Post Christmas

The girls and I arrived in Monahans on December 18th for a two week trip. That trip ends in just 3 more days. On Saturday, Jan. 1st, the girls and I will make the long trip back home. Jeramy didn't come with us, not because he didn't want to, but because he is currently on a rig off the coast of Cairo, Egypt. We've missed him so much, I think everyone has missed him. He has gotten to Skype in with us a couple of times, but even Skype has its limits and the connection has not been very good. The good news is, Jeramy will be back home in just 14 days and then he'll have just one more hitch before moving back into the office. So yay!...no more single mom here!

Even without our Daddy, the trip has just been awesome. A fantastic Christmas, as usual, but with so much time we've been able to really spend lots of quality time with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. And as fatigued as I'm feeling after having to check my shoes and my bed for scorpions every day, I'm sad that it's all about to come to an end. But, being back in my bed and having a grocery store that carries more than Tampico Orange drink and two isles of various types of tortillas will be Awe-Some. Is it too much to ask for just one organic apple in this town???

Yesterday I realized that mom has been using regular laundry detergent in her new fancy schmancy HE washing maching. But MOM, I say, I you HAVE to use HE detergent, it says so in the instructions and at least 13 times all over your machine. But JENN, she says, you can't buy HE detergent in Monahans. Yes you can MOM, I buy mine at the dollar store in Katy, you have to be able to buy it at the regular grocery store in Monahans, even if it does feel like a street market in Mexico. But you know what internet?...you can NOT buy HE laundry detergent in Monahans, but you can buy 5 differnt fragrance variations of Fabuloso household cleaner. No shit.

I finally found mom some HE laundry soap at Wal-Mart in Odessa, a place that feels like the Largest street market in Mexico. So now I can rest well knowing that her new washing machine isn't struggling to process the excess sud-ation being caused by regular laundry soap.

Pumpkin Pie...done. Next up, pink stuff....

My First Triathlon

I submitted the following essay to a contest for the 250 first timers in the triathlon I did on October 17th.

My First Triathlon
By Jennifer Montgomery, #579

For about 10 years I’ve been saying “I want to do a triathlon.” Ten years ago, that was during college. That was before marriage, before kids, before careers, volunteer work, multiple moves, multiple pets, multiple countries and multiple excuses for why I couldn’t take time to do a triathlon. During college is when I should have done my first triathlon, not just because making time to train would have been much easier, but because I could have gotten hooked then. I could have gotten hooked and been doing triathlons all this time, for me, while all my excuses carried on around me.

But I didn’t do my first triathlon back then and four months ago I found myself no longer the young athlete that I once identified myself as. I suddenly started identifying myself as the woman, wife and mother of two that I now am. While I LOVE with all my heart being this woman, I missed that young athlete that craved competition and pushed herself to go longer and faster with each swim meet, each track meet and each workout. Aerobics for housewives has just never really been my thing.

In July I Googled “Texas Triathlon” and a few clicks later found Try Andy’s Tri in Sugar Land, just 20 minutes down the road. I signed up, paid my money and it was done, I was doing it. Back in the pool I went, I could now justify bike rides without the kiddo trailer and hello running, it’s been a long time. The first time I ran three miles without stopping was just amazing and as I started feeling stronger in the pool and faster on my bike I began to think, I can really do this.

My husband kept telling me that I was nervous the week leading up to the race. Of course I was nervous, what was I thinking in doing this? Was I actually going to do this? The idea of getting up before the kids and driving 20 miles away before the sun even came up, well that seemed crazy. How would my household even function without me there to wake it up and get it moving. That’s my job, I turn on the lights…who is going to turn on the lights if I’m not there?

The night before the race I went over and over the race route in my mind, from start to finish. I’m seriously going to come in very last. The guy is going to be standing at the end with a cone in his hand and a look on his face that could only mean, “It’s about damn time!” There’s no way I’ll be able to run 3 miles at the end, after all that swimming and biking, no way. I worked really hard, I really tried to get to that point, but it just didn’t happen. Everyone is going to be passing me while thinking in their head, “Seriously, go back to the donut shop you apparently crawled out of and leave this racing business to the ones that can hang.”

Then the morning came and I got up, got dressed and pulled my family-mobile vehicle quietly into the street. The morning smelled so wonderful, the way the world only can when very few are up and about. I took some deep breaths and pulled out of my subdivision and hit the Grand Parkway bound for Sugar Land. As I closed in on the race site I started seeing more and more vehicles with bicycles attached to them. Then, all of a sudden, I didn’t feel so out of place. All that hard work, all that training, that should mean I deserve to be here, right?

I got my bike all set up an hour before the race was supposed to start and took a walk around to see exactly what I had gotten myself into. To my surprise, there were lots of people that looked, well, just like me. When I got back to my bike and still had 45 min. to kill before the race I heard a friendly voice come from the woman sitting down on the ground next to my bike. She asked me if this was my first time. Okay, so it’s totally obvious, yikes. She said her name was Kara and then she started, without prompting, assuring me that I would do great and that I was going to love it. We chatted all the way to starting line and she was a life saver. Not only did I finish the race, I beat my goal by more than ten minutes. It was an experience that I will never forget and the only regret that I have is that I didn’t do it sooner.

First Grade

Anyone that follows me on Facebook knows just how much I have been anticipating the start of school. I love my eldest child, but dear God, I can't take another full day of her attitude. My mom says it's normal...or at least it's normal in our family. I called my mom on Sunday after we made our SECOND attempt to buy Ryleigh new shoes for school. The second attempt, like the first, ended in me dragging her to the car because we could not agree on the type of shoes she was to get. She needs athletic shoes, plain and simple. And I don't want to spend more than $40 on them. Totally doable, except that on the first trip she would only look at the Lelli Kellys...an $84 pair of shoes. And why does she want the Lelli Kellys???...because they come with a play cell phone that has lipgloss in it. She knows this because she saw it on a commercial. The second trip to get shoes ended in the same manner because she only wanted the Twinkle Toes that lit up. I am not opposed to Twinkle Toes, which is obvious because she already had a pair of Twinkle Toes. They do not light up, but they do fit and so it is my firm belief that she does not need another pair. She disagrees, quite adamantly.


So, on the first day of school she got to wear her old Twinkle Toes, the ones with rhinestones missing on the toes. And to be honest, I don't think it bothered her as much as it bothered me. Mom says all kids are ungrateful and are never happy with what they get whether they get it all or they get very little. I don't know if I believe that but these arguments have left us lots of room to talk about gratefulness and the importance of it. I told her that if she shows me that she has learned how to be grateful this week we can go shoe shopping again this weekend and try again. Maybe this time at Academy where they have neither Lelli Kellys or Twinkle Toes.


At any rate, here are some great pics of her at a Girl Scout event last weekend and then first day of 1st grade.

Mexico in June

Last April my mother, in a moment of weakness, told me that she would be willing to watch my kids for three nights during the summer if Jeramy and I wanted to go somewhere alone. I immediately took to the Internet and booked two non-refundable plane tickets to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. This way, when she sobered up, she couldn't take it back. While my mother is a fantastic grandmother in so many ways, she generally only likes to be a fantastic grandmother in small doses, and preferably at my house where I am clearly in charge of changing all poopy diapers. Just to be fair, Jeramy's mom is the same way.

Of course, in order to take advantage of my parents' generous offer, we had to first drive our children 10 hours to their house and then fly out of Midland. Yes, my mom is still punishing me for being 17...for three years.

A trip to West Texas isn't all bad. First of all, I get to see my family. And then of course, there are the fried burritos from the gas station...best served at 2am after sitting under the heat lamp for minimum of 6 hours. Worth driving 10 hours for every time.

So, we headed west, Monahans bound with a one night stop in San Antonio so Jeramy and Ryleigh could ride a roller coaster at Sea World.

And then at last, Jeramy and I found ourselves sans children on an airplane, headed to Mexico. 8:30 in the morning?? Why that's bloody mary time. Layover in Houston? A couple of vodka tonics will get me through it just fine. Final leg to Mexico...white wine indeed.

Once we made it to Mexico we decided that it would just be way more fun to rent a car than to take a shuttle...and what else would two newly liberated parents do. And while were were at, we decided to ride in a style. Only a red convertible mini-cooper would do.

Once we were at the resort we had some dinner and commenced to behave like we didn't know better and imbibed an unknown amount of wine that night.

The next morning...oooooooo, the pain...what-was-I-thinking-I'm-never-drinking-again kind of pain. Room service was really the only option...room service and water....room service, water and Tylenol. And then finally, some relief. And then, we were off to the spa.

When we arrived at the hotel we booked a couple's massage and nothing, not even the hangover from hell, was going to keep us from our massage. And it was just really lovely. The best part was after the massage when my hubby and I just got to sit and stare out over the ocean and have a cup of tea together. The world sort of stopped and it was in that moment that I felt like I somewhere with my husband and only my husband.

Next on the agenda was to get two wicked sunburns. Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you go to Mexico? Mine wasn't really that bad...but only because I am a woman, which means that I am not too manly to wear sunblock. My deal husband on the other hand...burned to a crisp. However, he totally recognized his stupidity and kept his complaining to a bare minimum.

The second full day we spent driving our little red convertible to Tulum. Tulum is a group of ancient Mayan ruins that would have been sooo much fun to walk around and see, if it wasn't 251 degrees outside. But it was indeed 251 degrees outside so we took in the highlights and then went for a swim in the ocean. Once we arrived back at the hotel we took a nap and then got dressed for our final night in Mexico.

The next morning I woke up yearning for my children. We turned our little red car in, got on airplane and headed home.

I would like to thank my mom from the bottom of my heart for watching our kids, it was a much needed recharge for us. And thank you to my husband for all his hard work which made the trip possible.


And here are the pics...

Drugs are Bad, Umkay?

I don't recall smoking crack but it must have happened because a few weeks ago I signed up and even paid $100 to take part in a sprint triathlon. A sprint triathlon is not a full triathlon but it is indeed going to kick my ass. Any race that involves 300m of swimming, 10 miles of biking and 3 miles of running really does not deserve to have the term "sprint" placed in front of it.

Why would I be so stupid as to sign up for such an event when I could have just enjoyed the crack and gone about my business? Well, number one I have always wanted to do one. And, number two, I am getting older and fatter every second and apparently that's not going to change so really, it's now or never.

I have begun my official training which means I get to work my butt off and not eat donuts from now until October 17th. I'm no stranger to working my butt off, I did it for 10 years while swimming competitively, I did it in preparation for my wedding and I did it while I was in Canada because there really are just so many hours a day you can stare out your window and hope a moose will walk by. A diet without donuts, now that's going to be the hard part.

I have a confession to make, and don't hate me, but I have never "dieted". Never done Adkins, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, Jenny Craig or any other nonsensical exercise in self degradation. I just absolutely loathe any sort of program which involves creating for yourself an even greater obsession with food than when you started. Okay, I take that back... in college I was too poor to order desert, or an appetizer, or a drink other than water...or dinner most of the time so, instead I went home and had a few slices of not-really-lunch meat and went to sleep before I got hungry again...this proved to be an effective involuntary diet I suppose. That being said, my current regular diet is at least, decent. I eat lean cuts of meat and lots of fruits and veggies... I just balance it all out with plenty of cookies and ice cream.

But for this event, I've committed myself to a much more strict diet. No sweets, no adult beverages and no kolaches, pizza or barbecue until after I kick this race's ass. So, if you see me cheating, call me out. Remind me of what I have coming to me, of how hard it's going to be dragging that one extra donut across the finish line. I just think that if I'm going to do this thing, I might as well give it my all. See how good I can be and how fast I can finish because guess what....I read they're going to have donuts and pizza at the finish line.

Graduation Day

Since I get really bothered with those people that start the first post to their blog in months with the obvious, "Wow, Geeeze, I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted!"...I won't do that. Not at all, because it's obvious. You can see the dates and it's very plain, it's been several months, several busy months, since I've logged a post.

We are three weeks and a few days away from school starting and rather than recap a whole summer in one very long and boring post I'll start with this: Kindgerten Graduation. Our little girl, born on the 4th of July, 2004, is now a First Grader. Now, I'm not a sappy person. Ask anyone in my family, ask my husband, ask our beta fish and they will tell you, I'm not a sappy person and I don't cry easily. But two things have made me cry this summer as the mere thought of them come to the surfuce of my brain; one I will discuss in a future post and the other is the realization that Ryleigh is on her way in this world...*tears, sniff, sniff, tears*.

One day this summer she told that she knows more than I do. I was taken back by this observation as it took me until 6th grade to draw the conclusion that I knew more than my mother. Of course my mother agreed with me but to my daughter I asked "What's the sqare root of 16?" When she couldn't answer I told her to keep learning more stuff, she might catch up when I'm 80 and decide that the era of non-stop donut eating has entered my life.

She is a bright girl though and loves to sit around and write out math equations but really hates to read. She loves to be read to, just doesn't seem to have the patience it takes to tackle the whole sounding out of words thing. The thought of having a child that doesn't get the joy of reading is frightening to me. I love to read and always have. However, if she keeps it up with the math...and the Geograhpy...and the current events...and the science and all the other things that do highly interest her, she just might be able to make it in this world. And then maybe at some point, when she can learn to read the good stuff, you know, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men...Twilight, she will catch on to this reading thing and be just as much of a smart-ass dork as her mother.

Graduation Day:

Going to Sheboygan...Part 1

For some reason, or because Sara Z. made me think it would be a good idea last October, we decided it would be a great idea to do a 17 day driving trip around the United States....with the children. So we told our friends in Chicago, Sara and Kalman, that we wanted to come up for a visit. They told us to come on and even said we could bring little tornado #1 and little tornado #2! AND, in an attempt to be the coolest friends ever, they offered to take us up to their lake house in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on Michigan Lake. Then we asked my mother in law in Nashville if she would mind a visit from us and the grandbabies and she said "I would love to have the kids come visit...wait, where are you guys going?"..."We're going to stay with you too Pam"...and she said "Oh, yeah, that would be great, I will need someone to change Avery's diapers."

So a trip started to take shape and here is how it got planned out:

Night 1: Texarkana, TX
Night 2: Queen Wilhelmena State Park Lodge in Arkansas
Night 3: Memphis, TN
Night 4&5: Nashville, TN
Night 6: Lexington, Kentucky
Night 7: Indianapolis, Illinois
Night 8-12: Chicago/Sheboygan
Night 13: St. Louis, Missouri
Night 14 & 15: Arltington, TX


A trip like this takes lots of planning, for anyone that ever dares to be so bold. We decided early on that we couldn't afford to eat out every mean so we packed an ice chest and vowed to eat out of it for lunch every day that we possibly could and to do breakfast out of it too if the hotel didn't offer a free breakfast. So we packed our bags, packed our truck and hit the road. I'm going to try and break up this post into several parts because there is so much to tell and so much we want to remember. I'll post a link to the pics at the right though.

We drove to Texarkana stayed the first night night. On the way we swung through Lufkin where I got to see a parking terminal that was a project of mine back when we lived in Bryan. I left the job a few months before it was complete so it was really cool to see the final version. Our first visit to Texarkana was pretty much what expected. We stayed in a nice, new Hampton and enjoyed dinner at Olive Garden. Not much to do or see in Texarkana so we were up and away on day two.

On day two we drove from Texarkana to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas and searched for diamonds. When we arrived the weather was nice with a remnants of a recent rain. This is supposed to be prime diamond hunting condidtions as the diamonds are burried in a thick mud and you have to sift through the mud to find the diamonds. When it rains, it washes away the top layer of mud and is supposed to reveal new diamonds. The park tills the soil every now and then to aid in the process. There is nothing clean about searching for diamonds here, but it is the only place in the world where you can search for diamonds and keep what you find for the bargain price of the $8 admission fee. At first we attempted to walk across the field in our shoes. This didn't work so well because the mud just accumulates on your shoes until each foot weighs 20 lbs. This was especially hard on the girls. At this point we decided to go hard or go on down the road. We took the girls' shoes off and told them to just have fun in the mud. Then Jeramy and I filled a 5 gallon bucket with mud and headed to the water station to sift through our bounty. The pictures really say it all, the girls had a blast getting all muddy and dirty and Jeramy and I got to look at rocks and minerals. A magical day for everyone indeed. We didn't find any diamonds, only some quartz and mica. So after we decided it wasn't our lucky day we all got washed up at the water power blasting station and then went for a swim in a nice little water park that was in the State Park. After changing clothes we were off to our final destinatin for the day, Queen Wilhelmena State Park in Arkansas.

The lodge we stayed in was originally built in 1897 and was situated on top of a mountain. The girls got to do a little train ride around the top of the mountain. We had expected to be able to do some hiking at this park, but there had been some bears sighted close by so all trails were closed. We had a pretty decent southern style dinner which included a dessert buffet that would have put the ol' church potluck to shame. Amazing bunch of homemade, old fashioned desserts. The kids didn't even like any of it...but bring on the chess and buttermilk pie baby! The lodge was old, but very clean and we got a good night's sleep before setting out the next day towards Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Why I Am a CASA

I just saw this story on CNN.com. It's so sad, so tragic, soooo pointless. Some of the abuse situations that we learned about in CASA training were just unbelievable. It is just amazing what some people of capable of doing to their own precious, defenseless and very fagile children. And really, for what? I don't understand the payoff that comes from beating a child.

I am so very happy that I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a part of my CASA child's life. She is an amazing girl with so much to offer this world. She is destined for great thing and it was just awesome to watch her first move physically into a safe and nurturing home and now emotionally into a safe and nurturing space. I look forward to watching her grow and succeed for many years to come.

If you live in Ft. Bend county and are interested in becoming a CASA, there is a week-long training session in August...you can check it out at www.cafb.org.

Don't live in Ft. Bend county? CASA is everywhere! Just google it to find your nearest CASA organization.

Calling Me Out

Avery had a pretty late nap today which, as always, led into a rough time getting her to go to bed tonight. So, here I am with Ryleigh in bed wanting her good night song, and a drink of water, and some allergy medicine, and whatever else she can think of to procrastinate....and then there is Avery in her bed just crying away for Mama. So after I get Ryleigh all that she needs, or at least can think of at the moment, I start to walk out the room to tend to the screaming 2 year old in the other room when I hear her little voice behind me go:

"So who's the good kid now."

I stopped, my heart stopped and I just looked to the sky and had a total Doh! kind of moment. What a heavy statement for my 5 year old to make. My five year old who is doing her very best to become a big kid and to make good decisions and do right things just totally called me out on not taking enough notice of her efforts.

I turned around, sat back down on the bed and did my very best to make up for the recent lack of "I'm so proud of you" and "You are such an awesome kid" statements. Way to go mom...way...to...go.

If I could I would shout it from the mountain what an amazing kid she is. So smart and sooo pretty and kind. She cares about everyone she comes into contact with, she doesn't understand why everyone can't just get along and be friends. Ryleigh only has 13 days left in Kindergarten and then we're off to 1st grade! I really just couldn't be any more proud of her if I tried and she's not just a good kid, she's the best kid!

Environment and Science Do Not Mix...Texas Says So

Once again, I found myself bored, sitting around, eating bon-bons, watching Oprah and wondering what I could do to pass my time. So I got myself involved in a new project, I am now heading up the Environmental club for Ryleigh's elementary school next year. And seriously, I am so excited about this. It is going to be my number one project next school year. I graduated from college in 2002 with my Geography/Geology minor tucked under my belt and with the exception of some bus route planning at my first job I have not used my degree at all. This, I hope, will give me the opportunity to work in an area I am terribly, annoyingly passionate about. Teachers, get ready, those diet soda cans will now be recycled!

So, first off, some research. Of course, this is a PTA sponsored club so let's see what the ol' Texas PTA website has to offer in the way of environmental program advice:

"Environmental awareness is usually associated with terms such as climate change, global warming and energy conservation. Although it is important for our children to understand the importance of being good stewards of our resources, being active in the environment is more than science."

Well bleepidy bleep....there goes my plans for the first meeting. Sorry kids, there will be no screening of Al Gore's, An Inconvenient Truth...what with all it's sciencey science and all. Instead, let's make new paper out of shredded Scantrons and tears from polar bears. We'll just save the Earth via that route.

Things That Go Boom in the Night

Last night at about 10pm one of Transocean's rigs in the Gulf of Mexico had an explosion. Right now, 24 1/2 hours later, the rig is still burning and eleven are missing.


When I first found out about this at 6am this morning I immediately felt the same way I did when the Cougar helicopter went down in Canada a little over a year ago. Jeramy is home today, not out on the rig like he was when the helicopter went down. But the feeling in your stomach is the same. It's horrible, just really horrible. We are hoping and praying that the eleven missing are found alive afloat in an evacuation capsule. Yet as each minute goes by, our hope and optimism can't help but begin to slip.


It's days like this that make me take a moment...or many moments...and think about our home, our family..our life. My husband has a dangerous job. He spends three out of every six weeks in a very dangerous environment. He does it for us, me and the girls, so that we can have a home and a life filled with all that we desire and so very much more. When Jeramy is home we strive to make each moment count. We love each other and the girls fiercely and are so very proud of our daddy when he leaves to go back to work every six weeks.


My heart aches for the families of those still missing and those that were injured. Jeramy's boss while we were in Canada is one of the injured. He has a family. They all have families and I/we/all Transocean employees are with them in thought and prayer hoping for the very best.

Thank you so very much to our daddy and to all the oilfield men out there, including my dad, grandfathers, uncles and many other relatives, that do a job that is highly unappreciated, highly needed and filled with danger.

I love you Jeramy and are happy every day to be walking this road with you, hand in hand.

Spring Break 2010

Okay, Spring Break. So what if it was a month ago, here is how it went down for us. We decided to head on over to San Antonio to hang out by the hotel pool, ride some roller coasters and see beautiful sea creatures being held captive in clean tanks free of any predators. It was a really great time!

Lots of work went into preparing for our trip. Getting four people ready for a three night trip takes some thought. Good thing I only had to worry about three people. What I packed:

What Daddy packed:

Don't feel sorry for me, he's not allowed to pack anything other than his own bag. His job is to drive and my job is to pack and read a book all the way there.

We stayed at the Hilton Hill Country Resort, which I love and will now take a moment to plug. It's right across the street from Sea World and has a free shuttle to the park. Hotel activities for the kids include nail painting, face painting, hair braiding, jewelry making, coloring, a nightly movie outside and smores cooked over the open fire pits by the pool. And there are three pools one of which is a kiddie pool only a foot deep....and a jungle gym...and a basketball goal and half court. It's a great place for families with small children and I highly recommend!

An hour after we arrived we were all in the pool. Ryleigh in her floaties and Avery with her circle tube. Both were all over the pool except for when Avery decided to get out and jump back into the pool with the tube around her waist....with "No Mama Help"...get back you crazy woman, I am 2 1/2 and am fully capable of jumping into a 4 ft. pool by myself. Of course you are baby, jump away. ...only it didn't go like that because I didn't want her to smack her head or slip through the tube and sink to the bottom of the pool. Silly Baby.

The first full day we were there the weather was pretty yucky. We spent the morning just hanging around the hotel letting the rain pass. By the afternoon the sky had cleared so we ventured on over to Sea World. With the bad weather, not too many people were there which was great for us! We caught a few shows and Ryleigh and Daddy rode the Shamu roller coaster.

The next day the weather was really great and half of Texas decided to go to Sea World! Here are the girls and I at the Shamu show. The trainers weren't allowed to get in the water but it was still a great show and the girls really enjoyed it.

And here are the giant scary penguins that Avery wouldn't have anything to do with.

I think family vacations are sooo important. And they don't have to cost a lot of money, it's just all about spending time together away from the stresses of everyday life. Our family trips center us and I treasure each and every one.

Sea World....maybe later

We just got back from a really awesome little family get-a-way to San Antonio! When Ryleigh was two we took her to Sea World for the very first time and so to start off this blog post I thought I would post what I blogged from that trip on our old blog. Apparently I did not blog about that trip, but the synopsis is that Ryleigh threw up in the hotel lobby after the day at Sea World because we were new (dumb) parents that didn't understand the limits of a two year old in August at an outdoor adventure park. I did however come across this blog post and thought it was worth reposting since we are in the midst of potty training Avery. Once I get the Sea World pics up I'll let you know more about that trip.

Monday, October 30, 2006
Okay, I knew that it had a been a while, but two months! Bad Mommy, Bad, Bad Mommy. This deserves a good poop story...

This happened at least a month ago, I think probably longer. One Saturday we invited my boss and her boyfriend over to the house for a little cook-out. I was crazy busy trying to clean the house when Ryleigh decided she didn't want to wear her diaper. I consented to the white-trash potty training techniqe and let her run around diaperless. When I was about done cleaning, and while Jeramy was at the store, I decided to get her dressed, diaper and all. I took her upstairs and commenced laying her down and putting her diaper on...wait a minute...what is this??? It's poo-poo...on your hiny!! I cleaned her up and finished getting her dressed and then went through the whole house with her looking for the remaining "pieces". There were none to be found and Ryleigh was of no help.
Did you poo-poo? Yes.
On the floor? Yes.
Where? Huh?
Where? Huh?
I finally gave up finding and it and went on cleaning up the kitchen. In walks Jeramy. "Daddy, come play kitchen with me." "Sure Ryleigh, that would be oh-so-much-fun." (Silence while Daddy and Ryleigh play and Mommy cooks)

Daddy: What the....WHAT IS THIS?
Mommy: You found it!!!
Ryleigh: I poo-poo in my pan.

Yes folks, Ryleigh poo-pooed on the floor and then scooped it up with her spatula and put it in her pan. (best we could tell) Thank God we found it before she played kitchen with my boss!!

Boys vs. Girls

Ryleigh got invited to a boy's birthday party this weekend. It's a boy from her class. I RSVP'd and said that we would be coming. The mother replied back and thanked me for my RSVP then went on to say that Ryleigh is the only girl that her son had invited to her party. When the mother asked why only Ryleigh he replied with "she is way more fun than the other girls".

Hmmmmmm.

Really.

Define fun.

Clearly this is a behavior that we should nip in the bud. This act of funness. It shall not be tolerated.

All joking aside, I thought this was really sweet and cute. And very interesting. Ryleigh has always tended to gravitate toward the boys. From 18 months until she was 4 her very best friend was Adam. Adam whom she competed with every second she was around him but who she was so sad to leave behind when we moved to Canada. Then there was Kyle, her true love, her prince. Kyle's picture hangs on the mirror in her bathroom and often accompanies her when we go out. There are many that have never met Kyle that know a lot about him.

This year in school is really the first time I have seen Ryleigh become overly concerned with her girl friends. She has tried to wear bows like them, wear pink like them, talk about Hanna Montanna like them and even got her first yellow mark at school over an argument about ICarly...she is not even allowed to watch ICarly!

Ryleigh is definitely all girl, all princess and totally concerned about her hair. But it's nice to know that her knack for forming boy friendships is not completely lost to the preschool years.

Donation! Donation!

Ryleigh will be participating in Jump Rope for Heart next week. If you would like to help her reach her goal of $100 please visit her website below. Yeah, the kids have their own fundraising websites now. It's officially a crazy world.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Ryleigh's Jump Rope for Heart Page

The Olympics

Did you see the opening ceremony? I let the girls stay up an hour later than normal so they could see as much as they could. My favorite part was where Ryleigh went and got her globe and made me point out where each country was as they marched into the arena. My second favorite part is where they paid tribute to Newfoundland! If you missed that part, they did a pretty cool fiddle and tap dancing performance that the creator said was inspired by his trip to St. John's. Honestly the only time I think I ever saw someone tap dancing was when we passed a bum on Water Street (downtown). The fiddle however is a really big part of the Newfoundland traditional folk music which is influenced by their large Irish population. Every Sunday they would play only traditional folk music on the radio and I always looked forward to getting my weekly dose of fiddle playing and singing about fishin' and drinkin'. See, not that big of a difference between Texas and Newfoundland.

So the Olympics are in full swing and now I'm just looking forward to seeing Stephen Colbert make speed skating worth watching.

You're a great and brave Americna Stephen Colbert...I salute you.

What Three Weeks?

Um, wow, that was three weeks? Really?? It just went by so darn fast!

Jeramy left yesterday for another three weeks out on the rig. The big reason that these last three weeks went by so fast was the 30 hours of CASA training that I went through. And now, 5 full days of class later, I am certified to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate. In a nutshell, what I'll be doing is this.

When a child is removed from their home by CPS for abuse and/or neglect they are placed in a foster home with up to 7 other foster children. A CPS caseworker is assigned to them and they are one of 40 or so cases for that caseworker. The child is provided with an attorney and they are one of 50 or so cases for that lawyer. Their case will go before a judge every few months and they are one of hundreds of children that judge sees. If I am assigned to that child they will be my only case. Fort Bend County is one of the very few counties that are able to provide a CASA for each and every child that have been removed from their home. I will monitor the child's situation and write a report for court one a month so that all involved will have a personal account of what's going on with that child. I am required to meet face to face with the child at least once a month, more if possible. I will interview their caregiver, their parents, their lawyer, their teacher, their doctor, anyone that can give me information that will help me make suggestions concerning their placement and their needs.

I've wanted to do this for about four years now, but just haven't ever felt like I could give it all that I wanted and needed to. I've wanted to do this because it is needed and because I feel so blessed for this life that I have. I'm lucky as hell, I know that. I'm lucky that I hve such a strong mom and such a great step-dad and that I got steered in the right direction. My support system growing up was endless and I think that's what gets me the most. If my parents gave up on me there would have been a line a mile long of suitable people that loved me and would have taken me in and given me all they had. These kids I'll work with, most of them don't have a single person. Not a single person that wants to care for them and can care for them. My hope is that I can provide a ray of hope and a set of eyes and ears to watch over a child that so many others have abandoned. My hope is that I can give back.

So now I wait for my first case. I have requested a pre-teen/teenager. And that's pretty much all I can say about that. Once I get a case, I'm not allowed to talk about it for obvious reasons.

To those that have encouraged me through the application and training process....Thank You!

Cowgirl

It's Rodeo Time!!!!

My Daisy

Okay, just a quickie because I have 4 hours of 24 waiting for me on the DVR an it's already 11pm. Jack Bauer should NEVER have to sit unwatched on the DVR, shame - on - me!

Today was Ryleigh's first Girl Scout meeting. Of course I forgot to fill out all the medical release forms until I was sitting in a Quck Books class this afternoon. I raced home and got them all filled out digitally and then my printer wouldn't work so I just knew that I blew my kids first meeting because I couldn't find time to fill out 4 forms over the past week. Damn tequila.

Anywho, she got to stay for the meeting so it was all good. I think she enjoyed it. She seemed a little disappointed that it wasn't just a big playdate, but they did some neat crafts so that made her happy. THE moment for me was when they said the girl scout pledge, you know, the one where you hold your three fingers up? I felt like I was in the ol' Girl Scout hut in Monahans saying my own pledge. Come on Monahans girls, you remember the green and white hut...and the tree we ALL climbed and at least one girl a year fell out of and broke their arm? Awwww, the good ol' days. Camp Mitre Peak flashbacks to follow....

So she is super cute in her Daisy vest but no, I haven't taken a picture. We still have a few more pins and patches to get on it before I do that. But I will definitely post for all to see!

And....YES! We are selling Girl Scout cookies!!! And we will deliver! You know you want some Thin Mints, just go ahead and email me your order!

To Ryleigh and Avery

Dear Girls,

I just wanted to take a moment and write to tell you how incredibly special you two are. Each in your own unique way, you light up my every moment of every day. You are not only the most beautiful little girls, but your boundless energy and cleverness lifts me up and makes me feel whole in this world. I made you, with daddy's help of course, but I carried you, I delivered you and now I stay home and take care of you. It's all been lots of hard work but when I see you Ryleigh read your books to me and show me all then numbers you can add and when I see you Avery say a new word and do your little dance in the living room I KNOW that I have brought two very special and awesome new beings into the world.

Ryleigh, you are doing so well in Kindergarten. You are one of the most compassionate kids in your class. The teacher always sits the new kids with you because she knows that you will make them feel welcome and of course, tell them exactly how things work in your classroom. You are still a very picky eater, but I'm starting to see signs of improvement in this area. Your hair is finally starting to grow longer and get thicker, much to your delight. I don't think it's going to be down to butt anytime soon, but I can at least pull it back into a ponytail from time to time. You have started making your bed everyday, many days without prompting. You are also starting to grasp the idea of money and very soon you will be starting to get an allowance, in exchange for a few household chores. This isn't a problem though because you are my little helper, always eager to please. You are very gentle with your sister and I can see your own little heart break when she is in any sort of pain. The flip side of this characteristic is that she runs you. I'm sure at some point you will learn that she will not break and that asserting your authority with her is okay. She is after all the little sister, and as such must be taught that you are her elder and should be respected as such. Just ask your Aunt Becca, she understands this concept perfectly well. You are growing so quickly and here recently have started protesting your sister's silly cartoons since you prefer Hannah Montanna. Avery got you a new Wii game for Christmas and so you have taken to the Wii and run straight for it after school. It's just almost unbearable to see how tall you are getting. Long gone is my first baby and quickly emerging is my very big, brave, gorgeous and smart "little" girl.

Avery, you are my little sidekick. You tag along with me through all of the day's activities so effortlessley. I never worry about how you behave when we go anywhere because I'm my book you are pretty much perfect. Even when you run away from me in Wal-Mart, and I mean run-a-way. More than once I have had to abandon my cart, grab my purse and dart across the store to catch up with you. You like to run away from me at home too and most recently you have realized that you can run around the couch faster than I can and so you just keep changing directions until I figure out how to get over the couch fast enough to catch you. I laugh the whole time. I just love it all because someday you won't want to go to the store with me because you need to talk on the phone to someone or catch some show on television. And someday I won't be able to get you up off the couch so I gladly let you run around it now. Our house is your playground, another thing I don't mind one bit. During the day we play kitchen, color, play dolls and other little activities all over the house. Your favorite shows right now are Micky Mouse Clubhouse and Dora the Explorer. I don't know what I'm going to do when you start going to preschool let alone Kindergarten. Okay, so maybe I'll get more pedicures and spend less time at the grocery store, but I know that without you by my side all day every day things are definitely going to be a whole let less exciting.

I feel so blessed to have you both. I feel even more blessed to be able to stay home and make your care the number one priority in my life. The sand in the ol' hourglass seems to drop more quickly every day, reinforcing my life's mantra to make each and every second count. And I couldn't ask for a better family to make me want to make each second count. Love to you both...and daddy too...Family Kisses! Family Kisses!!

Bugs are for Squashing

Yesterday I had a run-in with the pregnancy bug. I had a few friends over for a playdate, aka Operation Destroy Jennifer's House. One of my friends is 39 weeks preggers and showed up wearing one of my maternity shirts I had loaned her. I wasn't expecting what happened next. She is lots more pregnant than the last time I saw her and it was one of my favorite maternity shirts. That combined with the fact that we have made the decision that our family is as large as it needs to be which means I will never wear that favorite maternity shirt again added up to me losing it. I made my friend leave the room I was in so I could get my cry out and then I was fine. I'm fine, really, I do NOT want to be pregnant again, I know this from the depth of my soul. Pegnancy sucks, not being able to lay down for four months sucks, pushing a baby out of my body sucks, sucks, sucks. Not gonna happen, capt'n.

Then the girls and I went out to dinner last night with our Canadian friends that just moved her. They have an eleven week old and she is gorgeous. She snuggles and rooted all over my neck which just about made me start lactating all over again. When we left the restaurant the mom mentioned needing to nurse in the car before they left for home. A flood of memories came back recalling countless nursing sessions in the car, just me and my babies and our little bit of time together while the world just passed us by. That part doesn't suck. Not at all.