Life at the Mauldin House

Fall Fun

2008-10-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we took the kids to Stone Mountain's pumpkin festival. It was a blast! We are truly enjoying the fall weather!!! The first picture is from a few weeks ago when Jim and his dad took Sam and Erin camping. Madi and I enjoyed a girls' only week-end at home!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

2008-09-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

Ok...so Madi is a potty training prodigy....she has been telling us when she needs to "tt" for over a month. I finally got serious this week....though I am hesitant since she is just now 17 months old. So, she has worn big girl panties for 2 days...and only had 2 accidents. One, I just had to write about:
This afternoon she said she needed to go "tt", which can mean #1 or #2...she doesn't differentiate yet. So, I pull off her big girls and we run to the potty. As we round the corner...Sam comes at her and screams to scare her. She screams, runs into the den...and poops on the floor.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

FA

2008-08-18T04:06:00.001-07:00

My name is Bridget Maudin, and I am addicted to facebook.

How I wish...

2008-08-09T07:13:00.001-07:00

How I wish we were still at the beach today. Jim has a kidney stone, Sam is stir crazy, I have to get items tagged for the fall consignment sale....and school starts MONDAY! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Blog Stalking

2008-07-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I often find myself clicking the links on blog after blog, and tonight I found this one and had to copy it. Too funny! I would love to see my frequent blog visitors copy and paste this to their page....
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car):
Chrissy Oddessy
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Chocolate Chip Sneakers
3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal):
Blue Dolphin
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born):
Nicole Norcross
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name):Maubr
6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
Red Coke
7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers):
Hoyt Reuben
8. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Turk Toronto
9. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower):Autumn Rose
10. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing rightnow):Strawberry T-Shirt
11. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree):Raisin Bran Oak

YIPPPEEEEEEE!!!

2008-07-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

Jim got a job offer today and accepted! We are thrilled that this time of waiting and worrying is finally over. THANK you so much to all of our dear friends and family who supported us and prayed for us during this difficult time. All of your prayers and emails and notes were greatly appreciated. This is truly an answer to prayer!

SKY HIKE!

2008-06-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

Stone Mountain opened its newest attraction....skyhike. It is Sam's dream come true! It was SO HOT that day...but he didn't care. He did GREAT!

pics as promised

2008-05-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

Sam's first tooth lost and pics from Maddie's first birthday....as promised. Madison loved the cake. She took one bite, and she kept looking at us waiting for someone to tell her NO. Then she just started shoving the cake in as fast as she could.

Sam has lost the other bottom front tooth now...and has a huge gap. I thought I had a pic of it...but I guess the first one is the only one I took.

The update to span half a year.....

2008-05-28T19:34:00.001-07:00

Ok....so it has been a while. Among my excuses are computer issues, camera issues, and just your normal life issues! I won't bore you with those....but I am sorry it has taken me so long to update. I will try to summarize briefly our lives since Jan. or so......here goes.....

I finished my first year teaching at R.D. Head in Lilburn. I was the part-time writing teacher this year...and it is truly the most wonderful school I could imagine. It is literally like walking into heaven every single day. Needless to say, Sam will be there next year with me. I will be teaching focus math part time....it is the job from heaven as well. That is...if Jim gets a job soon. He lost his job totally out of the blue 2 weeks ago, so I had to put a bug in the principal's ear about maybe needing a full time position next year....but I am praying Jim finds work quickly and all can stay as planned. Pray for us!!

Sam played soccer and basketball this year. He is almost 6, has lost 2 teeth, is reading and writing like a pro, and is now officially calling himself a first grader! He is so grown up it is unbelieveable to me. He is excited about being a "Mustang" next year. Jim is not happy about the newfound 'Brookwood'ness of Sam and myself...being a Parkview grad...but he will get over it I am sure.

Madison turned one in April! I have pics.....but am continuing to have camera issues, and will have to post them later. She is amazing and SO different from Sam. She is a prissy little thing, but has no clue she is a baby. She is truly the boss of the entire household, and has my dad wrapped around her little finger. He greets her every morning at the van when I drop her at mom's, and hugs his neck. It is so sweet. She is also very much a Daddy's girl. She says a lot of words, but mostly, "DADA and BUBBA", we call Sam bubba since she couldn't say "brother". I think it is so cute. I just can't believe how fast she is growing up!

I am enjoying the fact that my kids ADORE each other. I know the time is coming soon when they won't be happy to see each other all the time, but for now, the 5 year age span is working out wonderfully for us!

This picture was taken on Mother's Day. We were having a family pic for the church directory, and they did the kids too. It turned out cute despite the fact that the man had us sit for what felt like an eternity in the hottest room on earth to do the family pic. Then did the kids, then he was like, "Now let's get just you two parents." I was like, you have GOT to be kidding me....and we walked to the computer and paid. I had forgotten until that moment how much I HATE having pictures made. It is just way too much stress.

Well, I feel as though I have left out so much, but right now with our lives in chaos with Jim's job situation....I can't really think. I promise to be a better blogger....how is that for a summer project???

Santa

2007-12-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

So...I was worried about our Breakfast with Sants because Madison has terrible "stranger anxiety" lately....and who looks stranger than Santa? Well, I was wrong. Madison went right to him, laid back, and checked him out. Sam was the nervous one. He has gone right up and talked his ear off....never cried as a baby, but now at 5 we had to BEG him to get his picture made and tell him ANYTHING. My kids....never a dull moment.

REUNION!

2007-11-24T18:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, you are seeing correctly....we had a reunion last week-end! We packed up the van and headed to Huntsville to see the 'ole Spears clan! Sam was so excited he could hardly wait! He woke up that Friday morning and said, "It's ALABAMA day!" Madison was much less excited considering her ear infection and the fact that she had never met them. :) Sam said it had been "2 weeks" since he had seen Jon Thomas. JT's moving has been the single hardest thing he has ever had to overcome in his five years. (I won't even mention the therapy I needed when they moved!) Anyway, it was so WONDERFUL to see them! Carrie cooked us one of her fabulous meals and we got to do lots of visiting and catching up! Man do I miss them! I told them they need to visit here so everyone can see them. Can't wait until we see them again, which according to Sam is another 2 whole weeks away! I hope this 2 weeks is faster than the last!

Here are the pics from the pumpkin patch...see post below

2007-10-31T05:33:00.000-07:00

Is it too much to ask????

2007-10-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

This year I had such grand visions of our trip to the pumpkin patch. I knew it might be more challenging to get good pictures since this is the first year I have 2 kids to capture, but I thought it would be a piece of cake. My reasoning was as follows:
1. Sam is 5 now. He is finally out of the "grin like an idiot" stage (for the most part) and he knows to stay put and smile or else by now.
2. Maddie is only 6 months old, she isn't mobile yet, but repsonds to her name and smiles easily.

So, no problem right?

Reality set in when we arrived at Washington Farms in Watkinsville. We went straight from soccer, so I had Sam's pumpkin shirt ready to change into. He prompty protested with "that shirt is so not cool". After a bit of discussion, I decided it wasn't worth it. So he is in his soccer uniform. No biggie. Then I go to get Madison out of her carseat. She had puked on her WHITE pumpkin shirt numerous times. Oh well....we forge on. We start to walk in to the activities area and get stopped by the pumpkin patch police. Apparently to even walk around the activities, you have to pay a fortune. So, Sam and Jim paid and I sat in the only shade, right under the concession stand and fed Maddie so she would be happy at picture time. People were literally stepping on us to buy water.

We then set out to pick out a pumpkin. Sam literally wanted to get the first one on the first row, despite the fact that it was practically rotten. We had another "discussion" and talked him into the first one on the second row.

Then, it was off for pictures! We sat Maddie on a pumpkin in her puke shirt, and Sam got behind her. Before he almost dropped her into the dirt when he saw the hay ride, I snapped the only two pics of my kids together.

The place was crazy that day. I literaly stood in line with Sam forever to ride a cow train thing. The kid in front of us I am pretty sure had chicken pox, and kept taking Sam's hands off the line rope. The lady behind us had 4 kids who clearly have NEVER stood in a line before and kept touching my backside and pushing us aside. Sam then sat down and literally covered himself in dirt to entertain himself. I didn't have the energy at this point to say a word. Who cares if we were going to dinner at my favorite Japanese restaurant in Athens afterwards. I wasn't going to let a gallon of dirt on my kid stop us! Jim took him into the bathroom when we got there and practically bathed him in the sink.

Anyway, to wrap up, I now know for Trick or Treating tomorrow, the key is not to have any expectations!

Complete and total UPHEAVAL

2007-10-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

Ok...so the reason I have not posted since 8/31, my life was basically turned upside down the week after Labor Day. The principal at Magill found out we lost 13 or so teacher points, major boo boo, and told me the program I was teaching was being cut. Then, she told me I was being "displaced". I still don't get why and how, but I was officially displaced after teaching at Magill for 12 years....yes, TWELVE. So, I had to frantically find a new job for myself, which I did, at R.D. Head. It is still part-time, but I have to work everyday. I didn't want to pull Sam out of Magill, he is doing so well...he is already reading! So, I put him on the bus every morning, have about 2 hours with Maddie, drop her off with mom just in time for her nap, and head to Head. I teach writing for a few hours (4 1/2 per day to be exact) and head home, pick up Maddie and rush home to get Sam off the bus. Not exactly my dream days....but it is working for now. I am very sad I had to leave so many of my friends at Magill, so sad to leave all the great kids, and so sad to leave Sam there without me. After all, I stayed there for so long so he could be there with me and in our home school district. I have been job sharing with a friend for several years now, we feel like we are getting divorced! She is at another school too....all alone. It wasn't pretty, but it is getting better. I love the people at Head, and the kids, but it is lonely to be the new teacher who only works part-time. It makes it very hard to get to know anyone. So I am pretty sad these days, and trying to adjust, and trying to prove myself...I am not guaranteed a job for next year anywhere.....ugh. I never had to deal with this kind of stuff before this year. The worst part was, literally the night before I got "fired" ( I really wasn't fired, but it sure felt like that), I was scratching Sam's back putting him to bed, and he said, "Mommy, I am so glad you work at my school." UGH....sword through the heart. I have cried A LOT, and now I am just coping on a day to day basis. If you are thinking of commenting, "Everything happens for a reason", don't....I know....and I know God has a plan....but right now I am just having a pity party. :(

The "F" word

2007-08-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

Ok....in the last week I have had two comments made about my precious baby Madison in her presence......

We were walking in Wal-Mart, and a teenage boy who worked there saw Maddie in the car seat and yelled out, "That is the FATTEST baby I have ever seen!" He then proceeded to call his friend over so they could talk about how FAT she is. Poor thing....she didn't know what to think. How dare they use the "F" word about my baby.

The next evening we were in our favorite local Mexican restaurant. The young guy who was bringing out the food to us stopped and said, "Cute baby! She have MOHAWK, Si?" I was like, "UH, well, yes, but not on purpose!"

Poor girl, she is already busting out of her bikini, and the only hopes of wearing hair bows at the moment lie with the future of a "Sanjaya" hairdo!

BUSY few weeks

2007-08-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Sam started KINDERGARTEN last week! He is so excited and LOVES it! He is up at 6 every day DYING to go to the bus stop! I know it won't last....but I am enjoying his excitement. There are only 10 kids in his class...and he has 3 teachers in there for reading and writing for 2 1/2 hours every morning. I hope that lasts too!
The neighborhood kids lined up and ready for the bus! Sam is younger than all of them, but fits right in!
We had Sam and Maddie's Baptism last Sunday. It was a beautiful ceremony and they both did VERY well. We love our new church and Pastor....I cried my eyes out, it was very emotional. I am glad our families were able to share it with us.
Here is Maddie with her Daddy, wearing her white Feltman brothers dress given to her by her Great Aunt Marilyn and her first silver bracelet given to her by her Nana, Poppa, Dylan, and Itchy for the occasion. The girl loves jewelry. She got so excited when my mom showed the bracelet to her and when I put it on her. I think we are in trouble!
Maddie went swimming for the first time last week. She loves the water. I think she is going to be a water bug like her Mommy and brother. We were cracking up at her splashing herself in the face! It was too cute!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

2007-08-05T19:43:00.001-07:00

Breaking all the "Rules"

2007-07-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here are my children....the product of my "Mommy Rule Breaking"....
Sam was turned around forward in his car seat way before he turned 1....he got carsick. He also slept on his tummy and got cereal at 2 months due to his reflux. Now, I have to let Maddie hold her blankie or she won't go to sleep. Don't freak out....I remove it promptly! Seriously though, how cute is that picture of her all cuddled up with it??
I started her on rice this week...and today...applesauce. She is only 2 weeks shy of her 4 month birthday...so I didn't break this rule by much. She is still backwards in her car seat...and will be until she is 1! She doesn't have Sam's issues with that.

Clearly....she is happy about finally tasting something besides soy formula!

Holy Cow...er...Shamu...it is HOT

2007-07-20T20:25:00.001-07:00

While we were in Orlando, we spent 2 days in Sea World. I love going, and it is one of our favorite places in the world. Sam has already been 4 times in 5 years....but I don't recommend going in the middle of July! Holy cow it was so HOT it was hard to breathe. And the heat didn't deter any crowds. If you go, I do recommend staying until closing...they have a cool Rock-n-Roll Shamu show...which Sam LOVED. He has been asking to go to a "real Rock Star show". There was some guy on an electric guitar....so he was facinated. He kept saying, "He is a real rock and roll guy Mommy....he doen't work here!" They also have a show a t night called "Mystify"....and we didn't see the whole thing...but it had great fireworks and illusions with lights that looked like Shamu up in the sky...it was really impressive.
They had mimes at all the show before they started to entertain the crowds...the kids wanted their picture with this one.
Here is Sam at the North Pole!
Can you tell it was HOT????

Nick Hotel and the Flip Flop Incident

2007-07-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

We went back to Orlando last week, and stayed at the Nick Hotel again. Sam was thrilled, because he was allowed to sleep on the TOP bunk of the "bumper bed" this year. We also took Jim's sister and our neice Erin this year. The kids had a BLAST! They got slimed again, met all the characters at a fun but VERY EXPENSIVE breakfast. Apparently Spongebob and Squidward (not to mention Patrick, Dora, Diego, etc.) make a lot of money to dance once and visit with the kids for an hour. Oh well....I figure Sam won't be all about the characters much longer...he is so grown up these days.
While in Orlando, we went back to the Wilderness Lodge, where Jim and I got married 10 years ago in June. While we were there, we had our picture made right where we said our vows. It was cool to show Sam where we got married, etc. Well, then while Jim and Susan were finishing up in the gift shop, I was in charge of the kids. I let them wade in a little creek outside. As I am sitting on the side fondly remembering my wedding day....I see out of the corner of my eye....SAM-literally tackling Erin and then diving downstream. I start to scream at him....and he yelps out "HER FLIP FLOP!" I then scream, "get them!" She was wearing Sketchers flip flops that her Mommy LOVES and I didn't want to be the one to tell her we lost them in my care. Well, Sam held up one....the other went under a bridge and over a water fall. Jim and Susan came outside to find the three of us sitting on a bridge, staring at the murky water and the flip flop floating about 15 yards out. Jim came to the rescue, and waded in to get it! My hero!

Here we are at the exact spot we got married. Hard to believe it has been 10 years!

Here we are with Squiward.....I will spare you the rest of the character pics.

The Beach

2007-07-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

This is the whole Harper Clan at Panama City Beach. We had a rough start to the week...having to move condos several times, but at last it turned out to be a great time! Jim's family was there too, but only for a few days...and sadly I didn't get any pics of them. We truly didn't see them too much....a lot was going on.
This is Sam on the Deep Sea fishing trip. He and Jim went, and caught lots of fish. One of them is currently in my freezer waiting to be cooked.
This is my little Madison in her first bikini. How cute is she???? She is ready for the beach!
Ok...so maybe not really ready for the heat. Here she is hiding in her tent. She did get to put her toes in the sand and ocean before Nana whisked her off to the air conditioned condo. Thank GOD for Nana!
Sam and I parasailed! He was so excited we got to use a parachute like Bear Grylls (the guy on Discovery Channel...Man vs. Wild). Sam is literally OBSESSED with Bear, who parachutes into the wild and shows you how to survive by eating bugs and such. Anyway, Sam was a bit nervous when we first took off....but he LOVED it. It was so much fun! We went up 1500 feet, got to stay up for 3 or 4 miles, and got "dipped" down in the water twice.

Latest pics

2007-07-18T15:58:00.001-07:00

Here are Sam and Maddie's latest pictures. We did Sam's 5 year pictures and Maddie's 3 month pictures at the same time. I wanted to SCREAM by the time we were done, but we got a lot of great pictures. I LOVE Portrait Innovations!
Check out those thighs!
This picture looks just like one of my baby pics. I can't believe how big he is! He is going to be on a school bus in less than a month!

Time has flown!

2007-07-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

Ok... I have quite a few things to share that have gone on the past month.....so I will try to post something everyday this week to get caught up. Stay tuned.....

Milestones

2007-06-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jim and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary....and for those of you who know the story of our wedding/honeymoon, today is the 10th anniversary of my Hazelnut incident. Not celebrating that one. We were just going to dinner and leaving a big celebration "getaway" for later since Maddie is so little, but Jim suprised me with a beautiful diamond necklace. Points for Jim! Not only 10 years of marriage, but we dated for 5 years prior to marriage, so 15 years together! We sat next to a couple, probably the cutest couple I have ever seen at our dinner. They had been married 65 years! What an accomplishment. I can't wait to blog our 65th! hee hee

Tomorrow, my baby boy turns 5. I cannot believe it. This is the first birthday I have truly wished he would not be turning 5. It sounds so BIG. In fact, I guess it is. We got him a "cool motorcycle bike". It is bad when they start asking for cool stuff to impress the neighborhood kids. We actually were only going to give him a new sandbox, which we had already purchased and set up, when we were in Wal-Mart. Jim came up to me with these big puppydog eyes, and you can guess the rest. The next minute we were shoving a bike in Jim's trunk!

Ok...so now that my son is five, I feel I need to start correcting the few speech
"issues" he has. Sam has always been a good talker, but I puposely have continued to mispronounce things along with him when I find them cute. As an elementary teacher, I know this is wrong, but I can't help it as a Mommy. So, I am starting slow....but here are some of my personal favorites. At least Maddie will be saying her own cute things soon!

1. Joseph..."Jo-fis"
2. We "drain" at night and water goes down the "dream" in the tub
3. We are always misplacing our "fromote" to the TV

On another note, my neice likes to snack on "twachers and toke" (crackers and coke)...I hope she never looses that one! We also ride to the beach in our "tar" seats. :)

Ahhh...they just grow up too fast!

Girls' Only Week-end!!!

2007-06-09T12:25:00.001-07:00

Sam and Jim went camping last week-end...and left Maddie and I home ALONE!!! I don't know who had more fun...but I suspect Jim did since he hasn't stopped talking about it yet! The picture on the rock is when the boys went rafting down Sam's first river! Maddie and I went shopping and she went for her first run in the jogging stroller. She is going to love it much more than Sam did...I just know it!

This is my life.....

2007-06-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

"Well, you can just rebuild the fort later,
Jim…. Lisa and Julie are coming
over and I'll need the cushions."

Are you kidding me? Preschool is OVER?????????????

2007-05-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my baby graduated from preschool this week. I can't believe it for several reasons:

-Time has flown by such that I truly feel as though it was yesterday he was born.

-I didn't think this whole-2 kids all day every day ever summer thing- through. :)

-There were a few moments we weren't sure they would let him stay to finish. :)

But really, the graduation program was cute, I cried. We were so worried about the program, mainly because Sam's teacher told me EVERY day for about 2 weeks how worried she was about how he would act on stage. I chose not to ask for details about practice. I would rather not know! But, whatever he did at practice, he didn't do during the program...yipppee! I just can't believe he is going to "Big Boy" school next year. I don't even want to think about my next graduation posting for him! It will come all too soon I am afraid.

Now....what will I do to survive this summer????????????????????

Maddie's One Month Pictures

2007-05-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how FAST this month has gone! I guess lack of sleep tends to make things a blurr! I had forgotten how blurry life can be when you have a newborn! Maddie is so good....she is nothing like her brother...though she loves him dearly. He is doing great with her. It is nice to have a helper in the car to reinsert the passy. Carrie, we do need to work on inventing that "passy paste" you always talked about needing! We are trying to adjust to a "low maintenance" child. We are also desperately hoping that lasts! It's funny how different boys and girls really are from birth....and how different their Daddy is with them! Jim is totally wrapped around her little finger already. He is still wanting me to get pregnant again right away...even with the lack of sleep. (Yes, he is insane.) I told him when he can figure out a way to be pregnant and sick for 9 months instead of me....we have a deal!

It's a Girl!!! Madison Rebecca Mauldin is here!

2007-04-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

Here is our newest blessing....she is truly an amazing little thing. She never cries, though she manages to keep us up all night! Big brother Sam is adjusting well....he loves to hold and feed her. Daddy is being a trooper....especially at night. He was a lifesaver last night!!

She arrived at 2:58 am on Monday, April 9th....barely missing Easter! She weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and is 19 3/4 inches long. We are already spoiling her....she will only sleep when being held....uh oh!

Party for Jesus

2007-03-08T20:13:00.000-08:00

Ok...so the picture has nothing to do with the story.....just a cute pic of Sam and Dylan climbing the neighbor's tree. Sam ended up with about 15 bruises/scratches from the afternoon....but never complained a bit. The child has no fear!

Now for the title reference...

My mom had Sam one afternoon, and she went to get the mail. I guess a piece of junk mail dropped out. Sam went outside and found a postcard for a gift shop or something. It had angels on it. Sam ran into the house....he was like, "Nana, Jesus sent you this card! He is inviting you to a party!!!" Apparently this is due to the fact that many of his friends have had parties lately at the Jump Zone, and sent postcard invitations. The child was THRILLED. It was so cute. But, my mom said as happy as she was to be invited, she wasn't quite ready to go to the party. :)

Sam's Ability to Make Us Laugh

2007-02-11T19:19:00.000-08:00

Ok....so my child, for the past nearly 5 years, has managed to make us laugh on a daily basis without even trying. The kid just says and does the funniest things. Well, tonight was one I had to share....

We were having Jim's birthday dinner at the Japanese restaurant near our house. It is owned by this cute little old Japanese man. He LOVES kids, and he always comes around and does magic tricks, etc. with them. So he did several tricks with Sam. A few of the tricks involved these two little red foam balls. He would have Sam put them in his pocket and pull one out of Sam's shirt, or have Sam hold them both and blow in his hand then pull one out of his ear, etc. Well, we were about to leave and Sam showed us a dime and a nickel he had gotten from the man...so we told him he needed to give it back. So, he walked over and handed it back. Then, as we were walking out he turned around and yelled to the man, "You need to keep your balls off of me anyways!" I just about died I was laughing so hard!

How rude!

2007-01-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

I have to brag on my husband before I get to the rude issue...

Jim and I have tried to make it a priority since Sam was born to have regular dates. Lately, we have really made it a top prioity because with 2 kids here pretty soon I know it will be harder....so Jim decided to get tickets (all on his own, all his idea) to Cirque du Soliel Saturday night. He then made dinner reservations for us, and he kept that a secret all week. We ate at the Sundial atop the 72 story Westin downtown, very romantic.

Anyway, the show had an intermission about halfway through of course, so we decide to go get a drink. The rest of the place did too, so it was pretty crowded in the little refreshment tent. We got in a line of about 15 people and were waiting there for at least 10 minutes before we got near the front. We were in the line closest to the entrance. This older lady walked up and basically tried to cut right in front of us. Then, a younger guy did too. Jim told him that there was a pretty long line when this guy decides to also ask about 6 of his friends what they wanted him to get for them too. He was so RUDE. He was saying, in a whiny voice I often hear from Sam, "You pushed me out of line, I was in a line." I mean, really. Then the older lady says, "I didn't know you were all in line." No, we are just hanging out in the refreshment tent FULL of people to NOT get a drink. Am I just pregnant and hormonal, or does this rudeness bother anyone else? It is one of Jim's pet peeves, so that doesn't help my attitude I suppose.

But, despite the rude people at intermission, and the fact that I was sitting behind "Mr. Big Head" himself, the show was great. I highly recommend it! Jim loved it too and is already talking about getting tickets again next year.

It's Official...the nursery will be PINK

2007-01-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

We had a 3D/4D Ultrasound tonight to get another peek at our baby girl. Jim is so cute about having a baby girl, he has really already totally fallen in love with her! We were starting to get paranoid looking at all the pink stuff when "she" had been so stubborn at every past ultrasound. She still had her legs crossed tonight, but we did get a quick 2 second peek and it is finally official! The pink wallpaper will be going up soon! She kept cuddling up to me, and she was sucking on her thumb some. We think so far she is turning out to be the "anti-Sam", so maybe she will be low maintenance....hmmm...one can hope, right? The ultrasound also measures her as "average", so the technician told me she would most likely be around 7 lbs. - 8 at the most. Now, before Sam was born they told me he would barely be 7....and we all know how that turned out (9lbs 2.5oz), so I am not holding my breath...but I do have some glimmers of hope!

Pics from Utah Trip...see post below

2007-01-14T14:04:00.000-08:00

For some reason they wouldn't attach to the original post.....

Utah Trip

2007-01-14T13:47:00.000-08:00

Ok...so it took me this long to recover from our Utah trip in December. Though it was a wonderful trip, I don't recommend traveling the week before Christmas. It made getting ready for Christmas more hectic than usual.

We left EARLY on Dec. 14th. When we arrived in Park City, there hadn't been "much snow" according to them. But people, let me tell you, for a girl who grew up in GA, it was a lot even then. Sam was soaking wet playing in the snow in every median. We immediately had to go to Old Navy, and buy waterproof snow clothes for him to wear for the week. If there was a pile of snow, he would be diving into it. It was a battle we chose not to fight, it was a lot like his usual attraction to puddles. By the time we left 5 days later, they had gotten over 25 inches in Park City. Temps ranged from -10 to about 20 degrees....but Sam never complained. His ears would be SO RED and I would have to beg him to come in for a break and to wear his ear band.

We were able to go snowmobiling (not my fave) as you see from Sam in the ski mask, he was ready for anything. The snow was so plentiful on the mountain, Sam stepped off of the path and I literally lost him. It was over his head!

Sam and Jim got to go snow tubing twice, and Sam learned how to ski. Jim was great teaching him. He just had Sam stand in between his skis, and off they went. I was impressed!

We all got to ride in a one horse open sleigh. This was my favorite part of the trip. The views were truly amazing!

The picture of Sam with the elves was before going on the Polar Express. Yes, that's right, we rode from Heber City all the way to the North Pole! It was a great trip....we are already trying to figure out how to go back next year....just not in December.

Marathon Man

2006-12-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

Here is my 1/2 marathon running husband! He ran the Atlanta 1/2 marathon on Thanksgiving morning. I went down to cheer him on, and it was a lot of fun to see everyone running. There was even a guy that ran all 13.1 miles dressed as a turkey! There were even some pilgrims chasing him, it was cute. I wanted to run it, but being pregnant hasn't agreed with my running goals. How is that fair exactly....Jim runs a half marathon, and I start the pregnant waddle all in the same week! Oh well, I am VERY PROUD of him!

Just recent pics

2006-11-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures I couldn't resist posting...the top is Sam with "Deepo" at the aquarium today. We also stopped by the Civic center for the Titanic exhibition....he is so obsessed! The third is of my two favorite men when we were in Dillsboro a few weeks ago. They spent the day bonding in the woods....I don't know who had more fun! (Probably me...I stayed in the Hotel all by myself!!!)

T-Ball....the adventure

2006-11-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

Here is Sam in his second season of t-ball this fall. He played "peanut" last spring, which was too funny...but moved up to big boy t-ball this fall. He was the ONLY 4 year old on the team, with 11 other 6 year olds....it was very stressful for Jim and I....but Sam had a ball. He LOVES to bat, could care less about playing defense. So, we took quickly to bribing him to "not play in the dirt". Yeah....right. So then he started diving for the dirt any time the ball was hit....not to get the ball mind you....but as an excuse to just dive in the dirt. All of the other parents constantly made comments to me like, "Boy, that Sam is a mess, and Gee, he is very funny!" Which are really nice ways of saying, "What exactly is wrong with your kid?" The first picture is him getting his trophy last night, he was SO EXCITED! The second is of Sam and my nephew, Dylan plays big boy baseball now, but was also on the A's this fall....so we couldn't resist the photo opportunity. (Dylan got to play "catcher" some, and had to buy his first cup. Not an experience I am looking forward to with Sam, but it should make for some comedy relief.) The last picture is of my little man after his first RBI. He actually hit off the pitcher most of the time this season.....even at four! Now, if we can ever get him to try to catch a ball, we will be in business!

Daddy's Girl...already!

2006-10-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Well, here is our baby girl. She will be thrilled to know one day that we posted her girl "parts" on the web for all to see. We found out tonight....99% sure anyway. She is apparently stubborn (can't imagine where she gets that!)....because she literally kept her knees together and her feet under her the whole time, but the ultrasound tech did get enough of a view after much poking and proding to at least give us a clue. She is truly a Daddy's girl, because the ONLY time she moves around is when Jim is talking to her. Tonight we saw her respond to EVERY word he said...it is too cute. Sam is in denial. He swears he saw a penis on the screen and is telling everyone he is having a baby brother! We have some big talking to do between now and April I suppose. My sister, known lovingly as "ITCHY" to Sam(don't ask) is so thrilled! She has known all along it would be a girl. She already went to the store and got her a UGA pink onsie and the cutest princess blankie I have ever seen. Maddie's first presents! I can get used to this pink thing! Jim is still in shock I think...but I am afraid I am in trouble. She already has him wrapped around her cute little finger.

Madison Rebecca should arrive around April 4th!

Rich with Gas?

2006-10-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was reading all about the Titanic with Sam, for the millionth time, and the book was talking about it being known as the "rich man's special". I asked Sam if he knew what rich meant. He said, "Yes, it means you have A LOT of money!" So I asked him if we were rich, he said no. Then he went on to say, "Well, we are rich with love and gas stations!" I cracked up. He is right, we do have A LOT of love in this family...and Snellville isn't short on gas stations either!

Top 10 things to NEVER say to a pregnant woman

2006-09-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to compile this lovely list....

#10
Wow, are you sure you are ready for another kid? (umm...hello...a little late for that one!)

#9
I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with you since you have been trying for so long.

#8
You look great! (Sounds good so far....should have stopped there) Too bad you're about to get fat!

#7
I wasn't a bit sick with any of mine! ( I mean, really. I am happy for those who don't have any sickness...but don't rub it in when I am vomiting multiple times a day.)

#6
I actually lost weight with my kids, and left the hospital in my skinny jeans that were big on me!
(This one made me more nauseous...which I didn't think was possible at this point.)

#5
Are you using your stretch mark cream? (Really, does this matter to the outside world?)

#4
I ran a marathon when I was 9 months pregnant. (Good for you....I run to the toilet all day long)

#3
I didn't wear maternity clothes until I was 30 weeks.

#2
When you feel sick, just put it out of your mind. (Do you really think if that worked any woman would ever be sick????????)

#1
This is the best one...and came from a man (not Jim, thank GOD)

Man: Hey, I heard you were pregnant!
Me: Yes, that is why I haven't been myself lately, I have been feeling pretty sick.
Man: Oh, I just figured it was a bad case of PMS.

(Ok, men, listen: NO UTERUS=NO OPINION!!!)

Praise the Lord!

2006-09-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

As many of you know....Jim and I have been trying to add to our family for over a year and a half. God has finally blessed us with another child, due on April 4th. We are so excited! I am SO SICK...believe it or not, it is much worse this time than with Sam. UGH...it is going to be a LONG time 'til April! At least I know the pay off will be worth it in the end!

I have decided I need to stay pregnant(minus the sick part), because Jim is so SWEET to me. I mean, not that he usually isn't attentive and sensitive, but he is seriously SWEET to me when I am pregnant.

Sam is so funny about it. He asked me the other day if I would eat a flashlight so the baby could see in there. Too cute!

Anyway, it has been a long wait, but I knew all along God had a plan.

"Niccotown"

2006-09-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

If your kids watch Nickeloden at all, they are probably begging you to take them to what Sam says is "Niccotown". It is actually Nick Hotel in Orlando. More appropriately it should be named KID HEAVEN. Jim and I took Sam and my nephew Dylan last weekend. It has a water park, kid suites (we got Spongebob), putt-putt, games, shows, basketball, arcades, you name it. I highly recommend it. Just don't stay there if you plan to leave to visit a park, it is a place you need to go and plan to stay there all day! They even "slime" the kids every afternoon.

Dinosaur Dash!

2006-08-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

We ran our first family race today! Sam was not happy about getting up at 6 am...but he got excited when it was his time to race! Jim ran the 5K first, then we all ran the fun run (Brenda, John, Jim, Sam, and myself). It was a lot of fun to see Sam get so excited, he took off fast, then tapered off...but ran a good bit of it. I was proud of him. At the end, he was like, "Did I win??" Of course I was honest with him, "Yes, you won honey! You won!"

Why is it?

2006-08-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

Why is it the same child, who is crying over nothing one minute having a meltdown, can still be so precious when he falls asleep from exhaustion? I guess preplanning week is tiring for everyone!

Sam was crying on the way home from Nana's because I cranked the car before he got in, a mortal sin in our house. I told him he had to stop crying over little things if he was going to be in the 4 year old class this fall. I told him if he didn't stop I would call Mrs. Pat (the preschool director) and tell her he needed to be in a 2 year old class. He replied to me, "You don't even have her number!" I stopped the car in the street and picked up my cell phone. He then quicklly said, "OK...you do...OK....you do!" Gotta love 'em!

Fish, Fish EVERYWHERE

2006-07-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

Last week-end Jim and Paw Paw (Jim's Daddy) took Sam fishing at a trout farm in Buford. They had a BLAST....and Sam caught the "biggest, hugest one". The picture of the kids all lined up was when they are watching them clean the fish...Sam was completely mesmerized. They also brought them home to cook and eat....yuck! I had been cleaning my kitchen all afternoon, and Jim brings in this bag of dead trout and that mischievous smile you all know and love.....so we cooked nasty fish in my house. They actually were OK....I took one courtesy bite. Sam ate 5 bites, which is actually a record for him to try something new. Anyway, next time I told Jim to be sure to take Dylan, then we can take the day's catch to my mom's.... :) I love my boys!

Sam's Many Travels

2006-07-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

The past few months have been very busy for Sam and me. Last week we were able to tag along with Mimi (Jim's mom) when she had to work in Colorado. We got to go to Vail and Boulder. While she worked, we went hiking, train riding, gondola riding, etc. with Papa John. Sam even got to sit in the condutor's seat when we visited the town of Leadville. He found snow when we rode the gondola up in Vail! He was thrilled! Of course, with my luck, it was so hot they had record highs while we were there. I did get to run 5 miles in Boulder one morning, and didn't sweat a drop! I want to move there! Jim is absent from the pics because he had to work, it was very short notice. :(

Jim's Request

2006-07-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

Ok...last post today, I promise! Jim just called me and said, "You HAVE to post the one of Sam scared to death on the Jurassic Park ride!" So, honey, your wish is my command!

(Sam's terrified face was due to the huge life-like T-Rex about to eat us. I am ducking because I am aware of the next part of the ride-splashwater falls.) I think I am attaching this one to my Mother-of-the-year application....nothing like scaring your 4 year old to death!

Family Pic

2006-07-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Here is my favorite picture from our Orlando trip...I finally got the scanner to work!
How cute are my two favorite guys????

Running the Peachtree

2006-07-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

I was going to wait and scan in our pictures when I get them, but I will go ahead and tell about the race since so many of you have been emailing me asking me.....so here goes....

Jim, his sister Susan, and I ran the Peachtree on the 4th! Jim has been running it for 3 years now, it was a first for Susan and me. Jim "stayed back" and ran at our pace "to be sure we were ok", he is so protective. When he and I ran a 5K in May he was constantly warning me about the curb and bumps in the road...it is really quite cute. Anyway, he was my own personal water boy. He would run with a cup full for a mile or so until I needed another swig. I even heard faint calls from the crowd "You can do it!" :)

I got the slime award though....about at mile 3, this man came up to me, picked me up and kind of moved me to the side...completely covering me in his sweaty slime, it was truly disgusting.

I am just so excited we did so well. I had been training since March...running 15-20 miles a week, so it really was fun and "easy". Now I am hooked! We (Sam, Jim and I) are all running a race in August (Sam is doing the 1K fun run). Then, Jim, Susan, and I are all already training for the half-marathon in Atlanta on Thanksgiving. That is my goal.....

ER at the beach...the story of my life

2006-07-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here we are in Panama City! The WHOLE family went (Sam above with Dylan and the other precious girl with Sam is my neice Erin)...and it was truly wonderful...great weather...great condo....
but exactly one hour into our first trip to a fabulous pool....my nephew Dylan threw one of those plastic diving rings...and it hit Sam's eyebrow just right...that we ended up in the ER. I called Jim off of the golf course. We sat in the ER with the rest of the world for a few hours...and left with human super glue in his head and orders to not go near water for 10 days. Are you kidding me??? A week at the beach with my 4 year old who I put in swimming lessons in March to prepare for THIS trip....
So, we left the ER, went straight to Wal-Mart, and got waterproof bandaids....THANK GOD for nexcare!
The last picture shows his boo boo....and some jelly from toast (literally the only thing he ate on the trip). Now that the glue came off, he has no eyebrow left! Waiting to make the four year old pic appointment for a while.
By the way, how old is too old for Sam and Dylan to hold hand and walk on the beach for pictures? I am thinking....I don't know....18!

Best Vacation Ever

2006-07-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

We got to go to Orlando a few weeks ago...Jim had to work so Sam and I tagged along. We were able to go to Animal Kingdom and Universal's Islands of Adventure. The trip was the best vacation we have ever had. Everything worked out....except for a mildly horrible meltdown in Animal kingdom...(I am pretty sure someone outside the family restroom called DEFACS) .Other than that, we had a great time! Sam loved the Jurassic Park stuff in Universal. He was so brave, he rode Spiderman too....which is his parent's favorite ride ever! We stayed at a hotel with a "Kidsuite" so he had his own "room" with bumper beds (bunk beds). It was HOT...but fun! I recommend NOT going to Animal Kingdom in the summer....but that is just me!

2006-07-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here is my big boy showing off his birthday card....this picture was "pre-beach ER visit for stitches (actually they used purple human super glue!) ...that is another story for another day!

A family of three...

2006-07-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ok...I finally had to break down and start blogging, after reading everyone else's...and let's face it...I have plenty of embarrassing moments to share!

My first cute story takes place in Kroger, with my now big four year old boy......
Sam: Mommy, our family has only 3 in it.
Me: Yes, but one day God may decide you need a brother or sister, and then we will have 4.
Sam: Let me ask him. (Steps off the end of the cart and prays in the produce department-hands folded, head bowed) God, you want me to have a brother or sister? Uh huh, Uh huh, amen. Yeah, sorry Mommy, he said NO!
Me: (Trying not to die laughing....I just walked to the next aisle....what could I really say to that?)

So, in case you are ever in need...apparently Sam has a direct line to God!

Hope you are all doing well!