Ready to ring in the new year

We are resting up

From a wild and crazy year






To head off into the next one!




I hope you have a safe and Happy New Year!

Much love


Holly




Post From My iPhone

Dear December,

Where did you go??????????????

Sincerely,

Holly

I really really want....

A lion!

That night his Daddy asked him what kind of lion. The Little Buddy replied -"oh Daddy a real lion that can eat people!" Daddy says "but wont he eat you?" The Little Buddy thinks and then replies "I achually think he would eat you first Daddy. You are much bigger!"

:)


-- Post From My iPhone

Baby it's cold outside!

It takes me just as long to bundle up the pug as it does the kids!

-- Post From My iPhone

Funny new towel at Grandmas

-- Post From My iPhone

How is this possible?

-- Post From My iPhone

A Season of Hope

So - yes - here it is - the Christmas Season.

and no

I have not had much time to post because I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Yes - there is an end in sight and it is called December 15th!

Then I will be irritatingly up to date on my blogging but for now - you get the snippits of Holly thinking that I can dash off. :)

Hope that is ok with you!

Anyway - I digress..............

What I think is so funny about Christmas time is the sense of hope that little kids have. Now I am not talking of hope for a brighter tomorrow or world peace or a greater sense of enlightenment or love - I am talking about the hope.......

That they are actually gonna get some stuff!!!!!!!!!

I mean - these kids really have a shot of saying, "I want that" and it actually happening.

I have a strict no toy purchasing rule in stores throughout the year - don't ask - not gonna happen - don't even bother asking me - still not gonna happen. We do not impulse shop toys - period. I mean - can you imagine the precedent? If I let one time one of the three (ages 7,5, and 3 if you don't remember) just get to have something? It would be a total disaster!!!!!!

Well - this leads me to my point. My kids are so excited that they not only have a shot but that they get to voice their wishes.

EVERY store - EVERY where and I mean everywhere - we were in the car wash place a couple of days ago and my 3 year old saw some shammies with a cool car on them and looked at me and said,

"Mommy - put it on the list".

"Mommy I want that for Christmas!"

"Oh Mommy - I want that on the list!"

Every commercial - every time - "oh oh oh Mommy I want that - put it on the list!"

I answer - every time with "uh huh - ok - sure" or some variation of that.

Now every once in a while I will say - "hey wait a minute - don't we already have that?"

and then they say,

"oh yeah - but if we didn't - we would totally put it on the list!"

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring - not even a mouse.

The tables were arranged with obsessive care

In hopes that the relatives would be happy there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds

Battered and traumatized from the many times that Mommy said....

Do not make a mess - don't touch that it's clean!

The Mommy worked hard to not be too mean.

and Mamma in her sweat pants

and Daddy in his hat

Were never going to get

Their much deserved nap.

When from the kitchen there arose such a clatter

I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.

Away to the pantry I flew with a dash.

Threw open the door and let out a gasp.

When what to my exhausted eyes should appear

but a bad little pug with no morals or fear

Doing the best that she knew how to do

To hoist her fat self to the top shelf of food.

She was little and feisty and naughty and quick

I knew in a moment that I never should kick.

More rapid than eagles my coursers they came

and suddenly words came out of my mouth much too horrible to name!

At this point I am not sure that I remember the song

Plus there is still much to do and my rhyme is too long.

I will gladly exclaim as I turn off the light

Happy Thanksgiving to all

and to all a good night!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

:)

Holly

Dear Saturday the 21st

Dear Saturday the 21st,

Thank you VERY much for coming. This has been a long week and I am glad that you have FINALLY arrived! I have many cute things that I can put on my blog now that you are here and I am excited to catch up on several projects because - thanks to your arrival - we get to have our Daddy around (with the exception of quite a bit of golfing) for one entire week!!!!!!!!!!!!! I appreciate your arrival although it took you long enough! Seriously!

Signed,

Your friend,

Holly

Tune in next week for a very sharply written letter bemoaning Monday the 22nds arrival. :)

The Good News and the Bad News

Yes - this is allergy testing - yes - it was terrible - yes - it was over quickly - yes she cried - hard - yes - I was sick to my stomach and I hated hated hated that she had to go through it

but

you know what?????????

She is allergic to NOTHING and is now on two less medications than we were going in. I am now the proud of mother of an asthmatic - not an asthmatic and a child with allergies.

I guess we all gotta take the good with the bad!

Whisper in their ears......

There are so many things I want to whisper in their ears. When they are still and sleepy and holding my hand...........

There are so many things that I want to say to them after a busy and fun day.

I want to say how special they are - but I want them to be humble.

I want to tell them to be happy but I want them to be able to handle it when they are sad.

I want to tell them that they can do anything that they want but I really don't want them to do anything that they want - think of the chaos in my van alone!!!!!

Tonight I decided as I whispered in the soft little ear and tucked the little footed jammie under the covers that I would whisper

Try

I want you to try.

I want you to try anything and everything but learn from your choices.

I want you to try hard.

I want you to do your very best at everything you do.

There is so much that can be solved with just a little try.

So that is what I whispered tonight

In the soft little ear

I kissed the sleeping cheek and I tucked them in a little tighter and all I whispered was

try

Dear Coffee

Dear Coffee

I just wanted to let you know that I do appreciate you! Running to soccer now, didn't sleep much last night because for some reason my children have chosen to wander the halls and moan in their beds at night lately which make is very hard for a Momma to sleep. As I type my letter of gratitude to my beverage - my entire family is sleeping. I am the most sleep deprived yet I cannot go back to sleep at 5:30 in the morning especially once my sleep clock has been beaten all night as if it stole something.

So - here I sit - typing a letter to coffee.

Uh oh coffee - what is that sound? Oh no - it is the pitter patter of footed pajamas, here it comes,

"Momma, I need some cereal......" oh here comes the cuddling.......

typing one handed now holding a sweet soft little boy........

gotta go coffee - more important things need me but I do want to go ahead and say again.....

appreciate ya

Sincerely,

Holly

Thank you God

Thank you that my babies are healthy.

Thank you that I don't have time to blog.

Thank you for soccer games and swim lessons.

Thank you for my husband and thank you that I get to be a stay at home Mom.

Thank you for poop and pee and tantrums and orthodontist apointments and chicken and rice casserole in the crockpot.

Thank you for hugs and kisses.

Thank you for coaches and teachers and Mimi's and Papa's and Grandma and Grandpa's.

Thank you God for Pugs - even very bad pugs named Penelope.

Thank you for this day and please help me remember to thank you for tomorrow if it is even half as good as this one was.

Blogging from the couch

--
Holding a sick 3 year old - thought I'd check in with blog land. This is what I am doing - what are you up to?

Post From My iPhone

I hold in my arms.....

The future of golf taking a small pre driving range nap.


-- Post From My iPhone

I Heart Faces - Excited

The Tale of the Traveling Pug

So the other day, the Little Buddy and I ran out to the doctor to have ear infections diagnosed - cold and flu season is in full swing here - I need to bust out my button from last year! When we came back - no Penelope the Pug - we looked everywhere - called her name - called her name - no pug.

We called the vet, we called the animal control people, we called my BFF's and neighbors.

We jumped in the car we drove - we called out - PENNY!!!!! PENNER MENNER!!!!!! PENELOPE ANNE THE PUG _ WHERE ARE YOU????????

One of my best BFF's jumped in the car with her two youngest and drove around - PENNY!!!!! PENNER MENNER!!!!!! PENELOPE ANNE THE PUG _ WHERE ARE YOU????????

Sigh - we went and picked up the middle child, went in to get a snack before returning to the streets to continue the search......

and there, low and behold, from behind the snack bucket, marched out a very sleepy

PUG!

This was my facebook status update:

Holly thought she had a Pug on the Lam but it turned out I had a Pug in the Pantry

Dear Texas Weather

Ah Friday! Time for another Letter of Intent. Oh Julie, what a great idea! Be sure you check out all of the other Letter's of Intent. You're gonna love it!

Dear Texas Weather,

I get it - you are crazy - love that about you - really I do. I have never really had a problem with that. I do think that there is such a thing as taking something a little too far. Maybe you could try for a little bit of balance? Dropping 35 degrees in one night? Seriously? My poor asthmatic 5 year old's peak flow meter actually laughed at her this morning - laughed out loud - an inanimate diagnostic device. This is really extreme. I have stacks of children's shorts and pants just sitting out at this point - no idea what we will need from day to day and while I am lodging complaints...... could you pass this letter on to the Texas meteorologists?

Dear Texas Meteorologists,

I wish I had your job - or maybe I don't - I guess being a Meteorologist in Texas is a little bit like being a psychic at a schizophrenia convention but seriously - I wish you would just stand and up there and say, "you know what folks - we don't really know - your guess is as good as ours!" That would be a lot better than this whole, "well if it does this it could rain and if it does this it could snow, and if it does this it could be dry..... didn't you just basically say that you have no bleeding idea? Why don't you just say that?

Sincerely,

Holly

Concerned Texan

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat

So - the last couple of days have been sort of up and down. What happened yesterday was an entire post that I will save for tomorrow but will be title simply, "The temporary disappearance of Penelope the Pug". Today went something like this:

7 year old woke up saying her teeth and her stomach hurt (first day of orthodontic work done yesterday - more on that in future posts)

The Agony of Defeat

Then she decided she was good and off to school we went

The Thrill of Victory

Got all three kids loaded up - driving to drop the oldest off - the youngest (age 3) starts crying, "I don't wanna go to my 'chool, I don't wann go to my 'chool"

The Agony of Defeat

Then we picked up our little carpooling friend and all three kids piled out of the car at preschool like little tiny cute champs to their amazing school with it's amazing circular drop off.

Let me just tell you.....

THE THRILL OF VICTORY!!!!

Then - off I head to the gym to work out AND shower!

The thrill of victory!

Head to Car Toys because - Mommy really really wants her DVD player in her car to work again. It has been a long time and both the Roach Coach (my minivan) and I miss it so let's see what they say...... 275 dollars to repair

The agony of defeat

Leave Car Toys in plenty of time - head to Old Navy.

The thrill of victory!!!!!!!!!!

Phone rings in my pocket - school nurse for the 7 year old. She has a tummy ache and her teeth hurt. Now I am faced with a dilemma - she is a really good girl who never tries to get out of stuff so I head immediately to school where I decide to take her with me. No more shopping, no Hobby Lobby.....

The AGONY of defeat!

Then - we go pick baby brother up ( he only goes two days, a couple of hours) and sister starts perking up. We go home, she eats lunch, takes some Motrin, says "Mommy - I want to go back to my teacher". We jump in the car, drop her off, 3 year old FALLS ASLEEP on the way home, transfers to his bed for nap time and now I write this post while waiting for my 5 year old to be dropped off by my wonderful carpool Mom friend.

THE THRILL OF VICTORY!!!!!!!!!

Phew - is this day over yet? Oh no wait - lot's more to go....... well - wish me luck!

:)

I Heart Faces - My Favorite Things

ok - so I just had to take this opportunity to share one of my favorite little kid things

My husband thought I was nuts the other day when I was following him into the store carrying our middle child taking pictures with my phone of her feet BUT

I think it is so funny the way that little kids just somehow know how to hold their foot just right so that their flip flops don't fall off when they are being carried.

The correct angle is a MUST

And little 'tinky toes (as we like to call them around here) are very useful!

It's the little things - you know?

Dear Bowheads Blog,

Dear Bowheads Blog,

I miss you. I know that you need me to actually sit down at my computer and input information in order for you to survive. I understand that the best way to drive people to read your posts that I need to write is to visit other blogs and comment and host giveaways or have some sort of medical crisis. I hate to break it to you but I pray every day to avoid the medical crisis and I am rarely ever at my computer. I know-I know - I have an iPhone and you want me to become an I Heart Bowheads iPhone blogger - I really am going to work on that but that means I am going to have to stop playing Stoneloops of Jurrasica at school pick up time and start blogging then - sigh - the sacrifices I have to make for you. I promise that I will do better and the posts will start flowing again.

Much bloggy love,

Holly

Read very carefullly

After no running and yes - I wish that I had a better picture - but yes - it really does say - nothing scratched out - honest to goodness typo on a big sign outside of a hotel pool....

All persons shall bathe with warm water and SOUP before entering pool!

Awesome - right?????

:)

Dear Facebook Friends

Dear Facebook Friends,

I love you - I really do. I would not have accepted your friend request if we did not know one another in some capacity. I genuinely enjoy reading about your day, seeing your pictures, and watching you all try to one up each other to be the funniest facebooker.

Now here are some things that I would like to let you know about your status updates before you begin:

Yes - I know you are tired - really we are all tired - 'nuff said.

I think it is cute that you think that I am going to read your status update and suddenly say - "hey that was an amazing status update and I am going to go ahead and change political parties". Guess what folks - not going to happen.

The whole reason that I like to check Facebook is because I like to know what is going on in your life - keep me informed - love that. I don't even mind the mundane, "Bob is going to the store" status updates. I do, however, mind blasting your spouse and telling everyone how terrible he is and how hard your relationship is for all of your 237 Facebook Friends to read. Please don't do that - it makes me uncomfortable. Worse yet is talk bad about your kids, or someone elses kids or really just any kid in general. Yuk and Why?

Facebook drama - I actually check Facebook hoping for drama - love it - HIGHLY entertaining. I do not however want to participate in anyway in any kind of drama. Find someone else to traumatize.

Here is a little Facebook hint for you: Guess what? They changed the way that you update your status now so you can type in your entire story. There is no more need for this series of updates.......

Sally is sad.....

Sally's friend - ??????
Another of Sally's friends - What's wrong honey?
Another of Sally's friends - Hope you are having a great day. I love you!!!!!
Finally Sally - oh it is nothing guys - just some personal stuff going on

Sigh - news flash - don't put it on Facebook!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much my sweet Facebook friends,

Now I gotta go update my status!

Holly

Fall is HERE!!!!!!

Hooray!

I Heart Faces - Completely Candid

Love that little pirate!

Dear...... Giveaway!!!!!

So my bloggy friend Julie has started a new carnival and I am excited about it! Basically you just write a letter to anything or anyone about anything! Love it - right?

Well I am working on my letter of intent post now so I thought I would start by linking you back to her for an awesome giveaway!!!!!

She is giving away digital printing from a cool place that I am about to go check out right now because I am on a mission to update the photos in my house!!!!!

Anyway - go check her out!

Well Little Dude......

Good luck!

Friend Making Monday - Fall Line Up

OK - so I am not gonna lie - I love TV - yep - when the kids are playing during the daytime I keep it off - I am not a daytime TV watcher at all - don't know what is happening on the news, talk shows, or soaps but I tell you what - those kids go to bed and my Hubby and I want to watch some shows!!!!!! We have a pretty good mix of watching shows together - he will watch So You Think You Can Dance with me and I make it through Criminal Minds (with my head buried in a book normally) with him.

These however - are my favs and the ones that I am looking forward to seeing! Are there more - of course are you kidding me? We fill up that TIVO so that during the holidays etc we have stuff to watch. :)

Yes I am excited by The Biggest Loser and you can read why HERE the Cupcakes were born from this show and I am now a proud 148 pounds to prove it. Eight more to go - Come on Cupcakes!!!!!

LOVE this show!!!!!!!

/>

This has become fun because now my girls love it (mostly the 7 year old) so we watch this one together!

Yes - my biggest laugh all week - this show cracks me up!

OK - now we get into the CW teeny bopper portion of our program and I am not ashamed to admit the following shows :)

Hubby and I watched the first one of these the other night - great - pretty people - not over the top - good vampire story - not too bloody or upsetting - I know you True Blood people out there are believers but that one is a little heavy for me - this reminds me of the Twilight series which is obviously what they were going for.

Yes - I am a Supernatural fan - I don't normally like scary but it started because Sam is Dean (which is interesting because his brother is Dean on the show - but anyway) from the Gilmore Girls. Now I am hooked

OK - so I have to admit that I started off watching this one because hubby does stuff like watches So You Think You Can Dance with me and he is the one that actually started off liking it but I gotta tell you - I am pretty much on board now! Good show - pretty people - interesting story - not too heavy - I guess that is the CW formula. :)

I Heart Faces - Penelope the Pug - Our Pet

I Heart Faces - Contemplative

When Ants Attack.....

and innocent goldfish are in harms way.

I know I know - I am a bad Mommy blogger - I am literally NEVER at my computer so I am going to have to go back to the adventures from the iphone posts.

:)

Awesome

-- Post From My iPhone

Why I like Mowing the Lawn

Yes - I like mowing the lawn. Yes that is an actual picture of me mowing the lawn taken with my phone that is always in my back pocket. Anyone driving by would think I most certainly had lost my mind!

Anyway.......

Now that my children are the ripe old ages of 7, 5, and 3 - they can play in the backyard without eating rocks or squeezing themselves between fence posts and I am looking for every second of peace that I can find.

So here are my top three reasons for mowing the lawn:

The Noise

Yes - it is loud - it drowns out anything and everything and I LOVE it when the children come and try to tell me something and they look like this:

and I'm all "what's that - I can't hear you - just a second!!!!!!"

:) Love that!

The Exercise

Mowing is great exercise and I really like trying to get my lines straight. :)

Gives my husband more time with the kids

When Daddy does the lawn on the weekend it sort of takes him out of commission for a lot of hours. This way - I cut that down and he gets to play with us instead of the yard!

***** Note - I am still not a weedeater operator. That one scares hubby a little. I am not the most mechanically savvy person (although you should see me out there with the electric hedge trimmer!) and our weedeater is old and a little tricky.

I want the journey but I wish.....

I could have the rewind........

I have been on this amazing journey. I met this kind man. Together he and I made the three most amazing children. They grow each day. Each day they learn something new and I am so looking forward to seeing what they do tomorrow. I don't want to go back. I don't want the younger husband. I love the one I have now and I love him more every day for each step of the journey that we take together but when it all comes down to it - when we part - I know that I will wish that we could go back - that we could rewind.........

The same goes for my children. I am loving this phase of life - school and soccer and playing outside and family outings that don't involve crying jags or puking. I love my children more every day because of the trip that I am able to take with them but each day - they get bigger. Each day - they are farther away from being the babies that we made and closer to being the adults that we cannot wait to meet.

I am excited for the journey that I am on. I am on it for life and I don't want to go back. I don't want new babies or a new husband - I want to find out what happens with the ones that I cherish but I do have moments.......

Little moments like the night before my youngest - my baby boy - my miracle child - turns 3 that I wish......

I could just rewind - just for a minute - and taste it and feel it and breathe it one more time.

Betcha can't guess

Where this hair came from!

Plugged in.......

Now don't get me wrong - I am all about the wood blocks, playing outside in the dirt, playdough, turning OFF the TV, and generally staying away from the electronics but I do have to say........

There really are moments..............

When I am SO happy..............

To be living in 2009!!!!!!

:)

Holly

Wordless Wednesday

I Heart Faces - Nostalgia

The little face, the chubby little hands on the juice box, the chocolate on his face and the big blue eyes. I so wish that they would stay the same size forever but on the other hand I can't wait to see how this journey will turn out! A Mother's Dilemma.........