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oops. sorry. i was typing a post and guess i got bored.

i can assure you. you haven't missed a lot around here. last week was spring break '08. or you might recall its other names -- Parade of Malls or Five Malls In Five Days.

much to my surprise, we only hit three malls in the five days. we set our expectations high, only to be disappointed. i will say, however, that we were able to spend five days with various close friends, some of whom we don't see on a regular basis. so it was good.

and we may or may not have watched one or twenty-six movies.

and we concluded our week with Easter Weekend. Good Friday was good. the service was a bit of a challenge. when we arrived at church, we realized that the nursery workers were all paid volunteers, not the usuals. maybe you don't know much about big h's personality, but let's just say the out-of-the-ordinary didn't fly so well with our ULTRA STRUCTURED four-year-old.

we took a deep breath and prepped him for going to big church. let me preface by saying big h has been to one big church service. christmas eve of this past year. because the nursery of the church we went to that night was only "accepting" children three and under. don't think i don't still feel miserable about maybe telling a little white lie in church. but to no avail. big h busted me.

but mama, i am POUR!

right. of course you are.

and he did exceptionally well. course, he had buz's blackberry with him. i would do exceptionally well if i had a blackberry.

and the pyromaniac in him loved it all the more.

anyway, we prepped him a lot for the Good Friday service. he did awesome. all things considering. like everyone wearing black. and everyone singing a lot about death. overall, it was a pretty gloomy service. i mean, Jesus dying on the cross is not the most upbeat topic. (luckily, the story doesn't end there.)

but big h's comments were fascinating. during the drama, they were depicting pontius pilate. when he stopped talking, the room went dark and totally silent. it was then that big h decided to speak. loudly.

mama, that man sure isn't nice.

and then at the end of the drama, there was a shadow on the man who was depicting Jesus. and big h's comment?

(said in a very loud but very, very sad voice) mama, all of his priends left him by himself.

priceless.

overall, he did fine. but seems church really wore them out.

sunday rolled around. and i don't know if any of you suffer from something i like to call "holiday expectation."

(k, i know you're rolling your eyes. you are so proud of me for putting my expectation problem out there for the whole world to see.)

for some reason, big h has a tendency to put a bit of a damper on holidays. i don't know if it's because he senses something out of the ordinary. but church was tough. wouldn't tuck his shirt in. wouldn't wear his new summertime church shoes. wanted a mini water bottle that one of the church volunteers had. the list goes on and on.

and then. then, i decide it would be fun to take pictures. insane. this woman i am. insane. he refused. shocker. and the straw that broke the camel's back? goo fell down the stairs at the little park we went to. big (Easter) egg on her forehead. she's definitely our delicate flower.

we did a little Easter egg hunt in the backyard. they both seemed to enjoy it. but there was just a general damper on the day.

can we talk about big h' attire? can we? huh? untucked shirt. the OLD shoes. the coat that is THREE SIZES too small? and the odd look on his face?

and because i'm a perfect mom who always holds her tongue. i may have said something about what a wonderful day it was supposed to be and that a certain someone may have put a damper on the day.

see why i haven't posted lately? :) truly, i've been a ray of sunshine.

school is back in session. goo is sleeping better. and things are generally looking up.

and just to prove how i truly live on the edge...

see look. i take pictures of my children eating cereal.

any suggestions for this unruly hair?

this was big. big h hanging from the monkey bars.

unruly. and not just the hair.

teaching big h the benefits of good lip balm.

telling goo how wonderful apples are. straight from the produce market.

oh, and don't think we didn't make at least one trip to dr. g. i promise you, we are single handedly funding his summer vacation. just one co-pay at a time.

i'm admitting it.

i cheated tonight.

on my date from last saturday.

not only did i cheat. i basically went on the exact same date. movie. popcorn. holding hands and everything.

and they even have the same last name.

only my date tonight didn't sit on my lap.

and i know i've mentioned our babysitter once or twice or twenty-four times. we love the girl. love her. she got here tonight, and buz was still at work. so it was just me. instantly, her red Accord pulled up in front, and big h ran to the door.

and immediately began talking about rocket from little einsteins.

i had dinner ready for the kiddos. but i wanted to prepare sweet J about goo's recent emotional changes.

i think what i said to her was somewhat along the lines of "hey, good luck getting her to sleep." eloquent, i know. i told her it was fine if she didn't want to bathe them. whatever she felt comfortable doing was ok.

her report? (and don't think my palms weren't sweating before we even walked in the door.)

oh yeah. bathed them both. she went right down. hasn't cried once. and big h. we watched two shows and had popcorn. watched one story time theater story. and i read him one story. and he went right to sleep.

miracle worker. surely, i've gone into all of the reasons i love this girl. but let me tell you something overthetop amazing.

she looks good in skinny jeans.

i know.

but you can't hate her. not only does she take the absolute best care of my little people. but she is, by far, the nicest, sweetest, and kindest young girl ever.

and speaking of sweet. want to know what rad thing happened to me today?

you do?

this afternoon we're coming home from our third mall in four days. it's what i like to call Spring Break '08. i get a call from my rad friend.

i don't mind saying that we don't talk on the phone. we're blogging, living-in-the-same-town, going-to-the-same-birthday-parties kind of friends. but i think she's pretty much all that. we met through my buddy weentrab when i was pregnant with big h. she has a son who is about a year older than big h. and recently...since goo was born, we've become buddies. and i dig her.

so to get a phone call from her is a little unusual. but i was excited. her phone call was to make sure we were going to be home this afternoon.

for her to bring us dinner.

i'm sorry. come again?

people. mrs. rad did not just bring us dinner. she brought us dinner. homemade chocolate chip cookies. a 2L of dr. pepper or "Heaven in a plastic bottle." tortilla soup with all the fixins. quesadillas for the kiddos in case they weren't into the soup.

seriously.

and since buz and i had a last minute date night tonight, guess who doesn't have to think about dinner tomorrow night?

sarah, what an incredible random act of kindness. what a wonderful treat for our family. God bless you.

and that about wraps up the day today.

shhh...

someone has slept through the night TWO NIGHTS in a row.

don't let her get word of it, though.

a little ENT update. saw our ENT's partner this morning. no sign of infection in her ears. can i get an amen?

and goo got her hair washed tonight for the first time in *gasp* nine days. seriously. nine days. can i tell you how much that grosses me out? not to mention the fact that she comes from a long line of fine-haired family members. mama included. so you want to talk greasy? but her custom plugs came in this morning. handy. some hot pink numbers. don't think i'm not going to get a picture of both her and big h in their fancy forty dollar custom-fitted ear plugs together in the bathtub.

oh, and she said four words today. on her own. attagirl.

updating

that's all i'm doing. just a little updating.

first of all, seems i made the news the other day. and you know when someone comes over and you haven't cleaned the house or showered? and you SO wish you had? yeah, well sophie herself decided to mention something in her blog the other day. and when people came on over to our little blog, they got this. i mean, how depressing.

but this is life. or it is around here.

tonight, i've decided to be really positive and upbeat.

so this will be a short post. :)

life around here has been tough. i'm being honest, here, folks. tough.

and me? i've been a real pill to be around. just ask buz. or big h. or goo, for that matter. sleep deprivation isn't for wimps.

the reason i'm keeping this short tonight is so that i don't jinx anything. no, i don't really believe it all that. but at this point, i'm not taking any chances.

goo hasn't slept for longer than three-hour increments without crying. it's unbearable as a mama. antibiotics are finished. she had a wonderful weekend.

finally, buz and i got on our knees last night and prayed with honesty. that God would heal our baby. or at least help her sleep.

tomorrow, we're ordering noise machines for everyone.

you think i'm kidding. but i'm not.

lately, big h has either gotten ignored or i've been on his case for basically being four. God love him. i have really been wanting to take him to a movie. just the two of us. i realized the veggie tales movie and the bee movie were both at the dollar theater. so saturday night, i had a date with a hot, young thang. and you know what the best part of my day was that day? holding hands with my date? i got all nervous and had sweaty palms and everything.

today was day one of Spring Break. (i.e. four-year-old does not have anything structured planned for a solid FIVE days.) so we headed to the mall with some friends. i spilled pink lemonade on my green t-shirt. i was so trying to be Mrs. St. Patty's Day hip mom. poor me. so we headed to old navy, where i purchased my high-priced $2.50 green four-leaf clover t-shirt. big spender. that's what they call me. goo had a big day too. she now owns a pair of "buh buh's sooce." (brother's shoes. i.e. crocs. she doesn't really say it that well. that's what big h decided she was saying.) and they say money doesn't buy happiness? today, i begged to disagree. and the highlight of big h's day? was his accident in the nordstrom bathroom. and without going into detail, it wasn't a #1 accident. so little man donned some sweet adidas basketball shorts for a whopping $6.90 and then some small paul underwear. which, by the way, costs more than i will EVER pay for underwear for me or anyone else in my family. how my buddy paired the clearance (way too big) shorts with the 14K gold skivvies, i don't know. heat of the moment, i guess.

anyway, goo is sleeping. follow-up with one of our ENT's partners on wednesday. not sure what i'm hoping he'll say. win win? or lose lose? trust me...i'm trying to stay positive here.

oh, and my sweet little "whatever" girl? not so much anymore. she's got a thing or two to say these days. not in words, of course. that's how the wisners do it. tantrums are our communication of choice. (so glad i wasn't blogging when big h was eighteen months old.)

but we're here and plugging away. thank you for all the prayers and well wishes.

yeah, remember when i said it was almost comical?

i was kidding.

not funny. not funny at all.

i'd like to introduce you to someone...Mrs. Not So Sunshiney At This Point.

goo has had a rough "recovery" since monday. hence, the reason i haven't posted since then. we thought things were going to be ok. but she was up most of the night monday night. hmmm...interesting. the only time goo ever has trouble sleeping is when she has an ear infection. but they fixed that on monday. right?

tuesday -- cranky. tuesday night -- no sleep.

wednesday -- cranky. wednesday night -- no sleep.

wednesday afternoon, mama calls ear doc. nurse calls back and isn't very sympathetic (or nice, for that matter). says there is no way any of goo's "issues" are ear-related. ummm...lovin' that she's using the word "issues." lovin' that.

breathe in. breathe out.

thursday morning. mama is very frustrated at this point. and honestly, goo is too. (or at least that's what we think and can only assume.)

mama takes matters in her own hands and call God himself (aka dr. g).

"bring her in."

off the three of us go this morning. in our jammies.

hang out with dr. g. small talk. looks in her right ear.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME.

goo has a freaking ear infection. in her perfect new tubed ears.

i'd like to think that i am a pretty positive person. always see the good in others. little miss sunshine.

i'm ashamed to admit the tone of my message to the ear doc's nurse this morning.

Dear God, please forgive my motives. forgive all the mean thoughts i had about ear doc's nurse. and please forgive the unkind words i used in my head this morning. thank you for allowing me to not let those words actually come out of my mouth into the ears of my childrens' virgin ears.

oh, and the sentence that actually came out of my mouth this afternoon?

"ummm, big h? today is NOT the day to disobey mama. trust me."

so...no word from ear doc's nurse. we'll see how that goes.

but just another round of antibiotics for my goo. and hopefully a trip to the ENT today.

(do you see my white flag waving? is this the most pitiful post yet?)

done. finished. complete.

that is what this day is.

whew. i think it's safe to say we're done with the whole going to a medical facility for a social outing. buz and i are spent. well, buz is playing ncaa basketball on his playstation. which means he is "winding down." (do any of your husbands have "wind down time?" and as for me? i am pooped.

let's talk for a minute. and to those who work outside the home (k, i'm thinking about you in particular), please overlook this next sissy of a comment.

i am not used to getting up before, say, GOD.

that's how early we got up this morning. and She Who Does Not Rise Before The Sun did not look like a beacon of light.

i mean, the crusties in my eyes were almost painful due to the sheer number of them.

not that it was about me today or anything.

this was our third medical facility to go to. and i'll be honest, we weren't as impressed. waiting room. beautiful. lovely receptionists at the front. too young and peppy even for the ungodly hour of the morning. patient pager system. cool and high tech.

other side of the pre-op/OR doors? not so impressive. granted, this wasn't a pediatric facility. so clearly no murals of sunshines or rainbows painted on the walls or anything. but nurse upon nurse. doc after doc. staff everywhere. and more beds in the given square footage than we had seen other than on grey's anatomy or ER.

we just happened to get the nurse-in-training. no problem. i mean, i had a clinical rotation in grad school. so i know what it's like to be introduced as the intern. but as of today, being the mom and all, i would have preferred that they withheld the truth. not that that would've been ethical or anything. but hearing "fiona's just learning the ropes today" wasn't so comforting when my daughter was starting to realize the whole "hmmm...everyone's in surgical attire" game.




mom pretending to look so calm. goo making the decision not to fake it.


cartoon momentarily occupying goo's attention.


mama getting to love on her baby.

they had cartoons on. but nothing that really caught goo's eye or attention. i will say that the anesthesiologist and his nurse were FREAKING AWESOME! they were so informative and made sure that they knew anything specific about goo. especially pink blanket. and they did inquire about the monogramming. :)

this was goo's first experience with versed. big h had it with his tubes. but goo didn't experience such delirium with her eyes or CT.

i realize a lot of you have had experience with this. so don't let me insult you if you already know all of this.

today, i caught of glimpse of what goo would look like mildly to moderately intoxicated.

she was so limp. not too limp to not want to be held by daddy. (let's all give out an 'oh, poor buz.') but limp, she was. and all she kept doing was open mouth kissing me over and over again. "mmmm...wah. mmmm...wah." 'll admit it. i was LOVING being loved on. LOVING it. and you want to talk glazed over eyes?

when they came to take her to the OR, the nurse took her from me and surprisingly, she resisted quite a bit. even on the meds. she wanted her pink blankie, her green blankie (from her bed), and the remote from the pre-op room that she had been using as her own personal cell phone.

literally, we were in the waiting room long enough to pray together and make some vending machine coffee.

the ENT came out and said everything had gone well and that there was a LOT to clean out. i'll spare you the details.

the wake up? not so pleasant. let's just leave it at that. so i can end this post positively. tough day overall for the goo. big h didn't know the difference. and now, the day has ended.

and the strange thing is how amazed we are at how at peace we were today. we knew so many of you were praying for us and our little family. God is so good to us. He is so sovereign over our little goo.

have i mentioned what a hoss she is?

hoss.

and with that, buz and i are off to eat kettle corn and watch "bachelor: where are they now?" because we're on top of the hollywood scene.

tomorrow morning

my baby will have her some new and improved ears. we are so pumped. big h has been telling his teachers at school that his stister (not misspelled) is getting new ears and that he got to pick out her ear plugs all by himself. is it sick and twisted that we are all a little excited around here?

oh, and the irony? took her in on thursday for her pre-op. got her ear plug molds made. got her hearing screened. checked for fluid and pressure. and basically went over a bunch of logistics with the doc. first...due to her ear infections, she has developed moderate hearing loss. poor goo. no wonder she looks at us like we're speaking in a different language. and second? she had an ear infection.

i know.

i'm serious.

so instead of MORE antibiotics to heal her ears for the next five days, the doc recommended keeping her pain-free until monday. when he would "get in there and really clean those guys out." yes, that's what he said. love this guy. loved him with big h. still love him. so goo has been doped up for five days, and tomorrow homegirl is getting a true spa treatment. a deep cleaning, if you will. well, that and some more anesthesia. she loves herself some anesthesia.

praying for you, goo.

will update you tomorrow night. after we've done a lot of resting and tv-watching and pizza-ordering.

quick update

for you praying people out there...goo's surgery postponed to monday morning instead of this friday. insurance issues.

they say...

...if you don't like the weather in texas, wait five minutes, and it will change.

so true.

we went to church on sunday morning, and i'll admit it. i was crabby. because i had on a short-sleeved shirt, and i was warm. like sweaty "oh no, summer is coming" warm. and has been documented before, summer janet. she's not pleasant.

and this morning, we woke to snow. freaking SNOW. seriously. the white stuff that falls from the sky when it's COLD. i know.

big h LOVED it. loved every minute of it. (never mind that we had to use our neighbor's yard because our enormous trees blocked our yard.)

who knew my little man could throw such a mean snowball?

and he was determined to make a snow angel. or seventeen.

this snow thing is not for sissies.

to help you with a reference point for this monster of a snowman. no bigger than his boot.

as for goo and the beautiful white stuff that falls from the sky when it's cold outside. not so much. touched it and decided that was enough.

"wow, i really wish my intelligent mom had gotten me some mittens. she got big h some and not me. interesting."

"seriously? this is fun for you?"

"can we go inside now?"

and big surprise to me...hot chocolate actually tastes pretty good in a sippy cup. two rave reviews.

tough day at the office

this is what buz is thinking about today.

we love you, brett. we'll miss you. thanks for what you brought to the game.

follow the sequence

and then ooh and ahh. at all the cuteness and whatnot.

goo finally mustering up enough courage to brave her biggest fear. the slide of doom.

looks nervous. but getting up the slide.

more courage. but still unsure.

sees big brother at the bottom and starting to relax a little.

oh dear, point of no return. can't go back down the steps. don't want to be a chicken.

his perspective. "c'mon, goo. you can do it. i'm right here. i'm right here."

"i hunch my shoulders when i'm nervous. big h, can you see my shoulders? they're hunched."

"wow. that wasn't so bad after all. i should probably do it again. and again. and again."

until my brother is sick of the whole "catch me because i'm your scared little sis" excuse.

and really. wouldn't you feel safer if this was who was waiting for you at the bottom?

or not.

it's starting to get comical

we have come to the conclusion that the goo is becoming quite a little glamour queen.

first, she had her ears done.

then, she wanted head shots. for God knows who or what? who is she trying to impress? what agency is she sending these to? i mean, she's already won over dr. g, big h, papa, grandpa, and daddy. you know...the important ones.

and clearly, she's just not satisfied. now, she wants her ears done.

and because we're enablers by nature, we're answering her every request. she's so spoiled. she wants her ears done? she'll have her ears done.

this friday. march 7.

i would ask for lots of prayers because of my nerves and worrying attitude and all. but at this point, we are so confident in our pediatric medical community and in the way God lays His hand on our hoss of a daughter. i mean, i'm not asking you to NOT pray, by any means. but the plea is not as desperate. think of goo at 730am (praise the Lord, it's not in the afternoon). lift her up in prayer. pray for her doctor. pray for the staff. pray for big h, who will be totally oblivious due to his prior school commitments. (the boy has a fast-paced social circuit.) and pray for buz. while he brings home the bacon. and pray for me, as i love on my little peanut.

but really? what's next? implants? fuller lips? firmer abs?

oh, and the reason we're giving in to her every whim? because this is how she's been feeling for a while now.

a little trip down memory lane

our sunday night outing tonight really moved me. don't laugh. we took our kids somewhere i have SUCH fond memories of. memories of my older brother and i going on a friday night or after church on sunday.

for the longest time, i called it john lawn silbers.

a couple of chicken planks. some hushpuppies. cole slaw. well, bob didn't have so much of the cole slaw. and crunchy things. lots and lots of crunchy things. you know, you had to special order lots of crunchy things.

and really, no trip was complete without the plastic bib and the pirate hat.

and today, our trip was complete with the pirate hat.

(fyi: the little brown thing on big h's chin? crunchy thing.)

is it sad that our nutritional meal this evening brought back so many memories and was so much fun?

no. it was freaking awesome. dee-lish, i tell ya.

happy 19 months

dear goo,

in honor of your nineteen-month birthday, i want to tell you nineteen things i love about you.

1. that your middle toe on your left foot sticks up from the rest.
2. that your pink blankie is monogrammed with the name "isabella rose."
3. that you are a milk addict. seriously. we think you nay have been in some form of detox last week, which contributed to your crankiness.
4. that half of your meal ends up in your lap or high chair.
5. that you like to double fist it with milk and water.
6. that the only way we get you in the bathtub now is to entice you with an entire can of shaving cream.
7. that ironically we've always dubbed you the "angel child," though it's one hundred times more difficult to put you in your carseat than it ever was with your brother. and trust me, sister, that's saying something.
8. that you insist that your right shoe goes on your left foot and vice versa.
9. that you've just figured out dollies, and that makes me happier than you will ever know.
10. that you bonk my head when you try to give me a kiss. oh, and by the way, it really hurts. you've got strength.
11. that you know just what toy to take to push big h's buttons. high five, goo.
12. that you started teething at three months and have had all of your teeth since about seven months. you're such an overachiever.
13. your tush. period.
14. that daddy asks if you want fries with your shake. meaning you work it. you own it.
15. that you can physically carry an entire sam's-/costco-sized jar of animal cookies successfully around the house.
16. the way you look in hats. oh, how this delights me.
17. that you and big h have your own little version of hide and seek.
18. that your favorite breakfast is sausage and bacon. that's my girl.
19. that your CT scan came back perfectly normal!!!!!!!!!!!!! PRAISE THE LORD!

we love you, sweet goo.

all over

as a preface, i'd like to inform you that buz and i will be eating popcorn, watching american idol, and going straight to bed.

because goo is drugged up on motrin and benadryl.

and big h was out in the first TEN MINUTES of getting into his bed.

but as a quick recap. CT went well. anesthesia was not the same as when she had her eyes done. she woke up VERY grumpy and that grumpiness? yeah, it lasted for a really. long. time.

but she got home and was so excited to have brother with her. (thanks to my new friend Christy for insisting she take big h for the afternoon. she has twins, boy and girl, who are in big h's class at school. big h is in love with her daughter. i would have no problem being in-laws with her.)and they sat together, had a snack, and watched a little television. it was blissful. and then, my sweet friend 'aunt biscuit' brought over a king ranch chicken casserole and salad. biscuit, goo LOVED the casserole. let me tell you how nice it was not to have to think about dinner. wonderful.

we won't know the results until thursday or friday. sucks. but buz and i have decided to have a positive attitude and be confident that we are in the palm of His Hand. only place to be.

oh yeah, and not to mention that we have so many incredible friends. we are so blessed, we can't see straight.

(someone please tell me why blogger won't let you use spell check anymore? it's so annoying. there. i've said my peace.)

sweet goo

so, throwin' up a more somber post than normal. requesting prayers for sweet goo. last night, she was up from about 9 until 230 or 3. would be ok if one of us was holding her. but the second we went to put her down, she would cry. and we are talking that kind of cry that you can't ignore. that kind of cry that makes you wonder what on earth is wrong. so in that time period, one of us was either standing with her, swaying or rocking in the chair. finally at 3, i couldn't stand any longer with her. she was calm, so i put her down. and she cried. oh, did she cry. and honestly, if she had been comfortable with me rocking her, i would have just gone to sleep with her. but she only wanted me to stand and sway. no such luck for me.

she woke up about 830, which is the time she normally wakes up, so it wasn't necessarily a relief that she "slept in." took big h to school and headed home for about thirty minutes before we got back in the car to go to the pediatrician. i know you're laguhing. thinking to yourself, "how in the world do they go that often?" i wonder that same thing. trust me.

well, buz and i have had an awkward pit in our stomachs for a couple of weeks now. that things have changed with goo. ever since she fell. she has just been off. really grumpy. not her usual self. crying a LOT in the middle of the night. naps are shorter. she cries to sleep and cries when she wakes up. just a lot of things.

so finally this morning, i went in wanting to check her ears. making sure the antibiotic was working. check. everything else checked out. so i began to tell her (not dr. g -- he wasn't in the office today) what my concerns were. and in a nutshell, she told me that buz and i would most likely be at peace until all the i's were dotted and t's were crossed. and the one thing that would tell us if anything "happened" when she fell would be a head CT. and she would have to be sedated due to her age.

pit in my stomach. but a good pit? does that make sense? don't want her to have to do it. but feel like it's best somehow to rule out everything?

i'll be honest. the sedation part makes me so nervous. it's not until 230 in the afternoon. so that's a lot of time without milk, food, or water/juice.

and then you have the elephant in the room. if the CT doesn't show anything, what is wrong with my baby? if it does show something, what are we looking at? what are the possibilities?

anyway, this mama's got some anxiety.

so if you think of it, would you pray for my sweet goo today and tomorrow?

making me happy

1. this is the song big h requested this morning on the way to school. without prompting. my heart melts.


2. big h (with the help of his teachers) wrote buz and me a valentine's day card. it had a picture of him on the front. when you opened the card, on one side, it said, "i love my mommy because" and the other side read, "i love my daddy because." big h is such an intimate little deep thinker. "i love my daddy because he gives me binoculars." "i love my mommy because she gives me breakfast."


3. um, yeah, this is what buz gave me for valentine's day. so buz, i'm pretty much head over heels in love with you.


4. big h's discussion while we were in old navy today. about the music. and how it made him get his groove on.


5. how excited big h got today about the new mulch they put down at school. mulch, people. mulch.


6. how much better goo is sleeping once she got on antibiotics yesterday. for her ear infection. seriously. an ear infection. can't the girl catch a break? guess what her belated valentine's present is going to be?


7. what i can't stop looking at online. i know. it's an addiction. i can't help it.


8. one of buz's valentine's day presents was a pair of new jeans. (i know. i'm nothing if not a hopeless romantic.) his response? "sweetie? are these some of those designer jeans?" God bless him. c'mon buz. we're going to bring you up to speed, dear.


9. stumbling across this old picture.



10. embracing my delicate flower.
    


11. this morning before school, big h came up to me and asked, "mama, please can i pyay a pee-bee-ess kids dot org game on your computer?" i mean, i realize my kid's four and all. but why does this surprise me? every time? that he knows about dot org?


12. that this is what is going on outside.

um, guess who's feeling better?

HALLELUJAH!

(and a little fashion tip. because i'm so in touch with the trends. it was too cold outside to go without anything on her legs. but i was too lazy to go to her room and get pants. so because i just happened to be doing the laundry, her daddy's work socks did just fine. i know. you're impressed. talk about resourceful.)

and guess who is THRILLED about his "stister's" recovery?

needless to say, we had a wonderful day today.

i so desperately want to write that goo is back in full force happiness and that all is right with the world.

but i can't.

but i also refuse to complain for eight hundred and one consecutive days. sooo...

for those of you out there who have your house cleaned on a regular basis, i am green with envy.

because ms. wiz? my house has never looked, smelled, or felt cleaner than it does right now. how should i thank you? i started taking pictures. but your smart a-- son reminded me that photos don't reveal smell.

right. i know.

but seriously...the euphoria from the smell alone just about did me in.

they cleaned the cupboards. the cupboards.

and they made big h's bed. i'm pretty sure it hasn't been made since goo was born.

thanks, ms. wiz. happy valentine's day to me, huh? i love you, too!

i think we're in for it.

buz and i came to the realization that we're about to embark on something new and somewhat scary.

the word girl pretty much sums it up.

goo is going to give us a run for our money. period.

the way she looks up at us with the "what?" look on her face. the way she arches her back during a tantrum like even big h never did. (that's saying something.) the way she takes things from him just because they're his. i mean, she's cute and all. but whew. i forgot what 18-month-old land was like. i do remember that i didn't like it.

i think i've figured out why it's going to be so tough with her. with big h, we just knew and anticipated the worst all the time. which is sad to say, but it's true. we knew that in almost every circumstance, big h would throw a huge fit and have some sort of eeyore complex about his poor, pitiful life. even today, when we ask him what the best part of his day was, he will respond with something and then add a "but" at the end.

with goo, she's been so sweet. such an easy baby. and it was like she turned one and said, "i've had it. i'm done being the easy one. i want more out of life than just taking everything as it comes."

i've started calling her sassafrass, and it throws big h over the edge in laughter.

but i'm serious. the sass. oh, the sass. i am not looking forward to it. at all.

and the funny thing? it's like goo is entering the world/stage that big h is leaving. it's weird. and sad. and scary. does that make any sense? it does to me.

course, last night i had a dream about a childhood friend giving me a new handbag and going out on a date with simon cowell.

so you really shouldn't trust what makes sense to me these days.

and big h's finest moment today?

today was beautiful. 70s and clear. and for me to say that a day in FEBRUARY in the SEVENTIES was beautiful is big. huge. we played outside in the afternoon. and then i asked big h if he wanted to have a picnic for dinner.

complete and total elation.

and he also decided yesterday that today he wanted to bake a cake today. guess he's never seen me do such a thing, so it was us wisners living on the edge, really.

so tonight, we had KFC for dinner and then yellow cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles for dessert.

he finished his (first) piece of cake and then proceeded to tell us he wanted a second piece of cake. buz and i said no almost immediately.

and then, as serious as a heart attack (that joke is getting easier to use around here), he said, "well, mama and daddy, jesus says that i should eat my first piece of cake. when i finish that piece, it is time for my second piece."

i mean, who are we to argue with Christ, our Lord and Savior over big h's sweet tooth?

for the record, it was a tiny, little sliver. but he went to bed feeling a victory over his parents. and saying to himself, "wow, i should use that jesus line a lot more often."

seriously, people. find me some wood.

so i can do some knockin'.

i plan on being painfully honest right now.

in the spirit of tomorrow being saturday, here is what i would like to see happen:

• no diarrhea
• no vomit
• no emergency washing towels or other fabrics
• playing outside
• miraculously no more diaper rash on any little bottoms
• fun lunch somewhere
• lots of playing
• no diarrhea. sorry, did i already mention that?
• no vomit. sorry, did i already mention that, too?

i am officially done playing wisner memorial hospital. and you know what? i bet the other members of my family are too.

let's knock on wood together, shall we?

imodium AD $7.99

saltine crackers $2.59

mcdonalds sprite $0.79

prescription diaper rash ointment $26.00

papa driving an hour just to read big h his bedtime stories so i could put the goo down for the night priceless

grandma responding to our last fourty-eight hours with, "what can i do to help?" (and having that question result in arranging for a maid to come clean our entire house)
priceless

buz holding my hair back while i graced the porcelain throne priceless

guess what we've all been up to lately?

big h -- monday
mommy -- wednesday
goo -- thursday
daddy -- thursday

have i mentioned how much i love my family? um, i love my family. i love my sweet mother-in-law for staying awake the whole night last night just trying to come up with something to do for me since i was sick with two children. that's just her. trying to do things for me all the time. after goo made her mark this afternoon, i called ms. wiz and suggested perhaps a clean house would make everything better. and her response? you arrange it and let me know how much. seriously. oh, and by the way. she does stuff like this all. the. time.

i know.

i love you, ms. wiz.

my mom is out of town right now. the scene was -- big h asleep. buz home from work early due to stomach bug. goo getting rid of her upset tummy all over the carpet. i couldn't do it. i called for reinforcements. and it would be a grand understatement to say that my dad "doesn't do sick." seriously. my dad DOES NOT DO SICK. but i believe my exact words were, "dad, i wouldn't call if i didn't desperately need you."

one hour later, big h and the goo were overjoyed that papa had arrived. and so was i. we divided and we conquered. dad took big h and i took the goo.

and when all was said and done, we shared a lovely mcdonalds happy meal together at approximately nine o'clock this evening. really, it was just a ploy to get him to come over for dinner.

oh, and my husband? held my hair back last night when it was just the right time to say farewell to all that i had eaten in the month of january. i think it's only fitting that it's february. the month of love and romance, right?

let's raise our glasses to a fun and extremely healthy february 2008.

here here.


gift (gĭft) n.
Something that is bestowed voluntarily and without compensation

no bugs around here. (however, we're knocking on wood.)

so big h just didn't "peel so well this day." but he rested and watched his show. he had his snack and took it easy.

and then, he picked on his sister.

and that's when i knew he was better. no stomach bug around these parts. just the usual four-year-old and eighteen-month-old funk. runny noses and lingering coughs. nothing that a little tylenol meltaway couldn't fix. or fruit circles, as big h calls them.

clearly, he's got a medicine phobia.

and today was a big day for big h. day #5 of staying in his bed at night. which equals day #5 of blissful night's sleep for mommy and daddy.

he made his own chart. this was the second go around for the whole "stay in your bed" thing. so this time, he had to stay in his bed for five consecutive nights, and then it was time to get a toy. we're not above bribes. shocker. yigh-teen ah-keen was the toy of choice.

and because i'm his mom, i have to brag for .01 seconds. he told me that goo would be sad if she didn't get a toy when he did.

"i know. but you worked really hard for something, and she didn't."

"i know i did. and i did a gyeat job. and you said nice words about that. but i will be sad when goo cries because she doesn't have something new to play with. would it be ok if goo got something new too? that way we could have pun together."

melted. literally melted. i mean, i love this kid.

so does goo. because she got a new doll out of the deal.

please. please, no.

got a call from big h's school today saying he had been complaining of a tummy ache and they asked if i could come get him. he asked the teacher if he could "skip yunch and go straight to my mat?"

i know.

and so he did. and i went to pick him up. and poor little guy was in the office looking so pitiful.

i asked what sounded good for the rest of the afternoon. and his response? "mama, i tink it would be goodest to put my syeeping bag on the couch, yay in it, eat a rek-pest bar, and watch mr. incyedible so i can rest. i rest rea-yee good when i watch mr. incyedible." spoken from a true patient.

so little man resides on the couch, with his breakfast bar, his sleeping bag, and the television tuned into the incredibles.

please do not let this be the beginning of the stomach bug. please.

and to think that the morning at school started off so great.

well, la tee dah

it's like a breath of fresh air around here.

(never mind that it's the first week of february, and it's going to be EIGHTY-ONE DEGREES here today. i'm suppressing my deep-rooted bitterness.)

i finally managed to get rid of the picture of goo when she was three months old, buz in his oktoberfest hat, and big h with his train that he used to take every. where. neville, or as he liked to call him -- nim-uhl.

oh, and not to mention my three month postpartum rolls.

i mean, i still have the three month (now eighteen month) rolls, but at least they're not there for all the internet to see.

ahhhh.....

just your average joe friday night...

...at the pediatric urgent care.

seems goo ticked someone off. and didn't fare too well after the fight.

or she just slipped on the monstronsity that is big h's playmobil airplane and landed head first into the fireplace.

either way, big h and i took her to the pediatric urgent care due to dr g's nurse having a suspicion that she might need a stitch or two. no stitches needed. they just glued her face. i'm serious. they glued her face.

big h remained calm. and fashionable.

if i've said this once, i've said this a thousand times. my daughter is a freaking hoss. a power house. basically, we had to hold her down so the glue didn't get in her eye and for another thirty seconds while the stinging was occurring. and the only reason she wanted to move was so she could get her hand on another goldfish. homegirl is serious about her snacks. and that was it.

now, she just has a glossy purple patch over her right eyebrow. it totally went with her outfit. purple is this year's black, so buz says.

needless to say, the playmobil airplane is in a timeout.

i have to write this down before the stars lose their perfect alignment.

today was one of those days. those days that you have to write down somewhere. for posterity sake. or somethin'.

the alignment of the stars. oh, i kid. not really.

let me document the perfection of God's Holy Masterpiece that i like to call January 29 2008.

buz gets home from work as i'm cooking dinner.

that should be enough right there.

no, i wasn't wearing an apron, but i should've been. it was that magical. and wonderful.

and rare.

so i'm putting together a pico de gallo rotisserie chicken, some pasta for goo and big h that i knew had a chance, some rice with vegetables, and some steamed asparagus with lime/butter. i'm no pioneer woman, but i was excited. excited about how great it smelled. excited that i fixed a meal, period.

oh, and meanwhile my two children are playing together without any screams of someone "broking my yego hay-uh-caht-tehr!" and no 18-month-old girl screaming to be rescued from underneath her brother's chair or firetruck.

bliss. peace. whatever you want to call it.

i fix dinner and get it put on everyone's plate, knowing full well either big h would pretend vomit in response to at least one item on the plate or goo would look at it, hug pink blankie, and drink milk while continuously saying "ah duh, ah duh," while not touching a single thing.

(side note: since goo has been sick, her appetite has gone in the trash. my sweet girl who devours tomatoes, avocados, grilled chicken, pasta, bread, you name it, has turned to merely sitting at the table with all of us looking as pitiful as she can possibly can. it's a wonder she isn't skin and bones these days. but today, there was not much for breakfast and a staring contest with her lunch. so because i'm a mean mom, i took them both to the grocery store to get our two weeks' worth of groceries and didn't let her have a snack there or when we managed to get home.)

so we sit down, big h blesses the food, in melody nonetheless, and dinner commences. and when i say dinner commences, i mean all four of us ingested food.

it gets better.

goo seems ravenous. buz and i try not to pay any attention to her. she eats two helpings of the pasta right out of the gate. takes bites of the chicken and likes what she tastes and begins to take more. i look over to see big h inhaling the pasta AND the chicken. and while he's doing this, he says very confidently, "mama, i really yike this dinner. will you make it again? if you do, i will eat a lot of it next time too. will you eat a lot of your dinner daddy?" and i kid you not...he says "mama, i yike this dinner a yot" more times than i can count on one hand. i know.

and buz whispers, "look at the goo." i turn my head ever so gently as to not interrupt her apparent progress. when what to my wondering eyes should appear? my goo gnawin' on some asparagus.

Holy is the Lord.

she ended up finishing up her entire plate, including two asparagus spears, and pointed at a banana. polished it off too.

and i will tell you i haven't seen a happier goo in a long time.

until, of course, she wanted to take pink blankie into the bathtub and her mean-as-sin parents wouldn't let her. she lost some of her happiness.

and as we're finishing up with dinner? my brother calls. my brother who lives in another state. my brother who doesn't ever call just to say hi. (my brother who doesn't read this blog.)

then, i am ready to put goo to bed, and i could tell she was so tired. (long day at the grocery store earlier. as God is my witness, i vow never to take both of them to the grocery store again. i know i only have two children, but i SO forgot what it's like to be around an eighteen-month-old. have mercy on my soul and the souls of others with eighteen-month-olds.) so i decided to push the envelope. i got her in her jammies and lathered her bottom with prescription diaper rash ointment. (bff, the rash like you saw at the mall. OUCH.) let her love on pink blankie. turned out the light. and then i rocked her. not to sleep. just rocked her because she put up NO FIGHT WHATSOEVER.

more bliss.

she just lay there in the crevice of my arm that was once too big for her. now, she fits just right. and i sang.

**********screech on the record player**********

no, seriously. i did. and she still didn't put up a fight. i'm telling you. the girl was tired. because to have me sing a little "i love you, Lord. and i lift my voice" would have anyone putting up a fight.

unless they were tired little goo.

it was the best day.

it's time.

really, it is.

time to get my haven'tcleanedmyselfinthreedays a shower.

time to locate my hair dryer and use it.

time to strip off my "sick clothes". you know. the husband's fraternity t-shirt from the early 90s. the elastic waist pants with no elastic anymore. the old man's slippers.

time to make the bed. for the first time in four days.

time to go to the grocery store. for something other than soup, orange juice, and my favorite medicine of all time. real food. food for my family that doesn't come out of a box from the freezer.

don't get me wrong. my soup and sprite diet really worked for me this weekend and all. but i'm tired of it.

i am NOT a good sick person. i'm just not. you people out there that write blog posts while incredibly ill. well, more power to you. because i have 1) no laptop and 2) a major guilty conscience. meaning, i would be mortified if buz came in while i was trying to come up with some cute way of saying, "i'm probably not going to make it" on the internet. meanwhile, he is managing both kiddos and not resting or relaxing at all. oh, and it just happened to be the weekend. when he normally enjoys some rest or relaxation. neither for this guy. oh, and this just happened to be the weekend when my in-laws come to town? the weekend i wanted goo to be well for? irony is a funny thing. luckily, i was well friday night. we had our insanely cute sitter over, and we had a double date with my in-laws. some of you may be cringing. but it was so much fun. we had dinner alone with no kids and had adult conversation. it was great.

saturday came. oh, how saturday came. came and knocked me upside the head. i vaguely telling buz, "i think i really don't feel good." that was about all i remember from saturday. well, other than somehow staying awake during the miss america pageant.

sunday, i stayed in bed until ten in the morning. and remained in my "sick clothes" the entire day. my in-laws came over one more time before they left to go home. they got to watch big h ride his bicycle and goo ride her little roller coaster.

you want to talk trooper? it's spelled b-u-z. the guy cooked and basically did everything for two straight days, while i was deemed totally and completely useless. he'll tell you. i am not good at sick.

but today starts a new week. a new beginning. the meds are kicking, and i am determined to fight it. one productive cough at a time.

posting to post.

catchy title. courtesy of someone rad.

there was discussion of the need to post. anything. just something.

so here. i can't believe i haven't posted bicycle pictures. shame on me. big h is in love with his bicycle almost as much as he was with thomas. people, that is saying something. and the structure side of him requires him to wear every piece of protective gear. he is serious about his game.

and how about we go ahead and mention the hot burley guy fastening the buckle on the helmet. grrr...

i love this kid from the very depth of my soul.

oh and while we're on the subject of my little man, i'll go ahead and mention that today when Goo was taking her nap and i was laying down on my bed, he came in my room, got under my covers with me, and said totally unprompted while touching his FREEZING toes to my leg inside my jeans, "mama, i yuv snuggying with you. my toes are cold, huh?" seriously.

and goo? took her to her "healthy" 18-month checkup only to get a prescription for an antibiotic for her DOUBLE EAR INFECTION. oops. missed that one. so she's sub par. sub par goo is just a pitiful sight. it's sad because grandma and grandpa are coming in tomorrow all the way from new mexico. pray for complete recovery by mid-morning tomorrow.

word has it...

...that buz may or may not have posted.

date with a good looking fella

today big h and i had a date. i mean, it was a date in the sense that it was just the two of us and it involved food.

never mind that it was a trip to the haircut place for him and costco for us to get toilet paper.

for all intents and purposes, it was a date.

i was amazed at so many things while i was out. for the record, i am always amazed at a lot while i'm out. people fascinate me.

first of all, big h has awesome hair. i don't mind bragging. he does. people that know him? come forth. vouch for me. doesn't he? when he gets it cut, i always mourn the loss of the hair beauty. but the fact that we do it all of twice a year makes up for any grieving i might go through. because there was a time big h didn't care so much for the haircut. i know. you're surprised. because he's such an easy going, laid back kind of guy.

or not.

so because we only go twice a year, we get a car from the movie CARS. i know. they sell them. at the haircut place. marketing genius.

big h asks to get his hair cut.

so today, when we left, he said, "mama, you know. i just don't yook anything yike myself. i don't, right?" and he didn't.

because the stylist put so much gel in his hair that i could've held him by his hair and he would've never noticed a thing. not only did she "gel" him, she parted and slicked it down. dennis the menace? i don't even know who i can come up with, but it was so. bad. i can't describe it or do it justice. big h did it justice. "mama, i just don't yook anything yike myself. i don't, right?"

but we got a car out of the deal, which made the day for my little man.

headed to costco. we dined first. have you had their pizza? i have no doubt it is not quite the healthiest option for those of you with new years' resolutions. but wow. it's delicious.

and here is where i noticed something that made me smile. shouldn't have made me smile. but it did. some little boy was having a tantrum. not just some cute, little overlookable (that's my own word) tantrum. we're talking doozie of all doozies. and the poor dad was trying to negotiate with him. trying to talk sweet. trying to find out what he "needed." trying to reason.

bless his heart.

it was so enjoyable because a) i've been there and b) i wasn't there today. so i looked over to my 10-year-old-looking little boy and told him how much i loved him. had to seize the moment.

we made our way to the toilet paper aisle. and had a great time with my little man.

and my little man? who didn't talk until he turned three? hasn't missed a moment. not. a. moment. he gave me rave reviews of every. thing. on. every. aisle. i was well informed by the end of our shopping experience. and so were our fellow patrons.

and then, little man fell asleep. in the car. and there was peace.

until we got home. and saw his best friend. daddy. and there was much information shared re: new cars and pizza and yittle boys crying and toilet paper and haircuts and YOTS MORE STUFF DADDY!

oh, and have i mentioned how easy it was to be with only ONE child? well, it was easy. and fun.

good day all around.

i can't forget to mention the goo. um yeah, this is what she wore to church today.

well, not the hat. i mean, she's a lady and all.

it's called pride. i love this punkin. i can't get enough of her.

and yes, we watched the game yesterday. and yes, we wished we were there. but we're not going to negate the fun time we had two weeks ago.

oh, but the snow................

been away from the computer for a while.

we ended up not celebrating the new year with a little bubbly and nana. we celebrated in the air on the way back from green bay. and not even any peanuts.

after more than several delays, we arrived in the metroplex at two in the morning.

happy new year.

new year's day was tough, getting back into the swing of things. plus, buz caught some funk that he still can't get rid of. though, the z-pack is doing its best to give this little number the boot.

didn't post any pictures of Christmas. our Christmas was good. a little overwhelming for big h. as a four-year-old, it's too much to ask for several things and actually receive all three of them. not to mention presents from grandparents and cousins. so in the spirit of not being a scrooge, here is why i didn't post any Christmas pictures.

see how cute we were all going to be in our little matching jammies and jeans? well, big h wouldn't have any part of the whole jean idea. shocker. and goo? well, weentrab is THE ONLY PERSON to get her to smile. the girl makes you work for it.

and i find it almost comical that buz and i are smiling, like nothing at all is wrong. just life as normal.

but we had a very merry Christmas. had nana and papa over for Christmas pizza. what is Christmas pizza, you might ask? well, i may very well be the ONLY PERSON alive who doesn't like *the holiday meal.* turkey, dressing, potatoes, casserole upon casserole, etc. it's just too much for me. i watched my mom remain in the kitchen for every holiday my whole life, and now that i'm older and more mature (laughing to myself), i don't want to spend the holiday in the kitchen. not to mention that i don't like to cook at all anyway. also, i just don't like the meal. too heavy. so i decided i wanted to have a new tradition...Christmas pizza. buz is not sold on the idea. but we'll see. it was awesome. we had Christmas pizza for lunch, and seven-layer dip for dinner. i loved every minute of it. and talk about relaxing? pretty much perfect.

and now life is back to "normal," whatever that means.

big ace

only child

friend

eagle scout

trombone player

sooner

CPA

husband

vietnam war veteran

accountant

father

auditor

youth ministry finance chairman

deacon

travel guide

father-in-law

grandfather


and now a retiree...

i am so proud of you, dad. your party yesterday was everything we hoped it would be for you. you are so well thought of. i love you. congratulations. you deserve the very best.