And Then One Day

Dear CDC,

2009-08-05T19:21:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T09:33:00.002-05:00

JumpStart

2009-06-29T12:13:00.003-05:00

My kids are computer maniacs! Both of them absolutely LOVE playing PC games and can spend hours on the computer if I let them. McCullough started on the computer when he was about 2 years old and quickly learned to work the mouse...he could even download software as a toddler! Now he's a whiz and can do things I'd never be able to do. He wants to design computer/video games (the engineering side of them) when he gets older, and I know he'll be great at it. He's so gifted with computer skills!

Siddah enjoys playing Nick Jr.com and other online games. Most recently I signed her up for a free membership at JumpStart.com. It is a 3-D land where the child gets to create his/her own character to explore a fun, park-like world filled with age-appropriate learning games. The free membership does not allow the child to visit all areas of the park, but she was able to get a taste of what JumpStart has to offer. She loved it!

Just the other day I was given the opportunity to upgrade my membership, and Siddah has thoroughly enjoyed playing all the really cool games JumpStart.com has to offer. She LOVES seeing her character going down the slides, and splashing into the water for a swim! And I LOVE that she sat still to play for nearly 2 hours!!! She was learning all about the alphabet and phonics and was having a blast!

I highly recommend a visit to JumpStart.com for your little ones. Knowledge Adventure (the company behind JumpStart) is a wonderful educational company, and they have lots of great learning software for children in addition to their online games. McCullough played MathBlaster in school, and we've owned a few other titles through the years. Maybe I'll host a giveaway in the coming days/weeks for a 3-month membership to JumpStart.com. In the meantime, check out for yourselves...your kids will love it!

Wordless Wednesday: River Fun

2009-06-17T18:29:00.006-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T11:18:00.001-05:00

Back Home and Back On

2009-05-25T10:37:00.008-05:00

As guys might have noticed...I haven't blogged in a LONG time. Sorry about that though I can't really promise that I'll do any better with updates from now on. But I'll try. My family and I were in Destin, FL from mid-April to mid-May for my son to have some more hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBOT). This was his third time to go for treatments, and you might remember this earlier post.

Our trip went really well, but we were extremely tired of condo living by the end of it. It was really nice to finally get back home...and my house felt SO big! Now that we're back, I'm trying my absolute best to get motivated to finish school. I really, REALLY need (and want) to finish.

So, there you have it...an update for any of you (besides Kelli)who might have been wondering where I've been and what I've beene up to.

I will do my best to post more often, but here are some pictures to enjoy for now. Oh...and Happy Memorial Day to everyone!

Silly Siddah

Sweet Siddah

Cannon Ball!

Shady Sam

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-29T12:50:00.002-05:00

Random Picture Challenge

2009-03-08T19:33:00.004-05:00

From Four Little Men and Girly Twins...here's the first photo from my February 2009 folder that isn't my kids! Not my human kids anyway! Here's Lily (my poor shaved Havanese) and Oliver (our yellow lab). They were giving each other some love!

Chain Gang Prayer Request

2009-03-02T16:07:00.003-06:00

Thanks Kelli for reminding me that I forgot to write my own prayer request in my previous post! Things have been going pretty great around my house since Robbie and I started the "Love Dare". Last night we read over our newest "dare" about setting up rules for when we get into arguments. Our rules had to do with listening to one another, not bringing up unrelated issues, and remaining calm when things get heated. These are often the hardest for us to do when we argue. Please pray that we will continue to be dedicated to the "Love Dare", and that God will continue moving in our marriage and in our lives. Hopefully, we won't get into any arguments this week that require our new rules, but I'll be praying that we'll remember this dare next time we get into a spat! Thanks to all of you who choose to pray with me.

Monday Chain Gang

2009-03-02T14:41:00.006-06:00

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

Hi all! I have decided to start a weekly post where we can share our prayer requests, needs, and/or praises with one another. To participate, just use Mr. Linky below. Add your name and enter the URL of your own blog, then write your own post titled "Monday Chain Gang". Include your prayer request or praise and, remember, UNSPOKENS ARE WELCOME! Posts need not be detailed (though than can be...feel free to let it pour out!).

I, personally, promise to pray for the first person on this list and as many others as I can this week. If you place your name on this list, you are promising to pray for the person whose name follows your own, and anyone others as you decide. If your name is last on this list, please know that I will join you in prayer for whatever needs you have or burden you may be carrying. I hope you all will join me!

Do!

2009-02-28T12:04:00.001-06:00

To Each His Own

2009-02-26T16:12:00.002-06:00

As a follow-up to my last email...I'd just like to say that I completely respect and understand those of you who have decided and will decide to vaccinate your children. Though I chose not to vaccinate my youngest child after my oldest child was adversely affected, I do not believe that this necessarily means our views on vaccines are all that different.

Some children are able to tolerate vaccines. Some are not. It's just that simple really. Vaccines are made out of live viruses, bacteria, heavy metals, human embryonic tissues, formaldehyde, monkey kidneys, egg products, etc..it's no wonder some kids have horrible reactions. With this, I hope, not one of you will disagree. (If so, I'll be happy to pass along ingredient lists for required immunizations.):0)

Having said that, I hope that we can also agree that no one KNOWS that vaccines and autism are not related. I believe, with all my heart, that my son was affected by his immunizations. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about giving them to my daughter. How wonderful it is that some of your children can process vaccines with no ill effects. I hope that readers here understand that my children do not. This is not a story that I made up to pacify myself and to cushion the blow of my child's ASD diagnosis. I have seen his lab tests; I know how his immune system functions, and it simply isn't normal.

And so, I cannot convince myself that we are all that different. I am certain that all of us strive to be the very best parents we can be and to protect our children at all costs. Please don't let your own child's health and safety serve as blinders to the danger other children have faced and continue to face because of required immunizations.

A Little Piece of Un-News

2009-02-25T20:34:00.003-06:00

Here is a press release on the latest vaccine court ruling related to autism...the one that you won't see on all the major networks or on the front page of any newspaper. Another case has been conceded by the government, concluding that vaccines did, in fact, cause or contribute to autism in this child's case. It slides quietly by while just last week we were blasted with the news that VACCINES AND AUTISM ARE NOT LINKED after a ruling was handed down in the first test cases regarding autism and vaccines. I saw the ruling, of "no link" blasted on AOL, Yahoo, and every major news network. Meanwhile, we weren't getting the whole truth.

Government Again Concedes Vaccines Cause Autism

Mysterious Vaccine Court created in 1986 by the pharmaceutical industry, with the support of Congress, rules in favor of Bailey Banks against HHS.

Los Angeles - February 24, 2009 - Generation Rescue, Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey's Los Angeles-based non-profit autism organization, today announced that the United States Government has once again conceded that vaccines cause autism. The announcement comes on the heels of the recently unsealed court case of Bailey Banks vs. HHS. The ruling states, "The Court found that Bailey would not have suffered this delay but for the administration of the MMR vaccine...a proximate sequence of cause and effect leading inexorably from vaccination to PDD [Autism]."

In a curious and hypocritical method of operation, the mysterious Vaccine Court not only protects vaccine makers from liability but supports a policy that has tripled the number of vaccines given to U.S. children - all after being made aware of the fact that these vaccines do, in fact, cause autism and repeatedly ruling in favor of families with children hurt by their vaccines.

"It was heartbreaking to hear about Bailey's story, but through this ruling we are gaining the proof we need to open the eyes of the world to the fact that vaccines do, in fact, cause autism," said Jenny McCarthy, Hollywood actress, autism activist, best-selling author and Generation Rescue board member. "Bailey Banks' regression into autism after vaccination is the same story I went through with my own son and the same story I have heard from thousands of mothers and fathers around the country. Our hope is that this ruling will influence decision and policy-makers to help the hundreds of thousands of children and families affected by this terrible condition."

Banks vs. HHS is the second known case where the Vaccine Court could not deny the overwhelming evidence showing vaccines caused a child's autism. The first was the case of Hannah Poling in March of 2008, where the court found in her favor and awarded her family compensation.

Jim Carrey, Hollywood legend and Generation Rescue board member, reacted to the news, "It seems the U.S. government is sending mixed messages by telling the world that vaccines don't cause autism, while, at the same time, they are quietly managing a separate 'vaccine court' that is ruling in favor of affected families and finding that vaccines, in fact, were the cause. For most of the autism community the question is no longer whether vaccines caused of their child's autism. The question is why is their government only promoting the rulings that are in favor of the vaccine companies."

Why is a secret court, which no one knows about or understands, quietly paying these families for vaccine injuries and autism? Deirdre Imus, Generation Rescue board member and founder of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology says, "Over the past 20 years, the vaccine court has dispensed close to $2 billion in compensation to families whose children were injured or killed by a vaccine. I am not against vaccines and my own child has been vaccinated. But, I share the growing concerns of many parents questioning the number of vaccines given to children today, some of the toxic ingredients in vaccines, and whether we know enough about the combination risks associated with the multiple vaccines given to children during critical developmental windows."

To help spread the word of the Banks ruling, Generation Rescue also bought a full-page ad that will run in the USA Today on 02/25/2009, which has a daily circulation of 2,272,815.

Generation Rescue seeks to answer these questions and many more on a daily basis as they fight for the truth and to recover children with autism around the world. To learn more please visit www.generationrescue.org, write to media@generationrescue.com

Fireproof

2009-02-21T10:52:00.002-06:00

So last night Robbie and I finally found time to sit down and watch the movie Fireproof. We bought it last weekend along with the Love Dare book. We had already started the "dare" but had not yet viewed the film.

I have to say, this movie was awesome. Kirk Cameron, God love him, can cry like nobody's business in a movie...it broke my heart! It is definitely a film worth watching with your spouse. Even if you don't have a "broken" marriage, there is much to learn from its message. If you haven't seen this movie, go buy it or rent it as soon as you can.

I also highly recommend the Love Dare book. Robbie and I started it earlier this week, and it's been really great. You take very small steps towards learning to love your spouse unconditionally...no doubt a challenge for us all.

Introducing Sam

2009-02-19T07:29:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the long delay in posting! Here are a couple of pictures of my new nephew, Sam. Isn't he precious?

He was born late Monday afternoon and weiged in at 7lbs. 7 ounces...not nearly the moose they were predicting!

Both he and my sister are doing well. His bilirubin count is slightly elevated, so he's going to have it rechecked this morning. Other than that though, he's doing wonderfully.

My sister's wallet was either stolen or lost during her hospital stay, so she was devasted when she got home yesterday. (I'm sure the hormones played a role in HOW upset she got.) I'm holding out hope that someone will find it and turn it in. She lost all of her credit/debit cards, social security card, insurance card, and about $105 in cash. I spoke to her last night and she had perked up again though. At least she has Sam!

A Nephew for Valentine's

2009-02-10T21:14:00.002-06:00

My older sister is due with her first child on Valentine's Day. A boy...Samuel. We have all been waiting with anticipation for this baby to arrive, and now the time is almost here. The doctor says that if she does not deliver sooner, he will induce on Monday morning. Sam is already measuring a little big, so the doc doesn't want her to go too far beyond her due date.

I am really excited about Sam though he will be my 4th nephew...7th if you count the boys on Robbie's side. My sister and I have always been extremely close although there are 6 years between us. She was never one of those "get away from me" older siblings and always dealt with me patiently and lovingly. She can make me laugh harder than anyone I know. I'm certain that she will make an incredible mother.

She has gone through some rough times throughout the years, and I know that Sam is part of God's great plan for her life. She has always wanted a child, and she prayed that God would give her direction...the name Samuel means "God heard". I know that the scope and magnitude of the "mother" role has yet to truly sink in for her, but I am hoping that it will all fall into place the moment she sees his little face for the first time. She is an incredible person, and Sam will be blessed to call her his mother.

Like any new mom, and perhaps even moreso than others, she is in need of prayer. I pray that God will help her to become the mother that Sam needs and the woman that He intended her to be. And I pray that both she and Sam will make it through the delivery safe and sound. I couldn't ask for a better Valentine's gift.

Random Picture Challenge

2009-02-07T20:31:00.005-06:00

I'm a little late posting...Four Little Men and Girly Twins decided to mix it up with this challenge! Here's the 5th photo from the end of my 10th picture folder. Boy, that sounds confusing!

This picture was taken in the car on our way home from Gatlinburg. Siddah was enjoying a sweet treat that she definitely DID NOT need!

Wordless Wednesday (Night)

2009-02-04T19:42:00.000-06:00

Update

2009-02-01T20:31:00.003-06:00

We are home from all of the days festivities, and we're watching the 2nd half of the Super Bowl. Well, Robbie is.

Since I have a tendency to make him sound like an old goat when I blog, I thought I'd update you guys on his attitude. :0) Right after I posted this morning (which he didn't know about), he apologized for being grouchy. He went with us to both family functions and was very sweet all day.

Really...I'm not married to the grouchiest guy in the world. He's actually pretty great...most of the time. :0)

It's Been Awhile!

2009-02-01T09:21:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the incredibly long delay in posting...it's been a busy week! Siddah has been on the verge of a cold all week long, so we decided to skip church this morning. :0( Admittedly though, we won't be keeping her home all day...we have lots to do this afternoon.

My great-aunt and uncle are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary soon, so we are having a family get-together at 2:00. Then my nephew is having an extremely delayed birthday party (his birthday was January 1st!) at 5:00...with a Super Bowl theme, of course.

I don't know that I will watch the game as I am not a big sports fan in general. However, I did hear the sweetest story about Kurt Warner (who plays for the Arizona Cardinals), so I'm sort of hoping they win. Apparently his wife (who is slightly older than him) had two children when he met her...one of whom has Down Syndrome and other special needs. When he first asked her out, she was hesitant because of her children...but he never once acted like her children bothered him. And the story I read claimed that they took the kids on their first date and Kurt was very helpful with the child with Down Syndrome (who is also wheel-chair bound). I thought he sounded like such a wonderful guy...so I'll be cheering for him.

I'm sure Robbie will be rooting for the underdog in the Super Bowl though I honestly don't know which team that is. If "his team" isn't playing...he usually goes for the underdog. I assume he'll be watching the game, but he hasn't committed to going to my nephew's birthday party. Typical husband, right? I'm hoping he will decide to spend the time with us...he'll be leaving on Sea Trial for work next Wednesday and will not return until Friday or Saturday. He's been so kind and loving all week, but this morning he's back to the grumps. Maybe he'll miss us while he's gone and return home in a better mood!

As usual, I've got TONS of work to do this week. I didn't have a very productive weekend, but I'm hoping to get some things done before the anniversary party. We'll see.

Why oh why can't I get it together? Are you guys procrastinators too?

Random Picture Challenge

2009-01-24T12:59:00.005-06:00

I decided to copy Kelli and take the Random Picture Challenge from Four Little Men and Girly Twins. I actually had to search my old computer to find a photo from August 2007!

This picture is of McCullough doing one of his hyperbaric oxygen treatments in Destin, FL. Just one of the many "out there" treatments that we have tried with him. He says it makes him "feel good"...and that alone, makes me feel good too.

We are heading back for more treatments in March. This will be his third round of 40 "dives" (as the hyperbaric treatments are called). We have been so blessed with the progress McCullough has made. I know that God has great plans for him!

Friday Frenzy

2009-01-23T20:17:00.004-06:00

It never fails...Fridays are crazy around my house!

The day started out just fine. I decided not to work today, so I spent the morning lounging with Siddah and surfing the internet. By 1:30 or so, Robbie decided that I needed a plan. In his eyes I was "wasting" the day...which, at this very moment, I am still trying to understand how this involved/concerned him at all. When I pointed out the fact that he himself was just sitting on the couch, he gave me a rundown of all of his morning accomplishments...editing Powerpoint presentations for his class, a jog around the block, and cleaning up "the house" (really he just shuffled some stuff around in one or two rooms and turned on the Roomba).

Robbie has this need to be busy...to stay organized...to make lists, schedules, and plans. We are ENTIRELY different in this respect. He is home every Friday because he works four 10-hr shifts Monday-Thursday. So, he usually keeps Siddah while I work (my mom has McCullough since she's been in charge of his homeschooling this year). Maybe I was messing up his Friday groove...I don't know. What I do know is he sure knows how to push my buttons! In order to please him (and be "productive"), I left the house to go buy groceries...all the while pretending that I might stop by to see the patient that I cancelled earlier in the morning.

I ranted to poor Kelli on the phone, spent 2 hours in Wal-Mart, then returned home to find my darling husband sitting on the couch playing internet poker. Fury!

I cooked dinner, cleaned the mess, and took a seat behind my beloved computer (and dared him to say a word). I may not have made plancakes this morning, but my day was just as productive as Robbie's. Maybe even more! So what if I enjoy sitting around with no plans in particular, flying by the seat of my pants, and simply being lazy sometimes...is this really all that crazy?

God help me...my husband is driving me nuts! I love that man, but he makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes. :0) So glad the weekend has arrived!

Meet Siddah

2009-01-19T22:18:00.007-06:00

This is Siddah, my youngest child. She is 3 years old and a ball of energy! She is the only girl on both sides of our family, which means she's half princess and half dirt squirt.

Siddah was born right in the middle of my graduate program...a suprise to say the least. We wanted more children though; and looking back, the timing could not have been more perfect. Proof for sure that only God knows what we need.

Despite her "wild woman" ways and spunky personality, a sweet and gentle nature reveals itself in her big, brown eyes and wide smile. Everyday brings a new mix of sugar and spice, and I am amazed at all that my little girl is made of. Surely it is God's own special recipe...there is no other quite like her!

She is curious and fiercely independent, yet lovingly attached to pre-"big girl" ways of life. Her security rests in Mama's touch, and I remain unconvinced that this will ever change. Her unkempt hair and funky clothes reflect the spirited child she truly is, but her beauty is never masked by the crazy outfits or mis-matched shoes.

Siddah is all that I imagined her to be and more. I never knew what was missing in my life until she arrived. She is my sunshine, a precious gift from God...I am so thankful for Siddah, my daughter.

Meet McCullough

2009-01-19T18:00:00.003-06:00

This is McCullough, my oldest child. He is 11 years old and is in the 5th grade this year (at homeschool). He was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) at the age of 3...an autism spectrum disorder. He developed beautifully during the first year of life, but slowly started to slip away sometime after his first birthday. His regression highly coincided with required immunizations, at least in my recollection...which makes me one of those "nutty/crazy/idiot/fill-in-the-blank" moms who thinks vaccines and autism are indeed linked in some cases.

We were told, by the pediatric neurologist who diagnosed McCullough, that he was most likely mentally retarded...and that he would probably never graduate from high school, drive a car, or get married. I remember being devastated upon hearing this about my precious baby boy. It was so hard hearing someone describe how his life would go when he had so much of it still ahead of him. Sure he didn't talk, and he had lots of tantrums, but there was so much there. I just knew it.

Despite being told that we should simply "take him home and love him", we decided to fight for McCullough. We wanted back the bright, smiling little boy that we knew as a baby. So we began our journey into biomedical/alternative treatments...a path of healing and recovery that I have never regretted walking.

Today, at age 11, McCullough is FAR from the child he was predicted to be that day in the neurologist's office. He is happy and engaged. He is incredibly bright (he was in the gifted program in public school), iquisitive, and loving. And he talks very well though he still prefers subject matter of his own choosing (and who can blame him?).

It has been a long and difficult road to travel, and I'm sure there are bumps still ahead. But everyday with this amazing child is a blessing...I thank God for McCullough, my son.

Loving Wordle

2009-01-14T20:57:00.009-06:00

I could play with the word scrambler on Wordle.net for hours! I'm pretty happy with how my wordle turned out. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it. Thanks to Kelli for introducing to me...I really needed something else to suck up my time. :0)

Oh and P.S. The meeting with my professor went great! It was very productive. Now I just have to try to stay in that mode. (and Wordle isn't helping!)

'Till the Break of Dawn

2009-01-13T19:48:00.004-06:00

So I have a BIG meeting tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 to discuss my pre-dissertation with my major professor. I need to get the entire project wrapped up and written up before then, and here I sit...surfing the internet.

I have no doubt that I will be up all night long, and I see my first patient at 7:45 in the morning. Yuck. Even though I love helping kids communicate, I admit that I'm ready for my current gig to end. Home health is NOT for me. I had a "no show" today, which means I showed up...the family didn't. I drove all the way to their house only to find they weren't home. Only to find that I wasted time, energy, mileage, gas, etc. for which I will receive no payment or compensation of any kind. Oh well. Such is life.

I'm hoping that tomorrow's meeting goes well, and I can move closer to completing my degree. I still have the dissertation to go, and I pray that it doesn't take as long as my first project. At the rate I'm going I'll be in school until I'm 65.

I think I have trouble staying motivated because I don't really want to DO anything with the degree once I'm finished. I've gone through a whole host of grand ideas and plans for practice, but they've all lost steam somewhere along the way. I still want to help families of children with speech/language disorders, but I feel like I can do it in another way. I know that God has a plan for me, and I can use my abilities to honor Him. I'm just trying to stay faithful and patient...waiting to hear His voice. Surely His plan will be revealed.

In the meantime, I am trying my best to stop procrastinating. After all, I cannot go forward without attempting to move.

Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted on tomorrow's outcome...hopefully I won't fall asleep in the meeting!

Revving Back Up

2009-01-04T20:42:00.007-06:00

The end of the weekend is here, and I'm not looking forward to heading back to work. Robbie is going back tomorrow too after his rediculously LONG break for Christmas. He was a little extra grouchy today in anticipation of the week ahead. Still, he claims to be "ready" to go back to work...yeah right.

The weekend was nice though we really didn't do a whole lot. After the haircuts on Friday, my mom and I took the kids to galavant in Mobile. The main reason for the trip was to get McCullough some new shoes. His only pair of casual shoes were Sketchers "Airators"...you know the ones that blow a little wisp of air between the toes with each step. Yeah well, he HAD to have them and needless to say he refused to wear socks most days because they blocked the air.

Though I never believed the shoes were actually cooling his feet, I knew FOR SURE they weren't just shortly after he broke them in. His feet stunk so bad I can't even tell you. On our trip to Gatlinburg, we knew everytime he had slipped his shoes off in the car. Robbie made him wrap his feet up in a blanket...it was horrible! On the way to Mobile to find a fresh pair of shoes, McCullough decided that we had been duped by Sketchers...somehow we'd purchased "Stinkrators" instead of the wonderful foot refreshing sneakers we'd seen in their tv ads. I have to say, I sort of agree with his theory.

After replacing the rotten shoes with a new pair of Merrell jungle mocs, we were off to Hudson's to hunt down a deal...on whatever treasure they had hidden in the midst of all that junk.

I swear there's something about florescent lighting and wide open spaces in stores that simply DOES NOT agree with my children. Particularly Siddah. If you add in round clothing racks to that recipe for disaster, she just goes nuts. She had actually been okay during the haircut and in the shoe stores we visited (mind you, not GOOD...just okay), but she absolutely lost her gord when we went in Hudson's. She refused to sit in the buggy (or shopping cart for non-Southerners and/or more refined readers) and refused to walk beside me...she was all over the place. Running and squealing and screaming; it was chaos. McCullough, of course, felt that it was his duty as a big brother to help control her (AKA- chase after her and pull her to the ground...inciting loud screams and annoyed stares from strangers). Luckily we made it out alive, and most of my senses were still in tact. I think.

Saturday was a complete wash...I did nothing but eat and play on the computer while it rained and rained outside.

This morning we went to Sunday School, I mopped the floors downstairs then made dinner and cupcakes, and Robbie and Siddah played "Joobie" games. Joobie games are games that Siddah has made up. She has this incredible affinity for giving things, both imaginary and real, the most absurd and hard-to-say names you've ever heard. She has some twin dolls...a boy and a girl...and she named them Joobie and James. That was the start of her odd naming habit, and at the time I thought that Joobie was a cute name. Then one day she said she wanted to play "Joobie games". Her dad....always hoping to best me out of the top parent spot...decided to humor her and agreed to play whatever she wanted. They have made up a whole host of silly games to play. Their favorite Joobie game is "Boo Choc"... What!? That's a perfectly normal name for a game, right? :0)

Boo Choc is very much like "The Claw". Robbie sort of crooks his hand at her or vice versa and they say "boo choc" at one another. Silly I know, but Robbie seems to enjoy it as much as her. Boy those Joobie games...we can hardly get enough around here.

Sadly, the weekend has come to an end though, and everyone is going to bed. No more Joobie games, no more being lazy...it's back to work in the morning. I have a million things to do and the week hasn't even gotten started! Maybe I will be productive this week. I'll try anyway.

Haircuts and Housework

2009-01-02T11:32:00.006-06:00

So it's the start of 2009, and we're kicking it off at my house with cleaning and haircuts for the kids. Big fun.

My daughter, Siddah (3), has never had a "proper" haircut as she prefers to wear it down and strewn around her face at all times. She has fine hair like me. It doesn't grow particularly fast and seems to break easily. All the same, it has a lovely loose curl to it that I hope will be accentuated instead of eliminated with the new trim.

McCullough (11), my son, has beautiful, thick hair. He hates for me to touch it, but it doesn't grow out well. I see all these young "tweens" with their cute little surfer boy, flippy hairdos and wish his hair would do the same. I swear his hair just gets bigger when it grows. His head circumference probably doubles between do's and it's definitely time for a cut.

Crossing my fingers that both kids look okay after this trip.

My lovely husband has decided to spend some man time at my father's hunting camp. Before departing for the woods, he grouched (though ever-so-slightly) about the house being messy. Anyone reading this that knows Robbie will know that he likes things orderly. He likes to have things neat and tidy whereas I prefer that they are actually clean. He'll pile up things in nice little stacks while I go through and throw away what we don't need/use anymore. He always has this pressing need to get the house cleaned on Fridays especially. I don't mind cleaning but it isn't on my top list of things that I like or want to do. When I tell him that I'll get to it later, he proceeds to huff and puff and start the process himself. I'm sure that this is an attempt to guilt me into helping...it never works. The housecleaning may not get done when he'd like and how he'd like, but it gets done, and I do help out. I keep telling him that I'd clean all he wanted if he'd let me stay home instead of working...but that's a whole other story.