mission accomplished

i bet you're thinking we purchased the belt. no such luck. but you know...i'm not really that sad.

because the purchase i did, however, make today was this (in brown).

first...how minnie pearl do i look with the tag still on?

yeah. go ahead and say it. or i'll say it for you. ooh. la. la.

and someone might have purchased some souvenirs for her family. might have. i'm just sayin'.

and we took some pictures of kelly's SUPER cute little family. will post them when i get home.

tonight is girl's night in. a little salad and some really delicious world famous corn dip. lots and lots of dr. pepper. grey's anatomy from last night. and a chic flic. all being done in really comfy pajamas.

and buz, maybe we'll freeze our bras.

if you're lucky.

10 Things daddy said not to tell mommy

Hi! It's me, lil man. Daddy seems a bit worn out so I'm doing the bloggin tonight. Here were some of the events today daddy said we should keep a secret. ENJOY!

10. This is the princess daddy bought goo yesterday.

9. Daddy and goo ran out of gas on the tollway today and some nice lady picked them up and took them to the gas station.

8. The nice lady didn't have a car seat so Daddy and Goo kicked it old school in the front seat. They did share the seatbelt! :)

7. When Daddy stopped at the courthouse to drop off his defensive driving certificate he considered leaving goo in the car since she was napping. He reconsidered once he realized he was parked next to the Sheriff's car and they might come out of the courthouse first.

6. We had dinner with Nana tonight and daddy forgot Goo's shoes so she went barefoot.

5. Daddy also forgot the bag with toys, wipes, bibs and placemats.

4. Daddy decided to let Goo try a cup of milk with a straw because she wanted milk. It was kinda messy but Goo seemed happy.

3. This is the diver daddy bought me today since I kept taking goo's princess.

2. Daddy gives me a snack while he is feeding goo and another at storytime just to shut me up.

1. This is a really tough job and he is ready for you to come home.

Well, he's waking up so I need to go. Here were some other pictures of us tonight before bath time. Goo loves it when I chase her and that's the three of us saying HI MOMMY!!!

don't be disappointed

this post will not, i repeat NOT, be from buz. sorry to disappoint.

i'm in montana. and yes, i'm wearing a coat. because the high here is colder than the low in texas. brisk, people. brisk.

you probably don't want a run down of our trip thus far. because really, it would include discussing lots of different styles of north face jackets, how tall kelly's 4-year-old is, how great the Qdoba queso is, how nasty my nasal drainage is, what big h is going to be for halloween, etc. we've frequented the likes of sportsman ski haus (no luck with the north face jacket...looking at another store tomorrow), ross, target, tj maxx, gap, nordstrom, local toy store, etc. ahhh...feels just like home.

we've walked around some beautiful places. we got up this morning and went walking. (fyi: i got up before kelly. ummm...that's never happened in the twenty-four years that we've been friends. and she is insisting that she was ALREADY UP! whatever. own up to it, sister. just own up to it.) we had dinner OUTSIDE last night. and not ONE bead of sweat glistened my face or head. miracles of life. and then, we came back to the hotel room and read blogs. just like home.

we've spent a good chunk of time looking for a wide black belt for me. not some fancy dressy belt. and not some crazy fashion belt. just a good wide black belt. unsuccessful thus far. but we won't rest until we find it. we're committed like that.

and the truth is? the reason we're still friends after twenty-four years? we're best friends. we still amaze each other. we love each other's husbands. we love each other's kids. we know each other's history. there is no background to any story because we already know it. because we can go to sonic and she can order for me. this morning, we went walking, and it was cool. and i had on a short-sleeve t-shirt and long pants. and she loaned me a vest. kelly is smaller than me. always has been. always will be. but she loaned me her size medium fleece vest. and it was way too tight. but we didn't care. and it was a joke only between the two of us. see? none of you are laughing at the too tight vest. that's why we're best friends. she gets me. and i get her. and i love her to pieces. that wraps up the ultra cheesy portion of this post.

but see? i told you you probably didn't want a run down.

so apparently, everyone clearly loves our guest author. and why wouldn't you? he is the best? but can someone please pass the word along that he shouldn't write posts like the one today? because the mama's heart can't take those anymore.

who is impressed about the laundry and the morning prayers? i'm just glad he's continuing with my legacy. :)

tomorrow is "take your felt square to school" day. and by the end of the day, i'm sure the votes will be tallied. and i have no doubt big h will have won the "best felt square." buz promised he would take a picture of it (since i forgot). so i will post the preschool masterpiece when i get back home.

back home.

big h, i miss you. i miss your quirkiness. i miss you not staying in your room after we've said it's bedtime. actually, i don't miss that. i miss watching stanley with you. i miss your little voice. and i can't wait to squeeze you and hug you a LOT when i get back.

goo, i don't even know where to begin. i can't imagine what your little life has been like. luckily, you have your sweet dad to soften the blow. i miss you more than you will ever know. i hope and pray that the next three days are extra fun and that you and daddy build a bond that will last forever.

and buz? seriously? you gotta quit with the sad posts. because it makes me sad. but i love knowing that you guys are missing me. thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me come out here. kelly and i are having the time of our lives.

but no... we are not 1) braiding each other's hair, 2) freezing each other's bras or 3) having pillow fights in cute little pajamas. none of that going on here. sorry to disappoint.

Have you seen my mommie???

Day 2 at Camp Buz began to show some cracks...

Goo spent most of the day either standing by the back door or walking between our bedroom and the big room. I think she is beginning to realize her best friend isn't here. When she found a Baby Einstein box by the TV she began to whimper. I'm not sure if it was the Einstein she wanted or the person who snuggles with her while they watch. Needless to say I put it in but was not a very good substitute for Mommy.

<---------------------------

During Goo's morning nap I caught up on all the blogs and recent posts. Next, I finished the laundry and ironing and began to work on Goo's christmas dress before the breakfast souflee was ready. Once lil man finished his morning prayers I thought it would be a good time to make some of our community phone calls the the neighbors with the verse of the day...


Okay we watched Stanley and Sesame Street while I waited for the eggos to pop out.

We did run to the store but the rest of the day was spent inside playing hide and seek, building forts, and playing chase. Poor goo just seemed lost most of the day.

Her nighttime feeding was challenging. She was fussy and losing patience with me so we finished up early.

Since the night ended with the goo sad i'm not into anything funny tonight. She misses her mommy and that makes me sad. I miss her too. I love you pretty.

buz

Camp Buzz

So here is the rundown from day 1 at Camp Buzzie

5:30 AM wake up and realize it is not 7:00 yet

6:45 AM No sounds yet. Set alarm for 7:30 in case I fall back asleep and lil man sleeps in

7:15 AM Lil man comes in to "watch someting." Turn on Super Spy Backyardigins (running time 60 minutes. Perfect timing for leaving for school. Go into kitchen and make lunch for little man.

7:25 AM Goo not up yet so I jump in the shower

7:30 AM Hear alarm going off so jump out of shower, turn off alarm, and jump back in shower. Hear Goo as I'm getting back in.

7:33 Zap Goo's bottle in microwave and remember to add acidopholis (to prevent diarrhea from her ABX). Who needs Janet's list.

7:36- 7:46 Feed the goo.

7:46 -7:50 Dress Goo in white tshirt and pink mini skirt with a butterfly. Janet would be proud.

7:50 Dress lil man in pre-assigned clothing from mom

7:52 Forgot to give Goo her antibiotic. (look for Janet's list to see what else I've missed)

Put abx in syringe. Spills on white her white shirt. Damn. We hadn't even made it out of the house yet! Don't change the shirt because, well I'm the dad.

7:55 - 8:10 Contemplate my own attire for the day. "Should I wear a nice shirt to impress the teachers and fellow moms?" Pull out a white undershirt and golf shirt. Then realize I don't want to look like I was trying to dress up JUST to drop him off. "Would that make me seem snobbish?" Decide to wear a regular tshirt. "Now should I wear a hat?" No, that would make me look like a bum and I don't want to look like I don't have a job.

8:10 Realize I still have 30 minutes and not sure what to do with this much time. Watch snot run down Goo's face and use her shirt to wipe it because mine is still clean.

(okay not really...I use a wipe)

8:45 Arrive at school 10 minutes early. Watch several "experienced" Mom's break etiquite and pull in the wrong way of the established counter-clockwise drop off protocol. Give plenty of dirty looks and discouraging nods of disgust. Stop once I realize I'll be walking in the same church door they are in about 5 minutes.

8:47 Listen to High School Musical "Bet on It" for the fifth straight time.

9:15 Call Janet and ask if lil man really needs his special lions that he takes everyday to school during naptime that I forgot to pack. Janet says he'll probably be okay. Ask her why it wasn't already in his school bag? She asked if I checked the list before I left. Check the list after we hang up. DAMN! It was on there!

9:30 - 4:00 PM The rest of the day goes pretty well with two exceptions. I picked up lil man in the opposite car I dropped him off in and I cleaned up his room while he was gone.

LIL MAN RULE 1: Lil man does not like surprises
LIL MAN RULE 2: see lil man rule 1

We get home and I put goo down for a nap. I soon realize I've made it to 4:00 and can assume normal afternoon Dad routine.

Call both grandmothers and assure them I'll survive. I also remind them this is Day 1 and to check in on Friday or Saturday after I've run out of videos and snacks to bribe them with.

8:30 Lil man summons me to his room to tell me he can't sleep in a clean room and can I help make it dirty again.

8:40 Lil man calls down the hallway to tell me he can't find find Larry Boy.

8:42 Lil man whispers down the hallway that his room isn't dirty enough and he needs help.

8:44 Lil man opens door to tell me he wants another snack.

8:50 Lil man wants to call mommy to read him a story since I won't.

Cue the crying because Daddy is so mean...

9:00 Settle in bed with my Vanilla Coke to watch some Kid Nation. I wonder if they take 4 year olds on the show??

worse than dodgeball

so i was tagged a while back for the little "name eight random things about yourself." and really, as long as it didn't involve amish friendship bread, i figured i would go ahead with it and get it over with.


as far as the game of tag, it brings back some painful elementary memories. you know what i'm talking about. you look outside the window at 10:15. you know recess is in fifteen minutes. and you know they're not going to let everyone play outside in the rain. which means...inside recess in the gym. which involves either tag or dodge ball. don't get me wrong, i loved me some active games and all. but i swear to you i was that girl who was ALWAYS it. always. i would almost reach someone, and they would decide that their shoe was base. or the stage was base. or their bff was base. whatever. i was always it. for the entire recess. like i said, sometimes i really just preferred dodge ball. take the red, partially deflated rubber ball and peg me in the face and just get it over with. so i can go sit with my buddies and talk about guess jeans and jellies and swatch watches.


anyway, as painful as it is...i'm it. so grab a cup of coffee. not because it's unbearably long. but because it will be unbearably boring. and these are eight random things about me. i did not, however, say that they would be eight unusual things about me. you'll see what i'm talking about.

1. i took a photography class with my friend weentrab before she made it big.


2. my best friend kelly and i met in fourth grade at a slumber party. we have both been pregnant at the same time and have two children each three months apart.


3. i met buz at my first "real" job. we had offices next to each other. one day, he came in in a light yellow polo button down and leaned up against the door of my office and used the pick up line, "hey. my brother is a pastor at a church here in town. wanna go together sometime?"


4. the first time i met my now sister-in-law (brother's wife), we had on the same outfit. jeans and a white with navy stripe short-sleeve sweater. i knew she was in. or maybe she knew i was in.


5. i was at the delivery of my other sister-in-law's (buz's brother's wife) first born. she introduced me to her mom as buz's "co-worker." because you know, it is so normal to bring one of your co-workers into your sister-in-law's labor and delivery rooms before she has her first baby.


6. i was an athletic trainer in high school. to this day, i still get chills wrapping someone's ankle in athletic tape. i hate to toot my horn, but i'm pretty good at it.


7. when i was in junior high, i rotated watching "grease II" and "mannequin" every sunday afternoon when my parents and brother napped. those VHS tapes literally wore themselves out. now i know why big h wants to watch high school musical and high school musical 2 all. the. time. oh, and don't think i don't watch it with him.


8. when i was in seventh grade, i won a Z104.5 turquoise and hot pink t-shirt for singing the ENTIRE chorus of "rock it to you" by the jets on the radio. the DJ laughed throughout the entire thing. oh, and so does my brother and his best friend every time they even think about it. i love being the butt of jokes. i do.


9. i met Charles Barkley when i was a freshman in college. oops, that was #9, but wasn't meeting Charles Barkley totally worth the extra random thing? totally.

so there you have it.

also, wanted to let you know that there will be a guest "author" here this week, starting tomorrow. (i won't name any names, but he is really, REALLY CUTE! and totally taken.) i will be on vacation WITHOUT CHILDREN this week for FIVE DAYS with my best friend kelly. we are going to washington to retreat and be together and eat a lot of nachos with processed cheese and drink gallons upon gallons of real dr. pepper. and probably shop. a little.

so hopefully *someone* will be bringing you minute-by-minute updates of life around here. pray for buz. actually, he doesn't need prayer because he is going to do great. in fact, big h and the goo are going to want me to go to work and daddy to stay home. because there will be lots of snacks and playing outside and pizza and watching shows at bedtime. daddy disneyland is what i like to call it. buz doesn't like that term.

but seriously. my kids are going to eat him up. they are going to have the best time. he asked me before i left "what do you want me to tell you when you call?"

my response was, "i want to know that everyone is healthy, having fun, missing mama A LOT, but not enough to make life hard, and that my job is way harder than you ever thought and that you appreciate me a lot."

was that too much to ask?

speaking of everyone being healthy, i took the goo for her two-week ear follow-up this morning, and she has another double ear infection. are you kidding me? so glad i can provide vacation for our pediatrician and his family. pray for buz. that he will manage everything beautifully and that he will get quality sleep. pray for goo. that she will finally get better. pray for big h. that he will win "best felt square 2007." just kidding. sort of.

OH! that reminds me. i need to show you how the square turned out. thanks to all you crafty cats out there with all your suggestions. they helped so much. i will try to have buz take a picture of it before he takes it on friday.

since i have to leave the house tomorrow morning at FOUR O'CLOCK, i should probably be signing off. and i will leave you with this...

kelly and i will be relaxing here, thank you very much.

and one more thing. just wanted to introduce you to something called a jacket. it's something you wear when it's brisk outside. now, you texans...i know. i know you don't know what this and perhaps you have never worn one. but i want you to know that yours truly will be donning one for five straight days. i will report back with what a pleasure it was. and i will not be wearing any shorts either. jeans. perhaps the trouser jean that these two keep talking about.

preschool classifieds

URGENT!

help. the mother of a preschooler needs help with a class assignment. if you too are the mother of a preschooler or know of someone who is, please contact me through the comments section or by email.

here is big h's "assignment." they are studying "all about me." i have brought a picture of big h as well as one of our whole family. they have gotten to talk about everyone in their family and specific things about each member.

side note: what i wouldn't give to have been a fly on the wall when big h discussed something specific about me.

anyway.

their latest project reads:

dear parents,

today in your child's bag, you will find a felt square. our class will be using these to make an "all about me" class quilt. please decorate the felt square with your child and return it to school by 09.28.07. you can use any materials you would like when decorating. the following are some suggestions that might get you started:

• magazine pictures of favorite toys, foods, etc.
• hand prints
• child's drawing
• photo of the family
• stickers

have fun decorating. we can't wait to see your creations!

ok, people. let's talk. i am not creative. not creative. i need a map to navigate my way through hobby lobby and michaels. i haven't *played* with glue since i had a crush on...well, he was a boy in fifth grade, but he might be reading this. so he will remain anonymous. i used to make friendship bracelets in the summers. but this is the extent of my craftiness. however, i have a little OCD about stuff like this. meaning, i want big h to bring something that he is proud of, i am proud of, and of course, the teachers and rest of the entire student body are proud of. i'm not going to take a class this weekend or anything. but am soliciting your help so big h won't be the laughing stock of CRCDS. i need serious help.

this is a felt square. how on earth do you attach a picture to a felt square? stickers? my kid LOVES buz and woody, so naturally i thought i would purchase some buz and woody stickers for said quilt square. again...how to attach? hand prints? what kind of paint do i put on his hands or feet that is washable but won't wash off the quilt? and child's drawing? big h is WAY into writing his name by himself. so i would love to somehow include that as well.

i PROMISE this is not a ploy to reach out to you lurkers. i am ok that you lurk. i too am a lurker. but people. this mama is in need of some assistance. and fast.

so come one. come all. to the aid of this frazzled mama.

and a little FYI: this is due on a day i will not be there. i am going on vacation by myself. that's WITHOUT CHILDREN and leaving next wednesday (09.26). so buz will be bringing this masterpiece. if you don't want to help me, c'mon...at least help buz.

(and if you don't want to comment, email me at janetwisner@verizon.net. i'm not too proud to beg.)

independent and cranky...

...or just a double infection.

guess who won "mother of the year" award today?

i decided i had had enough of poor goo. i asked big h what we should do, and he instructed me to call dr. g's office at once. i did, and they had an appointment . in an hour.

we were out the door and eager to see dr. g. (unshowered and no teeth were brushed, mind you. not a way mama likes to start her day.)

have i mentioned big h's diehard love for dr. g? it's almost freakish. but i'd rather that than the alternative.

we see dr. g at the end of the hall, and big h runs down the hall and gives dr. g a big hug and even though dr. g is on the phone (probably taking a very important health-related phone call), big h announces that he has thomas on his underwear. (note: we don't always tell everyone what kind of underwear we are wearing. big h just knows how proud dr. g is of him not wearing diapers anymore.)

one look in the first ear...infected. nice.

look in ear #2...infected. yeah. even better.

within 10 minutes, we were in and out of the office with Rx in hand.

and wouldn't you know it? we have had fun goo tonight. amazing how that works.

mother of the year.

accident waiting to happen

we've noticed that since the goo turned one, she's turned into a little drama queen. i mean, she could give Broadway a run for its money these days.

separation anxiety to the nth degree. check.

teething at its extreme. check.

now annoyed at things big h does to her. check.

and with walking came a little independence that she kinda likes. my mom and mother-in-law are laughing out loud right now. because apparently, buz and i were both a *little* independent in our day. her teething has caused some pretty mean crankiness. and that teething? yeah, it has also produced some lovely congestion that apparently is here to stay.

so to say that the goo hasn't been herself for a while would be an understatement. more like some demon has come and possessed her sweet little body.

she has also become *quite* attached to her "lovie." let's talk for a minute about lovies. big h never had one. i always wanted him to. i mean, he liked his frog that i purchased for him when he was younger. but it was definitely not something he noticed when absent from the room.

goo's lovie. absent from the room. she begins scouring the house for it. and when found, there is an embrace that i could only dream about at an airport terminal.

so let me address those of you who purchase possible lovies for friends as baby gifts. buy two. period. just buy two. and save us moms the headache and fear of trying to replace said lovie should something happen to it. marino...i'm singling you out. you know that, don't you? pink bear blankie is no longer even in production. lillian vernon purchase. absolutely adorable. phoned and emailed lillian vernon. answer to my question. "oh, i'm sorry. ma'am. that blanket is out of stock and will not be coming back into production." marino, you're a dead man.

does anyone else's child have a lovie (other than marino whose child has like 3 or 17 replacements)? do they smell to high heaven like the goo's? even after washing. still foul.

so anyway, after the purchase of the new shoes, we went outside in the backyard to enjoy the beautiful day. and the goo messed herself up. not only did she fall several times and cry a LOT about it. but she also managed to get eaten alive by mosquitoes in the four minutes it took me to go get the bug spray.

she was so thrilled about her new shoes. meet drama goo. in all her happiness. and what on earth is big h about to do to his sister? or me?

but how cute? and the lovie? nowhere without it. no.where.

one of her first attempts at blowing this joint.

one of my new favorite pictures. took this from one of the pictures buz took of our shoes yesterday.

the seriousness.

finally...happy goo. the goo we know and love.

then, today the goo and i had lunch with a friend of mine and her 2-year-old daughter and her mother-in-law. she is in town for a shoot with the infamous weentrab. after lunch, we went to a chic little children's boutique (not for me) to look around. the goo, in all her excitement, tripped on a toy and fell head first onto a children's wooden chair. we were on concussion precautions for the next hour. but i'm happy to report that she's going to pull through. i'm not sure she thinks so yet, but we are confident in her recovery.

don't mind the goo. she administers her own pain meds. look at that goose egg.

can you see some of her forty-two teeth?

again with the forehead and mosquito bites on her head. and the big scrape on her finger. a mess, i tell you.

***************************************************************************

in other chipper news, i have begun cooking again. (yes, *again* buz!) thanks sarah for all the inspiration. i thank her as though she's my bff. (secret...she doesn't have a clue who i am.) anyway, i made a salad tonight that i am so proud of and just had to share. and you don't even need the recipe because you can see all seven ingredients in the picture. yeah, you're impressed. don't deny it.

to God be the glory

let's give Him praise today.

for it was cooler than 97 degrees. AMEN!

in fact, on our way to the mall for our special occasion (to be mentioned momentarily), i did not turn on my air conditioning.

DID NOT TURN ON MY AIR CONDITIONING.

hallelujah...God answers prayer.

i'm not saying any of this out of mockery. this was an incredibly beautiful day. i simply cannot put it into words. fall is here. or at least it's coming. and it came out today to say hello. no sweat. no hurrying to get inside. there was a wind that even big h commented on. "hey, mama, there is air outside too! isn't that coolest?" (i intentionally left out the word 'the' because big h sometimes leaves it out. and it makes the story that much better.)

so the reason for the outing to the mall (instead of a park) on this beautiful day.

shoes. for the goo.

the goo has been walking now for about a month. really well. and she does NOT crawl anymore. that is so yesterday. our pediatrician suggested that we put her in "real" shoes soon, so she'll start getting used to the difference early.

buz, it's what the doctor said. we have to buy her new shoes.

it's a mother's dream. or at least this mother's dream.

even big h was pumped. he asked me so many times if she could get shoes like his. oh, and by the way, they're back. it's back to school time, which means big h has gone back to his staple accessory. in grey, of course. tradition. and to be honest, i had missed the 992's. really, i had.

point of my story...right. goo's 1st pair of shoes. this was a big occasion. not one to be taken lightly. we looked around at nordstrom, but i wasn't sold on anything right away.

moment of silence for that statement.

but big h and i kept looking. and let me tell you the shoes he picked out for her. God bless her soul if he ever offers her assistance with fashion. the first two pairs he picked out were these and these. granted, i know boots are in this fall. but if you can come up with one outfit that they would go with, i would welcome the suggestion. and the former shoe? well, since her ears aren't pierced yet, i'm not sure they make clip-on silver hoops her size. and i'm also not sure she would be able to keep the bangle bracelets on long enough to make the outfit worth it.

so...drum roll please. the goo's first pair of shoes.

i have a feeling this purchase will not surprise ANYONE, especially my mom. or my husband. just like her mama. white t, khakis, and a pair of classic chucks. and perhaps a red baseball cap. don't think that's not what she's going to wear tomorrow. and so am i. just kidding. i am so tickled, i can't even tell you. and the goo clearly has amazing taste. she was running around the entire store with the biggest grin on her face.

big day. will be written in her baby book.

big day for the boys

(apologies first...the spacing on this thing is SO MESSED UP i can't even believe it. so in spite of my semi-OCD, i'm going to leave it. because i don't want to mess with it anymore.)

buz turned thirty-something.

big h's first day of school was today.

surprisingly, big h was really excited to go to school this morning. maybe his breakfast of champions had something to do with it.

and i had no problem helping big h score points with his teachers. i bought them each a donut. it worked.

he was so pumped about getting in his class and seeing his teachers and friends. he literally opened the door handle himself and marched right in. the teachers welcomed him with open arms, and he was off.

clearly, he was thrilled about a photograph. i so heard him say, "moooommmmmm. not in front my friends." (ok, he didn't say that, but i promise that's what i heard in my head.)

(and is he trying his best to look malnourished?)

obviously more excited about the "thing you make hand prints on." i told him i loved him and to have a good day. and the response was, "yeah, mama. you have a good day too. i love you yots."

really, the separation anxiety was tough on him.

or not.

surprisingly, goo was sad about him leaving. the whole way home, she kept looking over to his empty car seat. i was more sad about that than anything else.

but she and i ran some birthday-related errands for daddy.

speaking of daddy, let's talk for a moment about him. you know how brevity is my strong suit. of course, pictures say a thousand words. so thank you, pictures, for doing part of my job.

but honestly, there are times even i don't know what to say about buz. those of you who know him know what i'm about to say.

he NEVER EVER thinks about himself. and i mean NEVER. EVER.

first of all, i always dreamed of marrying my prince charming. see?

you know...my smooth dadday if you will.

but buz is this. UNSELFISH. i don't know how to say it any other way. he is never happier than when he is with us, as a family. we are what he dreamed of. i don't say that conceited. that's what he would tell you. i mean, if you were to ask him. he doesn't have a favorite color. not a favorite drink. not a favorite meal. not a dream car. not a favorite this or that. ok, so he does have one favorite. and me, of course. well, and big h and the goo. and the reason he doesn't have favorites? because he wants everyone else to be happy. if i had a dollar for every time i heard, "oh, whatever you want to drink or whatever you want to watch or whatever you want to have," i would be one rich woman. for example, tonight he wanted to go eat pizza with the kids at a very family-friendly pizza place and then get wings on the way home. but the goo had had a long day and was hungry and thirsty and really ready to get out of her car seat. so he just suggested the closest place to where we were when we were talking on the phone in our respective cars. forego his birthday plans for the goo.

typical.

i used to feel guilty. until i realized that he loved pleasing us. loved it. and trust me -- when he does want something specific, he goes after it. or at least expresses it.

he loves his mom.

he loves his dad.

he loves his brother and his wife and family.

he loves my parents.

he loves my brother and his wife and family.

and every one of my friends will tell you that i am the envy of the girls. because there is not one friend of mine who doesn't LOVE my husband. i mean, like him a lot as someone else's husband, you know.

he condones my love of handbags.

he brushes my hair at night. he is a sensitive guy.

but don't get me wrong. he is a man's man.

he pursued me, and i blew him off. then, i realized he was awesome, and i, like any other "southern" Christian girl pursued him like mad. he was no longer into me. RATS. and i got the "it's just not the right timing" song and dance.

but then, he prayed and prayed and realized that it was the right timing. well HALLELUJAH! and ladies, he courted me. he respected me in every way. he doted on me. he respected my parents. he wanted to get to know my brother and sister-in-law because they were important to me. he wanted to get to know my best friend because she was important to me.

and he loved Jesus. with me. beside me.

and now my life is rich. it's complete. i am living with my best friend. i love you so much, sweet buz. happy birthday. i am so glad you were born.

in central park. because i wanted to go to central park, he took me.

rockefeller tree at christmastime.

buz having NO PROBLEM being cheesy with me. (back when we needed to use up a roll of film. remember that?)

dating.

magic time machine. not a real jail. we're not that crazy.

horse race.

night we got engaged.

proposed with christmas lights. see? thoughtful.

do you notice how much how much bigger my fish is than his?

from the mouths...

when asking buz if he wanted to order some netflix. (i'm so hip with lingo. i know it.)

because big h repeats EVERYTHING we say, he asked daddy again, "daddy, do you want to bake some nut flakes?"

i love this kid.

***and then, when i asked buz if i should post this or if it was dorky, big h said to me, "no, mama, it's not borky. it's not."

never a dull moment.

it takes a strong heart

...to be a baylor fan.

my mom's birthday was this past week, and she decided that she wanted buz and me to go with her and my dad to a baylor game. today. without kids.

done. we'll get a sitter.

here's the one part of football season that i don't like. the tease that it's fall. where is it fall at the end of august?

news flash: it's still summer here. really, really 90-degree summer.

early on, i always dreamed of being with my boyfriend at a football game, all snuggled up next to each other with a blanket. holding hands. wearing jackets, pants, sweaters, hats perhaps.

i mean, at least long sleeves.

but when deciding what to wear to a football game includes the question to myself, "what can i wear that i will still look cute even if i'm wet from all the sweating?" well, that's just wrong, people. it's just wrong.

i digress.

our sitter (who came straight to our house from her track meet -- hoss.) got to our house at 3:00, and we were out the door. i spent the whole day looking forward to three o'clock. absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

on the way to the game, buz and i talked. really talked. about stuff on our minds and hearts.

with not a single interruption.

got to the stadium, and immediately we felt like we were in college again. only, we weren't. but the sound of the band. the announcer over the loud speaker. smell of processed cheese and jalapenos.

and the sight of UMPTEEN THOUSAND college kids text messaging.

makes me feel really old.

baylor got off to a good start. we held the horned frogs from two touchdowns at the beginning of the game. impressive. we made it down the field a couple of times.

and then, it was pretty much downhill the rest of the game. and that was just the first quarter.

but buz and i had nowhere to be. other than sitting next to my parents, rooting on our alma mater. and eating our nachos, of course.

they shut us out 27-nothing.

the sad thing about baylor is that i don't ever remember them being good. my mom went to baylor, so we grew up going to at least one game plus homecoming. and they never won. they never really had a good team. some teams are good, and even when they have a bad game, it's not hard to watch. because, you know, they're good.

not baylor. you always hope that this year, things will turn around. but usually, they don't.

like i said, it takes a strong heart to be a baylor fan.

but Lord have mercy, what i would've given to have been at this game. BOOMER SOONER!

Hallelujah -- football season is here.

**oh, and by the way. someone once told me to get a sense of what's in and current, go to a college campus. let's just say that sweating is not in right now. because not one cute little 19-year-old girl in her j.crew outfit and her celebrity chanel sunglasses had one drop of perspiration anywhere on her body. i'm blaming mine on hormones. i can still do that, right? even if goo is over a year old? and for the record, i don't remember wearing anything other than a t-shirt and shorts to a football game. and i sure didn't wear any make-up. or chanel sunglasses.