. WE CAN NOT SPLIT THE PAIR ..please don't ask. We've had lots of offers for one home if we split the dogs - but this is about the pair staying together and 'we will do that'. Do to their handicaps, as slight as they are - they do startle easy and not recommend for home with children under the age of 13 -children need to be old enough to understand how to not startle a deaf dog and accept the limitations of play-time with the pair. They are living very well in an all adult home, go for walks - play in the yard, sun themselves and as cute in personality as they are in the photo. They adore attention and really will seek that time with their family members and love to watch TV. Lola and Jiggs won't be placed out of the Southern California area, only in homes with not other pets and no young children.

Yea, George!

2009-04-16T17:45:00.003-05:00

Last night we were all watching "Bedtime Stories" in the living room. My laundry buzzed that it was done, so since Phillip had everyone under control in one room, I decided to take the laundry upstairs. Well, since it was still quiet downstairs (other than laughter), I thought I would fold the clothes before they got all wrinkly. Next thing I hear is Phillip shrieking. George had decided to take his first steps, 5 of them, and Phillip was so shocked, he scared George while hollering for me to come downstairs. I missed it. True, I have witnessed all of their firsts since I'm the one at home, but I would have liked to see it. Phillip said he wasn't wobbly or stiff, but walked as if he had been walking for years. George took 2 steps for me today. All of the sudden he can balance every time we set him down and he tries to walk to us if we call him. It's so cute to see how proud he is of himself.

Boo-boo

2009-04-16T10:10:00.001-05:00

Last week I was cleaning the office and found that all of my thank-you cards from Christmas had, in fact, not been sent, but had fallen between the desk and the filing cabinet. Forgive me friends and family!

Spring Break Entertainment

2009-04-15T00:19:00.005-05:00

Hannah is on Spring Break this week. Yesterday was great: we played outside forever since it was so warm and beautiful. Beyond our errand to Target today, though, we were stuck inside. Cold, rainy, nasty all day. Let me just say that I lost track of how many times I said, "No throwing toys in the house, please." The 25-foot ceiling must beckon them. Even my husband's 5 foot 8 self and his 6-foot ladder won't be able to reach it.

2009-04-13T12:11:00.002-05:00

We Still Can't Believe We Got a Boy and Now He's a Year Old

2009-04-13T10:02:00.003-05:00

Easter Pictures (or as Phillip would say, "Please, no more pictures.")

2009-04-12T15:17:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday, George!

2009-04-12T09:18:00.005-05:00

My acceptance speech is getting old

2009-04-09T00:59:00.003-05:00

How is it possible for me to win Loser Mommy of the Year 3 times already this year and it's only April? George fell down the stairs today. We have a baby gate, but the neighbor's daughter was over and everyone was having fun and someone came down the stairs and forgot to latch the gate at the bottom. I was in the kitchen and I heard 2 thuds before I realized what it was. The bend in the staircase curbed his descent. He wasn't hurt and didn't even have any red marks on him. He fell about 6 or 7 steps. I always dread that silence while waiting for the wail. Thankfully, he was crying because he was more scared than hurt.

Our Cutie Pa-Tootie

2009-04-05T22:28:00.003-05:00

What a Night

2009-04-04T14:36:00.003-05:00

Last night we took the kids to Toys R Us to find George some birthday presents. As we were pulling in the parking lot of the strip mall, we noticed there was yellow police tape all across the drive in front of the store. The news trucks were there and the parking lot had been sprayed with water. A car was being towed away and Phillip thought a pedestrian must have been hit.
Well, Phillip watched the 11:00 news and we were a little wrong. A lot wrong! A lady had been stabbed in her car in broad daylight moments before we pulled up. The guy threw the knife and sat down to wait for the cops. The police think it was a random act of violence (it's a good area of town). Thank goodness Phillip had fallen asleep while we were getting to go or we could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Thank goodness for weekends

2009-03-29T00:50:00.005-05:00

My aunt came up to visit during her vacation to San Diego. We went to In N Out for lunch. Kate doesn't like restaurant burgers, so she brought a PB&J in her Cinderella purse.

We took the kids to the beach tonight to watch the sun set. We needed to get out of the house.

Kate asks to go to Starbucks by name. Vanilla steamers are her favorite.

Last video

2009-03-29T00:35:00.006-05:00

Barth had a rough week. On Tuesday he didn't eat his food, which ALWAYS means he's going to have a seizure that night. He did, but just a little one. On Wednesday he didn't eat again and started have a lot more seizures, but they weren't his regular epileptic ones. Long story short, as of yesterday, Barth hadn't eaten anything since Tuesday and was so weak, he couldn't walk. Phillip got home early from work on Friday and took Barth to the vet. He started going downhill even more (I'll spare you the details) and the vet thought that, given his particular symptoms, he probably had a brain tumor. We were given this possibility 18 months ago when his epilepsy started. I took the kids to the vet and they got to say goodbye. I nearly turned around on our way there because Hannah said that Barth was going to die and Kate lost it. She was sobbing. I told her that Barth was going to live with Jesus so Jesus could make him better and Kate said, "Then Jesus will give him back to us?" She just kept saying, "I want to bring Barth home with us." I was crying as hard as she was at that point. We got to the vet and a dog was being pulled out of the back of a pickup on a stretcher and the owner was crying. Great. Just great. My kids were standing there watching the whole thing. Kate said, "I fink that dog is sick, too." I think it was already dead. Anyways, we got into the room with Barth and Kate was fine. She told Barth that he was going to live with Jesus. Barth had a sheet from home over his back, so Kate pulled to up to his neck, gave him a kiss, and tucked him in. She had made her peace and didn't shed a single tear. Hannah, one the other hand, was crying and couldn't understand why Barth couldn't have brain surgery to make him better.
Phillip and I are taking it the hardest, though, and cried all evening after the kids went to bed. Barth was such a sweet dog--the sweetest ever.
We made this video last week. Barth has always been super-protective of the kids, even if Phillip acts like he's going to get them. We've even read that some bulldogs feel they need to intervene if a parent scolds a child in a firm voice.

New Found Freedom

2009-03-25T13:33:00.002-05:00

Kate is loving her new school. I am loving my time to run errands, clean house and play with baby George. April seems to be our special events month: George's birthday, Hannah's birthday and Easter. Nana is coming for Hannah's birthday so it will be extra special! We're having lunch at American Girl Place in L.A. and Hannah will get to spend her birthday money while we're there. George is having--what else?--a Texas birthday. It's going to be a celebration of all things Texas (except the Shiner, of course, since we don't drink). We've invited all the families we know in CA, all three of them. It should be fun: ribs, bouncy house for the kids, adult conversation.

My Favorite Hymn

2009-03-20T13:43:00.004-05:00

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me save that thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, thou my true word
I ever with thee, thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I thy true Son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my battleshield, sword for the fight
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight
Thou my soul's shelter, thou my high tower
Raise thou me heavenward, O power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and thou only, first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, after victory won
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Polite is the word of the day

2009-03-19T17:59:00.003-05:00

Moving to California has been good for me. I am such an introvert and don't usually speak to stangers unless spoken to and it's often short at that. Well, being that I don't have many friends, I have started to talking to people I don't even know. I struck up a conversation at the cross walk with a mom who was wearing the same baby carrier that I have. Another mom and I were looking at shoes on base and I pointed out that a certain pair of Stride Rites that looked to be her baby's size were marked down to $7. I have always wanted to be one of those pastor's wives who can make conversation effortlessly, so I guess this is my chance to practice.
I went through the Starbucks drive-thru this morning after I dropped Kate off at preschool. I haven't had a mocha in a while and thought I'd treat myself while I might actually have time to drink it while it's still hot. I hand the guy my card and he starts asking me what I'm doing today. Well, since you asked...my kids are at school, I have the morning to myself (because having only 1 is practically like having none these days), blah, blah, blah. Then, at some point, I realize he's already handed me both my drink and my card back. I felt like such an idiot! At least he was nice about it. In my defense, it has been a long time since I have gotten my drink that quickly at Starbucks. Maybe the recession has made the line shorter.

That's My Boy

2009-03-17T23:19:00.005-05:00

The weather has been so beautiful lately. Phillip and George got some car time in on Sunday. George went straight for the tools, picked up a wrench and tried to reach for the engine. Amazing! It must be a boy thing.

Flannel. Car repair. A viewing of Cars...the perfect redneck Sunday afternoon.

My Irishmen

2009-03-17T01:14:00.001-05:00