The Hullett Horde

Where have I been???????

2009-11-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

Where to start? So much has happened since I last blogged. FB sort of took over from my blogging. That's where most of my pics live. And now, I have so many pictures that it's overwhelming.

Since I last blogged, I started teaching full-time, am on the PTA Board at Cate's school, am Cate's Room Mom, my mom had her gallbladder out, Cate had lice, I did the 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk, and my family joined a new church plant in Mansfield. Whew. Are you tired? I am.

Working full-time has been a huge adjustment. I manage to get everything done, but I don't love missing preschool parties and not being able to work up at Cate's school. I'm trying to work just part-time next year. I think that will make me a much happier mommy and a better and more patient teacher.

Mom had her gallbladder out about 2 wks ago. That was fun--not at all. The pain beforehand was excruciating and then she had some blockage to her liver so she turned a not-so-nice shade of yellow. Thankfully, she's much better now. Staples came out today...or maybe they come out tomorrow. She is sooooooo ready for them to come out.

Lice. What can you say? I suspect hat day at her school as the culprit. Catie has hair down to her waist. I spent 4 hours on the bathroom floor combing out nits--the bathroom was the only room with a light bright enough to see the nits. Note: Nits are very hard to see in honey-blonde hair. The best I can say about it is it was a bonding time, lol. For the last 2 hours, she was sound asleep in my lap.

The Breast Cancer 3 Day was amazing. I was very proud of myself; I walked every mile. The blisters/sore muscles weren't too bad. I won't do it again till the kids are older; the practice eats up too much of what little free time I have. I love the slogan though (one of them anyway), and I'm really trying to apply it to my life: Do something that matters.

The new church plant--I'm so very excited about that as well. We are based in Mansfield. We hope to be meeting in a school in early Spring. We are a Christian church with instrumental music and a very contemporary feel. I absolutely love both the worship leader and the minister. The worship leader has such a thoughtful approach to worship. He is always looking for the best way to enhance people's communication with God. The minister--well, I've gone to church my whole life so I've heard a LOT of sermons. What I love about him is that he makes me think. It's not the same ol', same ol'. And he doesn't care if you're comfortable about it or not. Just like Jesus. Now, lol, I'm not saying he's JESUS, but like Jesus, he is most concerned with helping people mature spiritually and be the best they can be, not about making them FEEL good. He is also the hardest working minister I've ever known. If you're in the area, we'd love to have you visit. I know you will be blessed!!!

I will try to get some pictures up soon. This picture drought is ridiculous.

In the meantime, one last request. Our building manager's wife was killed in a car accident yesterday afternoon. They have a 2 yr old and a 2 mth old. Pray, pray, pray. I'm not sure how you get past something like that. I know he needs the comfort only God can give him. And pray for us to support as best we can.

Blessings and love to you all,
Khristy

Vegas

2009-06-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

1. Iconic Vegas sign

2. The Aggie girls the night of Jon's Birthday Dinner at Sensi in the Bellagio--Joyce, Michele, Khristy, Katie, & Amanda

3. Shawn & me in the Bellagio Conservatory

4. Jon & Michele--couldn't ask for better friends!!!

5. Shawn & me posing on a Bellagio balcony with the Paris hotel in the background

My little actress & the bluebonnets

2009-06-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

1. Catie & Ms. Lesa--who having JUST got in from camp still came to see Cate, Heather, & Nathan.

2. Cate played Chicken Lickin' at Drama Camp. They re-enacted the story: The Stinky Cheeseman and other stupid stories. Very cute!!

3. Cate in the bluebonnets.

4. Quinn in the bluebonnets.

5. JD in the bluebonnets--note the lovely war wound.

Dinosaurs over Spring Break

2009-06-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

1. JD & Cate searching for fossils.

2. Family pic with the long necks.

3. Cate, my little drama girl, showing her fear of the dinosaur coming after her (her idea!).

4. Kids playing in the dinosaur head.

5. One of my fave pics of JD

*These are in reverse chronological order.

Cute Etsy store!

2009-06-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

My sister forwarded me this super cute link for Fancy Schmancy Designs...because every home needs a few more polka dots ... on Etsy.com. She's doing a giveaway for a monogrammed cake holder so I'm doing a shameless promo! Here's the link: http://fancyschmancydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-etsy-shop-and-give-away.html

Precious stuff...the woman has 5 kids and still does this....she may be a robot....but regardless, her stuff is adorable. Take a look!

End of School

2009-05-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

We're all in the midst of the end of year crunch. Things are crazy! Shawn's traveling a lot, and the kids have had all kinds of things going on--end of year parties, talent shows, and preschool graduation.

Our exciting news is that Cate made her school talent show. I didn't even know she was trying out!!! I asked her what she was singing in the show, and she said, "I want a hippopatumus (sp?) for Christmas!!" How funny is that? Christmas in June! But the music teacher told me she was relaxed, on pitch, and had cute little motions. And I found out that they try out in front of their whole grade, teachers, and assorted staff. She tried out in front of ~70 people. The whole thing stresses me out! I didn't worry about the tryouts bc I didn't know she was doing it. The show is June 2nd at 8:15 and 9:45 if you'd like to come.

Our other news is that I have a second interview at the Life School for the speech/drama position. My 2nd interview is next Thursday. Prayers appreciated, although I have total peace that God's in control and whatever happens is meant to be.

Other than that, we're all ready for summer. The kids want to swim every day. I think we will have the use of a friend's pool this summer (they're going to be gone almost the whole summer) so I'll have 2 little brown Indians by August. Poor Quinn may be a darker shade of pale by then, although I tend to slather him in SPF 75 so he may not be, lol.

Hope all's well with you and yours.

Bob Smiley Live!!

2009-04-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

I just spent an evening laughing at an old friend. But as I wrote on Facebook, it's okay; he's a comedian so he was happy we were laughing!!! I went to high school with Bob Smiley, and even back then, he was hysterical. He & his brother and me & my best friend were inseparable back in the day. Tonight brought back so many fond memories of church and high school--back then my biggest problem was would my lunch money stretch till Friday and would Dad give me money to go to Braum's after church on Sunday? I don't mean to belittle the teen years, but at least in my case, I had it really good. I had loyal friends and family. My family was always there for me; my best friend would no sooner have betrayed me than she would've stopped breathing. She just couldn't do it.

And Bob & Brian--well, they taught me that guys & girls could be friends--best friends. They made me feel beautiful, special, funny, and important. And yet, I was always safe with them. I knew they wouldn't make a pass at me--or expect me to go drinking with them or try drugs or anything like that. We had the much cliched "good clean fun." And oh my, did we have fun! We always did church activities together, but we also supported each other at sporting events and we could all be counted on to be a prom date in a pinch! A prom date with no strings. I had a prom date once who expected/hoped I'd go up to a cabin afterwards and.....who knows what he hoped. Bob & Brian simply expected us to have fun and be ourselves. There was no pretending and no stress.

I guess this is all in my head:
1. Because I saw Bob's show tonight http://www.bobsmiley.com/
2. Because Shawn & I are getting ready to help teach a class on Sex & Dating to our high schoolers at church so male/female relationships are at the forefront of my thinking right now

So consider this a giant thank you to God for taking care of me in those vulnerable years and giving me people who loved me and looked out for me!!!

How can it be Easter???

2009-04-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, will someone tell me how in the heck it's been a month since I posted? I swear it was last week! Anyway, I have a couple more pics to post, but I figure I should give you all a little text this time too!

I'm still heavily into fundraising and training for the Breast Cancer 3 Day. I love it--okay, maybe not the fundraising, but I do enjoy organizing events and talking to people. I just don't enjoy the pressure to raise X amt of money by a certain date. I've raised 1480 so far and have another 600 promised plus one last family member who is giving an undetermined amt! :) So, I really am almost there. I probably don't know where about $120 is coming from so that is awesome.

The training on the other hand is so much fun. I know you all are wondering what bodysnatcher has taken me over because the Khristy you know does not like heat, dirt, or bugs, and all of those are found in abundance outside in Texas where we are doing all our training! I still don't like heat, dirt, and bugs, and I may get a bit less chipper as the full weight of a Texas summer rains down on my head....HOWEVER, at the moment, it's fantastic, and what I've realized is it's because we're training as a team. 7.5 miles goes by really fast when you have someone to talk to, but trust me....by yourself, it is the walk that will NOT end. I love exercising and gabbing with my teammates, watching the kids play, etc. It's truly a fun time! Now be nice when I'm complaining about the 105 degree days in July/August!

What else? Cate's started horseback riding lessons. She adores it, and according to her teacher, she's doing really well. I'm waiting for the inevitable "I want my own horse" campaign. No worries on that score, says the mom who won't even let her kids have a dog right now.

JD's been sick for the last 4 days, but I think he's on the mend now. It was suggested that he had the rotovirus since that fit the symptoms. Whatever he had, he was miserable--on and off low-grade fever, diarrhea, not fun. He did not eat--and I mean not a bite that I saw--from Wednesday night until Saturday night. He finally ate some mac & cheese Sat night. Thankfully, he drank the whole time so he never got dehydrated. He just felt terrible, poor guy. But he seemed a lot closer to his old self today, hallelujah, even if he has lost a few pounds.

Quinn is Quinn. He's got a headful of hair that's looking redder every day, and he's finally talking more where people can understand him. He's learned to get out of his crib, which bites, but he doesn't do it TOO much. We'll probably put him in a real bed in a room with JD this summer. Oh joy.

Well, I guess that's it from here. I'll try to be a better blogger; I admit FB has taken me over somewhat, and I forget about my blog!! Oh, and I have some beautiful bluebonnet pictures coming--just have to get them downloaded off my camera!

A Bagillion Pictures

2009-03-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Enjoying Elmo Live at the Nokia Theatre.

Catie & Julie at their 1st grade program.

Needless to say, JD dressed himself with no input from me.

Quinn thought his cupcakes and ice cream were fantastic! This pic was taken at his 2 yr old birthday party.

How cute is he???

The Dickersons had puppies--we went to see them. The stuffed dog was as close as Quinn got to the precious puppies. Cate braved petting one while Dave held it.

JD.....well, a picture's worth a thousand words, lol.

Hulk Smash Hands--the best presents ever---they roar and say things like, "You're making me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry." Shawn & I love them, too--fantastic toy! Good job, Santa!

Reading starts early in our family.....if you have to be addicted, it's a good addiction to have!

Santa's Sidekick looks a little out of control.....and don't you love how Q thinks you ought to act while wearing a suit!

Cate's teacher: Mrs. Belote--the woman's amazing....

Cate doing her gingerbread house in Art Class at school.

My To Do list.......

2009-02-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

And, BTW, I have about a billion pics to post.....but I just haven't gotten around to it. Look, they're on my to do list. That's all I can promise.

Health Status & 3 Day Update!

2009-02-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Great news! First, I'm almost healed. I have full range front to back motion in my foot. Side to side's still a little iffy, but I'm much better!

Second, I went in for a sick visit today with JD and came out with a $200 check for the 3 Day Walk!! I am so excited. I've raised $800 in 21 days--not too shabby. I know a number of you have told me you're planning on donating. Thanks in advance, and I'd be soooooooooooo grateful if you could do it sooner rather than later so I can help my other team members with their fundraising. Thanks again for supporting such a great cause!

Well, since I mentioned the sick visit, maybe I should tell you what's what. Cate had strep recently and is in the middle of her 2nd course of meds. However, the dr. said her throat looked great. She's virtually well.

JD, on the other hand, had antibiotics that knocked out the strep, but did jack all for the upper respiratory stuff (viral, of course!) and the ear infection that's developed. So, he's starting his second course of antibiotics tomorrow. Pain in the neck to remember who's had what/when. Last time all 3 were sick, I had to start writing it down on a notepad to keep track of it all. Sad, but true!

Good news on my foot & an update!

2009-02-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

First of all, I did not break my foot. Hooray! It's bruised/badly sprained, and I have to wear a boot till Thursday when I go back to make sure there are no stress fractures. It is very clear that I am getting old---and seriously need to warm up before a game....if there are any more games. We'll see.

My update is that I've raised 26% of my funds for my 3 Day Walk supporting the fight against Breast Cancer--that's $605 since January 26th! I can't thank everyone enough for their support. If you're planning on giving, thank you so much, and let me urge you to do it right now before life gets in the way. If you click the picture in the right column of my blog, it will take you right to my personal page and you can donate online. Also, be aware that if you give online, you can break the gift down over 4 mths. So, if you want to give a $100 but that's a bit steep in one month, you can break it up into 4 parts--$25 each month. And I will do handsprings in your honor...okay, maybe I should wait to do that till after my foot heals, lol. Also, a lot of companies will match your donation. You can check that online--or ask me, and I'll get back to you.

Just to tell you how much even the smallest donations help, 5 yr survival rates in 1982 were 76%. Since the Susan G. Komen movement began, that survival rate has increased to 98%, praise the Lord!!! This is due to increased awareness and the outpouring of money into cancer research. Thanks again for helping me change the world!!

***************************
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead

Why I Walk....

2009-02-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

My baby's turning 2!

2009-01-28T22:15:00.000-08:00

The picture in the hat is minutes after birth. The other two are right before we left the hospital on Day 4.

*******

Two years ago this Friday I found myself in the Mansfield Methodist Hospital, a planned ultrasound having turned into a delivery due to high blood pressure. His due date was March 1 so Jan 30 was a little early, even for me!

Some 10 hours after arrival, Quinn burst into the world, lungs working just fine, let me tell you. He weighed 5lb 6 oz. His only problem was temperature regulation, but every pediatrician we saw commented on how well he was doing.

We took him home 4 days later weighing 4lb 14 oz.

My how times have changed!

These last 2 pictures were taken December 2008. My lightweight bald preemie has turned into a round mound of sound with loads of strawberry blond hair. He's gone from not even making the growth chart to being nearly 50% everywhere. He weighed 18lb 6 oz at a year. He's now around 28--a serious year of eating and bulking up! He fits right into our family, running everywhere and talking nonstop (although we're still not exactly sure which language he's speaking, lol.)

It's been a wonderful 2 years, Quinn, and we're so glad you're in our lives!!!

The 3 Day!!!!

2009-01-27T19:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, I did it. I bit the bullet and am now officially signed up.

GULP! That gulp is both for the training and the fundraising in my future, LOL!

Here is my fundraising letter:
I have taken on an incredible challenge. On November 6-8th, I'll be walking 60 miles over the course of three days, camping out at night with thousands of other women and men taking this journey with me.

It's for an event called the Breast Cancer 3-Day, which benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Every advancement in breast cancer research, treatment, education and prevention in the last 25 years has been touched by a Komen for the Cure grant. They are working hard to build a future without breast cancer, and I plan on raising $3,000 to help bring us closer to that goal.

Please consider making a donation of $100, which you can spread out over four months, using the payment plan option if you donate online at www.The3Day.org. Please also ask your employer if they will double your donation with a matching gift. Of course, I will sing your praises and bow down and worship if you are able to give more. And if you can't, I will love you all the same and will appreciate your prayers and positive thinking!!!

I know all of us have been affected by cancer. I am so tired of cancer attacking those I love. At last count, my family tree looks like this:
Maternal grandmother: uterine cancer
Maternal grandfather: lung cancer
Paternal aunt: lung cancer
Paternal aunt: melanoma
Maternal aunt: breast cancer survivor
Father: melanoma survivor

Without a cure, one in eight women in the U.S. will continue to be diagnosed with breast cancer. That's why I'm walking in the 3-Day--because everyone deserves a lifetime.

Just follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising webpage and make a donation or you can search for my name in the Donate section. If you don't want to donate online, please download and print a donation form and mail it to the address on the form. Or you can call 800.996.3DAY to donate over the phone. I would like to reach my fundraising goal by October 1st, so don't delay!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this email, and thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Khristy Hullett
http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Walk/DallasFtWorthEvent?px=3015855&pg=personal&fr_id=1295

P.S. Don't wait - donate today!

The 3 Day Event--Susan G. Komen

2009-01-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking of putting together a team for the 3 Day Walk for the Cure Event. You know--the Susan G. Komen thing. The DFW event is November 6-8, 2009. If you're interested, let me know. You can take a look at the website for more info/reqs--www.the3day.org.

Friends!!

2009-01-07T21:55:00.001-08:00

Here's a pic at Starbucks with some of my favorite people--Jon & Michele Arnold. We managed to sneak out sans kids for some grown-up time.

I must say having friends is great, amazing, terrific, wonderful--but to have friends who've known you for some 15 or so years, traveled with you to all kinds of crazy places, basically became grown ups with you--- and still love you?

That's a miracle and a blessing from God! Love you guys!

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

I never make New Year's resolutions, but I've found myself thinking the last month of things I want to be more control of--and of course, they pretty much have to do with fitness in one form or other.

Resolutions:
1. Lose the same 10 pounds once again.
2. Keep going to the gym (in my defense, I've gone at least 3x a week since March---until the last 2 weeks...)
3. Not only track expenses, but make some 1, 3, and 5 year goals.

That's it for now, as I have to go the grocery store. Have a wonderful day--don't OD on football!!

Meet Riley & a little Ho Ho Ho...

2008-12-19T20:18:00.000-08:00

JD & Caitlin were excited to meet Riley Faith. Can't you see it on their faces? :) Cate immediately went into Little Mama mode and loved on Riley. JD asked me when she was going to grow up. See the look on his face? LOL.

This Christmas pic is beautiful of all of them. I had them put on their Christmas duds to have a pic with Santa, but Quinn was having no part of the big red guy this year. We compromised. The big kids had their pic with Santa; Quinn had his pic in front of the tree with his siblings.

Last but not least, we did a little Christmas decorating--emphasis on little. With Quinn, the Destroyer, around I refused to do a big tree with all my beautiful glass ornaments. So, the kids put up their small tree with all the non-breakables. They had a great time, and I don't have a heart attack every time Q approaches. It works for us.

Another zoo, another day

2008-12-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures at the zoo. The kids and I went with our good friends, the Arnolds, who were down from Nebraska visiting over Thanksgiving. The weather was perfect, and we had a fantastic time.

The boys all smiles at the Ft. Worth Zoo.

Brielle & Caitlin are about 4 mths apart in age. They also are the oldest in their family and both answer to the name "Miss Bossypants." :)

Jesus in Pajamas

2008-12-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

Commenting further on my last post about JD & Jesus' birthday....I have since been told that Jesus will be there in his pajamas (it's a pajama party at preschool). He then asked me if I'd gotten Jesus' present yet since it was his birthday. He is such a precious boy.

FYI--I tried really hard to post some pics tonight; however, my camera or my computer or my software (you pick) is possessed. I'm hoping that it had to do with the camera battery needing to be recharged. We'll see. I just wanted to let you know I tried! (And to pass the blame to the technology in my life!)

Jesus' Birthday

2008-12-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

So...JD comes home from church the other day very excited about Jesus' Birthday. He knows ALL about birthdays. At this point, I'm pretty sure he thinks Jesus is going to be there in the flesh....and that he's going to eat cake.

Hmmmm.....

Reindeer & Teeth (or the lack thereof)

2008-12-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry about lying in the last blog. I know I still haven't posted any pics.....

Anyway, I intend to record this for posterity, but in the meantime, let me tell you about JD's variation on Rudolph.

Ruldolph, the red-nosed reindeer (reindeer)
Had a very shiny nose (like a lightbulb)
......and so on.......
All of the other reindeer (reindeer)
Used to laugh & call him names (that wasn't very nice)

YES, he honestly says that, and he came up with it himself. I ROFL every time he does it. Cate keeps trying to correct him, but I'm trying to convince her to leave well enough alone! How cute is that!!!

In other news, Catie fell off the monkey bars yesterday at school and knocked out her remaining top front tooth (right one). If you remember, her brother knocked out her top left front tooth a few weeks ago with his head. Who, I ask, gets 2 teeth knocked out in the course of one month????? Thankfully, they were both baby teeth that were already somewhat loose but still. Also, in both cases, the x-rays have been clear; no roots broke off in her gums. Hallelujah!!

So that's our life in a nutshell. Now Caitlin can sing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" with confidence!!

Riley Faith Hood has arrived!

2008-12-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

Riley Faith Hood was born to Aaron & Becky Hood at 7:59 AM, Monday, Dec. 8th. She is 19 1/2 inches long, weighs 7.58 pounds and has a full head of hair. Mom & baby had a good night--all is well. :)

Her cousins enjoyed seeing her yesterday. Okay, well, Caitlin enjoyed it. JD asked when she was going to grow bigger, and Quinn patted her blanket; I think he knew there was a baby in there, lol.

I'll post some pics tonight or you can go to Becky's blog (listed under my blogs list).

Prayer time once again

2008-11-24T20:20:00.001-08:00

Prayer time is so illuminating.

Tonight when JD prayed he said:

"Thank you for my sister and my brother....(pause) Quinn."

He named him just in case God wasn't sure who he was talking about. :)

She gets points for honesty....

2008-11-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight while we were saying our prayers, Caitlin said:

"Thank you for my mommy & daddy and my brothers who are very annoying......"

Off to Neverland...

2008-10-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, these have got to be some of the funniest pictures I've ever taken. Meet Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Tinkerbell.

We were sort of schizophrenic today. In addition to our Peter Pan theme, we were Spiderman & a Carebear as well...

Autumn...my favorite time of year

2008-10-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Here are Ella, JD, & Quinn at Preschool.

Here is the pumpkin my mom grew and the kids carved.

Typical Catie--silly face and in charge of the group reading!

My baby's growing up!

Our first Red Oak football game

Our first company picnic with XTO. All I can say is WOW.

I'm alive, really!

2008-10-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry to you all in Blogworld. I apparently am much better at this in the summer. For the moment, I'm promising pumpkin & Halloween pictures very soon! And maybe pics of my pedicure next week, lol. :) She does the most beautiful nail art ever.

My Life in Summary

2008-09-18T18:50:00.001-07:00

Since I seem to have fallen off the planet Blog World lately, here's a little catch up for those of you who were wondering what had happened to the Hulletts.

I seem to be running around most days like a chicken with her head cut off, but let's be honest—I'm probably happier that way. I love being busy with a million things to do. And like Joyce and I discussed tonight, I am very deadline driven!

So what's new? Well first, thanks for all the prayers about Shawn's job. He changed jobs the end of July and now works for XTO Energy out of Fort Worth. The commute is not really shorter, but it is calmer—much less traffic, road rage. He's still settling in. It's weird to be the new guy after being somewhere for 5 years and knowing everything about everything and everyone. Fingers crossed, he will continue to like it. The way it fell into our laps, I have to believe it's God-sent. Now we just have to wait and see what he has in store for us.

We have a new used car. Shawn's Taurus finally died on about mile 180k. He now has a Nissan Altima with 80k on it. The last thing I wanted to do was buy another car, but again, this one fell into our laps so instead of having to shoulder another car payment, we were able to pay for this one in cash. It has a few problems, but nothing insurmountable.

As for me, I'm teaching 3 classes this fall. One I've taught for the last 3 years so it's easy-peasy. The other 2 (Amer Lit and Fresh. Comp at a community college) are new so I have not only new lesson plans/assignments to devise, I have homework since it's been YEARS since I read most of this stuff! I am enjoying it, though.

The kids are doing well. JD & Quinn have Preschool T, W, R. I was worried about Q, as he's been a bit of a momma's boy this summer, but he was a trooper. He loves all the other kids and being spoiled rotten by his teachers. Now if he'd just deign to talk a little bit......he's managed to get most everything he wants his entire life with the help of caveman grunts, and he has been just a bit unwilling to do more than that. He's finally doing a little more—with intense prodding. It's weird, though. My first 2 pretty much didn't shut up from about a year on. I was going to say maybe he's going to be the strong, silent type, but really, he's not silent. He just refuses to speak English, LOL! Having said that, we're not worried b/c according to our little checklist about language skills, he's fine. Stubborn, but fine.

Cate's enjoying first grade. We're working on impulse control—the child loves to talk (wonder where she gets that!), but overall, she's great. She has wonderful teachers, and I couldn't be more pleased with her school. They don't start TAKS prep till after Christmas, they have a special pullout program for GT kids, and they have great specials as well.

JD is JD. He's adorable, funny, stubborn, and talkative. He's also, drum roll, please, completely potty trained. Having never had a brother, or male cousins close to my age, I must comment that his penis fixation caught me by surprise. It's like they carry around their own personal toy. Weird. That sounds bad. I don't mean to say he's constantly playing with it, but he does seem to check it a lot. I mean—where's it going? What does he think it's going to do? It must be odd having a floppy appendage. Seriously off topic though.

But that's about all from us. Have a great week!

My Daddy's in a band...

2008-09-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

Performance at a coffee shop in Burleson

Everybody wants to be a drummer....

Too stinkin' hot for us redheads, Mom

Go, Daddy, go! Play that bass!

First Day of School pics + a bonus pic

2008-08-26T22:35:00.000-07:00

This first pic is Cate swinging Quinn at Extreme Jump. She takes very good care of her youngest brother. He doesn't yet have the ability to push her buttons yet like JD does. I love his face in this pic--such joy from such a simple thing.

These last 3 pics are Cate's first day of first grade on Monday, 8/25. You can tell she's not quite awake yet. Getting up in the morning is not her favorite thing to do.

Then here are Quinn & JD at their first day of preschool this morning. Quinn fussed a bit but then settled in great. JD didn't blink. He dove right in. No insecurity there!

Zoo Fun....again

2008-08-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

The week before school started I had 5 kids at my house: my 3 + Ella & Madison. After about 5 minutes of all that togetherness, I made the executive decision that we were going out and about....EVERY DAY.

We hit Chuck E. Cheese, the pool, McD's (2x), the zoo, and Extreme Jump. What I considered a survival strategy, they considered great fun. I quickly rose to best mom ever status. :)

Here they are enjoying our day at the zoo--which was cool and drizzly. Nice!

My Smiley Boys

2008-08-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

And this is the last one...

2008-08-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

One last picture. Isn't she beautiful?

More wedding pics

2008-08-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

The Wedding!!

2008-08-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

These first in casual clothes were taken at the cookout at the Country Club the afternoon before the wedding. Are you as excited as I am about a picture with all 3 of my kids looking at the camera with relatively pleasant expressions on their faces? A miracle--a bloomin' miracle, that's what it is.

These last two pictures were taken that evening at the wedding. The wedding was on the lawn overlooking the beach. Cate was one of the flower girls, and JD was just plum cute.

Blessings

2008-07-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Shoes piled on the counter, clothes outgrown beside them, a booster seat in the corner, toys lining the walls, books overflowing the bookcase, sippy cups taking over the fridge, the same fridge being swallowed by artwork/toys/schedules....tonight I looked at it all and sighed heavily. I stood feeling as always the compulsion to tidy, to straighten, to sort. Some days just looking at my counters gives me a headache. Clean counters make me feel better. Did I mention that I can upon occasion be compulsive?

However, as I stood thinking where to start, I had a vision. Maybe it was the pot of coffee I'dconsumed by myself, but suddenly, everything was different. For a split second, the clutter didn't bother me. For a moment, all I saw was blessings.

My children spill over into everything. Between their art, their toys, their clothes, their bodies, they infiltrate my entire household. They have no notion of personal space. How many times have I awoken to feel little bodies pressed tight against my side? Every time my 3 yr old awakens from his nap, he heads for Mommy like a homing beacon. He doesn't want to talk; he wants to snuggle. After a time, he rejoins the world of a 3 yr. old boy--he rough houses, kicks/throws balls, jumps on the couch, fights with his sister but in between the sleeping and the wide awake, he finds comfort in me. I anchor him. Nothing can bother him--not thunder, not his siblings, not anything--so long as he's with me. I don't have to do anything but be.

Some day, sooner than I'd like, they'll move out of my personal orbit. Caitlin at 6 already veers away on occasion. But for now, I'll enjoy being the sun. I'll enjoy the chaos, the toys, the shoes, the pajamas with capes, the masterpieces taped to my wall, the endless repetitions of Goodnight Moon.

Blessings. Messy, cluttered, vibrant, warm, sticky blessings.

Even more pictures of Disneyworld & its aftermath

2008-07-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

I think the picture of Cate hanging out with all the boys is hysterical. They were watching cartoons, I believe, and she just plopped herself right down to watch. Not shy, that one!

And, of course, they couldn't walk by a giant Spiderman without a picture. JD LOVES Spiderman. :)

The last pic is of me trying to watch the Disneyworld video. Despite the fact they were there, they watched every second of footage. Weird pic of me, but too cute of them!

More Disneyworld pics...

2008-07-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the best pics of the trip. Aren't the face painting pictures gorgeous? They're veritable works of art! And everyone loved the princesses & the pool!

Luckenbach & Disneyworld

2008-07-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

My kids have gone & done all summer. I, on the other hand, have traveled no further than the DFW area!

That's okay, though. I've gotten a lot done. We redid the kids' room, cleaned out the garage, and did a lot of spring cleaning.

JD & Caitlin went to Luckenbach & Fredricksburg--had a great time. I think Cate may throttle JD if he doesn't quit singing the Luckenbach, Texas song, though. I think it's hysterical.

Then my wonderful, but insane parents took them to Disneyworld--in July. It was like, 1000 degrees.... but they had a great time! It was JD's 1st plane ride and the 1st trip to Disney for both of them. We have one last trip to Georgia the beginning of August--and that will be it for summer!!

I love the 3rd picture--that's far into their first day at Disneyworld. They'd left the house at 3:30am and when I spoke to them that night at 10pm, they were preparing to watch fireworks. Good heavens, that's stamina!!

A woman of my word...and my profound discovery

2008-07-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

As promised, the blogskin has been changed. I love it!!! If you hate it, pipe down. I don't want to hear it. :)

I do have a new camera now. I'm not good at using it yet....however, I should get my mom's CD of Disneyworld pics soon so the Picture Drought is drawing to a close.

Let me tell you what I've discovered. My children have turned into people. Quit laughing. I'm serious. You parents out there know what I'm talking about. Children for the longest time seem to simply be extensions of you. My children now have likes/dislikes/relationships/quirks...the whole nine yards. And let's be honest--I'm not sure how I feel about it. Of course, I want them to grow up and be productive adults and all that rot, but I sure did like it when they were all mine and JUST mine.

This is when it hit me. The whole family was at home 2 nights ago (minor miracle). I had Cate & JD's supper on the table. Shawn had been flipping around channels on TV, and right before I called them to eat, he found a show on octopi (sp?), cuttlefish, squid, etc. They could hardly tear themselves away--in fact, they didn't want to eat. They wanted to watch the nature show. Even the 3 yr. old. Now don't get me wrong; Shawn & I are kind of geeky. We watch lots of nature, history, travel shows, but I'd never thought about the kids being so interested. Quit making fun of me. It was a profound moment!!!

In all seriousness, their world is exploding, and I'm not necessarily the center of it anymore. At least not all the time. How wonderful! And how sad... I hate that all those people were right when they said, "Enjoy it. Next time you turn around they'll be heading to college."

You know it alls...

Blogskin

2008-07-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

I promise I'll change the skin soon so the pics don't look so screwy!!

Pics but no time for anything else!

2008-07-16T14:52:00.001-07:00

Cate at swimming lessons at the YMCA

My future rock stars....

Enjoying the "gabloons" as JD calls them at the Summer Balloon Classic in Midlothian

My camera has died....

2008-07-10T19:26:00.001-07:00

I apologize for the lack of pics and thus the lack of blogging. My camera died. HOWEVER, my parents and Cate and JD just returned from Disneyworld, and I'm assured that they have copious numbers of pics. Of course, I'm not all that convinced she knows how to get them off her camera so we'll see.

But, Shawn & I are going camera shopping this weekend. God bless the stimulus check or we'd be out of luck for a while.

In other news, you can see I changed the skin of my blog. Not really sure I like it, but I was tired, it was late, and I wanted to see if I could do it. Obviously, I could, but on this skin, the pics look kind of translucent, and you can see the waves under them. WEIRD.

Will post more when I have pics.

The Official Announcement....

2008-06-26T22:47:00.000-07:00

The title makes it sound like I'm pregnant, doesn't it? Let's all have a moment of praise to God, that that is soooooo not true.

No, the official announcement is that JD is wearing underwear all the time. Shrek, Diego, lots of Spiderman, and Cars. Some of the Spiderman ones even glow in the dark. Stop a minute and envision that--too funny. Only buying one size of diapers is making me very happy.

Scarily enough, for the past couple of nights, he's even SLEPT in underwear. Granted, it initially happened by his sheer stubborness and my exhaustion. He wanted to sleep in underwear. I didn't want to fight. Of course, tonight he wanted to sleep naked. You'll be happy to know I drew the line there. No naked sleeping...

The kids just got back from Luckenbach. I'll try to post some pics of that, of JD in underwear, and of Cate & JD's newly decorated Under the Sea bedroom in the next week or so.

BTW, Shawn is jealous that they don't make "Underoos" in grown-up sizes....

Some new pics!

2008-06-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

These were taken at Kindergarten Field Day. It was HOT!!!

This was taken at JD's Preschool Graduation. It's a picture of Caitlin, Madison Simpson, JD, & Ella Simpson. They all feel like my kids :), and I'm pretty sure they feel like siblings. They certainly fight like siblings!!!

Last but not least, are my beautiful babies in the bluebonnets--well, at least 2 of them. The only pic I could get of JD was of him running away from the bees he saw hovering around some of the flowers.

Free at last...thank God, we're free at last

2008-06-02T21:42:00.001-07:00

Almost. Almost free at last. Technically, Cate's not released from the penitentiary until Thursday, the 5th. Today was the End of Year Party, tomorrow's the Talent Show and New School Groundbreaking, and Wednesday and Thursday are half-days and they get to wear jeans--woo hoo! The kids are so ready--and trust me--the teachers are too.

We're already in the swing of all things SUMMER. Swim lessons started today at the Y. Cate is fearless; JD--not so much. He's currently determined not to put his face in the water/go under. In fact, at the beginning, he didn't want to even sit down and put his feet in. Finally, I told him that he couldn't go to Disneyworld and the beach this summer if he didn't have swim lessons. Both Cate's Mr. Eric and JD's Ms. Krista were great, and by the end of the lesson, both kids were excited--and exhausted. They have lessons M-Thurs this week and next. I got some great pics today. The weather was gorgeous and the kids look great up against the water--those blue eyes with that golden skin. As a redheaded whitey, I'm very jealous of how they golden up before my eyes. I go from white to red, then straight back to white. Occasionally, I turn a darker shade of pale. Thank goodness, they got Shawn's skin.

After swim lessons, we jump in to Drama Camp for Cate, then Disneyworld, and then possibly Arboretum Camp, and then my cousin's wedding in Georgia where Cate gets to be the flower girl. Lots going on. My kids, however, think that's fantastic. I'm not sure they'd ever come home willingly. They always want to GO.

Anyway, that's all for now. I just didn't want you all to think I'd fallen off the edge of the world.

YIPES--I almost forgot our big family news. Drum roll please.....my sister is pregnant, due beginning of December. Yes, 5 grandkids in 6 years. My parents are exhausted just thinking about it. Everything looks good. She's had 2 ultrasounds. The baby is growing well, and the heartbeat is strong. So hooray! One more baby for us all to spoil.

And one last thing--Quinn's finally decided that walking might, just might, be preferable to crawling. I'll try to snap some pics of him upright. He walks like a giant weeble wobble. Very funny to watch!

Our own personal zoo...

2008-05-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

Monica Elrod & I decided it was a perfectly reasonable idea to take 8 kids to the zoo. We must have been on crack! But we had a great time. The weather was cool; the zoo wasn't crowded. Everyone could walk except Quinn. We did find ourselves obsessively counting. 1,2,3,.....8 to make sure we had everybody, LOL.

Here are some pics. Enjoy! I think the group ones with Ella & JD's interactions are hysterical!

Random Pictures

2008-04-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

These pictures make me smile. The first 3 are Cate in her Pettiskirt. Too cute. She pretends she's holding a bouquet of flowers when she gathers up her skirt (sorry the first one's blurry, but it's the only "gathering flowers" one I have.

The next pic is of JD discovering the Horse Ride (which mentioned pulling on the reigns (DUH) in the instructions.) That one's funny b/c I had to pry him off that ride with a crowbar, but several weeks later when he had the opportunity to ride a real horse, he cried the whole time--despite having looked forward to it all week. Then he told all & sundry about it when it was over! Told them about it like he enjoyed it....

The last pic is of Quinn, JD, & Ella at Life Group at Steve & Kristen's house. Yes, that is a baby doll stroller. Yes, Quinn does fit. Yes, the instructions specifically say not to use it for a real baby. But how funny is that?

The End is in sight.............

2008-04-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

I hate to sound triumphant bugles quite yet, but I can finally see the end...the end of 2 in diapers!! JD is on the verge of being potty trained. He's finally gotten the concept and more importantly, agreed to go along with the program. We had several days where we were great with pee. But now--we've had 3 solid days with all BM's flushed to the great beyond. That's fantastic--3 year old poo is beyond the pale. Seriously.

Bribery has been our method of choice, and it's worked out quite nicely. Today we had one accident, but it wasn't a total disaster. He did it in the bathroom; he just couldn't get his pants down fast enough.

I will say I've seen waaaaaaaaaay too much in the way of little boy privates lately. (Running around naked is apparently preferable to a pull up or underwear--whatever.) He's been very concerned--and sharing his concerns with me--about the ability of his privates to change size. Enough said.

And one last thing I must share--his first set of pull ups were Elmo pull-ups. Like all pull ups, they had pics on the front that blurred/disappeared when wet. There were two types of pictures--trophies and beach balls. Really, someone should have thought this through. Here are 2 direct quotes:

ME: JD, make sure you stay dry. Don't get your balls wet.

Really, no one thought about this?

And Quote 2:

JD: But Mommy, Mommy. My balls aren't wet; they still there.

Yes. Thank goodness.

We have since bought new pull ups that have flags on them. An improvement all around.

The toothless wonder & one more b-day shot

2008-03-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

Here is an up-close-and-personal shot of Cate's mouth after she lost her first tooth and one more b-day shot.

Sharp dresser....

2008-03-26T22:54:00.000-07:00

This was JD's Easter suit. It's a black pinstripe with an Easter egg green shirt plus a tie. Seriously adorable. Sorry about the way they're turned, but it's 1am, and I just don't have time to fuss with it right now.

His birthday was 2 mths ago...so sue me....

2008-03-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

And in the heavyweight division....

2008-03-11T11:47:00.001-07:00

It's definitely not Quinn. Someday he'll turn around in his carseat....but it's not going to be any time soon. Good thing he likes to look at the other kids in the backseat.

Max, our Siamese cat, is the heavyweight mentioned in the title. At the vet today, he weighed in at 21.8 pounds. Yes, he weighs more than my youngest child. And probably will for some time yet. I'm scared he's going to break his leg every time he jumps off a counter.

And in a vomit update, JD did not just throw up once last night. He threw up 3 times. To Shawn's great relief, he made it to the bathroom the 2nd time (note that I did not say he made it to the toilet. But tile is easier to clean than carpet.) and the trashcan the 3rd time. I never thought I'd be happy about this milestone, but it sure is nice that if they have to throw up, they:
1. Know it's coming.
2. Know to run to tile/bathroom/trashcan.

Vomit....

2008-03-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

So here I am at a quarter past midnight watching my long-suffering husband steam vac vomit off the carpet. And not just any vomit. Vomit comprised of Chef Boyardee. Note: You should never be able to see the letters of the alphabet in vomit. It's not a pretty sight.

It's times like these that I am eternally grateful that I'm not a single parent. JD threw up all over the living room floor. I got the easy job--undressing, bathing, and comforting JD. Shawn got to pick up chunks and steam vac. And of course, it wasn't enough to do a normal steam vac. It required stain spray and multiple passes with the steam vac.

I am also grateful that I have been smart enough to never learn how to use the steam vac. Shawn did a great job though. It no longer looks as if someone slit an artery in our living room (the stain looked kind of blood-like). And yes, I know that this whole blog is TMI. Deal with it--I feel the need to share the love. Especially as I sit here and listen to Shawn dump out the waste water from the steam vac. Funnily enough, that makes me queasier than dealing with the hysterical nastiness-covered JD.... yech.

On a less gross note, Caitlin lost her first tooth on Saturday. She had my dad pull it. Also kind of yuck, as the word crack was mentioned. Apparently, you have to break the ligament to get the tooth out. Eeeeeeewwww. She looks adorable though. I took pics today, but I haven't downloaded them yet. Actually, I'll try to get to that this week. I have pics of the toothless wonder and also of JD in his Easter suit--pinstripe with a green shirt. Very sharp. My little boy is growing up.

And while I'm on the subject of growing up, the kids' birthday party is set for April 11th. Save the date. More info will follow closer to the day.

Well, the crisis is now over. Time for all of us to get tucked back in before we turn into pumpkins.

Boys & Blood

2008-02-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

Having been the mother of a somewhat sensible girl for the past 5+ years, I thought I had a pretty good grasp on the things kids do. I'm here to tell you that boys are a whole new ball-game. Only a boy would think it perfectly reasonable to ride a tractor down a flight of stairs. Oh wait, let me rephrase--ATTEMPT to ride a tractor down a flight of stairs. He made it part of the way and then flew head over heels the remaining 10-12 steps, landing with a sickening thud at the bottom on the wood floor. And yes--after all these years of saying, "You're going to bust your head open," it finally happened. He opened about an inch gash on the back of his head and had two minor abrasions on both sides of his head. AND, 3-4 goose eggs all over his head. He wouldn't hold still enough to let me count.

We applied pressure, and I looked at the gash. Yuck, yes, but my initial thought was that we wouldn't need stitches. I gave him some acetominophen and he went back to playing. Four hours later his head was still oozing so I called the doc. We ended up at the Cedar Hill Care Now to make sure he wouldn't need a staple in his head. The doc cleaned it, agreed with me that it was nothing, and didn't even make us pay for the visit. I'm sooooooooooo recommending them to everyone! JD went to church that night and didn't even complain of a headache/soreness the next day. Oh to be young with bouncy bones....

So that was on Wednesday. Friday, we're at a playdate at McDonald's after story time at the library. Somehow, he managed to go from calmly eating his apple dippers to falling off the back of the bench and busting his mouth open (the gum area above his front teeth). Enough already! I told him (after the staunching of blood and comforting) that Mommy had seen enough of his blood this week. No more!

We've made it 2 whole days with no new wounds, hallelujah.

Here's hoping next week will be better...

London Diary II

2008-02-04T19:45:00.001-08:00

Finally, I'm posting about the end of the trip--briefly! We went to Bath on Monday, and as always, Bath was fantastic. We hit the Roman Baths (you saw the cute pics of Quinn in his backpack!), Bath Abbey, took a walking tour around the city with an ancient tour guide (he was sweet but a dreadful guide with absolutely no charisma), ate at Sally Lunn's, hit the Fashion Museum, which was not at its best due to renovation, took at peek at Pulteney Bridge, and then caught the train back to Paddington in London. A wonderful day. Quinn was a trouper, and Lynne is a terrific travel companion. We enjoy the same things, and even with a bum foot, she's game for anything.

We were due to fly out on Monday. Due to problems with London Transport at every stage of the game--cab, bus, tube--we missed our flight so we were put on the next flight out of Heathrow. However, that meant we missed the last flight of the day out of Toronto to Dallas. We made it into Toronto with no difficulty. Again, Quinn was a wonder baby. Upon arriving in Toronto, we thought we'd check into the hotel located at the airport. That was until I called and they told me it was $300 a night. Yes, I said $300. At which point, I politely hung up and told Lynne we needed to find some food and a comfortable place to sleep in the airport. Let me tell you about the Toronto Airport--it's COLD in January. Concrete floors never warm up no matter how long you sleep on them. I was on the floor sleeping with Quinn. I wasn't at all concerned about someone stealing our suitcases--in fact, I was so tired of lugging them around that I might have welcomed that, but my baby was a different story. I was pretty sure my husband would not understand me losing our 3rd child.

Lynne laughed that every time she looked at me that night I was wearing more clothing. I dug out a knee-length flannel nightshirt, was wearing my scarf, was wearing a hat, had a baby blanket draped over me, had one of Lynne's coats draped over me, was laying on my wool coat with Quinn, and was curled around Quinn trying to aborb his body heat. (Side note: Q was wearing 3 layers plus a Columbia fleece with a hood while laying on my coat curled up next to me. He was the only warm person in the airport!)

Q slept a number of hours but finally decided the night was over around 2:45am. Lynne was up by then and bless her soul, she entertained him while I moved to the chairs for a couple hours sleep. We left our corner around 5 and went to the restrooms to make ourselves human. After that, we checked in and went through customs (you pre-clear American customs in Canada--pain in the neck at the time, but saves you time/energy on the other end). Innumerable hours later (okay, around 8:30), we boarded our plane scheduled to depart around 9:10. Quinn had been up the entire time, FYI. We get settled in on the plane, carry-ons stowed, all luggage underneath and Quinn has just fallen asleep in my arms--no rocking, singing, swaying required. He just went to sleep. I'm in heaven, knowing he'll sleep most of the flight, and I'll get a break. Then gremlins broke our plane. Yes, the captain came on and informed us we'd have to de-plane. I wanted to cry. Quinn slept through the exodus and the wait and went back to sleep after a brief awakening once they found us a new plane. We finally left around 10:30. Quinn slept maybe an hour of the 4 hour flight. Not ideal, but it could have been worse. With no further snafus, we landed at DFW. I have never been so glad to see Lonnie Gentry in my whole life. And he further cemented himself in my affections by driving through Taco Bell (Mexican is not the premiere cuisine in London) on the way to my house. Shawn was supposed to pick us up, but the delay meant the pick up time interefered with the school run so Lynne got her husband instead of me getting mine. :( Nevertheless, he was a sight for sore eyes!

And that my friends is the end of our trip. I won't keep you any longer. I have to go to bed. Night night.

**The pics above were Quinn & Lynne in Parliament Square and Quinn at the Toronto Airport near Hour 14 of our stay there.

London Diary

2008-01-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

Having a few minutes before I head for bed, I thought I'd post a bit more about the trip. We flew out of DFW on Tuesday, the 15th. I am now an expert on all the little Ziploc baggies and all the rules regarding liquids, gels, aerosols & baby paraphernalia. Pain in the butt--especially after 4 flights, but I digress. We arrived in London on Wednesday morning and after a tube and cab ride made it to my friend, Leonie's house. She & her husband are architects. He's working on the design for the stadium for the 2012 Olympics in London. Cool, huh? After settling in and having a brief nap, we headed to town and bought a prepaid SIM card and hit the grocery store for a few supplies. Then, it was back home.

The next morning we headed straight to the British Library, my abs. favorite place in London. I've lost count of the times I've visited, and I'm still awestruck each time I go. It contains some of the most amazing documents ever produced, including the Magna Carta, Shakespeare's First Folio, Handel's Messiah, Codex Sianiatica (sp?)--one of the oldest texts on which the Bible is based, pages from Leonardo da Vinci's notebook, and the list goes on and on. It's a tranquil, almost reverent-feeling place, and it's never crowded. At the risk of repeating myself, you can't go to London and NOT visit.

After our pilgrimage to the cusp of civilizations's literary output, we made our way to the Tower of London--expensive, but worth every penny. And I must say, January is an excellent time to go. There are no crowds or lines anywhere. And the weather is tolerable. Sure it rains some, but be honest. Wouldn't you be disappointed if you went to London, and it didn't rain? We attached to a Beefeater tour and after that, became Crown Jewel groupies. You pass by the jewels on little moving sidewalks, but the beauty of it all, is that in January, you can go by as many times as you like. I think they were beginning to think that Lynne & I were potential jewel thieves (maybe we could've hidden the loot in Quinn's diaper?) after we went by the 4th--or was it the 5th time? LOL. Those are some seriously beautiful jewels. Then, as it was 4pm and getting dark (yes, it gets dark early in January) and Quinn had slept a grand total of 1 hour all day, we headed home.

Day 2 found us hitting the Changing of the Guard, the Old Bailey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Millenium Bridge. We wanted to go to the Evensong at St. Paul's, but it had moved to Westminster Cathedral (not Abbey) that evening. Bummer.

Day 3 we only had time for the British Museum, as we were attending the wedding that night. At the British Museum ,we saw the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles. And then we saw (extensively) the loo since we changed and dolled ourselves up there. Quite nice, they were. We took a cab to the wedding, as Lynne's foot was hurting and I was wearing strappy, kill me now heels. The wedding began at 2 and was held in St. Etheldreda's Church, the oldest Catholic church in London. It was compact and had gorgeous stained glass windows. Blessedly, Quinn slept through most of the service. According to the people at our table at the reception, it's lucky the priest didn't as well since they said he'd had a wee bit too much to drink. No wonder he was so entertaining.

The reception was gorgeous. It was held in a hall that was a setting in a Dickens' novel--nothing like a little atmosphere, aye? It began with a champagne reception, was followed by a wonderful 3 course meal, and then more champagne for the toasts. After the toasts, the cake was cut and we headed back downstairs for cake/coffee/tea, as they set up the dance floor. At that point, Lynne, Quinn, & I decided to call it a night, as it was 11pm. Yes, you read that right--11pm. Quinn had been awake since ~4, but he was the happiest person there. In fact, he wasn't with me for 3-4 hours during the reception. He sat and was cossetted and catered to at a nearby table. Several time waitresses carried him off to the kitchen for more spoiling. And he didn't so much as whimper the entire time. It was amazing. In fact, I have no idea whose child that was b/c he certainly wasn't mine. I think he finally decided he wanted me around 10pm. When we left at 11, I think he was disappointed that he wasn't staying for the dancing. Again, let me confirm that yes, the dancing was just starting around 11 and I'm sure went on for many hours after we bailed.

Our table at the reception was populated by a primarily Swedish contingent who spoke flawless English. It's embarassing how much of the world can do that, but they were abs. lovely. I find that the case pretty much everywhere I've ever visited. Whilst many, many nations abhor American policies, govt. figures, and chains (ie. McDonald's), they've always treated individuals very well (with the caveat, of course, that the Americans in question aren't rude. overbearing, know-it-alls who steamroll in regardless of those around them). I have NEVER had a bad moment in England, Scotland (okay, they were somewhat miffed that I lived in England, but that's Braveheart kind of thing), Wales, Ireland, Egypt, Spain, Germany, France (yes, including Paris!), Russia, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Greece, Canada, or Mexico. I know there are exceptions to the rule, but I've found that people respond in kind. If you go in respectful of customs/traditions and are sincere, that's usually what you get back. But now, enough of my soapbox and that word from our sponsors--also I'm worried my battery's going give out soon!

Where was I? Sunday, I think, the day after the wedding. On Sunday, we caught the beginning of the Changing of the Guards (we missed the beginning the previous time), then headed to Parliament Square where we of course saw Parliament and Big Ben, timing our arrival so that we heard Big Ben chime 12 noon. Very nice. We then walked up to Trafalgar Square where we ate our lunch in the mostly pigeon-less square. Finishing there, we hit the highlights of the National Gallery. Lots of Van Goghs, Monets, Rembrandts, Vermeers, etc. It's a beautiful museum and even more beautiful--it's free. Like most of the museums in London. How amazing is that? After a spot of tea and some chocolate cake, we strolled back down to Parliament Square and attended Evensong at Westminster Abbey. I spent much time reading all the markers in the Poets' Corner, as I walked Quinn to sleep. Thankfully, he dropped off one song before the sermon. The service was awesome--the singing ethereal. I'd visited both Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's before, but never attended a service there. It was surreal to see them in their true state, being used as intended, without tourists milling around. And the side benefit, the services are free. It's a win-win situation. After Evensong, we considered stopping by Harrod's, but it's closed on Sunday so back home it was.

Despite the fact that our English hosts thought us somewhat mad, we caught a train to Bath on Monday. The trip from London Paddington to Bath takes about 1 1/2 hours. Now, I know you're dying to hear about Bath--because let's face it. Bath is fabulous, but this post is already monstrously long and it's after 11pm and my 2 yr. old just got up. So, I'll end for now. But don't worry. I know you're desperate to hear about Bath and our 36 hour trek home! More later!!

Enjoying the Tower

2008-01-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

How precious is this?

Christmas & London pictures

2008-01-25T05:59:00.000-08:00

I don't have time for a proper entry today, but I wanted to get these pics posted and let you all know that we arrived home safe and sound from London via a night in the Toronto airport and 36 straight hours of travel. We had a fantastic time, and Quinn was fabulous. I couldn't have asked for a better travel companion. (Okay, my friend, Lynne, was pretty great too!) I'll write more later. In the meantime, enjoy the pics!

Cloning Myself

2008-01-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

I've decided I could use a few clones. Which reminds me of a quip my pediatrician told me--"If evolution were true, Moms would have more hands." I could use an extra one. My husband tells me it's my own fault that we have 3 kids. He says we only have ourselves to blame that we are now outnumbered by the Natives.

When we walk across a parking lot, I carry one, hold one's hand (the least trustworthy mobile one), and have the 3rd stick her hand in my pocket where I can feel it. I can imagine what my little convoy looks like to other people, LOL.

This whole clone issue came to the forefront of my mind as I typed the Kids' Schedule for when I'm gone to London next week. It made me tired looking at it--it's now passed the 3 page mark. I am the official Hullett Personal Assistant, Social Secretary, chauffeur, cook, housecleaner, office manager, and who knows what else. I won't know what to do with myself--a week with only me and one child. Wow--it's like a vacation. And I'll have another kid-less adult with me. Hey, that's sounding more and more like Nirvana. Except for the whole potential for the Jet Lag thing to go horribly, horribly wrong. (Not to worry--I have packed the Baby Benadryl--again don't worry. I talked to the above-mentioned pediatrician about it!)

Well, it's getting late. I spent tonight whittling on my To Do list, which seems to be getting longer. For every one I mark off, I seem to add 2 more. But, I finished my LTC skit. That was tops of the list today. And as our old friend Scarlet, "Tomorrow's another day..."

In the meantime, me and my list need to go to bed.

(Dang it. I just thought of 2 other things to go on the list.)

More Clues You're Old...

2008-01-03T22:17:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of my friend, Cheri, and a few more from my overtaxed brain...

11. You compare lab test results with your friends when you meet for dinner and the lowest cholesterol number WINS!

12. You start buying pots of "magic potions" to UNDO rather than PREVENT. (Cheri's comment, but a good portion of my Xmas $ went to above-mentioned "magic potions")

13. Plucking out the gray hairs no longer works...because you wouldn't have any hair left.

14. Your check register alternates between Wal-Mart and your hair colorist.

Do you read?

2008-01-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

I went to a New Year's Eve party that involved a heated pool, a hot tub, and a bit of alcohol. And the major discussions revolved around philosophy, the best books ever written, and the state of the world. AND, all the participants were sober. These were not drunken rants.

I'm not sure what this says about the kind of parties I attend or the kind of people I socialize with, but I digress. My point in writing is that one of the girls at the party said that throughout high school and 3 years of college, she read only 3 books. In fact, she said she had finished only 3 books in her entire life (Brave New World, the Rats of Nimh, and I can't remember the 3rd). She is a smart, educated, fairly articulate human being. She just doesn't read.

Is this normal? And what I mean by that is--Is this non-reading a fact of life for the majority of people? If so, why? In her case, her aversion was somewhat understandable, as her dyslexia was not diagnosed until college, but still I wonder. Are we producing a generation of non-readers? Does that bode well for our thinking skills? It's already changing the way books are written (shorter books, shorter sentences, less character development, shorter paragraphs, etc.--compare Charles Dickens to any modern author on the NY Times Bestseller list and you'll see what I mean)

Books play a huge role in my life. I own hundreds. A conservative estimate is that I have 700 books on my shelves in my house. There are also several boxes of books in the garage. And to the best of my knowledge, I've read them all. Most weeks I read at least 3-4 books. Now I'll be the first to admit, that I read a lot of brain candy that I can skim. I usually do that in lieu of watching TV, but I read excellent fiction and non-fiction as well. That's played a huge role in rounding out my education and honing my writing skills. So again, I wonder:

Where does that leave us if we raise a generation that does not read?

Clues that you're old

2008-01-01T20:41:00.001-08:00

1. You sleep on a different mattress and wake up aching the next day... and you complain about it over breakfast.

2. You're awake for breakfast--early.

3. You can't remember your age. You have to do the math.

4. You can have intelligent conversations about things that end with -opy/-omy (think colonoscopy, episiotomy...)

5. Sleeping till 8am *is* sleeping late.

6. You watch the news.

7. Benefits are more important than the salary when looking for a job.

8. The fact that dontcha comes up as an option when texting makes you worry about the education of our youth today.

9. You actually text with complete words/punctuation/grammar. That is, assuming you've figured out the text function on your phone. :)

10. You can actually worry about the youth of today with a straight face.

Ho, ho, hallelujah, it's over!

2007-12-25T17:59:00.000-08:00

Another year down, another year with an obscene amount of toys. Oh the joys of having three kids 5 and under. This is my official Christmas newsletter with a cute picture (note the kids in their Xmas pjs on the blog). The photo places are packed this time of year, and trust me. You need peace, quiet, and time to get 3 kids to look even halfway decent in a picture! So, I'll probably do the usual and take Xmas pics in late January! Don't knock it till you try it. It's sooooooooooo much less stressful.

Where to start? Shawn is still working for Beryl. He's also working for the church in charge of all IT/tech, both for services and behind the scenes. Needless to say, that made for a very busy Dec. 23rd, as we had 3 services that day, and we were all there for all 3. By the 3rd service, the kids were looking a bit confused. "Haven't we already done this?" But they did great, and our services were terrific. We ended up having nearly 700 people attend that day. If you live in the area, stop by for a service. I can't say enough nice things about the church and the people at Creekside (the website's on the right column of my blog--Creekside Church of Christ, Midlothian).

Me--I'm teaching homeschoolers writing, babysitting Ella (3 yrs), and being Caitlin's Kindergarten room mom, along with doing praise & worship at church. We stay busy around here. Most days I feel like I live in my car, but most moms feel that way so don't think I'm complaining. I am very blessed and love my life!

I am seriously considering going back to work next year. Shawn & I found a new development we want to live in so to build the house we'd like to be in for the next 15-20 years or so, it would be better if we had a little more cash floating around. Might as well build it the way we want it, aye? Difficult to change things later. Better to begin as we mean to go on and all that. I'm hoping to find a library job, but if that doesn't pan out, a teaching job will be fine. Of course, that blows childcare issues sky-high. I'm not worrying about it too much right now, mainly b/c there's nothing concrete enough to focus on. I'm dumping it on God and seeing how things pan out.

Caitlin is loving kindergarten. She's smart as a whip. She's reading up a storm and enjoys it all--reading, writing, math, science, computer, music, and gym. She's settled in well--we all know she's never had any problems socially! (That's a nice way of saying she never shuts up and manages to meet/greet all within a 10 mile radius, LOL.) That caused a few yellow days where she had to move her clip, but we think she's finally getting the hang of how to function in school and have fun but still manage to stay out of trouble! She's still taking Art, but that's been her only extra-curricular this year. She wants to start horseback riding lessons, but we're undecided. She's a bit young. We're going to meet and talk with the teacher over the Xmas break and make a decision then.

JD is apparently an angel child who listens quietly and shares with others in all places except at home and with his siblings/family/Ella. With us, he is the most hard-headed, obstinate messpot. Okay, not always, but we would really like some of the cooperative JD to show his face at home! He is a very active little boy--jumping, kicking, running, tackling and so on and so forth. He's very coordinated for his age--and surprisingly quite verbal. He keeps us laughing. :)

Quinn will be 11 months old next week. Oh, how the time has flown. I can't believe my last baby is so big. All of you whose babies are 20+, I don't want to hear how fast it goes. Shhhhhhhhhh. He's crawling, pulling up on everything, and starting to let go some, but he's not really cruising yet. We'll celebrate his 1st b-day on January 30th. He's waving bye-bye and vocalizing quite a bit, but he's still mostly focused on major motor skills--not as into the fine motor skills or the verbal skills. Additionally, I think we all get so busy that we sometimes forget to encourage his verbal attempts or work on baby sign. Yet another resolution for the new year.

That's about it from us. We're currently getting the house ready to sell. Hopefully, we'll put it on the market late Spring 2008. Lots of little things to do and a few major (new carpet, some landscaping). Don't worry--I'll let you know when we do put it on the market so you all can do some heavy duty praying!

Lots of love to you and yours in this holiday season. I look forward to hearing from you.

2007-12-24T21:57:00.000-08:00

Well, here are some of my favorite pictures. I'll add some more once I download the ones I took tonight off my camera. I snapped some adorable ones of my niece and my kids. I even *gasp, gasp* managed to get a couple of my entire family--Shawn, me, and all 3 kids. Note I make no promises that everyone is smiling, facing the camera, or even remotely happy to be there. However, all 5 physical bodies are present.

But about the pics--

*First up is Quinn who will be 11 mths old next week.

*Then there's JD all dressed up at a tea party birthday we attended last February.

*My Little Mermaid characters at Halloween 2007. Sebastian, Flounder, and Ariel respectively.

*December 24th, 2007--Christmas Pajamas galore.

I give up!

2007-12-24T21:34:00.000-08:00

I have finally caved. I have withstood the tsunami of blogging over the past year or two, but I do hereby announce my surrender. I have finally accepted that I am crap about remembering to send you all pictures and updates on my life. So, in the interests of showing people that I do indeed have 3 children I adore (yes, I do have a third--an adorable little boy :) ), here we are. This blog is primarily for friends and family so don't expect any great philosophical musings.

Of course, I say I'm going to post and upload pics. I'm getting a bit cart before the horse though. Maybe I should revise my statement: As soon as I learn how to post pictures, I'll do so, LOL.

Anyway, I'm going to try now to edit my profile and put some pics up.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and blessings on you and yours!!