So, 2009, and all that Jazz

You know what I love about New Years? I feel like it is a total fresh slate and we get to start all over. Isn't that strange though? Tomorrow morning I will not wake up not knowing what I did today. If I was an awful person today, I will likely be an awful person tomorrow. I am reminded though of a Quote from one of my all-time favorite mini-series. It is Anne of Green Gables. Strangely enough, I have never read all the books. Can that be a resolution? Anyway, Marilla and Anne are speaking about one of Anne's many mistakes and Marilla says "Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it." How great is that. Even on your worst day, there is still tomorrow and tomorrow can be great. AMEN! So, that applies to the New Year too. 2009, here I come!
So I guess when it comes to my resolutions here goes:

1) I am going to *try* to read all of the "Anne" books. I know that my mom had the entire series all of my life and I walked by them nearly every day without giving them a second thought. Literally- they were on a bookshelf next to our bedroom door. I never got past book #2, so this year, I will try. I will NOT, however, try to read Pride and Prejudice again- sorry Tara Jean, I just cannot do it!

2) I am going to strive to be a better Mom, Wife, and person in general. I will limit my computer time but not limit the time I spend playing with Kyle. Dishes be damned! I will hold Larabee's hand more often just so he knows I love that he is there beside me. I will not yell at stupid people on the road, even if they are not good drivers who are risking my life and my child's just by being on the road. I don't believe in flipping people off to begin with, so I don't need to stop doing that, I just need to stop doing it mentally. Yes, I admit, I think dirty thoughts-well, OK mean thoughts, but dirty ones too ;)

3) I will play with my dogs more. I have two now and they need to be played with more. The darlings, all they want is attention and love- which they do get, don't get me wrong- but I will strive to give them more. Even if that means being in the middle of a rope tug of war, with one in each hand because they refuse to play tug of war with each other.

4) I will be more organized. I do pretty well, but some things always slip through the cracks. Like washing the sheets. Gross, i know. I did write it on the calender though so that i would not have an excuse next week. Ha! I am already doing better! I will update you in a week to let you know if I stuck by that resolution LOL

5) I will quit saying I will do things only to put them off. Instead I will just do them. I need to be more accountable to myself. If I don't take care of the things that I am supposed to in a timely manner than I will have to go to bed. For the rest of the day. While Kyle is at Grandma's. Oh wait, that isn't punishment. Dang it!

OK, well, that is 5. I am sure there are more things I could work on but lets not get ahead of ourselves. Besides, all I really want to do is be a better person and learn and grow (not in size, but in spirit- unless I get pregnant, than size is OK too). Last year was nowhere close to perfect, so I hope that this year will sort of give us a break. Last year was wonderful too, so I hope that this year will be more wonderful! Do I ask too much? Luck is when preparation meets opportunity so hopefully we have some of that this year! And hopefully you all do to! Happy New Year everyone!

"Father Hood"-Patrick Swayze circa 1993

We have Netflix. The reason we have Netflix is to be able to watch the latest movies as soon as they come out. Well, except for this one. Now, I am not the biggest P.S. fan- I do LOVE Dirty Dancing and he was alright in Black Dog, but other than that I can take him or leave him. Of course, I will totally take him if I got to play Baby on Dirty Dancing- fun fun!

Anyhow- that was off topic!

A few months ago we went to Cascade Caverns, which is just West of San Antonio. It was a quaint little family owned joint that was pretty podunk, but that was part of it's charm. When we were taking the tour the guide told us that this movie called "Father Hood" had scenes that were filmed there. We put it on our Netflix list as soon as we got home. But we are high-graders. We kept bumping it down the list so that we could satisfy our need to have the newest thing available.

Last week I noticed that it had crept back up to the top of the list, like the proverbial tortoise, slowly overtaking the hare. The hare being all the cool new movies that everyone has to see first so they can be the 'cool' person. I was going to bump it back down, you know, put it in it's place. I think that I was, however, in a mood that made me really feel for the underdog. I probably just got done watching Oprah- that will make you want to go buy every bum on the street dinner at a five star restaurant(which would get expensive in San Antonio!). Damn Oprah.

I let "Father Hood" remain at the #1 position. I let the underdog be top dog. I put the second string in for the big game. I am heading toward sainthood I tell ya!

Turns out this movie was really pretty good. With the exception of the corny fighting and bad stunts and special effects that are pretty much part of any movie from the 80's and early 90's. And with the exception of Patrick's hair. Gross and oily. Bleh.

It was pretty neat to see the park the way it was in the movie and the way it was when we were there too. Sort of like being able to say, "Hey, I knew that girl and now she is on TV". I feel a connection with the movie. Especially the dinosaur at the entrance to the park (which is now located by the old gift shop amid a huge prickly pear cactus). So, if you get a chance, watch it!

Holiday Bliss

So much for posting every day. I will try to get better though, I promise!

Our Christmas was wonderful, as usual. Well, I guess this one was more wonderful because Kyle is big enough to participate. He got lots of fun presents and had a great time opening them. He got some books, toys, golf balls, etc. He loved the tradition of eating cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning and ate almost a whole one by himself (bad Mommy!). We got some good video of him and lots of pictures.

For Christmas dinner we went to the RV lodge and did a potluck with everyone in the park. There was a ton of good food and, best of all, very little clean-up for us! Yay! After dinner there was karaoke and Mom and I stayed down there and sang a few songs. It was pretty fun.

The day after Christmas we headed up to Northern Texas to spend a few days with a friend's family. They live in the country and have about 47 acres, so it was great to get away from it all. We have spent most of our lives 'away from it all', so it was a great little mini-vacation for us. The dogs got to spend a lot of time just running and exploring. Kyle got to do the same, though he cannot quite run yet. It was great to spend time with Wayne and Sage, getting to meet Al, Gail, and Wendy, and getting to recharge our souls. If we cannot spend Christmas at home at least we got to spend Christmas around family and friends. We had a lot of fun, Kyle had a blast, and the dogs were in heaven. What more could we ask for!

Kyle's first Birthday!

Now my baby is one. That is exciting and heartbreaking. Happy and sad. It is all good though. I am dealing with it (mostly because I am to the point that I have NO choice in the matter!).
We did a nice BBQ with family and friends which was a lot of fun. It was a beautiful day and the weather was great. I never ever thought I would be throwing an outdoor birthday party for my December baby. Weird. He got some fun gifts and ate two cupcakes! He was really into those cupcakes :)
Today we took Kyle to the San Antonio Childrens Museum and he had a blast. I think he just liked that he was able to be let loose in a big, fun place and never really got told "no" because there was nothing he was not allowed to touch. Pretty good birthday I would say!
I think about all the ways that Kyle has changed in the last year. I know that kids change a lot, especially in the first 10 years, but that very first year is soooo much of a metamorphosus. I mean, he was born helpless and now he thinks he can do anything. He is weaned from the bottle, is walking like a champ, is talking (sort of!), is just everywhere and into everything. Wow. Where did my baby go?

Another weenie....

Lets see... where to start.
Sadie has been sort of a hag since we left Idaho. We think that it is a combination of us having Kyle, moving into such a small living space, and not having Bubba and Gypsy to play with. So after much thought we decided that maybe Sadie needed a friend. We got online and started looking at some of the animals that are available down here in San Antonio. We weighed the pros and cons of a puppy VS a grown dog, a male VS a female. We thought about another weenie and found a Dachshund rescue organization but they wanted over $200 for some of their dogs. Excuse me? They are rescued dogs that these people are trying to find homes for. Why would someone spend that much on a grown dog with possible mental issues when they can go get a puppy and give them their own mental issues?
We found a Chihuahua that seemed pretty good, was supposed to be good with kids, liked other dogs, potty trained, etc. Her name was Cocoa and we brought her home and she was a no go. She snapped at Kyle and so we took her back. Sue, who we got Cocoa from, runs Tess' K9 Rescue and she told me she had another dog that might be better for us. She is a Doxie that is 4 years old. We brought her home and she LOVES Kyle. If he is in bed and makes a peep she has to run in and check on him. She actually got into his crib (there were things leaned against it) earlier to lick him to death. It was really cute and Kyle just laughed and laughed. We decided to re-name her Summer. We are keeping our fingers crossed that she works out, but so far so good! I cannot believe that I have ANOTHER weenie dog! Oh yeah, and Sadie likes her OK, but i am sure they will be great friends soon :)

My husband is great!

I know that everyone gets on the Internet (myspace, facebook, blogs, whatever) and tries to convince everyone how wonderful and perfect their lives are and how much they love and are loved. Blah blah blah. Next thing you know their myspace status says divorced or single. I think that it is pointless to, well, lie. That is basically what happens. If you are overcompensating on the Internet then you should be spending less time updating your status and more time working on what matters. I don't believe in airing dirty laundry, so I go by the Thumper motto- "if you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nothin' at all". Typing it on the Internet will not make it true :)
Sorry for that rant, I just wanted to state my opinion on that matter. That being said, I am going to rave about my husband. Larabee is really wonderful and I want to let people know that. He is a great dad and a great husband. In the last few days Kyle has actually wanted Larabee over me fairly often. That makes me sad in some ways, but totally thrilled in others. I am glad for Larabee that he knows that Kyle loves him. I think at this age actions speak very loudly, so this is great. I have seen the joy in Larabee's face when I am holding Kyle and he is fussing and reaches for Larabee. I have seen the look of accomplishment on his face when, once Kyle has Daddy, he is happy and content. It makes me proud to call him my husband and Kyle's father!

Almost a year....

For Christmas I decided that I would compile some of our pictures (mostly of Kyle) from the last year, make them into a video with music (using photostory3), and give them to the grandparents and great grandparents as gifts. Great idea, right? I had no idea!
I worked on it for over an hour last night and then the program froze. Had I saved it? No. Was I irritated? You betcha (hats off to you, Mrs. Palin). I was determined after that not only to get started on it, but to finish it. I got it all put together and most of the music added to it before I went to bed at midnight. This morning I finished it up, saved it as a movie, and watched it for editing purposes. I was... amazed. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined. I was in tears watching it, remembering the last year. Kyle is such a blessing to us, but sometimes when you get caught in the day to day monotony you forget how much things have changed.
Looking at the pictures of him as a newborn moved me beyond words. My God, he was so tiny and so helpless. And so beautiful. I remember what it felt like to be handed this tiny little bundle all the while knowing that he was the most important thing I have done so far in my life. It is a strange thing to know that another person is depending on you entirely. I know that he has his Daddy and all of that, but the moment they handed him to me, he was all mine. I remember thinking that he was the most complete thing I had ever done. Don't get me wrong, I finish things and do projects and what not, but he was amazing. Every finger, every toe, even his little nose. I kept thinking, "I made that!" If anyone can look at a newborn baby and not believe in God (or any higher power depending on religion) I am shocked. A baby is such a miracle, such a divine creation, that they are awe inspiring.
Watching the video put to music was also a very moving part of the experience. The music that I picked seemed to follow the pictures to a T, saying all the right things at the right moments. Since the video is all pictures it was important to me to have the music speak for the pictures, to have them convey a specific emotion. It did all of that and more.
Anyhow, the video is done, tears of remembrance have been shed, and i am in the process of burning them onto DVDs. While I hope that the persons on the receiving end of these gifts will cherish them as we do, I honestly do not care if they look at them once and then throw them away. I am glad that I made it for me. I am glad that I made it for Kyle. I plan on making one every year to commemorate the previous year of his life. That way, when he is all grown up and only comes to see his mom once a year because he is busy, i will have something to watch while I sit on the couch and admire it! He is growing up so fast!

Bottles, Bottles, oh, no more bottles!

It is official. No more bottles. No more washing bottles for a half an hour a day. More computer time.... well, maybe not. Yesterday I packed up all of Kyle's bottles, double bagged them in grocery bags, and put them in a box. To that box I added the parts and pieces of his bouncer.
Yes, I have given up one of the only things that will keep him in one place for any length of time. There were two very prominent flaws with the bouncer, potentially three.
1) Kyle has outgrown it by weight. I suppose that we did get a good 6 months of use out of it, so that is like $10 a month....not too bad, but still..... why do they have to outgrow stuff so quickly?
2) Not only has he outgrown it by weight, but he has also grown weary of it. It used to keep him entertained for hours- literally. I dont know if it is the fact that he can walk now, that he used it too much for too long, or that he just doesnt want to be confined anymore. So much for putting him in it to take a shower. I guess now my shower time will be when he naps, which leaves me two choices- morning nap or afternoon nap. Wow. That is OK though. I just always used the naptime for 'me' time and would shower whenever there was a show on that would keep him occupied. It is OK though.
3) The bouncer is big. It takes up a lot of room. We knew that when we bought it and it was worth every peaceful minute it provided. Once we removed it from the living room for a few days and put it outside it was blaringly obvious that we wanted the floor space back. We are keeping it for the next baby, but honestly, I dont know if we will use it or not. I guess it just depends. If the next one is like Kyle it will be nice to have because he really loved to bounce in it. We will see.
Kyle is doing really well with all of the changes. He takes the sippy cup no problem now, so that is a relief. I worried that since we went cold turkey on the bottles he might not be getting enough liquids. Check that off my list of worries. Check. He doesnt care that the bouncer is not here anymore. Children....sheesh. He has not had any adverse reactions to the whole milk. Granted, most of the time, he still gets some of the Next Step formula mixed in, but even if it is straight milk he is good with it. No abnormal digestive issues, no rashes, no unusual fussyness. That makes me happy, especially since so many kids seem to have issues with milk these days. Even more so since Levi had issues with milk.
Other than that we have been spending a ton of time outside. It is sooooo nice that Kyle can walk now and I can put him down and not have to carry him. He is really enjoying the freedom and is so interested in exploring everything. I am actually amazed at how well he is doing. He can do slight uphill and downhill now and rarely trips. Grass is a challenge because every single step feels different, but he doesnt like falling in the grass so he tries really really hard not to with success most of the time. It is pretty amazing. I am so proud of my little man!

First Time Blogger

Ok, so I am officially not a blog virgin anymore. Wow. Ok, that was not as cool as I expected :)
If you are reading this you probably know me and are simply fascinated with what is going on in my life. If that is not the case, you are just curious, which is cool too. I am not going to act as if I am deep or excessively contemplative just to get you interested. I will more than likely write about daily things that are not that interesting to anyone but me. Feel free to read and comment anyway. I will try to make it interesting, but I will not lie or sugar coat things to gain approval. Scared yet? LOL