Announcements, Praises, Etcetera & So On & So Forth

Ok, people. I have an announcement. And no, I am not pregnant. I don't know why I always feel the need to state that when I make statments like the one above. I guess in my mind I picture the grandparents' heart rates climbing in excitement and anticipation for the news that we are adding more grandchildren to the mix. Not to mention that we would never tell them by way of my blog. My announcement is also not as exciting as a newborn on the way so I don't want the expectations to be too high. After all, that's what I'm all about. Helping others lower their expectations of me. Just kidding.

So. Back to my announcement. My sister Brittany and I are now blogging together about a little thing I like to call "southern living." In fact, that is part of the name of the new blog. Here's the link:

http://southernlivingtexasstyle.blogspot.com/

And yes, I am aware that if you look at this just the right way you may or may not see something resembling the other name for donkey. A big thanks to Britt for pointing that one out. Just know that we are not in the habit of using profanity, and any questionable words you see are purely coincidental. There. I feel so much better after getting that off my chest. Now you can read our blog without feeling like you are compromising your moral values.

And now let's take this opportunity to give Jesus some praise for a few things.

As I've mentioned before, I'm a little addicted to blogstalking. Occasionally I will visit this blog {http://thelukesponbergfoundation.blogspot.com/} which I found through one of my favorites {http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/}. This family lost their second child, Luke, from SIDS when he was only a few weeks old. As you can imagine, this last year has been filled with grief, hope, and much prayer. That is why I was so thrilled to read this today. He truly does make beauty from ashes!

On a much smaller note but still a praise nonetheless, I finally bought a book on potty training and the ever popular Dare To Discipline by James Dobson.

Dr. Dobson, if you are daring me to discipline in this book then I take your dare! Look out Austin! We're about to work some James Dobson magic on you. :)

And while we're talking about books, let's talk about the potty training books I looked at to read to Austin in preparation of the big transition. I had 2 requirements for the book I would choose and here they are:

1. That it would be a reasonable price
2. That it would have a title and story I could read without feeling like an idiot.

Not many of the books met both of these requirements. And let's just say that titles like The Potty Train: Chug-a-chug-a-poo-poo made me question whether or not I was old enough to handle this with maturity. I did not pick that one in case you were wondering. Although I would have LOVED to see Luke's face when I handed him that one to read to Austin at bedtime. If I know my husband, and I think I do, then I'm pretty sure he would've refused to read it. I finally settled on My Big Boy Potty since it was priced right and seemed like it would hold Austin's attention. Oh, sweet Jesus be near! We may not make it through this with our sanity in tact.

But we all know that in times of trouble, Luke and I cling to our sense of humor. SO. I'm thinking about printing out this story and taping it to my bathroom mirror. On second thought, I'll just print off multiple copies and tape them to ALL the bathroom mirrors because I have a feeling that's just the place I will need to be reminded that I'm not the first to potty train a child and I won't be the last. Feel free to copy this idea if you are in the potty training boat as we speak.

And on that note, I'm bidding you farewell, internet friends. I have some cleaning to do. By the way, I'm still wishing for a maid to clean my house on a regular basis. I know. Dare to dream. Dare to dream.

Insert Witty and Original Title Here...

It's the beginning of a new week and I think I'm off to a good start as far as getting lots done. But before we discuss today let's recap the weekend, shall we?

I had big plans for a family weekend since Luke will be working more long hours soon. Then Luke got sick. So the family activities consisted of a trip to Target and Home Depot followed by family naptime. We also ventured out to McAlisters, which is one of Luke's favorite places to eat. We're hoping that Austin and I don't get the nasty cold. So far so good. It seems like God has been teaching us perseverance during all of our sicknesses. Hopefully He is pleased by our progress because I would really like a break.

Austin was in rare form this weekend too. We were upstairs in the game room and he decided that he wanted to relive his newborn days by doing this:

Clearly, he has taken his love for swinging a little too far. But gosh, he sure is cute!

Also, he found some of Luke's cords for our many electronics. Holy Mardi Gras he had alot of them around his neck!

The front view...

And the back.

Despite the fact that he was not feeling his best, Luke did a great job of helping me "corral the kiddo" as he would say. It was nice to have some breaks throughout the day. So thank you, sweet husband of mine, for saving my sanity! It's no surprise that Luke went to bed not long after 9, and after deciding that there was nothing on tv I wanted to watch, I turned off my light at 9:15. I know. We're old.

And then, just like that {snap} it was Monday morning. To our relief, Luke was feeling much better when he woke up and I didn't feel like death warmed over. Like I said before, we're hoping that means that I will stay well.

Austin had Mother's Day Out today and I was so glad to drop him off without a meltdown. {Just for the record, I never have meltdowns about MDO...Austin takes care of that for the both of us} I had a big day planned. I was headed to Walmarts and then home to clean. Don't be jealous of the glamorous life I lead. And while we're on the topic of cleaning and being jealous, I stopped by my parents' house to drop off and pick up some things. As soon as I walked in the door I was hit by one of my favorite smells...the smell of a clean house. Apparently, Janie came and worked her magic, which is weird since I didn't hear my mom mention that over and over the other day. She really does get quite excited about "Janie Day."

After picking up the little man and running some errands, we headed home for more cleaning and playing. I bet you want to know the highlight of my day so far. Well that would be the fact that I just changed a dirty diaper and the little mister already has another one. To which I say,

Austin, try to clean yourself out at MDO. Don't you know that today is the day I get a break?!

Again, you shouldn't be jealous of the glamour that is my life. I really do think it is unfair that Luke doesn't have to change even half the amount of dirty diapers that I do these days. Potty training is looking better and better. Good thing he's so darn cute even when he smells.

Ok. Time to wrap this up because I just can't take the smell any longer.

Y'all have a lovely evening.

Austin's Snuggie Wanna-Be

Have you ever heard of the snuggie? If not, then you must be hiding under a rock because I see their commercial ALL THE TIME. In fact, I feel like everywhere I turn I see them on blogs AND the tv. My sister-in-law even told me that her husband Jared wanted to get each of us one. Pretty sure it would be a joke since he is quite the jokester. Anyway, I think Austin might be a little upset that they don't sell his size because this is what I saw a couple of days ago when I walked into the kitchen:

Here's the front. I pulled out the camera and he made this face. I guess I use it so much that he's finally figured out what to do.

Here he is from the side.

And here's the back. Someone really should tell him that his "snuggie" is on backwards since we all know that a snuggie is nothing but a robe put on the wrong way. However, I feel that this is further proof of his brilliant creativity.

And speaking of Austin, here's is a little update on what the our son is up to these days.

• He is officially going to bed later these days. It's a bittersweet time since Luke and I have less time alone in the evenings. On the other hand, he is sleeping later in the mornings.
• By now you all know that he is a picky eater. But, I may be winning more battles these days. Also, I'm going to get some vegetables and such in him one way or another...Deceptively Delicious better come through for me!
• His vocabulary is expanding every day. This means that Luke and I have to do more spelling. Now, I've always been a good speller, but I may have asked Luke to spell something more than once in the past because I can't visualize the word in my head.
• "No!" is his favorite word. "Don't tell Mommy no." is my new phrase.
• He has officially renamed Luke "Daddy." It's really cute. :)
• He still loves balls, dogs, and cars.
  
  Thanks for letting me share some fun things about our favorite little boy. Hope you all have a lovely day.

Pictures, Pictures, and More Pictures

Ok, folks. Here are the lake pictures. Be warned: there are ALOT! As you'll see, we had a blast and can't wait to go back. So enjoy!

Picture 1: David & sweet Audrey with Mark and the girls

Picture 2: Two of my favorite brother-in-laws

Picture 3: Austin & his second cousins, Audrey and Natalie. They are watching a movie. Can't you tell by the look on Austin's face?


Picture 1: Jared & Natalie. She is a Brittany in training!

Picture 2: Jared rocking Natalie. Don't you think he'll make a great dad? Yes, I do too.

The boys built an amazing fire pit, which we all thoroughly enjoyed. I was impressed plus it was super easy. Austin's favorite activity was riding in the gator with Pops. He may not look super thrilled but he was excited on the inside.

Austin loves his Uncle Josh. In fact, the two of them were roomies for a couple of nights. I say a couple because the day he woke up at 5:30 Josh decided that he would like to enjoy his Spring Break and actually get to sleep in. I agreed but it sure was nice to have a break! :) He also loves his Grammy and all the time he got to spend with her.

Picture 1: Austin was helping the boys put together his new car.

Picture 2: And what car would be complete without some cool shades. Thanks to Uncle Josh and Uncle Jared, he was lookin' like quite the stud in his new ride!

Here are just a few things Austin enjoyed while spending time at the lake. Playing with Daddy, swinging with the girls, and sitting at a table just his size with Grammy. He was one tired little boy when we got home, but he had the time of his life last week.

I am so thankful to be a part of this family! Sometimes I feel like it's unfair to be blessed with such amazing in-laws since I already have a wonderful family myself! I loved every minute of this last week, especially getting to see some family from Tulsa that we haven't seen in over a year. We all had a blast and made so many memories. Towards the end of the week we all gathered around in the living room to watch a slide show of pictures from the Keiffer side plus a few of the Allens mixed in. As I watched, I was struck by the fact that there is so much history and love in this family. All of them have helped to create a legacy that I hope to carry on in my own family. I can honestly say that there have been some rough patches, but those times have only helped our bond grow stronger. It's weeks like these that I feel like God gives me a little glimpse into what Heaven is going to be like. I am so humbled that God would give me 2 amazing families to make the journey of life a little easier to walk. :)

It's Good To Be Back

Hello, internet friends. It's been a while since I updated this little blog 'o mine because we were in Dallas for vacay. First let me start by saying that it was GLOOOORIOUS to be reunited with my favorite. I cannot tell you how happy I was to see him. Well, I could, but let's be honest, neither one of us has that kind of time.

Anyway. I started our vacation with the most bizarre flight of my life. OF MY LIFE, people! And have I mentioned that I have a new found fear of flying lately? Because I do. And it's irritating. But let me start at the beginning.

Austin and I arrived for our flight in plenty of time to check ourselves in along with 2 ginormous suitcases and a few carry-ons. A big thanks to my dad for helping us in with our mother load. I seriously would not have been able to do it alone. All was going well until the lady asked me for a birth certificate or shot record. Not for me, of course. For Austin. As I flipped through my agenda frantically looking for some kind of proof that Austin was indeed under 2, I prayed that by some miracle one of those had ended up with me. No such luck. Sadly, it was all downhill from there. Once that was taken care of we headed to security where we proceeded to undress ourselves before being cleared to continue to our gate.

Since Austin hadn't had any breakfast yet, I bought some juice and whipped out his snack bag of goldfish. Don't judge. You know you've done something similar, especially when you're single parenting it! If not, then you don't have kids. I was shocked when an older lady approached us, as I was putting said juice in his cup, and asked if Austin wanted some water. Ok. Where do I even begin? First of all, I was clearly filling his cup with something already. Secondly, did I have some sort of flashing neon sign that said I would accept drinks from strangers for my son?! Lucky for her, my mom taught us well and I politely declined.

Finally, it was time to board. Austin was so cute. He be-bopped himself down the aisle while I said,

Keep going. Keep going. Not that row, not that one either. All the way to the back. Ok, right here. Right here, Austin. RIGHT HERE!

Little did I know that everyone aboard was about to hate me and my son. I could not believe it when Austin had the meltdown of the century because I wouldn't let him have his own seat. If looks could kill then Austin and I would've been dead on the spot! You can imagine my surprise when an 11 year old girl asked if she could sit with us amidst Austin's screaming, writhing, and teeth-nashing. Almost immediately after she sat down in the seat, he quit crying. I was really glad to see that the row in front of us and behind us had no one sitting in the middle seat. Why, Lord? Why. She was very sweet to Austin and showed us all of her jewelry. And by jewelry, I mean the several handmade necklaces of plastic beads hanging around her neck.

As we were waiting to take off, the captain annouced that they were going to ask the flight attendants to keep their seats since the ride would be a little bumpy due to the weather; therefore, the beverage service would not be taking place on this flight. At this point my fear was escalating. Not 2 seconds after the announcement, our little friend pulled out the sheet with all the beverages and says,

Here's the list of drinks. What are you going to have? I'm going to have hot cocoa then tea then diet coke.

Now I'm realizing that this was going to be a long flight and an adult beverage would've been nice.

Take off was not so smooth and at some point I'm pretty sure our friend said,

We're going down! We're going down!

Awesome. Thanks to her, my life was flashing before my eyes and I had a death grip on my son who was happily playing with his crayons. Luckily things calmed down and I was able to regain a normal heartrate. I was finally beginning to relax when I heard,

Which one is your favorite? I like this one.

I look over and, no lie, she has pulled out the Skymall magazine and is pointing to a page of ADULT FOOTIE PAJAMAS! I had no words but somehow managed to point to the pink camo ones. I was also reminding myself to be a good Christian witness and show her the love of Jesus. I have to say that even though she was a little odd, she was very sweet and played well with Austin. I guess they had alot in common since she was obviously fond of footie pajamas.

At last, we began our final descent, which would not have been complete without a rerun of "we're going down!" from our friend in the middle seat. I literally wanted to kiss the ground when we stepped off the plane.

To top off this very pleasant traveling experience, a guy almost took Austin AND me out when he tripped over Austin's stroller while we were heading to the baggage claim. He was very apologetic, and I was just glad we didn't end up in tangled heap in the middle of the airport. Because that would've been really fun!

I'm happy to report that things got much better from there, and we had an amazing time with family out at the lake. I have tons of pictures to post and will probably do that tomorrow. For now, I'm just so thankful to be home with all the members of my little family (including Savannah).

And in closing, I would just like to say that if you find yourself admiring a page of adult footie pajamas do not, I repeat DO NOT, ask the person sitting next to you which one they like best.

Y'all have a great week!!

Day 3...And I'm Still Alive

Today marks my third day of single parenthood. That means that in approximately 2 days I'll be reunited with the love of my life, also known as "my baby daddy," and we'll resume our normal parenting routine...in Dallas. And yes, I did just call Luke my "baby daddy." I have absolutely NO idea what possessed me to call him that seeing as how I am literally as white as they come. We should probably move on before I say something else embarrassing.

Much to my disappointment, Austin did not carry on his new tradition and sleep 'til 8:30 this morning. We were up and at 'em at 6:30. This was especially fun since I couldn't get to sleep until well past 11:00 last night. I was even more pumped to discover that Austin was in a somewhat crabby mood. It would appear that BOTH of us could have used the extra hours of beauty rest for 2 entirely different reasons. I would show you a picture of myself to prove my point, but I won't.

Because I care about you.

However, there were some lucky shoppers at Target that got the privilege of seeing me in all of my unattractive glory! That's right. Despite the rain and cold temperatures, Austin and I did venture out to run some errands. Somewhere between my car and the first errand, I realized that it was really cold. And the wind, well, it was brutal. I'm not really even sure what happend. I guess I just didn't believe Mike Osterhage when he said that temperatures were dropping so we should bundle up if we went outside. Granted, I did dress Austin for some frigid temps but I felt like a simple long-sleeve shirt and jeans would do the trick for me. Should've grabbed a sweatshirt. Oh, and good thing it was raining because I chose to wear my WHITE long-sleeved t-shirt. Awesome.

Also. I did the unthinkable and left the house without a snack for Austin. This was a bad idea. Unfortunately, I did not stop to admit this until we were well on our way to the other side of town. "A pocketfull of sunshine" is not how I'd describe little A at this point. And while we're being honest, I'll just go ahead and admit that I was not the definition of Susie Sunshine myself.

Add to all that the fact that they are no longer carrying my favorite Secret deoderant scent...for the SECOND time...and you have a serious need for some crack burgers on your hands. So that's exactly what we got on our way home. I am so proud to say that this was my first Freddy's burger in quite a few weeks. I was even feeling generous and got Austin some chicken tenders. Which he did not eat. So I broke out the applesauce and called it good. If anyone asks, goldfish and applesauce are a part of a well-balanced meal. I have a strong feeling that I am not only losing the battle but also the war on this one. Jesus, take the wheel. And please, deploy the airbag.

I have to admit, though, that Austin really has been a delight this week. He's taken some great naps and been in the best mood. I guess everyone is entitled to an off day. So, Austin, consider today your mulligan. Is that even the right way to use that term? I don't know. It just sounded good to me.

I told Luke today about another friend of mine that's having a baby. He preceeded to ask me if all these friends had convinced me to keep up and have another one. Of course, my answer was the standard,

Nope. I'm good 'til at least July.

It's a little scary to me that if I were to just say the word, Luke would be on board for baby number 2. Basically, this decision rests on me. The pressure, people. It's almost too much to bear.

AND, while discussing this topic with my mom recently, I found myself throwing the words "potty training"around way too casually because, well, I don't want 2 in diapers. I'm sorry, what?! How did that happen? We're talking about MAYBE trying in July and I'm already committing myself to potty training Austin in the near future. Holy, diaper pail! I can't even fathom entering the world of Spiderman underwear, accidents, and frequent trips to public restrooms. I had to stop and remind myself to take it one day at a time. That and the fact that when the time comes, we will have 9 whole months to prepare Austin and ourselves for another little person. In the meantime, maybe I'll go buy a couple of books on potty training and buying stock in diapers. Because let's face it, if the potty training thing doesn't go well we might want to make a little money in the process.

The good news is that I'll have plenty of time to research this next week. That reminds me. I'll be flying to Dallas with Austin sans Luke on Friday. This is how I picture that going,

Austin, stand right here and don't move. I need to take off your shoes...and your jacket...and my shoes...and my jacket...I mean, is it REALLY necessary to completely undress before going through security? Austin, I said to stay right beside Mommy. No, don't touch that it's yucky. We'll have a snack when we get on the plane. Daddy's not here right now. He's at Grammy and Pops house...Ok, let's get back in your stroller. No you can't get down right now. We'll get down when we get on the plane. Do you want to watch a movie on the plane? No? Well too bad. That's the plan anyway...

You get the picture. As my mom would say, now you know how to pray.

Y'all enjoy this cold weather. Oh, and for the love of pete, don't forget a jacket of some sort when you're out and about the next couple of days...

Who Loves Roadtrips?! We Do!!

Happy Monday, everyone! I must say today was off to a great start for me. Due to daylight savings time, my little man slept until 8:40! Yes. You heard right. It was heaven on earth here at the Keiffer house. I am especially pleased by this unexpected surprise since I'm flying solo this week while Luke is in Dallas for some training. However, not everyone looks as happy this morning...

As you can see, Savannah is less than thrilled to begin this new week. I love that this is her new spot. In fact, I looked over one night and saw her little nose peeking out and wondered what the heck she was doing. This was the answer...

Sometimes a girl's just gotta curl up and hide from the world for a while. Clearly, Savannah has found the perfect spot. Maybe the next time I feel a little overwhelmed by life, I'll try it out and see how I feel afterwards.

But enough about Monday, let's talk about the weekend. The three of us took a little roadtrip before Luke headed to Dallas on Sunday. We had a great time from beginning to end. Luke and I were pleasantly surprised by Austin's good mood on the way up. We left right after we picked him up from Mother's Day Out. I don't know what they give this little guy while he's there but I would like to get some to take home for him AND for me. He is in the best moods these days when I go get him. Anyway, I took advantage of this amazing attitude and snapped a few pictures.

Eating a few goldfish on the trip. Want a close up of what he was doing with most of them?

He's really into the "secret stash" idea these days. His mom...not so much.

After snack time, Austin decided to rock his lamby and make one of our most favorite faces ever! If you're wondering why these pictures are starting to look blurry, it's because of this guy...

He decided it would be funny to start swerving while I was trying to capture our son on film. As soon as I caught onto his little scheme, I looked over and saw the face above. Oh, Luke! You do know how to push my buttons, don't you?!

In the meantime, Austin decided to snuggle up with his blanket (also known as "bie") and watch Ice Age: The Meltdown.

Luckily, I was able to capture this moment without the blur caused by a swerving car and a sneaky husband.

So who were we on our way to visit? This lovely couple right here:

It was our first time to go visit the newlyweds in their cute, little duplex. As you can see, Austin is very fond of his aunt and uncle. Isn't this an adorable picture of the 3 amigos? I'm glad you think so because it took quite a few outakes to get this one. Thanks, Austin. You truly are a gem sometimes. For your viewing pleasure, I give you the numerous attempts at taking a picture of Austin with Aunt B and Uncle J:

Ok, this one was actually pretty good. I really just love his face here. I guess he's trying to play it cool. Must get that from Luke...You know, since we all know I'm as far from cool as they come.

Outake #1: In case you can't tell, he was NOT happy. Neither was his mother.

Outake #2. And this is where Jon and Britt get a taste of what it might be like to wrestle a greased pig. The joy, it would seem, is unending!

A little snuggle with Aunt B. Super cute.

While we were in College Station, Austin had yet another milestone. Sitting in a booster seat.
He did really well, too. Plus, it was nice to sit in a booth and not have the lone high chair hanging out there. We're growing up, folks!

Documenting this momentous occasion with Aunt B. Sadly, Austin is more excited about his colors.

I had such a blast visiting my sister! It went by so fast, and I was definitely sad to leave. I sure do miss her, but I'm so glad to see her happily married to a great guy. :)

If you think about them, please say a prayer for a safe trip to Boston this weekend to visit another seminary. I know. Boston is a far off place, and I don't think Austin would be as happy on that roadtrip. Thank goodness for Southwest Airlines or the VIA bus of the sky, as we like to call it.

Y'all have a great week!

PS: If the spacing on this entry is less than stellar, that's because of some technical difficulties while posting that I don't have the wherewithall to deal with at the moment...

The Hilariousness That Is Austin

The other day I decided to give my son a chance to branch out and try some grapes. This was a big decision on my part seeing as how the boy does not like to branch out. At all. In fact, I do believe I found a gray hair the other day caused by this fact alone. For those of you that have children that will eat anything and everything placed in front of them...count your blessings. Even though you are tempted to count the dollars it is costing you instead. I used to be able to put something in front of my little man and he would eat it. These days, if it's not something he would prefer to eat, I have to endure several- lo, many- minutes of teeth-nashing and wailing as I try to get him to take a bite. JUST! ONE! BITE! Because usually this is all it takes for him to realize that the food in question is truly something he likes or will like.

(My mother is probably wearing the biggest smile right now since she endured the same teeth-nashing sessions with me. I don't even want to hear it!)

Needless to say, I was feeling brave and broke out an unfamiliar fruit along with a fork and a bright, yellow plate. Because after all, food is as much about the taste as it is the appearance. Or so Rachael Ray tells me. While I will not say that he inhaled the grapes, I WILL say that I think we made some progress. I'll let you judge for yourself, though...

So here he is licking...but not EATING...his grapes while watching Blue's Clues.

Apparently, picking up the grape to lick was just too much work.

Coming up for air to catch up on what's happenin' with Blue.

There are no words.

Pick your battles, right? I chose not to partake in this one because I like the current color of my hair, thankyouverymuch!!

Wanna see another fun trick Austin showed me this week? Ok. Here it is...

You might be wondering what Austin is doing here...

...why, he's just pushing his Cheerios into the crack of the back door. Isn't that every child's favorite activity?! If you'll notice in the picture above, he DOES have his drill handy just in case he can't quite mash one in with his bare hands.

And here is where his secret stash of Cheerios resides...ready and waiting for his next brilliant idea!

He definitely keeps us on our toes! Good thing I had the camera handy to catch him in action. And speaking of cameras, have I mentioned lately that ours is on it's last legs? Well, it is. This is why I chose to take our back-up and soon-to-be sold camera to the Children's Museum in New Braunfels today. I was so excited to take some pictures of Austin shopping for groceries, working in the bank, and getting his workout on in the New Braunfit area. But alas, it was not to be, because when I turned the camera on I was greeted with a blue screen and a red flashing "battery empty" sign. Only there were batteries in the camera AND they were dead. Oh well. I knew we'd be back. We ended the morning at Rudy's BBQ for lunch where Austin decided AGAIN that he did not want to eat his cheese, turkey, or potato salad. As an added bonus, he decided to throw a fit when we wouldn't let him dip his spoon into the cup 'o potato salad.

Dear God. Why do you hate me today?

All in all it was alot of fun, though. We really enjoyed our family time and watching Austin explore a new place. Not to mention the fact, that we (meaning Austin and I) are thrilled to have Luke home from work for the next 4 days!!

Here's to lots more family time this weekend and all the picky eaters of the world!

Happy Thursday :)

Austin Update

I'm doing it again! Believe me, no one is more shocked than me that this is the second time I've posted twice in one day! It's just that I got to thinking about the fact that one of the main reasons I write this blog is to keep friends and family updated on our little man. Call me crazy but I don't think they check in to hear my thoughts on The Bachelor.

Sidenote: Most people know that I have a small collection of tv shows that I like to watch. It's just really nice to crawl into bed with my pajamas on and escape from all the things I didn't get done that day. If I'm really lucky, Luke will join me and we'll enjoy some fun time together. My point is that most of these shows are NOT reality television. I'll be honest with you. I like to watch a little tv to escape reality for just a while. And since I am all full up on my show watching schedule, I do not watch American Idol or Survivor or The Amazing Race. So if you ask me what I think about these shows and I simply give you a blank stare...you'll know why. So don't worry. I don't plan on sharing my opinion about the shows or characters of the shows I watch on a regular basis. Although, I am NOT above posting a few of my favorite funny quotes from The Office.



Moving on. I cannot believe how fast time is flying when it comes to our little man! It seems like he learns something new everyday. Here's a run down on most of the things he's up to these days:

• He has officially started calling me Mommy. I always thought I would love for him to call me Mama, but there's something so sweet about hearing his little voice say Mommy
• Occasionally he'll call Luke Daddy but it's still Dada most of the time.
• He's getting much better at communicating even though it's usually in the form of one word while pointing at an object. Still it's better than hearing him cry and trying to figure out why.
• That said, here are some of the words he's saying: ball (gall), dog (gaga-I think this comes from calling Savannah "good girl" for a while), banana (nanna), lamby (mammy), gigi, papa, car (ca), color (ca-see where it gets a little confusing?), ming ming (mi mean), blue (boo), NO-his favorite word these days, night night (nigh nigh), hi, and bye. These are as many as I can think of at the moment. His vocabulary has just exploded recently!
• He is taking a 2 hour nap each afternoon. Sometimes, if God decides to speak one of my love languages that day, Austin will sleep a little over 2 hours. It. Is. Wonderful.
• He loves to be outside, which has been hard for me to do lately. You see, I suffer from some bad mountain cedar allergies and being outside this time of the year usually results in some serious sneezing and nose running.
• He runs, literally runs, EVERYWHERE he goes.
• He loves balloons, balls, and his lamby more than anything else.
• He's kind of become a picky eater, which is something that gives my mom great pleasure seeing as how I was the definition of a picky eater when I was little.
• He's an early riser just like his daddy. Therefore, I've learned to be a morning person.

That's just a small glimpse into what life is like these days with Austin. He keeps us on our toes for sure, and we just love spending time with him! I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures of the 2 of us since I don't have any recent ones.

The Most Dramatic Ending in Bachelor History. Truly.

Ok, people. Let's talk about The Bachelor. First of all, let me start by saying that I am fully aware that this is not quality television at it's finest. However, this Bachelor watching tradition started in college. As much as I try, I just can't give up the habit, despite a couple of breaks. For example, when they brought out Prince Lorenzo I said no way am I going to watch that season. That's just ridiculous! And I don't think even I could take all the drama that would entail competing for a prince...if that's even what he really was.

Now before you start judging me, you should know that I truly see this as another opportunity to be thankful for my husband and the wonderful relationship we share. We don't need fancy trips to New Zealand or Goodyear blimp rides to make our relationship work, because we know that's just not reality. It would appear that these couples tend to forget that little fact along the way. Maybe it's all that champagne that clouds their judgement...

But anyway. Back to last night's finale. It's no secret that my favorite was Melissa. I mean, who doesn't love a southern, Texas girl?! Molly was ok. I will admit that she did have some amazing eyes. Or was it just all the eyeshadow she was wearing? I don't know. Either way, I was rooting for Melissa so you can imagine my excitement when she was the second one out of the limo. This excitement was slightly dampend by the "shocking twist" that was coming up in the After the Final Rose show.

And what a shocking twist it was! Jason, being the classy guy he is, told Melissa on national television that not only was he calling off their engagement but was, in fact, still thinking about Molly. Constantly. His reasoning for all of this was that "their chemistry, their conversations, and their time time together were completely different after the show." To which I say, OF COURSE ALL OF THAT WAS DIFFERENT! Despite the fact that they call it reality television, it is not reality! At some point, you will return to a budget that does not include trips to amazing places and all the champagne you can consume. Not to mention the little guy, also known as your son, that depends on you for his every need. Sometimes that just makes a relationship a little different than when it's just the 2 of you. I especially liked the part when he told Chris that he didn't want to have any regrets and wanted to live in the moment. So what you're saying, Jason, is that you don't regret the way you treated Melissa in front of millions of viewers? Yeah. That's what I thought.

To my shock, Molly actually took him back! Here's what I have to say about that:

Dear Molly,
Don't get too excited. The fact that he thought his relationship was different with Melissa after the show means that the same could be true with you in his mind.
Good luck with that,
Aimee

So in conclusion, I would like to say that for now The Bachelor, or more importantly, Jason is dead to me. Because let's be honest, as much as I would like to say that I'm done with this show, I'm sure I'll be sucked in the next time they introduce another bachelor or bachlorette.

Monday's Thoughts

I saw this on another blog and thought it would be a fun way to start the week. :)

For today...March 2, 2009

Outside my window...a beautiful day full of sunshine

I am thinking...that it's been a productive day so far. I love it when I start my week out this way!

I am thankful for...the fact that Luke is no longer on call AND that he will have 2 days off this week to play with me and Austin. Life is good!

From the kitchen...counters need to be cleaned off and dishes from the dishwasher put away. I should really talk to our maid about slacking off in this area. Oh wait! I AM the maid.

I am wearing...yoga pants and a purple shirt with a long sleeve black shirt underneath.

I am creating...my sister's graduation announcements AND plans for the week. Clearly, multi-tasking is my specialty!

I am going...to pick up Austin from Mother's Day Out in a little bit

I am reading...alot of really great magazines these days. Remember, I grounded myself from reading any more books for a while since it was keeping me from getting other stuff done.

I am hoping...to get myself organized and start making a schedule for things like working out, housework, and errands.

I am hearing...absolutely nothing. In other words, I'm soaking in the silence!

Around the house...bathrooms need to be cleaned (YUCK!) and laundry put away.

One of my favorite things...my laptop!

A few plans for the rest of the week...Bachelor Finale night with the girls, Bible study, and some quality time with Luke and Austin.

Here is a picture I am sharing...one of my favorite pictures of Austin. I can't believe he was ever that tiny. However, he is such a blessing and that will never change no matter how big he gets!

Happy Monday, friends! :)