Famous in Tees

yo.

what is happening?

we haven't been HERE so much as other places amongst the world wide like

HERE (Arkansas Business article featuring entrepreneurs in Arkansas - Karl was on the cover (albiet a teensy tiny 'see page 28' shot but the cover nonetheless!) in a Pandamonium T-shirt....standing in front of their whiteboard painted wall and next to the foosball table.) Rocking.

and HERE (Featured in Sync Weekly with my new friend Sarah from April's Little Rock Tweetup. Yep, a tweetup. To which I also wore a STL shirt... which, embarrassingly, is the EXACT shirt I have featured in my twitter profile picture. And I wore it. To a Tweetup. Yep. THAT, my friends, is bad. In my defense, I was on my way to a local baseball game.) Rocking.

Additionally, my group class on Monday (at my gym) had our pictures taken for an upcoming article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. (And, SURPRISE, I was ALSO wearing a t-shirt in that shot! Appropriately, it was a Little Rock Marathon shirt.) The article was about outdoor group fitness and I know the photog got a stellar shot of me huffing up some stairs! I will feature it if it prints. The photog also took a class shot of us running hill sprints - the class is mostly men in their 40s and 50s. I am one of (probably the) youngest, one of two regular female attenders, and SOLIDLY one of the slowest! You would think that would bother me but I'm just proud to be able to finish most days. (Downtown Athletic Club, I heart you and your punishment.)

tshirts.

RAWR.

AAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDD speaking of t-shirts and workout PUNISHMENT, I haven't forgotten about my Virtual 5K (10K?).

If you are interested, I would like you to complete this here SURVEY! I'm thinking that I will provide free tshirts for the first 25 entrants (if there are that many) and then email the tshirt design to anyone else willing or wanting to participate. Oh, wait, here's the SURVEY! (And for those of you new to the blog or new to the concept, the virtual race is literally that... all of us running in different places on the same day...and I would love for you to run with me.)

Survey:


And RAWR one more SUPER NON TSHIRT PICTURE OF ME AND MY HOT SISTER:
oh wait ONE MORE ONE MORE:

are you ready for some football? or baseball?

We ventured to the park to play ball. What kind of ball? We're not really sure.

seeeester is here

One more Mac to add to the pile.

The Offenders

I think it's safe to say my child is not the biggest fan of change.

I bought him the shoes pictured above and made the HEINOUS mistake of putting them on his feet. (God forbid.)

He cried the whole time I put them on and flailed around trying to kick them off. We finally got them on his feet and he absolutely refused to walk in them. He held on to one of my hands and one of Karl's and stumbled between us, literally tiptoeing/awkward walking to the car, gingerly putting weight of them, crying the whole time. We strapped him in his car seat (for his panera favorite treat - pumpkin muffies!) where he dried his eyes, waved at his feet and said "bye bye shoes" over and over again. (in a very sad, quiet little voice.)

We had to carry him into the restaurant and he didn't move once seated.

Yep, I'm thinking these are his restaurant shoes.

two showers

When I tell you THE PREGNANCIES have infiltrated our circle, I don't mean it lightly!

This weekend we/I attended two showers (one of which I helped host but not at my house - yeow!). One was Saturday for TWINS daylee and hayes and one was Sunday for BABY GIRL sadie kate.

Here is pretty mama Su, round and gorgeous with two little aliens inside. (And her son Setler showing his tummy as well.)
Here are a few images from the shower.

I put flowers in boots and watering cans (One more image here):
We DEVOURED the spicy corn dip (and burgers & hotdogs from the barbecue pit. Er, the grill. WHATEVER.):
Aaaaaaaaaand then some cupcakes:
We opened presents:
And here is pretty mama Jaime on Sunday surrounded by her goodness. This girl is decorating her nursery in OWLS and I droooooooooooooooooooled all over all of her owl-related gifts.

what the truck?

Friday:

(Baby Frances Katherine)

Saturday:


(Baby Parker)
Sunday:

(Shower for Baby Max)

As Nate would say "Oh the BABIES." (He like to add "oh the" before naming certain objects. It's pretty stellar. Oh the tree! Oh the car! Oh the bird! Oh the squirrel! (and with enthusiasm!) Oh the truck!

Except it sounds like 'oh the fuck!' Oh, yes, you have read that correctly. His mispronounce of the word truck sounds exactly like the f word. It's my karmic retribution for a lifetime of cursing. I have to walk around repeating really loudly "That IS a big TRRRRuck...t-t-t-trrrruck" so the people in the Kroger parking lot don't think I am raising a trucking heathen.

dear soda, why can't i quit you

So there's this thing: It's called Lent. People give things up for forty days in preparation for Easter, right? Right. I decided to participate this year. And, if I am going to be completely honest here, it wasn't really in prep for Jesus, it was for purely selfish reasons. (Like weight loss.)

Point: I gave up Coca Cola. It's definately the longest I have gone since, uh, childhood without a soda. Even pregnancy didn't really hinder my habit. (I cut back but didn't stop.) I don't drink diet anything, I don't drink Dr. Pepper or ANY other kind of soda (yucko!), I don't drink tea of ANY kind... nope, just the REAL DEAL COCA COLA CLASSIC.

So, for forty days, nothing.

I started refusing to eat at certain places because I knew the food just wouldn't taste as good without a Cola. (Yes, I'm one of 'those' people who can tell you which restaurants in Little Rock have decent soda - Purple Cow, I'm looking at you! Yum! Though I miss your old ice.)

Side note: (You would think this combination no coke and less eating out would help me loss weight, but that's didn't really happen. Eh.)

I felt so much more awake without soda (The lack of sugar crash!?) but continued to crave it pretty CONSTANTLY.

BUT AND BUT AND everyone told me it would taste gross and sweet and blahbity blah blah but you know what? I had one on Saturday.

AND IT TASTED FREAKING DELICIOUS.

And all I want to do is drive to the Kroger, buy a 12 pack and guzzle them all RIGHT NOW.

(I'm really trying to just have them for special occasions (like, say, Lunch.).)

TALK ME DOWN FROM THE LEDGE!!!

he's like 25.

Holy Baby Fever.

I have it.

(She says as she sips her 3rd glass of wine today.)

everyone needs an alice

So, this post is going to be about The Internet and, in particular, a site called alice.com. Alice (the company) did not in any way prompt or contact me to write this post. I've been using the site for awhile now and am still enamored so I thought I would share.

Basically, it's a site that you order your, uh, home supplies (??) from (read: toilet paper and paper towels and tampons and deodorant and cleaning supplies and toothpaste, etc.). These are all items that annoy me to purchase and haul to the car to the house. (Read: I hate shopping. I promise I'm not lazy. And, I'm not complaining about erranding with Nate in tow BUT it is easier to order things online (free shipping!) than to corral an energetic-would-rather-be-running-around-and not-in-a-cart child.

I will say I emphatically and COMPLETELY disagree with their "everyone needs an alice" (simply b/c of the female factor) slogan, but it does communicate what they do (and it's so damn catchy) so I look past it. As a general household/life/marriage rule, Karl and I split shopping and cleaning pretty evenly b/c neither are tasks we particularly enjoy. (Read: So now he uses Alice too.)

Plus, ordering online eliminates my dangerous Target trips! That alone saves me money. I am in love with their black and blue toilet paper-filled boxes on my doorstep.
So, yea, check it out if you so choose.

If not, LOOK AT THIS:
Nate had his first (and second) popsicle ever today to celebrate April!

one two three four five, everybody in the car so come on lets ride

1. I saw these gentlemen holding this sign outside a downtown Little Rock Easter Egg Hunt. If you can't see it, it says Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, and a few other denominations are all going to hell. They also said their church was the only way to heaven. It makes sense, really. Ahhhh love it.
2. I posted this at Share Love Everyday but my newly polished 'wet cement' fingers and toes make me hap-hap-happy. (Like how I took the pictures on the dry cement? oh, so clever. er, lame. whatever.)
3. Airplane watching.
4. Flips.
5. This piece that I adore but appears to be sold out by artist Lisa Congdon.
Five things for you!

Additionally, Nate turned 21 months this past week. He can identify all his letters (the ABCs!), most colors, and is starting to recognize some numbers. I'm not kidding when I tell you he speaks in sentences. Often. He repeats EVERY. SINGLE. THING. out of my mouth. I can't get enough of this stage. He's communicative and happy and laughing and sleeping and JESUS ITS FUN.

That is all.

attack of the blue bathroom

Yesterday, I was standing on my toilet, reaching for something in the very back of the top most built in cabinet in our bathroom. I leaned my hand (and entire weight) against the towel rack (stupid i know) and it collapsed, broke, and fell off the wall. I fell with it. Hard. I kind of bounced with my chest/right shoulder off the sink below and flipped back, landing on my bottom (but not before hitting my other shoulder and head on the wall and door, respectively.).

I sat there on the floor, stunned, and said the same thing aloud that I say to Nate when he falls: "You're okay, It's okay, You're okay, You're FINE." while checking to make sure I really was okay and nothing was bleeding or broken. (Thankfully no, but DAMN it hurt.) I went slowly into the other room for a time out (ha.) and began to instant message Karl on the computer to let him know I fell. About ten minutes into messaging I started to feel woozy and vomit-ey. Thankfully Nate was napping, but Karl decided to come home (just in case), and we spent a nice, quiet afternoon together.

Other than a massive bruise in the shape of my sink ledge on my chest and some soreness, I really am totally fine. All in all, it wasn't that a big deal but when I started feeling all nauseous I started to feel all PANIC about the situation. Not so much for myself but because I was all alone in the house with my toddler and what if I had passed out and Nate wasn't contained in his crib and what if what if what if what if what if and OH AND WHAT IF?!?!

I don't really know why I'm telling you this story. Mostly, I guess because it scared me and I needed to get it off my (very bruised) chest. And it made me feel a little bit like a fragile old lady.

trees and bunnies and rompers oh my

Things that are making me happy:

1.
Here are the invites I did for an upcoming baby shower. I thought they were fun. Not perfect but fun.

2.
This very scary, uh, bunny at USA Drug. (S)He was greeting people at the door. I'm guessing it was an Easter shoot as there was a bench covered with that icky Easter grass (What is that?) and a camera person. Nevertheless, freaked me out. I wanted desperately to ask him: Why do you wear that stupid bunny suit? (Correct response: Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?) (Donnie Darko reference.)

3.
I've been following craftastrophe for a while now and for some reason this particular jumper made me giggle....especially the line from the first part of the description: "Why are his hands up by her shoulders when his head is on her tummy? It looks like Ernie’s being held at gunpoint. And if that’s the case then what did he do? So many questions!" Read the rest of the description here.

Ok that's it. Just three happy things for today. (Well and the weather and the pasta I made for dinner with broccoli and mushrooms and the park and the sun and the blue sky and the clouds...oh and did I mention the weather? It's crazy how much of a difference the temperature makes on my attitude!)

sunday sweets: daffodils, dresses, and drinks

We spent a gorgeous Friday atop Wye Mountain running amongst the daffodils. More pics here.

Saturday we attended a lovely wedding at the Albert Pike Hotel.

I wore a dress:
and took an image of the back of some peoples heads:
This wedding was SIMPLY GORGEOUS ya'll. There were greens and pinks and wish trees and photo booths and glittery cup cake boxes. Oh, and beer! After the wedding, we headed to The Flying Saucer (a bar!) for some more drinks, er, okay, FINE for the ENORMOUS soft pretzels and cheese fries. Our much appreciated designated driver dropped us safely at our door and we were in bed by midnight. (Nate was on an overnight date with Gigi and PawPaw! YEA HAW!)

Sunday we spent recovering and churching.

I have been working on some invites (almost done!) and they may be my favorite thing I have ever designed. As soon as they are printed and mailed, I'll post the proof.

state of the, uh, union (?)

A friend of mine and I were discussing her recent decision to stay home with her children and I decided maybe it was time for a little state of the union about my own, uh, union: The Union of Staying Homeness. Before I begin I would like to remind everyone that this is my own personal experience/thoughts and nothing in the below paragraphs are meant to judge or critic or discuss the merits of staying homeness versus not staying homeness versus workingness versus blah blah blahbity blah. (Disclaimer done.)

So, yea, I've officially been a stay at home mom (SAHM. pronounced Saaaaaaaaahm. Long A. Bow down to Saaaaaaaaaahm. Ok, it's not really pronounced that way. And please don't bow down to me.) since May 2009. Gulp. We are approaching one year! Big Gulp. That is me out of the workforce for one year. Not a single "real job" on my resume since then. Sometimes it still makes me suck in my breath.

my adjustment phase:

("Adjustment phase" - ha! I'm such a geek. But there definitely was one. I still feel like I am constantly adjusting. Aren't we all? I hope so!)

The most difficult thing about this DRASTIC lifestyle change (for me) to get used to: the SLOWNESS and lack of daily structure. I've been working since 15. Even summers I had full time 8 to 5 jobs. (Well, except my freshman year of college. I didn't work that year and believe me it was a drunken, glorious, car-less (as in no vehicle) 365 days.) I've worked as many as three jobs at one time. I don't know why. I just have. I didn't really know what people that don't work "normal office hours" DO during the day and, when I first began staying home, I marveled at the sheer number of strangers ambling around the grocery and parks for weeks ! I still feel like I'm having to teach myself to SLOW DOWN and I attempt to be more of a homebody (because SAHMs MUST. STAY. HOME. lock the doors!) in a effort to further simplify. (It's okay to stay in. It's okay to watch movies during the day every so often. It's okay to sometimes stay in pajamas until noon. It's okay to occasionally eat popcorn and cheese sticks for lunch. It's okay to play on the internet during naptime. Aaaand REPEAT.)

Some days suck (especially rainy cold ones!). Some days are boring. Some days I wish TO GOD I had an office and (gasp) Outlook email. Some days I even wish for conference calls and slacks with a crease. Some days I would rather have my boss or my coworker yell/snark at me than watch my 20 month old throw one more piece of food or whine (or poop! ew. poop post! poop post! sorry for no warning!) one more time. When I'm having less than awesome days I try to remind myself that, if I were at the office, I would have days were I had to complete work I didn't love or deal with clients I didn't like. (AND I remind myself that I no longer have to write my name and DO NOT EAT on my lunch or store my breastmilk next to my bosses leftover spaghetti in a nasty office fridge!)

Mostly, we have great days. Nate and I run around so much visiting and learning and playing and laughing that we're both exhausted. We go visit Karl at work and spend time with Karl's parents and grandmother. Now that it is spring, we try to spend most of our daylight hours outside. He's at my favorite age yet and I intend to fully enjoy that this spring and summer.

Overall, I am just happy with my decision. Nate goes to school one day a week (soon it will be two!) and I spend that time recalling my inner-creative (that may or may not have gotten lost for a bit!). I ATTEMPT to spend my free time creating, designing, writing, reading, websiting, interneting and working with Karl on projects... and contemplating looking for more freelance or part time work. I like to think that if the right opportunity came along (part time, full time, or otherwise) I would consider taking it because I try to keep an open mind. (AND I'm getting a lot better about leaving Nate at school after the disastrous daycare dramas of past.)

Ahem. So, in conclusion, yeah, it's going pretty well. It's working for me and my family right now. I don't know what the next year is going to hold, but we're ready! We're constantly adjusting and reevaluating and working towards a happier, more balanced family life. What can I say? We work hard, we play hard, and we love it!

Evaluation OVER.

Share Love Everyday

My friend Sarah and I have been wanting to participate in a 365 project (photo a day) for a while and we finally took the plunge! We started posting our photos side by side on March 1. (Well, we started posting the photos anyway; they weren't side by side until, uh, yesterday as we have been template tweaking and trying to find what works the best!)

We are still trying to fix some thing to make the design of the site even cleaner with easier links to the archives and to our feed. (Right now, both are linked above her and both above me.) So, we're working on that, but we wanted to start sharing our love with our friends and family and bloggy friends. (bleinds?)

You can subscribe via our RSS feed here.

or

You can follow us on twitter here. (We will post one tweet a day when both our photos are up.)

We are undecided as to whether to enable comments on the photos. Right now, we aren't. What do you think? You can also email us at wepointweclick@gmail.com if you have any thoughts or suggestions.

After 5 years (almost six) of blogging, this is my first time to REALLY start posting at another site. We don't claim to be sensational photographers, but we do love to share our moments. Hope you will come along!

irish catholic roots

So, you may have noticed if you know me at all or follow me on the twitters that we celebrate St. Patrick's Day in my family! This year Nate and I decided to spend Parade Day in St. Louis with my family. (We also were able to attend a good friend's wedding shower so it was a double boosh kind of weekend.)


Here are some Photos of St. Patrick's Day PAST:

My grandparents marched and danced with a group called the Green Garter Brigade for, oh, maybe ten years or so. It was always fun (in younger years) to be huddled up under our blankets eating pretzel rods and an inappopriate amount of cookies waiting for them to pass by in the parade. Here are some shots of me from my second 2nd Pat's Day, jamming to Irish tunes on the front porch.

Here is Nate on his 2nd St. Pat's Day. The parade was way too cold for him and he spent a lot of it crying. (So that was fun.)
Dad and I enjoying a Guiness!
I don't think St. Patrick intended green beer, shamrock headbands, and excessive beads as celebration of his patron saint-ness, but, well, it sure is fun. My family has been celebrating in the exact same way since prior to my own birth. It was lovely to be a part of this year.

Happy St. Pats. Go put your green on.

oops

Nate and I were in St. Louis for four days this past week. Whilst packing, I put this tweet on the twitters.
The tweet said "Things I excel at: Packing" with a link to a Twit pic that I took on my phone of my suitcase. It SHOULD have looked like this:
(I wanted to showcase my stellar pile everything on top of a suitcase and cram it in skillz.)

Instead, our friends at Twit Pic somehow linked my followers to this image:
Which, while I'm sure this is a picture of a very nice man (and a firefighter!), is not exactly what I had in mind to pack in my suitcase!

Karl called me about thirty minutes into my drive laughing hysterically. I made him post a corrective tweet with my suitcase image! Ahhhh I love it when the internet has an accident. I wonder if someone hoping to see a picture of their firefighter was disappointed by the image of my hastily packed suitcase.

St. Patrick's Day pics shortly...