A Trip to the Doctor....for Mom!

Well, I went to the doctor to have a physical today.

My doctor, Dr. Lee, is a really sweet lady. She cant be much older than me; well she doesn't look it. She is very understanding, and gives me time to ask questions and voice my concerns. She even sits there and listens, and doesn't rush me. Anyways, she told me that I am doing really well, and I am perfectly healthy. I do need to lose 10 pounds though, in order to be in the right body-mass index thingy. I had already planned to lose 10 pounds before July anyways, so that I could look nice for my sister's wedding. Also, she said that my blood pressure was nice and low (90/70 - almost dead) for a 28 year old female with two small children. So I was very happy overall.

Then came the not-so-fun part. She said that I needed to get blood work done and get a Tetanus shot. My last one was when I was 15, so I was due for another. I reluctantly agreed, so she sent off my paperwork to the lab. Oh joy....I HATE NEEDLES. Its a wonder how I had 2 kids via C-Section at all. I am the kind of person that has to lay down to get shots and have blood drawn, or else I'll faint or even possibly throw-up. I have always been very queasy. Just ask the man who took my very first blood draw when I was preggo with Summyr. He had throw up on his feet when I was done. Or the time when I got a shot when I was about 13 yrs. old. I almost fainted in the elevator on the way to the car! So needless to say, I was nervous about this time.

The nurse came in to give me the Tetanus shot. I could feel my breaths starting to quicken. Then all of the sudden she was putting the band-aid on. WOW! She was GOOD! I didn't even feel it. Unfortunately I can feel it now!!! My arm hurts!!!! Then, I went off to get my labs done. I explained to the lady about my issues with needles and she was kind enough to take me to another room where I could lay down while she drew my blood. This was possibly the first time that I wasn't made to feel embarrassed about my "condition".

So anyways, I am glad its all over and I can start the New Year feeling good and knowing I am healthy!

After-Christmas Score!

I mentioned before in a prior post that I wanted to get some really nice Stocking Hangers for my mantle. Well, I followed through as planned and waited until after Christmas. I really would have preferred to get them before, that way all of our stockings could have been hung together, but I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg for a set. You know, some of those things were going for $10-$15 a piece!!!

So anyways, I went to Target today to get some stuff on my grocery list. As I walked around the store, picking up things here and there, I noticed that all of the Christmas stuff was 75% off!!!! At last...this was my chance! I was able to get a set of four really cute hangers for only $6.24!!!! Yes! The original price was $24.99. I am so excited!!!

Celebrating the Last 5 Years in Letters....

H - Home
A - Adoration
P - Presence
P - Patience
Y - Youth

A - Acceptance
N - Nurture
N - Nearness
I - Intimacy
V - Value
E - Emotion
R - Respect
S - Safety
A - Alliance
R - Resolution
Y - Years

I - Inspiration

L - Love
O - Obstacles
V - Vows
E - Experiences

Y - Yearn
O - Overcome
U - Unfailing

S - Steadfast
T - Teamwork
E - Enduring
P - Partners
H - Heart
A - Amusing
N - Now and Forever

Thinking About School....Making Conclusions.

So I thought about school today. I am not sure what brought it up. Maybe the fact that I have seen so many of the people that I grew up with become successful, while I am here wasting away (according to the world's standard).

I have friends who have become nurses and teachers. Friends who have traveled the world and lived in different countries. Friends who have completed college once or twice. Even friends my age, who have Masters Degrees! All I have is a MRS degree with a major in Domestic Engineering. So I am feeling a little bit sorry for myself and beating myself up for not feeling like I have made something of myself.

Don't get me wrong. I love my kids. That is the main reason I haven't gone to school yet. I don't want to have to put them in daycare while they are so little. We cant afford it anyways. Stephan is already in school right now, too. He has been since Jude was 10 days old. My hope has been to go to school as soon as he was done, but at the rate he is going....part time....I may never make it.

I don't know why, like I said before, but I mentioned the whole idea of school at dinner. The idea of how nice it would be for me to go to school so that I could get a degree and actually help our family financially, so that we would not have to live from paycheck to paycheck. Stephan is doing a good job, but I still feel that I need to pull my weight sometimes. He said that it would be a great idea. But, I mentioned that like many people, I really don't know what I want to go to school for. I have random skills, hate math, and am very non-confrontational. So this posed a problem for me.

I decided to get online and see what I could find. I took a look at www.About.com and searched Career Planning. I was given 3 tests to take, one of which I could not get to work. The first one was not really a test but just a list of traits in different categories. I was to choose the category that best described me and in turn would get a list of jobs that best suited those traits. Here's what I got:

I am: CONVENTIONAL (sounds boring)

Here is the list of jobs it gave me:

Abstractor (CSI)Accountant (CSE)Accounting Clerk and Bookkeeper (CSR)Administrative Assistant (ESC)Bank Teller (CSE)Budget Analyst (CER)Building Inspector (CSE)Business Teacher (CSE)Cashier (CSE)Catalog Librarian (CSE)Clerk (CSE)Computer Operator (CSR)Cost Accountant (CES)Court Reporter (CSE)Customs Inspector (CEI)Data processing worker (CRI)Electronic Mail Technician (CSR)File Clerk (CSE)Financial Analyst (CSI)Insurance Adjuster (CSE)Insurance Underwriter (CSE)Internal Auditor (ICR)Key Punch Operator (CSE)Kindergarten Teacher (CSE)Legal Secretary (CSA)Library Assistant (CSE)Medical Records Technician (CSE)Medical Secretary (CES)Safety Inspector (RCS)Service Station Attendant (CER)Tax Consultant (CES)Telephone Operator (CSE)Typist (CES)

I don't know about you, but half of these jobs sound like I would be trapped in a tiny office or dusty closet for the rest of my life.

So I went on to the next test, which was the Meyers-Briggs Personality Type. The stuff I read said something about it having to been given and scored by a professional, but that they had changed it to generalizations, so I guess it was safe to do on my own. Anyways, here is what I scored:

Type: ISTJ - "Dependable, reliable and trustworthy, they like to belong to solid organisations that are reasonable in their ambitions and loyal to their employees. They feel useful when their roles and responsibilities are clearly established and they can monitor their activities and productivity in tangible ways. They tend to be rather modest, traditional and conventional, to like sensible clothing, to be thrifty, careful and wise with both money and possessions.
Once they accept a project, they will see it to the end. They manage their time well and are realistic about how much time and resources will be needed.
They tend to like to stay in one neighborhood, often choosing to live close to where they were themselves raised. They are often involved with volunteer organisations and have a developed sense of citizenship and accountability. When they purchase something, it is after careful consideration; rarely will they buy something without having a known need or use for it. They may keep possessions for a lifetime and treasure those that were given to them.
They tend to have a good memory for specific facts that are necessary in their day-to-day life at work and at home. They accumulate facts and details to orient themselves, relying on repeated experiences that have been proven trustworthy. A fact once experienced may be the product of circumstance and happenstance; it is not in and of itself reliable. When an introverted sensing type hears an idea, they rummage through reams of archived facts to find an experience that provides information for the relevance and realism of an idea. When an introverted sensing type utters, "It's never been done!" they are saying that no information about the relevance or usefulness of the idea is available to them. They tend to shy away from surprises and what is perceived as unnecessary change." - By Danielle Poirier www.RebelEagle.com © copyright Rebel Eagle Productions

And here are the jobs it suggested:

Chief Information Officer
Meteorological
Database administrator
Healthcare administrator
Paralegal
Accountant
Real Estate broker
Construction / building inspector
Police detective
Agricultural scientist
Primary care physician
Biomedical researcher
Office manager
Credit analyst

So by this point, I am not really sure that I want to go back to school. None of the jobs sounds that interesting...well except the meteorological one, but not if I have to get in front of a camera!

Then, as if God was reading my mind, Jude bumped his head on his bed and started screaming. This brought me back down to Earth, and back to the original reason I am not in school. Just the disruption of him screaming while I was trying to concentrate here on the computer, caused my blood-pressure to shoot through the roof. I cant imagine trying to do homework or study, while taking care of the kids. It just wouldn't be fair to them. I think that I will wait until Stephan is done with school, and in the meantime I will continue doing the job that I almost do best. And that is being a Mom.

Where are the PICTURES!?!?!?!?!?

I am sure everyone is anxious to see pictures from over Christmas, but since I have started using this computer, I came to the sad realization that it does not have any sort of Office programs on it. It is bare bones.....meant only for surfing the net, I guess. I really cant live without Picture Manager or Photoshop....I need something to edit my pics!!!! Please if you are out there reading this, and you want to see some really funny and cute pictures, make some noise on my husband's cell phone!!!!! Please! Trust me I have already made my wishes known....I need some backup!!!!

Been a While.....

I havent blogged in a couple of weeks. We have been so busy with the "holidays". And now I am typing on a new-to-me laptop and I am not used to the new keyboard yet.

We are about to have our 3rd Christmas in a week and a half. I am so not ready to wrap anymore presents and play Santa. We drove to Lubbock on the 13th. It was almost a disaster...we could not find the portable DVD player that we use for the kids on long trips!!! We were frantic and we searched high and low until the second that we left. No luck! But the kids actually did quite well. Nearly 7 hours in the car and NO MELTDOWNS! I dont know how...God had his hand over us! We enjoyed Christmas with Stephan's family and headed back to Pflugerville on the 17th. Thursday, the 18th, we loaded up again....and headed to Houston to have Christmas with my family. No DVD player again, but hey, its only 3 hours. Those 3 hours seemed like a never ending nightmare. Meltdowns and whining left and right....the whole way! But we made it alive....and enjoyed Christmas and a trip to our favorite Chinese restaurant...Happy Lamp. We headed back to Pflugerville once more on the 22nd....just intime for me to be home for my birthday....the 23rd.

And guess what Stephan found today....the DVD player.

Four things....

Four jobs I've had:
1) Nanny
2) Teacher's Assistant/Aide
3) Graphic Designer for R.E. Agents
4) Mom

Four movies I've watched more than once:
1) Labrynth
2) The Goonies
3) Toy Story - not by choice
4) Cars - again, not by choice

Four places I've lived:
1) Houston, Texas
2) Lubbock, Texas
3) Seattle, Washington
4) Pflugerville, Texas

Four TV shows I watch:
1) Fringe
2) Law & Order
3) Masterpiece Theater
4) Antique's Roadshow

Four places I've been:
1) Tegucigalpa, Honduras
2) Chihuahua, Mexico
3) Orlando, Florida
4) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Four people who email me regularly:
1) Dad
2) Philip - dadinlaw
3) Kelli
4) Katy

Four of my favorite foods:
1) Fruit Rollups
2) Peppermint Ice Cream
3) Spaghetti
4) Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Four places I would like to visit:
1) Italy
2) France
3) Bethlehem
4) Hawaii

Four things I'm looking forward to in the coming year:
1) Jude turning 4
2) Summyr turning 2
3) Tax Returns!!!
4) Watching our family grow together

I Changed my Blog Name...

I felt like the old name, Abuzeide Family Blog, just was not right. No flair, no originality, and just not the right subject. Yes, I blog about my family, but the name seemed to mean that it was the blog "of " the family, when in actuality, it is just me blogging about my days and my life. So I hope that the new name doesnt throw you off.

Yuck!

Everyone in our house is sick....except for me. I hope it stays that way!!!

Holiday Decorating 2008

Well I decided to take some pictures of our tree and mantle. We dont have very many decorations this year. I am trying to keep it clean and simple. The tree is white with really funky colors and ornaments. Some are birds, some stars, spiraly things, snowflakes, bells, and disco balls. Its really cute. This is our 3rd year with this tree and this year, we were able to go and buy a ton of new ornaments to add to the ones that we already had. Also, the tree is wrapped with magenta colored beads, two colors of metallic twine, and three colors of metallic string.

The mantle has various trees and a small garland with the funky colors to match the tree. Not much....especially since Summyr has busy hands. I am going to try to get the hooks for the stockings soon. I refuse to spend the outlandish amount for those really nice stocking hangers....you know the metal ones with a tree/star/train/etc. on the top. I am hoping that I can pick up some on clearance right before or right after Christmas. Hope you enjoy the pics...and by the way, the pics dont do the tree justice. You have to see it.

Here is a video of Summyr walking!

FINALLY!

So, our little baby, is finally WALKING!!!

Summyr has taken her sweet time mastering the art of walking. Over the past 7 months, we waited as patiently as we possibly could. But our aching backs could only take so much more.

Honestly, I decided to finally put my foot down. I realized that we (Stephan and I) were carrying her too much. From the moment she woke up, whether it be morning or after nap, we picked her up. Yes, this was necessary as a newborn, infant, and up into the late baby months, but once she turned one, we were still picking her up and carrying her to the living room. Then we would carry her to her highchair. Then we would pick her up from the chair and carry her to the toy room. Or as a young toddler, we would carry her to the walker, or entertainment center. Then she would get tired and we would carry her to her crib, then back out of the crib, then carry her out the door, into the car/stroller. Never did her feet touch the ground. The she learned to crawl. We let her crawl at home, but we still carried her everywhere else.

So back to the part about putting my foot down. I decided it was time to STOP carrying her. When she woke up in the morning, down she would go, and with help, we would have her "walk" to the living room. "Walk" to the toy room. "Walk" to the highchair. "Walk" from the car to the store/Bible classroom/etc. Guess what? Within 2 weeks of doing this, she was taking steps on her own. All this time we had been complaining that she wasn't walking yet.

But it was our fault.....

So the day before Thanksgiving, we went to Conn's (appliance store). Summyr decided that would be the place that she would make eternal memories. She started taking independent steps, a few at a time, and today....Dec. 2, 2008, she can take 20+ steps on her own. She can walk from one room to the other, turn corners, squat down and then stand up again and take steps, walk with a toy/cup in her hand, and sometimes hold hands and walk with Jude.

So now we cannot go back. Our baby is now a big girl. No longer will she need me to carry her. Now she says, "Walk", and has no fear. Soon, she will run and play without hesitation. I am so proud to see her walk, yet so sad to see her grow up so fast.

MonaVie Website

Please check out our new website! It has a TON of info about MonaVie....an amazing product that will change your life! It has changed ours!

http://www.mymonavie.com/StephanandFaith/

Do You Know This Baby?

She Reminds Me of Someone...

Easy Monday....So Far.....

I just wanted to post about my "Easy Monday".

I am sitting here at the dining table (where I do all of my posting from) and I am still in my pjs. Yes, it is awesome....12:05 p.m., still in my nightgown and slippers.

Jude is outside playing with the dog. I can see him through the window in his little blue jacket. He has already eaten lunch of quesadillas and carrots with ranch. He has already enjoyed watching 101 Dalmations. He is now trying to come inside.

Summyr is napping. She has been asleep for about an hour and a half. She still needs to eat lunch, but until then, I am enjoying the fact that she is resting. When she rests, I rest. The only downside to her still being asleep, is that she needs her diaper changed....I dont want to wake her up just for that.

I know that it sounds like I am just enjoying myself....that maybe I have not done anything productive today, but that is just not so. Here is a list of what I have done so far:

• Cleaned Summyr's high chair
• Taken out meat for dinner
• Started preparation for tonights dinner (cutting onions, bell peppers, taking out other ingredients)
• Cleaned out laundry room
• Folded laundry
• Made Jude's lunch
• Fed the dog
• Dressed both kids
• Straightened up Summyr's room and organized her diapers on the shelf
• Wrote an email for MonaVie
• and Sorted through mail

Now Jude is sitting next to me, playing with Play-Doh. I still need to eat lunch myself, now that I think about it. We also need to run to the store to get a red bell pepper and some limes. Being a Stay-at-Home Mom has its perks....days like this.

Slow....Easy....Relaxing....Monday.

Now I Must Post About Jude....

There are so many things about Jude that I could write. He has been with us for almost 4 years...much longer than Summyr....so there is much more to write.

Jude is SOOOOOOOOO Smart. I cannot keep up with half of the things he tells me about. He is into outerspace and the planets and spaceshuttle. I cant wait to take him to the Johnson Space Center....he will love it!

He has a fantastic imagination. He can be whoever and wherever he wants in a matter of seconds. Lately he is BuzzlightYear or a Pokemon, or even Bumblebee. He his so detailed with his descriptions of the characters, and never misses anything. Oh, and he will make sure to correct you when you are wrong about the way you "fight" or "fly" if you are playing with him.

He has book smarts. He can count to 20, say all of the alphabet, knows all of his shapes, colors, etc. He can even WRITE all of the letters and some of the numbers!!! He can write his NAME!!! In upper and lower case, mind you. Can you believe this? I know we cant. He is currently working on picking up some sign-language, and has picked up an interest in science. All on his own! He knows his phonics...can associate the letter sounds with the correct letter, and can even give you a word to go with the letter. All at 3 years old....we might have a prodigy on our hands.

Jude is very independent. Well I would like to think so. He can dress himself, put on socks and shoes (velcro or slide-on), brush his teeth, put on his pullups, start a DVD for himself when he wants, shut the car doors when he gets out, helps pick up after Summyr, is my number one diaper-runner, can put on his backpack by himself and carry his lunchbox, can eat almost everything without having us cut it up for him (except for drumsticks), can help "fold" laundry, ride his bike, walk the dog, and even makes up his own language. He is an awesome kid!

Our "Big Kid"!

Jude Mykel 5/31/05

Some Things About My 1 Year Old....

These are just a few things about my daughter that I wanted to write:

• She does not like her pizza cut up....she is a big girl now and eats it like one.




• She will ask for a drink from your cup, but turn it away as soon as you put it to her mouth.




• She loves to run squished up banana through her hair....not easy to clean up.




• She is 16 months old going on 16 years old.




• She is becoming "motherly" and will kiss and pat her baby dolls.




• She is becoming "bossy" in her own way...she will tell you no!




• She is afraid to fall while walking, but not afraid to fall off the couch while climbing.




• She will make her opinion of something known to me, you, and everyone else in the room!




• She can be sweet and loving, and pinch you at the same time.




• She has a very unique personality.....enough said.




• She is my spitting image....I am very proud!




• Daddy says, "She is definatly one of the most Beautiful babies I have ever seen. I mean I have seen "cute" babies, but she TAKES THE CAKE!"

She is our "Princess".

Summyr Ann 7/7/07

Horrible at Blogging....

If you cant tell, I am horrible at blogging.

I spend too much time on Facebook.

And, I spend a lot of time taking care of my family and cleaning up this house!

Don't forget Skippy!

I don't know if anyone even reads this blog.

A lot has happened since I last wrote.

Jude got really sick with something and had to be put in the "hostible" for a couple of days. This was a really trying time for me because the same day he was admitted, Stephan had to go out of town on business. I was exhausted and was truly blessed by our church family, who came in and helped me out so much with meals and taking care of Summyr. Jude is back to normal by the way, and the doctors were never able to figure out what made him sick or what exactly he had.

In early October, we signed up to be distributors of MonaVie. This is a juice made from fruit. 100% fruit I might add. Drinking 4 ounces of of this juice a day gives you 13 servings of fruit. Who wouldn't want that? All that fruit in 4 ounces!!! The main fruit in this amazing drink is the acai berry....from the Amazon. MonaVie has really changed our life, and our health. As an added bonus, its about to change the contents of our wallet, too!

Halloween. All I can say is that I am glad it is over! I know that sounds bad, but this year was so stressful. I was dumb enough to think, that since we were broke, I would just make the kids costumes, and save a couple of bucks. Well after 3 weeks of working on Jude's Optimus Prime (Transformers) costume, I had had enough! I did finish it though and it turned out GREAT! It was the hit of the Fall Festival at church and I kid you not, people are still talking about it! Oh and I only spent $2.00 to make it.....for the red and blue spray paint. I made Summyr's costume as well. It only took me an afternoon and six dollars to make her princess ballerina tutu. She was so cute, and its a costume that she can wear over and over.

And here we are in November. I am enjoying the weather changing everyday. Sometimes, after the kids are asleep, I take Skippy for a walk in our little neighborhood. I love to walk in the dark and feel the cool wind swirl around me and hear the crunch of the leaves and acorns under foot. I am trying so hard to get in the holiday "spirit" this year. I think I might just be able to....I hope.

The Original Skippy Sak.....made by me.

So, those of you who read this that don't have Facebook, have not heard about my new project.

First of all, I have a very entrepreneurial bone in my body somewhere. It is what has caused me to be so creative through out my life. Now that I am older and have more resources I can act more upon creating my ideas and not just thinking about them. In the past I have made Hairbows, Diaper Cakes, Gift Baskets, and many other things, that if I had just stuck to it, might have made me a millionaire by now! But my mind seems to be very sporatic and I am still looking for my nitch. My current project leans more to pet lovers and the booming pet product market. After you read this and see the pics, you might want to get one for the furry friend in your life. That is my hope....oh, and I want to let you in on my life as well!

Skippy Sak is a soft, warm, and snuggly blanket especially made for small to medium breed dogs, older dogs, and even cats. Essentially, this is a blanket, made by hand, for small/older dogs that need extra warmth. The blanket can be made of 2 or 4 layers of fleece fabric, and is assembled 100% by hand in my home, in the form of a "sack" so that the dog can burrow and sleep inside of it to stay warm. They are also completely reversible, so that if you chose the 4 layer design, you are getting two Saks for one price. I just made one for our 7 year old Doxy named Skippy...so I decided to name this project after him. Not only is it great for the winter to keep little dogs warm and toasty, but it also serves as a nice soft spot to lay on top of when the weather gets warmer. You can even put a small cushion inside of the Skippy Sak and your pet will have a soft, warm bed. If you, or anyone you know might be interested in purchasing a Skippy Sak, let me know. I can send you price info and can pretty much make whatever design or color you want; even team colors and available team logo print. Finished size is approx. 18 by 26 inches and all Skippy Saks are completely machine washable.

I have been keeping busy. If you like what you see, or you know somone that might, let me know. You can email me at: theabuzeides@hotmail.com if you want one! I will send you a complete pricing sheet so that you can view the options. As a side note, these would make great Christmas gifts for that little fuzzy friend in your life!

I Got the Potty Training Blues........

The title says it all!

I am exhausted after today. I went to 3 places this afternoon while Jude was napping, trying to find and anatomically correct doll that could drink and pee, hoping that it might help. Well after 3 hours of searching, I finally found a "boy" doll with no boy parts, mind you, but I was tired of dragging Summyr from store to store in the heat, so I bought it. I also had to get some party supplies for the "Potty Party". I decided to go with the Dr. Phil approach. He suggests getting the doll, showing the child the doll drinking and peeing on the potty, and then having a celebration for the doll for peeing in the potty and not in his underwear. Well it all sounds great, but I had no idea how much work and energy went into having such a shin-dig.

When I showed Jude the doll, he was kinda leery at first, but after a few minutes, he and "Baby Jude" became fast friends. Jude fed him his first drink of water from his bottle, which by the way came out of the doll a lot faster than I was expecting it to!!!! So we "rushed" the doll to the potty and a little water came out. Jude was excited that he had peed in the potty, so I suggested that we throw "Baby Jude" a party for using the potty. He was like, "Huh?", but once I pulled out the streamers and the balloons and party horn-blower things, he got even more pumped. I put up the streamers in the little nook where we eat and added some balloons....nothing fancy....and then we pulled out the horns and started to blow and shout, "Hooray! Baby Jude pee peed in the potty! Hooray!!!". We danced around the room singing a song about using the potty and Jude was convinced to go to his room and get a pair of underwear for himself.

Okay, here is where the exhaustion started to set in. After rushing the doll back and forth to the potty 4-5 times, Jude finally decided that he could now determine when the doll needed to go potty. Now, keep in mind that all the while this party/potty training session is going on, I am trying to cook dinner and watch Summyr. And dont forget, every time that baby goes potty, we have to celebrate by dancing, blowing horns, and singing!!!! Did I forget to mention that the party horns sent the dogs into hiatus....they were running around barking and howling throughout the house!!! Can you picture this in your minds???

So now Jude says that his baby needs to "poop". Ha! I am prepared for this. I bought a bag of Tootsie-Rolls while at Target.....we have really been struggling with this area of the training. So, as stealthy as I am, I told Jude to put the baby on the potty so he could poop, and while his head was turned, I slipped a tootsie-roll into the potty. Let me tell you, Jude was impressed by this doll! Not only could he pee in the potty, but he could even poop in it also!!! Of course, now we have to celebrate again....and of course, now baby has to go poop AND pee every time he sits on the potty!!

Well by 6:30, I had had enough potty training for the afternoon, and so had Jude. He was still in the original underwear, no accidents, until I sat down to write this!!! He said he doll needed to go to bed, so we put him in fresh underwear and put him in Jude's bed. The advice says that once the child loses interest in the "game" with the doll, its best to back off and try again later. Trust me, I am happy that the doll was tired....cuz I am too.

Oh Boy! What Was I Thinking!!!!

So about a month ago, I decided to help Stephan out by watching some kids. Well, stupid me, I thought I could handle watching my kids, plus 3 MORE!!!! And all under 3! Wow, I dont think that I have ever been so stressed out in all of my life. We need the money to make ends meet for the time being, but I dont know if it is worth it. We are waiting to find out if Stephan will be getting a new job next week; one that will be paying more. So hopefully my pain is short lived. Oh by the way, Jude will be starting school next week!!! Its only Mother's Day Out, but it is a really big deal for us! We are so proud and excited!!!! Here are some recent pics!!

UN-Hired Help?

So, I guess I never realized that moving into this house would be so much work. Dont get me wrong, we love this house, but keeping it clean is REALLY HARD!

I have been contemplating the idea of hiring someone to help me. Whether it be a "Mother's Helper" or a lady to come in and clean once a month; the thought has crossed my mind many times in the last few weeks. The idea sounds great....but the reality of it is slim to none! If I had lots of money I would do it....but I dont.

So, I have searched high and low for someone to help me. I prefer "unhired" help. Someone who I dont have to pay with currency....well not with actual dollars and cents.

I think I might have found someone...

Doesnt he look thrilled?

Famous Words of a Three Year Old....

Today, I think I have finally come to the realization that Jude is EXTREMELY smart and funny. He can charm just about anyone with his smile and wit. He can count to 20 and knows all of his ABC's, shapes, colors, animals, etc...... He is interested in space. He loves to talk about Earth and the fact that we live there, and that Saturn has rings. He loves NASCAR and is always talking about cars racing and crashing....LOL!

Anyways, Jude said some things today that were so funny, I felt compelled to write them down.

I have been watching 3 other kids at our house since last week. All the kids were sitting down at the table eating lunch and I mentioned casually to my Sister-In-Law, Rani, that the kids should "crash"...of course I was speaking about nap time. Well Jude over heard what I said and screamed out, "No! We don't have any cars!!!" Of course I couldn't help but laugh at that!

Then, it was time to lay down. We have been watching Baby Einstein before nap as sort of a "wind down" tool. At the end of the show, a baby comes on the screen and is playing with a toy. Jude shouts out, "Look at that baby....it doesn't have any hair! Just a little bit of hair like Grandpa Eddee!!!!" Daddy if you are reading this, you should be so thrilled that Jude thinks so highly of you!

I cant wait to post more of the hilarious things that Jude says, but Rani just told me that Summyr took 2 steps on her own, and I missed it!

Okay, So I am going to Attempt to Blog.

So here we go. I am terrible at this stuff, but I have friends and family members out there that want to know what is going on in our lives. Fair warning: I might not update this on a regular basis!


So right now, as I type, Jude is in his room fake coughing and telling me he doesnt "feel better". He is supposed to be taking a nap so that I can have some "Mommy" time. This is a normal occurance in our house. I spend most of my Mommy time trying to keep him quiet enough to not wake up Summyr who is really needing to take a couple of good naps a day. Oh and of course, he always chooses to do this on the days that Stephan has to go to school at night. So.....that means Daddy is not home all day until around 10:00 pm. Can you imagine how that might make me a little bit frayed around the edges?

I started to drink this juice....called Mona*Vie. It was helping me sleep so much better and I had more energy throughout the day. But.....we ran out of juice and we cant really afford to spend $45 on another one right now. We would like to become independant reps. and sell the juice, so we are working on that. Oh, by the way, it is an Acai Berry blend - the best of the best!

So there have been a couple of things that have started to break in this house since we moved in. Thank goodness it is just a rental! The landlord has been coming out to fix stuff....like the garage door that came off of the track, and the front porch light that hasnt worked since we moved in, and not to mention the leak we had coming from the washing machine drainage area.....all that water ended up in the garage because the spiket was leaking during washes. Fun!

The kids are getting big. Jude just had his 3rd birhtday at the end of May. We actually had a real party this year at Chuck E. Cheese. He got to invite his little friends from Bible class and his cousin Zach. He had a blast! Then Summyr turned one on July 7th! She is getting to be such a big girl. She got to have a cake....and only she had it because by the time I turned around to get a knife to cut it, she had destroyed it! Well at least she got to eat some!

More Later......when I can find some time!