The Grocery Getter

At the risk of appearing like a complete spoiled brat, I am finally getting around to showing you my new toy (because so many people have been hounding me for a picture). Yes, I am unemployed. Yes, I now spend my days at the gym, playing in the pool with the boys and on occasion doing a little cooking and cleaning. Yes, I am so much happier than I was just a few months ago and it really, honestly has nothing to do with this:

In my defense, Jason wanted it too and even calls it therapy when he drives it. How could you not feel better after slamming a five speed with the windows rolled down, a throaty V-8 roaring and the latest favorite on the ipod blaring (thanks to auxiliary input - no more crappy transmitter)? It is a fun car to drive and also one of the stupidest to have with the boys, but Jason calls it the "grocery getter" because the only places it goes to on a daily basis is to the gym or the store.

Bad Babo!

Today at naptime, I grabbed Harrison and we searched for his favorite bedtime friend, Babo, who had been lovingly carried downstairs to play this morning during breakfast.

"Ba-bo!" Harrison and I both called out, somehow expecting an answer from his stuffed companion. Harrison knew exactly where he was though as he pointed toward the front room of our house. Harrison started to giggle as I walked past Babo, who was sitting on the floor in Harrison's "time out" corner. I bent over, still holding Harrison, and he reached out to pick Babo up off of the floor. Due to the arrival of naptime, we let Babo out of time out on good behavior. Time served!

Upstairs we marched, the three of us, toward Harrison's bed. As I tucked Harrison in bed, gave him kisses and told him good night, he held his friend close to his face, gave him a kiss and said,

"I love you, Babo."

Two minutes later Babo was accused of picking Harrison's nose and making it bleed. Bad Babo!

Great Picture Day

Saturday was just a fantastic picture day for both of my boys. Jake is so hard to get a good picture out of these days (fake smiles are the norm), so I was ecstatic when these showed up. So sweet and handsome. I love his bright eyes and pink cheeks in the one on the right.
Harrison sporting gel is looking very GQ in his summer duds.

My Pumpkin Head

I took this picture of Harrison on Saturday at the country club pool. I'm sorry in advance - some of you reading this will probably see more of this picture - in my house, on stationary of some sort and maybe in my Christmas newsletter, because I just love it. How happy and sweet he is.

Poop is Kewlist in the Potty

I woke up at 6:45 to a toddler, naked from the waist down. "Mama, I go potty." Not certain if that meant he went already and wanted to show me the fruits of his abdominal labor or if he needed to go and needed assistance, I followed him to the boys' bathroom. I place him on the potty and immediately he started the red headed squeeze to pinch off some morning poo. Half awake, I cheered and congratulated him, wiped him, dressed him and rolled back to bed.

Its now 1:15 and Harrison is napping in a pull up. He hasn't had one accident today and even pooped in the potty once more since this morning!

We're not there yet, but who would have thought Harrison would be so much easier than Jake at this?

Poop is Cool

Harrison has been asking to go to the potty a lot recently and for the most part I've obliged him, but I haven't been ready to enter the hell that is transitioning a defiant toddler from diapers to underwear. It was hard enough with Jake (and he's so easy going) even though his babysitter, Teri, did most of the work. We just reinforced at home and on the weekends. So, I guess I should admit I have never really potty trained a kid yet.

What's the big deal with pooping in the potty anyway? Besides the whole societal disdain for odor and lack of cleanliness, it seems to me that using the toilet is merely a detour from the ultimate diaper destination. You start out your life and first 2-3 years in diapers. Everything is cool. You can play, eat, run, sleep and watch tv all while marinating in your own stew and the best part is someone else gets to clean it up for you. Then the potty gets introduced and for about 70-80 years or so you're on a very long sidestreet that ultimately winds you back to diaperville, where you're back to letting someone else manage your stew cleanup. Only this time, if you have your mind about you, you have the shame associated with it.

So to avoid the societal shame of smelling like poo wherever you go, potty training is unfortunately necessary. Today, Harrison and I began a new ritual toward improving his personal hygiene. He wore and soiled three new pairs of underwear within two hours, but he did pee twice and even pooped once in the potty while I read "The Three Little Pigs" to him.

Fortunately for me he keeps his peter down when he's peeing and I don't have to clap and encourage him while getting piss in my eye. Jake wasn't so nice in that regard.

I'm Rich Bee-ach

I finally got around to rolling over my 401k into an IRA rollover yesterday at Fidelity. It was easy as pie, but once it moves it'll be sitting in money market until I do something with it.

My measly account balance is not going to turn into $5 million sitting in money market for 40 years, so here's where I need your help. I know there are people out there reading my blog who know something about this topic, so I appeal to you, my free financial advisers, to send me some sweet stock tips.

Obviously, I'm out for growth. I'm still in my twenties and have a long way to go so I can ride out the ups and downs without freaking out too much. And I'm not afraid of actual stocks. Honestly, I don't really want mutual funds. Those are boring and can be expensive and I don't want to be locked into keeping them for like five years without paying a huge back end load.

So, there's my situation. Now, make me rich bee-ach!

You Can't See Me!

I've been meaning to share this with you for a couple of weeks now, but am just now getting the pictures off of my camera, so its a bit dated, but I'd be willing to guess that this would play out exactly the same way today, so its still sort of fresh.

Jake and Harrison were playing hide and seek a couple of weeks ago. Jake hid first and had Harrison count as high as he could (these days, to ten). Harrison spent about ten minutes looking for Jake before he solicited my assistance with "Where's Jake" combined with a shoulder shrug. Accepting the mission, I took Harrison by the hand as we called out "Where is Jake" only to be answered by slight giggles coming from my bedroom. Harrison and I followed the sound to curtains that were abnormally bowed and Harrison surprised Jake with a rapid fling of the curtain panel. Jake jumped out and they both giggled briefly. Harrison decided it was his turn, so he demanded that Jake count so he could hide.

Inventively, here is where Harrison chose to hide.
I wonder where Harrison is?

777 - Part 2

The 7/7/7 pool party at 7:00 literally lasted about 7 hours. There isn't a thing about it we would change - everything went GREAT!

The weather was perfect. The pool was plenty warm. The kids were well behaved (upstairs). The food was great. There was plenty of seating. The sangria was tasty. The keg was drained. Girls actually got into the pool and overall we counted 24 people showed up. One person had to spend the night. A couple said it was the best party they had been to in years and no one looked bored. The best part for me was that I didn't have a hangover in the morning - I needed my strength for the morning after clean up inside and out. We're thinking about doing it again next month (smaller scale) to send off Luke and we're already looking forward to it.

I did take a few pictures and they may disappear in the near future if anyone objects to having them up. This photo album almost looks like a singles post - I didn't realize until I sorted through the pictures that most of them are of the single people at the party, so see someone you like? Let me know, I might be able to hook a "brotha" or "sista" up.

This is Brett Sands, aka Sands. He and Jason have known each other since college where they sealed their friendship through Mustang (Sands' 5.0) vs. Camero (Jason's V8) races at Abilene Christian University.

Brett does Karate, plays in an ice hockey league and is very active in his church.

Once you get to know him, he does a great alien impression.




This is Dave, the Aussie pilot. I don't know a lot about Dave - he's a friend of Jon's, but his accent is nice to listen to.













This is Erin. She's Kristen Worley's sister and is very very sweet. She dressed up as Punky Brewser at the Worley's 2006 Halloween party and she makes a great addition to our driveway get togethers.

This is Chris and Matt in my kitchen. They have been friends since they were children and contrary to the appearance of this picture they are not gay. Chris and Jason went to high school and Abilene Christian University together. He does like women and Matt is married. I caught them wearing their matching towels and had to preserve the image.

777

I couldn't let today (July 7, 2007) go by without at least a slight nod of acknowledgement to the day. I mean, this happens once every 100 years people!

People are getting married all over the place today (Vegas must be crazy!) and I'd be willing to bet its the guys who picked the date. Insurance for the future when remembering the exact date might otherwise prove difficult. Jason had it good for a while. We had friends who got married on the exact same date and same year, so all Jason had to do was call them. That crutch is no longer available to him, but seriously, remembering your exact wedding date can be tricky (in our case its on September 29th) and if you spent your wedding date completely hammered, you're doomed. So congrats to all of the new marrieds today - I hope 7/7/7 is your lucky day.

Jay and Sanja (Jay is Jason's childhood friend) were trying their best to keep their baby daughter from being born yesterday so they could have a 7/7/7 birthday. Sanja went into labor early on the morning of 7/6, but the toughest Kegel exercises could not keep that baby in (Jay, she's defiant already - are you ready?). She was born less than four hours too early. So close, but we're happy for their 7/6/7 baby anyway.

The Lawrences are celebrating 7/7/7 with a pool party at 7:00, of course (and might last 7 hours). Food, fifteen (plus) friends and fun are expected and we're all crossing our fingers hoping the rain will remain at bay through the day to allow the sun to warm the pool. Cold pool = the need for a lot more alcohol (for the guys to be willing to get in despite inevitable "shrinkage" and for the girls to be willing to get in the pool and overlook said "shrinkage"). I might sneak a picture in tomorrow - not of the shrinkage, eh - but of something memorable from the party. Consider this part one of a potentially two part series.

Happy 7/7/7 day!

"Lucker Plee"

Harrison finished his lunch today with the image of a sucker/lollipop emblazoned in his mind upon making a "happy plate" (eating all of his food, for my non child rearing friends) and once the happy plate was established, he happily said, "lucker plee."

I fought through the child safety wrapper some machine had fastened to his strawberry sucker and even needed scissors, yes scissors! to get the damn thing open. Teased him a bit by pretending to lick it and proclaiming it to be mine, but with a big grin and a "no", he knew better. I handed him the sucker and the ear to ear grin on his face when he received his prize was priceless. No, I wasn't crying over this moment, but damn, I wish I was two again. To have all the happiness in the world created by a generic quarter sized strawberry sucker that didn't spin, light up or make noise......I want that level of innocence and joy again.

Yes, two year olds have their own sets of problems. You know, the shitting in your pants while you eat thing isn't particularly cool. And not having all the right words can be a bit frustrating (even adults have that problem), but he does call a sucker a "lucker" and please is "plee". "Ss" don't exist in Harrison's version of the ABCs. Perhaps its not all that great to require a bath nearly everytime you eat either. I had to change his sticky drool infested shirt when he was done. Harrison is too small to reach anything in the kitchen, so he can't get his own snacks, drinks and whatever. Maybe that's more my problem. Lazy bitch.

But to be two again and find pure bliss wrapped up in sugar and artificial sweeteners and flavors presented neatly on a stick. That kind of happiness doesn't last very long. (Its already gone by Jake's age. He devours his suckers with no display of appreciation.)

Actually, I might find bliss in a sucker right now........haven't had any real sugar in ten days. Maybe I was drooling over Harrison's sucker more than he was........

Ratatouille

Jake, Bailey, Laura and I took a Sunday afternoon to see Disney/Pixar's new movie, Ratatouille while Harrison napped at home under Jason's care.

I don't have much to say about this movie as I have high expectations for adult humor in kids' movies. I mean, if you're going to get the parents to take the kids, shouldn't the parents enjoy their own subtle form of entertainment?

With that said, this movie has NO adult humor and I'd be hard pressed to say there are really any funny parts in the movie at all. The kids seemed to like it, which is why we went, but I don't think this is one we'll be purchasing for our video collection.

Cute? Yes. Funny? No. Entertaining on a rainy Sunday afternoon? Sure. To spend $22 for Jake and me alone, this wasn't worth it. Should have taken Jonelle's suggestion and seen Surf's Up.