Prayers and Wishes

Thoughts on marriage....by Kyra and Maeve.

2010-01-20T16:13:00.000-08:00

So how do you decide who to marry?

"I think that they should be opposites....like if someone likes math and the other person doesn't, then they can help each other out. Some people also look for age....like if they are 20 years apart, then that's bad....." ----Kyra, age 8.5.

"I go to them and I ask them and marry them when I'm still a kid." ----Maeve, age 4.5.

What is the right age to get married?

"Probably about when you are 21-25....." ----Kyra

"10 years old....." ----Maeve

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?

"They are walking around in the store together and if you see two people walking around a house together...like gardening or something, then they have to be married..." ----Kyra

"They got married this year...." ----Maeve

What do you think your mom and dad have in common?

"They both use the same soap...." ----Maeve

"They both share a room and that's really nice....." ----Kyra

What do most people do on a date?

"They eat for sure....and sometimes they go to a movie or go dancing...." ----Kyra

"They kiss...." ----Maeve

When is it ok to kiss someone?

"When someone tells you to....." ----Maeve

"When they are on a date or when you are married...." ----Kyra

Is it better to be single or married?

"It's better to be married....because then you can kiss." ----Maeve

"It's better to be married....because then you are able to share sad moments and you're able to have someone look out for you." ----Kyra

How would the world be different if people didn't get married?

"Sad....because there wouldn't be any kids." ----Maeve

"Sad....because we wouldn't even be alive because nobody was able to make us be born." ----Kyra

How would you make a marriage work?

"If your husband doesn't look pretty, tell him that he still looks pretty...." ----Maeve

"I would go on a date and ask him if he wants to marry me without the ring. If he says 'yes', then I would go out and pay for the ring after he said 'yes' and then we would get married...." ----Kyra

Brant walks, blows kisses, and waves!

2009-11-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

Brant crawls (and has to be unique about it, of course)....

2009-07-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

She's a funny bunny, but this one takes the cake....

2009-06-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

Kyra was in San Antonio all day with a friend, so I took just Maeve with me to the gym this afternoon. I love having just Maeve in the car because she notices so much when she's not sitting there bickering with Kyra.

I notice some Army vehicles in front of us. She's in the back and there's no way she can see them. But as luck would have it, we exited off of the interstate and they were now on the left of us.

She points and starts hollering, "Sloppy joes! Sloppy joes!"

What?

I ask her what the heck she's talking about.

Again, she yells, "Sloppy joes! You know the guys in those vehicles....they're sloppy joes!"

Um, no Maeve.

I think she meant to say, "G.I. Joe" lmao!

Funniest.thing.ever. Love.her.

Maeve's PINK room....

2009-06-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

My favorite Michael Jackson song.....

2009-06-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sleepy girl....

2009-06-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Things that only Maeve would say.....

2009-06-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Bri, Kyra, Maeve and I were sitting and eating at Subway. Maeve sees a man sitting and eating alone. He has on one of those flourescent vests.

Maeve: "That man is eating all by himself."

Me: "I know."

Maeve: "And he works at Walmart."

Me: "No Maeve, I think that particular vest means that he's a construction worker."

lol!

***********************************************************************************

Then today, we are in Hobby Lobby and all had to use the restroom. Maeve comes in the stall with me. To my horror, she says, "Hey mommy, how come when you wipe sometimes there's red stuff, but right now there's not any?"

Lord!

Luckily, there was nobody else in there at the time.

That kid.

So.ticked.off.

2009-06-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

I taught my Monday afternoon class today and saw a member enter the room who I hadn't seen in a while. Of course, I expressed concern and asked how she was and where she had been. I thought I'd get a reply like, "Oh, I've been out of town." or "Oh, I've just been busy." This was not the case though. A while back, she took one of her regular instructor's classes. Only, that instructor was out and had a sub. This sub was from the north side of town and clearly HATED the fact that she had to drive south and teach a class.

It only gets worse from there. She complained when members were late and said that hers "never were". When class started, she acted as if she were God and everyone had to work their asses off and do what she was doing WITHOUT options. In.a.Body.Flow.class.

Well, the member that I'm speaking of ending up injuring herself in class that day.....all because of an instructor who stared her down and expressed her disapproval and said that she "needed to do more to get results." Ugh. I know that she could have just done what she wanted to do, but she was clearly bullied. And this my friends, is wrong. SO.VERY.WRONG. We are instructors and we should coach our members in a way that makes them comfortable. We are there for them, not vice versa. I always tell my members that they should pay attention to how they are feeling and what their bodies are telling them. They should never push past their limits. That should be how it is in every class at the gym.

This member had to endure 2 grueling sessions of physical therapy. She was away from the gym for at least a month. This is a long time for those that attend regular classes and depend on a class like Flow to improve their well-being. Not to mention that they basically "lose" a month out of their membership.

I don't know who else knows about this incident. I'm going to break my silence and let some higher up's know what happened. I feel like I'm obligated to. I don't want this to happen to anyone else either. And who knows, maybe it already has. In any case, I feel like our Director needs to know what's going on.

I hope I'm doing the right thing....

Scenes from recital....

2009-05-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

I taped during rehearsal. I ordered DVDs of the recitals. I only videoed about a minute of each because taping any longer sucks up lots of space on my camera.

Richard's newest project.....

2009-05-29T05:28:00.000-07:00

Kyra makes her First Holy Communion.....

2009-05-26T06:06:00.001-07:00

Zoe gets tormented....part 2

2009-05-16T10:55:00.001-07:00

What my husband and kids do when I leave the house...

2009-05-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

I left (*coughescapedcough*) the house last night after church for some much needed "me" time. This is what ensued when I was gone. Poor Zoe. The kids can get her to do anything. And of course Daddy grabbed the camera. Mia would never put up with this sh!t! lol!

From the mouths of 2nd graders.....

2009-04-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Quotes overheard on the field trip to the butterfly farm today....

-"Those aren't deer tracks. Those are MOOSE tracks!"

-"What day is it again? What's the date?" (They had booklets to fill out and their teacher had already repeated the date like 5 times. Wanna know who wasn't listening? The male species! Figures!)

-"I hear a bear! It's a bear!" (Nope, it was an airplane flying overhead.)

-"I just saw a raccoon!" (Um, no you didn't.)

-"We're hungry! Is it lunch yet?" (This was 5 minutes after we arrived.)

Oy. We had a wonderful time though! I really did enjoy some "Kyra" time! :)

6 more days!

2009-04-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

25 random things about Richard......(this oughta be good, well maybe)

2009-04-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

1.) Richard was born on July 7, 1977. I really thought that he was going to be lucky when we went to Vegas in August of '99. No such luck. We also haven't won the lottery. YET. ;)
2.) Richard is utterly obsessed with Craig's List. He has a nasty spending habit if there's anything that resembles "a deal" out there.
3.) Richard can turn trash into treasure. He flipped a boat. It was a piece of crap. It took months, but he made it look beautiful again. This, my friends, amazes me.
4.) Richard also has a problem when it comes to used cars. We don't own one for very long. I'm sure before you know it, we'll be driving something different again. I like to blame this on his dad. God rest his soul. ;)
5.) Richard shaved his head when he was a senior in high school. It was just growing back when we met. He got mad at what his girlfriend-at-the-time told him, so he did it to piss her off (and needless to say, that relationship didn't last). I saw pics of him. He.was.a.skinhead.
6.) Richard broke his hand when he was a senior in high school. He got mad at a girlfriend (do we see a trend here?) and punched his hand through a wall. Again, there are pics to prove it. In one of his senior portraits, his hand is incredibly swollen. Idiot.
7.) Richard and I met on a blind date (a mutual friend gave him my phone number). He called me and we talked several days before. The date was a disaster. I could tell right away. The next morning, his brother was in a wreck in the wee hours of the morning. Guess who he called when he found out about it? Yep. ME!
8.) Richard has done numerous paint jobs on cars and motorcycles. I yelled at him so much when he worked on a motorcycle because I wanted to make sure he had a mask on at.all.times. That paint smells badly enough to cause cancer (I swear).
9.) Richard loves Texas country music. I got him hooked. ;)
10.) Richard brought home both of our dogs without consulting with me first. I'm kind of glad that he did it that way. He did good!
11.) Richard is NOT the romantic, thoughtful type. He just isn't. But there are other things that he does that make me love him so much!
12.) Richard spoils the girls. A LOT. I don't think that he was spoiled as a kiddo, so he's making up for it now.
13.) Richard stuttered as a kid and hated to read. He said that he didn't get interested in reading till he discovered the magazines that had remoted controlled airplanes in them. That was probably closer to 5th grade. Sad. He's amazed at Kyra's love of reading. She sure doesn't get it from him. ;)
14.) Richard was in the ER A LOT as a kid. His mom once described him as "an accident waiting to happen...."
15.) Richard (Lee) is named after his grandfathers. His maternal grandfather's name was Richard and his paternal grandfather's name is Leroy.
16.) Richard loves his Miller Lite....sometimes a little too much! ;)
17.) Richard loves growing tomatoes and loves making salsa. That's the BEST thing about summertime to him!
18.) Richard loves to fish. He just wishes that he had more time to do it.
19.) Richard also loves boating, jet skiing, etc. His mom says that he was in a pool of water as soon as his umbilical cord fell off. I believe it. He loves water.
20.) Richard's favorite place to hang out is his 16x18 shop. He worked so hard on it. It's a great room for him to do a number of things....his favorite being watching movies on surround sound.
21.) Richard can fix almost anything. And if he can't fix it, then something's really wrong with it! ;)
22.) Richard was born in San Antonio, Texas.
23.) Richard's mom and my mom both bowled on leagues in the morning when we were little. We both bet that we were in the same nursery at the bowling alley at one time or another. Wouldn't that have been weird?
24.) Richard once got so drunk at a wedding that he got up and "sang" a song with the band. It was beyond embarrassing. He really enjoyed himself though! ;)
25.) My husband is the most amazing person that I know. He's got it all....the good, the bad, and the ugly! Love you, hon!

Heart is heavy today.....

2009-04-15T17:51:00.001-07:00

I got word earlier today that a fellow instructor's daughter passed away yesterday. She had a tumor on her brain stem. It was discovered in January. Up until then, this girl was healthy and a very active volleyball player. Then one day, she had dizziness and nausea, went into the doctor and got the dreaded news that changed her life forever. She was just 16 years old. I'm so sad. Many prayers for Ena and the entire Brent family.

http://www.hallebrent.blogspot.com/

25 random things about Maeve......

2009-04-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

1.) Maeve was conceived on the very first try. It took us 10 months to conceive Kyra. So as you can imagine, we were shocked.
2.) We found out that Maeve was a girl on December 15, 2004 via ultrasound. I was overwhelmed with joy. I always wanted 2 little girls.
3.) When we were in the hospital after Maeve was born, a lady down the hall had a prolapsed cord. Richard was wheeling Maeve back to the nursery for the night when he saw nurses and a woman on her hands and knees on a hospital bed whiz by. He said that it was like a scene straight out of a tv show or movie.
4.) I breastfed Maeve for almost 13 months. I'm very proud of that to this day. I had all kinds of formula issues with Kyra, so I was determined to make it work with Maeve. It is the most rewarding thing that I've ever done.
5.) Maeve still likes to cuddle when waking up in the morning. I attribute that to nursing for so long. I love her snuggles!
6.) Maeve's blonde hair and blue eyes amaze me to this day. I can't believe that she's my little girl! She's unique, yet very familiar. ;)
7.) A lot of people say that Kyra and Maeve look alike. I just don't see it.
8.) I heard Maeve's name in a doctor's office years ago. It was then that I decided that if I ever had another girl, her name would be Maeve.
9.) Maeve's giggles are my favorite sound. :)
10.) Maeve is now writing her name! It's not perfect, but it's a great start for an almost 4 year old!
11.) Maeve was not very fond of our dog Zoe when we got her. Now she loves Zoe! Zoe often goes to sleep with her.
12.) Maeve's most favorite thing to do is swing outside. She LOVES the swings!
13.) Maeve is dancing for the first time this year and LOVES it. She can't wait for recital!
14.) Maeve hates bugs and freaks out over the littlest bug! It's endearing and annoying all at the same time.
15.) Maeve loves wearing skirts. She would wear one every.single.day of the year if I let her. She fights me tooth and nail when I ask that she wear something else.
16.) Maeve pronounces "computer" as "pacuter". It cracks me up.
17.) Maeve is a total daddy's girl. She follows Richard outside to watch him work on things and often wants to help him. She's his little "protege". She'll be welding and changing brakes in no time! ;)
18.) Maeve still loves Dora. I'm waiting for her to lose interest. lol!
19.) Maeve loves to pretend play. She has a dollhouse that she often plays with alone. I really enjoy listening to her made-up conversations with the dolls. They are too funny!
20.) Maeve is not a morning person. AT.ALL. She would stay up til midnight or later if we let her!
21.) Maeve very often falls asleep in our bed and one of us has to carry her to her room to her bed. I don't mind it, but it *is* getting old.
22.) Maeve adores her baby cousin, Brant. She told me this weekend that she wouldn't mind if I had a baby boy (which will NEVER happen) but that I have to name him Brant Thomas. lol!
23.) I've heard that Maeve is very well behaved at school. I'm still not sure I believe that! lol!
24.) We have really had to discipline Maeve more than we did with Kyra. She just requires much more. I am glad that we did it early with her. I think it might eliminate problems down the road.
25.) Maeve is such a blessing in my life. I enjoy being her mommy and love her with all my heart! :)

25 random things about Kyra......

2009-04-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

1.) Kyra was very colicky (I cringe at that word, though) as a baby. She probably had some reflux issues. We put her on an expensive formula and she was much happier. It broke our pocketbook though!
2.) Kyra cut her first tooth at 4 months old. That's VERY early!
3.) When Kyra was 2 years old, I noticed that one of her bottom baby teeth was chipped. Turns out, it was chipped down to the root, so we had the dentist extract it. She had a cute toothless grin from about age 2 to 5. We still have no idea what happened.
4.) Kyra still remembers her Granny (my grandmother) and talks about her all the time. Granny died when Kyra was 3 year old. I'm in awe that she remembers!
5.) Kyra is one of the most artistic children I know. She loves art. I attribute that to her pre-K teacher out at Hays Hills. Mrs. Rose was awesome!
6.) Kyra is very close to her Papoo (my dad). When he comes to visit, they go to breakfast together. And when we visit him, he takes her to his breakfast joint! :)
7.) Kyra's best friend in Kindergarten was Jayme. Jayme's daddy and Kyra's daddy went to high school together and both played baseball. Small world! Jayme has since moved back to Victoria and we miss her, but we still keep in touch! Jayme's mom and I are close friends now! :)
8.) Kyra is a very picky eater. For the first few years of her life, she was on the chicken nugget diet. She's still pretty picky, but has gotten better.
9.) Kyra loves High School Musical, Zac Efron, and the Jonas Brothers. *sigh*
10.) Kyra always said that she wanted a dog to sleep with at night. We got Zoe and she must have heard that because Zoe is the one that "tucks" Kyra into bed every night!
11.) Kyra has already read "Charlotte's Web". She loves to read. I am thankful for that!
12.) I really believe that Kyra has had the best teachers so far. BES teachers are wonderful!
13.) Kyra is a firm believer in getting homework done as soon as she gets home. I made that rule in Kindergarten. She chooses to still do that. Then she gets her free time!
14.) Kyra has gotten all A's this year. She loves school. One time she told me that she'd even go on weekends! She's so bored during the summer, so I have my work cut out for me!
15.) Kyra is in her 3rd year at the dance studio. This year she tried cheerleading and LOVES IT! I have never seen her so excited!
16.) Kyra loves her Nintendo DS. We had to get Maeve one too because they fought over it all the time. Our house is much happier now!
17.) Kyra really does love her little sister. She helps her out a lot. They fight, but it's not that often. Mostly, they are very caring and nurturing of each other. It's fun to watch.
18.) Kyra has gotten 2 "Kids of Character" awards at BES. In Kindergarten, she got one for "Caring" and now in 2nd grade, she got one for "Responsibility".
19.) Kyra is like her mother and spells very well. Thank goodness she doesn't take after her daddy who can't spell anything right! ;)
20.) Kyra was almost a "Kelsey", but I decided on "Kyra" with several months to go during my pregnancy with her. I wanted a unique, yet short and beautiful name.
21.) Kyra weighed 9 lbs. when she was born.
22.) Kyra's Religious Education teacher this year used to be a Catholic Daughter with me in Austin at our old church. Again, small world!
23.) Kyra's very best friend is adopted. And we love her to pieces!
24.) Kyra wants to be a teacher when she grows up. I think she'd make a great one!
25.) Kyra has a heart of gold! I'm so lucky to be her mommy! :)

SNL- Wii guys.....

2009-03-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

This is soooooo funny! :)

Cute!

2009-03-28T09:40:00.001-07:00

see more dog and puppy pictures

Maeve's ballet song for her recital......

2009-03-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

This is what she's dancing to. Cute!

My list of 10 foods/drinks that will never go out of style....

2009-03-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

1.) The Hamburger
2.) Coffee
3.) Ice Cream
4.) Pizza
5.) Beer
6.) Chocolate
7.) Chips and salsa
8.) Tacos
9.) Cookies
10.) Water

***Think that the recession is affecting the sales of any of these? I bet not! ;)

Kiddo quotes....

2009-03-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

-Jen came to visit on Sunday and we went to San Marcos to eat at Jason's Deli and then we went to Half Price Books. We were in there a while. Maeve got impatient and the next thing we hear out of her mouth is, "What are you waiting for? President's Day?" We burst into giggles. It was so random. I have no idea where she heard about President's Day.

-Maeve is in denial about all of the rain. Yesterday, she said that it was "dripping and it was pretending to be raining." lol! Oy.

-Kyra was being licked a lot by Zoe this morning. Next thing I hear is, "Zoe, quit giving me autographs!" hehe!

-Kyra and I peeked in on Maeve the other night during her dancing class. They were singing Barney's "I Love You". On our walk home, Kyra was singing, "I love you, You love me, Barney is my enemy....." Cute Kyra. Real cute. ;)

Though these are cute, my favorite was when Maeve burped one time and she yelled, "I farted in my mouth!" Classic!

Jealous! Wish I could bend like that!

2009-03-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

My friend Marni sent this link to me and said that she wants Body Flow to make her as limber as these ladies. *I* just think they are freaks of nature! ;)

Hope you're adjusting well.....

2009-03-10T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hi! Remember me?

2009-03-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long hiatus in updates. I just don't always have something interesting to say or share. I promise to dig deep and come up with something fun and witty to say. ;)

Overall, life is good. I had a few rough moments this weekend. Don't know what was wrong. But I feel better now. I have found that when I keep busy, life is a lot better. I can't sit still because that's when my mind starts to wander.

This morning, I volunteered at Kyra's school. Maeve and I always volunteer for 4 hours on Fridays, but I decided to get my feet wet and start helping out in the workroom. Mondays are good because Richard is off and Maeve just stays home with him. So, I help in the workroom and then I wander off to the library and help there for a while too. I really enjoy it. The teachers and the rest of the staff is wonderful. We are like one big family over there.

Kyra is doing so well in 2nd grade. She's gotten all A's so far this year. Most of her grades are in the upper 90's. Her teacher tells me that she's a model student and she wishes everyone could be like Kyra. I just can't believe that it's almost time for her to leave the downhill campus and become a 3rd grader! *gasp* Where has the time gone? Thank God I have Maeve at home for one more year. When she goes to Kindy, I'll be a basketcase. I still think of her as that little baby that I nursed for 13 months. We have such a bond. It's hard to let go.

Maeve is at preschool twice a week though and loves it. I love it too because it gives me time to get things done. I usually shop or clean up here at home. Of course, my workout comes first. Mama ain't happy without her workout! ;)

Richard is still holding on at Samsung. His former company just filed for bankruptcy. Thank God he got out of there when he did. I've gotta hand it to him. He has a wicked hunch and seems to just sense when things will go sour. In this case, he was right. I hope that he can hang in there at Samsung and that these hard times pass soon.

Maeve is now in bed next to me, so once again, it's my cue to go. I shall return.....SOON! ;)

If these marriages ever end, I'll be heartbroken.....

2009-02-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

Kudos to Hugh Jackman and Pierce Brosnan for showing off their gorgeous, non stick-thin wives. They are awesome!

Hometown news....

2009-02-18T06:38:00.000-08:00

We went to the V-town for a long weekend. We left on Friday and returned on Monday. So, there was lots of time to soak in the sights and just get an idea of how things have changed over the last few months since we had been there last. The truth is that not much has changed (duh!). But, I'm very observant and often compare things down there to things up here. Needless to say, I now have lots to talk about. So, I will "bullet" today.

-The newscast of the local news there is still entertaining. I did get to see Shawna (she's married to a friend of mine) do the news on Friday night and she did a great job. However, I do laugh at how obsessive they are over the weather. They acted like a little fog and drizzle was the end of the world. I got a kick out of how much they talked about the weather. They never used to do that. The most excitement there is the fact that Don Brubaker is STILL doing sports! GO DON! ;)

-On Saturday morning, I slept in and ventured to Ghetto HEB around noon. I chose Ghetto HEB for a reason. I hate the HEB Plus there because there's always a very high chance that I will run into someone that I know. So I avoid it like the plague. Plus, I figured that Ghetto HEB would be a lot more entertaining. It was. I'd say over half the folks in there were still in their pajamas AT NOON ON VALENTINE'S DAY! No lie. I had my hair and makeup done, wore a gray sweatshirt, jeans, and running shoes and I felt overdressed! I was also amazed at the amount of people that wait till the very.last.minute to shop for Valentine's Day.

-People LOVE to eat in the V-town. If you drive by a restaurant at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, it's still packed. I went to Target on Saturday afternoon too and was amazed at the amount of people that were walking out with their Starbuck's and carnival food. I hate to say it, but I feel really skinny when I visit down there. I can tell that fitness is NOT on most peoples' minds. But diabetes and heart disease are. *sigh*

-OMG! I got to see two of my former teachers that my dad is friends with and I got to hear them CUSS! So.very.cool. Good times! :)

-I'm literally scared for my life when I drive around in that town. People DO NOT know how to drive. Richard said that it's the influx of senior citizens and teenagers. Turn signals DO NOT exist. Heck, a turning lane doesn't exist! They would NEVER survive in Austin. 35 would be a death trap for them. I beg them to NEVER come up here!

-I'm glad to see that the construction that was started a year ago on a few streets is nowhere near completion. I guess taking their sweet time is what matters. Makes me wonder what the construction crews are doing all day long. Hmmm.....

So as you can see, the weekend was quite uneventful for me. I guess my age is showing now, because I get a kick out of the littlest things. Until next time.....

Lazy dogs+rainy day+heating pad= this cuteness!

2009-02-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

"Damn, I haven't heard that in a long time!" video #1

2009-02-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

Kyra's "new" and improved room.....

2009-02-09T18:25:00.001-08:00

This is the view as you walk into her room.

View from the door of her dresser, beanbag, and book shelf.

View of her bed, rug, and nightstand from the wall with the window.

View of her other wall from the closets. On the big open space on the left, she will have mommy's old desk that she had when she was a little girl. It just needs a quick trip up here from Victoria.

I bought some little letters and numbers and this is what I did with them above her bed!

View from the closet doors. See our little friend on the bed there? ;)

***Details- We had some beautiful furniture in Kyra's room since 2004 that my friend Janet had let us borrow. I knew that she would want it back one day. She contacted me about a month ago and told me that she wanted it back. Richard found a bed, dresser, and nightstand on Craig's list for $375. He painted it and gave it some TLC to go in Kyra's room. Her new quilt and bedskirt is from Target. I'm quite pleased with the way everything turned out! Kyra is too! ;)

Favorite pic from the weekend....

2009-02-03T16:04:00.000-08:00

Aren't they cute?

Another "small world" moment.....

2009-02-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

So tonight I was picking up Kyra from Religious Education at the church and chatting with a mom in the hallway. She's been an acquaintance for a while. Her daughter and Kyra were in the same Kindergarten class. They haven't been in the same class since, but are in Religious Education classes together this year.

I mentioned how tired I was and she did too. She told me about their weekend with a day of travel. I mentioned that I used to enjoy traveling, but with kids, it seems like I pack the entire house.

She said that next week her entire family is taking a ski trip. She said, "Oh, we go in January to work, but in February, we take a vacation."

They go to Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Then it clicked.

They are THESE PEOPLE!

Richard and I have been wanting to go on this trip for years! We talk about it every.single.January. We get so envious of all the people that go.

I had no idea that the people that put this on are local! So cool! And I know them too! Small world. ;)

She said too that we need to go. *sigh* One of these years.....

Haven't heard this in a long time.....

2009-01-29T05:37:00.000-08:00

Had the entire "Hysteria" album on cassette tape. Wore.that.thing.out.

Love tastes like chicken......

2009-01-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

Kyra just ate some chicken wings that Richard BBQ'ed on the pit. Look who won't leave her alone now.....

New haircut....

2009-01-26T11:48:00.001-08:00

She's totally losing her baby face. *sigh* I can't believe that she'll be 4 at the end of April!

Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe ever......

2009-01-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

It's on the bottom of the lid of the cylinder Quaker Oatmeal can.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 lb. (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well.
5. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown (I don't bake mine that long because I like them soft and chewy).
8. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack

Makes about 4 dozen.

Different scenery.....

2009-01-22T16:34:00.000-08:00

I dropped Maeve off at school this morning and since it was yet again a beautiful day, I made Town Lake my destination for a good run. I also ran on Monday. Two times in one week hasn't been done in a while. I had been doing 3 days of Body Step, but decided to change it up again.

The run was good. I don't ever remember it being that easy. I started at Auditorium Shores and made the circle on the north side of Town Lake....running by Austin High and then under Mopac. Then I was on the south side of the lake again. This loop is 4.17 miles.....very much like what I do here in our little town.

Today, I decided that people watching is now boring. I'm now into dog watching. I saw every breed imaginable. Jen, I even saw a Ridgeback! When I reached Auditorium Shores again after my run, I saw a lot of dogs bathing in the lake, fetching tennis balls and even playing frisbee! But the funniest thing of all was seeing dogs on the trail having fits over the squirrels. They could care less about humans and other dogs, but those squirrels always capture their attention. It reminded me of how my sister always says, "Raider, get that squirrel." There is one that hangs out in their backyard that drives him nuts.

I was eager to get the run over with and head back here to grocery shop, but I think next time, I'll take a book and blanket with me, spread out, and dog watch. Sounds good, right?

Oh, and I have to say that the Austin skyline is a changin'. Goodness. They are so many high rise condos going up downtown. One of them is higher than the Frost Bank building! Amazing.

Just another beautiful day in Austin, Texas........ ;)

And you'll laugh too!

2009-01-16T10:07:00.001-08:00

This is simply adorable. I can't wait to hear my nephew Brant laugh like that!

Anyone remember these?

2009-01-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

Saw a pic of Jessica Alba with some funky looking shoes on and thought of these. I proudly wore a pair back in the 80's. Did you?

In a funk.....

2009-01-07T08:02:00.001-08:00

To be really honest, I haven't felt like myself for the past week or so. It takes me forever to fall asleep. My moods have been up and down. Granted, it was "that time of the month" last week, so yes, I have to cut myself a little slack.

I also think I have a bit of the post-holiday blues. From Thanksgiving till now, I've been going nonstop. Then it's all over with and you think, "Now what?" The very same thing happened to me after our wedding was over with. I was in the same frame of mind for about a month after that. Eventually, I accepted that it was over with and I found other things to focus on.

I think that some of my depression is normal. But I also think that some of it is not. So, being the proactive person that I am, I called my doctor this morning and I will fight tooth and nail to get on a name brand form of my antidepressant. Right now I'm on the generic and it just isn't working. The same thing happened with my thyroid meds. I was so tired of my regular doctor that I went to see an endocrinologist and she immediately put me on Synthroid. What a difference! I feel so much better now.

I refuse to sit here and not feel like myself. Usually, I keep myself busy until that "icky" time passes. And it does. We all have hormone fluctuations. I think I'm just more sensitive to mine.

So what do I do? Well, I continue to enjoy life and do everything possible to make myself feel better. Today, I will teach Body Flow. I will enjoy the sunshine. I will talk and play with my kiddos. I will pick up around the house. I will try my hardest to do all of the things that make me "me". Soon things will be better. I just know it. I have faith in God and I pray constantly. He will get my through the rough spots.

When having my pity party, I also stop and think about how lucky and blessed I am. I think of all of the others that don't have it as good as I do. I think of people with bigger problems.

I think from now on I will make a "thankful" list on the dark days. That should perk me right up. And if it doesn't do the trick right away, that's fine. At least I know that even in such a rough spot, I can find things that will lift me up and make me feel better.

Thanks for reading. I know that this was a more different post for me. ;)

Busy day....

2009-01-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

My poor sister has been sick for a few days now up in Seminole (they went to visit Nate's parents). They drove back today (7 hours!) and it turns out that she has pneumonia. Poor girl. I'm so worried about her. She went to the doctor this evening and had a slew of tests run and got 3 different shots. She's now home resting. Hopefully she's turning a corner. Pray for her.

Megan and Mike had a baby girl this morning. Her name is Haedyn Elexis Cooper. She joined big sister Haylie Elizabeth and big brother Holdyn Edward. She was 7 lbs. 12 oz. and 18 1/2 inches long.

I'm pooped. Good night! ;)

Thoroughly disappointed....

2009-01-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

I think I ordered about 60 Christmas cards this year. And from the looks of it, I sent about 50 of them. And how many did we receive? Probably about 30 or so. Ugh.

For two years in a row, I've sent to many people who I didn't receive from. I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and send again just in case the previous year was busy and they didn't get around to sending a card. But I'm highly disappointed by the fact that yet again, I didn't get any from the same people that I sent to last year. I'm a big believer in the philosophy of "You send to me and I send to you...." I also understand though that some people just don't send out cards. That's fine. But I know that a lot of these people DO send cards. I'll go to my dad's and see that he got one from some of them.

I'm just at a loss as to what to do. I think next year, I just won't put forth the effort to send to them anymore. This bothers me though because I hear from these people via email quite frequently. And I figure that if they are forwarding emails all year long, then the least they can do is send out a card in December.

My kids grow a lot within a year. I know that a lot of people want to see pics of them. I use this blog for that. But a lot of people don't know about it, so I think it's nice to send a card with a picture at such a special time of year. Chances are that if you're reading this, you DID send a card. And for that, I thank you very much!

But maybe people don't send because my dad parades all of our pictures around for his friends to see. So then they don't feel the need to mail a card? I don't know.

I'm at a loss.....and VERY irritated.

My job might be extra important this year.....

2009-01-03T12:10:00.000-08:00

And here's why. Read this.

Frankly, I'm excited about the fact that I might see more people in class than ever before. My job is to introduce them to Body Flow and comfortably ease them into the workout. I also want to learn even more names this year and keep those newbies coming back for more! I say the more people we can get addicted, the better! ;)

Your efforts don't go unnoticed.....

2009-01-02T13:22:00.001-08:00

It was time to change the picture frame that's hanging in our little hallway again. So if you are a family member and sent a pic of yourself or your kiddos this year, chances are it's on here! So, thank you!

If you want to know even more about my life....

2008-12-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

I've joined the Twitter bandwagon.....

http://twitter.com/kimspiegel

So Brant was the star of the show.....

2008-12-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

This Christmas morning, we went to church at 11am here in Buda. For the homily, Father Deane wanted to talk about the birth of Jesus and needed a prop, a baby. He went to 3 other babies. Two of them cried immediately, so he didn't pick them up. He held the next one for a bit and then he continued to cry. So he passed him back to his mommy.

Then he noticed Nathan holding an almost asleep Brant at the back of the church and motioned for him to come up front. Nathan passed Brant to Father Deane and stood off to the side. Father Deane held Brant in the middle of the church and talked for at least 10-15 minutes before he finally handed Brant back over to his daddy.

While Father was holding Brant, he stared, cooed, and smiled. We were all in the pew laughing. My dad was so proud and touched that he was crying. It was such a beautiful Mass.

What a great day we've had. The kids got such a loot of gifts. My dad is 70 and doing well. We are happy. We are healthy. We are blessed.

Merry Christmas!

(Pics to come soon of ALL of our Christmases!)

Now only is tomorrow Christmas....

2008-12-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

It's my dad's birthday as well. This year he's 70! This is what we gave him last weekend. We had Christmas with my mom's side of the family and everyone signed it. I bought the frame and Lisa went into her storage and got my dad's military photograph. He loves it. He cried when we gave it to him.

Happy Birthday Dad! We love you more than you'll ever know.

Oh and by the way, my house is full of company right now. The gang's all here! :)

Day 1 of Christmas vacation....

2008-12-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

And the hoodlums are already driving me INSANE. It's gonna be a looooooong two weeks. Hopefully all of their Christmas gifts will keep them busy and argument-free!

Giddy. Just plain giddy.

2008-12-17T05:27:00.000-08:00

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

"I know who you are, Gambit." hehe! So do I. So do I. ;)

I think the onesie says it all.....

2008-12-16T05:26:00.000-08:00

This is my nephew, Brant. I miss him terribly. I'm so glad that I get to see him this weekend and then next week for his 1st Christmas!

Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus....

2008-12-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

This was taken at Budafest this past weekend. We waited FOREVER (he had taken a LONG break), but it was well worth it (because now we don't have to go to the mall!). Maeve sat there and rambled on and on and on as if she were talking to friends that she hadn't seen in a while. It was too funny.

For your viewing pleasure.....

2008-12-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

Favorite scene of FNL from season 3 so far. Love the subtle pants drop! ;) It's been over a year and I still can't believe that I met Taylor in person!

So much for decorating early.....

2008-12-01T06:17:00.000-08:00

My house has been decorated for Christmas for almost 2 weeks now. I just wanted to be early this year since we are hosting Richard's family for Christmas on December 13th.

So I thought that everything was good until this morning. I turn on the tree and the middle strand of lights is EXTREMELY bright. Uh oh.

Richard said that the bottom part was like that a year or two ago. He had to completely restrand the lights and fix the problem.

He's not doing that again.

So off he went this morning to get a new pre-lit 6 foot Christmas tree.

Kyra is beyond excited to decorate a tree for the 2nd time. Ugh.

I can't complain about this tree though. We've probably had it for 3-4 years and Richard paid $25 for it at Lowes on a Black Friday.

Not too shabby.

Update: Richard left, but didn't buy a tree. So when he got home, we took the top part of the tree off and started replacing the blown bulbs in the middle of the tree. There were A LOT. But the tree is back to normal now and looks great! Thank goodness we didn't have to go the other route! I love my handy dandy husband! ;)

Well hello there!

2008-11-28T15:20:00.001-08:00

Maybe I'm a bit biased because I'm his Aunt, but is this one good lookin' kid or what? By the way, I'm starting to see more of his Daddy in him now. He has these LOOOOONG eyelashes just like his Daddy. But from the nose down, he's ALL Mama! ;) And just FYI, he's now 9 weeks old!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T11:46:00.000-08:00

More updates on the dining room....

2008-11-24T11:27:00.001-08:00

View of the dining room from our kitchen. Richard bought us a cheap table with a granite top. He got it off of Craig's List. The guy wanted a trade for our laptop. DONE. We will be upgrading with a newer laptop in the future!

This is the left side of the dining room.

This is the church in St. John (where my dad grew up). I took a picture of it, turned it into B&W and printed it as an 11X14 and then framed it with a mat around it. Easy and artistic, right?

The right side of our dining room. The walls look really orange in these pictures, but they are actually a dark brick red. I think the light fixture and the painted ceiling makes it appear much lighter than it really is. It looks much better in person! ;)

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

2008-11-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

Look who came to visit me this weekend.....

2008-11-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

Can you believe he's already 8 weeks old? I wish he could have helped out his Red Raiders tonight. :(

There's still some good in the world.....

2008-11-22T05:16:00.000-08:00

I called my mother-in-law last night. She said the night before that she, my sister-in-law, and my niece and nephew all decided to treat themselves by eating at Red Lobster. This is something that they don't do very often because when they do eat there, I usually hear about it in some way soon enough.

They indulged and had a very nice meal. It ended up being pretty pricey at about $70 or so, but my MIL said that she didn't care. She said that for some reason, she did notice a man at another table with some friends/family, but didn't really pay close attention.

She should have.

The man got up and left with his group. When it was time for my MIL to pay for their meal, the waiter said, "It's all taken care of. The man at that table paid for your meal before he left."

WOW.

They have no idea who he was. They have no idea why he did it. My nephew is 11 years old and is in a wheelchair and has CP, so I don't know if he did it for reasons like that or not.

But they were shocked and pleasantly surprised.

So I still have faith that there are good people in the world. I still believe that there are angels out there.....near and far.

And as MIL got into the van to go home, this song was playing.

Chills.

Church tales....

2008-11-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

I take the girls to church regularly and really can't complain about their behavior. They are very good. What works for us is sitting about 3 to 4 rows from the front because Maeve insists on seeing everything that goes on. She behaves better too that way. She has no choice.

I bought Kyra a little prayer book in addition to the one that she already has. This one is bigger and geared for kids her age. Since she's preparing for her 1st Reconciliation in January and her 1st Holy Communion in May, I decided to try and let her learn as much as possible. She attends Religious Education on Monday nights, but one hour a week isn't enough in my book. So we talk a lot about it here at home.

So yesterday Kyra proudly takes her book to church and Maeve has to hop on that bandwagon too, so she took a book as well.

Maeve still thinks that the priest's name is Jesus. She hasn't gotten that concept down yet. It's just funny to hear her say, "Look Mommy, there's Jesus!" whenever she sees a priest.

The other weekend at church, Maeve noticed the big round Host that the priest receives. When he held it up, Maeve says loudly, "Mommy, that looks like a tortilla!" Oy.

Since we do sit so far up at the front, when it's time to give the Sign of Peace, the girls get out of our pew and walk around to others and shake hands. Last night, I had them walk all the way up to the front row where the Eucharistic Ministers were sitting to shake their hands. I think they got a kick out of that.

Their favorite part of the Mass is singing the "Alleuia". I've never heard two little girls sing so loudly! hehe!

I have told Richard time and time again that if something ever happens to me, he is to take these girls to church and make sure they receive their sacraments ON TIME. That's all I ask of him.

Isn't she beautiful?

2008-11-15T14:45:00.000-08:00

2nd grade....Fall '08. I love my Kyra!

He got what he deserved....

2008-11-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

Heard about this this morning.

Good.

That's all I have to say.

I've been silent long enough....

2008-11-06T12:28:00.001-08:00

I usually DO NOT want to bring up things like this because I like to keep my blog free of such harsh issues, but because I'm so damn angry about it, I have to vent.

I'm hurt, sick, and upset about all of the racist texts and emails that I've been receiving about our President-Elect. It really saddens me that such an issue still exists in our world today. Here we are, generations later, and racial tensions and slurs STILL exist. I don't get it. I do not understand why people are so ignorant. African-Americans are people just like you and I. Only they struggle to just be themselves because they are looked down upon all of the time....all because of the color of their skin. There are no words to describe how utterly sick I feel about this.

My dad is one that talks badly about them and I have BEGGED him to NEVER mention that talk to my girls. They should NOT have to hear someone that they deeply trust and care about say such hurtful things. I want to teach my girls that color doesn't matter. We are all equal in the eyes of God, so why shouldn't we be equal in each others' eyes?

Kyra's best friend is half African-American. She's also adopted and I think that makes her even more special. She comes over to our house several times a week. In fact, tomorrow evening, I'm taking her and my girls to see a movie. I love her to pieces. Kyra and Maeve adore her. Do I even think about her color? HELL NO! It doesn't matter. She's a person just like you and me. She should NEVER be discriminated against.

I guess since we live up here around Austin, we are more aware of different cultures. I have very unique people that come into the gyms and into my classes and I embrace each and every one of them for who they are. Most of them are very interesting to me and have such great stories to tell. I think that having them in this world just makes it that much better.

And I didn't want to mention this either, but both Richard and I voted for Barack Obama. I sat down and seriously took a look at all of the issues and where I stood on them. And I agreed with most of what he wants for our country. I voted for him because I believe that he will do a great job as President. I never even considered the color of his skin. I bet half of you ignorant people out there don't even know that Obama's mother is Caucasian. Yep, she's as WHITE as you and I.

So please stop all of the hurtful nonsense. It's bad enough that you send it, but it's worse that you are having a racial influence on your children. Because yes, they will grow up with the same beliefs that you have and the cycle with never end. There doesn't have to be racism in the world. Let it stop with you!

And let's ALL get behind our new President and support him for the next 4 years!

PS- Did you know that Sarah Palin didn't know that Africa was a continent. Seriously? Now that's ignorance!

Grocery store conversations....

2008-11-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

This conversation is happening as we are wandering down aisles picking up items. Usually, Maeve sits in the basket, but today she didn't. She and Kyra walked beside me the entire time.

Kyra: "Maeve, don't step on a crack or you hurt your mama's back."

Maeve: "Ok!"

Kyra: "Maeve, you stepped on a crack! Mommy, does your back hurt?"

After a short pause....

Kyra: "Maeve, that's ok. I stepped on a crack and hurt mommy's back one time."

Maeve: "I've done it two times..."

Lord! Will these two ever shut up? First of all, Kyra did say "hurt" instead of "break", so that's a plus. And don't even get me started about the guy in dreads that we saw. Maeve yelled, "Mommy, look at that guy's hair!" Needless to say, we quickly shuffled off to another aisle. Oy.

These kids kill me. Never a dull moment!

And for those that are wondering, my back woes of the last 2 1/2 months are so much better. Lisa and Nate suggested some strengthening exercises for me and they are WORKING!

Hehe!

2008-11-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

Go here!

This is a blog of a local DJ here in our area. He asked for a list and I delivered! I'm still in disbelief. It's weird to see me on his blog! Richard is still giggling in the shop!

Maeve isn't so popular right now....

2008-11-02T15:35:00.001-08:00

Kyra wrote this the other day about Maeve. I think she's tired of her antics. If you can't read what she wrote from right here, click on the pic. I purposefully didn't resize it to be too small to read.

Oy!

Wanna lose a few pounds?

2008-10-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

And no, I'm not going to get all infomercial on you.

I've lost 5 lbs. in a month. How did I do it? By chugging a TON of water throughout the day. I decided to quit feeling bloated and made a commitment to drink more water. It's worked. I know that the weight loss is just water weight, but I don't care. I feel healthier. My skin feels fantastic. It was just a great move.

Now if I could just lose more. Hopefully my thyroid will be nice to me and allow that to happen! ;)

It's done!

2008-10-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

Remember this post?

Well, Richard worked his butt off this week and it's finished! Well, there's still stuff to be put on the walls, but I'm going to take my time with that.

Let me talk about colors. The baseboards and chair rail is white....as white as white can be. The walls are a color called "New Brick" by Behr paints. The ceiling is a color called "Chai Latte" and it's also Behr.

The inspiration for the dining room came from a show on TLC called "Moving Up". The specific episode was called "The Lottery Winners". I NEVER watch this show, but saw this episode and was inspired by the room on there.

She's still here....

2008-10-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

I'm talking about my mom. I'm starting to notice how small the world really is and I think she has a hand in it. It gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling all over.

First of all, my sister will be going back to work soon. Their new house is being built and soon they will live about 20 miles from where they are now. Their house is on land that's been in our family for years. It belonged to my grandma and grandpa, got passed down to my dad, and now Lisa and Nate own it.

So, when it came time to decide who would take care of Brant, they came across an old friend of the family that we've known for years. In fact, she and her husband were big buddies with my parents long before Lisa and I were even born. They used to vacation together and everything. She's since lost her husband, but she will be the one keeping Brant during the day when Lisa and Nate travel doing home health. Strange, huh?

A while back, Nate's mom came to Austin for some sort of convention. She was sitting in a room full of hundreds of people. She sat by a lady and ended up talking to her and asked where she was from, etc. Turns out that they lady was my mom's best friend from high school! Nate's mom couldn't believe her luck! I mean, really. What are the chances of that happening?

It truly is a small world. I miss my mom dearly, but I know that she's watching over us. Even through all of the rough times in life, I feel tremendously blessed.

I, the babysitter.....

2008-10-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

Aunt LaLa and Uncle Nate came up on Friday evening because they wanted to get some shopping done on Saturday. Guess who got to babysit for 5-6 hours on Saturday? The girls and I! They were so excited. Mr. Brant was very good and even had a few firsts. He's been pretty fussy on the initial formula, so they switched him. This picture was taken after a feeding when he was just so darn content and went back to sleep! And guess who took this picture? MAEVE! lol! Not bad, huh?

Since their vehicle was loaded down on Saturday, they left their 3rd seats here. She will come tomorrow and stay Tuesday night and Wednesday. We want to take the kiddos to the pumpkin patch here in town. After all, Brant needs some pumpkin pics too for his first Halloween!

We have a vistitor right now. Miss Calli got left behind. I *think* she's enjoying her time here. She pouted initially, but she's getting along with Mia and Zoe pretty well this time around. I'm sure she'll be happy to see her mommy again tomorrow though!

I couldn't make this stuff up.....

2008-10-18T05:34:00.001-07:00

Maeve: "My bellybutton talks to me at night."

WTF?

"Zoe" by Kyra

2008-10-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

***This is something that Kyra wrote the other day. I will type it as it's written. It's waaaaay too funny not to share.

I am Zoe. I live in (our hometown). Wach this I will stell food. My ownur said "Bad Dog go in your crate!" So I did. I don't know whey she is mean? I will try something els. I now I will rip the pellow. My oner said "Bad Dog go in your crate!" So I did. The next day I was calm. For now on I was a good dog.

Kyra LOVES writing stories. Below this one was a picture of Zoe with a pillow in her mouth! ;) I think she'll write quite a few childrens' books. Good. Maybe we'll all be rich one day!

Things I love.....

2008-10-08T15:50:00.001-07:00

Some local DJs had this really cool idea to make a list of their favorite things (a la Oprah) and read it on the radio. I thought it would make a great blog post. After all, we all have our favorite things. Here are some of mine. To make it easier, I've hyperlinked everything that I could. Enjoy!

1.) I love itunes. I have it pulled up right now. I have no idea where my life would be without it. I don't want to know.

2.) I love my ipod video nano. From running to teaching at the gym, it really helps me out. Richard wanted to upgrade and I'm glad he did. It also makes learning my Body Flow choreography a breeze. I can take it anywhere.

3.) I love my Ryka N-Gage Studio shoes. I use them for any kind of floor aerobics or stepping that I do at the gym. I love them because they are very light. I got introduced to them by a professor that I had at A&M ages ago and I have loved them ever since. I tried a black pair once and now I'm hooked. I'll never buy white Rykas again! ;)

4.) I love my Saucony running shoes. I got introduced to them when I used to run with my boss in Victoria. She wore them and swore by them. The thing that I love most about them is that they are for bigger, wider feet. And they are affordable!

5.) I love my T-mobile Dash. Richard got it for me and at first I was skeptical, but it's really the best phone that I've ever had. It's Windows based and very ease to use. Thank God. That Treo drove me nuts. I could never figure it out. Richard got finally sold it because he didn't like it either! lol!

6.) I love Natalie Walker. I just discovered her music through itunes and love it. It's very soft and sensual. I think it would be well suited for Body Flow. I must let Jackie know. ;)

7.) I love massages. My friend Cherrie that I go to in Kyle is awesome. My back pain is almost gone. If I would have gone to the doctor, they would have given me muscle relaxers and sent me on my way. It's so refreshing to have someone want to take care of the root of the problem!

8.) I love the internet (duh!). Here are some of my favorite websites:
Perez Hilton
Dlisted
The Weather Channel
Games 2 Girls (a safe way to keep the girls occupied)
TWOP FNL forum

9.) I love Z' Tejas. If Richard and I ever have a night alone, this is where we eat. Their appetizers are the best. Shoot, I go there just for the skillet dumplings!

10.) I love my Dish DVR. It has made life a lot easier. The kids tape their shows and I tape mine. We never miss a show. You can record up to 100 hours. Oh, and every once in a while, one of Richard's shows stays taped on there. ;)

11.) I love Purpose Gentle Wash. One of the local DJs mentioned that his wife was using it. A dermatologist recommended it to her. This stuff is amazing! And it's cheap...$5.99! And you can find it at HEB or Walgreen's!

12.) I love my Ped Egg. Skeptical? I was too! But this thing works! I use it all of the time....in between my monthly pedicures.

13.) I love the Twilight book series by Stephenie Meyer. Thanks to Jen for getting me hooked!

14.) I love vinegar. I've decided to "go green" and wean away from all of the harsh cleaners. I use vinegar and water to clean my floors, so why not everything else? Plus, it's cheap!

15.) I love my digital camera. It's probably the best one that I've ever had.

16.) I love Jimmy John's. Their sandwiches are yummy! My favorite is the Beach Club. I wish they had a location down south for us!

17.) I love "Europop". These are pop groups from abroad. My favorites are Girls Aloud, Rogue Traders, and the Sugababes.

18.) I love Caffe D'Vita French Vanilla Cappuchino. You can get it at the grocery store where all of the coffee is. Instead of drinking it hot, I add water and ice to the powder and put it in the blender. It's soooo good. It's my newest obsession.

19.) I love "Friday Night Lights". Another given. I am watching new DirecTV episodes somewhere online. The rest of you can see it on NBC in the springtime. ;)

20.) I love Mary Kay cosmetics. I no longer have to go to the store to buy makeup. It comes to my front door! :)

21.) I love Gold's Gym. Duh! It's where I am mostly every day! And I teach there too!

22.) I love Les Mills fitness classes. My favorite class is Body Flow. And I teach it too!

23.) I love Bali bras. They fit wonderfully and look very sexy and feminine for us girls that are a little bit more endowed. ;)

24.) I love Opi nail color. The names of the nail colors crack me up every time. I want the job of naming them! Fun!

***I was trying to get to 25, but my list is complete! If you're reading this and are bored, then you make a list too! And then I want to read it!

Enjoy your weekend!

2008-10-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, you'll have this stuck in your head all.weekend.long. Brings a smile to my face every time!

What kept my husband busy this week....

2008-10-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

He worked on our dining room. It's no longer all plain walls anymore. Notice the chair rails! Next project is to paint the chair rails white. Above that the walls will be a brick red color. I have decided to paint the ceiling a very faint mustard color. The fan will go and be replaced with a hanging, elegant dining light. The table will eventually go too. It looks nice, but the kids have ruined it over the years. Luckily, their work isn't visible in this picture! lol!

And there you have our work in progress. More updates to come!

When radio was king....

2008-10-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to post about this subject for a while now, but somehow never got around to it. That is until the emails between my dear friend Jen and I seemed to escalate. We share a lot of emails that begin with the words, "Gosh, do you remember this?" or "Holy crap! I haven't heard this one in a while!"

I'm talking about music. Mostly 80's music. Sure you hear some songs being played on the radio once in a while, but I'm not talking about those. I'm talking about the little gems that NOBODY plays anymore. I'm talking about one-hit wonders. I'm talking about the songs that were lesser known by popular artists. I'm talking about songs that you almost don't remember at all.

When I was a young girl, all we had was radio. Sure we had TV, but when we would sit in our rooms just being girls, the radio was on. We got to buy a cassette tape every once in while if we could convince mom to let us get one. Something I *do* remember is sitting by the radio with a blank cassette tape and listening to "Rick Dees Weekly Top 40" on the weekends. When a song that I liked came on, I recorded it off.the.radio. WOW. How times have changed. Now if we like a song, we go to itunes and download it. Then we transfer it to our ipod. If we want to burn to a CD, we create a playlist and hit a button. It's as easy as that. And let's talk about sound quality too. The music is crystal clear. Hearing music taped from the radio allows for very poor quality. But back then, we thought we were so cool!

It seems like there was more of a variety on the radio back then too. Now, we just hear the same songs over and over again. What's sad is that I wouldn't want to buy the songs/CDs that I hear on the radio because I get so sick of hearing them. Maybe we heard better music because it was the 80s and pop music was gaining popularity back then. Or maybe we heard better music because there wasn't all the "red tape" like there is now. In any case, radio was our life.

As for TV, this show was very popular in our house on Friday nights if we were lucky enough to stay up after my mom finished watching "Dallas" and "Falcon Crest". This was also something that we watched on TBS. In fact, I remember the day that we got cable and there were more than 13 channels on our TV!

I'm happy to say that radio is still an important part of my life. There's a lot of crap out there, but there's a lot of good stuff too. You just have to pick your battles. ;)

Tagged by Emma.....

2008-09-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

The lovely Emma tagged me.

The "rules" of the game are as follows:

1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag

******************************************

1.) I'm anal about setting all of our stuff out for the next day the night before. I'm a "grab and go" gal because you never know what the morning will be like.

2.) My new favorite drink is a cold, blended french vanilla cappuchino. I make it daily. It's just water, ice, and the powder. I've never used my blender this much! Because the powder goes a long way, it's sooooo much cheaper than Starbucks!

3.) I've already started Christmas shopping. I've bought 2 gifts so far.

4.) We sleep with the air down to 71-72 at night. We like to sleep COLD. And I use a pillow for my head, one between my knees, and a sheet, bedspread, and old comforter to cover up with.

5.) And yes, our doggies sleep with us. In fact, I don't think I could sleep without them!

6.) I'm very tired of all of the political emails I've been receiving lately. I love my family dearly, but I really don't care who you're voting for. I have my political views and you have yours. Expressing political views is like telling someone what church to go to. You just don't do it.

***Let's see. Since a lot of my readers don't have a blog, I really don't know who to tag. But if you do have a blog and read this just now, then consider yourself tagged. GO!

Apparently, the Nintendo DS has ears.....

2008-09-29T17:51:00.001-07:00

We were in the car on our way to the gym when I heard Maeve say, "I don't like you Mario! You keep taking away all of my points! You are mean!"

PIMP!

Yes, Richard is a sucker and bought Kyra a new game over the weekend. Now the girls are fighting over it. Great. He's already talking about getting Maeve her own DS. Uh buddy, I don't think a 3 year old needs her own video game! One that's over $100 to boot!

I got my apology yesterday....

2008-09-28T13:45:00.001-07:00

Just as BIL walked in the door yesterday with half of his house with him, he said:

"I apologize for all of the times when I made fun of you for bringing half your house along with you when the girls were little. I totally understand now. It's not easy traveling with an infant."

I just nodded.

And laughed.

Just wait till Christmas.....

Strange children, weirder ideas....

2008-09-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Kyra's "make shift" dollhouse constructed out of computer paper. See the tape in the background? lol! I find this so funny because Maeve has a HUGE dollhouse in her room for them. Maybe it was a vacation destination or something! ;)

Another pic....

2008-09-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

Let's add'em up.....

2008-09-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

My new nephew got me to thinking about how many great-grandkids are in my families. First of all, I am the oldest grandkid on my mom's side and I'm the second to the youngest on my dad's side (my sister is the youngest). So as you can imagine, there are a lot more on my dad's side. I'll name ALL of them below starting with the oldest to the youngest.

Great-Grandkids on my dad's side:
-Christopher
-Clayton
-Cassie
-April
-William
-Kyra
-Kalyn
-Maeve
-Nadia
-Brooke
-Isabella
-Brant

***Holy moly! There's 12 of them now!

Great-Grandkids on my mom's side:
-Kyra
-Maeve
-Haylie
-Holdyn
-Brant
-(And another one the way in Dec./Jan.....Mike and Megan are expecting #3!)

***So there's 5 right now but soon the count will be 6!

Honestly, I think that my mom's side will one day outnumber my dad's side. I have 5 cousins on each side. But I think that my dad's side of the family is pretty much done having kids....well except for my sister. She'll have at least one more!

So there's your geneology lesson for the day. ;)

My new nephew and I.....

2008-09-19T20:26:00.001-07:00

OK, so I held him for almost an hour today and stared at him and I've come to the conclusion that he looks EXACTLY like my sister when she was born (I wish I had a pic!). The only difference was that she was quite a bit pudgier at 9 lbs. 5 oz. and she had a TON of black hair. Brant has some hair, but not a lot. He must take after his daddy in that department. ;)

Good news all around!

2008-09-18T11:18:00.001-07:00

First of all, I'm an AUNT today which I'm very excited about!

Brant Thomas Redman
6 lbs. 8 oz.
20 inches
2:42pm

We are going to see him tomorrow in the hospital and then on Sunday at home. They'll come home on Saturday afternoon. Daddy is proud and mama is elated! She said that she feels great and can't wait to walk around for a bit!

***********************************************************************************

It's PROGRESS REPORT time already! Have 3 weeks passed since school started? Geez! Time flies! Kyra is doing very well! 2nd grade is soooooo different than 1st grade!

Language Arts- 97
Reading- 100
Science- 95
Social Studies- 97
Math- 95

She's really struggling with Math and Science more this year. Looks like she'll be just like her mommy! ;) I have a conference with her teacher tomorrow. I hope to hear nothing but good things about her!

Grocery store fun.....

2008-09-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

I saw a little old lady wearing a t-shirt with this logo on it at the grocery store just now! LMAO! I love the grocery store. I like to "people watch" and get the biggest kick out of things like this! Some people have no shame.....

Their new favorite place.....

2008-09-17T15:20:00.001-07:00

Looking out into the front yard from Maeve's window. Zoe can jump on the bed easily, but Mia needs a little help. They LOVE the sunshine in the afternoons!

Major deja vu.....

2008-09-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

My sister called this afternoon after her dr. appt. She's still dilated to just a centimeter! I've been there. I know the frustration. So what they are going to do is go ahead and admit her this evening into the hospital. Overnight, they will try to ripen her cervix with cervidil. They will start pitocin in the morning. Lisa is only 39 weeks, but so ready to have this baby. Her doctor decided to induce her last week already. Nate's mom and stepdad drove down this morning from Seminole.

What she's going through is similar to what I went through with Kyra. They admitted me on a Thursday evening and gave me cervidil as well. Friday morning, they started pitocin. At noon, they broke my water. But I never did dilate past a 3 or 4. I labored all day on Friday and Friday night. After 22 hours of labor, my doctor suggested a c-section. So, she did a c-section on Saturday morning and at 9:30am, Kyra was born.

I'm kind of bummed that she won't be having him this evening or overnight. My plan was to drive there tomorrow when the girls are in school to see her and the baby. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Now I'll have to wait until Friday evening or Saturday morning, which is good. I'll take the girls with me and they'll get to meet their brand new baby cousin. I just wanted to see him while he's in the hospital. Oh well. I don't think that Maeve is old enough to go to the hospital anyway. Lisa said that they have to be at least 5 years old.

So the waiting begins......I'll keep you posted.

Well who else is there?

2008-09-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

Maeve: "Mommy, this book has a rip in it."

Upon further investigation, I noticed that the COVER had a tiny tear.

Me: "Maeve, that's ok. It's small. Just don't tear it anymore than it already is."

Maeve: "Mommy, someone else did it. I didn't do it."

It was very obvious that she did the damage. The book didn't look like that a few minutes before when I saw her with it. I wonder who she thinks did it. I bet she'll blame it on Zoe. She blames EVERYTHING on Zoe. I think I'll go ask her who did it.

Update: She blamed it on Kyra! LMAO! Kyra isn't even here. She's at school! I guess she thinks that Kyra damaged it at another time! Um, no!

She's such a liar, that one. I sense that there are about 10 new gray hairs on top of my head right about now!

"The boy" is coming this week!

2008-09-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

I call him "the boy" because that's what his daddy referred to him as yesterday when we had lunch. Maeve and I met Lisa and Nate at Serrano's yesterday for a nice lunch.

Lisa has a dr. appt. on Wednesday and said that her doctor is likely to admit her and induce. So we just might have Baby Redman here by Wednesday or Thursday!

I'll keep ya posted.

Oh really?

2008-09-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I taught two Flow classes. They both went well. The first one I subbed for a friend. The second one was my regular Wednesday class downtown.

After class, I thank my members for coming and I tell them to come and talk to me if they have any questions or comments. Usually they just scoot on out of there with a "thank you", but some stay and chat.

Last week was a totally different story. A girl who I had never seen in class before came up to me after class and said, "I have some suggestions on how you can do the Sun Salutations better. The ones that you did seemed weird."

I explained to her that our gyms have the Les Mills programs in them and all of the choreography is pre-choreographed. We learn from a video and notes. I told her that I didn't make it up. Apparently, she didn't hear what I had just said because she didn't stop there.

She told me that I should have had my hand behind my foot in this pose. Yes, it can be changed to where the hand is behind the foot but the choreography in this certain release had it in front of the foot. What bothered me the most is that she was calling it Triangle Pose, when it was an Extended Warrior Pose. Triangle Pose looks like this. It's easy to see the differences between the two. In Triangle Pose, the front leg is straightened so that you feel more of a stretch through the hamstring.

I was bothered by her "know it all" mentality. I study the notes and choreography. I watch the education tips. I learn the release like the back of my hand. After all, I've been certified for more than 5 years now. Granted, I have a lot more to learn, but I think I know my basic poses. Clearly, this girl didn't know what she was talking about. I almost hope that she was a bit embarrassed after that conversation. And now I wonder if she'll ever show her face in class again. If she does, she needs to understand that I don't need suggestions on how to "change it up." ;)

Uh oh.....

2008-09-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

http://euler.atmos.colostate.edu/~vigh/guidance/northatlantic/track_early1.png

He's brewing and he's getting BIG! This track worries me A LOT. I've already heard Ike being compared to this hurricane.

So scared. Pray!

I had to get my obsessive fix.....

2008-09-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

So the girls and I were on our way back from my sister's and I had been wanting to drive out by the airport for a while now that FNL is back in town. We pulled up and there are trailers EVERYWHERE. I felt kind of weird just pulling up to the stadium (today wasn't a taping day....it's a Sunday) and sure enough, a guy in a car pulls up next to me and asks if he can help me. I told him that all I wanted was to snap a few pics. He seemed hesitant, but then said, "Make it quick." These are the three that I took. I hope to get more of them when they don't have all of their stuff out there. I wanted to shoot one of the "Dillon Police" car. But look what I pulled right.up.next.to! Riggins' truck! OMG! I freaked out! I also saw Landry's station wagon which I chuckled at because it was set on fire in season 2.

Oh, and for all of you that have DirectTV, I am so jealous! Hopefully there will be episodes bootlegged online for the rest of us to see.

All in all, an exciting day! ;)

GO PANTHERS!

2nd year of preschool.....

2008-09-04T06:00:00.001-07:00

There are no words....

2008-09-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

So we have been watching Hurricane Gustav coverage all weekend. This was a conversation between Richard and I yesterday.

Me: "They give these hurricanes such stupid names. They need to come up with names that are more up to date. I wonder who the genius is that comes up with these names."

Richard: "But I thought that the first person to see the storm is who they name it after."

OMG! WTF? Dude, are you for real? I really wonder where he thinks this "person" is. LMAO!

I went on to explain that they have lists that they alternate every 6 years (the Atlantic and Pacific each have their own lists). These storms aren't named after anybody. If a strong enough storm hits that does widespread damage, then they retire the name. Yep, the name Katrina will never be used again. I am shocked that Claudette is being used next year again. It hit the Texas coast in 2003. My dad had 100+ mph winds at his house. It came in as a Cat 1, but with research, they did find that it had some Cat 2 winds.

Honestly, if I were naming hurricanes, I would go down the alphabet and give them names of people that I don't like. LOL!

More about naming hurricanes:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/basics/naming.shtml

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml

My husband is an idiot. He should be embarrassed. Shoot, I'm embarrassed for him. I'm weather-obsessed. I guess I need to give him a few pointers. ;)

Lazy Labor Day weekend.....

2008-08-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

Just a few random thoughts/musings/happenings....

-My back is still bothering me. It's much better today though. I don't know if that means that it's actually feeling better OR that I'm dealing better with the pain. I don't know what I pulled, but it has to be something pretty deep for it to hurt this long. I plan to do a "light" Body Flow workout this afternoon and see if that loosens me up a little. It just feels like something is tight through my low/mid back. Abs are somewhat sore too. I wish I felt better. This sucks.

-I rearranged the furniture in Maeve's room and was declared "awesome" by both of the girls. It's the little things....

-This damn hurricane is fascinating to me. Weather is fascinating to me. I'm obsessed. I can't turn off the TV. I keep flipping back and forth between the Weather Channel and CNN. Pull up a seat gang because things look like they will get very interesting within the next 48 hours or so. I sincerely hope that these damn forecasters are somewhat correct with where they think this thing is going to go. I'd hate for people to be caught off guard. I just saw the 5 day models of Katrina and Rita and they were waaaaaaaay off. They expected Rita to go into Rockport! Lord!

-Kyra was up at 6am this morning. Um, newsflash kid: IT'S.A.SATURDAY. And then I can't get her up on the days that she has school. WTF? Luckily, she kept quiet in her room and let Maeve and I (she slept with me last night) sleep in till 8:30.

-It's almost September, so you know what that means. The baby waiting officially begins! I can't wait to meet my nephew! He'll be here soon!

-Dogs are driving me batty. They bicker and can't decide whether they want to play/fight, go outside, or sleep. They confuse me. Shoot, I think they confuse themselves. All I know is that by 8pm, they are OUT.

-I really feel for New Orleans. It looks like they'll be on the dirty side of the storm. And if that storm veers a little farther to the east, they are really screwed. Thank God things seem a little bit better organized around there this time around. I've heard that their levees are only a third built right now. That's not good news.

-My dad is so funny. He was talking about Hurricane Claudette that came into Victoria in 2003. He was without power for 9 days. He's freaking out about Gustav right now. Um, dad I don't think you have anything to worry about. He was telling me last night how "our house" has survived the worst of hurricanes....namely Carla and Beulah. He'll always worry though. That's just how he is.

-The first week of school was a total success. Kyra did great. She adores her teacher. Maeve had Open House on Thursday and will start on Tuesday. Her teacher is a sweetheart and I expect her to have a great year as well. Her class and another class are the "big kids" in the building, so they will be eating lunch in the little cafeteria. She's so excited about that.

-I'm ready to get a pedicure. It's been too long. I think I'll go on Tuesday when I finally have some peace and quiet. ;)

My dancing/cheering girls....

2008-08-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

And she's off to 2nd grade.....

2008-08-25T05:52:00.001-07:00

*sad sigh* She's getting so big. Seems like just yesterday that we were dropping her off for Kindergarten. I always get bluesy around this time....thinking that she's already completed another year of school and has the next to look forward to.

I'm off to snuggle with my little angel who is still mine at home for 2 more years.