That's me asleep underneath the cushions.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
And I thought keeping the house tidy was impossible BEFORE Boo was born...
That's me asleep underneath the cushions.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
What can you do in 1 hour and 49 minutes?
Sammie ran a sprint marathon! It was in downtown Austin on Labor Day. His goal was to do it in 1:45:00. But he was plenty happy with his time. The swimming was tough because of the crowds of people in the water. He was awesome on the bike--hardly got passed the whole ride and did plenty of passing himself! He said he was a little tired by the run (even though his time didn't reflect it) but was buoyed by the Star Wars characters passing out drinks along the way. (How can you say "no" to a cup of water from Princess Leia? And no, she wasn't dressed in her getup from Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi.)
Boo and I were at the finish line and were SO proud!! Sammie's awesome and really inspires me. He's going to slow it w-a-y down and run a smaller sprint triathlon with me in a week and a half.
Here's a pic of us at the finish line. It's actually a before and after picture. The first is us in Summer 2010 at Breckenridge, CO. We've both lost a few pounds since then. People keep telling Sammie to slow down and put some weight back on. (He looks awesome!!) I've still got a ways to go, but I'm working on it!
Boo's gained quite a bit of weight but, then again, he's a baby. We'd be worried if he hadn't!
Boo and I were at the finish line and were SO proud!! Sammie's awesome and really inspires me. He's going to slow it w-a-y down and run a smaller sprint triathlon with me in a week and a half.
Here's a pic of us at the finish line. It's actually a before and after picture. The first is us in Summer 2010 at Breckenridge, CO. We've both lost a few pounds since then. People keep telling Sammie to slow down and put some weight back on. (He looks awesome!!) I've still got a ways to go, but I'm working on it!
Boo's gained quite a bit of weight but, then again, he's a baby. We'd be worried if he hadn't!
Adenoids Out, Tubes In
Boo had a minor surgery on Monday to have his adenoids taken out and tubes put in his ears. He was kind of nervous when we took him to the prepping room. But he tried to be good-natured at first. He didn't complain when we put the hospital gown on him. (So cute! He looked like Yoda! I think I have a great idea for a Halloween costume!) But his sense of humor gave out when they put the identification bracelet on his ankle. Sammie held him and we tried singing songs and playing games with him to calm him down. After a little bit, the nurse gave him a dose of some kind of sedative that they warned us would make him act drunk. Wow! I wish I'd had my camera! Sammie played voice to Boo's inebriated state. Looking at me with a blurry smile, he slurred, "These are the greatest Kleenexes ever! How come you've never given me these before, Mom!" I was worried before that we were disturbing the other patients with Boo's crying. But I worried more that they were bothered with our laughing. Boo makes one cute drunk!
Since I don't have any pics from the hospital, here's one from the backyard.
Since I don't have any pics from the hospital, here's one from the backyard.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Tales from the Heat Wave
Well, don't I just feel so blessed to be an Austinite this summer?!? Check out this article where it talks about how on Wednesday we broke the previous record for hottest summer by having 70 days in the triple digits. And we're going to break our own record many more times as the heatwave continues unabated. Lucky us! Take THAT 1925, previous holder of the record. We'll show you what a REAL heatwave feels like!
Sigh. How are the job and housing markets inside the article circle?
Two stories related to the heat: one sad and one funny. One day just after lunch, I was warming up Boo's milk to put him down for a nap. He opened up the back door and, even though I'd already taken off his shoes, I thought why not let him go run around outside for two minutes and get nice and tired for his nap? About two minutes later I heard him screaming on the back porch. I knew immediately that his little feet must have been burning on the concrete in the 100-plus degree heat. I brought him in, soaked his feet in cool water, then put him down for his nap. He was still crying hard, though. And it wasn't the "I want attention, Mommy" cry, it was the distress cry. I put him in a cool bath to try and sooth his feet. It was only then that I noticed the huge burn blister on the bottom of his left foot. I felt horrible! He hobbled around for a couple of days, and was then as good as new. He doesn't go outside anymore without shoes!
On a lighter note, the heat wave and accompanying drought have brought us some unwanted house guests. I've seen 3 or 4 very large cockroaches in our house over the summer. Sammie says they come in for water. They're always unpleasant, but I also lived with a lot of cockroaches in Brazil, so they don't give me heart attacks... Until the other night... I was "in the privy" doing a crossword puzzle. (Hey! some people wind their watches, some talk on cell phones, some read books, I do crossword puzzles. Don't judge.) Suddenly, I felt something on my shoulder. I thought my braided hair had just shifted on my shoulder and I reached up absently to brush it off. A GIANT COCKROACH FELL ONTO THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF ME!! I screamed and attacked it with my book of crosswords. (Fortunately it was the jumbo edition!) Sammie, who bolted out of bed and ran to the bathroom door when he heard my screaming, thought it was hysterically funny. I was finally able to laugh at it the next morning.
So, as my spin class instructor likes to say, "See you next heat wave!"
Sigh. How are the job and housing markets inside the article circle?
Two stories related to the heat: one sad and one funny. One day just after lunch, I was warming up Boo's milk to put him down for a nap. He opened up the back door and, even though I'd already taken off his shoes, I thought why not let him go run around outside for two minutes and get nice and tired for his nap? About two minutes later I heard him screaming on the back porch. I knew immediately that his little feet must have been burning on the concrete in the 100-plus degree heat. I brought him in, soaked his feet in cool water, then put him down for his nap. He was still crying hard, though. And it wasn't the "I want attention, Mommy" cry, it was the distress cry. I put him in a cool bath to try and sooth his feet. It was only then that I noticed the huge burn blister on the bottom of his left foot. I felt horrible! He hobbled around for a couple of days, and was then as good as new. He doesn't go outside anymore without shoes!
On a lighter note, the heat wave and accompanying drought have brought us some unwanted house guests. I've seen 3 or 4 very large cockroaches in our house over the summer. Sammie says they come in for water. They're always unpleasant, but I also lived with a lot of cockroaches in Brazil, so they don't give me heart attacks... Until the other night... I was "in the privy" doing a crossword puzzle. (Hey! some people wind their watches, some talk on cell phones, some read books, I do crossword puzzles. Don't judge.) Suddenly, I felt something on my shoulder. I thought my braided hair had just shifted on my shoulder and I reached up absently to brush it off. A GIANT COCKROACH FELL ONTO THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF ME!! I screamed and attacked it with my book of crosswords. (Fortunately it was the jumbo edition!) Sammie, who bolted out of bed and ran to the bathroom door when he heard my screaming, thought it was hysterically funny. I was finally able to laugh at it the next morning.
So, as my spin class instructor likes to say, "See you next heat wave!"
Friday, August 26, 2011
Walmart
I hesitate to tell this story because it makes me look like such a bad Mom. But it's worth it... Sometimes it's hard to remember to give Boo a clean diaper unless there's a prompting such as a bad smell or the beginning or ending of nap or bed time. So every once in a while, his diaper gets so full that he springs a leak. (You mothers, please reassure me in your comments that this happens to you ALL the time.)
Sammie brought Boo home from Walmart tonight. We had been at the gym beforehand and I guess it had been... hmmm... 4-5 hours since I got him up from his nap and gave him a dry diaper. Sammie threw Boo in the bathtub as soon as they got home. When I asked him why, he explained that Boo's diaper was so full, he had pee running down his leg.
Sammie then said, "And I thought to myself, 'I'm so glad we're in Walmart and not somewhere else!'"
Sammie brought Boo home from Walmart tonight. We had been at the gym beforehand and I guess it had been... hmmm... 4-5 hours since I got him up from his nap and gave him a dry diaper. Sammie threw Boo in the bathtub as soon as they got home. When I asked him why, he explained that Boo's diaper was so full, he had pee running down his leg.
Sammie then said, "And I thought to myself, 'I'm so glad we're in Walmart and not somewhere else!'"
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Funkweiler, skunks, non-restful days of rest, and sharpies
Vernon P. Funkweiler made his Austin debut this week! And I think he finally found a place where he fits in. He's the one of the right. And who knew that Sammie would end up working with a guy who plays guitar and owns the same black afro wig? Some might call that serendipity. Others might call it something much different.
And here's Funkweiler, who did all of the vocals for the 4-song set and earned huge applause from the crowd (all Dell employees...)
And now it's time for our Texas Rodent Update. We've noticed that a critter has been digging in our garden. Sammie set a trap last night in the bushes right underneath our dining room window. He woke up this morning, expecting to find a possum. We've seen possums on our back porch at night and they're pretty common around here. He was shocked to, instead, see a skunk caught in the trap! After some desperate phone calls, we thought to call a friend from the ward who owns some guns, has a pickup, and seemed like he'd know how to take care of the situation. He and Sammie were total cowboys. They had a blast figuring out how to dismantle the dining room window, shoot the skunk, then quickly shut the window so the spray wouldn't get in the house. It only took one shot. (Sorry all you PETA supporters! But let's hear your better plan for getting rid of a skunk in your bushes on a Sunday morning!) Before he died, the skunk sprayed. Fortunately, not too much of the smell got in the house, but our garage and back and front yards still smell pretty bad!
While the cowboys were holding a hunting party in our dining room, the RS President called to let me know that there was no 5th Sunday meeting planned for today and we would have to figure out something to do for the 3rd hour of church. While I was on the phone with her, the Primary President called to ask if I would come into Primary to talk about our experience going to the temple with Boo. And during all of this, I was trying to glaze the cheesecake I stayed up late last night making for Sammie's birthday. It was a wonderful day of rest!
I left first for church so I could pick up a friend. When I got there, I sent Sammie a text message to let him know where we were sitting. He responded that Boo had gone in the backyard and started playing with the skunk trap, which was out there airing out, and smelled like a skunk. Sammie was able to get most of the smell out with a good bath, vigorous scrubbing, and baking soda. But Boo was so worn out after all that drama, he fell asleep and both he and Sammie missed all three hours of church. Shortly after the bath, Sammie walked into Phoebe's room and found a huge stinky pile on the floor. When it rains it pours!
It all turned out okay. I went to the store after church to get some air fresheners (the ox wasn't in the mire, but the skunk was in the trap!). Boo and Sammie both had great naps. We had a yummy dinner of steak, corn, and watermelon. And the cheesecake turned out awesome!!!
One last disaster story...
While Sammie was away on business last week, I sent him an email with the subject line, "Take a deep breath before you read this" and included this picture.
Don't miss the purple sharpie on his cheek. That kid is fast and in the few moments that I wasn't paying attention, he got it on two couches, one ottoman, one armchair, two throw pillows, two different walls, one window sill, two different spots on the carpet, one toy and, of course, his face and clothes. Thank heaven for magic eraser, rubbing alcohol and good carpet cleaner! Sammie will need to touch up the paint just a little in two spots and if you look really closely at the right spot on the carpet in really strong sunlight, you'll still see some purple. Other than that, the crisis has been contained and all sharpie markers in the house are WELL out of Boo's reach.
And here's Funkweiler, who did all of the vocals for the 4-song set and earned huge applause from the crowd (all Dell employees...)
And now it's time for our Texas Rodent Update. We've noticed that a critter has been digging in our garden. Sammie set a trap last night in the bushes right underneath our dining room window. He woke up this morning, expecting to find a possum. We've seen possums on our back porch at night and they're pretty common around here. He was shocked to, instead, see a skunk caught in the trap! After some desperate phone calls, we thought to call a friend from the ward who owns some guns, has a pickup, and seemed like he'd know how to take care of the situation. He and Sammie were total cowboys. They had a blast figuring out how to dismantle the dining room window, shoot the skunk, then quickly shut the window so the spray wouldn't get in the house. It only took one shot. (Sorry all you PETA supporters! But let's hear your better plan for getting rid of a skunk in your bushes on a Sunday morning!) Before he died, the skunk sprayed. Fortunately, not too much of the smell got in the house, but our garage and back and front yards still smell pretty bad!While the cowboys were holding a hunting party in our dining room, the RS President called to let me know that there was no 5th Sunday meeting planned for today and we would have to figure out something to do for the 3rd hour of church. While I was on the phone with her, the Primary President called to ask if I would come into Primary to talk about our experience going to the temple with Boo. And during all of this, I was trying to glaze the cheesecake I stayed up late last night making for Sammie's birthday. It was a wonderful day of rest!
I left first for church so I could pick up a friend. When I got there, I sent Sammie a text message to let him know where we were sitting. He responded that Boo had gone in the backyard and started playing with the skunk trap, which was out there airing out, and smelled like a skunk. Sammie was able to get most of the smell out with a good bath, vigorous scrubbing, and baking soda. But Boo was so worn out after all that drama, he fell asleep and both he and Sammie missed all three hours of church. Shortly after the bath, Sammie walked into Phoebe's room and found a huge stinky pile on the floor. When it rains it pours!
It all turned out okay. I went to the store after church to get some air fresheners (the ox wasn't in the mire, but the skunk was in the trap!). Boo and Sammie both had great naps. We had a yummy dinner of steak, corn, and watermelon. And the cheesecake turned out awesome!!!
One last disaster story...
While Sammie was away on business last week, I sent him an email with the subject line, "Take a deep breath before you read this" and included this picture.
Don't miss the purple sharpie on his cheek. That kid is fast and in the few moments that I wasn't paying attention, he got it on two couches, one ottoman, one armchair, two throw pillows, two different walls, one window sill, two different spots on the carpet, one toy and, of course, his face and clothes. Thank heaven for magic eraser, rubbing alcohol and good carpet cleaner! Sammie will need to touch up the paint just a little in two spots and if you look really closely at the right spot on the carpet in really strong sunlight, you'll still see some purple. Other than that, the crisis has been contained and all sharpie markers in the house are WELL out of Boo's reach.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
This Post Isn't About Boo!
I felt I had to warn Boo's grandmas and anyone else who thinks posting something on this blog that doesn't have to do with Boo is a criminal act. :)
My brother-in-law introduced me to This American Life from Chicago and National Public Radio. When I'm working at my desk, I love to stream past episodes. Or, sometimes I download the latest episode and play it on my ipod. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, they did a story about inmates at a St. Louis prison putting on a production of Hamlet. It was amazing!
Click here to listen.
I'm shouting this out to my English major friends, my sister in St. Louis (who is also an English major), Spennie, Cath my most famous actor friend and anyone else.
Let me know what you think!
My brother-in-law introduced me to This American Life from Chicago and National Public Radio. When I'm working at my desk, I love to stream past episodes. Or, sometimes I download the latest episode and play it on my ipod. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, they did a story about inmates at a St. Louis prison putting on a production of Hamlet. It was amazing!
Click here to listen.
I'm shouting this out to my English major friends, my sister in St. Louis (who is also an English major), Spennie, Cath my most famous actor friend and anyone else.
Let me know what you think!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Boo
Yesterday, a friend and I took our kids downtown to the Children's Museum for Baby Bloomer hours, where they only let in kids 3 and under. We played hard then had a good lunch and were tired as we trudged through the thick heat and humidity back to the car. Boo didn't want me to carry him, but I told him he had to hold my hand if he was going to walk. Yeah right, Mom! He shoved his two chubby hands in the pockets of his jean shorts and went sauntering down the street!
Boo's cheeks get really red in the heat. Just like his Mommy's. :) This is actually long hair for him. He's now newly buzzed, which makes his hair pretty much disappear.
Boo playing with new toys from Grannie.
Boo's cheeks get really red in the heat. Just like his Mommy's. :) This is actually long hair for him. He's now newly buzzed, which makes his hair pretty much disappear.
Boo playing with new toys from Grannie.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Movie: Boo's Tricks
I know that Sammie is the one with the degree in film, but I think even he would be impressed with my first movie making effort.
Boo's Tricks, starring: Boo!
Boo's Tricks, starring: Boo!
Friday, June 03, 2011
This, That, and Boo
Boo has become so affectionate. Yesterday, I was having a tough day. I wasn't feeling very good and was super light-headed. Boo wasn't feeling well either and was fussy. By the time we left for the grocery store in the late afternoon, I was feeling pretty down and stayed quiet during our drive. When I got Boo out of his car seat, he wrapped his fat little arms around my neck, put his head on my shoulder, and cuddled with me all the way into the grocery store. It totally turned my day around!
He still has his sassy side, too. Today we were again leaving and, suddenly, I couldn't find him. I looked all over the house, starting to panic. I even ran outside to check the yard and (heaven help us!) the street. As I went back through the house, calling his name, I finally heard a muffled crying. He had gone into the guest bedroom and shut the door. (I had looked in there earlier but didn't see him). Then he had gone into the closet and shut that door! By the time I found him, he was a little tearful and I was SO relieved!!Here's a random video of Boo and Sammie being silly. (Check out Sammie's legs! He's looking awesome!)
Sammie and Boo are still best buds. When I got home from Relief Society last night, Sammie actually felt guilty for putting Boo to bed on time rather than letting him stay up to hang out longer.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Train Ride
There's a cute little train that chug-chugs around the mall by our house. I like to take Boo there when I have mall errands or when we need an indoor activity. Here's a collage of pics from a train ride we took with Daddy!
Boo on the Treadmill
Sorry for the poor quality of this video. It's actually two tacked together. Still learning the ins and outs of Windows Movie Maker... Anyway, I was at a shoe store buying running shoes and introduced Boo to the treadmill.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Head Dives off the Couch
I'm a huge blog-loser. I'm sorry. Obviously, I'm not the only one in the world with a lot going on, but life has been a blur since January. Here's a quick rundown, then I'll get to what you're really here for... Pictures of Boo.
Work: Sammie - has transitioned into his new role as regional manager where he coordinates on site service for the western US. He loves it! He works with a bunch of other smart alecks, comes home with lots of funny stories, travels a little bit, and works hard! Melba - taught Humanities 1302 Renaissance to present. Since I hadn't taught this particular class before, it required a lot of prep, plus the usual grading, responding to student emails, and... oh yeah... teaching. Boo - Loves to CLIMB! We now have all extraneous chairs and step ladders out of site, including the 2 kitchen chairs, which we put up on the kitchen table when they're not in use. (Remember in Elementary School, putting your chairs up every day?) Also loves to empty cupboards. The other day Sammie watched as he grabbed the basket of tupperware from the only un-child-proofed cupboard (we did that on purpose...) in the kitchen, walked across the room, dumped out all of the tupperware on the floor underneath the table, then walked back to the cupboard and returned the now-empty basket, neatly, in its place. Also works hard torturing the dog, hiding household objects around the house or in the backyard (we finally found the egg white separator!), and making his Mom and Dad laugh. We love him!
Church: Sammie and I are both in presidencies: EQ and RS. It took some juggling for the third hour of church, especially when we were both teaching or both conducting. Now, though, Boo is in nursery! He went last week and loved it! He even came home with a picture that he colored. We were so proud! Here's the picture he colored. (A streak of red and a few yellow scribbles up by the moon and stars). When they gave it to me, I had one of those moments of, "Oh my gosh! I'm really a parent!"
Hey, it's not much, but we're pretty sure van Gogh didn't do anything like this when he was 18 months.
Health: For Christmas, Sammie and I gave each other a personal trainer. We joined the nearest Gold's and have an awesome kick-in-the-pants trainer named Jami. She don't take no prisoners! We're both down about 25 lbs. and feel great! It's fun to do together. It's been a time commitment though--2 workouts with Jami plus 3 cardio workouts each week. Boo loves the kid's club. All of the workers there know him and when we walk in we always hear an enthusiastic "Hi Boo!"
So there's my excuse for not blogging. Semester's over, though, so I really really hope to be better.
Here's a video I took last February of one of Boo's favorite past times... diving off the couch. Dad doesn't seem to mind it too much either.
One of the best things about my teaching is how close Sammie and Boo have gotten. They're best little buddies!
One last pic... Did I mention how he likes to take random household objects and hide them? 
Work: Sammie - has transitioned into his new role as regional manager where he coordinates on site service for the western US. He loves it! He works with a bunch of other smart alecks, comes home with lots of funny stories, travels a little bit, and works hard! Melba - taught Humanities 1302 Renaissance to present. Since I hadn't taught this particular class before, it required a lot of prep, plus the usual grading, responding to student emails, and... oh yeah... teaching. Boo - Loves to CLIMB! We now have all extraneous chairs and step ladders out of site, including the 2 kitchen chairs, which we put up on the kitchen table when they're not in use. (Remember in Elementary School, putting your chairs up every day?) Also loves to empty cupboards. The other day Sammie watched as he grabbed the basket of tupperware from the only un-child-proofed cupboard (we did that on purpose...) in the kitchen, walked across the room, dumped out all of the tupperware on the floor underneath the table, then walked back to the cupboard and returned the now-empty basket, neatly, in its place. Also works hard torturing the dog, hiding household objects around the house or in the backyard (we finally found the egg white separator!), and making his Mom and Dad laugh. We love him!
Church: Sammie and I are both in presidencies: EQ and RS. It took some juggling for the third hour of church, especially when we were both teaching or both conducting. Now, though, Boo is in nursery! He went last week and loved it! He even came home with a picture that he colored. We were so proud! Here's the picture he colored. (A streak of red and a few yellow scribbles up by the moon and stars). When they gave it to me, I had one of those moments of, "Oh my gosh! I'm really a parent!"
Hey, it's not much, but we're pretty sure van Gogh didn't do anything like this when he was 18 months.Health: For Christmas, Sammie and I gave each other a personal trainer. We joined the nearest Gold's and have an awesome kick-in-the-pants trainer named Jami. She don't take no prisoners! We're both down about 25 lbs. and feel great! It's fun to do together. It's been a time commitment though--2 workouts with Jami plus 3 cardio workouts each week. Boo loves the kid's club. All of the workers there know him and when we walk in we always hear an enthusiastic "Hi Boo!"
So there's my excuse for not blogging. Semester's over, though, so I really really hope to be better.
Here's a video I took last February of one of Boo's favorite past times... diving off the couch. Dad doesn't seem to mind it too much either.
One of the best things about my teaching is how close Sammie and Boo have gotten. They're best little buddies!
One last pic... Did I mention how he likes to take random household objects and hide them? 
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Boo at the dog park tonight
Since it was a balmy 70 degrees, Sammie met us at the dog park after work. My goal was to give Phoebe some fun and convince Boo that he can walk in shoes.
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