Thomas' First Hair Cut

I cut Thomas' hair today for the first time. He was really happy and unconcerned. He didn't fuss at all! I used the no. 5 guide on my clippers and went for it. My little boy is growing up!

Before:

After:

Christmas Morning

 
 
 
 

Meatball ItailanoAmericanoKiddo Recipe

My very own meatball recipe:

1 lb ground chuck 80/20
1 egg
1/4 to 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1.5 tsp oregano
1.5 tsp basil
1.5 tsp garlic
0.5 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small can tomato paste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix and squish the ingredients with your hands until well blended.
Measure out 3 Tbsp of the mixture and form a ball, making about 12 meatballs.
Arrange the meatballs in 3 rows almost touching each other in a ceramic baking dish or in a foil lined pan.
Bake for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 160 degrees F.
Remove the meatballs from the baking dish into a clean dish. (Do not allow meatballs to sit in the drippings.)

Serve alongside spaghetti with meat sauce or marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Serve with sauted green peppers and onions and rice. Cover with a gravy made with some of the meatball drippings.

Biggie's Chili

I love making chili. It reminds me of my Biggie. My mom made this same recipe, too. It's a family tradition. I remember the time I called my mom to ask her all the stuff to put in the recipe. She gave me the ingredients and I've been making it ever since. I've even modifed the recipe slightly, like I use ground cloves instead of whole cloves, but that's about it! Also, Lucks quit making the chili hot beans, or the store quit carring them, so I've started using Bush's chili beans, or even my own leftover beans. Making chili is fun.

Thomas and his Tooth

A couple of days ago, Thursday evening, Thomas had his tooth knocked loose! I just knew it was going go fall out! I'm so thankful to God that it didn't fall out. He's walking so well and so fast that he's almost running now, at least he joins in with the "get me" running around the loop in the house now! Also, Joanna has taken to running Thomas down and jumping on him. They both laugh histerically and get up and do it again. I've been discouraging this game as it's seems a little too mean for my liking. (Even though they are laughing, the fact is Joanna is pushing him down.) Well, Thursday evening, I think both games got combined...Joanna and Thomas were going around the loop. I think Thomas was going after Joanna for a while, then he waddled out of the "loop" into the dining room by the office and Joanna followed him...then there was a thump and a wail. Joanna had pushed him down, both of them laughing all the way down. I am reminded of the saying "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt." He was almost inconsoable. I was shocked to see blood on his mouth! I asked Joanna to get a tissue and pointed out what she had done had hurt Thomas. She started crying too! Thomas was o.k. After about two or three minutes, he'd forgotten all about it and was on to playing again. I just made sure not to give him any hard foods the next day just in case his tooth was still loose! As I write this I think that Joanna has not pushed him down again since. But it has only been two days!
Joanna does like to play with Thomas. She's been the "bigger one" for  a while, but that is starting to change. Here's a story about how Thomas got Joanna rustled up recently. I have always kept the bathroom cabinet empty and Joanna  has always loved climbing in there. With Thomas added to our family, she still gets in there but now but it's like a big game of peek-a-boo. Thomas follows her and stands outside the cabinet while she opens the door and screams, and he screams and pushes the door closed, this is repeated ad nauseum. I have found this activity wildly amusing and I just love that they are delighted together. Well, earlier this week, they were playing cabinet peek-a-boo and Joanna just started sreaming, "Thomas" then, "Mommy" with panic in her voice. So, I jumped in there and pulled her out.  I think Thomas held the door shut instead of just closing it and Joanna couldn't open the door with her own force. That'd set me into a panic wouldn't it you? Having fun, then suddenly, you are trapped. Poor girl. Now, I'm sure Thomas hasn't ever had a bad thought in his life, and loves Joanna more than one could imagine. But, this was a game-changing moment of Thomas becoming stronger.

Free Digital Scrapbook Stuff

Visit http://digitalfreebies.com/ and sign up for the Friday Freebie. You'll get an email on Fridays notifying you of a link to some neat digital scrap booking files. The links are only good for a period of time, then they expire. If you really get into digital scrap booking, you can purchase inexpensive kits from this web site. I had this site recommended from a friend. It's neat to browse the gallery to see some really fantastic ideas. There are some super creative people out there!

Jason is 35

So, Jason is turning 35. Let's see. This makes the 13th time I've had the privilege of telling him "Happy Birthday." This has been a neat year. We've enjoyed travelling to Great Lakes, IL to see Jon graduate Navy Basic Training, and to South Daytona Beach, FL for vacation. Joanna had swine flu and Thomas had RSV. We "dedicated" Thomas to Christ. We sold both our nice cars and got rid of that debt. We are driving reliable and respectable paid-for vehicles. We mourned the passing of our dear friend Ed and tried to help Joanna cope with and try to understand his absence.  Our kids have grown in emotionally and physically. We haven't stopped growing and learning as well. We have gardened, made scratch biscuits, canned food, and butchered meat.  We are blessed with health and happiness our family and friends.

A collage of fun pictures from the last year.

Some firsts

Joanna "spat" for the first time while brushing her teeth!

Thomas tried to say "baby" when he saw the baby hair wash.

TV Commercials

I had the opportunity to tell Joanna, "We don't let TV tell us what to do" the other day. She decided she wanted some chocolate during a commercial for Lindor Truffles.

Joanna's third birthday was a special day.

Three! Today is Joanna's third birthday.

She woke this morning and I told her it was her birthday and sang her "Happy Birthday to You" and she smiled.
We went to church and on the way Joanna said "Happy Birthday to Thomas and Joanna."
Her friend Kadie gave her a big hug today as we were all saying goodbye. It was so cute.

I got a phone call from my special friend, Audry, a.k.a "Buddy." Today is her birthday as well. It really is unique! Really, just how many people out there have a special friend and a child sharing the same birthday?

Here is a photo of Joanna showing everyone that she can say "three" with her fingers. She's been really proud of this ability as it has taken her a lot of practice to hold down that pinkie finger with her thumb.

We had a birthday party at 3p.m. today, 10/10/10.

Joanna had a fabulous time as 4 generations of our family gathered together just for her. She is as loved as she is loving. I think she is a special blessing to everyone in our extended family.

We were happily surprised by a call from Uncle Jon and Aunt Barbara. Joanna still pronounces Barbara sort of like "arbra" but that's o.k. :-) She remembers them exactly.

Jason and I got Joanna "Beauty and the Beast" and Nana gave her the pink flip-flops she asked for. Big Momma gave her my Raggedy-Ann doll, cleaned and looking nearly brand new. Rachel gave Joanna a green courderoy Christmas dress. The latter two will make a fantastic Christmas photo together. Neena (Brenda) gave Joanna a plaque about her special birthday being 10/10/10 and wrote a letter about the date's meaning. Jason helped Joanna open presents--not sure what happened to me--perhaps a Thomas-diaper change. I have no idea who got her half the presents but she got so many that I feel overwhelmed to be honest. I'm not complaining... I took a few of the toys and put them away to bring them out in a few days or weeks, when she needs something different. It just makes sense to me to do this.

Everyone has been so generous to give their time to come or call today. Joanna and Thomas are some really blessed children to have so many people to love and care about them and spend time with them.

Kids update

Thomas was stomping around the house in a size 3T T-shirt that has a
picture of a dinosaur wearing boxing gloves. He looks like a little
man in his boy clothes. He's wearing 24-months sized pants and some
tops too, but the 3T fits with the sleeves rolled up. He's so handsome
and sweet. Just exactly like his daddy. He ate his first strawberry
today. He liked it, but he made the same kind of goofy faces that he
made when he ate his first tomato.

Joanna has a stubborn streak to her. I don't know where that came from...
She is absolutely precious though. Last night, she grabbed my fork
from dinner and took it with her little red chair to the kitchen sink
and washed it off (water only) and laid it on the counter top. Does
she watch every move I make or what? It is so neat to see her do
things herself. This morning she went to "school" aka "Miss Kristie's
Castle" and I mentioned to her to tell Miss Kristie when she needs to
pee and poo in the potty. She said, "I need to go pee in the potty,
now." So I went ahead and took her. She did it! I'm so proud. She went
poo a little in the potty tonight as well. I gave her the "two
chocolates" except they were little chocolate chips instead of big
Hershey kisses. I mean, it was like 9 o'clock! She didn't say anything
about them not being big (didn't even hint at complaining), they were
still "two chocolates."

Poo on Saturday

Joanna went poo in the potty today. Twice. Without help. All by herself! Nobody even asked her to go. She is just growing up! Hooray.

This morning, Joanna woke up early and went potty and then went back to sleep. Thomas woke up at 7:15 and I got up and we went to the grocery store. I was out of coffee filters and I just had to get that checked  off my things to do list right away! We had a neat time. I don't recall taking only Thomas to the store with me. I enjoyed that time with him this morning. He said "bye bye" and waved to the cashiers. That was really neat. 

Thursday night, Thomas signed "more" and "finished" at dinner. He was mimicking us, but he was doing it alright! 

We arrived home and were greeted by Joanna. She had only been up a few minutes. She was cuddling with Daddy. She had already got out of bed by herself, gone potty and also poo-poo too! All by herself! She told Jason about going potty, but he didn't know she'd done number two. So anyway, I came in and she helped me bring in a couple small bags. After we got the bags in, I saw the poo and I was so happy for her! We got really excited and gave each other "five" and dumped the potty chair contents into the toilet and Joanna flushed it down and we said bye bye to the poo poo. Yay! We washed our hands and Joanna got two pieces of chocolate (Hershey kisses). Later just before nap time, she went in the bathroom unannounced and went poo poo again. I told her she could have her two chocolates after nap and she went along with the idea. 

She was really geared up today before nap, I mean, going potty is exciting! So, it was hard for her to get settled down. I did let her watch Nemo to fall asleep. I usually just read to her and we cuddle, but that really wasn't working today. Within a few minutes of simply staying still to watch Nemo she was out.

Once she was asleep, I put the two chocolates in her little pocketbook with her small bubbles as a surprise. She liked that and carried her purse for a while and wanted to take it with us when we left for the balloon festival. She ate one chocolate at home and one in the car. 

Joanna and the potty adventure

Joanna went poo in the potty today. Twice. Without help. All by herself! Nobody even asked her to go. She is just growing up! Hooray.

Potato Casserole

Here is a yummy potato casserole.

2 pounds frozen hash brown potatoes
1 pint sour cream (light works fine)

10 3/4 ounces can cream of celery soup
10 3/4 ounces can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, adjust to taste
1/2 cup butter, melted and divided
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups corn flake crumbs

Servings: 12

Container: 9" x 13" baking dish, lightly greased
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour


Preheat oven to 350º F.
In a large bowl, mix frozen hash browns, sour cream, soups, onion, seasonings, and cheddar cheese. Add 1/4 of melted butter to potato mixture. Spread into prepared baking dish.
Combine corn flake crumbs and 1/4 cup of melted butter and spread over top of casserole.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Serve hot.

Not a Brown Hot Dog

Recently, Joanna has stopped adding her just-one-snake-not-two-snakes request when she wants a hotdog. Now asks for a hotdog and adds, "not a brown one" and I have NO IDEA what she is talking about. Aren't all hotdogs brown? Well, there are those red ones, but she has never had one that I know of. So, here's to a new mystery to figure out!

She also has started asking for other ways to prepare things. Again with the hotdog, she's started asking me not to make it too hot. Sometimes, it ends up being a tad too hot so she has to wait until it cools. I'm still getting used to only needing to microwave something for 15 seconds.

This morning, she looked at the hotdog (yes, a hotdog for breakfast) and asked "Is that a brown hot dog?" I asked, "Why don't you taste it and tell me if it is brown." (I mean, obviously it looks brown, so there must be something else to this.) I promise a post if I figure it out.

This girl loves hotdogs!

September 2010

A night out on the town...

Four Steps

Tuesday, Thomas took four steps to Jason! He didn't make it all the way, but it was an awesome attempt. He was holding the round end table and Jason was sitting in the dining chair when Thomas set off to go to Daddy.

Thomas First Year!

Amadeus

I had the privilege of going to Amadeus opening night performance at the Clarence Brown Theater last Thursday. I had such a good time that I am still "enjoying" myself even days later. Just the experience of going to the Theater was amazing. The production was spectacular and me, the audience, into the story, made me love and hate the characters, and feel the emotions and passions of the characters portrayed by the actors. The music was perfect and the opera singers really were fantastic. The lighting and scenery were so integral to creating the atmosphere--there is just nothing like this in a film production.

One of the best scenes was when Siveli first encountered Mozart, quite by accident, while inadvertently hidden in an armchair in a sitting room where he witnessed Mozart acting immature and lude with his soon-to-be fiance. Mozart's music was then played and Siveli talked through his first experience of how the music moved him and how he was so upset that the perfect god-like music was coming from out of the infantile man. The first act made me dislike Mozart and feel pity on Siveli. The second act took me on a different journey to dislike Siveli and feel pity on Mozart. The play was complete with classic themes and mechanics of drama and comedy that told a moving story. I'm so glad that I got to see this production!

I really could write so much more about this! I just wish I had time!

Thomas' first candy

Today, Thomas ate his first piece of bona fide candy. There was no fanfare. In fact, no one noticed until it was too late. Now, we've not come across the point of no return. I would still not want Thomas to have candy for a long time. He simply doesn't need this in his diet.
Here's what happened: Jason gave Joanna three pieces of candy. She sat two down and ate one. At some point she was going to get the other two pieces ... Jason said he spotted Thomas chewing and had something in his raised fist.

Impromptu Family Gathering

Chris and Tracy came over Sunday. They called as they were leaving Lenoir City to let us know they were heading over. Jason and Joanna were napping. Thomas and I were not. His 20 minute post church ride home nap was enough to keep him in the game until 7 p.m. Once they got here, Jason and Chris talked with the neighbor. Then, Rachel called Chris and while they were talking I mentioned she might want to come over, too. Then Tracy texted Canellen and here we all were, enjoying a meal together. Spaghetti with our homemade maranara and grilled chicken. Nice times. I wish I had thought to take a picture!
Joanna wore Chris out bouncing and Thomas dumped over Chris' drink.

Wows on Potty Training.

http://aplaceofourown.org/watch_video.php?type=field&id=435&pos=0&rate=hi&player=rp
Joanna saw this Place of Our Own episode on potty training and she was
interested after that at Thanskgiving at my Dad's house she asked to
go to the potty and Aunt Terri took her.
Today, I found this on the web site. I like Dr. Harvey Karp and that
Place of Our Own show, so I read this
article:  http://aplaceofourown.org/question_detail.php?id=237

A few things jumped out at me. I probably shouldn't quote the whole
article,but here is the big thing: "If your child expresses a
willingness to use the potty, the biggest mistake you can make is to
jump up and down, applaud, and make a huge deal about it. If you blow
it out of proportion, it will backfire on you. Your reaction may scare
the kid. They may start to think that it's too important and won't
want to do it. Some kids will use it against you when they're mad."

Another article:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/potty-training/CC00060/METHOD=print

A Day at the Aquarium

Saturday we got up early and made breakfast. Jason took Joanna out for a jug of milk since we were too low on milk to make gravy with what we had left! Jason's biscuits were the best so far. I cut them out, so that must be why. No, really. He made sure the Crisco was solid instead of melted and used a ratio of butter and Crisco instead of just plain Crisco. They are definitely fluffier.
We talked about what to do for the day. We had such a great weekend last weekend that I wanted another good one together, just having fun. So we did! We thought about going to go to the zoo or the aquarium. The weather was cool enough to do the zoo, but still be hot, maybe too hot. We thought about the aquarium. We thought about going a few weeks ago, so it was an easy decision. Also, after we asked Joanna which she'd rather do, go to see animals or fish, she picked fish. 
The aquarium was busy, but mostly with small kids and babies (with parents of course). I was suprised at how many TINY babies. One was 3 weeks and one was 3 months (but looked 3 weeks and we decided it had to have been born preemie to be that size at 3 months). Jason and I recalled how we kept Joanna in the house for like 6 weeks, then about 4 weeks with Thomas. It's fun to think back on things!
It's also interesting the instant camaraderie parents can have with each other since kids are similar in so many ways.
Joanna behaved fantastically. She liked the activity center but loved the penguins play area.
We went to stride-rite in Tanger outlets to get Thomas his first pair of shoes. They are blue tennis shoes and they are not baby shoes at all. He skipped that. He's wearing size 6W. We got Joanna's foot measured again and she's at 7.5W and got a size 8 shoe.  Thomas is so big it is amazing. I bet the admission person almost didn't believe he was only 11 months. He does look like a baby still, though!
It was wonderful being together as a family, relaxing together doing something fun. A big A+ in my book.

Joanna's scraped chin

Joanna took a spill down Nana's porch stairs today and has a big ol bruise on her chin. Ouch. She cried a little about it when she told me. Later, when we told Daddy what happened, she wasn't upset about it any more. I asked her if Nana gave her a big hug to make her feel better and she said "Yes." I asked her if she kissed her boo boo. she said "No".

How to Make a Freezer Tomato Pot

I read this article that caught my eye while I was looking at tomato sauce recipes.

It's a good idea!

Thomas Eats a Tomato

So, here is Thomas eating his first tomato from our garden. He liked it despite the funny face. He was interested in holding it and feeling the texture and tasting it. He bit small bites off at a time and ate a good few bites before he started demolishing the tomato into a mess. I rescued the tomato, chopped off part of it, and threw it in with the rest of the tomatoes that were becoming marinara for our dinner!

This picture was taken last Sunday after a short nap.

Kadie's 3rd Birthday Party

Kadie's 3rd Birthday Party: Scooby Dooby Doo!
Joanna and Thomas and I attended Kadie's 3rd birthday party last Saturday.

Joanna carried in Kadie's gift bag and (prompted) said "Happy Birthday" and gave her the bag. Kadie said (prompted) "Thank You" and (unprompted) gave Joanna a big hug.

The kids had a lot of fun playing with the balloons and chasing each other. Everyone enjoyed the cake. Joanna utilized the Scooby-doo cupcake pick as a utensil to scrape off and eat the icing from her cupcake. I guess it's obvious it can serve a purpose other than decoration...How cute!

Thomas will have to wait one more month before he gets to have cake. Carrot cake, that is! He ate a teething biscuit and had some cherrios and took in all the sights and sounds.

I enjoyed spending time and talking with friends from my church and watching Kadie open some presents. I liked seeing how the kids interacted with each other and they understood the concept the party. The kids all were basically happy to watch Kadie open the presents. Kadie didn't mind to let the other kids hold a toy. (Joanna got interested in a white dog with pink bows and was slightly reluctant to give it back. But she did once she lost interest.)

Remembering Ed

Today, Joanna woke up and said Jesus is happy to see Pappy and Chris and Tracy. She is so loving and thinks of people all the time. She talks about people she hasn't seen in a while, brings them up on all sorts of contexts. But, it was weird being the first thing she said when she woke up.

Earlier this week, Joanna said to Nana: "Pappy sees me taking a nap on Nana's bed." Aww!

Tonight, I was showing Joanna photos on Facebook and someone had added my name to a photo of the Letcher family and friends but I wasn't in it. I was so glad to see the picture, though. A heavenly "mistake", I'm sure. Joanna saw the picture and her face lit up. She said "Hey! That's Pappy! That's my Pappy. I'm going to grow up just like Pappy and just like Mommy."

I can't help but be a little sad today. I miss Pappy, too. I sure love his family. What a wonderful blessing. It makes me really grateful to God for putting our families together. It is truly a gift. I can't even put words on it.

Pickled Okra

Sweet, sour, and spicy pickled okra. Here is a photo of our okra in the process of being stuffed into this jar of spicey goodness. Jason did all the work. Recipe courtesy of my cousin and her husband. They made this recipe last year and we thought it was the best we'd ever had. Jason recreated it and we weren't disappointed.

Feeding the Hotdog to "this mouth"

This is just the kind of cute stuff I get to take part in on a daily basis. The memorable moment happened a few minutes before the took this snapshot: Joanna said she wanted to feed the hotdog to "this mouth" referring to the Rolling Stones logo on Jason's shirt. This got a few chuckles out of all of us. Thomas laughs because we are all laughing. He's laughing at us, I guess. We are a corny crew.

Here is the video I took right after this picture:
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyjokidd/July2010#5502892912633380834

Smiling at Me!

I was just looking at the Picasa Photo Album software thumbnails. (It uses face recognition to match faces in an album together.) I was looking at these pictures of just Joanna's face. She had several where she was super excited and had the biggest smile. I am honored to be the one she is smiling at or the one holding her while she felt so happy that she smiled that big. I love my daughter. I'm so proud to be her mom. She is such a beautiful and sweet person and I'm lucky to get to wake up and see her smile every day.

Reporting Numbers over Time

The truth of numbers depends on when a story was written, I guess! 

The Keen Oberver Website posted, "Haslam won the fifty percent of the Republican primary vote." http://www.keenobservers.com/2233/bill-haslam-wins-the-tennessee-election/

WATE News' article says "Haslam defeated Rep. Zach Wamp, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and two others by taking 47 percent of the Republican vote."
http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=12924871

WATE has a chart posting all the election results at http://www.wate.net/news/election/august-2010/tennessee which I found to be helpful.

I found the first article reporting "50%" from my search online. I enjoyed reading the article. It seemed well written. However, now that I have read different articles, one difference jumped out at me: 50 percent and it seemed final. It makes me discount the other things in that article. I'm disappointed. Who is right? I had to go read a third article.

This third article from the AP reports 52 percent, which wasn't the final number either. However, the article said that 2 percent of the precincts had reported at the time the article was written. I can respect that.
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=129705&catid=2

"Not 2 Snakes"

Joanna asked me for a hot dog for breakfast today. She said "I want a hotdog--like a snake. Not two snakes. Just one snake." Exact words. Here's the story. I used to cut up the hotdog for her. But not anymore. The first time she described the way she wanted to have the hotdog whole, she asked for a hotdog "like a snake." This went on a couple of times. I thought "How observant and smart she is!" Jason and I went out on a date and Granny watched the kids. Joanna asked her for a hotdog like a snake. She called us to find out what that meant. (This was really thoughtful and funny at the same time.) She warmed up the hotdog and got it a little too hot so she cut the hotdog in half, longways, to help it cool off. She told Joanna it was two snakes. (Sounds reasonable, right? Joanna ate the hotdog. Now, though, Joanna adds more specifics to her request for a hotdog. "I want a hotdog--like a snake. Not two snakes. Just one snake."

A Good Weekend

Saturday, Jason and I went out! We went to get the mower's tire repaired, ate sushi for lunch, attempted to find shoes at Coffin shoes (and found nothing), then we visited a new thrift store, then we went to see Twilight. God love my hubby for watching a movie just because I wanted to see it! Rachel watched the kids and when we got home we grilled and fed her dinner. That morning Joanna and I went to the grocery store, before 8 a.m.! We got some milk (for gravy) and a few other groceries. Joanna picked out cheez-its for herself and a miniature rose bush for Granny. Jason made a yummy breakfast and we had a nice morning together. I got grumpy before we even left because I tried unsuccesssfully to get Joanna to go down for a nap--she was so tired!!! But, she eventually passed out on Granny as she had not slept the greatest the night before. Luckily we smoothed out the bumps and had a good day.

The Kids are Growing

I don't know if I've talked about Thomas' crawling technique, but he crawls with one knee and one foot. It is as if he is sitting cross legged, then takes steps with one foot and one knee. It sure is a sight. I need to put a picture up. And he can boogie. He can come when I call him and he comes to me when he wants me to grab him up. When he's crawling to me to pick him up he starts kind of grunting a certain way. He's so sweet! I just love to hug him and kiss him. His eyes sparkle and he has a beautiful smile. He has six teeth now. The last two came in last weekend. His hair doesn't stick up as much anymore. He can eat several things by himself now. He can pick up and feed himself cereal O's, peas, cut-up banana bits. He goes to bed so well, too. He starts crying a certain way when he's sleepy. It's not really crying, but more like a call. He starts calling a tune or rhythm. When I lay him down around 8 o'clock, he usually doesn't fuss. I think he is like me. Happy to go to bed. I love to go to sleep!

Joanna said her eyelashes were sparkley today.  She has so much to say and is doing so many things on her own. This evening, she took something to the bathroom, turned on the light, washed it in the sink, dried it on the towel, turned off the light, brought it back to me, and told me all about it. The bathroom sink is easier access for her than the kitchen sink, so I always ask her to wash her hands in the bathroom sink. She brushes her teeth by herself too. She does everything she possibly can by herself. Well, that is except potty. I'm not sure why she is not interested in going potty, herself. It has come in phases, but it will happen. Today, she took a doll into the bathroom and showed it how to go potty. She's taken this doll though the routine one time before. I was in the other room and I heard her tell the doll, "Good Job! I'm so proud of you for going potty!"

Joanna's hair is so long now. It is curly on the ends and when wet stretches to the middle of her back (well, maybe a few strands do). She lets us wash her hair pretty well, sometimes she doesn't "look up" like she should and gets water in her eyes. Joanna and Thomas take baths together. They splash each other and have a good time. I usually get Thomas out first and let Joanna play a few minutes longer as he gets dried off and dressed. Jason put Joanna in the bath tonight and washed her hair. That was really nice of him. I just put Thomas to bed. He was tuckered out. He sat up in bed after I laid him down, but I didn't hear a peep out of him. He laid down by himself evidently and went to sleep because a while later, I checked on him and he was snoozing. Joanna is a ball of energy, on the other hand, and never wants to go to sleep. I'm sure whoever invented the Energizer Bunny must have had a child with energy like Joanna to inspire them. She keeps going!

I'm reminded of the time mom and I put entries in to win an Energizer Bunny at the local hardware store. Mom won the bunny and we went to pick it up. She still has it.

Feelings About Facebook

I'm just not sure that I like facebook like I used to.
I am disturbed by the photos of young people posed so they can look good to "hook up" with each other.
I don't like getting friend requests from people I don't know. I think I need to un-friend some friends who aren't really my friends. Is it morally wrong to un-friend people?

It bothers me to see parents posting things and their kids posting things and not being with each other instead.

It's an easy way to keep in touch for people who are apart and want to share pictures.
It's easy to get lost in time while looking at everyone's photos!
It makes me miss those friends I haven't seen in a long time!

Old Journal Entry

It is funny looking back at one's self. I am doing that today...

1/25/98, I wrote:

I realized that life is the place for second chances. We screw up but
we can start over every time but there are _always_ consequences.
Hurt feelings, _loss_, loneliness, etc. People leave each other for
one reason. They screw up and forget about the second chance thing
because they place each other on such high pedestals where they think
each other is incapable of screwing up.They often forget to forgive.
Forgiveness and second chances are two of the very many important
things in this life. My life is full and I thank God for every single
bit of it.

Hymn Verse for "I'm in a New World"

Now this is from memory, so it might not be perfectly correct.
I just had to type it out while I had it on my mind!
First Verse:
"The Lord has been so good to me,
 He set my captive spirit free.
 Old things are passed away.
 All things are new today!
 He gave me light for paths so dim;
 Oh! How I've changed since I found him.
 I'm in a new world since the Lord saved me!

Pudgie is better, and outside

I just came home to a mess. Pudgie has chewed through the wood and has
been roaming the house for I don't know how long.
It appears that he ate/demolished about 6 or more inches of wood.
Yikes. He destroyed the blue tubular doorjam thingo on our side door.
I put him outside immediately. If he's well enough to do all that,
he's well enough to sit in the backyard. If he feels like running, let
it be.
The good news is I haven't found any sign of him anywhere else in the
house.

Happy 4th of July

Today, I wore my Army uniform to carry our nation's flag in a church ceremony on the 4th of July.
I thought it'd be nice to look at pictures of my military career...

There is a cap on the oil well!

The news has just reported that BP has placed a cap on the oil well that has been gushing for 83 days. I pray that the cap fits properly and stops the oil from spewing. God bless those involved and help them protect them from accidents!

Parent-Child Dedication

On Mother's Day, we had a parent-child dedication service at our church. We pledged to raise up Thomas in the way of the Christian Faith.

Fret Not...

"Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord
never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to
accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God's plans."
http://utmost.org/one-of-god%e2%80%99s-great-don%e2%80%99ts/

Looking for Hymn Lyrics

I have a few favorite hymns. One is "I'm in a New World." Not many
people know it when I refer to the title. I first heard it at Cave
Creek Baptist Church when I was a child. They'd do requests and I'd
always want to request it. For some reason, it just entered my
thoughts and I sang the entire first verse and chorusI sang it a few
minutes ago, but then totally forgot the first verse when I tried to
recall it again to sing it for Jason! I can't forget the chorus,
though.
I was looking for lyrics online and found the book where the song is
published. It's on p. 94 Church Hymnal, Pathway Press, 1979.
"I'm in a new world, old things have passed away;
Behold all things are new, ever since that happy day.
He opened up my blinded eyes and then I had a great surprise;
I'm in a new world, since the Lord saved me."
Also, "Beulah Land" and "Walking in Sunlight" are next on the top of
my favorite hymns list.

God has a plan

Do you believe God has a plan for you? He tells you he does.
God's word: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
Do you believe what God says?

Think about this: Not only does God have plans for you he has plans for the person beside you, too. Yes, the person sitting next to you. Did you think they were a part of God's plan for you, or God's plan for them?
God is wildly enthusiastic about each one of us and has a plan for every individual.
I'm so glad. I'm really glad we aren't going on my plan. I'd sure mess it up. But isn't that how I act sometimes--mad when I don't get my way? How about God's way?
 
I'm sure that verse is quoted a lot. It came to my mind when I had a fleeting thought about letting go of some bitterness. The person beside me is under God's control, not mine. I can't control their actions, so why should I be bitter that they didn't act as I wished they would? It's really hard to let go of bitterness even when you can't put your finger on all those crappy things over years and years. I'm glad I learned that bitterness steals peace. It makes me want to let it go. After all, I want that peace bad. It's worth getting, so it's worth letting go. Let it go and don't pick it back up!

Essie, my Biggie

I thought it would be nice to write some about my grandmother, Essie.
Last weekend, we went to visit my mom and Poppa came over as well.
He recounted several interesting things about his family history and
some things about the town and he also spoke about my grandmother's
last days.
At first I was surprised he was talking about it and then saddened,
but came away glad with refreshed memories of the happy times. I made
sure to mention a few of my memories with him as a "thank-you" for
what he had shared.
I remember Biggie was a great cook. I mean great. She cooked all the
traditional foods and lots of recipes from books. She even let me cook
things. She was so generous to me. She smelled good and gave great
hugs. She'd sing "I love you, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the
neck." I heard the song for real a short while back and I didn't
remember ever hearing it before, but I remember Biggie singing it to
me. She'd let me put on one of her nightgowns (to me they looked like
ballgowns) and I'd walk down the stairs with Biggie and Poppa would
sing "Here she comes, it's Miss America." I remember watching the
pageant with Biggie and Poppa. Poppa would make popcorn and put it in
a paper grocery bag with the top folded down like a cuff. He'd cook
bacon-wrapped filet minon and grill it on a tiny grill on the side
porch. Poppa would sometimes sit in the kitchen and read his paper and
listen to the scanner. He'd eat instant oatmeal for breakfast. I think
he would drink coffee. I am pretty sure Biggie drank coffee. I really
can't remember the coffee.
I do remember stuff sitting on the countertop. I remember
Sweet-and-Low sweetener and bifocal glasses. I remember downy fabric
softener and that pink blanket and the flowered blanket. They'd get
all staticy in the dark when you rubbed your feet around under the
cover.
Well, there are some random--really not at all organized--thoughts
about Biggie. I hope this is the first of many things I write about
her.
I know she had a big, full life, and my memories are limited to just
one part of her life and one facet of her character. This is my part
of the picture.

Our Garden

Jason and I started seeds in pete moss cups this year. Here's our garden growing!

An evening with the kids

Joanna thought it'd be cute to sit on him, I guess. While I don't want to condone the behavior, I could not resist snapping a picture.

And check out the cleaned couches and carpet in the photo, would you?

Jason steam cleaned our couches and carpets. He also steam cleaned a potential replacement couch, but we decided to keep our current couches in the end.

My hubby had to work late. It happens sometimes. I enjoyed a simple evening with the kids. Tomorrow will be busy enough. Dinner was simple, fish, peas and rice--leftovers happily eaten. Milk for some. Joanna had her late night snack of chicken nuggets. She asked for them like this: "Can I have some chicken nuggets, not cut up? But, like snakes?" I'll explain. Snakes meant long. She's referring to how we make play-dough snakes, I think. The chicken nuggets in question are actually "chicken strips" which are actually just elongated chicken nuggets. Marketing is confusing for toddlers. Chicken is chicken. Well, sometimes fish is chicken. Shoot, sometimes even shrimp is chicken. I think beef might have been dubbed chicken at some point. No wonder people think kids like only chicken. I think somewhere in the jumble of things they learn all meat is called chicken. I'll even tell her what she's eating. "Here's some fish." Two minutes later, she'll say, "That chicken is really yummy."

Thomas is really getting mobile. He's trying to jump around in the bath tub! He's grabbing the sides of the tub and trying to get up and sloshes back down. I'm worried this kid's going to take a spill. I guess they all do. I sat him down in the bathroom floor as I got Joanna ready to go in the bath and he busied himself with the cabinet doors and took off after the big door, too. I'm most certainly keeping my eyes peeled and on him. He is really a busy boy.

I'm really not a blogger, am I?

So I have a blog. I would not consider myself a blogger though. However, reality being what it is brings me to admit it. I have a very minimal commitment to this thing, save the promise that I might enjoy looking back on this stuff later on. I will occasionally come write down items of note or ramble on about a happy memory that comes to mind. The dilemma I have is whether or not to back-date memories so that the date reflects the event. It depends.

Movie not to watch

Sometimes when the credits roll, I wish for the two hours of my life
back.I really should invest two minutes in reading the review of a
movie before I sit down to watch it!

If I knew that Legion was a genre horror movie, I would have skipped
it. I just simply don't get into the cheezy horror flick. But, glutton
for punishment, I watched the first few minutes and got interested and
finished it. I'll say that the quality of the main character was fit for a
Thriller, but didn't come close to redeeming the horror movie.
The next day I leaned over to Jason and whispered, "That was a stupid movie."

Truth be told, It's the parts that make me jump that I don't like in a
horror film. I just hate being anxious in general and I really hate
when a movie surprises me.
Now, I know this is part of the charm of a horror movie for most
people. I used to "enjoy" them. I liked the Amytiville Horror,
Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. But not anymore. When you watch a movie,
the things you see become a part of your life in a way. It may seem
weird but it's true. Your brain sees the images and some of them stay
in your memory. I can see the some of the attack scenes and bloody
gore now in my mind.

There was another movie a while back that we rented and I just simply
turned it off, slipped it back in the case and sent it back. It had a
very stupid scene in it and I still remember it to this day! It makes
me just sick to think about it. It was a "Horror" too. I think I have
learned now I just need to skip the horror films from now on.

Thomas is crawling

Thomas is crawling now!

He saw me come in from work and got really excited. He sat there
pumping his arms and squealing with his big smile. He realized after a
few seconds that he could get to me if he wanted to.

Thomas even crawled in the bath tub. Today He was getting toys and
moving around in the tub. Inspired by an out-of-reach toy, he got on
his hands and knees and after he got the toy, rocked back to sitting.
He likes taking a bath! He gets excited in the tub. He likes taking a
bath with Joanna and she likes taking a bath with him.

Sometimes, Joanna gets carried away and splashes Thomas in the face
with water. I think she likes to get his reaction.
They also squeal at each other too, not just in the bath, but any
time. It's pretty cute. Joanna will squeal at him in the car to try to
wake him up when he's nodding off to sleep. He dozes off anyway.
Babies can't help it.

I Luze you, too.

Joanna says "I love you" but it sounds like "luze" and it's cute.

Photos of Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

http://blog.ted.com/2010/06/aerial_photos_o.php

spittoon

Joanna just gave Thomas a spittoon. She handed him a cookie tin without the lid and said, "Here you go. You can spit-up in here." We were hanging out in the office with toys in the floor and me working on the computer the best I could. It's hard to do stuff these days on the PC with two kids needing my attention regularly.

Reminded of the time...

I was recently reminded of:

1. Barb coming over the evening I went in to labor. She just knew she needed to come even though I said I was o.k. She had a kidney infection and was in pain. She played with Joanna on the slide at the park (we went on a walk) and she helped me get Joanna's overnight bag
ready and get her bathed and put in pajamas. At one point, I couldn't think.
Also, some goofball called to say their car was broken down and could Jason help? NO, I'M IN LABOR, SILLY!

2. Building a book out of unfamiliar, undated material for someone as a gift, pretty last-minute. Not a typical activity that one should do last minute, for future reference. It turned out o.k. but likely had some problems. Never heard anymore about it, like was is it a bust? Not a big deal, just doing a favor for someone and I was glad that I could help.

Happiness

I know that if you compare yourself to others you can never be happy. Life is not a contest, really. No matter what you do someone will always be better at it than you. I'm not being pessimistic here, but realistic. You have to be content with yourself.

I had a conversation with someone who would not stop talking about everyone else
and everyone else's business. I simply was exausted when it was all over from all the
dodging and redirecting I tired to do. If I mentioned anything positive, I was one-upped
with something. I think I give up.

Growing Child

http://growingchild.com

I really need to subscribe to these booklets. I've read a few and they seem great. I just need to order them! The articles are very encouraging.

The Running of the Mouth

My husband is wise. He has given me a few little sayings that I don't think I'll ever forget. Here are two big ones that come to my mind.

One is "No guy wants to be just friends." Basically, he was telling me that no matter what the friendly gentleman is saying, he wants to date the girl, not be "just friends." I have never found that to be untrue.

Another is not an exact quote, but two similar ideas: "Be careful of the running of the mouth." "When you are telling someone a secret you have to think 'Who does this person like better than me?'"

Growing Child: Grandma Says

Growing Child: Grandma Says <GrandmaSays@growingchild.com>

Articles that appear from Grandma Says are focused on general parenting practices and philosophy and are not as age-specific as articles that appear in Growing Child. "Grandma Says" is a feature of Growing Child and we encourage you to send your comments to: GrandmaSays@GrowingChild.com CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE I watched two young children, playing at a swimming pool. One child seemed a bit timid about jumping off the side, though she clearly wanted to join the fun. The other little girl stepped close to her, patted her arm, and said, "You can do it. I know you can." I smiled at hearing the grown-up tones and words, thinking how she had obviously benefited from some encouragement herself. Back when I was a young mother, this poem by Dorothy Law Nolte was posted everywhere--in doctors' offices, parenting magazines, and on school bulletin boards. Not having seen it in a while, I figured it was time that a new generation of parents received the words to ponder the amazing effects on children of the words and images they see every day. Whether those experiences are positive or negative, children absorb without judgment or evaluation all that they see and hear. Since parents provide most of the living examples that surround children, it is important to become fully aware of the messages we send. The question for every parent is, what are your children living with today? Children Learn What they Live is written by Dorothy Law Nolte, 1972. Find a full poster of this available for free download at http://www.empowermentresources.com/info2/childrenlearn-long_version.html CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn. If children live with hostility, they learn to fight. If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive. If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves. If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy. If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy. If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty. If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence. If children live with tolerance, they learn patience. If children live with praise, they learn appreciation. If children live with acceptance, they learn to love. If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves. If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal. If children live with sharing, they learn generosity. If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness. If children live with fairness, they learn justice. If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect. If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them. If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live. © Growing Child 2010 Please feel free to forward this article to a friend. Receive your free subscription of Grandma Says at www.GrowingChild.com/FreeGrandmaSays or contact Growing Child customer service at service@growingchild.com or call (800) 927-7289 To learn more about Growing Child, and obtain a sample of our products please visit: www.GrowingChild.com

Vacation Days don't really mean Vacation

I have taken several vacation days and been on what most consider a vacation. Honestly, though, I don't feel like I'm on vacation. Some may consider this complaining, and yes, it is, but I just have to say it like it is. I'm totally exhausted.

I would love to sleep the whole night. That would be just great, too. It's not who you'd think though, it's not Thomas waking me up! Thomas sleeps a whole night, but not Joanna. She wakes 2 times a night at least and fights her nap time like crazy.

Reigning this in to perspective, years from now, when my kids are grown, I'll be trying to schedule time with my kids instead of time away from them. If I'm lucky to live long enough, someone will be changing my diaper and want me to take a nap so they can have a break.

Joanna and the Python

  Joanna wasn't even afraid of the snake. She cried when we had to leave. I think it would have tried to eat her if we had been this close in the wild. Woah!

Thoughts

We had a good weekend around the house. Yesterday, we gathered with Jason's mother and brothers. We went to church today. Joanna and Thomas were cute all day.
Thomas is getting his top teeth in. I noticed the two blister-like bumps today. Bless his little heart! Joanna was a sweetie all day. She listened to me really well when we were at the spaghetti lunch in the fellowship hall today. The last time we were at an event, she wanted to run around. This time I told her that she needed to stay close to mommy. She was cute when it was time to leave. A friend got Thomas and took him over to show him off. Joanna said, "Where's Thomas?" When I told her, she said, "Let's get him."

Joanna sings Old Mac Donald this way: "Old Mac Donnel had a cow. E, I, E, I, O. And a moo, moo, here and a moo, moo, there. E-wah (everywhere) moo, moo." Aww.

Thomas is sitting by himself unassisted for a long period of time now. He had meat for the first time today. I wasn't really planning on this as he has just only had green beans and sweet potatoes along with rice for his first three flavors! I did not take along enough rice cereal and Thomas was quite hungry. He had 1/2 of a vienna sausage smashed up to resemble the baby-food meat (but quite tastier). He did seem to like it. I'm sure it was a wild transition for him!

Yard Sale and Joanna Milestones

Date: Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 11:09 PM

Today was a huge day. I am incredibly tired. I am going to bed at the
end of this note.

We had our first yard sale. It was pretty successful. We had a nice
time visiting with those who joined us in the sale. I got some new
clothes out of it too.
It was fun preparing, sort of. Our house is a little less full now,
though you can't tell it. Surprisingly, several items we thought would
sell did not.

Joanna had a milestone day. She let herself in and out of the back
fence by herself, more than once. She not only opened the gate, but
she closed it, too. AND, the dogs did not get out.
The gate is not latched with a regular latch. It is a bungee cord that
hooks on to a nail, okay. That is one reason this amazes me--it's
simply hard to do!

She also opened the door by herself. And unlocked it too. This is bad.

She washed her hands by herself in the bathroom sink. She dried them too.
She had paint on them and I reckon she washed her hands before I saw
that she had paint on them. She painted me a really nice picture with
a handprint on it. I'm so proud my heart just melts.

I ran into a friend from high school who has a 10-yr-old they don't
get to see much. I was truly saddened to hear this.

Jason took Joanna on the back porch after dark to water plants. He
said she saw the stars and raised her hands and sang the "Twinkle,
twinkle" song in it's entirety, twice. He wished he had it on tape,
but I hope that by writing it down, this lovely memory will be
preserved. So many of these wonderful, tresaured moments go
unrecorded, but I hope my children know how much I enjoy every single
magnificent day that I am with them.

I am most wonderfully blessed by our Lord and Savior! I have eternal
salvation, a spectacular husband, a beautiful family, and great
friends.

Invitation to view a photo from Amy's Picasa Web Album - Kidd 032710

Easter photos at UT Gardens. What a fun afternoon. Joanna didn't want to leave.

Yard Sale and Joanna Milestones

Today was a huge day. I am incredibly tired. I am going to bed at the
end of this note.

We had our first yard sale. It was pretty successful. We had a nice
time visiting with those who joined us in the sale. I got some new
clothes out of it too.
It was fun preparing, sort of. Our house is a little less full now,
though you can't tell it. Surprisingly, several items we thought would
sell did not.

Joanna had a milestone day. She let herself in and out of the back
fence by herself, more than once. She not only opened the gate, but
she closed it, too. AND, the dogs did not get out.
The gate is not latched with a regular latch. It is a bungee cord that
hooks on to a nail, okay. That is one reason this amazes me--it's
simply hard to do!

She also opened the door by herself. And unlocked it too. This is bad.

She washed her hands by herself in the bathroom sink. She dried them too.
She had paint on them and I reckon she washed her hands before I saw
that she had paint on them. She painted me a really nice picture with
a handprint on it. I'm so proud my heart just melts.

I ran into a friend from high school who has a 10-yr-old they don't
get to see much. I was truly saddened to hear this.

Jason took Joanna on the back porch after dark to water plants. He
said she saw the stars and raised her hands and sang the "Twinkle,
twinkle" song in it's entirety, twice. He wished he had it on tape,
but I hope that by writing it down, this lovely memory will be
preserved. So many of these wonderful, tresaured moments go
unrecorded, but I hope my children know how much I enjoy every single
magnificent day that I am with them.

I am most wonderfully blessed by our Lord and Savior! I have eternal
salvation, a spectacular husband, a beautiful family, and great
friends.

Cute Easter Photos

Last month, our neighbor passed away. Ed Letcher, you may have met
him, has been our friend since he moved here. He died suddenly of a
heart attack while hiking. Ed was a great guy and he took to Joanna
like she was his own grandchild. He left behind his wife and his
14-year-old adopted son (grandson). His son is doing o.k. but is
really heartbroken. It's my understanding that Ed didn't even know he
was dying, he thought he was out of breath and was going to sit down
and rest. He died as he was sitting down of a massive heart attack.

Ed was Joanna's "pappy." She saw him nearly every day and he loved
her. She has finally realized he is not coming back. It has been tough
explaining to her, but I decided to keep it really simple. I tell her
"When you go to Nana and Pappy's house, Pappy won't be there. He is in
heaven." Sometimes, she says, "No. Pappy is at work." (just
matter-of-factly). A week ago, Sheryl had Joanna in the car and Jacob
got in the car and mentioned Pappy's name. Joanna said, "Pappy is in
heaven." and they were stunned. Sheryl told me that Jacob asked her
"what did you say?" so that she'd repeat that because he couldn't
believe she said that. A few days ago, she asked for Pappy and Sheryl
overheard her. Sheryl asked if she could give Joanna a photo of Pappy
later. When she gave the picture to Joanna, Joanna threw it down and
said "No" (but not mean). She asked for him again today after I said
something about being "happy". I just said, "Yep. I want to see Pappy
too. He's in heaven. I know you miss him. I miss him too." She said, "Yep"
back and "Oh, I'm sorry." I know she doesn't fully understand, but I'm just approaching
the situation like I want her to learn about death. Death is a natural
part of our lives. It is unexpected, but it is not the end.

I'm still sad about him being gone and my heart breaks for
his wife and having lost her partner of 40 years. Wow! She's doing
o.k. though. Ed loved the Lord Jesus, though so it helps knowing we
will all see him again. It also helps knowing that he died doing
exactly what he loved, hiking. Ed's funeral was awesome. It was one
that I had never seen the likes of before. I will have to write about that!

My children are my joy

My children are my joy, and of course, my husband is too. I can think
of many blessings in my life, and my husband is at the top of this
list.

Joanna is now two and a half. She is so delightful to be with. She is
two, and with that comes the boundary testing and temper tantrums, but
those begin to subside as she learns our boundaries and her own. It
helps if we are consistent as well, I have realized.

Thomas is really showing his personality now. He can sit up for a
little while on his own and he grabs at toys and holds them in both
hands. He's sticking things in his mouth and is happy to bounce and
swing and jump and be tossed around in the air. He is truly a happy
baby. He will be six months old soon.

Joanna talks in whole sentences, paragraphs, chapters, even! She can
tell a story, relaying details and opinions, if you can catch it all.
Sometimes, it takes a trained ear to catch those context clue words to
figure out what she's saying, but she is genuinely clear in most of
her words. We have caught her counting into her teens! Today, I
noticed she bounced her monkey on the couch and sang the alphabet song
like Daddy does with her. She also put the monkey in her shirt so that
his head stuck out the neck of the shirt and she walked around with
him like that for a while. She is so sweet.

I found her in her cave (Uncle Andrew built this for her) laying down
and sucking on a toy today. I sure hope that was a one-time thing.

Thomas is really watching Joanna and you can tell he really likes her
and is interested in all she does. This morning I gave him a bath and
she walked around in conversation back and forth so that she was going
in and out of his line-of-sight, though she didn't take notice of him
paying attention to her. He watched her this whole time and I could
see his expression change on his face from delight--an open mouth
smile with his eyes twinkling. to disappointment or not-so-excited
face. That was neat to see. He also peed on me as I was bathing him.
What is it about that warm water!

Joanna got a bath too. She is really getting better about letting me
wash her hair. I run a bath about 3 inches or so and she lays belly
down for some soapy suds. I got her a pink pouf a while back with some
special kids bath soap. It was for Valentine's day. Anyway, she lets
me put this soap all over her and even on her head. Then, we get out
some bath toys. I put in some "slippy bath" or baby oil so that her
legs don't turn into "alligators." I've started pointing out the hands
on the clock too and telling her that bathtime will be over soon. That
doesn't help much, though. The princess towel seems to help!

Calling Thomas Michael

Jason suggested yesterday that we start calling "Thomas" "Michael"
instead to throw off telemarketers. Jason likes this about his name.
I'll occasionally call him his first and middle name, then. I don't
think it will be too easy to change what I call him.

Thomas is standing up from a seated position on my lap if I'm holding his hands.

Joanna is talking in paragraphs and relating stories, with some
embellishment. This morning, I was taking her across the street and we saw
a robin. It was a plump little bird. I stopped and pointed out the bird,
that it was called a Robin and to look at it's fat red belly. I inched us
closer to the bird explaining to be quite and we could see how close we'd
get. It pooped! I pointed that out and it flew into the yard and then on
the house. She pointed out the bird's activities and when we got to the
neighbors, she told Ed all about the bird and what it did. She would add
"and now" between each thing.

We had our photo made yesterday. She was really good!
Last night, I told her if she went back to sleep when she woke up during
the night, I'd give her a prize in the morning. She liked the idea. When
she woke up in the early AM, she remembered when I reminded her about the
prize and went back to sleep, a later wakening was a little less
successful, but she drifted off eventually, with my help. She woke happy
in the AM and I gave her the prize. I wanted her to know that I did not
forget, even if she had. It was a bath sponge and her own shower gel. She
asked to take a bath just before this and what wonderful timing. She liked
sudsing up the bath poof and getting all sudzy. She even hung the poof up
on the bath spout.

She's getting better somewhat about crying when we put lotion on.

-Amy

2009 Year in Review part 2

April 2009

On April 4th it was Jason versus the tree and the tree won. On Sunday,
I took him to the ER.
The doctor at his follow-up appointment was very surprised at how
swollen his ankle was!

May 2009

The ultrasound! We learned that we were having a boy and it occured to me that I wanted to name him Thomas as soon as I found out. (I actually thought of "Tommy" but I'm not big on nickname-sounding names.) I spent the next several months saying we were still thinking of names, and I may have changed my mind, but I didn't.

My great aunt Jo passed away and I attended her funeral on the 6th.
On the 15th, Brenda told me she had a dream I would name my baby
something that meant "genuine jewel."
I looked up the names that meant this and they were pretty silly.
Joanna stood up on the dining room table after she climbed up into the
chair. I was pretty convincing that she shouldn't do that again!
On the 16th, Dad, Brenda, and Caronna watched Joanna while Jason and I
went to see "Taken" and went shopping.
On the 17th, Joanna and I went to visit mom after church while Jason
did the grocery shopping.

On the 23rd, we left for vacation to Hilton Head.

June 2009

Attended Ashley's shower.
We refinanced our home mortgage.
Sheryl took Joanna to the movies.

July 2009

Started looking into new phone plans. I got tired of paying over 80
bucks every month! The phone company lowered the cost to $72 (after
allt axes and fees) and I put up with the phone bill a few more months
until I found something new.
Started doing the fetal movement chart to keep track of the baby's activity.
Ashley watched Joanna for a week and both seemed to have fun.
Brenda watched Joanna for several days later in the month.
Our sunday school friends had their baby.
I went to a meeting in Chattanooga.
I finished up a web site redesign at work and had some friends from
the non-profit organization review it for me.
We went to see Harry Potter!
Ashley's baby was born!
My obgyn changed practices and we had to deal a little bit with
refunds and payments.

August 2009

We watched "The Hurt Locker" and ate out at a Japanese buffet.
I had plans to tour the hospital but totally forgot!
I got my hair cut! It was soooo long.

September 2009

Jason, Jon, and Dewayne went to the UTvs W KY game.
Attended Stephens Family Reunion.
September 9, I thought surely I would go into labor, but not. It was Labor Day!
On the 15th, Thomas Michael was born!

October 2009

Joanna turned two!
Joanna and Thomas had checkups.
Joanna got Swine Flu.

November 2009

Jon left for boot camp.

I had a birthday.

2009 Year in Review

I may have done a lousy job of writing this past year, so to make up
for it, I am going to do a "year in review" the best that I can using
my old planner pad calendar before I tuck it away and begin using the
new one. I should probably go back through my pictures, too. But this is what I have time for!
This is by no means meant to be complete...

January 2009

We bought a nice Broyhill couch for Mom and took it to her on the
Saturday after her birthday (next day) in the rain. We met some nice
folks, Betty, Jim's sister. The couch was a fantastic buy. It was 200
bucks, plus an end table that we kept for Joanna. Tub was at mom's and
helped Jason bring in the couch. Mom was in her P.J's and Sally and
Duane came by. I returned the tarp to Betty later in the week one day
on my way home from work. That day I had to drive by their house
because a tree was down on the main traffic vein in to work. Several
of us caravaned home from work because we had never gone this other
way before.

The non-profit group's web hosting account expired at the awful web
host, so I bought a new hosting account through another vendor (who 10
months later was attacked by hackers and destroyed the business while
I was on maternity leave). I set up Joomla! and TikiWiki as a test and
liked TikiWiki best. It took about 5 days to completely redo the
website with a Wiki. Not bad for the first time.

We went to Texas for a wedding. We had a really nice time! Joanna
danced on the dance floor and was the biggest fan of the band. She won
the hearts of many! Oh how cute! We visited a cave and saw a fish in
the pond at the end of the cave. A bat was covered with condensation
and looked icy. I loved the baby sling on this trip.
We ate Mexican downtown and were serenaded by an authentic Mexican
guitarist. We flew on a plane with Joanna in our laps. She did pretty
well. Most folks commented that they had no idea a child was on the
plane, but I know the folks immediately in front of us surely knew,
but they were good sports.

I was working out pretty consistently by going to 6 am workout classes
at the gym. Jason helped me out by taking care of Joanna in the
morning after I left. Sometimes she'd get up right after I left,
sometimes she slept on. On average, this was pretty good. It didn't
last though, because I found out I was pregnant and started to get
super tired. I couldn't even drag myself out of bed. I needed my rest,
so I took it! I took a pregnancy test on Jan 26 and was in to my obgyn
on the 29th. I even had the confirmation ultrasound that day.

Andrew had his birthday and we went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse.
The service was so SLOW! Jason and I took turns walking around the
place with Joanna, who said "Hi" to nearly everyone and was excited
about seeing some other kids.

February 2009

I started back to work full time the second week of this month. I
helped plan a meeting for the non-profit that took place this month.
Joanna "flapped" her arms like a bird when we were playing and I told
her to "flap her arms." We were watching Dora the Explorer and singing
a song about what the animals do.

We met Rachel, Jason, and Chris and Tracy at Olive Garden for Rachel's birthday.

March 2009

Found a replacement web master for the non-profit's web site. Whew!
She didn't start till July/August, though.
On March 6, I got to hear Thomas' heart beat for the first time.
We thought of the name Jina or Gina for a girl, it means "Queen."
March 10th, Joanna said "more water" while we were brushing our teeth.
The next day, I took her with me to an appointment and she had a nice
time playing with a toy house there. On the way home, she sang "Ba ba
black sheep" (sort of) from her car seat singing to herself. So sweet.
"The future is no place to place your better days" - Dave Matthews.