Hyrum

Me: Hyrum! I love you!
Hyrum: Mom, I love your light-saber.

Fair Finally!

You know, we've lived in Texas (married) almost 10 years now. I was here off and on another couple years before that, and Mark was here 4? years before that as well? Anyway, it's taken us this long to finally make it to the Texas State Fair. But we finally made it -- Yeehaw!

Here is our documentary proof:

Jacob was not happy we tried to make him stand still. Heaven forbid! But as you can see, he's roughly 32" tall. That equals free. Hooray!

Tallest ride in the North Atlantic Western hemispherical side, South of the East coast! ....errr, something like that.

It's tall.

Enjoying the free Girl Scout cookie plunder. Nom, nom, nom.

What's the fair without fried food???

Fried & chocolate-covered bacon & fried lemonade.
Mmmmm.

We got to see the big guy the day before he burned down.
Rest in peace, Big Tex.

Stripes

Last Sunday I posted this on Facebook. I'm reposting for "journal-ing" purposes. Sorry if you get a double dose. 

My poor girls had to learn about death tonight in a very hard way. Just as we sat down to dinner I received a call from a neighbor saying our cat had found his way over to her house. I went to retrieve him and tried to explain he was an outside cat, so the fact that he crossed the street was not a surprise. The girl remarked that she didn't like cats until she met this one -- he was so sweet. I la

ughed, telling her I felt the same way. We're talking full on cat-hater. Don't-do-pets kinda person. Until Stripes won me over.
In cruel irony, that was the moment Stripes chose to leap out of my arms and run into the street. Just as a car passed. And couldn't stop in time.
Sweet Stripes, we sure loved you. We will miss you dearly.

Small follow-up:

Stripes was buried in our front yard and has had many funeral 'services.' I think Lacie understands, but just isn't so saddened by it. Andrea was broken-hearted. Hyrum keeps telling Mark that he was "mean, putting Stripes in the dark hole," and Jacob just keeps looking for the kitty.

For my part, I was surprised at how hard it has been for me. Sunday night I bawled. And bawled. And bawled some more. Over a cat!! If you'd told me 3 months ago that I'd be doing that, I would have said you didn't know me!

I guess this cat really was just that special. Honestly, he never once hissed or clawed at my kids. Not once. Not when they pulled his tail; not when they tried to make him walk on 2 legs; not when they'd throw him in the bushes or try to force him into a basket. He'd leap away, but then he'd always come back -- purring like crazy as soon as you showed him any kindness.

I really loved that cat. And I really miss him. I don't want another cat. I don't believe I'd ever find one like Stripes. But then, I never thought I'd ever like a cat to begin with. :)

M/W/F

6:40am: wake up girls, get them dressed & ready for school
7:10am: get girls out the door and to the neighbor's house for carpool
7:12am: wake up boys, get them dressed and fed
7:45am: load boys & stroller in car, head to Park
8:15am: meet w/ friends to walk 2-3 miles around the park, play/talk after
10:30am: get home, feed boys snack, jump in shower
11:15am: Jacob's speech therapy appointment
11:45am: Hyrum's speech therapy appointment, Jake goes down for a nap
12:15pm: speech appts over; lunch for Mom and Hyrum
12:40pm: wake up Jacob, load boys in car, drive to elementary school, pull Lacie out of class, race home
1:00pm: Lacie's occupational therapy appt; boys must be kept out of the room and quiet
1:35pm: Hyrum's occupational therapy appt; Jake and I take Lacie back to school then go back home
2:10pm: occupational therapy over, feed Jake lunch
2:40pm: load boys, drive to elementary school to pick up girls and neighbors
3:00pm: snacking, playing, fighting, screaming/yelling, tattling, running in/out, crying, and pouting commence
3:01pm: Mom locks herself in the bathroom for the next two hours...

Do you ever...

Notice when you're driving in your car and coming upon a 4-way stop, and another car is coming up to this same intersection perpendicularly to you (so, on your right or your left), and suddenly you find yourself in a race to 'stop' first so that you can then 'go' first, but then the cheater other car stops waaaay before the white crosswalk lines just so that he can be first and, therefore, win?! Grrrr.

McDonald's with Jake

My cute little buddy.

Andrea-ism

"...and he pushed me down and I fell on my maximus booty-mas."

Posting

Wow. So my last post was August 23rd. Of this same year, but still. It's October 10th. We've had some excitement going on since then and I haven't even taken the time to blog about all our wonderful (and not-so-wonderful) exploits. Shame.
There is a reason, however. It's simple, too.
I'M CRAZY.

No, seriously. I have the pills to prove it. Although, I've had the pills for a while now, so I guess that's not much of an excuse for the last month or so. Hmm... I need better pills? Lol

Take today, for example. Well, more like right this second. Life turned to chaos at around 3pm today. Coincidentally, that's the time the girls get home from school. And so do their 2 next-door neighbor friends. With whom they have a love/hate relationship. So they argue and play and fight and run around and cry and boss and laugh and eat and all the while constantly going inside, then outside, then inside, then outside, then inside, then... you get the picture. And of course with all this exciting commotion the boys feel super sad (read: throw tantrums) if they don't get to join in -- inside, then outside, then inside, etc. Problem with that is, well, the boys are 1 and 3. I would need the Great Wall of China along the perimeter of my house to keep them from running off to the street, Taco Bell, or who know's where else. And no, I don't have the Great Wall of China outside. Last I heard from the consulate, they aren't willing to move it. Blast.

So. We're back to chaos and crazy. And did I mention a small, cramped house with WAY more stuff than space? Doesn't help. And being the problem-solver that I am, my first inclination is to go hide in my bed. But there is a smelly diaper afoot. I cannot in good conscience sleep, knowing that my kid is reddening up his cheeks with a healthy dose of diaper rash. Actually, maybe I could. But I wouldn't sleep well thinking about what would happen if the diaper leaked. Drat.

Plan B: blog.

Useless Knowledge

Did you know...?

The Land Before Time has the longest running series of movie sequels? Okay, I don't actually know that for fact, but I'm 90% sure. More than Rocky and Star Wars combined. Even more than all the different takes on Batman and Superman.

In case you don't have your calculators at the ready, that's 13, people.

THIRTEEN.

And for those of you who have dodged, er, missed this movie series I thought I'd fill you in so you don't feel bad. Nice of me, huh?

• The original was directed by Steven Spielberg and is actually quite decent.
• The rest of the movies are 80% screaming, 20% (cheesy) singing.
• There are 7 different actors over the course of the 13 movies who voice the main character, "Little Foot."
• The third (and final) "Ducky" actor should win an award for Most Obnoxious Voice. Ever.
• Keifer Sutherland (aka Jack Bauer) has a large role in movie #10.
• No one ever gets eaten. Weird.
• T-Rexes never seem to prevail against brontosauruses. Again, weird.
• Cera, the Triceratops, never learns. Seriously. She makes the same mistakes every. single. movie.

Can anyone guess how it is that I came to possess all this awesome knowledge?