Aaahhhh, Jacob!

I have read the Twilight series of books. I detested, loathed, and hated book number 1. I LOVED book number 2 and number 3 was good too. I don't like Edward (he's too controlling) and think Bella is making a mistake in choosing him instead of Jacob. Now, I know for sure why:



You're Jacob Black - You were raised to believe that family and community is the most important thing in life. You are also a fun-loving person who sometimes can see life a little too amusing and have trouble taking things seriously. Over all, you're a loyal and excellent friend to have.
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I guess I mostly identify with Jacob, which is why I like him so much. Maybe I'm feeling some sort of rejection from Bella that she didn't choose Jacob. Take the quiz and see who you turn out to be!

Best of Show

Whoever said cats are afraid of water, never had an American Shorthair cat for a pet. First, they are the best breed of cat, ever, ever, ever! They are a very social cat and really like to be around people. I guess it has a lot to do with the breeder and how they are raised by the breeder, but I swear they are the best cat!

So, Lincoln likes to drink fresh water. Lincoln acts like drinking out of Baxter's bowl of water is so "beneath" him and is very put out by the whole thing. Much to Adam's chagrin, Lincoln is now trained that whenever I am in the bathroom washing my face or brushing my teeth, Lincoln will hop up on the sink counter. That is his cue to me to turn the faucet on so he can have a drink. Yes, my cat drinks out of the faucet for "fresh" water. The funny thing (okay to me it's funny) is he lets the water run off of his head and then drinks it. It's silly I know, but it sure is fun to watch. The only problem is, after he is finished drinking his water, and his head is soaking wet, he shakes the water everywhere....just cleaned mirror and just cleaned bathroom seem to be his favorite targets.

Drinking my "fresh" water.

Got my drink of water and now I'm good to go!

Constructin Zone - Part II

Last Monday came and went and there was no drywall activity. The guys had a huge job they needed to finish up, which pushed our job back. Ugggh! But, I am very, very pleased to say that Friday they arrived, ready to work. Thursday night, Adam moved the huge TV armoire by himself (he didn't come get me and ask for help - I would've been happy to help him) the cable and electrical wires. Everything was a go, just waiting for the guys to show up.

They arrived pretty much on time and got right to work. They didn't even mind me taking pictures of them working (they said it happens all the time). They were fun to talk to while they were working (they understood and spoke English, too!). The name of the company is The Drywall Guy and they were fantastic! I would recommend them to anyone who has any remodel or repair work to be done. They were neat and clean in appearance and when they finished their job, they cleaned up after themselves too. They were great! We were so impressed with them, that the next job we have we will call them back (that project won't be for another 1-2 years though) and have them work in our house again.

Once they finished their job, the next day, Saturday, Adam finished painting and now it looks like the house was originally built the way it now looks. Adam and I both love it and are really glad we did it.

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Size Really Does Matter!

When Adam needed to move the electrical wires and the cable wires to have the drywall guys come in, he had to use some pretty heavy duty tools to do so, i.e., a reciprocating saw, cordless drill, and his hammer, in order to get the job done. (So the reciprocating saw - yes I know what one is - is the only "heavy duty" tool, but the others still count!)

Owen couldn't be left out of the picture and quickly ran to get his drill (it's really a playdoh drill donated unknowingly to Owen, thanks Seth!) so he could join in the action. Owen loves to be in the thick of things when Adam is working. Owen would use his drill and pretend that he was helping Adam. Every time Adam would get the cordless drill or reciprocating saw going, Owen would giggle with glee! He thought it was the coolest thing ever. Boys and their toys - the fascination with tools and toys really does start at a young age doesn't it?

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ZZzzz. ZZzzz. ZZzzz.

My time has run out! I thought I would have a little bit more time before Owen figured out how to get out of his bed. Yesterday, after Adam was done painting, he went to get Owen up from his nap. When Adam went into Owen's bedroom, Owen was just in there walking around the room. But, when I went in this morning to get Owen up for the day, he was still laying on his bed.

However, when I walked into his room this afternoon, this is what I saw:



My Onie B was asleep on his floor, snoring no less. I just wanted a little more time. Next up is the figuring out of the door knob. But, when that happens, I think I'll reverse the door knob and have the lock on the outside, or put the child proofing on the inside so he can't open them, for just a little longer.

Painter Man

Adam and I have been wanting to paint the rest of our house, now that the kids' rooms, kids' bathroom and our bed and bath have been painted. Of course, don't forget while I was gone for the week at my parents' house over Labor Day, Adam painted the hallway. What was left to paint....the rest of the house. The living room, family room, and kitchen.

Adam had some vacation time that he needed to use before the end of the year or he would lose it. He took a couple of days off and painted the house! Adam doesn't mind painting and the two of us make a pretty good team when it comes to painting (when there's no kids). Adam does the cut in work and I do the rolling work. But, this time, he was on his own - someone has to watch the kids.

The living room/formal dining room (with the exception of where the drywall work needs to be done) got tackled on Friday. Saturday he tackled the kitchen - after watching the kids all morning long while I went to get my hair done. Sunday, he finished the kitchen; and, Monday, the family room is complete! Although the house has been in chaos and things everywhere, it has been well worth it. He is doing such a great job and it looks wonderful. He's even gone back and repainted the baseboards. He's whistling while painting, to boot! Do I really want to interrupt the rhythm he's gotten himself into while painting?

Owen has been right there helping Adam tape off the baseboards, and even trying to paint. He has taken the roller and acted like he was painting. Thank heavens there wasn't any paint on the roller.

It has been a big, big, really big job and a success. I don't know how much help I have been (sorry, Adam) in keeping the kids occupied while he's been painting, but can you really contain a 21 month old boy to just one room? I've tried and I'm not very good at it. I have helped Adam clean up and clean the house. He deserves that much, and more. Job well done!!!!! (The house is still not put back together in the pictures, so please excuse the mess. I'm sure you'll get the gist of the "before" and "after" pics.)

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Just for Jauss!

What's Your Personality Type?

You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal. A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways. In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music. You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. In love, you express your emotions through actions. Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well! At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time. You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist. How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented. When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

What's Your Personality Type?

HA! I don't know if I necessarily agree with everything that is said here, but it was fun to do. You try it and see what you come up with.

6 Months & Counting

I took Caroline to the doctor today for her 6 month well-check. She's doing great and is growing well. She's 27 1/4 inches long and 17 lbs. 3 oz. That put her in the 95th percentile and 75th percentile, repsectively. I compared her 6 month check-up to Owen's 6 month appointment. Cari is 1/4 inch longer and 13 oz. lighter than Owen at 6 months; Owen was 27 inches and 18 lbs.

Cari got her 3 scheduled shots along with the first of two flu shots. She also got the last of the rotavirus vaccines. Caroline tolerated her shots pretty well and wasn't too terribly fussy for the remainder of the day, thank goodness.

I can't believe she's already 6 months old. Where has the time gone?

The Tooth Fairy

About 5 weeks ago, Cari started drooling like there's no tomorrow. It was like a water fountain turned on in her mouth and all the water was just running out. (Clue #1) She was chewing and biting everything she could get her hands on, including herself. (Clue #2) Cari was also fussier than usual. She wasn't sleeping very well, couldn't be consoled, and all around wasn't very happy. (Clue #3).

Several times I had looked in her mouth thinking maybe she's teething. Maybe there are teeth getting ready to break through. Each time I did, there was nothing there, not even bulging gums. Then, when I could take it no longer, I looked one last time and not only were her gums bulging, but her first tooth broke through! Then, within 2 or 3 days another tooth broke through! I couldn't believe it. Sometimes I feel completely clueless, especially when it comes to my kids. Duh!!!!

I know each kid is different, but Owen never drooled when he was cutting teeth, nor was he really fussy. He did chew a lot, but he also got cold-like symptoms. Cari never got the cold-like symptoms, but they both cut their teeth fairly early. Owen was about 5 1/2 months old when his first 2 teeth came through; and Cari was about a week behind Owen.

I can't believe how early my kids seem to get their teeth. I'm sure in the next 3-4 weeks, Cari will have her top 2 teeth coming in. I like to watch my kids facial features change as they get teeth. In general, I think it is a great way of really decided which parent the kids looks like.

Zoo Day

No, I'm not talking about a day spent at home, although some days I feel like I should be in the zoo because of how crazy it gets around here. My neighbor called to tell me that there was a bunch of moms getting together to take their kids to the zoo and asked if I wanted to go. I did and knew that Owen would have a lot of fun. But, as the day went on, I was quickly realizing that a zoo trip may not be possible. Why? I was up with Owen at 3:30 am in order to give him cough medicine and cold medicine. Yep, Owen has another cold! (My kids really aren't sick this much or this often.....3rd cold in about 6 weeks. Yeah, I'm happy about that, can you tell?!)

What to do. What to do. What to do. I thought I would keep Owen home and we could go another time. After all, the zoo wasn't going anywhere. I sent my sister a text message asking if she wanted to get together for a quick bite to eat for lunch. When she called me back, she said she was taking her kids to the zoo! I guess it was inevitable that I would go to the zoo for the day. So, I packed snacks, juice, Powerade, water, formula, diapers, etc. and off to the zoo we went.

Owen had a lot of fun running around and looking at all of the animals. I couldn't take a lot of pictures because he was running from place to place so quickly and wouldn't hold still. But, by the time he was ready to go, he was ready to go! No nap all day long (I don't recommend this if at all possible) along with being sick, he wasn't going to wait to stop and see one more animal. (Cari was trying to sleep in the stroller, but even she had it with the zoo and just wanted to go home to take a nap.) I wish we could've seen the cheetah, but next time.

We saw tortoises, rhino iguana, jaguar (this picture didn't turn out really well so it won't be posted), giraffe, zebra, red ruffed lemurs, spiders, snakes, otters, and tons of other creatures. Can't wait to go back and see the rest of them!

We're going to invest into a zoo pass and that way I can go for just a couple of hours at a time and don't have to worry about trying to get everything in, in just one day, especially now that the weather is getting cooler and better for the zoo.

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Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet up with my friends at the zoo because by the time I got there, they were packing up and heading home (as I found out later in the day).

Pumpkin Patch FHE

Adam and I decided to take Owen and Cari to the pumpkin patch for FHE. It wasn't a pig patch, but just the right size for Owen to explore and find a pumpkin. Owen had a great time! When Owen saw the hay cart, he immediately ran over to it and said "guck"! Owen ran all over trying to find just the right pumpkin to bring home. We looked at big, small, and in between sizes. Owen helped Adam find just the right pumpkin and it's a great pick!

I found a smaller hay cart that had different gords, and "mini" pumpkins that I couldn't resist for $2 each. I thought it was a bargin, so I got 1 mini pumpkin and 3 gords. We'll carve the pumpkin sometime before Halloween; that should be an adventure....Owen with a carving kinfe?! Uh-oh!

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We had a great time at the pumpkin patch. I think this will become a yearly tradition for us. Next year, Owen & Cari will be running around each looking for their own pumpkin. Can't wait!