The Parker Family

2009-07-24T17:13:00.001-05:00

On my way Fray

Brockstar and his 7-on-7 Team

2009-06-25T17:17:00.001-05:00

Brock and his 7-on-7 Team
Originally uploaded by ParkerCircus

Brockstar has been very busy this summer. As the school year ended, he was playing baseball, football and basketball.

I think his favorite has been the 7-on-7 football games and tournaments. It is fast-paced and he and his friends are good! So good that they won the first tournament that they entered and have been playing in a league. They are undefeated.

This picture was taken after the tournament in May where they took first place and qualified to play in a state-wide tournament in July.

Way to go Brockstar!

Schwimmin'

2009-06-04T11:33:00.005-05:00

Memorial Day was a relaxed day. I don't think we did anything other than watch some movies with the neighbors and let the girls play outside.

We set up their little blow up pool and they had a blast! It has a little waterfall/sprinkler feature that they loved. Squiggles liked to crawl out of the pool too. In. Out. In. Out.

These two pictures crack me up because you can see Stinkerbell doing her own little dance in the background.

Elmolicious

2009-05-26T12:23:00.004-05:00

For Stinkerbell's birthday, I made Elmo cupcakes.

They were a lot of fun to make and were a huge hit. Now I think I may need to branch out and make Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Grover, and the rest of the Sesame Street gang!

2009-05-24T11:05:00.001-05:00

We had a great birthday party for Stinkerbell last night after a long day of football with Brockstar. I will post some photos of his game and the cupcakes we made for the party.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!!

I am two!!

2009-05-21T12:40:00.004-05:00

I love my pink blankie but I will share it with my sissy, My-Eee.
I can't say my Rs or my Ls just yet. I think it really cruel that my sister's name is Marley.
I think it hilarious when I say "night night" to the couch.
I am bossy. I have recently noticed that I get in trouble when I yell "No!" to Mommy and Daddy.
I love to be outside. I draw with sidewalk chalk all over my Bubba's basketball court. I have a bucket and a shovel that I use to try to dig up the yard.
When someone asks me how old I am, I look at my fingers first and try to hold up just two of them. I get frustrated and just say "Twooooo"

Here I am with Mommy, only 1 day old.

Here I am, six months old

Here I am one year ago at my first birthday

Here I am at 13 months

17 months

Dancing with my favorite blankie

22 months and covered in dirt.

2009-05-21T12:39:00.001-05:00

Test entry from my phone. I hope it works.

Easter Goodies

2009-04-13T21:27:00.003-05:00

Happy Easter from the Parkers!

Stinkerbell had her very first Easter egg hunt. Brockstar and Michael hid the eggs for her and she had such a good time looking for them. However, once she discovered that the eggs had CANDY (and other non-food treats) in them, she was less interested in finding the eggs and more interested in opening them.

We managed to keep her on track and she found all of them.

In all of our excitement, The Mom forgot to tell her about the Easter Bunny and how he hides the eggs. I guess she thinks there 's a very colorful chicken running around our neighborhood that lays M&M-filled eggs!!

Her favorite non-M&M treat was the sidewalk chalk. She created a series of masterpieces on Brockstar's basketball court.
After the egg hunt was over, we put all of the eggs in Lovie's giant aluminum bowl for a photo session will Squiggles. She was very patient as The Mom took about 50 pictures trying to come up with a couple of decent ones. Sigh. I need a fancy schmancy new camera like my sisters have!
I guess this is now an annual tradition. Below is Stinkerbell from last year...same bowl but with more eggs.

"Okay. Enough already. I'm outta here."

A new look

2009-04-06T16:22:00.004-05:00

Brockstar has a new look to reveal. Friday was a traumatic day for him. He got a haircut (which he didn't like) and braces (which cause him pain.) For now, we're letting him eat lots of milkshakes to try to counter the bad.

So far, he's doing okay. His teeth ache and he's hungry for something other than mashed potatoes and milk shakes. I have promised him some homemade soup...Sweet Potato and Jalapeno. I tried it at a restaurant and it was soooo good!

Here is sweet Squiggles. She was cuddled up in her favorite blankie, chewing on her hand. Where are those dang teeth??
Here's Stinkerbelle posing for her head shots. :-)

Me make you pretty!

2009-03-23T12:20:00.003-05:00

We knew this day would come...Stinkerbelle figured out how to play put hair ties on DeeDa's hair. (DeeDa is "daddy" backwards.)
Here is Stinkerbelle pointing to her handiwork.

This may become the motivation that Brockstar needs to finally cut his hair. His hair is long enough for her to put in LOTS of hair bows!

Should have bought a Lotto ticket!!

2009-03-23T10:49:00.004-05:00

Brockstar has never been to a professional hockey game. Our neighbors (once again) had seats to a hockey game and invited him to go along. We stayed home and hosted a "planning party" for our upcoming weekend trip to the country.

While we are planning we get a text message from the neighbor: "Brock caught a puck."

Seriously. Who else but this kid goes to his very first hockey game and comes home with a game puck?

On a funny note, he kept mis-pronouncing "puck". No...not that. "Dad, I can't believe I caught a cup."

Parker Powered Strollers

2009-03-10T14:10:00.004-05:00

My neighbor and I have been taking walks around the neighborhood with the girls. Parker goes NUTS because he wants to go too. This time, we hooked his leash to the stroller and he pulled them!

Our neighbors scored tickets to a Mavericks game on Saturday night. Lovie and I declined but sent Brockstar along with their son, Michael. They forgot to mention that they were $500 tickets...2nd row on the floor!! They were close enough to get soaked with the player's sweat. (yeesh!)

Old Friends, Clean Clothes, and Empty Wallets

2009-03-02T09:10:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, my college roommate was in town from Kentucky. Well, she was close enough to my town that we decided to meet at a halfway point - Waco. We met for lunch and visited a local museum that had some cool kid-friendly hands-on exhibits. It worked out perfect. Our girls got to play and play and play (until they kicked us out at closing time) and we got to catch up. It was a great trip.

Stinkerbell and her lost big sister?

The last week has been fairly uneventful on the Parker scale. The exterior of the house was painted and it looks great. It's not dramatically different from before, just a nice clean look.

Brockstar's "playroom" is a basketball court. The rim was installed and he plays out there whenever he gets home before dark. His baseball team had a tournament this weekend. I snapped a picture of him in his uniform so we could remember what it looked like clean. It will NEVER be this clean again. Who selected white pants???

In a grand gesture, I am opening up my wallet and handing it over to the orthodontist. Brockstar had a consultation with the orthodontist and it looks like there will be a brace face in our house. I tried to convince him that he didn't need a pretty smile because we have a pretty kitchen to pay for but he wasn't convinced.

Brock's "Playroom"

2009-02-20T09:34:00.005-06:00

(Does construction ever actually end?)

On Wednesday, the cement guys returned and poured a slab for us that will become Brock's playroom.

What's for dinner?

2009-02-17T12:26:00.001-06:00

Big Dirt Pile = Big Fun

2009-02-16T14:35:00.008-06:00

I took this picture to offer some perspective on just how much dirt we had in our lawn. That's Michael, our neighbor, and Stinkerbell on top. Four (4!) dumptrucks full of dirt.

Michael got of the school bus Friday afternoon and immediately dropped his stuff and wanted to start playing. Stinkerbell was right there with him.

Since the dirt was "clean" it was perfect for crawling and running around without shoes and sliding on your bum.

On Saturday, our friends and neighbors pitched in to help use all the dirt. (Actually, the neighbors used the dirt too.) Do you know how many Dodge 4x4 trucks it takes to pull a tree stump out of the ground?

One?

Two??

Three???

Success!!!

So now we have a smooth dirt lawn and a giant tree stump (roots and all) sitting in the front of the house. We're waiting for the stump to dry out and then I think we'll be having a heck of a bonfire.

They worked until dark and then we ate a Valentine's dinner of steak, potatoes, asparagus, salad, and a Black Forest cake for dessert.

Real Love is Dirty

2009-02-14T03:04:00.004-06:00

Lovie is so special to me. I needed to find an extra special way to show it. So, I did what any woman would do. I order two dump trucks worth of dirt and had it delivered to our front lawn. Now he and his buddies can bring over their tractors (the full-sized kind, not the Tonka kind) and push the dirt around and make the lawn pretty, or muddy. Whatever.

Happy Valentine's Day Lovie!!

Not expecting any volunteerism award anytime soon.

2009-02-13T14:43:00.004-06:00

Is it possible to get fired from a volunteer position? Sadly, I might be testing that theory. I am the newest recording secretary for a service organization in my community called the Aledo AdvoCats. Great organization. Yesterday we had our board meeting where I was recording the minutes, hence my title.

Today, I had a break from work and decided to type up the minutes and I can't find my notes. I have like 13 copies of the meeting's agenda but not my notes. In the car? No. In the kitchen? No. In one of the many piles on my desk? No. No. No. I'd like to blame this on Stinkerbell. Maybe she came in my office and took them. I wouldn't put it past her. She wasn't very happy when I left for my meeting yesterday.

I called and then emailed the woman that hosted the meeting at her home. I'm hoping she found them. In the mean time, I wrote up the minutes from my memory. Sigh. Not a good start.

So, if any of you find some lined notebook paper with a bunch of notes in red ink, those are mine.

Tide Mountain

2009-02-10T13:06:00.004-06:00

The Brockstar's only "real" chore is that he has to do his own laundry. The last few weeks have been crazy hectic because of overlapping sports plus his normal workload from school. Lovie and I took pity on him and gave him a reprieve. We agreed to help him with his laundry until things calm down a little.

I dragged all of his laundry from his room and the hamper in his bathroom. Oh my! This picture is all the clothes and towels we found. All his. The picture doesn't really do it justice. I think we used a whole bottle of detergent just getting all of this washed.

The Life of the SAHD (Stay-At-Home-Dad)

2009-02-09T16:31:00.002-06:00

Shhh. Dad's taking his nap.

Brockstar is lying around eating junk food. (see the traces of chocolate on his face?)

Stinkerbell is on the loose in the living room.

And Squiggles is unattended, sucking on a carrot.

Worth it. Totally.

2009-02-09T10:24:00.003-06:00

After many months of being sinkless and ovenless, the final result is totally worth it.

Ice Pellets, Boots and Delays

2009-01-28T14:29:00.004-06:00

Here's our little six month old girl. She has a new nickname...Squiggles! It fits her giggly, gurgly, squirmy personality.

Stinkerbelle got some super cute pink boots at the rodeo. She couldn't wait to try them on and wore them around the house and outside. She has this funny heel-toe walk that she does when she's wearing them.

(Look at those skinny little legs. Where did those come from?)

It's really cold here right now. This morning it was 15 degrees. Brrr. It rained ice pellets all night and they cancelled school. For most people, that means that you stay inside, or at the very least, you bundle up and go outside. That is unless you are my Lovie. In that case, you run outside in your sweatshirt and boxers and run around like a crazy monkey.

(I think I found the source of the skinny legs.)

You also get your equally crazy son to participate although he apparently got the "wear pants when it is cold" brain cell from his mother.

The icy weather is working against me. We got a call today from the granite people that they would not be able to install today. They rescheduled us for Friday. It's supposed to be back up to 60.

Anyone have adoption papers handy?

2009-01-26T09:54:00.005-06:00

Saturday night, Lovie and I went out to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo with our friends and had such a great time! We had friends in HIGH places. We had admission to the "Backstage" area which is basically a bar and restaurant. And we had box seats right next to the shoots where the bulls and the broncos (and their riders) came out.

Who knew that we'd be hangin' with so much money? Here's a funny story. JJ and I were posing to get our picture taken together and JJ see's a man in a cowboy hat walking towards us. "C'mon! Get in our picture!" He kinda grabs the guy, puts his arm around him and we all smile. Click.

"Lovie, do you know who that was?"

"Uh, yeah. It was Ed Bass. Wasn't that hilarious? Did he just grab my butt?"

"I don't know. Do you think he'll adopt us??"

Half a Birthday

2009-01-23T17:44:00.003-06:00

Happy Half to Baby M! She is 6 months old today!

My precious Baby M,

The time is going so fast! You are my little cuddlebug...you love to be held and squeezed and I am happy to endulge you. You are my chatterbox too. You coo and talk nonstop. How lucky am I to have such a happy sweet beautiful baby like you!

Your sister is so anxious for you to get big so you two can play in your playroom together. She already kisses you and loves on you, which looks an awful lot like smothering to me. We have to watch her very close.

You is napping in your crib as I type this. As soon as you wake up I'll go snap a photo I can post.

Love,
Mommy

Girls in the kitchen

2009-01-21T08:47:00.005-06:00

Different kids, same wooden spoon. The yellow chair is Stinkerbelle (age 4 months. The pink chair is Baby M.

Do you have a license for that thing?

2009-01-20T16:39:00.005-06:00

Stinkerbelle got a little doll stroller for her first birthday and now she loves putting her favorite "doll" in it. Baby M thinks it's pretty cool too although the is VERY glad that The Mom and Lovie keep a close eye on where they go. Stinkerbelle isn't the best driver.

Parker Polar Bear Club

2009-01-13T00:36:00.001-06:00

Many of you know the craziness of my husband, whom I refer to as "Lovie" on this blog. He keeps me laughing and sometimes can shock me with his silliness. He did it again.

We had a water main break in our town and so we had a couple of days where we'd have little or no water for a few hours during the day for repairs. On Thursday, Lovie was shaving and showering and only got the first part done (the shaving) before the water pressure went to a trickle. He still needed to shower.

"I'm going to jump in the pool."

"Are you serious? Hold on, let me get the camera."

(Notice my concern for him jumping in the pool when we've been having below freezing weather.)

He jumped in and jumped out about as fast as someone his size could move. We don't have a thermometer for the water but it had to be in the 40s. Brrr!! He said it made his heart hurt when he hit the water.

Did I jump in to? Uh, no. I'll just be stinky, thankyouverymuch. For now, Lovie is the only member of the Parker Polar Bear Club.

2009-01-12T13:18:00.002-06:00

It's been a LOOONG three months. We officially started construction on October 8 and I wish I could say that we are finished. We are close. What's left?

Countertops:
They come for measurements on Tuesday. Once they do that, it's about 2-3 weeks before installation. We went and picked out our slabs over the holiday break. This is what we've selected for the island. For the countertops along the walls, we selected "Ubatuba", partially because it's just fun to say. Try it. Ewww bah too bah. :)

Electrical:
This is mostly done. Mostly. Our electrician/neighbor has been out of town helping his parents move so now that he is back, we have high expectations that he'll quit slacking and finish our project. Clearly he needs help with prioritization. The stove needs wiring and we need some plugs on the island.

Backsplash Tile: Once the countertops are in, the tile guy can install our backsplash. We have the materials, just need the countertops.

Plumbing finish: Once all this other stuff is done, we can have the plumber come back to install the garbage disposal and the faucets and the pot filler.

There's some other minor stuff, like the cabinet drawer hardware and the pantry shelves that need to be finished, but those are minor.

(Note: pictures posted soon. technical difficulties.)

Intoducing: The Playroom

2009-01-07T11:45:00.007-06:00

The playroom is finished! We actually got it done on Dec 26th, just in time for our family gathering that we hosted. Stinkerbelle loves it! She is able to destroy it and the mess doesn't spill in to the living room. It's been a major stress reduction in the Parker household to have all her crap, er, playthings semi-contained.

Here is a progression:

1. Drywall and cement. Fun, but kinda bland.

2. Tile floor!

3. Paint on the walls...it's starting to look girly!

4. It's ready for little girls!

2008-12-18T14:51:00.004-06:00

The sinks are here! They're really here! And we love them!

They were worth the wait. The granite people come on Monday to do measurements and then we get to go to their warehouse to pick out our slabs. We'll probably take the little sink with us so we can visualize the colors and how it will all come together.

Here are the cabinets - pre-finish. We have LOTS of drawers. 26 to be exact. I know because we had to haul them all outside to be sanded and finished.

Here they are with their first 3 coats of lacquer plus some sanding. Now they're ready for their last 3 coats. I will have to post some more pictures later because now all of the cabinets are covered so that the walls can be primed.

Progress is good.

One if by land, two if by burro?

2008-12-18T13:01:00.003-06:00

Here's a quick update on the kitchen.

We've been (im)patiently waiting to hear something about our sinks. We ordered beautiful (we hope) custom hammered copper sinks for the kitchen. We ordered them online. From an eBay store. In Mexico.

Yes, really.

The company's eBay store has their standard copper sink, which we liked. But then we decided it would be better if it had a place for towels...and was a little deeper. So we emailed them and they made ours special. We didn't know that special would also mean SLOW. Maybe we were in denial. Over a month ago, we ordered and paid for them. About 2 weeks ago I started wondering if there was a guy in Mexico having a little "I love American suckers" fiesta in our honor. Were we ever going to get our sinks?!?

The good news is that the sinks are supposed to arrive today. I am so excited to see them I can hardly type.

There's been some other stuff done in the kitchen. Doors hung, cabinets finished, trim, blah blah blah. The SINKS are coming! Wohoooo!!

A little shopping trip for Mom

2008-12-02T13:55:00.006-06:00

My neighbor, Tracy, and I went to Canton for a little shopping adventure. (for those of you not blessed to be in the area, Canton is like the BIGGEST flea market shopping adventure...ever.) It's only once per month and I typically space out and miss it. It's about an hour and a half drive from my house but so. totally. worth. it.

We didn't buy a lot of stuff. I think my favorite purchase was the hair bows I got for the girls. Let me tell you that hair bows are freakishly expensive. Like $3 for a bow. Well, at one of the booths, they had them for $0.75 so I bought a bunch. However, now I'm wishing I had bought more. Ah well, I suppose I'll have to go back again.

Here's Stinkerbelle modeling the bows...can't you tell she was thrilled.

Red flags stink.

2008-11-25T16:21:00.008-06:00

We were delayed a few days by our city inspectors. They came out on Wednesday and "red flagged" us on a couple of minor framing things and didn't inspect the plumbing at all.

Call drywallers. Can't start on Thursday as planned. New start date: Friday.

Lovie and our neighbor fixed the framing issues Wednesday night so we are ready for the inspection on Thursday.

Thursday - no inspectors. Eesh. Call dry wallers. Can't start on Friday. New start date: Monday.

Friday - no inspectors. Are you %&!@# kidding me??

Monday - Now we have to fight dirty. We meet the inspector at the door with Baby M in hand. She smiles and coos for him. Poor sucker. Never knew what hit him. He was hit with the Parker Charm! We pass. No more red flags.

Interior view looking over the future island toward the pantry.

Exterior view of the new patio and door. (You can see the same door in the picture above.)

Interior view - standing in the new pantry looking out.

Interior view with the big island. The range will go where the red ladder is now.

Welcome to Evelyn Renee!!

2008-11-18T09:42:00.003-06:00

Here is Courtney with her little bundle of joy:

Evelyn Renee Humphrey

Born 5:32 pm, November 17

6 lbs, 13 oz

19 1/2" long

Courtney and Shaun talked several times during the day. Soon after the delivery he was off of work and able to join us by web cam. You can see Courtney showing Evelyn off to her daddy.

The delivery went very well, with Courtney having an epidural when she was at 5 cm. The baby was born about three hours later.

Shelly, (Courtney's mother-in-law) will stay with her for the first week. Gram (My mom) will stay from Thanksgiving through the first week of December. Then Courtney will come to Gram and Hey Dad's house to stay until Christmas. Yeeeaaa!!

I'm an aunt (again!)

2008-11-17T21:40:00.003-06:00

Courtney had her baby girl this evening. Welcome baby Evelyn Renee!! We can't wait to meet her. Courtney and baby are doing great. Mom and Dad are up there with her. We're going up there to spend thanksgiving with her in Oklahoma City. Hooray for new babies!!

New family members

2008-11-17T10:11:00.002-06:00

My little sister, Courtney went in to labor this morning. We are anxiously awaiting news that her little one has officially arrived.

I'll keep you posted.

Our befallen friend, er, tree

2008-11-16T17:33:00.008-06:00

Stinkerbelle has recovered. She has a runny, snotty boogery nose but no fever. Yeaa!!

One of our trees met its demise on Friday. We've always hated this particular tree because of the huge amounts of droppings it creates each fall. Not just leaves, but these feathery wispy branches that suffocate the yard, pile up on the roof and clog up our gutters. Well, if we HAD gutters, they would clog them up!

Our neighbor's son came over and chopped it down for us. And Saturday night we had a little bonfire in its honor. The stump is still there but it will be gone soon.

We're going to plant 3 new happy trees...one for each kiddo. So don't go gettin' all tree-huggy on me.

We also got windows and doors installed. And plumbing and electricity. This week we'll have an inspection done and then we can schedule drywalling and insulation.

screaming fits, smiles and giggles

2008-11-10T10:37:00.005-06:00

Stinkerbelle woke up with a fever today. She didn't sleep well at all, so neither did Lovie and I. We gave her some Tylenol and she perked up. She drank some juice, ate a little breakfast and chilled out watching some Sesame Street.

She got comfy on the chair with a warm blanket and fell fast asleeep. Hopefully today she'll get plenty of rest and kick her fever.

Baby M slept great last night. She fell asleep in the middle of Stinker's screaming fit! Today she's all smiles and giggles.

Blog Names and Waterproofiness

2008-11-07T13:07:00.005-06:00

In the first category of random thoughts...This blog's URL is really not accurate anymore. There are FIVE Parkers. I need a new family email address too but I have this intense white-hot hatred of changing emails. So I don't know that anything will really come of the blog name.

On construction front...we have a new roof. The finished on Wednesday morning and it looks very nice. We even got some rain on Wednesday so we got to test its waterproofiness. It passed and that is so a word.

Today (Friday) the plumbers are here plumbing. And a brick guy is on his way over to give us an estimate for putting the brick back on the house. The electrician is supposed to be coming over today too. Woohoo!! Progress is good.

Rough Roof

2008-11-04T07:20:00.005-06:00

Our first two weeks of construction went so smooth. Contractors showed up on time and worked hard! We had concrete guys, plumbing guys, electricians, framers, roofers, dumpster delivery guys, porta-potty delivery guys, and probably some others that I am forgetting. Great progress, great service, everyone is happy.

Yesterday began week three of construction. Roofing materials onsite? Check. Roofers? Roofers? Hello? Roooooofeeeeers? Hmm. Okay, no problem. We're also ready to measure for cabinets. He's supposed to be here today too. Um, yeah. He called and rescheduled. Plumber? We can schedule the plumber so he can come and do the next step. He's booked all week. Our "smooth sailing" project has come to a screeching halt.

The roofers are supposed to show up today (Tuesday.) We're hoping to get back on track today. So far, no sign of them. The cabinet maker is supposed to be here today too. The plumber has us tentatively scheduled for tomorrow.

How I am doing with all of this? Great. Just great. I just LOVE having no kitchen. I love washing dishes by hand. My butt seems to love eating out every night. It is rewarding me by g-r-o-w-i-n-g. Not exactly my desired outcome.

Oh! Parker dog just went nuts barking. I think that means the roofers have arrived! YEEAH!!

News Flash: Two foot mermaid spotted on land!

2008-11-04T00:26:00.005-06:00

Stinkerbelle has a very generous Aunt Kiss that mailed her this very cute Mermaid costume all the way from Florida, because that's where all the Mermaids live! It meant that Mommy didn't have to go shopping for a costume!!! Yeeeaaaa!!

We went trick-or-treating to one house, our next door neighbor that used to babysit Stinkerbelle.

Her favorite part of the holiday was sliding on the slide in her front yard. She didn't really know what candy was so there wasn't any whining when I wanted to "share" her candy.

The costume kind of restricted her climbing abilities so we didn't stay dressed up for very long. The costume is now in the "Dress Up Box" collection to be saved for when she discovers the magical world of Disney movies and Ariel the Mermaid Princess.

Under Construction: More Chaos

2008-11-03T12:42:00.007-06:00

Here in Parkerland, we like to keep on our toes. Having a 12-yr old middle-schooler, a toddler, and a new baby just isn't quite enough. We decide that we need to remodel and expand the house.

Here's how this stuff gets started. In April, we get hit by a very bad hail storm. The insurance adjuster and decides that we (along with everyone else in our neighborhood) need a new roof. We had been thinking about making some changes to the house and now, thanks to Mother Nature and our friends at Allstate, we have the seed money to get them started.

So now it's November and we're in this for real. Here's some pics of the progress.

This is the current kitchen, emptied of all the contents and preparing for demolition. We're doing a bunch of the demolition ourselves to save some money.

We got our neighbors involved too. Here they are chiseling brick of the side of the house.

Next is an exterior shot of the house with the forms laid for the new slab.

And here are the framers putting up our new walls.

They finished the framing in a day and half. It was amazing to watch. Here are some interior shots:

This is a view of the Play Room. It's basically a bedroom with three large windows overlooking the back yard. Someday it might be a formal dining room since it is off the kitchen.

This view is of the kitchen looking over the island and toward the sink. The sink will be centered under that large bank of windows.

This is a view of the island looking toward the pantry in the right corner. The blue wall is a temporary wall that we put up to keep the dust and noise out of the house during construction. That wall, along with another wall not in the photo, will come down and will open up to the rest of the house.

This is the view you'll see when you walk in the house. The short wall is an island with a prep sink. The wall directly behind it will have a large gas range/oven combo with windows on either side.

Catching Up

2008-11-03T11:50:00.006-06:00

Let's see if I can catch up...

1. Baby M (nickname under construction)

Born on July 23, 2008...happy and healthy. Here she is with Big Brother and Stinkerbelle

2. Baseball, Baseball, and more Baseball

Big Brother's baseball all-star team kept winning and winning, and winning. One tournament shy of the world series! They played in Florida the week after Baby M was born. Lovie, Big Brother, and Stinkerbelle flew to Florida and I stayed at home with Baby M. My parents came and stayed with me so I wouldn't be alone. My house has never been cleaner and I think my Dad achieved the impossible...EVERY bit of laundry was done. Amazing.

The baseball team did okay but didn't win the tournament. It was a fun experience but we were all relieved when it was over.

3. Big Brother is growing up too fast.

He had to shave his moustache, with a little help.

4. Big Brother started 7th Grade.

He's playing football for the school and loves it. He is the starting running back and plays linebacker on defense. We're on the lookout for college recruiters but so far, no one has approached us. :-) His games are on Tuesday nights. Mom comes over and either watches the girls so Lovie and I can both go to the games or she comes with us and we ALL watch Big B play.

Stinkerbelle likes the games as long as she has plenty of room to wiggle.

5. Halloween

Stinkerbelle was a mermaid, compliments of her cousins and her Aunt Kiss.

Baby M was an Adorable Baby...no costume needed.

Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooom

2008-06-26T11:21:00.004-05:00

I am so behind on the events in the Parker household. Let me try to get you caught up.

1. Stinkerbelle's first birthday!! Yea! We had a party for her here at the house. It was basically a party for us more than for her. We had BBQ, sat outside in the yard and chatted and played washers. I think there was about 30 people here. She loved it, despite having to take a nap!

Here she is dressed in her funky "I'm One!" outfit.

2. Our 3rd Anniversary - we "celebrated" by staying home. Lovie was sick with a bad ear infection. I am hoping for a "make up" anniversary after the new baby arrives.

3. Baseball, baseball, baseball - Brockstar made baseball all-stars and has been playing in tournaments every week/weekend since school got out. It's a lot of fun, when it isn't miserably hot. His team is doing really well! They've won every tournament they've entered so far. The upcoming tournaments are the kind that move up a level until ultimately you play in Japan or somewhere like that.

Growing Belly...

2008-06-10T18:46:00.002-05:00

Okay, this is not the most flattering picture but JJ took it today and it's a great view of my growing growing g-r-o-w-i-n-g belly. I have 6 weeks left.

Delivery date is scheduled for July 23. So far, so good. I have had to start taking iron supplements and my platelet count was low but it came back up with my latest round of blood work. Neither are serious, just something to monitor.

We're having another baby girl. Havanna likes to lift up her shirt and pat my belly. She likes to do it because it makes her Mommy and Daddy laugh. Havanna just celebrated her first birthday. She doesn't really understand what is going on yet.

Now that I think about it, neither do we.

Special Delivery from the Easter Bunny

2008-03-26T12:22:00.007-05:00

It's very important to listen and pay attention when your body gives you signals about your health. Believe me. I know.

After going back and forth (and back and forth) in my mind, I finally decided to invest $8 in my sanity on Saturday night. I brought home my little investment and realized I had to wait until morning to use it. As you can imagine, sleep didn't come easily.

Sunday morning, I got up and tried out my investment and walked away to wait for the results. Lovie came in the living room a few minutes later and said, "well, you can quit worrying about it now" and showed me the results. I have attempted to recreate them here:

Not sure what that is? It's the result of a pregnancy test. The big blue plus sign? Yep, that's a positive. We're pregnant again!! I was surprised, but not surprised. Like I said, I kept going back and forth in my mind that there was something going on. We told our family and friends and were taking guesses at how far along I was.

With Stinkerbelle, we had been trying for a year and were watching for symptoms like hawks. We got the doctor's confirmation when I was six weeks pregnant.

I went to the doctor yesterday and he did a sonogram to take some measurements to see how far along I am. Go ahead. Take a guess.

Nope.

Try 21 weeks pregnant!!! Basically, I'm already halfway done! Right now, the due date is estimated at Aug 3. I go for another ultrasound in a couple of weeks and we'll find out the sex of the baby and whether the due date needs to be adjusted.

We're slowly recovering from the shock around here. Poor Stinkerbelle. She doesn't know that her little world is about to be turned upside down.

Happy Easter!!!

The Big Weiner...I mean Winner

2008-03-24T12:42:00.003-05:00

The Brockstar played on the All-Star team for basketball. His team won the championship in the tournament!

Here is the whole team with their trophies:

Here they are hamming it up before a game. They had already played a game and were making their hair stick straight up.

The Childless Vacation

2008-03-12T20:23:00.004-05:00

As promised, here is the story of the Childless Vacation...

A few months ago, we decided to take a long-weekend vacation with our wonderful neighbors, the Mills. After about 4 attempts to find a conflict-free weekend, we settled on the last weekend in February. Originally, we were going to go to Mexico...then we found out that we all had to have passports. Fast forward a little and we found a house to rent in the Florida Keys. The house was big enough for the four of us, plus some more.

We invited some other friends and ended up with a total of seven travelers. We had a great time fishing and relaxing. The weather cooperated and we all completely forgot it was still February! We rented a boat that was delivered right to our dock and cruised around the bay. (I think we maxed out at 13mph.)

2008-03-11T14:39:00.002-05:00

Have you ever had one of those melt-down days? I had one yesterday. I decided I need to get out of the house, alone. Working from home is great but there are days when you feel like such a hermit! When Lovie got home with Brockstar, I took off for WalMart. I didn't have a lot of stuff to purchase, but a few necessities...diapers, dog food, and sippy cups.

On the drive home, my brain was in turbo mode and wouldn't slow down. Tears started coming out of my eyes, just running down my cheeks. I hate that. I decided to take the long way home while I sorted through my thoughts to see if I could figure out what was going on with me.

My final conclusion was that I was stressed out. I think that because, in general, life is good for my little clan, I expect that I shouldn't be stressed but that is a really unrealistic expectation. It doesn't work that way. I have a business trip coming where I am presenting some new ideas. Not a big deal, but as I learn more about who will be at the meeting, my blood pressure goes up a little. This is a "big wig" meeting...worse, a face-to-face big wig meeting. I have grown accustomed to working in pajamas and doing all work-related stuff over the phone. It's time to step out of my comfort zone. sigh.

By the way, I made the most awesome crockpot meal yesterday. Curry Chicken with Sweet Potatoes. It was a hit! I fed our family and the neighbors and there were no leftovers. Even the pickiest eater ate it. I found the recipe on another blog. Try it out.

Catching Up

2008-03-10T16:11:00.003-05:00

We've had several adventures since my last posting so I will try to catch you up. I apologize for keeping you on pins and needles while waiting for the latest installement of Parker news.

Cowtown Marathon

The family registered to participate in the Cowtown Marathon Kid's 5K race. (That's right, we didn't register for the whole marathon...just the 5k. I took some pictures on the way to the race, but then forgot the camera and didn't have any of us actually racing. The only proof I can offer is that our finish times are published on the race's website:

http://www.cowtownmarathon.org/

After the race, we went where any normal athlete would go for an after-race celebration. To Jamba Juice for a healthy drink? No. To SouperSalad for a light meal? No way! We went out for Mexican food for some cheesy goodness and a cold margarita!

Next adventure...Florida Keys! A Grown Up Vacation

This week in review

2008-02-19T09:44:00.009-06:00

This week has been a blur. Here are the highlights:

Monday: Stinkerbelle got her first official haircut. It was really just a little trim and now she has some very cute bangs. She looks like a little doll. The hair sylist took her picture with a Polaroid camera and I have just learned that my scanner isn't working properly. :( I have to substitute a picture that I took.

Lovie was very opposed to getting the haircut, but he admitted last night that it is growing on him.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Tuesday: Lovie made my most favorite of meals. We invited the neighbors over and had a nice evening and a great meal.

Green Salad

Fresh Bread with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar for dipping

Steamed Asparagus

Grilled Ahi Tuna steaks

Orzo pasta

Chunky Tomato sauce stuff that is AWESOME!

Dessert (for those of us feeling especially indulgent) was Gram Brownies and vanilla ice cream.

After dinner we asked each other trivia questions from Brock's "6th grade trivia game." It was our own mini-version of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

Wednesday: Brockstar's last basketball practice, well, sort of. It's his last "regular season" practice. Nothing too exciting today.

Thursday: Brockstar was working on his school project with little time for distractions. Well, except for when we started messing with his hair. He's growing it out long and we decided to see how "poofy" it was... I think he could get a good "Flock of Seagulls" thing going if he really tried.

Stinkerbelle came home with a fever this afternoon, but I am pretty convinced that it is related to her teething. She's not acting sick in any way and I can see another tooth about to poke through on her top gums. That would be tooth number 4!! She likes her teeth but doesn't like it when she bites her tongue or her finger.

I guess that's it for this week. This weekend we are doing the Cowtown Marathon (well, the 5K race) as a family.

Laser Vision

2008-02-15T14:53:00.006-06:00

Today Lovie got Lasik surgery. He went in at 9:00 this morning and got home about 11:00am. Hey Dad was the driver/companion/chauffeur. It seemed to go very well, no issues. Lovie is now zonked out asleep, which is the best way for him to recover.

Stinkerbelle gets her beautiful blue eyes from her Daddy so I am very excited that they won't be hidden behind lenses anymore. I have a great picture of the two of them but can't find it. This one will have to do. He's a little scruffy here, and she looks like she has spitup on her chin. Actually, this is the REAL Lovie and Stinkerbelle, in their natural state. :-)

I seem to have recovered from the funk I was in for a little while. I don't really know exactly what it was. Maybe a little post-partum depression (delayed response?) or maybe just the winter blues? Regardless, I am feeling much better and I am glad to see the real me returning. I think another thing that helps is that we bought an elliptical trainer for our fast-expanding home gym. I have only made it 20 minutes so far, on the easiest program, but it feels good to sweat and get my heart rate up.

I read a blog today about braces and the whole orthodontia fun. It made me start thinking about the 12 yr old Brockstar and the dentist's recommendation that he go for a consultation. Oh that boy, does he know what he's in for? I don't think so! Neither does our wallet, I'm sure.

I think that's it for today. Happy Friday to everyone!

Lovefest

2008-02-14T11:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Love Thursday

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures of Lovie and Stinkerbelle. Her blue eyes just JUMP off the page.

A plague upon thee...

2008-02-05T12:55:00.000-06:00

I suppose it was bound to happen. Everyone one we know has been hit by it already this year. The "bug" that is going around has hit our house. Lovie and Stinkerbelle are down with it. Stinkerbelle was running a fever of about 102.6 this morning. Tylenol seems to bring it down and she is still eating and sleeping well. So that means no trip to the doctor yet.

She is crankier than usual, but that is not saying much. This is the kid that is so very rarely cranky. Times like these makes me realize just how spoiled we are to have such a good-natured stinker.

Lovie went to the doctor this morning and got a shot and 3 prescrption meds. He's feeling better but "disconnected."

So far, the Big Brother and I have managed to escape the bug's grasp. Hopefully that trend will continue.

C'mon...Hang out with us. We're so exciting

2008-01-11T09:33:00.000-06:00

What's the name of the guy that falls asleep and wakes up and years have passed?? Whoever he is, I can relate. I feel like time has zoomed by and I napped and missed it.

Christmas and New Year's have already passed and it is 11 days in to January. Um...did someone hit the "fast forward" button?

Here's the highlights of the holidays:

Christmas was quiet and intimate. Mom and Dad come over on Christmas Eve and spent the night. We got to bed at a decent time and got up

We made a crockpot omelet that cooked overnight. There was enough food for an army so we shared it with the neighbors across the street.

Stinkerbelle was awake and happy and like opening presents. She didn't really understand it all but she LOVED being surrounded by toys!
She loves toys that sing and light up when she touches/shakes/eats them.

Parker dog got some new chew toys for Christmas. He had them destroyed in about 2.4 seconds. Sigh. Stinkerbelle thought his toys were pretty cool too. In fact, it is a constant battle to keep the dog's toys out of her hands (and mouth!!)

Stinkerbelle has learned to crawl. And now she is learning the very important phrase, "no no!" Although, so far she seems to think it is all a big game. When she hears the phrase, she stops and looks at us with a big smile and then continues whatever she was doing. What a little devil. Where does she get that?? (Don't answer that Mom.)

After Christmas, we went for a road trip down to San Antonio to see my friend, Rebecca and her husband Darryl and we saw Lovie's grandmother and uncle and family. It was a nice little trip. On the way down, we stopped at my grandparent's house for lunch and some stretching/wiggle time for Stinkerbelle. Overall, she was very well behaved on this trip. This picture is Stinkerbelle and her Great-Grandmother Rena.

Gram and Hey Dad (my parents) watched Parker dog while we were gone. Gram taught him to stay off the furniture. He's a smart dog...for other people!!

New Year's was fun. We made it to about 12:30 before we collapsed. We hung out at the neighbor's house, toasted the new year and went to sleep. Wow. Don't you wish you could hang with us?

Snowball Fight...a virtual one

2007-12-19T13:59:00.000-06:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Photo of the Quilt

2007-12-10T17:20:00.001-06:00

I know y'all were just DYING to see a photo of the soon-to-be-famous quilt. For some reason, I couldn't add this photo after I had published the post. Technical difficulties.
The orange fabric is soft and furry....and was the most difficult to sew!!

Quilting Bee

2007-12-10T14:37:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went to Sears and bought a sewing machine. Whoohooo! It's a pretty basic model. In fact, the box says that it is for "ages 8 to adult." I guess that means it is safe for me. Mom and Dad came over to hang out and watch the football games. Little did Mom know that she was also going to help me make the first quilt.

It was really OUR first quilt. Mom hadn't made one before either. We learned a lot on our first quilting adventure. One thing we learned was that stretchy fabric doesn't play well with non-stretchy fabric. We battled that one over and over. Another thing we learned was that pressing the fabric really is an important step...that we skipped. We were winging it (at my direction) and the final pieces weren't exactly lined up. We improvised pretty well and the final product looks pretty cool. Havanna LOVED it. I had it draped over my legs and she was sitting on the floor by my feet. She kept giggling and grabbing it. She blessed it with a heavy dose of drool.

If I am going to continue in to the world of quilting, I'm going to have to learn some patience. I've already picked out my next project. A t-shirt quilt. Wish me luck.

Last night, Stinkerbelle woke up about 4:30 am and was fussing/talking/playing in her crib. Lovie got up first and gave her pacifier. She was already fussing by the time he got back to bed. I laid there hoping that she'd fall back asleep. Lovie and I listened to her for a while before I felt him give me a gentle nudge, as if to say, "Your turn." I had to laugh. I went and got her and brought her back to bed with me. She was struggling to breathe through her little stuffed up nose. Once she finally fell back asleep, cuddled up next to Mommy, she slept for two more hours.

2007-12-05T11:14:00.000-06:00

We got the Christmas tree and the rest of the decorations up on Thanksgiving Weekend. Stinkerbelle didn't really seem to notice. She's happy as long as she can sit on the floor with her toys and have PLENTY of room to wiggle around. Still not really crawling, just a lot of "skooching."

She's still a very good baby. Lots of smiling and an occasional laugh. She still gets the most entertainment from watching the dog.

Stinkerbelle has become quite the drool monster. Drool and boogers. There is a never-ending flow. I should come up with some sort of use for all that drool...

I'll bet if I bottle it and say that it removes wrinkles, like some sort of youth serum, I'd make a fortune! Or, maybe enough to pay for a gallon of gas?

Thanksgiving Blur

2007-11-28T13:35:00.000-06:00

Has it really almost been a week since Thanksgiving? Sheesh. I think my finger is stuck on the FastForward button in life.

Thanksgiving was great. We went to my parent's house on Thursday morning and ate and then had a very relaxing afternoon. Mom and I decided to brave the crowds at Garden Ridge and I managed to find a whole bunch of stuff I probably didn't need, but bought it all anyway. Mom managed to find significantly less. It has all been put to good use. We stayed over Thursday night and made our way home that afternoon. Lovie and Son braved the cold and went to the high school football playoff game that evening. Stinkerbell and I stayed home and started on the Christmas decorations. We managed to completely avoid Black Friday. Well, sort of. Keep reading.

Saturday, Lovie and I decide to go to some antique stores to look at some corner hutches and armoirs. Son is spending the day with his mother and SuperNeighbor offered to watch Stinkerbell. It's just the two of us...feels weird, but we love it.

We hit 5 different antique stores. Really. FIVE. We picked up a shopper's guide at the first stop and it mapped out the other local stores. We bought little stuff here and there and saw lots of beautiful (expensive) furniture, and a lot of junk too. We hit paydirt at the last one. We found a great corner hutch and a HUGE armoir for less than the other places wanted for a single piece. Now that both pieces are home, we realize that furniture looks much smaller when it's in a huge warehouse than in your home with low ceilings. We still love them, but stand in awe of all of the wonderful "junk" they will hold.

Monday was SuperNeighbor's birthday. We met up with her family and some other friends at a Ft. Worth restaurant. The guest of honor was coming later so we got all set up while we waiting. There were flowers and a bunch of balloons on our table. (Thank goodness for their tall ceilings.) We watched through the windows until we saw her walking toward the front door. We quickly decide that we'll stand up and start singing to her as soon as she walks in. She comes in (cue the singing) and turns to her left (away from us) to look for us. She finally turns the other direction......uhh....not her. Stop singing. Sit down. Entire restaurant is laughing, along with us. Poor lady didn't even realize she was being serinaded. SuperNeighbor arrived about 10 minutes later. Undaunted by our earlier mistake, we sang for her (again.) It was a great evening. She loved the story about how she was replaced, temporarily.

I've joined a charity/social organization in my little local town. One of the annual events is the adoption of local families and buying the kids some gifts. I hoped from store to store last night and got it done. It was a little stressful because you know very little about the kids. It's hard to know their interests. Hopefully, the stuff I got for them will make their Christmas a little brighter.

While I was out "doing good" I went in JoAnn's craft mega store and found a little quilt kit. It comes with instructions and all the fabric, pre-cut. I've always wanted to learn how to quilt and this one seems pretty harmless. All of the pieces are square, no funny angles or curves. It is designed for sewing on a machine. Huh. So here is me. Buying a quilt kit. No sewing machine. Not a needle or spool of thread in the house. Good plan. (Um, Mom? Can I borrow your sewing machine?)

In the world of blur....I need to give a shout out to my to bro-in-law. Happy Belated Birthday!!

Happy Half and Four States

2007-11-21T10:39:00.001-06:00

Today is Stinkerbell's Half Birthday. She's officially a Half.

She's so alert and is really thinking about talking and crawling. Today she got up on all fours and was looking around. As soon as she lifted up one hand, she fell over. It's progress!! :-)

I had to go on a short work-trip to the Washington DC area this week. I flew out on Sunday morning and went to my friend Bridget's house. She works in Philadelphia and lives in Delaware. I flew to Philly and drove through a bit of Pennslyvania and Maryland on my way to Delaware. It was so beautiful along the way. The leaves on the trees are just amazing. I tried to take some pictures along the way.

Bridget's House in Delaware:Bridget's lawn had a few leaves scattered on the lawn. I think they thought I was a little nutty for taking a picture of their lawn, but I couldn't resist.

Just a little dust

2007-11-14T10:09:00.000-06:00

The BeeBee is sick. She's all stuffed up and is running a fever. She is still eating and sleeping good and is still in a good mood. The rest of the family is exhausted and cranky.

Yesterday, Lovie tells me that he thought she had a dirty diaper. He could smell it. He opened up the diaper and it was clean. "I guess I just smelled the fart dust." ???Who says this stuff??

This weekend was a birthday party for my sister and niece. They came in from Florida for the weekend. Here's a picture of the birthday girls:

Here's a "Four Generation" picture too

2007-11-08T15:54:00.000-06:00

This fall weather is making me think about Christmas shopping. What is wrong with me...it's like some organized, non-procrastinating person has taken over my body. Ack! It's only November 8. (Happy Birthday to Emma, by the way.)

I have been doing some online browsing for gifts for the BeeBee. Given this whole China/lead paint crisis, I have decided that she is getting a ball of yarn and a rock for Christmas. Okay, maybe not a rock...how about a set of measuring spoons? Basically, we're totally avoiding anything made in China. This year, it won't be a big deal because she doesn't really "get" Christmas yet. Next year will be a little more difficult.

Brock, in a most shocking turn of events, wants a new basketball and football for Christmas. This time, I actually support them as gift ideas. I usually give a huge eye roll because it seems that the LAST thing we need in the house is more balls. However, this year in basketball his age division uses the "official" sized basketball (not the junior) and his football was stripped of it's leather by our most favorite dog, Parker.

New Toys, New Games

2007-11-05T20:12:00.000-06:00

So today I was wandering around thinking that I'd have nothing to blog about. Parker and I went for a walk today and it gave me some thinking time.

This evening, JJ and Brock were playing catch in the front yard with the football. For a little while, it was just a game called "throw" because neither was doing very well at the catching part. Brock then decided to punt the ball, right in to the tree. The tree was much better at catch. They need a new game.

We got a new toy at our house. A new TV. A very big new TV. So far, the channel still seems to be stuck on ESPN, CNN and Fox News. Before too long, it will be PBS Kids. Clifford the Big Red Dog will be ginormous. Eventually, we're going to put the tv over the fireplace, but there is some minor construction that needs to occur first. For now, it is on the corner of the fireplace hearth. It's kinda hard to miss. ;-)

Havanna was in a funny mood tonight. She was very giggly. She was sitting on JJ's lap, holding her toes and kicking her leg out. Brock thought it was pretty funny and mimicked the pose. Hehehe...he's going to hate this blog when he's older. :-)

This is Havanna and her slobber-proof photo album. You can tell by her face that she takes her chewing very seriously.

Well, there you have it. For those of you that are still awake, I guess I did find something to blog about.

Tomorrow I'll try to do something more interesting. The dishwasher has a funny smell, maybe it will catch the house on fire. Now THAT would be interesting.

Weeds

2007-11-02T14:13:00.000-05:00

I may have gotten slightly distracted today. Those of you that know me understand how rare it is for that to happen. I am normally extremely focused and rarely off task. Ahem.

I was organizing my photos today and putting some pictures in this nifty little infant-friendly photo album. It only hold 5 pictures but, most importantly, it is slobber-proof. While I was digging through all of the pictures, I was amazed at how much Brock has grown. He's only been in my life for 3 years and I am amazed at how much he has changed.

Observe...
October 2005

October 2006

October 2007

Doesn't he look so grown up??!

Marci

Sofa King

2007-11-01T08:44:00.000-05:00

For those of you that heard about JJ's halloween costumer, this video will make you laugh. Actually, even if you didn't hear about his costume you'll probably think this is pretty funny.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T09:14:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

Here's a picture of the little princess. She looks so sweet her little pink princess/ballerina outfit.

Brock hasn't decided on a costume. I don't think he is much of a "Halloween kid". He has never shown much interest in dressing up. However, the prospect of getting a bagful of candy is a very strong motivator.

JJ and I attended a costume party over the weekend. I didn't get any good pictures so I have asked the hosts to email me the photos they took. I'll post them as soon as I can.

Homecoming Mum

2007-10-26T10:24:00.001-05:00

I forgot to post the pictures of Brock with his Homecoming Date, Katie.

The flower corsage they are wearing are called "mums." There is a silk chrysanthemum flower in the center and lots of ribbon attached. The ribbons have their names spelled out in stickers. The girls pin the mums to their shirts. The boys have a garter so they can wear it on their arm. The ribbons have little bells attached so you can hear them as they walk around.

This is a true southern tradition, although I hear that they are starting to make their way north and west.

Little blessings

2007-10-25T21:23:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I think we are given little moment of clarity. Moments when you are able to look back and see what is right and good.

JJ and I were talking today about getting a new puppy. A dog for the dog. Parker, our Jack Russell Terrier needs a buddy, someone to chase squirrels with, someone to sniff around the house and find every possible crumb on the floor. And hopefully, someone that will tire out Parker. Our logic had a tragic flaw. You should never make a decision like that when the baby is at day care and the dog is outside running free. That isn't reality...

Tonight, I sat on the floor with Havanna so we could have some tummy time. Of course, Parker sees that as an opportunity to bring me a toy so we could play Fetch-Tug-of-War. (That is when you have to wrestle the toy from him and then throw it so he can bring it back to wrestle again.)

Havanna and I had a few breaks from Parker's games. He found a cricket in the house that entertained him until he killed it. (Note to JJ: there's a dead cricket that needs to go in the trash. :-P) As I sat and tried to feed Havanna with one hand and keep Parker away from her with the other, I realized what a BAD idea it was to think about bringing another puppy home right now because THIS is reality.

We've hit that time of the year when it gets chilly at night. I think it's in the 40s right now. Brrr. It feels kinda nice though. I pulled out a pair of sweats that I haven't worn since Winter. I found $20 bucks in the pocket. Sweet! I love it when that happens.

Changes in Life

2007-10-16T22:11:00.000-05:00

Did anyone else hear that very loud sucking sound Tuesday night? It happened about 8:00 pm. Well, if you did and you wanted to figure out the source of the noise...it was me. The sound was the huge quantity of money being sucked from our bank accounts.

For some unknown reason, I went to Target Tuesday night...alone. No Lovie, no kids. I strolled around through every department (and this was a Super Target!) I was only there for diapers but somehow managed to come home with over $200 worth of stuff. Then I went to Best Buy to get a DVD burner. We've been taking home videos and need a way to get them off the computer and on a DVD. See, very justifiable purchases.

Today was one of those days where you just feel the need to make a change in your life, no matter how small. I made about a change that resulted in a new look for Mommy.
What do you think? Pretty cute huh? Where is an airbrush artist when you need one to get rid of that little pimple on the end of my nose??

Upcoming events in the Parker household:
Homecoming - Big B's first Texas homecoming. He's got a date and a mum. Photos to come...
Lovie's trip to San Diego - Before starting the new job, a quick trip to visit his family and his recently reconciled brothers.

Hope everyone is enjoying our fall weather!!

Pea Soup

2007-10-16T16:10:00.000-05:00

We woke up this morning with a thick layer of fog. I thought the house and the neighborhood looked cool so we took some pictures.

Is Fear a Factor?

2007-10-12T12:59:00.000-05:00

Warning. This might be a little gross.

Parker, the wonder dog has had the WORST breath lately. It smells like he has been eating Parker Poo Sandwiches. I am sure those are a delicacy in the dog world, but they are not well-received here. We've tried getting special "breath freshening" treats but they didn't make a dent.

So last night, we were sitting in the living room and I was doing my usual job of "poking and proding" at the dog and I noticed he had something stuck between his teeth. With a little help from JJ holding Parker still, I look closer and get out the biggest chunk of stinky smelly who-knows-what out of this big gap in his teeth.

I have no idea how long this junk was in his mouth. Amazingly, now his breath is starting to improve.

JJ asked me if I would have eaten the smelly stuff glob of dog stink for $100,000. No way. He claims that he would. Brock said he would eat it for $100. (Kids. sheesh.) The thought of it all is still making me queasy. I settled on $1 million.

So until someone is willing to pony up a cool million, I will have to stick with the satisfaction that Parker's breath has improved. As a reward for being good during his dental torture, I got him a new squeaker toy. He's running around the house with it now.

Having Patience...not sure where I found it.

2007-10-11T12:09:00.000-05:00

I really do believe things happen for a reason. Really. It's a matter of having enough patience to reflect back and see the reason. Maybe I am eternally optimistic but here I am, writing a little piece that proves the point.

JJ went and met with another school district this morning and got hired in to a great position. He is a supervisor responsible for training and menu development. He isn't assigned to a specific school but will work with each school throughout the year. It's basically the job that the other school district promised him but couldn't deliver. When the whole drama boiled up, I kept hoping that there was a reason for all of this mess...and there was!

I am bursting with pride and happiness for my hubby. Congratulations Lovie!!

On a totally unrelated topic... you know those commercials for Dove deoderent where they tell you how it will make your armpits look and feel better? It really works!! I don't think it works as quickly as they claim but it I am noticing that mine look so much better than before. I am a Dove convert.

Drama in Parkerville

2007-10-10T15:16:00.000-05:00

This weekend Havanna and I went to San Antonio for my best friend's wedding. It was an adventure to travel alone with the baby, but I survived with only one notable moment of panic. My friend's dad dropped the little one and me at the airport and drove off. I reach in my pocket for my driver's license...and no license!! I assume that it is sitting on the passenger seat of the car...as I watch it drive away.

Right about now, I'm about 2 milliseconds away from a full-blown panic. I start to call my friend's daughter's cell phone when I find the license in my other pocket. Deep sigh. Roll eyes at myself for coming so close to panic.

What is about going to the airport that makes you so paranoid about forgetting something?

On Saturday after Big Brother's football game, Havanna shared with us her latest trick...a good ol' fashioned belly laugh! I got it on video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzp9SrWWg6A

For those of you that haven't heard the FULL story, you'll have to call him yourself. There is way too much to type. The short story is that JJ is changing jobs. He left our local school district and is speaking with the neighboring districts this week. For now, he's enjoying a few days off from work and the absolutely awesome weather.

We are both very glad that the whole situation is over so that we can stop thinking/talking/stressing about it all. It really stinks that he was forced to resign. I am hoping that there is something better in the works...that would at least make this all make sense.

Later,

Marci

Feeling Dim

2007-09-21T12:08:00.000-05:00

Is it just me? I read other blogs and I feel incredibly un-witty. I like to think I am a pretty intelligent person and yet, when I read other writings on blogsites, I can't help feel a little dim.

For now, I am telling myself that it is temporary. That the more I blog, the better at it I will become. In the mean time, you'll have to suffer through my unwitty thoughts.

Once again, the Parkers are dedicating the upcoming weekend to "finish the house projects." (That was last weekend's objective too.) The list of remaining chores isn't long

-Paint and install door casing (trim) in Marci's office
-Install lighting in dining room
-Repair and paint drywall in Havanna's room
-Paint and install baseboard in Havanna's room/closet
-Paint and install baseboard in Hallway
-Paint and install baseboard in master bedroom
-Clean party room and guest room

Whew. All of this has to be wedged in between football games, baseball games, and volunteer work. Anyone want to take bets on whether this gets done?

Right now, I'm listening to some singer named Leslie Feist. She sings the "1234" song on the iPod commercials. It gets stuck in your head. I started making up my own lyrics and I sing them to Havanna. She thinks they're witty.

Little Havanna's Ears

2007-09-18T09:15:00.000-05:00

My grand intentions of posting daily are out the window...so I will lower my expectations and shoot for "periodic posting."

Life is starting to become a little more normal again around here. They house is starting to recover from the burst water pipe. My office is complete...and gorgeous I might add. (Thanks honey!) The dining room is almost complete. We have a few more details and some decorating decisions.

Havanna was unusually fussy the last few days and was running a temperature. She would perk up when we gave her Tylenol but that wasn't really solving the problem. On Sunday we took her to the doctor--ear infection. She's on some antibiotics now and is really doing better. This morning she woke up with a big smile on her face.

Last night she helped Dad in the kitchen. This is her with a wooden spoon. She played while he whipped up some pasta for dinner.

Next week will be another adventure for us. We have some friends from San Diego coming to town. I'm not sure what all we'll do while they're here. Probably do some touristy stuff which is

always fun. Just for good measure, I'm going to post some more photos of Havanna. :-)

The first blog

2007-08-14T16:47:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Parker Family Blog.

I'm really new at this so we'll se how it looks and sounds. I can't type more than two sentences without posting a photo of the world's cutest baby - Havanna.

The purpose of this blog will be to share the life and times of our family...sometimes crazy, sometimes routine. I'll probably vent some frustrations here and there.

Come back anytime. Let me know what you think.