The mother-in-law

I realize that a great deal of folks rant and rave about their mother-in-law. I totally understand why. It is my turn to vent and I'm fired up.


First of all, she drops everything and comes all the way down here to keep my kids while our nanny is on vacation. She brings with her the girls entire fall/winter wardrobe that she has purchased, keeping my taste in mind. They are high-end clothes that are ridiculously cute. To top this off, the woman insists on washing it all and hanging it up for me while she is down here taking care of our kids.

To top all this off, she has the audacity to by our dinner at the Japanese Steak House. In addition, the ***** takes my kids to Target and lets them pick out $100 worth of toys.

She is something else I tell ya. What am I going to do with her?????????

I guess for the time being I will just count my blessings:)

Jamie's 20 year reunion

This past weekend we ventured up to Union, MO for Jamie's 20-year high school reunion. We met for dinner and drinks before the reunion with some close friends. By drinks I mean 4 pitchers of margaritas. It is so funny what reunions can do to people. I LOVED LOVED LOVED sitting back and watching the classmates as they sized folks up and whispered to their dates. Giggled at girlfriends they have not seen in 20 years. There was awkwardness and nervousness in the air. As an outsider, it was a people watchers dream.


Jamie was high on life and loved talking with friends he has not seen in years. He was cute to watch. He has changed so much since high school in appearance. He no longer has a foo-man-chew or mullet. He no longer wears shorts and wife beater tank tops in the snow. His vulgar t-shirts and concert shirts are a thing of the past (he keeps them in a tub in his closet:). He looks totally different but the reunion brought the high school party boy out of him and it was fun to watch. Seriously... it was fun. Yes, I had to consume large amounts of beer. But I thought it was fun. When Jamie and Benji (Quinn's Godfather) get together it is always entertaining. Plus we HAD to take advantage of our designated driver. It's not every night out that we have this available. Thanks Paige!

Any time we get to spend with our best buds, the Hammer's (Ben & Paige) it is a good time. You could put us in an empty room with those guys and we would be perfectly happy.

Taylor (nanny) is on vacation this week so Maema came down to watch the girls for us. She will drop anything and everything to help us out. It is so comforting as a parent to have that security. The girls love having their Maema around. She spoils them ROTTEN!!!!

For some reason, when the grandmothers are around, I feel lazy. I don't do laundry or cook dinner. I barely clean up after the kids and myself. My house turns into a disaster by the end of the first day. I wonder why I do this? My mom says it is because I relax due to some of the "mommy" responsibility being lifted off me. Maybe that is the reasoning but since Mae will be here for a week, I better get off my lazy butt and get busy!

The Pink Pony

One of the main roads that take us into Memphis goes through some not so nice parts of town. There is an adult (possibly all purpose) entertainment club on this route called The Pony ... or maybe it is called The Pink Pony. I'm not sure. The building is Pepto-Bismol pink and there are a couple very large pink ponies on or around the building. The girls are totally fascinated with this place and ask us to go there every time we pass it (which is almost every time we go into Memphis). In all honesty, it looks like a place a kid would love. It also has really shiny silver windows.


Taylor also takes this route when they go to the Pink Palace Museum and the Zoo. We have told them that we can't go into the Pony because it is for grown ups only.

We were driving down this road the other day and Hassie Clare said, "There is the Pink Pony. That is a grown up museum where grown ups watch shows." Jamie and I looked at each other and DIED laughing. This smart little cookie put 2 and 2 together - the Pink Palace Museum is for kids like the The Pink Pony is for grown ups. Lord I hope she never learns the truth. We might want to find a different route into the city before she really catches on!!!!!

The last 2 weeks ......

The summer of 2009 is coming to an end. We have made the most of the nice weather. Still hot but at least we aren't melting. Here are some random pics from the past 2 weeks:

Quinnie reading a book on the front steps while enjoying the breeze.

Taylor can get them to do anything for a picture. I think she bribes them with fruit snacks:)

TayTay loves posing the girls and playing with our camera. She has a great eye and captures some good shots! I think they were on a nature walk before a picnic at the City park.

Is it just me or is Quinnie Ray starting to favor her beautiful cousin Josie?

We have had lots of snuggle time on the couch watching movies lately, especially in the evenings.

On a nice afternoon, the girls and I like to go out on the front porch and wait for Daddy to get home. I love this time of the day. I've finished work, the girls are just up from their nap and the front of the house is shaded with the occasional slight breeze. We don't have any toys out front so the girls have to use their imagination and nature for entertainment. In these 2 pics they have picked some flowers and are walking down the isle getting married. The would walk all the way down the isle, turn around and walk back. Then they would seal it with a kiss. They did this for 30 mins. It was precious to watch! I love moments like these and I hope I remember them forever.

Waiting on Daddy again. I went and grabbed the camera because they were sitting EXACTLY alike. By the time I got back they had moved a little. I've noticed lately that they are never far from each other. I always say to them "Do you know how lucky you are to have each other?" They usually respond with "yes, we are best friends."

An afternoon play date with my girlfriend Leslie and her son Garrett. If you look closely you can see the girls on the swings (hanging on their bellies).

Baby Tarzan boy .... is that you?

"Here kitty kitty kitty."

Another favorite part of my day is our bedtime routine. I had no idea this picture was on the camera so it was such a treat when I did a download. Thanks Jamie! Me loving on Quinn.

Our Texas folks came to town ...

Not riding on a pony .... but in a car. My dad and stepmother (Glenda) came into town for their bi-yearly visit. Twice a year, for the past 3 years they have journeyed all the way across Texas, through Arkansas and finally into Memphis to see us. It is a long drive but they never complain. They spend 3 nights and then hop in the car to make the trip back home. The weekends are always relaxing but too short. Hassie Clare and Quinn love seeing their grandpa and they are head over heels in love with Glenda. They always bring them a present, something unique. This time is was a set of musical instruments. I'm not saying they planned this or anything but they waited until the night before they left to give the girls their new instruments. I guess they didn't want to hear the sound of mariachis and the triangle's dinging all weekend! Smart folks!

One of several books that Glenda read to my little book worms over the weekend!

Reading again .... before bed.

This is the girls running down a MONSTER hill next to our local BBQ joint. We usually eat out one night when the Texan's are in town - we try to avoid Mexican food:) This time we ate at Natural Born Grillers and it was fab!

I love this pic. This was taken during their first trip to stay with us. The girls were 5.5 months old.

Grandpa holding his granddaughters for the first time (Quinn, Grandpa, Hassie Clare).

The other day I was cooking dinner and the girls were playing under my feet in the kitchen...like always. I told them that Nana (my mom) was coming down to stay with us for a few days and Hassie Clare said "I miss Nana." Quinn chimed in and said "I miss Maema too" (Jamie's mom) and then one of the them said "I miss Glenda too." It is funny how we have never talked about the dynamics of our family to them but somehow they just know that Glenda is a Grandmother to them. So then I tried thinking like a 3 year old. Glenda loves them, she buys them clothes and presents, she spends quality time with them and she is married to their Grandpa. Of course she is a grandma to them. Which leads me to this story... I was reading them a book yesterday and it was about a Grandpa, his grandson and a bunny or duck or some animal. His female neighbor came over and one of the girls said "is that the little boys Glenda?" The girls think that the name Glenda is just another Grandma name like Maema or Nana. Their minds continuously amaze me!!!

Spousal Adoration

There are so many reasons why I love Jamie but I wanted to point out a few of those reasons just from this past weekend:

• Friday night I had my monthly bunco gathering. We had an 80's theme which requires a little time and effort in getting ready. First of all, every time I have bunko he rushes home from work so that I have little to no responsibility. He wants me to take the entire night off .... not just the few hours I'm with my friends. Once I get all dressed in costume, he giggles at me as he takes pictures. He also dug out his Spuds Mackenzie high top sneakers and laced them up for me to add to my glorious outfit. It really is the little things that make me love him so dearly.
• Sunday morning I slept in. Then stayed in bed playing hooky from church. Then decided to watch a cheesy Lifetime movie that didn't end until noon. He kept the girls occupied while I was lazy. The only thing he said to me was "you deserve it" and "what can I make you for breakfast." I feels so good to be recognized for all your hard work by your spouse.

By the time our children read this blog as adults, I have no idea what kind of relationship Jamie and I will have. I can only assume we will still be fantastically in love and enjoying our life together. God I hope this is the case! In the event of tragedy (I say tragedy because if we are not together for whatever reason it will be a tragedy to me), it is important to me that Hassie Clare and Quinn know how crazy in love we were with each other "back in the day." I want you girls to know how hard we fought to bring you into this world and that this fight was fueled by our love. I'm not sure I believe in soul mates but I do believe that some people are meant to be together. Jamie and I ARE supposed to be together. He is simply .. my best friend. He makes me laugh like only my mother can. He makes me feel safe in so many different ways. I respect him. He constantly exceeds my expectations as a father to Hassie Clare and Quinn. We are having so much fun being parents right now. Just last night the four of us were dancing and singing in the playroom to your current favorite Taylor Swift song "You Belong to Me." Jamie and I were in stitches over your new dance moves and singing technique. Anyway, I'm so thankful that I get to live this incredible life with him by my side. He really is the man of my dreams.

PS - In future hubby bashing blog entries ..... please remind me of this blog entry:)

At the girls 1 year old photo session we were trying to make them laugh. Evidentially, scaring the bajesus out of Hassie Clare would make her smile and Quinn could care less:)

Delta Fair 2009

The Gramdma's are going to KILL be mad at us. The last thing they both said when we talked to them in route to the fair was "take lots of pictures." Well, we brought our camera, made sure to download all the old pics to have a clear memory stick but forgot to charge the batteries. So, the only pics we have are a few that Jamie took with his iphone. Stupid Honest mistake. Sorry Nana and Maema.

On with the good stuff. We had a great night. Almost perfect...except for the humidity and the amount of money we spent. In the end, I decided it was totally worth the money ... no matter the cost. We decided to go late afternoon on Labor Day after the girls got up from their nap. We parked near an entrance, packed up the best stroller in the world (thanks Maema) and headed out. We decided to purchase ride tickets for $1 a piece instead for getting the girls hands stamped for unlimited access to rides for $20 each. We were not sure how eager or brave they would be this year and didn't want to risk dumping $40 down the drain.

As we headed towards the rides we decided to pick up 2 large Pronto Pups and a large drink for $14.00. We purchased $20 in ride tickets (ended up buying more), paid $16 for fair admittance (4 and under was free) and $5 to park. So within the first 15 mins we spent $55 bucks. Okay ... enough about the money but do you see what I mean? I never realized how expensive it is to go to the fair. **For the record, I know the girls will read this in 20 years and say "mom was even frugal back then."

The girls LOVED it all from the second we got there. Hassie Clare wanted to ride EVERYTHING. She barely met the height requirement on the kiddy rides. I think her poofy ponytail put her over the line. Quinn acted like she wanted to ride everything but would freak out as soon as she got on the ride. She would only ride a ride after Hassie Clare rode it and then insisted on Hassie Clare riding it with her again.

Hassie Clare is such a free spirit. No cares in the world. Fearful of nothing. The look on her face when a ride would tickle her belly was priceless. Jamie and I realized almost at the same time that she is going to be T R O U B L E in her teenage years. A rebel at heart. The only thing that will save her is her overly cautious twin sister. This isn't the first time we have realized this about her. She looked so tiny compared to the other kids riding the rides.

Quinn on the other hand trusts nothing. She wants to be care free but can't seem to bring herself to let it all go. If the ride attendant looked funny, she would not ride the ride. If the ride made a funny noise, she would not even consider riding it. If the ride had an animal face or eyes, forget it! While she was riding a ride, her entire body was tense, her movements were robotic but she seemed to be having a good time. She would wave at us each time she would pass us and then quickly move her hand back to the bar - within seconds her knuckles would be white again.

Me & Quinn

So, Hassie Clare and I rode a lot of rides while Daddy and Quinn watched. I think they had just as much fun as we did. It really was a great night!

The sun and the crowd seemed to disappear together. It was so nice not to wait in lines at the rides or for food. After several rides the girls were hungry again so we stopped at the Shelby County 4H booth for 2 ears of corn and some tea. It was delicious and the best buy we got all night! For dessert we chowed down on cotton candy while watching the fireworks show.

Hassie Clare (L) & Quinn (R)

It was extremely cool to see the girls do big kid things for the first time. In a way, it has helped me to stop dwelling on the fact that their baby years are a thing of the past. We have so much to look forward to in their life. I am so thankful for each and every day that I have with my husband and children and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us. They make my life so much fun!

PS - They are hiding underneath my desk, between my legs and under my feet as I type this blog entry. This space is only about a 2x1.5 feet. The second they hear Jamie's car coming up the driveway and the garage door opening they scream like crazy and hide. They hid here for over 5 mins and as soon as Jamie came through my office door Quinn squeals "we are under here." Quinn ALWAYS gives it away where they are hiding. She gets so excited. Hassie Clare will lay silent in her hiding spot until you physically go and pick her up.

First emergency trip to the Dentist!

I'm sure it won't be the last emergency trip to the dentist. While jumping together in their indoor, very safe trampoline, Hassie Clare's right front tooth and eyetooth sunk into the top of Quinn's scalp. You can imagine the scenario. There was blood and lots of screaming. I was freaking out but only at the thought of Hassie Clare having to have gold or silver teeth for the next 3 years! I swear I'm not normally that superficial but come on ... silver teeth?????

Luckily, no cracks in the root. Just bruising and lose teeth for Hassie Clare and 2 little scabs on Quinnie's head.  Dr. Jason did say those 2 teeth will most likely change colors over time but her permanent teeth should be fine. THANK GOD!

BB Hammer's Baptism

Ben Randell Hammer's Baptism (AKA Baby Ben Hammer = BB Hammer)
Beafort, MO
August 9, 2009

One of the best compliments a friend can give you (in my opinion) is asking you to be a Godparent to their child. It spiritually bonds you to that family forever. Asking a friend to carry this role means you want them to be a part of your family forever. I think it is a great way to honor those people in your life that you love and respect. Hassie Clare and Quinn's Godparent's are very special to us and we wanted to honor them, to show them how much we want them to be a part of our lives, not just now but forever. 

I think this is what the Hammer's were thinking when they asked Jamie to be the Godfather to their third child, their first son. Benji (Baby Ben's father) and Jamie have been best buds since early teenage years. Benji understands Jamie in a way not many folks do (or can for that matter). I can totally see why Jamie respects and admires Benji the way he does .... he is a great guy. He is Quinn's Godfather. He and his wife Paige are 2 of our very best friends. We all got married in the same year. Our families have so much in common. We respect them as parents and MAN O' MAN we have fun when we get together. If we lived closer to them, we would be inseparable.

We had a wonderful weekend. We drove up to Union, MO (about an hour east of St. Louis) on Friday night. I think we got in around 2am. Of course my mother in law had everything set up for us. She always makes everything so easy for me. She buys the girls tons of food, always has an endless supply of new toys and just makes things enjoyable for us. On Saturday, Jamie and Benji took all 4 girls swimming. Saturday evening Mae had the weekly family poker game at her house. For the first time all year, I won. It wasn't much but I didn't lose. Sunday we all got up and went to the cute little country church way out in the woods for Mass and the ceremony. Afterwards we went out to the Hammer's BEAUTIFUL house for a reception. The food was fabulous and the company was ever better.

Baby Ben Hammer & The Godfatha

The Godmutha (also one of my very best buds) & The Godfatha

The parents, Godparents and all the kiddos.

The ever so beautiful and intelligent ...... Paige Hammer.

God lord that baby looks just like his father.

The girls loved the floor vents in the church. They loved how it made their dresses

baloon out like Cinderella's.

Jamie was so honored and proud. It was very cool to see him feel so special. In 98% of the pictures I took at the church, he is holding Baby Ben and gazing at him in awe. I have no doubt that he will make a wonderful Godfather to Baby Ben. I know that he will always be there for him and love him with all his heart ... forever and forever.  Amen.  

Things that make me LOL

Last night me, Jamie and the girls were watching a Country Music special on ABC. The girls love music and dancing. Most weeknights we listen to some form of music and cut a rug. The girls love it and it makes Jamie and I forget about the worries of the world, if only for a few minutes.

Last night on this ABC special, they had a bunch of different artists and songwriters performing their songs. Kid Rock and Martina McBride were singing a duet (Pictures - originally sang by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crowe). Hassie Clare walked into the room and said "ahhh, look mommy. Sisters are singing together like Kenny Ray and me." For those of you that don't know, Kid Rock has long hair and usually wears sun glasses while on stage. She said it so sweet and innocently. Jamie and I died laughing.

It was time to go to bed so I told the girls that whatever was playing at the time was the last song. The song ended quickly after I said this so I turned off the TV. Quinn in her ultra, whiny voice said "but mommy, I haven't broken it down yet." When we are dancing and the music gets fast I always say "break it down" and they shake their booty fast all the way to the ground. Jamie and I laughed about this until we feel asleep.

I have been neglectful in blogging lately and I have a handful of fun filled weekends to document. I'm going to attempt to get caught up this week. We shall see.