Conversation: Mommy & Benjamin

(Conversation riding in the car on the way into work.)


Benjamin:  Mommy, Santa Claus is coming?

Mommy:  Yes, he's coming at Christmas!

Benjamin:  He's coming soon?  Nonna & Poppa are coming tomorrow?

Mommy:  Well, Benjamin, you will see Nonna & Poppa in a few days.  Santa Claus visits good girls and boys at Christmas, but we have a few weeks before Christmas. 

Benjamin:  Ohhhh, OK.


Mommy:  Benjamin, whose birthday is at Christmas?


Benjamin:  (Thinking....)  Hmmm....S-a-n-t-a  C-l-a-u-s?????


Mommy:  (Very sternly after repeatedly telling me the last few days that it was Jesus.)  NO, BENJAMIN!  IT'S JESUS' BIRTHDAY, AND IF YOU CAN'T REMEMBER THAT IT'S JESUS' BIRTHDAY AT CHRISTMAS, THEN SANTA WON'T BRING YOU ANY PRESENTS!!!!!!!!!


Benjamin:  (Under his breath)  .....Ohhhhhh.....Jesus' Birthday.
---------------------------------------------------------
(In bed that same evening, reading books and doing our night-time routine.)


Mommy:  Benjamin, who's birthday is at Christmas?


Benjamin:  (very enthusiastically) JESUS! 

Yea!  We've got it.....at least for now!

This and That

I haven't felt like blogging much the last few days.  For starters, I've been sick.  REALLY sick.  The stomach kind of sick - along with a low-grade fever, nausea, and extreme tiredness.  It's been rough.  I was feeling a tiny bit better this morning, but by this afternoon, I'm not feeling so hot again.  The fever has returned - along with stomach issues.  Hey - maybe I'll lose the 5 lbs that I'm going to gain over Thanksgiving? 

To be honest, I'm bored out of my mind, but not feeling well enough to do anything productive....except for a little blogging.  If you can really even call that productive.  :-)

I don't have much news to tell.....  Both boys have sinus infections, which means Augmentin, which means....well, stomach issues.  :-) 

On a positive note - I have some really cute pictures to share of Timothy and Liesl.  While Harry and I are having a hard time adjusting to having a new puppy (getting up every 3 hours during the night to take her out to "potty"), Timothy is in love!  Pure, 100% love.  And...if they both live to tell about, they will be best friends for many years to come.  I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Timothy hugging Liesl!

Timothy kissing Liesl!

I'm not sure what they are doing, but it's cute!

Timothy - crawled under the coffee table - in order to get to

Liesl to kiss her (Liesl is under the couch)!

Saying, "Cheese" once he sees mommy with the camera!

Timothy crawling out from under the coffee table!  Ha!

Liesel is one worn out puppy!

So cute/sweet!

You won't find Benjamin too close to Liesl,

but you will almost always find him playing his guitar!

Folks, this is what a sinus infection backed up into the eyes looks like!  Gross!

Happy Birthday...to Me!

"Another year older, another year wiser."  That's what they say, right?  Well, I'm definitely feeling another year older, and I'm sure if I sat down and wrote a list of all the things that the boys were teaching me each day, I'd feel another year wiser as well!  Trust me, I learn something new each and every day!

I just love birthdays, and this year, my birthday celebration started early with Harry treating me to dinner at our favorite restaurant, Vic & Anthony's, Friday evening.  We had such a nice time - enjoying excellent food, good wine, and wonderful conversation!  Saturday, my friend, Jana, along with my mom and MaMa (mom's mom), spent a leisurely day eating at PF Chang's and window shopping.  We all get together once a year to celebrate all of our birthdays, and it's always such a special treat!  Usually, my sister joins us, but she couldn't make it this year, and we missed her a great deal. 

Saturday evening, I attended a family party where I got to see my cousins Emily (who I see yearly when I travel to New York), and Kendall (who I haven't seen in over 20 years).  This was truly one of the best gifts of all!  It was so great seeing Kendall again - she's always had an amazing ability to make me laugh at the simplest of things, and this hasn't changed one bit!

This morning, I got up extra early so that I could shower and enjoy my coffee (without reheating it several times) in silence before the boys got up.  When I went upstairs to get both boys, Benjamin sang Happy Birthday to me!  It was so sweet!  I did the usual routine and took Benjamin to swim classes.  We had a special treat because my friend, Lauri, brought Benjamin's best friend, Connor, (and his baby sister Kaitlynn) to meet us and then treated us to a nice lunch afterwards!  Other than the usual stressors of eating out with two very tired boys, we had such a nice time visiting and catching up!

By tonight....I'm pretty worn out after taking care of two boys and a puppy all day, but I'm feeling very blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family in my life - especially my loving husband, and my two sweet boys!  What more could I ask for?  (Well, for starters, to be thin, but let's not go there!)

So until next year.......Happy Birthday to me!!!!!

IF ONLY........

IF ONLY I hadn't taken the camera at all......  IF ONLY I had taken the time to cover it up......  IF ONLY I had just put it in my purse when I got out of the car.... IF ONLY.......

Once something bad happens we go over and over events in our minds trying to figure out why we did what we did...why we didn't do something differently?  It's torturous to one's mental state and really doesn't do anyone any good, but it's how the mind works nonetheless!  

Friday night, we were excited to meet a group of friends at 5:00pm at Lupe Tortilla in Houston - the one at 59/Kirby.   The boys and I drove in from Kingwood, and Harry was meeting us there (straight from work) at 5:00pm.  The boys and I got there a little early, around 4:45pm, and I decided that since I was handling my big purse AND both boys, that I would leave the cute little basket with the towels (to help clean up from playing in the infamous sandbox) and camera (to capture the cute moments) for Harry to go get out of the car, a few short minutes later, when he arrived at 5:00pm.

Well, as you can imagine, I got caught up in talking with friends, drinking a margarita, and enjoying our gathering, and I forgot all about the basket containing the towels and camera.  That is....until around 7:45pm when we were leaving for the evening, and a police officer met us as we were walking up to our car.  I immediately had a sick feeling to my stomach.

Our front passenger window was broken, and our camera was stolen from the car.  What?  You mean they didn't want my cute little basket too?  :-) 

Apparently, this has been a problem at Lupe Tortilla for a while now - there are frequent "hits" in the evenings and on the weekends.  We also found out that since Hurricane Ike, Lupe Tortilla has not replaced outdoor lighting so parts of the parking lot are very dark.  Blah....blah....blah.  None of this helps me now, right?

While Harry stayed to complete the police report, the boys and I loaded up in his car and drove home.  The boys fell asleep in the car very quickly, and I had lots of quiet time to reflect on the mistakes that I made, and how I could have (should have) done so many things differently.  IF ONLY I had done this...IF ONLY I had done that.....  Ugh!

In the end, nothing can be changed.  It could have been much worse, and we feel blessed that no one was hurt.  We're moving on - getting our window repaired today, and getting a new camera in the coming weeks. 

In the end, I think the lesson is for me to be more careful and cautious.  I am sure that throughout life, I will continue to use poor judgment and make mistakes, but I can guarantee you that leaving valuable belongings in the car - especially in plain sight - will not be one of them! 

I share this post with you so that you, too, can learn from my mistakes, and be careful/cautious in the future!   Especially if you are going to Lupe Tortilla at 59/Kirby.  :-)

IF ONLY I had read a post like this one prior to Friday night!  IF ONLY........

I've been tagged!

Here's the blogger's version of the game of Tag. I was tagged by my good friend, Lauri.

Here's how the game works: answer the following 5 questions and then keep the game going by tagging 2 more people. Here goes...

 1. What were you doing 10 years ago?

Let's see.  I had just moved back to Houston from living and working in Arizona.  I was in a new relationship, which got serious and lasted a year.  I was working at Shook, Hardy, & Bacon, LLP - for the second time.  Little did I know that in just a few months, I would have a tonsillectomy, which about killed me!  Not really, but I was in the hospital for 5 days and in a great deal of pain!  After being gone for over a year, I was spending tons of time with my nieces and nephew, keeping them on the weekends, and building special memories of a lifetime! 

2. What are 5 things on your to-do list?

1. Lose weight.  (This one never goes away - the number I need to lose just goes up and down!)
2. Clean my house AND find a regular housekeeper (again).
3. Start playing tennis again.
4. House train a new puppy.
5. Plan Timothy's 2nd Birthday Party!

3. What are snacks you enjoy?

I love cheese, salami, grapes, and crackers - all together.  Especially with wine.  I've come across very few cheeses that I don't like.  I also love nuts - all kinds, but I especially like smoked (salty) almonds.  I like cheetos - the crunchy ones (not puffy ones), and popcorn is always a welcomed treat!  I'm not much of a sweet person - I much prefer the salty/buttery treats!  Thus...#1 above on my "to do" list!

4. What are the places you have lived?

Born in Houston, Texas
Labelle, Texas (0-5 yrs)
Fannett, Texas (5-19 yrs)
Beaumont, Texas (19-21 yrs)
Galveston, Texas (21-23 yrs)
Austin, Texas (23 yrs)
Houston, Texas (23-25 yrs)
Scottsdale, Arizona (25-26 yrs)
Houston, Texas (26 yrs - present)

5. What are 5 things you would do if you became a billionaire?

My friend, Lauri, consulted with her husband on this one.....  I'm sure that I should do the same because it would be "our" money, but.....I'm not going to!  :-) 

1. We'd definitely give lots of money to charity and the church.  We could set up a couple of charities....and donate money for medical research.  W'e'd also give money to family and friends...and send many kids to college!  ...Really get to experience the feeling of giving and changing others' lives. 
2. I would want a huge home somewhere on the water as my main home...and then a couple of vacation homes - one in the mountains and one on the beach.
3. We'd need a boat and a luxury SUV....and Harry would say that he would get a luxury car - the ones he dreams about now!
4. I'd love a personal chef that could make lowfat meals tasty.....and a personal trainer.
5. I'd adopt 3-5 kids - I'd love to have a really large family, and if I was a billionaire, I'd have the money to support them, without worry.....and the help to keep me from going insane!
6. OK - I'm adding number 6, even though it should be a given... SAVE SAVE SAVE!

OK.  Game Over!  I'm tagging Brandy and Tricia!

Things just got a little more interesting at our house!

The newest member of our family is a 5 week old white German Shepherd puppy.  She was born on September 26th - my sister's birthday.  Her grandparents are from Germany, and her parents (mom - Winter and dad - Storm) are beautiful, registered dogs.

Timothy is in love with her!  He thinks that she is HIS baby, and he wants to hold (smother) her all of the time.  Benjamin....well, Benjamin is interested in her, but he is still a little bit afraid of her.  It's hilarious to watch him run away from an 8 lb puppy! 

Let me introduce you to Fraulein Liesl Von Storm.  Here are a few pictures of Liesl taken her first day home.

Playing in the yard!

Timothy crawled in her bed!

He can't get enough of her!

Timothy is like, "Don't you dare take her away from me!"

"No!!!  Don't Go!"

Poor Liesl...she needed a small break from all of that love!

Friends for life!

We weren't sure if Benjamin was going to bolt or not! 

It's been a long day!

Sweet Liesl ready for bed!

Halloween on Sunny Vale

We really enjoyed Halloween this year! Both boys were old enough to really get into the spirit, and the weather was absolutely perfect! Nonna, Poppa, and MaMa drove in to participate, and while we kept it close to home - only trick-or-treating on our street - we got lots of good laughs at the boys all night long. Here are a few pictures of our fun evening on our street, Sunny Vale Drive!

The boys pre-costumes with Nonna, Poppa, & MaMa getting a present from Nonna & Poppa!

Timothy patiently letting his daddy put on his clown shoes!

       Both boys pose in front of the scarecrows in our yard!

Timothy takes off his hat and flashes those pearly whites!

            Timothy looks so much like a real clown in this picture!               

If Timothy does it, Benjamin will do it too.....usually!

        My cute little clown is enjoying his sucker!         

Benjamin won't keep his hands off of his hat!

A huge NO NO!

Benjamin is cracking up at Timothy's wig!

(He keeps pulling on it and cocking it to the side!)

Timothy is one very tired boy!

Benjamin said that he wants to be, "....a singing cowboy!" 

So here he is......singing!

Nonna is reading to Timothy.

Not one to be left out, Benjamin stops singing long enough to listen!

Two very tired boys!

The END!

Benjamin's School Halloween Party

 

Benjamin, our little cowboy! He played the part well - he looked just like a tired and worn out cowpoke! He was adorable!

Timothy's School Halloween Party

 

My sweet Timothy (clown) at his Halloween Party at school today! He had such a fun time with all of his friends! We were so proud of what a big and independent boy he was - eating at the table, trick-or-treating, and playing with his friends!

What do I do all day?

Now that my friend, Lauri, is a stay at home mom, she recently blogged about what she does all day! Genius, right? Well, I am a part-time stay at home mom, working on Tuesdays and Thursdays, staying home with the boys on Mondays and Fridays, and having a Julie day on Wednesdays.

I don't know that I can really put down what I do all day because it is so different day to day. For example, on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I go to work, I get up at 4:45am, and Harry and I ride in together to work, leaving the house by 6:00am, and dropping the boys off at school and arriving to work by 7:00am. We then leave work around 6:00pm, pick up the boys, and arrive home after 7:00pm.

The boys usually wake up between 7-7:30am. On Mondays, Benjamin has swimming across town between 11am-12pm, so we are up and out of the house by 9:45am, and we usually don't arrive back home until around 1:30pm. Fridays are usually a playdate day - we usually meet up around 10:00am, across town, with Benjamin's best friend, Connor, to get our weekly "fix" of Connor and his mommy...and let's not forget his baby sister Kaitlynn. Also, Harry is off every other Friday, so sometimes, Friday is family day.

Wednesday, I usually have an appointment in the morning around 9am so that I can meet up with girlfriends (usually Jana or Tara, etc.) by 11am for a long lunch and either running errands or shopping. Recently, we decided to add tennis to this agenda, but that is in the beginning stages....so more on that later. I'm usually home by 3:00pm to do things around the house, upload pictures, etc. and cook dinner.

Anyway, while it's hard for me to say what I do from day to day, especially when I am at the house, I decided I will tell you what I did today.

7:00 am - Got up to take a shower before the boys woke up.

7:35 am - Went upstairs to get a crying Timothy out of the crib.

7:45 am - Woke Benjamin up because he was sleeping so soundly that he wet the bed. Stripped the bed.

8:00 am - Started washing all of the linens, and started feeding Timothy (a very independent and messy eater) breakfast.

8:30 am - Cooking oatmeal for my friend, Tricia and me.

8:45 am - Call Houston Swim Club and cancel swimming due to pouring down rain. They tell me I've already used my make-up sessions....so $40 down the drain. Ugh.

9:00 am - Checking work blackberry, cleaning up Timothy's mess, and drinking coffee that's been reheated twice.

9:30 am - Load up in the car (Tricia and her daughter Mikki, and the 2 boys) to run by Walgreens (to buy diapers), and then take Tricia and Mikki to the airport. Pouring down rain. Check work blackberry.

10:15 am - Stop by the mattress store to purchase box springs for Benjamin's bed now that I don't think he will fall out and hurt himself.

10:45 am - Back home and out of the pouring down rain. Check work blackberry.

11:00 am - Timothy is eating apple sauce - AGAIN - 3rd container today, and making a holy mess! There are still dried cranberry's on the floor that I missed during clean-up earlier today.

11:30 am - Both boys watching "Monster's Inc." - I'm cleaning up dishes that I had to leave in order to get Tricia to the airport on time.

12:00 pm - Timothy eating weiner. Make that 2 Weiners.

12:20 pm - Get Timothy down for a nap. He goes down easily. Whew. Check work blackberry.

1:00 pm - Lunch for Benjamin and me. Left-over chili for me. I make a grilled cheese sandwich for him. After cleaning everything up, he asks for another one. I do it all over again...along with the clean-up.

2:00 pm - I play around on the computer (Email, Facebook, etc.) as Benjamin finishes eating. I clean up mess. Benjamin goes to the bathroom to wash his hands. I'm distracted - he plays with water for 10 minutes, making a holy mess in the bathroom. Water everywhere!!!!! I strip Benjamin. Benjamin and I both clean up mess (walls, floor, etc.)

2:20 pm - I go potty. Timothy wakes up and cries for me. Benjamin gets the mini-vac out of the utility room....he accidentally takes it apart and all of the trash that I've been vacuuming up for the last 2 weeks, spills on the floor....he accidentally turns it on, without the filter in it.

2:25pm - Benjamin is running around in his underwear, with a clown wig on his head (Timothy's Halloween Costume), playing his guitar....Oh, to be a kid again! I stop to take a picture! (See below)

2:30 pm - I clean up the nasty vacuum mess.

2:45 pm - Benjamin runs off to the potty saying that he needs to go "poo poo." I go to check on him, and while going #2, he has pee'd all over the bathroom floor. I clean it up.

3:00 pm - Timothy is hungry again. Of course! So, I feed him marshmellows and yogurt drink.

3:30 pm - I give both boys haircuts. Brave, aren't I? They turn out pretty good...considering.

4:00 pm - I clean up the bathroom, clean up the kitchen - AGAIN - and I start the washing machine for the 2nd freaking time today. (Did I mention that I did about 7 loads of laundry over the weekend and was 100% caught up as of last night?) Check work blackberry;.

4:30 pm - We are all 3 in bed watching Monster's Inc. - AGAIN - and I am documenting my day for the blog.

4:45 pm - Spanking both boys for driving each other crazy. Timothy won't leave Benjamin alone, and instead of moving, Benjamin "spanks" Timothy for annoying him. THIS actually does drive me crazy!

Folks - I didn't even mention the 3 dirty diapers and 2 wet ones that I changed today, along with the mini clean-ups here and there that I do all day long because I'm a neat freak! I realize that's my own problem, but what I do nonetheless.

There are still over 5 hours left of my day. Lots can happen during that time. After reading this, surely there won't be any question why I'm not even going to attempt to cook dinner tonight! Harry and I will eat salad and the boys will get noodle soup, served with a side of apples and carrots. Easy, yes, but the soup can be messy.

As I'm typing this - I have a very sweet Timothy rolling all over me, saying "cheese" and asking to see "me" (himself) on the computer! Since Benjamin didn't have a nap earlier today, which is not good, he is very tired and will probably fall asleep on the foot of my bed any minute now, and not want to go to sleep tonight. I better get him up before that happens!

With all of this said, my boys are the sweetest and funniest things ever, and I can't imagine my life without them. They drive me crazy at times. Heck, they wouldn't be kids if they didn't, but in the end, they are wonderful little beings that I couldn't enjoy more.

Now you all know why I keep working 2 days a week! Until next time.......enjoy the snapshots below!