Happy New Year

Well everyone tommorrow is the start of a New Year. Everyone makes resolutions that they don't keep including me. So I will write mine down on my blog (taking a cue from my friend). Here are mine:
To lose weight (and not be impatient about it)
To tell myself something I love about me at least once a day and work up to many times a day
(have a habit of saying negative things about myself)
To work in a workbook I have at least once a week until I get through it
To be a better mom and wife (not get on Katie's case so much and try not to rush her)
To not be so selfish
To save more
To eat out less
To be more giving
To try to stay more orgainzed (actually bought a pocket planner)

Out of My Way

Did I mention that while my niece and nephew were with us that we rented a Nissan Armada. It was nice. I loved being that high up and being in such a big vehicle...I felt like I could crush everyone on the r0ad. This thing is so roomy and huge in the inside. The only thing I didn't like was the dashboard set up and there isn't much room in the very back for groceries unless you fold down the back seat and push it up. Honestly though, since we had to travel to Beeville to drop the kids off; I wanted to ram a few cars. There was one guy who was driving 50 in a 70 and I really just wanted to push him out of my way. The power of being in a big car; yes people size matters.

Family Visiting

Katie got to stay in Beeville after Christmas with my parents and her cousins. We decided to meet in San Antonio to pick her up and to let my niece and nephew come visit up here for a few days. We wanted to go to the zoo but it was a little chilly outside so we went to the River City Mall. Lauren was getting fussy after about an hour so we decided to head home. It was already about 6.00. She fell asleep on the way to the vehicle and stayed asleep for the whole trip. This worried me because I thought she would be up all night. She wasn't. She was asleep at 11.00 until 1.30 and then stayed awake for about an hour.
Today, Katie and my nephew didn't want to do anything; they are both being really grouchy and moody. So I took my niece (13) to Old Navy, Target, and Barnes and Noble. I hope she's had a nice time. My nephew (10) and Katie keep arguing over stuff but they are like 3 months apart in age so I think that is normal. I have to take them back to Beeville tommorrow. I was hoping to show them the state capitol and the Bob Bullock Museum but it was raining today pretty bad; maybe tommorrow if weather permits.

Christmas

Well Katie woke up all excited; Lauren woke up at 7 and that woke Katie up. (Kyle's dad picked him up on Sunday since it was his turn to have him this year...he gets him during even numbered years on holidays). Katie went straight for her stocking and loved everything in it. She thought her DVD player was so neat she wanted it hooked up right away to play a movie except for that fact that she hadn't opened her presents yet. Katie helped Lauren with hers. Katie got a puzzle, bracelet, photo bracelet, Cars Xbox360 game. Micau got texas hold em game, belt, undies and amug (Katie picked them out), Get Fuzzy calender, and 2 Dilbert books. I got a MP3 player and a dragon (Katie picked it out) and of course my pjs and robe. Micau and I got a fountain from his exwife...its really nice. The Santa gifts were a princess dvd player for Katie, the Playschool Dome for Lauren, and a bike for Kyle.
We headed down to Beeville about 11. Traffic was so smooth..hardly anyone on the road. We stopped at Micau's parents house to get Kyle. Katie got to open her presents there and so did Lauren. They each got a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble (so did Micau and I) and Kyle's dad kept his card so he can buy some books for Kyle and keep them at his place). Kyle got some puzzle boards, a clock that has shapes and numbers, a tool bench set, 2 outfits, some books. Lauren got an outfit and blanket, some books, a teddy bear. Katie got a bead set to make bracelets and necklaces with, a disney princess coloring book and marker set, a book on tx critters, Micau got a shirt and golf balls and tees, and I got a bear with bubble bath and pj set.
Then off to my parents house. We got there about 3. There were alot of people there. My aunt and uncle, a long time friend and his son, my brother came home from Iraq (has to go back New Years Eve), my sister and her 3 kids, her ex husband, my other brother and his wife, and us. They had already opened some presents but there were still alot to be left open. When we got in everybody was eating. Usually my mom goes all out for xmas dinner but not this year. There was turkey and ham, sweet potato casserole (yuck), potato salad (yuck), bread, and some spanish dish which was really yucky. So I didn't have much to eat. We opened presents about 4. Kyle got a Steve Mcqueen Car that makes noise (from the movie Cars), Leap frog alaphet and numbers magnet set (to go on the fridge), Leap frog animal block set, and some other stuff I forget. Lauren got Leapfrog soft blocks (each one does something different), an outfit, a plaschool activity kick thing (ya know where she lays on her back and can kick and play with different things) which I think we are going to take back to Target because she's kinda outgrown it and a couple of other things I forget. Katie got a book, a Cabbage Patch doll with a changeable outfit, coloring book, some clothes. We got a picture frame and a cute heart shaped door hanger to hang on our front door. All in all it was a good Christmas.
Kyle was getting really tired. My 4 yr old niece got a Dirt Devil Vaccum and Kyle played with that for the entire time. Katie stayed over at my parents house so she could play with her cousins. We left at around 6 because Kyle hadn't napped and Lauren was getting stressed out. As soon as we got back to Micau's parents house we put kyle down and he went straight to sleep. Lauren stayed up until Midnight. I was so hungry that I ate some of his dad's stew and salad. It was good. We all played Mexican train.
We came back home on Tuesday and got in about 3. We had to go to Walmart to get some batteries and saw the dirt devil vac and got it for Kyle. We then came home and let him open up his gifts. He got a bowling ball set and a See n Say plus his vaccum. Oh, his dad got him a wooden train set so he likes that. I got him a thomas the tank train set but didn't realize it was for 3 and up so Micau put it up until next year. Kyle loves his vaccum and his Car. Kyle also got a dump truck from my brother and a set of 3 construction vehicles from my mom. Each of them received a Baby Einstein CD from Micau and I. I will post some pics as soon as we download them.

Lauren's Awake

I guess Lauren is excited about Christmas because she keeps waking up every hour and here we are at 3 am and she wants to play. Not to be a grouch or anything but we do have to drive out of town today and I really want to go to sleep. I wish she did too. Guess its all the excitement...LOL. Well hope everyone else is getting their zzzzz.

Christmas Eve

Well we missed the Trail of Lights this year. Just didn't get a chance to get around to it. Past few nights have been cold and last night they didn't even have it on; they shut it down due to the downpour of rain we were having. Tommorrow for Christmas it is supposed to be sunny with a high of 65. Well at least we won't be driving down to Beeville in the rain.
Traffic on Friday was horrendous. Both on 35 and Mopac...non stop traffic. Not only was it raining but there were so many accidents that when you listened to the radio all they said were the ones that had starflight or major blocks..it was a busy day.
Since today was Christmas Eve we let the kids open one present..Kyle opened his pirate ship bath toy..he loved playing with it. I had already received an early gift (my pjs and robe) and micau got a Monoply hand held game. Katie got a Disney Princess hand held game which she really likes. Lauren didn't open one. We thought she could wait till tommorrow. We made Santa some snowman (Frosty) cookies and Katherine got the stockings out and decorated some that needed it. She is so anxious to have Santa come. We just finished watching A Christmas Story on TBS. I love that movie. Now Katie is taking a shower than we will leave out milk and cookies, have Katie go to bed and then do the Santa gifts. I hope she likes her Princess DVD player. Have a merry Christmas you all.

My Robe

Two days ago Micau bought a pj set that came with a wonderful light blue robe. I love it. I hadn't really been able to wear it but this morning I got a chance to; and tonight. I woke up and since Katie's dad was going to pick her up around 10 and the past two days have been hectic, I decided to just chill. I fed Kyle and Lauren in my robe; I watched TV while Kyle and Lauren played on the floor..all the while sitting in my robe. It was wonderful. It is so soft and comfy. Tonight after doing a few errands I changed into my robe. Now I'm typing in my robe. My nice comfy soft robe.

Lauren and Solid Food

Well at Lauren's checkup the pedi said I needed to start feeding her cereal. She hadn't sit up yet and was still pushing her tongue out so I didn't think she was ready. Well for the past week we have been trying to feed her cereal:



We tried feeding her some other foods but Micau and I are in agreement that we shouldn't force her to eat it if she isn't ready for it yet. We just feel like she will let us know when she is ready. I hate forcing something on her when she just isn't ready. She is still only eating 4 oz of formula a feeding. Actually, the past two days some feedings she actually ate 6 oz. But we feel that maybe another month or so she will. Hope you enjoyed the pics.

Rain Boy

So today we had a lot of errands to do. One of the first things we did was go eat at Kirby Lane downtown (it is a really good local restraunt) and right next door is a doll store. They were having Santa so I let us go in. Kyle is afraid of Santa still. Katie looks around and sees so many things she wants. Well, it just so happens that Kyle did a major stinkie (that's a poop for those who don't know). It was awful..running up his back and everything. Well their bathroom is very tiny so I laid down our changing matt and put him on top. He starts fussing. I try to change him quickly. The diaper was taken to the dumpster so not to stink up the store. As I was changing him Katie saw a tea set she wanted. I figured after the shop owner having to put up with kyle crying I'd be nice and buy a tea set. So Katie got an early Xmas gift. After going to a few more places we went to the outlet mall that just opened up here.
It was nice but sprinkling outside. Kyle wanted to walk instead of being in the stroller. It started to rain a little heavier and what does my boy do? You got it. Go splashing through the water. He would put his arms out to feel the rain and laugh. He was so cute. Lauren got to ride up front in the stroller and she just loved. She would laugh and smile. She loved being able to see everything. Kyle got his shorts, shirt and shoes wet. But he had so much fun. It was a nice day. We came home and watched a movie and then I took a bath with Kyle and put him to bed. Lauren is still up at 10.00. Hoping she goes to bed soon. It was a very nice day with the family.

More Christmas Stuff

Yesterday was our church Christmas Pageant which my daughter was in. She was the arch angel. It was pretty funny. Here are some pics.

Also, last night I finished wrapping all the gifts and putting stuff into gift bags. I have one thing to mail out tommorrow and I am hoping my friend receives it in time. We did secret santa's in my online mom's group and I was lazy today by not mailing it. Also, I dropped off our baby gift basket for our Angel tree person at the church. They handed them out yesterday but our person wasn't there. I hope she gets it sometime this week. We picked a family where the 16 yr old is 7 months pregnant. I put together a nice baby basket..blankets, size 1 diapers, wipes, a few books, umm some other things. It was cute. I love helping people.

Xmas Party/Santa

Yesterday was Katie's school Xmas party. Yesterday was the last day of school until January 4 (its a thursday..go figure that out). They had all sorts of activities for them to do. Katherine started off by making a christmas card to GC..she wrote in it I love you and wants to give it to him in person when he comes next weekend. It was very cute and special. Next she mad a xmas box, a rudolph bracelet, decorated two cookies, made a xmas pinwheel, and did the ring and snowball toss. There were lots of food (cookies, chips, ding dongs, etc). I'm very proud of myself and Katie..we each had a mini cupcake, a tiny star cookie, and I had a sugar cookie. We split a cup of Sprite. Not too bad. They had a Santa and Katie just wanted to get a candy cane; she said she already sent Santa a letter and didn't need to tell him what she wanted. By 8.00 she was pretty tired but had a lot of fun. She was a little upset that Micau and the babies couldn't come (Kyle has pink eye). We got home and she showed Micau the card and all the other stuff she made. She went to bed I'm sure dreaming of Christmas.
Today Katie wanted to take her picture with Santa Clause but she didn't want to do it without Micau. So we all go to the mall and by the time we get there its close to 6, which works out because the mall Santa got back from his break at 6. We stand in line for about 20 minutes (last year it was much longer). We get up there and get Kyle out and he won't go near Santa. We get within a foot of him and he starts crying and screaming..no no. So we didn't force him. Katherine sat on his lap and told him what she wanted (she added to her list by wishing for an IPOD; something she didn't want up until two days ago); Lauren sat with Santa and we got a picture of the two of them. Lauren has her mouth in an O shape and Katie has a big grin. If we had a scanner I'd scan it in so you all could see it. It was nice. Poor Kyle got left out...Oh well maybe next year.

Micau's son

Micau's son (GC) spent this past weekend with us. It has been about 3 months since he came over to spend the night. I am always nervous when he comes over because I want to make it nice for him so he'll want to come back. I try to take care of the kids so Micau can spend time with GC and not worry about the little ones. The only problem was over the week Micau had been working some long hours and the kids had been really fussy especially thursday and friday. So when Micau picked up GC on Saturday and came home about 4.30 I was already a mess.
Katherine spent the night at her best friends house on Friday so I had to pick her up about 12. I got a pedicure done right before i picked her up and then I went to get her and I got my hair done (I dyed it a dark red because I have patches of gray hair all over my head and it doesn't look well) which took about 2 hours. Katherine kept saying she was bored and Lauren slept for about an hour and a half. The last 30 min. she was really cranky. Kyle was fussy but he was with his dad who brought him back home after only having him for 2 hours. Since Micau was home with GC, Kyle and his dad he called me and asked about going out to eat. I didn't really want to since the baby was fussy and Kyle didn't take a nap. But I was overruled. So we went to Texas Roadhouse. Well that was a really bad idea. Kyle was not wanting to sit in his high chair and Lauren cried the whole time. I had to take her out of the restraunt a few times and then Micau held her for awhile but nothing worked. So we hurried up and ate. At least GC payed attention to Katie. Then we all came back here and watched Pirates Dead Man's Chest. Kyle's dad bought it and wanted to watch it. Lauren again was being fussy and I was just having a hard time with her. We put Kyle to bed as soon as we got home. Micau took Lauren for a bit and then put her on the floor. She was just in a mood I guess. After it was over, Kyle's dad left and I went to go grocery shopping. It was so nice to shop without anyone crying or begging (Katie tends to do that). I actually got done in 45 minutes. Once I got back, Micau got the baby to sleep and he and GC played on the Xbox 360. GC seemed like in a good mood. Everyone went to bed about 11.00.
On Sunday I got up and made cinnamon rolls and eggs for breakfast (i had toast instead of the rolls). GC seemed a little out of sorts. He didn't want to go to church so Micau stayed home and while we were at church they played Gears of Wars. I get home with the little ones (of course they are still being fussy) and put Kyle down for a nap. They had beat the game just as we got home. Katie wanted spaghetti for lunch. GC seemed to be in a hurry to leave. While Micau was in the shower he had gotten all his stuff ready and was walking out to the car to wait. I told GC he can wait inside and have some lunch. He didn't want spaghetti. I told Micau to just go ahead and go and take him out to lunch. So he did.
Micau said that GC did have a good time its just the kids were real loud. They just had to pick that weekend to be the most loud and unconsolable. I understand GC; what 16 year old wants to listen to two babies cry for two days. Not much fun. Anyway, we are hoping that next weekend he will come back over. Micau really misses spending time with him. So cross your fingers.

Kids Check up

I forgot to mention that on the 6th Lauren had her 6 month appointment. She is doing well. She weighs 16 lbs and 10 oz. I forget her length but she is right on target...50 percentile for everything. We have not started her on solids because I always thought you should wait until they are sitting up and not pushing out with her tongue which is what she is still doing. Anyways, the pedatrician said to go ahead and start her on cereal; even though she only drinks about 28 oz a day and she is still only eating 4 oz at a time. I went grocery shopping the other day and totally forgot to get her cereal. So its been almost a week and we still haven't started her on solids. Oh well. She is just getting so big on us. I got her for christmas the playschool play dome tent, a light up shape sorter, a glow worm, and some stocking stuffers.
Kyle is still eating baby food. He only has about 10 jars left and after those are gone he is just going to have to adjust because we decided we are not going to buy anymore baby food for him. He is going to have to eat regular food. We figure he could probably last a day without eating which is going to suck because he is going to be really fussy. We got him a bike, a bowling game, thomas train track ( a small one), and also some stocking stuffers.
Katherine has her Christmas exchange on Thursday for school. It is their last day of school until January 4. She is very excited. She wants to make fudge. We'll see. For Katherine we got her a new DVD player since hers broke..its a disney princess one, a puzzle, disney princess game, a cars xbox 360 game, and some stocking stuffers.

Date Night

I know I haven't posted in awhile but that's because nothing much has really been going on. That is until last night.
Yesterday marked Micau and I first date anniversay (1 year). Last year on December 8 we had gone out to Cool River so that is where we went. We both had steak, cheesy potatoes, broccoli and 2 slices of bread. I had 2 Maitai's and water. Micau had 2 Rum and Coke and water. After dinner, we went to a pool hall and played 3 games of pool..I lost the first one because I hit the 8 ball in..Micau lost the second one because he scratched when trying to get the 8 ball in and Micau won the third because I was too buzzed to put the balls in correctly (I had a Smirnoff and half of a 2cnd one). It's funny because we only stayed out until 9.30 (the time we actually picked up the kids). We both were really tired by the time we got Lauren to sleep (10.30).
Micau and I had a wonderful time being a couple without someone crying every 2 minutes. It was nice to spend time with just each other and to kickback with no worries. It was very special.

Christmas Tree is Finally Up

We finally got our xmas tree up. We bought it from Walmart..yes its a fake and a prelit one but I think it looks pretty. Katherine picked out the angel..she had so much fun decorating it. She is so excited about having a tree this year (we have never had before since it was just me and her). Kyle thinks it neat when we turn the lights on..he will say "the light, the light" and point at the tree. He hasn't tried to knock any ornaments off yet but he has come close. We tell him no touch. Lauren did a funny thing. While we were decorating she managed to scoot over to where the presents were, pick her present and unwrap the side of it. Guess she couldn't wait.

A Little Bit of Everything

Manicure:
On Saturday I went to get my nails done (no i don't have fake ones...its mine i just like them to be shaped every month or so b/c I can't file or paint); anyways, I let my nails breathe every now and then so I didn't want any color. Well I hadn't ever had them buffed but this time they did and know what? My nails still look shiny. I know its only Tuesday but they have kept looking nice even after washing my hands 30 times a day, washing dishes every night, changing diapers, showers, laundry, and Lord knows what else I've put them through. I think every time I decide to go without color I will ask for my nails to be buffed. We'll see how long they maintain their shininess.

Big Brother Love:
Kyle has finally recognized Lauren as a person..or at least a sibling. Over Thanksgiving weekend he decided he wanted to start giving hugs...he went up to Lauren, held his arms out and said hug. It was so cute. So we put Lauren in his arms and after about 2 seconds he pushes her away, and then wanted another hug. This process went on for five times. Then later on he did it again and has been doing it everyday throughout the day. He will sometimes just do it once or do it several times. He also started blowing kisses. My heart melted when he did it. I put him to bed yesterday evening and out of the blue he said hug and after I gave him a hug he blew me a kiss. I had no idea he was capable of doing this. I am looking forward to more surprises.

Arguing Over Nothing:
Yesterday I had set out the hamburger meat and Italian sausage to make manicotti. Micau had to go to Houston for business and he calls me around 3 to tell me his is on his way back. I tell him whats for dinner. He said he didn't feel like manicotti..so I said I thought about pork chops but wasn't in the mood for them however I would make them if thats what he wanted. He wouldn't give me a straight answer and I was getting frustrated. I said fine just get something on the way home and hung up. I was really upset. Well, Katherine didn't want pork chops; she wanted the manicotti. Frustrated, I decide to make both. So I spend all this time making both, prepping only to realize I had no spaghetti sauce. I usually have like 4 jars on hand b/c you never know when you need a quick meal. I call Micau back and ask him to pick up some sauce on the way home; I told him I was making both meals to make everyone happy. I could tell by his voice that something was wrong; he said he would talk to me about it later. Fine. By the time he gets home the pork chop dinner is ready but the manicotti hasn't been started and it takes an hour to make. So I bake it 45 min and everyone sits down to eat the pork chops (Micau got home about 6). After dinner the kids take a bath. I go in the room to talk to him but all he says is nothing is wrong. Fine. I go to the gym to workout and decide to let it go. I don't care anymore; I don't want to be angry. I go home 45 min later only to be locked out. I bang on the door 3 times; finally I yell if no one opens up I'm leaving. Katherine comes to unlock the door; I pissed again. I don't talk to Micau; I go to bed angry. At about 1 I hear Kyle, but must of been my imagination because he was still asleep. Go back to bed. At 1.30 Katherine has a bad dream and put her back to bed only for Lauren to wake up and have to feed her and put her back to bed. At 3 am, Micau and I talk. I get to sleep around 4 I think. So today I was tired. It was a useless and energy waste to be angry over nothing. Ah well. Such is life. All is better now because we had make up cuddling (baby has sex radar).

Thanksgiving Weekend

We left Wednesday evening to go to Beeville..we stayed with Micau's parents instead of mine because they have a roomier house. Katherine wanted to help with the turkey but we didn't get there until 9.00 pm and she was just so tired that she just wanted to take a shower and go to sleep. The trip down wasn't too bad..we were stuck in traffic about halfway through Austin all the way down to San Marcos. There were alot of accidents during the day and I felt bad for people going North (I think that's to Dallas) because it was a standstill from 2 pm until Lord knows when. We left at 5.30 and I was looking traffic heading North was just bad...it was stuck from where we live all the way down to 183 (about 10-15 miles..maybe more). So anyways once we got through everything it wasn't too bad. Kyle and Lauren slept for half of the trip, then woke up and we had to stop to change them, go potty, get drinks. Of course for the rest of the trip Kyle and Lauren took turns on crying and sometimes tried to outdo each other on the screaming. Lauren got really loud for about 30 min and fell asleep about 10 min before we got to the house. Go figure.
Micau's parents had dinner at about 12 (i helped prepare some things)...Thanksgiving is the big thing in his family..his Grandmother, Aunt and Uncle come. Francis (his bro my ex) was there and brought his friend William. So a pretty good crowd. I had a small plate of food because we had to go to my Aunt's house for Thanksgiving 2. We waited for his son and exwife to come because they were going to stop by for a bit except her family had dinner late and they didn't get over until 3. He visited with his son for about 30 min and then we headed over to my family's. Luckily they had just sat down to eat. It was my parents, my aunt and uncle, my nephew (living with my parents right now), and a few of my aunt's friends. Micau and the boys watched the game and I visited with the gals. We stayed until about 6.30. Katherine went to spend the night at parents so she could visit with her cousin since they don't get to see other much and they are the same age. We got back to Micau's parents house and played two games of Mexican Train. His family is very competitive and it is so funny to see his dad get upset and curse everyone with whom he gets upset with. We left on Friday at about 9 and got back into Austin about 1.00. We had to stop in San Marcos to eat (20 min wait at the IHOP) and traffic was a bit heavy. We took a nap and then just had an easy night.
Micau had to work on Saturday and I did most of our xmas shopping yesterday. I wrote in my online moms group a few weeks ago that I thought 200 was alot to spend on one child...should have kept my mouth shut. With xmas presents and stocking stuffers I have spend about 200 on Katie and 50 on each Kyle and Lauren. As you all know I bought Micau an early gift an XBox but I wanted him to have presents to open so I bought him a couple of things...not counting the xbox I have spent about 250 on him. Then of course there is family. So far we have spent 600.00 on presents. I still have 5 more people to buy gifts for so that will probably be another 200. Ugh. I didn't even think we had that kind of money...good thing we had put some in Savings and cut back on our eating out. So next time I won't rush in to say how ridiculous I think 200 on a person is.

Cleaning/Katies Party

We celebrated Katherine's 10th birthday yesterday (its actually on Friday). We had her party at Austin Park and Pizza because of their twilight special. She invited 30 kids but only 8 showed..we were actually expecting about 15-20. It was alot of fun for her; they played bumper boats, did the rock wall, lazer tag, but mostly played video/arcade games. I was really tired so Micau played liason; kept an eye on the kiddos. She got some good gifts. I will post some pics as soon as we get them downloaded.
Today I have spent most of the day cleaning. It took me all morning. I wanted the place clean since we are going out of town; I wanted to come back to a nice clean apartment. I just bought Kaboom last time I went grocery shopping. It worked great in the shower/tub...only a few squeezes to complete the whole bathroom. It works well and makes the bathroom smell nice. I also just bought a wonder mop. I have been using the Swifter; I love it but it doesn't get some of the tough messes off your floor. This thing is great. Love it. Easy to squeeze the excess water out and very lightweight. Same with my new Dyson (micau's xmas present to me). We were in bad need of a new vacuum cleaner so he bought me this. Its great. Helps my allergies alot and its easy to clean.
Okay gotta get ready to go visit the family.

Undefeated

Katherine's soccer team won today 6-1. They closed the season undefeated...their soccer coach was so happy. She was happy. Today was a good day. Here are some pics.

Blah

I feel like I am not contributing to the family. You know what I did today? I went to Bible Study and cleaned the kitchen. I rocked the baby to sleep while Kyle was in his room for two hours (he refused to take a nap). I put the baby down. I played with Kyle for a little bit while watching Ugly Betty. Then Katie came home...she took Kyle outside to play. So the baby is asleep..the two big kids are playing outside and I just finished a game of cubis. Some day. I don't feel like I do much. Micau says I keep the house tidy and do the laundry, save us money because the little ones are home and not at daycare which would end up costing us money. I just feel like I'm not contributing much. I feel bored; there are like 5 books I haven't read yet and my cross stitching but I feel like once I get started the baby is going to wake up and I'm going have to stop. I just feel blah. By the way I'm on my period so maybe thats why. I feel bloated and blah. Ugh. Can't wait for tommorrow to start...maybe I will feel better emotionally.

Video Games

***Before I start I just want to say that I am saddened at the loss of a friend. I have been sad and unsure of my decision. I just want to say that I am very sorry for al l the drama that has happened and I accept full responsibility for my actions; I cannot undue what I did or said. With that said, I think that is was best that we parted ways and I feel this loss very strongly.*****

I went to Target today to do some shopping for stocking stuffers, not really expecting to get a gift. As I am walking in there is a line of people on the side of the store that have been camping out. Not understanding this I go in minding my own. I found some great stocking stuffers in their one dollar bins for Kyle and Katie. I look around for more stuff and found baby einstein cds for just 5.99 so I buy one for Lauren and one for Kyle. I got Katie the Pink Panther (on sale for 13.99). As I look, I notice that the XBOX360 is on sale (399.99 and get a 50 gift card) and so is the Gears of War (59.99 plus 10 gift card). Not knowing what the normal price I pay for my stuff and walk down to the Best Buy. They too have a ton of people (longer line than Target) outside camping out. So I ask the gentleman who is answering my questions about the XBOX360 (which is the exact same price at Target b/c it is a set price) what is going on. He said that people are awaiting the PS3. I think this is dumb. To wait in line for any toy/gadget/game whatever is ridiculous to me. I dont' get it. Somebody please explain this to me. According to the guy, there are only a number of PS3s being sold and everyone wants one. I asked if the 360 price is going to come down then and he said no. Target sales ends tonight because the PS3 comes out tomorrow. So I went ahead and got if for Micau and now I have $70 on a Target gift card to buy xmas presents with. Of course I just spent a whole bunch of money on this stupid thing so he better play it. LOL.

Vent

I am upset today because I have to make a decision about staying friends with someone. I'm not sure how to go about telling someone that you no longer want to be friends. Its not that I don't want to know how she is doing or how things are...its just that well there is alot of negativity right now. At what point do you decide to stop being friends with someone? What is a good reason? This isn't easy for me to do or to decide. Its very hard indeed. But when it comes down to this person not agreeing with how you raise your children or are questioning if you are a good a parent...then should that mean that you shouldn't stay in contact? And what is the definition of a good parent anyways? Don't we all have our off days when we make bad decisions..or maybe not the best decision?
I don't think what I did was bad or incorrect...I know there are probably parents out there who may disagree. But for a friend to totally question whether or not you should keep your children or have them removed or have someone intervene without even telling you how they feel and to be nice to you as if nothing happened or was said kind of irks me. I have been supportive I think. I feel truly backstabbed, especially with all the crap we have had to go through because of some trouble caused by an ex and his girlfriend.
This has been bugging me this morning. It isn't a decision I have come to lightly. With all due respect to my friend I will of course discuss the situation with her. But I hate brooding over this and I don't question my parenting skills..I know I am not going to win mother of the year award but I know I am not a horrible mom or a terrible person. I am a decent human being. I am a good mother...I do the best I can. I don't feel like I should have to defend that. So as of right now I am letting this matter go and handing it over to God. No more brooding...no more being upset. I am washing my hands of it.

Dentist Office

Katherine had a dental appointment today to put some sealant on a tooth that had a teeny weeny cavity. They had to numb part of her face in order to do this. I had the two little ones with me. Do you think they were good? no. Kyle woke up at 5 am today and slept for about 30 min before we got there. He was trying to get into everything and everytime I tell him no he screamed or threw himself on the ground. Lauren is teething and fussy. She cried off and on throughout the visit. I took them back out to the lobby so he could play in the kid zone but no he wasn't happy with that. He finally calmed down to eat his gold fish for awhile. It took about an hour but it sure did feel longer than that. I just had a really bad morning. So I met Micau for lunch and Katherine had a hard time just eating on one side. She got to miss school for the rest of the day. As soon as we got home I put Kyle in his room so he could either nap or have some down time. After about an hour Lauren finally went to sleep.

Scrubbie Face

I forgot to mention this in my wedding post. I had my hair and makeup done (i usually don't wear makeup so I felt I should let a professional do it). As you can see my hair was curled. Well when I went to take a shower that evening it took three washes of my hair to get all the freaking gunk out and my face was so red and raw from having to have washed it about 2 or 3 times trying to scrub all the makeup off. I still had some masacara on when i got out so i just left it for the morning. I don't get how women who wear makeup everyday do it. Micau said most women have cold cream to remove makeup..thank god I don't spend a ton of money on this stuff every year. So that is my little story.

Wedding Day

Well everyone showed up on time but we got to the church about 5 min. late and Micau and I forgot our camera. So the only camera was my moms and about 1/2 of the pics didn't come out very well. Micau said it wouldn't have mattered if we had ours because we wouldn't have been able to take any pics ourselves; we had to be in the pics. We also forgot to take a picture of just Micau and I. So all of the pictures we have are with family members. That's okay. We don't need great pics..we will always have the memories. The ceremony was actually about 20 minutes...everybody behaved very well; you could only hear the baby about 1/2 the time. She was noisy sometimes. Kyle wouldn't stand still to be in the photos. He just wanted to play. At the restraunt we did well. I had a cold and I hadn't taken any medicine so I wasn't feeling very well. There were 18 people who came to the wedding/luncheon. Micau's mom said that the church is cute and quaint and the pastor seemed nice. I was surprised because I thought she would be put off by a female pastor but she wasn't. Also, my parents thought the ceremony was lovely. Surprised that nobody cried. I almost did when I was saying my vows but didn't. I think I was thinking that I paid so much for my makeup that I didn't want to ruin it. Everybody went back home from the restraunt. Micau and I went home to take care of the kiddos. I thought Katie would like some alone time with me so I took her to go see the Santa Clause 3. It was cute. A movie about love. Couldn't have picked a better day for it. Then we came home and I made dinner. I went to bed about 8.30 pm because I was just not feeling well.
Presents. We opened presents when we got home from lunch. We got two crockpots..so we are taking one back. A group of my friends got me a Target gift card, we got a wedding xmas ornament, my mom and my aunt got us Walmart gift cards, Katie got a Target gift card, and Micau's parents gave us some money. Thats always nice. All in all it was a pretty good day. Just wish I didn't feel so bad.

Wedding Pics

Children

I think I'm going to stop telling people that we want to have 2 more kids. They look at us weird or their tone of voice changes. Its weird and uncomfortable. What is wrong with having more children..if you can afford them? I know that we don't get to travel or take vacations; and right now we are doing okay..bills getting paid and we even have a little in savings now. Insurance we are looking into. So if in three or four years we are in the right place to have a two more..why not? Is it socially unacceptable to have a large family? Its not like we are going to be living off the government; heck we can't even get WIC right now because Micau makes too much money and we have three kids. (Thats a whole different issue). Anyway, its frustrating to know that people look down on you when you have a big family...when I tell my parents they say why more? Don't you have enough? And a few racially inappropriate commments. Even Micau's parents (they have 5 kids) are like why more? I guess its because nobody expects us to last. They figure that we won't stay together. As for friends...I don't understand why not. I may have a shady past and right now i have 3 different dads; but is that any reason to put me down when I have changed my life around. I wish people wouldn't judge...I don't. Besides this is Texas..aren't we supposed to have large families? LMAO.

Shaving

Why is it we feel that we have to shave? Why can't we walk around hairy and looking like gorillas; I guess because it is kinda gross. I noticed the other day (monday) that I had not shaved in like forever. How could I tell you ask? Because my legs had hair on them that was equivalent to a gorilla. How could I not notice this? Because I have two babies (yes i'm calling him a baby because he is acting like) or a terrible two toddler, an unhappy sick baby, and a moody 10 year old. Although things are better today; the past few days have been hard. I noticed my hairy legs in the shower; only also to discover my hairy armpits and bikini area (yes I shave or rather Nair there). I was just hairy all over. I check my eyebrows..i have a unibrow and hair growing where it shouldn't. I think I even saw some ear hair. Gross. So needless to say I shaved and Nair. Today...guess what. I am all prickly. So know what I'm going to do? Thats right. I'm not going to shave until Sat. morning. I think I like going two weeks without shaving. Well it won't be that long but I think with the onset of winter I will go two or three weeks without shaving. Wait this is TX, can't do that because everybody will look at me like a freak. Oh wait..been there done that already. Ha Ha.

Wedding Dress Drama

On Saturday I pick up my dress. Well, somehow from the store to the car the bottom front got some tire dirt on it. Well I went to a cleaners and they said they can't spot clean the area; no cleaners can. I was upset because it is very noticable. I get home and try the dress on to see how bad it looks..its bad..even Micau notices the stain without me pointing it out. I told him the cleaners said they can't do it because if they put it through it'll ruin the dress. He said there has to be a place that does it. He opens the phone book and calls around and finds two places that say bring it in, let us take a look see and we'll let you know. Well this morning/afternoon I take it over to another cleaner and they owner says they can do it and it'll be ready by Thursday evening. It is going to cost $65 to get it cleaned. Yikes. But I guess its worth it.

Pictures

some pics from halloween and the fall festival we went to.

Clothes that Fit

So last night we went shopping for something for me to change into after the wedding to eat in. There weren't too many dresses and most of the skirts were in black. I have a ton of black skirts already; I just can't fit into them. This was at Kohls. So we go next door to Lane Bryant (which I've always referred to as one of the "fat peoples store." They too didn't have too many skirts/dresses. However I saw this cute top..perfect after wedding top..its really cute. But none of the skirts I tried on looked good with it..so I tried on a pair of jeans. Looks great except the shirt is a little thin and I feel too fat to wear it. One of the ladies that works there suggested wearing this thing (forgot the name of it) that you wear under the jeans and it pulls in your stomach..apparently alot of overweight people wear these. So I try it. It works. Fat rolls are hidden. I really love my outfit and for once I have a pair of jeans that I really like since having Lauren. It really boosted my self image a little...its nice having clothes that fit and look nice on you instead of trying to fit into stuff and always feeling fat. I guess I can't call it the fat people store anymore; I'm really glad that there are places like this out there for people/women who are overweight for whatever the reason. The women in the store were so helpful and friendly; the only problem was the price. They are bit expensive but I like what I got.

Top Chef

I really liked this show last season. The people on it were great and I loved the themes/cookoffs the chefs had to do. Plus, it was all about the cooking and just a hint of drama. That is what I liked about the show. This season seems to be more about the drama and less about the cooking. Plus, the new host is this ultra skinny model/actress who dresses way to slutty. In the second episode she was showing alot of leg, belly and boob and the guest judge kept staring at her butt and boobs. In was way obvious. Last nights episode, the chefs had to cook TGIF items for a firehouse..which means firemen. She wears this jean shirt which is so low cut I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to see a nipple and doesn't go past her belly button. The skirt was tight and was a hip hugger skirt (not that there is anything wrong with hip huggers..i am a big fan) but not when you aren't wearing a long shirt. Anyways, it showed alot of leg. Is this really the image Bravo TV wants to portray. I should think not. I am really disappointed with the new host and don't really care for how she hosts the show either. No its not because I am jealous..I just don't like her. I wonder what happened to the host from last season and wish they would bring her back.

Micau's son

Micau's son shaved his head...well not really shaved but cut off all his hair into a buzz cut. Last month he turned 16 and decided he just wanted to cut his hair. It was long. Everybody wanted him to cut it..I don't think any of us wanted him to go totally the other way. Him mom said that he wanted to completely shave his head but because of the neighborhood they live in they didn't want anyone to think he was a skinhead. So he has fuzz on his head. It is very different and takes some getting used to. I'm just used to his hair being so long and now there is nothing. It just seems funny.
I think I mentioned this already but he loves rowing. He had a rowing rigata last weekend and this weekend his gets to go to Chattanooga (sp?). He is very excited about. The rigata wasn't much fun because we didnt' get to see him go in..we saw him come out. He barely waved to his mom..she wanted a hug from him but all he wanted to do was go be with his teammates. What is it about 16 where they just hate to have any form of affection or affiliation with parents? She mentioned that he has been extra moody lately..must be hormones. Anyway I wanted to go to the rigata to show my support and I thought it might help in letting him know that we care about him and love him.
I am really happy that he decided to go to the wedding. Micau is happy also. We didn't think he was going to go but decided he didn't want to feel guilty about it later in life (or rather his mom doesn't want him to). I think it is more of her forcing him to go but we'll take it. We just want him there.
Wow this turned out longer than I thought it would.

Halloween/Kyle's Birthday

Katie dressed up as a harmony angel, kyle was a pirate who didn't want to wear his hat, and Lauren was cute cheerleader (UT). It actually was chilly this year..about 70 with a wind blowing. We went over to Katie's best frined house to go trick o treating. This is the 4th year that she and her best friend have been together for Halloween. We went for about an hour...they got a ton of candy. Lauren was done about half way through (she started getting fussy) and Kyle was done about 3/4 of the way through. The funny thing is that he didn't say trick o treat until after we were in the car on the way home. All in all it was a good night.
We didn't really do much for Kyle's birthday since he was turning two and quite honestly I don't know anyone with a toddler except for my online mom group and they all live in different states. He had his checkup yesterday and the doc said that there is a shortage on the hep vaccine so he didn't get one; he did get a flu shot which he cried and he had to get his finger pricked. He didn't take it very well. He kept kicking the lady and screaming and moving his body around. It was very difficult trying to hold his legs and arms (he kept trying to grab her arm and move it away from him). After it was done he didn't want to walk out; he wanted to be carried which I couldn't do because of Lauren. By the time I got him in the car seat he was glaring and screaming at me; he was totally pissed. It's all good because I stopped at Sonic on the way home and we shared a strawberry ice cream sundae. That made him happy. I made him sugar cookies and we sang him happy birthday (he doesn't eat cake yet) but he didn't eat the cookie either. Today he smashed one with his toy hammer. My friend in Idaho sent him two pairs of pjs and a mini vac, another friend in CT got him a walmart gift card, and we got him a tool bench set and a Thomas the Tank Train light, and his "real" dad got him a Tonka bulldozer remote control. It was made for 3 yr olds but Kyle likes to push the buttons. He hasn't broken it yet.

Fall Fest

Today our apartment complex had a fall festival from 12-4 which involved apple bobbing, looking for money in a haystack, moonwalk and some other fun activities. I didn't stay too long but I let Katie stay the whole time. I was tired and needed a nap. She had won some candy and $.50, but she lost it; I think another kid stole it.
At 6.00(until 10; but we left about 8), our (Round Rock) YMCA held a fall festival over at Old Settlers Park. It was neat. We had to wait in line for everything. Katie did the rock wall, but only got 1/4 of the way up because she got scared. She then played some games and then we had to wait about 30 min. in line for the haunted house. It really wasn't too scary and took about 5 min. to walk through; however Katherine got scared by the Chainsaw Masacre Guy. He was the first character so she remained scared for the rest of the walk through; I think the other "creatures" knew she was scared because they really didn't jump up at her. She then played some more games; with each game you got candy so she has a pretty decent amount of candy now. She also got to see an ambulance, a firetruck, and the halo flight helicopter; we got pics of her sitting in the ambulance gurney, standing in the firetruck, and sitting in the helicopter. Overall she had alot of fun; I hope she doesn't have nightmares from the house; she does scare easily.

The Kiddos

Lauren was taken to the doctor yesterday because she wasn't eating. On Tuesday she only ate a total of 13 oz and by 1 pm she had only eaten 4 oz; plus she was spitting up a whole lot. So I made an appointment for her. The ped. wasn't too worried about her since she didn't have a fever, no signs of a cold and everything else was normal. She said maybe she was just going through a down time. She had plenty of wet diapers and a couple of poopy diapers so she wasn't dehydrated. The doc said to just keep an eye on her and if anything changes, ie, fever, cold, throwing up, real fussy when eating, etc then to bring her back. Today she did good. She has had 12 oz to eat and just a little bit of spit up. I think she is back to normal.
Kyle met the neurologist today. He looked him over, checked his motor control and muscles, things like that. He ordered some blood work done to make sure there wasn't anything in his DNA for him being slow. We talked to him about MS and he doesn't feel that Kyle should be tested yet. The test is very expensive and its just a gene test to see if he may have and it isn't 100% accurate. For the MS, the doc said its something to just keep an eye on but he doesn't feel that Kyle will develop it. It will take three/four weeks for the test results to come back.
On a positive note...Kyle ate a banana with key lime yogurt yesterday. I cut one up to see if he would eat it..he ate four bites without the yogurt then seemed like he wasn't going to eat anymore. So I got the yogurt to feed him but he kept saying bite and looking at the banana so i mixed it and he loved it. Gobbled it all up. This morning he actually fed himself his grits. He made a huge mess but I was so happy and proud of him. This is the first time he actually grabbed the spoon and wanted to feed himself and ended up doing his whole meal. Yipee. So we are making progress. He can now say: mama, dada, baba, baby, bite, light, bye bye, up, out, and sometimes off and on and down. We are getting there.
Katherine is doing well. She has been doing the soccer thing and bible study. She loves her bible study group...except for the boys..lol. She is just getting so big on me and has been a big helper. Tongiht we are taking her to see the UT soccer girls take on the Aggies. She gets in for $2 if she wears her jersey. Her game for tommorrow was cancelled due to the weather we have been having. Other than that pretty normal. She gets moody sometimes and doesn't want to help out but I know its the age thing. I think she is having puberty early (she is already showing signs..too personal to mention) so I think that explains some of her moods and headaches she has been getting.
Well thats our update.

The War

Yesterday I found out that a friend of mine is being shipped over to Kuwait in Jan. She is a single mom of two boys and I feel for her that she is going to be seperated from them for so long. I don't think its fair. My brother has been over in Iraq for about 3 1/2 years now and I have a friend who has a bro-in law over there and another friend whos husband is over there. I really wish this thing was over. I want all of our loved ones to be home safe. I know that my brother (Mr. gung ho america is right never wrong and believes in what he is doing) honestly believes in being over there and wouldn't have it any other way. It sucks because he hasn't seen my kids in almost a year..hasn't met the baby and won't be able to come to my wedding. My friend will be away from her children for 6 months. It just isn't right.
I don't want to turn this into a political matter/discussion. Whether or not you like Bushl, the war or whatever I don't care. I do believe in supporting our troops..as for Iraq..i have my own opinions I will keep to myself. I know that we can't pull out now...that would really hurt the country. At the same time..I just want everyone I love and care about and for everyone else who has loved ones over there home safe. Its just sad that this has been going on for so long now.

The Diaper King

Okay this is really aggravating. My son has learned how to take his diaper off. That isn't the bad part. The bad part is the fact that as soon as he takes off his diaper he pees on the floor. He thinks this is funny. I tell him no; to pee on the toilet or leave his diaper on. It isn't enough for him to just pee on the floor though..no he has to play with it. He has to put his foot, hand, face in it. Gross. I never had this problem with my daughter so it must be a boy thing. He also will look at his penis as he is peeing and go "ooooooooo." He thinks its the greatest. This is the boy who will stand up in the bathtub, watch himself pee and laugh. He sticks his chest out as if to say look at me. Micau says we should get him a potty seat and put him in it when he does it so he knows to go potty in the toilet.
I guess this is just another part of raising boys.

Name Brands

We were at Walmart yesterday to buy some things, including soap. I usually get Dove but Micau picked up the Equate version of Dove..its nearly half the price. That made me think about how much I spend on namebrands. I think there is definately some things you can't go cheap on..like tp. We use Charmin or Angel Soft. For my face I use either Neutrogena or Clean and Clear and face lotion is by Clean and Clear...helps avoid acne and is non greasy. I have very sensitive skin and up until recently I could only use Neutrogena Acne body wash. I buy Crest (they have pro health now and i love it..the mouth rinse too). We use Tide and Clorox, although the name brand bleach i'm sure is just as good. I use Dawn, Clorox Cleanup, 409, Pine Sol, Swifter and Cascade. I buy Playtex and Always, and I tried the cheap stuff once but that really sucked. It just made me aware of how many things we get that we could probably trade up on. Especially the cleaning supplies. But I really love my 409 and Clorox Cleanup so I really don't think that will change anytime soon.
When it comes to actual food I am the name brand queen. I don't buy cheap variations of cereal..they usually have more sugar in them and they don't taste as good. I love Betty Crocker complete meals and the instant mashed potatoes, and the brownie/cake mixes...again the cheap stuff doesn't measure up. I love Birds Eye Complete meals also. Veggies I get generic as well as soda. We recently switched from Lipton tea to generic because we go through so much and the generic was just as good. Bread I love Nature's Own; I buy the cheap white stuff for Katie's lunch because she loves it. I buy Pioneer Baking for pancakes. Snacks is where we really spend the money. I love granola bars and get the quaker ones; the real fig newtons; special k bars, quaker breakfast bites, fruit roll ups, and yogurt (yoplait of course). I better do some checking and see where we can switch from name brand to generic if possible. Of course, as mentioned above, there are just some things you can't go cheap on (like allergy medicine).

Presents

We received a package in the mail on Saturday from a friend of mine. There were three presents in there for Kyle (his bd is coming up); and some outfits for Lauren. They are so cute; a little big (6-9 months) so I am sure in about another month she will fit in them. They are all pink and just absolutely adorable. Then for Katherine they got her a giftcard and also a giftcard for Micau and I. I was like wow; they really went all out for us. They have our deepest gratitude. Katherine was so happy with the giftcard; she was doing the happy dance saying it was her very own card and she can use it to buy whatever she wanted. Since we had to go to the store anyway we decided to let her pick something out now instead of waiting for her birthday. She picked out a Cabbage Patch Kid named Ruth who was born on November 12th. Her hair changes color depending on hot/cold. She loves it; been sleeping with it. I just want to say a great big thank you to my friend and her family. I know you guys spent some money on the gifts...it was so nice of you to send something for everyone. Thank you so much. I wish we could have done more for you.

Double Whammy

So on Saturday around dinner time I started coughing. I didn't think I was getting sick. Well by Sunday I had a sore throat, sounded like a frog hacking up phlem and lord knows what else. I feel dizzy and feverish and sneezing. I take some Theraflu. I take some allergy medicine. I go to church. I feel a little better but still feel icky. The allergies really didn't hit me too hard until today. I woke up sneezing. I sneezed throughout the day. I took some cheap allergy medicing and a nasal spray (micau said that would help...I kept telling him those things don't work very well on me). By the time we get home (we went to get our marriage license today) I had to take some Tylenol Severe Allergy because the cheap stuff didn't work. Micau stayed home with me today because I wasn't feeling good and so I wouldn't have to look after the kids so much. I ended up taking a 3 hour nap around one. I really needed it.
I am so grateful for Micau...he put Kyle down for a nap and then took care of Lauren so I could get some rest. He got chinese for lunch so I wouldn't have to make anything...and when Katie got home from school made sure she did her homework. He even got up with Lauren at 2 am to feed her; she didn't go back to sleep until 3.30 am. He didn't bother me at all. When I got up I took the baby so he could catch a break. He even got someone over to come clean today since I hadn't cleaned the apartment yet...he sure is the sweetest.

Wedding Dress

Yesterday I bought my wedding gown. My friends will be so happy because they have been convincing me that I need an actual gown..so has my soon to be hubby. Anyways, it is ivory and not too fufu or girly. Very sophisticated I think. I will pick up next week since it has to be adjusted in the bust (because I have a fatty chest and small boobs..lol), and needs to be hemmed up about 3 inches because I am such a shorty and the dress was made for tall girls..lol. Anyways, I really liked it; I even got shoes and a new bra.
So as it stands we have 25 people at the wedding. My parents, my aunt and uncle, my bro and his wife, micau's parents, his sister, a couple with their three kids, katie's best friend, her parents and sister, micau's ex-wife and his son, then our three kids and us. We are going out to eat at Saltgrass Steakhouse, a really nice restraunt. I hope everyone is going to pay for themselves because this place is about $20 a person and we sat down to figure the dinner bill and its going to be like $500...ouch. Nah, its okay..we set aside money for it. We figured that neither one of our parents would be able to pay it or help out...they are both tight. We picked this place because it is one of Micau's and mine favs and they have great steak there. My mom is bringing the wedding cake..I didn't know about it until last night. I even forgot to ask what flavor it is..stupid me. Oh well. So I am really excited now.

Our Wedding

It will be on Saturday, November 11 at 11 am. Finally decided on it. I was getting frustrated with trying to get a time and date because trying to fit everyone's schedule. Its hard. So anyways that is the day and time. The church I found is where we are going to have the ceremony at. I really like this church and although it isn't as beautiful as many other churches, I am happy that it will be done in a church. I had been praying about this and I really feel like I was guided into this direction. Tommorrow I have to go pick out a dress for the wedding...Micau wants me to get a new dress..a nice one. So going to Nordstrum and Macy's. Basically the mall. Going to check out a few places. I'm really excited now. Only three more weeks left.

Church and Sex

Yep. This is true. Saw it on GMA this morning. I think its great. Let me elaborate. There are churches around the country that have started talking to couples (married) about how to improve thier sex life, communication about sex with each other and so forth. There is even a couple who do a bible study on marriage and sex. Granted, they have their critics who believe that sex should stay in the bedroom and is private. Those old foggies. I think its about time that pastors/churches/religion realize that married people do have problems and need guidance when it comes to sex. I know that it would be too much to ask for the Christian community to start talking to young people about sex but I think this is a great leap for those who know and understand that sex is in our life and that we are sexual beings. I think there would be less divorce in this country; less unhappy couples if they are guided by the church when it comes to couples and sex. I think this is just awesome.

Ugly Betty

I love this show. It is so cute. It comes on Thursday evenings at 7 pm; but since that is Katie's soccer practice time we have the DVR record it. For those of you who haven't heard of it..its about a woman named Betty who is like 5'2 and slightly overweight. She gets a job as the assistant to the editor of a fashion magazine. Betty is also hispanic and lives in Queens. This show isn't about her receiving some big makeover and actually being pretty..its about how she influences those around her through her kindess and own unique flair. Its a really cute show. You all should tune in.

Our Saturday

Katherine had her soccer game. She did very well. She went after the ball, engaged the other players and everything. She kinda remembered to stay in her position. Her team won 3-2. She was happy.
Micau had Geoffrey (his son) come over for dinner yesterday. It was a little awkard at first but not too bad. He mostly wanted to talk about video/computer games. Katherine had made him brownies and he was very appreciative of that; all in all he was very polite. He is turning 16 on Thursday. Micau drove him home and said that he is still upset about us getting married and is pretty sure that Geoffrey won't attend the ceremony. I asked Micau today what time dinner was on thurs. because every year Micau and Laura take him out to eat. Well he said that he asked Geoffrey about going and Geoff was like i'll think about it. I was like you asked him..wait a minute who's the freaking parent? Okay maybe I don't get it because I'm not dealing with a 16 year old. I've been going along with Micau on not having him over..to let him pout it out..I guess I'm even okay with his decision not to force him at our wedding..but for a parent to ask permission to go to your own child's birthday because he is being a pouting 5 yr old..I don't think so. I would just have asked Laura where the dinner is and what time they were going to be there. I know this a touchy subject with Micau and I because he feels one way and I feel differently. Somethings we do agree on. But this just boggles me. It really does. Why should Micau have to be the one begging to spend time with him? Why should he be asking to go to his own son's dinner? This I truly don't get. I think he is giving way too much "power" over to his son. He is letting his 16 yr old decide important decisions; and since when do 16 yr old ever know what they want anyway? Its bad enough that Micau took this upcoming weekend off because he wanted to spend some time with Geoffrey and he won't even come over...because of me and the kids. I just hate the way he is hurting his dad and I wish Micau would sit down and tell him how it hurts..or just lay into him or something; something to make him understand how much sadness it is causing Micau. Okay..enough of my rant about that.

My Birth Father

After talking with Micau I had decided that I wanted to try to find my birth father. Not necessarily to meet him but just to see if there was an address or phone number; not that I know what I am going to do once I have it. Micau found his picture but the address with it wasn't correct when we called information. The other thing too is that it may be unlisted. I was disappointed when I saw the picture. I thought there would be some kind of recognition, some kind of big flash of memories come flooding through my brain..something. But there was nothing. No revelation, no memory, no anger or sadness or joy. I felt absolutely nothing. I couldn't believe it. This was the person I have been nervous about seeing; scared to find out who he is or where he lived. I think my mood changed for the past couple of days because I just really wanted to have some recollection of my early childhood and there wasn't any. I think I was also upset because I had somehow pictured him differently...i thought he'd have darker hair..of course in the picture he is 53 years old. So hey it was all gray. Seeing him made me realize that all my fear and unhappiness lay with a memory of a big bad monster that is really just an aging human being and that I really don't have anything to fear..I wish my mind would realize that because I do have nightmares I just don't remember them. I had been feeling sad so yesterday Micau suggest I go do something for myself..i went to get a pedicure. I decided while I was getting one to write a letter to him. Not to send but just to get out all my repressed emotions and write it down on paper. I think that will help. From there, I don't know. I'm not sure if I really want to know about him or my mother...I would like to know about family history, if I have any brothers or sisters, maybe some closure but I am afraid that I may be disappointed in who he is now. So for now, I will just take it one step at a time.

Customer Service

What has happened to the customer service in this country? We went out to eat at Fridays for lunch today...it was bad. The waitress was okay but our food was bad. My ribs were overcooked and sauacy; Micau's steak wasn't very good. It was just bad (this is a trend I notice by the way). I only eat half of mine and tell the waitress that the ribs were overcooked (I had only eaten 3 or 4 and half of the mashed potatoes). She's like well do you want me to bring you something else..I am like no because of the kids. If they wait too long they will be fussy. She brings out the check and there is a full charge on my ticket. WTF? We weren't expecting that; we felt she should have taken 1/2 off of my meal..we had told her that neither meal was great. Micau goes to talk to the manager and they didn't want to give him 1/2 off mine at first but then was like okay. The waitress was like well she ate half...if she didn't like why did she eat half? So she takes the ticket and brings it back with the discount..she was pissed. Afterward we have a discussion about how you go out to eat and at most places for 2 people it is going to run you between 25-35 dollars and that the food size and quality has gone down but prices have gone up and how waiters don't really want to wait on people with kids..they tend to have an attitude we notice. I just think its getting bad and has helped us to stop eating out so much. Even getting half off on my meal it was around 40 with tip. That sucks for something that was mediocore at best.

Kyle and the Weather

Well it started pouring down rain here at 7 am. Guess our cool front came in early...the news said slight showers then said we were on a severe warning until 1 pm. So there ya have it. Anyways, I had to call his doctor this morning because Kyle woke up with a fever and a rash. He got the fever on Sunday even though he was already on an antibiotic since Wednesday for his chest congestion, ear infection and sinus infection. So we scheduled an appointment at 10 am. Now his office is about 15/20 min from where I live. I figured leaving at 9 would get us there on time. Nope. Traffic was stopped and not moving once I reached Mopac (a loop highway here) and I spent 1 1/2 hours in traffic. Yep. Lauren cried so I have to feed her. With one hand on the wheel (weren't going anywhere anyways) and my other arm reaching behind my chair to hold the bottle in her mouth is how I drove for about 25 minutes. Of course during that time we only moved about 2 inches. Finally we get through the lights and finally get on Mopac...the holdup you ask...not a damn thing. Traffic was just heavy and it was raining..excuse enough for traffic to be bad here in austin. Its pouring down rain.
So we check in and since he has a rash we have to be put in the treatment room (can't be in the sick room because rashes are contagious)..I guess. Doc sees us and ask the usual questions. She looks him over and says well he doesn't have a fever now..no shi# shirlock..i gave him some tylenol because I didn't want my kid running around with a high fever. She says he looks alright but his ear infection looks a little worse. Then she checks his mouth and was like whoa...he had all these bumps in his mouth and the rash and it looked really red. She says strep throat. She took a culture and says the result will be back tommorrow afternoon and if its strep throat for sure then she will call in a prescription for him. In the meantime and just in case she gave us two doses of omnicef for him to take. Great. Strep thoart. I asked how the heck does he get this while on an antibiotic? She can't say. Sometimes viruses just linger. Whatever. So now we have something new to deal with. Guess I should be thankful he doesn't have cancer or need a transplant but I do wish he didn't get sick so much.
On the way back run into traffic again. This time I take the frontage road since I take I35 home..it was alot faster even with the lights. The problem this time..3 cop cars had a semi pulled over and was giving the driver a DUI test. On top of bad weather and crazy people we have to worry about semi drivers being drunk or stoned. Yipee. And even though they were pulled over to the side..it ties up traffic for about 5 miles before you reached it. It would have taken be about an hour to get through that..it must have just happened too because the frontage road was still clear. Of course, this being Austin/Round Rock it is going to be like this all day. On the radio there were 5 accidents..this morning there were too many too count but there was one fatality way down in south austin that had I35 closed down going north. That is just bad. So I think I will not go anywhere today. Days like this you only go out if it is an absolute must. The joy of living in a big city.

The Store (HEB) Vent

There is an HEB (our grocery store) right up the road from where I live..I usually don't have any problems with them. Yesterday, however, I was really upset when I went grocery shopping. There are about 10 items on my list that they didn't carry anymore. We aren't talking about special items..just normal things. German choc. cake frosting, the stocker said they weren't carrying it anymore; the 409 refill bottle...said they don't carry it anymore; the slivered almonds..nope don't have 'em...the fruit was really icky looking so I only got some apples and bananas. There were other things but I was just so upset. How can you carry only three flavors of frosting (choc., strawberry, vanilla); its so ridicilous. I called Micau to vent and then he called me back after like 20 minutes and said the next time I am in the store to talk to Chad..he is the assistant store manager and they like to hear about things like that. He stated to Micau that the store is really short staffed and they have a lot of new people who may not know where things are or exactly what they carry. Good, now if only I could get a discount out of it.

Church today

Church today was inspiring. I really like this church, even though it is only my second time going I do believe I finally found a church for our family...it is a bit of everything and welcomes everyone plus it is a small church. There is a moms' bible study on friday mornings and then a discipleship bible study on sunday evenings and they even have one for katie's age group which meets on wednesday's at 4. She wants to participate in the christmas pageant which I think is great. She really loves the children church. I just wanted to say that I finally found our place of worship which is an answer to a very long time prayer. Thank you Lord.

Shot Day

Friday was Lauren's 4 month shots. Wow. I can't believe its been four months already. She is getting so big on us. Her weight is 13.7 lbs and her height is 24 inches. She is in the 50th percentile for weight and 25th percentile for length. When I was reading the sheets the doc hands out at these checkups about where they should be and what they should be doing I was a bit surprised to know that she should be eating about 8 times a day 6-8 oz. My little one hasn't moved beyond eating 2-4 oz a sitting...and she eats about 8-9x a day. She actually just started sleeping through the night..occaisionally she wakes up around 2.00 am to eat about 3 oz but most of the time she can sleep from 11-6...give or take a 1/2 hour. Although she is scooting and rolling over, she is nowhere near sitting up on her own. At this time we don't feel the need to introduce solid food which is weird because Katie was eating cereal at 4 months and kyle at 3. It is very different having a petite eater instead of a power eater. She is so unique and alert..she pays attention to everything. She loves looking at brightly covered pages in books or magazines and even will watch the tv or the computer when we play music and it does the flashes to the beat. She is just so interested in everything. Happy 4 months baby girl.

Little Bit of Everything Part 2

At 9.00 pm on Wednesday I decide to take a bath to help alleviate my headache. But first I must step on the scale. 191. WTF. Two days ago I was at 189..i was upset. Well I had to go to the potty (okay a bit vulgar but I had business number two to take care of). I thought well that was alot so I decide to step on the scale again...188.5. Yep. Teaches me to not weigh myself until after bathroom time..lol.
Anyways...I did feel better after my bath and watched a little bit of the Daily Show with Micau. Okay side note...what is up with Foley..he is just coming up with so many excuses for what he did..it is so freaking annoying. Its like let me put all this stuff out there and whatever the public believes I will stick with it. Did you know that on Fox when showing his pic showed him as a D..lmao. And why all the comparison between him and Clinton? Excuse me but I think IM young boys is far worse than having an affair...but maybe I am wrong in this belief. Okay enough of that.
At 4 am I wake up with Lauren and am still in pain. Going back to sleep doesn't help. I decide to go ahead and workout..i take it easy with no running or walking..I do the elliptical and one set of my ab/back moves and the weights. I don't feel better. Micau comes home for lunch and takes the rest of the day off. We talk about what it might me and I realize that I've been having some flashbacks of memories and its not really a migraine but a tension headache. We talk, I cry, I feel a little better..we both take a 2 hour nap. At Katie's soccer practice, Micau and I walk for about thirty minutes and I feel so much better. I guess maybe because we were outside or maybe it was just having him there to talk to.
He is upset because he just found out that his son Geoffrey doesn't want to go to our wedding. He doesn't want to force him to go but really wants him to be there. We are going to trade him being at our wedding to him being at Katie's birthday party. She really wants him to come to her party and Micau said she wouldn't understand him not being there. He is so anger at us...he hates the fact that I and the kids are around..he wants to be the only child still. I dont' know how long he is going to harbor ill feelings about us. It is upsetting for Micau because he really misses spending time with him. He is turning 16 this month and Micau is taking that weekend off from work. He refused to go to Houston with us. He doesn't want to be around me, Katie, Kyle and the baby. That hurts me because I feel like if it wasn't for us then Micau would have time with his son back...but Micau always tell me how lonely he was before me and how happy he is that he has us. We just don't know what to do about his son. Tips or ideas anyone?
Anyways, by the time we are done with our walk I feel much better. My headache is gone..my body feels good..i feel good. We watch the rest of the practice. They were doing a scrimmage game..boys against girls. Well Katie was hanging out by the goal in defense position (heaven forbid she actually runs)..the ball was kicked high and coming straight at her and what does my lovely daughter do? She covers her face, moves out of the way and screams. Funny but not during an actual game. This going on with my son walking around lifting his shirt up to show his belly while putting his hand down his pants so he can touch his penis. The joy of having a boy.

A Little Bit of Everything Part One

Yesterday was Muffins for Mommy at Katie's school and she really wanted me to go. It was cute..we got to eat together before her class and afterward they were having a meeting for the moms. They were telling us about a new parent outreach resource center. I was too tired to really pay attention and left once the questions started up because I was just so bore and tired. I did enjoy the morning with my daughter.
We had to take Kyle to the doctor yesterday because he has been sick for about 3 weeks straight and keeps reinfecting Lauren. Guess what? Yep, another darn ear infection in his right ear where the tube has almost fallen out. We caught it early so it wasn't too bad and that explains his extra fussiness and his wanting to be cuddled all the time. He also has chest congestion and a sinus infection. She gave one medicine (a 5 day treatment) and said it should wipe out everything. I am so scared that we are going to go back to having ear infections again. She said that if he gets over this one and gets another one then he may need tubes again. Happy Happy Joyful..lol.
Get back from the doctor appointment and get everyone settled by the time Katie gets home from school. She comes in with a little bag..i asked her who gave her the gift bag and she said it was out in front of our door. I opened it and there was a note that said Thank you for attending our church and hope to see you again..it was from Grace and it was a banana nut bread. It is very yummy. I was so touched that they would take the time out to drive here and do that. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. I reallllly like that someone would be so considerate. Definately want to go back to that church.
Well I had been suffering a headache throughout the day and by supper time it had turned into a migraine. My head hurt so bad...i had been taking excedrin migraine all day and nothing..no relief. I could barely eat dinner. On top of that I had to go out and get Kyle baby food..it wasn't too bad except for Lauren crying the whole time. Katie stayed home with Kyle since Francis came over to play with Kyle. Micau and I went to the library to get more books and to go get Kyle food. By the time I got home I felt like crap. It was 8.00 and Katie and Francis and just started playing a game. I get Kyle ready for bed and was little annoyed that he was still up but I understand that putting him down can be difficult. He goes out before I am even out the door. Katie is done playing the game, takes her shower and I put her down. Thought that was that except she is giving major attitude. I ask her what is wrong three times and she finally starts crying and breaks down that she felt ignored all evening and how she wants to be an only child and then says that she never wants to leave..to be taken away. She doesn't want Micau to leave. I'm like no one is going anywhere. I ask why she thinks that and she just says that she doesn't want to be taken away. Lovely. Wonder where that came from. I get her calmed down and rock her to sleep.

Fitness

Tuesday I went to the gym and got a session with a personal trainer (i had 1/2 coupon). I bought my new workout moves for your abs/back and for upper body. The lady I met with does the pilates class and alot of the moves were pilates (didn't realize this). Anyways she gave me some good pointers and modified moves for a couple of them because she said they were pretty advanced moves even for her. She showed me how to work my core throughout the day. I am so glad that I met with her because I realized that there were some mistakes I was making with some of my normal routines (lunges, squats, and even the weight machines). I realized that it doesn't really matter how much you read or think you may know about something...sometimes it does help to have a professional show you exactly what you should be doing to get the most out of your moves/workout. I was really happy with it and it only cost be $15. Now if I can only remember everything she said...lol.

Update Part 2/Sunday

I had promised Katherine during the week that we would go to church on Sunday since we hadn't gone in like 2 weeks. Well I get up and for the third sunday in a row really don't feel like going...we've been going to Shoreline (2 hour service) because I hadn't really found another church. Katie really wants to go to chuch. So I look in the round rock phone book under churches. Micau refuses to attend a baptist church and I'm not really into evang. so I look under Presbyterian. We went to one when I lived in south austin and really liked it. I like the smaller churches better than the ones that are really huge. Well I decided to attend Grace. It is only like 6 minutes away from where I live. We go and I didn't realize it was World Communion day. The church was letting the youths do the service. It was really neat. They were all dressed from attire around the world. They quoted people like Ghandi, Maya Angelou, and some other influential people. Katie loved the children's church. We decide to try it again next Sunday. We go have lunch with Micau and then go home and try to relax. Kyle and Lauren on fussy on the whole 20 minute drive home and I am ready to pull my hair out. Lauren hates being in her car seat and hates being in the car. Kyle was just fussy; he's not feeling well.

Update Part 1

You ever have one of those days when you know you should have just stayed in bed? That was my Saturday. First we get up and I make a nice breakfast. Get everyone ready to go to Katie's soccer game which I believe is at 9.00 am. We get there about 15 min. early...Her coach has another team and they are still playing on the field. His wife and kid that is on Katie's team is watching the game. 9.00 passes. At 9.20 the game ends...coach walks over to me and says aren't you here early. I'm like the game is at 9.00 right? Nope its at one. I have a crying baby..a fussy Kyle and its so freaking humid out. The wife/daughter couldn't have walked over to us and told us..instead of making us wait 30 min in the humid hot sticky weather. So I felt like an idiot. So I take Katie home to change to go to the musuem since it is free musuem day (nationally). I get halfway there and call the musuem to see how busy it is. Guess what..they are charging...they aren't participating..u freaking kidding me. The State capitol of Texas isn't participating in the National Musuem Day? Pisses me off because I just wasted a bunch of gas. So I turn around...call Micau to tell him. He says to go meet him at work. I say okay except brain freeze and can't remember how to get out there. I call him but get his voice mail. I drive. He calls back and I've already passed the exit and have turned around to go home. I am so frustrated he's like come out and i'm like no I just want to go home. I decide to get a blizzard (i see a DQ) and pull into the drive through except there are like three cars in front of me. The car in front of the car in front of me takes like 10 min to order. Then it takes another 10 min for them to get the food out. I am sitting in a drive through for about 25 minutes. I feel like screaming. (Mind you the kids are being fussy too). Finally I get our blizzards (one for Katie and one for me) and head home. It must be idiot day because I run into several on the way back. Finally I get home, get Lauren out of her carseat and start rocking/feeding her. Katherine does her reading and times attack (math game) while Kyle just hangs out. I watch Ugly Betty (missed the premier episode and it was on again that morning) while rocking lauren. She smiles at me, talks to me and is just being so precious that my frustration and anger slips away. I am relaxed and calm. Then time for Katies soccer game. The other team playing on the field is running late because the refs are treating like a pro game (dumbass its little kids...geez)..anyway I walk around with the double stroller while the coach makes the kids do drills. I walk in the freaking hot humid sun for about 20 min. when the game starts. I set up under a shady tree. An elder woman (grandma to one of hte kids on the team) sits next to me because she takes meds and she can't sit in the sun. We have a nice conversation while watching the game. Surprisingly the kids aren't fussy. Katie's team won 3-1. Yea.
Needless to say the afternoon and evening turned out much better than my morning. I was ready to kill somebody but after just taking a chill hour holding my baby I calmed down. Although the kids can be the ones to drive you crazy; they are also the ones that can bring resting calm to you.

Netflix

We joined Netflix last month and I love it. Every time we are done with a movie we send it back and we get a new one..they are really fast...we get one within 4 days of returining it. Not only that, they have most movies when they come out on DVD and they have a huge selection of movies. Including all my oldies that I love.
The nice thing is that we don't go out to see movies...having Kyle and the baby makes it difficult to go and see them. Katherine doesn't mind waiting to see the movies she likes because she now has her own TV with DVD and a VCR (our old ones that are real slow and barely work) so she can watch them whenever she wants or right before bedtime. She only gets to do that on the weekend. She doesn't watch much tv during the week, between soccer practice, homework, and doing her chores...doesn't leave much time for tv. Maybe that's why she is always wanting to watch it. Anyways, she stopped complaining about never getting to see movies now. We have a whole bunch in our que and I think half of them are for her.

Support Group

I've decided to join a support group. I've been reading this book on my own and trying to deal with things by myself but I think the time has come to join a group. The only problem is trying to find one. I called the only two places listed in Austin/Round Rock that have them and neither one is doing one for adults right now; And the waiting list to see a counselor is 2-4 months (of course it is free so really can't complain). I can't believe in our city as big as it is and it being the state capitol and all that these are the only places; I heard from someone I know that churches and the Y also have some and she is supposed to get back to me with that info. In the meantime, it is sit and wait. I really want to do this so hopefully I don't lose hope. I usually get excited about something and if it doesn't happen right away I can get pretty darn negative.