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Drawing, Eating, and Countering

2012-02-09T21:09:00.002-06:00

So we are still going back and forth with the potential buyer. I guess we will know next week for sure whether we need to be looking for an apartment in MS and a house in TX.

While going back and forth with counter offers, we have also been raising this goon.

Chuck drawing one of his many pictures

Chuck enjoying his sketti a little too much.

Our First Offer!

2012-02-08T20:31:00.002-06:00

We have had our first offer on our house! We did not accept and countered so we will see what happens from here. Deep down I have a feeling that this is not our buyer. If it is, then we may be scrambling to Tyler in a couple of weeks to find a house since we would have to have our furniture out of this one by March 30th. Again, we are playing the waiting game. Eek! We also would have to find a short term rental here.

I will keep you updated. I must go as it is 8:30 and I am just sitting down to do lesson plans which I usually work on over a three day period. Next week my students are going to learn a lot, maybe!

Time Management

2012-02-03T16:17:00.002-06:00

First off, I love this comic about what all you can get done without your kids around compared to with your kids. Check it out here.

Also, we have more lookers coming tomorrow! Right smack dab in the middle of nap time but I think Chuck isn't going to mind that at all! We have had steady lookers for the last few days. Our realtor (along with my father) says they are surprised at the traffic we have had ( for this city and for this market.) We haven't heard any feedback. We do know the lady that has looked twice and brought a contractor, hasn't made a decision yet and will be meeting with her realtor this weekend. At least we know we are still in the running. I think I am ready to start looking for my house in Tyler!

House for Sale

2012-02-02T21:19:00.002-06:00

We are still here! Chuck has been a little snotty nosed.

We had someone come look at the house this morning and 8 and then we have someone coming tomorrow at 10:30 so the lookers are still constant.

We are hosting Ginger's (our next door neighbor) surprise 60th birthday party here on Sunday. Everyone ( on the street) is bringing a dish. I reckon the men will watch some football. I figure it may be the last time I can have the neighbors ( that I am going to mis so much) over to the house before we are gone.

Hopefully, I will get some pics on here this weekend.

Future Soccer Player

2012-01-30T21:46:00.002-06:00

I made it through today and as a reward of surviving yet another Monday I got to play soccer with my Chuck Chuck. We haven't ever really worked on any skills. He is actually just getting really good at kicking. Apparently, he knows how to dribble. He doesn't know what to do with his arms other than just throw them up in the air but I was very impressed with what I was seeing. This video I got shows some pretty mad dribbling skills but right before this he was in a constant dribble for at least a minute. Impressive!

As of tomorrow, we will have our daddy for a whole month. Who knew that after two weeks of vacation, Dada will be on toxicology where he just waits for someone to get bitten by a snake, drink poison, or overdose. He is kind of like ( or IS) the doctor that the poison control people call if they don't know what to tell the people that call the hotline. So, although he will have a pager that could go off at any second, he will just be sitting around the house ( studying and ) waiting for it to ring. February will be a good month.

With Dr. being home this month, it would be the perfect month to sell the house because he could help keep it clean and we could get some buyers in here. Jackson's housing market isn't that active.... or should I say it isn't active at all but with our house being the only one on the market we are sure to get something. I guess I want to sell it so bad so I can get it off my shoulders. I don't want to have to keep up a house from two states away. It's the only thing keeping us in Jackson right now ( or me and Chuck. I guess if it doesn't sell, Chuck and I might be here a little longer). However, it would be ideal not to sell until the end of March. That way closing can be the end of May. If we close any sooner we wIll be homeless and will have to find a place to stay ( add stress ball here). My last day of work is May 31st ( just 4 months away!).

Stress-ball

2012-01-29T20:52:00.003-06:00

We made it through the day with no injuries ( well, besides a big unknown blister on our hand), no real break downs, and only half a nap. I am getting so tired of taking Chuck's little table out every time we show the house that I left it out for the weekend and let him eat in the chair in the den with the side table. He actually did really well and kept all food on the plate. We also only wore one outfit the whole day which is not normal. ( Outfit = whatever we happen to pull out whether it matches or not)

Chuck Chuck getting ready for the summer...

Today we found a DVD with lots of songs. I realized that Chuck's coordination is getting a lot better. He used to not be able to do the whole "wheels on the bus" motion. I love how he does his arms when you sing that part and he gets so into it he kind of gets all out of control.

I keep thinking.... If I can just get through......

Right now, if I can just get through tomorrow..... I have the professional development that I have to do for the entire staff. I really haven't been nervous. It just added something else for me to do ( which I don't need). Now tonight I find out the assistant superintendent that is over our school will be there. Good gracious. I feel like I am not getting a break these days. Here starts another ball of stress. Why in the world does she need to join us? I don't think I have had a sip of alcohol in an extremely long time but I feel the need to chug a bottle right now.

Dinner with Dada

2012-01-28T20:34:00.002-06:00

So we had a good day today! Dada is trying to get on a night schedule but everyday this week he has had to be out of the house right in the middle of his sleeping time so he really hasn't gotten much sleep on his days off.

This morning, we found Dada asleep on the couch so I tried to keep Chuck out of the den so Dada could catch some Z's. It is amazing how someone just came and saw the house the day before and I still am having to clean like crazy. Chuck and I were able to do two loads of laundry this morning, make a diaper run, and clean up. At one point, I was folding laundry and Chuck climbed up on the sunroom bed ( the sheet was in the wash) and laid down and watched TV. This child never does anything like that! Usually if he is on a bed or couch he is climbing in the pillows or jumping up and down. He got a giraffe and a horse from CVS so I think he was spending some time snuggling with them. All you can see are his legs buried in the pillows.

We did go to lunch with Dada to the neighborhood diner while people looked at the house. We got there right at 11. We were the only ones there except a table of four older doctors finishing their breakfast. Within 20 minutes, there were 9 families in the restaurant, all with a child between the age of 1-4. My stress level went down each time I saw a family walk in the door. It was so nice for Chuck to be able to be Chuck. Now we know that is where we will be going on Saturdays for lunch when Dada doesn't have work!

The people who looked at the house today called and asked for addition info ( disclosure, structural, etc.). That is two of the three lookers so far requesting additional info. We also drove around the neighborhood because they were still looking by the time we were done eating. We realized we are the only house in the neighborhood for sale besides two run down properties. I know we won't get an offer over the weekend but maybe something will pop up on Monday!

Tonight, I asked Chuck to help me set the table. I asked him to get three plates. He did. I then asked him to get three forks. He did. So we had a nice dinner on plastic toddler plates and plastic forks ( that look real so he won't want to use the heavy stainless steel utensils). I tell you what. Those little plastic plates really help with portion control. I could hardly fit a meal on one of those things but we ate off it anyway because Chuck worked so hard getting them ready.

Now, Chuck yells "Eat, Eat, Eat" when it is time to eat instead of signing. Must run in the family because I think cousin Abby used to do that not to long ago. I think I liked the sign language better. Here is a picture of Chuck and Dada eating dinner together and having a deep discussion.

Chuck Chuck did get new shoes today. I keep worrying about his shoes being too small so I decided that I would just get them measured to see. Sure enough, the boy has been in a 7 and today we bought him an 8 1/2 shoe! He looks like he has boats on his feet but he has been zooming around this house and hasn't taken a spill yet so they must be the right size!

Tomorrow, it will just be the two of us as Dada has to get ready to work tomorrow night. I think we may hit up Bass Pro Shop for a little fishy looking and boat driving. It was a little cool today so I am hoping for a little warmer temps tomorrow.

On Monday, I have to facilitate a Professional Development using the lesson I taught for my observation. Remember how awful I thought it went! I had huge behavior issues that day. Well, apparently I handled it all well because she wants me to reenact the lesson for all the teachers to show them how a lesson should look. Good grief, I think I am ready for this school year to end!

Pictures coming soon

2012-01-27T20:39:00.002-06:00

Ok, ok. No pictures here. I promise I will get a picture or a video this weekend! Chuck has been running around singing all night. He has had so much fun because the past 4 days Dada has been home when Chuck got home from school. Tonight be put all his stuffed animals on our bed and had a blast. ( He used to cry if we even took him in our room. Now he is starting to love our bed.)

Last night we spent two hours watching Chuck spread out all his blankets on the floor. He was tucking us in and all his animals into bed and telling us night night. I would love to hear what goes on in the head of this crazy boy. It really has been a pleasant couple of days and Chuck has followed directions quite nicely and we haven't had a tantrum in a whole week!

Today, a person came back a second time to see the house and have a contractor/structural engineer look at the house. Tomorrow, we have another person coming. We are going to take Chuck to lunch (I am not sure why we are subjecting ourselves to this) while they look at the house. Dada is trying to get on a night schedule so we will only get him for a few hours tomorrow and then not at all on Sunday but then after working for two days, he has two weeks of vacation! I may not have vacation, but to have someone help in the afternoon after a long day of work is so exciting!

So be thinking of us tomorrow ( at lunch with Chuck AND the people looking at the house) and maybe we will be hearing some kind of offer soon!

Fingers Crossed

2012-01-23T20:18:00.002-06:00

We had someone come look at the house this past Saturday. They are coming back on Friday with a structural engineer to make sure this house isn't about to fall into a sink hole.

This is the exact same thing we did. When we decided we really wanted the house, we got a structural engineer to look at things before we put in an offer.

Supposedly this girl is single so this house would be great for her and she probably likes the set up we have going on with the den in the back. Also, she is just trying to decide what age house she wants. Does she want to be on this side of the interstate in an older home or on the other side in more ranch style homes.

We will see but I think this is a good sign. I mean who is going to spend 500 bucks on a house they really aren't very interested in. Please keep us in your thoughts and I am going to have another word with St. Joseph who has been residing in our front yard for the past couple of weeks. He may need a little confidence boost. oh, and hopefully we won't get too much rain in the next few days. I would hate for all the doors to be stuck shut when they come back!

It's amazing how this little tidbit of news from our realtor has had a huge affect on how I feel. Stress relieved perhaps? Now we may just have to go ahead and prepare for the big move!

Cookies and Coughing

2012-01-23T08:38:00.003-06:00

Granna and Bob Bob are gone. We hated to see them go. After our nap yesterday, we decided to entertain ourselves by making cookies. Chuck actually did better than I thought he would. He did sneak a few M&M's while I was getting the dough ready!

He was really focused on placing the candy just perfectly on the cookies.

Love watching those chubby fingers hard at work.

And of course we couldn't let them out of our sigh and we had to watch them cook. Funny thing is we had no desire for a cookie when they were done.

I am at home today because I feel as though my body is shutting down on me. I have had a headache and backache everyday for the past 7 days. I have some horrible coughing fits. I have also been randomly spiking fevers for the past 7 days. Last night I felt so bad I had to call in sick. That is not easy for me. I am that girl who loves a day off but then cries when I have to call in sick. I hate letting people done that are relying on me. Oh well. I guess I need to get better. I also guess it is time for a nap. Yes, at 8:45 in the morning.

More Lookers

2012-01-21T21:21:00.003-06:00

We had another person see the house today. I am so very thankful Granna and Bob Bob are here this weekend! With two hours notice they helped with Chuck while some last minute things were done around the house!

I am hoping we get another looker or two tomorrow while Granna and Bob Bob are still here. That would be awesome.

I am still feeling pretty miserable. It is so much better to be miserable with company that could care less if you lay around in your pajamas. It gives me a little extra sitting down time and maybe that will help me get better.

I am wondering how many days Chuck will ask for Bob Bob after he leaves. Chuck just loves his Bob Bob. It's the one person Chuck doesn't mind mama leaving him with ( and the one person we cry for when we see them leave.... besides mama of course).

Lookers

2012-01-19T20:40:00.002-06:00

We had our first lookers today. They stayed all of 10 minutes. Not a good sign but it was just a young girl with the realtor. So maybe she was previewing so she can bring the hubby back to see the ones she liked. Who knows. Our realtor is going to let us know any feedback. Next week, it looks like we may be having an open house or two.

I really hope this house sells fast and we never have to move again. :) Our house was ready to show but since I had a half day notice, there was tons of stuff I wanted to get done so last night was a late one.

The cats are mad because I won't let them inside. Molly has become our serial pooper and poops everywhere except the cat box. Chuck is very concerned that she is doing it on the floor and chases her around and tells her "No poopy, yuck." Now he is obsessed with what has the ability to poop. He asks about anything with a rearend, and asks if they can poop: Ernie, his dinosaur, the dogs next door, and daddy. He loves to chase the cats around to make sure that they aren't pooping that very second. I know you never expected this paragraph about poop; especially my mother in law who doesn't go there.

And now, I am going to take advantage of going to bed earlier than I have in a very long, long time.

Bubbles and Sketti

2012-01-16T20:24:00.002-06:00

Today Chuck went to school and I got a day to catch up on things. ( I know, I am already behind and we just came back from Christmas break 2 weeks ago! )

It is still 70 here and it looks like it is going to be that way through next weekend. Daddy is still working so Granna and Bob Bob might come and entertain me next weekend so Chuck and I aren't alone.

We have been taking advantage of the outdoors while this weather is here because I don't want Chuck to get tired of being inside. We may be stuck inside a long time once the cold weather decides to get here. I am starting to wonder if we are even going to have a winter.

Anyways, we made sure to run crazy after school today. We finally got to use our bubble gun we got for Christmas. Chuck caught on right away. ( It was a little windy so we ate a couple by mistake!)

Miss Ginger has a Toy Story chair on her porch just for Chuck. Every time we are outside he takes advantage of her porch and loves to sit on it. By sit I mean, bottom in chair for at most 5 seconds, until we think of something else to do.

Today, he wanted to go in the backhouse to get his bike out and he yelled to her "Miss Ginger, let's go", and he waves is little arm like "come here". I guess he is starting to give orders outside of the house, too.

Chuck is very good at identifying whether something is "yummy" ( and rubs his stomach at the same time)... or "yuck". Today, he was eating Goldfish on the way home and said "yuck". I told him that we always eat goldfish and that they are "yummy". He looked at me and nodded his head and said "I like". Now I am not saying I understand everything he says but we are about at 50-60%.

I was able to get two pots/four meals of spaghetti cooked this morning to freeze. Chuck loves him some sketti. For some reason sketti days are always the days we wear white shirts.

Lap buddies

2012-01-15T09:59:00.001-06:00

These are my lap buddies today.

Last night I started feeling really bad. My entireback was hurting by the end of the day. It was making my head hurt. I was coughing nonstop. I went to bed when Chuck did so I got about 11 hours of sleep. Staying doped up on advil right now.

Daddy works tonight. He started feeling bad but is hopefully sleeping it off. He will get about 12 hours of sleep too.

Chuck has been a little temperamental this morning and then all lovey dovey so I am wondering if he is starting to ache. No stopped up nose or anything else. Just a whole bunch of feeling crummy.

Our day will consist of going to get toilet paper and milk from the store. That in and of itself will be an adventure! It's come to the point that I have to tell the grocery guys what few things I need and they go get it for me because Chuck goes buckwild anywhere we go!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Where's Dada?

2012-01-13T20:34:00.002-06:00

Where's Dada?

Your guess is as good as mine but he finally came home! We hadn't gotten to see Dada in quite a few days. This is what happens every time Dada walks in the door.

I think his only day off this month is tomorrow! We have a birthday party to go to and I think it will probably be too cold to do anything else. I am sitting in the bed shivering as I speak. Yes, bed. I did read i n an article today that people who get 5 hours of sleep or less tend to carry something like 32% more weight than people who get 8 hours. So I am taking it upon myself to go to bed. I try every night but don't seem to make it to bed at a reasonable hour. We got out of school at 2:30 instead of 3:30 today. I was looking forward to plopping myself on the couch until 4:30 when I usually pick up Chuck. Unfortunately, I left my computer at school so had to go back and get it. WHile in the car, I decided to run by the store to pick up dinner. Got to the store and realized I didn't have my debit card. Had to go back home, then go back to the store. By the time I got out of the store, it was time to pick Chuck up. There goes my relaxation time. Couldn't think straight. Not one bit. Oh, and then had to go back to daycare to get Chuck's jacket. I think I need a brain, childbirth/mommy-hood has done mine in. I am actually sitting here typing with one eye closed and one eye opened. I think that is a sign I just need to stop while I am ahead, no i mean, a little behind... before I get more behind. Apparently, I have also pulled a muscle or something in my back because when I bend down to pick things up, I can't go past my knees without my entire body locking up. Maybe it's not a muscle, maybe I am aging. Too bad I am not aging gracefully.

Ok, ok. I just know(pray) Chuck will sleep in tomorrow. Night Night.

There are people like me!

2012-01-07T22:23:00.004-06:00

This blog post is a good read and makes me feel better about all the complaining about motherhood that I do and feeling like I'm pretty poor at it. At least I'm not the only one.

Read this spot-on blog post here.

My favorite lines from it.....

“It’s helluva hard, isn’t it? You’re a good mom, I can tell. And I like your kids, especially that one peeing in the corner. She’s my favorite. Carry on, warrior. Six hours till bedtime.”And hopefully, every once in a while, I’ll add- “Let me pick up that grocery bill for ya, sister. Go put those kids in the van and pull on up- I’ll have them bring your groceries out.” (Anyway. Clearly, Carpe Diem doesn’t work for me. I can’t even carpe fifteen minutes in a row, so a whole diem is out of the question.)

And now I turn in for the night while I listen to the rain on the roof.

St. Joseph

2012-01-07T20:43:00.003-06:00

St. Joseph is now a part of our family. Read about St. Joseph here. The practice of burying a St. Joseph in your yard supposedly speeds the selling process. When the house sells, you dig him up and take him with you to your new home.

So meet our St. Joseph.....

Chuck and I buried him in our yard today. Chuck helped dig the hole for St. Joseph ( after St. Joseph played in the barn a little while with the cows, horses, and zebras.)

and we said our prayer to St. Joseph. It was the sweetest thing when Chuck said "Amen" at the end.

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Caretaker of the Holy Family and Guardian of your little home in Nazareth, I appeal to you in your role as custodian of Homes and Families. Please join us in our prayers and give us your assistance in this time of need and relocation.

We ask you to send us the new family for our present home, one that you will have picked, one that will know peace and joy all the days they live in this humble home.

We also pray that your blessing will go with us to our new home, where you will always have a place of honor and respect. Let us never forget to come to you with our gratitude and thanksgiving, and always seek your counsel. Amen

Thank you 70's!

2012-01-07T13:52:00.003-06:00

Going down for a nap at 2 is probably where our sleeping problem is coming from.

We have actually had a successful morning. We have done two loads of laundry, the house is washed, and we have been to the store.

It is a gorgeous day here in the 70's so we have been outside all day. Chuck insists on playing in neighbors yards. He never plays in our yard. The yard man that does all of our yards was across the street. Chuck picked up his broom and headed across the street and helped him rake up the leaves. We blew bubbles with Ms. Ginger and also went and claimed all of Nellie's toys as our own.

Now he has yelled so much from his crib that he is sound asleep. I guess he thinks once you get past 1 o'clock, naptime should be skipped. Mama still likes to nap after 1 though.

No News = not good news

2012-01-06T21:08:00.003-06:00

No news from us means that we are crazy out of control here. School started back this week which means that Chuck went from sleeping in, to waking up at 4:00 every morning. What is this child trying to get back at me for? I thought for sure that he would be tired this week since he was getting back on a tough schedule. Not so much.

My assistant was also out for the week so back to school week had a little wrench thrown in it when my "plans" could not really be followed through since my expected help was not there. Needless to say this mama is pooped. Four o'clock wake up calls and lack of the usual help at work has done me in.

Daddy is moonlighting two hours away for the next four days so he will just stay the night instead of having to drive back and forth. It's just me and the little dude this weekend. Not sure how we are going to make it through this one. One hour at a time I guess. I am praying that rain doesn't ruin our 70 degree weekend. I am going to find a big field so this little guy can run until he falls asleep mid-stride.

On a better note, the house is going up on MLS and the dude that came today to give me an estimate on washing the house can do it tomorrow! I like it. Also, we contacted a bank in Tyler to start the mortgage process and they have a program for physicians, just like the one here, that does not require a down payment from us. Which is just super news. Stressing about a down payment is one more thing to mark off my list. ( Well, actually the bank just sold but the new shareholders like the program so will probably keep the physician program going.... so things are looking good.) I like it.

Hopefully the next two days will be full of fun and pictures ( if they are anything like the four hours I spent with Chuck today, I seriously doubt it..... we definitely had a terrible-twos day today... and of course for no apparent reason.)

I like sleep too. I am going to find some now. Nighty night.

It's here.....

2012-01-02T20:30:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow has arrived. NOthing happened today except trying to take a toddler to run several quick errands..... quick turned into running away from Mama the whole time!

Don't have much to say or much time to say anything. Gotta make sure this house is ready for a realtor call at any second... now what do I do with the big guy asleep in the bed? Shove him into a closet? ( He said they can come look while he is asleep ( weird?) it's not like he is going to hear them!)

Last Hurrah

2012-01-01T22:37:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow will be day 3 of daddy working night and the Chuckster and I trying not to kill each other. It was warm Saturday so after naps, we ventured to the zoo for a quickie look at the animals. It's nice being a member because it is free so just a quick hour visit is perfect. Today we went and played with Nellie ( our girlfriend across the street) for a little while and tomorrow she will probably come over to ransack our house.

Of course we both have school on Tuesday ( back to mommy waking up at 4:00) so I am sure we will come up with some errands that need to be run. Not so sure I am excited about Tuesday but I know it will be spring break before I know it and we will be buying/selling a house and moving!

The end to 2011 and the beginning of 2012 has been very low key. We have mostly been hanging out inside playing with our animals, coloring, running, jumping.... you know... the typical life of a *almost* 2 year old.

In this pic, Chuck "cooks" pasta while Mommy fixes daddy dinner ( that he eats at 7 am due to work schedule). * Notice the Ove Glove on one hand. For some reason the kid loves to wear the Ove Glove whenever we are in the kitchen.

Chuck bathes his new baby. He is doing a good job of learning how to care of others. Until he got tired of it and launched it out of the tub. I didn't say we were done learning! (Please disregard the hair... he really refuses hair washings so you do what you can!)

He still talks about everyone he saw over Christmas on a daily basis. He asks about Aunt Koko at least three times a day ( did you bribe him or something?) and he is very concerned about Uncle. Not sure which one. Today he mentioned Abby and Jacks. He also picked up the phone at Nellie's house and I asked who he was calling and he said "Bob Bob, Na ( how he says Granna), Uncle, KoKo, Abby, Jacks. " Apparently it was a conference call.

Bye Bye 2011

2011-12-29T20:51:00.003-06:00

First of all, what happened to 2011? Actually I am kind of glad it flew by. I hope the first part of 2012 goes by just as fast and as smoothly as 2011 did.

We are all Christmased out. We agreed that our Christmas was wonderful. We are so thankful we got to visit both families and that Chuck adjusted well to all the traveling. Besides a little bug that Chuck left Jackson with and seemed to share with some of is family members, all went well.

Chuck enjoyed staying up late, learning how to jump on a bed, and playing baby dolls. He really is maturing. There was a noticeable difference just between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was unable to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner but I actually got to savor Christmas dinner so that was a nice change.

Chuck's choice words over the break were "go" which could mean "go" or "come" depending on what he was talking about. He also said "octopus" on his first try which really bothers Dr. Chuck is at the age where he should say "I love you" any day now. But when you tell him you love him he says "no". When you say "octopus", he says it. He also is using the word "uncle" a lot. He is very concerned where his uncles are. Today when we walked in from daycare, he saw a baby picture of uncle Chuck on the fridge and he started yelling "uncle" and pointing. He also thinks Toby Keith is his uncle. He really enjoys dancing to Toby Keith at Granna's house.

My mom made the kids an octopus like the octopi she used to make in her sorority in college. I didn't get to see the expressions of the kids when they all opened it but my dad said it was priceless. I think Abby might have jumped back and Chuck made a face of pure disgust. They had no idea what the octopus was ( I will get a picture tomorrow). The octopi has grown on all of them. Chuck took it upon himself to take all of the eyes off the octopi. He had the nerve last night to ask me where the octopus' eyes were. I told him that he had removed them. So now you see why one of our words for this week was "octopus".

As I said earlier, he is talking in sentences. My dad just laughs hysterically whenever anything comes out of his mouth because it is pure jibberish and only every few words you can understand ( or at least I know what he is talking about).

We didn't get many pictures because either we have to put it down to catch a flying two year old or he sees the phone and demands to play a game on it. Oh yeah, another new word... "game".

Here are some pictures we did get.

Chuck playing on a guitar ( which wasn't even a Christmas present... it was jacked from Marmee's house.... however it is his favorite new toy by far). He is playing for his new Cabbage Patch baby doll named Marlin, who could possibly be of Mexican decent.

Santa brought Chuck some awesome animals that he is obsessed with. His song of the Christmas holidays was "Old McDonald". He started singing "moo moo moo moo". I think he was missing school after being gone eight days.

And his Schwinn. Santa brought Chuck a bike. He walked into the living room and pointed and said "bike". Then he said "no" and started crying. Not the reaction we thought we would get since he talks about them a lot. His Schwinn grew on him and he is really enjoying it. I guess we will get to ride some more this weekend since it will be 70 for New Years Eve!

One more day for me to get the house straightened and all of us unpacked. ( We will probably have someone coming to look at it after the first of the year. Dr. has to work for the next gazillion days and our schools are both closed on Monday so Chuck and I have a long weekend ahead of us. Thank goodness for warm weather.

Lowe's

2011-12-19T21:10:00.002-06:00

We have been doing a lot around the house today. Some things we did just in the past day are 1.replace toilet seat, 2. paint gas heater in bathroom ,3. organize kitchen cabinet, 4. rake pine straw from neighbors and put in front beds to make it look like we can actually grow things in the front yard, 5. plant all the pots ( 12 of them) on the back deck, 6. fix cracks.

After we picked up the Chuckster from school, we went to Lowe's to get some things for tomorrow. Dr. fixed the cracks today. Tomorrow we sand and paint. Chuck has gotten to the point that when you put him down in a store, he will walk instead of run. Chuck loves Lowe's and I don't mind having to follow CHuck around while Daddy shops. It gives something interesting for Chuck to do.

Right now, Chuck is really obsessed with helping to turn on lights. Can you imagine the excitement of Chuck in the light switch aisle?! That took up a good 5- 10 minutes of our time.

Chuck also enjoyed riding the lawn mowers...

Making sure the weight limit listed on the storage bins was correct...

Reading a book in the middle of the store... I mean who doesn't do that?!?

And of course, a meltdown. Luckily the majority of our public meltdowns are quiet and consist of Chuck laying on the floor and scooting around on his back. Can you imagine how dirty he was at bath time tonight!

A couple walked by and the man said, "He looks like he is having a good 'ol time". I looked at the man ( who obviously doesn't have kids) and told him this was one of our silent meltdowns and he might want to hurry up and leave the store before it becomes an audible meltdown.

Daddy at Work

2011-12-18T22:10:00.001-06:00

Click here to see Daddy at work. Sometimes when Dr. is not actually working the ER, he is in a room, coaching others on what to do to take care of someone hundreds of miles away.

Artist

2011-12-18T19:23:00.001-06:00

We have done A LOT of drawing this weekend. I drew Dada and he colored him which he thought was fantastic. Today he told me what he was drawing.

This is a picture of Marmee and Poppy.

And this he said this was a picture of Elmo sleeping.

He also tried to convince Samer to have a go at it by sitting some paper and a crayon by him while he was napping.

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Just Hangin'

2011-12-17T13:48:00.002-06:00

Chuck and I are just hanging around today. Dr. is working in Meridian for the weekend so will be home tomorrow night. He is taking Monday and Tuesday off to spend time on the house. Chuck is fighting a pretty nasty cough so we are trying not to go out side where it is chilly. We did make a TJ Maxx run to get some baskets to help organize the glass cabinets in the kitchen and some towels for staging in the bathroom.

Right now I am enjoying a little quiet time that hopefully will last another hour. :)

This afternoon we may go get some pansies so they will be here and ready to plant tomorrow or Monday. I need to do a little yard work before that sign goes up. Raking pinestraw is also on my list for Monday while I wait until I am able to start painting the patchwork Dr. will do.

And now just a few pictures of this grown little guy.....

Washing his hands

And drawing a picture of Dada...

Coming soon!

2011-12-16T20:50:00.003-06:00

So we met with our realtor today. Eek! The stress is not as high as I thought it would be at this moment in time but it has gone into overdrive. Tomorrow we will have a "Coming Soon" sign in our yard. Drew and I will spend Monday fixing the cracks that have returned since the last crack treatment we did when we first moved in 3 1/2 years ago. On Tuesday we will paint and sand those areas. As soon as that is done and the house is washed, the "For Sale" sign will go up. Janice wants the sign up as soon as we can get it up. We are willing to go ahead and make the big move now and just have a few pieces of furniture ( bed, rib, couch, chair,rug, and table) in an apartment or rental house. Also, all the other residents that will be leaving at the same town will have their houses on the market by March so she wants to be the only house on the market. Sooo it begins......

We ventured to Lowes after we picked Chuck up from school today and picked up a few things that we needed. Chuck decided he would try out the potties. I think he was some what confused on why there were so many toilets. At one point he stopped, looked around at all the toilets and just kind of giggled to himself.

Alrighty, I am going to lay in bed an enjoy the fact that I don't have to go to work on Monday. I may not get to sleep in and I still will be painting, etc but not dealing with 22, 7 years olds sounds perfect.

4 more hours!

2011-12-15T22:25:00.002-06:00

Four more hours with my students and then I don't have to see them for two weeks! We will start our traveling next the 21 or 22 to Arkansas and spend Christmas Day in Jackson and then head to Mobile so there won't be much time for rest.

We are meeting with our realtor tomorrow to discuss anything we need to get ready to put the house on the market and also talk about time frame ( as in when this baby is going to have a sign in front of it). I am looking forward to moving but it is going to be sad to see the sign in the front yard. Just thinking about it while I type makes me a little nervous and teary eyed. I'm going to miss the ladies on the street. We have all become very close and kind of have our own little group. Our "porch sitting" group that has slowly changed to our "porch sitting while the others chase their child around the yard" group.

Bittersweet. Our first little home has been so good to us.

Chuck Chuck is fighting some mean coughing. He has made it to school everyday. I am actually shocked that I have not been called about a fever or anything like that. He just doesn't seem to be getting better. His poor eyes are red around them and you can tell he just doesn't feel as awesome as he usually does. The weird weather might be to blame. It has been very mild the last few days. I think tomorrow it is supposed to get chilly.

Dr. has to work this weekend so I am racking my brain as to what Chuck and I are going to get into. He needs to have a day just to lay around but you know this child has no idea how to do that.

Not any pics from around here but I will give you just one. One with no meaning at all. Just your typical Chuck with a little haircut while taking an orange bath.... we love just love bath fizzers.

Speaking tongues?

2011-12-13T20:17:00.002-06:00

The newest thing Chuck is doing lately is talking in sentences. He has started putting words together and most of the time you are trying to keep up with him and have no idea what in heavens name he is talking about. He sounds something like this....

"Iklf kdjig izspwpeo hat dklfjlsidj go slkdfj lksdfj yellow."

He is completely talking craziness with his words he can say mixed in ( which I started making a list the other day and then quit because there are sooo many). I have absolutely no idea what was happening in the bath but the child had a whole conversation with me and I didn't understand one word. Which is not typical because we are a one word kind of guy.

The other day Dr. picked Chuck up from school so I could go to a PTA meeting. While they were playing, Chuck looked at Dr. and said "Mama go, Dada". I guess he meant that since Mama wasn't here then that meant Dada was.

Anyways, our new word for today is "deer" ( with our hands on the head for antlers.)

And also, you know the skin was taken off the hand by the wagon at daycare. We have a nice bright pink scar ( the whole size of his hand) that Dr. said will be there for at least a year. Did you know that everyday that little boy looks at his hand and comes to find me to tell me he has a boo boo and that I need to kiss it for him. Sweet boy. Oh, and today he insisted that I sit in his lap on the sofa. INSISTED. And he rubbed my back while I sat in his lap. What a little nurturer.

Peekaboo

2011-12-12T20:38:00.003-06:00

So apparently Chuck had some work he had to get done over the weekend.

Our gingerbread house attempt failed miserably. Our primary mission was to eat as much candy as we could and by the time that was done, we lost all interest in the house. The 8 pieces of candy that WERE on the house are not necessarily there anymore. I've been trying to figure out who the culprit is. I think I found him....

Daddy time

2011-12-09T20:53:00.002-06:00

Daddy being home means that Daddy is growing on us.

Chuck and daddy shop for my Christmas present ( I think).

Daddy and Chuck eat Thai food.

The only way I can vacuum is if I carry Chuck around in one arm. It is impossible to vacuum with one arm and 30 pounds in the other. If I do not hold him, he flips his SH$%. So even though I can't vacuum, he is ok with him vacuuming. So our newest little game is..... Chuck gets out the vacuum cleaner, mom drops hole puncher holes all over the rug, and Chuck vacuums them up. I have no idea why he doesn't mind vacuuming but he won't let me. The other day when he first decided to play with the vacuum, he figured out how to turn it on and off. THen, he wanted to know where all the stuff was going and he actually tried to look down the tube ( while it was on). This resulted in his check being sucked into the tube which was a pretty funny sight. He freaked but it was quite funny from this side of things.

Tomorrow morning we are venturing across the street to decorate our gingerbread house. I will make sure I get some pictures. Daddy has to go into work early tomorrow afternoon and will be gone for two days so he can bring home some extra bacon.

Gone Crazy

2011-12-07T19:36:00.002-06:00

I had my observation. The first one that I have had in four years. My mom said I shouldn't say I hate my kids on my blog. I don't hate them ALL but there are quite a few that I don't like and if someone reads this on the blog, I would welcome a termination letter.

I know I can't be given a termination letter for my own child but surely he could consider letting me sit down for a second when we first get home.

It's cold here. I am grumpy. I can't find our heaters to heat the cold rooms so that means the felines will be roaming the house howling all night. My pipes better not freeze tonight or I will go schizophrenic and I'm ok with that because I obviously deal with it on a daily basis.

Jumping Chuckers

2011-12-06T20:28:00.004-06:00

Okay, okay....

So I am having my observation tomorrow..... I think, I hope, I don't know. Geez, this is killing me. To prep for three formal evaluations and have them all rescheduled is nothing short of insanity in the brain. Ugh.

Continued craziness is what has been going on around here.

Chuck's new thing is taking the cushions of the couch and using it like a trampoline... where this kid comes up with these ideas is beyond me.....

He also has a grand time playing with Samer until Samer gets mad and tries to bite Chuck. Breaks little Chuck's heart every time.

We do have our tree up and the score is now Chuck 6, Ornaments 0. He hasn't tired to open any presents but had his feelings hurt when we wrapped up a baby doll. Yes, my child likes baby dolls and his favorite color is pink.

And we are still working on our dance moves....

We have gotten to see daddy about 30 minutes ( which is huge!) everyday so daddy is really growing on Chuck and he is starting to get used to him and will let daddy do things for him.

This Saturday, we will be going across the street to construct our gingerbread house. I will go ahead and apologize to the marshmallow snowmen for building them slums to live in.

Ok, back on track for my observation.

Casualty

2011-11-29T21:07:00.002-06:00

Death by excessive wiping and diapering.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Too smart?

2011-11-22T22:09:00.001-06:00

Someone may be too smart for his own good!

He realizes he has to carry his stool or one of his chairs around to get to things he wants.

He wants this....

The bird ornament. His favorite ornament.

Maybe the next picture will be a kid stuck in a Christmas tree that has fallen over.

He is at the perfect age where his eyes light up everytime he finds a new ornament. My guess is that the kitty cat will soon take over the bird's position as top ornament.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's beginning to look a lot like...... OBGYN?

2011-11-21T20:31:00.003-06:00

Ah... a day off and so much done! I got some doors sanded that the paint was coming off because we didn't primed correctly when we painted them the first time. I also got them primed again so the final coat will go on tomorrow as soon as the cool dude is at daycare. I also go some Christmas shopping done, some diaper/grocery shopping done, and started decorating the Christmas tree.

While hiding Chuck's presents, I came across some candles MK gave us last year that I stored away for exactly this day... the day the Christmas tree went up! I have started decorating the tree and our house smells as if we just drove up from cutting down our tree from the forest.

And my favorite ornaments from today....... our Disney World ornament. So much fun and just what we needed right before starting residency! The last time we can ever remember being normal people and doing something just the two of us.... I mean besides the four generations of in-laws that we were with.

And of course our New York ornament. Brings back so many memories that really seem unbelievable looking back on them now.

And Chuck doing a little light reading before bed tonight. Should I limit his options for bedtime stories?

Ice

2011-11-20T20:36:00.001-06:00

We went to Disney on Ice tonight. The fuse blew half way through so it ended early but Chuck didn't know the difference. I had a blast too. I love my Disney songs. It was probably a good thing Dr was working. I'm not so sure he would have enjoyed it as much as we did.

We are also out of crackers at our house. Wonder why....

And here is the giraffe at the Tyler Zoo that was checking out the people instead of the people checking him out.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Music

2011-11-17T15:22:00.002-06:00

Just a few videos...

Chuck has recently learned how to pat his legs instead of clap to music.

And yesterday, we was teaching Elmo how to dance and clap.

Up

2011-11-15T19:22:00.002-06:00

Don't judge the pink balloon. It's our favorite color. And need I mention that 6 fountain rocks fell out of Chuck's pocket last night when I put him in the bath. ( He found his pockets this weekend.) Also when I picked him up from daycare today, he was shoving things in his pockets.

Poopy

2011-11-14T20:08:00.002-06:00

We are safely back from Tyler~ We had a rough start... a little car sickness. However, we did accomplish what we needed to accomplish this weekend. We got two car loads of things into storage. We found a school for Chuck.... check it out... it rocks... http://www.oakhillschooltyler.com/

and we got to look at some houses. We only looked at four but we did like one of them... you can check the house out here http://www.bettysellstyler.com/listing-single%2Bfamily%2Bhome-19191.html

Anyways, now we begin the stressed out production called "Selling the House". I am in the works of setting up lunch with our realtor so we can get this house listed right after Christmas. We gotta start getting rid of this house. We will rent if we have too. Hopefully, we can take another load to Tyler around Christmas.

Sorry this post comes without pictures. I have laundry to do, ironing to do, and lesson plans to do. I will give you some pictures tomorrow.... hopefully.

OOOH< and the title of this post..... Chuck pooped in the toilet. We got home today and went straight to the bath. I noticed a few bubbles in the water ( i know TMI) and heard a rumbling tummy so when we got out, Chuck sat on the potty and read books. Sure enough within a few minutes the boy had pooped in the potty! Now I wonder how long it will be before that happens again!

Sir Grumps a lot

2011-11-07T21:47:00.002-06:00

Bless his sweet little heart. The time change has been rough on him. This was the first day of the time change. I think he is teething a little. He is starting to repeat everything you say. As you can see, he is brave enough to attempt three syllable words. How cute is he trying to say "tylenol".

And yes, I realize I spelled thief wrong in the last post.... I apologize and have no excuses.... and yes I do teach children.... apparently I teach them how to spell wrong.

Food theif

2011-11-06T21:25:00.002-06:00

The only picture that I have to share is Chuck's meltdown on the kitchen floor this morning. I will spare you. The 4:30 wake up was not welcome but expected. Chuck couldn't take it any longer and snoozed on the couch at 10 when we usually shoot for 12 or so. Then tonight, even though we were all tired, I had to keep him up so that he would sleep until 6 tomorrow morning. I think I may be doomed so now I am going to wake up at 4 just in case. I can always go back to sleep if he doesn't wake up.

One quick story about the Chuckster. Apparently, his favorite food is baked beans. Ms. Alice ( who I leave him with for breakfast in the morning) feeds him lunch and knows he is going to ask for seconds. She says she always brings Chuck two plates. Well, earlier last week they had baked beans and she didn't bring the extra plate. Chuck signed for "more" and Ms. Alice broke it to him that she had no more. Caleb, who is a new boy a school, was sitting next to Chuck. Caleb doesn't eat because he is just not too sure about his new school. Chuck took full advantage of this. When Ms. Alice said she didn't have seconds, she went on to help some other children clean up. While she had her back turned, Chuck took his empty plate and put it in front of Caleb ( who, remember, never touches his food) and took Caleb's full plate and put it in front of himself. Ms. Alice looked over and saw him doing it. Chuck knew he was caught because when he does something he isn't supposed to, he looks out of the corners and tops of his eyes and won't make eye contact. Ms. Alice turned back around and Chuck quietly devoured Caleb's lunch. What a riot! I didn't know he was smart enough to do that.... and even smarter to not just take someone's food but to put him empty plate in front of them. I think I might be in trouble.... this kid is gonna be a lot smarter than his parents.

Not so super

2011-10-31T20:39:00.002-05:00

Superman's day was not so super. No pictures here. Superman busted his ear today at school and it is bloody, swollen, and bruised. He was a trooper, refused ice and continued on with his day.

However, he loves wheels. So much so that he likes to hold on to wagon wheels. So on the wagon ride today at school he was holding on but no one really noticed. He currently has wheel marks and an absence of skin on his right hand.

Rough day for the kid but still was smiling and giving lots of hugs at the end of the day. ( And even allowed ... although screaming the whole time.....me to wash his hair.)

Oh, and my observation on Wednesday is rescheduled.... again...

Works in Progress

2011-10-30T20:01:00.003-05:00

Just a few videos from this weekend.

First we have the jumping star. You can also see his attempt to count and hold up fingers ( we are working on it so please don't judge the number confusion quite yet...)

Also, weighing in at 30 pounds, we have the cat lover.... ( he is screaming Molly at the beginning... again we are working on names, so don't judge )

And finally the dancer. Now these moves are about near perfect so there is only showing off to be done here.

Happy Halloween to everyone! Hopefully some costume pictures will be posted tomorrow. Dr. asked me on his way out to work tonight if I had tomorrow off since it was a holiday. I told him he really needs to get out more... out of the hospital. If only, Dr. was president.

Our Saturday!

2011-10-29T10:22:00.001-05:00

Well the pictures have been slim lately. Just gotta get through this observation and then I'm home free! It got rescheduled for this Wednesday.

Anyways, here's what the Chuckster has been up to today.

Having some Halloween snack.

Loving Molly..... Molly not so much loving it.

Making art with a squirt bottle and some colored paper. After he found the squirt bottle, I had to figure out how to stop him from squirting me in the rear.

Destroying the living room while I attempt to vacuum the house ( and for the first time, made some progress!)

And helping mommy with laundry. ( the only way I can keep him in one place but he loves it!)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Poof Pumpkin

2011-10-23T22:36:00.002-05:00

I know you all have been waiting to see what my mother-in-law and a pumpkin had to do with our lovely Sunday. Well my friends, the queen of inflatables has made her mark in Jackson and officially crowned her grandson the king of inflatables!

Can it get any cooler than this for a 18 month old... excuse me, Monday he will be 19 months.

Apparently, with age comes lack of patience.... if only mommy would leave him alone while he is reading.

Chuck did go on a goose ride today. He always kisses and hugs a goose that is in the yard across the street from us. ( Yes, we are those people that take it upon ourselves to play in others yards). Today, Chuck decided he would actually sit on the goose. Not so sure what I am going to do when he snaps the gooses' neck off.

And just a side note.... remember to brush everyday..... the bristle end of the toothbrush will get things cleaner though.

Adventures 101

2011-10-22T21:37:00.002-05:00

We are up one more appliance! We have finally replaced all of the appliances in the kitchen so that they all match! Looky.... ( The hole was too small for anything fancy so there was only one that would fit in the hole. We just wanted to make our house more sellable.)

When the men moved the fridge out of the hole, we had an avalanche of acorns fall out of the wall. I am not shi##ing you! The dry wall stopped about an inch and a half before getting to the floor. Apparently some squirrel (maybe) has been in our attic ( maybe) dropping all the acorns that he eats down in between the wall. I can not exaggerate here because the number of acorns that thing dropped in our wall was already enormous. There were probably about 500 acorns... and there are probably more in the wall. I would know. I had to clean them up while shorty was watching me from behind the locked baby gate in the sunroom. So now the old fridge is in the garage which gives me more room to store stuff like the 4 gallons of milk that Chuck drinks a week ( ok that is an exaggeration... kinda).

The little guy did a great job at taking everything out of the coolers as I put it in. Therefore, the emptying of the fridge took a little bit longer than expected.

Also another little renovation took place... unexpectedly. I think we have a reckless driver on our hands. Chuck has running around pushing his car and tore off our laundry room door. I tried to put it back on but the wood is stripped off so there is no longer a hole that will hold the little slider thing. It might be fixable with some wood glue as long as CHuck promises not to ram any more cars into it.

Chuck took a nice 2 1/2 hour nap. Unfortunately, we have a slight attachment problem and he would only sleep on my lap. So although the 2 1/2 hours of down time was nice, I couldn't move and was unable to do anything for my observation coming up on Wednesday ( where the principal sits in your room for a very long time and watches you teach. Yuck.) Chuck did get in his crib but it was just to pet Molly who WAS taking a nap in the crib. Some things never change.

And here is the maestro trying to decide if he is going to jump or not. He chickened out...

Can't wait to see what tomorrow holds. I do know there will be a pumpkin involved.... I mean MK is my mother-in-law......

Roller Coaster RIde

2011-10-18T19:33:00.003-05:00

We have had some adventure the past week and weekend. Daddy went to San Francisco last week and is finally coming home at midnight tonight. We can't wait until he lands safely so we know where he is and how he is doing at all times. He has to work every day for the rest of the month... Actually, I have mixed feelings about him coming home. Hehe. We still won't get to see him but there will be laundry and cooking that has to be done. So I wonder if he can bring his hotel maid service with him.

Granna and Bob Bob came to visit so this little ( ok, big) mama wouldn't go psycho crazy on her son. I had a presentation to give on Monday so it was nice having back up just incase I needed it. Unfortunately, it was not smooth sailing and I totally needed it. The weekend started off ok. I took Friday off to get things done that I never get to do like vacuum, errands, and buying a new fridge! ( Isn't that sad that I have to take a day off to do errands and vacuum!) Chuck seemed like he didn't feel well on Friday but we weren't totally sure. He had college day at school ( the only college shirt we had was an Auburn one) and he had a picnic so I packed him his first ever school lunch in his new lunchbox.

After school, an open fire hydrant sparked Chuck's curiosity and he insisted on Bob Bob taking a walk with him to check it out.

Saturday morning we were gong to head to the zoo but someone fell asleep while he was playing at the window with the cat. We decided to just leave him and cover him up.

Then we took an afternoon trip to the zoo. Chuck loves the zoo and is getting better at just walking and not running around like crazy. He was extra interested in the animals this trip. Bob Bob and Granna even liked the zoo and the train ride that we took while there.

On Sunday, once Chuck woke up from his nap ( where he fell asleep on the couch), we went on a picnic and Chuck took his new lunchbox.

Then we headed to pick up some mini pumpkins for Chuck's class and to the playground. Yep, this is the little person we are dealing with these days.

So all was good until Sunday night... Chuck went to bed at 7:30 and then woke up at 10:30 and then.... stayed awake for the rest of the night. Yep, I made him stay in the bed with me but he just sat there all night long. NO SLEEP. Talk about a tired Mama, a tired baby, and a presentation that was given with the little bit of energy I did have. When Chuck got home yesterday from school, he decided to vomit all down the front of mom, all over himself, and the kitchen floor. We shared a nice warm bath so that we could both get clean and get teh curdled cheese out of my hair. No fever though! What?!? The only thing I can think of is that the poor child had been up for so long that his body just couldn't handle anymore and exploded. Still no fever.

He was tired this afternoon so went to bed a little bit earlier because Mr. Grumps had come to visit and he is not welcome in this house.

So here at the Weber household we have been fighting something and we don't even know what we are fighting, taking medicine for things that might no even be there, and crying all the way through it. What's next? Bring it on.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-08T15:36:00.005-05:00

Overall, the pumpkin patch was a success. I thought I was lost when I was driving there but it was a actually a lot closer than I thought. Chuck took a power nap on the way there so he was in a good mood. Our biggest accomplishment was using a port-a-potty and Chuck not touching anything while we were in there! Ha! Here are some pictures of our adventure. I am no photographer and the quality is as good as the iphone can offer me.

Chuck when we first got there while we were waiting for the hour long hayride.

Chuck relaxing and having deep thoughts while on the hayride.

Chuck checks out the goats and won't give Mama the camera so she can take real pictures.

Chuck watched the cows and eventually offers the cow a goldfish.

Chuck and Mama on the hayride.

The sunflower field.

Chuck scopes out the perfect pumpkin.

Chuck guarding his pumpkins with his life!

Enjoying his first lunchable on the way home.

Our pumpkin patch outfit arrived in the mail while we were at the pumpkin patch. Go figure!

Pumpkins!

2011-10-07T21:26:00.003-05:00

If there is any child that loves Gnomeo and Juliet, it is this guy..... look at how he is watching TV ( This is about as still as it gets around here. This lasted a good 3 minutes!)

Well tomorrow is the day..... We are going to hit up the pumpkin patch. It is going to be packed with a hayride, train ride, petting zoo, pumpkin patching (?), and lots of running. I am hoping that maybe daddy will wake up in time to join us. I am also hoping that someone special enjoys it so much that he has no energy left... at all. We will be going with my friend Heather and her hubby and baby, Molly. Her friend and her husband and their little boy will be going too. A few extra hands around is never a bad thing!

You better believe there will be pictures to follow ( not promising some brilliant pictures .... my iphone can only do so much!)

Terrible Twos

2011-10-05T20:36:00.002-05:00

I hope what I am experiencing is the terrible twos because if it is not then I might as well go ahead and quit! I could post the picture of Chuck sleeping on the way to day care this morning but I am not. It will only remind me of the three times he woke up last night, and make me long for more than 3 hours of sleep. I could post the picture of his dinner the past two nights all over the wall and floor, but I will spare you of those pictures too.

Chuck is picking up more and more vocabulary and feistiness. He can now tell you if something is purple, blue, or yellow. However, he still really prefers pink over any other color even if he can't say it. He is still an adamant bubble blower ( as you have seen in past pics and videos) and is actually a relatively good bubble blower. He also can finally say "outside" but he just calls it "side" instead of "pool" now. This is actually not a good thing because he loves outside and although he spends a gazillion hours outside each day, he still wants to go outside every night. This desire to go outside either A) causes a breakdown because I won't let him go outside or B) causes a breakdown because I let him go outside but won't let him go across the street and knock on Nellie's door.

At one point, Chuck refused to let me put his shirt on him. We are now at the point where he throws a tantrum if the shirt comes off. Oh, the shoes! I am not sure if he just really likes his new shoes but many days he freaks out if I take his shoes off. Some nights, after his bath, if he comes across his shoes somewhere in the house, he insists that they be put on his feet. This is just not a battle that I am even going to waste my time on. I could care less if he sleeps in his shoes and lately, he has done just that.

Well, one a more positive note, as of next week we will have officially made it through the first quarter of school. Only three more of those to go! The big move is getting oh so close. Now that I have finally made some progress with the behavior in my class, I may just miss my job ( not my students) but my job. If I do say so myself, I think I am pretty darn good at it ( even if that means I don't hold up my end of the deal as a mama or wife or maid or banker or trash guy or yard man) but at least I am not in denial.

Hopefully, you will get some pictures soon. It all depends on how you-know-who is behaving himself, so I wouldn't necessarily count on it. I think I might try to take him to a pumpkin patch this weekend for a little hayride, corn maze, and pumpkin picking this weekend though.

Bored

2011-10-02T21:16:00.005-05:00

This is what my child does when I don't play with him and he is "bored".

He likes to empty out the dryer and climb in it to play.

And empty out the wipes package to clean his feet. ( Have no idea where he gets this one from).

And this.... asking to play with water in the sink.

and yes, I let him play in the sink.

and then we went to wear ourselves out before dinner.

We also ventured to get me some new black pants. I tried this last weekend but Chuck was strapped in the stroller and yelled and whined the whole time. So, I had to try again today. I decided to take the " I trust you to walk around and not have to ride in the stroller". It did not go much better. Chuck ran around the store and pointed to all the manikins that didn't have shirts on and yelled "uh oh". Then he decided to wave and say hi to all of them while he made sure to point out all of the manikin's toes. In the end, I did get some black pants. I just grabbed a pair off the rack and figured I would just take them back if they didn't work. They did work though. So don't judge me on my style because it is mainly a mad dash to the first rack of clothes inside the door and a mad dash out before Chuck starts knocking anything over. I have many years to come to look pulled together. Now is just not the time.

And last but not least, tomorrow starts the biggest loser competition at school. You know I am one fore competition. In fact, our team lost the most weight when we lived in Hot Springs. I figure I need to lose weight before we move, there is also a cash reward if I win, and of course I need to get my health in check for my baby boy and I always have the fact that I have a strong line of breast cancer in my family so I need to be ready to fight anything! I am going to have to really work at it though. Exercise will not be a tool I can use. The time to exercise is non-existent since Dr. gets home so late when he is working. I will try and do a little Zumba in the den but I only have two hours a night to do everything I need to do ( as in cook, laundry, clean, and school work) so you can imagine exercise comes last on that list. As of tomorrow ( whenever weigh in is) I am going to give up cokes.... you can rest assured that I will guzzle one right before I step on that scale. THe competition is over on May 1st. I am telling you all this so you will hold me accountable.

Night, night....

2011-10-02T11:33:00.001-05:00

This morning, Chuck and I went to watch the donuts being made at Krispy Kreme. We really needed something to do by 6:45 so I figured our first donut wouldn't hurt. We walked in and watched the donuts and Chuck immediately signed "eat".

They gave him a free football donut.

The donut was very much enjoyed.

I knew I was going to pay for giving him sugar so we went to the reservoir and watched the ducks, blew bubbles, and ran around.

We then stopped by the store for our Sunday morning grocery trip. It was a different store than we normally go to so the carts were different.

Needless to say we didn't last very long!

My mom says I entertain him too much and I just need to let him be bored and be creative. I have tried that since we got home from the store. It's not going well! Pictures to come later tonight.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Buddies

2011-10-01T21:37:00.004-05:00

This afternoon turned out rather well. Besides the little hiccup at naptime, we kept busy. We met my friend Smith and her little boy Greer. Greer is two months younger than Chuck and thought Chuck was hilarious. Chuck would do something and make a sound effect and Greer would just chuckle away. We went to a park that has about 6 soccer fields and then a playground. Chuck started at one end of the soccer fields and walked/ran all the way to the other. He also went to bed an hour late because we played on the playground until 6, so this mama may get to sleep in a few minutes tomorrow!

Here is a pic of the kiddos being goofy.

Animals Galore

2011-10-01T13:37:00.002-05:00

It is just plain beautiful here. Chuck usually gets to go outside around 7:30 or 8 everyday so if we haven't left the house at that point, attitudes start flaring ( mine and his). So Chuck and I packed up and went to the zoo today. Does this child look like he wants to go to the zoo?

I think he would rather go to the circus but we went anyway. I was kind of regretting it on the way there because of the face in the picture. I thought "oh no, boy have I got it comin' " We are members but I have never taken him by myself. I know he wants to run some and you can't push a stroller with one hand, it is just so hard. I decided I would brave it and take him with the wagon. I thought if he wants to run, I can easily pull the wagon with one hand or just leave it. I took a bag that goes across the body/shoulders so I could just up and leave the wagon if needed. I have extremem anxiety about taking him places by myself because I know he is going to throw a fit at some point and I feel like people are looking at me like I beat him or something. When really it is the other way around, he beats me.... he is a big hitter.

He sat in the wagon about 50 percent of the time and held my had about 25% of the time and ran the other 25%. It wasn't too bad. He wasn't running away form me like he usually does. His favorite this time were the giraffes and the orangutans. We watched them eat their breakfast. Chuck just kept yelling "hey" to them and them blowing raspberries. I thought for sure they were going to do it back at him. He was really fascinated. That took up a good 15 minutes just watching them eat. We also rode the carousel ( we have to ride on the bench because we cry if we have to sit on an animal... even if the animal is not one that goes up and down). We also rode the train that goes around the big lake there. He was actually very calm and sat in the seat by himself on both rides without trying to climb out.

So our outing was a success.... except for the one instance where he laid in the middle of the walkway and wouldn't get up. Luckily we were the first ones there by a good 30 minutes.

This afternoon when we wake up form our nap we are suppossed to meet our friend Greer at the playground. Greer is two months younger but we haven't even gotten to play with him yet. I think Greer may be a little more subdued than we are. We are going to stop and buy some bubbles on the way since we like to wake up at 2 am and ask if we can blow bubbles.

Chuck watching the giraffes.

Chuck watching the chimpanzees.

We made it!

2011-09-25T20:31:00.003-05:00

...without hurting each other. I am not going to say that today was a total success but we only had to sit in time-out once. We made it through our early morning grocery shopping without any hiccups, we did some crafts, went to the playground, and went on a wagon ride. We even took an hour and a half nap ( while mom did school work).

First of all look how high we can jump... I know... so impressive right!

Doped up on Ibuprofen and enjoying the swings.

Decorating a pumpkin with stickers

Making sure the stickers are in the perfect spot.

Apparently this is how we eat grapes now.

Chuck: he is his own person

2011-09-25T11:57:00.002-05:00

Stacks of tires..... that's how you entertain an 18 month old at Sams.

This is why mama never gets any rest on the weekends. Chuckaroo always abuses the car rides. We did have a successful grocery trip this morning though! That is not usual.

18 months

2011-09-24T20:08:00.002-05:00

Yep, he is 18 months today and we are still all civil and living under the same roof. Chuck celebrated 18 months with a bang today. From the second he woke up at 5:45, he was crying. Luckily daddy was home because if he wasn't Chuck would be home alone and I would be in a bar drinking or in the bathroom shooting cocaine.

I ran over some big bolt last week so we went to Sams to get my tire fixed. Chuck enjoyed running around Sams. I did not. He wanted to run as fast as he could but we still aren't a perfect runner. I think I aged another 10 years in that store. It took them two hours.... two hours with a 18 month old is not fun. Yes dad was there but we all know there is a little attachment problem so the thought of anyone touching the poor kid while mom is around is crazy. I did try and get a video of him running. Right when I turned on the camera, Chuck decided to stop running and sit down. Unfortunately the cart he tried to sit on was just bars on the side with no flooring in the middle so he took a spill. Somehow I got it on tape. You might have to play the beginning over and over.

After Sams we went to Wellsfest and listened to music. Chuck refused to sit on our blanket and insisted on sitting in his stroller and peeling bark off the tree. Apparently he didn't enjoy the weather as much as we did.

On the way home, Chuck fell asleep even though we tried everything under the sun to keep him awake. When we got home, he refused to take a nap. The crying and fussiness got so intense that we just had to put him in the crib and let him cry for a while. He finally got a little tiny nap.

Tomorrow daddy goes to work. Please pray for the two of us. If tomorrow is going to be anything like today we need several prayers or margaritas. I can totally see how there are housewives out there that become alcoholics. I think my job is the only thing that is keeping me away from the bottle. Fortunately, I don't have time to drink.

We will also need prayers for the month of October. Daddy works every single weekend.... yep, you guessed it. It is just the two of us for the month of October. "Just the two of us, we can make it if we (don't cry)." .... A little change to the words of that song.

Chuck and I may venture to Germanfest tomorrow.... If I am feeling brave and our teething is under control.

Stickers

2011-09-19T20:39:00.001-05:00

Our new obsession.

No naps = no fun

2011-09-18T20:33:00.002-05:00

Mr. Grumpy has been stationed at our house lately. It all started two weeks ago when Chuck was petting a dog and I thought it was going to snap at him. I pulled him away. He started crying because he wanted to play with the doggie. Ever since then he has been seeking revenge. It has been constant whining in our house. I am about to go crazy. Friday we got home from school and he was just extra whiny. Of course my day was bad ( have I mentioned I hate my students this year) and Chuck just kept going and going. He wanted me to pick him up but wanted to get down all at the same time. Ugh. I just went in the kitchen and sat on the floor and cried. Chuck came in and gave me a hug and laid his head on my shoulder for a good 3 minutes. It was just all too much for me. I composed myself and continued dealing with Chucks whining. Later, he didn't want to go to bed and I just burst out crying while I was rocking him. I think it scared him and made him sad so we were both just rocking and sobbing together. At least we are there for each other! HA.

The little tyke is fighting naps on the weekends. He has been such a good napper up until now. He refused to nap today. In fact, I got his entire nap on tape today. This is how long his nap was today....

Also, Laney drew us a picture. She refers to Chuck screaming. Fortunately, when he is at Granna and Bob Bob's, the screaming is not crying. His screaming when he is in Mobile is more of a explosion of joy. Not sure why we are frowning in the picture. Maybe Laney knows how we have felt lately!

50 Rules for Dads of Daughters

2011-09-13T22:08:00.001-05:00

Reposted from www.fromdatestodiapers.com

1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.

3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.

9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.

13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.

15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.

16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.

23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.

34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.

35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.

41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.

42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.

Happy Grandparents Day

2011-09-13T20:48:00.002-05:00

Happy Grandparents Day! Chuck had a celebration at school with cookies. Unfortunately, Granna, Bob Bob, Marmee, and Poppy are all far away. Fortunately, he had no idea. Chuck did make some beautiful gifts for everyone. We have two gifts......

A nice card with a poem and a handprint flower.

And a green cardboard thingy ( it could possibly go around a flower pot, I guess). The green cardboard thingy has a handprint on it and a poem.

Your guess is as good as mine on what in heavens name this green thing is.

Here's the deal. I will make it fair. Since obviously the green thing is the most prized possession, it will be given to the first set of grandparents that can get here to visit. The card will be given to the second set of grandparents that arrive for a visit. Don't hurt yourself jumping for this opportunity to own a green cardboard thingy. Ready, set, go!

Oh, and we officially did tinkle number three in our dinosaur potty. We were trying to go number two in the potty but things just weren't moving along ( if you catch my drift).

Um, other than that things are the same. Chuck and I continue to drive each other crazy every afternoon, we think daddy still lives with us, and the cats are still alive.

We have been fighting impetigo ( it is a very common bacterial infection, usually on the face) on Chuck's scalp for almost 3 months. We were seeing some light at the end of the tunnel but we are back to square one. Ugh, so Chuck is tired of scratching his head. I am tired of washing everything that has ever contacted his hair, and I am pretty sure daycare is tired of seeing this greasy hair little boy walking around. Sooner or later it is going to have to find another breeding ground other than my child's scalp. Unfortunately, impetigo is found on infants in very unhealthy living conditions.... really? My child has had a bath and hair wash every single night since he was 5 months old. My child is anything but dirty. Whatever.

Midterms start tomorrow. I am prepared for my students to flunk the tests. At least, we are halfway through the first quarter.

Vanished

2011-09-10T20:22:00.003-05:00

I know, I know.... where have I been , right? You don't want to know but it rhymes with "bell".

This is going to be a very jumpy blog because there is so much to catch you up on.

First off, Chuck's haircut.... His hair is like a weed. The only way could trim his hair so he could see was let him watch Elmo while in his car with his milk. I got half of it cut. Oh well, the little guy is so fast he is pretty much a blur anyway.

Chuck and I went home for Labor Day because daddy had to work ( I know shocking.) He really is easier to travel with especially since he has his DVD player. It makes the drive easier. The only necessities for a trip are clothes, sippy cup, and diapers. Of course, we take some food ( just in case) and some toys but those are just extras.

This week I got this daily report from daycare (sorry it is sideways). The important part of it is the part that says: "Chuck is starting to talk a lot. Sat on potty twice but no luck. Chuck is starting to fight." What! My child is a fighter. They say it is actually what all the kids in the class are going through because the 8 of them are all within one month of each other. She said he doesn't know what he is doing but he does get time out. It's not the wrestling, it is the hitting that they were worried about. So we are addressing that at home. The only person he hits at home is me and I don't think he has any clue.

We had talked about potty training at Chuck's parent teacher conference but then the decided they would do two girls first because they are easier. I didn't really start at home. We just talked about it. This kid is potty training himself. He has started getting upset if he has poopy in his diaper and they said at school he starts whining if he tinkles. At home, he will grab his diaper and say "poop". I tell him to go to the potty. In Mobile, we got to the potty in time to get the last "pooplet" in the toilet ( I know TMI). The pooplet was a big deal because we waved it goodbye and had a rather nice celebration.

He has tinkled twice in his potty in the past three days. The first time he cried because I think he did something wrong. The second time he let himself celebrate a little bit. Every night before we get in the bathtub, I take Chuck's diaper off and let him sit on the potty, watch Elmo ( or the news) and read his books. This is a picture of our potty time. ( He pulled it into the den so I decided that it was a good idea and next to plenty of distractions.

Today we went to the Muscadine Festival in Pelahatchie, MS. We went with my friend Heather and baby Molly. Heather and Molly camped out on a blanket while Chuck ran ( fast) around in circles. He did get to pet a camel and a bunny and got to see a horses, goats, and ducks. There was music, arts and crafts, and open space. Ricky Skaggs was playing but we just didn't make. It was a nice waste of a day which is exactly what we were looking for.

Of course we had to get some lemonade. We all know Chuck's obsession with extra large lemonades. He enjoyed boogying a little to the music.

On the way home, we had to stop at CVS for some things. Of course we had to by the Fisher Price little people car wash/gas station. We didn't let go of that box for about an hour. You should have seen us walking out of CVS. I was holding Chuck facing outwards with his feet dangling and this big old box right out in front of him. He wouldn't put it down in the car either. ( It came with a puppy dog.... that might be why we had such an obsession.)

When we got home, we spent some time on Ginger's porch. We played a quick little game of hide and seek. What a goofball.

Mondays

2011-08-28T21:04:00.002-05:00

I have a case of the Mondays. This is the first time in four years that I have cried because I have to go to school tomorrow. I have enjoyed the last three years teaching but my students this year are sucking every living breath out of me. I have never disliked a class as much as I dislike this one. I feel sick right now. I don't know if it is because I am dreading going to work tomorrow or if it is from exhaustion.

There is overcrowding in our district and since our school has a few empty rooms, we will be receiving over 100 new students tomorrow. There will be 3 new kindergarten classes showing up ( along with new teachers) and one more first grade class. Along with the kindergarteners and first graders come their siblings. I am hoping that these parents were responsible enough to skip a few years before having children so that I do not get any new students. I will NOT be happy. ( ha, that sounds like I am happy to begin with.) Although I have tests that I need to write and are due tomorrow morning. I am for the first time saying "No", I don't have them. I will give them to you when I have time and if I feel like it. I am going to bed.

The only thing that makes it better is that my baby ( not so much baby).... my little boy gives the best darn kisses in town for sure.

Counting

2011-08-27T20:05:00.003-05:00

Well we have had a fairly relaxing day. Well, never mind not really. I did get two pots of spaghetti cooked for the freezer ( since I gave away my last pots that I had frozen). I have no idea how they are going to taste. It took me about 4 hours to do it. For some reason Chuck wanted to stick right by me. He did that thing you see kids do where the grab onto your knees and hang on to you and try to shove there head between your knees. Yup. The entire time I was cooking. There was lots of laughing and giggling so apparently he thought it was fun.

Whenever I have to go to the bathroom I always tell Chuck I have to go potty. That way if he doesn't want to go with me ( which is rare) he won't think I am just leaving. Tonight I told him where I was going and he ran ahead of me and went and sat on his potty. ( Yes, it is in the hall but he has been pushing it around all day.) While he was sitting on his potty, I went to the bathroom but was watching him the whole time. After a few seconds on his potty, he pretended like he picked something up and then started pretending like he was wiping! SO stinking funny! May be TMI for some but surely you have stopped reading the blog by now if you are worried about too much information.

I don't know if Chuck has done this before but maybe tonight was the first time I realized what he was doing. I count a lot with him. If he hands me things, I always count them out. I only go to 3 or 4 though so I don't overwhelm him. Tonight we were watching Gnomeo and Juliet before bed and he brought me his crayons. I started counting them as he brought them to me. Then he sat down and started counting!!! You can't really tell what number he is on but I think you can definitely tell that he is counting.

Potty time

2011-08-27T11:53:00.001-05:00

I went ahead and got Chuck a little potty and a potty seat. We went to WalMart and got back just in time for lunch and nap. He fell asleep on the way home. (Think he needs a haircut?)

He insisted on unwraping the potty seat when we got home. So we unwrapped it and looked at the pictures on it.

And then we insisted on taking it with us for our nap.

Yes, he is sleeping with his potty seat. It's brand new though. Fresh out of the package. Look, I will do anything for some rest and this is one of them.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Breakfast time

2011-08-27T07:36:00.001-05:00

My little rasin bran eating, juice box drinking little man. ( I picked the raisin bran. He chose the juice box. He chooses a lot because he can get in the pantry and fridge on his own. Once he has his mind set, there is no changing it!)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Coming Up for Air

2011-08-24T20:54:00.002-05:00

I'm still here, I'm still here. Sorry no pictures tonight. I can't keep my head on straight much less keep up with my phone which is my only source of picture taking. Ok, trying to think of what's been going on....

I having been working my "you know what" off at work trying to get my students to behave. We are now at week 2 and I haven't taught anything yet. How did I do this as a brand new teacher? I can't say I have had a good day yet but surely it is coming. These kids are crazy and it is sad to say my one year old behaves better than them!

Granna and Bob Bob stayed with Chuck this weekend while I spent time with the college girls and slept in ( hmmm.... sleeping in means 7.) I think they were dreading having to stay a total of 4 days but were pleasantly surprised at how easy Chuck was. They said he was well behaved and the sweetest little boy ever. Only fussed once when Granna got out of the car. ( We have a little problem thinking people are leaving us.... I dare you to walk out the door when the little fellow is nearby!) It was good to get home and get a big hug from the little man. Being away was really good and helped me remember not to take stuff for granted.

Today Chuck is 17 months old!!! Tomorrow I will officially be closer to 60 than 0 and get to spend my special day at a PTA meeting while my husband and baby play together. And also to celebrate, we had our first parent teacher conference as parents today. We didn't get any bad reports ( no biting or hitting). We were told that Chuck is one of the top students and when they do something they know he will always be the one to catch on. ( He did say "purple" in the tub last night and then handed me a purple letter... I know. He's awesome.) Another thing we talked about was potty training. Um... yes. We are officially old enough to be potty training our child. Apparently an Elmo potty is on the shopping list for this weekend. I wasn't expecting it but she asked our permission to start potty training on Monday. Is this something I have to be prepared to do? He has been interested in it lately. He helps pull paper off the roll and hands it to me when I am in the restroom. I have also let him go with his daddy to the bathroom. (The problem with him going with daddy is that he is so interested and busy looking to see what is going on that his head gets a little too close to the stream..... I know, too much info but it is hilarious to see him do it.) Today when we were getting in the bath, he pointed to the potty so I sat him on top. He just grinned the whole time. His little peepee was pointed straight up so I was praying that he didn't have to go. We sat for about a minute and then decided we didn't want to be up there anymore.

That's about it for now. I am trying to motivate myself to wake up and go to hell every morning. Dr. is also getting a little antsy over here. He also thinks his work is synonymous with the word hell.

Oh, and have I mentioned we are Texas bound in a year? Yep, Tyler better get ready for the Weber's. You ain't seen nothing yet!

I just reread my post looking for typos ( and didn't finish correcting them) and started crying when I got to the potty training part. There is no way that my baby is old enough to go potty by himself. Geez, what a tear jerker! I love him.

Big guns

2011-08-14T22:03:00.001-05:00

I had to pull out the big guns but it kept us awake until naptime. I filled up a few bowls of water and dropped bath fizzers in that changed the color of the water. We had a grand ol' time splashing, stirring, and everything else! I was planning on mopping the kitchen tonight anyway so what would it hurt!

Sure enough we were worn out.... Too bad he cut his nap an hour and a half short .

Nothing feels better than to fall asleep on the couch with this kid. He lets me put my head on his lap and he pats my head. Best pillow ever!

On another note, Molly had a run in with the doggies next door. A bunch of us heard it. I was able to hand Chuck off and climb the chain link fence and get her down... Without shoes.. Think I might have lost my pinkie toes. She won't walk on her right foot. I don't think it's broken because she doesn't care if I push on her bones. She's got some teeth marks on her shoulder. No blood for her but she sure did do some damage on that dog. She is hiding under Chuck's bed now so I will see if I need to take her to the vet tomorrow after school. Be thinking of our Molly girl.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fading

2011-08-14T09:37:00.001-05:00

It's only snacktime and he's already fading. I might be in trouble. I might have to go to extreme measures for the next two hours!

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Elephants and Spiders

2011-08-13T20:35:00.004-05:00

We went to the circus today. I thought we would have to leave early because Chuck's attention span isn't huge. He got really antsy right before intermission but then came back and was amazed by the rest of it too. I think the elephants saved the day. He watched a 2 hour circus! His little arms must be so tired from clapping.

This isn't even during the circus.... this was before it ever started. Imagine how excited he was once it started!

Chuck gets ready for the show to begin!

Chuck's girlfriend accompanied us to the circus and also had a ball.

Tired after a long show but at least we got a clown cup!

Lately, Chuck's favorite song to sing is the Itsy Bitsy Spider. He likes to do the spider part and the "washed the spider out" part but doesn't like to wait for the in between stuff to be sung. He also really enjoys hiding behind the piano and saying "boo" to try and scare us!

Tomorrow, Dr. has to work nights so it was just me and Chuck this morning. We had a pretty good morning and actually fell asleep on the couch together. Tomorrow Dr. will be sleeping to prepare for work tomorrow night so we will be on our own again. I guess we may go visit Bass Pro Shop. It is still a little to hot to go to the zoo int he afternoon.

Next weekend, Granna and Bob Bob are going to stay with Chuck. I will be out of town and Dr. will be out of town moonlighting. I think there will probably be an 8:00 visit to the zoo on Saturday and I wouldn't doubt it if there is a visit to the Natural Science Museum or the Children's Museum too.

Is it Spring Break yet?

2011-08-13T10:23:00.002-05:00

Thank goodness that week is over! Last week was the pits....

from Chuck deciding to wake up an hour early the first day of school... that can't happen because I have to have time to get ready.

then Chuck spilling a whole cup of milk on him right before walking out the door to school (which means bathtime..... and bathtime right before leaving stinks because then my clothes get wet and I have to change and that means we are cutting it close on time)

and don't forget the ticket for not wearing my seatbelt a block away from my house.

and the fact I didn't get to get in my classroom until the day before the kids showed up because there was no AC in the building.

After this week I was so unprepared for the kids to arrive on Friday. After the first day of school I have totally realized I am being punished for something. I am not sure what I have done but I am definitely being punished for it! With the kids that walked into my classroom I feel as though this year is not going to be my favorite year... at all. You would think children would act normal the first day of school. Good gracious.

There is one little dude I am going to enjoy being around this year and it is this little guy. The food lover himself...

2011-08-11T20:59:00.001-05:00

"Every day may not be good but there's something good in every day."

This little guy is the only thing that has kept me going this week! This has been one crappy week. Students come tomorrow and I am soooo not ready for them!

Aunt Coco sent Chuck some back to school clothes. When I picked him up today I asked his teacher why he was wearing dog tags. She looked at me funny. I then realized they were actually part of the shirt. I guess this mama wasn't really paying attention when she dressed her baby this morning.

Our first parent teacher conference as parents is coming up! Hope we get a good report!

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Back on!

2011-08-07T20:04:00.001-05:00

Ok, so Mr. AC man came and saved the day. He was here no more than 5 minutes before the air was back on. Apparently our capacitor needed replacing. Luckily he says we have a very reliable unit and should be able to make it last until the move.

So we got up to 85 degrees and it was starting to get a little uncomfortable and Chuck was getting a little temperamental for a sec. We were just starting to get sticky and sweaty when he showed up. So 85 degrees and $300 dollars later, our house is slowly cooling down. We are at 79 now. I am very thankful we just replaced the ceiling fans!

We spent probably a total of 2 hours in the sink today. My theory is "if it won't kill him and doesn't ruin anything, who cares, let's do it".

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Save us!

2011-08-07T13:39:00.001-05:00

The AC guy just called and said he has one more person before he shows up. It is just now starting to get uncomfortable in here. Chuck fell asleep for his nap two hours early. I think he was worried about the AC and the stress got to him. He must take after his mama on the stress part and his daddy on the sleep part. Thank goodness Dr. is moonlighting. Looking like a new AC may be in our future rather than a down payment for a new house! Cross your fingers that our AC guy is a genius!

I am also letting him drink coke because I feel bad we can't go anywhere and have to stay in the hot house.

#callmeabadparentifyouwantto

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Hot

2011-08-07T08:33:00.001-05:00

Well our AC went out around midnight last night. Chuck is staying cool by playing in the cat bowl while we wait for the guy to
come which hopefully will be soon. Dr. is working today.

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Dancin'

2011-08-06T20:57:00.002-05:00

We spent the entire morning in the backyard with Nellie and wore ourselves out! Chuck was so tired after running around all morning that he started falling asleep in the tub after lunch!

We have really been practicing dancing today and Chuck learned how to clap while listening to music.This is just a long video clip that shows absolutely nothing. We do love some Jason Mraz and Elmo though.

Outdoors

2011-08-05T08:44:00.004-05:00

My big project for this summer was making a play yard for Chuck. It is successfully done... and ready to lure the next family to buy the house. We no longer have a gigantic square in our yard surrounded by railroad ties and filled with weeds! And have I mentioned that when we do decide to brave the heat, he is a sliding maniac.

And the front of the house....

Is this a sign?

2011-08-05T07:52:00.001-05:00

Hope this isn't a sign of how my weekend is going to go.... Chuck already has peed on the bed twice.

It made up for it when I couldn't find him and discovered this.....

Sweet boy taking it upon himself to brush his teeth. Scares me to death, him climbing up stools in the bathroom but atleast he has good oral hygiene. Now we gotta teach him not to use mama's toothbrush!

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Animal Sounds

2011-08-04T19:47:00.002-05:00

We are doing well with our animal sounds. I don't know if you can hear what we are saying. We were pretty impressed that he could do all four in a row.

"What does a kitty cat say?"

"What does a puppy dog say?"

"What does a cow say?"

"What does a duck say?"

Our boy must be having a growth spurt. Today his teachers said they had ravioli and Chuck kept asking for "more". He had 3 servings of ravioli and peas and carrots and they said they could tell he was thoroughly enjoying it by the amount of sauce he had on his face. And can you believe that he cam home and ate all his dinner and then went to the pantry and pulled out a thing of oranges ( and ate them), a breakfast bar ( and ate it), and he also asked for a banana ( and ate it). If he wakes up and vomits in a second I would not be surprised.

The Fun Never Ends

2011-08-03T22:25:00.002-05:00

Making more progress. Tomorrow Granna and Bob Bob leave so I am going to clean my pantry and fridge and start stocking up food for the beginning of the school year. I have three days (without Chuck) until school starts. Unfortunately Dr. will be moonlighting for the next five days and won't be around.

I guess cats think that when you "stage" a room for pictures that they should be part of it.

And when did 100 degree weather become "normal"? Ugh.

Back to Reality

2011-08-02T20:22:00.005-05:00

We got back from Tyler late last night. Tyler was a good visit. We came back with some big decisions to think about! Dr. is dissecting everything he learned about Tyler to see if it is the right place for him. Chuck and I enjoyed Tyler. Marmee came down to help me with Chuck since I can't seem to do it by myself. Thanks Marmee for helping me keep my sanity and helping the other hotel guests enjoy their sleep.

Today my parents came in to Jackson so they could help me get some pictures of the house for real estate purposes before the craziness of the school year begins. I know I will not have the time to stage the house for pictures for the listing or the flyer that goes to every resident that will match here next year. Four new fans are also on their way up. Just some last minute updating. We won't do anymore updating except a new refrigerator that will match the dishwasher and stove that we have gotten. We will paint the front porch and banister but that is just a quick thing.

Here are the pics of the house so far! Looking good!

Busy Bee

2011-07-29T22:15:00.002-05:00

Practicing our jumping.

We got him his own broom so we don't have to go to all of our neighbor's porches to sweep. I am sure they will be excited that they no longer have to walk out of the front door to see that we are playing on their porch and going through their things. This seemed to keep a certain someone busy for a good 30 minutes.... and it ain't over yet!

Worst paying degrees.... not news to me

2011-07-27T13:00:00.002-05:00

Worst Paying Degrees

Freezer Pleasers

2011-07-27T11:37:00.004-05:00

This is what I wish my freezer looked like.

courtesy of Southern Living

Last year, it helped a LOT to stock my freezer. I think I may begin the process again. I will start tomorrow and continue next week when we get back from Tyler. It helps a lot just to have a great assortment of meat that I can thaw all day and then whip up a starch and veggie. I want to be part of a group that gets together one Saturday and prepares meals for the month..... hmmm. Oh and you can't forget about the crock pot..... my saving grace.

If anyone has recipes that freeze well or a delish crock pot recipe...... please comment under this post on the blog or email me..... I am SO serious..... I need ideas and help. You have read enough of my cooking misfortunes that you know I am not kidding. Please.... for the sake of my husband and child.... or they may go hungry.

We also aren't allowed back in the school building yet ( did I mention next week is the last week of summer.... eek) because they are "fixing" the mold issue. I will believe it when I see it (or smell it for that matter). I am hoping I can get in my room sometime next week.

Neshoba County Fair

2011-07-27T08:55:00.004-05:00

We picked Chuck up from daycare when he woke up from his nap yesterday and headed to the Neshoba County Fair. I have been wanting to go for three years so this was the year! Our last chance! Really we just wanted to see what it was like and why it was covered in Southern Living a few years ago. All the pictures of the cute cabins is what got me there.

So on the fairgrounds there is a racetrack where a bunch of horse racing and harness racing takes place throughout the week. Then you have cattle and horse barns. You can watch them bathing the horses and getting them ready for the races. You can also watch the cattle shows. One day there are dairy cows, the next beef cows, etc. Now when I say barns I mean rinky dink stalls. And when I say giving them baths, I mean standing in the mud and squirting them off. Still Chuck loved seeing the animals.

There are also about 20 carnival rides and a ferris wheel and some food vendors. The rest of the fairgrounds is covered with small cabins. I would say no cabin is more than 15 feet wide. Some cabins go up three and four stories. To me it had the same feeling as Hot Springs ( the rustic feeling) but there is a racetrack instead of a lake. It also looks like someone threw up on Hot Springs with all the cabins and tents and chairs, etc. They do have entertainment every night and it is decent entertainment. They get some big bands. There is a "chair run" that happens after the last horse race. People race onto the track to put their chairs down as close as they can get to the stage. There is a lot of pushing, falling, and dirt.

So we got to the fair and strolled around through all the lanes and looked at the cabins. We also got to see a few horse races.

There is an exhibit hall ( an old run down barn) that shows the winners of the food competitions. I was quite baffled and had to take a pic. This is a picture of the veggies that won ribbons. I have never seen so many tomatoes, banana peppers, and cucumbers that look exactly the same yet some won first place and some won third. They were also displayed on fancy styrofoam plates.

Chuck did walk/run around some. When the races were over, we let him run out on the red dirt race track and play in the dirt ( and probably horse poo). He found the carousel and pressed his face against the fence and cried. We bought him a ticket and let daddy go with him. When they got on the carousel, Chuck would not ride any of the animals and cried the whole time. Guess we couldn't win either way.

I think Chuck's favorite part of the day was the lemonade. While we were in Mobile this past weekend, Chuck picked up Abby's juice box and started drinking it. Apparently, he has been ready to drink out of a straw and we didn't know it. So Dr. and I each got a lemonade at the fair and Chuck about threw a fit. Needless to say, Chuck won and got a lemonade and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Defeating the Gyro Bowl

2011-07-25T08:57:00.004-05:00

OK, well we have all seen the infomercials for the gyro bowl. You know, the bowl that spins around and can be handled by a toddler and it never spills. Well, if you don't know about Dr.'s obsession with the As Seen On TV aisle then that's a whole other blog. I can't complain, I wanted the gyro bowl too. While we were in Mobile, we found one for the Chuckinator. We seem to think the Chuck is crazy intelligent because he figures out how to get around things all the time. It doesn't take him much time for him to figure out how to overcome an obstacle. For instance.... if you have a bowl that is not supposed to spill then Chuck will figure out how to make it spill.....

We had a fun and can you believe it "relaxing" weekend! First weekend in a LONG time that this mama is not tired! Traveling has become so much easier because all Chuck needs is a diaper and a sippy cup. Of course clothes too but I don't HAVE to pack food if I don't want to ( i usually do but it is not necessary.) We also got Chuck a DVD player for the car and the rides are fun for everyone and stress/worry free. Our trip to Tyler on Saturday will probably be relatively uneventful. We will drive during Chuck's 3 hour nap time and then he can watch a movie.

Funny things that happened this weekend....

I have never really showed Chuck a pocket. I am assuming he sees his teachers put things in their pockets because they have scrubs with pockets on the front. Laney was putting things in her pockets and Chuck noticed what she was doing. Smart boy immediately started looking at his shorts and pulling them up so he could see his thigh to see if he had pockets. Cutest thing ever...

Also, Abby was looking for the rest of the fruit loops which happened to be in Dr.'s pocket. He gave them to her and Bob Bob said "what do you say"...... which we would all assume we would get a thank you. Abby paused for about 5 seconds really trying to figure out what she was going to say and all of a sudden said "Yea!!!". Hilarious. What goes on in the minds of these guys.... hahahaha.

Now for a picture. Apparently Chuck does not know to smile for the camera yet!

It is amazing how a few days can create such a big change. I have really been trying to get Chuck to start playing by himself and not have to have me next to him. I know once school begins I might have to sit on the couch and work while he plays. We were struggling with this and it seems to be coming around after this weekend. After his bath Chuck always gets to play in his jammies. Last night after being in Mobile all weekend, Chuck did a very good job at entertaining himself. Dr. and I sat and pretended like we were busy and watched him. He is such a hoot. It is amazing the amount of maturity that can creep up just in a day! We have been meltdown free lately too ( meltdown= laying on the floor crying for no reason).

Mommyhood is actually becoming less stressful and is having more fun moments and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Although as of two weeks ago Chuck was making a good case for being the only child. I can actually see how I MIGHT be able to have another child. (Disclaimer: "might" is the key word and there was no time frame in that sentence..... which means Chuck will definitely not be a big brother until at least 3 or 4 years of age ( and I can put money on that statement if you want me to.)

Also, have I mentioned Chuck's refusal to use a booster seat? He sits at tiny tables at daycare and has his little table at home therefore he thinks he should not have to sit in a booster seat. Unfortunately, Granna and Bob Bob do not have a midget table for the midget (well actually they do but I never thought about feeding him there). He did get all the strawberries in his mouth although I am not necessarily sure he could see what he was eating.

Our life

2011-07-22T05:32:00.002-05:00

So here is the latest travel plans for our household.

I have curriculum meetings all day today ( Yuck, right). I had some earlier this week too.

When the meetings are over, we are headed to Mobile for a "relaxing" weekend. We probably won't be there again for a long while so we had to get it in before school starts.

Then next weekend on the 30th, we will be traveling to Tyler, TX for an interview. Marmee is hopefully going to meet us on the 31st for a little playing around. Then on Aug. 1st, Dr. will interview and eventually they will take us on a community tour while Chuck and Marmee do there little thing. We don't know the actual schedule... so we don't know if dinner will be involved. Anyway, we will drive home late late late Monday night so that Dr. can make it to lecture at 7:30 Tuesday morning.

Now, later that week, Granna and Bob Bob may be coming back to help me stage the house and get some quick pictures. I really need to get pics of the house before all the trees loose their leaves and the grass goes brown. We have a new yard man so I think it is back to looking nice again.

And then the Tuesday after that, I start school. I know. I am already stressed and tired. Geez. Hopefully, this year will speed by and the selling of the house, packing, and moving will be a breeze. School ends for my May 31st. Not that I am already counting the days!

NO pictures

2011-07-19T21:18:00.003-05:00

But I had to share what Chuck did at school today. On his sheet it said he "had shaving cream play, learned about the square, and named the class's new pet fish "Sammie"." I can also tell that whatever he had for lunch must have been pretty

So freaking cute. I mean I can't even imagine his class of 8 one-year-olds looking at the fish swimming around in its bowl.

Also, Chuck started meowing and quacking today so we are moving along with our animals sounds.

He also bit my finger when I was brushing his teeth and I jerked and kind of screamed and he leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek and then put his head on my chest and gave me a hug.

While he was watching his Sesame Street before bed, he insisted on laying on his stomach on top of his table and watching it. It was so cute but I couldn't find a camera to snap a picture. He looked pretty comfortable so I wouldn't doubt it if that's his new TV watching perch.

The Myth of Balance

2011-07-19T21:00:00.000-05:00

The Myth of Balance

15 Months.... almost 16

2011-07-19T11:05:00.005-05:00

Chuck visited the doctor last week. He cried... a lot. he figured out how to open the door of the room and was so upset I wouldn't let him out in the hallway. He cried for about 15 minutes before he ever got a shot. He didn't care for the shot but was so excited to get to walk down the hallway that he had forgotten about the shots!

He is a healthy growing boy. He has consistently been in the 90% on height, weight, and head size. He is currently hitting 85% in weight and head size and is a whopping 100% in height!!! ( Thanks Dr. and Poppy). I always knew he was going to have those Weber men genes.

The doctor asked if he was making animal sounds ( yes, he barks and is starting to moo). She asked if he is saying words ( yes, his new word is bubble..... the doctor was impressed by that one!) She made sure he was walking ( did I mention they are "learning" how to run at school.....). She also wanted to make sure he was eating a well rounded diet ( you mean the pork, brussel spouts, and cherries he had for dinner?) I do owe the whole good eating thing to daycare. If he didn't go to school he would probably not be very healthy.

Chuck is teething. I think as he gets older he is learning to deal with the pain. We had a great ( and very exhausting weekend) and then I noticed that 3 teeth were trying to poke through. We made it without one meltdown!

We visited the zoo this weekend, Bass Pro Shop, and a 1600 square foot playground. ( Now that Chuck is walking/running, there are more places we can go.... although it definitely makes it more exhausting!) I also finally got some sand in his sandbox so we introduced him to sand this weekend. He loves it except has developed a love for throwing sand. Chuck also likes to stick keys in key holes so we got him a master lock. We will see how long it takes him to get it unlocked.

Chuck plays in the sand

Dr. and Chuck look at spider monkeys

Chuck tries to get his master lock open.

The 16,000 sq foot playground

Weber's World of Wonder

2011-07-15T20:29:00.001-05:00

Chuck loves the outdoors. Well actually love is an understatement. He can't say outside so he uses the word "pool" to mean outside. I was prepared today! Instead of chasing him around in the heat, I got everything out and put it in the backyard. Surely this would distract him for a fair amount of time.

We ventured out to Weber's World of Wonder and the child played with the faucet the entire time.

Then it started pouring (no thunder). He really wanted to be outside but hates water on his head so he had some decision making to do.

He picked a tomato real quick on the way in.

And then bit into it like an apple. He ate the entire thing, leaves and all. I couldn't stop him.

Even though we didn't enjoy the backyard as much as I had hoped, we did sit down in the tub and took a long, splashy, and bubbly bath!

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The Lake

2011-07-14T19:27:00.002-05:00

Thanks Aunt Koko for sending these pictures of Chuck from the fourth!

Clean up!

2011-07-14T09:49:00.001-05:00

Chuck cleans up after dinner time.

Mailman

2011-07-13T20:19:00.001-05:00

We have a new mailman only he is a bit confused on which way the mail actually goes.

He is also a little confused about what goes through the slot. There is indeed a bag of croutons laying on our door step now.

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Windows

2011-07-12T20:13:00.001-05:00

Well, Bob Bob and Granna are here helping with a little house cleaning. We took off the storm windows and scrubbed them. We also fixed any windows that needed fixing or scraping and washed them too. Just trying to get a jump start on getting the house ready to sell. This year is going to fly by and I am going to be so busy teaching. I am worried that I am going to be stressed to the max. Might as well get ahead now.

Don't have many good pics to share. We did go to Bass Pro Shop to see the fish. Chuck enjoyed riding in the elevator up and down about 12 times. He loved seeing the stuffed bear and sitting on the 4 wheeler.

I don't like Chuck to hang out in the sunroom because it has all the kitty cat stuff in there and a brick floor. I usually close the gate. The other day I was doing laundry and he walked into the sunroom. After a few seconds I walked into the kitchen and saw that he had done this....

He had locked himself and Samer in the kitty cat room and looked at me like "yep, I did it, am I in trouble?"

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Fondren at Five

2011-07-07T21:55:00.001-05:00

The first Thursday of every month, our neighborhood "Fondren" has Fondren at Five. All the coffee shops, boutiques, and art galleries are open late. This month they had a fourth of July festival for the kids.

Chuck jumped in the space jump for the first time ever ( and you guessed it... Is now obssesd!)

He also played ring toss.

And then we tried to find the ducky with the star on it.... But instead we tried to get in. This is the progression of me trying to convince him not to get in.

So we went home and got in our own pool.

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The Fourth

2011-07-06T20:11:00.001-05:00

A grand time was had by all this past weekend. Chuck got to spend some time with his Poppy. He ate ice with Poppy and helped him fill up the pool. We knew it wouldn't be long before he warmed up to his Pop Pop.

He also enjoyed spending time with his Marmee. She ( had to) take him on many golf cart rides. He would cry if you made him get off. (Dont judge Marmee's 80's attire).

Chuck also got to share ice cream with his cousin.

It was a nice and relaxing weekend ( for some of us!)

And yes, Chuck was naked for the majority of the weekend.

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Linebacker

2011-06-29T18:44:00.002-05:00

He ate a whole slice of cantaloupe, a ring of pineapple, a thing of yogurt, a thing of apple sauce, half of a protein link ( fake hotdog for vegetarians), Dr's mashed potatoes, and Dr's corn. I am officially waiting for him to puke while he is crying himself to sleep. Oh, and about 5 baby carrots. So in other words, I am going to have to go grocery shopping tomorrow.

After the Chuckman gets finished eating, the cutest thing ever happens! When he doesn't want anymore, he gets up out of his chair and carries his plate to the trashcan and throws it away. That is what they have taught him to do at daycare so he has started doing it here. And yes, after he turns around and walks away, I do have to dig our plates and utensils out of the garbage. It is so worth it though to see this 1 year old clean his spot when he is done eating. May be the most precious thing I have seen.

The Web

Drawing, Eating, and Countering

Our First Offer!

Time Management

House for Sale

Future Soccer Player

Stress-ball

Dinner with Dada

Pictures coming soon

Fingers Crossed

Cookies and Coughing

More Lookers

Lookers

Bubbles and Sketti

Lap buddies

Where's Dada?

There are people like me!

St. Joseph

Thank you 70's!

No News = not good news

It's here.....

Last Hurrah

Bye Bye 2011

Lowe's

Daddy at Work

Artist

Just Hangin'

Coming soon!

4 more hours!

Speaking tongues?

Peekaboo

Daddy time

Gone Crazy

Jumping Chuckers

Casualty

Too smart?

It's beginning to look a lot like...... OBGYN?

Ice

More videos

Music

Up

Poopy

Sir Grumps a lot

Food theif

Not so super

Works in Progress

Our Saturday!

Poof Pumpkin

Adventures 101

Roller Coaster RIde

Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkins!

Terrible Twos

Bored

Buddies

Animals Galore

We made it!

Chuck: he is his own person

18 months

Stickers

No naps = no fun

50 Rules for Dads of Daughters

Happy Grandparents Day

Vanished

Mondays

Counting

Potty time

Breakfast time

Coming Up for Air

Big guns

Fading

Elephants and Spiders

Is it Spring Break yet?

Back on!

Save us!

Hot

Dancin'

Outdoors

Is this a sign?

Animal Sounds