Honesty Award

I want to thank Rebecca at My Crazy Life with 4 Kids! for this award!!! Have fun on your vacation with the little ones!


Here are the rules that you agree to when you accept this award:

“When you receive the prize, you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in their content or design. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing that they were prized with ‘Honest Weblog’. List if you can and/or dare at least ten honest things about yourself. Then, pass it on!”

1. I LOVE Christmas music.

2. I can not function without my morning dose of caffeine, and will get a headache without it, never mind the crabiness~ I can not even stand myself without caffeine!!

3. I spend way too much time on the computer each day!

4. I don't have any pets , nor do I desire to ever have one.

5. I love to cook but hate to clean up the mess, so I generally leave this job for Erick (hey, fair is fair!)

6. I am embarassed that Devin is not potty trained yet.

7. I am afraid of birds.

8. I love snow days. (I am a teacher~ remember!)

9. I love being complimented on my work with my students. There is something to be said about positive feedback.

10. I have never had a ticket~ speeding, parking, etc. (Man, I sure hope I don't jinx myself here!)

I nominate the following brillant blogs to receive the Honesty Award!

1. Steph

2. Erin

3. Sharon

4. Shauna

5. Steph

6. Amanda

~

Mission Accomplished!

Happy Thanksgiving! I would like to start with a few words about what I am most thankful for....

~I am thankful for my wonderful and loving husband who is so supportive of me and such a team player in our marriage and our parenting.
~I am thankful for my beautiful son, who is (mostly) healthy and smart and definitely loving and caring!
~I am thankful for my parents, who have always been supportive and encouraging, not only of me but of everyone that they love and care about. My parents, especially my mother, are two of the most giving people I know. I truly believe that I am blessed with the greatest parents in the world!

You can tell poor Mom is not at her best in this picture!! Rest up Mom!

~I am thankful for the opportunity to celebrate holidays and get together with family.
~I am thankful for food in my belly, a warm home to live in, and comforts to enjoy.


As I mentioned in a previous post, my mother had her knee surgery yesterday. It went well. the doctor found a torn miniscus (sp?) and arthritis and did the best he could to repair everything. The biggest challenge we had in cooking Thanksgiving dinner today was keeping my hobbling mother out of the kitchen! My mother is a natural cook~ a WONDERFUL cook! The kind of cook who just knows how to cook things, but not necessarily how to explain it or how much of each ingredient she uses. It proves quite interesting when you are trying to recreate her recipes!

Everyone pitched in today and did something to help get everything prepared and cooked.
Here you see Dad getting ready to cut the potatoes.
Here is Mark preparing the Olive and Cream Cheese Stuffed Celery.

At some points there were too many cooks in the kitchen with no one really knowing what they were doing. But Mom was never too far away, and we always went yelling to her for direction!!! She is now assured that we do indeed have another 50 year lease on her, because we would SURELY be lost without her!!!

~ I am so thankful for my mom, the heart of our family! ~

Here are Memmere (my Mom's Mom) and Marie (my Dad's cousin) relaxing in the living room (don't they look excited?!?!? lol)

Here are Erick and Devin with Erick's parents.I was trying to get a shot of Devin with his Indian band here, but he snuck out of the shot! Little bugger! I guess its better than the eyes closed shots he was giving me previously!


And no, unfortunately I did not get any food shots. I know, I am disappointed too. Things were so crazy and hectic when were getting the food on the table that the thought did not even cross my mind!

I give all of you readers who single handedly cook Thanksgiving dinner A LOT of credit! Its a lot of work! Phew!

Lastly, I hope that each and every one of you were able to enjoy some quiet moments with those you love best and reflect on what you are most thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!
~

Out of the Mouth of My Babe!

~
I have been working with Devin on getting him to learn how to undress himself. This skill will be especially helpful when he decides he is finally ready to potty train (but we won't go there today). I had him try to take off his sweatsuit, diaper, and socks before his bath tonight. He was victorious and this was his reaction to each item he removed: "I actually did it!" I thought it was a riot to hear him using actually!!!

~
In an effort to get Devin to comply with taking the "long" nebulizer treatment tonight (both types of medicine since his asthma has been acting up) I tried to "bribe" him ahead of time with an offer of a snack afterward. I was thinking of popcorn or crackers. This was our conversation:

Devin: Can I have some chocolate?
Mommy: I don't have any chocolate, Devin.
Devin: Oh you have to get some at the store?
Mommy: Well, yes I do get it at the store.
Devin: Okay, I'll go with you to the store now Mommy.

Hmm, I wasn't thinking we would do that right now Devin!

~

Playtime Pictures

Playing the Elmo Base at Grandma and Papa's house.

Truck time @ home!Playtime with Mommy...silly!!!

(((hugs))) and mommy love!

Holiday Season

Am I the only one having a hard time believing that Thanksgiving is NEXT week?!?!?!?!? YES, that is NEXT week!!!!! I just can not believe its NEXT week! I also can not believe that I am going to be cooking my very first Thanksgiving dinner! Lord, have mercy on me! (And thanks Mom! :P) Lucky for me, my Mom will be buying all of the food and getting everything ready at her house. I will just have to cook it, because she will have a minor little problem in her way (SURGERY on her knee the day before!). Wish me luck there.

I am trying to get excited about the impending holidays, but this year just feels different. Not sure why? Maybe once we get the house decorated and Devin starts to get excited about it (I am sure he will understand things better this year) it will be more fun! Once the carols are flowing and the house is glowing we will be cheery.....I hope! :)

Here is a picture of Devin from last year:


Actually, that already is getting me excited to decorate!!!!

~

Devin-isms

New Sport:
After playing with a broken hockey stick at my parent's house Devin proudly declared, "That's my soccer bat!"

New Drink:
My mother bought Devin some Dannon drinkable yogurt. Devin LOVES it and affectionately calls it, "yogurt juice."

"I want more yogurt juice!!!"

~

Back to the Hospital?

No, not us! We are not going back to the hospital, but this was the conversation Devin and I had on the way home from school yesterday....

Devin: I need to go to the hospital.
Mommy: You need to go to the hospital? How come?
Devin: I don't feel good!
Mommy: Why? What's wrong?
Devin: My head hurts. I get a hot dog and lay down and watch tv at the hospital.

Hmmmmm....I've got news for you Buddy! I can think of cheaper ways of getting a hot dog and laying down to watch tv! KIDS!

~

Family Similarities

I know you know what Devin looks like, but just to remind you here is a picture:
Below is a picture of my brother around 2 years of age. In my opinion the two are nearly identical. I guess there is no surprise as to what my son will look like when he grows up?

Dear Memmere H,

Thank you for all of the time we spent together. Thank you for making me feel so special as a young child. Thank you for letting me sit in the front seat (when that was legal!) when we went somewhere and for playing games with me. Thank you for playing "black and red" ~a simple card game~ and dominoes (among other games) and having me sleep over. Thank you for buying me Peanut Buster parfaits from Dairy Queen.

Thank you telling me about my daddy as a boy and a young man. Thank you for sharing pictures and stories about your siblings and your childhood with me. Thank you for loving me and caring about me.

I am so glad that you were able to meet my son and husband because, like them, you are very important to me. I will miss you greatly Memmere. May you rest in peace eternally now. (11/06/2008)

Love, Karla (Kah-ler)

Me, Mem, Devin, my Dad~ taken Feb, 2007....last time I saw my Mem.

Wordless Wednesday

A Few of My Favorite Pictures of Baby Devin