My big THREE year old

Dear Jonathan,
Holy Catfish (one of your cute sayings)... you are three. I can't believe you are already 3. You are one sweet little boy and you make us so happy. We've had quite the fun party weekend, starting with a little playdate party on Friday morning for you and a few of your little buddies. Then, your family party was on Saturday - a Toy Story theme.


It was tons of fun! At the end, you sweetly said "these are the best presents ever." You were excited with each present and I loved your reactions!



Today, on your "real" birthday, we had a quiet morning at home and then a family cookout at your Uncle Jerry and Aunt Amy's house. It took you about an hour to finally decide to swim, but once you did, you loved it!

You are amazing. Here's some highlights of what's gong on it your life right now:
* You still love Toy Story - you and Daddy have a special thing about saying "dr. Evil
Porkchop

* You ARE potty trained! - well almost! You do great at our house, but sometimes don't like to go pee pee at Mamaw's or Ms. Elsie's. You have started something new. Every night, when we tuck you in, we know that you are going to say "I have to go stinky." And then you get out of bed, go to the potty and proceed to run show me each and every little piece of your "business." Seriously gross, but I'm totally proud of you!
* You are riding your big boy bike like a champ! So cute!
* You really really like to win. Everything is a competition to you. We're working really hard on "being on the same team as your brother." It really makes me sad to see you lose most of the time, since Jacob is naturally faster than you.
* You say "off" when you mean "all." For instance, when you as for food, you say, "I want cheese and applesauce and yogurt and peanut butter and that's off."
* You are a 100% daddy's boy. I mean really, I wish you liked me even a little. :-)


* I love you so much big boy! Happy Happy Happy Birthday!

This man...

Makes me so happy. He is kind and loving and patient (Lord knows he has to be!)and I love him with all my heart. This man is funny and witty and he's my very best friend. He is a very picky eater and he is a great basketball and softball player. He loves to watch sports and somehow knows any and all details about baseball, basketball and football. Goodness, I'm glad he doesn't follow golf, nascar or hockey. :-) He is a loyal friend to those he meets and everyone who meets him instantly likes him. He is very good at his job, but is the first to say that his j-o-b doesn't come first. We do. That's right - he puts God first and then me and the boys. He is a real man, in my opinion. He loves the Lord and chooses to lead our family toward Him. He is the best daddy in the world. Even with two little ones, he makes me feel like a princess every day. He is helpful beyond belief around the house and has changed his fair share of stinky diapers.




I am so blessed to call this man my husband. On May 21, 2005, he became mine forever!!! Last weekend, we went to Myrtle beach (without our kiddos!) for a brief vacation to celebrate our anniversary. We had a blast! We missed Jacob and Jonathan so very very much, but it was a really wonderful time to rest, relax and reconnect... without wiping bottoms or fixing peanut butter sandwiches or getting "tweets" for "Being such a good good boy."



So grateful that Grammy and pa agreed to keep the boys so we could enjoy ourselves. We will definitely be doing that again!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY VERY BEST FRIEND!!!

Wordless Wednesday (more to follow later!)

yep, I was that mom!

Oh gosh - today, I was THAT mom. You know, the one with the screaming toddler out in public? Yeah, that was me. Jonathan and I packed up and went to Lowes today. I wanted to go look at some rugs and I need a few more flowers and a couple of odds and ends. Jonathan got to "ride" on all the tractor mowers. Win-win, right? Ummm not so much. So, I found a rug I liked and went to order in a hallway runner size and the computers suddenly started acting ugly. It was taking a good forever. Jonathan was riding in the buggy - you know the big blue race car ones??? Well, he wanted down. So I let him. Then he wanted back in, only he wanted to "DO IT ALL BY MYSEEF." Oh my sweet goodness, I know ya'll all heard him screaming, even from your living rooms. He couldn't do it himself though, so I (gasp) tried to help him up. Well, the screaming meamie of all tantrums commenced. You would have thought I was killing him. I was getting THOSE looks. The kind that make me want to punch people in the face and say, "what, you've never seen a two year old throw a tantrum before?" And of course, "no, as a matter of fact, I'm not a horrible mommy and my kid doesn't always act like that." And REALLY????? can't you get the stupid computer to work so I can just order my rug and get the heck out????? Oh no, they couldn't. So then they called the ordering manager and the front desk manager. Screaming still in full swing as Jonathan is now buckled in his race car - ticked off. Finally, I said in my kindest voice.. " I'll just get the number of the rug I want and order it from home. We are leaving now." And. I. Walked. Out. Left my shopping cart semi-full of a few things we needed and walked out. Didn't get my flowers and Jonathan didn't get his ride on the tractors. Hmph!

Oh well, here's hoping you are having a tantrum-free day! And if I see you out and your little sweetie throws a little fit, I promise I won't give you one of THOSE looks. :-)


(this is Jonathan's "mad face." I wish today, that's all I'd seen!!!!! :-)

just some stuff rumbling round in my brain...

So, have you ever felt trapped in your own home? I kind of am today. And it's good, I promise. We are getting new floors and carpets installed downstairs TODAY - while I type and the boys are tyring to rest. I say trying, because hello - anyone else been in their house whilst hard wood is being installed? L to the Loud is all I have to say. BUT it will be worth it and I already love it. My house is 12 types of upside down. I couldn't even find my undies this morning. whoops. Should have thought of that when I haphazardly threw all the contents of our dresser into trash bags late last night to move our furniture out of our room. We have to turn them up on their sides to make the crazy angles of our house and everything started to dump out. So I got all "be prepared" and got the trash bags out and stuffed away. Anyway - it's nap time and the boys need some down time. I've been outside all day and I'm dripping with sweat...So we're trapped. But, that's okay. Totally okay. And i'm not really crazy about a stranger being in our house all alone or I'd just pack up and go to the zoo. Oh except that I couldn't because in the midst of the floor installation, an insurance adjuster had to come look at our roof as we've had some leakange with all the rain over the last umpteen weeks. Sheesh. Who needs animals? It's a zoo here at Stover ville.

In other news, mother's day was great. Got to spend some time with my momma and loved being a mommy to my boys. AND, i got to welcome my hubby home from a week long work trip to Phoenix. That was my mother's day present! So glad he's back. Shew. Single parenting is for the birds. I have so much respect for those of you who do the daily grind without a supportive and loving husband. Know that you have my prayers!

And also, we have been working hard on potty training round here. Jonathan is doing great. Most of the time. He's holding it a lot though and that makes me nervous. He holds it all day sometimes. No accidents ever. He just won't go pee. Not everyday, but lots. I worry that he'll get a bladder infection or kidney infection or something. Oh number 2 you ask?? Not much progress there. He usually waits til he has a diaper on at night night time. Not really ready to fight that battle just yet.

Finally, (SORRY FOR THE LONG WINDEDNESS OF THIS POST! -but hey, I'm trapped, remember?) and most important.... PLEASE BE PRAYING FOR MY FRIEND AND FORMER CO-WORKER DAVID. His 7 year old son has a brain tumor and is in surgery at UK hospital at this very moment. Tanner had ben throwing up with no explanation for 3 weeks and last week they did a MRI, which showed a brain tumor. David and Tanner's mother, Ann could use all the prayers they could get. The next few weeks are going to be tough as he recovers from surgery and they have to figure out if the tumor is cancer, etc.

Thanks all! Kind of put things in perspective. My topsy turvy house is nothing compared to what my friend David is goin through.

These Boys...

Made Me:

* Boo -Boo kisser
* bath water checker
* milk pourer
* breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner maker
* bike ride helper
* learning time teacher
* Referee (seriously, I feel like I should wear a black and white striped tee and a whistle all the time!)
* snot wiper
* booger getterer (not a word, I know, except it is at our house!)
* bottom wiper
* book reader
* taxi driver
* story teller
* manners reminderer(again, I know, reminderer is not a word!)
* the retriever - I often have retrieved items from the vents, from the toilet and even down the sink...
* hugger and kisser
* the bed tucker inner
* the middle of the night paci retriever (not anymore, thank the Lord!)

and most of all.... these boys made me MOMMY. I'm so grateful to be their mommy and I wouldn't trade any of my daily mommy chores for anything. They've also made me a more passionate prayer warrior. I pray for them all the time.

And I'm super grateful for my own mom! What a great role model she has been. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! You are amazing!!!!!!!

Happy Mother's Day weekend to all my special mommas out there. What about ya'll - what are some of your special titles that have been bestowed since becoming a mommy? I love you!

Zoo baby!

I don't know about the rest of you, but on my goodness, to say all the rain we've had in the last month was making me stir to the crazy would be an understatement. So, yesterday, I packed up the boys and we headed to the zoo. Our first trip this year... it was crazy fun and crazy busy!!!! I guess lots of Kentuckians had the same idea. "i know, since it's the first nice day in like 123456433 days, let's go to the zoo." Anyway. We had a blast. The boys' favorite part? The playground and the carousel. Go figure.

Easter Blessings to you!

Who could resist this little bunny?



Or this one??? (yep, he's totally rocking his cowboy boots with basketball shorts. nice.)

Hope your Easter is filled with blessing and reminders of the awesome Jesus that we serve. Oh praise the name of Jesus!!!!

April is...

CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH!!!! So, what are YOU doing to help prevent child abuse? I believe that preventing child abuse is everyone's business. When I used to work for state government, particularly the Division of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence, I felt like I was doing all kinds of things to support the prevention of abuse. I was involved in awesome Public Service Announcement projects and video series that went to teachers about the recognition of child abuse. We hosted live media events in the Capitol and placed pinwheels in local businesses. Good stuff.

Now, almost a year after I left state government (insert hallelujah chorus for my new part time gig here!), I feel like I'm not doing enough. Sure, I work with children and families and I help teach parents what to do if they get "stressed to the max." But what about in my daily life? Am I helping parents enough? Am I praising the hard work of mommies that I know and love? Am I taking care of myself in ways that allow ME to be the best mommy and not lose my cool over frustrating events at my house?

Well, let me take this opportunity to say to all my mommy friends.... YOU ROCK!!! PARENTING IS HARD WORK AND YOU ARE AWESOME! YOU ARE NOT ALONE WHEN YOU FEEL FRUSTRATED AND NO, YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS EVER YELLED AT YOUR SWEET CHILDREN!!!!!! Take some time for yourself. Take some time for your marriage. Support local agencies who work with children who may have bee abused. Pray for the safety of your child and their friends. Sport a nice little blue ribbon on your shirt this month. Those things work together to help stop abuse.

You can also partner with Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky on some special activities throughout the state for Child Abuse Awareness Month. www.pcaky.org

Sunny Days, Chasing the Clouds Away

Well, we had a once in a lifetime fun-filled Friday night. We took the boys to see Sesame Street Live - "Elmo's Green Thumb." It was at the Brown Theater in Louisville and was oh so fun. The boys were high-fiving each other on the way there saying "ELMO!" We really enjoyed the show. Jacob's favorite - Oscar the Grouch. Jonathan's favorite? Cookie Monster. It was so funny when they started singing "sunny days, chasing the clouds away..." all the parents in the audience were bringing the house down. I guess we were living vicariously through the kiddos? Ha!

It really was fun. I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to do special things like this for our boys. We are blessed beyond imagination. May we never ever take it for granted.

Oh - and as a hint, take cash if you ever go to anything like that! Of course, there's Elmo balloons and binoculars and cotton candy and t-shirts and M&Ms and the list goes on and on. The boys eyes were open to ALL those things of course. We only had enough cash with us for parking, but did manage to find one sales guy selling cotton candy that took debit cards.

Meet our newest cousin

Welcome Lucy May Pickering! She is gorgeous. Proud parents are Josh and Melissa. Melissa is Billy's "baby" cousin. Yeah!!!

Idol Recap

American Idol Recap (from my little view)… “Off we go “ – oh I can’t believe I say this, but I miss you Simon!
Jacob – “Man in the Mirror” – I love MJ. I don’t usually love Jacob but tonight– I thought he was great. I think it’s cute and sweet that he wouldn’t sing a song about “doing the nasty.” That made me smile. I really thought he was great! Steven liked it. Jennifer liked it. They both called it beautiful. Randy liked it. I wish more people would stand up for the morals they believe in. Way to go!!

Hailey – Janis Joplin’s “Piece of my Heart” – good start. Man, her hair is big. That would make me nuts. She has a cool rasp to her voice. But if I’m honest, it sounds a little screamish sometimes. I do like her overall image though. She’s had some rough weeks but the last few have been better. I like her, but tonight was just okay. Judges all seem to like it. “Wow” they say.

Casey - oh my, never know what this cat’s gonna do. Holy moly, he’s playing the bass. Impressively talented. “Have you ever seen the rain? “ CCR – I’m a little young for them, but I do know this song. I like this performance. I think he is entertaining. Randy says “you made the upright bass cool.” Steven says “you’re a true musician.” Jennifer said something about front row… Overall very good.

Lauren – “Natural Woman” – not a fan of the shorts with tights/boots combo, but I think she can flat out sing! Her performances are sometimes a little flat to me. Maybe it’s because she’s so young. I mean who could really make her feel like a woman? This one is just okay for me. Wonder what the judges have to say? Steven just said you just growded up – what?? The judges liked it more than I did.

James – “something about a guitar” – by a Beatles guy. Ummm. I like the Beatles, but don’t know this one. Let’s see. I really like this guy’s story. I work with a lot of kiddos with tourette syndrome, so I TRULY admire him!!! I actually really like this performance. I do not understand this song, but I really really like this performance! Rocker goes a little softer. Judges agree with me. Maybe I could get a gig on idol? I mean who wouldn’t want a mommy’s opinion?

Scotty – “That’s alright momma” – ELVIS – okay lets do it. I love Elvis. I like Scotty. I’m anxious to see what happens here. A little interaction with the audience. Cute. He’s having fun and that’s important. I liked it a lot. I think he’s a doll and has a bright future in Country Music. His confidence has really grown and that really shows. What in the world is up with the little girls mobbing him on stage? Weird. Judges also liked it!

Pia – Tina Turner - man, Pia is beautiful. Weird outfit, but she is so pretty. I don’t know this song, but from my perspective, she’s doing awesome on it. Jennifer looks like she’s on a bouncy ball. What’s up with that? Wow – Pia has an amazing voice!!!! She’s been my favorite from the beginning. Steven – “you killed it.” Jennifer – “amazing.” Randy – you delivered.

Stefano – Percy Sledge – “When a Man Loves a Woman.” Stefano usually reminds me of a Glee cast member, so let’s see what happens. (ps – I love Glee, so that’s not a bad thing.) Pretty good if you ask me. But still Glee-like. Can’t really describe it better than that. He’s a cutie though. Prolly gonna keep getting lots of young girl votes. Judges like him a lot. Randy didn’t like it as much as Steven and Jennifer.

Paul- Johnny Cash – oooh. This could be good. OH WOW. I love this. He is Billy’s favorite this season. Very very very good in my opinion! He is so original. He dances like a freak, but I really really like him. He is an amazing performer. My personal favorite of the night! Hooray! Randy loved it. Steven loved it. Jennifer loved it. Yes.

(AI producers if you happen upon my bloggy, feel free to contact me for my monetary reward for the commentary. Thankyouverymuch.)

Run the Bluegrass

Well, I reached another fitness milestone yesterday... (drum roll please) I RAN THE LEXINGTON HALF MARATHON! Hooray. 13.1 miles to be exact. And I didn't stop. And my time was pretty darn good (2 hours 9 minutes)!


It was so much fun to run with with of my very best friends, Whitney and some of her sweet running buddies from Lexington. Whitney and I met at Transy - she was really my first friend there. On my 18th birthday, she brought me a twinkie with a candle in it and really... the rest is history. She is an amazing friend and an amazing mother of 4 precious little kiddos and I'm so thankful to call her my friend. She's the kind of friend that whenever we're together, it seems as though we were never apart. Even though we don't see each other regularly, we always have fun together. AND, did I mention that we ran a half marathon??? I'll say it one more time - we ran 13.1 miles!!! It was a beautiful course - through the Kentucky Horse Park and beyond. The sun was coming up, momma horses and their foals were galloping in the distance - just a perfect perfect morning. We wore these cute little butterfly wing headbands and we were just too cute.



Happy Monday - and can I just encourage you- if you have a certain fitness goal in mind - take it easy. Rejoice in baby steps. Sing hallelujahs for big steps. Pace yourself and BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

"I did it. Oh Yeah. I did it."

Well, we are at it once again. We've been "talking" about potty training Jonathan around these parts for a while now. Today, sweet hallelujah, he showed interest! AND HE ACTUALLY WENT PEE PEE ON THE POTTY 7 times. He wore underwear all day and only had one accident. Hooray! It is so funny - when we goes, even if it's only a few drops, he gets so excited and says - "I did it. I did it. Oh Yeah. Oh Yeah." And dances around like a little crazy guy. It is GREAT! I really need to figure out how to post video on here.

So, now... the hard part is for me. I need to stick with it and make him sit on the potty every 45 mins or so until he gets used to his little body. We didn't make stinkies on the potty today, so we'll see how that goes tomorrow. I can't pass up this little opportunity!

I can't believe my baby boy is getting so big. *sigh*

Final Four Baby!!!! (and some other randomness)

That's us celebrating - sorry for the poor pic quality. Yahoo! UK is going to the final four. Holy Moly. What a great day in Kentucky! We enjoyed the game with our friends, the Gaithers. Our boys - all four of them, were GREAT! What's your favorite color baby, BLUE and WHITE!

Also - did you know that MOM upside down looks like WOW? Coincidence? I think not!

Snow in March - late March? Wrong! Just wrong!

I am nervous about going to the new Kroger because I don't know the order of the aisles. I have been planning out my weekly meals since the beginning of the year and making my grocery list accordingly. One of my new years resolutions and I've actually kept it for the most part. But, I could make my list according to the order of the aisles in Kroger so I can be in and out in a jiffy. OCD much? Yep, I admit it.

One of my other new years resolutions - to start couponing - hasn't happened yet. I need a tutorial. Any volunteers?

I had to go to a training on ethics on Friday as a requirement for my social work license. It was B-O-R-I-N-G. But necessary.

My boys have been almost perfect this weekend. I know I brag on them a lot on here, but really, I can't remember such a great weekend in a very long time. No real agenda. Lots of special activities. Treats for awesome behavior.

We ate inside two restaurants this weekend. Granted, one was McDonalds. But still - we dined inside TWICE and it was perfect. If you are around us much at meal time, you know that is MAJOR!!! We aren't the best at making our kiddos stay in their seats during meals at home. They eat a bit and then they are off to play. Then they come back... you get the drill. SO, eating out isn't one of our favorite activities But, I was so proud this weekend.

There you have it... random, see? Happy Sunday! Hope your weekend was filled with precious memories too.

a little advice?

So, something weird in the world of mommy-hood happened today and I'm not exactly sure how to handle it (or I guess how to handle it in the future...) There's tons of kids on our street and it is fun in the spring. Everyone is out, running and playing. As soon as we drive up today from getting Jacob from Preschool, a little girl rides up on her bike. She is 5. ONLY 5!!!! She lives at least 8 houses away at the end of our side of the street. So, I told my boys they had to play in the back yard because I was going to cook lunch (thank you fenced in back yard.) Jacob asked the girl to come play. She did. Of course, I don't mind this. The more the merrier! But, I just couldn't get it out of my mind that her parents probably had NO idea where she was and they definitely couldn't see her or her bike if they peeked out to check on her. So I asked her if her parents were home. She said her daddy was and he didn't care if she played. So then, it was lunch time. She asked for lunch too - which again, I totally don't mind, but this whole thing was making me feel super weird. So, I asked her to hop on her bike and ride down and tell her daddy she was at our house and eating lunch. She did and returned really quickly. She ate lunch and stayed another hour or so after that. I hated to, but I asked her to leave since it is rest time. So she rode off back down the street, still not a parent in sight.

so advice??? how should I handle this in the future? I totally welcome her playing here, I just freak out at the thought of my boys going to a complete starnger's house eating lunch and stuff. It's one thing to ride bikes and play in the yards, but inside? Oh me, I just didn't know what to do. My boys were having the time of their lives and she seemed to have fun too. I hate to sound judgmental, but what was her dad thinking???? what if ( I know I'm getting close to crazy on this one) but what if I was a crazy serial killer or pedophile??? She could have been in danger. I know it might seem like overkill, but I don't exactly let the boys out of my sight when they are out front! I keep a close watch on them every second. So, what if the pages were turned and it was my boys who just jumped in cars or asked to go to strangers houses. YIKES!!!

Ten Terrific Tuesday Tidbits

Jonathan style:
1. You say “you can’t catch me not so fast.” 117 times a day – and when you do, it’s a little sing-songy.
2. You love cereal. I mean you are obsessed. I’m worried about your teeth! I’m trying to brush extra since you are getting about 3 bowls of sugary cereal each day. (Kirby, don’t read!)
3. You have shown a little interest in potty training, but honestly, mommy hasn’t put forth the proper effort. I need to just buckle down and do it. You are very stubborn so I have a lot of anxiety about this process.
4. You have inherited my OCD-like qualities. (Sorry!) You like to line things up and get freaked out if anything is not as it should be – a speck of dirt on your cup, tags on your shirt. Oddly though, things like inside out socks and dirt on your face don’t faze you one little bit.
5. You have quite the entourage at nite nite time. You have “bear,” “monkey,” “elephant,” “teddy bear” and “lady bug.” Stop the world with the originality of their names.
6. You love going to Walmart, which you call “mallmart.”
7. Your speech is very clear now. But, you stutter sometimes. Should I be worried???
8. You love going to “ex –a-size” with me and it is so cute. You even try the stretches.
9. You HATE me touching your ears. Consequently, you have the dirtiest ears on the planet. Sorry kiddo!
10. I signed you up for (GULP!) preschool last month and can’t believe it’s already time for that.



Jacob man:
1. You are so very bright. I love how much you are learning these days! You have the best memory!
2. You still like superheroes, but your obsession has cooled somewhat.
3. YOU ARE SLEEPING ON YOUR OWN AND IT IS AWESOME!!!! I couldn’t me more proud of you! Santa’s letter to you had a real impression. (Santa said to Jacob, “I sure hope you start sleeping on your own before I come see you next year!”)
4. You have a very kind heart. I hope it always stays that way and that you never experience heart ache. I know you will, but I wish I could take it away.
5. Along with that kind heart, you wear your emotions on your sleeve. When you get upset, it’s not at all uncommon for me to hear, “I don’t want to play with you ever again.” Or “I wanna live in a new house.” “Growllllll. I’m mad at you.”
6. Sometimes you hurt my feelings (see number 6) and I have a hard time with that.
7. You can be the BEST helper most of the time. You love helping me dust and wash the dishes. I need to be more patient and let you do it, even though it takes twice as long. It really is good quality time for the two of us.
8. You also love cereal, but not as much as your brother.
9. You love to wear the boots that Pa and Grammy got you for Christmas. And you love to get yourself dressed. Sometimes you look like a little ragamuffin. Short pants, mismatched shirts, comfy pants and boots… but you try so hard. I try not to correct.
10. You can get dressed, brush your teeth, pour your milk (if the milk gallon is less than half full), put on most of your shoes, zip your jacket and buckle your seatbelt all by yourself. How did you get so grown up my little angel?

Play anyone?

So, often, people ask me "what do you do at your job?" Sometimes, I have to remember that other than my MAIN j-o-b of domestic goddess, I do have a part time job. I am a therapist at Square One: Specialists in Child and Adolescent Development. I work with kids and families with some type of behavior/mental illness. And often, since I work with kids, the medium I use is PLAY! Really???? What did that say? Yep, I get to play all day long. In fact, I'm working toward a special license in play therapy. AND.I.LOVE.IT!

I was fortunate to get to go to Kentucky's play therapy conference last week. And the topic was using play when working with families who have endured some trauma. Well, I came back totally inspired. The trainer, Eliana Gil, was fantastic! She taught many techniques and this was the most practical conference I've ever attended.

She demonstrated several therapy ideas that involved the use of miniatures. You know, little figures like animals, super heroes, princesses, dragons, etc. I learned that I will never ever throw away any more happy meal toys!

So, I'm shamelessly going to ask that if anyone have any little figures that they don't want or plan to throw away, PLEASE think of me first and I'll be happy to take them and put them to good use. I have several that I've collected through the years do do sand tray therapy (a whole other post), but my collection is still very small. Thanks all!

What's your favorite color baby?

BLUE and WHITE!!!!!

C-A-T-S!! Cats Cats Cats!




So, today, we watched our beloved Wildcats win another SEC championship. What fun! The boys like the Cats too, but they don't get into a whole 2 hour game. Lucky for us, it was nap/rest time!

We think they got ripped off getting a 4 seed in the big dance - don't you??? And Florida got a 2? Not fair, not fair!

Billy always hosts a bracket challenge for his work. I don't know if he's gonna be able to do it this year because next weekend is his biggest work weekend of the year. But I hope he does. Because he's really good at it. And sometimes even wins. And that means a trip to Pottery Barn for this happy momma! :-) (I know my high school English teacher would be shattered if she read all those sentence fragments.)

Random facts

So, I’m jumping on the bandwagon and following Megan, Rachie and Shubie and doing the random facts post. Sadly, I’m older that the others and more than 30 facts just seems like overkill, so I’ll go with 21 facts – because my anniversary is May 21.
1. I hate veggies – except green beans. It’s embarrassing, really!
2. If chocolate milk were beer, I’d be in major trouble. Not just any chocolate milk, but Nestle Quik – YUMMO!!
3. I’ve always loved babies and kids. I started babysitting when I was 12 and was really good at it! I even made sure I washed all dishes and houses were perfectly clean when families returned home. Oh how I wish I could make me house perfectly clean now!
4. When I was in 8th grade, I was on national TV. Seriously – America’s Funniest Videos crew was traveling through my town and they called my high school to see if some students would help do the pre-commercial promo…. “after these messages, America’s Funniest Videos will be right back.” What a sad little claim to fame.
5. I like to dip almost anything and everything I eat in either ketchup or barbeque sauce.
6. I have never seen the Star Wars movies all the way through. Every time I try, I fall asleep.
7. One of my favorite memories from middle school and high school was playing “Girl Talk” with my besties, Amanda, Belinda and Beth. Do any of you remember that game???
8. I once tried to “be a rebel” and take my dad’s truck out for a spin before I was 16. I got as far as the garage and started the truck before my big ole conscience told me to go back upstairs.
9. I broke my wrist in 4th grade - my wrist bone still sticks out a little crazy.
10. Once, my sister hid my piano books and it kept me from going on a fun trip to Huntsville, AL. Mean mean sister!
11. The day I found out I was preggo with Jacob, I went to lunch at Taco Bell - when I walked in, I almost threw up. Shortly after that, I went to Kroger and bought a pregnancy test. First, I NEVER eat Taco Bell, and it sounded good. Second, the urge to throw up was just too strong to ignore!
12. I got to go on a special trip to Europe the summer after I graduated from High School. I had to pay half. 
13. My first job, other than babysitting was at Bugle Boy factory outlet store. I can still fold a mean t-shirt.
14. I accepted Christ when I was 11 years old because I was afraid of dying. I really began to know who Christ was during college. Now, my relationship with Him means everything to me. I can’t fathom life as a young mommy without Jesus as my guide!
15. My favorite pizza is Wicks – hands down.
16. I think I should have taken stock in pampers or huggies – or Target, since now I use the Target brand diapers.
17. I may pull my hair out potty training my sweet little Jonathan. He has shown interest the last few days, but today said, “when I’m three, I’ll use the potty.” Well, allrighty then. That’s settled.
18. I love love love hanging out with my family. Immediate and extended.
19. I am super competitive about some things – like board games. Look out!
20. I have seen every single episode of Beverly Hills 90210 – some more than once. And if I get the chance, I still watch re-runs on the Soap channel’s “breakfast in bed” every Saturday.
21. I’m madly in love with my hubby and feel like the luckiest woman on the planet to be walking through life. We are so much alike, it’s scary.

Okay - leave me a comment with a couple of random facts about you! Can't wait!