Chasing the Little Chunnsters

A Message from Hunter

2010-10-16T20:57:00.001-05:00

The Pledge of Allegiance

2010-10-13T22:56:00.005-05:00

Michaela's rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance!

School Days

2010-09-01T22:06:00.002-05:00

Finally posting the pics from the first days of school. Hunter started 1st grade and Michaela started at the Montessori school. Michaela doesn't have to wear a uniform for her school, but insisted she wanted one - LOL!

Breastfeeding Awareness Month/Prenatal Information Bags Project

2010-07-06T20:04:00.004-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Where did you find breastfeeding information when you were a new mommy? What information do you wish you knew about breastfeeding while you were pregnant? What would you tell other moms-to-be to help them have a smooth start with breastfeeding?

For Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August 2010, La Leche League of Starkville/Columbus has a vision to get a breastfeeding information bag into the hand of every pregnant woman planning to deliver at Baptist Memorial Hospital, Oktibbeha County Hospital, or North Mississippi Medical Center /West Point. Each bag will contain a DVD, “Breastfeeding: You Can Do It!”, an informational tear sheet with basic breastfeeding tips, a La Leche League meeting notice, and a refrigerator magnet with the names and numbers of the local La Leche League Leaders. We will be delivering these bags to local obstetricians’ offices at the end of July.

Many women in our culture have never seen another woman breastfeed. It is very difficult to learn how to do something you have never seen done! (And, yes, breastfeeding is a LEARNED skill.) We hope that this DVD will allow mothers to learn about breastfeeding in the privacy of their own home, so they can go to the hospital, and out in public if they wish, feeling more confident in their ability to breastfeed their baby. Of course, we also want them to know that there are other mothers out there who have been in their shoes and want to help!

Here’s the situation: our group has been fortunate enough to receive an $875 grant from the World Breastfeeding Week Celebrations Grant Committee. $875, however, will only allow us to produce about 140 bags. We need 400 bags to make sure every mother gets a bag in August. I would hate to have to pick and chose who gets bags! We need an additional $1,429 to be able to produce the full 400 bags.

This is where you can help! Will you consider donating to our cause? As little as $6 could make a world of difference to a mom desiring to breastfeed her baby. Simply click on the button below to donate through PayPal. Or contact me if you would like to send a donation by mail.

If you were fortunate enough to have someone there to support you as you breastfed your baby, or you wish you had had someone to guide you, we hope that you will consider helping other breastfeeding mothers! Thank you!

Warmest Regards,

Christina

"Happy Mothers, Breastfed Babies"

La Leche League is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization dedicated to providing education, information, support and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed. More information about breastfeeding and La Leche League is available at http://www.llli.org/

Latest pics

2010-03-24T22:13:00.002-05:00

Summer Dreamin', again

2010-01-09T11:47:00.009-06:00

Here it is, winter again. We haven't left the house in three days. I have a cold, too, which has probably been a bigger factor in us not leaving the house than the snow flurries and frigid temperatures. So, here a few pictures from summer. Allan built me a beautiful hanging post for my upside down tomato planters. Brother-in-law, Morgan, helped him set it in concrete. Here a few of my Roma and grape tomatoes.

In September, I decided to attempt a straw bale garden bed for fall plantings. Did I mention that I am a very amateur gardener? ;-) I got a few little lettuce heads (no I'm not talking about my children-ha!). They never got very big, though. As Allan joked, they weren't even big enough to cover a hamburger if I put all of the leaves on at once!

The kids liked this big pot! I attempted to plant carrots in it, but a certain little assistant picked all the seedlings. I then attempted to plant radishes, but like the lettuce, they never got very big. Guess I planted them too late in the season.

I do much better w/ plants and seedlings than seeds. Here, Michaela helping me to water this beautiful arrangement of petunias and verbena that I got at the Briarpatch and kept on the porch to Allan's shop.

So, I have mentioned before that Allan got me a CompostTwin tumbler for my birthday/Christmas last year. It has taken some practice. I made the mistake at first of using way too many leaves. Soon learned that they take pretty long to break down! A co-worker of Allan's was nice enough to give us her riding lawn mower before she moved, so we used the money we had set aside for the mower to buy a chipper shredder. Most of my initial efforts came out looking more like mulch, so that's precisely what I used it for!

We had a considerable amount of rain this fall, which sprouted these beauties we didn't see last year. Found out they are called spider lillies, also known as Hurricane lillies because they only come up if there has been a lot of rain.

At the risk of Allan killing me, here is a picture of him enjoying one of his favorite past times.

Last Portraits of 2009

2009-12-31T20:06:00.008-06:00

Went and got some pictures done of the kids today. The photographer didn't like this particular photo because Hunter's mouth is open. She didn't even give me the option to order it. Allan says it is his favorite of Hunter, though. Go figure.

Look at Michaela. If looks could kill!

My sister, Toni, gave Hunter this build-a-bear dog for his 3rd birthday. He has recently rediscovered it and named it Goldie. He treats this pal like a real dog since Mom won't let him have a real one, yet.

Michaela with her stuffed puppy, Lulu. I posted on Facebook that perhaps my kids get their pictures done too often. They brought their own costumes and props today. Just wait. This isn't the half of it!

This pic of Hunter and Michaela is my favorite shot of the whole session.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Costumes & Dress-Up through the Year

2009-10-31T11:16:00.018-05:00

It just cracks me up that Hunter and Michaela get so excited about Halloween. It's really no different than any other day of the year at our house! Well, I guess there IS the candy thing. . .

4th of July

Michaela scowling at me because she doesn't want to take off her costume to take a shower.

Michaela and her friend, Hartlee, at the squadron Halloween party last Friday, Oct. 23rd.

Hunter and his friend, Conner. Hunter's costume was the combination of 2 costumes we bought at Dirt Cheap for $2 each. Michaela's costume was also $2. With kids this serious about wearing costumes all the time, I gotta look for the deals!

Michaela this morning, after removing the couch cushions, insisted that her bear and baby doll also needed princess costumes while she sang to them.

Field Trip! Part III

2009-10-26T18:09:00.004-05:00

Since we had a parking pass for the day, we decided to check out "Treasures from the Vault: Collections of the Mississippi State University Museums and Galleries" recommended by Amy and located at the Cullis Wade Depot. (After a change of clothing, of course!) Hunter took this picture in the clock museum downstairs.

Hunter was fascinated by the butterflies. He was surprised to find out they were real. "Why would someone catch a butterfly and kill it? Butterflies should be free!" Outta the mouths of babes!

Pottery.

Tools.

We headed down to the bookstore to find a dinosaur book as a souvenir of our trip. Hunter was eyeing the maroon and white paraphenilia, but I warned him if he brought home any Bulldog souvenirs, Daddy might hang him - LOL! So, we headed back to the clock museum and got these pics of Bully. (I'm totally guessing on the name. Am I close State fans?)

Looks real, huh?

So, you were all waiting patiently and here it is . . .

Hunter's find - Can you tell what it is? If you guessed fossilized clam, you would be correct!

Field Trip! Part II

2009-10-24T11:29:00.008-05:00

After we toured the museum, Amy took us to an outcrop to look for fossils. We invited our friends, the Collins family, to join us on this field trip. (l-r Amy Moe-Hoffman, Katelyn Collins, Hunter)

Follow the leader! =-)

We have had several weeks of rain here in the South. Much wetter than normal for this time of year! Amy gave us directions to follow her and be careful where we stepped because many areas were very slick. The kids and I were glad we wore our rubber boots! As you'll see in the rest of the pictures, we got very dirty, but it was a lot of fun!

The good part for us, all that rain had exposed a lot of fossils! Here, Amy helping Michaela find fossils.

Amy helped the kids identify their finds. (l-r Michaela, Amy, and Katelyn)

Hunter got a big find right away! We took it home and washed it up. It'll have to remain a surprise for now. ;-) I'll post those pictures later!

Eric Collins holding daughter, Miranda. She wanted so badly to get down w/ the rest of the kids. I should have had someone take a picture of me. At one point, Michaela got stuck in some mud that covered the top of her boots. She was very upset so I picked her up, which meant I became a big muddy mess! LOL! Poor Miranda would have been a mess, too.

'Say Cheese!' (top to bottom: Katelyn, Isaac Collins, Hunter and Michaela) I never can seem to get pictures of Isaac facing the camera!

"Ooooo, what did you find?"

As you can see, Hunter had a good time! You can also see what an unassuming location it was for the outcrop. Who would have thought that on the other side of the fence from where we were parked was an area rich with fossils just waiting to be discovered!

Field Trip! Part I

2009-10-24T00:56:00.011-05:00

Hunter took these photos on our field trip last week, Oct. 14th, to the Mississippi State University Geosciences Department. Amy Moe-Hoffman was our guide through the Dunn-Seiler Museum.
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/GeoSciences/museum.htm

Above, if you can believe it, are gizzard stones found with a fossil. Also, to the left, a dragonfly fossil.

During the time of the dinosaurs, the area of MS where Starkville is now was under water. Many of the fossils in this area, therefore, are of oceanic life.

Better shot of the dragonfly.

See that skull at the bottom? Crocodile!

Hunter was quite impressed with this replica of a Triceratops skull. So much so, that it was difficult to get him to focus during most of the tour - LOL!

Hunter is still in disbelief that his favorite, Pteranodon, was technically not a dinosaur. We learned that part of the definition of a dinosaur was an animal that lived on land and had all the same type teeth. (herbivore or carnivore). Pteranodon means 'winged and toothless'!

Hunter Two-Wheeling

2009-10-03T13:53:00.002-05:00

Last summer, a friend of mine gave Hunter her son's bike that he had outgrown. Being Hunter's first 'two-wheel' bike, I went and bought some training wheels to add to it. Having not learned to ride a bike myself until I was 12, I never knew it could be so difficult to ride a bike w/ training wheels. (My ten-speed didn't have training wheels.) Hunter was really struggling last summer and got to a point where he decided it was more fun to just crash the bike than ride it. We worked some more on it at the beginning of this summer, but once again, Hunter wouldn't get very far down the street and start to lose control. Rather than just drop his foot or put on the brakes to stop the bike, he would let it coast and crash. Not surprisingly, the training wheels couldn't handle this sort of mistreatment and one fell off. Hunter kept telling me I needed to go to Wal-Mart and get him another set of training wheels. I told him, "No! We kept telling you to stop crashing that bike on purpose because the training wheels were going to fall off. I'm not buying you another set of training wheels. You'll just have to learn to ride that bike without the training wheels!" Lo and behold, Hunter cleared the toys off the path beside our carport yesterday. He kept practicing, by himself, and within 30 minutes was riding the full length of the path without falling off! This video is Hunter showing his Daddy this morning.

Future Olymic Gymnast?

2009-09-26T22:45:00.002-05:00

Here, Hunter practicing his cartwheels. He's getting there.

Dancing w/ Hunter and Michaela, night two

2009-09-26T22:30:00.005-05:00

So, the second night of 'Dancing w/ the Stars' I remembered that we could do video on one of our digital cameras and decided to see if we could get some better video quality. It is only slightly better. Michaela cracks me up the way she gets so bossy when it comes to dancing! On this night, however, Hunter was sent to bed at his regular bedtime and Michaela followed soon after!

Dancing w/ Hunter and Michaela

2009-09-21T20:20:00.005-05:00

So, Hunter and Michaela both took naps today. I knew they weren't going down early, so agreed to let them 'sit' and watch "Dancing w/ the Stars" with me. I should have known better. My children don't sit through even the tamest of shows. No couch potatoes here! We are having difficulties downloading video from our camera to the computer. So, I grabbed Hunter's VTech camera he uses for his 'web cast' and convinced my children to put on 'clothing' long enough for me to get this video. I started getting dizzy watching Hunter spin Michaela! Not exactly the most calming bedtime routine!

Happy Grandparents' Day!!!

2009-09-13T19:41:00.002-05:00

Wow! Hunter has got to be the consummate performer. What should be a special message to his grandparents becomes a medium for him to plug his own show! Good grief!

Hunter's Web Cast, Episode III

2009-09-13T17:11:00.003-05:00

Hunter's friend, Trey, came over as his special guest for his web cast today! I wish I had caught the practice run on video. (Hunter wanted to show Trey how to make the recipe and we needed a 'finished product' to show.) Hunter told Trey, "Now, Trey, don't be nervous." "I'm not." Hunter went on, "Just do your best and be yourself!" LOL! Hope you can hear what they are saying over Michaela!

First Tooth

2009-09-03T22:24:00.002-05:00

The last picture of Hunter with his baby smile. He asked Allan to pull his loose tooth tonight.

Allan tied a piece of floss around it. Hunter kept making him count to '8'. Why '8'? I have no idea! Several attempts later. . .

Allan had warned him it would bleed and might hurt. Even after so many tries, Hunter didn't scream or cry! After trying to pull it forward, Allan pulled on the floss from both sides and lifted up. It did bleed a good bit. Don't look at these last pics if you are squeamish!

The tooth.

I had to laugh when I saw this. Hunter has always had such big spaces between his teeth to begin with, it doesn't look much different! The dentist says that's good - less chance he'll need orthodontia. Crossing my fingers! Now if you'll excuse me, the tooth fairy has to make a delivery!

Hunter's Web Cast, Episode II

2009-08-19T13:26:00.003-05:00

So, here's Hunter's latest web cast. It's a cooking segment! =-) Enjoy!

Primping

2009-07-29T10:54:00.004-05:00

Check out the snazzy outfit Michaela put together the other day!

Michaela decided she needed to fix her hair.

Trying to wet down the flyaways!

Hmm, not quite there, yet.

Let's try some soap w/ that water.

"You look marvelous, darling!"

What do you think, Mama?

So much fun playing in the bathroom!

Hunter's Web Cast

2009-07-19T10:34:00.005-05:00

So - Hunter amazed me yesterday when he found a cord to his Vtech Kidizoom camera and figured out how to hook the camera up to the TV so he could play the video games on the camera up on the TV. Then he figured out how to turn on the video camera function and he could see himself on the TV. He got the idea to do his own web cast. I was a little worried. (What does a 5 year old have to tell the world?) After many practices yesterday, and making of props, here is Hunter's first official web cast! Enjoy!

Farm Camp - Day 5

2009-07-10T23:51:00.012-05:00

The last day of Farm Camp for Hunter. We were running late and the other kids voted to hike to the creek. 'Miss' Lisa was tending to animals, so Michaela and I hung out w/ Hunter for a while.

Poor kid!

You can see he quickly got over it!

Michaela chasing down the doggies, as usual!

Don't know if you can tell what is going on in this pic. One of the other campers (keep forgetting to ask Hunter her name) stayed behind since she had blisters on her feet. Here, she is chasing Rosie the Piggy out of the little pool. Rosie kept trying to get in! The mud on her little snout kept clogging up the filter.

A Michaela-size puppy.

Hunter trying to figure out if he can get this tractor going.

Rosie evidently didn't think I was paying enough attention to her. She kept walking between my legs and rubbing against me like a cat. I wouldn't have minded so much if she hadn't just been playing in the mud! Needless to say, I had to go home and change before my meeting in Starkville.

"Go, Hunter, Go!"

"I can't see through all this mud!"

"Hunter! Michaela!" 'Miss' Lisa had a surprise for them!

Someone out cutting hay almost ran over this baby deer! =-( They brought it to 'Miss' Lisa. I believe by Friday it was 8 or 9 days old.

Michaela says, "I want to feed the baby deer, too!"

Michaela said, "I fed the baby deer baby milk!"

Michaela wasn't sure about the baby deer 'kissing' her!

Michaela cried when it was time for the deer to go back inside - some of the dogs were eyeing her! Uh-oh!

'Miss' Lisa invited me to bring Michaela's swim suit in the afternoon when we came to pick Hunter up.

She's still talking about "I fell on the slide and hit my head. It was scawy (scary)! Doctow (dr.) took a pictuwe (picture) of my head! It was scawy!" As you can see here, though, it isn't keeping her from the big pool!

Just realized I took more pictures of Michaela on Friday than of my camper, Hunter. Oops!

Farm Camp - Day 4

2009-07-10T23:39:00.003-05:00

Hunter w/ new friends at camp.

Michaela loved the little playhouse.

The kids did a craft every day. Thursday was a burnt matchsticks plaque. Can you tell Hunter's was a tree and two dogs? Daddy guessed an airplane. But knowing Hunter, you can't blame Allan for the mistake! LOL!

Michaela w/ a new shorter, cooler summer 'do.

Still lovin' the trampoline!

Thursday the kids learned about goats and llamas. A mama pig had piglets, but they decided to leave her alone this day as she seemed upset. They did, however, take a hike to a creek, where Hunter said he saw 'a real live waterfall'! LOL!

Farm Camp - Day 3

2009-07-10T23:05:00.006-05:00

I remembered a camera the rest of the week! Wednesday - Michaela and I stayed for a short while in the morning. Rosie was looking for some affection from Michaela, but Michaela was eyeing the horses!

"Don't go!"

Hunter loved the trampoline!

And what's summer camp without tree climbing?

'Miss' Lisa Perkins, owner, showing Hunter how to back Princess up.

Here Ducky, Duckies!

"Wild Girl". Wednesday was "Pig Day". The kids learned all about pigs and even got to compete in a pig chase, chasing Wild Girl around the round pen. Hunter was so excited his team won and got the spirit stick!

Michaela got another turn Wednesday on Princess. She's still talking about "I rode the horse all by myself!"

Gotta love the dress w/ the boots!

Wednesdays Miss Lisa cleans out the little swimming pool. She let the kids put the ducks in first! Then they dumped out all the water and got to roll in the mud like pigs! Hunter was very tired this day and decided he didn't want to roll in the mud. (Maybe he was tired from all that pig chasing?) He decided instead to build mud dams. :-)

Farm Camp - Day 2

2009-07-10T07:19:00.004-05:00

I forgot a camera for Hunter's second day of Farm Camp. But Hunter was completely stoked when I went to go pick him up! "Mom, guess what I got to do??!! I got to shoot a BB Gun!" Oh boy.

Tuesday was lil' critters day. They learned about sugar gliders (which are nocturnal) and met 'Miss' Lisa's not so little iguana! Monday they learned about horses and I asked Hunter on the way to camp Tuesday what he had learned about horses. He said "I don't remember." After sitting and thinking about it a while, though, he told me, "If horses can't poop, they can get an upset tummy and have to take medicine!" Of all the things to remember!

Michaela enjoyed her short stay at Farm Camp on Tuesday, as well. 'Miss' Lisa let her take a turn riding her horse, Princess! Michaela is still talking about it. You may be thinking, "You let her ride a horse after her track record this past week?!" I walked around the pen w/ her, holding her leg to prevent her falling off the horse!

The Accident

2009-07-08T23:24:00.005-05:00

Realized I haven't posted anything about Michaela's 'little' accident last Thursday. We went to a friend's house to swim after I got off work at the health department. There was a slide and Hunter headed right to it. He was so excited - it was his first time swimming in the deep end w/o a lifejacket and he was doing really well. Michaela saw Hunter go down the slide and she wanted to go down too. My friend asked if I thought Michaela would be less scared on someone's lap. I told her I didn't think Michaela would be scared. I was more worried about her falling off the ladder. So, we were taking turns w/ someone helping her up the ladder, then someone waiting in the pool at the bottom of the slide for her. She had the biggest smile on her face each time she came down the slide then popped up out of the water!

At one point, I was helping her up the ladder. She was maybe two rungs up. I looked away for 1/2 a second to see where Hunter was and before I knew it Michaela slipped and I just couldn't seem to move fast enough to catch her! She fell on her back (she was wearing a lifejacket), then her head hit the cement! I felt ill to my stomach as my worst fear was coming true before my very eyes! She began crying very loudly and as I picked her up, she threw up all down the front of my swimsuit. Not good. I called the doctor's office and the nurse told me that their protocol said I needed to take her to the ER. She may have just swallowed a lot of pool water and she was crying pretty hard. But I knew we couldn't take any chances.

My friend offered to keep Hunter. (You would think it was the greatest day of Hunter's life! He's still talking about how he got to stay at his friend's house and have dinner!) I quickly put on some dry clothes and raced Michaela to the ER, calling Allan along the way. (As luck would have it, I forgot Michaela's change of clothes at home. I had to throw on a T-shirt of Hunter's that was in the car! What a look - a pull up and oversized T-shirt. I can only imagine what the staff was thinking.) I got worried as Allan arrived b/c she began to act very sleepy. I called my friend who had kept her during the day to see if she had taken a decent nap while Allan got her some Bugles out of the vending machine. She had napped well and now I had managed to worry another friend w/ the news we were in the ER! (I purposely didn't post anything to Facebook until we got home.) Michaela seemed to perk up after the Bugles.

We finally got called back. It seemed like one person after another just kept coming in and asking the same questions. What time was the accident? What happened? I wanted to ask, "Didn't the last person remember to write that on the chart?" I'm guessing in cases like this, though, they have to rule out abuse and probably want to make sure the story doesn't change. I also couldn't help but think that we had gotten seen more promptly for Michaela's split chin back in October, which had quit bleeding by the time we got to the hospital.

My friend called and offered to bring Michaela some dinner. The nurses said it would be okay if she had a little. Michaela was gobbling up chicken and rice as the nurse practitioner walked in. She said the fact that Michaela was hungry was a good sign, but just to be on the safe side they needed to run a CT Scan. I sent Allan to go get Hunter and take him home to bed.

Michaela had a fit about lying on the table for the scan and the technician told me it would be easier if she was asleep. Since it was well past bedtime at this point, I told her that wouldn't be a problem. Nearly 5 hours after we arrived, we finally left the ER w/ a clear CT Scan and, other than a knot on the head, a healthy baby girl! Mama has been very paranoid ever since, and Michaela seems to be a little accident prone, but she has not shown any ill signs!

Farm Camp - Day 1

2009-07-06T21:20:00.005-05:00

Hunter giving Daddy the tour of the "Back 40 Petting Farm" when we came to pick him up after his first day of camp. Following, some of the animals Hunter will be studying this week.

Michaela wanted so badly to stay and ride horses, too. The camp is for kids 5 years and up. Parents can stay as much or as little as they want, but I wasn't up for chasing Michaela around a farm all day! She really missed Hunter.

2 month-old pot-bellied pig, Rosie.

Allan asked if there were any animals Hunter didn't like and he declared "Rosie!" because she knocked over his army men while he was playing with his friend! LOL!

Of course, Michaela loved all the doggies!

Curiosity killed the cat??????

Our Yard

2009-06-27T22:45:00.009-05:00

The view of our toy-strewn back patio from the little hill behind the house back in February. And yes, the kids consider the ice chest their toy. They love to fill it w/ dirt and leaves and water. Guess we won't be putting food in there anytime soon.

The view of the little hill from the patio. There is a swing back there. Funny, we didn't realize how close the neighbors to the back were until all the leaves fell.

Daffodils on February 14th. Two weeks later we had snow!

My sad attempts to start watermelon seedlings this spring.

I said in the last post the previous owners left us treasures. Here are some more. Beautiful orchids by our bedroom window.

More orchids and some wilting azaleas in the background. And, of course, a cute little girl! ;-)

Cracks me up how Buddy posed for me in front of the house!

Almost stepped on this frog one day while watering flowers.

Beautiful petunias I bought from a fundraiser put on by Palmer Children's Home. I didn't know they have their own greenhouses out there and sell plants year round. I have since tried to kill them. (Didn't get them watered two very hot days in a row.) Allan was surprised that I am bringing them back to life w/ liquid seaweed and removal of dead foliage.

Geraniums from the same fundraiser. They are fairing much better than the petunias!

Allan's workshop. Look at how green it is at the back of the property now!

Side yard. You can see the neighbors house.

More treasures. Peaches! Except none of them made it. :-( Will have to read up more on peaches before next year. This tree seemed to develop a fungus. All the caterpillars probably didn't help either.

Beautiful Lily. My friend Linda tells me it is called a Canna Lily.

How could I not include this picture of Michaela in her 'eye boots'?!

Hunter on the swing up on the little hill. (Note the boots. Our yard gets pretty muddy when it rains!) Can't hardly even tell we have neighbors behind that swing w/ all the foliage this time of year!

Beautiful post Allan built (and brother-in-law Morgan helped set) for me to hang my upside down tomato planters. You can see my compost bin in the back. Think this fall I will spend some time planting more bulbs. Love my petunias, but I really need some flowers that require less of my attention! =-)

Blueberries

2009-06-21T21:12:00.005-05:00

Previous owners have left us all kinds of treasures! Among them, two blueberry bushes.

Michaela has been so excited. She goes out and eats the ripe berries right off the bushes.

That's chalk on her face.

"You want some, Daddy?"

"Here, Mommy!"

Can you see the boo-boo on her chest? Brother literally zipped her into a costume the other day!

Sweet girl!

Hunter is making plans to make a blueberry pie for 4th of July w/ the berries he has been picking. I'm not sure we will get enough from the two little bushes we have. I told him we will have to start freezing the berries he picks before Sister eats them all!

EEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!

2009-06-16T22:43:00.004-05:00

Allan was out mowing the lawn while Michaela and I took Hunter to gymnastics today. He saw this snake. What does my husband do? Grab a shovel? No. He grabs the camera.

I guess I should be grateful he didn't leave me a mess to clean up.

Allan tried to look it up and thinks it was non-venomous.

I have tried to remain calm and not let my fear of snakes freak the kids out.

I think I have put up a good front.

"Oh look. Daddy found a snake in the yard today."

"Oh wow! It can climb trees!"

Inside . . .

I am screaming! "OMG! There was a SNAKE in MY yard! You kids don't know it, but we just wasted a huge amount of money buying this house w/ this huge yard, because Mommy is never going to let you play outside in it AGAIN!"

Preschool Graduation

2009-06-14T20:59:00.006-05:00

Mr. Cool

Michaela patiently waiting for the ceremony to begin.

'Miss' Lezli congrats the graduate.

Now, 'Miss' Willie's turn - Hunter attended PCDP for 4 years!

Now, Mom's turn!

Time to party!

Hunter and his pal, Trey.

Don't ask me what the wild eyes are about!

Ben will put Hunter in his place.

Always fun trying to take a family picture w/ two wiggly, wild kids!

Preschool Years - Miss Lezli's 4 year old room

2009-06-10T22:08:00.005-05:00

16th Anniversary!

2009-06-03T21:54:00.002-05:00

Our Wedding Day! June 3, 1993.

1996 - Allan's college/ROTC days and my Barnett Bank days.

Pilot training, Laughlin Air Force Base, 1999-2000. Sitting on the ole T-37 Tweet.

So many of you know mine and Allan's story, but for those of you who don't, here it is! Allan and I met at NAS Lemoore, CA in Mrs. Wahl's 6th grade class when we were 11 years old. We had all the same classes together through junior high and started 'going out' in the 7th grade. (Don't know what they call it these days!) In the middle of our sophomore year of high school, my parents got divorced and my mom, 3 siblings and I moved to Globe, AZ to live w/ my grandparents. Allan and I kept in touch and stayed together for 2 1/2 years while I lived in AZ! (I had to get a job to pay my grandpa for the phone bills, though!) We only saw each other twice. Once for a couple of hours while I was at a journalism camp at Pepperdine in Malibu. And another time when I came to visit at Christmas break.

I graduated from high school on a Thursday. On Sunday, I flew out to California. The next Thursday, Allan and I ran to the justice of the peace w/ his parents as witnesses and got married! That evening, we went to Allan's high school graduation - yes, you read that right! Did I mention that in the middle of this all, Allan's dad was retiring from the Navy and the movers were packing up his parents house? The day after the wedding, we headed out on a cross country trip to move to Florida, where Allan's parents were retiring and Allan had been accepted to the University of Florida. We stopped along the way to celebrate w/ family. We had a reception in AZ w/ my family; then a party w/ Allan's family in Texas.

The dress has a story all its own! I had always dreamed of making my own wedding dress, even took sewing for 3 semesters. But I was terrible at collars and sleeves! So, I found this pattern for a Jessica McClintock dress that required neither! (Hahaha!) One of my mom's co-workers gave me the white sateen fabric for the underlayer as a gift. I found the top sheer fabric (in purple - my favorite color!) half off. (I was also looking for a dress appropriate for a wedding and a graduation!) But my mother took me all over Phoenix trying to find 'Double-scalloped Venetian lace'. We finally found some in this hole-in-the wall store called "Ruffles and Lace". I knew the instant I saw the lace, that was it! But my mother saw the price and was convinced it was not the lace for me. I was the one paying for the dress and I had saved so much on the rest of it, I decided I would splurge on the lace. Everyone said it made the dress!

Anyway, I hope I haven't embarrassed my dear husband too much! To Allan, having his picture taken is a fate worse than death! And yes, I remember your name is 'Allan' and not 'Daddy'! Happy Anniversary, Babe!

The Preschool Years

2009-05-24T23:13:00.007-05:00

Every year, the wonderful teachers at PCDP make a scrapbook for every child! Here are a few highlights from Hunter's first 3 years. Above, Hunter's first day in "Miss" Willie's class,
21 months old.

2 years old!

Helping "Miss" Willie cook during 'Farm Week'.

End of the school year.

2nd year in "Miss" Willie's toddler class.

3 years old!

Nicholas Steinport and Hunter.

Community helpers week.

First day in "Miss" Tina's three-year-old room.

Hunter's 'girlfriend', Courtney Clark

The 3 Musketeers - Nicholas, Hunter, and Trey Kernea.

Dinosaur Week

Farm Week

Four year old room here I come!

Wait 'til he finds out what the meatballs are made of . . .

2009-05-24T21:51:00.002-05:00

Hunter may be on his way to becoming a vegetarian. (I just wish he ate vegetables!) He has slowly been realizing that meat comes from animals. He has never really cared for beef, but I could sneak it past him in a few dishes, like lasagna and chili. Now, I've even had to switch to ground chicken or turkey in those dishes, as well. (I was surprised that Allan has not protested this switch!) Earlier in the week, I made a turkey breast. As Hunter took a bite, all of a sudden he said to me, "Am I eating the turkey's muscles?!" "Well, yes," I told him. "Ewww! Why am I eating it's muscles?" "Because the bones are too crunchy!" (Yes, I really did say that.)
A couple of days ago, I was making a brisket for dinner. (I already had mac-n-chz planned for Hunter.) Hunter saw me opening the package and said, "Is that blood? Why is there blood?" "Well, because this is meat."
"So, that's the turkey's blood?"
"Not exactly, this meat comes from a cow."
"But we get milk from cows."
"Yes, some cows give us milk and some cows give us meat."
"So, they drain the milk out of the cow and then cut it up?!" completely disgusted at this point.
"Something like that."

Misc. Pictures

2009-05-22T22:09:00.009-05:00

Some pics on my camera right now. This is Hunter w/ the infamous 'Buddy'. Buddy technically belongs to the neighbors.

Buddy lives across the street and hangs out in his pen during the day. In the afternoons, when his owners come home, they let him out and he spends the rest of the evening at our house. It isn't just since we've lived here. We hear that it has been that way ever since his owners got him at about 1 year of age. He just likes this house. Or maybe it's our 'gourmet' ice cubes from our icemaker? Oh well, it's a good deal for us. The kids get a dog to play with and we don't have to pay to feed or vaccinate him!

Previous owners have left us a yard full of beautiful flowers. I took a bunch of pictures the other day w/ the 'fancy-schmancy' camera. I'll post later.

Hunter and Michaela were playing w/ the play-doh the other day. Can you guess what this is?

It's a map of the world! Hunter pressed the play-doh into the lid of a gallon ice-cream container. I bought the ice cream just for the container (really!) to store the play-doh, but Hunter and Michaela have found other uses for it!

Hunter (age 5) w/ a couple of his 4 year old friends, Mirabelle Bishaw and Ben Brooks.

These three friends last Saturday did America's Armed Forces Kids run. They ran about a mile! We thought it was pretty cool that this run started out as Junior Bloomsday in Spokane, WA, where we use to live and where Hunter was born. Would you believe these kids then went on to walk two more miles for the Faulkner Memorial Walk? This event, in memory of Maj. Blair Faulkner, raised over $14,000 for Columbus' Palmer Children's home. Wow!

Michaela slept in till the last minute, so she just hung out in the jogging stroller chowing down on breakfast while we followed Hunter on the run.

Final thought. . .

2009-05-14T21:58:00.003-05:00

I thought the funniest part of our trip to Tuscaloosa was the way the kids rephrased the museum rules. We had lined the kids up against a wall to go over the rules before we set them loose . I told them there were 3 rules: "Rule #1: Stay w/ your grownup. Rule #2: Use your inside voice. Rule #3: Use your walking feet." When I asked them to repeat the rules, I got "Stay w/ mommy! No screaming! No running!" Oh my!

CHOM - Part 4

2009-05-14T21:34:00.003-05:00

Molly Maksimowicz, Aubrey Krajicek, and Minnie Fromm serving 'sushi' in one of the most popular exhibits at the Children's Hands-On Museum - the Japan House. This exhibit is set up like a typical home in Japan.

"Miss Lezli, would you like some more sushi?"

"Wow, the sushi is going fast! We better get some more!"

Hunter and Katelyn Collins also enjoyed 'playing house' in Japan House.

Time to go! The kids putting their shoes back on as they exit Japan House, just like they would if they were really visiting a home in Japan.

CHOM - Part 3

2009-05-13T17:07:00.006-05:00

After harvesting all those fruits and vegetables, Michaela was ready to take them to market.

"To market, to market. . ."

Hunter will fill 'er up.

Captain Tom Parker's Boat was another popular exhibit.

Everyone, put on your lifejackets.

Hmmm. . .

Maddi Maksimowicz wasn't sure about the animated horse.

Mirabelle Bishaw and Michaela - going fishing.

"I think I got one!"

Meghan Kernea

Miranda Collins 'cruising' in the toddler area.

"The End" of this post, anyhow. Just a few more museum pics to post.

CHOM - Part 2

2009-05-13T16:21:00.004-05:00

Sweet Caitlyn Kernea! Hunter saw this pic and said "That's Trey's little cutie!"

Michaela loved playing farmer!

Surprisingly, Hunter did not spend all day at Mission Control. He loved the little hospital exhibit.

"Hello, may I check you in?"

Nicholas Steinport and Trey Kernea

"Please hold for Dr. Steinport."

"Oops, sorry he had to run off to an emergency!"

Children's Hand-on Museum of Tuscaloosa, part 1

2009-05-11T21:47:00.006-05:00

Back in January, Allan and I took the kids to the Children's Hands-On Museum in Tuscaloosa and thought they would have a really good time there with their friends. We tried a few times to schedule w/ a few friends, but we all kept getting sick. I decided to invite the whole preschool and just about anyone else who was interested. We got a pretty good turnout of 8 adults and 15 children. Here Hunter and his buddy Trey blasting off in the Space Shuttle exhibit.

Trey Kernea

Pals: Trey, Nicholas Steinport, Hunter

World's Biggest Star Wars Fans: Trey, Nicholas, Hunter, and Ben Brooks.

Hunter and Aubrey Krajicek in the Old Fashioned Soda Shoppe. This museum has the real equipment from a soda shoppe, but the kids actually get to touch and handle everything.

Aubrey and Maddi Maksimowicz

Meghan Kernea, Hunter, Meg Waits

One of the few pictures where I got Molly Maksimowicz facing the camera. This is the other side of the soda shoppe. A little drug store.

Maddi and Hunter making us some yummy pretend goodies!

Aubrey 'making' Miss Lezli a banana split.

Michaela was happy to play customer.

Hunter and Meghan coming out from the Pharmacist's office after 'mixing' a concoction for a customer.

I've got tons more pictures to come. Bear w/ me!

Quotable Hunter

2009-05-04T22:54:00.002-05:00

So, plans to get my garden beds laid out have been slow going. Right now, I am trying to move a huge crate out of the way. It is about 9 or 10 feet long. We told the former owners they could leave it behind, but ultimately decided there wasn't anything we could think to do with it. Plus, the wood is rotting. Papa says he's pretty sure it was used for transporting helicopter blades. So, not really meant to be left outside. Allan removed all the hardware (hinges and latches), but I have been trying to remove the nails. So I was out there the other morning and Hunter wanted to help. I kept saying, "Hunter, watch out for the nails." They were pretty rusty. About the 4th time I repeated myself, Hunter said to me "Mom, I understand what you're saying! I'm not 3!" I could just hear my mother saying, "He's definitely YOUR kid!" LOL! We finally got one of the sides off and I said to Hunter, "Thank you so much! That was such a big help to me!" (It really was!) Hunter's modest reply, "Yeah, I've got pretty big muscles, 'cuz I play A LOT!"

Future Pilots?

2009-04-26T22:42:00.007-05:00

So, it probably comes as no surprise that my children are a little obsessed with airplanes. Even Michaela squeals and runs to me w/ any scrap of paper she finds "pane, pane!". (Never did I imagine in junior high, when the boys were teaching me to make paper airplanes for math competition, that this would be a skill I would be required to use on a daily basis!) At the recent fly-in we attended, Hunter was super excited to go up in the 'Bonanza' pictured above - twice!

The first time, Hunter went up w/Allan. Hunter says he wants to "be a pilot just like Daddy" when he grows up! Allan says he doesn't remember ever wanting to do anything else when he was little. Though, Hunter has debated lately about starting his own business -a Clone Trooper Store!

Can you tell from that grin how excited Hunter is?

"Whoa!"

Hunter had so much fun, he begged me to go up with him up again. I only wish I had taken the camera. Hunter really egged on our pilot, Col. Brabson, that second time, much to the chagrin of Mama and our friend, Nicole Griffin! Thank you to Col. Brabson for being such a good sport!

Hunter posing in front of K9's 'Vortex'.

Hunter was too little to go up in the 'Vortex', but Ken let him sit in it.

Look at how excited Michaela was to sit on Hunter's lap in the 'pane'! Shortly before this, Ken took Allan up, which according to Allan was "really fun!". Ever since seeing him get in the 'Vortex', Michaela is convinced every plane she sees has Daddy in it. "Daddy in the pane?" When we drive onto the base she screams, "Pane, pane! See the pane, Mama? See the pane?" Too cute!

First Annual "Firesaw" Fly-in

2009-04-26T09:25:00.006-05:00

Okay, so I'm finally getting around to posting these pictures from the fly-in we went to at Monroe County Airport in Amory, MS on Saturday, April 4th. A few members of the 43rd Firebirds (Allan's new Reserve Squadron) and the 41st Buzzsaws (Allan's former squadron that he still flies with - confused yet?) have their own planes. They invited everyone out to enjoy some camaraderie, a yummy potluck lunch, and, of course, some awesome flying! Here everyone visiting.

Jen and Sebastian Fiederer

The kiddos had a great time running around and enjoying what couldn't have been a more gorgeous day!

Michaela's bubble blower was a popular toy, but she was more interested in everyone else's toys. Isn't that how it goes?

Steven Muscolino gearing up for his ride.

Pilot Ken "K9" Appezzato ready and waiting with his 'Vortex'.

So cool - like our own private airshow!

'Swift' belonging to Andy Peterson.

'RV-6'

Christa Chapman preparing to go up w/ K9 in the 'Vortex'.

Yes - that plane is upside down.

Our hosts and event planners - Ken and Lorin Appezzato. Thanks guys - we had a blast!

Oak Mountain Farm

2009-04-09T21:55:00.005-05:00

We went back to Oak Mountain State Park on March 22nd. We took the kids to see their working farm.

"Come on! Let's go!"

Me trying to put Michaela's hair up out of her face. I got it cut because I was tired of this twice daily battle.

"Hunter! Wait for me!"

The Kindermusik unit we are doing this semester, "Fiddle Dee-dee," is full of animal songs Michaela and I were singing as we went along. 'Miss' Cathy would be so proud!

The baby goats were Michaela's favorite!

Baby lambs are so soft!

Proud peacocks

"Hee Haw!"

Michaela kept chasing the baby goats yelling"Sweet puppy!" Okay - so she thought they were dogs!

Michaela had to try and hug all the baby goats.

I had never seen a white peacock before.

Hunter didn't waste any time making a friend.

Birthday Celebration w/ Nana & Papa

2009-04-08T21:36:00.006-05:00

So, after our day at Oak Mountain State Park, we drove a short ways north to spend the night in Birmingham. We had dinner at a great Italian restaurant called Petruccelli's. We went back to the hotel room for Michaela to open her presents from Nana & Papa. She loved the bike!

You can see she wasted no time pulling the hair bobbers out as soon as we got back to the room!

The baby doll from Unc Mo (Uncle Morgan) was a big hit.

She also liked the stroller from Nana & Papa.

There's more!

How many times do I have to repeat "Mommy is not a jungle gym!"?

Hunter pretending to sleep.

Oak Mountain State Park

2009-04-08T18:25:00.006-05:00

Papa (Allan, Sr.) and Michaela

So, last spring 'Miss' Lezli (Hunter's teacher this year) told us about Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, AL. It is the largest state park in Alabama. The weekend of March 21st, we finally made it out that way to celebrate March birthdays (Michaela - 5th, Allan - 7th, Papa - 22nd).

We met up w/ Allan's parents on Saturday morning. Allan's mom brought a cooked brisket that we warmed on a grill and made sandwiches with. We sat around visiting while it warmed up.

Pre-haircut. Sweet girl!

Nana (aka Wilma Chunn, Allan's mom)

Hunter and Michaela were having fun trying to catch the lizards. Daddy helped them.

Michaela wanted to hold a lizard, too, so Allan caught one for her and put it on her arm. She liked it until it started to move, at which point she threw it off her arm!

After lunch, we went to rent a couple of paddle boats. (We decided against taking the camera on the boats!) Hunter was disappointed that his legs were too short to paddle.

After paddle boats, we took a short hike through the TreeTop Nature Trail. This trail has cages along the way where there are injured birds of prey who can not be released back into the wild. The trail leads to a Wildlife Sanctuary within the park.

If only Hunter (in red) could share his energy w/ the rest of us! He led the way all the way up to the sanctuary AND back! I followed behind w/ Michaela on my back, struggling to see b/c I had gotten sunscreen in my eyes. All I could think about was getting to a rest room where I could rinse my eyes out.

A bird of prey they brought out for the vistor's at the Wildlife Sanctuary.

I can't wait to go back. There are cabins to rent (we tried to get in - they were booked). And I would love to go in w/ the gear for a proper hike on one of their longer trails. One trail is suppose to lead up to a waterfall!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2009-03-27T16:12:00.003-05:00

So, despite many protests when I said I was going to get Michaela's hair cut, everyone so far seems to think the new 'do is very cute. We went to Saum Chiropractic yesterday and everyone was talking about the hair. Misty, one of the assistants, came out to look. Something was said about Mama getting her hair cut too. To which Hunter piped up "Yeah and she got it colored too to cover up her gray hairs!" Misty told him "I don't think you're suppose to be telling people that!"

Speaking of "out of the mouths of babes". I've told some of you this story. Michaela is newly fascinated w/ trucks. For Christmas, Uncle Morgan got Hunter a big metal dump truck. We got Michaela her own when they went on clearance at Wal-mart because she kept trying to steal Hunter's. The problem is, she can't say 'truck'. She says it with an 'F' . . . Most people understand she's just a little girl. But it's still unnerving to hear your two year old yelling that word through a parking lot!

Before. . .

2009-03-25T18:02:00.003-05:00

. . . and after.

Deadly in Pink

2009-03-24T21:26:00.001-05:00

The Fancy Schmancy Camera

2009-03-22T17:23:00.011-05:00

So, you may have noticed varying quality in some of our pictures.

Allan got a Cannon Rebel when Michaela was about 6 months old. The Fujifilm camera we had when Hunter was born was good for our apartment in Spokane that had lots of natural light. (It was the camera I used on the AZ trip.) It wasn't so good for our dark house on base here. I call the Rebel "The Fancy Schmancy Camera" because I can't figure it out! I should have let Allan take the pictures of the Clone Trooper Army at Hunter's Birthday Party back in December. These were my sad attempts. There was a blurry child in every shot!

This was the best shot I got.

Compare the above to the action shots Allan got of Hunter at gymnastics last summer.

I guess for now Allan will be the main photographer and photo editor and I will be the picture post-er and journaler (if that's a word -ha!).

Kid Logic

2009-03-18T13:26:00.002-05:00

So, we are having a hard time adjusting to the time change. It doesn't help that with sick kids last week, we had been sleeping in late. Monday morning I needed to go to work in Starkville. Hunter had begged to finish watching a show the night before, so I said he could as long as he took a bath in the morning before going to the sitter's. I also had to bathe Michaela in the morning because she had been very grouchy and fallen asleep early. It's a 45 minute drive to the sitter's. And I'm suppose to be at the health district by 8:45am. Besides baths, I also needed to feed them breakfast, get them (and myself) dressed, and make lunches for everyone. (I know, I know, I should organize everything the night before. Sometimes, though, it just doesn't happen!) I set the alarm for 6:00 and finally managed to drag Hunter and Michaela out of bed at 6:15am. Hunter said "Wow! I've never been up this late in the night!" "It's not night time. It's morning," I told him. To which he replied "Na-uh! It's still dark outside!" Makes sense to me. =-)

The Birthday Girl

2009-03-10T20:50:00.005-05:00

This past Thursday, March 5th was Michaela's 2nd birthday! (What? How is that possible?) Despite feeling not so well most of the day, presents and sugar (cake & ice cream) perked her right up! And yes, I am a terrible mother - she is still in her pajamas at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. (Give me a break - I had two sick, clingy children. Why create more laundry if I didn't have to?) I was able to find her a toddler sized bike helmet at One Step Ahead. She calls it 'my hat!'.

I don't know why she always insists on putting sunglasses on upside down!

Breaking through all the packaging was a perfect job for Hunter.

Sweet girl!

The cookie icing I got was a lot runnier than I expected. The cake is supposed to say 'Mikey'.

Trying to keep her hair from catching on fire!

Michaela was having some trouble blowing out the candle.

We asked Michaela if Hunter could help her. She said 'Yeah', but didn't see the actual candle go out. When she turned back and saw the candle was out, she clapped her hands together squealing - "I did it!" Too cute! And Hunter was such a good sport. He played along and let her think she had blown it out.

Michaela thoroughly enjoyed her cookie cake and ice cream.

And when she was done with hers, she tried to help herself to Hunter's!

Michaela's thinking, "Come on, Hunter! You know you want to share w/ me!"

"Oh well, he won't mind if I just help myself to his water!"

Sick & Tired

2009-03-04T21:49:00.002-06:00

"The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."
-Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Allan came home to the above scene the Tuesday before last (Feb. 24th). It seems since we got back from Arizona it has been just one illness after another. Monday Michaela had an ear infection. But other than sticking her finger in her ear once and saying "owie!" I would not have known there was anything wrong. Tuesday (24th), Hunter was bouncing all over the house, as usual. We were just about to head out the door to drop him at preschool when he gave a shiver. I checked his temp - sure enough he was running a fever. He played all morning then crashed after lunch. He and Michaela were fighting over my lap as we sat down to watch a video. Hence the picture.

By Wednesday, I took him to the doctor. He was bit by a tick two weeks before, so they decided to run lab work. After much crying leading up to the lab work, he did just fine once they actually stuck him. (Though, Mommy wanted to cry for him!) By Thursday, he had an earache, so he was also put on an antibiotic. By Monday, he seemed better, so I went to work in Starkville. But by that night, Michaela was running a high grade fever. *sigh*

When Michaela doesn't feel well, she makes sure the whole world knows about it! The last two nights she woke up crying every time she coughed. So, we ended up on the couch. I sat Michaela between my legs and laid her head against my stomach to keep her upright and breathing easier. (I know my chiropractor is reading this right now and cringing! Surprisingly I don't have a backache - yet.) Now both kids have upset tummies from the antibiotics. What a miserable way for Michaela to spend her 2nd Birthday! The good news is Hunter's lab work came back negative for flu, mono, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. But needless to say, I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired!

Snow Day

2009-03-01T22:20:00.003-06:00

So, I have to imagine that everyone in the South is posting snow pictures to their blogs today! It's such a rare occurrence here. This is the sight we awoke to this morning.

View of our house and front yard.

Our fruit trees out back. What kind of fruit? I'll tell you when we find out!

This gives you an idea of how thick it was!

The kids raced to put on their warm clothes and rubber boots to go out and play. Michaela didn't last long.

It was perfect snow for a snowball fight! Soon, though, Hunter was trying to slide down the hill on his belly - silly boy! By noon it was just a muddy mess out there!

Kids Say the Funniest Things

2009-02-23T21:22:00.002-06:00

Michaela has a little set of scrubs her Nana and Papa gave her for playing dress-up. (See my Christmas post.) This morning, I decided to wear some scrubs to go work at the Lactation Clinic in Starkville. When she saw me getting dressed, Michaela asked "Is that your costume?" LOL!

Heading Home

2009-02-20T19:43:00.008-06:00

So, I'm finally getting around to posting the last of the pictures from the AZ trip. On the way back from Hannagan Meadow, we stopped again at the bottom of the Salt River Canyon where there were several merchants selling jewelry. Hunter really liked this green turtle necklace I got for him. I wish I had thought to ask the merchant what kind of stone it was made out of.
We set out to return home on the morning of Sunday, January 18th. I was dreading the almost 4 hour layover in Dallas/Ft. Worth when my dear, childhood friend, Tia, came to the rescue! We met in grade school at NAS Lemoore, CA. She now lives in Texas, near Dallas. Tia picked us up at the airport w/ her two youngest children. We went to a nearby Chucky Cheese to allow the kids to burn off some energy.

Hunter had a blast w/ Dylan and Alyssa.

Michaela didn't like the kiddie rides! She did this roller-coaster ride w/ Dylan over and over! I only wish that I had gotten some pictures of Tia and I. Thanks, Tia!

More Michaela-isms

2009-02-15T00:26:00.002-06:00

Tonight, Michaela wanted me to open her bedroom door and I wouldn't. She kept saying "Help me, Mom. Help me!" All of a sudden, she got the door open herself and was so excited, telling me "I help me!" Too funny!

Michaela-isms

2009-02-13T08:21:00.002-06:00

Michaela has officially entered the 'Whhhhhyyyyyy????' phase. She has been saying it for a few days. Just a while ago, I asked her to step back as I took our breakfast out of the hot oven. She readily obliged, evidently thinking I was about to serve up some for her. (Have I mentioned that my children like to eat?!) I said we would have to wait a few minutes for it to cool off. "WWWWWhhhhhyyyyy????" I picked her up - "Because we don't want to burn our tongues." I set her down and went to check my e-mail real quick thinking I had satisfied her w/ my response. I suddenly realized she was awfully quiet and stepped into the kitchen to find she had managed to unscrew the lid from the peanut butter jar and was eating it right out of the jar! (I know - I should have gotten a picture!) At least she was using a spoon! And she wasn't touching the hot pan!

She has also started saying something else lately that cracks me up. As many of you know, Michaela likes to be held. And, unlike her brother, most of the time she is not picky about who is holding her. (Though, if you have food, you will probably be her best friend!) She has been known to reach out to complete strangers in Wal-Mart to be picked up - Scccaaarrryyy!!! I can't say I blame her, though. She's short. The view down there can't be very good. Anyway, instead of saying "up" or "pick me up", she has taken to saying "I want to hold you!" Awww - how sweet! How could I not let her 'hold me'?

Blogworthy

2009-02-02T22:18:00.005-06:00

Well, we got a little more excitement than we bargained for this afternoon. As I told Allan, "I think this is worthy of a blog." So, here's the story. Many of you know that we bought a house at the end of September. One of the features that most attracted us to this property was the 'little house' or shop in the back. Shortly after we moved in, we asked the power company to take out some dead trees. But I noticed there was also this pine tree that seemed to be towering above the shop and was making me very nervous. Someone, supposedly w/ his own tree business, even came by and said one good storm could snap the top of that tree and send it crashing into the attic of our shop. I was starting to think maybe we should just go ahead and fork over the money to have the tree taken out, even though I don't think it was technically on our property.

Fast forward to this afternoon. I had worked the Lactation Clinic in Starkville and had just gotten home w/ the kids. Michaela was resisting a nap and she and I sat cuddling on the couch. It had been pretty breezy all day. Suddenly, it is hard to describe, it was like a big gust of wind slammed into the house. And as I looked out our back window, there seemed to be a strange horizontal shadow bouncing up and down. I thought "Please don't tell me that was a tree." I, of course, immediately thought of that pine tree. But then I thought, if that tree just crashed into the shop, it would have been a lot louder. I was afraid to go look. But I did . . . and it was the pine tree. It was inches away from our shop - caught on the power lines. I don't remember what was coming out of my mouth. I think it was along the lines of "oh no, oh no, oh no". Our neighbor, Stan, had heard it too and came out. I told him I would call the power company and ran inside. At first, the lady asked if we still had power and I said yes. She said she would put in a work order. I asked if they would be out today and she said 'probably'. But it didn't sound convincing.

About this time, Allan pulled up, home from work a lot earlier than I was expecting. He looked perplexed as to the expression on my face and why I was standing talking on the phone looking out the door. I pointed behind him - he hadn't even noticed as he drove up. "Oh! Are they coming out?" Allan looked closer and said "Call them back, that support beam is leaning!" See photo above. Allan rushed right for his camera and took these photos.

One worker showed up immediately. But had to wait a little while for one of the bucket trucks to show up. In the meantime, he was assessing the situation. He pulled out a telescoping saw and began cutting away branches, trying to take some tension off the wires.
A view from the side. See how it is leaning on the wires? Just inches from our shop? Closer examination showed the tree had uprooted from the super wet soil underneath. I guess the electrical wires actually saved our shop! Thank you to 4-County Electric for coming out so quickly to take care of this matter. I told Allan, "On the bright side, now I can stop worrying about that tree!"

Arizona Trip - Part 5

2009-01-30T12:28:00.009-06:00

So, after managing to dodge the nasty respiratory illness going around in AZ, we came back to MS just in time to catch a stomach bug. In the past week, we have all had upset tummies, I had an allergic reaction to something that caused my eyelids to swell and necessitated steroid drops, and now Hunter has a nasty cough - fun, fun, fun. (Note my sarcasm!) On a brighter note, here are some more photos from our AZ trip. Pictured above, my sister, Theresa, w/ Michaela and Steven.

Michaela, our shoe girl. She liked Steven's snow boots.

I guess I should explain that Theresa invited us to their room to watch "Underdog" the night we stayed at Hannagan Meadow Lodge. Everyone put on their PJs.

Michaela also liked Steven's Buzz Lightyear backpack. Hunter's PJs are just for 'show'. They came off as soon as we got back to our room!

Watching Michaela and Steven play, I realized that Hunter has come a long way. He actually spent most of the evening watching the movie!

Of course, my poor little sheepdog might have had an easier time watching if I had put up her hair!

Arizona Trip / Hannagan Meadow Lodge

2009-01-25T22:50:00.013-06:00

The kiddos and I have all had a stomach bug this weekend and I got behind on posting the photos from my Arizona trip. Here we stopped at the bottom of the Salt River Canyon on the way to see my sister, Theresa.

My mom, Tina Chavez, Michaela and Hunter. You know it's cold when Hunter is shivering!

We arrived at Hannagan Meadow Lodge where my sister and her husband, Guthrie Burton, are assistant managers and live w/ their little boy, Steven. And yes, there are places in Arizona where it snows!

The store. The lodge is located at 9100 feet elevation and about 22 miles from Alpine, AZ which is near the border to New Mexico.
Steven (26 months), my mom, & Michaela (22 months)

Steven was so excited to see Grandma and didn't want to let her out of his sight, so he joined us for a while in our room.

Michaela was in need of a nap, but the whole time she was sleeping Hunter was hounding me about when could we go out and have a snow ball fight! I just kept thinking while I was bundling them up, "This is going to take longer than the actual time they spend outside!"

Michaela wasn't impressed. She had knit cotton tights on under the pants, and a long sleeve shirt and a sweat shirt underneath that jacket. She just wanted me to pick her up, but I had already fell on my behind into the snow!

My 'little' sis, Theresa, and Steven w/ the resident dog, Anna (?).

Sweet Steven

As I suspected, it didn't take long before Hunter got snow in his gloves and was ready to go back inside! I don't know what this room next to their restaurant was called, but it had a TV and, as you can see by the clothes piled up on the coffee table, Hunter made himself right at home. Fortunately, it is their slow season and there weren't a lot of other guests. And he did manage to keep on his shirt and pants, thank goodness! By the way, if you should ever get up that way, I had one of the best steaks of my life at their restaurant that night!

Michaela wanted to play w/ the resident cat Hanna. (Get it? - Hannagan Meadow, Hanna the cat.) This picture was snapped about 3 seconds before Hanna scratched Michaela's face. Guess Hanna didn't want to play. Michaela was alright, though. Just a superficial wound. She didn't even cry. And it didn't stop her from trying to catch that cat!

Arizona Trip - Part 3

2009-01-22T14:01:00.009-06:00

Last Thursday, we took my Grandma, Jennie Greenwall, to the Valley w/ us to have dinner w/ my 'little' brother, Pete Chavez, his girlfriend, Dominique, and her sweet little boy, David (23 months).

David and Pete

A good portion of our trip was spent driving. Here a few shots on the way back to my mom's house in the Globe-Miami area.

Hunter took this picture of me. That's my Grandma up in the front seat. (I swear I have more gray hair than she does!) I realize now I should have taken a picture of her this day w/ her hair done up. She didn't want me taking pictures of her in curlers - and who could blame her!

Michaela in a happy car moment.

We stopped in Superior for a potty break at the home of my great uncle and aunt, Karl & Donna McRae. Hunter kept asking about everyone "What are they to me?" We tried to explain that Uncle Karl was one of Grandma's younger brothers. That made them his great-great aunt and uncle. To which Donna quickly replied, "But you can just call me 'Aunt Donna'!"

While we were there, Hunter and Michaela loved playing w/ their dogs, Val and Itsy. (I think those were their names!) Both had had recent abdominal surgery, then had either chewed or scratched out their stitches, requiring a second trip to the vet for staples. Uncle Karl explained, "They had to put a lamp shade on Val so everyone could see how bright he was!" LOL!

Trip to Arizona - Part 2

2009-01-21T14:18:00.007-06:00

If I was worried about my children being cooped up inside and tearing up my mother's house, my cousin Jennifer McAdams helped them burn off some energy last Wednesday! Jenny is the daughter of my mother's younger sister, Sarah. Hunter and Michaela used her as their personal jungle gym as she flipped and jumped them! Incidentally, Jennifer was in D.C. for the inauguration yesterday. What a once in a lifetime opportunity!

A little while later, my cousin Bethany Greenwall, youngest child of my Uncle Danny (one of my mom's three younger brothers) came over. Michaela liked the view from Bethany's arm and didn't want to let her go home! And watch out boys - this girl can handle a rifle! Bethany recently got her first deer.

At the risk of aging myself - I can hardly believe Bethany and Jennifer are seniors this year! I use to babysit them when I was in high school!

Trip to Arizona - Part 1

2009-01-20T10:46:00.008-06:00

So, the kids and I just returned from a whirlwind trip to AZ to visit my family. Last Tuesday we were able to visit the home of my cousins, Chris and Rachel Greenwall, so Hunter and Michaela could play with their children (pictured left to right) Colby (5), Conner (7), Cade (3) and Ryleigh (standing, 19 months). Chris's dad, Kenneth Greenwall, is my mom's older brother. Rachel is my cousin by marriage - didn't want you all to get the wrong idea there about my family! (Does that make our children 3rd cousins, or 2nd cousins, once removed?) I am the oldest grandchild with Chris following 7 months behind. I attended the same high school w/ Chris our last two years and we worked together on the school newspaper w/ 3 other siblings/cousins!

The boys really hit it off and ran right out to the backyard to dig in the dirt and play around. We didn't get any pictures outside. With two little girls trying to chase after and do everything the boys were doing, Rachel and I spent most of our time playing spotter! After we came back in, the boys gave Hunter one of their V-tech games to play with so they could play w/ the V-tech camera he brought. Michaela and Ryleigh swapped dollies. Rachel has some better pictures if you want to check out her blog "Growing Up Greenwall".

Summer Dreamin'

2009-01-08T21:45:00.009-06:00

I mentioned in the last post how hot-natured my husband and children are. I'm the exact opposite - extremely cold-natured. So, it's probably no surprise that winter is not my favorite season! But it's a sure thing that come mid-June, when I'm cursing the Mississippi humidity and mosquitoes, Allan will say "And you couldn't wait for summer?!"

It's probably a little harder for me this year because we have a new house and I have a new Christmas gift. Allan asked what I wanted for Christmas and I said "A composter." Allan said "No, seriously." "I am serious." "You are so weird!" (I'll post pictures of the composter later.) So, I'm envisioning piles of rich compost and the yummy veggies I'm hoping to grow come spring - as soon as I get this composting thing down!

In the meantime, here's a flashback of last year's gardening project:

The kids and I found some tomato plants at the Farmer's Market. On-line I found instructions for planting them upside down. I bought paint buckets at Lowe's and Allan drilled holes in the bottom. We fed a few inches of each plant through, then tucked in some newspaper around it. Then we filled with dirt, topped w/ the lid, and hung on the clothesline poles.

Michaela was so little!

Some liquid seaweed, epsom salts, eggshells, water, sunshine and a little patience . . .

Hunter was ready to pick our first tomato.

Look how big!

Yummy!

The Challenge

2009-01-06T21:57:00.004-06:00

I absolutely love this picture! This is typical dinner time at our house these days. Michaela is at that stage where she can't sit still for any length of time to eat a meal. By the time everyone else has prepared their plates, she's ready to get down from her booster seat. Then, she circles the table. If she's not mooching something off Daddy's plate, she's sucking the salad dressing off of Mama's lettuce or finishing off what Hunter has left behind. Or as was the case this night, trying to steal Hunter's drink and pick at what he was still trying to eat!

So, the real challenge for me doing this blog is finding pictures of my children wearing clothing! I could blame it on them inheriting Daddy's tendency to be hot-blooded. But I suspect I might have contributed since I stripped them down at mealtimes as soon as they started solids. I try to justify it in my head, saying it's my own little contribution to the environment. You know - less chemicals for stain removal, less water washing dirty laundry. Truth be told, though - I just really hate trying to get stains out of the laundry! And if you keep reading this blog for any length of time, you'll probably see I already spend a fair amount of time trying to get grass and mud stains out of their clothes!

Christmas at Nana & Papa's, Milton, FL

2009-01-04T13:13:00.000-06:00

Hunter eagerly waiting in the hallway Christmas morning. We insisted he had to put on shorts for the occasion!

Hunter dove right in!

Michaela was more concerned w/ why we weren't eating breakfast, yet! We got her some cheese crackers.

She was impressed, however, w/ the baby doll from Aunt Charity.

Later that night, she tried on her scrubs from Nana & Papa.

The next day, Hunter visited the Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola w/ Daddy & Papa.

In the afternoon, Mama decided he needed to burn off some energy in the backyard. After falling out of a tree because the limb he was hanging on was too small (it broke), Hunter decided to use the limb to make a fort. And yes, it was warm enough for shorts!

Christmas Eve 2008 - Bellingrath Gardens, Mobile, AL

2009-01-04T13:03:00.000-06:00

We spent Christmas Eve looking at the lights at beautiful Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile, AL. At least it's beautiful at night! This was our second Christmas Eve there. We've never been during the day!

2008 Year in Review

2009-01-04T12:25:00.001-06:00

Getting Started

2008-12-30T16:25:00.000-06:00

I'm not usually one for making New Year's resolutions. But since I'm no good at the scrapbooking thing, and my family lives so far away, I'm going to step into the 21st century and give this blogging thing a try!

~Christina