various information

so, it's 1130, and i just finished my two juicy mangoes. that i had been looking forward to all day. thankyouverymuch, franklin. i'm 100% addicted. addicted.

but first of all, i wanted to thank you so much for all the comments you left here. not to mention the prayers you left via email. my in-laws have internet and phone. i told her i had posted about their situation, and she was so touched. i'm not sure if she's gotten around to reading it. they've had a little bit on their plate. but we (buz and i) are the only source from the "outside" that they have. we have been sending them news clips online everyday to update her on what's happening there.

i have talked to her once a day since sunday, but the conversations have been brief. which is huge. seeing as how i talk to my mother-in-law once a day for about thirty minutes to an hour. i know. it's unheard of, really. i am so stinking blessed, it's crazy.

anyway, i do know that one of the couples that was staying with them was a younger couple (my age) and they were able to hike down the back of the mountain to one of the main roads that hadn't broken yet. so they are no longer there. and i believe the other couple that is a bit older has been able to get down to town and attempt to head home. food was delivered up to their home on monday, i think.

with every day that passes, the tone in my mother-in-law's voice grows warmer and calmer. which is awesome. they seem optimistic. here are two articles that might help you get a feel for just how intense it was/is. (i'm bummed because the second article with all of the pictures was different yesterday and contained SO MANY pictures of the area where my in-laws are.)

a neat thing happened on monday night. buz was on you tube looking at flooding footage and kept seeing videos from one particular person. every video looked like it was "across the street" from my in-laws' bed and breakfast. so buz emailed him. turns out he lives across the river. so buz put him in contact with his parents. and they have been emailing back and forth the last two days. ms. wiz (which is what i actually call her) said she felt like she a was a young gal doing that "instant emailing." she is way cute. also, can we talk about how thoughtful buz is?

anyway, thanks for caring. for praying. for continuing to ask. they appreciate it so much. keep praying. they will need it as they are still stranded. and all of the rescuing is complete. so hopefully making it into town will be easier soon with the makeshift bridges. pray for their safety. for wal-mart and the other markets. that they will be stocked with essentials. for my in-laws. that they would lean on each other and grow and encourage one another. that their water and gas would get turned on ASAP. (can i get an AMEN?) just pray.

also, i will be out of pocket for several days. i say that like i'm so regular around here or something. not so much. (i do THINK of posts everyday. just getting them from my head to the computer is the trick. one that i have not mastered.)

anyway, i am road trippin' it.

with my mom. my home girl. she would absolutely DIE if she knew i just referred to her as my home girl. she is most definitely NOT a home girl. in fact, she doesn't like it when i refer to goo as home girl. come to think of it, i'm not sure of anyone she would refer to as a home girl.

i digress.

the reason for us kickin' it on the open road?

business trip for me. you're thinking "um, hello? you're a mom."

i am photographing someone's labor and delivery experience. not just *someone.* one of my good buddies from high school. casey.

i rode the bus to middle school with her. we caught the bus together in the mornings. right after she french braided my hair so tight that i took several aleve before i caught the bus. but i'm sure i looked fabulous. i paid a high price for a good braid. to go with my coke shirt, guess jeans with zippers, guess vest, two pairs of different colored socks, and tretorns. i was it. no doubt about it. i was high fashion.

but had you told me that i would be at the birth of her third son back then? in the early nineties? i would've laughed. and laughed. and laughed some more.

but turns out? we've stayed friends. and gone to each others' weddings. and met each others' children. and now i'm going to get to meet her third little man. up close and personal.

am i nervous? absolutely. am i excited? ABSOLUTELY GIDDY!! am i qualified? highly unlikely. in denial about any amount of confidence i may/may not have? why, yes.

i have butterflies flying all over my stomach. (taking a deep breath.) but weentrab sat/stood right next to me when buz and i welcomed goo into the world. and i was so honored to have such a close friend witness such an intimate event.

and now i get to pay it forward.

so i will be without the internet from tomorrow (thursday) until sunday or monday.

and while i'm away, it seems that buz is a bit nervous. what? seriously. he's the best daddy in the world. and he always comes up with cool stuff to do. i almost made him a book for Camp Daddy. but then i realized that it might be a tad insulting. seeing as how he's their father and all.

but seriously. he's like freaking Daddy Disneyland. why in the world should he be nervous?

you know why?

she's why.

he was saying things like:

• do they go to donut friday in their jammies?
• what kind of donuts does goo eat?
• what do i do when goo has one of her 'girl' tantrums? (someone explain to me what the difference between a girl tantrum and a boy tantrum is.)
• there is no way i can take them both to the pool. that's like death. or something.

seriously. he thinks he has this to be afraid of?

bless his heart.

he needs to be afraid of this.

anyway, let's all lift up buz in our prayers. he is going to do so awesome. they're so going to wish he was the stay-at-home parent. (better yet. pray for him. but pray that they're ready to have me home too. i'm selfish. i'm owning it.)

pray that nance (my mom) will have a rockin' time together. pray for safe travel. and that gas would go to like $2/gallon or something before we begin our journey. pray that i will enjoy my time with casey. that i am not stressed out but that i value the time we have together while she is doing something so awesome. that her delivery would be smooth and that she and her ultra sweet husband would enjoy the experience again as though it were their first born.

and that's about it.

peace out, dog.

and stuff.

a little more on the serious side

my in-laws need your prayers.

if you've been reading for any amount of time, you know how dearly i love my in-laws. they would literally do ANYTHING for me. they love me with everything they have. and make sure i know it every chance they get.

so today, i am asking for your prayers for them.

they run a very quaint and warm bed and breakfast in a little resort town called ruidoso, new mexico. this morning they called to let us know that the town was flooding. quickly.

feel free to type in ruidoso flooding on youtube. or google ruidoso flooding.

it's serious. the bridge that connects them to the rest of the town was washed away this morning. meaning my in-laws cannot leave their home.

and their two-unit bed and breakfast? is occupied with guests.

so please pray. honestly, i don't know what to ask for specifically. but here are some of my immediate thoughts.

• their peace of mind. i have NO idea what they must be thinking or feeling. i mean, we've talked to them. but i am just praying that God would give them the discernment to know what the best thing to do is.
• supplies. between the two of them and the two different sets of guests, they have fourteen water bottles. but they do not have running water. this is clearly a need.
• food. i don't know what non-perishable food they are stocked with at this point.
• for their guests. don't know what to say about this. just pray for them. remember -- these two sets of people are on vacation.
• safety. that when it is vital that they leave their home just to go get basic necessities, there will be a way. remember. there are several bridges that they cross to get into town. the first one they come to was washed away this morning.

honestly, i can't think of anything else specifically. but please pray. i know that there are people that read this blog that know the Lord. please include them in your prayers. i am confident God will carry them through this. but right now? is scary with a whole lot of unknown. thank you from them. and thank you from me.

an update on my rock star

it is 1030pm, and she is wearing big h's rain boots to sleep. with her one-piece jammies. she has had them on since i put her down. at 7.

fashion, people. fashion is of the utmost importance in her eyes. even in her beauty sleep.

she's a rock star

photo courtesy of sugar photography

my daughter, that is.

i don't know what it is about her that makes me want to eat her. all. the. time.

oh wait, yes i do.

oh my. i love this girl so stinking much. last night was her long awaited birthday dinner celebration. and guess what? she wanted to ride in the stroller. i so offered her the bone of being a big girl and walking. she wanted to remain my baby for the night. and i was SO ok with that.

and big h was SO in host mode. he told EVERYONE that he and dad made the cupcakes. and that the pink ones were for the girls and the white ones were for the boys. and he did NOT forget to tell everyone know that he appreciated them coming to goo's birthday party.

that big h. he's a ham.

and if you're in need of a low key birthday "dinner/celebration," i highly suggest the mall food court. oh my. it was so easy. i think everyone had a great time. there was no agenda. and we even scratched the build-a-bear idea.

and one of the funniest things? was the way i introduced several people to each other.

chrys and mike? i'd like you to meet weentrab.

"you're sugar?! oh! so nice to meet you."

chrys and mike? this is franklin five. and totally rad.

it was like our own little mini blogging conference.

or. not really.

and stuff.

anyway, it was great. goo enjoyed the cupcakes but was a little overwhelmed by the older kids. there were a LOT of older kids. and one thing you might know by now about goo. she's a quiet kid. not around big h. but around everyone else. and she doesn't smile easily.

but when she does? Lord have mercy. hearts-a-meltin' everywhere.

and remember when i told you she was a rock star? seriously. look at this. work it, goo. work it.

happy birthday, punkin'. you are so loved.

overall, i'd say it was a good day

so buz and i ended the evening last night recapping the day for our birthday girl. (after she was asleep, of course.)

and we were pretty sure as she nuzzled into bed with all of her nighty-night items, she probably thought that her second birthday was near perfect.

it took me the entire day to agree with her.

(big sigh)

you know that mom? the mom that is easily frustrated? and makes everyone around her grumpy?

i was that mom. yesterday. on my daughter's second birthday. sad, but true. i'm afraid.

goo didn't sleep well saturday night, which means i woke up a lot and just looked at her in the monitor tossing and turning and moaning. never really waking so never really warranting any parent to enter. but still.

when i looked at the monitor early in the morning, i noticed that i could see, IN THE MONITOR, her bottom. like her bare bottom. like her bare bottom with no diaper.

nice. made me IMMEDIATELY think of amanda and what she seems to be going through these days.

it just so happens that i could NOT get goo's slide show to work. i worked all night on saturday night. i know...i know how to have a good time on the weekend.

buz woke up yesterday morning early to try to fix/post it for me. he was diligent. he was ready to get his unstressed wife back. in a hurry.

all three of us went into goo's room with balloons (that big h and i had bought together at party city the night before). i think she was excited but maybe a little overwhelmed.

oh. and did i mention she has a runny nose? the yellowy thick kind? well, she has a yellowy thick runny nose. so obviously not quite up to par.

we all get a little sad around here when goo's not up to par.

so we did the balloon thing. and then big h was DYING to give her his gift. that he picked out himself.

i know what you're thinking. goo is too young for polly pockets. we think so too, but big h is determined to make them her favorite toys of all time. (and shhh...he loves playing with him. i am SO printing this out for his fiancee.)

anyway, he wanted to 'help' her open the gift. and she mistook that for trying to play with her toy. and let's just say she was less than thrilled with his generous assistance. she may have said something along the lines of PUSH PUSH. or something.

which made big h cry. like real big boy tears streaming down his face. while in his spider man jammies complete with spider webs hanging from the elbows.

and goo? doesn't really know how to play with polly pockets anyway. big h does. it was a mess.

i took a shower and got ready for church while buz got the kiddos ready. yes. he's a saint.

goo didn't have much trouble going to sunday school which was nice.

picked her up and big h up. life was good.

until.

we told big h we were going to stop by the toy store to let goo pick out three toys for her birthday. because her slacker parents had NO CLUE what to get a two-year-old GIRL for her birthday. let her pick, we thought.

oh my.

the pouting that ensued. we (meaning big h) pouted the entire time we were there. but we (goo) finally decided on some things.

the pouting continued on the way home. and when we got home? i went immediately to the computer to try to fix the stupid slide show. seriously, janet. why bother? at this point, it was about principle. i had to finish.

they had lunch. big h played with goo's polly pockets and he let her play with his team geotrax.

i had to check his carotid artery.

she took a long nap. i took a long nap. dad took a long nap. big h, however, did not.

but big h and i headed to a birthday party at a gym, and he got to see all of his school friends. which did wonders for his self-esteem. goo and daddy came later.

once the birthday party ended, we took goo to her favorite restaurant for dinner. really, it's her favorite. i have never been there where she hasn't gone to town on some pasta, fruit, and m'n'm cookie. and fresh lemonade.

headed home for a final viewing of max and ruby with brother. bath. and bedtime.

so all in all, i think this is how goo must have viewed her birthday:
starbucks scone for breakfast
church with easy drop off
toy store for anything she wanted
pudding for lunch (she was offered more, but that was all she was interested in)
extended team geotrax play
long nap
playing, cake, and ice cream at brother's friend's birthday
pasta, lemonade, fresh fruit, and m'n'm cookie at favorite restaurant
bath time without having her hair washed

don't you agree? surely she concluded that this was indeed a good birthday.

even though it took hindsight (and buz) for me to realize it.

and tomorrow night, we're heading to the mall for a little family night. dinner, cupcakes, and no stroller. she lives on the edge. she's two, you know.

and mama? didn't take ONE picture of my two-year-old on her birthday. hanging my head in shame.

oh for the love of all that's good and holy.

this thing? has driven me to drink. for pete's sake.

weentrab, i fixed it.

if you're looking for a FREAKING VIDEO, it's not here.

oh my.

happy birthday, sweet goo

just so you know. this is long. and serious. not a lot of funny. grab a snack and a beverage and sit back and relax. or go tend to your household chores.

goo. i love you so much. seriously? two? is that possible? and am i dorky for using "mom statements" like 'how has the time gone by so fast?'

i can remember the day you arrived like it was yesterday. we didn't know if you were a boy or girl. and oh my, the minute they said 'girl,' i cried such tears of joy. i was thrilled. and then, i saw you. gorgeous. daddy and mommy's friend weentrab were there to witness your arrival.

and we brought you home. and we have been smitten with you ever since.

this year has been such a big year for you. in november, you had surgery to correct the muscles in your eyes. what a trooper. surprisingly, it was one of the best moments i have had with you. daddy and big h went to run errands after we brought you home, and you and i just cuddled for hours under a blanket while i texted everyone i could think of to inform them of your recovery. and then we cuddled some more.

february was a scary time. you took a fall right into the fireplace and busted your head open. we took you to the ER where they 'glued' your forehead. seriously, goo, they GLUED your forehead. modern medicine.

several weeks after that, dr. g suggested we take you to have a head CT to rule out any head trauma. OH MY. i don't think mommy and daddy have ever been so scared. they sedated you, and we really loved and trusted all who were with you. you did fine. and the results came back totally normal. praise Jesus!

and several weeks after that, you had tubes put in your ears. goo, you are such a trooper. what a wonderful fighting spirit you have. they said it went fine. and you have yet to have an ear infection since. (well, except for the one you got the day after surgery. we STILL don't get that.)

then, you had some strange things go on. you were NOT sleeping at night. and you have always been a great sleeper. first, it was the ear infection. then, it was your two year molars. but we couldn't ever figure out what was wrong. we finally decided to take you off milk. and guess what? that did the trick. we even took you to a chiropractor against the advice of so many. we felt good about our decision. you loved it. we took you several times. we really noticed more of a difference with the elimination of milk, however, so we stopped seeing the chiropractor. and ever since then, you have not been to the doctor. little miracles that we are making sure we thank God for.

goo, you are the light of our lives. big h LOVES you. he doesn't, however, care for when you play with his team geotrax. he does this strange jump up and down move that means he is REALLY unhappy. and you are totally oblivious. what's funny is that you stop playing with his stuff after about two minutes anyway, so we're still not sure why he gets so upset.

this summer has been fun for us. you took swim lessons, and you loved walking the big float and jumping off. you held your breath when you and i put our faces (and bodies) under water. but you'd still rather walk around the pool in a very dangerous way and eat snacks by the stairs.

ever since you started walking, you have been an accident constantly waiting to happen. literally. one bump after another. more skinned knees than your brother. but your ability to bounce back is truly remarkable. hoss.

goo, your personality has really come alive. you are either really, really happy or aloof. for a while, we had to work at getting you to smile. but now. oh man. your smiles light up a room. you love to say cheese, which is weird because i try my best NOT to have you or your brother say cheese. hmmm...

we have had ECI (early childhood intervention) coming out to our house for the past six months for speech therapy. at your eighteen month checkup, dr. g recommended it. we had ECI with your brother two different times (one for not crawling until late and one for his speech), so we were very familiar with the program. our early intervention specialist is leaving to go teach school, and she whispered under her breath on her last visit, "i don't think your daughter is developmentally delayed. i think her personality is such that she just doesn't want to talk." i laughed so hard. you do things in your own time. and you are adamant about it.

you are starting to say so many more things. nothing like what's going to be on dr. g's "scale," but we are proud nonetheless. you say big h's name perfectly. it is your first word out of bed either in the morning or right after your nap.

you wake up around 7:15 and lay in your bed reading books or playing with your baby tad until about 7:45 or 8. (there are so many moms reading this that will stop talking to me.) big h goes in your room and says, "hi goo. how was your rest?" he says it in the sweetest of voices. but i have to admit. you light up when i come around the corner. i get the biggest hug, and we walk into mommy's room. all three of us pile under mommy's covers and watch an episode of curious george. you love it. we all cuddle and play footsie.

we head in the living room where your brother INSISTS on having breakfast. you? yeah, you don't care. really, if you could have your dream breakfast, i'd serve you up a pile of bacon and sausage and some fruit (blueberries, cherries, grapes, and plums). and some orange juice. definitely orange juice. but you'd eat us out of house and home if we had enough bacon to do so.

i'd like to say you're not a sweets girl. but c'mon. you like dibs ice cream bites, little halloween-sized snickers, and nerds. yes, nerds. and the best part? you'd prefer to eat nerds out of a bowl with a spoon. it's not that there are that many. but i guess you figure you'll get the most at a time with a spoon. you're my kind of girl.

hurch on sundays is hard. first of all, it's been so fun to dress you in little smocked outfits and dresses that are monogrammed. and white mary janes. and now bows. surprisingly, i LOVE bows. i know. in twenty years, we'll both laugh about that together. but we get you and big h some form of pastry from starbucks on the way to church. that's your weekend treat. you love it. we walk into church and you and big h have a great time walking in together, holding hands. (you LOVE holding hands with big h.) when we get to your class, you start crying. hard cries. they pry you out of my arms. and i walk away, and it breaks my heart. but i come to get you, and they always say you have so much fun. last weekend, you walked in with big h, and you were wearing his diego sunglasses. you walked right into your class, and didn't cry. not one bit. your teachers said you kept those glasses on the entire hour and a half. whatever works, sister.

you normally take a two hour nap during the nap anywhere from noon until three. when you nap, i take a shower and pick up the house, and big h and i have our own quiet times. if he's had a good day, and he's behaved well, he gets to play some computer games at the end of quiet time. one of your (and his) favorite things to do is sit next to him in the chair while he plays computer games. when you wake up, i go and get you and you call out his name. i take you in, and you guys sit together for about thirty minutes. and he explains what he's doing with each game. man, that kid is in love with you. consider that SUCH a compliment.

as far as food, you LOVE fruit, pasta, hot dogs, and cheese. but you are willing to try ANYTHING, which is so fun for me. seeing as how your brother basically eats chicken nuggets and any other carb. and won't touch anything else with a ten-foot pole. you tried a popsicle today, and you loved it. i loved watching you eat it.

you say your brother's name the best out of ALL of your words. and there is a reason for that. you are his best friend, and he is yours. when someone (usually big h) is sad, you say with a serious face, "ohh. uh-hay. uh-hay."

some of your other words are: juice, shoes, nye-nye, bye-bye, i YUH (i love you -- you say it SO LOUD while squeezing the person as tight as possible), choo choo, truck, all the animals in word world, ouch, toe, papa (shhh...don't tell nana, grandma, or grandpa), baby, doll, doo doo (thank you -- my personal favorite), amen, pees (please), and OH NO (said extraordinarily loud). there are definitely more, but these are the ones i love to hear.

you haven't been in a high chair in so long. it's fun having our little family of four sitting together at the table. but you are a bit of a stinker because you get down pretty soon after eating. you're not one to linger for the after-dinner conversation.

after dinner, we head to the bath. daddy says you give him fits about getting in. but surprisingly, once i come into the bathroom, you're good to go. i can't tell you how much i love our relationship. i have to say -- you seem to be a mama's girl. and i LOVE it. you do NOT like to have your hair washed because we have to put in your ear plugs to do so. funny, because you do fine with going swimming. interesting. quirky. when you get out of the bath, you always choose either your duck towel or your kitty towel.

we all go into big h's room and get jammies on. you NEVER lay down to have your diaper or clothes put on anymore. haven't in a while. we either all build lego stuff for a while and then read stories. or we read several stories. or we watch big h's story time theater. when it's finished, you grab your "muh" (pink blankie) and walk towards me, so i can pick you up and take you into your room. and when we leave his room, you wave to daddy and big h and say "nigh nigh."

you and i go into your room, where it is REALLY DARK, we pray and then i lay you in your bed. while baby tad sings (for six minutes), you and i giggle. sometimes i pretend to dance with muh. sometimes i count your toes. sometimes i kiss them a lot. sometimes (when you're really tired), i just stroke your legs and hair. and you bite the silky parts of your muh (which, by the way, smells really, really bad). and i shut the door. and that's it. you sleep until the next morning.

goo. you are a dream come true. you are a sweet loving little girl. you share with big h, which is remarkable. you hug all the time. you give big wet slobbery kisses. when you pretend play, all of your dolls are giving each other hugs and saying, "ohhh."

in about a month and a half, you'll be going to big h's school one day a week. you are going to be so excited. of course, not so excited on the days you won't go to school, but we'll have to drop him off. oh well. we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

on a random note, it's well documented how much i love your third toe on your left foot. it sticks up above the rest. there. i've said it. some things that dad just added:

• you always take something besides your muh wherever you go (mall, bed, etc.). the other day it was a shovel.


• you have a way of finding any writing utensil in the house. it's uncanny, really.


• you like to sit in your chair and say, "SHOW" really loud with a huge smile when you're ready to watch something with big h.


• you can create enough saliva to make your muh drip when we wring it out.


• you like to come with me to get the mail, even though you say "ouch" the entire time because you never take the time to put on shoes.


• you'll never need to own a curling iron because your hair defies gravity.


• you have a dimple.


• like me, you've never made it through a day without staining a white shirt. and i continue to buy them.

i really want to write more. but these people reading this? they have other things to do.

i love you, goo. you make me happy every day. i praise God for you every day. all three of us do.

public service announcement

seems that there is an issue in need of clearing up.

my blog name? is life with the wisners, right?

hundred (imaginary) dollars to the person who doesn't know me in real life but who knows the correct pronunciation of my last name.

and here's the clue: it does NOT rhyme with wise guy.

and here's the other clue: it DOES rhyme with wiz kid.

i know. you think there should be a Z in there. but there's not. but there's also NOT an E following the S.

poor buz. got his name mispronounced all. the. time as a kid. and a teenager. and an adult.

and then, we got hitched. and so the legacy continues. we always know when a telemarketer is on the phone. (other than the unavailable or out of area that shows up on the caller ID.) because they say, "hi, may i talk with janet WIZENER please?" and the sad thing? they ask with such confidence. like they are so sure of the pronunciation.

bless their hearts.

before i got married, i had pretty much the easiest maiden name. i mean, it was no jones or smith or anything. but NO ONE mispronounced it. no one.

but now? all. the. time. (and i'll let you in on a little secret? when i met buz, i thought it was wizener too. so don't feel bad.)

and so the record has been set straight.

(i know one cute, little person who is loving this post. she actually calls me wizener because her name is always mispronounced too. yeah. my friend weentrab that i always talk about? turns out her last name is NOT weentrab. just my little nickname for her. and no, you cannot call her that. it's exclusive to me. only me.)

go forth in confidence.

and enjoy your weekend.

oh, and also enjoy this photodocumentation that there is indeed a mr. and mrs. buzz lightyear.

little of this and that

first of all, i'm going to address something extremely important.

seems that everyone is new to the whole idea of donut friday.

sad.

here is the history behind donut friday. when big h turned one, my mom told me that instead of birthday gifts each year, she would be willing to help pay a part of mother's day out for him. each month. i know. she's freaking amazing. and she said she'd do so until he was done with mother's day out/preschool. again. i know.

and so several months before big h turned two, i enrolled him in a local church's mother's day out. and it proved to be one of the best decisions i ever made. it was not only great for me to have a little time to myself. but who knew? big h benefited even more. because he was developmentally delayed (specifically speech), it was AWESOME for him to be around other children who were actually, you know, talking. i know this might come as a shock to some of you. there was a time when big h did. not. speak. no really. i'm serious. i know you don't believe me.

but they were a few (ahem) times that he was less than pleased at the idea of heading to "school." a few.

the suggestion of his two UNBELIEVABLE teachers? was to plan something once a week that i knew he'd look forward to. sheer genius, i tell you. genius.

and so at their suggestion, it began. my little man was twenty months old. every friday morning. dunkin donuts. and when school was over, i thought it was best to continue our little tradition through the summer. and we did. and goo was born. and we didn't stop. three years running. we have been going to dunkin donuts. every friday. oh, and during the summer or christmas vacation? we go in our jammies. yes. even me. (they may or may not know what we want when we get there. and we may or may not pay the EXACT same amount week in and week out due to ordering the exact. same. thing. and perhaps we'll send zahir a christmas card this year.)

and so i am passing along my suggestion. pick something once a week that your kiddos can look forward to. it's done wonders for my children. especially my ULTRA structured son who LOVES routine.

you're welcome.

on to other things.

apparently, i'm making a habit of going to meet people i don't know.

this week, i headed out to meet my "little friend" as buz refers to her. like when i was in seventh grade, and my mom referred to all of my friends as "little friends." and again with the whole it was weird because it wasn't weird scenario.

i drove to her house. i told big h that we were going to play at one of mommy's friends' houses. and they have kids. his age. and that was pretty much all he needed to know. well, that and if they had someone for goo to play with. because he's a bit protective like that.

so we got there. and it had already been a long day. we had already played at a mall. (i know. it's sad. but my kids? they love them a mall play area.) then, i took big h to his tumbling class. i use the term 'class' loosely because the 'class' consists of big h and his little friend andrew. and the teacher. and they do gymnastics for an hour. big h LOVES it.

and then, we headed out. to meet sweet jenny.

i thought about trying to wear something cute. but we all know my well-documented feelings toward the summertime. something cute? not going happen.

but i'd like to have worn something without a booger.

yep, here it is documented. see the booger? on my shirt? "nice to meet you for the first time. i'm janet. and this is a booger out of the nose of one of my children. oh, and i'm classy with a big c."

you know what made me feel better? apparently what's on her shirt? pot roast grease. i mean, cooler than boogers. but at least she had something on her shirt.

i love being a mom.

(and i don't mind admitting that i wish i had had one of these before entering her lovely home. but it was 4:30 in the afternoon. in july. and i had been at big h's tumbling class. remember? the warehouse without a/c? guess the little sheet wouldn't have done much good after all.)

and we stood at the front door for what seemed like two hours going, "so cool. what's up. don't mind me. i'm just standing inside your house. where you blog."

and then all four of our kids played. like they were cousins or something. and we talked. in the midst of trying to make sure picasso (goo) didn't make art on her walls. the walls which, by the way, were beautiful. she totally cleaned her house for us. she's going to kill me for saying that.

and she made dinner. she whipped up a homemade pizza with mildewed pizza crust. kidding. seriously, she made a mean pizza and our kids sat together and ate together.

and then her husband walked in and in true janet fashion, i just dove in with, "hey what's up, jason. how was work?" like i knew him. or had ever met him.

and when it was time to go, i was sad. because with gas at $4/gallon, i'm not sure we're going to see each other for a while. but as she said, we've got email.

thanks so much for having us over, fun jenny. (there it is. your nickname. fun jenny. it has a nice ring.) your children are absolutely delightful, and i'm so glad to call you friend.

goo definitely smitten with sweet luke. luke? not so sure.

big h fast friends with ben.

the fabulous four. and i'm sorry. i'm biased. but can we all get a good chuckle at my dainty little girl? i mean, look at her with her hands gently placed on her lap? smiling.

and one more thing before i hit the hay. yesterday, i took my kids to the summertime movie and then to chick-fil-a. guess it was just too much.

evidence of motherhood

i remember it like it was yesterday.

buz and i were engaged. we were going to the church that we currently attend, but it was very far from buz's house and my apartment. for a while, we did it. we had breakfast together and then headed to church. it was really an entire day event. which was fine. i was madly in love with buz. i had NO PROBLEM with anything that was all day. if i was with my man.

but at some point, the drive got to be too much. we were really in need of something a little closer. so we began church shopping -- a process i do NOT care for. but we did. and every so often, it was fun. because i would look over at buz, all lovestruck, thinking about what it would be like to go to church together, arm in arm, with rings on our left hands.

but there was this one day. oh my. we got to this church. a fairly large Baptist church. we decided in our relationship bliss that we would check out the newlywed class. after all, we were going to be, you know, newlyweds.

everyone was so nice and cordial. we sat down, and the Sunday School class began. and it was nice. sweet, if you will. the class itself was good. don't remember what they talked about. until.

until they got to "announcement time" where they proceeded to talk about the upcoming social events. and when they started talking about the second event, the sunday school class leader said, "and just wait. there is going to be child care there."

and there was applause like none other.

i'm having to take a seat for a minute to catch my breath just retelling the story.

it made an impression on me, to say the least. and as buz and i drove away to go grab some leisurely we-don't-have-kids-so-we-can-linger-at-any-restaurant-that-doesn't-serve-chicken-nuggets lunch, we could NOT stop talking about how we were NOT ready for that class yet.

we really could NOT imagine our life like theirs.

fast forward seven years. where there is evidence of motherhood all. over. the. place.

this is what is currently in my living room.

yes. that IS a four-person tent. in our living room.

the other day, i told myself i had to go through my purse because it was just too heavy. it had to be cleaned out. (kelly is laughing. she thought the same thing when she was here.) and once i started going through it, i had to get out my camera.

oh my.

let's gaze upon the beauty of this handbag.

but oh no. what is all that stuff inside?

diaper. wipes. makes sense.

wallet. pocket bible. necessities.

best notebook ever created. thank you, dollar spot. thank you.

my change purse. and yes. this DOES have speed racer on it. and yes. it IS from mcdonalds.

beads. in the event goo needs that last minute accessory.

big lollipops from disney world that i want to give to big h and the goo for a special occasion. sometime soon. but of course, i can't unwrap them or they'll see them.

don't laugh. this is my "pen wallet." ok, go ahead. laugh. but as my friend jenna and i have agreed...one cannot have too many pens. you just never know.

big h's baseball trophy. these things are important to their little self-esteems, you know.

all of my emergency pinches. hair accessories. oil-absorbing sheets. i live in texas. paper clips. gloss. and yes. on the right. that's a mirror and comb. that says speed racer. from mcdonalds. clearly, i highly value my beauty regimen.

the electronic portion of my handbag. on the right you'll find my iPod nano. previous generation. works perfectly fine, thankyouverymuch. in the middle, you'll see my ultra cool doesn'tdoanythingbutcallandtext phone. but did i mention? it doesn't really hold a charge. so in the car, it's essentially a big black box phone. and on the left? a palm. i'm very proud of this. i know it's not an iPhone or a blackberry or some other kind of wireless PDA. but it works for me. so back off.

and of course, the european smart car and a mini magna doodle. we've found that the smart car is always a mood lifter. and goo? she loves her some magnetic coloring. anytime. anywhere.

and the reason my handbag was so heavy. case in point.

i took BOTH of my children to the movie yesterday. and we had popcorn and candy and drinks. and laughed. and MY sweet victory of the entire day was that goo wore a bow in her hair. not that i want her to wear bows everyday. but hair getting long in the summer in texas = need for something to keep your hair out of your face. and seeing as how she has NEVER let me put ANYTHING in her hair, i counted this a milestone. and wrote about it in her baby book.

you think i'm kidding.

big h and i had a conversation today about poop and tooting. "mama, pooping just makes my tummy and my bottom feel so much better. don't you think so? and when i toot, it just feels so good. don't you think so?"

to be honest, never really thought about it.

my plans for saturday evening? they're giving away free ice cream at a local ice cream shop if everyone in your family comes dressed in their jammies. don't think we're not doing it.

goo and big h both wore superhero jammies to bed tonight. and you know what? it was the best part of my day.

tonight i got some free time to myself. know what i did? went to old navy and spent my extra lunch money (don't laugh) on a cute on-sale sweater.

and what am i doing online awake when i should be asleep like everyone else in my family? looking at gap.com and babystyle.com trying to decide what new clothes my almost TWO-YEAR-OLD would look cute in seeing as how she's growing like a freaking weed.

and tomorrow? is donut friday. (like it has been every friday since 2005.) and i've been looking forward to it all week. we're off to eat sprinkles and then head to the library to check out new max and ruby books.

this is what i use my camera for.



my end-of-the-evening discussion with buz tonight was romantic because he told me what a great mom i was. what a great job i'm doing with my kids, raising them and loving them. yeah, he's hot.

and all of this? means more to me than eating at a fancy restaurant with buz. than going to concerts or whatever else people do without children. i didn't think i could ever imagine my life with kids. now, i can't imagine my life without them.

God love him

buz, that is.

it's 915 on friday night. friday, the fourth of july. and he is with big h. at the local fireworks display.

and that local fireworks display? yeah, it doesn't start until 930. and they have been there since eight o'clock.

God love him.

have i mentioned that buz isn't that fond of crowds? i haven't? small detail.

big h heard about fireworks somewhere (me) and has been excited ever since. when he has a chance to go somewhere, he will ALWAYS pick buz. i used to have a complex about it. ok, i lied. i still do have a complex about it. but it is easier to swallow because big h is nicer about it.

so naturally he wanted to go see fireworks with daddy. and i was totally fine with it because i'm just writing letters and doing silly computer time and reading the latest issue of my magazine. while goo is nighty night.

but big h doesn't understand the whole concept of waiting. bless his heart. actually, bless buz's heart.

they left (with big h donned in jammies) with some snacks (upon my suggestion, i might add thankyouverymuch) and headed out to the field. at eight o'clock.

buz has called no less than fourteen times to discuss various things going on. oh, and he's not a phone talker. so he just called (915) and asked if i could look up online what time they start.

930.

"you're kidding, right?"

no dear. not kidding. and i loved it. because big h is in the background talking non-stop to who knows who about who knows what. just excited to be awake so late. :)

i am absolutely 100% madly IN LOVE with my spouse, the father of our children.

God love him.