Life at the Lucas House

tough stuff

2012-02-13T16:47:00.000-06:00

I am not proud of myself but I am going to admit that I lost it today and found myself yelling at 5 week old twins. It is a vicious cycle for me. The girls and I were up at 8:30 enjoying a Monday morning viewing of Downton Abbey during which time I would nurse one, put her down, nurse the other, put her down, change a diaper, nurse, change, put down, and on and on. During this time and anytime I am sitting on the couch I start to notice dust, dust balls, dirt, and then I start a list of all the things that need to be "done". I know I shouldn't worry about it but it just isn't in me to not worry. (And for the record, it isn't the the house is in horrible shape but when you sit and stare at things all day, you notice.) So when it hit 12:30 and we were still on the routine, I had yet to shower, I was hungry for lunch, and had a mental to do list a mile long, I lost it. I threatened them with no prom dresses, told them they were making me go mad, and some other really sweet things.

I took them and their bounceys to the bathroom and let them cry while I showered and then finally after a few rotations between bottles and holding, they both got drowsy enough to put down. The fought the nap at first but slowly they drifted off and this is how I found them (when I dared go back in to my room).

Yes those little buggers opted to go for 100% cuteness and sleep in the same position. To help out that is Lizzie on the left and Kat on the right. So I stood there for a while, watching them sleep (instead of cleaning) and took this photo. It was at this moment that I decided that we really need to figure out how we can add a cleaning lady to our budget especially when I return to work. I may also change my mind on the prom dresses but we've got lots of time before we have to have that discussion.

The Things People Say

2012-02-08T22:25:00.000-06:00

Prior to the chickens arriving, you will recall that I met up with a woman at Old Navy who was carting around newborn twins. I was so ecstatic to see someone out in public with twins, I actually spoke to her. She was the first parent to tell me that the one crazy thing about twins is that when out in public people will always want to talk to you and will ask dumb questions. I heard this from other twin moms and read it a few times in various books and articles. I am here to tell you, it is true. Twins bring out some dumb questions from strangers.

I am leaving the best story for Rick to post on his blog (I promise to nudge him again to get it done) but here is the start of my list, which I will no doubt add to when I get a worthy question.

The top two most obvious stupid questions:

Are they twins?
Are they girls? (I could give people a pass on this one if they were older but right now they ride around in pink and black car seats and all of our good going out blankets contain a high amount of pink.

The real dilemma is how to respond. I am building up to tell someone that they are not twins or at the very least that they have two different dads. I'll let you know if I ever pull it off.

While out at Target earlier this week, I got the the first two questions and then I got the follow-up question (which isn't a dumb one but her commentary was).

Stranger: How old are they?

Me: One month.

Stranger: Well, they look too small to be 1 month old. Shouldn't they be bigger?

Me: They are bigger than they were. (Yes, I did say that. I was bruised especially since I have spent countless nights nursing to help these girls grow and based on my scientific method of weighing myself holding a baby, they are about 8-9 lbs right now.)

In other chicken news, they both had ultrasounds on their hips and now have to go to orthopedic surgeon to see if we need to get them in little baby hip harnesses. This is all apparently very normal for twin girls especially born breech. We go in on Thursday to meet the ortho and I will update everyone once we know more.

Boys are doing well. They are both super busy at school right now and baseball starts in the coming weeks. Things are about to get interesting.

Finally, Rick and I both celebrate our birthdays this month. We are both too tired to get too worked up them but we got a nice surprise from some friends the other day. They asked us to bring over all 4 kids on Sunday so Rick and I can go out and have dinner. We are both giddy and exhausted and therefore unsure where we will go. We do know we are lucky to have such fabulous friends.

sleep

2012-02-01T17:32:00.000-06:00

Sleep deprivation is a known form of torture. I strongly suggest our military enlist newborn twins for training. A month in and we are trying to adjust still as the lack of sleep is catching up and making for some grumpiness. I recall this feeling with JT. Late at night I would walk the house with him crying and cursing Rick for getting to sleep (he had to be at work in the morning). As much as I try to manage night feedings, there are nights when they are up together and I have to enlist help. It is hard to remember that this will pass and soon we will experience at least 4-6 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

I think Rick struggles with the lack of sleep more than I do most likely because pregnancy prepared me with my constant trips to the bathroom and moments of insomnia. Although I have to admit that the lack of sleep is getting to me as the other day I went to Joann's sans babies and while waiting at the counter for my fabric I started to doze off.

In other baby related news, they are officially one month old. Hard to believe. And an important tid-bit, I estimated during a 2 AM feeding that we use roughly 26 diapers a day. Thrilling stuff, huh?

Kat modeling improper use of a bouncey and why parents should buckle in their babies.

Cute little elf hats that a friend knitted for the girls.

Above is Kat (I think - I can't recall who wore which outfit)

Lizard in her cap.

Helper #1 put himself and Kat to sleep while I finished taxes.

Helper #2 was singing and working on dance moves with Lizzie.

My naughty mommy trick of getting a few moments of not holding babies and maintaining my sanity when home alone. I know it is hard to see but I have bottles propped up in bouncey seats so they can "feed" themselves.

shit shooters

2012-01-24T12:17:00.000-06:00

When you are up nursing the power feeding duo between the hours of 1 AM to 5 AM you spend a lot of time thinking. Usually this thinking is about random things such as:

Cleaning - not just any cleaning but serious cleaning like digging out crap buried in closets, baseboards, doors. I think it is some sort of delayed nesting.
Finances - who doesn't spend time thinking out this especially after adding two bundles to the house? And when you are relying on someone else to complete paperwork to ensure you get paid while on leave that makes you nervous. And of course there is getting taxes done and my upcoming performance review (which I am obviously not at work for) to stress about. And how can I not think about a new house and what we should be doing in that regards.
Crafting - honestly I am always thinking about the 500 projects I want to do but now I have 500 more thanks to Pinterest. And that ties in to me pondering where I should my office to since the chickens have taken my crafting/work space.
Blogging - hundreds of times I have mentally crafted my blog entry about the birth and the girls but I never get a chance to actually write it. Even right now, when I think I have managed to get them to sleep for a morning nap, I hear them starting to stir.

So quickly, here is some basic Chicken news. Okay they were born, I think that is obvious. I was nervous about the whole c-section adventure but honestly, it went well. It was an odd experience, I don't know that I will ever have a moment again when I am walking down the hall and chatting casually with my OB and Anesthesiologist prior to a major surgery. The first 24-48 hours after the c-section were tough. I definitely could not have survived without the help of Rick the first night and Chandra the second, which made getting released a day early all that much nicer because I didn't have to force another friend to sleep on the couch and listen to me snore in between non-stop nursing sessions.

The girls hit 3 weeks today. We don't officially have a schedule but most nights they do manage a good three hours straight which is heavenly for me. Most nights I manage to juggle the routine alone as one will wake first to nurse and then the other will either wake or I wake her. All-in-all, the whole routine lasts about an hour. We do get some nights that they both wake at the same time, which requires me to call for Rick via the monitor for back-up, which is really funny because I can only imagine how it is to be deep in sleep and hear a far away voice calling your name over baby screams.

The chickens are super nursers. It seriously makes me wonder how women handle nursing triplets and just how long you can really nurse twins. It hasn't been horrible, painful at times but not bad. I have yet to master tandem nursing even with my monster pillow and I am not sure I will but I have gotten good at nursing one and bottle feeding the other (during the day only, I am not awake enough at night to attempt this). I've also given in and let Rick give them some formula as despite my attempts to pump extra milk for bottles they suck that down too quickly to last. If someone would have mentioned giving JT formula, I would have laughed and told them they were silly dumb but honestly, these girls need as much as they can and there is only one cow here so we have to do what we have to do.

So all this super nursing leads to super shit shooters. These girls are prolific and are obviously kin to Rick. I think one night alone we changed 10 poopy diapers between a 4 hour period. And being old pros at this we aren't afraid to wait out a poop and save a diaper but with these two it is just non-stop firing; we can wait a good 15 minutes for them to finish and no sooner do we remove the overflowing diaper then they start at it again. I know my memory fails me but I swear, the boys were never like this.

The boys are both doing well and taking to having babies in the house like champs. I know this can't be easy for them but they are old enough to be helpful including changing diapers, holding babies so I can at least use the bathroom, and helping get various items (burp rags, diapers, beer...just joking).

I can't imagine twins and having younger children. I've heard people say something along the line of "god gives us only what we can handle..." I have to say that what ever supreme being or reason there is for me having twins at this stage in my life, the sentiment holds true. There is no way I would have been able to deal with twins as my first set of babies. I know I wouldn't have know any different but you are so obsessive as a new parent and so clueless that twins would have pushed me over the edge. The chickens are by no means easy but I think this is far easier having survived two babies already. We are both more relaxed and not afraid to ask for help or let things slide (you can read that as not cleaning).

So the girls are finally napping. I am going to frantically run around and try to accomplish at least one thing or maybe another thing since I successfully got a blog post done. I promise more pictures soon.

two weeks and counting

2012-01-16T22:38:00.002-06:00

I have so much to say about life with the girls but right now it is 10:30 PM and they still think they need to be up. Rick and I are both frantically typing while they cry in their room. They prefer a midnight bedtime.
I am loading some photos of the girls from tonight. The boys helped with their first official real baths. Kat is in the pink and Lizzie is in yellow.

The boys have been awesome. They are doting brothers and super helpful. I know this can't be easy for them. JT already asked when will they be more fun.

Rick and I also have to give thanks to all of our amazing friends. We have gotten so many fabulous meals, Starbucks, and tons of visitors to help hold babies while I ply myself off the couch and feel like a functioning human rather than the milkmaid 2000. We have some amazing friends who are loving on Jet while we get our bearings with the chickens. I just don't know if we could do it without all the help and support.

The girls had their 2 week appointment today. Both have gained weight and are looking good.

And the chickens finally arrive

2012-01-07T22:17:00.000-06:00

We are all at home and doing well. Trying to adjust to things.
Here are a few photos (or a lot). I will get more updates on the blog soon but I know that this is what everyone really wants right now.

The Chickens

Science Project

2011-12-30T21:54:00.001-06:00

I am not a big fan of the month by month photos although if I had a blog and a digital camera (how crazy that when JT was born I was still using film) when I was pregnant with JT, I probably would have done it. And really despite what people say, who wants a photo of themselves at their largest? All of that said, I have lots of people who have asked me what I look like, how I feel, and is being pregnant with two that different.

So let's get the first part over with quickly, here is what I look like (note it is 9 PM hence the glasses and tired look):

I am officially 38 weeks here. A medical miracle according to mu OB who can't believe that someone my size can carry basically 12 lbs of baby. Now I am a wee 38 weeks but that belly there measures at 44 weeks. So basically I am on track to have the appearance of an elephant's gestation period. And note that I am limited now to the ever cozy yoga pants as maternity jeans/pants just can't stand up to a 44 week belly.

How do I feel? At this point I feel like a science project. For the last month, I've gone to the doctor once a week and every week I start with an ultrasound, which can last up to an hour and then I see my doctor and we check to see if I am dilated, double-check my blood pressure, measure me, and then listen to the heart beats. Heart beats can take a while as well as my OB has to find a baseline and if they move, she has to restart. The last two appointments, my doctor checked my blood pressure multiple times in hopes that if it spiked at all, she could admit me to remove the babies but of course, I have "perfect" blood pressure and little to no swelling.

I am obviously a wee bit uncomfortable. Sleeping is tough. I also have giving up on bending over. I've been driving Rick crazy by sweeping around the house and leaving little piles of debris to be scooped up. I think the first time he thought there was some ghost in the house as he couldn't figure out how such nice piles of dirt appeared; he quickly caught on to my ways. I have some awesome acid reflux, which I've had pretty much since late summer. I also impressed my OB b/c if my freak show prego way, you can feel my Xiphoid sticking out, since the girls ride so high and have basically pushed by sternum out as far as it can go. This makes wearing a bra pretty much the most painful thing. I can go an hour or so and then it just gets uncomfortable.

Letter I is your Xiphoid:

I am not sure how much different being pregnant with two is than one. I am definitely more tired although some have argued that it is because I am older now than I was with the boys. For about the last month I am physically done by late afternoon and I definitely enjoy the nap. I told Rick there are days that I feel like hibernating. It has really been a blessing to work at home; I am not sure I would have been able to to work in an office for this pregnancy. I think the other big difference is the whole movement of the babies factor. Trying to determine who is moving and if both are moving. Having weekly ultrasounds has helped because I know where they are sitting (which right now is one on top sideways and one trying to be head down but she moves back and forth to being sideways as well). The other noticeable difference is just how much sooner you have to slow down. I am positive that at 30 weeks with the boys I wasn't worried about bed rest or moving slower. This time around it has been all about making each week until at least week 34 and then after that to have everyone on alert that they could arrive at any moment. I think I have some very sweet friends who are just as ready as I am to have these girls out and stop wondering when it will be! The odd thing, is that while my stomach is definitely bigger I have gained less than with both boys although truth be told, I started out weighing more than I did with either boys. I am keeping my fingers crossed for some successful nursing and good calorie burning.

And so here we are with 2011 almost to an end. I've given up on guessing their arrival. Clearly these ladies are asserting themselves early and ensuring we know they want to run things. They obviously don't care that I've met my deductible (there is a difference - twins are expensive!), that I could use them as a tax credit for 2011, and that I had some time off at work I would have liked to burn before using my 2012 time. So we look to January 3rd as their official date (since that is the day I am scheduled for c-section). I think at this point we are all beyond ready and not ready at the same time.

12/26/2011

2011-12-26T11:29:00.000-06:00

Rick's first question to me this morning was what my plan was for the day. Oddly I have no plan, which I think he is struggling with since I typically have at least one "to do" item mapped out for the day. Outside of finding some way to get the chickens to flee the coup, the first thing that came to mind was removing my Christmas tree. I know it is just one day post-Christmas but here are my thoughts:

The tree is dry and losing needles
I have a sneaking suspicion that one small cat is doing dirty deeds under the tree and now that she doesn't have presents blocking her access she is back to her shenanigans.
I imagine going in to labor any day this week and then having to deal with tree take-down post-chickens
I imagine not going in to labor and having to take everything down prior to my 1/3 scheduled appointment and the mood I will be in at that point.

Since I messed up my Christmas day photos, I snapped a few this morning (yes, I fixed the settings on my camera) of this year's favorite ornaments. The Anthropolgie octopus from Chandra that feeds my secret octopus obsession, homemade ornaments from both JT and Zach (although Zach's is much cuter in person), and the fabulous ornament that my Fall Carnival co-chair's mom made to help commemorate our successful adventure this fall.

Packing up all these ornaments makes me think about what will be next year. Of course there is no way to know except that we will be a house of 6 (yikes!) that definitely wasn't what I was thinking about 12/26/2010.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T19:25:00.002-06:00

In true Meghan form, I managed to do something to my camera that is causing my light levels to be off which means all my Christmas photos look like this:

Who needs to see the faces of their kids?

So needless to say, rather than spending time trying to figure out what my first Kindle book will be (thanks to some little boys who gifted me with my own Kindle), I am going to bust out the owner's manual and figure out what I need to do to get normal photos again. Technically, I know that I did it when I was trying to capture my Christmas light photos, I mistakenly messed with my auto-settings rather than my manual. Ugh!

Anywho, enough complaining at Christmas. We had a wonderful day. It is always a little sad to not be at Pete's and Jude's house but we've enjoyed our time hanging at the house and honestly being extremely lazy. No new word on the chickens. They opted to ignore Lucas tradition and not arrive on the 24th, which I have to say I was a bit happy about because despite the fabulous support from friends, I felt bad about my kids having to spend Christmas at someone else's house (not only for the boys but also the friends). And honestly, I was feeling sorry for myself if I was going to spend Christmas at the hospital. So we will just continue to wait.

JT's highlights from Christmas:

Telescope
Ticket to Ride game (especially since he just learned that his uncle Gavin is a huge fan)
Circuits set

Zach's highlights from Christmas:

The Black Pearl lego set
Star Wars monopoly
Lego Idea book

I am giving big kudos to Rick who surprised with some fabulous Kendra Scott earrings. He definitely out-did me considering I gave him a controversial London Rippers baseball t-shirt.

We hope all of our friends and family members enjoyed Christmas. We send our love to each of you.

Christmas Crafting

2011-12-22T13:12:00.001-06:00

Sometime in early November I hit a panic about having two new babies and two active boys at home during Christmas break and nothing to do. So while I was out, most likely panic Christmas shopping, I picked up a few Christmas craft projects that I thought the boys would enjoy.

The first craft we tackled, no photos, was painting ornaments. I envisioned family heirlooms but instead I got some haphazard ornaments (one is painted only in glow in the dark paint). Both boys had invited a friend over (girls) who took time and precision to make some very nice ornaments. I thought this would inspire the boys but they wanted to play, get some cookies and cocoa, and they had the added distraction of another boy that needed a place to hang while his mom ran a few errands. It probably didn't help that I was also in the midst of a project at work and was trying to monitor/help kids and work at the same. Basically a failed craft/play date and project.

Of course that didn't stop me and the other day we broke out Christmas craft project #2. Painting Nutcrackers. Both boys have a thing for the Nutcracker so this seemed like a winner of a craft. The boys were ready, I was ready, queue up the holiday music and watch fantastic Christmas creations emerge from the imagination and creativity of my kids. All started well until we ran in to a small glitch, the guys have hair and while I tried to protect their beards, I couldn't think of a creative way to protect their hair and within minutes there was frustration about paint on the hair, which soon lead to melt-downs on both sides, and then lead to some creative story telling and painting. Turns out both Nutcrackers got involved in battles, ended with eye patches and the following paint jobs.

The boys aren't the only ones experiencing failure with crafting. After reading several blogs about taking fabulous Christmas light photos, I convinced the Lucas/Largent clans to head down to Mozart's to get hot cocoa and see their Christmas light show. Needless to say, despite believing I had my DSLR settings done properly and taking 20 plus photos, I did not capture a single incredible Christmas lights at night image. I have to give props to the kids who patiently posed and reposed in cold rain while Lexy and I attempted camera super stardom. Hopefully she had better luck and got at least one good shot of the kids.

There is good news though. JT has successfully made two batches of Christmas cookies (for the most part on his own). I had cancelled Christmas baking because again, I thought I'd be sleep deprived. JT had asked if he could take up the challenge and made one batch of Grandma Jesse's thimble cookies and a batch of her Mexican Wedding cakes. We now have cookies for Santa (including our special treat of Polish cookies from Aunt Paula).

life at the house

2011-12-17T18:29:00.001-06:00

I know it has been a while and for that I apologize. Life just seems to going so fast lately. Work is busy, babies are growing, kids have hundreds of activities.

So a quick update on what we've been doing. We had a quiet and relaxing Turkey Day at the house. I think it is the first that we have spent without company. After the long weekend we had lots of activities including Holiday Night at school complete with Zach singing and some bingo, the Voodoo played and won their final tournament of the year, class parties, and some Christmas crafting adventures.

We all spend a lot of time asking if the girls are going to come out but apparently they see no need. A few weeks back I had some decreased movement so that set off a flurry of activity that included a visit to the hospital. All ended well and the chickens are growing and thriving. At my last visit they were 5 lbs 12 oz and 5 lbs 9 oz. Needless to say having almost 12 lbs of baby is starting to get to me. The boys have all been helpful (including Rick) but I think they all want to stop having to pick things up off the floor for me. We are hoping for the chickens to come before Christmas so we can all be home but if not then I am scheduled for a 1/3 c-section.

Writers Workshop With Zach

2011-11-16T17:30:00.000-06:00

At school the kids participate in a program called Writers Workshop. Each day they work on writing, editing, and illustrating short stories of their own creation. JT's process is obviously more involved as a story can take up most of the year, where as Zach works daily on various prompts.

I was reviewing his work that came home today which included several pieces from Writer's Workshop. He wrote a piece about playing baseball and ended his piece with the following:

"My broser (brother's) name of his teme (team) is Voodoo. It is a funy name if the V was D. Doodoo"

a small miracle

2011-11-11T20:33:00.000-06:00

I was out at Old Navy the other day. Apparently I am the only parent that didn't prepare her children for the onset of the Texas winter; which basically means JT didn't have any jeans or long sleeve shirts. I tried almost every pair at Target and nothing worked. I decided to take a trip to Old Navy.

While in the baby department I saw a woman with newborn twins. I was giddy with excitement that I actually got to see new twins out in public. So giddy that I spoke to the mom. We exchanged baby talk at which point she mentioned that taking twins out was so much easier than taking out her older children. I learned that she her two "older" children were 2 and 3. I honestly have no clue how she manages but I at least feel at tad bit better that I finally saw new twins in public.

More Portland Cuteness

2011-11-04T08:21:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Family!

2011-11-02T16:18:00.001-05:00

We are so dang excited to welcome a new member to the Flisakowski clan: June Harper Flisakowski.
I should have written down all her stats but I can tell you she was 6lbs (and some ounces) and was born at 9:50 this morning.

Not sure when we will meet up but we can't wait to see her. Hard to believe there will soon be 3 little girls who are just a month apart in the Flisakowski/Lucas family. It will be so much fun when we can get all 3 girls together along with the 1 big girl and 2 big boys.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T19:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween from the Lucas house!

This year Zach had two costumes, the first was his favorite literary character for a parade at school. He then opted for some Will Turner/pirate character. He originally had a wig but ditched it for the rag covering instead. He was more concerned with his weapons, which included a sword and gun. JT went way outside the box and wanted to be Ra the Egyptian sun god. I think we got as close to his vision but he was definitely developing some angst as he left to meet up with friends.

a good night on the couch

2011-10-26T11:16:00.000-05:00

Many a night we have a visitor or two come to our room and sneak in to bed with us. When they were little, little we didn't mind so much but now that they are big and our bed only a queen, it gets a little too crowded. Granted the two of them have really stopped coming in especially since most nights they sleep together; however every now and again someone sneaks back in.

Last night Z came in to our room. Normally, I would just stay in bed but being monstrously large and trying to share a bed, isn't always the most comfortable and truth be told I was wide awake when he came in (I seem to have developed a bit of insomnia although I have yet to take good advantage of it ala Martha Stewart style; I usually lay awake wondering how long I should try to fall back to sleep versus getting up). When Zach got in our bed, I sat up and drank some water. Zach in turn cuddled up next to me, patted by belly and said:

"Good Night Chip and Dip. Have fun sleeping out on the couch."

He then kissed my belly, adjusted my pillow to his liking, and fell fast asleep.

Chip, Dip, and I did have a nice night on the couch along with two cats and a dog. Maybe it is time for a new, bigger couch.

the chickens

2011-10-25T20:29:00.000-05:00

I went to the doctor today to check on the chickens. Turns out they are doing well. They are both head-down and weigh almost three pounds each. A little scary to think about the possibility of lugging around 10 lbs of baby. It doesn't really seem humanly possible or at least no possible on my short torsoed body.

True to form, the chicken on the left side decided to be uncooperative when the tech was looking to get a face shot. She turned her head face down to avoid the paparazzi. The other one of course was more than willing to strike pose. The image didn't come across super clear but clear enough to see some chubby cheeks.

9

2011-10-24T13:42:00.000-05:00

Birthdays are getting bittersweet at the Lucas house as the boys get older and older. Today is super sad because JT is 9, which is a year away from 10 and then 3 years from the teen years! This year is especially odd because he didn't request a party this year and we have been super busy with the school carnival so it feels a bit anti-climatic compared to his previous birthdays. To celebrate he is taking his dad and brother to WWE for some wrestling fun.

JT is a fabulous little boy. He is constantly curious about everything and is a sponge with information. He is also very sweet (maybe not always to his brother) but he is super considerate of other children. His teacher is always talking about how helpful he is at school especially with a child that has been struggling. He of course has his moments and because the two of us are so much alike we battle it out more than he and Rick. All-in-all he is a fabulously sweet child and we are super proud of him and continue to love watching him grow.

a rare event

2011-10-16T14:20:00.000-05:00

Not only does tournament baseball suffer from lack of players in the fall but so does league ball. Every once in a while a friend from the Spring league team calls and asks if JT can play because he is short players. JT has played a few times but it is coach pitch with kids he doesn't know as well so he isn't too thrilled to play.

On Friday JT got the call and Rick accepted but later that evening JT had a bit of a meltdown about it. Zach on the other hand offered to play despite never having played coach pitch. Long of the short, Saturday morning rolled aorund and both boys got uniformed up and both boys played and Rick even got to coach since they were also short a coach this week.

All in all it was a great outting. The Hutto Red Sox won by one run with Zach playing a big role in the win. He batted three times (2 singles, 1 double) and with those three at bats brought in his brother each time. Rick loved that for perhaps the only time in his coaching career he got to have both boys on the same team. I don't think we will be moving Zach up in the Spring; he definitely wasn't ready for the speed or the agressiveness that comes with coach pitch but it was a fun experience.

idle threats

2011-10-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

On Monday the boys convinced me that we should go to Target to get a birthday present for a party JT was going to but what they were really interested in was seeing how they could spend their combined $9.
So long story short, upon realization of what we were really at Target for, I informed the boys that I thought it was best for them to look around and then they could work on saving more money to buy something. I also stated that no one would be getting legos since we are in a lego transition right now and need to focus on moving legos from one storage unit to another. The task seems to be taking longer as the boys get sidetracked and build things.

Fair warning, when you combine 1 tired child who has $4.50 and who believes that if he looks hard enough there is a lego set that costs just that, you get a cranky, Target meltdown. This meltdown was especially fun because we found ourselves in the baby aisle so I could look at car seats (I guess you still have to put newborns in car seats - go figure!). The shelves are arranged to hold the large toddler seat boxes, which means with a box missing from the shelf there was a nice spot for Zach to crawl in and hide while yelling the following:

"Fine! I am just going to stay here and live right here at Target and when you come back to shop if you are going to let me buy legos I will go home with you but if not then I will just keep living here until you say I can buy legos."

What was even better was the poor grandmother that was in the aisle with us and who initially couldn't see Zach and therefore she had no clue where the yelling was coming from. She seemed overly confused especially when I accepted Zach's offer and started walking away. He met us at the exit and then while in the car, between hysterics of crying he made the next comment:

"You just don't trust me. Whenever you drop something, you ask JT to pick it up. I never get to pick up anything you drop!"

When we got home, he went straight to his room, took an hour long nap and then had one of his best t-ball games ever which included the following performance:

throwing out a runner at first from third base
hitting a home run
getting all three outs in one inning while playing at the pitcher position
and throwing a ball from (short) center field to home and almost getting the out

He was awarded game ball for his outstanding effort but he has yet to get any new legos. Poor kid.

the world is not designed for twins

2011-10-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

I went to Costco today (more on that in a moment) and while I was there I saw this woman pulling two carts. First I paused because I was truly amazed at how she was navigating what turned out to be not so nice kind of a place with two carts. And as I stood staring and she turned her carts, I discovered that she had two carts because one cart was occupied solely by twin boys (probably about 4 years old). And then I sighed and looked at my over sized cart that was filled to the brim and realized Costco alone with twins may not be in my future. It would definitely be a 4 person trip.

I love Costco or maybe it is the memory of Costco. It is just one of those childhood hold-overs. I remember when my parents got their account and at the time the apparent exclusivity of it. And all so we could buy lots of toilet paper at once! Rick and I don't go as often anymore (although I imagine that changes with our new need for diapers) but today I went to get treats for the teacher in-service days next week.

I will acknowledge that I am hormonal and therefore I have less patience than most people and these hormones may also cause me to add a bit of hyperbole to my adventure but I found almost everyone at Costco rude (with exception of the check-out guys). It just seemed that people (some not all) felt that the rest of us were a nuisance to their Costco shopping and had no problem cutting us off, blocking aisles, or pushing at the sample stations ( I swear I was not at any sample stations but I am always amazed at how crazed people get over them).

The worst part of my adventure came in the parking lot. One of my top pet peeves is people who wait for you to load your car just so they can have your spot. And what made it worse today was that by the time I made it to my car, it dawned on me that this was why Rick told me not to go alone. I think it probably took me an hour (ok that is hyperbole) to load up the car and all the time this woman sat in her car with her turn signal on, waiting for my not so prime parking spot. When I finally pulled out, she was sure to give me a scowl for making her wait. Part of me wishes I would have just told her to get her butt out of her car and help the pregnant load her car but I didn't instead I drove away and was met with an awesome line of traffic and about 5 cars that refused to pause those two seconds to allow me to get in line to exit the parking lot. I guess they all had far more important things to do than be nice to someone.

Otherwise shopping for 70+ teacher and staff members at Costco was fun; who doesn't want to have a cart filled with 6 dozen muffins. I just hope they all enjoy eating the things that I was craving while shopping! It might not be good to have the pregnant in charge of Hospitality for the teachers.

The Halloweenie Quilt Experiment

2011-10-06T20:34:00.000-05:00

I bet you thought we weren't going to do it? You thought Chandra and I would buy our fabric and it would be well past Halloween before either of us completed our projects. Well, we impressed ourselves and got our quilts done. Now that isn't to say they are perfect but I am excited to have my first holiday quilt.

Chandra remained true to our original design whereas I got a bit panicky when first cutting the fabric and went with a very similar (ok maybe exact) design as the one I made for Judes last year. As Chandra mentions, she isn't thrilled with the binding (I talked her in to the method from Amy Butler) but I am pleased to have completed it that I am ok with perhaps the less than professional binding. My only complaint is that I think the batting is too fluffy (that is amateur quilter talk for too thick) so I think I will experiment with other batting for the next quilt. Yes, Chandra and I are in negotiations for the next quilt. Actually we have two we want to try: a Christmas quilt and then a very long-term investment in a hexie quilt.

JT helped me pick out the backing and I have to admit, I think it makes the quilt even better. And just like Chandra's (although we weren't together when purchased) mine has glitter!

Note: the quilt is folded over but it ended up being just shy of a full size quilt. Basically the perfect size for taking naps on the couch.

Baseball With Zach

2011-10-02T10:11:00.000-05:00

Things That Make Us Happy

2011-10-02T09:57:00.000-05:00

I am sitting at the kitchen bar this morning watching JT cook french toast including his new experimental PB&J stuffed for everyone. The chickens and I are opting for original french toast but it is fun to watch him cook. Zach is hanging out with legos (big surprise!). And Rick is exposing us to some new tunes that he has been listening to. Not too shabby of a Sunday morning.

Zach's teacher is always talking to us about excited Zach is for his sisters and that during Writers Workshop he writes a lot about the girls. Recently they had a project where they talked about things that make them happy and drew pictures.

In case it is hard to decipher, from left to right, Zach's bike, me on the ultra-sound table getting the announcement that we are having girls, and a swing set.

I hope everyone is getting to do something that makes them happy to today. After breakfast, I am sneaking off to Jo Anns!

the speed of life

2011-09-29T16:52:00.000-05:00

I was doing a little online banking the other day, a task that always causes angst, and I saw that a check had cashed for the amount of $72.60. It caused me to pause not because it put us in the hole (just yet) but we seldom write checks and if we do they are typically for smaller amounts like lunch money or paying a sitter. When I clicked on the check, I saw that it was a check for our lawyer that we wrote back in April. My initial reaction was to scorn him for holding my check for so long but then I paused and thought about how life has changed so much in year. This time last year we were knee-deep in a frivolous law suit that consumed our lives, put Rick in a dark place, and had both of us asking lots of questions about the/our future. So here we are now a year later and in another uncontrollable situation albeit a happier one. I think this time around it is more me that is struggling. I got through highs and lows (go ahead and blame the hormones). I like control, I like to plan, and there is just so much that I can’t control and I can’t plan. Part of me wants to go out and buy a bigger house, a bigger car, and every baby item ever made but realistically it isn’t possible or necessary at this very moment. I need to focus on patience which has never been my strong suit. And even more than patience, I need to focus on keeping these girls in belly until at least 35 weeks. I keep reminding myself that everything will work out but sometimes even I question my own mantra.

The girls and I had what we hope is our last appointment at the prenatal specialist where we reviewed only the hearts. Turns out they both have them and they both are in good shape. I get to stick with my doctor from here on out unless she notices one of the girls not growing. Right now they are 1 lbs 10oz and 1lb 8oz (although I can’t tell you which was which). They did switch positions, so Dip who had been head down this entire time is now head up and Chip is now head down. I asked the tech if it was possible for them to change sides and she explained that it is all based on the direction of the membrane. Mine is positioned so that they have to stay on their designated side. I admit that I questioned her expertise until she moved the ultrasound wand-thingy to the Chip (on the left) and the appointment suddenly became much longer as Chip, true to form, refused to cooperate. Each time the tech would focus on the velocity of blood flow, Chip would move, which required the tech to start over. Funny to think that already they are starting to develop personalities. It will be interesting to see if this obstinance continues once they move out of their studio apartment.

I am trying to pick a room color right now, which is tough. I pulled about 7 shades of pink but I am having a hard time committing to an entire room of pink. And I am in a mad dash to clean out closets and hopefully make enough room for their stuff.

The boys are doing excellent. They are both knee deep in school and doing well. Right now they are both on a reading frenzy and you really can’t complain about that. Zachy started fall ball and has had two games so far. He is doing fabulous. He has always been far more relaxed at games compared to JT but this season he seems to be taking things a bit more seriously (in a good way). I think it helps that we have some excellent coaches that are really taking the time to work with the boys and helping them learn the game. JT hasn’t gotten to play a tournament yet with the Voodoo as we have several players that opted to play football this fall and unfortunately two sports is just too much to juggle even for the best. There is a handful of boys (parents) that are committed to the team and continue to practice and work at pitching. Hopefully the team will get in a game or two in November/December and then back again in full swing for the Spring.

So for the most part all is well and despite how I feel some days, I know that everything will work out.

Roadtrip - Charleston

2011-09-19T13:24:00.000-05:00

I am ashamed that I have yet to finish our road trip chronicles and even worse that I have not documented from our final destination and visit with Pete and Judes. Prior to getting to Charleston, almost everyone we spoke with talked about what a fabulous place Charleston is and we have to admit, they weren't wrong. For me it is almost the perfect city, not too big, lots of fabulous dining, and you are maybe 30 minutes at most from one of multiple beaches. I am not sure really what the downside is to Charleston; maybe there isn't one? Maybe hurricane season?

I am relying on the slide show again, this time with captions to highlight some of our fun. I think for me this trip was perhaps our most educational. There is just so much history in the city and so many places to visit. The boys really like Fort Sumter and JT loved (although I have no photos) the ghost tour he and Rick took where they learned all about the pirates. Sadly (at least to me) we only hit one of the historic homes but hopefully next time at least I will be able to see some of the plantations and other homes in the area. I am a little sad that we won't be able to be there for Christmas as I was told the homes are truly fabulous then.

sometimes it is best not to ask

2011-09-18T19:58:00.000-05:00

Best Friend Betrayal

2011-08-31T08:31:00.000-05:00

We all have that best friend, the one who knows more about you (even more than your spouse0, the one that you trust beyond anyone else in the world, the one you call when you foolishly take a pregnancy test at work and get a positive. So you can no doubt imagine how it feels when this friend sends you a text to tell you about this:

At first I ignored it but after one bad day, I couldn't ignore it anymore. I have three obliging sidekicks who were not going to send me to Sonic alone and so we journeyed yesterday after school to check out this magical Pumpkin Pie Shake. It was after that first sip that I knew I was in trouble. After I finished my first cup of yumminess, I seriously spent the rest of the evening wondering how I could justify a second one. (No, mom I did not go and get a second one.)
After I got over my desire to have a second one, I started to ponder the relationship with this so-called best friend. Why would she do this to me? She knows I am in a state of weakness, she knows I love fall treats, she knows I am not in her same obsessive workout routine. Is she really a friend or an enemy? And so I am declaring revenge not only on this friend but on Sonic in general. It has started slowly by me telling everyone else I know about this new treat. I will not suffer alone. And for that special best friend who opted to tell me about this treat, she can't hide from me. I am formulating a plan and she will suffer come Christmas-time (fair warning!).

The Social (Quilt) Experiment

2011-08-28T10:24:00.000-05:00

Chandra and I are kindred spirits for many reasons including our excitement for Halloween and our commitment to crafting despite our many setbacks.
So when Chandra purchased her sewing machine and started checking out various quilt designs it seemed kismet that we would combine our Halloween love with our craft-can-do-(who cares how much we get mocked by our husbands)-spirit. It also helps that Chandra discovered this image:

We took this inspiration, spent our summer searching for fabrics, and now we both have identical piles with the ~~intent~~ goal to create Halloween quilts. The obvious idea being here is how we will both use what we have.

I really like the original design inspiration but admit to feeling intimidated that I don't have a pattern to work from. So with my goal to start cutting my fabric this morning, I am instead online cheating to find a pattern. And I am terrified that we don't have enough fabric and after a panic buy yesterday Chandra and I are questioning one of our fabric choices but we shall see what happens. Really, I just hope that we both get something done before Halloween!

Road Trip Frustration

2011-08-26T20:12:00.000-05:00

As if it isn't obvious, I love taking photos. I usually make my people suffer by posing but rarely do I get to actually post those photos because in the midst of each photo taking event there is one member of the family that has to get some smart-aleck remark in, which means he tends to ruin photos. Below is my evidence of such photo shenanigans from Fort Sumter.

Roadtrip - Savannah

2011-08-26T20:00:00.000-05:00

Our original intention was to sail in to Savannah, hang out for a bit, go to a game, and then leave town. We all found Savannah fascinating and we definitely regretted that we didn't research the city more and make better plans for our day. Despite that, we managed to roam around and see some of the Savannah and definitely put it on the list for a return trip.

I've broken the photos in to two groups for this one. I did my usual collage of the baseball game (hint: if you click on it, it will open larger) and the other is a slide show.

The Sand Gnats ranked as every one's favorite game. It is a tiny ballpark with more of the old-time feel. The ballpark is tucked away in a neighborhood and part of a large city park. When we went to purchase tickets, we requested (as is our usual request) to sit by the home team dugout. The park is so small and friendly that the ticket lady politely warned us that there is a season ticket holder who would be sitting near us and that some people don't like being close to him. We opted to risk it and took the seats. It turned out to be a fine choice as the season ticket holders we were sitting by were actually really nice and although there were some loud moments, we have definitely experienced worse.
The best part for the boys was that upon entrance to the ballpark, they were recruited to play some between innings games.JT got to run the bases with the mascot and Zach played let's make a deal; opting between 4 tickets to a game or what was in the box. He took the box option and ended up with a contact sheet of the season baseball cards.

Keeping with our dining on the local ball-park delicacy, Rick and JT dined on waffles and chicken and gave it two thumbs up.

We changed our plans at the last minute and stayed at a hotel rather than driving through to Charleston on the same night. Since we stayed the night, I convinced the boys to stop by the Bonaventure Cemetery after reading the following:
The site was purchased for a private cemetery in 1846 and became a public cemetery in 1907. This charming site has been a world famous tourist destination for more than 150 years due to the old tree-lined roadways, the many notable persons interred, the unique cemetery sculpture and architecture, and the folklore associated with the site and the people.
The cemetery provides a walking guide and we wandered freely looking for the various points of interests and learned about some of Savannah's most famous dead people. Of course I took a ton of photos. I typically try to avoid loading a slide show but there were too many to make a collage (this also gives you the option to skip them altogether). We did use the cemeteries grave site finder but we could not locate any Flisakowskis (odd I know) and we found a Lucas but couldn't locate their exact site.

There is one photo that is not from the cemetery and that is from the Flannery O'Connor child hood home. We stopped by the day before just before the house was closing and didn't have time to get a full tour. I would love to go back to Savannah sans kids and get to see more of the city especially take advantage of some of the house tours.
And if you do view the slide deck, you just may catch a shot of my big basketball belly courtesy of JT.

The First

2011-08-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of school. Hard to believe. It was a bit abnormal morning for us as Rick was asked to sub for the first two weeks and he had to be out the door earlier. The boys and I managed to pull it together with just a minor hiccup but my photo taking definitely suffered and it didn't help that poor Jet had no clue what was going on and wanted to be in every photo.

A disclaimer here for Nana - JT's hair was combed out before he left. He had used some water to wet down his bed head.

The walk to school was interesting. JT who is usually more like me, shy and nervous in new situations, was full of energy and excited for the first day. Zachy on the other hand, who is normally very gregarious like Rick, was silent and obviously very nervous this morning. And to make matters worse, we didn't notice before we left the house that he had his sock on too low so while we walked to school he was complaining that it was hurting. And of course since I am quickly losing my ability to bend down and didn't realize what was going on, I asked him if he could make it to his classroom. By the time we dropped off JT and got to his room he had developed a blister. Poor little bug. He was trying so hard to be strong but was also so nervous. It just broke my heart. Luckily his teacher had some band-aids so we got one on and she said she would check on it later in the day.

This next photo is not first day of school related but it is a first. A sweet friend stopped by on Saturday with my first baby gift (no I am not counting the diapers that I have been given although those are welcomed). Check out these two fabulously cute outfits! I have to admit that these two cuties have helped me get just a little more excited about the girls. Just look at those little coats!

Cagney and Lacey

2011-08-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

Well, it is official, there is a god, she is a woman, and she has a sense of humor. That is the only way I can explain the news that Chip and Dip are going to be Chipette and Dipette or as Rick now prefers Cagney and Lacey.
It hasn't all sunk in just yet, and by all I mean the fact that we are having a third (and a fourth) and now to know that they are girls. The Lucas household is definitely not one to be boring and this kicks it up a notch for sure.

In a few weeks I will be heading in to see a specialist (since I am old with twins) so we will get more details about their growth, organs, and any other concerns (like how can someone who is 5'2" with virtually no torso even have twins). We will also get confirmation as to whether they are identical but for now it definitely appears that they are.

And for added cuteness factor, unlike the last ultrasound where they were kick fighting each other (a sign for me that said they were boys) this time around they were holding hands. They still sit head to foot but perhaps that is because of the aforementioned lack of torso.

We are taking name suggestions so start sending them our way.

Road Trip - Warner Robins

2011-08-16T14:43:00.000-05:00

Originally I had planned to keep this updated as we traveled but by the time we hit WR, GA, I got accustomed to relaxing, eating ice cream, and logging in only as needed to take care of work stuff. But we are officially home so now I will collect the 1000 of photos I have and get some postings done.

So after our stop in NOLA, we trekked to Montgomery for baseball, and then we found ourselves in the town of Warner Robins, who has several claims to fame (Little League championship baseball team, Air Force base) although our sole reason for stopping was so that I could get in some girl time with Lexi. This was even more important since our girl trip for this year had to be postponed because someone had to go off and get pregnant.

While Lexi and I enjoyed girl time the boys enjoyed swimming, running through the house, and rotting their brains on video games. To totally bum out my boys, school in WR started that Monday so while Joel and Patton were off at school Rick was sweet enough to take the boys to the local Aerospace museum, which ended up being a huge hit for the day. Lexi and I did what we do best, ate, drank coffee, and stopped at a few stores. We also ate enough ice cream to ensure Chip and Dip had enough calcium while in-utero (at least during their time in Georgia).

Road trip - Montgomery Biscuits

2011-08-01T19:46:00.000-05:00

Our first official game of the road trip was the Montgomery Biscuits. We got to the ballpark early for an autograph session with the players.The highlight for JT was getting to meet and fist bump Tim Beckham who he saw play on TV in the Futures Game.

Our seats were right in front of the Biscuits bullpen so we got to watch as the pitchers warmed up. The Biscuits ballpark definitely ranks as one our of Top 5 favorites. I didn't get the greatest shots but one of the unique features was that they built the ballpark using existing buildings including one that was used as a Confederate jail that held over 700 Union POWs. The gift ship and admin offices were part of that building and then the suites were all included in the other building. The ballpark also gets high marks as having some of the nicest employees as moments after JT got his soda, he dropped it, which prompted an employee to escort JT to the concessions stands to get a free refill. Zachy somehow managed to get a free sausage wrap in the 7th inning. And of course the whole family dined on biscuits (what else are you going to eat when you are at a biscuits game?).

Road Trip - enroute to Montgomery

2011-08-01T19:13:00.000-05:00

On our way to see the Biscuits we stopped by the check out the Mobile Bay Bears ballpark and the Hank Aaron museum. We didn't get to see a game but we may try for one on the way home.

The museum was Hank Aaron's house that they relocated to the ball park and filled with baseball memorabilia as well as items from his childhood. We were the only ones there, which was a treat. The boys were a little shocked by the original size of the house, which was 600 sq. ft.

Roadtrip - New Orleans

2011-08-01T18:53:00.000-05:00

Our first official stop of the 2011 road trip was New Orleans for some quality Lee and Rebecca time and a Zephyrs game. The bad news, it is monsoon season in NOLA, which meant no baseball and not too many outside activities.

We managed to find some fun which included a trip to the New Orleans Museum of Art, which had an impressive collection and the traveling exhibit of Madeline Albright's pins. I know it doesn't sound so thrilling but it really was fascinating to read how she decided to wear the pins she did and where some came from.

Our final night, Lee and Rebecca treated us to a crab and shrimp boil. JT got to be Rebecca's sous chef and hopefully some day soon he will be recreating the fabulous dinner for us.

Roadtrip - Day 1

2011-07-28T11:34:00.000-05:00

We made it to New Orleans save and sound with only one major incident involving puke. We won't be going back to the Dennys in Baytown, Texas anytime soon and we left what may be the largest tip known to any Dennys employee.

We are all now bothering Rebecca while the two of us try to get some work done and we wait to see if it is going to rain. We head out later for a Zephyrs baseball game.

just like old times

2011-07-28T11:05:00.001-05:00

It has been 4 years since the Nguyen family moved to Minnesota but now they are back in Austin and we were lucky enough to get in a family dinner before our roadtrip. The boys are all older, the Nguyens have a new address, but it is like we haven't missed a beat. The kids rans around and did their thing while the adults got to hang out.

Welcome back Nguyens! We are so excited to have you back and to have many more family dinners.

Birthday Photo Blues

2011-07-21T17:50:00.000-05:00

Zach had one simple request this year for his birthday, a bowling party. And that is exactly what we had last night at Mel's Bowling Alley. Zach invited 7 buddies (his brother made the cut) Rick and I took them all out the alley where they had an hour and half of bowling fun, hot dog bar heaven, unlimited drinks, and an awesome party hostess that waited on them hand and foot. She was replenshing french fries and corn dogs before the kids knew they needed more. It was really a great experience.

Now what wasn't so great was that I took tons and tons of photos but because of the lighting (fingers crossed it really is the lighting and not something wrong with my camera) only one photo actually turned out. The rest of the photos are blurry and miserable. I am really sad about the lack of photos but love that that one photo that turned out is of Zach and one of his best buddies Izzy (although adminttingly as I stare at it, this really isn't the greatest quality photo either but better than the others!)

Zach is besides himself with excitement about getting have a party and as if it couldn't get any better, he received his birthday money from Nana Juju and Grandpa Pete along with Aunt Paula and Uncle Ed, which meant he was able to go out today and purchase the long awaited Nintendo DS. He was especially excited that Aunt Paula sent a check that he got to trade in (according to Z) for real money (a couple of twenties and a ten).

legos and other stuff

2011-07-21T17:39:00.000-05:00

Note: I tried posting this a few days ago but I guess it never made it! Lucky you, two posts in a day!

_______________________________________________________________________________

I am remiss on posting some photos. I won't go in to details but I am still just coping right now. Rick is busy planning an addition to the house while I am trying to figure funding. working and getting ready for our road trip.

Over the fourth of July weekend there was a lego convention in town. It was a Texas group (whose name I forget) but basically a bunch of Lego ~~geeks~~ lovers. The focus of the event was MOC (my own creation) so everything built was from imagination not based on a kit. The boys came home with tons of ideas and as usual legos dominate our family room.

We also had a one day tournament over the 4th weekend and one team had the cutest bat boy ever. He took his role very seriously.

The Hutto All-Star team participated in the 100 year parade in Hutto. Check out JT's awesome parade wave.

As I mentioned we are gearing up for our Southern Road trip. I think I've been so busy and overwhelmed that I haven't realized that it is here (and may be our last for a while). I hope to get more excited in the coming days. Tonight we kick-off a busy last week in town with a birthday celebration for Zach. Pictures and details to come.

Coping

2011-07-03T19:09:00.000-05:00

We are still trying to absorb the twin news. I admit to having a few breakdowns. We went back in on Friday to redo the ultrasound testing that looks for downs and indicates whether we should look for other genetic concerns. We won't have results until next week

We have temporarily opted to name the twins, Chip and Dip so we stop referring to them as Twin A and Twin B. JT will be responsible for Chip (formerly A) and Zach will get Dip (formerly B). No word on the sex of either just yet (and I promise we will find out) but my entire OB office staff is hoping for girls.The ultrasound tech said she felt like they were girls, which gives me a little hope because I think she secretly knows more than she lets on to when she is searching and looking at the babies. But until I get the official confirmation, I will stick with boy names (I think I have one in mind).

I appreciate every one's well wishes. It is hard to feel blessed and that all of this will work out just yet but I know it will eventually. I did have one well wisher who pointed out that with the age difference between the boys and Chip and Dip it will be a blessing because the twins will have each other rather than a 3rd child that feels left out. That thought definitely helped out as when these guys go to enter kinder (in 2016 if I did my math right) JT and Zach will be in middle school.

life lesson

2011-06-29T10:57:00.000-05:00

This morning I learned an important life lesson: Ultrasound technicians do not like to joke around.
About a month ago Rick and I learned that we were unexpectedly expecting a third Lucas child. It has taken a good month and lots of ice cream to process this news. Since I am advanced maternal age, I went in today to have the ultrasound that measures for downs and based on results they decide whether to do additional genetic testing. Since I didn't have this with either boy, it has been causing me a bit of angst.

My appointment didn't start well as I had the times messed up. The ultrasound tech took me in despite being late and she pulled up an image of a cute stretched out sleeping baby. My immediate thought was that he was enjoying all the room he had but what I said to the ut was "Still just one in there right?" The ut immediately turned off the machine and said she couldn't continue with today's testing. I thought she was disappointed with me being late but she turned back on the machine and told me that there actually were two babies in my belly. Yes, twins. I tried to cry but all I could do is laugh. I think I asked her at least 10 times if she was sure and then the only thing I could think to ask was "Are they conjoined?" (they aren't)

We got some shots of the babies, both sleeping in identical positions. I will go back in on Friday to do the testing on both babies to ensure everything looks good and then we will move on from there. These little guys will come in December instead of January (new baby doctor rules say you keep twins in for 36 weeks instead of 40).

Good times ahead for the Lucas clan. Zach is excited that he gets his own baby as he firmly believed JT was going to hog the one baby. I will keep you posted on how things go but I will have to admit that I don't plan on taking photos of my weekly growth especially since it will be hard to tell how much is due to ice cream.

lazy sunday

2011-06-26T11:33:00.000-05:00

Since we are on a brief baseball hiatus we have time on our hands to relax and catch up with other activities.

We explored our cultural side by going to see JT's and Zach's buddies Rhys and Griffin (along with their sister Avery) perform Hamlet with some of their home school mates. It was truly impressive what this group of kids were able to accomplish. Rhys played Horatio and I couldn't help but wonder if he spent time in center field rehearsing his lines. Griffin stole the show as the actor who plays the king in Hamlet's play Mousetrap and his stellar poisoning scene. JT has taken the challenge of finishing the Phantom Tollbooth before Rick finishes his book. Meanwhile Zachy has taken up hand-stitching a Tooka doll from his Star Wars craft book. And of course I am supposed to be busy cleaning up my office so I can temporarily relocate for an upcoming guest

Happy Sunday to everyone.

Let's Ride

2011-06-21T09:03:00.000-05:00

Someone in the Lucas House is coming up on his 6th birthday and ever since a friend mentioned he looked like a Shriner Clown on his old bike the only thing he has requested is a new bike.Since we didn't have baseball on Sunday we took a family trip to Ozone Bikes where Zach locked in immediately on a red Redline bike. Even luckier they had one with coaster brakes in box, which meant Zachy fell asleep talking about picking up his bike and woke up Monday asking how soon until he could leave to get his bike.
He spent the greater part of the morning riding and then also requested a night time bike ride. He is up again waiting for Rick and JT to go on a ride.

Getting Crafty Jedi Style

2011-06-14T15:08:00.002-05:00

A couple of weekends ago Zach and I were out and about having some serious Zach and Mom time when we serendipitously came upon a gem of crafting book that was just too good to leave behind (especially since I couldn't seem to find a second copy).

Our first project is underway although I noticed today that he isn't aging just right and we are getting some mold. There is a warning about humidity that I pretended like it didn't apply. We may have to scrap this one until the fall and move on to one of the many others that he is interested in.

Summer

2011-06-05T20:51:00.000-05:00

Summer has officially started although it feels like Texas has been in summer since March with temperatures in the 80s-90s and little to no rain. Any attempts I had at gardening have died a slow, dry death. I am trying to adjust to working from home with everyone else home and with one week under my belt, I think it may be doable. Rick has been good about getting everyone out in the mornings, which is when the bulk of my work happens.

Our summer this year is broken in to four phases: 1) All-Stars Baseball, 2) First two weeks of July, 3) Zach 4)Vacation

All-Stars - JT is ending his league ball career by playing on the Hutto All-Stars. It all gets very confusing with the various teams we have played for this Spring but this group is made up of all league kids, some of which will go on to play select with us. All-Stars basically takes up our entire month of June with practices two days a week and games on the weekend. I have some shots of this weekend's events that I will upload once we finish our last game on Monday.

First two weeks of July - Once All-Stars ends we go full swing with JT's next phase baseball, select baseball. The Voodoo team and family will be hosting a tournament on the 4th of July weekend. If things go well, we will raise enough money to cover our expenses for the fall and maybe even part of the spring season. Once all of our tournament efforts are complete, the Voodoo then hosts tryouts to fill a few open spots.

Zach - Not to be overshadowed by baseball or vacation, Zach will celebrate his 6th birthday. Unlike his brother, Zach makes very few requests for his birthday but this year he specifically said he would like to have a bowling party. He and I have been working out details and I think we have a good plan coming together. It is nice that his requests are so much simpler than his brother's. JT usually has grand ideas that involve me making baseball uniforms for 20 kids, feeding 20 kids, and then a portion of these kids spending the night. The only request that I haven't figured out how to work in to Zach's birthday is apple bobbing. Perhaps we can do that at home with some buddies.

Vacation - Summer wouldn't be complete without a Lucas road trip and this year's is shaping up to be good fun. Our final destination will be Charleston, SC the new home base for Pete and Judes. En route we will of course stop in NOLA for some time with Lee and Rebecca and a Zephyrs baseball game, we will then see a game in Montgomery, stop for some time with my bestest bud Lexi and her family in Warner Robbins, head to Savannah for a Sand Gnats game, and finally cruise in to Charleston. We will make brief overnight visit to Myrtle Beach before heading back for some more time in Charleston. We don't have an official route home yet but I imagine we may try to squeeze in one more game.

Round Rock Express

2011-05-25T08:55:00.000-05:00

We had tickets to last Friday's game and lucky for us two Rangers (Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz) were both making rehab debuts with the team. Since there was rain predicted, the crowd was thin which meant the boys spent their night sitting behind the dugout.

the end

2011-05-25T08:49:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe but we have reached the end of league baseball for JT (not including a June filled with All-Stars) and the end of the school year for both boys (it is officially on Friday).

Our June is booked with baseball, then the first weekend of July we are hosting a tournament to raise money for the Voodoo, someone turns 6, and then we start our annual baseball odyssey (more details on this year's adventure soon).

Here are some shots from award ceremonies from baseball and school. JT got all sorts of awards this year at school: all As for the year, meeting his reading goals, and the metal was for Social Studies Student of the Year for his class. Zach got an official certificate saying that he is ready for 1st grade.

And speaking of ends, here are JT and I finishing a 5K this weekend. JT wasn't supposed to run but stepped in and took Rick's number since Rick hadn't been training for the event. I admit I was hesitant about letting JT run with me as I really wanted to complete the full race and thought JT may not make it pas thet first mile. JT promised he would run 2 miles and he did it. We walked for the next half mile and then he finished strong for the last half. JT was a great running partner and is already making plans for "our" next race. We also had my friend Lexy running with us, which was nice for me since I am a codependent exerciser. My goal is to get Lexy and I into a 1/2 marathon.

random plug that i dont get paid for

2011-05-18T08:09:00.000-05:00

For the first time in my online shopping career I used the website Zappos.com. Ok, really I used the website about a month ago for two purchases: present for grandpa Pete (he needed Charleston flip flops) and new shoes for JT.

Let me just explain one thing. JT and I had been to basically every store I could possibly think of to look at new sneakers for him. It was just a bit frustrating. Unlike his brother who was drawn to the first pair of shoes that were green, JT hemmed and hawed over multiple shoes. He got upset that I wouldn't splurge $80 on a pair and at one point fellow shoppers may have thought about calling CPS as JT and I battled it out.

And then, on a whim I logged on to Zappos.com (I should really get paid for this plug) and oh! what joy! After I browsed to the appropriate kid, sneaker, sport, whatever section, I walked away and let JT put as many pairs of sneakers in his cart as his little heart desired. I then returned, we edited the cart together, we purchased (3 pairs), they arrived, he tried on, he debated, and then he picked a pair. And then, this is the good part, I needed to return the two unwanted pairs. The box with the remaining two pairs has been sitting in my office waiting for me to return. I hit a mild panic the other day when I realized that it had almost been a month (sad huh?) but then I logged on and learned that I get 365 returns and even more awesome Zappos pays for it. I don't know what took me so long to find this place. I logged in, selected the item I was returning, requested the packing slip be emailed to me, and it magically appeared in my in-box.

And a random show related note, JT ordered a pair of Roos Yes the same ones I had as a kid with the zip pocket (except his were navy not pink). Who knew the Roos were making a comeback. He didn't end up picking those but Zach has already put in his request for a pair of Roos. I should see if they make them in my size.

More non-shoe updates soon.

April

2011-05-13T16:59:00.000-05:00

Somehow I missed the month of April and Easter altogether. It was so bad that I didn't even dye eggs with the boys this year (not to worry, they have a fabulous babysitter that dyed eggs with them).

Easter weekend was actually fairly quiet. Friday I took the boys to meet up with Jennie and Abigail at a park. The boys were hoping that the water park would be open but I guess the parks department hold firms to the June opening even when we have had record heat for March/April. Easter Sunday was spent with all the crazy characters at Apache Shores, which is always a good time and something the Lucas clan loves to do. So why you ask do I even both to give you this mundane update of events that occurred weeks ago, well because I have a few cute photos worthy of your viewing.

Zach and Abi are fast buddies and spent their time playing in the water.

JT fakes out Craig and doesn't jump into 60 degree water at the count of 3.

Slade hanging out in the golf cart the Easter Bunny brought so our voyages from house to beach are just a little more fun when visiting Apache Shores.

rangers 2011

2011-05-13T14:24:00.000-05:00

The boys have been Ranger fans for a few years now (well before their incredible world series run last season). Each year we try to take a trip for at least one game and lucky us in the past few years we have been able to rope our baseball buddies the Largents in to our trips.

For some odd reason, Lexy and I decided this year that a night game during the week was not crazy and completely doable. This 12 hour trip was definitely our most adventure-filled.

Here is the brief recap:

Drive to Arlington - uneventful
Dinner - also uneventful although Griffin and Zach were exposed to UF (ultimate fighting) and we now fear for the world
Game - it started off as quick moving, uneventful although incredibly muggy game with the Rangers winning. Then Pennington from the As launched a homerun to right field and we all sat and watched while the ball flew towards Zach and then then the guy sitting next to him stuck out his glove to catch it. Zach raised his hand believing that the ball would be his but then the fan tossed the ball back on to the field to the cheers of the crowd. Zach started to cry (of course) and then it started to rain. The kept playing for a bit but then we went in to rain delay, which for me was fairly fascinating to see how the grounds crew gets out there so quickly and covers the field.
When the game resumed we were treated to some serious Ranger fans treats. First since we were sitting next to the bullpen, Zach moved as close as he could get and eventually asked one of the pitchers for a ball (Darren Oliver was happy to oblige) and that made Zach's night. Then Rangers closer Neftali Feliz came out on the field in front of us to warm up between innings before closing out the game.

We survied the drive home. I am not sure how Bill and Rick managed to stay awake but they got us all home safely and we all made it through Wednesday in our zombie-like states. And of course, I am sure Lexy and I won't hesitate to get weekday night tickets again next year!

can someone please let me know how this happened?

2011-05-02T10:41:00.000-05:00

Those first shots are JT in the Spring of 2007 when he played on his first team at Sam Bass and here he is 2011 in his first Voodoo Select outting. We took second place in a 1 day, 4 team tourney. No complaints on 2cd place. It was fun to see the team out together, uniformed, and ready to start the next chapter of baseball.

Royal Wedding Watching (or a random entry about school and motherly angst)

2011-04-29T08:38:00.000-05:00

I have no shame in admitting that I watched some Royal Wedding coverage today. It all actually worked out perfectly as today is a crazy school day. Zach has Insect Day at the park and his teacher asked that I come and get some photos and then we have our last POPs Rally (6 week award ceremony) this afternoon, which means I needed to get my work done early.

Let's just sidebar here for a moment to talk about the fact that there is only one month of school left! How can that be? JT will move to 3rd grade, which we all know is just 2 grades away from 5th and there is no way in hell he can be that old. And Zach is very confident that if he and his buddy Bobby can continue to be good in class, they will get to go to 1st grade. Both boys have talked about their top teacher picks and I have to admit I am bit antsy as due to budget cuts the school is making some changes, one of the biggest being the removal of the Autism Inclusion Program (yes, the very one that the school is well-known for) and the addition of a group they call PACE kids (which someone defined as emotionally disturbed children). I don't really know exactly what this means and I reserve the right to change my opinion but based on my one conversation, with one parent, I don't like the sounds of a child disrupting class with an emotional outbreak and the teacher having to stop and work with said kid. I am not 100% clear but I don't think these kids come with aides but they may leave at set times to work with a special teacher. I need to do more research before I get too worked up. I am sad about the Autism program leaving, not because I have a kid that gets to be part of the program but because of the incredible environment of inclusion the school has created. Okay, as I am typing, thinking this one over I realize there is a possibility of me being a tad bit hypocritical as I am heralding the awesomeness of autism inclusion but leery of emotional disturbed behavior inclusion. I guess it is the unknown that frigthens me, the self-ish fear of how it will affect my children, the lament of losing fabulous teachers and aides as well as the loss of a program that not only educated me about a disorder but also my children and the frustration that a group of children who thrive in an environment that offers them security, comfort, and repetition will be tossed in to various schools throughout the district.
Stepping off my soap-box now and back to part of my original train of thought about the boys' teacher wish lists, we also have lots of teachers that are being moved around not only within our school but the possibility of getting moved to other schools. There are only a few teachers that I am not sure I am sold on so I feel certain things will work out but that unknown factor always worries me. And yes, I do have an entire summer to worry about so no need to stress too much right now.

School and kids is tough. I find myself always questioning whether we are doing the right thing and if they are getting what they need to succeed. I feel like my education was so special and of course only now that the boys are in public school do I feel this way. I imagine I hated most days and at some point envied the non-uniform wearing kids. Actually, I am not really sure I was aware there were other schools until 7th grade when we got bussed to a local junior high for science classes. It was such an odd feeling to get off our St. Mary's Catholic School bus right in front the courtyard while the North Pines kids were on their lunch break. We were mocked of course and we all quickly rushed in to the building to our assigned class. I wonder what the teachers thought about us? If they disliked that they had to teach us? I think that experience made me fear public school.

We have some great friends that homeschool (in a liberal arts, non-religious, cool way) and Rick and I have talked about it some but I know I could not handle it and honestly I think the boys may go insane. I think they like the structure and the social aspect of school. Not that we couldn't and wouldn't provide that at home but I think they like being away from us for some of their day too. JT's only interest in homeschooling, is the belief that he would get to dedicate the majority of his day to baseball related activities. The other day he mentioned that a Tuesday night Rangers game in Arlington was a jersey give away night and that if it wasn't for school, we could just all take off and go.
So here I am now, taking a break from work, wedding watching, and scone eating (total dork alert but since we had all the right supplies I made a batch of strawberry scones last night - they aren't worthy of the royals but JT and I liked them).
We have a low key weekend with a small baseball tournament on Sunday. From what I gather there are only 4 teams playing so we will just play three games and from that pick a winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Happy Weekend peeps! My big "project" for the weekend is to get all my baseball and school photos organized and loaded on some sort of public/private free site so parents and teachers can view/use them. So keep your fingers crossed and you too could be going through countless number of photos of kids you don't know.

Spring Break Archives

2011-04-26T21:37:00.000-05:00

I've gotten a request or two for some more spring break photos and while tehse requests came long ago, I am just now getting to it. So here are a few more of our adventures with LJ in Galveston.

a letter from my desk

2011-04-07T16:08:00.000-05:00

Work is out of control crazy right now. I spend most of my time looking at this:

The flowers are honeysuckle that are in bloom all over Austin right now and has a smell that reminds me of lilacs; one of the things I miss about the good ol' PNW. In fact, things here are really pretty right now because it is wild flower season. Of course, as I said, I am stuck at my desk most of the day so I have no photos and very little in the ways of updates. I can dig up a few though.

Zach

Currently he is obsessed with Lady Gaga. At all times of the day he is singing various LG songs. (No mom, I dont think he knows what the lyrics mean but need I remind you that someone bought their daughter the Purple Rain record). He has also been coming home with lots of Lady Gage artwork/projects from school including his version of Rick's computer showing Lady Gaga on the music player. Zach has also been busy selling candy bars for his baseball team. He is a fabulous salesman although last night he discovered that he doesn't get to use the money to buy a new lego set and well you can imagine how long he cried.

I find JT truly fascinating. His level and depth of curiousity always amazes and impresses me. Recently he was absorbed in a NOVA special that walked through the various projects and their progress as we try to get man (or woman) to Mars. Of course, he is knee deep in baseball and if he had his way, we would let him drop out of school so he could play and watch baseball all day. It is great fun to watch him play especially how serious he can get on the field.

Rick

He is building some sort of hut, lean-to, shack in the corner of the backyard. He swears it is a lawn shed although JT said something about it being a playhouse with some of dad's stuff in it and I have my suscipion that it is some sort of work shack for me since I think Rick is tired of me moping around the house and yelling at the stuffed bears in my office who don't seem to pull their weight.

In an odd family update, I feel that I have to admit to getting cable back. The boys were 98% sure that their lives would end if they couldn't watch baseball this year. We had planned on getting MLB network and streaming through the computer to the TV but they black out Rangers games in our area and that is most important team for the boys. Oddly, despite having cable back the boys still watch netflix shows. I confess that I caught an episode or two of the Real Housewives but for the most part we haven't changed our ways and we really are only watching baseball off cable (read that as ESPN and Fox Sports Southwest). And if for some strange reason, some executive or other person with pull at ATT Uverse reads this blog, it would be awesome if you would let us pick a-la-carte channels rather than pay for all the channels we don't care about. Just a suggestion!

Well, that is the best I have for now.

a week...of baseball

2011-04-03T20:02:00.001-05:00

Here is the basic run down for our week and the reason why I rarely call or email anyone these days. Add to each day that I worked at least a 10 hour day (things at work are ridiculously crazy, we are short staffed, blah, blah, blah).

Monday - JT had a baseball game
Tuesday - Zach had a baseball practice
Wednesday - the Largent/Lucas clans watched the Rangers play the Round Rock Express. This was the highlight of the week. Since Nolan Ryan bought the Rangers last summer, our minor league team changed their affiliation from Astros to Rangers. The game was great fun even if crowded but that was easy to overlook since we had some fabulous seats. I loaded photos from the game below. While we go to a Rangers game each year, this is the first time we got to be this close to them. We are looking forward to a great season of fun with the Express.
Thursday - Zach had practice and JT had a game
Friday - No baseball! I snuck away to Round Top with Chandra for our annual pilgrimage. Sadly we came away this year basically empty-handed. Chandra did buy this cool head for her garden but neither of us found a thing on our long list of wanted items.
Saturday - JT and Zach both had games. In the evening we had some friends over for dinner and beer on the patio. It was great to get back to having people over and enjoying time on the deck. Hopefully we will get a few more in before it gets too hot.
Sunday - for the most part it has been a lazy day but JT did have practice and as I type we are watching a baseball game. I succumbed to Rick's whining and let him add cable back so he could watch baseball. Funny but after 5 months without cable none of us really miss it. With the exception of ESPN we mostly find ourselves watching the Netflix shows on the Wii. Ok and I admit to sneaking in an episode or two of Real Housewives.

And just to make you all extra jealous, both boys have games tomorrow!

222 Miles, 7 games, 12 hours

2011-03-28T11:04:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity. All said and done we drove an estimated 222 miles, played 7 baseball games, and Rick and I got to enjoy a 12 hour night away in Gruene (of which 7 were spent sleeping).

Saturday started with Rick and JT driving out to Kyle, Texas for the first of 2 games in a tournament while Zach and I headed to Manor for his league game. Afterwards we met up with a portion of the Voodoo league team for a game in Manor before driving back to Kyle for another game.

Games Review

The Thunder t-ball team played well. They had multiple innings with outs and at least 2 innings with 3 outs. The Titans (which is our undercover Voodoo select team - please email if you want me to break this all down for you!) had a tougher weekend. They played some phenomenal defense including one outrageous diving catch by JT to ruin what should have been a line-drive double (even sweeter it was during a game against our arch-nemesis team). The Titans also had at least 3 double-plays including one incredible 3rd to 1st double play. The tough part of the Titan's outing was our batting. Our team was flat and we just couldn't pull out of it.

Some baseball shots from the weekend including JT fielding a catch that may have been a little high but getting the out. Two shots of JT and Rhys folding in the last game (of which we were losing) both boys got forced out (Rhys at home and JT at second). What is most important to note is the awesomness of the Kyle fields, check out the llamas and mobile homes in the outfield. Zach has worked hard on his swing and isn't dropping his shoulder as much and who doesn't love a cute shot in the dug-out (all these boys have older brothers so they love to talk the talk in fact Zach played catcher and I wish I could have caught a photo of him giving Wes (far left) signs when Wes was mock-pitching.

Gruene Review

Long before we knew we were having a tournament, Rick and I made plans to see a Todd Snider show at the legendary Gruene Dance Hall, which is on my unofficial Texas Bucket List. We even booked a night at the Gruene Mansion but it wasn't what we had envisioned. We didn't get in to Gruene until after 6 at which point we both had to clean up (I forgot to mention temps were in the upper 80's during the baseball games on Saturday) at which point I realized I left behind my contact solution and other personal items. After locating a $10 bottle of travel size solution and eating, we walked past the Gruene Dance Hall and saw that the show wasn't starting until 10:30 so sadly we went back and took a 30 minute nap before heading back out (everything was within walking distance). We had a great time at the show unfortunately that is where it ended though because we were up by 6:30 to get out by 7:30 and back to Kyle for more tournament baseball. I am sad because we had such a cute room with a sweet little kitchenette. I know we will go back again and this time be prepared to actually stay longer than 12 hours.

All in all it was a fun weekend. We would gladly redo it all but perhaps not all on the same weekend. And of course, we owe a huge thanks to the Largents for helping us make this all possible by carpooling, housing a dog, taking care of kids, and endless hours of baseball talk.

Spring Break - Part 3 - Man o' War Invasion

2011-03-20T22:48:00.000-05:00

It is getting late and despite my discovery of "My So Called Life" on netflixs, I have to admit (to myself) that tomorrow I must return to the real world (aka work). To tell the truth, I am dreading it. But before I leave, here are a few shots of what JT and discovered one morning on the beach. We opted to stay away that day especially after I read that turtles eat man o' wars and sharks like turtles.

I have lots more photos. I have yet to scratch the surface of the boys swimming, Lauren photos, or the adventures that weren't on the beach.

Spring Break Part 2 or a Ton of Beach Shots

2011-03-20T22:38:00.001-05:00

As you can imagine, the boys wanted to spend every possible moment at the beach. We had four good beach days. The boys got boogie boards, which they thought were awesome and also managed to befriend a family next to us that set up a volleyball net. Jet even made friends with their Border Collie (Sydney) and a Portguese Water dog (Jack). JT also made friends with some boys that showed him how to find crabs (there will be another post on that one).

Of course the people from Oregon have to find some random tar-ball-like thing on the beach.

Spring Break - The Arrival

2011-03-20T21:58:00.000-05:00

Our Spring Break adventures started with me, Zach, and Jet having to drive by ourselves to Galveston to ensure that we made the rental agencies 5 pm check-in deadline. If I can take a moment to digress from the trip itself, to talk about driving through Houston. Prior to marriage, I didn't mind driving, I used to love driving to and from Helena. These days Rick drives and I co-pilot, we have a good system worked out so there was some trepidation on my part with driving to Galveston alone. I knew I could do it but it had been a long time since I had driven more than an hour alone or with a kid and dog. Needless to say, the three of us arrived just fine with 40 minutes to spare. The only bad thing that happened was when I pulled off to get gas and let Jet out, I somehow (ok - it was one of those moments when I tried carrying too many things at once rather than just using my purse) dropped my phone and managed to do this.

As soon as we got to the house, we brought up our bags and Zach, Jet, and I headed to the beach to check things out.

After a quick trip to the beach, Zach and I went back to the house to unpack. I asked Zach to put away some of the items we brought including the cups and found that he took the time to do this.

Spring Break

2011-03-15T16:34:00.000-05:00

We are living it up in the Redneck Riveria (aka Galveston, Texas). We have a nice house in a fabulous location and we are enjoying the break from our daily routine. I think I personally am finally unwinding despite the fact that I have had to get online a few times to help with some minor work issues.

I will have more to post and talk about but for now here are a few shots.

The boys and Jet loving the "bath water warm" water.

The view from the top deck and yes that is JT walking towards us and that is Gavin and LJ under the blue tent. How awesome is my new camera?!

The Art of Zach

2011-03-10T07:26:00.001-06:00

Zach brings home lots and lots of artwork. He recently has been on a book creating craze. He writes and illustrates short stories and staples them together. And of course as you know we get a lot of tigers and jedis. I found one in his folder today and to tell you the truth, I put it in the papers to recycle as soon as Zach isn't looking but then Zach asked if I saw the picture of the dog. I held up said drawing and asked who drew it. Zachy, a bit offended, claimed the drawing and Rick (who subbed in Zach's class yesterday) supported the claim. Then Zach showed me where he got the inspiration.

The book is "The Principal From the Black Lagoon."

a couple shots with the new camera

2011-03-08T20:32:00.000-06:00

JT had his first baseball game tonight (it was the make up from our rainout on Saturday). It was a great game especially for a first game; the Voodoo won 20-6.
I took my camera for a test drive. I was a giant dork sitting in the bleachers before the game and then decided that the directions were over my head and I should just start experimenting. Lucky for me one of JT's teammates also got a new camera and he has an absurd knowledge. He showed me a few things on mine and had me up and running for the first part of the game. When it got dark, I wasn't doing as well but I feel like this first outting was fairly successful. Here are a few of my better shots.

i am in love!

2011-03-08T15:24:00.000-06:00

my camera came today! i can't think of any other time that i have been so in love with a thing. i have no clue how to use it and i am torn between reading the manual and just jumping in. ok, techinically i have already jumped in and taken a few photos but I have no real clue what i doing but i know that i can take photos really fast. get ready, we have a baseball game tonight so i will be mastering my skills.

Correction

2011-03-08T08:37:00.000-06:00

Zach informed me that it is Cheap Code not Cheat Code (when looking up how to beat a level in Angry Birds).
Sorry if I caused any confusion with the world.

Another Dose of Zach

2011-03-07T19:37:00.001-06:00

We had baseball photos this Sunday. I got my camera to work and of course now I look at these photos and feel like maybe I could hold on another year or two with what I have but maybe I should wait until I have that new camera in my hands tomorrow before I make a decision!

Here is Zach striking a pose with his most serious face.

My struggle to get Zach and Grif to do something cute resulted in only one photo as they were more interested in acting out the following pose.

Serious face but this time he is trying really hard not to laugh at those of us heckling him from the side.

Saturday morning was a blur. We had to be out the door by 7:00 AM to run errands and be available for concession stand duty by 8:00. I kept repeating to the boys that they needed to write their names "in" their hats. Zach took it upon himself to add some Zach flair to my instructions. It is guaranteed that no one else will use Zach's hat during the season.

Zach Fuism

2011-03-07T16:40:00.000-06:00

I laid awake in bed on Sunday morning and Zach started mumbling to me:

Zach: Mama, wouldn't it be cool if they had kits where you could make your own money? You could put anyone's face on the dollar?

Me: That would be cool. Whose face would you use?

Zach: Lady Gaga.

_____________________________________

I am sitting in my office doing a little bit of nothing while Zachy plays Angry Birds on my phone (google it, it is this insanely addictive game with birds flying and trying to destroy pigs). Zach has oddly (because he doesn't have this personality at all!) become obsessed with the game. He has also discovered that he can somehow watch youtube videos on my phone that show him tricks and "cheats" for the game. He just now discovered some golden egg and is running through the house letting everyone know. The good news, he knows to put my phone on wifi so he isn't running up my phone bill watching youtube. Sweet kid!

oh my!

2011-03-03T09:53:00.000-06:00

Let's chat about cameras. I like taking photos and it is especially easy when you have two fairly cute boys to take photos of. When JT was born, I had post-partum panic attack about not being able to get photos out to my parents and far-away friends quick enough with the old-fashioned film cameras so early one morning I sent Rick out to buy our first digital camera. I remember looking through the newspaper ads, finding one that seemed affordable, and shooing Rick out (although I have a feeling he was all to happy to get out for a break). We used that lovely Fuji camera for a few years and that is when I realized I don't really like taking photos, I LOVE taking photos and digital cameras fill my instant gratification need (lack of patience) perfectly. So before Zach was born, we made the plunge, went to a real camera store and bought a fancy Minolta that I thought was the Holy Grail of cameras. I loved that camera and we made plans to run away together until one fateful day when Rick and Grandpa Pete sunk my camera in a North Carolina lake. The story is too painful to retell but I soon found myself at Target settling for a Kodak camera. Don't get me wrong, this little Kodak camera has been a good friend but there are days when I yearn for a little something more. Something that will help me take even better action shots of the boys at baseball; something that doesn't require me to stand at the fence and poke my lens through the hole to get a shot; something that will take awesome photos. I have craved a DSLR camera but I just haven't been able to justify the expense. I am still not sure I can justify but I have fallen in love with this guy and soon he will be mine. It is a huge $ investment and I am super stressed about it but also super excited.

My sweet little camera comes with an additional lens (and yes I did order a red one). Really, I am a bit intimidated and clueless about this DSLR world I am entering but sweet blog readers, get ready because I feel certain you are going to get some photos that rock your world! Ok, that part may be a bit much but my camera should arrive in time to take it to the beach and capture every day of our week long visit with the cutest girl in Portland. Bear with me as I learn how to use it.
I have bothered Rick incessantly about making such a large purchase. And in true Rick form, he just sweetly tells me that if I really want it I should get it. He has warned me that I must take good care of this camera (he has issues with my care of the Kodak but let's be honest we weren't a match made in heaven, we were just a temporary arrangement that has lasted for 5 years). So I am making a small blanket and bed for this new baby that will sleep with me and basically go where ever I go. I am worried about having to lug yet another thing to baseball games as I already look like a bag lady but I am sure I will manage.

You will no doubt hear more from me about this camera and you will no doubt get lots of photos very soon!

Henry O Flipper

2011-02-25T14:16:00.000-06:00

The boys have been super busy at school studying Presidents (such as Zach's favorite Abracam Linckin). They have also been studying famous African-Americans, such a Henry O Flipper and bringing home lots of nice artwork. I thought the Henry project was worth sharing.

Henry Ossian Flipper (21 March 1856 – 3 May 1940) was an American soldier and the first African American cadet to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Yep - those are awesome werewolf ears on Henry!

Spring has Sprung

2011-02-21T21:46:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe that just two short weeks ago we were whining about the cold, miserable weather. I found myself today actually complaining that it seemed a bit too early to be muggy. The weather here has been fabulous and it means that after being cooped up for the first half of February, we are now free to roam the hood.

The boys and I (along with JT's favorite classmate Alexa) took a long walk to the park this Sunday, stopped and played in the creek, and then decided to fly kites for a while. These were all unplanned events so you get some stellar phone shots.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T08:45:00.000-06:00

Well, it may be official, I think my camera may have died. At first I thought it was a battery issue but I just can seem to get any batteries to work. Anywho, while I work on the camera issue (yes, I admit I would LOVE to purchase a new camera but I am not looking forward to paying for a new camera) the best photo I could get for you today is this one.

Zach is beyond excited about Valentines day and his class party. I know you can't really see but he is wearing his button down shirt (he has had this outfit planned now for about 2 weeks) and yes he has a flower tucked in his pocket. I am not sure why but some little girl gave him a fake rose last week so I cut it for his pocket. And yes, that was something he requested.

I have some photos of how we spent our Valentines weekend; it has to do with baseball but they are stuck on my camera and I am not sure the ones I took with my phone are any good. I can let you know that our team took 2cd in the tournament. It was a long weekend but lots of fun.

babies

2011-02-04T14:50:00.000-06:00

I know we are all being babies about the cold here in Austin but seriously the average temp for this time of year is the mid-50s/low 60's. It is hard for us to adjust to 20 degrees. It is also really hard for Jet and Cora. Jet hasn't gotten a good walk in over a week. He has spent some time outside but not the kind of time he likes. And Cora usually goes out on a late night prowl around the backyard but has been reduced to stealing legos from the bin and tossing them about the living room in the wee hours of the morning.

And it finally got so cold here, that Cora slowly migrated from her perch on the back of the chair to cuddling up close with Jet.

Sorry that I keep taking poor quality photos with my phone but my fingers are too cold to type out all my excuses.

not as good as new york

2011-02-04T11:54:00.000-06:00

JT was not as impressed with 1" of snow as he was with feets of snow in Oswego but they did cancel school today so 1" isn't so bad after all.

The city has completely shutdown and we were all mesmerized today by hours of new coverage showing accidents and pictures people posted to facebook of the miniature snowmen they have created with an inch of snow.

And for the record, we have 30mph winds for two days and that is why the furniture is all knocked over.

get out your party hats, it is birthday week

2011-02-02T15:20:00.002-06:00

Last year, Rick and I celebrated our monumental birthdays (35 and 40) with a weekend away and what was supposed to be our first and most awesomest weekend away without kids (need I even begin to discuss how impossible it is to get away when you have two kids?). That weekend was instead the start of the crappiest year the two of us have spent together. Hence 2010 was dubbed the Year of Crap. Needless to say, I have been eagerly awaiting this year’s Birthday Week.

Birthday week started off on a tough note. Rick’s grandma passed away. Her passing is sad but also welcomed as she hasn’t been herself these past few years since Alzheimer’s had taken over the person that most people remember. We spent a brief 48 hours with the family in Oklahoma saying goodbye to grandma. The events leading up to the service were filled with drama and some silliness most of which Rick had to get involved in. It almost got to the point where it seemed like people were forgetting exactly what had happened and that we need to be together to celebrate the life of someone that was special to everyone in the family.

I foolishly pride myself on not attending funerals, I have lost all 4 grandparents and I did not attend any of their ceremonies. Hindsight, I wish I would have been there not because I now like funerals but to be there for my parents. It was heartbreaking to see grandma’s remaining brother and sister cope with the service.
During Grandma Pauline’s service, the minister made the statement (and I paraphrase): If you think Pauline is up in heaven looking down at you and helping, forget about that because she isn’t. Pauline helped you all she could when she was here with you. Grandma is now in heaven, focusing on herself.

The minister’s message and the events surrounding grandma’s passing made me think about the year in crap in a new light. It made me think about how despite the year of crap, the thing that has really helped are the friends and family that have been there for us even when it was as simple as me wanting to talk about what was going on. I am not even sure if some of those friends completely realize how crappy things have been or that they were helping but they were. We aren’t 100% back on track but we are getting there and I just don’t know how possible it would have been if I had just sat around waiting for someone to take over. We once heard a show where the guest told the host that there is a 100% chance that you will die. Our time here is short and I think we often forget that. We waste too much time on silly, petty things and too much energy on things we can’t resolve. As we start 2011, I hope to focus less on those small things and hopefully spend more time with friends and family and just enjoy being here and being able to help others while I am here.

Birthday week isn’t filled with anything too wild. We do have reservations at Wink for Saturday. A friend from high school will be in town tomorrow so it will be fun to see her after several years and meet her daughter and husband. I imagine (and hoping) there will be some sort of decadent chocolate dessert and fingers crossed some gingerbread pancakes.

And so despite the delay, I am ready to start 2011 and what I am offically dubbing the Year of Optimism. I am starting by remaining optimistic that we will not lose power again for 3 hours in 20 degree weather. It is amazing how quickly it gets cold when there is no heat running.

that time (again)

2011-01-26T19:23:00.000-06:00

As we speak, Rick is off at a coaches meeting for Spring baseball. We had a bit of a set back with our select plans but I think it is working out well. We will play some league ball and mix in some non-sanctioned tournaments (I can explain it all later to those that really want to know). The good news is that we get to be the Voodoo in league ball and we have a good deal of sponsorships coming in so by mid-summer the Voodoo should officially take flight.

For now, check out the best logo (designed by some guy in Portland) and made in to a decal by Chattywalls. And yes, you should support Chattywalls because they are supporting us.

So get ready, more baseball talk to come.

wolf boy

2011-01-24T14:59:00.000-06:00

I seem to be on a canine theme this week so I am going to keep it going with wolf boy.

When Zach started kindergarten, he started drawing lots of tigers. I have kept a collection (although I am still wondering exactly what I will do with them) that shows the tiger drawing progression. Most of these tigers were Tiger Jedis.

When Halloween rolled around, tigers suddenly changed to werewolfs or a wolf boy. Most drawings show wolf boy as a Jedi . And while it is enjoyable to see his constant free-time drawings of wolf boy it is even more enjoyable to see an everyday boy turned in to wolf boy.

And as an added bonus, he is in a 3-D letter writing phase.

dogs

2011-01-24T07:55:00.001-06:00

Jet had a play date with his brother Ollie. They had a great time running through the field while the kids played baseball. Jet looked like the cleaner one of the bunch but I spent over 20 minutes with Jet in the tub trying to get mud out of his paws.He also had an interesting collecting of twigs and what-not in his beard and chest. Perhaps next play date is sans mud.

The picture is from my phone so not the best quality but look close and you can see the dirtiness.

puppies

2011-01-21T13:46:00.000-06:00

This story gets a brief preface:
Our sweet little Jet has a brother named Ollie who lives with our friends the Largents. Because of this close tie there are endless questions about their differences and similarities. Of course while JT and I are out walking, he hits me with the following lines of questions.

JT: When is Ollie's birthday?
Me: Same as Jet's.
JT: So they are twins?
Me: No - they are brothers.
JT: But if they were born on the same day, they are twins.
Me: Well with dogs they have lots of babies at once. It is called a litter. The mom has lots of eggs.
Note: No I have no idea why I brought in the topic of the egg but I was at a loss for how else to explain a litter.
JT: So when does the shell crack off?
Me: The shell?
JT: Of the egg so the babies can come out.
Note: Yes at this point I am screaming internally, "Why me? Why am I having this conversation and not Rick? We are way too young for this conversation."
Me: Oh they aren't that kind of egg. They are like jello eggs, no shell.
JT: silence
Me: still in a little panic and worried about the silence; too much silence means he is thinking this whole conversation over.
JT: Wish we could have played baseball today.
Me: Yeah, me too. And then I did a little mental happy dance that I was out of the egg, baby conversation and on to something that I could actually talk about. Well until he hit me up with:
JT: Mom what does poem mean?
Me: Well, it a form of writing
JT: No, where does it come from? Like amphibians means two lives.
Me: Amphibians means two lives? Really?
JT: You know, the frog is a tadpole and then a frog. (Internally he was thinking - "my mom doesn't know much - she thinks babies are in jello eggs and she is clueless about the word amphibian. Gheesh!")

taking a break for puke

2011-01-14T21:15:00.000-06:00

Today was one of those days. I stayed up late to get some work done, which meant I was super slow to get up this morning. Rick was subbing today so by 7:30 the house was empty. I was in a daze for a good portion of the morning but finally pulled myself together to get some work done and that is where things went from a lazy, quiet Friday to a mess. By 11 am, I realized that I had been on the phone consistently for 2 hours, had yet to shower, and needed to take lunch to Rick. By 11:30, I was back on the phone until 1 at which point I finally showered and decided to take a break by attending the POPs rally at school. No, I really don't have any idea what POPs means but basically they bring all the kids together in the gym, parents show up, the acknowledge good grades, attendance, and then there is usually some special guest or event.
Back at the rally. I get there just a bit early and as luck would have it I get to be right next to Zach's class. I knew the moment I saw Zach enter the gym that something wasn't right. He almost walked right past me and didn't seem his usual cheery self at the sight of familiar faces and a captive audience. I watched as one of his little friends kept turning around and getting in Zach's face, talking to him, touching him, and I noticed that Zach just ignored him and his invitations to goof around. And then we all stood to sing the National Anthem. Now some of you have been blest, truly blest, with the opportunity to listen to Zach belt out the National Anthem. No one quite captures the essence of the line "with the dog's early light" in the way that Zach does. At first my attention was focused on the guest up front that was leading everyone in song but then I turned to Zach at which point I noticed he wasn't singing. And about the same time I pondered what his lack of singing could mean he opened his mouth and let out his lunch. Interesting point, the little friend who had been all over Zach when they first came in, had oddly moved away at the moment of the puke and thankfully everyone was spared. I think I may have let out an "oh shit!" as I and a few teachers jumped in to action. I honestly was paralyzed for a moment and could only think "I need Rick." Was I supposed to stay and help clean up the puke, where was I suppose to take Zach, did we just put an end to the rally, and do you get in trouble for puking during the anthem? I got Zach to the office, we found Rick and we made it home without incident.
The little guy isn't himself still. Luckily we were planning a family movie night with some Smokey and the Bandit so on this rainy, cold night we are all happy to just be lazy under some blankets.

Happy Weekend to everyone!

Portland Gets a Big Girl Bed

2011-01-08T09:15:00.000-06:00

revising the resolutions

2011-01-05T20:49:00.000-06:00

It was brought to my attention that some of my resolutions can’t really be mine because they are things others should be doing.

So with that said, I am revising a few:

1) No change – still not getting on facebook no matter how tempting

2) Ok –I do think the boys will work on being a little bit tidier. I toyed with the idea of creating one of those awards charts but I wonder if I can really maintain something like that all year. So I will ponder this one a little more but I promise that there will be few socks left around the house. For my part, I am going to work on making the bed, probably not every day but it is one of those weird things that makes me feel just a little bit better when it is done.

3) Projects – I admit, there isn’t much I do when it comes to putting in new floors. I helped Rick when we did the main part of the house but really it is all him. He does the hard work and I just lend a hand. I am leaving landscaping on the list primarily the front beds because I want to own that one since I am certain it only really bothers me. Projects that I think belong to me and therefore I am putting them on my resolution list:

Closet clean out especially our master bath closet, ok really all of our closets. They all need to be organized and it is going to be all me. I will take suggestions from the rest of the house and truth be told if anything needs to be built, I will rely on Rick.
Curtains – I picked up some curtains in the fall. I hung up one set but they need to be shortened (they are those fabulous curtains from Ikea where you get to set the length). So in that vein, I need to close out my curtain work, which also includes hanging curtains in the master bedroom and deciding whether I want to get new curtains in the dining room (which I am leaning towards so they match the living room).
Bench redo – back in October I bought a piano bench at Round Top. My intention is to sand, paint, and recover and find the perfect home. It currently lives at the end of our bed and still has the “Sold- Megan” sticker on it.
I am sure there are others but that is a good start for now.

4) Nothing really to change here but I do want to add that along with Meghan time, I need to work on less computer time. I need to get just a little better about figuring out this work at home thing. Some days I do it really well and others aren’t so great. I just need to learn to budget my time more wisely and maybe not expect to get 5000 things done in one day.

2011 is here and I think I am ready

2011-01-02T18:52:00.000-06:00

I wish I could say that I stayed up until midnight saying good-bye to 2010 but I think I fell asleep by 11 PM. What I have been doing over the past few weeks is thinking about my resolutions. I tend to keep my resolutions to myself but this year I am opting to put them out there in the blog world as a way to help me stick with them.

Resolution #1 - No more facebook. I just deactivated my account. Sure - I have done this before but this time I am going to try and stick with it (for a whole year). I could spout off a my concerns about privacy or talk about the degradation of actual person to person interaction but truth be told, I find myself wasting too much time there. I loved that initially it helped me find people I haven't spoken to in years and I admit that I love looking at other people's photos but when I am done, I feel like I just lost brain cells. I will miss catching up with some people (aka the voyeurism) but I will now be freed up to waste my time on blogs (which may lead to a 2012 resolution). Sure I worry about missing out on something big or not being in touch with someone but the people that want to find me, will find me.

Resolution #2 - I believe I shared this worry before but I do worry that in 20 or so years, I will have daughters-in-laws that sit around, drinking wine, and complaining about all the damage I have done to their husbands. I worry that I have created two boys that expect their mom (and eventually their wives) to clean up after them. I swear that I have not consciously done this and truth be told they aren't that horrible but I feel like now is the time to ensure we don't go down the horrible path of messy men. I haven't quite mapped this one out but I need to get them working on picking up after themselves on a more consistent basis especially their socks and toys which are spread throughout the house. And I need little boys who focus on peeing in the toilet; we have had a few incidents here at the Flisakowski Manor and I am always fretting over the imagined (or real) odor in their bathroom. I realize I live with 3 boys and my expectations aren't going to be unrealistic. I don't expect or want an immaculate house that doesn't look lived in but I think they can work on helping make a tidy house.

Resolution #3 - Projects, projects, projects. Mr. Lucas and I are usually fairly good about tackling home improvement projects but I think this year, I am going to put together a list and make more concrete plans about what we want to get done especially since I know that in just a few short months (or maybe just one month) our weeks are going to be consumed with baseball. These projects will require funding (just send me an email if you want to donate) but I think if we are smart we can get a few tackled. Here is the brief list:

flooring in our bedroom - after one child spilled an entire bucket of dirty water (he was cleaning up messes around the bathroom toilets) in our bedroom, I told Mr. L I would rather live with the concrete floor then the grossness that was our carpet. We found some flooring at Home Depot that matches the rest of the house so this will be project #1. I would like to do the other two bedrooms as well but those may wait.
counter tops - this one has been on our list for a long time but I think we just don't know what we want. Funding may be a roadblock on this project but I would like to at least get a good idea on what we want (new counter tops include a bit of a revamp to the layout too) so we can properly budget.
backyard landscaping/patio - we have done a lot of work on our backyard including the much used, fabulous deck but I want to finish things off a little. Before July hits, we tend to spend a lot of time on the deck and I want to make it bit more inviting. I'd also like to invest in a sunshade to help make the deck a little more usable when it gets warmer.
front yard landscaping - I hate our front bed an I really need to invest some time to figure out what would be the perfect solution for the space. I have tried various plants but it seems like I plant the wrong plants at the wrong time (right now we finally have a tree that provides shade and I have lantana planted and they want full sun - sounds like those will be moving those to the backyard). Again, I want to focus on making this space more inviting. I'd also love to create a pathway from the sidewalk since most visitors access from the street and not the small path by the driveway.

Resolution #4 - It has been a long time coming but I had to admit to myself, like many other women, I think I wear too many hats. I relish and love each role (mom, worker bee, wife, volunteer) but I tend to loose myself under all these hats. So in an attempt to get me spending a little more time on me I want to focus on two main things.

Exercise - after running the half I had all sorts of plans for running more but then I hurt my foot and then I just lost motivation all together. Lucky for me I gained extra pounds. So despite the cliche, I am going to commit myself to working out. Specifically I want to get back in to running and focus on getting myself ready for another half. I also really want to get back to the Y and the Body Pump class and honestly this one is the hardest because I realized how much I loathe going to the gym alone. It might be cheating but I may wait and work up to the Y for a February goal in hopes that by then the crowd of other "exercise as my resolution" folks have dropped out.
Craft time - I am linking up with Chandra on this one and we are going to start a craft night. We are ironing out details but I loved working on the quilt I made for Judes and I think (or rather I know) I need the outlet and sharing it with a friend will make it that much more fun. Of course we will have to make some very strict rules on wine drinking.

Well congratulations on making it through that long, long list of things I want to do in 2011. I am sure that there are more but this is a good start. I'll do my best to keep you posted (I know you desperately want that) and hopefully making this public will help me stick with it.

Quilt Redux

2010-12-30T15:20:00.000-06:00

I swear I posted a year ago or maybe it was two about my failed Christmas present quilt to Judes but alas I can't seem to locate it. So here is a rough breakdown: I found a "simple" pattern online, bought supplies, waited way too long to get started on project, panicked and tried to get it done quickly, ended up making husband pack sewing machine in car for road trip to NC so I could work on it there, and finally failed to actually create a quilt. To this day, I like to blame the fuzzy, chenille blanket I bought as the backing (per instructions that said it was a quick and easy way to avoid using binding - I will confess they didn't suggest using chenille blanket but they also didn't tell me not to).
A good year passed and often I would think about that failure and have dreams of my poor mother freezing to death under a quilt that wasn't even a complete shape but it was the only one she had (yes, that last part is made up but play along).
So fast forward to a rainy night in maybe March when I left husband and children at home and risked my life at JoAnn's. I was not going to let that quilt haunt me anymore. I painstakingly (aka wished I had made someone go with me) selected fabrics based on new "simple" directions from Amy Butler (I am certain she will befriend me when she hears of my success even if I didn't use her fabrics). So I bought the fabric and as is par for the course it sat in my office for a long period of time. At first I planned on this being a Mom's Day gift, then I moved to a birthday present (June), then I moved to an Anniversary gift (August), and then I forced myself to acknowledge that this was going to be a Christmas present.
I worked on and off since about September (sad but true) but then got serious about two weeks before we were going to leave and this is where things got dicey and I made the decision to order a backup gift. Call it Murphy's Law or call me a rock star but despite my one major set back (I managed to sew the entire quilt so the batting was on the outside), I was able to complete my first quilt. The only outstanding question is whether I need to put little ties in it to hold it together.

Riding on this success, I am mapping out some big plans for 2011.

one last time

2010-12-29T13:44:00.000-06:00

They are predicting some remarkably warm weather over the next few days (you can read that to be 40 degrees), which means the snow is going to melt (and Rick may thaw out a little). The boys are sad about the loss of snow so we decided to go out for one last spin. The snow is in that weird melting and then refreeze, hard stage which means it is good for two things: making the sledding hill super fast and snowballs.

Lake Ontario

2010-12-27T15:29:00.000-06:00

We bundled up today and ran around town for a little bit. We drove by the lake at two different spots so we could see what it looks like in the winter.

I took both photos with this fun little app I loaded on my phone (Vignette). This second one looks much more ominous than it actually was.

Christmas in New York

2010-12-26T09:28:00.000-06:00

It has been a busy but quiet Christmas week full of some Flisakowski traditions and a few other activities some that may be repeated.

Most of the week has been spent outside playing in the snow with one break to take a trip in town to visit the Children's Science and Technology Museum. Nana and I stayed back from the museum visit but the boys had a fabulous time and managed to get a trip in to Dinosaur BBQ, which we think may have been the reason Grandpa Pete and Rick were so eager to make the voyage in to Syracuse.

The boys have been asking since Thanksgiving to make a gingerbread house and Nana came through with a gingerbread kit. The boys had a blast but Nana and I didn't have our own houses and we both felt the need to decorate so I think next year we will add this activity to our Christmas traditions but perhaps expand it. I will definitely be doing gingerbread house research as the day draws near for Christmas 2011.

We broke with the traditional cookies this year and opted to make cupcakes because Zachy got an early Christmas present. I am not sure we will have these every year but Zach enjoyed the change in tradition.

And of course it wouldn't be a Flisakowski Christmas if we didn't make pierogis. It went a bit faster this year because we had the whole family helping out. Zachy definitely had to be monitored as every now and again he would try to get creative with his technique but all in all it was a success.

And finally, Christmas morning. We had a rough go of it Christmas night. Zach and JT were so excited that they had a hard time getting to sleep. About 3 AM Zach woke up crying about not being able to sleep so we rearranged sleeping partners only to have me wake up at 4 AM to find JT crying that he couldn't sleep because he had been out to the tree and knew that Santa had already stopped by. We ended up getting everyone to sleep until 7.

We all had a fabulous and relaxing day filled with legos, a few rounds of scrabble and some web chatting with Lauren. We hope that you enjoyed your Christmas.

it only took 8 years

2010-12-20T17:34:00.000-06:00

or 5 years if you are Zach but the boys have finally gotten to experience snow.

JT absolutely loves being out in the snow. Zach goes out but isn't nearly as eager to stay out as JT is. I've been out once but Rick has yet to venture outside.

My Favorite Brother

2010-12-14T18:56:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday!

kid pitch tourney

2010-12-11T20:30:00.000-06:00

JT and two of his buddies were asked if they wanted to play in a kid pitch tournament. While I was hesitant JT was ecstatic and talked about the tournament during the two weeks leading up to it. Why was I hesitant? I guess it is that silly mama bear syndrome, I was just worried for JT. Moving from coach pitch to kid pitch is a huge leap. The field is bigger, the rules change, and well you are batting against a "real" pitcher.

The team was great, the tournament was great, JT played well for someone that has never played, and I managed to keep myself together the entire weekend. We lost all three games we played but it was a young team (most of them new to kid pitch) and a mix of kids that don't normally play together. Most importantly, all of the kids had fun. I admit that I am glad we have one more season of coach pitch and plenty of time to practice playing kid-pitch rules. I guarantee I will struggle with staying calm in the fall and not biting off my fingernails but I know JT will catch on quickly (just like he has every other season) and will hopefully continue to love playing the game as much as I love to watch him.

The cutest part of the game was JT giving the "time" signal to the umpire. This is one of the many new rules from coach to kid and one that JT was ready to use.

It is great to see these photos after the game. He has his eye on the ball just where it should be and didn't swing. It was close but looks like this one was inside.

JT checking his swing and looking to the ump for a call.

life in pville

2010-12-11T20:04:00.000-06:00

There seems to be this odd trend in Pville of people moving. JT has two classmates that won't return after the holiday break because their parents have bought houses in Round Rock. Lucky for me I had the chance to chat with both parents at kid pick-up about their decision to leave. For both it sounds like a bigger house and just a good time to go. All of this moving has made me think about moving and whether we should move.

A bigger house would be good but is it really necessary? When I think about what I would look for in a new house there are some "bells and whistles" that I would like but nothing essential. I think the only real thing I want is one extra room; either a media/game room or an additional bedroom/office.
The thought of cleaning out our closest sends shivers up and down my spine and makes me want to hide under the covers. It also makes me think that clean closest should be my #1 (or maybe #2) 2011 resolution.
Where would I really want to live? We like Austin (maybe even bordering on love Austin) but I can't say that there is a neighborhood I dream of living in. Sure I wouldn't turn up a chance to find myself in a house in the Hyde Park neighborhood but I don't think we are suffering because of our location. And while we are constantly talking about moving closer to family, we aren't sure where that would be either.
My dream is to live on a lake or the ocean and sometimes I feel like moving to anyplace other than that house sounds like too much work.
And then I stop and think that all the above reasons are really silly and maybe we should start the process of looking.

And then there are nights like tonight, when we walk out our backyard and get to watch a parade go down the street. It makes me realize how lucky we are to live in a smaller neighborhood, to know everyone who lives around us, to recognize faces in a parade and say hi, to have a school where we know most of the teachers and they know us (or rather they know our kids). And then I revamp my list and realize that what really is important to me right now is being/living in a community and being in a place where my kids can ride bikes with their friends, walk to a buddies house, and see a parade out their back door. The only thing that would make it perfect is to have everyone move here. (So come on Nguyens, get those boxes packed and get down here.)

The boys waiting for the parade to start.

The headliner of the parade.

I Did It!

2010-12-08T22:48:00.001-06:00

I can't tell you exactly what because it is a Christmas gift for someone but I promise you two things:
1) I will take some photos and post once I am sure the recipient has opened the gift
2) I am doing a happy dance around the house because of my success (and I think I am annoying Rick because I keep asking him if he likes it)

Now on to Christmas cards...

Jedi Gingerman and Santa

2010-12-07T09:29:00.000-06:00

Lord my last post depressed even me, which is really sad because being in possession of OK magazine (UK edition) is totally awesome.
But alas, nothing can be as awesome as what came home in Zach's folder the other day.

In case you are stumped, that is a Gingerbread Jedi Guy and for some very important reason he is linked to the tree. Not sure why but I was instructed to keep them together.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we made an impromptu stop at an outdoor mall where we came upon Santa reading outside. JT didn't want to talk with Santa but Zach was definitely interested. I think JT logically questions the whole Santa thing but his imaginative side wants to hold on to the idea. Here are a few of the shots of Zach with the man in the red suit.

I love this shot because of his stiff legs. Hanging with Santa really causes some conflict with the entire Stranger-Danger message.

Big surprise but he asked for a spinning light saber and legos.

Guilty Pleasure

2010-12-03T11:32:00.000-06:00

As luck would have it or Murphy's Law, the next few weeks leading up to the holidays are packed with work. It seems like everyone wants something done prior to 12/17, which means my holiday spirit is a bit dampened. I am slowly coming to terms with the possibility of not making cookies or at least not making them at my house, who knows what will happen when we get to Nana's and Grandpa's and I have limited the holiday decorations. And of course we have a baseball tournament this weekend, which means two days will be lost (all for a good, enjoyable cause but lost all the same).

Despite my completely ridiculous workload and numerous holiday activities, the one thing I really want to do is curl up the following guilty pleasure that I was gifted to me when my sweet friend returned from her stay in London. Working from home has gotten me hooked on the Today show, which means I was closely following the big engagement!

I ♥ Shutterfly

2010-11-26T17:20:00.000-06:00

So you hung with me when I shamelessly promoted the blog and Shutterfly to help get my holiday cards. Well I have to tell you a few things:

1) My Christmas cards are ordered and I am excited. There were way too many choices and I may have over-photoed but I am excited all the same. I would love to give you a sneak-peek but I don't want to spoil the surprise.
2) Shutterfly is so absolutely awesome that over this past week they sent me a coupon for some free photos and on top of that they sent all sorts of other "deals" this week. I successfully knocked out a few gifts and projects.

I feel so accomplished I just don't know what to do with myself. I tried sharing my joy with Rick but his nose is stuck in a book and the boys are busy transforming the living room in to monster-train-track playground. So thanks for bearing with me as I shout my excitement about my recent experience on Shutterfly. I guess I will sit back and drink some wine and think about what to do next.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T20:54:00.000-06:00

We are all nestled in front of the TV while listening to the boys argue over how the blankets are arranged on their makeshift bed that is on the floor in our bedroom. Our Thanksgiving was quiet and delicious; the two best things you can ask for on a Thanksgiving. (And just as a side note: yes, we art sticking to our no cable experiment but AT&T is trying to suck us back in by giving us all the channels for free for this week.)

I didn't take any photos of our day but I am including one of a recent school project the boys worked on. Their school is having Diversity Day next week and each child was asked to create a family tree and then draw a person in traditional dress for a nationality (or is it ethnicity) in their family tree. They will have a parade through the school with their "doll."

JT selected Creek Indian, which is from Rick's maternal great-grandmother and Zachy picked Polish because it is from Grandpa Pete.

This picture doesn't do their artwork justice especially since you can't see the awesome glitter shoes that Zach created.

We hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving.

Gearing up for the holidays

2010-11-20T20:45:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I feel woefully behind. Rick's family will be in town to help us celebrate and we will partake in what is quickly becoming our own Thanksgiving traditions - long walks with the dog, a family trip to the big Half Price Books, and a trip to one of the art museums. I think we are trying the Blanton again this year because they have an Impressionist exhibit right now.

While I don't love Thanksgiving the way Rick does there are a few things that I do love - the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, having permission from Rick to start listening to Christmas music, and it is typically the weekend that I embark on one of my all-time favorite Christmas traditions: the Christmas card.

For those that know me well, they know that I absolutely love giving and getting Christmas cards. While social media has made it easier to stay in touch with friends that are far away it doesn't replace the intimacy and joy of receiving a photo card or a hand written greeting no matter how short. Imagine my surprise then when I learned that Shutterfly was offering this fabulous deal to bloggers (not to worry, you can sign up too - just visit http://bit.ly/sfly2010). I used to use Shutterfly all the time but then life got busy and I got lazy and I just started keeping all my photos on my computer and posting some of my favorites here on the blog. So now I am back on Shutterfly and I am looking forward to some Christmas card making and perhaps a few Christmas gifts!

There are a ton of cute options at Shutterfly.

I love this little girl but the card is cute too!

I like the design of this card and I could plug the blog with a note on the inside.

And this photo card is cute because it incorporates the letter.

It looks like I am going to be busy this Thanksgiving weekend trying to decide which card I want to use this year but despite the stress of it all, I am excited to get my cards together. I beg everyone to break away from facebook and order some cards. And if you aren't already, send me an email and I will be more than happy to add you to my growing Christmas card list.

Rickwood Field

2010-11-16T21:06:00.000-06:00

I am gearing up for some Christmas gifts that involve me gathering photos, which involved me admitting that I never finished going through my 800 photos from our summer vacation. And it means that I missed posting about what was one of the neatest parts of our trip, Rickwood Field.

Here is a brief overview (you can click on the link above to see the official website):

Rickwood Field, located in Birmingham, Alabama, is the oldest surviving professional baseball park in the United States. It was built for the Birmingham Barons in 1910 by industrialist and team-owner Rick Woodward and has served as the home park for the Birmingham Barons and the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. Though the Barons have moved their home games to the suburbs, Rickwood Field has been preserved and is undergoing gradual restoration as a "working museum" where baseball's history can be experienced. Rickwood Field is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Here are a few of my shots from that (very hot) day.

Fall Tourney

2010-11-16T20:41:00.000-06:00

JT was asked to play in a fall tournament with some other kids from a Hutto team. It was an intense weekend of 6 games. The team managed to put together a stellar effort and went undefeated for the entire weekend. Even better was instead of adding another trophy to the already growing collect, each player was given a t-shirt.

Silly me for thinking baseball was over. Sounds like there is a chnace we will be playing in another one this weekend.