It's December 31, 2011 and that means my first-born is 6 years and 1 day old. We celebrated her big day on the 29th at every parents 2nd favorite place...Pump It Up! (Chuck E Cheese wins first prize on that favorites list.) The kids bounced their brains out and had a great time and all I had to do was pay an arm and a leg to make it all happen. The party was so easy I think I may sell my other arm and leg next year just to not have to deal with the hassle of having an at-home party. So many great friends came to play with Josie and we're thankful for each and every friendship!
So yesterday was her actual birthday and Chris and I decided to save her "big" gift from us until the actual day. We thought about giving it to her in the morning but since we had early morning plans to ride horses at a sweet friend's house, we choose to wait till later to give her the gift. Well, the horseback riding was a blast and lasted longer than expected (but we didn't care cause we had so much fun), and that made for a late lunch, and then an immediate nap for little sister (and the rest of the fam) when we got home. So unfortuately the presentation of the gift was held off even longer.
I had hidden the gift in the usual gift hideaway (my closet, of course) and both her father and I had given Josie strict instructions NOT to enter my closet. As soon as her sister woke from her nap, I went straight to the closet to retrieve her present. But much to my dismay, when I approached the closet, I noticed the bathroom and the closet light were on. That little stinker had been in my closet!! As soon as I asked her I knew by the look on her face that she had been in there. I asked her if she had seen the gift and to my surprise she admitted that she had (I did have it covered. She actually had to lift the sheet to see it.) I was SO MAD! That little turd disobeyed AND spoiled my fun of surprising her with a new bike! I was mad. Her dad was mad. And she went to her room crying.
Fun way to celebrate your birthday, huh? At that point, Chris and I didn't know if we were still going to give her the bike or take it back to the store. Besides, she didn't even seem very excited about seeing her new bike. Since I was still so mad, I headed outside and challenged my dad (he's in town for a few days) to a game of ping-pong. Nothing like whooping up on your dad and reminding yourself that you're STILL undefeated on your own ping-pong table to make you feel a little better. :-)
After that, Chris and I had a conversation about what to do next with the bike. We both REALLY wanted to teach her a lesson and take that bike straight back to Toys R Us. But then, we both were reminded (almost at the exact same time) of grace. The grace that we are offered every single day by our amazing God when we mess up and make bad choices. And so, we decided to offer a little grace too (with a stipulation that if she EVER peeks at another present it will most certainly be returned!) And so we waited until this morning...one day after her birthday (there had to be some sort of consequence)...and then she got the bike...and she loves it! She walked it around the house for about a half hour till it was time to take it for a spin outside. She was a little nervous since it's been a few months since she's been in the saddle, but with one push she was riding down the driveway and I was taking pictures like crazy.
Just a little bit of grace was all it took. :-)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
I stink at blogging...but oh well
As a blogger, I STINK! It's been over two months since I've made a post. And it's not that I haven't had things to blog about. Oh, there has been PLENTY to talk about...
Like the evening I went out to the front yard simply to start the sprinkler and of course my little munchkins followed me out there. Before I knew it, my oldest was peer pressuring her sister into running through the sprinkler with her. I tried to tell them "no" but it was just too cute watching them hold hands and squeal in excitement as the water sprayed over them. And then, without warning, my sweet, sweet Isabella got a hold of the sprinkler itself, picked it up, and when her sister accidently fell to the ground, Izzy stood over her and relentlessly tortured her with that sprinkler. Oh man, it was funny!
Of course I could have blogged all about our family vacation to Northern CA in July. Santa Rosa was having a cold spell and it was in the high 70s to low 80s the whole week (how is that for relief from the hottest Houston summer in recordable history?!) We hiked through the Redwoods in Guernivlle, and buried each other in the sand at the beach, and visited Train Town in Sonoma. We even got to celebrate my cousin Gina's birthday with her (I won't tell you how old she is but it's WAY older than me) and the kids got to get reacquainted with their cousins. It's always fun seeing my Aunt and Uncle and cousins. One of my favorite parts is how they STILL affectionately refer to me as JoAnna Banana (they are the only ones allowed so don't even think about calling me that anymore!!) and now that I'm married we are collectively known as the Banana Family. There is Chris Banana, Josie Banana, and Izzy Banana. I love it!
Just when I didn't think we could have a better summer vacation, I was invited to travel with Chris for work to Durango and Aspen, CO for 6 days (Remember Chris is corporate pilot so I use the word "work" very loosely in this context). Did the kids go with us, you may ask. HECK NO!!! It was amazing! We went bike riding down the Animas River Trail in Durango, ate gourmet food overlooking the San Juan Mountains, and read books on our hotel balcony while watching river rafters float by. I can almost take myself back there just talking about it...*sigh*. After two days we flew to Aspen but stayed in Glenwood Springs just 40 miles up the road (or down the mountain I should say). In G.S. we hiked THE MOST AMAZING HIKE EVER! It was 1.2 miles straight up that dang mountain with uneven terrain but man was it worth it once we reached the top. Since it is called the Hanging Lake trail, Hanging Lake was the destination and it didn't disappoint. The lake was bluer than blue and crystal clear with 2 waterfalls flowing into it. (I have GOT to learn how to post pics on here.) Anyway, it was incredible! Even better than the hike, my best friend, Tara, from college met us in G.S. She had literally moved to Denver 3 weeks before our trip so it was a short little trek over the mountains for her to meet us (she'll think that "short little trek" is funny cause she got stuck in serious traffic). Anyway, we hung out the next day in Aspen and had a great time catching up on the last 4 years since we've seen each other.
Many more memorable things have happened since my last post but there just isn't enough time to blog it all. Today though, I knew I had to make a post cause it's a monumental day in the Jones household...our oldest daughter, Josie, started kindergarten today. I really will have to write more details later cause it's time for me to head out and go beat all the other moms to the car rider line.
Wishing you all many back-to-school blessings!
Like the evening I went out to the front yard simply to start the sprinkler and of course my little munchkins followed me out there. Before I knew it, my oldest was peer pressuring her sister into running through the sprinkler with her. I tried to tell them "no" but it was just too cute watching them hold hands and squeal in excitement as the water sprayed over them. And then, without warning, my sweet, sweet Isabella got a hold of the sprinkler itself, picked it up, and when her sister accidently fell to the ground, Izzy stood over her and relentlessly tortured her with that sprinkler. Oh man, it was funny!
Of course I could have blogged all about our family vacation to Northern CA in July. Santa Rosa was having a cold spell and it was in the high 70s to low 80s the whole week (how is that for relief from the hottest Houston summer in recordable history?!) We hiked through the Redwoods in Guernivlle, and buried each other in the sand at the beach, and visited Train Town in Sonoma. We even got to celebrate my cousin Gina's birthday with her (I won't tell you how old she is but it's WAY older than me) and the kids got to get reacquainted with their cousins. It's always fun seeing my Aunt and Uncle and cousins. One of my favorite parts is how they STILL affectionately refer to me as JoAnna Banana (they are the only ones allowed so don't even think about calling me that anymore!!) and now that I'm married we are collectively known as the Banana Family. There is Chris Banana, Josie Banana, and Izzy Banana. I love it!
Just when I didn't think we could have a better summer vacation, I was invited to travel with Chris for work to Durango and Aspen, CO for 6 days (Remember Chris is corporate pilot so I use the word "work" very loosely in this context). Did the kids go with us, you may ask. HECK NO!!! It was amazing! We went bike riding down the Animas River Trail in Durango, ate gourmet food overlooking the San Juan Mountains, and read books on our hotel balcony while watching river rafters float by. I can almost take myself back there just talking about it...*sigh*. After two days we flew to Aspen but stayed in Glenwood Springs just 40 miles up the road (or down the mountain I should say). In G.S. we hiked THE MOST AMAZING HIKE EVER! It was 1.2 miles straight up that dang mountain with uneven terrain but man was it worth it once we reached the top. Since it is called the Hanging Lake trail, Hanging Lake was the destination and it didn't disappoint. The lake was bluer than blue and crystal clear with 2 waterfalls flowing into it. (I have GOT to learn how to post pics on here.) Anyway, it was incredible! Even better than the hike, my best friend, Tara, from college met us in G.S. She had literally moved to Denver 3 weeks before our trip so it was a short little trek over the mountains for her to meet us (she'll think that "short little trek" is funny cause she got stuck in serious traffic). Anyway, we hung out the next day in Aspen and had a great time catching up on the last 4 years since we've seen each other.
Many more memorable things have happened since my last post but there just isn't enough time to blog it all. Today though, I knew I had to make a post cause it's a monumental day in the Jones household...our oldest daughter, Josie, started kindergarten today. I really will have to write more details later cause it's time for me to head out and go beat all the other moms to the car rider line.
Wishing you all many back-to-school blessings!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Let's Play Ball!
I've always been somewhat of a natural athlete. I'm not braggin'. Sports is just what I've always been good at. And when you grow up with an older brother who teaches you everything you need to know (props to my bro - love ya!), then it just comes naturally. I'm definitely not great at everything but pretty competitive at most things. I was a pretty good basketball player. I used to run really fast. Golf and tennis I'm not too bad at. I am pretty proud of my ping-pong abilities. In fact, my husband is yet to beat me after 11 years of marriage. (I love to rub that in whenever given the opportunity.) And recently a friend (who I whupped up on) referred to me as the Ping Master (and I like it so I'm keeping it!). Buuuuuut, I think I've finally met my match with that darn game of softball...ugh.
Chris and I recently joined a co-ed softball league through our church. We thought it would be fun to do something sporty together since we don't have too many opportunities for activities without the kiddos. So when I showed up for the first practice I thought, "I can totally do this." That was until the first fly ball came screaming through the air at my face at 500 mph. Unfortunately my natural athletic abilities did NOT kick in. Instead I decided to save myself and went for the "duck and cover" move. Sooooo, I'm definitely working on not being afraid of the ball. And, I assumed most of the ladies would be a little ball-shy as well....UNTIL I saw the preacher's wife scoop up a ground ball at shortstop and make the out at second base (no offense Kim. I always knew you could do a toe-touch but I had no idea you could play softball!) And then even more impressive, Jinny (sweet little Jinny whose shoes always match her purse and her hair always looks amazing) made an awesome stop at third base and then fired the ball to first base (man, was I impressed!)! And then of course there was Autumn who played like she had 4 years of college ball experience. So, I was ok with not being the best player out there but I had A LOT of work to do.
Sooo, for the next few days Chris and I tossed the ball back and forth. He would even throw the ball as high as he could in the air so I could practice catching pop-ups. He also gave me some good pointers about stopping ground balls (like, I don't always have to catch the ball but most importantly just stop the ball so it stays in front of me). And after a few days I started getting a little better...just a little.
And then it was time for our first game. I was totally nervous, all the while telling myself that the duck and cover move was NOT an option for this night. It didn't help my nerves one bit that Chris had to miss this game (and the next since it was a double header) since he was out of town. I figured we were playing on a church league which helped the nerves a little, but as soon as I showed up at the parking lot, well, the tailgating kinda gave it away that this was NO church league. But then I figured maybe we would be at an advantage if all the other teams were drunk. No. Such. Luck. They probably play BETTER drunk then they do sober. Dang it!! The first game was pretty bad. I'm pretty sure we scored...no wait...maybe not. But we're putting that one behind us cause we totally rocked the next game and WON! It was great! I played catcher and loved it 'cause I just stood there and caught the ball on the bounce (half the time the ump caught it for me cause he stood right at my left shoulder. I mean, like right there) and then none of the guys on my team ever threw the ball home plate cause I'm pretty sure they assumed I wouldn't catch it anyways. I even got a hit or two that night and then ran like the wind to first base (remember, I used to be a great runner). Unfortunately, running like the wind to first base translates into limping back to the dugout cause you just pulled a groin muscle. Can someone please bring me an icepack, like, NOW!! Turns out I wasn't the only one to pull a muscle. Another guy on our team pulled a groin too. Thankfully we didn't end up like the dude on the other team who thought it was a good idea to slide into second until he broke his ankle...OOPS. There were a few cramps that night too and one case of poison ivy (Jinny, STAY OUT OF THE BUSHES GIRL!) This week we had another pulled muscle on the way to first and a separated shoulder from a dive-and -roll to stop a ground ball. After my pulled muscle I knew I should've listened to the best advice my dad has ever given me ... "Don't play softball. You'll pull a muscle or knock your teeth out!"
The season is almost more than half way over now and our team is 1 and 5. The best part, we're having a great time! I am so enjoying hanging out with some ladies that I normally don't get to spend much time with or just hadn't really formed a friendship with before. The guys on our team are so encouraging (they make a lot of mistakes too so thay can't blame ALL the losses on us girls). With that said, we'll keep playing and probably keep losing but we'll have a great time (and we'll be sober!).
Chris and I recently joined a co-ed softball league through our church. We thought it would be fun to do something sporty together since we don't have too many opportunities for activities without the kiddos. So when I showed up for the first practice I thought, "I can totally do this." That was until the first fly ball came screaming through the air at my face at 500 mph. Unfortunately my natural athletic abilities did NOT kick in. Instead I decided to save myself and went for the "duck and cover" move. Sooooo, I'm definitely working on not being afraid of the ball. And, I assumed most of the ladies would be a little ball-shy as well....UNTIL I saw the preacher's wife scoop up a ground ball at shortstop and make the out at second base (no offense Kim. I always knew you could do a toe-touch but I had no idea you could play softball!) And then even more impressive, Jinny (sweet little Jinny whose shoes always match her purse and her hair always looks amazing) made an awesome stop at third base and then fired the ball to first base (man, was I impressed!)! And then of course there was Autumn who played like she had 4 years of college ball experience. So, I was ok with not being the best player out there but I had A LOT of work to do.
Sooo, for the next few days Chris and I tossed the ball back and forth. He would even throw the ball as high as he could in the air so I could practice catching pop-ups. He also gave me some good pointers about stopping ground balls (like, I don't always have to catch the ball but most importantly just stop the ball so it stays in front of me). And after a few days I started getting a little better...just a little.
And then it was time for our first game. I was totally nervous, all the while telling myself that the duck and cover move was NOT an option for this night. It didn't help my nerves one bit that Chris had to miss this game (and the next since it was a double header) since he was out of town. I figured we were playing on a church league which helped the nerves a little, but as soon as I showed up at the parking lot, well, the tailgating kinda gave it away that this was NO church league. But then I figured maybe we would be at an advantage if all the other teams were drunk. No. Such. Luck. They probably play BETTER drunk then they do sober. Dang it!! The first game was pretty bad. I'm pretty sure we scored...no wait...maybe not. But we're putting that one behind us cause we totally rocked the next game and WON! It was great! I played catcher and loved it 'cause I just stood there and caught the ball on the bounce (half the time the ump caught it for me cause he stood right at my left shoulder. I mean, like right there) and then none of the guys on my team ever threw the ball home plate cause I'm pretty sure they assumed I wouldn't catch it anyways. I even got a hit or two that night and then ran like the wind to first base (remember, I used to be a great runner). Unfortunately, running like the wind to first base translates into limping back to the dugout cause you just pulled a groin muscle. Can someone please bring me an icepack, like, NOW!! Turns out I wasn't the only one to pull a muscle. Another guy on our team pulled a groin too. Thankfully we didn't end up like the dude on the other team who thought it was a good idea to slide into second until he broke his ankle...OOPS. There were a few cramps that night too and one case of poison ivy (Jinny, STAY OUT OF THE BUSHES GIRL!) This week we had another pulled muscle on the way to first and a separated shoulder from a dive-and -roll to stop a ground ball. After my pulled muscle I knew I should've listened to the best advice my dad has ever given me ... "Don't play softball. You'll pull a muscle or knock your teeth out!"
The season is almost more than half way over now and our team is 1 and 5. The best part, we're having a great time! I am so enjoying hanging out with some ladies that I normally don't get to spend much time with or just hadn't really formed a friendship with before. The guys on our team are so encouraging (they make a lot of mistakes too so thay can't blame ALL the losses on us girls). With that said, we'll keep playing and probably keep losing but we'll have a great time (and we'll be sober!).
Saturday, June 11, 2011
"Take Your Family to Work" weekend
We're on day 3 of "Take Your Family to Work" weekend and we're having a great time! At least as much fun as you can have in Falfurrias, TX. It's doesn't exactly make the top 10 list of best vacation spots in TX (might be listed on the top 10 list of places NEVER to visit). There is nothing here. I mean NOTH-ING! So what brings up to Falfurrias?? Well, as I alluded to, we are here with my husband for work. So let me back up for a minute...
Chris flies a private jet for a husband and wife out of Houston. He has been with them for about 13 years now and I like to call him their fourth child (they put a lot of trust in him to navigate that huge hulk of metal all over the world so they've gotten pretty close). They are great to him and our family! Many times he takes them to exotic places like Costa Rica, or beach resorts in Mexico, or mountain retreats in Colorado...the list goes on and on. But, the majority of the time they spend their time away from home at their 18,000 square foot home on their hunting ranch in Falfurrias. (That was not a typo folks...18,000 square feet it is!) Usually they stay for two or three days but this trip happens to be 10, long days. So, they invited myself and the girls to come along. I was a little hesitant at first, thinking "how are we going to entertain these girls for three days on a hunting ranch!" Remember how much there is to do in Falfurrias....NO-THING! But, I thought at least we would all be together and they do have a swimming pool so if all else fails we'd just hang out at the pool all day.
So, on Thursday we hopped on the airplane (just in case your wondering it's a Lear45 - if you're a girl like me that's means nothing to you just like it did for me a few years ago) and I was a nervous wreck. Would my girls be whining, crying, disrespectful, ungrateful, or the worst...talk incessantly about absolutely nothing!!! They turned out to be perfect little angels. Whew!! After we landed and said to goodbye to the Lawrences' (the boss and his wife), they invited us to come over to their house and play in their game room (it's like nothing you've ever seen before - at least not at a private residence) and swim in THEIR pool. (the pool I referred to earlier was the guest pool). Now I was getting excited!
We arrived at our modest (but very clean with plenty of room) accommodations just down the road from "the mansion". We were totally surprised when we noticed that the Lawrences' had asked their assistant to bring over the "Good Girl" for us to drive around. The "good girl" is the equivilant of the "Bad Boy" golf cart, equiped with seating for 6 but this one is painted in pink camo. Josie has had a great time steering us around the property and most of time she actually keeps it on the road. I know she'll be begging her daddy for a "Good Girl" come December. Not gonna happen, kiddo. She'll have to be satisfied with her pink Barbie caddilac escalade.
Yesterday morning we drove the Good Girl down the road to the mansion and walked the 100 yards from one gate, to the pool at the other end of the house (starting to understand the enormity of this place?). And all I can say is WOW! From the landscaping to the interior decorating, this place is simply phenomenal!! We swam in the pool, all by ourselves, until my shoulders turned pink. It was great!! Then we visited Mrs. Lawrence in her kitchen (double WOW!) as she cooked up lunch with fresh vegetables and herbs from her garden. She showed the girls her new kittens and asked them for suggestions on names for them. We did other things that day but being at their house was the best part.
Now you know that my husband's boss and wife (we lovingly call HER the REAL boss) own their own private jet and one really stinkin' big house. But, what I haven't told you is just how sweet these people really are. Maybe you started to come to that conclusion when they invited us to ride on their jet and let us drive their Good Girl, but seriously, you couldn't convince me that there are people (with their net worth) that are any more caring and generous than these two. You see, usually this business that my husband works in really isn't all that desirable. Often the people that private pilots work for are demanding, arrogant, rude, and simply just too good for ordinary folks. The Lawrences' are far from any of those things. We have been so blessed by God with this job and these people.
Gotta run! The Lawrences' just invited us for lunch...yummo!!
Chris flies a private jet for a husband and wife out of Houston. He has been with them for about 13 years now and I like to call him their fourth child (they put a lot of trust in him to navigate that huge hulk of metal all over the world so they've gotten pretty close). They are great to him and our family! Many times he takes them to exotic places like Costa Rica, or beach resorts in Mexico, or mountain retreats in Colorado...the list goes on and on. But, the majority of the time they spend their time away from home at their 18,000 square foot home on their hunting ranch in Falfurrias. (That was not a typo folks...18,000 square feet it is!) Usually they stay for two or three days but this trip happens to be 10, long days. So, they invited myself and the girls to come along. I was a little hesitant at first, thinking "how are we going to entertain these girls for three days on a hunting ranch!" Remember how much there is to do in Falfurrias....NO-THING! But, I thought at least we would all be together and they do have a swimming pool so if all else fails we'd just hang out at the pool all day.
So, on Thursday we hopped on the airplane (just in case your wondering it's a Lear45 - if you're a girl like me that's means nothing to you just like it did for me a few years ago) and I was a nervous wreck. Would my girls be whining, crying, disrespectful, ungrateful, or the worst...talk incessantly about absolutely nothing!!! They turned out to be perfect little angels. Whew!! After we landed and said to goodbye to the Lawrences' (the boss and his wife), they invited us to come over to their house and play in their game room (it's like nothing you've ever seen before - at least not at a private residence) and swim in THEIR pool. (the pool I referred to earlier was the guest pool). Now I was getting excited!
We arrived at our modest (but very clean with plenty of room) accommodations just down the road from "the mansion". We were totally surprised when we noticed that the Lawrences' had asked their assistant to bring over the "Good Girl" for us to drive around. The "good girl" is the equivilant of the "Bad Boy" golf cart, equiped with seating for 6 but this one is painted in pink camo. Josie has had a great time steering us around the property and most of time she actually keeps it on the road. I know she'll be begging her daddy for a "Good Girl" come December. Not gonna happen, kiddo. She'll have to be satisfied with her pink Barbie caddilac escalade.
Yesterday morning we drove the Good Girl down the road to the mansion and walked the 100 yards from one gate, to the pool at the other end of the house (starting to understand the enormity of this place?). And all I can say is WOW! From the landscaping to the interior decorating, this place is simply phenomenal!! We swam in the pool, all by ourselves, until my shoulders turned pink. It was great!! Then we visited Mrs. Lawrence in her kitchen (double WOW!) as she cooked up lunch with fresh vegetables and herbs from her garden. She showed the girls her new kittens and asked them for suggestions on names for them. We did other things that day but being at their house was the best part.
Now you know that my husband's boss and wife (we lovingly call HER the REAL boss) own their own private jet and one really stinkin' big house. But, what I haven't told you is just how sweet these people really are. Maybe you started to come to that conclusion when they invited us to ride on their jet and let us drive their Good Girl, but seriously, you couldn't convince me that there are people (with their net worth) that are any more caring and generous than these two. You see, usually this business that my husband works in really isn't all that desirable. Often the people that private pilots work for are demanding, arrogant, rude, and simply just too good for ordinary folks. The Lawrences' are far from any of those things. We have been so blessed by God with this job and these people.
Gotta run! The Lawrences' just invited us for lunch...yummo!!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
My Sweet Isabella
Since I haven't really written down any of the precious moments of my 2 year old's life, I figured I would write about a few of my absolute favorites. So this first one probably won't be nearly as cute to any one reading cause you really gotta hear her say it (just wait, they get funnier at the end of this post) but like I said, I really am recording the moment so that my old brain can recall the memory one day. So, when we ask Izzy to say her full name, with a big smile and much confidence, she says, "Izzy-bella!". But the cutest part is how she sticks her tongue out when trying to say the L's...totally cute! Another one is how for nearly a year she pretty much refused to say her sister's name. She was totally able but just preferred to call her "gnn gnn". It's hard to even spell it cause it really wasn't even a word but just a little two-syllable sound she would make when referring to her sister. I think she used it cause she could call for her sister without having to take her fingers out of her mouth (uh oh, that means she might be slightly lazy like her mother)and well, the "s" in "Josie" was a little hard to pronounce too.
Ok, so I might completely embarrass my husband with this story, buuuuuuut who cares! This is way too funny not to share. And, well, we all know men pass a lot of gas anyways so every family has got to have a good story about it, right? Here is ours: Every time Chris would toot (that's what our family calls it), he would point to Izzy, trying to pass the blame, and say "Izzy! Was that you? Was that you, Izzy?" And Izzy, would point to herself (with her right hand cause she was most likely sucking her fingers on the left hand) and with her eyes it was if she would astonishingly say "Not me." Well, one morning, just like every other morning, Chris tooted. But before he could say a word, Izzy pointed to herself and excitedly piped up, "Me dad, ME!" I don't know if our family has ever laughed harder (well, maybe not until the next story). She did this for weeks and the best part was that it was a wonderful reassurance for any of the women in our family that in the off chance one of us was to accidently break wind, we knew that Izzy would be there to take the blame and cover for us. Several times we tried to show off our brilliant daughter's new skill by artificially replicating the tooting noise, but with no response from Izzy (not even the ifart app would work). She knew the real thing and would ONLY claim the real thing. So. Stinkin'. Funny.
Seriously, does it get any funnier than that?? Well, we think this one tops it. So one night we were all in the car (me, Chris, Josie-5 yrs old, and Izzy-2 yrs old) just after leaving dinner at one of our favorite gourmet restaurants, Panda Express, and Josie asks from the backseat, "How do you talk in Chinese?" Chris thought he was pretty funny with his response, "Ping wing chang wong!" Josie thought is was hysterical. He got the sideways glance from me that he knows means "Chris, quit being a dork." When Josie was able to compose herself, she then asked, "Ok, does anybody know how to say 'Hello' in Chinese?" Without missing a beat, Izzy slurped her fingers out of her mouth and with much confidence stated "Hair-RO!" Oh. My. Goodness. I seriously laughed until tears streamed down my face and I think I may have even peed my pants just a little (I know I'm not the only woman who can't control it after birthing two kids).
So there you have it. My sweet, little Izzy-Bella. Oh how she melts my heart...which is a good thing since some days her older sister makes it turn stone cold. I'm kidding people, totally (well, partially) kidding.
Here's to family moments that make you laugh until you pee! Have a blessed weekend, friends.
Ok, so I might completely embarrass my husband with this story, buuuuuuut who cares! This is way too funny not to share. And, well, we all know men pass a lot of gas anyways so every family has got to have a good story about it, right? Here is ours: Every time Chris would toot (that's what our family calls it), he would point to Izzy, trying to pass the blame, and say "Izzy! Was that you? Was that you, Izzy?" And Izzy, would point to herself (with her right hand cause she was most likely sucking her fingers on the left hand) and with her eyes it was if she would astonishingly say "Not me." Well, one morning, just like every other morning, Chris tooted. But before he could say a word, Izzy pointed to herself and excitedly piped up, "Me dad, ME!" I don't know if our family has ever laughed harder (well, maybe not until the next story). She did this for weeks and the best part was that it was a wonderful reassurance for any of the women in our family that in the off chance one of us was to accidently break wind, we knew that Izzy would be there to take the blame and cover for us. Several times we tried to show off our brilliant daughter's new skill by artificially replicating the tooting noise, but with no response from Izzy (not even the ifart app would work). She knew the real thing and would ONLY claim the real thing. So. Stinkin'. Funny.
Seriously, does it get any funnier than that?? Well, we think this one tops it. So one night we were all in the car (me, Chris, Josie-5 yrs old, and Izzy-2 yrs old) just after leaving dinner at one of our favorite gourmet restaurants, Panda Express, and Josie asks from the backseat, "How do you talk in Chinese?" Chris thought he was pretty funny with his response, "Ping wing chang wong!" Josie thought is was hysterical. He got the sideways glance from me that he knows means "Chris, quit being a dork." When Josie was able to compose herself, she then asked, "Ok, does anybody know how to say 'Hello' in Chinese?" Without missing a beat, Izzy slurped her fingers out of her mouth and with much confidence stated "Hair-RO!" Oh. My. Goodness. I seriously laughed until tears streamed down my face and I think I may have even peed my pants just a little (I know I'm not the only woman who can't control it after birthing two kids).
So there you have it. My sweet, little Izzy-Bella. Oh how she melts my heart...which is a good thing since some days her older sister makes it turn stone cold. I'm kidding people, totally (well, partially) kidding.
Here's to family moments that make you laugh until you pee! Have a blessed weekend, friends.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Taking the Blogger plunge!
Well, here goes .... I'm jumping in head first! Don't really know where this will lead, but I'm diving into the blogging world. For years, I've never really thought I had much to say. I'm a pretty quiet gal. But I've recently realized that I simply express myself much better through the written word rather than the spoken word. A lot more goes on in my head then what is actually said. But probably the real reason for beginning this new adventure is to record all of my family's daily happenings that seem so precious at the time but are soon forgotten. I don't want to forgot!! Ok, and here's my secret reason for starting this blog. I'm hoping it will somehow keep me accountable to saving and recording all these memories. See, the other day I found a hand-written journal that I had started for my oldest daughter when she was 2 years old. On the first page I vowed to record every funny, embarrassing, traumatic, etc. event in her life as best I could since I had failed for the first two years of her life. Know how many events I recorded in that book? About 5. Yep, just 5 and she is now 5 1/2 years old. It pains me to think of all the things I've already forgotten. So I totally felt like a failure. A total quitter. And then I got to thinking, "Man, I've really been succeeding at this quitting thing lately." I quit my half-marathon training (here's my good excuse: my racing buddy got injured and wouldn't be able to run with me...all her fault. Love you, Tara!) I quit at being a dog owner. Wanna hear this excuse? This is at least what we told our devastated, crying children as the new owner carried away her new puppy..."Mommy and Daddy weren't able to spend as much time with you anymore cause we were always taking care of the dog. And we won't be able to go on any vacations this summer cause we'll have to stay home with the dog." That was the excuse. The real reason...it was so stinkin' hard taking care of that darn dog! And when it got hard, I quit. So....here's to no more quitting!!! Here's to starting this blog and continuing this blog until .... oh crap! This is gonna be like, at least a 16 year commitment if I'm gonna finish this when my kids are out of the house. *Deep breath* Alright, let's make a realistic goal here. How bout...one year...at least one post a week. I think I can do that. Yeah, I CAN
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