What I'm Reading...

I've got two things going right now, and two more already lined up....

Going:



and...




:)
Just an FYI....

Suck It, Sheplers!

Sheplers Sucks.
Sheplers Customer Service Sucks.

So, sometimes as parents, we resort to bribery.
I admit that I do.
Heck, I've already admitted that I have failed with parenting because my kid got a cavity, so I'll just go ahead & admit that I sometimes bribe my kid. While I would love to say that when I say, "Gage, behave" he just instantly conforms & acts angelic. Not so much the case all the time. So, when I said, "Gage, if you are good at the dentist, and open your mouth & let him look at your teeth---then I'll get you your very own pair of Cowboy Boots," I was of course bribing my kid, and it worked.

To note: Gage doesn't like strangers.
Gage doesn't not like strangers to touch him.
{HELLO! Stranger Danger!}
AND
I blame cartoons for contributing to his fear of the dentist, since he's clearly not basing it on any previous dental experiences of his own.

But---the kid WANTS some Cowboy Boots.

I manage to make it a priority on Wednesday to get the kid his boots. He held up his end of the bargain, and I'm the one who bribed him in the first place.

So, after my exam Wednesday, I set off to Shepler's which I'd already looked at online, yada yada.
Walk in.
Go to the boot dept.
Ask for assistance.
I basically got laughed at by the sales guy for not bringing my son with me, and expecting that man to know what size boot to buy for Gage. Now---I don't think I'm crazy. I said, "He wears a size 11 in toddler shoes, but the boots seem to be sized differently." I asked if there is some kind of conversion chart. He again laughed, told me that I'd have to bring my child in, and short of that happening, he couldn't help me.

ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?

So, I walk out. Get to the door. Turn around. Ask this guy who seems to be giving a tour of the store to some well-dressed professionals if he perhaps is the manager or perhaps could help me with something. He said that yes, he could. So, I told him that I felt put off because the guy in the boot dept. laughed at me & didn't help me & told me that I have to bring my child in. I said, "I don't WANT to bring my child in. I want to pick these out as a surprise. {which, you know is kind of true---I wanted to pick them & surprise him with them, although he knows that I said I would get them.} He brushed me off too, and said, "Maybe we'll do better next time."

That's it?
That's your response?

In THIS economy, when people are shopping less & less, THAT's your response?
Your sales guy laughed at me in a condescending way, and THAT's your response?

My message to Shepler's: "Hey JackAsses, there won't BE another time. You didn't get it right THIS time. And he's only 3. I've got at least 20 more years of buying this kid new boots. No telling what kind of profit dollars you just turned away."

I'm just sayin'......

So, next door at Cavender's, Kirk the sales-guy was more than happy to help me, sell to me, and see to it that I left with a box full of boots, whether we got it right or wrong. Thank you, Cavender's.

And in the end---they were just a bit too small, and I ended up having to exchange them, and Gage went with me. BUT---at least he had the surprise of boots when he got home today.

Suck it, Sheplers!
My little guy LOVES the boots he got at Cavenders!




{To note, he did opt for a boot color change at Cavenders---opting for the orange & brown boots. And of course it's probably because UT Longhorns have been a part of his life since he was born, thanks to his GrandDaddy Longhorn!}

The F Word.

As in, "You have FAILED as a parent."

Seriously---nobody take parenting advice from me. Ever.

My 3 year old has a cavity.

I feel like a total failure.

We brush. Damn, we brush.

And the kicker...
Dentist: "When did he start complaining of pain?"
Me: "Yesterday."
Dentist: "What was he doing when he noticed it hurting?"
Me: {wanting to lie, but my kid is in my lap, so what kind of example is that setting!?} "I'd love to tell you that he was eating a carrot. But he wasn't. He was eating a Gummy Bear."
Gage: "I TOLD YOU---I DON'T LIKE CARROTS!"

Of course, he also let me know really quickly: "AND I DON'T LIKE CABITIES!"

Pediadontist---here we come.

The good news: he's only got one cavity.
The good news: dentist said that with some kids, no matter what you do or how often you brush, they get cavities {I suspect he saw the big red FAIL stamp starting to appear on my forehead, and only said this to make me feel better.}
The bad news: he will have to have a filling or a cap.
The bad news: caps are silver & look gross to me! I don't want my 3 year old to have a grill!
The good news: I've got a few loose gemstones that I can have put into his silver cap if we have to. BLING-BLING! Ooooh! Baby Bling!

Okay---so that was my morning.
I've got an exam today & a mamma-jamma headache.

Hope y'all have a better parenting day than I've had.

Studying....

Okay, so I'm a little more than 1/3 of the way through my study guide for my test on Wednesday. Yes, I've outlined 21 of the 53 topics. It's a 60 question test.
It's taken me about 10 pages to outline this crap. I mean---useful information that I will not just retain momentarily, but rather for the remainder of my life...or until I get dementia. {In which case, I may actually THEN spew this crap (I mean useful information) from my mouth for the world to hear!}

What else?
Oh, I also get to meet with my "group" after the test on Wednesday. Why? Well, b/c the following Wednesday I've got a 15 minute group presentation on Down Syndrome, and my major paper due (which, no, I have not started).
#1. I hate group work. I'd rather write a 20 page paper by myself. I'm just sayin'.
#2. I didn't pick the topic.
#3. The groups were assigned. Love that. Luv it. Oh---did I just do the whole project by myself & you guys condescendingly read slides to our classmates, as if they cannot read themselves, and as if you know what you're even talking about? Great. {Okay, here I am just rambling on about PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES with group work. Maybe this one will be different, right???!!!} Can I have an A, please?

Okay. I'm done studying for tonight. More tomorrow, and then a last-minute cram it all into my brain session on Wednesday morning.
Let the good times roll.

Lazy Daisy....

Well, I would love to say that I had a Lazy Daisy weekend---but I didn't.
I DID have a Lazy-Daisy yesterday. I should have done my school work, but I didn't.
Instead, we watched The Guardian & Goonies. And we started watching Seven Pounds. I took a super-long bath & read my book! {The Help....I've had it for about 1 week & I'm 12 chapters into it. I love it!}

Fell asleep on the couch, for 2 hours.
That like NEVER happens.

Got new glasses over the weekend.
Ate Mexican food for lunch Saturday.
Panda Express for dinner Saturday.

We had a FIRST this weekend: Gage got his FIRST set of real Legos.
Oh my goodness---I couldn't believe how expensive these things have gotten. And they're so much cooler than they were when I was a kid. I'm just sayin'....

We babysat my Mother in Law's dog over the weekend. He's perfect!
:)

So, I've got a test on Wednesday. A test that I have NOT even started studying for.
But---my fortune inside the fortune cookie from my Panda Express dinner---it read, "Wednesday is your lucky day." So...does that mean I can forget studying & leave it up to fortune cookie luck????
I'm too anal retentive to do that....

Two Years.

It's hard to believe that two years ago today, we found out that our unexpected, pleasant surprise baby was not going to be. It's amazing how much you can fall in love with someone in such a short amount of time. How you can fill your heart and mind with hopes & dreams for a little one, and then it's just...not going to be.
Some days, I think about how old she'd be right now (yes, I've convinced myself that Masyn is a girl. It's hard to explain why I think that way---it's just a feeling that I've had the whole time.) I imagine how different my life would be right now with two children instead of one.

But, it's been two years now. Two WHOLE years. And I can hardly wrap my brain around it. Two years ago, I cried my eyes out at Dr.B's office. I knew she was gone before the sonographer ever opened her mouth. She just had this "I'm sorry" look in her eyes, and then she told us. And the wave of disappointment and sadness that just seemed to start from the center of my body took over.

My mom came into town the night before because we were called in by the OB's office. She spent the night so she could go with us to the appointment first thing in the morning. I wanted to believe that I didn't need her---that everything would be okay, false alarms, and all that. In the end---she was right. She knew I'd need her. She was so right.

I cried until I was cried out. My baby was dead, but my body was still pregnant, and I was starving. So, we went to lunch, and thought about what to do with the day ahead of us. We talked about going to the movies, but the only thing out at the time that I had even been remotely interested in seeing was "Knocked Up," and just the thought of going to that movie brought the tears back.

We spent the day crying off & on because that's how it goes, right?

And then two years ago tonight,I cried myself to sleep knowing that it would be my last night to spend with Masyn tucked away inside me. We already knew that she was no longer alive, but it was my last night to have her there---with me---in me. I just cried my little eyes out while my husband held me. And there was nothing he could do to change the situation. We felt sad & helpless.

And now it's been 2 years.
It's hard to believe.

Masyn, I miss you. I miss everything we lost when we lost you. I missed your laugh. I missed your smile. Your fingers patting my mouth or twiddling my hair as you nursed. Your eye color, your hair color, your temperament. I missed it all.
But---I got to be your Mommy. Of all the women in the world, I got to be your Mommy, even if it was only for a very little while. I hardly knew you were there, and then you were gone. I didn't get to appreciate it the way I wanted to, and then it was over. And I'm sorry.

Now, if nothing else, I have faith that there is a plan for us as a family.
God has a plan for us. I'm not yet sure what it is---but I have faith that there is a plan. And maybe the family he planned for us is this: A mommy, a daddy, a son, and an angel. No more, no less. I don't know yet, but that may be his plan. And some day I hope to find peace with whatever plan he has for us.

"I can’t imagine heaven’s lullabies
and what they must sound like
But I will rest in knowing, heaven is your home
And it’s all you’ll ever know…"
~Glory Baby by WaterMark

Road Trip! (Part 2: Pick-n-Edom)

So....Saturday, we all loaded up, and went to Blueberry Hill in Edom, TX.
We went last year, and this was our return trip. So Much Fun!



















...and who knows what time it was when we were finally done...

{okay, we saw this clock "tower" on top of a bank. it caught our eyes, and it was funny to us...}

After that...another swimming session...you know, hanging out in & around the pool, sipping on smoothies {hello! we had fresh blueberries! So, I made smoothies with bananas, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, OJ, ice, and rum! Yum!!!}



Yes, that's a Shih Tzu on a float. That's the neighbor's dog, Suphie. {soooophie, not sophie.}

"Git it, PawPaw!"
"MySpace!"




So....what was next? After the swimming, the boys wanted to set up the Slip-n-Slide on the hill in Darnin' & PawPaw's backyard. {Again, Thank you, Jessica, Blaine, B, A, & S! We love the Slip-n-Slide! Have Slip-N-Slide, Will Travel!}





Hey Darnin'---How's that Slip-n-Slide treating ya? FYI: you're doin' it wrong. Did you even read the warning at the starting point? On your belly, silly!!!


More backyard fun was to follow...


That's Gage's 'I-just-got-hit-with-a-ball-but-it-didn't-really-hurt' look...


That's Gage's 'Serious-about-throwing-the-ball-back' look...

Trystan had fun climbing the trees...


And PawPaw made his famous PawPaw burgers....and BBQ'd chicken...on his new grill.






Of course the boys had to get wet all over again, so they played in the sprinkler in their undies! {oh, to be a kid again...}




And THEN---Tiff & I got "Grab Bags" from PawPaw. He'd been out shopping during the day, and put together these super fun bags of goodies for us! It was so sweet, and unexpected, and FUN! {like being a kid again! ...well, except for the part where I got to discipline my own child for throwing the world's largest fit b/c he didn't want me to open a gift, and come to find out it was all because he was jealous that I got a gift & he didn't...Gage---sometimes it gets to be about Mommy!}


Now---pardon the blurriness of the pictures. My mom took them. She'll even admit to this---she can pick up a camera and just totally jack up the pictures. {you know I still love you, Darnin'}


After that....a few of us were hanging out in Mario's room: PawPaw, Me, Trystan, & Gage. We taught PawPaw all about SpongeBob & his friends. Good times....
...then off to sleep. Oh, I assure you---it was great fun sleeping in a full-sized-bed with a 7 year old & a 3 year old. Gage wanted Trystan to sleep with him, but didn't want me to go anywhere, so we all slept together. It was....a long night.

Sunday: off to Palestine to my great-uncle's wife's 90th birthday.
Really---she could have taken me or left me. Made her no difference whatsoever that I went. Her comments kind of reminded me of that Maxine cartoon. {FYI: if I live to be 90, I want dancing & drinking at my party. I'm just sayin'....}

So, that's the birthday gal, bottom right.
That's my grandmother to the left. Most of the others---yeah, I don't know how I'm kin to them {reminds me of that Robert Earl Keen Christmas song...so, um...could someone run to the Stop-N-Go, we need some celery & a can of fake snow!}

Mostly, Tiff & I played with the kiddos on the playground behind the back building of the church. {oh yeah---we probably shouldn't have my 90th birthday party at the church...I'm just sayin'}




And I failed to get a pic of my mom with all her sisters.
After the birthday party, we headed to a fast food restaurant, and ate while the kids played. We lost track of time just a chatting, and we all had to hit the road! Drove back to big D from Palestine, and I swear we got behind every slow idiot out there. But, we all made it home safely, and life was good!

{Oh---Tiff & Trystan, I have Trystan's floatie-swimsuit-armor in my car! Oooops!}

Road Trip! (Part 1)

**************************
So, last Friday after work, my sister & Trystan came over. We loaded up in the car---went to the Mother-in-law's to pick up Gage, and we hit the road to Mom's house!

Friday night brought lots of swimming!
Not too many pictures, but lots of swimming.
:)





And so of course, Saturday morning, I was up by 5:20, and couldn't go back to sleep. So, I figured out how to make coffee in their high-tech coffee maker, and waited for the sun to rise. I didn't have a book to read or anything! I didn't want to wake anyone up, so finally when the sun came up I took some pictures around their backyard. Seriously---everything in that whole freakin' town is so green. Things just grow there.

And this.....this little monogram flag for their backyard...well, I've always loved it, and lots of people there have them, and I haven't seen any up here in Dallas!


Well....lucky me....PawPaw got me my very own before I headed home!

PawPaw's an early riser, so he & I were up before everyone. I was up before him, but then when he got up, we got to just sit outside, sip coffee, and chat.
:)

More about our fun-filled weekend later!

SLAP: Sandy Lake Amusement Park

Okay, so I am behind on my blogging.
It's been crazy for the past several days.
So, before I post about the most recent happenings, I have to play catch up!

Sandy Lake Park....
...I hadn't been there since I was a kid.
My grandpa took my uncles there when they were kids & taught them how to fish (according to my Gammy). My parents took us there when we were kids.

So---randomly, I decided to take Gage. I took Ruby & Allen too, since Allen is up visiting Dad for the Summer.
:)

Pics:















We did the amusement area rides first.
General admission cost is $2, but Gage was free! After that, you use tickets for the rides. Tickets are 50 cents each. After the amusement rides, we had a picnic lunch...







After that...we were off to the paddle boats (5 tickets each). Gage really wasn't sure that he wanted to do the paddle boats at first, but he ended up agreeing to it, and we had fun.





After that....we headed over to the pool. $5 each to get it, except Gage, who again, was free!







The water doesn't go over 3 feet, so Gage LOVED it. He could touch everywhere!

The best part about the whole day: it was sooooooo not crowded on a Tuesday.
I know, it certainly wasn't fabulous for the owner(s), but it was great for us. When we arrived, there were only 3 cars of people there. We were one of those cars. There was NOBODY there!
At one point in the afternoon, one of the owners asked us if we were going to return to the amusement park rides, since we were happily camped out by the pool. Since we were the only family there at 3:20 in the afternoon, he was going to go ahead & close that area early, and let the employees go on home. Not a problem with us! We were content to stay there at the pool. Having the whole place to ourselves was AWESOME!
:)

So---Sandy Lake Park. Go on a Tuesday!!!!

After that, Dad cooked out on the grill for us when he got home from work.
Gage happily snacked on chocolate candy that Gammy gave him...





Allen in the backyard...






It was a very long, but very fun-filled day!
:)