Jennika's Blog

Jacey Chronicles: The Three Musketeers

2008-09-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Jacey absolutely ADORES his cousins. He loves Lillie like his own sister and misses her if they've been apart for just a few hours. When he sees a picture of a baby, boy or girl, black or white, small or big, he says that its Lillie and I think he truly thinks of her as a baby--and not just any baby, his baby. He gives her kisses and loves on her and drives her truly crazy.

Now, the boys, that's another story. He thinks his cousins hung the moon and the stars. When they laugh out loud, he laughs out loud. When they spin, he spins. When they burp, he makes a gross burping sound. Etc. Etc. Etc. Tonight at dinner, Joseph was laughing so hard that he was snorting and of course, Jacey tried to duplicate it. Only thing is, he had just shoved a noodle in his mouth and snorting whilst eating is not such a good idea.

Well, here are the three of them last weekend...

Random: Waterbed Woes

2008-09-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today was just one of those days. I've got a kidney infection and was off my game all day long. Jacey had music class this morning and I took him home for a nap afterwards only to fall asleep and nearly miss my doctor's appointment. So we rush off to the doctor, messing up his nap. Then, I realize that he hasn't had lunch or a diaper change just about the time that he spots the tree o'suckers and they call me back. So, I give the poor hungry child a sucker, get my exam and prescription, and head off to more errands. On the way to the car, I pick him up and notice that he's soaked through his shorts. OMG! I hadn't changed him in hours due to the nap mishap, doctor's appt, and all around bad momma-ness. To make myself feel even worse, I drive through McDonald's and feed the pee pee smelling child fried foods. Healthy, I know. And all he wants is some "Baaapes" (aka Grapes). Sigh. After a proper nap, some fresh fruit, and some cuddle time, I was feeling better about the whole mess. Then the waterbed happened.

Mom had her bedroom painted today so I helped her drain her waterbed so they could paint behind it. We ordered some dinner and started the bed to fill. We commenced eating and completely forgot about the bed. Russ jerked his head up mid bite and yelled oh shit, running into mom's room to find this...

Jacey Chronicles: Words He Knows

2008-09-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Jacey is really big on animals and their sounds or the things they do. Here are the ones he knows. . .
Cat- mow
Dog- wuf wuf
Frog- blit (said with tongue slipping out)
Monkey- ohah
Alligator- puts his fingers together in a chomping motion
Rabbit- scrunches up his nose and mouth
Giraffe- sticks his tongue out (but not reliably...sometimes he does the rabbit face for giraffe)
Elephant- unnngh (with hand to head like a trunk)
Lion- waaah
Bear- aaaah
Duck- wack
Rooster- oodlee
Chicken- bok
Bird- chip

Of course, these are all much more impressive in person. ;-p

Jacey Chronicles: Scaredy Cat

2008-09-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Jacey and I woke up this morning around 8am and I was brushing my teeth and getting dressed when the bedroom door opened and a man called out. I nearly jumped out of my skin and sort of lunged in front of Jacey. Then, I realized that it was Russ. Of course, Russ thought my reaction was quite amusing. He turned to Jacey and said, "Momma's a scaredy cat" to which Jacey replied, "Meow, meow."

Jacey Chronicles: Timeout

2008-09-02T20:49:00.001-07:00

I know, the title is misleading. No, I've not lost my mind and started putting my 16 month old in timeout. However, I do, often, put my 7 year old nephew in timeout. We make Joseph do his time at the garage door with his nose to the wall. Here's some video of Jacey putting his nose to the door in empathy with Joseph.

Jacey & Joseph in timeout

Jacey Chronicles: The Awe of Parenthood

2008-09-02T20:25:00.001-07:00

Some days, I love being a mother more than others. I have to admit that I have my moments when I am able (if only for a fleeting second) to remember the autonomy of who I was before I became "Momma." I generally don't even give this former life a second glance but there are those days when I am just overwhelmed by even the most menial tasks and I say to myself, man I miss those carefree days. And then, there are days like today.

I am, in this moment and at various points throughout today, the most blissful, adoring parent imaginable. Staring at Jacey tonight, sleeping so hard in my arms--with his little poochie lips, sweat making his chubby cheeks stick to my arm, dampness clinging to his soft baby hair, and the smell of his warmth mingled with baby lotion after a warm shower--and I am completely, totally dumbfounded by the amazing blessing that is motherhood.

I have never been given nor worked so hard for such a prize as this. I have had a full and happy life. I have seen and done many things that I dreamed of. I have put into play many plans for my life. But, never did I ever dream that anything I would ever do would be as rewarding and worthwhile as what I am doing now. Thanks be. Words do so little justice.

J & J Strike Again: Snookerdoodles

2008-08-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Joseph has been driving me totally insane lately. If he's not being mind boggling annoying, or just a total sh*t (sorry, it really is the only word for it), then he's being cute. Unfortunately, the cute hasn't been showing itself much this week. Tonight, he told me, "Tika, it's ok if you're fat because you're really pretty." But, just before that, he was asking me for Snookerdoodles. It's his favorite cookie, you know. And then, later in the evening, he told Russ, "I'm gonna take you like a burger to a BBQ, slap you on a bun, and serve you up!" Seriously, the kid can go from sweet little angel to raging monster in a matter of seconds. He may not live to see his next birthday.

Disney Vacation: Will they survive me?

2008-08-19T21:19:00.001-07:00

Well, dad's last wish was that we all go on a family vacation with the money he wanted us to save on an elaborate funeral. We've been planning a trip to Disney for years but we will actually do it in December. I'm so totally excited about the trip that I have thrown myself, head first, into the planning. Mind you, there will be 9 of us traveling so it's quite a task to get us all moving in the same direction. And, according to all my research, Disney is an almost insurmountable feat without a little pre planning.

We booked our flights last month. We booked our hotel this week. I've gotten dining reservations but there are more to be done. I'm so excited! I'm driving myself and everyone else nuts planning and reserving and creating touring plans, etc. They may all kill me before December gets here!

Jacey Chronicles: Rabbit and giraffe

2008-08-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

This week, I am loving being a mom. I think Jacey gave me a few dozen unsolicited kisses AND he is learning so much new stuff every day that I can barely keep up. His favorite two songs at the moment are "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and the Wiggles "Quack Quack Cockadoodle Doo." He is quite a chatterbox too and when he can't think of anything else to say, he'll just sing one of these songs. Of course, he wants you to sing it too and to tell him what a smart boy he is. But, even cuter than the singing and the kisses is his newest faces. He smooshes up his nose and rounds his mouth out to make the face a rabbit makes and he sticks his tongue way out to make the face of a giraffe. I have this on video so if I can figure out how to upload the darn thing, I"ll post it here... probably this weekend.

I'm still having trouble posting pics but I'm working on it. Hang with me.

Random: Poopy week

2008-08-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

This week was a poopy week...literally. For the last 3 weeks it seems that at least one person in our family of nine has had the stomach bug. Jace and Russ had it last week, Nan got it at the beginning of this week, and then I came down with it. My little monkey was such a sweet boy all week obliging momma to lay around on the couch and feed him ready to eat lunches and snack. Poor thing has never been so happy to see daddy and the gang at the end of the day! We read a lot of books and played lots of lap games and watched more Wiggles than I like to admit but at least we survived it.

I'm having trouble posting pics but working on getting that figured out so I promise to get some up here really soon.

Jacey Chronicles: Tasty morsels of chow

2008-07-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

It was way past Jacey's bedtime but he was begging for a snack so we got a bowl full of goldfish crackers. We retired to the living room to snack in the dark and watch TV with Jonson and Russ. Jace kept coming over and putting his hand into the bowl, into his mouth, and back into the bowl. The goldfish in the bowl were getting mushier and mushier. I had just about decided not to "enjoy" his snack anymore when I reached in and pulled a couple fish out only to notice that there was some sort of round nugget, totally slobbered, in the bowl. I pulled it out, rolled the sogginess around in my fingers to confirm that it was indeed not a goldfish, then took a little wiff. What!?! Could it be? Yes, it was a morsel of dog chow. Yes, it had been in my son's mouth. The good news is that he discarded it into the bowl rather than eat it. The bad news is, this ain't the first time. I think my son may be following in his father's footsteps. (Joyce tells me of some very smelly "packages" Russ delivered as a baby after partaking in just this type of shenanigan.)

Here's the little dog chow lover in his daddy's goggles today.

Random: Updates 2007 Continued

2008-07-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

Updates to 2007, continued...

» October 2007. To make a long story shorter, dad's hospice nurse screwed up, landing dad in the hospital and resulting in the commencement of a very steady, very quick decline. He lost his feeding tube in his belly and ended up with a very uncomfortable tube in his nose. It was a huge setback for dad and for the family. On the bright side, due to dad's increased needs, the boys began staying with Russ & I during the week. It was tough to get the bedtime/morning routines down but it was nice to have them here and to be able to help out.

» November2007, Johnson's move to Texas! Russ and I never dreamed that we would be so blessed as to have our entire family in the same city but it all came true when Clark, Joyce, Eric, and Jeanette moved to Round Rock. They were able to stay with us for a while and it was so nice to have them around.

» December 2007. We spent our last Christmas with dad. It was a tough holiday for him and for us. His health continued to decline, requiring lots more attention from Mom. Still, we all enjoyed each other's company and celebrated the holiday in style.

» January 2008. Dad passed on. Nan and Lee had taken Lillie on a weekend trip to Phoenix when dad got some sort of respiratory infection. This is a very common way for people with ALS to die. Dad got sick on Saturday and seemed to get a little worse each morning. Nan and the gang were slated to be back on Monday and I believe that dad was waiting for Lillie & Nan to return. His face just lit up when we put Lillie and Jacey into bed with him. He passed away the next morning. Mom, Jacey, and I were with him. It was a bittersweet goodbye.

Ok, enough updates. Now let me just get back to it.

Random: Back again, no promises

2008-07-18T23:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been over a year since I posted and I'm honestly not sure that I'm committed to it just yet but I will try to make an effort to put a few thoughts, updates, etc. down every week. My sister says it's a good way to keep notes for upcoming scrapbooking. But, looking back on the posts from the last 2 years, I think it's a good way to remember for myself... even if no one else reads it. I see stuff that I wrote about dad and the boys and my pregnancy and I remember EXACTLY how I felt in that moment. It's amazing, really—that words have such power to evoke such emotion. So, here goes.

What happened in my life and my family's life over the past year?

» Jacey was born! May 13, 2007 was Mother's Day and my little guy finally made his appearance. It was the very best Mother's Day present I could ever receive and I can't imagine that it will ever be topped.

» Hosier family reunion, June 2007. We all traveled to Colorado, even the babies. Lillie was not quite 4 months old and Jacey was just 6 weeks. It was a tough trip on dad... flying was difficult on his neck and uncomfortable to be out of his power wheelchair so long and stuck in one position. But, it was worth it in the end to see our family and make some really spectacular memories. Plus, we had the reunion in the same place Russ and I were married so it was nice to be back there.

» Jacey rolls over. Joyce & Clark (Russ' parents) were out for the 4th and we all spent it in New Braunfels at Nan & Lee's. Little did we know that they would soon move to Round Rock and that would be one of the last events at their first home. Jacey rolled over for the first time, much to my shock and amazement. He would show his new talent off and on over the next few months.

» August 2007. Nan and Lee started staying with us part time in Round Rock. It was a wonderful, beautiful summer to wake up every morning to Lillie's beautiful fuzzy head and spend the day relaxing, nursing, eating, and cat napping with my sister. Literally, this is all we did (it seems like) for the first few months of the baby's lives.

» We made the news! September 2007. Nan and I were at a local mall when we were asked to breastfeed in the bathroom or leave. So, we left and contacted everyone who would listen to put the word out about how poorly we were treated. It resulted in a formal apology from Disney, a formal apology from Premium Outlets, several spots on the local TV station, and finally, a well-attended nurse-in at the mall. Not to mention... Breastfeeding Mother of the Year award from Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies!

» Nan and Lee move to Round Rock! October 2007. They found their dream house, complete with a beautiful, delicious pool.

Ok... well, there's lots more that happened. I will have to come back to these, me thinks, and fill in the rest of the holes... dad's health, the boys, the babies, etc. There's really no way to tell it all so I'll just have to try and get a few of the highlights... more later.

J & J Strike Again: Appetizers Won't Prevent a Wiggly Belly

2008-07-18T22:51:00.001-07:00

Joseph spent the night last night and got up a little before Jacey and I did. When I came out into the living room, he was eating. I asked him what he had and he pointed to the bag of gummies in one hand and replied, "Appetizer" and the bowl of goldfish in the other hand and said, "Breakfast."

By the time we all had breakfast, played, and got showers, it was already 1pm. Jacey had been up since 9 so he was ready for a nap. It was 2pm before he woke up and by then, everybody's breakfast had worn off and we were all more than a little hungry. I had promised the boys a trip to Toys R Us and the library so I decided a lunch out was in order. Plus, it's Friday and I was too lazy to cook. So, we headed off to meet Nan and Lillie at Chick Fil A.

Joseph said, "Tika, I'm so hungry that my belly is all wiggly. It's like it's vibrating or something." I've smirked all day just thinking of his description. Ya know, it's a darn good description, if you ask me.

Baby Chronicles: Unfashionably Late

2007-05-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was doctor appointment day and the news was not at all what we had hoped for. I am now eight days past my due date though so they wanted to do a sonogram. The fat little turkey was sitting pretty, nice and comfortable in there with no sign of coming anytime soon. I have not dilated any further since last week (when I was 1.5 cm) and my effacement is the same at 65%.

They measured his amniotic fluid and it's on the "lowish" side. The doc said that generally, accepted levels are between 5 and 25 with the normal average at about 15. Jacey has an amniotic number of 6. The doc says it's nothing to worry about as long as he's moving and growing normally (which he is). But, his low numbers caused them to do another non-stress test on us. They basically hook you up to all these monitors and measure any contractions and his heart beat over a period of about an hour.

Anyway, I am scheduled for an induction at 7am on Saturday so one way or another, he'll be here by then, if not before. I'm almost certain, at this point, that the little rat will have to be literally smoked out. I do not think he'll come on his own... he's way too fat and happy in there. Their best guess on his weight is 7.5 pounds. I feel like he must weigh at least double that!

2 more days, and counting!

J&J Strike Again: Royalty Eat Nachos Etc.

2007-04-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

Joseph and I were killing a little time while Popi got his weekly massage the other day. We stopped by the Wag a Bag to get a little snickety snack and decided on a big pile of cheesy nachos and a blue raspberry icee. We climbed into the van, gobbling on some of our nachos when Joseph rubbed his hands together like a greedy little urchin and, with a mischievous grin on his face, announced, "We're royalty!" Only a 5 year old can truly appreciate a meal such as this!

Later, I gave Joseph a chocolate Easter bunny that I bought him. He was going on about how he couldn't wait to eat his bunny when he got sort of a mortified look on his face and said, "My bunny's not gonna be dead if I eat him, Tika. He's gonna be all warm and snuggled up inside my belly. He'll like it there."

And, finally, I just got off the phone with mom who has informed me that Jonson ate 13 chicken nuggets, a piece of string cheese, and a yogurt for dinner. Like this boy needs his big ole feet to grow any more!

Baby Chronicles: April Fools Fun!

2007-04-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday was April Fool's Day and I think I pulled off what could have possibly been the best ever April Fool's joke. Saturday night, I purchased some large balloons. Sunday morning, Russ was working in his office before church so I filled the balloon with a fair amount of water, tucked it under my nightie, and walked into our tile entryway (near Russ's office).

I asked him a question to get his attention pointed in my direction and just before I came around the corner and he could see me, I popped the balloon with a straight pin. The crash of water to the ground was EXACTLY how you've seen it in the movies. I put my best "OMG! My water broke!" face on and Russ looked at me with a panicked look on his face and said, "Was that... Did your?... Is that your water? Did your water break!?!"

He ran toward me, then ran back to his desk. He ran into the living room, then ran back to me. Finally, he said, "I guess we're not going to church!" hahaha I'm standing in the water with this horrified look on my face just trying not to laugh when he went for the phone to call my mother. That's when I said, "April Fools!"

He looked at me with this huge confused grin on his face and said, "I'm not cleaning up that mess! You're cleaning that up!" Woooohooo! I just wish I'd gotten it on video!

Baby Chronicles: Overdoing It at 36 weeks

2007-04-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was sort of a whirlwind of activity. I had a lot of energy and took advantage of it. Unfortunately, come Monday it caught up with me. We had a baby shower on Saturday that was very nice.. I gave the girls strict instructions to keep it simple and, of course, they went overboard. But, it was beautiful and fun to visit with everyone. I got so much stuff that I had no idea I needed. Thank goodness most of my friends have children of their own! Who knew I was so woefully unprepared?!? haha

Sunday, I did the grocery shopping and ended up walking through 2 stores. Then, Jonson and I spent the day loading and unloading all the purchases and cleaning out my car. There was a box of baby stuff I'd stuck in the garage so I decided to retrieve it while Jonson was handy and have him take it into the house for me. I sat it down on the front porch and Jonson picked the top item up off the box and jumped back, startled. He told me that there was some sort of big bug in the box. I decided that before I had him bring the "big bug" into the house, I had better get it out of the box.

So... I reached into the box and pulled the next item out when a giant mouse (seriously, the size of Chuck E. Cheese) jumped out of the box and took off running across the porch and back into the garage. I started screaming bloody murder and Jonson and I were half way down the box (and well away from Chuck) before we stopped to catch our breath. I'm pretty sure that no other 9 months pregnant woman has ever moved so fast. Ugh. Just the thought of the rodent gives me the heebie jeebies. Where there are mice, there are snakes. Needless to say, I'll not be going into the garage until Russ has had a chance to lay some traps!

We saw the doctor again on Tuesday and they're guessing from the newest sonogram measurements that our little guy is about 5.5 lbs. now. He looked pretty squished up in there though so I'm hoping that even though he's small, he's starting to feel the pressure of cramped spacing and he'll come out from hiding soon.

J&J Strike Again: Laughing Hysterically

2007-03-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

We got a call today from the principal at Jonson's school. He wouldn't talk to me but was trying to reach mom to discuss an "incident" with Jonson. After he told me Jonson was ok, I realized that what he meant was that Jonson was in trouble. And, from the grave sound in his voice, big trouble.

So here I am, sitting at my desk, calling mom frantically to have her call the principal and imagining all kinds of horrendous scenarios in which Jonson mauled a classmate, touched someone's boobs, or otherwise committed some terrible child felony. Of course, she won't answer a single phone call. I think the stress I was feeling must have given Jacey an adrenaline boost because he immediately started hopping around, making me feel like I'd puke. 20 minutes later, mom finally called me, then called the principal to find out that....

drum roll, please...

Jonson and another boy were sent to the office for laughing hysterically in the cafeteria during lunch!

Now, if that's the worst he ever does, this parenting thing should be a breeze! I can't wait to get home this evening and find out what was so hysterically funny to the little turkey.

Baby Chronicles: Hiccup & Fat Lady Feet

2007-03-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I am just a few days beyond my 35 week mark and with 5 weeks to go until the due date, I'm pretty much ready for this baby to arrive. I have been having good bursts of energy that have been helping me do some much needed nesting and most of the things I can think of to be done are pretty much done. No, I have not packed my bag for the hospital because Yayo was worried that I might have the baby before the shower. Since I also had that dream that the baby came on the day that I packed my bag, I've decided to wait to pack until after the shower, thus easing all of our worries. :)

I am starting to find work more and more difficult, if not for the physical strain it requires then for the emotional strain. The last few days have been busier than usual and I find myself not dealing with the demand as effortlessly as I once have. In short, I've been going home just about every day in tears. I think my days working are numbered, indeed. But, we'll have to see what the doctor says about that on Tuesday.

The only way to describe my current look and walk is lumbering. I am huge. I mean, really, really huge. And, I'm not exaggerating. My sister saw me on Tuesday, put her hands on my belly and said, "Oh my gaaaaaaawd!" A guy at work said, "Are you ok? You gonna pop?" Jacey seems to be packing it on and my belly is really showing it. Thank goodness for all the maternity clothes Nan isn't wearing anymore!

The newest bit of joy is the big, fat swollen feet and ankles. We call these tankles. Some days are worse than others but it appears that some grossly overweight woman has taken her feet and stuck them onto the end of my legs. Not pretty. Not even a bit. Doesn't feel good either. I have given up any additional salt intake though and have done pretty descent at sticking to it. It helps some but not near enough. You cannot imagine how dirty you feel when your feet are swollen. Russ has been a doll though massaging and washing my feet.

In other news, Jacey is as active as ever. Whoever said he'd slow down as we got closer to the due date and he ran out of room is a liar. He's as busy as ever. Today, he has had hiccups several times. This is a very, very strange feeling since he's laying down very low in my uterus. I can feel the little hiccs in my bladder and they jar me so much that I sort of feel nauseous. Poor thing. If they jar me, I can't imagine how they must feel to him!

Random: Dog Uses Powers for Evil, Not Good

2007-03-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Russ and I have really been having trouble with our little Lhasa Apso, Dos. When we try to leave for work in the morning or head to bed at night, he makes a beeline for the doggie door before we can capture him and put him in his crate. Then, he hunkers down behind the shed in the backyard and won't come out.

I have gotten pretty creative with my mornings, beating him to the back door and installing the cover over the doggie door so he can't escape. At night, however, Russ and I have been having to get even more creative. So, night before last, Dos was sitting under Russ's desk when I told Russ "Sneaky, sneaky"--my signal to grab Dos before he tried to escape. Russ captured him, no problem, and delivered him to his crate.

Last night, however, I told Russ, "Sneaky, sneaky" and Dos came shooting out of the office headed straight for the back door. His tail was up and I'm pretty sure the wind was in his hair with "Born Free" playing in the background. That is, until I stepped in front of him, blocking his pathway to the doggie door. His tail dropped to the grown and he had a defeated look as Russ carried him to his crate.

I do have to say that I've noticed this bad behavior more since I spent several days away from home with my sister in New Braunfels when the baby came. Russ won't admit it but I have a feeling that it has something to do with the fact that Russ spoiled both dogs by letting them sleep in my spot during the nights I was away. Bad Russ!

Thank goodness the English language is so vast because I have a feeling that Russ and I might have to come up with a new signal each night to keep our smart dog from catching on. If only he'd use his powers for good, not evil!

Baby Chronicles: 34 Weeks and Counting

2007-03-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, folks. It's getting closer and closer to the time when I will be relieved of my pregnancy duties only to take on a whole new set of duties. I can say that I am TOTALLY over the pregnancy duties but am terrified of the baby duties. Seeing Nan and how tough the first few weeks have been has been a dose of reality. The good news is, so far it seems that the first couple of weeks are the toughest, which works out really good since the first couple of weeks are also the most precious. I'm hoping that Jacey's cuteness will keep me from running screaming naked down the street. :)

We had our 34-week checkup yesterday and all systems are go. I only gained 1 lb during the last 3 weeks, for a total of 4 lbs the whole pregnancy. I'm still measuring small (or so the doctor says--I feel and look like a mama cow!) and it's been 6 weeks since they measured Jacey (he was also small) so the doctor wants to go ahead and do a sono in 2 weeks so that we can get a better idea of how big the baby is. I'm totally stoked that we'll get to see him again before we see him!

I'm feeling very tired again. It's not the same kind of tired I felt early in the pregnancy though. It's more of a bone tired exhaustion that sleep and rest don't really touch. Of course, all the nesting isn't helping matters since I've been wanting to stay up late every night to work on my to-do list. Poor Russ has been a real trooper as much of the list is stuff that I can't really do. He earned his keep over the weekend, installing lights and dimmers and moving furniture, etc. We're getting very close to being ready for this child.

Nan predicted that Lillie would come early and she was right. She's now saying that Jacey is coming in 3 weeks so we shall see. I did have a dream last night that I got a wild hair one morning before work and packed my suitcase. In my dream, this turned out to be a good thing since I went into labor at work that day. Of course, now I'm terrified of packing the damn thing since it might mean Jacey will show up too soon! haha Dr. Collins says he'd be fine to come now though and that if I went into labor at this point, they wouldn't do anything to stop it. I think this is supposed to soothe me but it also terrifies me!

J&J Stike Again: They love the ladies!

2007-03-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

Jonson has recently become quite interested in the female anatomy. It's mostly boobs he likes. Poor kid... he'd murder me if he knew I were blogging this. When I think of it, I probably shouldn't blog it at all but it was too hysterical not to.

So, last night, Jonson was asking me about Victoria's Secret catalog and what it is. I explained to him that it is a catalog for ladies that has pictures of women in their underwear because they sell bras and panties. He turned and said something to his brother along the lines of letting Joseph see a Victoria's Secret catalog. I explained to Jonson that Victoria's Secret catalog was not appropriate for 5 year old boys to which Jonson replied, "Tika, it's just ladies in their underwear!" Then, Joseph replied (in his best/worst dirty old man voice), "OOOoooooh, Ladies!?! I LOOOOOOVE LADIES!"

Teenage years, here we come! How ever will we survive!?!

Baby Chronicles: SeaWorld + 8 months pregnant = INSANITY

2007-03-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

The boys are both on Spring Break this week and have sadly not gotten to go anywhere special. Of course, there are hundreds of millions of kids everywhere that take Spring Break at home doing nothing but being bored so that when they return to school, they return with a new appreciation for the routine and structure. However, I don't remember a Spring Break during my childhood that my parents didn't make special by taking us to do something fun. The boys shouldn't have to spend their Spring Break at home the whole time either. So, off we tromped to SeaWorld in San Antonio. And tromping it was.

Over the last few months as the baby has gotten bigger, Russ and I have abbreviated many of our standing up activities... grocery store and shopping expeditions don't take near as long as they once did because I'm just not capable of marathon walking. So, why then did I presume that walking around an amusement park, battling loads of people and 80 degree temps, not to mention 2 wild animal boys, was a good idea?!? It is clearly because I am certifiable. It is a wonder that Jacey didn't plop right out, seeing as how my hips and legs were blobs of mush after just 5 hours!

Still, we had a good time. The weather was gorgeous and I think it did us all good to get out and get some fresh air.

Random: Bridge to Terabithia Review/Rant

2007-02-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

First, if you are going to see this movie and do not want me to spoil it for you, stop here but know that if you are a parent or will be taking a child to see this movie, you might want to prepare yourself a bit before going.

We took the boys to see the movie over the weekend. It's PG and a Walt Disney movie so I didn't have a single thought before going that it might leave me feeling so irritated and frustrated. I expected something fantastical, something in the vein of Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe. I DID NOT expect to find myself needing to have a conversation with my nephews about death and dying. Seriously. Who would? All of the trailers and such gave no indication that the movie was along the lines of the movie "My Girl."

Almost to the end of the movie, one of the main characters dies. Because the movie is about a boy and a girl who imagine this alter world, there is lots of mix between reality and imagination. So, when the main character dies, you kind of think it's not really real. When you find out that it is, the movie is over. Just leaves you with a sour taste in your mouth. Joseph is calling for a trilogy where the girl comes back as Queen of Terabithia.

I have never been one to like movies with sad endings. I go to the movies to escape reality for just a moment. I pay good money to forget that in the real world children die. This movie didn't do it for me and didn't do it for the boys. I think it could have been a good movie if we had prepared the boys for what was going to happen and if we had intended to use the movie as a catalyst for a conversation about death and dying. But, since we weren't prepared in either way, the impromptu discussion was pretty awkward.