The Mommy Talks

Maybe I Should...

2009-06-05T00:06:00.002-04:00

Post something.

The big news is that I am currently, inadvertently a stay at home mom. Yep, that's right. I lost my job. So, while I look for a new one and hope for unemployment to come through...I'm finally home with the kids. It's actually been wonderful so far. We've been having playdates, going to the pool, the library, story time, and all sorts of fun things. I have an interview next week for an assistant director position at a nearby day care/school. While it might not be much money, it would be nice to be at work with the kids in tow. I'm pretty excited about it. Keep your fingers crossed. Here are a couple of new pictures of the kids...

The Jonas Brothers Movie and More

2009-03-01T21:53:00.003-05:00

I took Ava to see the Jonas Brothers 3D movie on Saturday. The 3D effects were really cool and she had such a GREAT time. Like a better time than anyone else in the movie theater. She was clapping and dancing like she was an actual concert. So stinking cute. She just loves music and I can't wait to take her to her first real concert someday! In other news, Nathaniel has finally started taking a good bit. The funniest is probably "Don't!" To his sister most of the time. He also uses some sentences like "Where'd daddy go?" Nathaniel is also interested in the potty. He's been saying "pee pee" and grabbing at his diaper so I bought a potty chair and stripped him down. Within the first two hours, he peed and pooped on it. Quite impressive. We aren't pushing it too much and he's interested in it on and off. Not sure when we'll get serious with it, but for now, I'm pretty impressed.

A Quick Little Update

2009-01-26T22:26:00.002-05:00

January has been mostly post-Christmas blah without much to report and I've been slack in adding updates to the blog. The kids have been battling colds for most of this month. We are planning for Ava's 4th birthday party at the bowling alley. She's really excited about it and for the first time is choosing her own invitees. It's all very cute. The party is planned for 2/7 and her actual birthday is 2/9. She is also gearing up to start playing soccer in March. I'm signing both Ava and Nathaniel up next week for pre-school this fall. Ava will be in pre-k! Just one year from Kindergarten--my how the time just flies. Nathaniel is mostly going to go for some social interaction and something to do outside of the house.

On the 10th, I met up with my girlfriends for a really fun night out and we have another event planned for this saturday.

On the work front, my company is moving to a bigger space in March and they've just signed the lease. It will still be in the same complex which is just a mere 10 minutes from my house.

I'll try to post some pictures soon of the kids.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T12:28:00.002-05:00

The full album:

Ava's 1st photography work:

Ava's Self Haircut

2008-12-19T19:58:00.000-05:00

Sometime on Thursday, Ava decided to give herself a haircut. Personally, I think she could have come up with a better way to tell me that she wanted bangs. On the bright side, with a little repair work, it might actually look good:

Nathaniel also got butchered, but his was done by a professional:

Ava's Dance Recital

2008-12-13T20:22:00.004-05:00

Ava had her Christmas dance recital this afternoon. Sadly, I bumped the setting on my camera for the on-stage portion and messed the pictures up. Oh, the joys of a new camera! All in all, she did pretty well...though she did spend a good bit of time nervously licking her lips.

The full album:

This evening, we took the kids to see the lights at Life University. They enjoyed the show. I looked back and found them holding hands...how cute is that??

Christmas Sing-A-Long

2008-12-13T20:07:00.002-05:00

This past wednesday, Ava had a Christmas sing-a-long at her school:

Here is the full album:

Do something to stop routine infant circumcision...

2008-12-04T07:15:00.005-05:00

Isn't it time that we did something to end circumcision? It's an antiquated practice that has no place in our modern society. It serves no medical purpose and I can't believe that it hasn't already been outlawed. Honestly, it's not a parent's "personal choice", it's a man's. Please help:

Vote for Intactivism as an Idea for Change in the new era of president Obama. Stopping routine infant circumcision: We need votes.

Click on the blue box on the left to vote.

Preparing for Christmas

2008-11-30T17:21:00.002-05:00

Try not to laugh too hard...but...I took back yet another TV. I know, I'm a freak. But the good news is that we are finally really, really pleased with it. I had to buy a new piece of furniture to put it on b/c it is too big for the cabinet. But I got a great deal on a clearance floor item. We plan to get new living room furniture a few years down the road--you know, after the kids stop tearing stuff up. So I figured there was no point in getting a nice TV stand now. But, back to the TV. We scrapped the LCD altogether and after seeing (and being jealous of) my dad's 50 inch Plasma, that's what we settled on. Football looks AMAZING. I actually with that I'd been home to watch Georgia vs Georgia Tech...and I don't generally watch football. Saturday evening, we went to Home Depot to pick out a Christmas Tree. Oh, did I forget to mention that I got a new camera?!! I'm so excited about it. Check out these pics of Nathaniel. I don't even know what I'm doing yet and they are already leaps and bounds better than my point and shoot...

Today, we spent all day preparing for Christmas:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T22:23:00.004-05:00

Anyone going shopping tomorrow? Perhaps I should. I won a whopping $27 in the lottery on a scratch off ticket (which I never buy) when I went out to get the newspaper this morning. Go me! Can't complain about that--I never win anything! So between that and the $18 that I got back at Children's Place yesterday when I noticed that some items that I got a couple of weeks ago were less expensive. I've ALMOST made money this holiday. But you'd have to ignore the new tv and Christmas gifts that I bought. Speaking of the new TV. We (or rather I) decided to take it back and get a less expensive model. We now have the Samsung LN40A500--in case you're curious. Then my dad went and bought a 50 inch plasma. Mind you, he paid less AND the picture is better. Hmph. I'd take back my TV yet again, but I can't fit a 50" in my entertainment cabinet and the smallest they make is a 42" which would be about an inch or so too big for my cabinet. Then we'd be getting into the cost of a new piece of furniture to sit the thing on and frankly, ug. I'm not going to think about the TV any more.

Moving on, Thanksgiving was good. We all got together at my parents house. Ava only ate turkey and Nathaniel boycotted dinner altogether. He finally settled on a cup of mandarin oranges and some graham crackers. There is certainly no accounting for taste, but there is little point in arguing with a 19 month old.

I'm considering braving the crowds for a bit of shopping tomorrow. I may limit it to K Mart since they have a few things on Ava's list. I also have my eye on a Blu Ray player from WalMart, but I think that's going to be pretty in demand and WalMart seems like a nightmare unless I happen to get up really early. We shall see.

Ava is awaiting the arrival of her Elf from Santa. Have you heard of Elf on a Shelf? I haven't read the book, but the gist is that Santa sends out an elf (or two) to keep an eye on the kids in the weeks preceeding Christmas. They look out for things like beating on your brother or sassing your mom. I suppose they keep track of the nice things too ;) Each night, they wisk their report up to the north pole while you are sleeping--then in the morning (if mom and dad aren't too lazy) you'll find them in wacky places throughout the house. I heard about this from some of the mom's at Ava's dance class and it sounded like fun...so I guess we have a new tradition. I thought the elf that came with the elf on a shelf kit was a little spooky looking, so I got these from Amazon.com instead. Link to the Elf

Here are the Elves that I got:

And here is the kit elf taking a trip to Wal-Mart:

Ok, when you take him to WalMart, he does look pretty cute. ;)

A Night Out with Bodies

2008-11-23T20:48:00.004-05:00

Last night, we went out with my sister and brother in law. Along with a couple of friends. We went to go see Bodies, The Exhibition. It was pretty cool, but I'm not sure if I'd have been pleased to have spent $50 to go. We got complimentary tickets courtesy of another friend. Thanks! Afterwards, we went out for dinner and drinks at No Mas Cantina. We had a really great time.

The kids had a mostly uneventful weekend. They both got flu shots on thursday and Nathaniel got his 18 month vax. Ava was sick most of the weekend and Nathaniel started running a fever today. I'm not sure that I'll bet going with the flu shot next year. Ava has had it once before and this is Nathaniel's first time. I'm generally not a huge believer in this shot, but we had a flu scare last year and with Ava in school, I felt like it might be a good idea. Who knows.

We've finally gone HD

2008-11-23T20:42:00.002-05:00

We did it! We finally got an HDTV. We splurged a bit more than we intended, but then again, what else is new.

So far, we really love it. Mark got to watch the Falcons game in HD on our Samsung LN40A650. Tonight, I get to see how yummy Gale Harold looks in HD. Yippee!

Houston...we have a tan.

2008-11-13T07:30:00.004-05:00

I'm officially more tan in November than I was in July. Now, mind you, to the layman's eye, it doesn't look like much...but, to the fellow pasty white person, it is quite noticeable. Ok, who am I fooling...I now look like Mark looks in the winter. Mark, who, by the way is so tan that he has a white mark under his wedding ring. I'm not at all certain how long I'd have to spend in the sun to make that happen, but I'm guessing years.

It's Thursday...two more days of vacation. We are thinking of driving back Friday after dinner rather than Saturday morning. This way, we waste the night rather than the day and the kids should, in theory, sleep most of the way. What do you think?

Enough of my chatter, I'm guessing that you want to hear about vacation. Perhaps you don't, but you'll humor me anyway. Tuesday, we went to Fort De Soto to see Dolphins. There are some pictures in the album from the previous entry. We weren't certain that we'd see dolphins, but we did. All of us except for Ava. I guess they moved to fast for her and she wasn't looking in the right spot. I did get a couple of pictures though. The Dolphin viewing spot was basically a very large fishing pier. There were some serious fisherman there. These people had coolers to store their loot and all sorts of fishing gear. We saw a Heron get snagged in some fishing line. That was a bit sad, but it did manage to break free. After naps, we went to play putt-putt or mini-golf, if you prefer:

Wednesday, we spent the whole day at the beach--the kids playing in the sand and surf. This is where I got my tan...errr burn. Whatever, it will fade to tan! ;) Stephanie may be even more burned than I am though, she actually has some pretty sweet marks on her face from her sunglasses. After the beach, Stephanie, Steven & Jack headed back home to Orlando. We went up to the boardwalk for pizza and called it a night.

So, for now, that's about it from sunny Florida. Oh, by the way, it's no longer cold, the weather is just perfect!

Vacation

2008-11-10T22:11:00.004-05:00

I've added an album that will be updated as more and more pictures become available, so keep checking...

The ride down took 9 hours, though without 2 kids in tow, it easily could have taken only 7 and a half. The kids were really pretty good, but we did stop pretty frequently. As soon as we arrived, we took a look around the room and headed down for the kid's first look at the ocean. They absolutely loved it...

...Sunday, I made a quick trip to the grocery store and then we headed down to the beach for the morning. The kids had fun playing in the sand and surf. We picked up a few things for dinner and grilled out with Stephanie, Steven, & Jack. Ava and Nathaniel both played pretty shy with them, but are starting to come around a bit. Ava is definitely homesick and though she loves the beach, keeps talking about wanting to go home.

Monday, we went down to the pool, first thing...which, thankfully was heated b/c it's c-c-c-cold! After the pool, we headed down to the beach again and the weather started to warm up. We saw a cool Heron and a one-legged sea gull that the kids enjoyed. We headed up for lunch, napped, and went to the boardwalk for ice cream. Lastly, we went out to dinner with Stephanie, Steven & Jack. Tomorrow, we are planning to go to a pier where we may be able to see some dolphins up close. Ava should get a kick out of that.

Heading to the Beach!

2008-11-07T23:24:00.002-05:00

Our family is headed for the beach in the morning. We are going to meet our friends, Stephanie, Steven & Jack in Indian Shores, FL--just outside of Tampa. Ava is totally psyched. I'm sure that I'll have a ton of pictures and may even be able to post some while we are there if the condo has wireless internet access. We'll see.

Yahoo Farm - Jasper, GA

2008-11-02T13:47:00.002-05:00

Today we took the kids up to Yahoo Farm since we didn't get to go to the pumpkin patch prior to Halloween due to the fact that they were sick EVERY weekend in October. We were the only people there! It was awesome! The kids had a fantastic time, especially Nathaniel. I couldn't believe how much he enjoyed it. Here are some choice pictures. There is a link to the full album of photos below these.

There's more!

Halloween!

2008-11-01T15:56:00.003-04:00

The kids had a blast trick or treating last night. Ava went as a "Princess Pirate" and Nathaniel was Batman. I think one of the coolest things is that Ava designed the face for the pumpkin. She drew it out on paper and Daddy transferred it onto the pumpkin. Ava was still a little timid this year when it came to trick or treating, but all in all a little braver--it sure would help if people kept their dogs up (some kids, like Ava, are so afraid). Nathaniel mostly wanted to ride in the wagon, but did make it up to a few houses. I'm sure he'll enjoy Halloween more next year.

Lots of friends arrived for the event: Rachel, Trevor, Kyle, Lilly, Emma, & Payton are featured on Halloween night.

Below is the full album from Halloween it also includes pictures from Ava's Halloween party at school:

18 Month Stats

2008-10-29T22:53:00.002-04:00

Nathaniel had his well check today. I'm happy to report that his ears are already looking better. He's being referred out for a hearing check and a speech evaluation because I'm concerned that he really isn't talking much at all. I'll keep you posted. Otherwise, he's doing quite well:

Height: 35 inches (>97%)
Weight: 26 lbs 15 oz (50-75%)

When they first measured him, they got 35 3/4. Which I guess would have made him a freak so they remeasured. I figure he's somewhere between the two figures and really is a VERY tall boy.

A No-Good, Terrible Weekend

2008-10-26T18:41:00.002-04:00

Well, the weekend got off to a bad start when I could tell that I was getting sick on Friday. By Saturday morning, I was feeling downright terrible. I skipped taking Ava to her dance class (Daddy took her). We went to a Halloween party at the neighbor's Saturday night. At about 6 pm, we noticed that Nathaniel was running a fever. Sunday afternoon, his fever was over 104--and he was just plain unhappy. I took him up to Children's and his ear infection is back with a vengence--double this time. And the doc said that it looked real bad, worse in the left than the right. So, he's on Augmentin. If that doesn't work, he'll have to get some sort of antibiotic shot (Rocephin). Blah, he has his "well" visit for 18 months on Wednesday. We should know by then if it's clearing up. Poor little guy...you should have seen him, he was so pathetic.

Meanwhile, here's a cute video of Ava "introducing" Hannah Montana and Demi Lovato. Nathaniel thinks it's pretty funny.

Arr Matey's!

2008-10-26T18:39:00.002-04:00

Ava got to preview her Halloween costume this weekend at a birthday/Halloween party. She's a girly pirate. Here she is practicing her big line...

Meeting up with the Girls

2008-10-12T08:08:00.002-04:00

Farrah and I met up for lunch with a friend of ours, Stephanie, that we haven't seen in years. It was so much fun. She has a son that's just two months older than Ava! Here are some pictures of the event.

More from E's Wedding

2008-10-07T09:27:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures that my friend Brandi took at my sister's wedding.

Nathaniel:

Ava & Hannah playing in the rose petals:

Ava and my neice Hannah:

"Blue Jean Baby...

2008-10-05T21:29:00.002-04:00

...L.A. Lady" sings at least 2 people on a Chartered bus headed back to Charlotte from The Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. I mean, really, how cool would it have been to get a bus full of drunken people to have an Almost Famous moment. Alas, only David T. (my sister's boyfriend from high school) and I would sing. So, it goes without saying that we had a great time at the wedding of Stephanie and Bryan. And it also goes without saying that I was more than a little tipsy...I mean, come on, I was singing...and people could actually hear me. Oh my!

We loved Charlotte. What an adorable city. It's small, clean, nicely manicured. I've already started planning our new life there ;) Now, I just have to convice my parents and Elizabeth & Todd. Hmmm.

Side bar...
Anyone watching Desperate Houswives? Teri Hatcher's new man, Gale Harold?!! YUM!

Nathaniel's 1st Ear Infection

2008-10-03T23:50:00.003-04:00

Actually, the first for our family. My dad noticed on wednesday that he had ungodly foul breath. I didn't think much of it at first, but his foul odor persisted and since he'd taken that fall last friday, I was concerned that his scrape under his nose might be infected. Since we are leaving for Charlotte in the morning, I took him to Childen's after dinner. They found that he and an infected right ear and tested him for strep, which thankfully was negative. So he's getting antibiotics for the first time and should be on the mend. This might also explain his sleepless night this week...hmmm.

The Counting Crows Show

2008-10-02T08:52:00.004-04:00

We had a great time at the show and I'll post some pictures a bit later. I'm slightly hung over, but not too bad. The show itself was a little more jambandesque than I prefer--made it difficult to sing along, which I love to do at concerts. Of what I knew, since I don't know the new album, this is a list of what they played:

Perfect Blue Buildings
A Long December
Goodnight Elisabeth
Mr. Jones
Hanging Around
Rain King
Walkaways

Rain King was really cool, they did a bluegrass intro courtesy of Augustana. Throughout, the song mingled with The Beatles' (and sometimes Joe Cocker's) "A Little Help from My Friends" (which personally reminds me of Kevin and Winnie ;)) and Mr. Jones. I loved the repetition of "beautiful" which has always been a Counting Crows theme. All in all, it was a good show. I only wish it had been longer, and perhaps a bit less of the ultra-popular songs.

Pulling an All Nighter

2008-09-30T05:35:00.002-04:00

It's 5:30 am. I went to bed at about 11:45. Nathaniel woke up at 1:45...and never went back to sleep. I'm reasonably sure the he hates me. I tried holding him, putting him in bed with me and Ava. Putting him in bed with Mark. Giving him a bottle. Letting him hang out in the living room or awhile. Giving him orange juice. Tylenol. The whole nine yards. Finally, I decided to let him cry it out-- He decided that he could crawl out of his crib. Fabulous. Thank GOD that I heard the thud, b/c I'd left his door open and the gate at the top of the stairs was NOT closed. He just finished smashing bananas onto the table. Then tried crawling on top of the table. And I am ready to kill myself. Guess I'm off to get ready for work. Joy!

Ouch!

2008-09-27T21:25:00.000-04:00

Nathaniel did a faceplant onto the pavement just before I got home from work on Friday. Apparently, he tripped over the threshold of the backdoor, fell down that step, and caught his foot on the mat. To add insult to injury, he also has a cold so the sore under his nose is getting lots of nasty snot all over it. Ug.

Gas Crisis 2008

2008-09-27T21:22:00.000-04:00

Since Hurricane Ike, we've had almost no gas in Atlanta...

Professional Photo

2008-09-14T19:11:00.001-04:00

Here's a sneak peak from the photographer

A Summer's Eve

2008-09-12T19:47:00.001-04:00

Ava and Nathaniel playing in the backyard...

Getting all wet...

Mommy and her boy

2008-09-12T19:40:00.000-04:00

Photography credits go to Ava.

The Flower Girl and the Ring Bearer

2008-09-12T19:37:00.001-04:00

Also know as Ava and Kyle. This was taken at the rehearsal.

Aren't they sweet?

Pappy & Nathaniel

2008-09-12T18:42:00.000-04:00

At the rehearsal dinner

A Couple of Wedding Pictures

2008-09-12T18:41:00.001-04:00

My Parents with the happy couple...

Pappy and Nathaniel

A grumpy flower girl...

My Sister is Hitched

2008-09-07T21:48:00.002-04:00

The wedding was beautiful. It started to rain ever so lightly as she was walking down the aisle. Not enough to ruin anything, but just enough be really good luck. She looked gorgeous (of course!). The left for their honeymoon 1st thing in the morning. It was awesome to see all of our friends and family. I only wish that we had more time to visit with everyone before they had to head back home. Ava had a blast hanging out with her cousin Hannah and her BFF's Alon and Jacob.

Camp Rock - This is Me

2008-08-21T20:27:00.002-04:00

Ava is into the Camp Rock movie in a crazy way. She has memorized all of the songs and is a huge Jonas Brothers and Demi Levato fan. I think she wants to be a rockstar. Here is Ava's version of This Is Me:

And here is the movie clip:

Bowling Party

2008-08-18T19:30:00.004-04:00

Ava went to a bowling birthday party over the weekend for her friend from dance class, Ava M.

Here she is bowling...

Here she is playing with her dance class buddies Livy (on the chair) and Emma (pushing the girls). The birthday girl comes up at the end.

Eating cake with Emma and Livy...

Hugging Emily and Livy goodbye...

Ava's 1st Day of School

2008-08-13T21:46:00.000-04:00

Today was Ava's first day of school. She did great! Daddy dropped her off and Mommy picked her up. Her only complaint was that the teacher had vacuumed the carpet. She was very excited about the artwork that she'd created and getting to eat her lunch at school out of her super-cool 'Camp Rock' lunchbox.

I redecorated the place...

2008-08-12T22:58:00.001-04:00

...what do you think?

Chuck E. Cheese

2008-08-10T17:07:00.001-04:00

We took Ava to Chuck E. Cheese on Saturday. She was excited to go, but...as expected...she was a bit nervous. Honestly, she liked her cup of coins more than anything...

Like Mommy, she really liked SkeeBall:

Here are some other highlights. She wouldn't get on anything unless someone held her hand the whole time. Oh well, that's my cautious little baby girl.

Call Someone...because Pigs Just Flew

2008-08-10T16:57:00.000-04:00

That's right...somebody took mommy's picture! Oh my! Was it Daddy? No. Did she take the pictures herself? No! Was it Ava?! YES! My girl is quite the little photographer. I must say, she can focus the camera better than her Daddy can. ;)

A Boy and His (grandparent's) Cat

2008-08-10T16:52:00.000-04:00

Nathaniel absolutely adores Nina & Pappy's new kitten, Lucy. He even learned how to say "meow" for her.

Leaks McGhee

2008-08-08T21:50:00.002-04:00

What's going on upstairs?

What's going on downstairs?

hmph.

15 Months - Stats & Video

2008-07-28T21:57:00.004-04:00

Nathaniel had his 15 month check up this past friday. He's doing great!

Here is the roundup:

Height: 33 inches (95%)
Weight: 26 lbs 1.5 oz (68%)

Next is a video from the pool party this weekend that I just thought was kind of funny.

Natey's 1st Haircut - The Pictures

2008-07-15T22:38:00.001-04:00

Before...

After...

Where did my baby go?!

Vacation and Updates

2008-07-15T15:20:00.003-04:00

This weekend, I went to Myrtle Beach with my sister and some girls for her joint Bachelorette party with another of her girlfriend's Stephanie. It was quite fun and a nice opportunity to get away from the daily grind.

Upon my return, Nathaniel had learned a few words (I think). I'm pretty sure that I now hear "daddy" and "bye" on a regular basis. But new was: mommy, what's that, and car. I've also recently heard what I think might be "airplane" My little boy is growing up.

Ava has learned to write her name. She writes A-V(upside down)-A. She also draws the most amazing little people. I will try to scan these and post them soon.

I know that I've made a lot of promises and now I'm making bold claims to post drawings. You're thinking...yeah, right.

4th of July Weekend

2008-07-08T08:44:00.002-04:00

So, on friday we went to a parade at 10...had hotdogs at Hot Dog Heaven. Ava went in a bounce house and got her face painted. We grilled out and went to see fireworks in Woodstock. E and Todd ended up coming to that on account of Aunt E got herself way too drunk out at the lake and decided to go for a swim and nearly drown herself.

Saturday, I went to the sale at our local children's boutique-Marshmallow's. I was looking for a white linen john-john outfit for Nathaniel for the wedding. While, I did wind up finding that, I also HAD to get Ava a gorgeous dress for the rehersal...and 3 more for good measure. They are beyond cute though and a 4T...so I justify that she can wear them again next summer ;) Following that, I went shopping with E...for a black dress for the bachelorette party. OMG...what torture. All day long, nearly every store I went in, I was setting off the security alarm...to the point it started to get real embarrassing. I fully expected to be stopped by security and detained for shoplifting by the end of the day. I finally found 2 dresses...for a decent deal. I was just happy to leave that God-forsaken place. I ran the Matrix through a carwash on the way home and picked up some pizza for dinner.

Sunday was pretty uneventful. Trip to Home Depot to get some paintbrushes and supplies to make a shelf in Natey's room. Ultimately, we also got a drill. I started to paint the bathroom. Nathaniel woke up--swiftly ended that endeavor. Off to the grocery store--joy! Nap, and Nina and Pappy's for dinner.

Side notes: 1. Nina and Pappy went to Florida to visit Nina's sister. 2. Nina and Pappy got a new kitten--which is baffling b/c they just got rid of the last cat that they loathed. "E" totally talked them into this. The cat is great--loves the kids, even let Nate pick her up. Her tentative name is "Miley Cyrus" per Ava. 3. Ava is obsessed with movie Camp Rock starring the Jonas Brothers. She has memorized all of the songs and performs them with dance moves to boot. FYI: Joe, Nick, and Kevin Jonas all wear rings on their left fingers. I was wondering what was up with that, so I googled it. Turns out they are Purity rings. Go figure.

The conclusion of my shop-lifting adventure. It turns out--when I finally cleaned out the trash can that I call a purse Sunday evening--that when I bought new sunglasses on thursday that I had put the price tag in said trash can. I guess it had a security thing within the sticker. Awesome.

Now that the laptop is fixed, expect an arsenal of pictures...including some from the 4th.

The pictures are saved!!

2008-07-03T22:55:00.001-04:00

My laptop is a-ok and my pictures of Nathaniel are safe and sound. Turns out my hard drive came loose. phew! Muchos gracias! :) :) :)

Nathaniel's First Haircut

2008-06-29T21:54:00.001-04:00

Nathaniel had his first haircut on Saturday. I'd post pictures, but my laptop is broken. It was so adorable. He was a pretty good boy and I can't even explain how much older he looked afterward. He instantly went from being my little baby to my big boy. So bittersweet. So stinking cute though. :)

Resolution on the charms...

2008-06-24T08:19:00.001-04:00

General Mills sent me a coupon for a free box of Lucky Charms...which makes up for the crappy box that I bought. They also sent a coupon for $1 off any General Mills cereal. Not a fabulous loot for my Charm woes, but decent.

My new job...

2008-06-24T08:15:00.002-04:00

I am on day 2 of the 2nd week at my new job. So far so good. It's still work, so that's that. But, the commute is a breeze. I'm working out at 6am and coming home for lunch with my kids. I certainly can't complain about that.

As long as I'm sharing. Mark and I are getting along better than we have since our kids were born. We've decided to go to counseling and it's pretty interesting so far. No worries though, our prognosis it good, but I do think counseling is a healthy thing for all people. This thursday, we each go for an individual session. So we can dive into just how f-uped we really are. ;)

Charms?!

2008-06-11T10:38:00.003-04:00

So check this out. I love Lucky Charms. Right, I know...you've seen the video of me swinging, right? We've established that I'm a child. ;) So anyway, I opened a new box of the Charms today and it's nothing but the oat crap! I dumped the whole box into a bowl and counted the pitiful little charms. 7!!! In the whole box. 7. WTF?! I'm totally calling General Mills. ;)

Last thing, I swear...

2008-06-09T20:58:00.001-04:00

My laptop is broken. Real broken. It can't find the operating system. The thing has ALL of my pictures of Nathaniel's life on it. NONE of them are backed up, not even online. I'm distraught. If I lose them, I'm not sure what I'll do. :(

How I met your Mother

2008-06-09T20:55:00.002-04:00

Does anyone watch this? Can anyone tell me why the dude...whatever his name is...narrator dude. Anyway, he has the voice of Bob Saget when he narrates, but another voice (obviously) in the show. Why the hell is this? Are we supposed to believe that age changes his voice? Or is it done Dawson's Creek style where buddy creates a television show later on and an actor is portraying him? So annoying...any ideas?

I joined the gym today...

2008-06-09T20:51:00.002-04:00

And took a cycling class that was SERIOUSLY hard. I'm thinking of going to 6 am classes to be back before Mark leaves for work. Am I insane? Probably. I think it will feel good to be all energized and furthermore to like what I see in the mirror--particularly in a bathing suit. My dream is to get back into a bikini--and perhaps to even look better than before ;) But, for now, my calf muscle hurts! Ouch! One day at a time :)

The End of an Era

2008-06-06T23:03:00.003-04:00

Today was my last day at Reignmaker. I've been there (or some incarnation thereof) for the last 5 years. I was certain that I was there longer than I should have been. I loathe change and can be quite lazy ;) I could never really see any point (in what had generally felt like a waste of time career-wise) for my being around for so long. But, because I firmly believe in things like, fate, destiny, and karma...I know that there's a reason in there. Reasons are interesting in that they sometimes take a very long time to fully reveal themselves. So, it's a bittersweet ending--isn't that always the case? One door closes, another one opens? I wonder what's hiding in there.

Do I know you?

2008-06-03T22:02:00.000-04:00

This face was so silly that it practically begged to be shared...

Landscaping the new place...

2008-06-03T21:58:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Mark created a really nice landscape border out of leftover brick that matches our house. I think it looks great, and we couldn't beat the price! Free!

Girls Day

2008-05-25T08:46:00.002-04:00

Ava had her dance recital Saturday morning. It was absolutely adorable. I'd post pics and a video, but I've lost my memory card. I still have pics, but my sister has them, so I will share w/in the next few days. After her recital, we went and had our nails done. She was so patient and serious while she had her nails done. Then afterward, told me all about how much fun it was. Later, we played on the swingset and took a nap. It was a great day. Having a daughter just gets more and more fun. She's the sweetest girl and always has an "I love you" for me and loves to give unsolicited compliments. It's funny b/c I never knew that I wanted a baby girl, but it turns out, I didn't just want one...I NEEDED one! :)

A New Job...

2008-05-09T22:36:00.002-04:00

I am leaving the job that I've had for the last 5 years on 6/6. I'm sure I'll post more detail about that later. :)

I've got problems...

2008-05-04T00:27:00.001-04:00

I love you, Bits!

2008-04-29T21:55:00.000-04:00

You are growing up way too fast!!

Too Cute...

2008-04-27T22:08:00.000-04:00

The Playset

2008-04-27T21:12:00.000-04:00

For the past few weekends, my dad and Mark have been building a playset for the kids. It's finally finished (almost!). Here are a few pictures of it. The kids LOVE it. We just need to attach the slide and finish painting it.

The Cake

2008-04-27T21:06:00.000-04:00

Nathaniel didn't do a great job of mashing up his birthday cake. He's getting 4 teeth right now and was in a bit of a foul mood. He did manage to have a pretty good time, but it ended in tears. Nonetheless, Mommy got a few memorable pictures. :)

1 year stats

2008-04-24T22:27:00.002-04:00

Weight: 23 lbs 10 oz
Height: 32 inches

Wow, he's a tall boy. Both of my kids are giants for some reason. My husband is pretty tall-about 6'3", but I'm merely average at 5'5 1/2" (don't laugh, the 1/2 is important!!). Both of my kids are steady rocking the 97th percentile on the growth charts for height. Ava takes a ballet class with a group of girls that are all a year older than she is--you would never guess that she's 3 and not 4. I wonder if they will keep up this tall trend?

Another April 24th Birthday

2008-04-24T22:14:00.001-04:00

My cousin had her son this morning. We happily welcome little Nicholas Anthony, who shares a birthday with Nathaniel and my sister Elizabeth. What are the odds?!

Happy Birthday, Nathaniel!

2008-04-24T09:36:00.002-04:00

One year ago today at precisely 7:51 am--you entered our lives. What a wonderful day that was. Your Daddy held you up for me to see, and I couldn't believe that blond-haired boy was really mine. You were a superstar right from the start. You breastfed with ease and kept it up for 10 1/2 months! You slept right by my side through our 3 days in the hospital and never left my sight. You started sleeping through the night at just 4 weeks and continued until I went back to work when you were 13 weeks old. I've never met a more content and happy baby than you are. You've accomplished a lot this year, smiling, laughing, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, standing and walking. I will miss my baby terribly, but I'm looking forward to the next year with my little toddler. I'm so lucky to have you in my life. Happy 1st Birthday, baby boy!

Nate at the Park

2008-04-13T10:17:00.003-04:00

The Real Estate Market

2008-04-10T16:02:00.003-04:00

I just love looking at homes for sale. One of my favorite sites (if you are in Georgia) is Georgia MLS. You can search by nearly anything, street name, subdivision name, etc. Very cool stuff. This market is nuts right now, as you probably know. On a whim, we decided to put our old house up for sale. We staged the hell out if it and it sold in a mind-blowing 6 days. Since then, our old neighborhood has been over run with forclosures and the comps have taken a serious hit. I'm amazed at how lucky we were to get out when we did. Woo hoo!

He's really walking now!

2008-04-07T23:22:00.003-04:00

Today, Nathaniel started getting brave. He's been able to stand and take a step for awhile--but never really wanted to. This afternoon, he was letting go and taking several steps. I caught a bit on video. I figure he could be a full-fledged walker by the weekend. It's funny b/c with Ava I couldn't wait for these milestones. Now, I just want to savor my little baby.

I got a new car - The '09 Toyota Matrix

2008-04-04T23:53:00.000-04:00

It's small, inexpensive, efficient, and a hatchback. Everything I wanted--I love it!

Dessert!

2008-04-03T07:11:00.000-04:00

This was just too funny not to share. I gave Nate a treat after dinner--which explains the broccoli chunks on him and his chair. He scarfed the whole thing and made some funny faces along the way. The cold seemed to be no deterrent--yummy goodness prevailed.

Daddy got a raise!

2008-04-01T22:20:00.001-04:00

For those of you in the know, this is BIG, BIG news for us. And for the rest of you, all will be revealed in the upcoming weeks. :) :) :)

Easter Part 4

2008-03-30T20:32:00.000-04:00

Ava wraps the day up with a bit of sass and then helps her brother get an egg.

Easter Part 3

2008-03-30T20:30:00.001-04:00

Ava's friends Rachel (blonde) and Gianna came over for an Easter egg hunt. They had a great time and Nathaniel even got in on the action.

Easter Part 2

2008-03-30T20:29:00.000-04:00

Easter!

2008-03-30T20:27:00.000-04:00

Easter and Easter part 2 posts are of Ava dying easter eggs, saturday's egg hunt, and the easter baskets. Friday night, Ava and I dyed easter eggs in preparation for our big Easter weekend. Saturday we went to the big Easter egg hunt at Hobgood Park. Sadly, there were more kids than eggs--hopefully this hunt will work out better next year. Saturday night, the Easter bunny arrived while the kids were sleeping. He filled up the baskets with goodies. Ava got candy and art supplies and Nate got some sippy cups and a stuffed animal. Later, we hosted a backyard egg hunt and a late easter lunch. All of the following people attended: Family: Nina, Pappy, Grandma, Aunt E, Almost Uncle Todd, Uncle Scott, cousin Josh, and Aunt Mary. Friends: Kelly, Brian, Rachel, baby Trevor, Donna, David, and Gianna. It was a great day!

Just a pile 'o bags

2008-03-30T20:17:00.000-04:00

Kids are so easily entertained. Why do we even bother buying toys?!

That's enough, Mom.

2008-03-30T20:13:00.000-04:00

Why cabinet locks are necessary

2008-03-30T20:11:00.000-04:00

'Nuff said.

Atlanta Tornado

2008-03-30T20:02:00.000-04:00

We spent last Saturday in our half-bath while tornado sirens blared. Ava was bummed because she missed her friend Emma's birthday party. Afterward, she splashed around while Nathaniel looked on and we saw a rainbow. I also want to point out that I did not pick out that lovely ensemble that Ava is wearing.

Nathaniel waves bye-bye

2008-03-30T19:54:00.000-04:00

About a week or two ago, Nathaniel learned to wave bye-bye. Here he is with Pappy, waving good-bye to me as I left for work. This past week, he actually said Bye-Bye. This was far more of a certified first word--he absolutely knew what he meant when he said it. My boy is really growing up. Just one month until his 1st birthday.

Nathaniel gets to stepping

2008-03-18T22:33:00.000-04:00

...his very first steps! He took a couple tonight. I missed the first two because of my stinking cell phone...arg! But, after a nice tantrum by our resident drama queen, we were finally able to re-create the moment. "Trouble" has a new mode of transportation now, and we're going to be in for it, I'm sure. The walking thing will likely take a few weeks to perfect, I recall that with Ava. I'll post a video as soon as I'm able to capture it on film.

Simply Ava

2008-03-11T20:27:00.000-04:00

Ava Enjoys a Sunny Day

2008-03-05T23:22:00.000-05:00

She got a bicycle for her birthday, but she's still miffed that pedaling backwards is not as effective as it is on the tricycle. So for now, she's sticking to the tricycle.

Nate helps out around the house...

2008-03-05T23:11:00.000-05:00

He's officially into everything. Here he helps me load the dishwasher and put away the tupperware. Thanks, man! :)

Nathaniel said his first word!

2008-02-29T06:25:00.001-05:00

You Are My Sunshine

2008-02-24T21:33:00.001-05:00

Sooo close!

2008-02-24T13:17:00.000-05:00

Check out the hair on that guy!

2008-02-24T13:16:00.000-05:00

My Circumcision Rant

2008-02-21T23:09:00.000-05:00

Because most of you already know how I feel about this:

I've been asked by more than a few people why am I so interested in their son's penis. People, I can assure you that I have no bizarre fascination with your child's penis. I do not even dislike a circumcised penis. I don't care if adolescent boy's are or are not made fun of in the locker room. I do not care if my son's penis looks like his father's or not. What I do care about is supporting simple HUMAN RIGHTS. I care about speaking up for someone who cannot speak for himself. Opposing infant circumcision is really about supporting the right to choose for one's self what happens to his or even her own body. It's not about patting yourself on the back because you've not circumcised your son or that you've convinced someone else not to do it. It's about the fact that no parent's should even have the right to make such a decision. The only person who should decide if he's circumcised is the owner of the penis. Until this is outlawed by the United States government, they are essentially legislating child abuse. Until insurance companies stop paying for routine infant circumcisions, they are sending the message that the medical community will do whatever you pay them to do. Until doctors actually stand up and support their own Hippocratic Oath to "first do no harm", they should feel shame. For now, all we can do is spread the knowledge and start a revolution, one penis at a time, one letter at a time, one voice at a time. Spread the word that everyone's rights should be respected from the day they are born until the day they die.

There, I said it. No apologies.

Baby Bits turned 3 today!

2008-02-09T15:51:00.000-05:00

It seems like only yesterday that you were born...

...but here we are, 3 years later. You are the sweetest little girl and such a wonderful big sister. Happy Birthday, Ava! I love you!

.....
She had a fantastic day. It started with dance class and then her friends came over for a princess party.

Bath Time!

2008-02-03T21:34:00.000-05:00

Chow Time!

2008-02-03T21:31:00.000-05:00

Ava helps out feeding her little brother...

Nate is Learning to Walk...

2008-02-03T20:43:00.000-05:00

The Finished House!

2008-02-03T20:40:00.000-05:00

Fridge for Sale!

2008-01-31T21:03:00.000-05:00

Girl's Night Out

2008-01-20T15:58:00.000-05:00

Friday, I went out with my friend Farrah and my sister Elizabeth to see the Mike Kinnebrew Band.

Snow Days of 2008

2008-01-20T15:33:00.000-05:00

It almost never snows in Atlanta. Last week, it snowed twice. Ava loved it and Nathaniel didn't actually notice much ;) Here are a few of the highlights: