Chris and Jane (plus Haven)

I Quit.

2011-06-04T08:59:00.003-06:00

I think my blog is going to give up the ghost. I'm bored with it, and, more importantly, can't seem to find the time anymore. I don't imagine I will be able to drum up more time a few months from now when our 2nd little girl will be making her debut.

We are thrilled about Haven having a sister. I am excited that all those little baby girl clothes I packed away get to be reused. Chris is constructing a military-grade fence with loops of barbed wire around our compound (what we used to refer to as our "home," but when he learned he was having two daughters he started stock-piling weapons and practicing Navy Seal maneuvers). Oh Fate, how I laugh at your antics. Is anyone else amused that Chris is going to have two daughters, or is it just me? He barely keeps me in line. Although, God Bless him, he does try.

I still plan on carrying on with Haven's blog. Because she says the funniest things and I want to embarrass her with them when she's older. Actually, I already embarrass her by laughing too hard at stuff she says. Chris gets onto me and Haven tells me to stop laughing. But, as you probably read from above, thus far (6 years into marriage) he hasn't been able to curtail the less desirable aspects of my personality. You may lift him up in prayer.

I'll post pictures of our newest little one on Haven's blog when she comes along.

But, in the meantime....thanks for supporting my writing habit. I've replaced it with an eating habit.

Our Neck of the Woods

2011-03-23T13:24:00.004-06:00

Chris is back from a week long trip to Salt Lake City. I had a glorious week staying at my parent's house and feeling like I was on vacation. Most of my nausea and tiredness has dissipated. Not all, but enough for me to feel like I'm human again. And, enough so that the Jane-sized indention on the couch is beginning to fade. Ugh, I dislike the 1st trimester of pregnancy so much.

I reached the 12 week mark while Chris was away. Had a doc appointment where we heard the heart-beat again, and because it is getting increasingly difficult to hide the fact that I'm pregnant, I told the world. In case you don't have Facebook, then I guess you are just finding out.

I had a cute way of telling Chris that I was pregnant. At least, I thought it was cute. We found out rather soon that I was, but I'd been cooking this idea ever since we decided we wanted Haven to have a sibling. I sent him an email with this picture:

It was my t-shirt when I was a baby. I thought it was a clever and memorable way of sharing the news. But, here is how he acted:
He wasn't sure if the t-shirt was just something I put on Haven that day or if there was a message. He did respond positively after I told him it was true.

Chris & Haven's 1st time at the Zoo

2011-03-13T11:31:00.005-06:00

I've had quite the blogging lull lately. I've actually considered giving it up. Because Chris hasn't been providing nearly enough material lately for me to laugh at. I'm not going to retire it completely yet, so in the meantime, here are some pictures from the weekend.

I somehow convinced my animal-hating husband (well, maybe he doesn't hate them, but he certainly doesn't like them) to take Haven and I to the zoo. It was too pretty not to be outside this Friday. He told me he hated zoos, but I'm pretty sure that when we were watching the little baby orangutan playing and rolling around and showing off that he had a smile on his face.

And here is my little stinker of a daughter, who, when you tell her to smile for the camera, does what she thinks is "smiling." She's just a tad bit ornery.

Birthday Card Dance

2011-03-13T10:10:00.001-06:00

Haven Turns Two

2011-03-06T08:45:00.002-07:00

It's Haven's Birthday Weekend. She had some special guests. Below are Carrie and Jacob and Cora and Lulu (a Trudy Lou look alike).Haven had a birthday breakfast cooked by these sketchy looking characters. Despite the sketchiness, it was a delicious breakfast.
Cora was all pooped out from the festivities and fell asleep on her Auntie.
Haven's Aunt Hannah was here too and she gave Haven a birthday tiara. And, somehow, at two years old she seemed to know that this day was ALL about her.

Happy V Day

2011-02-14T10:32:00.001-07:00

Poor Sick Baby

2011-02-07T09:11:00.003-07:00

Haven is the poor sick baby. Although, I don't look very well in this picture either. The only good thing about having a sick baby? They want to cuddle all day long.

Workin' Hard

2011-02-07T08:55:00.002-07:00

Redirect

2011-02-03T09:49:00.002-07:00

So, not much as been going on around here. But, Haven is always up to something or saying something amusing. Since my fingers are too cold to type much I'm going to direct you over here, if you so desire, to Haven's doings: Haven's Blog.

Stuff

2011-01-29T09:01:00.003-07:00

Haven rode the carousel at the mall for the first time. She loved it. This weekend we are enjoying Nick and Jenny's company. As well as Baby Greyson. Haven especially enjoys her little cousin. She loves babies. Especially when we take out all her old toys--she thinks they are more fun this time around. Just like with Ella, she's been in Greyson's car-seat (ironic because she hates her car seat). I set up the play mat this morning. And, thank goodness, stumbled across some pacifiers I'd put away ages ago when Haven decided she preferred her two fingers. She still prefers them, but if we have a baby around things are different.

2010 All Over Again

2011-01-05T08:44:00.007-07:00

I don't usually do this, but I thought I'd reflect on this past year. It seems to have gone by so fast that I felt like I should remember what has happened. If only because other people do that and I want to be like other people sometimes. Not often, but sometimes.

January

I can't really believe that a year ago I was still getting up with Haven numerous times in a night. Despite, or maybe because of, my sleep deprived state, I came up with the How McKean Are You Test. Truly a significant achievement.

February

Chris made some fantastic pottery in February and proved once again that he is much more creative than I am. Which is annoying because he's pretty good at everything.

March

In March my baby turned one year old. I can't believe that in a few months we will celebrating number 2! It goes by so fast.

My grandpa died in March. He wasn't in the best of health, but he died alone having pulled off his oxygen mask. I don't care to think about what it would be like to die not being able to breathe.

Chris took me to eat goat for the first time at a hole in the wall African restaurant in Amarillo. You know you are in for a memorable experience when the owners look at you curiously as you come through the door and the one other patron tries to warn you that you will be eating goat. Good times! The food really wasn't bad, but I'm a pretty adventurous eater.

Chris broke his foot (again). Cut his cast off and then put it back on again. He's really the smarter of the two of us, but sometimes I think he experiences a testosterone surge and for those few moments I am the genius.

April

I got to watch Nathan Taylor come into this world. Something that I will always remember with awe. One of the greatest things I've ever seen. Sure, I was there when my baby was born, but it's something quite different when you are not the one in pain.

Chris and two of his brothers went on a mountain biking trip to Moab. Two of my sister-in-laws came and stayed with me. We had a blast. I can't say what we did or what we discussed because it is all very top secret.

May

This month I went to Cali with Haven, my parents, and my grandma. It was fun girl-time. Chris's Papa died while I was there. As soon as we flew back, we took a road trip to attend the funeral in Texas. Not a good year for grandparents.

June

I took up road biking in a big way. Attempting 100 miles in the ABQ century ride. It was not meant to be. After an hour late start, going miles out of the way because the route wasn't well marked, and 107! degree temp that day, my friend, Maren and I only accomplished 75. But, it started an addiction.

July

My brother-in-law, Aaron married Eileen over the 4th of July weekend. I got trapped in a taxi cab during a flood for what felt like hours without a workable cell phone. In Houston. During the rehearsal dinner. Which is why I now own an iphone. Because after all the bitching, I mean, politely asking, my husband for a phone that worked over and over again, he gave in. I mean, he sweetly bought me one.

Haven and I accompanied Chris to Keystone, CO where he had a conference. I had a blast. Chris and Haven? Not so much. Haven tried to kill herself by falling down stairs, testing the strength of an iron chair with her forhead, etc. Chris had to conference for three days. I bought some cute baby stuff and ate crepes.

August

We took a real family vacation to Boone, NC where my cousin and aunt live. Alot of my dad's side of the family made up a very nice reunion. It was so incredibly beautiful. There were some wonderful down home moments with fiddlers on the porch and fresh from the farm food. I loved it there.

My first niece, Eliana (Ella) was born. Although I had to wait a long time to be able to see her.

My first nephew, Greyson was born. I'm really racking them up.

September

Took a trip south to Kingston, NM over Labor Day where Chris and Haven and I stayed in an old B&B in a town that boasts 6 residents. It was lovely.

Finally, FINALLY finished 100 miles in the Enchanted Circle Century. After 3 centuries I made it. From Red River to Taos to Angel Fire and back to RR. I actually thought I might die on the last hill. My chest started hurting. Finally figured out that it was the muscles in my chest that hurt from breathing so hard for so long. I had a great time with 3 of my co-riders afterwards. We stayed in Eagle Nest, NM and ate pizza and drank beer (well, that was me). And told off a rude lady at a bar (yep, me too. And, that was before I had a beer). I was hungry. I'd been on my bike for 9 freaking hours.

October

I can't recall any special occurence this month. Except that for Halloween Haven was a respectable clown instead of an assassinated rapper (she was Tupac last year).

November

We spent with Chris's family. I ran 3 miles with my sister-in-law Eileen for the first time in about a year. That's an achievement. Chris ate a whole cheesecake in two days. That's an achievement as well.

December

Finally got to meet little Ella. Haven felt like she should be a baby too. Had a great Christmas with my bro and his wife. Went shopping, ate too much. The usual.

January

My 2nd little niece was born to Carrie and Jacob in China. I can't wait to meet her!

If I Had Followed Through....

2010-12-25T20:56:00.004-07:00

with my intention of making Christmas cards you may have received one that looked like this:

or this: (I'm in the light because I'm much holier than the rest of my family). You can't see my halo because there's a bit of a shadow above my head. But, it's there. I assure you.
I asked my brother to take a few of us today because we never get family photos taken. Chris has to practically be bound and gagged in order to comply (which would make a very strange looking photo, I think). Today, though, it was both of those hoodlums who refused to comply. Out of a dozen Haven was cooperating in two. And, Chris, although outwardly complying, was not. Let me assure you. We couldn't take video because you can't send that very easily in a Christmas card and the griping that ensued when asked if he would grace us with his face for a picture was downright grinchy. We are talking about 5 minutes of sitting still and pasting a fake smile on your face. It's not like I asked him if we could burn the fingerprints off his hand or something.

Regardless of the picture debacle, we had a great Christmas. If you were family I probably made you a pillow. My friend, Faerl, and I worked like dogs making pillows before and after Thanksgiving.

One very good reason I didn't get pictures taken and sent. Plus there's this little almost-two-year old that keeps me busy.

Merry Christmas, ya'll! Hope it was special.

Sweet Cousins

2010-12-23T08:33:00.003-07:00

Haven and Ella have been enjoying each other's company this week. However, it has led to a bit of regression on Haven's part. I had the privilege of babysitting Ella for a few hours while David and Christine went skiing (then I joined them and we left the kids to their own devices--Haven's old enough to care for herself and Ella.) Actually, my parent's came up, but the first story sounds more interesting). So, while I was in charge, I set up the swing for Ella. But, guess who thought she should be in the swing?
And, the paci? She's never cared for them because she loves her two fingers. Fortunately, Christine brought one for both "babies." I turned the swing on and let Haven cocoon herself for awhile. She was quite comfy in there.

Ella is the easiest baby. She's only fussy when she eats. Which is ironic because based on her size you'd think she'd love it.

Finally!!

2010-12-13T20:21:00.002-07:00

got to meet my niece, Ella Keagy for the first time. I didn't get to see my brother, but he probably wouldn't have gotten any attention anyway. Because Miss Ella kinda steals the show. She's 4 months old and half of Haven's weight. It always blows me away how skinny my little girl is. She really liked Ella. But, she was so busy eating all day I didn't get any shots of her holding her cousin. And, she confused Ella with her other cousin Greyson. She's not real good with gender yet. This is my naughty, adorable little girl in a box. She loves boxes.
Funny story: we were at a friend's house last night. They have a little boy who is about 5 months older than Haven. They were playing in his room and it got awfully quiet. Which usually means that they are up to something. I took my shoes off and snuck down the hall, peeked around the corner, and spotted them in Gabe's crib. They'd climbed into the crib, Gabe had his arms around Haven and was kissing her. It was really cute and sweet. And, won't fly in a few years so they'd better live it up. Haven just sat there and stared at him. Maybe it wasn't quite as romantic a moment for her as it was for him? Which is usually the case between men and women if you ask me.

Birthday Story

2010-11-14T14:55:00.003-07:00

I had a really great birthday. Rather than tell you how old I am I will tell you a little story:

This morning started out okay. I was peacefully sipping my requisite cup of coffee before taking on any kind of tasks required of a housewife/mother/dog owner. Chris was beside me doing the same. My darling daughter, who has for the past few days been a mama's girl (I don't know what happened to change her from daddy's girl to mama's girl--although I suspect it has something to do with teeth coming in, not because I am the coolest mom ever), was trying to climb into my lap. She hit my arm and my coffee spilled right into my lap. My pj's were rather thin, the coffee was warm.

"It feels like I've peed myself," I told Chris.

"That's probably going to happen a lot now that you are older," he said.

So, yeah, I had a nice birthday. Will he be having a nice birthday in June? Doubt it.

Good Timing, Carrie...I was Due for a New Blog Post

2010-11-01T13:04:00.004-06:00

My lovely sister-in-law, Carrie, tagged me in a blog post. I'm supposed to answer all these questions about myself. Will this amuse anyone but me? Probably not. Does it matter? Probably not...

1. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Hands down, without a doubt, the answer would be smacking. Smacking food, smacking gum. I will want to hit you. Also, and this is really gross, so it should be your pet-peeve too--you know when people have a stopped up nose and they inhale and you just know all those boogers are in their mouth?...and then they don't spit it out. Go ahead, spit it out--it may be rude to spit, but I can live with it because the other alternative is that you've swallowed all those boogers and that just makes me want to gag.

2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
By the ocean. A warm ocean where I could swim or snorkel every day. I LOVE the sea. It's so mysterious. It can kill you. For some reason that appeals to me. Which is ironic because I don't like spiders and they can kill me too. That's comparing apples and oranges and is probably ridiculous.

3. Have you ever been searched by the cops?
Searched? No. I've never done anything that would even warrant a ticket.

4. What is the one thing on your mind right now?
Why isn't my child sleeping? She's supposed to be taking a nap and instead she is talking in her crib and has been for about an hour now. She's calling Sophie (our dog) and telling her to go outside.

5. Favorite song right now.
Carrie, you're making me look bad with your Christian music favorites.

I like:

Nelly's "Just a Dream"

and anything else I can dance to.

6. What talent do you wish you had?
I wish I was crafty. Martha Stewart Crafty. I'm plenty other kind of crafty.

Creating things causes me great frustration. If it takes more than 5 minutes then it's probably already lost my interest.

7. Favorite drink.
Well, at the risk of sounding like an alcoholic I like gin and tonics, bloody mary's, and dark beer. But, not all at once.

8. In one word, how would you describe yourself.

Mischievous

I'm supposed to tag other people. But, last time I did one of these Q&A's the people I tagged didn't do it, so I'm going to go clean my house now.

When Hugs Go Wrong

2010-10-12T12:27:00.005-06:00

We went to the pumpkin patch today. After an incredibly uncomfortable hayride--hayrides, for the record, are for children, only a small child can appreciate being poked in the rear with an errant piece of hay--we were let out at a pumpkin patch where we could select our own pumpkin after much deliberation. Haven chose this beauty. And four others. Although only one gets to go home with us. Here is where the title of this post comes in. This is Molly and Haven (and Molly's sweet Mama, Felisa in the background). Molly and Haven love to hug each other. But, sometimes, the venue doesn't cater to affection.
The ground is rather uneven and their hug ended up in a tackle. It was pretty funny. Instead of picking them up off the ground, I took a picture. It's one of the most enthusiastic hugs I've seen in awhile.

Balloons & Babies

2010-10-03T19:42:00.002-06:00

It's Balloon Fiesta time in the city. I love this time of year here. Albuquerque is at it's best in the Autumn. The smell of green chile roasting, pinon wood fires, balloons in the sky (if you happen to live on the other side of the mountain you can see them almost every morning for two weeks), I could go on, but I think that's tempting enough. We stayed at my parent's house on Friday night so Haven (okay, so, I) could see the balloons in the morning as we drove to Bernalillo to eat Huevos Rancheros at the Range Cafe (hmm, I slipped another tempter in there without even trying to). It's easiest to see balloons in my mom's convertible, and fortunately for us, this weekend was warm. Usually you need a heavy coat to watch balloons. Here's Haven spotting one in the sky.
And here is Haven and her Mama cuddling. Because her Mama loves her so.

I wish I had a picture of her Daddy on the way to my parent's the night before. It would throw this whole happy scenario off, but it would be funny. Imagine a Toyota Matrix with a Mommy, a Daddy, a Baby, luggage for an overnight stay (if you've got kids you know that even if it's one night, you don't travel light), bikes on the roof, two dogs and a bunny in a cage (we were bunny sitting this weekend). Let's just say that I was like a pig in...poop and Chris was like a person in poop. You can pick which one of us enjoyed that little 35 minute drive into town more.

Tonight we went over to the Taylor's for some super delicious dinner and some Nathan cuddle time. Haven was allowed to hold the baby. This is one of my all time favorite pictures of her. When she's tired she plays with her ear (as well as sucking the two fingers). Lately she's been playing with my ear or Chris's ear when she's tired. And, well, obviously she was a bit sleepy at the Taylor's house and Nathan's ear is as good as any.
She LOVED holding him. She's not much bigger than he is (they wear the same size diapers!), but she could not get close enough to him. I guess she's ready for a little brother. Mommy isn't quite ready though. Maybe if she'd slept through the night before her first birthday I would be more inclined. Who can say?
Nathan was rather interested in her too. She didn't seem to mind having her cheeks pinched or her hair pulled. Aren't they adorable?

The Poopy-Rocky Song

2010-09-30T17:52:00.003-06:00

Haven started singing the Rocky-Poopy song when we were outside a few days ago. I was picking up dog poop and she was watching me. She loves rocks (or rockies as she calls them)--they figure largely in her life as a source of entertainment. Possibly watching me pick up poop is also a source of amusement for her. Anyway, I was driving to the mailbox and I asked her to sing the song for me.

She improvised. Some of it I can't understand but I did hear a "Poopy...Sophie...[out]side" in there.

Guarantee this song is going to hit the top 40 soon. It's catchy.

Bossy Pants

2010-09-30T09:20:00.003-06:00

Wearing all of Mommy's bras

Haven is only 18 months old but she has an ability to get what she wants across. For example, this morning I asked her if she wanted some chocolate milk after breakfast (she never says "no" to that question, by the way, but she has to say "please" either by signing it or saying it). After she performed the requisite requirements for chocolate milk I took her to the fridge. Apparently I was not moving fast enough because she said, "hurry!" She's never said that word before. At least she knows how to use it in a proper situation--even if it is bossy.

Faith Healers

2010-09-20T14:01:00.005-06:00

If you're looking for a controversial exchange on Faith Healing you haven't come to the right place....This is about Two Girls and a Squirrel.

This weekend my friend Faerl and I went on a bike ride. We both love animals--Faerl especially loves woodland creatures (bunnies, skunks, squirrels, gnomes). Well, we were cruising along at a very fast clip when a small squirrel ran out in front of us. I managed to swerve and avoid him, but he was in between our bikes and there was no way for Fae to avoid hitting him. She felt awful. I wasn't sure what to do. There was blood on the pavement and his little tail started to collapse and his eyes to close.

I kept encouraging Little Squirrel to die because the only thing worse than something dying is watching it suffer. It looked like he was on his way out; he even had a sound like a death rattle going on. It was pitiful. Eventually it became apparent that he was going to linger. We didn't know what to do. I considered picking him up and throwing him in the river so he'd drown quickly. I looked around for a man walking or riding who could send Little Squirrel to Happy Squirrel Land quickly. There was nothing to finish him off and I really, really, really didn't want to be the one who killed him. I decided to pick up Little Squirrel. Expecting to see guts and more blood underneath him, I was surprised that he looked rather well for something that had just got run over. And, his little mouth was so cute with the two long front teeth. I will admit to glancing around wondering if there was anyway to carry him back home. But, the pack on my bike isn't big enough.

So, I laid him down on the side of the road. The rattling became more obvious. I told Faerl we should pray for him. We did. His little eyes kept closing and he kept looking like he was on his way out. We spent a couple minutes asking (read: begging) God to touch our little squirrel. I noticed my bike was still in the middle of the bike path and I needed to move it. As I did, Little Squirrel lifted his head up to watch me. I think all three of us were incredibly excited. We kept stroking his little body and praying. And then, all of a sudden....he jumped up and took off like nothing had ever happened to him. Do I think we are Faith Healers? Umm, probably not. But, I do think that God touched him. Because it really mattered to us. Believe what you will...however, I'm believing that Little Squirrel should be named Lazarus.

Like A Rat

2010-09-14T19:21:00.002-06:00

I went over to my parent's house for the first time in about 3 weeks. Lugging baby and two dogs because my mom hadn't seen any of us for a long time in between their summer trips and ours.

During the summer the wind had blown over their backyard fence. Insurance adjusters have never been accused of acting speedily and so in between them and finding a contractor to put up a new fence it still hasn't been completely finished. However, since I hadn't been over in awhile I assumed that by now (months and months later) it would be OK to bring the dogs.

The neighbor that they usually share a fence with (when it is intact) is really strange. He hides behind shrubbery and trees that are about an 1/8 of an inch wide (and he's not that small) in order to avoid talking to people. My parent's share a pine tree with a few guinea fowl and every year their babies get eaten by skunks, raccoons, you name it--they aren't the best at defending themselves or their young. Stuart (the neighbor) shot a skunk last time we spent the night at my parents. I'm going somewhere with this--just keep reading.

So, here we are. Me and my 3 girls. Two of which I can find. The third--that would be Sophie--is nowhere to be seen. My mom and I call and call for her and she won't come. About 15 minutes later, my mom is getting pretty worked up and worried that we can't find her. And, I was trying to work up something that would resemble sadness at the loss of Sophie; but well, my lunch was on the table and I was hungry. My mom jumped in her car to go looking for her. I ate my lunch convinced she'd come back and if she didn't I hoped a nice person got her. I did have the heart to hope she didn't get hit by a car. And, if she did, that she'd die quickly (the thought of extensive vet bills never, ever entered my head. Never).

Mom came back without Sophie so we decided to investigate Stuart's back yard further since it was the only logical place she could be. Fortunately, he didn't appear to be home. We walked all around his yard, calling, peering into bushes. Then we heard Soph's unmistakable bay. Like she's howling at the moon. Except that we'd been talking so we couldn't quite tell where it came from except that she was close. I kept calling for her hoping she'd re-bay but she didn't until we were about to go explore somewhere else and I heard her whine. From Stuart's back porch. We hadn't looked there. We'd glanced in, but it seemed like an invasion of privacy to actually step foot in there.

We looked all around his back porch. Obviously she was stuck somewhere or she'd have come. I had a fleeting thought that Stu may be holding her hostage just to be mean (I mean, if you're that strange then people are going to assume that you hold beloved pets that people have been looking for for ransom--boy, would he have been disappointed--he may have made enough off of Sophie to get a cup of coffee).

Then I saw an animal trap. It was a catch and release kind and there were empty cans of cat food in it. Soph LOVES cat food. She was shivering like a leaf and barely fit in there, but somehow she'd managed. I was laughing so hard I couldn't figure out how to spring her from the slammer. My mom was upset and kept saying, "Poor Sophie." Poor Sophie indeed. It was her stupid stomach that got her caged like a wild, dumb animal. Trapped like a rat. We set her free but didn't reset the trap. Which would be very confusing, I imagine considering Soph ate all his bait.

Finally...

2010-09-14T09:57:00.002-06:00

completed 100 miles in a Century. It only took 4 times. And, nine hours. Kind of embarrassing when Chris does it in half the time I do. Here's a pic of Maren, Fae, and myself at mile 67. Heidi took the picture so she's missing, but she "won" the 25 mile ride--she's preggo so that's pretty impressive. You can't really win on these rides because they aren't races, but if you could, then she would have. And, here I am at the finish. Check out my hair. I was so exhausted from climbing Bobcat pass that when I got to go downhill towards the finish line I don't think I put the brakes on once. Thus the hair.
It was such a great weekend. I finished my summer goal of riding 100 miles in a day. And, of getting one girl's weekend before the year ends.

How We Labored This Weekend

2010-09-06T14:48:00.003-06:00

in Kingston, NM. Who knew Southern New Mexico was green! And beautiful. It reminded me of a SouthWest version of the Texas Hill Country. Here's Haven the Hiker who insisted on trekking with a big stick (I didn't teach her that).

Chillin' with Dad on the swing. I think a motorcycle drove up. She's fascinated with motorcycles but scared to death of how they sound.
We stayed at the Black Range Lodge in the ghost town of Kingston. It was lush. With fruit trees and raspberry bushes and friendly people. I actually had to utilize the friendly people...I went on a bike ride our first evening there and on my way back noticed my back tire was flat. To make a long story short, my tire ended up unrideable. I ditched my bike in the weeds and started the 4 mile walk (uphill) back to the Lodge. Fortunately a man and woman stopped and they offered to give me a ride back. Yay! for friendly people.

Yesterday we went to the Hillsboro music festival and heard some great, great bluegrass. There was some awfully good pickin' going on. I'm not very country, even if I grew up in the sticks, but when I'm in the country I love that kind of music. It's difficult to sit still while listening to it.

The music was a fitting end to a restful weekend. Haven had a blast feeding the chickens at the lodge and eating fruit off the trees. And, being spoiled by all the other lodgers because she was the only baby there.

Fun & Games Until Someone Gets Hurt...

2010-08-31T10:15:00.003-06:00

She didn't break my nose at the end, it just felt like it.

How Not to Discipline

2010-08-25T13:14:00.002-06:00

Here's a video of Haven pulling out all the stops right before nap time. It is also a very good example of my finely honed disciplinary skills. I have difficulty not laughing when Haven is naughty. We're working on it. The other day I discovered that I can cover my smile with my hand, close my eyes, and pretend like I am crying. I wonder if James Dobson teaches that particular skill set? If he doesn't, he should.

All My New Words:

2010-08-22T18:59:00.002-06:00

That's My Girl

2010-08-18T11:41:00.003-06:00

I have an addiction. Besides reading books and writing, my newest addiction is the salsa from El Parasol in Santa Fe. It's got a red chile base and oh, my, Gosh, it is the spiciest salsa I have ever eaten. It may rival Sadie's. Except that it's about ten times better. I start craving it and Chris has about a week to satisfy my urge before he's taking me at seven in the evening--when Haven should be in bed--in order for me to main-line with a bowl (of salsa) and chips.

It's taken me a week, but I finally polished off a quart (I buy it in bulk now) and threw the container in the trash can. I keep honey nearby, some tissue to wipe my nose, and I try to distract myself with a magazine so that I can keep eating it without stopping. Because once you stop--it's over with. Yes, I have a problem. No, I don't plan on seeking help for it.

Anyway, I was in the bathroom doing my hair and heard a bunch of sniffling and sighing. I walked out to see that Haven had dug the quart container out of the trash and was drinking the salsa like soup. Her eyes were red and watering and she looked up at me surprised. I was so proud of her. I let her dip a chip in once and that was the last time she asked for me to share it. Apparently she was just waiting until my back was turned. That's my girl.

Parasitic Princess?

2010-08-17T10:40:00.004-06:00

My little creek wader/drinker. You've been fighting a stomach bug ever since we returned from Boone. Your daddy being a certified doctor/toxicologist/knows too much-er (yes, there is a certificate for that) thought that you may have contracted giardia from drinking creek water while we were on our trip. It could happen. You drink bird bath water, dog water, creek water, water from the swimming pool. Need I go on?

After a week and a half of no improvement Chris convinced me to take you to the pediatrician. I did. She didn't think that you had a parasite, but she did say if it didn't clear up that I needed to get you tested for it. Five days later you appear to be over whatever was ailing you. I think you've lost some weight and you didn't have much to lose.

Helper Haven

2010-08-07T09:20:00.002-06:00

We have a guest this weekend of the furry, floppy eared variety.

Haven is a huge help as you can imagine. She and the bunny (Feffer) share food.

And, a home.

Boone, I Love You!

2010-08-03T09:30:00.002-06:00

Family Pic at my cousin, Amy's farm

My folks riding on the Virginia Creeper Trail (which was so pretty)--they were one of a few people who didn't wreck.

Haven wading naked in the creek off the Virginia Creeper Trail eating an ice-cream. This was shortly before she fell and the ice-cream took a dip in the water. Still good enough to eat, though.

Just starting out on our ride.

Hiking Grandfather Mountain--we discovered blueberries and blackberries and Haven LOVED them. She was eating them as fast as we could pick them.

View from Springhouse Farm

The Trip Haven barely Survived

2010-07-23T20:36:00.003-06:00

Whew! We just returned from a trip to Keystone, Colorado. What a beautiful place! I'd never been and Chris had a conference there so he suggested I tag along. Colorado has to be one of my favorite places to visit so I would never so no to a paid hotel room.

Unfortunately, my little girl had a rough time. Or rather, her body had a rough time. The 2nd day we were there she was running and fell. And bumped her noggin on a metal chair. Here's the goose-egg to prove it:

Then a few hours later she took a tumble down the stairs at the condo we were staying in. It was a case where I thought Chris was watching her and he thought I was. Fortunately, he caught her mid-loop and she wasn't harmed, only scared (which may not be such a bad thing). Since we don't have stairs at our house they were a big enticement--hopefully not so much anymore.

Her incidences don't end there, however. She and I took a trip to Breckenridge, just over a pass, and she decided to exercise her rights to have a peaceful sit-in. On the sidewalk. Where tons and tons of tourists and bikers travel. I pulled her up by her arm (which I will never do again), she turned, and I felt a pop. Fortunately, I wasn't actually pulling her up out of frustration because she was kind of cute sitting there in the middle of the sidewalk (and people were smiling at her), but I had to keep her from being a speed-bump.

She gave me a strange look and then started bawling. She bawled longer than she had bawled when she bumped her head. That got me a little worried. She screamed when I put her in her car seat (but that's nothing new--she always does that). I was pretty scared when she didn't stop.

Unfortunately, she does not have the ability to communicate all that well. But, she did take a break from screaming to eat some chocolate covered gummy bears (I know, they are disgusting, but she digs them). I thought she may be OK and was perhaps just tired. However, she kept screaming off and on through out the WHOLE 30 minute ride back to the condo. And, of course, of course, I was behind a gravel truck (sloooowww) the whole way back. Argh! I was trying really, really hard not to take my nervousness/frustration/panic out on that driver. Really Hard. God doesn't hear what you say in your head when your baby may be injured, does He? I thought not.

Anyway, we made it back--I was a bit frazzled because Haven has never cried so long. Texted Chris and told him to leave his meeting ASAP. I did check to see if her shoulder was dislocated. That should be pretty obvious. But, it looked normal. My mother-in-law suggested a broken collar bone, which I suppose is a rather common injury among toddlers. That made me feel awful. We doped Haven up on Tylenol and my husband-who-thinks-he's-a-doctor ascertained a strained or pulled shoulder. I'm kidding. He actually has quite a bit of medical background with his degree. He's a Half-Doctor.

I spoiled her rotten for the rest of the evening and planned for a very LONG ride back home. Maybe it was the praying her grandmother and I did--but lo and behold, Haven woke up this morning acting like nothing happened. She crawled and ran and pulled up on things like a little monkey all day today. I tried to get her to take it easy at first, but she was unstoppable. And, now we're back home. I hope that means no bumps or bruises for a day or two.

Weekend Bulletin

2010-07-17T08:14:00.003-06:00

We're spending this weekend with Jacob and Carrie--eating super hot salsa, Mexican food, and watching Modern Family. It's a good weekend. It's been a busy summer so it's pretty nice and relaxing.

Haven is rather taken with her Uncle and Aunt. Jacob is apparently a good substitute for Chris. She walks right up to him and expects him to pick her up just like Daddy. She has a way of getting what she wants--she's my daughter, after all.

What I Learned

2010-07-10T08:54:00.004-06:00

Houston did produce something great. I got a new phone! It also produced a beautiful new couple (cheers to Aaron & Eileen). Plus it was a learning experience.

Here's what I learned:

1. A gin & tonic can make a lot of bad things OK

2. I still like dirty martinis--thank you, open bar at the wedding

3. my husband is cuter than I am--the male bartender (not gay), remembered what he was drinking every single time and never remembered mine.

4. I can embarrass my husband when I dance to Jay-Z. He does say to put your "hands in the air." C'mon Chris.

5. Coming home to a teething baby when there is no gin & tonic waiting for you sucks

I sound a little bit like a lush. I actually hardly ever drink, but am subject to it in the event of a flood.

Houston, We Have a Problem...

2010-07-06T07:42:00.004-06:00

(Haven did not make the journey with her Mom--that's why she's smiling)

Chris and I just returned from Houston (that's in the great state of Texas, just in case you didn't know). His youngest bro got married on Saturday. I haven't been to Houston since I was about 12 years old. And, I think I have the potential to like it had a few things been different:

1. the Tropical Storm that I flew into would not have delayed my flight, my luggage arriving, or my dinner plans

2. my cab driver would be gainfully employed in a different line of work

Chris and everyone else were rehearsing for the wedding when my flight was supposed to arrive. I was only about 15 minutes later than originally planned, but then the airport called in all the baggage handlers from the tarmac because of lightening. I waited. And, waited. And waited for my bag. As I was giving up, calling Chris to tell him that he would have to bring me back for my luggage, I saw my soaked bag making it's way around the chute. About this time my stupid (stupid) cell phone decided that it'd been useful long enough and started dying.

I found a cab, handed him the address to the restaurant I was (planning on) going to, and hopped in with my wet bag. There were a couple signs right off that perhaps my choice of cabby had been unwise:

1. As soon as I handed him the address, he told me at least 20 times that that area was always flooded. Seriously. He said, "always flooded." Over and over until I just ignored him. I mean, how many new and unique responses can you have after 20 times? I ran out at 2 times and let him monologue for the rest as I watched the rain coming down out the window. Sure, it was raining alot, but it didn't look that bad.

2. The meter on his cab didn't work, he didn't turn the air conditioner on and it was muggy (it's Houston, for goodness sake), and, this is important...even though he had emphasized strongly how the area I was going to was flooded, he didn't take a different street. I might also add that I knew Chris and everyone else had made it to the restaurant.

We made it to within 5 or so miles of my destination. Mr. Cabby took an exit ramp off the freeway where it made a dip down and under a bridge. I beheld the "always flooded" area he was speaking of. We were at a standstill, bumper to bumper traffic, watching some cars attempt to go through the flood as others who were too chicken (that would be my cabby) commented about how much it would cost if the car flooded (again, that would be my cabby).

By this time, my cell phone was beeping to tell me that it would be powering down permanently, I only had the address to the restaurant--not the address where we were staying, the rehearsal dinner was on in full swing, and the cabby informed me that it would take hours before the flooding receded enough for us to drive through.

Here is one thing you should know about me: I don't sit well. I will make a rash decision if it means that I don't have to sit and watch everyone else do what I want to do...that means driving through feet of water so I can go eat. Since we were essentially stuck, Mr. Cabby decided that he'd grab an umbrella and go check out the situation. As I watched helplessly as car after car attempted to get through. One stalled out, but many more made it. I went through my battle plan: I could flag down a truck and ask him to take me through and drop me off at the next street (we were still on the freeway, and I didn't know where I was, but I figured I had one or two calls left in my phone before it blinked out on me forever). I could take off my sandals and wade through the water and walk for a bit and hopefully arrive at a major street.

Before I could act on my plan, I grabbed an umbrella and stood outside watching as traffic backed up more and more and less people decided to attempt driving through the flood. Then Mr. Cabby came back, motioned for me to get back in, and started backing up. I was pretty excited. He, a skinny little dude that had been parked behind us, and a small little blond woman had convinced about 25 cars to back up one by one so we could maneuver off the exit ramp and back onto the freeway which was still moving. I wanted to get out and kiss that blond woman. Her car was still parked ahead of us, and she was out in the rain without an umbrella helping other drivers move out into traffic going the wrong way.

We made it to another exit ramp and more toward the direction I had planned on when we saw cop cars and more flooding. At this point the Cabby kind of broke down. He started saying that the ride was going to cost me $200, that he couldn't get me to the restaurant, blah blah blah. I was losing my patience with him and wondering why, if we were downtown, he couldn't just drive around until he found a through street. I asked him if there was a hotel in the area he could drop me off at and I'd have someone else come get me. I was finished with him. Plus, I felt pretty lucky. I'd envisioned spending the night with him in that muggy cab when he told me it would be hours before we were out.

He dropped me off at a Doubletree, I got one last phone call in to Chris before my stupid (stupid) cell died, and then I hightailed it to the hotel bar and ordered a gin and tonic. Chris arrived 5 minutes later to fetch me (somehow he made it!). A lovely dinner, two glasses of wine later, and without Mr. Cabby, I was prepared to enjoy Houston.

Lackluster Blogging

2010-06-29T12:57:00.005-06:00

I have a good excuse for not blogging lately:

I'm too tired and too busy (I sound really important don't I? Don't let it fool you). It seems like this whole summer has been busy, busy, busy. And July doesn't look any better. Currently Chris and I have one weekend in July where we don't have something planned. I'm kinda looking forward to that weekend. I enjoy being busy, but most of the busy-ness has been travel. I enjoy traveling, but it is tiring.

Most of the summer has been one fun thing after another, but even with fun perhaps you can have too much of a good thing. I want a fun weekend that doesn't involve packing or unpacking.

Chris and I did manage to sneak out on a date Sunday night for the first time in...well, forever. Since he has every other Friday off, before the summer started, I had grandiose plans of hiring a babysitter for one Friday a month and going mountain biking together. We've done that once. We had lots of plans for fixing up our yard too, for going hiking...guess how much of that we've done? You should come see the wheat field in our yard, by the way. We need a scythe to see over to our neighbor's yard. (Technically, that isn't really true. I just wanted to use the word "scythe" because how often do you get to use a word like that?"

"The best laid plans of mice and men." I think of that often when my plans aren't going the way I, um, planned.

Do I Have An Inner Julia Child?

2010-06-15T08:59:00.003-06:00

Haven had a play-date yesterday with 3 of her little friends: Molly, Isaac, and Maddie. While there I sampled my friend Felisa's delicious blueberry coffee-cake. Yum. I told her how good it was, and she informed me that she had milled her own flour to make it. What the heck? This was at the house of my friend, Heidi, who frequently makes and bakes her own bread among other things--she's always cooking. They both have kids Haven's age so I don't even have that as an excuse. I told them they make me look bad. Really bad.

I wonder if Chris knows that women like that exist? Well, he will now when he reads this, but is it possible that when he realizes there are women who mill their own flour that he will decide I need a big hollowed out rock and a nice smooth stone like the Native Americans use so I can grind corn for our tortillas? If you see a dent in his otherwise nicely rounded noggin, you may assume that he decided it was time for me to mill. And, you may assume that we were not on the same page on that one.

I know his mom made alot of their dinners from scratch. And, I'm not talking about making mac and cheese or something. She did complicated things like dinner rolls and scalloped potatoes and meatballs. I know because we ate there alot when I was a kid and I loved those potatoes and dinner rolls. Don't even get me started on those meatballs. Mama Mia!

Chris and I saw that movie, Julie and Julia. The one about the girl who cooks through Julia Child's cookbook in a year. Cute movie. I thought that girl was insane. There is absolutely no part of me that would want to do that. I want to eat it, but cook it? No way.

To sum up and to answer the question I posed in the title of this blog, I can emphatically say, that no, I do not have an inner Julia Child waiting to burst forth at any moment. I do admit to feeling something akin to guilt and shame that my inner Child is probably in more of an embryonic stage rather than about to be birthed. You have my permission to feel sorry for Chris--I frequently do. But, I'm 31. I'm too old to learn new tricks.

This Past Weekend:

2010-06-14T14:25:00.002-06:00

Water Baby:

Haven and the dogs thoroughly enjoyed it when my dad drained the pool this past weekend.

She also enjoyed hangin' with her Uncle David at Flying Star. Uncle David's going to be a Daddy in August. Aunt Christine is baking Haven's cousin.

Look What I Bought at Walmart

2010-06-12T21:32:00.000-06:00

Biker Goddesses...sorta

2010-06-05T21:10:00.004-06:00

Well, we didn't quite get 100 miles, but Maren and I did polish up with a solid 75 in today's race. Faerl and Heidi also rode with us and did great as well. It was a super hot day (105 degrees at least) and that put an end to the riding machines that we are (ha!). That and the fact that the organization that was supplying water and food decided to stop putting water and food out for the slower riders (of course I don't mean us...I was just feeling sorry for all those slackers behind us!). In truth, there is no way to finish a 100 mile ride without water and Gatorade so it put a hitch in our getta-long.

We got off to a somewhat late start, then due to poor signage (or rather, no signage) went 10 miles off the route, then I got a flat tire that took about 30 minutes to change because we couldn't get the darn tire off the rim. After Maren very sweetly told one particular biker that he was going the wrong way (because we'd just made the same mistake), he turned around. I asked if we could borrow his muscles for a second to pop the tire off for us. His answer? No. He needed to save his muscles for the next 75 miles. It's probably not very nice of me to hope that he feels guilty about that tonight as he goes to sleep. I'll ask for forgiveness later. Dirty Dog.

Since I burned about a million and a half calories today, I think I'm going to go eat a sleeve of Oreo cookies. Cheers!!

Bruised

2010-06-02T09:34:00.003-06:00

My neighbor thinks that I am a battered wife. No joke. I come over to her house all the time to talk to her and have bruises all over my legs. This last week I tried being clipped into my bike for the first time and went around my car, not knowing that there was a bunch of stuff from the shed that Chris had pulled out onto our driveway. Needless to say, I did not get unclipped in time. I have a huge bruise on my thigh.

Last week Chris and I went mountain biking and although I didn't fall off my bike this time (which, come to think of it, may be the only time EVER I haven't had a spill on that bike), I still had bruises. I went to my neighbor's house the next day to celebrate her birthday and she pointedly asked me about them. She also said, "you always have alot of bruises, Jane." And left it at that. I was slightly embarrassed because I knew what she was implying and she left it open for me to talk if I needed to. Obviously, I went home and told Chris that the next time he made me angry (like denying me an iphone yet again), I was going to go talk to Monika. All joking aside, I admire her for caring enough to check on me. Most women either wouldn't notice or they wouldn't feel comfortable saying something. I hope that I would be alert enough to recognize the signs if I saw them and to respond without being accusatory.

Oh, and if you think that I'm getting Man Thighs from all my biking, I am. It's very sad.

I love this Pic

2010-05-28T07:06:00.001-06:00

Majaunta, for some reason I thought of you when I took this picture. I thought you would appreciate it.

The Gardens

2010-05-26T18:38:00.006-06:00

Chris gets back from Denver tomorrow. I have had a very busy week in his absence. And, Haven's been super cuddly, so we've been getting along just fine.

Today we went to the Botanical Gardens with some friends. Here's a picture of Isaac Spooner pushing Haven out of the way of the electrical outlet on the pole. Apparently, the Garden's biggest diversion for young children is this outlet. It mesmerized these two for quite awhile.

Fascinating, isn't it? Yeah, not so much.And, this would be a very sweet picture if you didn't know that this was minutes before Isaac pulled up Haven's skirt and peeked. I don't know what kind of things they teach in the Spooner household!

Here's What's Happening In our Neck of the Woods:

2010-05-20T11:22:00.003-06:00

Haven wanted to wear my shirt this morning, so I put it on her. She looked like a little Buddhist monk. Except for the dirty face. I'm pretty sure Monks don't have those.

I took Haven to Los Poblanos farm to buy a gift for someone. They have an area with chickens and goats and pigs. It is so fun. Haven thought the goats were doggies. They're about the same size as Trudy and Sophie. They were really friendly little things and loved having Haven pet them. Here she is trying to feed one a stick. With a chicken looking on. I want a goat. Haven wants a goat. Chris is overruled, once again.

I don't have a picture for proof, but this past Sunday two of my friends and I rode 50 miles in the Santa Fe Century. And, we looked cute doing it, which is key, I think. I actually signed up to ride 25--those are big, hilly roads in Santa Fe--it's intimidating. But, we all succeeded without a hitch. I didn't even get to try out my newly discovered flat-tire changing skills. Thank goodness. Chris taught me how to change a flat before we left. Because he rode the whole 100 miles on Sunday and therefore was not available to come pick us up if we ran into an issue. In a couple of weeks some friends and I are going to attempt 100 miles in the ABQ Century. Wish us luck. My incentive for riding 100 miles? Eating a hamburger at Lumpy's.

Blip

2010-05-18T21:22:00.003-06:00

So, Chris and I contracted a virus. On our computer. That kept downloading pictures from Adult.com. For free. And, Viagra adds. Classy.

We finally rid ourselves of this very annoying virus that would not allow me to access the Internet. At All. I was more irritated about being completely disconnected from my addiction...ahem, I mean, my email than I was all of the porn.

Right before this happened, I'd read a blog about a woman who felt like she was too connected to media. How she felt that it had taken over her life. How she felt like she needed to be checking her email, her phone, her whatever, every second of the day and how ridiculous it was. I think that's silly. Sure, I had heart palpitations, sweaty palms, and an inability to concentrate, but it was probably just something I ate.

Thanks for Life, Mom

2010-05-09T13:49:00.002-06:00

There are 3 different generations on that couch. I am so blessed to have the family that I have.

Best Buds

2010-05-07T10:01:00.001-06:00

Home Sweet Home

2010-05-05T19:47:00.003-06:00

Whew! I finally got to sleep in my own bed for the first time in weeks. Chris's grandpa died last week so we went to Texas for the funeral the morning after I returned from California. Haven and I are both exhausted. That girl is a trooper handling 3 different time zones in a matter of two days. I feel like I deserve some kind of award. I don't know what for, but there should be some award given for traveling two hours on a plane with a toddler then jumping in the car for a 5 hour trip in less than 24 hours.

Haven took one look at her daddy and refused to be separated. She had one really rough night when we first got to Pampa and was up for a few hours in the middle of the night. It was too dark in the room for me to see her (which may have been why she didn't want to go back in her pak n'play), but Chris told me that she kissed and hugged him over and over. That kind of explains why he was so easy going about her keeping us up in the wee hours of the morning. I don't think he minded in the least.

She really enjoyed playing with her cousin, Teegan. Who was the sweetest, gentlest little 2 year old ever. She held Haven's hand and led her around the yard, picked flowers for her. They gave each other kisses and hugs when they left.

Haven also loved Griz. I don't think the feelings were reciprocated, however.

California

2010-05-01T20:04:00.004-06:00

I'm back from Cali. I think I'm ready to move there. It is was so incredibly beautiful I sorta feel like I'm slummin' in New Mexico. Until you get on the highway and encounter the traffic. And, then I'm happy. Life seems too short to stay in one place.

I think it'll be nice to finally get to hang out with my husband again. I'll let you know in a day or two if that is true or not. Ha! He may be too used to man time and living a care-free bachelor's existence. I can tell you for certain that I am ready for a baby break. Haven was fantastic during the trip, but gosh, it's still tiring to travel with a toddler.

I didn't get a ton of pictures, but here are a few:

Haven, Gammy, & Nana in Pleasanton

Mom being a goof

Hot Tubbin'

Haven in her new suit, courtesy of Aunt Sarah

Man Trips & Girl's Week

2010-04-25T20:49:00.005-06:00

Chris and two of his brothers just returned from Man Time (it's capatalized because they went mountain biking in Moab, Utah and you can't get a more testosterone laden trip than that). I stayed home and hung out with my two sister-in-laws, Jenny and Eileen--technically, Eileen is my sister-in-law-to-be, but in just two months it will be official. We also had Jenny's two female dogs (I make that distinction because there truly was not a male on this place for 4 days).

Jenny came up with a saying, "What happens at Jane's house, stays at Jane's house" and thus I am unable to divulge any real information. I can say there was alot of eating and talking. We discovered that all of the boys share an affinity for kitchen knives and are over-reactive when someone places knives in the stainless steel kitchen sink. Weird. I wonder if there is a gene gone awry that would cause this?

The guys came back spent from their vacation, and I can honestly say that I think I spoke more words in 4 days than I have all year long. It was great fun, but we missed Carrie. Family gatherings are not the same without her.

Chris took the camera with him on his trek, so I don't have any pictures of us girls--probably just as well because then there would be evidence. Chris informed me that he jumped off of this cliff with his bike:

And he has video to prove it--which wasn't the wisest move on his part because it will not help his case when he wants to take this trip again in the future. I reminded him before he left that he had a small child that is quite dependent upon him. Because I know that when he gets with his brothers there will be an over abundance of dare-devilish stunts. I grew up with Chris and his brothers.

Haven fell in love with her aunties. But, we were all cast aside when Daddy walked through the door. And now, she and I are headed to California tomorrow to meet up with my mom, dad, and grandma. Chris will be bachelorizing. I don't know if two weeks of strictly male influence is going to be harmful or not.

From My Mom's Garden

2010-04-19T13:06:00.000-06:00

Haven, We Have a Problem...

2010-04-19T08:24:00.004-06:00

We had a great evening with friend's last night. Miss Haven did especially. My friend, Sarah, has 3 little boys now. Haven loved baby Nathan. She gave him kisses all over and tried to pet his eyes. I've taught her the word, "gentle" which I use when she pets the dogs. Sometimes she can be over exuberant when touching them. She'll tone it down when she hears "gentle"; however, it's difficult to explain to a one year old that you can't use the same gentle touch with the dogs as you do with a week old baby. She had good, loving intentions. Even if she wanted to poke his little eyes. He slept peacefully on through all the loving.

We used to think that Sarah's two year old, Owen, might be a problem because he was kissing on her when she was just a few month's old and sharing his pacifier with her. However, I think the problem might be with our daughter. I happened to glance over at the two of them while we were all eating dinner and Haven had Owen pinned against the wall where he couldn't get away with her arms on either side of him. She wasn't sure what to do with him there, and Owen had to pretend he didn't like it, so he ran away, but kept coming back. Haven's Daddy might have a couple words to say to his frisky little daughter before she turns 16.

First Time with Pig-Tails

2010-04-17T11:55:00.002-06:00

I think it might have immediately increased her orneriness quotient by about 64%.

Haven & Pfeffer (the Bunny)

2010-04-15T17:41:00.002-06:00

Daddy, we need a bunny too!

Giving Pfeffer a hug

Mission Accomplished

Are You a Contender?

2010-04-13T19:40:00.005-06:00

My sister-in-law's fair trade business is conducting a contest. All you have to do is take a photo of yourself (it's actually easier if someone else takes the photo of you) in an apron (any apron that you own) and send it to Scarlett Threads. In addition to the photo, there are other ways to increase the odds that you win (such as what I'm doing...blogging about the contest).

Anyhoo, here's a photo of me in my apron. This is a rare sight. Me in an apron. Not because I don't love my apron. No, no. Because finding me cooking in the kitchen is akin to finding...well, let's just say it is difficult to find. This apron is one of Scarlett Threads products. I may not cook in it, but it makes a great clothing protector when I am feeding Haven her dinner. Seriously, how come I have more food on me than what she gets in her mouth? I do not know.

I told Chris that I needed him to take a picture of me in my apron and when he asked why I told him about the contest. He wanted me to be sure to include the many great qualities my apron possesses:

1. It never fades, tears, or wears out

2. It always looks brand-new

3. Like it's never, ever seen an oven, stove, or cooking pot

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Chris is now lying on the floor of the kitchen unconscious. Unfortunately, the back of his head can not say the same about never seeing a cooking pot.

Good luck. And, don't forget to enter the contest. You could win an apron!

Women & Babies

2010-04-11T20:18:00.004-06:00

I had a fantastic weekend. It started out with a girl's evening (which means lots of food) that extended until 8 the next morning. My lovely friend, Sarah, went into labor on Friday and had her baby boy, Nathan, the next morning. It was possibly one of the most important things I've ever seen in my life. Through the whole labor she just amazed me. I think it gave me a new respect for women. Sarah did the birth un-medicated, and she was serene and calm and focused. Everyone in the room was crying when Nathan made his appearance. The only birth I've ever attended was Haven's (well, and my own, but I don't remember it), and it's quite different when you are the one in pain. Plus, I was so exhausted after Haven's birth that I don't really remember much of it. Anyway, I am so grateful to Sarah for allowing me to witness such an important moment. I've never seen a woman look so beautiful.

After a day of recovery (that means two beers and a good night's sleep), Chris and I went biking. Haven ran through the sprinkler at my parent's house, helped Daddy work on his bike (she loves doing this), and ate quite a bit of bird feed. She's unstoppable when she gets outside. She's really growing up. I love this age, but it's sad to think that she's definitely on her way out of babyhood and onto toddlerhood.

You've Outdone Yourself

2010-04-08T09:28:00.005-06:00

I didn't think it was possible, but Chris has actually reached a higher echelon of dorkiness. You probably thought that there was no place for him to go but up, but alas, he has succeeded in out-dorking Urkel.

He rode his bike to work this morning and apparently it was cold out. He had to camp out in the Cedar Crest coffee shop until the sun came up. At least that's what I would say, until the sun came up. That's what most people would say.

But, when he called me to see how my morning was going that is not what he said. He said, "I had to wait for thermal loading." Thermal loading? Are you kidding me? I had to explain to him, very patiently and kindly, that only a geek would say "thermal loading." He didn't think it was weird at all. That made it even funnier. I told him not to ask the people around him at work because they are dorks too (I have evidence of this because he will come home and tell me jokes that people at work have told him and they aren't at all funny and usually involve words like "double helix" or "time-space continuum" or "string theory"--there is no way a joke can be funny with those words--it just can't be). He matter-of-factly told me that he'd said "thermal loading" this morning to quite a few of his co-workers and no one called him on it. What a missed opportunity.

It isn't an opportunity I'm going to skip out on though.

I have one more thing to say. I don't want to shock his mom or anything, but just before we started dating, Chris talked to me for two hours one night about God and the time-space continuum. And, I would have done anything. Anything. To make him stop. I'm not saying I did, but when I heard him talking to his friend Zach about it, I warned Zach that people get taken advantage of when Chris starts talking about stuff like that. It happened to me. I ended up married four months later and now we have two dogs and a child. Beware those science guys. You think it can't happen to you.

Don't Ask...Oops

2010-04-07T18:10:00.002-06:00

If you read my last post "Don't Ask" then I'm sorry. Chris said it sounded harsh. And, no one would want to talk to me anymore. Please, still talk to me. I won't thump you on the head.

I deleted it just in case you are now curious about what I said and are trying to find it.

Easter Shots

2010-04-05T14:42:00.001-06:00

The Way I Feel About Your Wheels

2010-04-02T18:37:00.005-06:00

Chris got a new bike today. I haven't seen him this happy since...well, since our honeymoon night. He even took a few hours off work so he could be here when "she" finally came home. He was giddy when I saw him and demanded that I come voice my joy over his newest fling. I didn't do it justice so he called his brother, Nick.

Haven likes Daddy's new bike and won't leave it alone. Thus turning her into a grease monkey because her favorite part is the chain. The bike is in our house. Chris told me that he doesn't have room out in the shed for it (which I think may be a bit of a lie since he sold his other two bikes which means we are down one--unless he is using some kind of mathematical calculation that I'm not familiar with). I suggested he put it outside that way we don't have to keep reprimanding our baby for going into the bedroom where she's always been allowed to be. But, apparently, it's too cold outside for her. Who knew?

I came home this afternoon and caught him stroking the bike lovingly. I could be a jealous wife and demand that this other woman be cast out of my sight. But, I'm more open-minded than that. If he gets a girl, then I get something too. Apple is coming out with the i-pad this week. It's only fair.

Buds

2010-03-31T08:44:00.002-06:00

Weighty Issues

2010-03-28T09:45:00.005-06:00

Now that summer is approaching and we have a few vacations on the horizon, it occurred to me that accompanying the warm weather and buds on the trees is also that most dreadful time: swim-suit shopping.

Oh, pre-pregnancy weight, how you elude me! So, what am I supposed to do? I haven't actually tested this theory of mine out yet, but I'm pretty sure that I will not feel confident in my swim-suits of yore. I fear that is in my future (this is from http://modest-swimwear.net/)

I would like to avoid the leggings/skirt/print combo. I only have a few requirements for this season's swim-suit:

1: I don't want to look like a mom in a bikini. I want to look like I'm sixteen and I can eat hamburgers and french-fries all the live long day and not put on an ounce of fat.

2: I don't want to see any cellulite. It doesn't matter that I gained so much weight with Haven that my body reached a surplus and thus started depositing fat wherever it could at a frantic pace. I don't want to see it.

3. I'd like to show off my six-pack abs. I don't actually have them, but I want to look like I do; instead of the loose skin that was left behind (accidentally?) after birth.

It truly is a predicament. I'm not ready for a one-piece with a skirt attached. But, I think I'm too old and too post baby for a bikini. Someone said that mom's are the reason the tank-ini was made. Maybe my issue is that I'm not quite ready to look like a mom. Mom's wear 80's jeans and curl their bangs under. I'm way too cool to look like a mom.

Crafty

2010-03-25T15:53:00.006-06:00

I get REAL focused when I do crafts. I think because I don't do them very often I suddenly tap into some dormant perfectionist gene. And, I don't even want to eat. Chris was talking about dinner last night and asking me what I wanted while I was feverishly working on this project. I told him I didn't care. I heard him mumbling to Haven: "once a year mommy does a project and doesn't care what we are eating." It's true. Only once a year. Anyway, I think they turned out pretty cute. I'm no Martha Stewart, but she probably has a design team.* If my mother ever decides to come home I plan on giving my grandmother and her one. Obviously they don't know what they're missing or they would have been here by now.

*I wrote this in an email to a friend and feeling rather lazy today I cut and pasted word for word. I'm just that kind of girl.

Here Chickie, Chickie, Chickie

2010-03-23T13:57:00.005-06:00

While my neighbor is in Switzerland, she asked me to feed, water, and care for her chickens. Last time she left, her husband took "care" of them and half of them were eaten by neighborhood dogs (fortunately, my dogs were not part of the posse that annihilated her beloved pets--this time).

I was the one who found the unfortunate mass of feathers indicating where once a chicken had existed it did no more. I was some months pregnant with Haven at the time, and I frantically made my way to the coop to see if any of her pets had survived. Four had, they were all huddled on the uppermost beam in the coop shivering in fear (you may say that chickens are incapable of shivering, but I would counter with: you didn't see these chickens. I maintain they were shivering in fear). After ensuring the safety of the survivors, I called Chris on the phone to tell him about the massacre. I was bawling. Bawling. I was thinking of those poor frightened birds watching in horror as their unfortunate counterparts were gobbled up by a dog. And, I was feeling badly for my neighbor because I know how she feels about them.

This story has absolutely nothing to do with today's pictures. However, I did just provide valuable insight into the pregnant female mind. Sometimes I'm amazed that I do this for free.

Thus, Haven and I made our way over to the coop this morning with scraps. Haven was mesmerized by the noises and the movements. At first she was all gung-ho to be a Friend of Fowl.

But, alas, the feeling was short-lived.

Dumb Idea #2 (Please See Dumb Idea #1 to Get the Full Picture)

2010-03-21T13:19:00.003-06:00

Realizing #1 was a dumb idea, so sticking some new gauze over the now dissected cast.

Dumb Idea #1

2010-03-21T13:15:00.001-06:00

Removing your cast after having broken your foot only 2 days ago.

The Day's Happenings:

2010-03-20T19:56:00.003-06:00

Bedtime: observe the two fingers in the mouth and one on the ear (ala her grandpa Allen)

We went to an Iranian restaurant tonight which also had a small grocery section. Haven made right for the baskets and hopped in. She really digs climbing into things right now. Fortunately, the owner of the restaurant was amused rather than annoyed that she refused to budge.

Is It Wrong?

2010-03-17T15:46:00.002-06:00

To Think

You Have

The Cutest Daughter Ever?

As soon as I put the flower on her head she started dancing.

Eat Your Goat

2010-03-16T09:55:00.006-06:00

One of the things that Chris really enjoys doing is checking out new restaurants. They usually aren't nice, and they are never chains. As ethnic as it gets is typically what he goes for. For about a year now when we've been driving from Amarillo to Pampa, he's pointed out an African cafe that he's wanted to try. It never works out because we are always with other people or we are in a hurry. Also, to be completely honest, no one would want to eat at this restaurant except for my husband. And, maybe people from Africa who are missing food from home. Since we were in town, and we also had a vast array of babysitters, I told Chris we should go try it out. I was much more gung-ho about it until we were truly on our way.

I was pretty nervous when we drove up. Instinctively I knew that we are so white bread that we stand out like a sore thumb. Besides the fact that there was only one other car there. I am all for trying new things. I love trying new food--really, there isn't anything I'll say no to in that department--I may never eat it again, but I'll definitely taste it once.

As soon as we walked in a small man sitting at a table with a huge plate of food in front of him started chatting us up. He told us he was Ethiopian (I've had Ethiopian food and liked it). The restaurant, however, was Somalian. He asked us if we liked goat. Umm, OK. I was willing to try it, although my tastes definitely run more towards vegetables and rice rather than meat. Chris had goat in Chicago and thought it was tasty, so he was down.

They brought out two huge plates of goat meat. Which is to say--a bunch of hacked up pieces with the bones still attached. As well there was a salad with a section of onion, a lime, and soup. And Ranch dressing. Can't eat your African food without Ranch dressing. The goat really was tasty. Kind of like a dry roast beef. And, very fatty. There were three round pieces of thin bread unlike any I've had before--but, I'm happy with bread. I'm comfortable in the realm of bread, and so I gladly ate it and the soup. I let Chris have most of my goat. And, the dogs enjoyed the goat bones.

After we played "Guess How Old I Am" with the Ethiopian diner, who guessed that Chris and I were around 21, we ended our visit to the African Safari. It truly was an interesting dining experience. Not only did we get to see fellow patrons praying towards Mecca during our visit, we got to watch the incredulous looks of people coming in to place to-go orders when they saw us white folks there. I really think that since the owner asked us numerous times as he sat the food down in front of us, if what he brought us was OK, that he thought we'd stumbled into the wrong cafe.

Remembering

2010-03-15T09:21:00.003-06:00

We've just returned from my grandpa's funeral. It's still surreal to me that he isn't around anymore. He'd been ill for quite sometime, so I'm glad he's in a better place, but it's strange to think about not seeing someone for the rest of your life. It's difficult to watch your family's pain as well. My mom and my uncle and my Nana. They feel the loss of their dad and their spouse very acutely.

My Sandpa (I named him that when I was a baby because for some reason I couldn't say Grandpa) loved Haven. He saw her for the first time when he was in the hospital in May. We thought we were losing him then because he died at home, but EMTs brought him back. I wanted him to meet Haven, and so we drove down with her. He lived for months afterwards, obviously, and got to see her a few more times, but as soon as he saw Haven his eyes lit up and he told my Nana that he loved her instantly. She won't remember him, but since he was quite a lively character I have lots of stories about him that I can tell her. I also have a vast store of songs to sing her that he taught me (some of them may need to wait until she's a bit older).

Birthday Girl

2010-03-07T08:45:00.002-07:00

I think this box is my favorite gift

It's better if you just cram it all in at once

Why are they singing to me?

Sampling the cupcake batter with Grandpa

I always forget that blogger loads the pictures in reverse order, but I'm too lazy to start again.

The Evolution of Haven: One Year Old March 5th

2010-03-02T08:54:00.003-07:00

So This is What Haven & Daddy Do When I Go to the Gym:

2010-02-23T17:27:00.002-07:00

The image to go with the last post

2010-02-23T14:46:00.002-07:00

My friend just sent me a picture from Friday's play date. There's Haven sucking on the fire starter.

How it Really Is

2010-02-22T10:42:00.005-07:00

I read this blog alot. She makes me laugh. She did a post a couple of days back about parenting mishaps. Instead of moms blogging about all the joys of motherhood, she wanted to link to posts that showed how it really is. I have lots of stories about how it really is. Here is one:

I had a couple of friends over last week who have babies around Haven's age. There was Molly signing "please" when she wanted a drink, giving hugs when she left. There was Isaac playing calmly with the toy plastic food, sitting in the highchair without fussing (he did hit Haven in the head with a wooden spoon, but there wasn't any real malice behind it--he just wanted to know how it sounded). And there was my Haven, demanding a drink from her sippy cup (by yelling), with her toy of choice: the lighter from the pellet stove. Will my child be the one that the other kids can't play with?

I'm always interested in funny stories, so if you have one, I'd like to hear it.

Hair

2010-02-21T16:21:00.002-07:00

When I was young, my mom went on a trip and left David and me with my dad. My dad did my hair for school one morning and the teacher sent a note home saying that if he would send a hairbrush and an elastic, she would do it for me next time. I guess it wasn't quite up to par. I loved my dad doing my hair for some reason, and apparently, Haven feels the same way. She helped with this do.

And We're Off!

2010-02-19T14:59:00.003-07:00

Tomorrow night will be my first night away from Haven. I think she's ready. I think I'm ready. I hope her grandparents are ready (as in, well rested). My little Sweet Cakes still gets up a few times a night. And, there is only one thing she wants. Daddy doesn't have it, Grandpa doesn't have it, Grandma's are just for looks. Poor baby. She adores both her grandparents, so as far as that goes, we won't have a problem.

Chris and I are going to Santa Fe because a very clever friend of mine gave us a gift certificate at my baby shower for a bed & breakfast there. Somehow she knew it might be needed. It's also our 5th anniversary, so it's a good excuse. I'm looking forward to an uninterrupted night's sleep more than I can say.

Our camera is broken and a new one is on the way (hopefully before Haven's 1st birthday which is in two weeks!!!), thus no new pictures.

Spring has Sprung?

2010-02-15T08:28:00.002-07:00

What a fantastic weekend we had. It rivaled B.C. (before child) weekends when Chris and I spent all of his days off outside being active.

First we skied half a day at Sandia Peak. There is something to be said for a 15 minute drive to the nearest resort. No getting up at 6 in the morning (although that's pretty normal around here anyway) and driving 2 hours to ski. Plus, the snow was amazing and there was no-one there on a Thursday morning. At first I couldn't relax because I was expecting some Olympic scouts to spot me and try to work out a deal with me. Really, all I wanted to do was ski. I didn't want to be messed with. I guess they were all in Canada because no-one bothered me.

Then our sweet little angel complied with a bike ride on the Bosque. She very happily chattered away in her chariot, eating snacks, and sticking her legs up in the air when we went down hills.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Spring to be here already.

Jane's Addiction

2010-02-10T08:13:00.003-07:00

I went to the library the other day and brought back several books, none of which I could put down. Does anyone else neglect their husband or child when in the midst of a good book? I feel guilty about it, but I'm powerless to stop it.

Last night I was in the middle of the "Moonlit Cage" when Chris tried to have a conversation with me. I handed him a magazine and told him, "not now, honey." The only good thing about it is that I'm a fast reader. So, if you are looking for amusement and a way to wile away the hours without thinking about cooking dinner (not that I spend alot of time doing that anyway), telling your husband hello, or picking up your baby-I recommend the following reads:

1. Persepolis (Parts 1 & 2)

2. Sarah's Key (if in your reading induced haze you vaguely recall having a child, this one will make you cry--I can't read about children suffering anymore after having Haven. It means something else when you are a parent)

3. The aforementioned Moonlit Cage

I have one more book to read before I can join the world of the living. If Chris ends up at your house this next week with a magazine and a blanket you will know that he was disturbing me whilst I was in the middle of my book--a sure-fire way to end up in the dog-house around here.

Chris: Potter Extraordinaire

2010-02-04T13:13:00.005-07:00

For Christmas, I bought Chris pottery lessons at a studio down the way. Quite a few years ago I took a pottery class with my mom and when he found some of the pots that I threw he laughed (we were a brand-spankin' newly married couple too).

Actually, they weren't pots that I threw, they were called pinch pots, and admittedly, they were pretty awful. Probably more so because of the glaze that I chose. The pots that I actually threw on the wheel were passable. I mean, I think my brother proudly displayed one on the back of his toilet seat for years. That can be a place of honor depending on your perspective.

Anyway, I thought pottery would be a nice distraction for him since his foot was broken and it's not really riding season. Here's a picture of what he produced. Unfortunately for me, I was pretty impressed. OK, really impressed. He showed me up. Not that surprising since creatively speaking, he's rather brilliant. Which can be kind of irritating since I'm not. Hey, I produced a pretty cute kid (even if Chris did help out with that). I can't be good at everything.

Stuck

2010-02-03T12:11:00.004-07:00

I guess it is snowing a tad bit more here than anticipated. I'm basing that on the fact that they've closed I-40 through the canyon, Route 66, and Highway 14 (all the routes to our house) because there were so many car accidents the police couldn't keep up.

I didn't know the roads were that bad, so I made an attempt to get to town about an hour ago. I got as far as 14 before I turned around. It looks to me like we already have about 3-4 inches and the roads are unplowed and therefore slippery. I was proud of myself for actually making the attempt in my little car because I'm not very comfortable driving on slick roads. Having a baby in the back seat makes me even more uncomfortable. I never go very fast, so having a car accident where she could be injured is not what I worry about. I worry about getting stuck and having to trudge a few miles in the snow with a baby. That would be a bummer.

So, I made it a few miles and decided that if the roads got any worse I wouldn't be able to make it back home and decided to head back. Also, I'd just passed police cars directing traffic around an accident, and that doesn't add to my confidence level. I made it down Frost, even did well on the super hairy turn, and then got stuck in the middle of my street right in front of our driveway.

I was blocking the whole road. Granted, it's not a very busy road, but still. And, of course as I was trying to maneuver my way out of this situation, there was a big truck at the top of the hill waiting on me. Fantastic. I always like a little added pressure. It didn't help, though. I turned my tires left and right, went forward and back to no avail. We were just spinning. I pulled the dogs out of the back and took Haven from the car seat in hopes that the person in the truck waiting on me would offer to come push while I drove. No such luck. The truck attempted to back up on the hill and somehow ended up in the ditch that runs alongside our road. Which is exactly what I was trying to avoid in my car. All my twisting and turning had resulted in my inching closer and closer to the ditch, but I stopped before I hit it. So, essentially, I had got two vehicles stuck. A kindly neighbor came along and offered to help (not the people in the truck). He dug out the tires a bit, put some salt under them and then drove my car into the driveway. And, then went on up the hill to dig out the other guy.

Chris was on his way up to help me, but that's when we learned that they'd shut all the roads down in order to deal with all the accidents. And, I was so proud of myself for my superior driving abilities. Only to get stuck in the last 4 feet before my drive.

Let it Snow

2010-01-28T17:16:00.003-07:00

Lovin' the Snow Tunnel her daddy dug her

I love this snow so much!

(She kept face-planting in it so she could eat it)

We had to bring her inside, despite protesting, because her

little face was so red.

Ain't Nuthin' but a Gansta Party

2010-01-27T19:57:00.005-07:00

White Trash Sledding

2010-01-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Un-Housekeeper

2010-01-24T13:39:00.001-07:00

Haven is learning the fine art of disassembling the house piece by piece by piece. I've learned to wait until about 30 minutes before Chris comes home and then I do a rapid clean up. Otherwise I could spend the whole of the day picking up pots and pans, CDs and DVDs, books, etc. off the floor. This way, Chris thinks that Haven and I exist in a beautiful bubble of tranquility all day long. That our daughter, if ever she makes a mess, knows exactly where things go and how to put them back.

How McKean Are You Test?

2010-01-18T08:51:00.003-07:00

How McKean Are You?**

This test was developed to match mates based on 100 levels of compatibility

1. Let’s say you have a light fixture in the bathroom that holds 3 light bulbs, how do you deal with this?

a. I would never buy a light fixture like that.

b. I only make use of one of the bulbs, turning the others off. I’ve worked out the cost of using the other two outlets and this saves me 4 cents a month.

c. If there are three places for light bulbs, I use all three.

2. You notice that the razor you use to shave with wears out more quickly than you think it should, what do you do?

a. I let my hair grow naturally and would never think to take a razor to what nature has inspired.

b. I write the date I purchased the razor on said razor and then I determine how long said razor should last (compared to days of yore), then I throw it away when a reasonable amount of time has passed (say, two or more years)

c. I throw it away.

3. You’ve just used the last of the onion that was stored in a zip-lock bag, what do you do?

a. I recycle plastic, so it goes in the recycle bin

b. I recycle plastic, so I reuse it over and over until one day it is sacrificed (because of it’s age) to the gods of piping deviled eggs.

c. I throw it away. It smells like onions.

4. You’ve just bought a pair of new shoes, what’s your first thought?

a. Before I bought them I checked to make sure they were faux leather. Then I made sure no animals were harmed while they were being made.

b. I date them on the sole to see how long they will last. I’m pretty certain that my shoes would still be wearable (or that I would still wear them) even if they were involved in a nuclear disaster.

c. I hope these look OK with my new jeans.

5. You are about to make a new purchase, but before you do, you look on the bottom of said purchase to

a. see if it is a type 1 or 2 plastic and therefore recyclable

b. see if it was made in the good ol’ U. S. of A; if so, you buy it; if not you curse NAFTA, the EPA, & globalism for giving the job of making cheap plastic crap to foreigners.

c. you don’t look at the bottom of said purchase, if you like it you buy it

6. You are hungry. And eating at home just won’t do, where do you go?

a. There are three things you look for: Vegan, organically grown, gluten-free

b. Buffet all the way—if it ain’t fried, it ain’t going in my pie hole

c. Whatever sounds good. I’m flexible.

7. Your philosophy on life is:

a. Reuse, Reduce, Recycle

b. If it’s not Efficient, don’t buy it, don’t use it, divorce it

c. Carpe Diem

8. How do you like to be prepared for an emergency?

a. you have gallons of distilled water & packages of whole, roasted almonds from Whole Foods enough to last two weeks.

b. you have a flash-light, a back-up flash-light, and a back-up to your back-up flashlight on your bedside table.

c. Emergency? I’ll deal with it when it happens.

9. I just ate a particularly heavy meal. What do I do?

a. I do a cleanse, have a session of Bikram Yoga, and meditate on the evils of excess.

b. I see a therapist. Fiber Therapy—one session and I’m cured.

c. I enjoy the feeling of fullness, but determine that next time I’ll eat lighter so I can enjoy the day more.

10. How do you coordinate your ensemble?

a. you match your hemp shoes to your recycled plastic t-shirt.

b. your man-hose match whatever you wear so it’s never really a problem.

c. you try to make sure the colors don’t clash.

11. Your favorite author is:

a. The Dali Lama

b. God & Chuck Missler

c. New York Times Op Ed

12. What are some of the gifts you’ve bought for your significant other?

a. Fairly-traded, non-sweat-shop, non-animal tested items

b. a hand-gun. We live in the great state of Texas—we should take advantage of the right to conceal a weapon. Plus, Pampa is known for its violent crime.

c. a throw from Pottery Barn

How to Score:

If your answers are mostly-

A’s: you are the antitheses of a McKean. At first glance some of your frugal, green, environmentally-friendly ways seem very McKean like. However, if saving the planet, decreasing your carbon foot-print, or saving the polar ice-caps are even a small part of your motivation, then you are, in fact, the very opposite of a McKean.

B’s: Welcome to the Family. Your very first act as a new McKean will be to purchase a deep-fat fryer & treat yourself to a nice buffet dinner.

C’s: Your happy, go-lucky lifestyle inhibits you from becoming a McKean. Your blissed out philosophy on life is causing you to lose pennies every year. Try harder to analyze your water usage down to the drop.

**As always, I have my father-in-law, Allen, to thank for the inspiration of this test. I took all of the "B" answers from real-life doctrines, teachings, and habits of the Ultimate McKean.

Oh, What a Night

2010-01-11T09:38:00.002-07:00

Chris and I finally agreed that it was time for Haven to start getting used to sleeping in her own crib again. After sleeping in the same room with her over Christmas, a week of teething, and a nasty stomach bug, Haven was spending more time in bed with us than in her room. Three weeks of cuddling and constant access to food (that would be me) meant that she was not quite ready to give it all up, though. So, last night we prepared ourselves for some protesting. And, there was plenty. I always want Chris to be strong and for us to be on the same page when it comes to these situations. He was and we were. Except that I think I asked him at least 5 times in the space of one hour if I should just go get her.

We're both pretty sleep deprived. So, after trying to fall asleep for two hours, but failing, when I finally did manage to nod off the freaking smoke alarm went off. I woke Chris up and we raced into the living room. Everything was fine, the alarm didn't even wake Haven up...except that our chattering about the alarm to each other did. I put her in bed with me. Finally fell asleep again, and my cell phone alarm went off at midnight. Got that turned off. It just wasn't meant to be. She was up about 5 times from midnight until 5 in the morning.

I feel asleep on the couch with two dogs and a baby on top of me after I ate my bowl of cereal. Somewhere the Sleep Gods are laughing it up at me.

Christmas Scenes

2009-12-31T08:22:00.002-07:00

It's amazing what you can find at the grocery store now days (this is Haven's doggie cousin, Gloria)

Aunt Hannah shopping with Haven

Every wagon ride needs to be accompanied by a drumstick

Sleeping with Teddy

Haven helping Hannah organize (i.e. throw everything on the floor) Hannah's new kitchen

Haven's First Christmas

2009-12-31T08:16:00.002-07:00

Staking her claim

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...

Tired of waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve

The rocking horse her grandma & grandpa Keagy gave her--she wasn't quite sure about it at first (he neighs and his head and tail move), but she tried to feed him a ball and he didn't bite her, so she's OK with him now

Her first present

Doggies Make the Best Pillows

2009-12-19T16:59:00.002-07:00

Special at Lowe's: Free with Bucket Purchase

2009-12-19T16:57:00.001-07:00

X-mas Party

2009-12-14T08:34:00.002-07:00

We went to a Christmas party last night. Haven was all decked out in her Mrs. Clause outfit. Trudy was wearing her winter sweater and wanted to go as well, but, alas, she was not allowed. I even got to dress up--by dress up, that means not wear blue jeans and a t-shirt. We had a great time.

Just a Crush

2009-12-09T15:49:00.001-07:00

We bought Haven an early Christmas gift---a giant teddy bear because she loved her Aunt Hannah's so much over Thanksgiving. And, it was early because I don't have room anywhere to hide a giant teddy. Haven adores him. She especially loves to land on him and bite his nose. Every time she sees him, she smiles. First love.

Snow Bunny

2009-12-03T12:45:00.003-07:00

Lovin' the Snow

Hating the Snow

Diggin' the Snow Ice-cream Mommy made--

it's a tad bit cold, though, as you can see by the face

Thanksgiving Images

2009-11-29T19:21:00.002-07:00

Haven learned how to drive this Thanksgiving. She did not, however, learn how to sleep well while on a trip. Neither did her parents. I figure since we still haven't figured out a way to get Chris to sleep through the night yet, we can't really blame our daughter for waking up numerous times and not wanting to go back to sleep. Every night. For two hours. She was awake from 2-4 a.m. Screaming. Fun times.

The doggie cousins did not have the same issues. They made themselves right at home on Nana's couch with Grandpa Jim. That cute little thing in the middle of Trudy and Sophie is Grizzly Keagy. He's the proud owner of David and Christine.

And this is Haven demonstrating her newest skill...standing without holding on to anything. While reading a book. I happen to believe that this could be a better skill than learning how to talk. I can read a book and do anything at the same time. Anything.

And, this would be Trudy Lou finding a new favorite spot in the car--Haven's car seat.

So, those are the images that I captured, but the ones I didn't were just as good. We spent Thanksgiving day with my family in Amarillo and ate dinner at The Big Texan. If you've never heard of The Big Texan, well, it's a big tourist trap restaurant and motel. There are billboards all over the United States about a free 72 ounce steak if you eat it (and all the sides) in an hour. We did not attempt the steak, however, after we'd finished eating, it felt similar to eating a 72 ounce hunk of beef. The food was surprisingly good. The restaurant was decorated for Christmas and they had a band. And, no-one had to do dishes. Lovely.

Haven had her share of mashed potatoes and stuffing, but by far her favorite food of the weekend was Dyer's BBQ in Pampa. Can't say I blame her. She loves rib bones. And apricot sauce. And Texas toast. Yum. Yum. Yum.

It would appear as though the majority of my blog posts are about food. But, honestly, I can't think of a better way to reminisce about the weekend then to review all that I ate.

Genetically Predisposed to Naughtiness

2009-11-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Parenting Adventures

2009-11-10T12:20:00.002-07:00

Sometimes having a kid can be very exposing. Not only of your selfishness, but just plain exposing. For instance, today Haven had half of the Trader Joe's employees laughing as she was pulling my shirt down in her effort to vacate the shopping cart. I was busy trying to pull it back up, and we were having a definite tug-of-war. The man who was dishing up samples of dressing and gravy found it particularly funny. A female worker said loudly, "I saw her pulling your shirt off--I think she's hungry!" Alot of the nearby shoppers turned around. Ahh, yes, I am the spectacle at Trader Joes. Hurray.

Tupac Lives (Happy Halloween)

2009-10-31T15:33:00.005-06:00

Gold necklace, check; drug roll (she's makin' it rain), check, tear drop tattoo, check, Tupac style bandanna, check; saggy jeans, check; boxers, check.

Don't mess with this baby...or she'll pop a cap in that...ahem, butt.

Livin' the Thug Life

2009-10-26T09:42:00.001-06:00

Haven & Sarah

And So it Begins

2009-10-21T07:40:00.006-06:00

A few weeks ago Chris and I were talking about school. Specifically about how he would like to go back to school someday. I've always wanted to go back to college too. Not to take anything challenging, but just to learn. There is something about having been in that environment that makes you want to go back. In fact, last year I had decided that I was going to take a few classes just for fun if I didn't get pregnant by December. Obviously, Miss Haven came along, so my history 101 class is going to have to wait.

Just for fun I looked up UNM's continuing ed classes to see if there was something Chris may be interested in doing. I'm sure there are a few...except that I found some writing classes I was interested in and on a whim signed up for one. I have a bachelor's degree in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing and the desire to write never leaves me. But, if I don't have someone pushing me I won't do it.

Today the internet course begins. I don't know how involved it will be or if I'll even have much time to do it. It wasn't expensive so if I can't give 100% to it, then I won't feel incredibly guilty. But, I've been looking forward to it all month.