Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Wordful Wednesday

This is my first time to join Angie from Seven Clown Circus in Wordful Wednesday. It's for those of us that like to...er...expound...on our photos... so to speak. lol Hop on over to her site and see who else is playing along.


I just couldn't resist these two photos. Frances was "helping" Desse wash dishes on Monday night. As you can see she was doing a LOT to help him out. lol But she did enjoy herself and was learning that we all have chores that need to be completed before bedtime. It's good for her.




Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Two-Fer Twos-Day

Yep, it's that time again! Thanks Deanna!!!

This was Desse messing around with Marguerite a few days ago. Marshie was wearing Desse's t-shirt -- and she wouldn't let us take it off of her for HOURS!!!! I thought this was too cute and just had to share.

Happy Tuesday to everyone! : )

Monday, October 27, 2008

Monday Musing - Family Stories

Today Octamom issued the challenge for us to write out the oldest "family story" that we know. Sadly, even though my family is REALLY into telling stories, the ones I know are always about my father and aunt, my sister and brother (who are 17 and 19 years older than myself) along with my aunts three boys who were the same age, and about me, my younger brothers, and my cousins (which I've lived through).

The oldest story I know is that of my grandmother, whom I called Grandmama. She had two suitors when she was a young woman. She asked her mother how to choose between my grandfather and the other guy. (I think he was a jock, if I remember correctly.) Nanny told Grandmama to go home and have dinner with both families, watching how both boys treated their mother -- because that was how they would treat her. Apparently that's how she chose my Granddaddy. He was polite and loving with his own mother, and she knew he would be with her.

I know that my Granddaddy became a dairy farmer during the depression and that his family of four suffered little during that time.

I know a LOT of stories of my father as a boy, a young man and as he grew older - and at least the names of all of his wives -- EEK! I know a lot about my aunt, her courtship with my uncle (and they're still married!), about their children and grandchildren. I know a lot about my older brother and sister, as well as my younger brothers.

I know almost nothing about my mother. She passed away from complications from breast cancer in the early 70's. I was 2. My sister doesn't even tell me many stories of Mama's - childhood or womanhood - though I suspect she'd heard them. Only recently have we reconnected with my aunts from that side of the family, and I still have yet to meet them.

Octamom is right. In our society, photographs are taking over the role family history story telling. Photos are wonderful pieces of information, but if we lose the stories behind them, they suddenly lose a lot of their impact.

My Grandmama (her name was Odette -- which I've always been proud to call my own middle name) died when I was 14. After she was gone, my aunt found a photo of her stashed away in her things of a young Odette in the 1920's dressed in the "flapper girl" dress and sitting on the hood of a car. Oh how we ALL would have loved to know the story behind that photo!!! Sadly, now that she's gone, no one knows.

Share your photos, but also -- share the stories behind them. We need to make sure our children know their history, from their parents to grandparents to great grandparents and beyond.

Octamom's post has inspired me even more. My sister and I have talked about wanting to record all the stories my aunt knows (as she's the last one left on my father's side of the family), and I think there's no time like the present. After Robbie is born, I think that plan needs to be set in motion. I want those stories to pass on to my children and grandchildren!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Weekend Randomness & Ramblings

It's been a fairly good weekend -- uneventful! (YAY!)

On Friday evening, Frances was standing next to the coffee table holding the insert to some "junk mail" before her eyes. Of course, 2 year old conversation ensued. lol

Mama: What are you doing, Frances?

Frances: (slowlllllly lowering the rectangle of paper to peep over it at me) I'm just reading (pronounced readin'), Mama. (Then the rectangle rose right back into place.)

And she stood there for nearly 10 minutes "reading" this rectangle of paper. lol Only a 2 year old, I swear!

Since then, whenever she has a book open or a piece of paper in her hands, she tells me, "I'm just reading, Mama."

Here's a picture of Frances -- though before I could snap the photo of her on her "motorcycle", Frankie just HAD to pop his head into the shot. lol


Then also on Friday night, Marshie got ahold of the jar of Gerber Grad's treats. We simply call them "stars" (as Frances nicknamed them when she first started eating them over a year ago). Of course, even at 14 months, Frankie and Marshie know when they're not supposed to be doing something..............

Hence you'll notice in the photo that not only are they trying to stuff both of their hands into said jar of stars at the same time, but Marshie is also tucked back up UNDER the table! Frankie's got one hand full and the other headed for the jar. Luckily these things literally melt in their mouth, or they would have choked they were stuffing them in so fast.

I admit, I was giggling too hard to be too hard on them. It was hysterical to watch. You'd think that they'd never been fed, let alone had eaten chicken nuggets, cheese blocks, yogurt and bagels less than an hour before this incident.

I have to say though, that Marshie eating makes me happy. Earlier this week she was running 104.5+ temps and the doc thought she might have a UTI. (NOT good for a baby girl apparently.) Our prayers were answered and that test came back negative. But sadly, it wiped her out. She spent almost four days doing nothing but sleeping or cuddling in my arms. I was DELIGHTED when she started eating again. I know babies will eat when they get hungry and all that jazz, but it's still rather scary when they suddenly stop eating like that. (One of the reasons that I wasn't posting most of last week.... I was cuddling a sick Marshie.)

Rob came home from China on Tuesday evening. We were SO happy to see him. Frances had to go to the airport with me to get him. While we were sitting at the airport waiting for him to come out, I asked Frances what she thought he ate over there:

M: Do you think they fed him turtles?

F: (with a perplexed look) No, Mama! You don't eat turtles.

M: How about aligators?

F: Uh... (Not really sure she knows if you can eat alligator or not by the look she gave me LOL) Nope!

M: How about elephants? You think he had to eat elephants?

F: Mama! Don't eat elephants!!!!

Yes, it was silly, but it was after 9 pm and after her bedtime. Silly songs only go SO far, and she really really really wanted to see Daddy so I was trying to keep her awake. Since then I've heard her mutter a time or two, "You don't eat turtles, Mama. And no elephants." lol She's beginning to remember things longer now. I think it's really cute!

Ok, enough ramblings for tonight. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! :)

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Itsy Bitsy Update

Yesterday was my last 1 month checkup. Of course, I think anyone else would be making 2 week checkups by now.... lol Must be the fact I've had so many so close together. ;)

Anyways, I had another sonogram yesterday. Baby Robbie apparently has a HUGE head. lol He's weighing almost 5 pounds now, and we still have a little over 6 weeks to go. Everything else was good though. I apparently have a bit extra fluid in there, but Doc B said that wasn't a surprise since I have the diabetes.

Frances went with me yesterday. She was VERY concerned about what Kelly (our sweet sono tech) was doing to me. She HAD to hold my hand the entire time, but she was very excited the moment she heard Robbie's heartbeat.

F: "What's that Mama?"

M: "That's Baby Robbie?"

F: "MY Baby Robbie?"

lol She was so cute. After we were finished, Kelly gave us a couple of 3D pictures of Robbie, which Frances carried around showing every nurse and Doc B telling them, "This is MY Baby Robbie." She was just so adorable!

I'm going to try to scan the pictures of Robbie later, but I anticipate them not turning out very well. We'll see.... if they're ok, I'll paste them up for everyone to see. The one thing I did notice about Robbie... he's got Frankie's cute little nose. lol (Which I do believe is their Daddy's cute nose, but shhhhhh don't tell him I said so. *wink*)

My Husband - A Meme

Ok, so I've read this thing around the blog-o-sphere on a couple of different sites, and I finally can't resist answering the questions myself. Debi at Who says 8 is Enough? is the most recent contributor I've read. Go read her answers too. :)

1. He’s sitting in front of the TV: what is on the screen? Most of us rarely watch TV, especially Rob. (Except the little ones - they watch videos for an hour during the day)
2. You’re out to eat. What kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Blue Cheese!
3. What is one food he doesn’t like? brussel sprouts
4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? Guiness, Harp, Fat Tire - any dark (preferably imported) ale he can get. lol
5. Where did he go to high school? McLean, VA
6. What size shoe does he wear? 10
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Besides our children? lol He really likes hand blown glass paperweights and has quite a neat collection of them started.
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? I don't know that he has a favorite... sandwiches aren't really what he'd choose to eat.
9. What would the Husband eat every day if he could? Extra spicy Chinese food (and he's still in China at the moment lol) or Salmon... he LOVES the stuff just about any way he can get it.
10. What is his favorite cereal? Cheerios
11. What would he never wear? Sandals
12. What is his favorite sports team? None that I know of... he's not a big sports watching person
13. Who will he vote for? Obama/Biden
14. Who is his best friend?
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do? Go silent when I'm upset. (Something I'm working on lol)
16. How many states has he lived in? 4 that I know of (just don't ask how many he's visited lol)
17. What is his heritage? English/Welsh/German (possibly Irish? lol I really don't remember all of them)
18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind? Dark Chocolate with Chocolate Icing
19. Did he play sports in high school? Does Chess count?
20. What could he spend hours doing? Surfing the net.... (*whispers* and creating babies LOL).... Riding his motorcycle...

I had to leave 14 blank because I don't think he actually has ever said he HAS a best friend. If you're his friend, you're his friend. Period. lol

And just because.... here's my sweetie...er...tough guy on his motorcycle. :)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Little Piano Players

Today everyone was playing on the piano, and I just couldn't resist taking pictures/video. These are the ones that turned out really well.

Frances LOVES to play the piano and has since she was about 8 months old. Frankie is following in her footsteps. I'm ready to get her piano lessons. I think she would LOVE it.

Marshie will join in for a few minutes, but her thing is dancing. lol Guess she'll be the ballerina while the other two are musicians.

Here's the picture of all three at the piano. Notice how HAPPY Frankie is. :)


And the little video of Frances and Frankie playing the piano. I know it's not Mozart or anything, but it's also not awful (especially considering there are two playing at the same time lol).