I'm Drowning

I feel like a walking zombie who is living in a messy house and feeding my family whatever I can find that does not involve cooking. I have been back at work for a little over a week and Jake started Pre-Kindergarten yesterday. The kid did not have a worry in the world and never looked back. Me, not so much. I can't believe that he has the word Kindergarten attached to his name even if it is just Pre. It doesn't seem real and I can remember what seems like yesterday him going through all of these stages Luke is. I finally found someone to keep Luke during the day. This has only taken 5 and a half months. It's been so hard to find someone that I trust 100% and feel comfortable with. I am looking forward to Monday when he starts at Mrs. Cathy's. I need a scheduled routine people as well as that sense of comfort. Finally!!! Praise God!


Luke-

Luke turned 5 months old on the 21st of August and cut his first tooth on August 20th (found by his Grammy). He has been chewing on everything you put close to him lately. He is really starting to reach out and grab things and notice all of the shiny stuff. He loves my earrings , bracelets, and necklaces. I usually strip down right when I get in the house to avoid my ears being ripped as opposed to just pierced. For a few months I thought he was going to be a for sure a mama's boy but here lately he is loving daddy just as much. He rolls back to front and front to back constantly. He rolled right out of his swing two weeks ago. He smiles constantly. He laughs and talks to us and its probably my most favorite sound in the world. Luke thinks Jake has hung the moon. Jake just looks at him and he lights up. Jake is finally starting to come around and he thinks "bubba" is pretty cool too. I have a feeling these two are going to be a dangerous pair in a few years.

Jake-

He has been asking to come back to school for over a month now because he missed his friends. Secretly I just think he wanted to be able to use his Transformers lunch box and Spiderman nap mat. He is 4 going on 18. His teacher sent a letter to him a few weeks before school started telling him he could bring something special from his summer vacation on the first day for show and tell. Of course, he wanted to bring his Stoney LaRue guitar pick. A few days before school started he asked me if he could still bring his pick for "show and hotel?" Yesterday, his teacher came to my room after school and said, "oh my gosh, Jake is hilarious." My response, "oh great, did he tell you his mom and dad drank beer?' I used to teach that age, I know they have no filter!! She informed me that were doing their shapes and she had the crescent up on her felt board. She asked Jake what the shape was and he responded a TOENAIL....Geez! This is the same child that told his doctor the moon looked like a crescent at his 4 year old check up and a diamond was a rhombus!! I am so glad he can be Mrs. Byrd's humor for the day, as a teacher, God knows we need it!! 

              This is "The Super Dad" that I speak of......

I love my class this year. Last year the 3rd grade group was the most challenging to say the least. It was no secret around here. This is the second time this has happened to me. The most challenging group comes to me and they end up being my favorite class!! It's amazing what kids do with a little structure and a small fire lit under them! I know this will be a great year.

I Fall Apart Without Her

I feel like there is so much to say and I just lost out on a complete week of my life, laying in bed. I have been having gall bladder attacks, bad, like real bad. Bad enough that I did a whole post about them a few weeks ago. Considering I have not been a avid blogger lately you know they were a big deal! Monday morning I ate a bowl of cereal and immediately starting having an attack. I knew from the past if I could throw up everything in my stomach that there is a possibility it may ease up. Things did not ease up a bit and my mom told Cody to put me in the car and drive me past Huntsville and Conroe ER to The Woodlands. I got to the ER about 4 and I was in surgery by 8. My gall bladder was full of stones and when they removed it they learned it turned from the yellowish-green color of a normal gall bladder to grey! I was in bad shape.

I stayed at moms until I couldn't stay anymore. I was going crazy. My dad, my parents are divorced, is remodeling my mom and step dad's kitchen. He's the best cabinet builder around, they didn't have a choice!! The sounds of saws, banging hammers, no kitchen sink, and everything in boxes drove me and the kids out of there Thursday. My sister brought us home and I went down hill again. I'm convinced it's my mom. I fall apart without her. I never left the bed Friday. I knew mom was leaving Saturday on a two week business trip to Brazil to set up their new office, that has been planned for months,  I had no choice but to get well. Saturday morning I hear mom at my house getting Luke ready for his 7:30 feeding. Mom cancelled her trip and sent my step dad alone. She has always lived by a motto that a job was never more important than her family. Saturday, I got up out of bed and I have been perfect ever since! So many people did so much to help this week and it really opened my eyes how blessed we are. My sister took care of me and cooked the best damn meals you have ever eaten for two days, my sister in law came and cleaned my house and did every piece of laundry here, and my mother in law brought medicine constantly that she thought would help me get better. Cody, on the other hand, who was working evenings still thinks I was being a baby. I don't take what he says very serious since he called his mom last time he had a 24 hour bug when I was 8 months pregnant because I wouldn't wipe his butt pretty much. No, he was great and scared all at the same time. It's so ludicrous to me how much I depend on him and think everything would fall apart without him and the minute I get sick he feels the same way. Its always a good thing to feel needed. I definitely need my husband as much as he needs me.

Mom left this morning after church and we have been so lazy. It has been my favorite day of the week so far, until tomorrow when I get to go pick up Jake  from his dads. Its been so quiet without him. I am sure Luke is either very close to getting a tooth or has a little cold. His eyes are matted, nose running, and a little congested. His pediatrician told me last time we were there that it would be any day for a tooth. I'm trying to ride it out, I have spent enough at these offices and hospitals the last 4 months!!!

Hope y'all have a good week!

The Boys

I have come to the realization I suck at blogging over the summer. We have never been so busy. We come home and I get clothes washed and I swear we leave again. We have really had a blast but if we ever plan on building a house we have to SLOW down. I think we have pushed back the building process 6 months!

Luke is 4 months old and nothing short of spoiled rotten. He will whine in his swing and the minute we go over and pick him up he is grinning from ear to ear. What have we done??!! I think he is somewhere close to 17 pounds. He has to be 28-30 inches long. He is wearing 9 month clothes and some of them are still to short. I ordered some onesie extenders to try and make some of his clothes last longer than a few weeks. He is growing so fast. I was afraid of this! He is rolling over and laughing so much.  He would hold his own bottle but I wont let him. Its to much at once, and I pray to make it stop. Cody finally told me the other night he understood what I meant about not wanting him to grow up. I am going to give him his first bowl of rice cereal today. His formula is not holding him over anymore and I refuse to give him more than 6 ounces at his age. He needs some substance I think. We are going for his 4 month check up tomorrow so we will see what the doctor says. It is crazy how fast he is growing up. Cody and I look at his newborn pictures all of the time and cant believe how much he has changed. He is still the perfect baby that I am borderline obsessed with. Although, I am so thankful I have been able to stay home for 4 months with him I have no idea how I will leave him in less than a month when school starts. It's going to be one sad day.

Jake is loving the summer and has been mistaken for Hispanic too many times to count lately. He has turned out to be one heck of a little swimmer. He is still obsessed with his guitar and Grammy bought him a set of microphones. He thinks he has made it to the top already. Jake will drop everything to play guitars with Cody. I have no clue how Cody keeps a tune with Jake strumming in the background. It makes me so happy to see him be so passionate at such a young age.I guess it gives me the reassurance that he will practice at something hes not the best at to get better. I have always prayed that my children will be well rounded kids. Of course, academics is so important to me but I also want them to be socially involved. I look back and remember basketball pushing me to make better grades so I was never on the sideline watching. I am completely okay with not having a valedictorian come out of my house. I do want a child who has friends, is involved in extra curricular activities, and well behaved when he is not at home. At this point when I look at him I see a little boy who was a complete terror at 18 months old. I was scared to death something may be wrong with him because he had a mind of his own. No matter what I told him, how hard I spanked him, or how long he sat in time out, he did exactly what he wanted. I read and prayed, read and prayed, and read and prayed on how to discipline him. I made sure I gave him so much love and affection every step of the way. The only thing I can come up with is God answers prayers because he has turned out to be such a good kid. He still has bad days here and there but for the most part its amazing to see the complete turn around hes made. He opens the doors for me and tells me I look like a princess when I am dressed up. He says yes ma'am and no ma'am more often than not. He has come around to be such a sweet big brother and loves to be with our family more than anything else. Just like Luke, he is growing up way too fast.

Cody and I just got back from Florida and we had a blast! Amy was absolutely stunning and her wedding was so much fun! I will post pics later!! It's late and we have an early morning doctors appointment. Hope y'all have a great week!

Bland=Fun

Who would have ever thought eating the most bland, non- fattening food could still be fun?? I had three gall bladder attacks last week and it was HORRIBLE. I told Cody I would rather have 10 more kids with no epidural before I ever went through that pain again. I have read every article Google has to offer about your gall bladder, what it does, and why it spams while causing so much pain. Every single one I have read says the same thing. Fatty foods and excessive weight gain or loss in a short time. Obviously I fit all of those categories. So, since last Monday I have stayed far away from all of the foods I have loved the past 28 years of my life. And it sucks even though I know its so much better for me. For example, I made myself a scrambled egg sandwich earlier with no yolk and only half of the bread had mayo. That is so not me. I honestly don't believe you can ever have enough mayo.  I can no longer drive thru any of my favorite places and fulfill my craving for Jack In The Box tacos or McDonald's french fries. Believe it or not we are still having so much fun even though I think my life is over.

This week my mom got us tickets to the circus at Reliant. My sister and I loaded up the kids and headed downtown. I left Luke with mom because I knew it was going to be a LONG day. Jake, Casey, and Colin loved it. As far as me and my sister, we had a blast. I don't remember when the last time we brought the kids to do something like that. Our seats were so close I didn't even have to use the zoom lens on my camera. Jake did not move the entire time we were there.

On the way home we took the kids for lunch at the Aquarium. Jake's favorite place to be is with his Casey & Colin for no other reason than they spoil his rotten.



Brooke called Wednesday and invited us to Lake Palestine. I really wanted Cody to be able to come. Brooke's husband is what I would think like a superintendent, even though I don't know his exact title, over a hand full of golf courses. I knew Cody would love to be able to play golf and hang out with Lance, but he had already promised his brother he would help him build a carport. I loaded up both boys and we headed to Bullard on Friday morning. The house we stayed in was amazing.  I never got pictures but these are the ones Brooke sent

I could have stayed forever. Our boys played so good together and Jake was so upset when we had to leave. Brooke and I tried to stay up like old times to shotgun beers and talk but we were both in bed by 12:30. We agreed that this has to happen more often.

I'm off to the mall ALONE and Cody says he is going to clean the house while I am gone all while Luke and Jake are here with him. I cant wait to get back home to see the progress!

Thoughts on Thursday

(I know it says "Thursday" but I can't seem to get a post done in one day)

This will all be random but my life has been pretty random lately....I wish we could get back on our schedule.


Casey Anthony- Why does she share my name? It sucks.... I did not stayed glued to the TV during her trial because I do not like watching that kind of stuff. It literally makes me sick. I do not like to hear the details about a persons body when they were found or hear how they suffered at their time of death. Especially a child. That's just me. Not to mention I have the worst nightmares for weeks anytime a person dies. It's strange, I know.  My best friend Amy loves that kind of stuff. She always has. Maybe she should have been a forensic scientist or something.

 I do think that Casey, her mom, her dad, or her brother know what happened to that baby. My belief is simple and you may or may not agree. I know that if you are a Christian, and you accept Jesus Christ  into your heart,  and you live life everyday for Him and to be the best person you can be then you will live the eternal life. Its a struggle for all of us.  I don't think he cares if you memorize every verse or chapter in the bible or if you drink a glass or two of wine after a hard day at work. He doesn't care how big or fancy your church is and what kind of car you drive to get there. The choices I make is what I have to deal with. The only person I have to answer to is Him. I hope this same stuff goes through her mind if she is guilty. She is the one who has to face him when its her time. I do know that Caylee is living eternal life, what I pray and dream about everyday. She has already won in my opinion. As far as her mother, if she is guilty, her time will come. It is not my place to say what should happen to her, how she should die, or what her sentence will be. If she did commit murder the daily pain she has to live and deal with is probably far greater than we could ever imagine.

There was one post I saw on Facebook that made me stop and think......"So Casey Anthony will probably be released soon and will possibly relocate and perhaps feel like she needs to find a church. What if it's yours? What if she's in your small group? In your living room? Please just ponder." This is tough, and I'm still thinking about a good answer. Maybe I will update my answer at a later date!

As far as this tweet, it cracks me up.
Kim Kardashian on Twitter: "Casey Anthony not guilty? I am speechless!" Someone replied: "So was Nicole Brown's family when your dad got OJ off".

Still Recoverin'

All I have done is sleep, eat, and all of the other necessities to keep my family alive since I have been home. I am way too old for everything that went down last weekend! Had so much fun!!

Feelin' Domesticated

Today I leave for a weekend trip with just girls to celebrate Amy getting married!! A bachelorette party if you will. I have been like a kid on Christmas morning. I am so excited to be able to get out of the house and have fun with JUST girls! If you disagree then something is seriously wrong. All moms deserve it. You know, like, be able to let your hair down! You should try it! It's not a bad thing, really! Speaking of letting my hair down, Amy got me new extensions and I can barely wait to see her in Austin to get them. My hair sucks, always has, and always will.



Hoping to have fun along the lines of this!

I have been trying to get stuff ready around the house for when I am gone. Mom came up yesterday to help with Luke since I had so much to do. Um, she slept for an hour and a half on the couch when she got here. I never woke her, I figured she needed it. The lady works hard! I put Luke in his swing at 4:30 and went to hustling in the kitchen. I should never admit this but I look up and  it's 6:45, and Luke is still in the swing. Of course I had checked on him in between but that's how good he is. He is so content and happy all of the time! And if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Cody is still not quite sure how he will survive without me here. I cooked ALL day yesterday so he would have food. He is on evening shift this week. After hours in the kitchen yesterday, I made sure I sent him a reminder text about how lucky he was to have me as a wife. I guess I am pretty lucky too, I don't know many husbands that would bear the kids while his wife went away for the weekend, all while taking her bathing suit, shortest dress, and tallest pumps.

So, since I am Amy's MOH my present has to out do every body's, of course. Since Tuesday, I have made a veil, worked on Amy's presents, did Luke's 3 month pictures, cooked 3 meals for my husband, 2 meals for my trip, grocery shopped, cleaned out drawers, and washed every piece of laundry in this house. I'm starting to think  A) that lady Suzy Homemaker ain't got shit on me and B) I should have started earlier due to the bags under my eyes and the gray hair that is WAY more visible than last year.

I got my 10 year reunion invite in the mail this week, I will need to drink a few extra cocktails this weekend just for being so old (tear).

Hope y'all have a fun and safe 4th!