Audubon Zoo 2012

Jac has been approved for a tonsillectomy! We see a surgeon on Tuesday to set up an appointment. I can't wait and I know he'll be feeling so much better. He's had some rough breathing issues this week. We had stayed with Jessie and Joey since they don't have pets, but Jac couldn't stop coughing all night. His tonsils were huge and he didn't sleep. It was pitiful.

This week has been a little busy, but fun. Zac and I went to Natalie's (Zac's friend from high school) for her son, Landon's, first birthday. We went to the mall and saw a glass display full of bunnies. The kids almost had a fit to touch them. One of the employees let me hold one so the kids could pet it. It was so soft!

We went to the zoo with Jessie and Joey, but Jessie had to get to work, so they couldn't stay long. The kids had fun, though. Leah has never been to the zoo and the last time we went with Jac, he was just turning one.

Micro-Post: Hibachi

We went out for hibachi and it was so good, I had to blog about it.

Chalk

I cleaned off the back patio and bought the kids some chalk. They've been occupied for over an hour doodling colorful pictures. 

Homeschooling

I've decided to homeschool Jac next year. Zac and I talked about the pros and cons and I think it would benefit us on a positive level, especially since we'll be moving at the end of the year. Jac is looking forward to it. I've asked him a few times, telling him what it's going to be like, etc. I can even start teaching Leah a few basics so she can be ready for Kindergarten (if she wants to go). If Jac doesn't like homeschooling, he can always go to public school. I've researched a few Covington schools, just in case, but I'm hoping he sticks with it.

Last week, we went to the mall and discovered there's a new play area for kids, so we've been trying to go more often. It's just too cold to go to the park.

Updates

Sorry, it's been a while. Zac is in his second trimester at college, Jac is back in school after a case of bronchitis, and Leah is continuing to potty-train. We've been trying to get outside more and enjoy the kiddos. Their favorite thing is riding in the trailer around the neighborhood or to McAlister's.

New Year's 2012

The holidays have passed, the kids are asleep, and I'm watching Weeds with Zac. 

We went to Louisiana to see friends and family for Christmas. Mawmaw always has the prettiest tree.

We stayed with Sean and exchanged gifts with Kallan and Fallyn. Jac even lost his first tooth! He was jumping on the bed with Kallan and Leah when it happened. Leah ran to the den, freaked out and screaming, "Bubba's bleetin'! Bubba's gonna die in the hostiddle!" She's definitely a drama queen.

2012 - A year in review: 2011

A year in review: 2011

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?

Taught myself to crochet.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for next year?

I still haven't smoked, so that's good. I may make more... Eat better, perhaps.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Rachel had Aidan, Krystal had Rhyme.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit?

None.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

Maybe a baby? Ha. But really, a house would be nice.

7. What events from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?

Jac went to school for the first time. I started working at Bath & Body Works.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting a job I always wanted. Potty training Leah. Obtaining Toby.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Having to live with my parents this year. Putting Jac in public school.

10. Did you suffer an illness or injury?

Nope.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Yarn.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Both kids are officially out of diapers and training pants!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Holiday customers.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Christmas, traveling.

15. What did you get really excited about?

No more diapers and training pants!

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Too much Adele. Way too much.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

-Happier or sadder? Happier.

-Thinner or fatter? Thinner.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Reading.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Stressing out over little things.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

We went to Mawmaw's, Jac lost his first tooth at Sean's, we ate a lot of junk food.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?

In love with Zac always.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

New Girl, Once Upon A Time, The Office, House, Dexter, True Blood, Weeds.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

People.

24. What was the best book you read?

I'm still into the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.

25. What was your favorite musical discovery?

Lady Gaga is alright.

26. What did you want and get?

A puppy!

27. What did you want and not get?

A better car.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 2.

29. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

We went on a double date with Emily and Alex at Outback Steakhouse. I turned 28.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

The kids not being sick so often.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Jeans and tank tops.

32. What kept you sane?

My friends. Emily.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Shirley Manson. Lady Gaga. Amanda Palmer.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Healthcare is still blah.

35. Who do you miss?

My friends.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

My co-workers are nice.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Public school is infested with germs.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"I need a doctor."

Sick Kids

Jac is out of school for the holidays, but he and Leah both have strep throat. Both had vaccines yesterday, so they're feeling a little better. I'm seriously thinking about homeschooling next year to avoid these sicknesses. It's gotten ridiculous.

I've got all our gifts wrapped and hidden until Christmas Eve and we're going out of town on Sunday.

Holidays

I've been working so much for the holidays, it's insane. Everyone was puking last week, so I'm glad that's over.

I've almost finished shopping, but I still need to exchange and purchase a few last-minute items. We "adopted" an Elf on the Shelf who we named Buddy and Jac's school behavior colors have been in the green more often. The kids even had their picture taken with Santa and were so well-behaved and comfortable this time!

My phone fell in the toilet the other day, so I don't have a phone right now. I keep feeling like I'm forgetting something when I leave the house.

A Week In November

Zac and I stayed in Covington most of the week, but I just haven't posted in a while. We were able to visit most of Zac's family and see our friends so it's been a pretty great visit.

• Monday, we brought the kids to the Disney Store in Metairie. Leah was trying to convince us that she needed a four-foot Mickey Mouse. We let them ride the Christmas train in the middle of the mall before heading over to Jessie and Joey's. Jessie gave me some rainbow yarn and a pair of shoes and a whole pumpkin pie she made. I've never had pumpkin pie before, so I'm in for something new. We went back to Sean's and then we, along with Fallyn and Kallan, went to Outback for Zac's birthday. The kids helped sing "Happy Birthday" with the waiters to a lady at a table next to us, so our waiter brought them each a bowl of free ice cream.

• Tuesday, we didn't do too much. Zac bought new tires for the Blazer and I just hung out on Sean's balcony with the kids. Sean cooked Bananas Foster, which was awesome, but I think Zac poured too much rum in my egg nog. I think I got drunk from the fumes. We watched Zookeeper, but it wasn't as funny as I expected. 

• Wednesday, we went to Mawmaw's to visit and let the kids play with Francesca.

• Thursday, we packed up our stuff and met up with Zac's older brother, Breck, at Breck's in-laws' house. We drank champagne and I met a lot of Zac's extended family. Breck and his wife, Rachel, are from Wisconsin. They took a train from there to Louisiana! After leaving Breck, we went to Mawmaw's for dinner, then to Zac's Aunt Karen's house. Karen is the one who gave us our Toby, so Toby was able to play with his mom and sister, Lily.

• Friday, I worked the afternoon shift at B&BW to avoid the rush, but it was still so busy. I ended up staying until 2:30am because one of my co-workers has OCD and needed to deep-clean the entire store.
• Saturday, I worked 4-8. Brittany let me leave a little early since we were slow. Mom invited Carlton and Rachel and their kids over for Thanksgiving dinner, which was "interesting". Jordan climbed on the counter and broke a glass dish, then Leah stepped on a shard of glass and tracked blood everywhere.
• Today is Sunday, the worst day. Abbi spent the night here at Mom's and decided to come into my bedroom to jump on my bed and yell "Rise and shine!" over and over before putting Toby on our bed (something we never do). Mom insisted I help her decorate for Christmas while criticizing me the entire time. Awesome.

Needless to say, I'm sick of the holidays and am looking forward to the day we move back out.

28

Zac and I went to Outback with Emily and Alex for my birthday. I ordered a gingerbread martini and it was probably the best thing I've ever tasted. EVER.

Jac had a parent-teacher meeting at school and it went well. Mr. S said he's one of the top students in class! He said Jac is "very intelligent, always thinking, honest, helpful and artistic." I'm so proud of him! He had his first powwow and came home dressed as an Indian. He made the costume and the instruments himself.

Zac and I went to Target to buy some do-it-yourself stockings. They were so fun to put together! I like seeing the kids get creative.

Halloween 2011

Happy Halloween!

At the last minute, Jac decided he wanted to be Mario (again) and we found a Princess Peach costume, so Leah claimed it.

Jac's class took a trip to a pumpkin patch and he brought home the most perfectly round pumpkin I've ever seen. It has a sturdy stem and everything.

I had Zac take some fall pictures of the kids so we wouldn't have to go to Walmart. He should be a professional.

Anniversary # 5

It's mine and Zac's fifth anniversary, so I made a pumpkin cake to celebrate (recipe found HERE).

I've been without the Internet for about a week now, plus I did finally get sick. I'm feeling better, now, or at least my throat isn't hurting anymore. The kids are also feeling better. Jac's tonsils are still huge and he's been battling conjunctivitis in his eye. I finally talked to an ENT surgeon to see about getting Jac's tonsils removed and he freaking told me to wait. I told him it's been THREE weeks and the tonsils have not gone down. He sounds like he's talking with a bubble in his throat. He can't eat properly, he doesn't sleep well, but no, that ballyhoo doesn't matter to this so-called "professional". I'm going to get a second opinion because I know they need to come out. Mine were taken out when I was five and I didn't need to continue getting daily allergy shots.

As for my totally awesome job (because you're just dying to hear about it, right?), I love it. I love it love it. My first day was Sunday and I helped with a floorset. I basically took products from one shelf and moved them to another shelf and repeated that all the way down the section I was assigned to. I met a lot of girls who work there, all of which are so nice. I'm hoping to stay on permanently.

While I was in the kitchen tonight, I heard Jac yelling, "Mommy! I need help getting out of this Christmas box!" and came across the following scenario:

Tiny amazon woman in the making.

Sick Kids

The kids have been sick over the weekend... again. Jac is still coughing, his tonsils are huge and we finally got around to seeing a doctor for his follow-up after it was cancelled THREE times. Leah has croup, so she's on an antibiotic and a steroid. She's starting to feel better, but her cough won't go away. Zac has a sore throat and I'm just waiting to catch all of it. I've been guzzling orange juice by the gallon to build up my Vitamin C so hopefully I'm close to immune by now.

Jac has been riding the bus and loves it. It's also saving us gasoline by not having to wait in line to drop him off and pick him up. Leah's naps aren't interrupted and she likes taking a ride in the wagon to wait with me at the bus stop down the street.

Bath & Body Works

I have a job with Bath & Body Works! I'm am so excited! Everything smells amazing and I can get freebies every month! We went to Backyard Burgers to celebrate and discovered kids eat free on Tuesdays. Lucky us. I'm so happy that I'm going to be surrounded by fragrance all the time! It's magical.

Random Update

Well it's been a helluvaweekend... Jac woke up Saturday morning with a sore throat and swollen tonsils. I brought him to the doctor and learned he has strep throat. He puked a few times (even projectile-puked while laying on the sofa). Luckily, we have a ton of Lysol wipes and I'm hoping the rest of us don't catch anything. We're going back to the doctor next week for a follow-up and to talk to an ENT specialist to discuss getting Jac's tonsils removed. I keep being told that he'll grow out of it and they won't always be so big, but I'm terrified, terrified, that one day he's going to suffocate during one of his coughing fits. He was never officially diagnosed with asthma, and my maternal instincts say that if those tonsils come out, he's going to be "normal". He missed school today and was so disappointed because it would've been his first bus ride there and back.

As for Leah, she's developed some dramatic and aggressive tantrums lately. I'm trying so hard to be patient with her, but I can only take so much. It's frustrating! She's so sweet, but anything can set her off to a screaming, kicking, biting, pinching little devil. Her Terrible-Twos are so much more extreme than what I remember with Jac. I'm told girls are like that, but it's a little hard to take. If she could tell me how she's feeling, I'm sure it would be along the lines of, "I'm mad, but you have to guess why."

Good things: Zac and I have been obsessed with watching LOST every night on Netflix. We just finished the season finale of True Blood and a 6th season of Dexter starts in October.

I've got an interview at Bath & Body Works! I'm so so so excited and really hope I can get hired. I've been dying to work for them for almost TEN YEARS now. Hopefully, I nail the interview.

The kids picked out their Halloween costumes and have been wearing them every day. The cuteness overwhelms me.