ChickeeJ

Christmas Concert

2010-12-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

Carley's school had a Christmas concernt tonight. Her class sang Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer and Navidad Rock...which is a new song to me... :)

Carley did a great job singing with her classmates... and the performace turned out to be quite entertaining...though I am biased ;)

Warrior Dash

2010-11-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

Mountain of dirty, donated shoes...woulda donated mine if there weren't those darn grass stickers!??! I'm a wimp I know!

So this weekend I ran in the Warrior Dash with some friends.... it was so much fun! Made it through the obstacles and even jumped over the rows of fire (a little bit scary I might add).... :)

Never thought I'd have soo much getting dirty... so much so that I totally want to do it again. Here are some pics from the day.... along with a picture of one cute little warrior (who by the way did not like the hat).

Halloween and camping

2010-10-31T19:10:00.001-07:00

Marshmellows and applesauce....obvious combination right?!?!?

Carley and Rocka Rocka...hanging out by the fire

Carley getting her face painted by Ms. Robin at the school carnival.

Pre-trick or treating pictures

Had a fun weekend camping with Randall and Kristina at Pace Bend Park. We roasted marshmellows, slept in the tent, and kindof did a little fishing... Halloween was fun too...got lots 'o candy!

Show off Day.....and much more!

2010-10-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I've updated the blog.... life is busy and busy!!! :) Here's a quick update on us. Carley had show off day at gymnastics this weekend. Lots of fun... I'm glad we signed up for it. The kids were able to show off what they work on during their classes.....and they got a trophy!! Carley is super proud and loving having her trophy in her room! :) Here are some pics from the day. ..... and ughhh... here's fair warning.... I'm not the best camerawoman when it comes to videoing.... so yes, there are some heads cut off!!! :)

Let"s Rodeo!

2010-08-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

We got to catch up with some friends from Dallas at an area rodeo. It was a great time! The girls had lots of fun getting to play with another again (once Carley came out of her post nap stupor). From watching the bull riding to the muttin bustin'..then even getting out into the arena for chasing the calf in the calf scramble...the girls were busy busy busy....of course gotta fit some dancing and twirling in there also! :) Thanks for inviting us to come along we had a great time. :)

RR Express Game

2010-08-22T09:29:00.001-07:00

Uncle Randall had some extra tickets to the RR Express game, so we tagged along on a very hot, humid August night!!! We had fun watching the game...but the heat got the better of us and we didn't stay for the end of it! :)

Catching up!

2010-08-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Yes! That's the Binkster in that giant C!!!

Lovin' the beaches...especially...playing in the sand!

Carley and mom in the rain forest, El Yunque PR.

Well, we have been having a busy, fun summer! Puerto Rico...Sea World...floating down the river...rodeo in SA.... Round Rock Express game....hanging out with family...and I did fit school somewhere in there too! :)

Gymnastics

2010-04-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

Carley has started taking gymnastics and is really loving it! She especially loves wearing her special suit (that she also wants to wear at school, and home all the time!)....

Long time no posting!!!

2009-12-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

Life keeps chugging on and on....and it's been a while since I have posted so here's a little update on us. We headed down to Austin for Christmas. We stayed with Randall and had a couple Christmas events to attend. One night we all decorated some gingerbread cookies for Santa...while we were in Austin it was snowing up in Dallas!!! Once we were back in the big D we played in the snow...tasted the snow....threw the snow up in the air and yelled "It's snowing".....It was lots of fun to get to experience that with Carley before leaving to San Antonio....cuz we AIN'T gonna see that there!! ;)

Hope everyone reading this also had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!!! :)

Carley's Bday

2009-11-25T12:25:00.000-08:00

Yes....I can't believe it but our little Carbug has turned 3!!! We celebrated by inviting some friends from school and the neighborhood....AND renting a bounce house!!!! That was a big hit and kept the kids entertained!!! We had a great time and enjoyed getting to see and visit with everyone. Then of course there was CAKE!!!

Scribbles 'n Dribbles

2009-09-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

This week we have started an art class through the science museum. Our first class was lots of fun! Carley was a little unsure of it at first but within a few minutes was jumping into the different art stations that they had. Here are some pics of Carley and her buddies Aiden and Rowan.

Painting her flowerpot. :)

Aiden and Rowan painting their masterpieces.

Pigs in the mud!

James is home! :)

2009-09-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

Dad is home!

The bus pulling up.

Carley and I arriving at the armory.

We made it through the year long deployment! James is home and we are so happy to have him back home so we can be a family together again. Here are some pics from the day we picked him up.

Fun at the Circus!

2009-08-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

So we had a great time at the circus! Carley seemed really overwhelmed when we first got there....just sooo much to see. Then she loosen up and by the end of the show she was dancing in her seat and waving at the perfomers! When I ask her what her favorite part was she says, "the motorcycles"......apparently that made a pretty big impression on her. Also, when the clowns were doing their skits, and part of it was one shoving another...Carley piped up and said, "that's not nice!" We had a wonderful time, but I have to say this....really $12 bucks for a snow cone!?!?!?!? We passed on that and just stuck to hot dogs! :)

Fun Times Once Again!

2009-08-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

You know, it just doesn't surprise me anymore that I have to deal with all kinds of problems while James is away....and today was no different!
Carley was not interested in nap today....surprise there huh?? We did the back and forth....follow Super Nanny advice...no words lay her back down. Then the last time I notice there was some liquid flowing down the floor. I asked Carley...."Did you just pee on the floor?" Her answer "yes".....then I realized it was all over the kitchen floor and was coming from the dishwasher. I quickly threw towels on the floor and began wiping up.....with Carley in the background.."I peed on the floor" over and over and over...that sure wasn't helping.
Seems that if the disposal is clogged the washer is going to back up!?!!?!?! I had some issues with the disposal right before turning the washer on and just didn't think about it.....not a good choice Rhonda.....so I figured out a way to "plung" the sink and down went the water....Thank goodness. Whew!!! Hopefully that is the last disaster I have to handle before James gets home!!!
We are heading to the circus tonight!! And yes...Carley did go to sleep after that. Probably a good thing she is having a late nap as we are going to the evening show! Will post pics soon!

Ear Update!!

2009-08-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

Almost forgot to update....we went back to the doctor today to have Carley's ear rechecked. Last week the doctor couldn't see in one ear because there was so much discharge.....Eardrops for a week....head back for recheck.
So after a long inspection....doctor says.....tube fell out!!! Hmmm...how did we miss that? Apparently it is pretty common. So left ear tube still in and ear looks good.....right ear no tube...little scarring from a rupture. So now we have to keep from getting any ear infections to avoid getting another tube in the right ear. Fun times!!!!!

Mom You Want a Chocolate?

2009-08-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

I always try to write down the cute things Carley says so I don't forget them in my old age. So today we were at home for naptime...which never happened because Carley talked to herself for an hour and some minutes..then it was time to go to CS. Well, right about the time I was going to get her, she comes out of her room...cheerful as can be saying, "Mom, I had a GOOD nap!" Hmmm??? Really because I remember hearing you talking the entire time!!!
Another one...this morning as we were walking to the car to go to the park Carley tells me, "Mom, it's my turn to drive today"........not for a few more years sweetie!!!

And the last silly of the day....Carley ate a very good dinner..chicken, pasta, and green beans. She actually had seconds of the beans! So I let her have a little chocolate. I gave her those individually wrapped Dove dark chocolate squares.....yes the experts say we should all be eating a little dark chocolate everyday...and I will happily comply!! ;)
So she scarfed hers down...and of course wanted another. I told her no, that is why treats are so special because you don't get a lot....she then walked over to the counter to get one. I told her a little more firm this time...your done with your treat. Her reply......."Mom...don't YOU want another one?" in the sweetest voice she could muster up. I think she thought that she would be able to sneak another one if mom got another!!! :) She is our funny funny girl...wouldn't trade her for the world!!!

What's New With Us???

2009-08-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

As usual we try to keep ourselves busy..today we headed up to Teepee Hill to feed the ducks and just take in the wonderful surroundings. :) Here are a few pics of Carley throwing our old bread to the ducks. We are still waiting on James to leave Kuwait. Thought for sure he would be on his way back by now....but no. Looks like not until later this week, which means he will miss going to the circus with us this coming weekend. Any takers??? We now have an extra ticket!!! :)

This afternoon we are heading to the pool with friend Sadie and her mama. Wish us luck that there is no ear drama. We are currently doing drops in the ear due to some heavy discharge...hopefully the drops will allow the dr. to see in her ear for our visit later this week!!!!

While I am at it......

2009-07-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

I might as well upload some pictures too!!! Here are some recent pics from our trip to Austin, 4th of July parade...among other things! Riding a pony at a friend's birthday party at the zoo!

Bouncing in a BIG spider web!

Seeing a lizard up close...she even got to pet it!

CAKE....no other explanation needed! :)

Hanging out with uncle Randall...sitting in a big bar stool!!!

Treats from the parade!

Noses!

2009-07-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Carley makes me laugh daily...bust out laughing....and I have to admit I have a hard time not laughing at the things I shouldn't laugh at.
Tonight we were on my bed reading bedtime stories and being silly..and Carley says "noses" (a little game we play where we rub noses everytime either of us says that)...we rub noses....then she shouts "mouths!" Like we are supposed to rub mouths....then says "eye's" and puts her eyes to mine. That got some pretty big laughs from mama!!!
Later in the night she was "fixing" my hair and says "mom, your hair is getting so long....you need to cut it!"
I have to agree it is looking pretty mangly!!
Don't tell James this (because he hates that I watch The Batchelette in the first place), but I wanted to watch, "The Men Tell All" episode tonight so much....that we did stories in my bed with the t.v. on!!! Of course reading during the commercials!!!! Bad mama...I know!!!! But in the end, the t.v. is turned on maybe a total of 5 hours a week....I think that is not too bad.

They're Alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Soooooo....I didn't expect to see hundreds upon hundreds of preying mantis in the glass jar this morning...but was pretty excited to see they had finally made their debut!!! Carley and I had bought some preying mantis eggs at the garden center a few weeks ago...honestly I was beginning to think they were duds!!!

We took them outside and released most of them, and watch the little creatures begin to scurry about and out of their cage. It was pretty amazing to see!! I actually kept some, and hopefully we can keep a few alive and watch them grow.....The biggest problem is finding live bugs for them to eat!!! Right now I have set out a "trap" for some unsuspecting fruit flies. This is apparently good food for the little baby mantises. There you go...science on a summer day!! :)

Military Wives......

2009-07-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

So this post is a little bit silly, but pretty true....having this time with James away has made me depend more on myself to get things done. Life is far from perfect...that's for sure!! BUT somedays I am proud of myself for all the things I have to keep juggling while dada is away. Though sometimes I do let a few balls fall....For some reason today I have kept a mental list of all the things that were accomplished....and here it is....sorry if I bore you....
1. Got up and shredded the mountain of papers that needed to be destroyed. Got Carley up and had some breakfast. Sprayed a big wasp's nest that I have been meaning to spray on the side porch.
2. Talk to our handyman agreed on a time to meet at the duplex and see the work he is doing on the deck (repairing a hole where some wood was rotted). Had breakfast, got Carley and I dressed, threw all the bathroom mats in the house into the washer. Then headed out to get Carley strapped into the jogger. Jogged/walked to the duplex to check on the work and pay handman and head back home.
3. Get home put Carley's swimsuit on go outside to play. Before we filled up the kiddy pool, I quickly mowed the backyard while Carley played on the deck area. Then we played in the water and I watered our dry, dry grass. Sweep the deck before going in for lunch. Lunch. Put Carley down for nap.
4. Take fallen branches and debry out to the front curb for bulk pick up. Hop on the computer for a while...did not study...whoops...oh well!!!!
5. Take the laundry out put the mats out in the sun to dry. Plant an aloe plant in a ceramic pot...
Call the insurance adjustor to clarify somethings about our claim...not great news.....email hubby...
6. Take a shower...get dressed for work at Carley's school. Get Carley up from nap and head out for work. Work.
7. Home. Dinner. Carley bath. Carley books. Carley BED!!! :)

I know you are jealous! ;) Just kidding...I do love being able to have more time with Carley this summer and feel very lucky for that! Can't wait for dada to come home!

Fun Friday!

2009-06-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

The girls having fun!

We headed up north to Plano to play....and I totally think the drive was worth it! Carley loved this place! She usually is not so crazy about the spraygrounds, but this place was a sprayground within a wading pool. She loved it!! We had to coax the little ones out with cookies to avoid toddler meltdowns! It was a great way to beat the heat!!!

Sweet Sadie!

Just cuz they are so cute!!

2009-06-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

Carley showing off her yoga poses! Here she is doing the happy baby pose! I am really surprised how she remembers these poses.

Here are my babies, being sweet and lounging around on the floor one evening before bedtime!

Shaving cream!!

2009-06-26T19:19:00.001-07:00

So now that Carley and I have Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings together I have to find somethings to do, right???

Well, this week we played with shaving cream, and she LOVED IT!!!! So much so that she pretended she was shampooing her hair with the cream! Silly girl!!

Mom even got in on the fun!! We pretended that we were Santa!

Wonderful Weather!

2009-06-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

The ceiling falling into James' workshop.

Our little shed behind the garage, after many of the branches of the tree had been cut away.

The tree guys at work removing the fallen tree.

Yep! Last week's storm was a doozie (who knows if that is spelled right)...I filled in for another teacher at Carley's school last Thursday and headed home for lunch to find a disaster!!!

Seems like with the rain we had our area had some crazy winds that uprooted several really, really, really old trees in the neighbors yard. Where did they decide to fall??? One right on the back section of our garage!! There were some other branches that fell on the house, but the garage received the bulk of the damage!

Lightning Bugs!

2009-06-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

So, we had a special treat tonight!!! Carley and I went lightning bug hunting!! Now, I did not mean for her to be up until 9:15 tonight and have us do this. After I put her to bed around 7:45, and made sure I "thought" she was down I went out to work on some outdoor projects. I come into the house about 45 minutes or so later, and I heard her saying "mommy please go to bed". My first thought is "oh, no hope she hasn't been calling for me all this time!" When I go into her room I can see that she had been crying. I then picked her up, rocked her, and talked to her for a while. (Get to the point lady!!) I put her down to bed and go to water a couple of plants on the deck and saw some lightning bugs! That's the moment I went right back to her room and told her I wanted to show her something special.
We go out and I told her about the special bugs that light up at night.We actually found one on a small branch who crawled onto my hand then on Carley's!!! I asked her what she thought of the bugs...her response..."I like them"......ME TOO! :)

Another post for Friday!

2009-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

So, Carley says the funniest things sometimes I feel like I am going to forget most of them...so here I am documenting her funnies!!
One of James' favorite things to call Carley is CarCar...I happened to call her this a few weeks ago and she did not like it one bit. Her response: "No I am not CarCar...I am Carley (Caeee)."
She also doesn't like me to call her honey anymore...."No I am not honey....I am Carley)"

If you read below about our run in with the crazy squirrel you will understand this funny story....At daycare an adult was playing with Carley and acting like he was going to take her snack. What did Carley say? Please don't take my food......NOPE....."Don't eat my food you crazy squirrel" that was her response!!!!

Busy week!

2009-06-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the CRAZY squirrel who wanted our food! He would creep right up to us!!!!! I just had this feeling he was about to jump on one of us! The kiddos thought this was funny...the adults...not so much!

Playing in the sprinklers!!

Playhouse FUN!!!

So our summer has started off with lots of fun! Tuesday Carley and I made it out to the science museum. Then on Thursday playing at the park with friends Aiden and his mommy, Laura. Today the arboretum with friends Sadie, and her mommy Corinda. Sadie's dad is also in Iraq and will be coming back at the same time as James. We had a blast today at the arboretum. Between playing in the playhouses, snacking inbetween the houses, the crazy squirrels, and playing in the frog sprinklers we could barely keep up with these funny girls. Carley and Sadie decided they would switch rides. Carley rode in Sadie's sweet stroller, and Sadie took a spin in the wagon.

That One Doesn't Bite!

2009-05-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather is quickly getting warmer we have been playing in the little pool in the backyard. About a week ago Carley was wearing a swimsuit that has some little red and navy blue sailboats on it. After about 3 minutes of wearing it in the pool she would tell me that her back hurt her. Finally after a few times I checked it out. I said (more to myself) oh, looks like you got a mosquito bite. She decided that wearing a suit was optional...and proceeded to take the suit off! I told her that she needed to wear a swimsuit when she played in the pool, we decided to go in and get another suit. Once we were inside and in the process of putting on the suit Carley said, "this is better, this swimsuit doesn't bite". :)

May Update!

2009-05-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

With so much going on there is not a lot of time to post. Some of the happenings in our house: Big news Carley is basically POTTY TRAINED! Yep that is right!!! Seems like it happened within a course of 4-5 days....oh we have been trying for months without a lot of interest from Miss C, but all of the sudden she was on board. Of course, still an accident or two here and there, but for the most part she has got it down! Big girl!
I am taking a break from school this summer, and am working at Carley's school, which should be interesting and fun! Working with the 3 year olds....part time. The rest of the time Carley and I will be hanging out at home!
Finished up the semester with Audiology, and Articulation/Phonological Disorders...both with an A.!! Yippeee!! Both graduate level courses that DON"T go towards my graduation because they are prereq. courses...but notheless A's!! :)

Fun at the Arboretum!

2009-05-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

What a BEAUTIFUL day we had here!! We went out to the arboretum to enjoy it. They have some great playhouses on display right now. We played on a few. I am still worried a bit about being out with the BIG GIRL panties..so we didn't stay too long. We certainly had a great time!!

First Night in the Big Bed!

2009-05-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Last night Carley slept in the big bed! It started during nap when we had C's friend Sadie over while her mommy had somethings to do. I decided to just pull out the bottom part of the trundle and try to get them to lay down and rest for a while. After Sadie left Carley wanted to sleep in the bed still so it worked...then again at bedtime! Too fast!!! Growing up tooo fast!!

Clever Girl

2009-04-14T17:59:00.001-07:00

Today Mimi went home with Randall, and of course Carley was very upset. She wanted to go back to Austin with them (I wonder how far she would have gotten before asking about mommy). I tried to think of some logical reasons why she couldn't go. My response to her was, Randall doesn't have a carseat in his car. Well, duh, mama...Carley's response to that was..."get the carseat from dada's truck".
Thanks Mimi for coming up and helping us out for a few days. Carley was very sad to see you go.

Once again it's been a while!

2009-04-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

Above is a family picture when we dropped James back off at the airport at the end of his 2 week visit.

Life keeps flying by and I haven't posted in a long time! Facebook has taken any free time I have lately! Carley is just growing up so fast! She comes up with the funniest things! Two of Carley's friends' mommies have recently had babies, Carley and I were talking about how Rose's mom is having a baby. She must have thought well, if their moms are having babies my mommy must be too. She turned to me and patted my tummy and said mommy having a baby too! Ummm...no not right now. I do admit to having occasional cases of baby fever...but no baby in there!!! Recently we had some pictures taken in deep ellem in Dallas. Hopefully I will upload them soon!

Zoo Fun!

2009-01-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

Uncle Randall was in town this weekend and we made it over to the FW Zoo. We had lots of fun! Carley even fed some birds!

Our little garden and more recent pics

2009-01-11T21:09:00.000-08:00

So Carley and I planted some winter veggies and tried our luck with gardening. The veggies are coming along quite nicely! We planted cauliflower, cabbage, and chives. We have been using the chives with various recipes. Carley loved playing in the dirt when we planted them, I definitely think we will try this again in the spring!

During our time off Carley did a lot painting and here are some pics from the fun!

First post of the year :)

2009-01-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

Well, we had a really nice break over the holidays. We were able to visit with family and friends which was really nice. Carley also had tubes put in her ears. She is just growing up so quick..she seems so big when it is bath time and she knows she needs to put her plugs in her ears...and actually leaves them in without pulling them out!
She is really starting to talk in sentences too. It is really funny to hear some of the things she comes up with! This evening we were playing with her dolls (this is her FAVORITE past time). I told her we are going to get ready for bed in 10 minutes...well 10 minutes came and I said time to put up. She said "No mama.....10 minutes?" We compromised on 2 more minutes. :) Funny girl!

It's been a while....

2008-12-22T19:27:00.001-08:00

So I know, I haven't posted in a long while! School kindof consumed me the last month or so! For the most part Iam really happy with my grades: Anatomy/Physiology: A, Language Acquisition: A, and Intro to Communication Disorders: B....The main reason for me posting tonight is to update with some Christmas pics we had done with some of Carley's buddies a few weeks ago.

Oops I think the pics are too big because they won't upload. So here are some recents pics that I have taken.

Party!

2008-11-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

We had Carley's bday party this past weekend and we had a great time! I am certainly glad we had it at the neighborhood park...didn't have to clean the house afterward!!! :)

Halloween fun!

2008-11-06T19:12:00.000-08:00

We went trick or treating with some friends in the neighborhood. The kids had a blast! I was so relieved that Carley actually wore the ladybug tutu, she ended up loving it! She got the hang of taking candy and putting it in her bag pretty quick.

More Carley funnies!

2008-10-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

So I don't have much time to post pics right now....I should be studying for my test tomorrow. I just needed a mental break for a moment, so I decided to check in here. Carley has started to "count". Everything is two two two two....I have notice in the last couple of days she is adding three to the mix. Two three two two three. This morning she came in holding two sippy cups (you can find them all over the house) saying TWO!!! :)
She also thinks that everything is the color yellow. When you ask her what color that is, her answer is always yellow! :)

Some Carley funnies

2008-10-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

No pics tonight, but I thought I would update and tell what new things this silly little girl comes up with.
I have been trying to use the word help alot so she will start using it to let me know when she needs something instead of whining. She hears me say, "can I help you?".....so she always says now "HELP YOU" when she needs something. :)
Some new words I have noticed that she says are: tent, Rocket, she says any color you ask her to, along with the many other words she already says. She is just growing up too quickly!

Last official playdate with Rose

2008-09-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

So one of Carley's best buds is moving out of state. We are very sad that we won't see them for our weekly playdates, but are really excited for their new opportunity. Here are some pics from the playdate. We'll miss you guys!!

Sea World

2008-09-28T22:10:00.000-07:00

We made the trip down to SA to visit Sea World. Carley had so much fun seeing all the animals and being with MiMi and Uncle Randall. I think she was in awe of the dolphin show. The performers in the show jump into the water from really high platforms....when we got home and Carley took her bath she used one of her bath dolls to "jump" from different places into the tub!! :)

"Sleepy Puppy"

2008-09-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Carley was very insistant that Rocket needed to go to sleep, and that he needed a blanket. Rocket on the other hand, was not going for it. I got him to lay down long enough for Carley to cover him up and me to snap a quick pic. Then he was done. Right now Carley is sitting with Rocket on the floor on his mat with "Turtle" and a pillow for Rocket to play with.

Some old pics from the museum

2008-09-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

I have been bad about posting lately. Life is really busy now with Carley, school, and work.

My cuties

2008-08-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a cute pic of our crazy kids. Carley has started her new school and we really like it! Her teacher emailed some pics of Carley doing crafts at school. So cool to get to see what she does during the day. She is really starting to talk and sing too. She tries to sing the ABC's ......AAAAACCAAA....so cute!

Cornstarch playdate

2008-08-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time at Laura's house today. We planned on having the kids play with the CS, so we stripped them down and let them go. Only Carley and Rose were more interested in playing with Aiden's toys!! Aiden got into it though and here are some pics from our playdate I think this one is sooo funny, it reminds me of middle school kids hanging out in the hallway against the lockers (Rose and Carley) getting all the good gossip before going to class! Funny!

Aiden....I can take some pics if you like.

Concentration

2008-08-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

This week Carley and I are hangin' out at home. Yesterday I got out my teacher left overs, some art supplies. Carley enjoyed playing with them. We didn't end up doing the original project planned, but as you can see we had fun anyway.

Randall's Graduation!!

2008-08-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

He did it! My brother graduated this week from Texas State! We made it to the graduation, and of course after the ceremony it would only be fitting that Carley wear the grad. hat, being the hat girl she is....photo coming soon....as soon as..ahem .....uncle Randall sends them to me!

Playing with Hannah and Audrey

2008-08-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

Our first night in Austin we were able to meet up with Dawn and her girls. Hannah and Audrey are growing up tooooo fast! I used to babysit these girls when Audrey was a tiny baby!!! I still can't believe it. They are really growing up into great young ladies! Carley had sooooooo much fun playing with them I had a hard time ending all the fun! Can't wait to see you guys again!!

Our Trip to Austin

2008-08-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

We had a great time visiting Austin and seeing our family and friends. I took some pics while we were there. Here are some pics of a playdate we had at the Children's Museum with Kennedy and Owen and their mommies Kim and Allison.

Owen jammin' on the guitar, and Kennedy and Carley lookin' cute!

Here are Carley and Kennedy on the baby slide meeting each other.

My first attempt at uploading a video.....

2008-08-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

didn't work :(

HAT!

2008-07-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

So Carley LOVES hats!!! Her collection of hats is growing and growing. Yesterday she noticed dad's corps hat and of course she wanted to put it on!! Here she is with it on.

Museum Pics

2008-07-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to the nature museum, and man is it COOL!!! Now if only dad will let us get a MEMBERSHIP so we can burn off energy here!!! Carley loved it!!!

Just chillin' in the toddler area with Granny Janet...while laying claim to every item she touched!!!

Driving' the fire truck!!! Notice wearing her fireman's hat!! Gotta have a hat!

Playing with the duckies in the water!

Diggin' for dinosaur bones....

Cookin' on the grill...

Fun Activity

2008-07-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

So another mommy tried this with her son, and it looked fun...so we tried it. Basically you are mixing cornstarch and water to create something that is like a solid and a liquid. Carley had fun mixing and splattering it. What is great is that once it dries you can use it again!!!

Time for a New Post

2008-07-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I late posted so here is the latest with us. I have finished my 5 week course on Phonetics and got my A!!! So excited about that!! I really did have to work for that one.

We spent our 4th of July at home. First we went for a run, then made our way to the neighborhood parade. Lots of fun, Carley had fun waving at all the people in the parade (and mama had fun eating all the candy).... then we went home and worked on our big project of making the deck "Carley proof." When we bought the house the deck was already here. It is not really toddler friendly or at least it wasn't....NOW it is. James added more spindels along the top and some other modifications and now it is safe. Pictures coming soon.

Carley is just as busy as ever, she now is blowing kisses to people. Even those she doesn't know, like the cashier at Target. :)

Pickin berries

2008-06-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic that Brookee took of a little surprise she found. What a neat shot!

Forget about pickin berries mom, there's a HORSEE!!

Today we made the trip up near Gainesville to pick some blueberries and blackberries. We had a great time, even though it was HOT! Carley did wonderfully picking the berries for about 10 minutes. Then she wanted to play the game "catch me if you can". Here are some of our pictures taken today. BrookeJ did a fabulous job taking the pics of the nest and of everyone picking berries!! Maybe a future photographer in our family! :)

19 months already!!

2008-06-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I can say that our little girl is already 19 months....sniff sniff.. She is getting so big and understands so much ( I think). How did the time go by sooo quickly!!!???? Here she is putting on mama's running shoes this morning.

Splishing and splashing

2008-06-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today Aiden and his mommy came over to play. The kiddos had lots of fun in the pool and "cleaning up" the driveway. :) Here are some pics from our playdate.

So what's new with us??

2008-06-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while, things have been pretty busy since my Phonetics class started. The class is going well, I am struggling to keep an A in that class (which I am determined to do).

Carley surprises me everyday with some silliness.
Yesterday morning I had to put somethings in the pantry and while I was in there I heard her slurping on something. Something that I assumed to be her milk....well you know what happens when you assume. I walked out and saw her gulping down my COFFEE! As I take it away from her, she says...MAAUU (more)....Called the doctor and they said not to worry, so now I can laugh about it.
Everynight now when it is time for her to go to bed, she gives Rocket his kiss and hug. What a sweetie!

Family Pics

2008-06-03T05:29:00.000-07:00

We finally got 'em! On Sunday we met with Chera here. It was a great location for pics and Chera is a wonderful photographer!! Here is some of the pics she sent in her "sneak peek".

James' graduation

2008-06-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

James made it through his grueling year at command and general staff college. Here are some pics from his graduation ceremony....he is very happy to be home and start on his LONG list of TO-DO'S! :)

More fun at St Simon Island

2008-06-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

We are back home from Georgia! Yay! Here are some more pics of our fun on vacation.

Scenery of St Simons Island

2008-05-26T11:49:00.001-07:00

Beach Fun

2008-05-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

This morning we threw on our swimsuits and headed for the beach. Here are some pics from our adventure. Carley didn't wait for mom OR dad...she headed straight for the water. Then spent the rest of her time chasing puppies, trying to eat the sand, or going the opposite direction we were heading. She's got a mind of her own!!!

JustiVacation

2008-05-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here we are in fabulous St. Simons Island, GA! It is a great little island. Tons of things that you can walk to..lots of yummy restaurants like Southern Soul BBQ. We had lunch there today...YUMMEEEEE! There is a playground, shopping, lighthouse, and of course the BEACH right by our hotel. We are currently taking a nap break. Later we are going to fly the kite we bought at a souvenier shop yesterday, then go to see the sea turtles on Jekyll Island. I am really sad that we are heading back tomorrow! Hope you enjoy our pics!

SPAGHETTI!!!!!

2008-05-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

I thought kids should get better at eating. Now that Carley is "using" forks and spoons she seems to be messier than before. I thought when they begin to use utensils it is supposed to get better. Pictured here is proof that it is not. Clean up was NOT fun tonight!

The Chair

2008-05-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Carley has a new chair for lounging outside. She was not doing much lounging though. She had to move it around the yard, and then see if she could stand in it. Then we decided to put it in her house, so she would finally have some furniture!

Summer is Here!

2008-05-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

Carley has decided that she loves frozen juice pops. Today I dug them out of the freezer, stripped her down and sat her out on the deck. Let's hope she stays this easy to please.

I'm Going Back to School!

2008-04-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

I'm in...well almost. UTD (University of Texas at Dallas) has accepted me into the non-degree seeking area under Communication Disorders school. That is great for now! So I will begin taking classes this summer. The classes that I have signed up for are: Phonetics SPAU 3344, and Observation Practicum. The observation is not really a class, but I think it will be the most interesting. I will be observing different speech therapists at work. So I will be observing in schools, hospitals, day cares, etc... I am soooo excited about this I can't even explain! Maybe someday one of those therapists will be ME! :)

New Dress

2008-04-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

This is the "pillowcase" dress we ordered off of Etsy. It's a bit big, so Carley will be able to grow into it.. she still looks pretty darn cute (I think)!!

TROUBLE

2008-04-30T12:53:00.001-07:00

These are somethings that happen when mom turns her back for a minute. Carley loves throwing things away, yesterday she thought it would be a good idea to throw things away in the toilet!!!! She also has started crawling on things. She can pull herself into the booster seat now...not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Also, have I mentioned she loves to torment Rocket? Except I think she thinks she is showing him how much she loves him! I just had to update this...this morning Carley was tormenting...um "playing" with Rocket and he had enough. I heard him scramble up and growl at her. Rocket NEVER growls! I guess he feels like he has been patient enough. After that Carley and I talked about being soft and nice with Rocket...not too sure it sunk in.

Shoes

2008-04-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Carley loves putting shoes on. I NEVER have problems getting her to put her shoes on, getting dressed yes, but not shoes. Here she is with mom's flip flops on.

Carley and Aiden's "Date"

2008-04-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

We had dinner with Laura and Aiden a couple of weeks ago. Here are some pics of the two being silly at dinner time. Carley was very encouraged by Aiden's laughing at her....she started throwing her couscous up in the air!! (Sorry Laura!!)

More Bluebonnets....

2008-04-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today we tried to get more (better) pics than last week. It was warmer, but still windy. I guess this is just an age where taking pics in the BB is not fun! Last year it was easy...I put her in the basket and she looked adorable...plain and simple. This year she is mobile and is not that fond of the BB...so here we are. We still got a few good ones.

Here you go Dada

2008-04-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here we are playing in the backyard. This is what we do everyday now that the weather is nice and the mosquitos haven't started attacking yet! Carley loves to play in her wagon and have mom pull her around the yard...here she is waiting for a ride.

What a difference a year makes!

2008-04-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

Seriously! I can't believe how much my little girl has grown up in one year! I thought it would be fun to show last year's bluebonnet pics too. Enjoy!

2008-04-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Just too windy!! Not a great day for taking pics in the bluebonnets, especially when a certain little munchkin falls asleep on the way to the bluebonnet fields! Not the best recipe for fabulous photos! They turned out pretty good, but I think we will try again before the bluebonnets leave us. Last year our prop was the wooden basket, I thought about using it again, then decided against it. Carley loves pulling her little wagon around the house so I thought it would be cute in the pics. Like I said before it is really hard to enjoy when it is soooo windy and you are dressed for warmer weather. Let us know what you think if you like.

2008-04-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

Today I got out the playhouse I bought for Carley at the school garage sale (last year). She LOVED it!! It was soooo much fun watching her play with it, ring the doorbell, and bring things into her house. I asked her if she wanted Rocket to come in the house with her and she shook her head "no". I put him in anyway for a quick pic. I couldn't resist.

Just cause they are sooo CUTE!

2008-03-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight Carley thought Rocket needed some things. First her new Crocs (not the real deal, but from Target), and his collar. She is soo thoughtful!

Happy Bday Dada!

2008-03-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

So James' bday is this coming week. We are sad that we can't spend it with him! Today we worked on a special project for him. We made a card which Carley colored and pasted little pink hearts on. Hope you have a great day daddy!

Daycare clothes

2008-03-29T17:55:00.001-07:00

OK...so I am catching up on posting tonight! Well, we have moved up the toddler room and in the toddler room the kiddos use cups instead of sippies. Carley doesn't quite have that down yet, so they end up having to change her everyday because she soaks her clothes. Well, I am a bad mommy and I keep forgetting to bring extra clothes from home. Sooo..she has to wear daycare clothes! Like this lovely number pictured here. It's soo bad it is cute!

Japanese Love Bugs!

2008-03-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! We've got 'em! I think they are Japanese Love Bugs. That is what James says. They are everywhere in this one area of our backyard. Anyone know about these creatures? Are they pests...meaning will they eat up all my plants!?! Carley helped point out the bugs so I could take a pic of them :)

She also wanted to see what would happen if she stepped on one...schwash!!!

Little bumble bees!

2008-03-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

Today Sue ( friend Laura's mom) sent these to me. Adorable!!! I love the expression on Aiden's face! So cute....Carley gets so excited when she sees her friend Aiden. When we pull up to their house she starts kicking her legs and motioning, get me out, get me out!!!

Dad's back from Brazil!

2008-03-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

Last week James went to Brazil with his class from WINSEC. Here are some pics that were taken there.....ummm James when are WE going there?? Looks pretty amazing!

Keep it Clean!

2008-03-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

So now Carley is very interested in "cleaning" things. Today she grabbed some diaper wipes and began cleaning the floor, her tummy, and my jeans. Of course I encouraged her telling her how nice she was cleaning things. Well, Rocket came in about that time and she decided to clean him! Wiping him all over with the diaper wipes! Soo cute! What a good dog we have allowing her to "clean him".

Carley's first Easter Egg Hunt!

2008-03-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

It was today! I really wasn't sure how she would do with collecting eggs, especially with big kiddos grabbing them up. She held her own and collected them with mommy prompting her to "pick up the egg....now put it in the basket...YEA!!!" Most fun of all of course was playing on the playground and SLIDES!! We love slides!! Pics coming soon!

2008-03-20T06:03:00.000-07:00

So now Carley has discovered that things get thrown into the trash, so of course, she throws evertything in there. Today it was the lid to the Calpahalon pots! Last week I put her night time diaper on and let her walk around the house without anything else on. I heard her rustling in the kitchen and then come into her room naked carrying her diaper to the diaper champ to throw away!. She makes me laugh!

Dallas Arboretum

2008-03-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

We had lots of fun at the Arboretum! We looked at some goldfish. Then we we saw some horses pulling a cart for hayrides. We didn't do the hayride this time, maybe next. We were ready to go home and have lunch by then. Most fun of all we just ran around in the grass!! Check our pics out!

2008-03-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

So, this past weekend we were busy busy! We made a trip to the Arboretum for some spring pictures, and I was able to work on my table! It's so funny when little ones see other little ones. They somehow become fast friends. On our trip to the Arboretum Carley met Clara, and decided she would tag along with Clara and her family for a while. That is until mom spoiled it all and swept her away in the opposite direction! My brother and mom were also visiting this weekend and everytime I picked Carley up she waved good-bye to them. I wonder if she was trying to tell them something? J/K

Our new project

2008-03-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

Pictured to the right is the new project we are working on. This is a table I got from my great uncle Leonard. It was painted all blue with layers and layers of paint underneath. I am in the process of getting all that paint off! Not easy!!! So I will try and post more pics when we get a new camera.

2008-03-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

Day 2: Ok, hopefully I am getting the hang of this. What to say...what to say??? Well, we are are beginning the phase where if we are not doing exactly what we want we throw a HUGE fit!!! Patience is the key!! Today was a pretty good day, no superduper fits today! Wish I could take some pics, hopefully we can get a new camera soon! In the meantime I will post older pics from a few weeks ago.

First Entry

2008-03-04T18:40:00.000-08:00

Well, I am very new to this blogging thing. I would like to have this so friends and family can check in and see recent pics of our family.
Will write more later.