tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17385523812572563302024-03-05T14:46:55.244-06:00MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-2243817232969055682009-06-21T23:41:00.004-05:002009-06-22T00:50:15.661-05:00My Baby is So Sweet!!!My sweet little man is good at a lot of things. He's a fantastic piano player. (Okay, he doesn't make any recognizable music, but he plays it so sweetly like he's really trying, rather than banging on it like most little kids.) He's great at texting. (So they're not really words he's sending, but he knows how to slide the qwerty keyboard out and use both thumbs so it looks real.) He's wonderful at cuddling. (No disclaimer on this one. He's an A-number-one cuddler.)<br /><br />One of the things that he's really good at is sharing. He's really great about it considering he's an only child. He especially likes to share yellow things with me. Little Man has decided that yellow is my favorite color. I'm not entirely sure why. Every time he has M&Ms, he gives me all of the yellow ones. My mom bought him some one afternoon, and when I picked him up at 9:30 that night, he ran and got this little bowl with all of the yellow and blue M&Ms in it. (The blue ones were for Daddy.)<br /><br />The other day, I was getting ready to leave for work and he brought me all of his yellow trucks. I thanked him for sharing his trucks and when I tried to put them down, he got very upset. He kept pointing at them and then at me and then at the door. He was insistent that I take them to work with me. He wouldn't take no for an answer. So I took them with me. I tried to give them back to him when we met at the park for lunch, but he wanted me to take them back to work. Isn't he the sweetest little guy?!? I snuck them back into his toy box that evening.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJdNBoe82rNmIf2tXJ1KE_q6IImF1Ane32S9be_qTcOwA2Um4w1Q2xFnKqMLoCo-gjkSQAZXYtbmfIH-MMhteaQ4-fSnohubWdsAF2MevZunG-nFEyn1UHWWs-l8kl9A1-HiKe7kABA/s1600-h/Trucks2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJdNBoe82rNmIf2tXJ1KE_q6IImF1Ane32S9be_qTcOwA2Um4w1Q2xFnKqMLoCo-gjkSQAZXYtbmfIH-MMhteaQ4-fSnohubWdsAF2MevZunG-nFEyn1UHWWs-l8kl9A1-HiKe7kABA/s400/Trucks2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350024215393541474" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYopoiht4NyeVMc5UKfzF9xZzGKaZjRe4qkp7wLoiHGGBgAiG-Loxb-nfjjNkhc_SeE7h3NQtSyhVikYFiwLKa9pHLtbLfi277kD55GYOHLSQipuvfdoOzq7uoplFAQ7uWqn1CtLlyVA/s1600-h/Trucks1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYopoiht4NyeVMc5UKfzF9xZzGKaZjRe4qkp7wLoiHGGBgAiG-Loxb-nfjjNkhc_SeE7h3NQtSyhVikYFiwLKa9pHLtbLfi277kD55GYOHLSQipuvfdoOzq7uoplFAQ7uWqn1CtLlyVA/s400/Trucks1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350024212417531234" /></a>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-55454909953952003342009-06-18T22:50:00.004-05:002009-06-19T07:38:05.812-05:00Happy Birthday Teri!!!Teri's turning 29 this Saturday! So . . .<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDSDioyvcLExFDrfHreq1Guo-i46yC8iQ9nuhhfQYQFUX1_bxvixtY3ouYGRdfwiYPmsv7oHgBzllME_wV1BLboNWFPhVF2tyTp4O5sJLrpWijuthLdjr8Cv81Z8vaH6rRA5KhHiIIA/s1600-h/BirthdayCubie1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 335px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDSDioyvcLExFDrfHreq1Guo-i46yC8iQ9nuhhfQYQFUX1_bxvixtY3ouYGRdfwiYPmsv7oHgBzllME_wV1BLboNWFPhVF2tyTp4O5sJLrpWijuthLdjr8Cv81Z8vaH6rRA5KhHiIIA/s400/BirthdayCubie1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349006781364339826" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkvlLKsBbUtRm_DZt4BgCGWfbKQ-QiPtYsjmzmZfYc2vigveie1MMV_i2qj0cyh8Dk3YkNCU625sbDjxDliq_r0NiKRo0daiS0VDiHX8nJemK6vPY8cQ80etokSYuNPcHJxBlN08KjA/s1600-h/BirthdaySign.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 319px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkvlLKsBbUtRm_DZt4BgCGWfbKQ-QiPtYsjmzmZfYc2vigveie1MMV_i2qj0cyh8Dk3YkNCU625sbDjxDliq_r0NiKRo0daiS0VDiHX8nJemK6vPY8cQ80etokSYuNPcHJxBlN08KjA/s400/BirthdaySign.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349012309514729410" /></a><center><em>I posted about thirty of these all over the office! lol</em></center><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupBJHtqZvfYrt5ExOTYqPM9ecka3JHyoVEqnm01_vlbcSzHcBvmA1UQrlhDkI9GYwSPLYc1HbFU1eG65XpvmtFfQkMWu8HCB86JDPRwHW0BHuN0eNwsKvgIU8eiCVBZT9ADwy3_t9yg/s1600-h/BirthdayCubie2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 317px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupBJHtqZvfYrt5ExOTYqPM9ecka3JHyoVEqnm01_vlbcSzHcBvmA1UQrlhDkI9GYwSPLYc1HbFU1eG65XpvmtFfQkMWu8HCB86JDPRwHW0BHuN0eNwsKvgIU8eiCVBZT9ADwy3_t9yg/s400/BirthdayCubie2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349012314116409938" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTWZug4vyFcNc_q5_77bM-5069XbEAAVcDNdpJUgb93sYgquai48bKaxPW58nkBpC2aDRiPGkjwF4OZBK981m6BhXi4j16d5y6InoTrMoRiEjcPXlf9ftFGeMe-9oMAeH5knvfbVZJg/s1600-h/BirthdayCubie3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTWZug4vyFcNc_q5_77bM-5069XbEAAVcDNdpJUgb93sYgquai48bKaxPW58nkBpC2aDRiPGkjwF4OZBK981m6BhXi4j16d5y6InoTrMoRiEjcPXlf9ftFGeMe-9oMAeH5knvfbVZJg/s400/BirthdayCubie3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349012326033832370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbGa_k2JvpsSrbHHiizKVicd7ac0o9hWjWAyriR3Re3RuFXb6Rka9h8PJg3sV_JjmFapyqm4z-DHdxCs7ctFx6Aj2WPWymR69bLXtdOSQFuwtyW5sSvy4R-a0JFs1-m8omTB-wyDOOw/s1600-h/IMG_1425.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbGa_k2JvpsSrbHHiizKVicd7ac0o9hWjWAyriR3Re3RuFXb6Rka9h8PJg3sV_JjmFapyqm4z-DHdxCs7ctFx6Aj2WPWymR69bLXtdOSQFuwtyW5sSvy4R-a0JFs1-m8omTB-wyDOOw/s400/IMG_1425.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349016584857153858" /></a>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-9891892650820532292009-05-02T00:27:00.004-05:002009-05-02T01:03:05.862-05:00I'm a total and complete sucker......for adorable blue-eyed boys with beautiful blond curls. Especially those who've learned to cry real tears on demand. <br /><br />We came home from Teri's tonight around eight, and like usual, Little Man didn't want to come home at all. He's like me in that respect. Bryan is somewhat of a homebody. He likes to be in his own chair with his tv and his remote. I'd rather be out and about, and so would Nathan. So when we pulled into the driveway he started to protest. We went inside and he was still unhappy. He refused to take off his jacket and he kept going over to the balcony door, pointing out at my car and saying, "Bye-bye, bye-bye, bite-a bite-a!" (He had already eaten. The bite-a bite-a was just an excuse to go somewhere.)<br /><br />When that didn't work he started to cry. He squeezed out a steady stream of big crocodile tears and kept wiping them away with the backs of his hands. He's becoming a professional at looking absolutely heartbroken and miserable, and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I couldn't help it. He looked so pitiful!<br /><br />So we went out to get an Encharito. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4G6ke9tBE-41xXofjkW8aYVCxW-kMfoczyh8fADOGelznss9KX4bJRQCkVGwwlj50Z0fxd_a5g5VVRLzYOu2RqiUFoCnL3J2H7cBAZ-v-3sAFbkPtWmPzR-Iz9dPi9R5FD_tR4xQ0w/s1600-h/Encharito.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4G6ke9tBE-41xXofjkW8aYVCxW-kMfoczyh8fADOGelznss9KX4bJRQCkVGwwlj50Z0fxd_a5g5VVRLzYOu2RqiUFoCnL3J2H7cBAZ-v-3sAFbkPtWmPzR-Iz9dPi9R5FD_tR4xQ0w/s400/Encharito.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331098447773893666" /></a> I knew I was being played, but I just couldn't stand the unadulterated sorrow that my little guy can emote. Besides, I like to take him out in public. I love when people smile at him and tell him how cute he is. And he <em>is</em> cute! His dimples can just turn your insides to jelly. Even when he's stealing your soda.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzQKTMV25PVtqph7lM-tvaYyqUwSn79Z7FT2yxwbNVAcYeljy23nzz41GJheOxVNo4ouYfH9acNUrTuxLZfTHvmukg1jPmtO6DTkYDa-vmq21S_uZ5lumasXJ9ofe7sNZslNbkNGfqQ/s1600-h/Stolen+Soda.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 319px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzQKTMV25PVtqph7lM-tvaYyqUwSn79Z7FT2yxwbNVAcYeljy23nzz41GJheOxVNo4ouYfH9acNUrTuxLZfTHvmukg1jPmtO6DTkYDa-vmq21S_uZ5lumasXJ9ofe7sNZslNbkNGfqQ/s400/Stolen+Soda.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331098615756123586" /></a> I know it seems crazy to take a bunch of photos on a simple fast-food outting, but I do have an awesome new camera and the cutest family in the world. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkODoVeIsnuzBTwKd3cQCz9xQcoqop-njoIXaYSZy9EVMSZjilftscbtxUU3VGae3pZXcXwdFWv_xo5KfmPsbHFl-Oxku01oH6jKIMB5AltUq638Ci1LWguYPnpqrHfl1oKf5J4Kufkw/s1600-h/No+Smiles.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkODoVeIsnuzBTwKd3cQCz9xQcoqop-njoIXaYSZy9EVMSZjilftscbtxUU3VGae3pZXcXwdFWv_xo5KfmPsbHFl-Oxku01oH6jKIMB5AltUq638Ci1LWguYPnpqrHfl1oKf5J4Kufkw/s400/No+Smiles.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331098612667804834" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9touN-yngtM6O-KPkYd5uugAQqDJ99EFudIR8qVztyKTWM0gcCsnSfoUaKcdjOa2-XPqKN6wNxwBaI0LDiroTCr_b_GKEIwh0VGzqqtWAQOQ2vZEE-rc0cTT2DcfgSCLKslbzOzKXSg/s1600-h/Smiles.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9touN-yngtM6O-KPkYd5uugAQqDJ99EFudIR8qVztyKTWM0gcCsnSfoUaKcdjOa2-XPqKN6wNxwBaI0LDiroTCr_b_GKEIwh0VGzqqtWAQOQ2vZEE-rc0cTT2DcfgSCLKslbzOzKXSg/s400/Smiles.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331098617699876466" /></a> I love the contrast in these two photos. The first one looks like they're thinking, "Will she <em>ever</em> put that camera down?" They weren't really thinking that, I just caught them off guard.<br /><br />I think.MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-79649394491218888542009-04-28T23:15:00.007-05:002009-04-29T00:29:00.922-05:00I Got A New Toy!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1c4YoxxWrGvcAYzH-5plCzvv_toFS7MUlwU-tpHsJaeVcaYT0StbA4DA0rShkGxEdvBOWytcECZv6E-1-2TosB751lx9xxYmfPJFv70cQzwZPgHp0zh9d2aBFnj47ptJH_lOdokhcDQ/s1600-h/New+Toy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1c4YoxxWrGvcAYzH-5plCzvv_toFS7MUlwU-tpHsJaeVcaYT0StbA4DA0rShkGxEdvBOWytcECZv6E-1-2TosB751lx9xxYmfPJFv70cQzwZPgHp0zh9d2aBFnj47ptJH_lOdokhcDQ/s400/New+Toy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329973849300238834" /></a><br />I'm so excited!! I got my new camera! It's a Canon SX10 10 megapixel with 20x optical zoom. I'm totally in love with it. It takes amazing photos and it has a ton of settings that I have to learn how to use. I've had it for two days, and I've already taken over 100 photos. (And that doesn't count all the dumb ones I took and then erased.)<br /><br />So in this post, I'm just going to show you a bunch of the photos I've taken so far. Basically, I'm just revelling in the awesomeness that is my new camera.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcf0Gumx-Bdp78o4WbDHp07GYtIqj8-PN8VhBCDMfNX4PzvxTNVwv3pNbiPHeWIJbvBHXDehyFCvx1RTf5BQiZToxbC_ZZ7qR3DRvWDVvYEL9AyLrYsnUuBB3NHokygmG7itE-tUNpNw/s1600-h/Us.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcf0Gumx-Bdp78o4WbDHp07GYtIqj8-PN8VhBCDMfNX4PzvxTNVwv3pNbiPHeWIJbvBHXDehyFCvx1RTf5BQiZToxbC_ZZ7qR3DRvWDVvYEL9AyLrYsnUuBB3NHokygmG7itE-tUNpNw/s400/Us.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329966814725171426" /></a><br /><br /><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9W3Wvd7yD6sIsuvoHlOGlCWv_QzN5jH8UjtwQQyQbjxjNvieVa8uVaFeZqySaHdGus35rCzssKXTx_Rd3qFIUi_SVLMaYqNl26uhQXgKfgIR_pnNgjW03FQO47ko62HE2CAuUwpF9w/s1600-h/Fred.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9W3Wvd7yD6sIsuvoHlOGlCWv_QzN5jH8UjtwQQyQbjxjNvieVa8uVaFeZqySaHdGus35rCzssKXTx_Rd3qFIUi_SVLMaYqNl26uhQXgKfgIR_pnNgjW03FQO47ko62HE2CAuUwpF9w/s400/Fred.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329976312953941714" /></a><em>This Teri's cubie-mate, Fred. He's a Fantail Goldfish.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaX-WRfJw8ju4khQbGi2WzGT_mjoKWg0iDSXOBAlhITM4GSqFBC-wdIz6DXP1VfeeD5FP_UAtUGYLBJqyuufsVx_s-YuBfxizDTd1k2d1b_b6ErmQKgi3201HjwTrwWICsTQYVCOw8A/s1600-h/Ginger2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaX-WRfJw8ju4khQbGi2WzGT_mjoKWg0iDSXOBAlhITM4GSqFBC-wdIz6DXP1VfeeD5FP_UAtUGYLBJqyuufsVx_s-YuBfxizDTd1k2d1b_b6ErmQKgi3201HjwTrwWICsTQYVCOw8A/s400/Ginger2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329976316243735154" /></a>This is my new cubie-mate, Ginger. She's a Black Moor. (Fred and Ginger; Get it?)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHn5_R1RN41lhNoAbPtv_lZpay3ek_9ZWmbPe7-vhssWgqFER5BfGXCzCc-wywnnhs2bWuG7lhi5ul8ZCrQCG0alDaSrYGyM7_IMEZDdP7L2HbxgIDqvAi92zEgXsPpq6ihQhNtuvHXw/s1600-h/Ginger1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHn5_R1RN41lhNoAbPtv_lZpay3ek_9ZWmbPe7-vhssWgqFER5BfGXCzCc-wywnnhs2bWuG7lhi5ul8ZCrQCG0alDaSrYGyM7_IMEZDdP7L2HbxgIDqvAi92zEgXsPpq6ihQhNtuvHXw/s400/Ginger1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329976318458630850" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAgDv6WRohTbWrZG_r9FaYnCN16N9LF6eCNBpcc2RM0S8CENYj67rHGXtjp1LALBIAjIE6qrXyl7e21h_jpWNdC1-hJqY6Q6Z-JiiB58NJpFIadYxSrM61ID4-unUmB8jWiQy3MEu6A/s1600-h/Ginger3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAgDv6WRohTbWrZG_r9FaYnCN16N9LF6eCNBpcc2RM0S8CENYj67rHGXtjp1LALBIAjIE6qrXyl7e21h_jpWNdC1-hJqY6Q6Z-JiiB58NJpFIadYxSrM61ID4-unUmB8jWiQy3MEu6A/s400/Ginger3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329976319208617442" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdZ0B1D5Y4XzQjv2XSzsReMAZhOwuBEcqtdlF0iDaLvEgdmZOzDoukmTlxOg7KyaPoRZXUSlNKgr7985wrwB1vNHCgHdI9cjl4YiHTP81Bf1iCq80-af0AxtCc2GD5K6EhlqpAReA5g/s1600-h/Crazy+%27Do.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdZ0B1D5Y4XzQjv2XSzsReMAZhOwuBEcqtdlF0iDaLvEgdmZOzDoukmTlxOg7KyaPoRZXUSlNKgr7985wrwB1vNHCgHdI9cjl4YiHTP81Bf1iCq80-af0AxtCc2GD5K6EhlqpAReA5g/s400/Crazy+%27Do.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329976322094875058" /></a>This is a picture of Little Man's crazy hair. It's getting a bit out of hand, but I still don't want to cut it yet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmw6nvTYXr_zle9zjXyoJzD3Ed_hyphenhyphentes8ljpTC_JYW8i2yt50k76D4HEYlUl1fGs_F00HuDmUgCEsQw6qIkdJbiznxVY9x_Tk3e6_-Z418nmeYQfm_U1kj7Ve1ccL98ltTlah6_tOxw/s1600-h/Taylor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmw6nvTYXr_zle9zjXyoJzD3Ed_hyphenhyphentes8ljpTC_JYW8i2yt50k76D4HEYlUl1fGs_F00HuDmUgCEsQw6qIkdJbiznxVY9x_Tk3e6_-Z418nmeYQfm_U1kj7Ve1ccL98ltTlah6_tOxw/s400/Taylor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329979946208293762" /></a>This is Teri and Shawn's puppy, Taylor. Leah named her after Taylor Swift. lol<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZV4Cv_geKJjvHGaK6IdMLwCdHf8n8TL9dwN-pSgyaYZkl1v2DW8P2cJNX6oWWxuJtuJreLSpx-D-1eHxOTogFhfhx42OaAK4BoVQ_-5eF9wa-5PjzXc8O0Up1iaet7j1BZ6M-ec5oQ/s1600-h/Bucket.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZV4Cv_geKJjvHGaK6IdMLwCdHf8n8TL9dwN-pSgyaYZkl1v2DW8P2cJNX6oWWxuJtuJreLSpx-D-1eHxOTogFhfhx42OaAK4BoVQ_-5eF9wa-5PjzXc8O0Up1iaet7j1BZ6M-ec5oQ/s400/Bucket.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329979949383401746" /></a>Boy+Bucket+Dirt=Fun!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDnaHKcLNUtlaEAC6lT8XoBkehaCMHgZeVeAHolul-HJC1jLf-uZOa1oYKZvh2OUfRGzHn_IAgVn9eCwHu8GpcEyI4Ji7JCH3cFvfKFOIhWNqRydP3ZjaP0omsrfVjPLF4BvCfTwTWQ/s1600-h/Pout.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDnaHKcLNUtlaEAC6lT8XoBkehaCMHgZeVeAHolul-HJC1jLf-uZOa1oYKZvh2OUfRGzHn_IAgVn9eCwHu8GpcEyI4Ji7JCH3cFvfKFOIhWNqRydP3ZjaP0omsrfVjPLF4BvCfTwTWQ/s400/Pout.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329979948810689618" /></a>I love this adorable pout. I think he was mad at the dirt.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIYEGjY_KUCPJvhJn0-HuIoPW5DnuE4Ccw_P4FbuHN3DTSSr_JR3mSvQm2z_8TnQALsgqNj6TG2vbdnN9iXmbELDVsmg5s-W-HEb_T8FQLpElIfK0UjP0_ciyax4t_zasTVpTUHHysQ/s1600-h/Nathan+Scooter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIYEGjY_KUCPJvhJn0-HuIoPW5DnuE4Ccw_P4FbuHN3DTSSr_JR3mSvQm2z_8TnQALsgqNj6TG2vbdnN9iXmbELDVsmg5s-W-HEb_T8FQLpElIfK0UjP0_ciyax4t_zasTVpTUHHysQ/s400/Nathan+Scooter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329979956165977442" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeYNr-hbpXh8Gvqq8HZAP9RSNT_iiRuxI5CLgd9A1lnsO9diP39GATs7OvIDXrGEOEyEp8yhEJHmXePtHHQr5WintEgvpW20ABO4ezmOxBQfkdcsEORjltxwJwQusoFxXU8s1GNptLQ/s1600-h/Leah+Scooter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeYNr-hbpXh8Gvqq8HZAP9RSNT_iiRuxI5CLgd9A1lnsO9diP39GATs7OvIDXrGEOEyEp8yhEJHmXePtHHQr5WintEgvpW20ABO4ezmOxBQfkdcsEORjltxwJwQusoFxXU8s1GNptLQ/s400/Leah+Scooter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329979956204085490" /></a><br /><br /></center></em>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-87949671234907720212009-04-01T23:19:00.006-05:002009-04-02T00:15:32.660-05:00Fun Things To Do On A Snow Day!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEtWKxJGBCwSLtEm9KfcwOkD5qJrjobDig0mA4vz5K3e6EY55jtYrOtQWOIAI-gDsZhkym69aUqtNsxvW8uynCebD9cohoepdAbb8h1U-RiX3rzMUH8U5eMo3nbtIv32YFuGrgHprXQ/s1600-h/Baby+Boy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEtWKxJGBCwSLtEm9KfcwOkD5qJrjobDig0mA4vz5K3e6EY55jtYrOtQWOIAI-gDsZhkym69aUqtNsxvW8uynCebD9cohoepdAbb8h1U-RiX3rzMUH8U5eMo3nbtIv32YFuGrgHprXQ/s400/Baby+Boy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319944400336832178" /></a><br />The part of our weekend that wasn't spent in the ER was kind of crappy because we were snowed in. We were all stuck in our tiny apartment and all three of us were on the verge of a great big cabin fever meltdown at one point. We did manage to find some fun things to do with the boy child, though. <br /><br />First he decided to dump his whole toybox on top of himself. Note the hard hat. Safety first!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfuKIgXFQxUwreUqNqnvRxVBLKO0CKHJmgHp0ppGvU3mIpETWWTfUBGo_ueuKe_pDWwLxRFiB2bluwWNt0aHkxTe3CAIgaI4ao63MCyZKGKFnZeDDtINFyM0KEERDHnjpleDCPl1z1g/s1600-h/Buried.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfuKIgXFQxUwreUqNqnvRxVBLKO0CKHJmgHp0ppGvU3mIpETWWTfUBGo_ueuKe_pDWwLxRFiB2bluwWNt0aHkxTe3CAIgaI4ao63MCyZKGKFnZeDDtINFyM0KEERDHnjpleDCPl1z1g/s400/Buried.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319946172310963266" /></a><br />He would rise up from underneath the toy mountain like the swamp thing rising from the murky depths and then we'd bury him again. Then we buried him inside the toybox. You can't tell by looking, but he really was having a ball. He's taken to giving the super-serious face everytime the camera focuses on him. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg81qLBA3yb91e7hqR-up0ThO3XNTc37zF4vDvkqqggIFSjMEdsu6OTtGFwlTmUFwRrJjie1Lgca8XCt3dCc3pmQxTXdXoojiG53-FIxslBQV6YVqr22MAFm0mMjPBtykdQZUDX3o2yA/s1600-h/Nat+In+The+Box.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 326px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg81qLBA3yb91e7hqR-up0ThO3XNTc37zF4vDvkqqggIFSjMEdsu6OTtGFwlTmUFwRrJjie1Lgca8XCt3dCc3pmQxTXdXoojiG53-FIxslBQV6YVqr22MAFm0mMjPBtykdQZUDX3o2yA/s400/Nat+In+The+Box.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319948940047963522" /></a><br /><center><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ksIrVCPWJ58&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ksIrVCPWJ58&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center><br />On my birthday a few weeks ago, my awesome co-workers filled my cubicle with balloons and wrapped it like a giant gift. I brought home most of the balloons (they filled three garbage bags!) and threw them all on the living room floor for Nathan to play with. They're starting to shrink and go flat, but most of them are still hanging around. After we got done burying Nathan in the toybox, we put him in the play pen with all of the balloons. It was like his own personal ball pit. He thought it was awesome! He'd lay on his back and kick like mad while the balloons flew around like popcorn in a popper. We were laughing our butts off and bopping any escaping balloons back into the playpen. It was so much fun, and what cheap entertainment!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pXe33AfJ16bA1XqwExVgYKYbKq6kEc8eOpiCgWMoTaiFDR4mTKNYr6lPFTOnpUUIK8QegFxg4GhZRuiinK4e5KXxDChy-wD5stZfeCu9EXC-kfrpuAtSgFbNElN36DRqZS7f7h1c7Q/s1600-h/Balloon+Pit.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 370px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pXe33AfJ16bA1XqwExVgYKYbKq6kEc8eOpiCgWMoTaiFDR4mTKNYr6lPFTOnpUUIK8QegFxg4GhZRuiinK4e5KXxDChy-wD5stZfeCu9EXC-kfrpuAtSgFbNElN36DRqZS7f7h1c7Q/s400/Balloon+Pit.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319952566995644082" /></a><br />Through the balloon play, I've learned that Nathan has a bit of a problem with gender stereotypes. Everytime he sees a blue balloon, he gives it to Bryan, and everytime he sees a pink one he gives it to me. Maybe it's because I'm a big girly nut for the color pink.<br /><center><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-VcnB_iwv04&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-VcnB_iwv04&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center><br />I guess being stuck in the house for the weekend wasn't all bad.MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-46113967185857800112009-03-29T10:51:00.002-05:002009-03-29T13:16:37.368-05:00Snow DaySo on Friday, we had a blizzard. An honest to goodness, 50 mph wind, 14 inches of snow, mother nature is a dirty old hag, blizzard. Everything in town shut down early. I got sent home from work at 1:00 (but got paid!) and visibility was less than a block. It took nearly 30 minutes to make the regular 5 minute drive home. The snow was so deep Saturday when Mom cleared her walk she sent us this picture to show Nathan his tractor:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3UyTxbxFT9DttJCfL8eNhBe4duSUp0J8qZhxz_uLDptRs-2U9DMx0iyR7p-GSI1VOa3oF7DKUwWpKJcy6U_HGOu64nhZhKpwa2EstWLRwTGWUdmcxs82SMa-I1EM-3zn73yptVG9zA/s1600-h/Tractor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 346px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3UyTxbxFT9DttJCfL8eNhBe4duSUp0J8qZhxz_uLDptRs-2U9DMx0iyR7p-GSI1VOa3oF7DKUwWpKJcy6U_HGOu64nhZhKpwa2EstWLRwTGWUdmcxs82SMa-I1EM-3zn73yptVG9zA/s400/Tractor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318651821481669138" /></a><br />The worst part about the blizzard, besides the fact that it foiled my Saturday night plans to do a little social drinking and see my favorite local band, was that Nathan was supposed to see the doctor on Friday. He's been running a fever off and on for a week. Every time he'd come out of it and seem fine, we'd think he was all better and then the next day the fever monster would rear it's ugly head again. After driving home from work that day and praying the whole time that someone wasn't going to slam into my car, he was feeling fine again and I decided it would be counter-productive to get him out in it. <br /><br />Saturday his fever came raging back, and even while alternating doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen we couldn't get it below 101. Our cars were snowed in, so we called B's dad who'd managed to dig his van out, and headed for the ER. It wasn't a fun day for little man. He had blood taken, swabs in several orifices, chest xrays, and some kind of medieval torture device called a U-Bag that's designed to collect a urine specimen from babies who can't or won't pee on demand. Think zip lock bag with adhesive around the top, stuck to <em>very</em> sensitive skin. Not pretty. <br /><br />While we were waiting for his chest xrays, his temp started to spike again and when we called the nurse in to check it, it was 103.9! I was so glad we were in the ER at that time, because if he'd run a temp that high at home I probably would've had a heart attack. They gave him some Motrin and we washed him down with a lukewarm cloth and it came down again. The doctor finally came in and told us Nathan had an ear infection (which floored me because he'd showed no sign of it) and bronchitis. Poor baby got a shot in each thigh and a prescription for antibiotics. <br /><br />He seems okay today. Those shots really worked well. He hasn't had a temperature since we left the emergency room last night. Today they cancelled church so we've been having another snow day.MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-84101074017667740282009-03-22T23:49:00.006-05:002009-03-23T01:02:50.492-05:00Potty Training Day Two -- An Overnight Success!!<strong><font color=blue><font size=5>He went pee pee in the potty!!!</font></font></strong><br /><br />I'm sooooo proud of Nathan! He went pee pee in the potty less than 24 hours after the first time he sat on it. How's that for a quick study?<br /><br />I'll be honest. I've been resisting potty training. I know it was wrong and selfish and I kept thinking that I was probably just giving him more to complain about to his therapist someday, but I was dragging my feet for several reasons.<br /><br />One of the problems was that I wasn't sure how to do it. There are so many schools of thought and heaps of good-intentioned (if inconsistant) advice out there. How do you know which method is the right method? I read one article that said you can potty train your child in three days. It involved a long weekend where the child ran around completely naked for all of his or her waking hours and the parents follow with a mop. The article then recommended no pants in the house for three months. I decided that plan wasn't for me. <br /><br />I was unsure of the logistics of training a boy, too. Stand up or sit down? Urine guard or not? I was told to put him on the toilet backwards so he has no choice but to aim down. I'm sure this works great for other people, but that concept terrified my little guy. When I tried it, he acted as if I were trying to seat him atop a lit barbeque grill. Think trying to stuff an eight-legged cat into a too-small pet taxi bound for the vet's office. It was all flailing limbs and howls of protest.<br /><br />Another reason I was putting it off was that I never envisioned potty training in our current apartment. We've been wanting to move to a bigger place since I got pregnant. First I got laid off, then we couldn't afford it, etc. I kept thinking that as soon as we found a new place, I'd set up the bathroom for training and get started. It seems silly, but I just didn't want to do it here, because in my mind we weren't supposed to still be living here when we got to the training stage. <br /><br />The last and most selfish reason I had been stalling is the fact that I work full time. I didn't want someone else to potty train my child. I love our sitter. She's my best friend's mom and she's just like a second mom to me. I've known her for over 20 years. It had nothing to do with her personally, but I really really really didn't want his first potty training success to be with someone else. I know I'll miss plenty of firsts by being a working mom. I have no choice in that matter. But I didn't want to miss out on something this important. If I had vacation time at work yet, I'd probably have taken a few days off to work with him, but my one year anniversary isn't until next month. The thought of missing out on doing the silly potty dance made me so incredibly sad. <br /><br />I knew Nathan was getting to the point where he was ready to begin training. He tells me when he needs a new diaper, he wakes up dry, he's curious and interested when we go to the bathroom. I went out and bought two potty chairs, one for home and one for the sitter. They stayed in my car, one in the trunk and one in the back seat, waiting for the day <del>when he</del> when <em>I</em> was ready. Nathan knew what that box was. When we'd get into the car he'd point at it and then at himself. "Yep, that's for you big boy." He'd plug his nose and say ewwwwww (Nathan-speak for going to the bathroom). "Yep, that's for going potty like a big boy." Finally last night I decided that it wasn't fair to him to make him wait for my own selfish reasons. When we got home from Mom's house right at bedtime, I said, "Alright Nathan. You want to bring it in and try it out?" and he said excitedly, "Uh-huh!"<br /><br />We took it inside and I picked up the dirty clothes out of the bathroom to make room for the potty chair, and I stripped off his pants and diaper and showed him how to sit on it. I had to show him how to make sure it was pointed down into the bowl and we practiced emptying it into the big toilet. He thought it was great fun. He sat for awhile, and then we started his bath. He kept wanting to get out and sit on the potty. I let him sit on it as often as he wanted until I put him down for bed. <br /><br />The potty chair I'd gotten was a little hard for him to sit on properly. It seemed like the bowl was a little small, and he always had to push his penis down into it. I'd seen this frog-shaped potty chair at Wal-Mart that looked like it was shaped so as to make it a little easier to assume the position. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yZJXNTeDJ71Y3mbqUMTfj0ntEwt9zFDhOex2zrgAT-ftY559QG0zHhwVFNyH3b11FA8jt__usFFMEfrAhdWyc36Bq792AB70CvXtrqn1oEvZp8c0bxvJmESNsa4grULhFCHTO1nP1A/s1600-h/Froggy+Potty.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yZJXNTeDJ71Y3mbqUMTfj0ntEwt9zFDhOex2zrgAT-ftY559QG0zHhwVFNyH3b11FA8jt__usFFMEfrAhdWyc36Bq792AB70CvXtrqn1oEvZp8c0bxvJmESNsa4grULhFCHTO1nP1A/s400/Froggy+Potty.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316255459877308434" /></a><br /><br />We brought it home tonight, and he was really excited about it and he wanted to try it out right away. I unwrapped it, stripped off his diaper, and set him on it right in the living room. I asked him if he could push the potty out and demonstrated how to push and grunt, and next thing you know, he was peeing!!!! I was so excited I danced and sang and praised him and clapped and generally acted like a fool. I helped him take out the bowl and empty it into the big toilet and flush it away, then I gave him some Cars fruit snacks for a reward and started calling the grandparents and my sister to brag on him. I couldn't believe he did it so soon after we started! We tried it out again before we put him down for bed, and he grunted and pushed and managed to squeeze out a few more drops. He went twice in one night!! I LOVE that frog! I'm going to take back the unopened potty I got to take to the sitter and exchange it for another froggy potty tomorrow.<br /><br />This has truly been a banner day in the Ackley household. I am on cloud nine! I have no illusions that this means he'll be accident free within the week. I know we still have work to do, but I couldn't be more pleased. I'm so proud of my big, smart boy!MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-74645109251994725302009-03-08T20:39:00.010-05:002009-03-09T23:33:32.082-05:00The Big Birthday Bash!!<strong>My precious little boy is 2!!</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZT76cvAirdPdUZF8GiA3mIyflg3LfLvJqcZjR6Feu7czjuXjnY0zqD7MpLU2gRGtzO8oxAiV6jporVw_CBHTXu7gSGeOhtnb-kUc0XtztDx3w_8eK57o0hdKpKelUjJPbv2b8E9CeA/s1600-h/NathanIs2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 315px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZT76cvAirdPdUZF8GiA3mIyflg3LfLvJqcZjR6Feu7czjuXjnY0zqD7MpLU2gRGtzO8oxAiV6jporVw_CBHTXu7gSGeOhtnb-kUc0XtztDx3w_8eK57o0hdKpKelUjJPbv2b8E9CeA/s400/NathanIs2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311001872657430274" /></a><br /><br />It's exciting and depressing all at the same time. He's growing so fast!!<br /><br />We had an awesome birthday party! It was a car theme. Without further ado, here are some photos:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXunfgbs5EolDsinaWhPpY4YjbBiW8vL1dPmJnRHsOxTsPd_dkZmG9chHIW4N9VXEvkzNH-kl8_M5ew1dNmlxDeHPT_0DrbzG-FYt7cOB_I4Pfv15Jbq_o_pxb_bTMs-RUdffeum06fg/s1600-h/Cakes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXunfgbs5EolDsinaWhPpY4YjbBiW8vL1dPmJnRHsOxTsPd_dkZmG9chHIW4N9VXEvkzNH-kl8_M5ew1dNmlxDeHPT_0DrbzG-FYt7cOB_I4Pfv15Jbq_o_pxb_bTMs-RUdffeum06fg/s400/Cakes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311018215372407362" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfADYzOiw1liL-kQjOBSZn_xO1hJXCgAarrgnBatynqzf8RRfAE5ghCXhLkeflmau-79JFcYh-hPpewoCz_jX-NmgaJZxOrvi9yaosSCVi_VFzWVRvtt2ZcU26a4AsvL9UE6V8D6MHA/s1600-h/CarDecor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 363px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfADYzOiw1liL-kQjOBSZn_xO1hJXCgAarrgnBatynqzf8RRfAE5ghCXhLkeflmau-79JFcYh-hPpewoCz_jX-NmgaJZxOrvi9yaosSCVi_VFzWVRvtt2ZcU26a4AsvL9UE6V8D6MHA/s400/CarDecor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311024180740119314" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4e_MhLBX2deH145i5imzp5s8EW7jThpN1OOHnB3xeWl8n1a2aYj5WfkN0bYRml5qF3Y48HLeKulpC16nNYF3l4ymZkDs6Bi-LVTvONMtalFyQF8YzxSkueirx__JbY1QpduUVRxtwtA/s1600-h/CarMat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 326px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4e_MhLBX2deH145i5imzp5s8EW7jThpN1OOHnB3xeWl8n1a2aYj5WfkN0bYRml5qF3Y48HLeKulpC16nNYF3l4ymZkDs6Bi-LVTvONMtalFyQF8YzxSkueirx__JbY1QpduUVRxtwtA/s400/CarMat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311034415351242754" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2no-k2yHQ9rTRSCGK0pzaOFBpKqT1HtDOKUxGUBSPKdFiwVGSOAhbiJU-wmRi3mZA4RUwqCK2YeiF9YHc3yFflnpwD6V3vJZvYQMJmXsGefLxjqz9BC6yy6dhpxypIO7W4DPVjPsHQ/s1600-h/CardboardCars.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 326px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2no-k2yHQ9rTRSCGK0pzaOFBpKqT1HtDOKUxGUBSPKdFiwVGSOAhbiJU-wmRi3mZA4RUwqCK2YeiF9YHc3yFflnpwD6V3vJZvYQMJmXsGefLxjqz9BC6yy6dhpxypIO7W4DPVjPsHQ/s400/CardboardCars.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311412361836229298" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6JfzOna8xxit1fYlRakavcWQ5dHKpBanbdmW6AdU1dSdtvAH4Q-ZQti35VUVm7_gZR8nvfbPKS-LETeZdspiMM8PiKKKskO1x6M9cBK0K6mEdBKc8DCpJs0I_gOUPHnZATliIeSdKw/s1600-h/NathansRace.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6JfzOna8xxit1fYlRakavcWQ5dHKpBanbdmW6AdU1dSdtvAH4Q-ZQti35VUVm7_gZR8nvfbPKS-LETeZdspiMM8PiKKKskO1x6M9cBK0K6mEdBKc8DCpJs0I_gOUPHnZATliIeSdKw/s400/NathansRace.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311046647558990610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNmQpO9x2KODE8A2gxp6jjrMPLZk091efNnWnFEFGj9BrPanlrPSS2b5o_lmtVYLVpi6TzH4d0AZhJ9EHKLum3d283tuBDH4t7pbcP7O97sYSIvXJFQqb4lgNcMRu7MC9vTEjZqeMDA/s1600-h/VictoryLap.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNmQpO9x2KODE8A2gxp6jjrMPLZk091efNnWnFEFGj9BrPanlrPSS2b5o_lmtVYLVpi6TzH4d0AZhJ9EHKLum3d283tuBDH4t7pbcP7O97sYSIvXJFQqb4lgNcMRu7MC9vTEjZqeMDA/s400/VictoryLap.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311046301516689202" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-W7RG8R2wBKI_IP2cEWueiylbiz9byCIn6ylbfU0bCKxF8BBmlnfBZCowGV7srXoqYmziqwk8tRaqV9QAgNtcm8s1MkX4g7RzS-hvXC37ZpCT6wVHp5TL_-kM8-mECxkdifxoeb4rg/s1600-h/Grandpas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-W7RG8R2wBKI_IP2cEWueiylbiz9byCIn6ylbfU0bCKxF8BBmlnfBZCowGV7srXoqYmziqwk8tRaqV9QAgNtcm8s1MkX4g7RzS-hvXC37ZpCT6wVHp5TL_-kM8-mECxkdifxoeb4rg/s400/Grandpas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311051079620131650" /></a>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-52553953775750617772009-02-01T01:02:00.003-06:002009-02-10T23:11:29.899-06:00DistractedSometimes I think I should take down the photos I have plastered all over my cubie. They’re 99% Nathan, and they are a little distracting. Often, when I’m waiting for a report to recall, or checking my voicemail, I stare up at his little face and I feel so unbelievably homesick. I actually feel a little pang in my chest, and I miss him so much you’d think I hadn’t seen him in months rather than mere hours. I just want to get up and run home to smother him with kisses.<br /><br />At first I thought the feeling would fade. Until now, I’ve never had a place to hang photos at work. Before I got my cubie, I missed him while I was at work, but I thought it was just because he was new. I was having new mommy I-don’t-want-to-work-I-just-want-to-stay-home-and-stare-at-him feelings. That's normal, right? That first day back to work (the day after he turned one month old) I was like a junkie waiting for a fix. When my lunch hour came, I broke every speed limit between the mall and our apartment.<br /><br />The urgency has subsided a bit, but the pangs, if anything, have gotten worse. He's like a real little person now! He makes me laugh and he amazes me with how smart he is. I can't wait to get home to see what new thing he's learned each day. He reminds me of my own childhood. He does these silly little things that I used to do but had forgotten. Like bumping down carpeted steps on his rear, and blowing bubbles in the bathtub. <br /><br />The best part of all? He likes me. I mean, he really, really likes me. I'm one of his favorite people in the whole world. He believes every word out of my mouth. If he's scared, he wants Mama. If he's sad, he wants Mama. If he's tired, hurt, excited, hungry, etc, he wants his Mama. I've never felt so important in my entire life, and I gotta tell ya, I like the feeling.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdpkZ8lGDlhRyVMemBCTYj11Wy_0MLuPy8p_gTs7GxYHpeKoOosFUz0o-u42TLmVBBoiGznSZH8ixkMOzwHxUll2HT0HShT5UTpRGX-0Zi7FZ_BFfTeP2dK7N2QBORiE9eBb5e-FQhA/s1600-h/Distractions.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 370px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdpkZ8lGDlhRyVMemBCTYj11Wy_0MLuPy8p_gTs7GxYHpeKoOosFUz0o-u42TLmVBBoiGznSZH8ixkMOzwHxUll2HT0HShT5UTpRGX-0Zi7FZ_BFfTeP2dK7N2QBORiE9eBb5e-FQhA/s400/Distractions.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297721003536363362" /></a>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-24663712892475341742009-01-28T00:54:00.003-06:002009-01-28T01:31:12.468-06:00Who's Really Getting Spoiled Here?In answer to the charge of spoiling my child, I plead 100% undeniably guilty. <br /><br />Since the day he was born, either the hubby or I have rocked Nathan to sleep in our arms. I knew as the habit developed that I may regret it one day as I shopped for a rocking recliner big enough to accommodate myself and my 13 year old son while I rhythmically pat his bottom and sing "You Are My Sunshine." I was perfectly aware of the potential nightmare and loss of sanity we were facing when we finally decided to break this habit. My friends, the time has come.<br /><br />I'm happy to report that it's gone very well so far. The very first night was tough, and Nathan's loathing of anything out of routine was compounded by the fact that we waited too late in the evening in the hope that he'd be too tired to put up a fight. As all of you experienced parents out there are shaking your heads and chuckling at us noobs, I'll readily admit that your suspicions are correct. He was overtired and feeling especially stubborn. Hubby ended up lying on the floor next to the playpen and talking the child to sleep. (Insert playful jab about the Hubster's ability to talk a person into unconsciousness here.)<br /><br />Since then, at the risk of jinxing us, it's been fairly smooth sailing. A few fusses here and there but nothing major. I've tried to keep to a regular routine: bath, lotion & pjs, one cartoon with the lights off, 5-10 minutes of rocking with the soothing classical music/ocean waves cd playing, and then into bed. <br /><br />I think the rocking time is built in there as much for me as it is for Nathan. From the very beginning, the nightly rocking habit was spoiling me more than it was spoiling the boy-child. I may have a harder time giving it up than he is. I just love it when he's so sleepy he starts turning his head one way and then another over and over in a futile effort to stay awake, then nuzzling into my neck and letting out the tiniest of snores. I like to bury my nose in his sweet-smelling curls, and his steady breathing and the symphony/ocean cd have lulled me to sleep more than once.<br /><br />In a way I wish it weren't going so smoothly. I'd like to think he'll miss our drifting off to sleep in the chair together every night just as much as I do. Then again, I'm really enjoying my extra hour or so of free time in the evenings. I guess I'll just have to make the most of that nightly 5-10 minutes of snuggly-wuggly curl sniffing. That is, until he starts telling me, "Mom, do you mind? I'm 37 years old and I have to go to work in the morning."MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-27049388548863554512009-01-09T08:02:00.003-06:002009-01-09T08:06:55.955-06:00Three-Horns Do NOT Play With Long-Necks!<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFPoMId1z8B3T97GRGNhu9vAvt8bbD0KbqPwCPjusStnKE0hVbtXM7Oblo9bLf-5Utsuxo1coYq0xkLmqJUHE9CJGdkY1LlT-gpH0NuA9cYU3CNs2tTcTpZ3C7NPISsRdjeckvy6q9A/s1600-h/Three-Horn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 328px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFPoMId1z8B3T97GRGNhu9vAvt8bbD0KbqPwCPjusStnKE0hVbtXM7Oblo9bLf-5Utsuxo1coYq0xkLmqJUHE9CJGdkY1LlT-gpH0NuA9cYU3CNs2tTcTpZ3C7NPISsRdjeckvy6q9A/s400/Three-Horn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289294452334456402" /></a><br />He finally has enough hair for fun shampoo styles! This kid looks pretty good in a mohawk, too!<br /><font size=1><em>For those not in the know, the title is a quote from the animated dinosaur movie, "Little Foot."</em></font></center>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-11989284074948662162009-01-04T22:37:00.004-06:002009-01-05T00:09:19.769-06:00A Holiday Recap<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8y3CgBOJ3KKtmwgNDkbuhcHTFswAFlgqJs4vYfdwVeUlrtm21wnU8oO9SJtNVl5hqXqH33DjA2HpE9lmdDR_S20YxpMezSHZeRb_VLUOs68XnnxPGImU_W0XzGEtDh2WHXmYrE8fEg/s1600-h/HO-HO-HO.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 293px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8y3CgBOJ3KKtmwgNDkbuhcHTFswAFlgqJs4vYfdwVeUlrtm21wnU8oO9SJtNVl5hqXqH33DjA2HpE9lmdDR_S20YxpMezSHZeRb_VLUOs68XnnxPGImU_W0XzGEtDh2WHXmYrE8fEg/s320/HO-HO-HO.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287685638641240386" /></a><em><font color=gray>(No, he isn't stoned. He's in the middle of a spirited, "Ho! Ho! Ho!")<br /><font size=1>Frame by Kelley Mickus</font size></font color></em></center><br /><br /><br />Our holidays were, in a word, fabulous! We got some amazing photos with Santa Claus. We ended up taking Nathan to see him three times. The first time he didn't want to sit on Santa's lap at all, but by the third time he was tugging on Mom's arm trying to get his turn. He had an adorable little suit on and he smiled his gorgeous dimple-ridden smile. It was totally worth the extra trips. You can see the photos <a href="http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=04R300MD000135&po=135">here</a>.<br /><br />After we put him down to sleep on Christmas Eve, I started setting out all of the packages around our little tree. Just before I headed off to bed, I was sitting in the recliner next to the play pen where Nathan sleeps, and I swear on my life, he said, "HO HO HO!" in his sleep. It was the cutest thing I've ever heard. It was one of those moments that make me wish I could outfit the house Big Brother style so every adorable little thing he does can be caught on tape. Of course, I'd have to edit out all of the nose-picking, and some of the stuff Nathan does, too.<br /><br />On Christmas morning Daddy and I both woke up before Nathan did. I know that won't probably happen again until he's a teenager, when getting 22 hours of sleep a day is more important than presents. We were so anxious we had to restrain ourselves from waking him. <br /><br />Nathan is at that perfect age for Christmas. He's old enough to get all kinds of excited about opening presents, but young enough you could wrap up a big ol' mound of used chewing gum and he'd still be thrilled to death as long as there's paper to tear and bows to throw over his shoulder. <br /><br />He was so adorable! As soon as he started to tear off the paper (in widdle biddy pieces), and before he could even see what was inside, he'd let out this huge excited gasp as if he'd just been handed the keys to the biggest ice cream and breakfast sausage vault in the world. (I know that sounds wierd, but those are his two favorite foods. At our weekly Saturday morning Sirloin Stockade breakfast with my parents, he could easily consume more sausage links than the rest of us combined. And of course, ice cream is self-explanitory.)<br /><br />He got good and spoiled, just like last year. That is to say, the Grandmas did their job right. Of course, we are just as guilty. Some of the coolest things were a workbench that Grandma Helen and Grandpa Bill got. It came with all sorts of tools and the back of it is plastic "pegboard." It even has a battery powered drill, which Nathan likes to run nonstop the whole time he's there. I think I heard Grandma Helen say something about losing those batteries or something like that.<br /><br />Grandma Doni and Grandpa Chuck got him this awesome play tent from <a href="http://www.imaginethattoys.net/">Imagine That Toys</a>. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.stoysnet.com/stnimages/intp/intpd40111.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://www.stoysnet.com/stnimages/intp/intpd40111.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />He loves having his own little house to play in. He stuffs it full with as many of his toys as he can fit, or he uses it as a garage to store his walk-n-ride lion.<br /><br />So Christmas was awesome, and our New Year's was just as cool. I learned that Teri's boyfriend, Shawn, looks mighty good in a pink tutu, and that shooting pool in a welding helmet is really hard but fun to watch. But those are stories for another blog post. I'll sign off for now.<br /><br />Here's to another awesome year to come!MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-43726861161837496102008-12-14T14:25:00.002-06:002008-12-14T14:52:11.980-06:00My New Mom-ventionOne of the many things we women sacrifice when we become mothers is our butts. I don't mean because they change in size or shape. I've never had the ideal size and shape in that area anyway. I'm talkin' temperature, people. <br /><br />It's a mere 20 degrees here today, and that fact has alerted me to the amount of time I spend with my posterior hanging out of the car fastening and unfastening car seat straps, changing diapers in the seat of the car, and chasing upside down sippy cups that claim to be leak-free. I've been home nearly a half hour and my butt still hasn't thawed completely. <br /><br />I've come up with a solution. I'm going to take a staple gun and attach a roman shade to the roof of the car just above the door. That way when I go to put the child in the car and assume the best-face-forward position, I can just drop that shade over my behind and keep it nice and toasty warm. <br /><br />Maybe I can make and sell my invention to other moms out there. I'll call it the Toasty Tushie. What a great way to make some extra Christmas cash! <br /><br />If that doesn't work, maybe I could just sell ad space on my butt.MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-50672303994186960892008-12-12T23:57:00.000-06:002008-12-12T23:58:51.535-06:00HO HO HO!!Nathan learned a new word!!! Okay, maybe it doesn’t technically qualify as<br />a word, but when anything new is added to his list of five kid-tested,<br />Nathan-approved words, I get really excited.<br /><br />So far, the only words he’ll say on a regular basis are:<br /><br />Mama, Dada, Bite, Hat, and Hot<br /><br />It isn’t that he only knows five words. His first word was ball. He’s also<br />said bath, fish, reach, and please. There is a subtle difference in the<br />“Mama” he uses for me and the “Mama” that he uses for his Grandmas. It’s<br />hard to discern, but it’s there. My mom even got him to say Santa exactly<br />two times. He also says Uh-uh and Uh-huh, but I’m not sure if they count.<br /><br />Evidently my little man is kind of a word snob. He’ll learn a word, say it<br />once or twice and then decided it doesn’t taste right in his mouth and spit<br />it out like the macaroni I tried to give him when he really wanted a<br />carrot, even though the night before his whole dinner consisted of nothing<br />but macaroni and Tuesday was carrot day. My baby boy actually ate an entire<br />meal of nothing but lima beans one time. But that’s a subject for another<br />post. The word finicky comes to mind.<br /><br />I should add that he does have a few animal sounds in his repertoire. He<br />does a mean puppy imitation complete with arfs and panting. He also shouts<br />his own special version of Yee-haw when he’s riding his Wonder Horse. He<br />kind of mixes it together with Hi-Yah! And he gives a funny little Karate<br />kick when he says it. I call him the Cowboy Ninja, but once again, I<br />digress.<br /><br />So now his vocabulary consists of the following:<br /><br />Mama, Dada, Bite, Hot , Hat<br /><br />& HO HO HO!!<br /><br />I taught him to say what Santa Claus says! It was hard to pry it out of him<br />right at first, but now he kind of thinks that’s Santa’s name. When I went<br />to pick him up from the sitter’s the other night, he got really excited and<br />grabbed my hand to drag me over to the Christmas tree, shouting “Mama!<br />Mama!” over and over again. He pointed excitedly to a Santa Claus ornament<br />and said, “HO HO HO!”<br /><br />A couple of nights ago, we were out to eat with my mom and my aunt, and a<br />big biker guy with a white beard walked out of the back dining room.<br />Nathan’s eyes got really big and he pointed to the man and said, “HO HO<br />HO!”<br /><br />It’s so exciting this year, because he’s starting to figure this Christmas<br />thing out. We visited Santa at the mall (no pics yet, it was a trial run)<br />and then lo and behold, we saw him shopping at Wal-Mart that same evening.<br />He had candy canes and toilet paper in his cart. When ya gotta go…<br /><br />Nathan gets really excited when he see’s Santa on tv, and he likes to watch<br />Christmas shows, especially the Grinch. He didn’t care much for the live<br />action movie – that Grinch was a little scary at times – but he loved the<br />cartoon. He cracked me up when we watched it together. When that old Grinch<br />was stealing the Christmas tree, Nathan’s eyes were as big as saucers and<br />his eyebrows were raised as far as they could go. It was such a look of<br />deep concern! I said, “Nathan, he took their Christmas tree!!” and he just<br />kind of nodded, not wanting to tear his eyes away. Oh, the suspense! When<br />the Grinch saved the sleigh from falling down the mountain, and he picked<br />it up high over his head, Nathan threw both arms up and cheered! It was so<br />cute I almost cried. But I’m a bit of a crier in my old age.<br /><br />I can’t wait until Christmas Eve. We’re going to put out cookies for Santa,<br />and I’m excited to see what he thinks when he wakes up and finds them<br />eaten! This having a kid thing is pretty gosh-darned fun!<br /><br />Wow! Do you think I could Use! More! Exclamation! Points!!!! Somebody slap<br />me.MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-41091619782162790992008-11-30T23:13:00.004-06:002008-12-01T00:21:48.197-06:00April wasn't really THAT long ago!So I decided to start blogging again. That means all of my fans that have been checking out this site on a daily basis with bated breath (<a href="http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bai1.htm">I looked that up and yes, I spelled it right</a>) just waiting for new little bits of wit and wisdom can finally sigh that satisfied, just-finished-Thanksgiving-dinner, lip-smacking sigh and live happily ever after. I've really missed the sweet catharsis of spilling my guts to the whole interweb even if only six people actually read it. Maybe six is pushing it. Regardless, I like being able to vent and steam and overflow all over my computer. <br /><br />Wow, that sounds messy.<br /><br />Anyhoo, I'll re-inaugurate the ol' blog with a Thanksgiving post. The food was wonderful, as was my lovely cousin's hospitality (read: bravery, for letting my huge, noisy family take over their beautiful house for a day) but most of the rest of the day can neatly be summed up with the following visual aid:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIPHUFciLVRVIQAmKO_SDdNgCuUnD1b_1WV8rpsYW77JueOnR1NkpctThPdRjFw08cK-YjpXu-6RgFFYW5zOuYkYaZ7yOqo0Grdx6O-i7zPbJst-Hv7WpnUfLADI68CupP6mldnnGQw/s1600-h/Turkeygraph.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIPHUFciLVRVIQAmKO_SDdNgCuUnD1b_1WV8rpsYW77JueOnR1NkpctThPdRjFw08cK-YjpXu-6RgFFYW5zOuYkYaZ7yOqo0Grdx6O-i7zPbJst-Hv7WpnUfLADI68CupP6mldnnGQw/s320/Turkeygraph.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274694923560953138" /></a><br /><br />The morning was pretty nice. I got up and put the parade on tv for Little Man while I made cinnamon rolls. By made, I mean popped open a tube and stuck in the oven, of course. We munched on those and then I made (this time <em>really</em> made) not one, but two casseroles to take to dinner. We got dressed in our finest room-for-eatin' britches and headed to the Village Inn to visit with Hubby's family before heading to my cousin's. That's about when the graph started its abrupt descent. I started to feel really lousy. Little Man had been mucho sicko for a couple of days earlier in the week, and true to form, it hit Mama at the most inconvenient time. Getting sick on Turkey Day is a true testament to the unfairness of life.<br /><br />I muscled my way through dinner, though, because I refuse to miss out on the face-stuffing just because my puny little stomach was begging me for the love of God, don't do it! By early evening I was regretting it, though, and not long after that the Hubby joined in my misery. We bowed out of the domino game early and headed home. The puking went on all night long. I'll spare you any other details. <br /><br />Oh yeah, sometime just before the puking, the Hubby was taking home a friend who had joined us for Thanksgiving dinner and he backed into a parked car and got a ticket. So all in all, our Thanksgiving was kind of a bust. <br /><br />We're all feeling much better now, but we did manage to share our disgusting germs with my mom (sorry Grandma) and she was suffering through it yesterday. Hope you're getting over it quick, Mom! <br /><br />So all who have re-joined me on the blogwagon, thanks for listening to me complain about my holiday, and keep your fingers crossed that our Christmas won't resemble our Thanksgiving in any way.<br /><br />Buh-Bye!MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-1091293622025364152008-04-27T16:42:00.004-05:002008-04-27T17:38:30.149-05:00Swag<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCtsANYK_7E69cDnwFYTgROOQaEU54SNdQelM_L0Mm2qQHKu7iu0HfY69ty51it1mp8VcJdGPNx7ToF46bh0C0_YW3bqubrytMWO7J33DvtvLQTooB-YHVtS-mjutQaz4AG90-KVuLQ/s1600-h/swag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCtsANYK_7E69cDnwFYTgROOQaEU54SNdQelM_L0Mm2qQHKu7iu0HfY69ty51it1mp8VcJdGPNx7ToF46bh0C0_YW3bqubrytMWO7J33DvtvLQTooB-YHVtS-mjutQaz4AG90-KVuLQ/s400/swag.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194044108318000546" /></a></center><br /><br />I had to share the sweet swag bag I got from work the other day. It was Associate Appreciation day, (coincidentally, it was also Admisitrative Professionals Day.) We were so spoiled!! First we got a goody bag. The photo shows the sign that came with it, outlining the significance of each treat within. (Click it to enlarge.) At morning break we got continental breakfast, at lunch we got deli sandwiches and chips, and at afternoon break we got ice cream bars and cookies. Then they passed out the cute little thermal lunch bags with a stress ball and a coaster inside. I felt pretty darned appreciated for a girl who's been watching someone else work for a week and a half.MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-75476087973099619642008-04-20T21:35:00.009-05:002008-04-27T21:58:54.464-05:00StuffI had to post some photos from my super-fun going away party from Hobby Lobby. There was another person quitting at the same time as me, and our awesome (ex)co-workers threw us a going away party at the bowling alley. We had a blast! I haven't bowled in forever, but I don't think I did too badly. I played four games and I scored a 103, a 117, and the last two games were both 120. I was so proud of myself. We all had a blast and we had some really good chocolate cake, and they even gave us presents!! We got a pretty Wood Wick Candle, a hand-made beaded bookmark, and a $25 gas card. Aren't those Hobby Lobby people awesome?!? I'm going to hang the bookmark on the wall of my cubie, and put the candle on my desk. I'm gonna miss working with my crazy Hobby Lobby friends. Especially my favorite one... Yeah right, like I'm gonna pick a favorite. Some of them will be reading this! lol<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiak8QbhW4fo3Izi_1m1ZrLcbld2jZ5WkQXxIdfulGCsuK4SF3El0J5XRZAbq3lF03x7Jkh8uajD8sWnLJJVLjRFG7ZrTwLRPtswT6ULYlPwbKBZ4VgHOh-6klaIvNJTevBrpitBFIpDA/s1600-h/bowling-copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiak8QbhW4fo3Izi_1m1ZrLcbld2jZ5WkQXxIdfulGCsuK4SF3El0J5XRZAbq3lF03x7Jkh8uajD8sWnLJJVLjRFG7ZrTwLRPtswT6ULYlPwbKBZ4VgHOh-6klaIvNJTevBrpitBFIpDA/s400/bowling-copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191544259522852418" /></a><br /><br />Speaking of cubies, my new job is so awesome! I love it so much!! I keep talking about it all the time. I'll just pop up and say, "Hey Bryan, did I tell you there's a cappucino machine in our cafeteria, and I can fill my 34 oz. cup with soda for 50 cents, and I can take an hour and a half lunch if I want, and my phone has an earpiece so I don't have to use my hands, and my chair adjusts in 14 different places and..." and he says, "Yes! Yes! For the love of God, yes! Now shut the hell up!" and then he stabs himself in both ears with a pencil so he won't have to listem to me anymore. I guess I can use his mp3 player now.<br /><br />I'm such a dork I've been shopping online for all kinds of cool cubicle gear. I even started a Kaboodle list for them. <a href="http://www.kaboodle.com/mirandalea/cubie-supplies.html">Check it out here.</a> I haven't been able to buy a pencil holder because I haven't found just the right one yet, and I believe there is one special set of office supplies out there for everyone, and you just have to keep going through life until you find it.MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-11643747010870471752008-04-12T02:09:00.008-05:002008-04-12T17:57:41.987-05:00You may kiss the bridesmaids!<div align="left">First of all, I had a really good first day of work yesterday. It was just orientation. My real training will start Monday. I got to learn all about my vacation time, sick pay, floating holidays, insurance, discounts and perks. And I got to see my cubicle! It's awesome. It's just waiting for me to decorate it up. I have some time, though, because I'll be in training (at someone else's cubicle) for a while. I'll just be watching someone else work for a few weeks. In the meantime, I have to figure out what kind of plant thrives in a cubicle (and is hard to kill).<br /><br />Last night we went to a friend's wedding, and I learned that my little guy was born to party. He was a very fussy, tired little turd for most of the afternoon and evening, but when the reception got under way and the dance music started, he was the life of the party. He danced all night. All the girlies couldn't get enough of him. I have some pics to share and a video, so check him out:<br /><br /></div><center><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">*Glitter Frames by Lindsay Jane Designs</span></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowWIy4EL2GfnsTeLYIoOIRTcPUBGzFOtx5MTDRgZz3kYqqA4FpV_RXF9ZdTxUeYf66v_IVpU9P8A5caJxy473aqzKsoVM79S_sCULac1MoyDsTLR-2sJbdSlLZQki7VxAAm5dfnQ-bw/s1600-h/weddingbuddies.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188484422734793426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowWIy4EL2GfnsTeLYIoOIRTcPUBGzFOtx5MTDRgZz3kYqqA4FpV_RXF9ZdTxUeYf66v_IVpU9P8A5caJxy473aqzKsoVM79S_sCULac1MoyDsTLR-2sJbdSlLZQki7VxAAm5dfnQ-bw/s400/weddingbuddies.jpg" border="0" /></a> Bryan was a groomsman and he looks awesome in a tux if I do say so myself!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXrwvCeGsVyiwtECrUzzd5R88MtWaUdDxQ1WWQfVCrHEGyvSqd83cEHQ_zmTzqPp9arm50rVdkKSEd5tKEX4vXAL-3RNpErfeCuh28K-UP2x9kW5GjH_Uq5zJ9Ku2cYXHHW_GIGQvdw/s1600-h/weddingcake.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188482305315916450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXrwvCeGsVyiwtECrUzzd5R88MtWaUdDxQ1WWQfVCrHEGyvSqd83cEHQ_zmTzqPp9arm50rVdkKSEd5tKEX4vXAL-3RNpErfeCuh28K-UP2x9kW5GjH_Uq5zJ9Ku2cYXHHW_GIGQvdw/s400/weddingcake.jpg" border="0" /></a> Munchin' on some yummy wedding cake!<br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXV0UW06nCqPloJX4vAjNq2irqkPUD-vftvA8dIkScstIcvt-u0bG0N7j6pUWfHcEWeNPmCNMVChrAYy3o3m8YcrMtwJKoTMr8e4b37G1NTRGRExwT-HYCDgQHlyOAvKbnT5YPAKGuSg/s1600-h/weddingdance.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188482305315916466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXV0UW06nCqPloJX4vAjNq2irqkPUD-vftvA8dIkScstIcvt-u0bG0N7j6pUWfHcEWeNPmCNMVChrAYy3o3m8YcrMtwJKoTMr8e4b37G1NTRGRExwT-HYCDgQHlyOAvKbnT5YPAKGuSg/s400/weddingdance.jpg" border="0" /></a> My little dude is gettin' some hot bridesmaid action on the dance floor. So many women, so little time between naps!<br /></p><p><br /><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwKR6sobFQgd0R5NFlhoUGIWhvJHiuxLobwQE3l7DuJwKI6rFCTGWa-3FFlDstTuk2uQ5rNeL_0st-DQtHYVyrPBXBz9_63YmkeeBX3-5eXurSbf_A-vYGhPu-8xcVsUCjg3gdB0F4w/s1600-h/weddingsleepy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188484439914662626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwKR6sobFQgd0R5NFlhoUGIWhvJHiuxLobwQE3l7DuJwKI6rFCTGWa-3FFlDstTuk2uQ5rNeL_0st-DQtHYVyrPBXBz9_63YmkeeBX3-5eXurSbf_A-vYGhPu-8xcVsUCjg3gdB0F4w/s400/weddingsleepy.jpg" border="0" /></a> This little sleeping beauty is the flower girl. She slept through most of the reception on the stage right in front of the dj booth. Guess she partied too hard at the bachelorette party.<br /><br /><br />I took some video of Nathan bustin' a move, but I'm kind of a dumbass, and I did it all holding the camera sideways without even thinking about it. I found a way to turn it, but it looks a bit squished. And it's super dark because the dance floor was dark, but here it is anyway:</p><p><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KDlFKAnJHyI&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KDlFKAnJHyI&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></p></center>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-70948949803361677462008-04-08T21:42:00.001-05:002008-04-08T21:47:29.651-05:00Go sell cute somplace else. We're all stocked up here.In fact, he's got cute running out of his ears. (Which is a damn sight better than what's been running out of his nose.) Anywhooooo. Here are the vids I wanted to post the other day. Enjoy!<br /><br /><center><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WRzIycCmduU&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WRzIycCmduU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u3vNPDHqZwQ&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u3vNPDHqZwQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></center>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-15995080987971387572008-04-08T00:16:00.006-05:002008-04-08T01:03:41.706-05:00Three More Days!!I totally forgot to blog about my good news! I got a new job! I start Friday. I'm super excited because I'll have a grown up job, with a desk, and nice clothes, and yep, you guessed it: <br /><br /><font size=40 color=red>A cubicle!!!</font><br /><br />I will be a payroll clerk for a large company that owns a bunch of grocery stores and gas stations. I'll make a dollar more an hour, be guaranteed 40 hours, have benefits, flex scheduling, and did I mention?<br /><br /><font size=40 color=red>A cubicle!!!</font><br /><br />Okay, okay. I'll stop. It's just that I'm super-psyched about the whole prospect. I've been dreaming of a cubicle job for years. My own little world with a desk and a computer and a plant and a photo of my family and a Dilbert comic hanging on the wall. It would only be more awesome if my little cubie were pink. Laugh if you want, but you know you'd be jealous.<br /><br />I'll miss working with all my friends at Hobby Lobby. I really do like that job, but I just need a little more cheddar, if you know what I mean. So I can buy more... well... cheddar. And a bigger place so I can get my little muffin out of a closet and into a real room. And I'm gonna have weekends off!!!!!!!!! I've never had a job where I've had weekends off. <br /><br />So anyway, if you happen to think of it this Friday morning, say a quick little prayer that my first day goes really well and that it rains Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies all weekend. (It can't hurt to ask, right?)<br /><br />I can't remember the last time I blogged so many lines without talking about what adorable thing Nathan just did the other day. I taught him to ride 'em cowboy and yell "Yee-Haw!" Of course, his yee-haw sounds more like "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" but it's the enthusiasm that counts. I was going to end this post with an adorable video or two that I took of Nathan playing in his play pen, but YouTube is being a bi-yotch and it's down for maintenance. The nerve!! So you'll just have to be satisfied with a couple of adorable photos. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58HM51qjWKXCm3fKg5EqWUluZ7oNDb6yMxP9kZCr7ctAAwFUT9_nGPsbCLoNfQj0FQ02gQL51HDNpgOUkC9RJgibtdiOt60GuRGfqIfnd4_XkT5QmCiJq-QXuV4SsggPkENqINjvfdg/s1600-h/blogcluster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58HM51qjWKXCm3fKg5EqWUluZ7oNDb6yMxP9kZCr7ctAAwFUT9_nGPsbCLoNfQj0FQ02gQL51HDNpgOUkC9RJgibtdiOt60GuRGfqIfnd4_XkT5QmCiJq-QXuV4SsggPkENqINjvfdg/s400/blogcluster.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186750242356259362" /></a><br /><font size=2><em>*Frame cluster by Sherry Tierney.</em></font><br /><br />Oh, and one more thing:<br /><br /><font size=40 color=red>A cubicle!!!</font>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-61318819549737725102008-03-23T22:55:00.012-05:002008-03-23T23:55:02.867-05:00A Whole Mess O' Egg Huntin'So today was Nathan's first Easter Egg Hunt. Didja really think I wasn't going to clog up the internet with a ton of adorable photos?? <br /><center><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZ1S1dYduruY-HzbG_QzXXpucLuNmGoSYlOl75UBAOurHrlkIO_XPNs25_hBApMh8Sg78_ZYNQQP2DkfnnC5dVIDVTET8SC0om0Q8hHzJNPrMh-H1p0KYddBomGm5_iiIPGRL40YfTA/s1600-h/Awaiting-the-Hunt.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181152186277620098 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZ1S1dYduruY-HzbG_QzXXpucLuNmGoSYlOl75UBAOurHrlkIO_XPNs25_hBApMh8Sg78_ZYNQQP2DkfnnC5dVIDVTET8SC0om0Q8hHzJNPrMh-H1p0KYddBomGm5_iiIPGRL40YfTA/s400/Awaiting-the-Hunt.jpg" border=0></A> Nathan is eagerly awaiting the big hunt. He can see the eggs in the yard, but he has to wait for Leah to change clothes. Darn girls!! <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IDK2ykfjsfnnxidGfHCymgnRMII21zYpWCqgWhwc7f8ZgzKvIfpGvRoBWoOmFmFdXr2MNWO0JIRG5k2ASrcyp18zj844cfjAHYJb72-rnfb2U6DwNz_DeeMJRQ74mGiVh6FSgkJXUA/s1600-h/Crazy-Blond-Girl.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181158499879545234 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IDK2ykfjsfnnxidGfHCymgnRMII21zYpWCqgWhwc7f8ZgzKvIfpGvRoBWoOmFmFdXr2MNWO0JIRG5k2ASrcyp18zj844cfjAHYJb72-rnfb2U6DwNz_DeeMJRQ74mGiVh6FSgkJXUA/s400/Crazy-Blond-Girl.jpg" border=0></A> And we're still not sure this was a smart fashion decision. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuSRRqnaQx-7pW8PqOu3NQ3UvvQmXKvAtsodVNPSjcsV3zy8LREssNTVT2WUITPWYmBiDEdGiYfopGOFa-mYXhVZMkvPgtJOllb6qeSIQq8JRCuqIDEwF5i7CcfhZb3DmicUoyvRoEw/s1600-h/Grandma-Helps.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181158852066863522 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuSRRqnaQx-7pW8PqOu3NQ3UvvQmXKvAtsodVNPSjcsV3zy8LREssNTVT2WUITPWYmBiDEdGiYfopGOFa-mYXhVZMkvPgtJOllb6qeSIQq8JRCuqIDEwF5i7CcfhZb3DmicUoyvRoEw/s400/Grandma-Helps.jpg" border=0></A> Grandma had to help Nathan get started. Once he found one he didn't want to put it in the basket. He just wanted to carry one in each hand. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMcMnuVNKvYGEVOdJgCb7WRpuZVeFSWLUaBu_vPmWqUPgmdX5X_tL74qrnJPFm5i5Qbc1XSsc2Psgxb06yM6BjNNp-ukNJWeGJwqb-jZaDRJ4nrAVfM5XfsWxTBwaK5oXmF9CqKLEFQ/s1600-h/Got-My-Eggs.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181159723945224642 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMcMnuVNKvYGEVOdJgCb7WRpuZVeFSWLUaBu_vPmWqUPgmdX5X_tL74qrnJPFm5i5Qbc1XSsc2Psgxb06yM6BjNNp-ukNJWeGJwqb-jZaDRJ4nrAVfM5XfsWxTBwaK5oXmF9CqKLEFQ/s400/Got-My-Eggs.jpg" border=0></A> Two eggs, two hands, all set!! <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivC7FEFn26zr9x2En_IBKBLQfp7vKDd-Kt0nBdYkuQKZ-ux2JywcRspEipI5WTYNlGbhHICBL0Y9_dEyie1EOU6plzRXy7Cmjl8hfvTJunPUwTLF9TMdgQj_bHU6-dFMq7r0z_JWp4Yg/s1600-h/Found-One.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181159410412612018 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivC7FEFn26zr9x2En_IBKBLQfp7vKDd-Kt0nBdYkuQKZ-ux2JywcRspEipI5WTYNlGbhHICBL0Y9_dEyie1EOU6plzRXy7Cmjl8hfvTJunPUwTLF9TMdgQj_bHU6-dFMq7r0z_JWp4Yg/s400/Found-One.jpg" border=0></A> He finally got the hang of it, though. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAvhFmFaLtiHLyW32zvkjmujHdjISe-tWnSgASldJb5OD3sFXh-05ZTiCzgb0M0c3tsCxrF_brJEoWsiWrJj_kJ6eqyzaDYQoIboEW8vnTDVIALF68zEcmzOGWJfwX1IDBgRkNhB1zA/s1600-h/We-Can-Share.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181161300198222290 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAvhFmFaLtiHLyW32zvkjmujHdjISe-tWnSgASldJb5OD3sFXh-05ZTiCzgb0M0c3tsCxrF_brJEoWsiWrJj_kJ6eqyzaDYQoIboEW8vnTDVIALF68zEcmzOGWJfwX1IDBgRkNhB1zA/s400/We-Can-Share.jpg" border=0></A> They are so good at sharing. It's amazing, really. But Leah and Nathan are best buds, so they don't mind. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LA4x4gD1nGXOG3R0OjJQXur58O4ar7xyPRFhjz0SrVS4rFHedKwzkHDsiCC7AXMjqclA33OVx_lah1yCckgXQ4nGS6QCfGwk9wlFgXlFtzhC_0s2Fp6Qw_58DN1JXuNOWHBfSKB0xA/s1600-h/Dividing-the-Loot.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181161682450311650 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LA4x4gD1nGXOG3R0OjJQXur58O4ar7xyPRFhjz0SrVS4rFHedKwzkHDsiCC7AXMjqclA33OVx_lah1yCckgXQ4nGS6QCfGwk9wlFgXlFtzhC_0s2Fp6Qw_58DN1JXuNOWHBfSKB0xA/s400/Dividing-the-Loot.jpg" border=0></A> Dividing up all the loot! <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbNnIS7oNblHA1EnDoZFYaFOENMroJbEOJ3AsS2HaQHNNak4HHgoA9B91DPp4qF2d38TUOUR3haIb4aXtmOfbpAtLJmhX18JaHGngBU-p1Bbn8k8jFAI-6y3phmfyTZgzBm5Vl4K2TQ/s1600-h/Not-An-Egg.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181162382529980930 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbNnIS7oNblHA1EnDoZFYaFOENMroJbEOJ3AsS2HaQHNNak4HHgoA9B91DPp4qF2d38TUOUR3haIb4aXtmOfbpAtLJmhX18JaHGngBU-p1Bbn8k8jFAI-6y3phmfyTZgzBm5Vl4K2TQ/s400/Not-An-Egg.jpg" border=0></A> "Mom, why are we working so hard to find eggs, when these rocks are all over the place?" <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQz-gf6tzEMl3hEEdKy_AiRV6fbXRMRrq-Rci6xRBA-ExBY6MGFTtjsgnMGlNLYVofbAuDxAIJXYpuvEu5-lEEY-xSmpmB0ukw1dzJBxP7kvlCOZiExmWWREoPbHtCmZm3WygY6wHKg/s1600-h/Mouthfull.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181161914378545650 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQz-gf6tzEMl3hEEdKy_AiRV6fbXRMRrq-Rci6xRBA-ExBY6MGFTtjsgnMGlNLYVofbAuDxAIJXYpuvEu5-lEEY-xSmpmB0ukw1dzJBxP7kvlCOZiExmWWREoPbHtCmZm3WygY6wHKg/s400/Mouthfull.jpg" border=0></A> Nathan finally discovered there's goodies in them-there eggs!! Here he is with a mouthfull of jelly beans.<br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcdXMEZuQSupWWcLzCgtjwdWWvw6OCIXSxcm_0qOVLXZDCVL21DFISFiIGZftdVBwYyDDTMwGi03JblO7LGqH3oTkvEGU0Jyc47PAU0Fz-FB60UeHEhVdlIaAI02FVPc2vn_wd2tRtA/s1600-h/Still-Crazy.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181162794846841362 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcdXMEZuQSupWWcLzCgtjwdWWvw6OCIXSxcm_0qOVLXZDCVL21DFISFiIGZftdVBwYyDDTMwGi03JblO7LGqH3oTkvEGU0Jyc47PAU0Fz-FB60UeHEhVdlIaAI02FVPc2vn_wd2tRtA/s400/Still-Crazy.jpg" border=0></A> This girl is a nut!! <br /><br />All in all, we had a fantastic day! The weather was good, the kids had a ball, and no one got sick on candy. I'll wrap things up with a little video of the kids dancing together. They crack me up!!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JfzXjq7hjfY"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JfzXjq7hjfY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object></center>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-71129552467957622472008-03-13T07:34:00.003-05:002008-03-13T07:49:41.819-05:00A Quickie!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgMlo0iDuX6KrRTsyoZ5bq-A7ZSbWp8Z6jPevZR4p5cMCtMplixHTBaaAnc6IXz02mdJC4Ixpw0WU-2fKahwgDciOy5BtUIoHr9ijvcGlZo-kS3Doaz_qURjXXLSiHlnh9EzwMgZiMQ/s1600-h/playgroundNathan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgMlo0iDuX6KrRTsyoZ5bq-A7ZSbWp8Z6jPevZR4p5cMCtMplixHTBaaAnc6IXz02mdJC4Ixpw0WU-2fKahwgDciOy5BtUIoHr9ijvcGlZo-kS3Doaz_qURjXXLSiHlnh9EzwMgZiMQ/s400/playgroundNathan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177207578187783458" /></a><br />I don't have much time before work, but I have to brag on my boy. His first word is officially "ball," said within the last month. He would hold up a ball and say, "Bah" and we were so proud! Of course he'd call every toy a ball. When Bryan gets home, Nathan points at him and grins and says "Da" and that's exciting, but he calls the chair "da" and the tv, and the computer, and the cat, etc. etc. <br /><br />But yesterday, he said two complete words, in context! I was so excited! We went to visit my mom at the bank, and in one of the offices there's a fish bowl on the desk. We were looking at the fish and I kept saying, "Is that a fish, Nathan? Fish?" and at first he said, "shshsh." It was more of a sound than a word, and then he got it. He said "fish" very plainly a couple of times. Then last night, I was eating a brownie, and he walked right up to me and said, "Bite!" Just like that. With puctuation and everything. I was so excited, I fed him TWO brownies, bite by bite, just because everytime he said, "bite" I couldn't say no. <br /><br />I'm so proud of my boy!!! He'll be reciting Shakespeare in no time!MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-76751527745478273962008-03-08T13:44:00.005-06:002008-03-08T14:14:21.170-06:00Not Yet a Month Late<a href="http://ourlair-faren.blogspot.com/">Faren</a> motivated me to get off my butt, (or rather ON my butt, in my new computer chair) and post some of Nathan's birthday pictures. So here we go:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175460007534648530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmZ9o3YZc9XmfePsFNapGYrTS_8UNdbDZBW6zEKtFfpHwNoHgfwJjEV8j7hQWkUDe3Hdpg7jmclOFVQPYXzDf2putQQLo8MFerVVzw0fVSpXUJZTvFqH2bM4kHyuxmrzHI3Voqw36gQ/s400/King-and-Prince.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center">Here they are, Their Majesties, King Daddy, and Prince Nathan. My mom, a.k.a. Martha Frickin' Stewart, put up castle walls and built a whole throne room for our guys.</p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175460050484321538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDE5v5b01x42hGpY7a7csu5nMTVk_28K0GimXDKN2RJZ_Lna4I3j4YSvcAvGMieHCYznhhy31dmU59vo0AN7uhk04AOuRWzqXmGc5n9Caj-e1J8Hffn9Wu0ZU_1vSmigg3eeIMmCNv9Q/s400/CakeTasting.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">This was the first tentative taste of birthday cake. Nathan really is a pretty neat eater. He's not one to just dive right in with both hands. The first time he got a little frosting on his fingers, he wrinkled his nose and tried to shake it off.</p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175460295297457426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iK0KzjKGc_ltW1RAl59yDvykskXXh5BU7o8SSzEkGSFUu_y1-5pM36HpmHPN-FYfZQaM4HuxOZhMQuGfJgnjkzLjlhF6cVCgZV_NrUhahyphenhyphen_D59_n87zuG9tFKpzrJ3VpkV3jx8RfAA/s400/CakeGood.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">Then he figured out just how good that frosting really was. He kept feeding it to me too.Yummy!!</p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175460020419550434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Q3g3qm0iIBvcTCby0oEgl3pT5fBt8TSBANAp-_FdXaM4nqa3l9XYW37U9S-1h33I5-NlKgIYPBb-y2Rss7bc0Bp5at-pzzOrgrpn4qz92NrDQxQHM4wwMjd7abL5cT_k9OwwxAF-Yg/s400/FirstOfMany.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">And this is what was left of the cake. I'm not real sure he actually got any cake. But I think he ate about a pound of frosting.</p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175460037599419634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTC1IKpdEDBd_h3myqZHwxT06PefDJxQHIZQtgF_7bD4ZVjRJwcRsf3nH4u4IFA2N0kvJz8pgqpSpn8ECj4GXjllzmPKKCeREOoPdxX5jOhGggRip8uLMMRhClawz1sQ22XrrHEExcWg/s400/DaddyLikeCake.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">We told King Daddy he had to eat his cake with his fingers, too. But he outsmarted us with his Go-Go-Gadget-Birthday-Candle-Chopsticks.</p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175460003239681218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCARm1nu5Rwtwhy9BHAeUUxiGCGfb_nrpJQ3DnHLz9WVWtOcZjq_AAVTUTdrlObK0-sMai750VH4zaqoyDxaoN8TqX9L0Ning8xGsMO08_dH5KIbeR1blgL3B5IwNRxd7dP7hLaFq2KQ/s400/Spoiled.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">So, hypothetically speaking, if a one-year-old boy gets a Thomas the Train Ball Pit from one grandma, and an actual throne from the other, not to mention numerous other gifts and a huge party, does that make him spoiled? Nah, I didn't think so either.</p><p align="center"> </p><p><em>Glitter frames are from Web Designs by Kristi.</em></p>MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-28534066033750549312008-02-29T11:09:00.003-06:002008-02-29T11:15:50.776-06:00So I Joined the ADSRThat's the Amazing Digi Scrapping Race. You have a partner, and you go around completing challenges at all the major digi-scrapping sites. If you make it to the end, you get a ton of prizes. My partner is my fellow chat brat, Fantacy. She's an awesome scrapper and designer, and she's fabulously ornery, which makes us a perfect match.<br /><br />This week's challenge was for us to scrap a page together. We each were responsible for half of the page, and then we had to put them together. Here is our fabulous, fantastic, wonderful, awesome page:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mf5fDK7PCn3SmW_ty6w57zEjKwNovD4t6XK6QslyPEqa7PuluHlKOqtbhGI3QLeoCpfNebn6_QwZXoWUVla6Zyvoh_pyMfGPxbcKVsC5BVpBitXa2vyq23EYpYjE5UE2DS-YbKnu-A/s1600-h/adsr1b-copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mf5fDK7PCn3SmW_ty6w57zEjKwNovD4t6XK6QslyPEqa7PuluHlKOqtbhGI3QLeoCpfNebn6_QwZXoWUVla6Zyvoh_pyMfGPxbcKVsC5BVpBitXa2vyq23EYpYjE5UE2DS-YbKnu-A/s400/adsr1b-copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172451383059957330" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9A_B0gqlvKRqpSDKNKJIcKod1yeDPG4ddMxDeZadAooehIJXEy9vGJqyl8lSkJKC2xWzXrVqL0x5M9A6E2-epj1oIfTbfAttQmxa4xbDoYttSbCszHJfctDPECT3CRKQHhBx-kvGyg/s1600-h/adsr1b-copy+copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9A_B0gqlvKRqpSDKNKJIcKod1yeDPG4ddMxDeZadAooehIJXEy9vGJqyl8lSkJKC2xWzXrVqL0x5M9A6E2-epj1oIfTbfAttQmxa4xbDoYttSbCszHJfctDPECT3CRKQHhBx-kvGyg/s400/adsr1b-copy+copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172452018715117154" /></a><br /><br />Aren't we adorable???MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1738552381257256330.post-14241093329160534282008-02-26T00:03:00.005-06:002008-02-26T00:24:21.131-06:00Alexander called. He wants his day back.<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxZG_fnyCy4ftTsCM9VG0PTtUj5tz4vHpYHRv_6_68ivq4lYCEd1JLKPSpkjXpTYh8A3ftslu8UEYu6MEouaXLGEQi9vZillO8IT532mpX906RdtFJNd6rqqVbrRTC0HQPhrnlPpQJA/s1600-h/alexander.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxZG_fnyCy4ftTsCM9VG0PTtUj5tz4vHpYHRv_6_68ivq4lYCEd1JLKPSpkjXpTYh8A3ftslu8UEYu6MEouaXLGEQi9vZillO8IT532mpX906RdtFJNd6rqqVbrRTC0HQPhrnlPpQJA/s400/alexander.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171170282714637186" /></a><br />(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Terrible-Horrible-Good-Very/dp/0689711735">One of my favorite books as a child.</a>)</center><br /><br />If you're looking for a laugh, this may not be the place to be. I've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and I'm here to complain. <br /><br />Did you ever have one of those days that just made you want to take a vacation from yourself? I'd like to request a little time off to be someone else. Someone who didn't have to stay up half the night with a one-year-old who spiked a temperature of 103 only to decide that 5:30am was the perfect time to wake up for the day. Someone who didn't spill soda on an envelope full of her baby's first studio portraits. Someone who didn't have to spend $25 on antibiotics only to drop the bottle and spill half of it on the kitchen floor before even administering a single dose. I just need a day off from being me. I told Bryan he had to put Nathan to bed tonight because I was afraid to carry him that far.<br /><br />I promise a happy post with birthday photos really soon. Today just wasn't the day.<br /><br />Seacrest out.MirandaLeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17386418727545497418noreply@blogger.com3