1st Texas Irregular Regulars

Post your vote...

2009-07-06T22:09:00.004-05:00

Little ZJ was the subject of an argument between my 2 best friends today. One claims that he "looks nothing like the other three, he has different eyes and face" and the other maintains "he's obviously a Jak baby". So now it's your chance to vote. Is he a carbon copy of Numbers 1-3, or does he look completely different? We'll let his adoring public decide...

Dinner and a Show

2009-07-06T22:03:00.003-05:00

AJ and EJ are our family "hams". They love to play to the camera and try to get every one's attention. AJ climbed up on the window seat after dinner and started doing a dance for us and it only took about 30 seconds for EJ to join in. They were singing a nonsense song and dancing a la Riverdance. Quite the amusing end to dinner time. Maybe they have a future on Broadway!

(BTW, those are Daddy's hearing protection for the shooting range that EJ is wearing.)

Zach Jak is 6 months old!

2009-06-01T21:53:00.003-05:00

Yes, we're showing our team support in these pics too! Zach has really started to develop his own personality over the last week or so - he makes his opinion known when he doesn't like something (like screaming every time you try to put him in his car seat), he giggles and giggles at his siblings (especially if they are bouncing a ball around the living room), and he is a mellow, happy little man for the most part. We're so blessed to have him as a part of our family!

Boys and Girls

2009-04-27T20:11:00.002-05:00

Mom is upstairs changing the toddler when the 5 month old starts crying.
If you are a 4 year old girl you go to the fridge, get the bottle, heat it up, get the baby out of the bassinet and feed him.
If you are a 6 year old boy you yell up the stairs "MOM! The baby is crying! You should come check on him!" and continue reading your book.

Mom reminds you to "use your manners".
If you are a 4 year old girl you say "Brother, please let me stand on that stool for a minute, please"
If you are a 6 year old boy you say "Sister please let me stand on the stool, or I'll hit your nose!" (His response to Mom's "issue" with his manners? "I SAID please!")

You're in the shower with Mom/Dad.
If you're a 4 year old girl you want to clean every part of you meticulously and check out every nice smelling bath product you see. And don't forget the conditioner and in-shower lotion!
If you are a 6 year old boy you wash your hair (kind of) then flop down on the floor of the tub and pretend you are a fish.

There is no way anyone can tell me that boys and girls are born the same and the only thing that makes us "gender specific" is culture. It's simply not true. They are very different in temperament and their way of approaching life from the moment they arrive...

"Yes!"- This Is a Fun Outfit to Be In:

2009-03-25T22:01:00.002-05:00

All,

Even the most junior member of the Irregular Regulars can now smile without it having to be a body function.

No matter what your "Hurricane Toddler" sister (ENJ) dishes out- you still have a smile on your face and a spring in your wiggle.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do...

The Lower Rates:

2009-03-25T21:53:00.003-05:00

Loved Ones and Bloggers,

Now for your viewing pleasure we present the best photograph yet of all of our younger Company members.

Yes- If you did not guess it yet- the whole group believes in pinstripes and interlocking NY's.

A formal copy of this picture will be going out to the primary folk and please feel free to request one if you don't get one in the next two weeks or so.

Hopefully this fall we will have a full muster of the entire Company including the Command/Headquarter section.

Take care and God Bless.

She makes me laugh!

2009-03-24T20:11:00.002-05:00

AJ has been making me laugh the last few days so I thought I would share some of her recent "funnies".
She calls gymnastics "flipping-nastics" and if something is going to last a long time she says it "will take all day-night".

Mom - "AJ what do you want for breakfast?"
AJ - "Dirty pebbles please."
Mom - "Uhhhh...."
AJ - "You know momma! Those brown cereal things!"
Mom - "Oh! You mean Cocoa Pebbles!"

AJ - "Hi there Zachary Skyscraper!"
Mom - "His name is Skyscraper?"
AJ - "Yep! And you're Momma Pasta Noodle!"
CJ - "AJ, you're nuts!"
AJ - "Momma! He called me peanuts! I'm not peanuts!"

Mom (after AJ tearfully showed us her 1/32 inch scratch, and spent 15 minutes trying to convince everyone she was too injured to do her chores) - "AJ, you are such a drama queen."
AJ (crying hysterically) - "Momma, I'm not a drama queen. I don't know what that means, but you're not being nice!"

Daddy's Kiddos

2009-03-15T19:38:00.001-05:00

"The Babies"

2009-03-11T22:22:00.002-05:00

EJ's expression in this picture is sheer excitement. She's probably thinking something along the lines of "Wow! They finally left him where I can reach him! Now I can play with him, and kiss him, and give him my paci, and pat him on the head, and poke his nose, and kiss him some more!" (All of which she proceeded to try to do per her daddy's report).

I've started verbally dividing the children up into "the kids" and "the babies" (e.g. "Daddy, you pick up the kids, I'll get the babies"). I'm going to have to stop myself soon or EJ and ZJ will be 10 and 11 and I'll still be calling them "the babies"!

Happy Belated Birthday EJ!

2009-02-14T20:58:00.004-06:00

We have a family "tradition" of doing our kids' portrait and footprint at 6 months of age and a formal portrait at 1 year. We wanted to share the portraits we had done for EJ's first birthday. You'd never know that she spent the entire photography session on the verge of tears and trying to climb into my lap. The photographer used every trick in the book to get a good shot, and I think the results were great (of course I'm biased! I'm her mom!).

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-01-13T20:31:00.002-06:00

Unfortunately, EJ was sleeping when this was taken, but it's a great picture of the other little ones.

I can't tell you how many people after hearing the ages of our kids have paused with a shocked look on their faces and said "Wow, y'all must be really busy". That's the understatement of the year! Yep, we're pretty busy but we're a big, happy family.

Keeping Others Safe from Themselves:

2009-01-04T17:16:00.006-06:00

Ponder this in our current state of society...

Why is it that it is perfectly fine for young men to go out and celebrate the coming of the New Year in denim jeans, button-down shirts and jackets while the fairer gender finds it necessary to wear tight fitting, thigh-high and above, low-cut dresses with stilletto heels??? In 40 degree nighttime weather???"

Does going out on New Year's Eve mean one leaves their brain at the door?

Rhetorical question I guess, since the numbers of ladies wearing the above mentioned outfits way out-number their more sensibly dressed sisters.

Something I, your "socially-observant public servant" found while working downtown "A-town" here in Central TX on New Year's.

I tip my hat to those young ladies that dressed elegantly while having half a cranium in the cold nighttime temps....

Oh... this is a Christian-based blogsite so the only pictures you will get are of your fine "XO". Not the best picts, my Assistant Chief took them on his I-phone.

XO

Not Quite A "Rock of Gibralter":

2009-01-04T17:04:00.002-06:00

All,

Well my beautiful wife is too kind with her praises since I feel I got off lucky to some extent.

I only had to worry about the three older ones (KJ, CJ and AJ) and fortunately got lucky since EJ had got the same sickness a couple of days before everyone. ZJ stayed healthy- Praise God!

My wife also did not have a chance to blog about our Christmas Day evening... Yup, you guessed it, the same malady that afflicted my dear wife, eldest son and eldest daughter hit me later that evening. Nasty GI "bug" coupled with a fever and chills- something I would not wish on anyone.

Two days later (and after some wonderful care from KJ) I was finally back in the world of the living.

Christmas 2008 will not go down as one for the old scrapbook, unless a sick and vomiting family is you idea of a scrapbook. Oh well, good bye to 2008, hello 2009.

Just another year for a family that believes in freely sharing our maladies.

Take Care and Welcome to 2009...

XO

My Poor Dear Hubby

2008-12-24T15:35:00.002-06:00

EJ vomited a couple of times on Sunday afternoon. I attributed it to the cup of sour milk she found under the Christmas tree and drank part of before I realized what she was doing. Little did I know that was the start of a very long Monday for my poor dear husband.
AJ started crying about midnight Monday morning and when Eric went in to check on her, she had vomited all over her bed and herself (note to all moms out there - do not let your kids drink the frozen fruit punch concoctions at Chili's if there is any chance they might vomit in the next 12 hours!). After I finished feeding the baby, I helped Daddy make a bed in our room for AJ and we all settled down to sleep. I got up again to feed the baby at 3AM and found CJ standing in the hall outside our room saying "Mom, I made a big mess on the carpet. I'm so sorry!". I think we would have rather had him vomit in his bed since his attempt to get to the bathroom resulted in a huge mess on the carpet from his room all the way across the hall (again I repeat the warning against the Chili's drinks if you want to avoid the need to steam clean your carpets at 3AM). By the time we got CJ's mess cleaned up, I realized that I was not going to escape the "plague" that had beset our house.
Mom and the two older kids spent all day Monday in various states of gastric distress, lounging on various couches and beds. Poor Dad on the other hand got the "pleasure" of dealing with the laundry, clean up, and work that three very sick people can create. At one point on Monday literally ALL of the sheets, blankets and pillowcases in our house were in some stage of the wash-dry-replace cycle! Not to mention that I was so sick that I couldn't even sit up to nurse the baby so he was delivering ZJ to me every time he needed to eat and then coming back to change his diaper, etc. later on.
Mr. J. wins the award for best daddy and hubby for his wonderful care of a houseful of sickies. I credit him with our recovery in time for Christmas!

Eve-l Kenevil?

2008-12-15T21:46:00.004-06:00

As you know, our third offspring has proven to be our biggest challenge. She is in constant motion and has frequently shown that she can accomplish physical feats that most almost one year olds cannot. She also has the disturbing (at least to her mother) trait of having absolutely no fear.

So what if I pushed my feet against the table and tipped myself over chair, booster seat and all? I'll just smile, climb out of the seat and continue on with my day.

Hmmm, how did brother slide down the stair railing? I'm gonna have to try that very soon!

Wow! That bunk bed is the coolest thing ever! Mom won't get me one, so I'll just climb up the ladder and hang out in brother's bed.

You get the picture.

Last Friday Eve got a bit too daring - climbing into a landry basket and somehow managing to get ahold of the cord on the iron which was hanging in its mounting plate on the wall. Mom was only two steps from her, but could only manage to deflect the iron so it struck a glancing blow on her little head. Thankfully she only had a laceration on her forehead instead of a much worse injury. Dad took a picture of her in the ED after they put the LET (lidocaine, epinepherine, tetracycline) jelly on her wound to numb it before they sewed her up. 2 hours and 4 stitches later we were all back at home.

She'll have a story to tell about the scar right in the middle of her forehead.

Mom may not survive the excitement of raising "#3"...

Zach Jak - The Story of the Yellow Thanksgiving Baby

2008-11-27T15:25:00.005-06:00

As many of you have heard our 4th little blessing decided to make his debut three weeks early. He arrived Sunday night and was transferred to the NICU on Monday morning because he could not maintain his blood sugar on his own and needed IV dextrose. Then just when his blood sugar stabilized, he developed the jaundice that has been characteristic of all of our babies. He's comfortably ensconced in his isolette enjoying sunbathing under the bililights until his bilirubin levels are low enough for us to bring him home - hopefully sometime Saturday morning.

I was having a hard time dealing with having to leave my baby in the NICU, until a heart to heart with the XO and some time in prayer changed my perspective. Yes, our baby is once again in the NICU with all of the stress and difficulty that entails but he is healthy overall and has a very treatable condition. He will be home with us very soon, unlike many of the babies around him who face months long ICU stays and lifelong health challenges. And even if he were one of those very sick babies, I would still be thankful because I have been blessed far beyond anything I deserve. I know that God has a plan for every thing that happens, both small and large. And I will continue, with His help, to give thanks in ALL circumstances.

Please help us welcome Zachary Scott "J" ("Zach Jak" as the NICU nurses have nicknamed him):

Born Sunday, November 23, 2008

7lbs 1 oz; 19 1/2 inches long

Our family of 6 is complete!

Things I Have Learned This Month

2008-10-27T20:32:00.002-05:00

#1 – If the kids have been playing outside and kindly get Mom a glass of ice water, Mom should make sure they washed their hands before getting the water or she may end up with a mouthful of sandy water.

#2 – Very tired pregnant mommies should resist the temptation to lie down “for just a minute” while the baby is asleep and the older kids are playing. The resulting mess from the “fiesta” they had on the front porch was not worth the few minutes of rest.

#3 – A gallon jug full of water makes an effective “lock” for the top of the trash can. EJ thinks getting everything out of the trash can is great fun. Now if I could just figure out how to keep her from opening the cabinet locks I’ll be all set!

#4 – Mom should remember that Daddy bought their son a 6 foot long rubber snake at the Texas State Aquarium when she goes to pour something in the sink and sees this:

I almost had a heart attack until I realized what it was! CJ’s reply to my yelling? “My snake was playing in the sandbox and needed a bath Momma! Did he scare you?”

#5 – Mom should be thankful that with a 6 year old boy in the house it wasn’t a real snake in the sink!

#6 - If you buy your son a 500ml bottle of water for a trip you should include explicit instructions that he is NOT to drink the entire thing in the first 20 minutes or else you will spend the rest of the drive trying to find bathrooms on the barren stretch of highway between San Antonio and Corpus Christi.

#7 - 3 1/2 year old girls who love gymnastics will insist on wearing a leotard all day, every day even when it is 60 degrees and wearing one requires them to ask "wrap me up in this towel so I don't freeze momma".

Hope all is well wherever you may be reading this from. We miss all of you dearly!

The Texas Coast

2008-10-15T21:16:00.005-05:00

This was one tired little girl after spending a couple of hours climbing ladders on the USS Lexington.

I wasn't sure how CJ would react to the surf, but he waded out to where the waves picked him up off his feet and "body surfed" back in loving every minute of it!

EJ was trying to get off of the patio at our hotel to join her brother and sister on the beach.

We spent a couple of days in Corpus Christi and at the Gulf coast recently while we had family in town. The Texas Gulf coast isn't nearly as picturesque as the Florida side of the Gulf, but it is still beautiful in its own way and the kids really enjoyed collecting shells, finding crabs and playing in the waves. CJ has already asked repeatedly to go back to the beach, so we'll have to plan another trip soon. After spending a few days in the salt water breeze and listening to the waves I began to understand the attraction of living on the coast. I wouldn't mind having a house on the beach someday...

So that's how it goes!

2008-09-17T21:41:00.002-05:00

We were having a serious conversation with AJ the other evening about death (I don't even know how we got on the subject) and were explaining to her in an age appropriate way that death is inevitable.

CJ's input into the conversation was the comic relief that we needed -
"AJ here's how it goes - you go to tenth grade, then you go to high school, then you're a grandma, then you die!"

It's always interesting when you get a little glimpse into how they think...

Firsts

2008-09-11T21:32:00.002-05:00

We've had a couple of very interesting "firsts" in our house over the last couple of days - "first steps" and "first foreign body inserted into the nose"!

EJ took her first step to Eric as he went to get her out of her crib the other morning, and then today while she was in child care at church they said she took 4 steps in a row and then stopped and grinned at everyone as if to say "wasn't that the coolest thing ever?" I personally haven't seen her take any steps and I'm waiting anxiously to confirm the reported phenomena.

We were reading books the other afternoon while the kids had a snack and AJ suddenly said "Mom, my nose really hurts!" My queries about her nose were answered in very vague terms until her ever helpful brother piped in with "Did you stick your snack up your nose??" and AJ said "Yeah! Somebody get the raisin out of my nose please!" Thankfully the offending object was easily removed! And now AJ is telling everyone "It's a bad idea to put raisins in your nose!"

Here in Texas we're hoping that Hurricane Ike will not become any of the "firsts" it could be. The XO will most likely be at work until the storm has passed since he is helping with the coordination of medical resources for the shelters, etc. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Here's Some Pics (finally)

2008-09-03T15:40:00.004-05:00

AJ striking a pose at the Science Treehouse at the Witte Museum.

CJ doing what he does best, making noise!

The Witte Museum is the only museum we've ever taken the kids to that actually held their attention for more than an hour. We were there for 3 hours and they complained when it was time to leave!

The 8 1/2 month old tornado known as EJ.

This little one has been by far the most challenging of the three at this age. I timed her today and she can make it up both flights of stairs and into her siblings' room in less than 75 seconds! She can also open all of the drawers on the dressers, get into the entertainment center and "adjust" the sound, and push the office chairs all around the house - all skills that the other two didn't develop until after 12 months. It's going to be very interesting around here in a few months. I signed AJ up for gymnastic lessons, maybe I should have enrolled EJ too!

Technophobes

2008-08-05T16:37:00.002-05:00

These comments by the kids recently made me chuckle and also made me think about how much a part of our culture technology has become...

CJ loves to tell really long, detailed stories when we're traveling in the truck. This is the conversation we had the other day:
"Momma, you wanna hear a story?"
"Sure, buddy."
"OK, but you'll have to wait a minute. It's going to take a while to download."

And then about 15 minutes into his story Ana pipes in with "CJ can you push pause on your story for a minute? I need to say something."

I've been wanting to set up the video camera in the vehicle and post a video of one of his stories. I'll have to do that soon. Y'all would think he was hysterical!

It's Official

2008-07-23T21:17:00.003-05:00

The NP gave us a "90% sure" answer on the "flavor" of the soon to arrive addition last month, but we wanted to get the "200% guarantee" from the OB before sharing with the world (or at least the 3 people who read our blog). So, it's official - the newest member of the family will be a boy! Tentative name available on request. But it may not be all that tentative since the older kids have already started calling him by his nickname. We're all anxiously awaiting his arrival in early December, some of us more than others!

Legos...

2008-07-15T13:15:00.004-05:00

Want a little peace and quiet in your house? Just buy your kids a mess of Legos. We got some yesterday and I've hardly seen the kids since. I had to go hunting for them to take this picture. Now I just need to make sure the younger troops don't try to play with Legos and end up in the ED! It's hard to "baby proof" when you've got older kids.

I'm Half a Year Old!

2008-07-01T19:35:00.002-05:00

Aren't I cute???

"Throwdown with Christian"

2008-06-30T19:47:00.004-05:00

CJ is a HUGE fan of the Food Network, especially Alton Brown and Bobby Flay. The other day he challenged us to a "Sundae Throwdown" (Those of you who have never seen "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" will have to check out the Food Network website). He decided that Mom, CJ and AJ would be the contestants and that Dad would be the judge and we headed to the local grocery store for the makings of some tasty treats.

AJ's entry into the competition. Her main ingredients were hot fudge, candy sprinkles, strawberries and lots of whipped cream.

CJ's entry for the "throwdown". He chose to use hot fudge, banana, candy sprinkles, peanut butter sauce and whipped cream. I think more whipped cream ended up in his mouth than on the sundae!

The creative process...

The final results of the throwdown? CJ and AJ tied for first place and the judge called Mom's entry "pedestrian". Guess I'll have to work harder next time! CJ has already decided that "we'll have a rematch. How about a grilled cheese sandwich challenge?" I can only imagine what will end up on those sandwiches!

Anole Canolli??

2008-06-15T17:16:00.003-05:00

A cute little anole - these green lizards are everywhere in our backyard...

The dessert in question just happens to be pronounced the same way as the kid's favorite backyard creature...

We took Daddy to a really neat Italian restaurant for a Father's Day treat. The XO always tries to get the kids to try new foods and he was offering SSG AJ a bite of his canolli for dessert.

"Here AJ, try this canolli"

"What is it? An anole? Is there anoles in there?" She grabs the canolli to look inside.

"No sweatheart, it's a CA-noli, not an A-nole. It's got creamy stuff inside. Try it, it's yummy"

"Are you sure there are no anoles in there???"

At this point I was trying my best not to laugh out loud at our little girl who was convinced that there was a little green lizard in her dessert!

Quotes from the Last 48 Hours

2008-06-12T15:32:00.002-05:00

Some of these probably need some explanation, but I'm just too tired to attempt it...

"Who flooded the bathroom!!???!!!"
"The baby's tummy is not a drum!"
"AJ, you're stepping in the poopy diaper!" "UhOh Momma, it's all on my foot!"
"The baby is not a hurdle! Stop jumping over her."
"Momma, don't go in my bedroom for a minute, OK?" (You don't want to know...)
"Why are there noodles all over the kitchen floor??"
"Mom! Did you know you can paint with toothpaste!?"

All I can say is Heaven help me when there are four of them and they are all mobile. Pray for me, please...

Too Funny

2008-06-06T14:58:00.003-05:00

This morning was a rainy, grey one in our part of the world and the windows were covered in beautiful rain drops.
SSG AJ got up and sat down at the table to eat her breakfast and looked very puzzled. "Where my Daddy Boy is?" "He's at work sweetheart. He's teaching a boat rescue class" "No momma, he's outside doing the sprinklers!" "No AJ, he's at work" "Then how come there is water on the windows??? Where it come from?"
You know you live in a part of the world where it doesn't rain much if the kids are convinced that the only way there could possibly be water on the windows is if Dad is outside setting up the sprinklers!

Bowling Trip:

2008-05-31T19:37:00.008-05:00

When the kiddo's "Pappy" came to town recently, the CO and him took them all to one of the local bowling alleys. You see, the CO's father is a big bowler up in NYS and all of the kids in that clan learned to bowl as youths. Well, who am I to stop a long and storied history of "knocking the ole pins down".

AJ and CJ enjoyed the experience so much that yours truly, the faithful XO" decided to take the kiddos back out to a different alley up in Austin with Pappy and ANJ.

The results are presented below:

We hope you enjoy them as much as we did...

God Bless,

The Gang without the CO:

2008-05-28T17:03:00.004-05:00

All,

Hope everyone is doing well, things have been crazy around here in TX for the last 4-5 weeks.

Some of the highlights-

KJ seems to be feeling a bit better even though the pain and nausea do crop up from time to time. We are excited since the first trimester ends for KJ on Wednesday and we should hopefully find out whether the CO (it's a boy) or the XO (I am permanently blessed with daughters from here on out) are correct. More to follow...

AJ's ear has cleared-up but we still have a follow-up with a specialist to see if the ear drum is healing right.

CJ's got a fine set of glasses now and he has had his second visit to the ER in the last two months for stitches (fell of a teeter-totter at church).

ENJ is growing like the little spring flower that she is named after (middle name) and she now rolls over and back again when on the ground.

In other news- we have signed a contract to build another house this time in Buda near our church in a new subdivision. This house is bigger by almost a 1000 sq ft and sits on a quarter acre. We will probably be forever in debt but this is a great house and we really need the space. More to follow on the house and the builder (http://www.greenbuildersinc.com/tourOfHomes.html) (very ecofriendly builder).

Well see the most recent picture above- sorry that the CO is not in it but someone had to take this picture.

Take care and God Bless You All.....

Fun in the Sun!

2008-05-18T19:44:00.003-05:00

Don't you wish you could still get away with running through the fountains in your undies? Most of us would end up having a "conversation" with local law enforcement if we tried this!

I wanted to share some of the fun times we've been having around here lately, especially since my last blog was not exactly cheerful! The XO's parents were here earlier in the month and my "Pops" is here visiting this week, so we're enjoying some great time with the grandparents. I love when family comes to visit becasue we get to play tourist and see some of the local attractions that we somehow never get to (I won't tell you how long we lived near Austin before we made it to the Capitol!). We visited Enchanted Rock and the new Observation Hill and park near Lady Bird Lake while Nana and Poppa were here and had a blast.

Ready for an adventure hiking at Enchanted Rock!

I'm ready for a vacation...

2008-04-28T21:01:00.002-05:00

Joh 16:33 -
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Notice that He didn't say "in this world you might have trouble" or "you'll sometimes have trouble" He said "you will have trouble". But He also said that He has overcome those troubles and the world. During times like this I lean on the family and friends He has blessed us with and I try to carry His word with me each day as a source of strength. So, let me tell you about our last 2 weeks...

This is how it all started...
Thursday, April 10 - both of the girls woke up sick. AJ screaming about her ear hurting and EJ running a fever and fussing inconsolably. My plan had been to clean up the house for family arriving this weekend while the kids were at pre-school, but with everyone sick we spent the morning at the pediatrician's office instead. 4 hours, two pharmacies and $100 later we finally made it home to have some lunch and try to get the house soemwhat presentable before we had to leave to pick up BalticTiger and Howard at the airport. The kids went outside to play a little while I worked on the house, when suddenly...
I heard an ear splitting scream from the backyard. Those of you who are mommies will understand when I say that this was not the usual 'I fell down and skinned my knee' yell and I knew something was really wrong. As I started for the backdoor CJ ran in the house holding his head. He had blood dripping off his elbow and was yelling "my head is really, really broken". Seems the kid was playing "super heroes" and was throwing his metal shovel up in the air and then trying to run under it before it came down...
We took the girls across the street to a neighbor and headed to the local community hospital ED for some staples. Keep in mind every time I work in this ED it is very quiet and waits are minimal. But this time the wait was about 4 hours. Needless to say we didn't make it to the airport to pick up our family (thankfully the XO was able to do it) and we wandered back home about 11:30 PM with one very tired, very sore little boy with 4 staples in his head.

Friday, April 11 - Saturday, April 12 - a very long trip to Houston with 2 sick little girls to drop off the family for the BPMS150 (the XO promises he will blog about this soon!). No one slept at all that night in Houston and we returned home tired and grouchy. And in the meantime AJ's ear started draining some really nasty stuff. Stopped on the way home for ear drops, ibuprofen and tylenol and prepared for another sleepless night. Unfortunately, things didn't improve much after that...

AJ is now on her 3rd different antibiotic ear drops after 2 rounds of oral antibiotics and she's still not improving. They cultured the "yucky stuff coming out of my ear" and it's resistant to all antibiotics except 2. Hopefull the one we stared yesterday will work because we're almost out of options. And we've spent more time arguing with the insurance company about why we need more antibiotics and why we're using opthalmic (eye) drops in her ear than I can count. Why is the answer "because that is what the doctor ordered!" not good enough??

CJ's head has healed up, but taking the staples out was almost as difficult as putting them in!

We took EJ in for her 4 month check up and the pediatrician said "I think she may be allergic to milk" and told us to try her on Nutramigen formula (to the tune of $28 for a 16 oz can that lasts about 4 days) for a week to see if her rash and nasal symptoms would resolve. I told the XO on the way home that as much as I wanted her to feel better, I almost hoped that it wouldn't help since the thought of paying about $350 a month for formula was terrifying...
But, "when it rains, it pours" and she is very obviously allergic to milk. After 5 days on the Nutramigen her rash is gone, she has stopped crying after every feeding, her cough and stuffy nose are gone and she's sleeping through the night. I keep joking that I'll have to take the cost of her formula out of her college fund, but I know that God will provide for our every need and I have no anxiety over it.

And, it continues to pour around our house. I found out last week that we're expecting baby number 4 at the end of the year. Then on Saturday I stared having some bleeding and severe pain and went to the ED where they told me that there was some bleeding behind the placenta and I needed to see my OB on Monday. Well, I had finally reached a place of peace with the idea of having a 6 year old, a 3 year old, an 12 month old, and a newborn and was truly embraching God's plan for our lives and I could not understand why He would possibly take this little baby from me when I had just gotten excited about his/her arrival. But I prayed my way through the weekend and I am blessed to be able to praise God and report that my OB feels that everything will be fine with this pregnancy. BTW, his/her due date will be around December 11th....

There was much more that happened during the last couple of weeks that was stressful for our family, but in the big picture none of it really matters. We'll continue to seek God and His will for our lives and rely on Him.

Love to all of you from sunny Central Texas!

Springtime in Texas!

2008-04-09T21:12:00.008-05:00

We're enjoying the beautiful spring weather and the explosion of wildflowers here in Central Texas right now. It's the perfect time for walks around the neighborhood lake and just enjoying our yard!

The XO loves roses so our yard is filled with them. These are a few of the early arrivals this year. I love the Texas antique roses! You can't kill them even if you try...

Our budding photog CJ gave himself an assignement during one of our recent walks - "I'm going to take pictures of as many different flowers as I can find". These are just a few of the pictures he took that afternoon.

Georgie the Giraffe

2008-04-03T21:17:00.006-05:00

Getting Dad's bike fixed at the bike shop

1LT CJ's pre-school class has a mascot (Georgie the Giraffe) who goes home with a different kid each week. The kids all take pictures of themselves with Georgie and then write about their escapades in the class journal. I was amazed at how much CJ was willing to write in the class journal since handwriting is not one of his favorite "subjects" (basically if it doesn't involve math he wants very little to do with it. His comment today was "If I do ten pages of math can I just skip phonics?")
The XO had the brilliant brainstorm of adopting this idea into our homeschooling, so we're going to be starting our own journal with one of our family's stuffed "friends". When you think about it, they can learn an awful lot with this seemingly simple project - photo composition (which ones are the best pics to include); summarizing thoughts (by choosing a heading or caption for the pics); handwriting (even if it is very simple sentances); early writing skills, grammar and punctuation (as they dictate their report on the events to mom and dad to record in the journal); and counting (as they number the pages); not to mention all the learning that happens on the adventures that get recorded!
I don't know who is more excited about this plan, mom or the kids!

Exploring the Llano River

Helping to feed the birds

Enjoying the backyard playscape

Never Trust the Weather Forecast

2008-04-02T21:23:00.006-05:00

We decided to take a family trip to Llano, Texas this past week to enjoy the scenery and do a lesson on geology with the kids. Being the good planners we are, both the XO and myself checked the weather report before we left. Sunny and 80 degrees, with a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms it said. So, dressed in shorts and t-shirts we headed on our merry way. As we neared our destination, we noticed that the wind had picked up and there were some very dark clouds looming. When we finally pulled into Llano it was raining and the thermometer stood at 55 degrees. So the weather forecast was only off by about 25 degrees, some rain and a lot of wind! We made the best of it by putting on the extra shirts we had brought along and bundling everyone up as best we could. We still enjoyed the rock collecting and the scenery, but the ladies of the family ended up in the truck after about 30 minutes because EJ was crying and AJ kept saying "I'm freezing so much!" The intrepid boys kept hiking along the river and taking pictures for a little while longer. At the end of the day we were frustrated that the weather had not cooperated, but still glad that we had made the attempt to have a family adventure...

Gotta love those eyes!

2008-03-23T20:49:00.003-05:00

Here's the latest pics of EJ as she reaches the 3 month mark. Looking at that cute little face almost makes you forget about the sleepless nights and the screaming whenever you try to put her in her bouncy seat. Awww... such a cutie patootie!

Identity Crisis?

2008-03-23T20:41:00.002-05:00

The kid's pre-school had an in house field trip and an exotic animal handler brought a bunch of animals to the school to show them. They got to see and hold a "lizard with a blue tongue", hedgehogs, and a bunch of differnt snakes including a 12 foot long python!
SSG AJ was obviously fascinated with these animals because ever since then she's been calling herself "snake". She'll say "Snake wants dinner" or "CJ hit Snake" and when you call her AJ she'll say "I'm not AJ, I'm SNAKE!". We really thought it was just a passing thing, but she's been doing this for weeks now so we've just jumped on the bandwagon. You may think it odd to hear us calling our second born "snake" but it makes us all smile. We'll see if she's still smiling when she's 16 and this nickname has stuck!

Self Portrait

2008-03-03T21:45:00.002-06:00

I would not be fair if I continued to show the young photog's work without showing some of his self-portraits.

He has many more that I may showcase in a future post.

Like always, Enjoy!

Toddler Tai Chi

2008-03-03T21:37:00.003-06:00

I would like to say that our 2.75 year old middle daughter is so advanced that she knows Tai Chi, but that would be telling a fib.

No this is just another example of the 5 year old's photojournalism at work.

I believe that the statement was "Do something funny AJ... move your arms about".

He was trying to elicit something different than her normal "silly face" expression of placing her fingers in her mouth and pulling her lips back, her stock in trade.

Enjoy :-)

More Preschooler Triptecs:

2008-03-02T20:51:00.009-06:00

All,

Well our creative, free-spirited digital shuttlerbug 1st LT CJ has been at it again.

His latest addition is one that I call- "Preschooler Quality Time".

Everyday is a exciting adventure when I turn on the family digital camera to see what he has come-up with this time.

Enjoy!

I never knew how interesting one's waistband, sandals and zipper could be until I looked at them through the eyes of a 5 year old.

Kid Speak...

2008-02-26T20:52:00.002-06:00

We've been going to the library about once a week lately and I've been encouraging the kids to explore the sections outside of juvenile fiction. Yesterday the XO was reading to the kids and 1LT CJ handed him a book to read and very proudly said "It's a non-picture book!". He meant non-fiction of course! :-)

The creative process is exhausting!

2008-02-25T21:31:00.003-06:00

SSG AJ was exercising her creative juices this afternoon at the "art table" when the XO noticed that she had gotten really quiet. He walked over to check on her and this is how he found her...

As BalticTiger can attest, creating takes a lot of energy! It obviously just wore this little one out!

But there are definite hazards to falling asleep while drawing... you may end up needing a bath when you wake up!

I wish I could remember being three. It must have been a blast!

My Husband is Clinically Insane!

2008-02-19T22:02:00.002-06:00

So the XO headed out for "a quick ride" yesterday while the CO and the rest of the troops were at the pediatrician and the playground. When he got home and flopped into a chair the CO casually asked "So how far did you ride" and nearly fell over when she heard the answer - "75 miles".
I guess I should have gotten a hint when he said "Don't worry unless I've been gone for over 5 hours". This ride clocked in at a manageable 4 hours and 40 minutes. :-)
But I guess I can't really claim that he's insane since I've been know to run for over 4 hours at a time... I just never travel as far as he does! Cycling wins from the persepctive of kindess to your joints and the amount of scenery experienced, but runners don't end up with little tiny T Rex arms!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

2008-02-19T21:55:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that EJ is 2 months old already! Here are the latest "stats" from her appointment yesterday: 11lbz 2oz; 23 inches long; "developmentally perfect" and "looks just like her brother and sister right down to the umbilical hernia"! Ha!

She started a new "game" today after she discovered that when she squeals someone will look her way and smile and she can give them a huge smile in return. We spent most of the day grinning at each other... toothless baby grins are the best!

Hi Ho Silver.... No She Means Hi Ho "Daddy"

2008-02-04T21:12:00.001-06:00

Annie Oakley she is not but she is certainly an energetic young Cowgirl to be riding around on her father's back while she "shoots" at her older brother.

Oh my aching back.... time for more Aleve.

Maybe I will think twice next time that I decide to bike 60 miles like I did today.

As I like to say.... Oh Well :-)

XO

A Three Year Old's Triptec:

2008-02-04T20:59:00.000-06:00

All,

I decided to include a series that was shot by our middle rating, SSG AJ recently in our study.

You see having a background in photojournalism I do not want to shy away from having my kids take pictures. As long as they treat the family digital camera right then they are free to shoot away.

Enjoy!

The object in the left upper corner is not a giant slug or worm but the digit of a small photograher that keeps forgeting to not wrap her finger around the lens.

The last picture is, by definition, not part of the triptec. It was just the small photog's main goal during this shoot.

Beautiful Girls... To Us At Least

2008-02-01T22:02:00.000-06:00

Everyone is probably tired of my cycling bloggin so I decided to go back to something that I know will get good ratings.... picts of the two younger girls.

Enjoy and Take Care.

Cycling "Cheese Cake"....... NOT

2008-02-01T21:41:00.000-06:00

Well spandex certainly shows one where one needs to focus one's nutrition and work-outs on.

Either that or I need to get more than one 15 year old cycling jersey.... something with many colors and designs on it to place less emphasis on my mid-section.

That or I need to cut back on the breakfast tacos and migas and eat more veggies.

Hmmmmm..... but is not my cycling partially done to allow me my few food "vices"???

Wait, don't answer that.

Well you do finally get to see me actually out on the bicycle placing some credence to my tales of woe and dead skunks.

Enjoy but please do laugh too hard.

XO

More Wind and My First Brush With Impending DOOM:

2008-02-01T21:10:00.000-06:00

Pretty good day for cycling here in Cen-Tex. I say "pretty good" since there was a wind from the South today at 15mph sustained with gusts up to 28 mph. The sun and the temps were pleasant, temps that would have BalticTiger out cycling even.

I decided to head South today into the aformentioned "wind" and quickly started to question my sanity. It was a cross of feeling like I was riding on the beaches of Oregon or sitting in a Boeing wind tunnel. Intrepid that I was, I continued on with my ride bound and determined to get the most out of my time. I did take heart with the knowledge that I would be returning with the wind at my back, something that helped me continue along.

During my ride south to San Marcos I decided to head farther through the city to add some miles to my favorite course. After braving the city/college traffic in San Marcos I was treated to a narrow state highway with absolutely no shoulders. Brings to mind the game "Frogger" from my youth.

After surviving the mile or two of absent shoulders I was treated to a very nice stretch of smooth and wide asphalt shoulders, something that helped me keep going for another 4-5 miles.

Well I had decided that I would not be out too long, lest the CO send out the SAR teams, so I turned around at the 17.6 mile point and headed back North.

Praise be to God and cycling, Mr. Wind decided to hold true to his word and supplied me with a merry trip back, merry that is except when I went through San Marcos. Oh well....

Oh... you wonder what my first Brush With Doom was??? Well as I was going through the streets of San Marcos I came to a 4-way stop sign. "Mr. Import Sedan", who was coming from the opposite direction, decided to rush the stop sign and made me take evasive action while I turned to the left. Well I did not see a gravel patch as I was turning to avoid "Mr. Import Sedan" and almost kicked out my bike from under me. This would have happened except that self preservation and probably a Guardian Angel separated my left shoe from the pedal and I rode for a couple of feet with my foot on the ground like an outrigger. This helped me avoid the gravel but it directed me into the path of "Mrs. Silver Camry". Suffice to say she was not traveling at a very fast clip and I quickly moved back to my side of the road cursing "Mr. Import Sedan".

Well "Ce la Vie" I guess.....

I don't think the CO liked it when I told her my tale. Better shut my talkative trap next time.

Take Care.

XO

Things That I Have Learned in My First 153 Miles:

2008-01-30T21:43:00.000-06:00

Hmmm, as many of you can read below, I have decided to take up cycling both to prepare myself for the upcoming MS-150 in April and for an additional exercise outlet. You see your faithful XO has to keep up his running and his swimming for his job but the old knees are not going to last forever.

So since I have started cycling again on 1/11 (I last did serious cycling in the mid to late 80's) I have logged in about seven rides around our residence south of Austin. My longest ride has been 40 miles with my average ride about 22+ miles. My 20+ route takes me south into San Marcos and probably has the nicest roads and scenery. I am currently scouting out additional miles onto this route since I want to get up to average rides of 40-50 miles and long rides of 70 miles. I think I have a route going west out of San Marcos but I want to explore it in a 4-wheeled vehicle before I set out.

Some things I have learned-

Dead road-kill skunks are much worse when you are cycling along at 15+ mph as opposed to driving by at 60 mph.

I HATE CHIP-SEAL ASPHALT ROADS, may the creator of these "cheap" rural surfaces have dead skunks outside their driveway each night (no offense to the poor skunks).

I love my cycling computer and I must have been crazy back in the 80's not to invest in one of these beautiful tools.

I love my bike.

I do not like railroad crossings, had my first "pinch flat" (thanks for the terminology Howard) crossing over one of these. This happened even after I made sure at the start of my ride to have my tires inflated to 100+ psi.

I love the CO2 cartridge inflator. Again something I did not have in the 80's. Made quick work of my tire repair.

Cycling with others is nice, I just kinda avoid it right now since I am a bit of a newb. While I am by no means out-of-shape, I do not wish to embarass myself at this early juncture of my riding career. My ego can be frail when cycling...

I did cycle along with my first cyclist today while heading south to San Marcos. Nice kid from Texas State out for a ride. We pulled for each other for about 5-6 miles and chatted about his schooling and cycling. I hope that is evidence of more "fun" group cycling to come. It is tough though since I usually ride in the daytimes each week when others are in work. Who knows maybe I will try and join one of the local cycling clubs after I feel that I can hold my own for a decent distance.

I love Texas weather (except the winds) and am very happy that I do not need to own a "ice-bike" like my bro-in-law Howard.

I love the CO for being patient with my new hobby while I am out on my bicycle, without her it would not be possible with 3 little ratings.

Well... more tidbits to follow soon.

XO

A Boy and His Bike or How My Sister and Brother In-Law Con'ed Me to Bike the MS-150:

2008-01-21T09:13:00.000-06:00

Well my relations in Colorado, Baltictiger (my sister) and Howard (of "Why Howard Laughed" fame and my brother-in-law) are very avid bicyclists. In fact Howard (http://rktect.blogspot.com/) has biked 8,000 and 10,000 miles over the last two years with Baltictiger joining him on many of his adventures. Now do not get me wrong, biking has helped keep both of them in fantastic physical condition and it has led to many new friendships for them, but now they have pulled me into it.

Last year during one of his rides Howard met a gentleman that sponsors a bike team in the BP MS-150 bike ride from Houston to Austin in April. Well Howard has been looking for a reason to come down to Texas to bicycle so he arranged with the gentleman to get three team spots in his group.

Well lets do the math,

Howard+Baltictiger= 2,

Howard+Baltictiger+XO=3,

hmmm I sense a conspiracy here.

Bro-in-law and sister would only come down and do the event only if the XO participated in the event and being the family guy, I said "Yes I would love to do it"

You ask, "Where is this post going???"

Well the last road bike that I owned was passed on to Goodwill about 8 years ago in favor of a mountain bike. That mountain bike saw limited service and was recently sold to finance the new road bike for the XO's folly.

After multiple visits to the various bike shops in Austin with the CO and lower rates in tow, searching the Bicycle magazine "Buying Guides", and talking with co-workers who are avid cyclists like Howard, I made the jump and now am a proud owner of a Trek 2.1 6ocm road bike.

I won't go into the deep specifics of this fine machine (if you would like to dear reader then head to http://www.trekbikes.com/ ) but I am very happy with it.

Now comes the riding... wish me luck fellow readers and donations to my life insurance policy can be made to the CO.

Actually in all honesty, they did not con me into riding I actually enjoy the challenge.

Note: Both photographs were taken by 1stLT "CJ" and Ssg "AJ" budding photographers that they are... and yes "CJ" put his fleece on backwards but he won't listen.

Laughing Out Loud

2008-01-20T18:55:00.000-06:00

So... we're on our way to lunch after church today and CJ asks "Where are we going?" and the CO replies "That remains to be seen".
The kid's responses had the CO and XO in stitches -
CJ - "Where is mains be seen?"
AJ - "I don't like that place! It's yucky, yucky, yucky!"

I think something got lost in translation! Just wanted to share our laugh for today...

Little Momma

2008-01-11T16:31:00.000-06:00

SSG AJ had all of her dolls lined up and was "changing them 'cause they all dirty, dirty"; "give them milk 'cause they crying"; and "give them kisses 'cause them so cute!" She's really turned into a little momma since EJ arrived - she tries to help feed and burp her, brings us the diapers and cream for changes, and has become an expert "paci minder". She'll say "Ohhh, EJ crying! I find paci! Here EJ, eat your paci!" She also thinks that you should "pet" your little sister! We're having fun watching our little family grow...

New Math??

2008-01-10T21:05:00.000-06:00

How does someone so cute make such big messes?

OK, I have a Master's degree and I can't figure this out so maybe y'all can help me. How does adding one more person to the family make my laundry TRIPLE? Especially when her clothes are all so small?

Thank heavens for the super capacity, quick wash and dry cycle, energy and water efficient washer and dryer set we just got. Now if only it had come with someone to actually put the clothes in and fold them when they are done I'd be all set!

Sincerely,

The CO (aka "Drowning in Laundry")

Reflections on 2007

2007-12-31T17:01:00.000-06:00

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, but I have been doing a lot of thinking about 2007 as it prepares to draw to a close and we prepare to start anew in 2008. My initial thought was "I really hope that 2008 is better than 2007 was". After starting out 2007 by being in the hospital with an abdominal infection, the year only seemed to get worse. 2 back surgeries, several more visits to the hospital for my abdominal "issues", and a bout with serious depression rounded out the year. And then in the last 2 weeks we've closed out the year with our baby being in NICU and then readmitted to the hospital for jaundice, the garbage disposal breaking and nearly flooding our kitchen with really nasty water, the door lock on my truck breaking so that we literally could not get 2/3 of the lower ranks into the vehicle (repairs cost $300), and finally the 10 year old dryer finally dying on us (to the tune of $700). After all of this I felt like I was ready to see 2007 out and hope for the best in 2008.
But then I began to think about all of the blessings that have been a part of 2007 - some of which may never have occurred without some of the trials that we've had. I can honestly say that the XO and I have a closer relationship now than we have in our 13 years of marriage. We have another amazingly beautiful addition to our family. We still have a wonderful home with beautiful gardens and just enough room for our family. We have enough money to meet our needs and have a little bit for extras. We both have good jobs and good health now. The list could go on and on.
Yes, life can be VERY challenging sometimes and full of difficult times, but something our Pastor said recently really hit home and made me reevaluate the way I look at things. As Christians we have the security of knowing that this world and this life is the worst that it will ever be for us. As he put it "this world is our hell as Christians". What a blessing to know that as hard as things may be right now, they will never be any worse and we can look forward to spending eternity in the paradise that is Heaven. But how sad that many people do not have that security. As Pastor David put it "this world is heaven for the non-believer". How sad that this world with all of its trials, pain, and difficulty is the best that some people will ever experience.

I wish you all a 2008 filled with as many blessings as we have had in 2007!

Everyone's Home in Time for X-mas:

2007-12-23T20:55:00.000-06:00

All,

Well the entire unit is now finally bivouacked back at the ole homestead after having the CO and the littlest one spend about 30 hours in the local Children's hospital.

Very nice facility, only about one year old with many amenities as well as unique "children" oriented architecture. In fact, the XO's brother-in-law, "Howard" would probably want to tour the place when he comes down in April for the BP MS-150. Being an architect, he truly would appreciate the place.

Thanks again for every one's prayers and kind words during the last week.

I have attached two pictures of the ladies of the unit below:

God Bless and have a truly Merry Christmas...

A Visit to the Hospital:

2007-12-19T19:59:00.000-06:00

All,

I must have been clinically insane to try and bring dinner, drinks and two kiddos to the hospital to visit their newborn sister and mother.

Well I did it, bringing the entire company up to the hospital with bags of food and the "wound-up" lower ranks.

Pictures from the trip are up above until I learn how to move them around the page without compromising their ability to be enlarged.

God Bless All,

XO and CO

A Couple of Updates:

2007-12-19T15:00:00.000-06:00

All,

ENJ is doing much better other than being a "bili" baby (high levels of Bilirubemia) which is consistent for all of our charges. Both AJ and CJ were "bili" babies when they were born, has to do with a difference in the blood typing between the "CO" and the kiddos.

Hopefully they will move ENJ down to be with her mother this evening with a probable release date of 12/20/07.

We will keep everyone updated as more information is passed to us.

Thanks for everyone's prayers, I am positive that they are speeding along her recovery and eventual discharge.

God Bless,

XO

Please Welcome Our Newest Addition to the Unit:

2007-12-18T14:55:00.000-06:00

All,

We will depart from our normal ops security to announce the arrival of Airman Eve Niele "J" to the Irregular Regulars. We had planned for the arrival on 12/19/07, with the assistance of the "CO's" OB and some Pictocin but we guess ENJ had different plans.

She is 7lbs 2oz which is a departure of the 7lbs 20oz that I had originally reported to everyone. Suffice it to say this tall (20in) little Airman did not want to wait. The CO was probably in intense labor for only 3 hours with the introduction of Pictocin causing ANJ to "slam into position" (their medical terms not mine). In layman's terms, the CO went from 4cm to 10cm and full effaced in only 1hour with active pushing taking only 15minutes.

Well coming out like a rocket-ship does have it's distinct disadvantages, ENJ has developed a few breathing problems and has bought herself a 3 day R&R pass to the hospital NICU. We are praying that her blood cultures do not come back with a positive bacteria test or she may buy herself a 10day stay. Please keep her in your prayers.

CO KJ is doing well with no major complications. She should be "discharged" on Wednesday, 12/19/07.

I know many of our dedicated readers think that newborns look like little "yodas" but there is a small but vocal sect that can not get enough photos.

Enjoy and God Bless...

XO

Famous Last Words

2007-11-28T16:11:00.000-06:00

Just in case y'all hadn't figured this out already -

If you are busily painting the bathroom and you hear the 5 year old down the hall say "AJ that was awesome! Let's do it again!" and the 2 1/2 year old replies with "Yeah, that was cool!" you should investigate immediately!

On second thought, maybe one should just not paint the bathroom with a couple of little ones in the house...

A Christmas Dillema

2007-11-23T21:36:00.000-06:00

So, I had the kids sit down and do their Christmas lists the other day and they looked something like this...

Dear Santa, I would like a machine robot; a toy dinosaur, and a sword. Love, CJ
- and-
Dear Santa, I want a bear. And a deer at our house so I can open the door and let him come in our house. And a baby deer to come in the window. I put them in the grass! Love, AJ

Now, the first request I can handle (as Santa's stand in), but what on earth do you do with the 2 1/2 year old who is convinced that Santa is going to bring her a deer? And not a toy, stuffed one either (we tried that direction several times). I've also tried asking her again what she wants for Christmas and the answer is always the same - "I telled you Momma. I want deer. One momma deer and one baby deer, but won't let deers in house if you say no deers in house! They go in grass out there (pointing out the window)!"

Between the arrival of a new sister and the deer (or lack thereof) it may be an interesting Christmas. Maybe she'll accept a baby sister in place of a baby deer. One can always hope...

A Few Fond Pictures:

2007-10-29T20:42:00.000-05:00

All,

Just wanted to share a couple of pictures of the dearly departed.

We appreciate all of the prayers and kind words regarding our loss of Wolfgang.

He is missed by all in this household.

Devastating and Dejecting News:

2007-10-24T20:42:00.000-05:00

Fare thee well sweet Meezer...

Our little unit was shattered when a neighbor across the street brought our 10 year old Tonkinese/Siamese mix cat "Wolfgang" to the CO last night in a box. They stated that their next door neighbor had struck a cat while driving down the street and that they originally thought that it was our neighbor's cat. They recognized the markings on his fur and brought him over.

Needless to say, Wolfgang had suffered significant trauma and was dead.

The CO contacted me at work yesterday evening and told me the sad news. She had held out hope that it was not our cat, given the trauma to him, but when I returned from shift this morning his markings and soft fur was a clear give-away.

For those of you that may read this post and could care less about felines or for a beloved family pet then please surf someplace else immediately.

As many of you know and have witnessed in person, this cat was and I quote "the best dog that I ever had in a cat's body". Since we first found him the the Animal Medical League (actually he found me when he reached his paw through the cage and batted my head while we were looking at another feline below. It was love at first sight. This cat turned me, the XO, from a person that despised cats into a fervent cat lover. He came when you called his name, rode around on my shoulders, fetched balls when he was younger and always had something uplifting to say no matter how bad your day was going. He was, and I have modified a bit of bible verse, the alpha and omega of cats.
You may say that "How much could we love this cat if we let him get out and get run over by a car..." Well, during the later part of his life, with two rambunctious human kids in the house (a 2 1/2 year old and a five year old), Wolfgang preferred to spend a good portion of his daytime outside in the immediate area around our house. He would rarely wander to the end of our fence line or our property. I guess you could say he was a homebody. I can only assume that he decided to chase off one of the neighborhood strays that came into our yard and accidentally ran into the street.
I will be sure to post a picture of this remarkable and loving family companion as soon as I can get around to looking at pictures of him again.
As much as we will miss him I am positive that he is chasing balls and sitting on the lap of the CO's mom up in heaven getting "scritches" behind his ears.

Thanks for coming into my life you lovable Meezer...........

XO

Ramblings and Happenings

2007-10-20T15:14:00.001-05:00

The monarch butterflies are migrating through Texas on the way to Mexico right now and it's amazing to sit in our backyard and see literally hundreds of them flutter by. The plant on the left is Gregg's Mist and is the primary nectar source for these butterflies - plant it and they will come (in Texas anyway)! A lot of them will lay eggs in our yard and next spring we will find a bunch of cocoons all over the yard (especially on the milkweed which the larvae love to eat). Seeing them go through all of the stages and then come out of the cocoons as butterflies always amazes me. God created such amazing plants and animals and it always captivates me to watch nature's happenings - especially when you can do it right in your own backyard!

On to other subjects...

We had 1LT CJ in for his 5 year check up this week and discovered that he most likely needs glasses. He screened at 20/120 at the pediatrician's office and she said that was "being generous". He has an appointment with the pediatric ophthalmologist, but their soonest appointment was December. He was having a hard time accepting the idea of having glasses for a few days, but Eric found a book at the library about a kid who doesn't want to wear his glasses and then finally does (when an imaginary space monster tries to eat them) and he realizes that he can see much better with them and do more fun things. CJ seems to be OK with the idea at the moment, but we'll see how he reacts when he actually has to wear them all day long. The momma in me is wondering about the logistical aspects of keeping track of the glasses, making sure they don't get left on the playground at school or conveniently "lost" somewhere. I guess we'll see how it goes! I guess it was too much to ask that our kids have perfect vision when both the XO and CO are blind as bats without corrective eye wear. Darn those genetics!

On the subject of what not to do if you'd like to remain employed... both true stories that happened with either the XO or CO's employees in the last few weeks. #1) Do not call in sick to work and then have your picture show up on the front page of the newspaper, beer in hand, cheering on the Longhorns before the UT/OU game. At least have sense enough to tell the photographer not to take your picture for heaven's sake. #2) Do not "clock in" at work, tell your supervisor that you have a meeting to attend on another part of base and then be found in civilian clothes on the base golf course. Maybe an off base course would have been a better choice if you were going to pull that kind of stunt. Some people are just plain dumb.

Hope all is well wherever you're reading this from!

Highlights from NY State

2007-10-06T15:33:00.000-05:00

Do all kids look at the camera and say "cheese" with big goofy grins on their faces? These two are such little hams for the camera!

The VERY happy couple! I've never seen two people with such big grins on their faces - and they lasted through the entire ceremony AND the reception! Congratulations J and Janice!!

Highlights of our latest trip to New York:

1) My baby brother got married! I remember changing his diapers and rescuing him when he got his head stuck in the stairs on the deck and now he's married! I'm in shock...

2) 1Lt CJ and SSG AJ both caught their first fish.

3) 1Lt CJ caught momma on the fish hook. Thankfully, just a flesh wound...

4) Instead of normal October weather, we got temeratures 20 degrees warmer than normal. Perfect for the Texans!

5) We got to eat Aunt Cookie's subs. For those of you who have never been to Geneseo, NY to experience these - my sincere condolences!

6) Italian cake from the Holy Cannoli bakery - yummmmy!

7) And best of all, lots of wonderful time with family.

Let's Pretend!

2007-09-20T20:23:00.000-05:00

"I go bye-bye. Got my purse and my bible, all ready go"

Where was she going? "Don' know, jus' bye-bye"

"AYYYE MATEY!! Guess who I am Momma!" - As a hint, he had just been watching Peter Pan. By the way, that's the dough hook to my electric mixer that he has in his hand.

I had a friend tell me the other day that she met a child who literally could not "play pretend" and I was astounded. I thought that was someting all kids did all the time like ours do! It's kind of sad to think of all of the fun that that child was missing out on, not to mention that it is probably developmentally concerning if a child can't take what he or she sees in the world around them and learn from it through play. How else do you figure out what a mommy is and does or what a vetrinarian does?

Some days the most enjoyable part of my day is watching these two pretend to care for the "really, really sick Komodo Dragon" with my stethoscope and a wooden spoon (turns out he needed surgery "'cause hurt back like momma"); or seeing them working side by side at the toy kitchen to prepare a "meal" for me (it was "apple soup with lots of salt" and "butter" - SSG AJ thinks butter is one of the four food groups).

It is amazing the way God has made their minds to work and learn from such a young age!

"We came, we saw, we returned."

2007-09-14T16:16:00.000-05:00

All,

I returned yesterday evening from being on deployment for Hurricane Humberto for the last 28 hours. We had got the notification the day before (Wednesday, 9/12) that we were to send a boat squad from my department to join 5 other squads from across the state. After marshaling up in Austin, we headed out to College Station to Texas Task Force One's headquarters for in-processing and further tasking. After completing our in-processing the entire team of 6 boat squads (twelve separate boats) and 51 personnel headed out to our forward base of operations (called the "BOO") in Houston.<

The word was that they were expecting heavy rains across Houston, Galveston, Beaumont and Port Arthur as Tropical Storm (soon to be Hurricane) Humberto moved inland from the Gulf. Our BOO happened to be in the cavernous Reliant Center (next to Reliant Stadium- home to the NFL's Houston Texans) which is where they hold the Houston Stock show and Rodeo each year.

This place is humongous to say the least! We were kept to one section (please look at the photos) and there are two other equally big sections on each side of ours. The entire place was air conditioned (yay!) but it is always a bit hard to sleep in the equivalent of a convention center.

The vehicle in the distance is a 30ft logistics trailer. We set our cots up in that area.

That night and the next day was simply a "wait and see" time for the Water Strike Team. As Humberto crossed the coast at High Island it caused quite a bit of wind and storm damage to Beaumont, Port Arthur and the surrounding counties, but the flooding was not as extensive as they expected.

My squad checking out equipment on Wednesday night.

The next day was more of a "wait and see" sort of day- with my squad spending the time with the STAR Flight helo squad playing a new game called "PT Poker". The basic jist is playing Texas Hold-em poker but betting with rep's of various physical fitness calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, flutter kicks, etc...). It certainly helped pass the time and was better that sitting around napping or waiting for more Whattaburger for meals (ask me sometime why I refuse to eat Whattaburger any other time).

Around 1pm yesterday we got the orders from the state EOC that we were not needed by any of the local jurisdictions and that we were to be demobilized. The A/TCEMS boat team and helo squads were allowed to out-process in Houston so we did not have to head back to College Station before heading home to Austin. This saved us about 3-4 hours of time. After an uneventful trip back to Austin we put all of our equipment and boat back in one of our stations and headed home.

That's about it for an "uneventful deployment". Lots of Whattaburger and extra time spent hoping that you get an assignment but praying that you really don't since that means that someones life has been turned totally upside down.

XO

"Why Daddy Go Bye Bye?"

2007-09-12T14:53:00.000-05:00

http://usar.tamu.edu/

Check out this website to find the answer to Ana's very astute question. They should have updates on the deployment throughout the next couple of days, complete with pictures.

All I know at this point is that they are headed to Galveston, and will be back sometime on Sunday...

The XO will be the squad leader for a boat rescue team. Pray for safety for his entire team.

The Bill

2007-08-27T14:57:00.000-05:00

MRI - $900
Hospital fees - $21,000
Neurosurgeon - $12,000
Anesthesiologist - $5,000
OR Nurse Assistant - $1,200
Neurologic Monitoring in the OR - $3,000
Titanium Hardware - $18,000

Getting your spine fixed - PRICELESS!

I know it's a shameless plagarism of a major credit card company, but it seemed to fit. :-)
I promise once life has returned to some kind of normalcy this blog will stop being neglected like it has been in the last month. I like to think I have had a good excuse...

A Little Girl on a Mission

2007-08-07T21:02:00.000-05:00

SSG AJ got up the other morning and was coming down the hall toward our room when I tried to stop her and give her a hug, saying "Good morning! How did you sleep last night?". She put up her hand and said "No talk momma! Got go pee!"

Guess I'll have to give her that promotion soon since she's almost potty trained! LOL

A Little Boy's Prayers

2007-08-07T20:35:00.000-05:00

The setting: We're driving home from the grocery store and Ana is making noises and generally trying to annoy her brother.

CJ - "Mom, God always hears me when I pray right?"
Mom - "Yep, He'll always hear you no matter where you are"
CJ - "OK. God, please take away that little sister right now! Amen."
Pause......
"God, I said take away that sister right now!"
Another pause....
"Mom, He didn't listen to me!"
Mom - "Well, sometimes God says 'no' to our prayers because sometimes we pray for things that wouldn't really be good for us"
CJ - "But mom, it would be REALLY good if God took away my noisy sister!"

I just had to smile and suggest that maybe he could pray that she would be more quiet instead of praying for her to disappear!

Beekeeper isn't in my job description

2007-07-23T16:30:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of the top of one of the 10 foot tall columns that support our front porch. Silly us, we thought they were covered over on the top. That is, until we noticed literally hundreds of bees flying in and out and around the top of this column. The XO climbed up on a ladder and reached over with the camera to get a pic to assess the situation. He wisely chose not to get too close!
I'm all for having bees around to pollinate our landscape (especially since our yard is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildscape Backyard), but when there are this many bees right outside your front door, you have small children, and there have been africanized (or "killer") honey bees found within a few miles of you you're kind of forced to do something about the situation. We called a local exterminator who showed up in a full bee suit and took care of the bees for us. He said that they had probably been in there for years and that there was "a ton" of honeycomb in that column. I asked him to guess how many bees were in that colony and his answer shocked me - "several hundred thousand". Wow!
Oh, the joys of home ownership!

The Amazing Pacific Northwest

2007-07-22T16:59:00.000-05:00

We wanted to share a few more pictures from our trip to Oregon (and we may post more as we find time to go through all of the files!) These are from our trip to Silver Falls State Park. We spent the morning hiking, visiting several different waterfalls, and just enjoying the beautiful Oregon summer day. The kids both did amazingly well even though we hiked over 2 miles through the park and climbed something like 80 stairs to get back up from the South Falls. SSG AJ made it up all of the stairs except the last 4 before she asked to be carried - not bad for a 2 year old. 2LT CJ thought the waterfalls were "pretty neat, espcially the really tall ones that make a lot of noise".

This is the North Falls. Take a look at the middle of the picture to get a sense of scale - those are people walking on the trail behind the waterfall!

It's a ....

2007-07-17T15:15:00.000-05:00

It's a girl!! (In case you can't read what's on the ultrasound). I had the kids with me at the appointment and Dr Seeker made a comment to the effect of "If this new little girl is like AJ here ..." He never got to finish the thought though because 2Lt CJ piped in with "We're in big trouble!" I laughed out loud before I could stop myself!

Or maybe it's an alien?? We always joke about these ultrasound pictures, but it is really cool to be able to see everything. We know that this little one has 10 fingers and 10 toes, that her stomach is filled with fluid like it should be, that her kidneys are working because her bladder is full of urine, that she has 4 chambers in her heart, etc., etc. It is reassuring to know that everything is "normal", at least as much as you can before they actually arrive.
2Lt CJ and SSG AJ were absolutely fascinated by the ultrasound. CJ kept asking them "Show me her head again" and "Where is her arm?" and "Does she have a heart too?". AJ got up this morning and said "Go back doctor and see baby in tummy again??"

Lots of fun in the J's house right now...

This is the beach?!!?

2007-07-08T22:12:00.000-05:00

We're in Oregon visiting the XO's sister and her family right now and a couple of days ago we took a drive to the Pacific to check out the beaches of the Pacific Northwest. Keep in mind that the only beaches I've ever been to have been in Southern California or the Gulf of Mexico, so I had everyone dressed in their swim suits and t-shirts. Imagine my surprise when we got the the coast and it was 60 degrees and the wind was blowing about 20 miles an hour continuously with 40 MPH gusts! The wind was blowing so much sand that we are still cleaning sand out of everyone's hair and ears. And it was freezing! But it was amazingly gorgeous.

2nd Lt "CJ" and Cousin Jack out in the sand at Beverly Beach.

The CO, SSG "AJ" (the small bundle in pink, hunkered down, and the XO's sister enjoying the mild temps and gentle breezes at the beach.

The beautiful Oregon shoreline.

One cold toddler.

"Mr. Outdoors" He's Not!

2007-06-30T16:37:00.000-05:00

We've been looking to buy a piece of land to build a house and we took the kids out to look at a 3 acre lot that was wooded with large areas of wildflowers and tall grasses. AJ jumped right in and started pushing though the weeds, until she got to a section that was over her head and then she asked the XO to carry her. CJ on the other hand protested from the beginning. He did NOT want to walk through those plants...
"Momma! These plants are prickly!"
"AHHH! One just poked me!"
"Mooooommmmma, I'm scared of these flowers!"
"Are there any dangerous wild animals out here? I don't want them to eat me!"
(and my favorite) "I'm so sweaty! I can't do it any more! I just can't go on! Someone carry me back to the truck!"
Such drama from a 4 year old.

CO

Dissension in the Ranks

2007-06-27T20:38:00.000-05:00

So, we're preparing for a trip to Oregon. Keep in mind that we leave in 4 days, we're travelling with a 4 year old and a 2 year old, we have to leave the house bright and early the morning we leave, and the CO will be completely useless from the perspective of carrying, lifting, etc. That leads to the question posed to the XO today - why in Heaven's name are we not packed? We haven't even gotten the suitcases down from storage! Or made a packing list! This stresses out the CO immensely. If able, I would have had all of the suitcases out and ready with all of the items and clothing that we would not be using in the next few days already packed, so that all we have to do is add in the last few items and head out the door. And I would have everything checked off on the packing list. How in the world do you know if you've packed everything without a list??? Ahrrrgghhh!
If you haven't guessed, the XO is much more laid back and less AR than the CO in this unit. He figures we'll just toss everything in the suitcases the morning we leave and head to the airport. If we don't pack it, we can always find it at WalMart when we get there right? :-)
I guess opposites really do attract, huh?

Braveheart meets Toddler Mischief

2007-06-25T18:51:00.000-05:00

Well it was bound to happen at some point during the CO's recovery from her back surgery but SSG "AJ" decided to act out a scene from a movie she has never seen. Our intrepid photographers actually obtained digital evidence of the little insurgents warpaint just prior to her journey to misbehavior. I can only try to describe to you the bath session that occurred just after this little girl was "caught" in the act. Words do not do it justice.

Of course, this was one day after the same SSG decided to use Elmer's Glitter Glue (R) as a kind of "hot wax" hair remover on her legs, arms and hands. Do not be fooled into believing the marketing that these products tout in their glue being "washable", I have personal experience that it is not. Once again please refer to the sentence regarding the bath session for reference.

Oh well, only a couple more weeks of me always being "one step behind" when it comes to the lesser rank's activities and mischief in the unit.

"Being a Guardian Angel" or "It Should Be Mandatory Education in Schools"

2007-06-20T22:17:00.000-05:00

As the previous post placed by the 1st TIR "CO" alluded to, knowing how to do CPR can mean the difference between life or death for child. I would say that this was divine intervention by God due to the fact that the young heroine in the story "just happened" to be visiting friends in Austin; that she "just happened" to go down on the greenbelt (a seven mile meandering park in SW Austin) near the location of the little boy and that she "just happened" to be a ex-lifeguard who knew CPR. Guardian Angels, in my humble opinion, may come in the form of a ethereal entity helping to nudge or guide a person in one direction or they may come in the form of a mortal human being placed in the right time and right location to make a life-altering change.
My hope for all who read this post is that you will get CPR training ASAP so that when God decides to use you as a Guardian Angel you will be ready to answer His call.
I really believe that CPR, Basic First Aid and AED training should be mandatory classes in Junior High or at least High School. If your public schools do not teach these courses then I would recommend contacting the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association to see where you or your children can sign-up for these courses.
This stuff works and it saves lives, just ask the family in the newspaper article listed below.

XO

Our XO Hard at Work

2007-06-20T17:47:00.000-05:00

Bystanders rescue drowning boy -
BYLINE: Patrick George AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF DATE: June 17, 2007 PUBLICATION: Austin American-Statesman (TX) EDITION: Final SECTION: Metro & State PAGE: B01
When Adrianna Kruger saw a man swim into the water Saturday at the Barton Creek greenbelt in Southwest Austin screaming that his son had disappeared, the former lifeguard had a feeling that she might be called upon to perform CPR.Sure enough, when 5-year-old Riley Yarbrough was pulled from the water with a bleeding head wound, Kruger, 21, breathed life back into the unconscious, blue-skinned boy.
Authorities said the boy was playing in the water near Twin Falls with his family about 2 p.m. when he was swept under and injured his head. About a minute after the boy went under, two bystanders, who were not immediately identified, pulled him out. His heart wasn't beating, authorities said. Kruger said she knew immediately what she had to do. "I ran over, told them I knew (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and started chest compressions and breathing," said Kruger, a University of Oklahoma student who is visiting her boyfriend in Austin. Another man started pressing on Riley's chest while Kruger continued to breathe into his mouth. The efforts paid off about a minute later, when he began to cough up water and cry. "Once I heard him cry, I knew he would be OK," she said. "It was the best feeling ever." The boy was transported to Children's Hospital of Austin, where he was listed in good condition. His family declined to comment Saturday. Kruger said that the rescue was a team effort and that the men who pulled Riley out of the water and the man who assisted her with the CPR deserve equal credit for saving the boy.
Because the pool area is about 10 minutes from the nearest road, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services District Commander "EJ" (your faithful 1stTIR "XO"). said, the boy could have died if Kruger and the other bystanders had not acted so quickly. "Kids crash quickly without oxygen," J. said. "If they hadn't done CPR, there could have been serious problems for this boy." J. said that knowing simple skills such as CPR goes a long way toward saving lives. He also warned that Barton Creek is more dangerous than many people think. "When it rains, Barton Creek isn't the dry little creek we all love," J. said.
EMS spokesman Warren Hassinger said bystander aid, like the kind Kruger and the others gave Riley, can mean the difference between life and death. "They changed his life today," Hassinger said. "All the hospitals in the world won't do you any good if you're dead before you get there."

Old Warhorse In for a Tune-Up

2007-06-15T21:26:00.000-05:00

Well, Monday morning the 1st TIR's CO will be heading into a local hospital for "transmission" service. We had thought that the last tune-up would have taken her beyond the 100,000 mile mark but alas that is not the case. The lower ranks will be staying with some close friends while yours truly takes her in. We pray that it will be uneventful and are both confident in the doctor's skills.

Please pray for our beloved leader while she is lying horizontal for the next 7 to 10 days trying to figure out what message that the Dear Lord is sending her with all of her maladies.

For those of you on the secure telegraph system we will be tapping out a message later in the day with an update on her condition.

Number Two

"Let's Hope His Medical Kit is More Advanced Than This"

Sigh....

2007-06-13T20:46:00.000-05:00

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Humble yourselves, therefore under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

I’ve been having an enormous emotional struggle over the last several weeks as I try to deal with “why” God has allowed my body to fail me. I KNOW that He has a reason and that his plan is to build me up and help me grow, but I am struggling to understand what the reason might be. I have faced trials before when I have wondered what God was up to, and He’s never failed to show me and teach me before so I know he will this time too but I’m not being very patient about waiting for his answer.
I think the hardest thing about the last couple of weeks is knowing that I’ve been a less than effective CO for the 1st TIR as I try to deal with my physical issues. But, I know that God will be faithful in that also. I can already see CJ and AJ becoming closer friends as they play with each other in these days when we’re stuck in the house rather than spending our time at the park or the pool or doing the errands involved in running a household.
I’ll keep these verses in my heart and mind as we wait through the next week until we find out what the final outcome will be for me. I’ll keep you all posted…

In the meantime, I'm going to focus on the things that I am thankful for: the rest of the family is healthy and happy; the Yankees are winning; we have a wonderful home and church; the Spurs are winning; we are blessed with wonderful friends and family; and many, many more!

Spring Lion Hunting Expedition

2007-06-10T14:26:00.000-05:00

A family portrait from our recent "safari" to the San Antonio Zoo. CJ is in the striped shirt and AJ in the fuschia - they both loved the zoo, but 3 hours in the 90 degree South Texas heat had them at their limit. We were lucky to get this pic at all. I should give credit to the photographer - "Unka' Ry" - nice job!

Who's in Charge Here Anyway?

2007-06-08T22:34:00.000-05:00

You've noticed that you will have the XO and the CO posting here from time to time, but we've neglected to mention the "heart and soul" of any military operation - the junior ranking officers and the enlisted troops that actually run the place! In our case that would be 2Lt CJ (age 4 1/2)and SSG AJ (age 2, she'll get a commission when she gets potty trained!), and we'll soon be adding an A1C to the mix when we welcome a new member to our family right around Christmas 2007!
We joke around our house that the kids are really the ones in charge, but in reality the only one in charge in this house is God. We just do our best to listen to what He is telling us and live our lives the way He asks us to. Not a bad set of SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) if you ask me...

Welcome All to the Mustering of the 1st TIR

2007-06-08T21:56:00.000-05:00

Dear Reader,

You may ask, how does being a Christian, a NY Yankees baseball fan and a Civil War History Buff morph into a "Blog" so to speak? Well that is an excellent question, one that I, your Company XO (or Executive Officer in military lingo) hope to shed some light on. Myself and the Company CO (or Commanding Officer), Major "J" will be your escorts through the maze of thoughts, ideas and images that will come from our little outfit.

Read on, post often and Pray frequently.

XO