Movie night at the zoo? sounds fab!

The Louisville Zoo was playing The Wizard of Oz tonight, on a giant screen, outdoors. We went last week to their showing of Night At the Museum 2 (funny!!!), and had a good time with our friends the Barnhards. So of course I wanted the boys to see this American classic film. I told them a bit about it, and Kenshin was a bit scared, but told me if I sat by him, he'd be okay. :)

Since we left the house later than I wanted, I decided to stop at Arby's for the 5 for $5 deal. That's where it all went wrong. LOL I had to wait in the drive-thru line for almost 20 MINUTES for 5 burgers and a fry: 7 minutes waiting for the cars ahead of me, 4 minutes waiting for the guy to take my credit card, and another 8 minutes for the food, then another 2 minutes for the fries. Oh. My. Word. The manager will get an email about this. *nod nod*

By that time, I noticed some stormy-looking clouds, so I asked the boys if they wanted to rent a movie instead, and they liked that new plan. I got DragonBall from RedBox, and we headed home. DragonBall didn't work in our DVD player (probably the format, out DVD player is ancient) so RB gave us a credit, and the boys selected Alvin and the Chipmunks from our collection. Red Vines, 7-up, crackers, chocolate, fruity cheerios, and fruit snacks. What do they all have in common? SUGAR!! Krillin didn't go hog-wild like Kenshin, but both boys were not feeling so hot by bed-time. LOL

Miaka didn't care about the movie, but she cracked up, watching the boys laugh. She also really, really likes Keebler crackers. She hung out on the couch with the boys, munching her way through a small plate of them. ... the crackers, not the boys. ...LOL

All the kids were in bed by 10:15 (after a vigorous tooth-brushing and mouthwash, and a story). I hate going to sleep when Phil is still at work, so I'm waiting up for him. Dishes are mostly done. Coupons are a mess. Living Room looks like a play-room. But the kids are asleep, so I sure won't be vacuuming. LOL

Miaka's Month of Firsts

So, I'm a bit late posting all this, but better late than never, right? :) During June, Miaka did a lot of things for the first time:

The night before we left for Oregon, she pulled herself to standing in her crib, for the first time. She loves to stand!
A few weeks before we left, she was "scooting" around the floor, sort of Army crawl. While hanging out in Oregon and Washington, she started Crawling with a capital C. :)
She also started sitting on her own, and being able to transfer from sitting to crawling. :D


She sat up in a shopping cart! And then she slobbered on it.
She had her first ice cream. "Grampa" Gilbert had the gall to try to take it away from her, and I heard her scream from the other side of the store. LOLShe had solid foods for the first time. She had had "slobber foods" (you know, those little cereal thingies that dissolve easily with slobber) before, but she tried several jar baby foods, and loved them! really, she did.
She moved up in diaper sizes, from size 1 to 2. wahoo! :)

When we got home, we took her 0-3 months clothes and moved in her 3-6month size! Yes indeed, she's a growing girl. :)
She went into a pool for the first time. whee! okay, this is just her playing in an empty pool, but still fun!This is "for reals" at Busch Gardens.
There ya go, dad! :)

And back again...

We (the kids and I) went to Oregon for Jaylin's funeral. We stayed for 9 days, helping Emily get settled. Then we took a train ride and went to Maple Valley, WA for a week. I finally bought the return tickets on Friday, after looking at several options; for Saturday at 12:20. Friday afternoon, we got to hang out with Levi. I'm so glad I saw him! I apparently wrote a horrible letter to him several years ago, and told him I couldn't be his friend, and that's why we haven't spoken in 8+ years. I suck. I apologized. We moved on. yay! (yes, a horrible summation, but there it is) So I got "home" a lot later than I intended, and since both of my sisters were at the local fair, I was locked out (turns out I wasn't, but oh well). I finally got the text with the code to get into Missy's house, but after getting the kids to bed (I had to take them to Preston's for one last hurrah, lol) and all, I fell asleep with Miaka and thus couldn't pack the car.

Saturday dawned bright and early, but I slept through it. LOL! I didn't wake up until 8, and then didn't get everything packed in Sheila's car until 10, and we didn't leave until close to 10:45. yeah! So we get to the airport just after 11. Unload all the bags (checking in 6!) and realize Miaka was asleep, so Sheila kept her there at the car while I checked us in. The first guy got all flustered and handed me off to another lady. She asked again what time my flight was, where I was going, etc. After several minutes, she said, "Your flight was at 10:20." WHAT!!?? I just stood there with my jaw open, and feeling SO STUPID. I said, "Oh my!" She looked at other options for me to travel that day, and said, "There's a flight into Salt Lake, then on to Las Vegas. hmmm...but you'd have to stay the night there." I blurted out, "I don't know anyone in Las Vegas!"** She tried to help me feel better, and joked, "Are you staying with family? Are you still on good terms with them?" I laughed, and said, "Yes, my sister is right over there. I must have mixed up another day's time with today and just got it stuck in my head, I'm so embarrassed!" And she replied, "Well, you've got a lot going on. 3 kids, checking in 6 bags, that's a lot!" :) So in the end, she booked me for Sunday and no additional cost. Thank you, nice Southwest lady! :D

Well, the rest of the day I was a burden. LOL Seriously, Sheila and Missy were expecting me to be gone, and they did a lot of work making sure I was included in all their activities. They even traded cars so that Preston and my boys could hang out some more. (I had been using Sheila and Andy's extra car, but Andy needed it that day.) In all this, I was not able to visit my mom again, which upset her. It upset me, too, but what could I have done? For some reason, after missing my flight, calling my mom wasn't my first thought.

Sunday there was very little to pack, since I just grabbed some clothes from the bags. We got there in plenty of time, boarded smoothly. There were some people grumbling (audibly) about "the baby" on the plane, while waiting to board. Miaka woke up, looked back, grinned real big and everyone went, "oooohhhh!" and smiled and laughed. That flight was 4.5 hours long, and I got lots of compliments afterwards on how well-behaved my children were. yay me! :) The flight attendants made the trip fun by saying funny things, like "You're getting very sleepy!" when we taxiied for take-off, and whispering, "Wake u-up!" when we taxiied at landing.

When we got to Chicago, I noticed that our connecting flight was delayed, and wouldn't leave for 3 hours. I got dinner from Potbelly's (where else? ;>) and then realized there was a USO, so we headed over there. What a nice place! TV, comfy chairs, internet, a semi-secluded dark room (perfect for nursing the baby), food, drinks...and it was all free! :) The volunteers there were so helpful and accommodating. About 10 minutes before boarding, we left there and headed to the gate. ... Where we found that the flight was delayed ANOTHER hour. OMG!!! The USO had closed, so I had to wait with the kids right there, with all the other grumbly and upset passengers. When we finally got on the plane, I was amazed and thankful that the boys did NOT fall asleep on the flight (it was only a 1-hour flight).

So we arrived without further incident, and finally got home around 1:30am. Of course, I've been on West Coast time (yes, I know it's called Pacific, whatever LOL) for 2 weeks, so for me it was only 10:30, and I had a hard time getting to bed and asleep. I finally fell asleep around 4:30, and didn't wake up until after 8, and the boys were still asleep, so I decided that Krillin was NOT starting Cub Scout camp that day. LOL :)

The boys are now fine, but I am still having a tough time adjusting to East Coast time. Is it because I'm older? Because of the time of day I arrived? or just because I'm stubborn? ;)

**It was at this point, in telling the story to Missy, once we got back to Sheila's house (4 hours later) that Missy almost collapsed to the floor in laughter. I realized with horror who I had forgotten, and whispered, "Oh. Dad." I could have seen my dad, his wife, and my sister Lisa, all in one stroke (all of whom I haven't seen for at least a year), and I totally blanked on them. I suck.
"I don't know anyone in Las Vegas!" is now my motto for when I do something totally, inconceivably stupid.

please pray for my friend Emily

My friend since we first met in 2003, Emily, lost her daughter on Friday night. Little Jaylin, who would have turned 2 this summer, was hit by a car and died that night. David is taking it especially hard, and is under a doctor's care. Please pray for her family.

new pictures

I uploaded new pictures to Facebook. What? You're not my friend on FB yet? What are you waiting for? ;) Here's a link to the album. :) **click the picture!**

Earth, wind, and...wait for it...

Last night I made bread. That, plus the week's worth of "not-dishwasher-able" dishes made for a pretty hefty pile. So once the dish-drain was full, I folded a towel and placed it on our flat-surface cooktop, and started putting the heavy dishes there to dry. A bit later, P-chan decided to cook some chicken helper for his lunch. After several minutes, he yelled out to me, something about smoke. The towel was smoking! He grabbed the stoneware pieces and told me to take them, that they weren't hot. My brain was slow, and didn't believe him, so he got a little frantic. I finally moved and placed them in the sink, while he turned off the burner. I grabbed the towel, which was smoldering, and took it to the back porch, where it promptly burst into flames. I was still holding it, so of course I did the logical thing and started waving it around. *yeah, not smart, I know* Then I remembered what I was actually supposed to do, and dropped it, and smothered it with itself. After the flames were out, it still sat smoldering, so I had to get a cup of water to douse it.
So how did the burner get turned on? I had assumed that P-chan had somehow turned on the wrong burner, but it turns out that as the stoneware was drying, one of them turned on the burner. Moral of the story? Don't use your stove for a drying area!
And also, I need more counter space....

At least the bread turned out pretty well. I forgot that I was supposed to add several minutes to the baking time, since I was using my stoneware pans. It was a bit doughy when it first came out, but I think it's fine now. And since I'm a pack-rat, I had bread bags on hand, so it looks like I bought unsliced bread. I posted the recipe over at Kitchen Crazy.

Any ideas where the camera's cord is? Yeah, me neither.

backup, backup, backup!

About a week ago, one of my external hard drives stopped working. For a few days, it had been making a weird clicking noise. Then, it just stopped being recognized by the computer. At first, I thought it was "no big deal" because it's the EHD that has all my "digital freebies" (digital scrapbook stuff that I've downloaded for free). But as time goes on, I realize that EHD had more and more stuff on it that I'd forgotten about. Like the Excel file with all my unused coupons for different digi stores. And all the digital card projects (that I'd paid for!). Plus, almost 2 years of my favorites sites.
Since the EHD crashed, I've signed up for Mozy. The backup had been running for several days, and was 36% complete. Then last night, Windows thought it would be the perfect time to install some updates and restart the computer. GAAAAHHH!!! Now the Mozy backup had to start all over. oh, I am so frustrated!!!
But, I am relieved that the other EHD is still working fine. That one has all the pictures, completed scrapbook pages, and all the digi stuff that I've purchased.

Moral of the story: backup your files!! You never know what you're going to miss using.

Got boogies?

I've seen these in several stores recently, and I have to admit, I laughed that we would "need" wipes just for boogers. But with a sick baby girl and not feeling so hot myself, I decided to give them a try. I love them! It's that simple. :) And then I found this giveaway on a blog, so I had to enter!! Sweeps4Bloggers is holding a contest to win 2 packs. Wish me luck! :)

cheese

Here's Miaka, sharing her cheesy grin for you all to see! :D


And me, sharing my blue tongue from the cupcake I ate (Tuesday night). :P

free quickpage!

I am participating in the Quick Page Team Challenge at Pretty Scrappy. I got a free kit to work with, and the assignment was to create a quickpage, brag book page, or hybrid project. This week I got to work with Juicy Pop by Creations by Rachael, and I chose to make a 12x12 quickpage. If you'd like to download it, visit the gallery at Pretty Scrappy. If you'd like to help me out even further, register and vote for me!

Polar Plunge!

P-chan accepted the challenge of participating in the 2009 Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics . Not only will he be Getting His Plunge On, but he'll be raising money for children and adults in Kentucky with intellectual disabilities so that they can have the opportunity to experience the joy of sports training and competition.

We are asking you to help by supporting our fund-raising efforts with a donation. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of many! It is faster and easier than ever to support this great cause - you can make your donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message. If you would prefer, you can also mail your tax-deductible contribution with the form on the website.

Any amount, great or small, helps the cause. We greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on P-chan's progress. Click here to visit my personal page.

Join in the LIST!

(while I wait for LOST to become available on ABC.com....)

Join in the fun! Copy and paste the list. Bold the things you have done...
Found this on a random blog. I love stuff like this.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo ~ not in front of actual people!
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea ~ well, it was Tampa Bay...
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning ~ hello! I worked in fast food for 6 years...
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight ~ funny story! I got a concussion!
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill ~ I totally did this to go ring-shopping after getting engaged
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person ~ (sheesh, someone is obsessed with Europe!)
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance I was just there for the ride. It was Kenshin being transported.
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud ~ mud hole in PG, ftw!
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone. 2 of 'em!
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle ~ P-chan's bike goes 35 in the 20 zone around the house. ROFL
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person ~ I think I must have, but I don't remember it so I'm not counting it
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Made amends with someone who offended you
101. Flew in a small Cessna plane with just you and the pilot
102. Ran out of gas
103. Eaten fried okra ~ NASTY!
104. Swam in the Caribbean Sea
105. Peed in a swimming pool ~ this reminds me of the sign that was at the pool where my grandparents lived: Welcome to our OOL. Notice there is no P in it. Please keep it that way.
106. Rented a beach house
107. Hosted an exchange student
108. Been a Secret Santa to a family in need
109. Worked on a political campaign
110. Coached a sports team
111. Baked bread from scratch
112. Driven from coast to coast
113. Paid off all of your debt ~ and we liked it so much, we're doing it again this year!
114. Roast marshmallows over a campfire
115. Cut up a credit card ~ it was expired; does that count?
116. Drove a car through a flood ~ but in Tampa, it's called "rain"
117. Been on t.v. ~ I was in a commercial for bike helmets, as a public safety announcement (my whole family was)
118. Seen the twin towers.
119. Been to ground zero
120. Been on top of the Empire State Building
121. Lived outside of the United States
122. Stayed awake for more than 24 contiguous hours
123. Applied for a reality TV show

Now add something that's not on this list and keep it going, if you'd like.

Slide to the left!

Now everybody clap your hands!

Seriously, now. He isn't the candidate I wanted, but I honor and respect that he won. I pray he will make the best decisions for the country. Obama ftw!

Gallery of Miaka

Here are the long-awaited and promised pictures! :) They are in chronological order.

Here is Miaka, the day after she came home.



That's what she looks like most of the time.

Here's what the boys started to think she looked like:


aaaawww, pretty girl!

oh, the baby's not too shabby either. ;)


nekky!


yes! she got to wear the same pants as the boys!


right after the bath (still have to edit those pictures, lol)


why yes, that IS a preemie-sized onesie.


just chillin' with Krillin:



in case you wondered, bunnies are her "thing":


I ADORE how she sticks her bum out!! :D This is from yesterday.


That's it for now! We don't have an armchair (like Missy does, to measure her children). So, any suggestions on how to "show" Miaka growing?

My hungry, hungry hippo

Miaka has a new nickname: Hungry Hippo! I admit, it doesn't bring to mind a flattering image, but it fits nonetheless. She is hungry all the time, being a baby does that to ya. And she's growing fast! She is 3.5 weeks old today, and weighs 7 lbs, 10 oz. That means she's packed on 1 lb, 3oz since she was born. That's over 18% of her starting weight!! She has also grown an inch taller. However, she is STILL smaller than Krillin-at-birth. ROFL

Pictures will be posted tomorrow. Today was crazy. And I finally found the cord for the camera. :)