We are...

...dancing fools around here.

Well, at least Tyson is when Christmas music is on.

I did it!

I made my first holiday meal-ALL BY MYSELF.

Let's take a moment and let that soak in....

{oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful}

Ahh, yes. I did it.

And there were several obstacles to overcome. One, we hadn't decided exactly what we were going to do until Tuesday night. We knew that we we staying home but were going back on forth on whether we wanted a "traditional" meal or just get take-out. By that point I didn't really care anymore I just needed to have a decision made. We decided on traditional. So I made a menu of sorts, peeked thru my pantry and made a grocery list. I was not at all happy about going to the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving but I thought if I went early enough I might be able to beat all the last-minute shoppers like me. I reasoned that most people had Wednesday off and therefore probably slept in and would do their last minute shopping around noon (or later) since no one wants to be out the night of Turkey Eve. I was right. The store was markedly empty but the boys were beyond loud and the few patrons in the store scowled and threw bread at us. The real problem? The store was sold out of roasting pans. How can you be sold out of roasting pans?

Problem tow, I was still feeling bad. (Side note-I'm STILL feeling bad and it's now been a week since I started feeling sick.) I in no way wanted to celebrate in between blowing my nose and trying to clear the layer of fog over my head. But I persevered and boy am I glad that I did. (Let it also be noted that we were invited to go to someone else's house but I would have felt awful if anyone else got sick from me and I really wanted to be just our family.)

Problem three, me and cooking don't always get along. But.

I did it.

Now it wasn't the fanciest of meals. I didn't bust out my china. The table wasn't properly set. We used blue napkins from Tyson's birthday. The turkey was purchased from Popeye's (the best money I have ever spent). But we were a family and I am so thankful for that.

The menu:
Turkey*
Green bean casserole
Yams
Pistachio salad
Corn on the cob
Mashed potatoes
Rolls
Fudge
*the only thing store bought

Have a blessed holiday season!

And now, the countdown:
24 days till my 29th birthday
28 days till Christmas
31 days till our 7th anniversary

Thankful

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

I am beyond thankful for my family and friends, health and happiness, love and kindness. May your hearts (and tummies) be blessed this day!

Family Pictures '09

So I decided that I wanted to have family pictures taken this year since the last ones we had done Tucker was 6 months old. One of my friends just had their family pictures done by a local gal and I really like them so I called and made an appointment.

Now what I'm about to show you is just a small sampling of what was taken, I think she took 700 pictures and I haven't gotten all the proofs back yet but I still think they're pretty darn sweet.

Oh and by-the-way, the boys wanted NO PART of the pictures. None. I'm shocked we even got some of them smiling and or looking at the camera. It was just one of those days.

Rough

So I'm sick. Again.

I know what you're thinking. "Clarissa, get.over.it." I wish I could. Really. I could quite possibly have the worst sinuses in the entire world. At least that's what my mom told me. And mothers are always right. (I can say that now that I'm a mother. Not so much pre kids.)

This whole mess started on Friday. Scratch that, I think it started Wednesday night when my co-worker was coughing so badly at work that she started vomiting and then had to go home. I think I might have gotten some of her germs. Anywho, I actually started feeling a little bit of a tickle in my throat on Friday while we were taking pictures (more on that later). I tossed it up to the fact that I had only slept for 3 hours and our weather has finally taken a turn south.

Saturday morning I woke with a pounding sinus headache but threw back some Allegra, did my sinus prep/drowning and carried myself off to work. Let me just take a moment to state that I am a complete moron for picking up two shifts this week. Not only did we have 3 codes in the first three hours of my shift, I had to register all three of them and two of them did not make it. Not much better.

Sunday I knew I was sick but had to work again and so I did the above and dragged my now throbbing head, running nose, hacking cough self out the door. The work day wasn't much better but at least I didn't have any codes (there was a crazy wreck that was rolling in as I was clocking out though). I made it home in time to fall un-soundly asleep on the couch since I could no longer breath thru my nose.

Yesterday I knew something had to be done. Not only was I about to pass out, but I was supposed to work again Monday night and there was no way that I was going to be able to handle that. So I bit the bullet and took myself to the doctor. A chest x-ray, breathing treatment, 4 presciptions and work release later I was diagnosed with bronchitis, and inner ear infection (x 2) and an outer ear infection in the left ear. I laughed when the nurse asked me if I had been around sick people recently. "Um yes, I work in the ER." Ha! And by laugh I mean this croupy, wheeze of a sound that escaped my mouth by sheer force since I also have no voice.

Hooray!

To make matters absolutely awesome the boys are also under the weather. Luckily they don't seem to have anything other allergies but still there is nothing worse than sick kids. If I could just blow my nose for them the world would be so.much.better.

Shout Outs:
Excused absences-that's right. I am only shouting out to one item. But man is it so worth it.

Daddy's Little Helpers

Who is this child?

"Mom, you're freaking me out."
Literally.
That's what Tyson told me in response to me asking him about picking up his cars.
"Mom, you're freaking me out."
Wow.

Peaks and Valleys

Because I have nothing better to do, I decided to make a graph to illustrate how working nights has affected not only my sleep schedule but also my picture taking (and really, can there be too many graphs in this world?). Now, I by no means claim to be a photographer. I just like to take pictures of the boys so that I can look back at them and think, "Man it was so much easier then..."

As you can see, the July thru August time frame was kinda rough. That just so happens to be when I started working. But I am very happy to see that the picture taking has picked up again.

And also, 35??

And Nothing

So here's what was on my to do list yesterday:

• laundry
• dishes
• clean bathrooms
• pick up toys
• make turkey-day menu
• catch up on my dvr'd shows

Here's what I actually did:

• SLEEP

That's all I did ALL DAY LONG. (Well I mean after Stuart got home from school.) Sometimes this working nights thing kinda stinks.

Shout Outs:
Cold front-finally.
Mowing your grass in November-only in Texas.
Cold weather gear-LOVE little boy long sleeve shirts!

Super Duper Cool

These are the days

Parenting is hard.
Parenting is really hard.

There are some days that I honestly don't even think about anything else. Those days when it's all I can do to keep from pulling all the hair out of my head while simultaneously banging my head against the wall and cleaning up toys with my hands and feet. Yes, hand AND feet. Because children, or maybe just MY children can't just play with one toy at a time. Nope. They have to dump over the entire bin of cars. Or the entire bin of leggos. Or the entire bin of kitchen toys. Or the entire bin of Leap Frog toys. Or the entire bin of catch all toys. Or all the bins at the same time. Yes, my kids can multi-dump thru walls and all.

Ahh.

Parenting is hard.

And then you have those days when the whining makes you want to crack you head open with the play hammer and pull out your brain so that you can't register the noise. Not to mention the screaming and ever present "NO!"

And while screaming their little hands are busy pushing, kicking, and hitting each other because that's what civilized brothers do now-a-days. Not to be confused with wrestling or horse-play though because there's a very fine line between grabbing your brother around the neck and throwing him to the ground in a maneuver to which there is some fancy name and grabbing your brother around the neck and throwing him to the ground in a maneuver known as "don't touch my toys."

Sigh.

Parenting is hard.

While all these events are happening you also have to think about their brain development. Are we doing everything you can to ensure the best set-up for their academic future? Are you preparing them enough for all that this educational world has to offer? Is that delayed speech going to hinder him? Is that knowledge of tools really going to help? Should you read more books to them? Should you make more time for _______?

And all these thoughts somehow go to imagining their future. Are they going to grow up to be scientists? A President? A mechanic? A world traveler? A bomber? An educated person that snaps one day and causes major pain and heartache?

Because you know that all those people had families in some capacity. And I'm sure that their mother only wanted what was best for them. Is that enough?

Parenting is hard.

But then you have those moments when they stop everything just to say I love you. Or give you a hug. Or tell you that you're their favorite four-year-old.

Parenting is so worth it.

"There is no experience like having children. That's all. There is no substitute for it." --Tuesdays with Morrie

Always Good for a Laugh

November 11

Hermon Chisholm, US Army Air Corp
H.R. Patton, US Army
(2nd row, 3rd from left)
Steve Doss, US Coast Guard
Steven Doss, US Coast Guard
Stuart Doss, US Air Force
Happy Veteran's Day!

Thank you also to all the spouses who serve faithfully along with their Veteran!

-Isms

It's amazing how children really do have a language of their own and even more amazing is that we moms (and dads) know what they are saying. For example:

Tucker-
"Tucker"-Tyson
"Good girl"-Good Turbo or Scout
"Grandpa"-Uncle Steven
"Snake"-worm
"Helper"-help me (i.e. help Tucker)

Tyson-
"Tadeger"-Together
"Babek"-Blanket
"Cheeseburger with steak"-cheeseburger NOT chicken Burger
"Cow ketchup"-Bar-b-que sauce
"White stuff"-sour cream

And this is what Tucker told me this morning:

Tucker: Where's Tucker? I find him anywhere.
Me: He's going potty.
Tucker: Tucker potty, mommy?
Me: Yup buddy. Tyson's going potty. Do you want to go potty?
Tucker: No, no, no, no, no. No poopies in hinney. Bye bye peepee!

Happy 40th!

Ahh, good 'ole Sesame Street. I was personally always kinda scared of Big Bird but Cookie Monster...now there is a man I can understand. :)

Last Week

So this last week was kind of a long week. And by long week, I mean L-O-N-G week. For starters, Tyson still hasn't bounced back from the time change. It's strange to me really. Last year they both were back on schedule in a ridiculously fast 2 days. Even I was flabbergasted. This year, while Tucker seems to be doing just fine Tyson insists on waking up routinely at 5-o-something-before-30 am. And on the rare morning that he isn't getting up before the dogs behinde our house start barking again (they do take a small respice from 3 am to about 6 am), he comes running into our room at 1:27 or 2:49 or 3:14. This morning was a 2:49 morning followed by walking him back to his room, tucking him back into bed and then having him run back into our room at 6:11. Apparently he's following in the steps of his Uncle Scott who also rises before the dawn. :)

Secondly, this last week was what I refer to as my LONG work week. My schedule rotates around a two week block. Week 1: Sun (11p-7a), Wed (11p-7a), Thu (7p-7a). Week 2: Mon (11p-7a), Fri (11p-7a), Sat (7p-7a). But when you really look at it, between Fri and Fri I work 5 out of the 7 days. I know, I know. The normal work week is 5 our of 7 days. What's so big about mine? So glad you asked. You see, when I get off work during a weekday morning I have to rush home so that Stuart can run out the door to school. Not that big a deal. The problem comes when I have to stay awake till 3:30 pm or 12:20 pm and then go to sleep after that. It's manageable and I know I shouldn't be complaining because I have a job and we have a house and we have food in our tummies but still I need to "waaa." On the flip side, between the other Fri and Fri I only work one day. Bizarre.

Thirdly, I have no thirdly but it just sounds better when you have three points rather than two. More substantial.

So here's how our week went:

Monday-worked Sun night and was more tired than usual because I worked my partners schedule (7-7 Fri and Sun and 11-7 Sat). Watched the tree cutters remove three stumps and one dead tree. (Funny story-remember how Tucker started calling Stuart's brother "grandpa?" Well one of the guys that came resembled Stuart's brother and the minute Tucker saw him, he started calling the tree cutter guy "grandpa" too. It was sad though when they left and Tucker kept asking where grandpa went.)

Tuesday-caught up on laundry, the bane of my existence and ironed my work shirts, my second bane.

Wednesday-spent some time cleaning out the file cabinet and worked.

Thursday-slept for 3.5 hours then worked.

Friday-had to to a random drug screen (ha!) before sleeping and then took Turbo to get his teeth cleaned. And by-the-way, he weighs 82 pounds. Spent the evening catching up our shows before both of us fell asleep on the couch before 10:30 pm. We are COOL.

Saturday-Stuart had a concealed weapons course that kept him out of the house ALL DAY so we played outside, went to Walmart, cleaned out the toys, moved books around from one room to the other, did more laundry, and made a preliminary list for Christmas gifts.

Sunday-Stuart spend most of the day fixing things around the house, including but not limited to installing the new dvd player in the van, rewiring the porch light, living room fan and wall outlet, installing the remote for the fan, putting up a new switch plate in Tyson's room, installing the wireless printer network, doing another patch-fix to the bathroom faucet (we're really going to have to call a plumber). The boys and I watched.

Now don't I feel so much better?!

Shout Outs:
Amazon.com-I love you, I really love you.
Footed pajamas-oh my goodness!
Pumpkin-mmmm.

Top 5 Things I Love About November

{A picture review}

1. Pumkpin pie
2. Cookies with turkeys on them
3. Fall colors
4. Fall weather
5. Playing in the leaves

At 5:26 am

Tyson: Mommy! Wake up!
Me: fumbling over myself to look at my watch
Tyson: Mommy...
Me: Buddy, it's too early.
Tyson: No it's not.
Me: Tyson, it's too early.
Tyson: No mommy. Me eyes are open.
Me: My eyes aren't.
Tyson: Then open them mommy.
Me: I wish it were that simple.

All Smiles

Scratch That

Yeah, the boys have NOT been adjusting well to the time change. Unannounced to me, Tyson HAS been waking up extra early. Sunday morning he work up at 6:50 am which really felt like 7:50 to him, but that can be attributed to staying up late the night before. Monday he got up at 5:30 and then this morning he got up at 5:12. In the morning. Before the sun was up. Before my brain was functioning. Wait, my brain never really functions, so I guess that doesn't count. Either way, it was EARLY. I don't like you Daylight Savings. Not one bit.

Post Halloween Post

This year was so much better for Halloween-ing. The boys were older (obviously) and were both excited and easier to handle. They had been talking about all the houses with Halloween for a long time, well pretty much since we got their costumes. And just like every other proud parent, we paraded our kids down the street and smiled, said trick-or-treat and thank you and then went home and pillaged our kids' candy. Here are some of my favorite things:

• Tucker carried a chicken sandwich in one hand and his pumpkin pale in the other. When we left the house he wasn't quite done eating (when is he ever?) and so he decided to just take it with him. At first I thought it was humorous and that he was just going to ditch it but he carried and chewed on it the ENTIRE time.
  
• Tyson pointed out EVERY house that DIDN'T have the porch light one. Unfortunately that was a large majority.
• Tucker was absolutely enthralled in the concept of getting candy. The very first house we went to he just stood there staring at his candy like he had just won a million dollars.
• Tyson couldn't get over all the costumes. A few scared him but he was so fascinated with all the "kids" that's all he wanted to talk about.

And here's a trip down memory lane...

Tyson 2005

Tyson 2006Tyson & Tucker 2007Tyson & Tucker 2008

Shout Outs:
Not having that bad of an adjustment to Daylight Savings-awesome.

Happy Halloween!