24 Hours.

It's been a rough 24 hours...I cannot lie!

School 2x/week now.
Back on that schedule.
Ice in Dallas...the whole world seems to freak out.
But I must admit...I didn't get to work yesterday until 12:30, and I didn't get to work today until 11:30.
Ugh.

But---at least I had some extra hours built into my schedule this week...

I'll hopefully have some better & fun stuff to post tomorrow or this weekend.
:)

Austin's 1st Birthday Party!

My cousin's little boy turned a year old.
We got to attend his birthday party on Saturday.
:)

Mommy & Gage, eating cake...


Gage & Austin...in the great toy stare-down...

No Gage, this is NOT yours....it's Austin's. Now go forth & share!

Daddy & Gage playing in their living room...


Austin, how old are you??? That's right, ONE!


A fairly good time was had by all. Gage takes a while to warm up in settings like that. Not to mention the fact that he fell asleep about 5 minutes before we got there.

So Austin's a year old now. He's walking. He points a lot, and REALLY enjoyed all of the balloons at his party.

Austin was born at home. How cool is that? His Mommy & Daddy delivered him with the help of a mid-wife. Racelle (his Mommy) says that she'll deliver future children the same way if she can help it! She shared the pictures with me *(no, I will not be sharing them here!), and it seemed just amazing.

Racelle was pregnant with Austin when I was pregnant with Masyn. She was one of the first phone calls that I made to share the good news, since she would have her baby right before I'd have mine, and we'd get to be pregnant together.
:(
So, it was kind of pecking in the back of my mind while we were there, but it surprisingly was not overwhelming. It is what it is, I suppose.

Food for the Soul....

So, do you ever just feel like you're in a funk....or, kind of a pity-party feeling like YOU are the ONLY ONE to ever do anything around here?
...oh, wait...did I just go off on my own egocentric tangent???

Well---today I was just wishing I had a LITTLE help!
And, this was the first bible verse I read....

Psalm 121:1-2
I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of Heaven & Earth.

Somehow...it's usually just what you need to read when you need to read it...
The Bible....not just a dust-collecter on the shelf, my friend.

New Bedding...Or Not.

Not.

I got this bedding for our new bed....


Thought I would love it.
It arrived this weekend.
Opened it, threw it on the bed.

I don't love it in my room.

It looks good in the picture....but I don't like it in my room.
It must go back....

:(

Just An Observation....

...if it is cold enough outside to put a jacket on your baby, then it's cold enough to pants on the baby too.

Idiot parent.

Baby:
onesie
socks
jacket.

Yes, if it's cold enough for a jacket, it's cold enough for pants.

I'm just sayin'.....

Rough Draft....Family Rules...

So, we've been working on the house rules....
I've limited myself to 10, b/c in all honesty, I would make about 10 rules per room....

Here's what I've got so far (and Pam, I may be enlisting your help for some eye-catching creative way to display these....)

1. No running, screaming, or throwing inside.

2. Share everything!!! (except bad ideas & germs!)

3. Be kind with your actions and words.

4. We say, "please," "thank you," "you're welcome," "I'm sorry," "excuse me," & "bless you."

5. There are no such things as too much creativity, too much reading, or too much dancing.

6. Obey Mommy & Daddy.

7. Dirty dishes belong in the kitchen. Trash belongs in the trash. Snot belongs on a tissue. (Your mama is not your maid, your trash man, or your Kleenex!)

8. Messes need to be cleaned up by the mess-maker.

9. Singing aloud to Johnny Cash & Neil Diamond is highly encouraged.

10.Pray often & thank God for this family!

Whatcha think????????
........granted, my kid can't read yet...so we're going to need some pictures....but I'm sure we can figure it out....

Fun With My Son

What a silly boy.

Pics taken Wednesday, 1/21/9

Back to School.

Let me start by saying that for a change, my class is right smack-dab in the middle of campus. I seriously had to ask for directions.

...which brings me to this weird conversation...

White guy--overweight--decked out in school spirit garb--brand new white "sneakers" (seriously, no other word seems appropriate).
I asked him for directions. Of course he knows the way! As he's showing me to the building, his cell phone rings. He takes the call. Gets off the phone, and tells that it was his fiance calling. They're getting married on Friday. I notice that he didn't say "tomorrow", although it was Thursday when we were conversing. He confirmed - after I asked - that yes, he indeed was getting married the following day. "Congratulations! You ready?" "Not really. She's pregnant." Before I could stop myself, I said, "That's not reason enough to get married." (Hello. Pushing Your Judgements on Him Much???) He then starts listing all of this negative stuff about this gal. He's a neat-freak and she's sloppy. She likes candy, but doesn't throw away the wrappers. "Some of the wrappers are sticky." (yes, this really came out of his mouth as a reason not to marry this girl. He further informs me that his buddies keep telling him that the pet peeves are going to drag him down. He tells me that he's not looking forward to writing his own vows. Apparently he had to do that on the same day that we met. It was just weird. The whole conversation was WEIRD! I thanked him for showing me to my classroom & said "Good Luck."

...just weird...

Got to class.
Wow. Um....it's a class with a mental health focus, which is not my favorite, but I'll get through it. I look forward to the psycho-pharmacology. (sarcasm....)
Mental Health & going into clinical practice are just not my favorites...but I remind myself that this class, while not specifically necessary for my degree plan, will earn me credits toward graduation (those I need!) and according to a coworker who has already taken the licensing exam (which I will take post-graduation) says that this information will help on the exam.
So, I shall pay attention.

Anxiety.
I'm not one who has ever been clinically/medically diagnosed with anxiety.
But---the signs & symptoms were TOTALLY present when my teacher mentioned "role play" as part of the course work. I had a very unpleasant role playing experience in undergrad. I really don't want to get into it, but I can say that it was my final performance in the arena of graded role plays. I had a "role play" type exercise in another one of my graduate classes, but it was not any type of im-prov situation. It was planned out. I knew it was coming. It was part of a group presentation, and I knew how it would go. I didn't freak out about that.
But this?
This class is 3 hours long. 4 sessions are dedicated for role playing which we shall video-tape & dissect. Great....so not only do I have to do it, then I shall be tortured continually as it is examined, dissambled, dissected, scrutinized.
My heart is racing now as I even type the situation.
I'm sitting in the classroom the other night---we're going over the syllabus, and she gets to the part about the role plays. My heart starts racing. I start sweating. My bra feels like it no longer fits. No, wait...that's just my chest heaving to get oxygen. Don't freak out. Don't freak out. My mind starts racing & I start thinking about dropping the class.

But alas---I'm going to do it.
I will get through it.
I can't magically be sick on all the role play days or I'll fail the course. (yes, I already thought of that too!)
So---start the prayers now.
I just might surprise myself.
At the very least---I will get through it. It will not kill me. It will not kill me. It may be unpleasant, but it will not kill me.
May the force be with me!!!!!!!!!!!

Moving on...
Clickers.
We have to use clickers in this class.
It's kind of like being on a game show where we all get to "buzz" our answers in! So, this "clicker" is about the size of an ipod. You input some codes which link your clicker to the assigned class. The professor poses a question, and instead of writing the answer, or saying the answer, we click it in. Within a few seconds, she has the data. 70% of the class has answered A, while 30% of the class said D...etc. Kind of neat...but kind of a scam (according to Hubby). The clicker cost $20. Plus, the $13 activation/program fee. So, that's $33. For 33 cents, I could get a #2 pencil which will last me more than one semester... And, whatever happened to fostering dialogue? We are afterall, a talking profession! Or are we a listening profession? Perhaps a bit of both....

Anyway...it's back to school time.
I'll be taking two classes this semester. So far, I've attended one.
Books? Haven't bought any yet...
....but I need to.

Honesty Tag... Random Things About Me...

So, I was tagged to list random things about myself.
...which, I do occasionally anyway....

1. My husband & I met in 2001. We got engaged in 2002, and married in 2003. We've been married for 5 years...

2. I love to blog surf - I am fascinated by the whole six degrees of separation thing....or is it 7 degrees? Whatever. I don't know Kevin Bacon. It is crazy to skip around various mom-blogs in this area, and then see how many people are connected in some way or another. A girl I went to high school with knows a sorority sister of mine, who knows someone who met my old Vice Principal's son's new wife. See, I've looked around in the ol' blogosphere. Not always commenting...just...seeing & reading!

3. I don't do facebook. I know everyone does it, but it just isn't something I am into. Maybe because I blog- I know lots of people do both, but I just don't. I don't facebook or myspace. I did look at facebook when I was over at Megan's house not too long ago.

4. I don't like to eat lamb. Hubby likes lamb chops with some mint sauce. Gross.

5. I am not that organized. Certain areas of my life are very organized. Other parts? ...mmm...not so much. I strive to live a very organized life with very organized cabinets & closets & containers for everything! But, that's not my reality.

6. I wish I could move into magazine pictures sometimes. Life looks so easy & perfect in those pictures, right?

7. My dream job: to be independently wealthy. (is that a job???) I'd like to just have a ton of money at my disposal, and no real obligation to do anything.
(where can I sign up for that???)

8. I love coming up with a theme for my son's birthday parties, and then just running with it! I look forward to his birthday more than I look forward to Christmas...or any other holiday, really.

:)

Holy Crapola!

We have success!
Gage FINALLY pooped in the potty!
Woohoo!!!!

And in true "last-resort" fashion, BRIBERY totally worked!
"If you poop in the potty, you can have a new toy!"
[don't judge, okay? we tried everything else!]


Meet the Firemen.
Judging from this photo, I don't think they have a clue where the fire is....

Gage LOVES his new fire station.




May this activity (pooping in the potty) last & last!!!!

1/19/9: The Day I Almost Died.

So....I went to work yesterday...
After work, I went down the street to the gas station, since my car told me that I had 6 miles to empty. Getting gas seemed like a good idea at the time.

I was on the phone with my friend, Sam... I swiped the debit card...selected my fuel grade. Put the nozzle into my car, and pushed down the little "make it pump automatically lever". Then, I stood back, watched the meter thing on the pump, and chatted away.

And then....the-nozzle-propelled-itself-OUT-of-the-car, smacking me in the "lap area", with fuel spewing out all over. It slid down my leg, covering me in gasoline from my waist, on down. My pants: covered in gas. My shoes: covered in gas. My socks---squishy with all the gas in my shoes.

Me: "Oh Shit! I'm covered in gas!!!!!!!"
Sam: "Want me to let you go?"
Me: "Shit! I'm covered in gas!!!"
Sam: "Call me later."
Me: "Ok. ....shit!"

As I was hanging up, that's when Vicki called.
And then my husband called.
And then my mom called.
I was ringing off the hook, but shit! I was covered in gas!

I went into the gas station bathroom & washed the gas off my skin, but my clothes were soaked. The gas station people said, "Is that YOU that smells like gas?"
Me: "Yes. The hose popped out & covered me in gas. I got the gas off my skin, but I have to get some new clothes." {picture me---sayin' it walkin', b/c I had to get outta there!}

And so---maybe I didn't almost DIIIIIEEEE....but, I certainly felt akin to...

Seriously folks---it had nothing to do with a lack of brains. I was REFERRING TO his fear of fire. Mmmmkay??? Seriously---I was on the look out for matches, lighters, brush fires, flying cigarrette butts, birthday candles, you name it!

So, I hop into my car, roll down all the windows b/c of the smell, and drove right back to the hospital. I called up to the hospital first.
Me: "I need someone to get me some scrubs. I'm on my way up there."
Nurse: ....honestly, I forget what he said, but he was giving me a hard time about my request...
Me: "I'm serious. I'm in a situation here, and I am on my way back to the hospital. I am COVERED in gasoline. I'll be there in a second."
Luckily for me.... they were prepared for my arrival, and I got "de-con'd", as in decontaminated. I opted out of the de-con shower, thank you very much. I got to wash off in a sink, and got new clothes to wear. My clothes were double bagged, but I'm sure they're just ruined. How do you get gasoline out of leather boots????

So, I left the hospital in scrubs (short sleeved...), & crappy-a$$ slipper socks. I had no shoes. It was priceless. I had to drive home with all of the windows open to air out the interior of the car since I rode in there with my gas-soaked clothes.
I froze my hiney off!

Got home. Hubby got my bagged clothes out of the trunk of my car. He also washed all of the gas off my car.

It was all so gross.
And lucky me---I lived to tell the tale!

It's a Major Award!

Thanks, Laura, for my new Major Award!

House Rules.

It's that time.
It's been that time.
Rule time.
Consequence time.

I'm gearing up...to address the subject of house rules...

So what will make the cut for the "Casa de Lainey-Paney House Rules"???

It's so hard to make this list...
Do I make the rules general & keep the list short?
Do I make the rules very specific so that I can address specific behaviors?
Do I stick with things that are easy to draw/find pictures for, since that's where we are---it's not like Gage can read!

So...I suppose I'm lookin' for feedback here.
What are your house rules?
What are your thoughts on house rules?
What has worked & what hasnt?
Where do you post the house rules, and how do you enforce them?

....just curious....and brainstorming!

Mom of the Year; working toward 2009 Title.

So...it's really never too early to start earning my title as 2009 Mom of the Year, right?

Remember this guy?


You know the one---my son?

Yes well....remember how he broke his clavicle, and we took him to the Pedi Ortho doc on Friday? Well....remember how we were told to avoid all activities which may result in a fall?

Yeah, well, um....
He fell.



So....this little fall incident took place in the bathroom.
We've been working on potty training.
He was all ready to use the "big potty" on Friday night... He had his little stool pulled up next to the potty. We pulled his pants down (but avoided the complete undress for toileting which he sometimes insists upon...). He stood there on his stool preparing to use the potty....leaning forward....then WHAM! He leans forward too much, the stool slides out from under him, he falls foward into the potty with his left shoulder/clavicle area landing smack dab on the rim of the bowl.
SON OF A B*TCH! [Not him of course---the situation!]

He was a crying, hurt mess.
I was freaked.
I immediately paged the doc on call, expecting the worst, and expecting to head back up to the ER for another x-ray...
By the time the doc on call called back---Gage was happy again, had been playing with toys, and then was tucked into bed.
On call doc wasn't too worried.
So then---I wasn't either.
But----MAN!

If we keep going like this---it's going to be a very.loooong.healing process!

Bone Doc.

So, I took Gage to the "bone doctor" today.

He got this butterfly brace thing today. Apparently our LACK of appropriate healing is largely due in part to the inadequacy of the sling he was wearing. It was too big, and did not adequately immobilize his arm/support his arm to reduce pulling on his shoulder, affecting his clavicle.

So-------we wear this harness thing...this butterfly brace under his clothes. Well, he wears a t-shirt, then then harness to keep his shoulders kind of....back, and straight. then he wears a sling that's just his size, and that is to support & immobilize the arm to keep the pressure off the clavicle.

He looks like a little football player.

The harness comes off for bath-time only. The sling comes off for night-time sleep & bath-time.
Good times.....

So, we'll give it 2 1/2 weeks to start healing appropriately & avoid surgery!!!

[really? surgery for this? really? his bone is not poking out of his skin, so I'm just CERTAIN (okay, 99.9% sure) that is not in our future.]

Anyway...that's the update for today.
We've been instructed to avoid swinging, climbing, running, jumping...anything that could produce a fall.
mmmmmmmmmmmkay. So, after the ortho doc appointment, Gage wanted Chick-fil-A. To avoid playgrounds, we went to the one at NorthPark.
So....what happened there? My child falls. On the escalator.
This child LOVES escalators.
We've ridden them 8 million times.
THIS time, instead of holding my hand or holding onto the rail (like he likes to do...), he puts his hand on clear glass that does NOT move with the escalator. So, instead of going right along....I watch, as if in slow motion, my child's right hand stay put on the clear glass, and him rotate his whole body to the right & lean up...and I just couldn't scoop him up to stop it fast enough. He fell on the escalator steps. It just sucked. He was freaked out. I was freaked out, but glad that we weren't at the bottom (don't ask me about my ER horror story of a child who fell at the bottom of an escalator...it's not pretty). The older couple behind us was helpful, but a little freaked out.

Now, leave it up to us.
Doc: avoid things that may produce a fall.
Me: okay....could you sedate him for the next few weeks, b/c he's 3. He falls every day...just from walking. Or being in a hurry. Or not paying attention. Or because the wind changes. He's 3.

He now hates escalators.
In brighter news: he loves his new sling. It's blue with sports balls all over it.
He's pretty much off Tylenol with codeine. We give it to him at night. It doesn't really make him sleepy (so we time it a while before bedtime!), but we think it gives him a longer pain relief, which in turns seems to help him sleep.

What else? We really liked the Ortho Doc staff. They were awesome.
That's about it for now!

Chuy's & Harry...

What time is it????????????????
It's time to post party pics from Pam's 30th hang-out-with-the-gals-get-together!

(Get your minds out of the gutter Pam, Tera, & Leslie....
Okay, okay....keep your minds in the gutter---YOU guys know what TIME it is!)

...sorry, inside joke. I had to start it off that way, right?

Meet me: I'm the gal who usually just blurts out whatever's on my mind. Have you met me yet????

So, our lady Pam is now 30 +1 day.
Her fiance is still in New York on a business trip.
In all fairness, they did spend the weekend BEFORE her birthday celebrating in New York.

So...for the evening, we ESCALADIES went out in Leslie's new ride. We went to Chuy's in Uptown for 'ritas & yummy Mexi-food.
Tera & Leslie got the "Stuffed Avacado"...or "Fried Avacado"...or "We Stuff It, Then We Fry It Avacado"...I dunno. Whatever. I only mention it because it seemed odd, but they both really liked it, and so there you go. Give it a whirl if you're down at Chuy's.

Tera & Pam


Leslie & Lainey-Paney


After dinner, we headed over to Wild About Harry's for some frozen custard.
MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm!

And, of course, Harry was there.
:)
We love us some Harry!!!


And....just so you all know, Pam & Mark went to Chuy's & Harry's on their first date.
Let's see....I suppose Tera, Leslie, and I better be gettin' some diamond rings from Pam if we play our cards right....
I'm just sayin'....

So, back at Harry's....
Here's the flavor breakdowns for you if you're interested in one of our "concretes"...if you've been to Harry's, you know the lingo.

If you order a Pam concrete, you've ordered vanilla with Heath bar.
If you order a Laine concrete, you've ordered chocolate with Heath bar.
If you order a Leslie concrete, you've ordered chocolate with chocolate chips.
If you order a Tera concrete, you're creative with flavors & weird, and you've ordered strawberry with Oreo bits.
(Okay, I tried it, and it wasn't as gross as it sounded...I have to give her credit for creativity...)

Pam opened her gifts while we were at Harry's....

....and she's lucky that I didn't pre-fill it with images of my child before tossing it in the gift bag!

:)
Happy 30th +1 day, Pam!
Now, if I could just find the perfect watch....you Escaladies know what time it is! Now go get to it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pitiful...

Bless his heart...



Thank you, Aubri, for Gage's 1st "Build-a-Bear."
Her name is "Aubri-Bear."
:)

We go to the Pedi Ortho doc on Friday.
Poor buddy.

Time to say "buh-bye!"

So...last week...last Monday to be exact, my mother in law undecorated our house from Christmas.

She & I spent the evening packing all of the stuff away in boxes, and Hubby decided to cut all of the limbs off the tree rather than haul the big ol' tree out of the house in one piece.

Gage was blissfully unaware of all the hardwork going on around him...

Rockin', Broken, & Barely Hanging On...

My husband is ROCKIN'!

He got me my power cord adapter thing for my computer, therefore I am blogging.

My child is broken---he broke his first bone.
Clavicle.
How? Um....as best as we can tell based on reports from our 3 year old, he fell out of his bed around 1 or 1:30 in the morning, and fell onto the hardwood floor. He cried. We woke up. Never heard any kind of "thud". Hubby went to check on him after we heard the cries not followed by the pitter patter of little feet running toward our bed. The cry was an "I'm hurt" cry. We asked him "what hurts?" He said, "my ears hurt when I laugh. We thought---ear infection. Dosed him with Motrin, and got him comfy in our bed. This morning---new story, and he wasn't using his arm.
X-ray showed break in the clavicle at an angle from top to bottom.
POOR BUDDY! He's in a tiny sling and it's even still a bit too big.

And then there's me: barely hanging on. And I quote: "Mom, it's me. Send drugs. Send lots & lots of drugs."
My mom: "For you or for Gage?"
Me: "For all of us. I think we could all just use a big ol' dose of whatever you've got!"

Think Happy Healing Thoughts, and send 'em our way!

Another "First" for Baby Gage
1/11/9: first broken bone.

:(

TENACITY

Thank you, Susan, for emailing me on my down & dumpy disappointing day. You used the word "tenacity" in your email.

I've been focused on that word ever since.
Seriously.

From there, I climbed out of my dark hole of disappointment, brushed myself off, and got back to work.

A local senator's office has agreed to look at my proposal after SOMEONE ELSE changed their mind. Certainly this senator has not (yet) agreed to sponsor my proposal, but at least here in the 11th hour they've agreed to look at it.

I just have to remind myself---it took 5 years to get this passed in another state. I can't give up at the first little round of disappointment. There may be others in the future, and I plan to handle each one better than the last.

:)

Thank You, Sleep Number Bed!

Seriously---I can't tell you how in love with this bed I am.

Last night---instead of waking up during the night with cramps, I slept through it, and instead I had a weird dream that I found out that I was pregnant, so decided to go to Cancun where I couldn't drink, and I was pudgy from bloat, but not visibly pregnant, so I didn't look cute in my swimsuit, and I was just....not super happy to be there.

So, it wasn't the best of dreams by any means, but I blame the cramps for creeping their way into my brain, and my body was aware of them so it affected my dreams---but my sleep number bed kept me asleep.
Yes, the new bed gets all the credit.

I love it.
It's worth every penny.

And a little tip if you're checking into getting one: you get a MUCH better $$$ deal if you buy online rather than in the store. That was our experience anyway.

:)

Ugh.

So, night before last: woke up at 2:30 in the morning. Couldn't go back to sleep. My mind was just racing about a billion different things.
Looked at the clock again...3:45.
Looked at the clock again...4:20.
I FINALLY must have fallen asleep after that, but then the ol' alarm went off at 5. Lucky me.

But, last night: Gage was in a great mood.
I got to chat on the phone with Melissa. That's always nice.
Went to sleep in the 10 o'clock hour.
Slept ALL NIGHT LONG. I truly cannot remember the last time I slept through the night without waking even once.
What's your sleep number?
Apparently mine is a 40. I'm lovin' our new bed.
Gage even came & got in bed with us at some point. I haven't a clue when b/c I slept right through it.

On another note: no laptop use at home. Tried to turn it on yesterday---the little blue light just flashes three times at me. Did it get too hot & burn up? Maybe. It was laying on the couch ALL DAY YESTERDAY. Is the battery messed up & not holding a charge? I dunno. Maybe.
I'll die at home with no internet. Die. I mean, death. Shrivel up like a little flower with no light or water...die.
Okay...maybe that's a bit much.... but I can say that I won't like it one bit!

It's Friday. Woohoo.

Eggs & Disappointment.

I am thirty years old, and I should know better than to put all of my eggs in one basket.

Today....well, in short, I found myself extremely, utterly, wholly-engrossed in disappointment.

And so right now, I'll leave you with these disappointment quotes.

“The prompter the refusal, the less the disappointment”
~Publilius Syrus quotes (Roman author, 1st century B.C.)

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
~Martin Luther King, Jr

"The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way."
~Robert Kiyosaki

"Disappointment, when it involves neither shame nor loss, is as good as success; for it supplies as many images to the mind, and as many topics to the tongue."
~Samuel Johnson

"Disappointment weighs heavy on the pride."
~Mike Howerton

"Rigid beliefs make disappointments seem unbearable, whereas realistic beliefs help us to accept disappointment and go on from there."
~Eileen Kennedy-moore

"There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love."
~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tomorrow may be better.
I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Quote of the Week....

"If you wanna talk to you, you hafta talk to YOU-SELF!"
----Baby Gage, age 3yo

Movie Reviews....

The Women

It was good. It wasn't great, but it was good. I think I really expected more... But, it was good. Definitely a CHICK-flick. Hubby never would have sat through all that....AMAZING cast. Really. And, can I have Meg Ryan's hair. It looks good short, long, straight, curly. I.want.her.hair.
***
Shocked by the discovery that their pal Mary's (Meg Ryan) husband is having an affair with a beautiful young shop girl (Eva Mendes), a tight-knit circle of New York socialites comes up with a devious plan to help Mary win back her man. This remake of George Cukor's classic 1939 film boasts an all-star ensemble cast, including Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing, Bette Midler and Candice Bergen.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

Not really my cup of tea. I don't like the X-Files to begin with. So, I didn't watch this movie. Hubby watched it, and he liked it. He says that the X-Files movies are not so much like the show. He doesn't care for the show, but he liked this movie & the one before it (other X-files movie from 1998).
***
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their trademark roles as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in this long-awaited sequel to the 1998 hit film The X Files: Fight the Future, based on the phenomenally popular TV series. Amanda Peet ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"), Billy Connolly and Xzibit fill out the cast, along with series regular Mitch Pileggi ("Stargate: Atlantis"), who returns as FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner.

House Bunny

blah. whatever. passed the time. no big whoop. not as funny as I thought it would be.
***
When Playboy bunny Shelley Darlington (Anna Faris) gets evicted from the mansion, she is a woman without a country -- that is, until she meets the sisters of Zeta Alpha Zeta, a sorority on the brink of losing its campus chapter. The Zetas need Shelley's makeover expertise so they can attract a new pledge class -- otherwise, their house goes to rivals Phi Iota Mu. But the Zetas have something Shelly needs, too: the confidence to be herself.

Audible...No Visual...Just Listen....

So...this is "America" by Neil Diamond...and Gage.
He calls this "The Camping Song"...not entirely sure why, but whatever...

We were in the car, and he was singing along. At first you really can't hear him...but stick with it. I assure you, you'll be able to hear him...

Gage Loves....

...this new Scooby Doo book...
(Thanks, Sadie-Bug!)





Aaand...random "date nites" with his Mom...
Mmmmm....pizza!
(camera shy that day...)

12/30/08

Well...on 12/30/08, Zephra & some of her crew came over to pick up some boxes for their big move. Tera & Aubri popped over for a bit too.
:)









Tera couldn't stay long. She had to go to work, so Aubri stayed & played so that her Mommy could get ready for work.

Gage did pretty well....at first. But, he was worn out, tired, tired of sharing, and ready for a nap before everyone left. Poor buddy.

But, I think the kids had a good time & got to burn off some energy playing baseball in the backyard!

Welcome, Spike.

Well...our Eddie has been gone over a month now.
Our fish are "on vacation to the ocean" for now.

Welcome our new pet: a remote-control dinosaur that Santa left for Gage @ his Memaw & Poppa's house...

Pics from Friday night, 12/26/8....









After that...I played around with my new little tripod thing....


...and then we grown ups sat around in the kitchen playing UNO.
Of course I lost...I always do....and somehow I managed to play the entire night without scoring a single point. I blame my mother-in-law for dumping her crappy cards on me!