Sunday, September 30, 2007
Football Daze
Kansas State 41
UT 21
Are you kidding me? For the second year in a row, Kansas State has upset Texas. I guess maybe it's not really an upset the second time it happens. UT's quarterback had a really hard day against the K-State defense. And what's up with their special teams? They were great. It was a heartbreak for Texas fans. However, at the end of the day, we still have a quarterback with the coolest name in football. Colt McCoy. It doesn't get much better than that.
UT 21
Are you kidding me? For the second year in a row, Kansas State has upset Texas. I guess maybe it's not really an upset the second time it happens. UT's quarterback had a really hard day against the K-State defense. And what's up with their special teams? They were great. It was a heartbreak for Texas fans. However, at the end of the day, we still have a quarterback with the coolest name in football. Colt McCoy. It doesn't get much better than that.
Friday, September 28, 2007
The Birds
Some of you may remember my previous post about the duck pond near our house. Well, today I took Jake there to get us out of the house so Mike could have some quiet and try to sleep. Now, the last time we were all there the birds were a little aggressive, but Mike was there to fend them off and protect me. This time was different. I hadn't even gotten Jake out of his car seat before a whole gaggle of geese began zooming over to us making all sorts of noise. Geese freak me out. They're big and obnoxious and intimidating. In fact, to be honest, most birds freak me out. I think they're beautiful from afar, but I don't like them to get too close to me. It's just something in their eyes. They're crazy. However, as a nature enthusiast I do believe that all of God's creatures were put here for a reason and demand a little respect. Except mosquitoes. I've tried over and over but have not come up with one good thing to say about the mosquito.
Anyhoo, I really want to teach Jake from an early age to love animals and most importantly to not be afraid of them. I remember loving animals when I was little (except spiders of course). Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom was my favorite TV show for a long time. That's where I first saw Jacque Cousteau and fell in love with the ocean. I used to collect ladybugs and rolly pollies and make little farms for them to live in until they died two hours later. Imagine my horror when one day my brother showed me what happens to a praying mantis body when you chop off its head. But, I digress. Let's get back to the geese.
So, I get Jake out of the car along with our five slices of bread and one hamburger bun and make a run for the pond. As we're running I quickly realized that I had not brought enough food to satisfy all of the geese and ducks following behind us. Not to mention the turtles. There was no way those turtles were going to get any food from us today. We began feeding the sweet little ducks who by the way are severely over weight at this pond. But, that's not for me to judge. I'm sure it's all baby weight they haven't been able to get rid of yet. The ducks were well mannered and very appreciative of the breadcrumbs.
Then along came the geese. We hadn't outwitted them by running the other direction. They strutted right up to us honking the whole time. I could not tear off breadcrumbs fast enough for these guys. I began to feel really uneasy when I saw the way they were looking at Jake's toes. These guys scared me. So, I tried to shoo them away. Apparently, the words shoo, scat, GO AWAY, LEAVE ME ALONE! get lost in goose translation. Also, kicking your feet at them, which everyone knows is the universal sign for LEAVE ME ALONE! has no effect. Meanwhile, Jake is just staring at the geese and then looking at me like who is this crazy lady and what has she done with my mama? So, in a last ditch effort to get them away I took out the rest of the bread and was going to just throw it to them and run away. But, just then I noticed that half of the bread was moldy. Now, I had a moral dilemma. Do I just give the hated geese the moldy bread to get them off my back (and Jake's toes?) Or do I tear off the moldy parts and make my way over to the trashcan to dispose of them risking life and my son's limbs? Well, I looked at Jake and decided to be a good example. I ripped off the moldy parts, threw the good parts to the goose mafia, and in a Michael Jordanesque move managed to toss the moldy bread into the trashcan. And the angels sang.
I don't think we'll be going back to the duck pond anytime soon. I'm certain that Alfred Hitchcock must have been feeding geese when he came up with the idea for his movie The Birds. I just hope that someday Jake remembers the mama doing the right thing by the geese and not the crazy mama screaming and thrashing about and generally creating a scene in the park.
Anyhoo, I really want to teach Jake from an early age to love animals and most importantly to not be afraid of them. I remember loving animals when I was little (except spiders of course). Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom was my favorite TV show for a long time. That's where I first saw Jacque Cousteau and fell in love with the ocean. I used to collect ladybugs and rolly pollies and make little farms for them to live in until they died two hours later. Imagine my horror when one day my brother showed me what happens to a praying mantis body when you chop off its head. But, I digress. Let's get back to the geese.
So, I get Jake out of the car along with our five slices of bread and one hamburger bun and make a run for the pond. As we're running I quickly realized that I had not brought enough food to satisfy all of the geese and ducks following behind us. Not to mention the turtles. There was no way those turtles were going to get any food from us today. We began feeding the sweet little ducks who by the way are severely over weight at this pond. But, that's not for me to judge. I'm sure it's all baby weight they haven't been able to get rid of yet. The ducks were well mannered and very appreciative of the breadcrumbs.
Then along came the geese. We hadn't outwitted them by running the other direction. They strutted right up to us honking the whole time. I could not tear off breadcrumbs fast enough for these guys. I began to feel really uneasy when I saw the way they were looking at Jake's toes. These guys scared me. So, I tried to shoo them away. Apparently, the words shoo, scat, GO AWAY, LEAVE ME ALONE! get lost in goose translation. Also, kicking your feet at them, which everyone knows is the universal sign for LEAVE ME ALONE! has no effect. Meanwhile, Jake is just staring at the geese and then looking at me like who is this crazy lady and what has she done with my mama? So, in a last ditch effort to get them away I took out the rest of the bread and was going to just throw it to them and run away. But, just then I noticed that half of the bread was moldy. Now, I had a moral dilemma. Do I just give the hated geese the moldy bread to get them off my back (and Jake's toes?) Or do I tear off the moldy parts and make my way over to the trashcan to dispose of them risking life and my son's limbs? Well, I looked at Jake and decided to be a good example. I ripped off the moldy parts, threw the good parts to the goose mafia, and in a Michael Jordanesque move managed to toss the moldy bread into the trashcan. And the angels sang.
I don't think we'll be going back to the duck pond anytime soon. I'm certain that Alfred Hitchcock must have been feeding geese when he came up with the idea for his movie The Birds. I just hope that someday Jake remembers the mama doing the right thing by the geese and not the crazy mama screaming and thrashing about and generally creating a scene in the park.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Play Date
Since Mike started his new job he has been working constantly and hasn't really had a chance to go out and do anything fun. So yesterday we went down to the drag and looked around the UT co-op store and had lunch while watching the college kids pass by. There was so much more to see but it's hard to get everything in with Jake in tow. They say everything is bigger in Texas and just look at the size of that longhorn! Oh, and we also had someone dressed up as the devil give us free red hots. Now, that is definately fun.
Please note that Jake is wearing his first UT t-shirt. I am really trying to make a Texas boy out of him.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Visitor from the OC
Mine and Amy's good friend, Kara, came to visit from California for the weekend. It was our first annual girls weekend and we had SO MUCH FUN. Kara still works for Hyatt Hotels and was able to get us a cheap room (can I just say it was the Governor's Suite?!) at the downtown Hyatt Friday night and a free room at the Lost Pine Resort on Saturday. It was SO MUCH FUN. We went out on the town Friday to a new (to us) restaurant and then on to the infamous sixth street where we ended up at a piano bar. And who doesn't love a good piano bar? There's nothing like sitting around singing 80's music at the top of your lungs. Saturday morning we did a little shopping on the drag and then went off to the resort for a day of lounging in the sun and floating down the hotel's built in river. It was so good to see Kara again and just hang out with the best friends in the world. Not to mention the many belly laughs and giggles and a few snorts along the way. Thanks so much Mike and Cheryl and Katie for taking on the little mister this weekend to give me a much needed break. Especially since he wasn't feeling so good!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The Pick Up Artist
Since moving from Wyoming I have really enjoyed spending much long lost time with Amy. I missed her so much the last seven years. However, I quickly realized that I needed to branch out and make other friends because I knew I couldn't put the entire burden of my social life on just one person. The problem is that it has always taken me awhile to make new friends since I'm not one of those "friendly" types who can just go up and talk to anyone. So, I asked Amy for some advice because she seems very popular to me.
She told me I should join a mom's group for our neighborhood. Which is a good idea except that the one in our area meets on Mondays which is one of the two days a week I work. The other more intriguing idea she told me about was "picking up" other moms. You know, at the park or the mall or something. Not that she has done this. But, she has been picked up a few times. So, basically, some total stranger with a kid has asked her for her phone number to set up a play date! Apparently, this is not an uncommon practice in the mom world. I was fascinated and also a little bit jealous. It's kind of like when you were in high school and the cute boy talked to your friend but not to you. So, you're happy for your friend but at the same time you're wondering what's wrong with yourself.
Well, I have spent many hours at local parks and malls and never been approached by another mom until two weeks ago. Mike and I had taken Jake to the neighborhood park to swing one morning when a mom with a son the same age as Jake came over and sat down beside us. We had actually met once before on a morning walk. She was very nice and friendly and we had a nice chat talking about the boys. Just as we were getting ready to leave she asked me for my phone number! I swear my hands got sweaty and I had butterflies in my stomach. I gave her the number and said it would be great to get together sometime and she said she would call me. That was at least two weeks ago. I have not heard a word. And I know my phone is working because I've checked it on multiple occasions.
So, my question is what could I have possibly done wrong in the last two minutes of our conversation to put her off? Did I come across as being desperate? I mean, she's the one who picked me up, and right in front of my husband! Was it because when I stood up she realized that I don't know how to dress? I'm just not cool enough? Or maybe she thought I was too cool for her. That's probably it. Or is there some sort of waiting period you have to go through before a person you barely know can call you? You know, just like a guy never calls you the day after he gets your number or takes you out. What could the mom calling mom waiting period possibly be? I know I should just get over it, but I can't stop thinking about where I went wrong. Oh, mama from the park, why do you forsake me?
Well, the person we should really feel sorry for here is Amy. It looks like she will be in charge of my entire social life after all. May the force be with her.
She told me I should join a mom's group for our neighborhood. Which is a good idea except that the one in our area meets on Mondays which is one of the two days a week I work. The other more intriguing idea she told me about was "picking up" other moms. You know, at the park or the mall or something. Not that she has done this. But, she has been picked up a few times. So, basically, some total stranger with a kid has asked her for her phone number to set up a play date! Apparently, this is not an uncommon practice in the mom world. I was fascinated and also a little bit jealous. It's kind of like when you were in high school and the cute boy talked to your friend but not to you. So, you're happy for your friend but at the same time you're wondering what's wrong with yourself.
Well, I have spent many hours at local parks and malls and never been approached by another mom until two weeks ago. Mike and I had taken Jake to the neighborhood park to swing one morning when a mom with a son the same age as Jake came over and sat down beside us. We had actually met once before on a morning walk. She was very nice and friendly and we had a nice chat talking about the boys. Just as we were getting ready to leave she asked me for my phone number! I swear my hands got sweaty and I had butterflies in my stomach. I gave her the number and said it would be great to get together sometime and she said she would call me. That was at least two weeks ago. I have not heard a word. And I know my phone is working because I've checked it on multiple occasions.
So, my question is what could I have possibly done wrong in the last two minutes of our conversation to put her off? Did I come across as being desperate? I mean, she's the one who picked me up, and right in front of my husband! Was it because when I stood up she realized that I don't know how to dress? I'm just not cool enough? Or maybe she thought I was too cool for her. That's probably it. Or is there some sort of waiting period you have to go through before a person you barely know can call you? You know, just like a guy never calls you the day after he gets your number or takes you out. What could the mom calling mom waiting period possibly be? I know I should just get over it, but I can't stop thinking about where I went wrong. Oh, mama from the park, why do you forsake me?
Well, the person we should really feel sorry for here is Amy. It looks like she will be in charge of my entire social life after all. May the force be with her.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Jake at Nine Months
Today is Jake's nine month birthday. Mike and I took him to the doctor and got his new stats. She says he's doing very well. He is small for his age but she saw how active he is and said not to worry. She said he's just burning lots of calories. So, anyways, his weight is 17lb 6 oz., height is 27 in., and head is 44 1/2 cm. So, that means he's in the 10th percentile for weight and height and 25th for head circumference. He's been off of his acid reflux medicine for almost two weeks now with no ill effects. She said that's great and to just keep watching him but he has probably outgrown all of that mess. He is just such a happy, babbling, growling little guy! (well, most of the time.) He is definately saying "mama" and "papa" though still not sure he knows what they mean. That's it for now, and yes mom, I'll post some new pictures later today!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Family Reunion '07
Over the weekend Jake and I went with my parents, sister, brother in law, nephew and niece to my moms side of the family family reunion. We had a good time. I got to see my aunt and several cousins that I hadn't seen in years. Jake got to play in the river and swim in the pool and he received lots and lots of attention. He did really well on this trip. The reunion was held on the Frio River outside of San Antonio. We stayed in cabins and went tubing on the river on Saturday. The only down side to the trip was that Mike couldn't come because he had to work. Jake made friends with the whole family and entertained all by growling up a storm.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
God Bless Them Every One
Well, today was my first day of work at my new job for the Mother's Day Out program at church. All I can say is those two year olds kicked my butt. We had nine kids show up today and within five minutes seven of them were crying uncontrollably. That lasted about 45 minutes. There's only two of us teachers and we each only have two arms so there is no way we could hug, hold, pick up all seven of them at once. As soon as we had one calmed down and put them down to go to the next one, the calm one would start up again. It was utter chaos. Thankfully, the crying stopped as soon as we took them to the gym to play. Then the crying was replaced by running, laughing, and constantly trying to climb the stairs to get up on the stage.
Then came lunch. Nine little munchkins sitting at their little table eating everyone's food but their own. Seriously. Two year olds don't have that many boundaries. At the end of lunch there was literally food everywhere. On the floor, chairs, clothes, you name it. One little girl had gotten hold of her neighbor's juice box and squeezed it until all of the grape juice squirted out through the straw and all over her pretty little dress. Crazy.
I didn't even have a chance to finish my piece of pizza. Crazy. The kids are super cute but they are crazy. At nap time we had three who went to sleep and six who spent the hour alternately walking around the room, talking in their "outside" voices, trying to climb the cabinets, etc. One little cutie just kept walking around saying A,B,C,D for an hour. The kid knows her alphabet. I think the most heartbreaking and yet somehow funny moment of the day was when a little girl that I'll call "A" (who speaks NO English) was in the middle of a crying fit when I noticed she was pointing at her backpack. I thought, "who needs English? she obviously wants something from her backpack." So, I get it down for her, waiting for the moment of triumph when she will open it up and get out her stuffed puppy and be happy. Yeah, didn't happen. She immediately put her backpack on, marched over to the door, and tried to leave. Crazy.
The good news is that I got in a great workout. My thighs are so sore from kneeling, bending, and sitting on the floor all day long. There will be no running tonight, thank you two year olds!
Then came lunch. Nine little munchkins sitting at their little table eating everyone's food but their own. Seriously. Two year olds don't have that many boundaries. At the end of lunch there was literally food everywhere. On the floor, chairs, clothes, you name it. One little girl had gotten hold of her neighbor's juice box and squeezed it until all of the grape juice squirted out through the straw and all over her pretty little dress. Crazy.
I didn't even have a chance to finish my piece of pizza. Crazy. The kids are super cute but they are crazy. At nap time we had three who went to sleep and six who spent the hour alternately walking around the room, talking in their "outside" voices, trying to climb the cabinets, etc. One little cutie just kept walking around saying A,B,C,D for an hour. The kid knows her alphabet. I think the most heartbreaking and yet somehow funny moment of the day was when a little girl that I'll call "A" (who speaks NO English) was in the middle of a crying fit when I noticed she was pointing at her backpack. I thought, "who needs English? she obviously wants something from her backpack." So, I get it down for her, waiting for the moment of triumph when she will open it up and get out her stuffed puppy and be happy. Yeah, didn't happen. She immediately put her backpack on, marched over to the door, and tried to leave. Crazy.
The good news is that I got in a great workout. My thighs are so sore from kneeling, bending, and sitting on the floor all day long. There will be no running tonight, thank you two year olds!
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