Those Landrys

Verbatim

2012-02-02T20:13:00.000-06:00

I'm posting this more for me. My kids (specifically Joan) frazzled me today and I need a reminder of how sweet, innocent, and funny they can be at times. Their behavior today really had me forgetting.

"Joan, how'd you get to be so cute?"

"Well, I just figured it out."

"Mom, you're the Queen of the Cleaners of the World."

"Joan, do you need to go to the bathroom?"
"Nope. My poo poo ran out."

"Joan, I'm so glad you're potty trained."
"Me too. But is Papa potty trained?"

"Don't worry, Joan, you won't be sick forever. You'll get better."
"Like in Heaven?"
"Yeah, you're right. We won't ever get sick in Heaven. And we won't be sad or hungry either."
"And no traffic?"

Project Pinterest Play Kitchen

2012-01-30T14:59:00.001-06:00

This was the kitchen the girls have been using for the last 3 years. A co-worker kindly gave it to me before Joan was born and it's gotten lots of use.

It was time for an upgrade, though.

We cashed it in for this little beauty.

I saw these adorable play kitchens repurposed from old night stands and entertainment centers floating around Pinterest and I decided the girls needed one. So one day while I was browsing our local discount store, Dirt Cheap, I found these two bathroom storage cabinets that I knew would be perfect for the job (except that some pieces were missing or damaged... it's cool, though, we made it work). I thought the 2-door cabinet would be deep enough for both a stove and a sink, but it was thinner than I realized. So we had to order a 2-cube organizer from Target to have room for a sink.

Once the pieces were put together, Jude drilled new holes for the hinges so that the oven door would open correctly and he added new hardware (we splurged for something nice and modern).

Then he finally put that wedding registry gift to use (the unopened jigsaw), and created a hole for the sink and plopped down a silver bowl.

And remember that poker chip? We fit it into the base of the P-trap, drilled a hole through it, screwed the P-trap back on and made it into a faucet. I hope I won't be missing that poker chip. It's worth 30 minutes of free babysitting from the babysitting coop I'm in. The way I figure it, this kitchen better occupy my girls for at least 30 minutes, so it should all even out.

Then we got to painting. We used paint we already had from our kitchen island and their school desk. Jude did an excellent job with the microwave, stovetop, and oven.

I love that the cabinet already had a shelf that we use to separate fridge from freezer.

I painted a green tote that we already had white and sewed the curtains and dishtowel.

I only painted the important part of the tote. It was a bit tedious.

We drilled a dowel rod that we already had in from the sides and hung a curtain that hides the sink bowl and their pantry items.

Jude's designing some kitchen art to hang above the stove and sink, but I couldn't wait to post these pictures any longer, so I'll show you that when it's done.

The girls love it and look adorable playing house. But seeing all of their cheap plastic food and plates next to this new modern kitchen really makes me want to run out and buy all new wooden play food and pots. But I won't. Not now anyways.

It was fun working on this with Jude and we completed it fairly inexpensively, at least for what this would cost if sold in stores. Here's the run-down:
Dirt Cheap fridge: $13
Dirt Cheap oven/microwave: $12
Target 2-cube organizer: $20
Faucet knobs: $5
Cup hooks:$1
Stovetop knobs: $2 (I bought plain wooden ones and painted them white)
P-trap faucet: $6
Fabric: $5
Fridge/Microwave/Drawer/Oven hardware: $13 (we could have made this less, but we couldn't help ourselves)
Sink Bowl:$3
Total: $80 (plus some tax which I didn't include to make it sound cheaper...)

Now I just need to get Jude on board with the next Project Pinterest, a bookshelf from this pallet I found on the side of the road.

Well said, Kaitlin

2012-01-29T12:31:00.000-06:00

You should go read what Kaitlin wrote, it's very good.

I won't waste anymore of your time.

I like the bandwagon. It's scenic.

2012-01-26T13:07:00.000-06:00

I bought a pair of TOMS. (Yeah, I'm two years late on that one.)

I joined Pinterest. (I'm not that late, right?)

We started watching Downton Abbey. (But the threat of SOPA is really making that difficult.)

Need more randomness for your Thursday? What does a poker chip and a P-trap have in common?
You'll have to stay tuned...

Making things makes life better: Birthday Gifts

2012-01-24T13:58:00.000-06:00

Jude designed these images for Charlie's birthday, cut them into squares and I decoupaged them onto wooden blocks to create a block puzzle.

I got the original Garanimals blocks at Wal-Mart for like $5 and then sanded down whatever they painted first, then I painted the sides red and yellow. You'd be fine with plain wooden blocks from Hobby Lobby, if you've got one...

Evvy's the head of Quality Control

Will had a Cars 2 themed birthday party, so I created Sally's Cozy Cone Motel from the first movie so that Will could park his hot wheels safely overnight. I did a version of this. Good luck finding solid cones, though. I had to special order them from a nice old man in Columbus (long story). But if you've got a Target, I'm sure you'll be fine...

To the Mothers of Picky Eaters

2012-01-19T14:09:00.004-06:00

First, let's clarify.

If your child turns their nose up at the plate of broccoli in front of them, they're not picky.
If you can manage to get them to try said broccoli, they're not picky.

If your child leaves the crust of their PB&J untouched, they're not picky.
If they prefer their veggies raw, but not cooked, or maybe cooked and not raw, they're not picky.

If they'll eat dinner served in the shape of a monster or princess crown, they're not picky.
If they finish the spoonfuls of green beans on their plate because they helped you "cook" them, they're not picky.

If your child think food is delicious when you drop it into their mouth from up high, they're not picky.
If they only like to eat with toothpicks, chopsticks, or grilling tongs, they're not picky.

Being picky is different.

It's complaining about the temperature of the water in a sippy cup.
It's refusing to eat a popsicle because, surely, it has fruit in it.
It's turning down chocolate milk because hot chocolate is better.
It's the inability to finish half of a PB&J because the crusts are still on.
It's not being able to eat the same exact meal two days in a row, even though it was great the first time.
It's requesting a particular meal and by the time it's ready, it doesn't look good anymore.
It's only liking mac and cheese if it's made with a packet of powder.
It's hating the grilled cheese and PB&J sandwiches from the kid's menu.

So, to the mothers of picky eaters, I'll be toasting to you tonight (as long as the waiter brings my red at room temperature).

We have fun. But I'm too lazy.

2012-01-18T21:30:00.000-06:00

Normally, for the We have fun post, I'd put a montage of random photos and videos up for you guys. But frankly, I don't feel like it.

But this should do, right?

Now, excuse me while I go update my facebook profile pic.

Verbatim

2012-01-14T09:01:00.000-06:00

"Momma, these are for the poor people, who are sick... and lonely... and not comfy."

"Momma, on Tuesday, my throat will hurt really bad."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, and I'm gonna have to go to the doctor's office."
"And what's he gonna say?"
"That I have to have a throat connection."

"Hey Mom! Papa made me hot chocolate!"
"Aw, isn't he just the nicest papa ever?
"Yeah!"
"And who's the nicest Momma ever...?"
"Um, Mrs. Carmen."

If it's not too late,

2012-01-11T14:08:00.000-06:00

check out our Christmas vacation photos by clicking here.

Need a sneak peek?

The girls got the furniture and doll family from the extended fam later, but until then, the Nativity Scene was working out just fine. Didn't know Jesus' stable had solar panels, did ya?

It's a pillow pet!

The St. Joe Stalkers

2012-01-04T08:23:00.000-06:00

We stood in the large gathering space after Mass, waiting for Fr. John to finish greeting people so that we could introduce ourselves as new parishioners. We had just moved into our new house the day before and had seven family members joining us in the pew that morning.

But as I waited for Fr. John to be free, I could tell we were being watched. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a couple that wasn't talking to anyone, but they also weren't leaving. Not sure what to do, we kept waiting. A full head of curly brown hair just popped over and hesitantly spoke. "Are you guys new?"

The excitement on their faces when they learned we were new, recently married, and had a toddler was a relief for us - it's a little daunting starting over in a new place without any friends, especially good Catholic ones and we were just as excited to meet them as they were us. It didn't freak us out in the slightest to have them creeping behind us and being so bold. Probably because we're just as creepy and have stalked a few people in our younger days, too. (Remember when we stalked you, McGraws, after mass at Epiphany and then again at the Sweet Corn Blues Festival and you introduced us to the Gesterlings, who introduced us to the Herrs, who introduced us to Bonnie... and so the story goes? Good things happen when you stalk people... well, holy people.)

We never did get to talk to Fr. John that day. But it doesn't really matter.

Because Kaitlin and Ted (and eventually sweet baby Hannah) became close, close friends of ours. They challenged us, supported us, laughed with us, and cried with us. Their friendship has been one of the greatest blessings we've received while living in Starkville and we will miss them deeply. Ted's new job in Tallahassee starts in two days and as I type, they are caravanning to their new home.

It still seems surreal to me, though. I'm not sad yet - I wasn't even sad when we ended the night last night playing Bohnanza over an enormous bowl of heavily salted popcorn. Maybe it's because I'm in denial, or maybe it's because they'll never really be that far from us. I'll always remember them this way, and it makes me happy, not sad:

So, Kaitlin and Ted, we wish you well.

May God continue to fill your lives with joy and happiness,

and may He bless you with amazing friends in Tallahassee,

as you have been to us, here in Starkville.

Just stay after mass this Sunday. I'm sure something will work out, you big stalkers.

Why I sew.

2012-01-02T19:25:00.000-06:00

Ever since I was young, I've always needed a creative outlet: singing, playing guitar, painting, crafting, writing, and taking photos. Sewing is just an extension of that.

But when I was talking to Jude recently about how much I love sewing, I got to over-analyzing (something I'm also really great at...) and I discovered some pretty deep stuff.

If you're really close to me, you might describe me as a pessimist. I may disguise it with humor and sarcasm, but the message is the same - everything's falling a part, there's no use - no hope. It is what it is and I'm aggravated by it. I'm impatient and want results as soon as possible. I also get easily overwhelmed with lots of information and I'd rather someone else just tell me what to do to get it right.

But when I sew, I become a different person, a better version of Alisha.

Suddenly, I see the possibilities in things and I'm hopeful. I picture what they can be transformed into. An old holy t-shirt is now an adorable ruffle at the bottom of a dress. Everything can be saved and made into something beautiful. I am patient and calm in the midst of a challenge, a problem, or a mistake. I don't doubt myself the way I would in real life.

And even though I occasionally scan the internet for inspirations and tutorials, most of the stuff I do just comes to me. Sometimes, though, when I do find a tutorial that I want to do, I don't even read their directions - I just start and keep trying until it works. I trust that I'll figure it out on my own.

Let's be honest, I'll probably never be as ecofriendly as most of my friends here - they're pretty intense about their organic farming, naturally medicating, personal chicken-coop owning, and responsible consuming. But repurposing stuff makes me feel like I'm doing my part, too (which happens to be way easier than farming, I hear).

And I have to say, I enjoy the recognition. I like knowing that what I've done is tangibly valuable and desired by others. No one is raving about the mac 'n cheese with carrot puree I just made (especially not Joan) but people dig the owls. And they'll buy them.

So now, when filling out a silly questionnaire, I can finally answer "yes," I have a hobby: sewing. But it's so much more than that.

Our Christmas Angel(s)

2011-12-30T19:53:00.000-06:00

Jude and I, sans Joan and Charlotte (more on that later), arrived back to our home in Starkville this evening. Despite the slight chill in the house from being without heat for the past week and a half, our hearts are warm.

The stack of mail that our landlords collected for us contained a thick red envelope with no return address. Inside? Three Visa gift cards totaling $225.

We're a bit stunned, but mostly humbled, that someone (or more than one) thought about us this Christmas season and shared their blessings.

Immediately, we start to wonder who might've done this for us and look for clues, but to no avail. And as we verbally list everyone who it might be, we realize a great thing. There are several people in our lives that are generous and charitable, supportive and loving and it could be any of them - we recognize that our gift is not only the money, but the sheer number of people in our lives that bring us great joy, when so many others go everyday, literally or figuratively, with no one.

Was it you? Is our Christmas Angel reading right now?

If so, thank you.
Thank you for sacrificing, for giving - and for doing it so humbly. You are an example for all, especially us. And it is in that same spirit that we share your gift with someone close by who recently lost their home in a fire, days before their husband was deployed again. So you bless not just us, but those who need it more.

May God be generous to you, as you were to us,
and may His ever-loving presence be with you always.

P.S. You have cute handwriting.

This is your Christmas Card...

2011-12-18T16:50:00.000-06:00

We won't be mailing cards out this year, but that doesn't mean we don't have adorable Christmas photos for your viewing pleasure. Here's a sneak peak of what you'll find when you go to the entire Facebook album:

(Thanks for helping us get this shot, Amy!)

Thanks for the adorable Christmas outfits, Tootsie and Big Poppa!

Can you see Joan's rosy, tear-filled face?

Charlotte just looks skeptical.

We wanted to shake up our store-bought gingerbread house kit, so we made it into a manger scene. I wonder if the Church would consider adding yellow sprinkles to the host, because Baby Jesus was pretty yummy. (That's a Catholic joke. I hope it doesn't offend anyone. Especially Catholics...)

We took that other photo first because I was sure it was going to cave in in a few seconds. I was wrong, the stable supported a few more gumdrops.

This was supposed to be a picture of our first "snow" of the year, but, we live in MS...

I hope you can hear Charlotte singing. It's so hard to catch her. Turn up your speakers.

This is Joan's first pre-school performance.

Since everyone in the world doesn't have Facebook

2011-12-15T07:42:00.000-06:00

These are mostly for the grandparents...

Verbatim (The second one of the day...)

2011-12-13T19:13:00.000-06:00

"I love you, Momma."
"I love you, too, and I'll always be in your heart - (pointing) right there."
"In my breast?"

Verbatim

2011-12-13T08:23:00.000-06:00

"Joan, your friend is Catholic, too."
"Oh, is me Catholic?"
"Yeah, that's where we go to church."
"Ohhh... I know what you're talkin' about - we're holy."

"Oatmeal is soft... like... fluffy pillows."

"Thank you, Momma."
"Oh you're welcome - such sweet manners, it makes my heart smile."
"That's a miracle!"

"I smell popcorn in the air..."

"Momma, when are we moving?"
"Oh, we're not moving. Our house is just right and we'll probably be in it a long time."
"Well, maybe we can just paint it or something. Maybe pink and purple."

"Ok, Joan, do you need to go Pee pee?"
"Nope. And Charlotte already pooped, so we're ready to go."

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

2011-12-08T14:06:00.000-06:00

It's nice being able to go back to last year on the blog and see how we celebrated this day back then. Today was not as elaborate, but still it was special.

The girls colored their Mary images and now she's hanging above their heads, with fluffy clouds this time around.

And now the babies are asleep and Joan's watching her Bernadette movie. Have a great Feast Day!

St. Nick's Day!

2011-12-06T11:02:00.000-06:00

(Yes, it's only 10:40 am and I'm already posting. But I've got to go to "work" in a few minutes so this'll be fast.)

This morning, we found our resident "Elfie" hanging from Joan's stocking. He must've helped old St. Nicholas put chocolates and toothbrushes in the girls' stockings (kind of hypocritical if you ask me).

Design your own toothbrush, best. gift. ever.

Apparently, Elfie tip-toed into the bathroom and stole Charlotte's

gently used toothbrush and put it back in her stocking.

Aren't these pj's that Nanny Chloe and Art got the girls adorable!

We quickly got dressed and honored St. Nick by bringing our gifts for the poor to church - our second year in a row, so technically it's a tradition now.

St. Nicholas, Pray for us.

Making things makes life better: Repurposing Momma's clothes

2011-12-05T09:32:00.000-06:00

We got some much needed babysitting services this weekend, and here's what I did...

This was one of my dresses that I only wore twice. Now it'll get more use. And I've done a dress like this before, but here's the tutorial if you need it again.

This was an old maternity sweater repurposed into a sweater dress. I used this link as a loose guide.

Also done while kid-free that day:

Driving somewhere, getting out of the car, shutting my door, and walking away. (If you have 1+ kids, you know what a blessing this is.)

Eating an entire meal without cutting up baby bites, saying, "take a bite," or almost cussing because someone knocked over the drink again, and carrying on an uninterrupted conversation with my husband.

And lastly, a well-deserved purchase for myself.

I don't even know what to type here.

2011-11-30T20:20:00.000-06:00

We got bad news today.

The bank denied our buyer's offer on the house. If you remember, we were going the short sale route and asking the bank to accept an offer below the amount of our loan, hoping that the value loss of our home and our incredible hardship history would be enough for them to forgive our debt. Well the amount we were asking them to accept is actually $20,000 too low. Our buyers are walking away and now our realtor is trying to find investors who might be interested in buying a rental property.

It makes decorating the tree with ornaments like these, a little less enjoyable.

Let me just catch you up to speed.

2011-11-26T19:07:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful that Thanksgiving is over. But only the part involving a puking, whining 1.5 year old. And in case you were wondering, yes, regurgitating strawberry yogurt 6 times over a 6 hour car ride is as terrible as you'd imagine. Did you know that nightmares can have smells? Charlotte seemed to get better and then sick again over our vacation (someone obviously didn't get her the memo) and now that we're home we've had no puking sessions, but just as much whining. Trust me, the whining is better. (Sarah, we'll talk about sweet Evelyn tomorrow.) By the way, crushed garlic with olive oil rubbed on the feet of sick children should be right up there with, but still below, Holy Water.

Speaking of sweet Evelyn, we've been taking care of her for almost a month (I say we because Jude has been so involved when he gets home and Joan's been so helpful, too) and it's been going great. She really is an easy baby and my days aren't nearly as stressful as I anticipated. I hope it continues to go so well because it's been a great arrangement so far.

Joan's excited about the Christmas season and is currently watching Charlie "Brownie."

I guess this is old news, but did you hear Demi and Ashton are getting a divorce? I was really erked when I saw an article entitled, "How Strong Women Dump Their Misbehaving Men: Demi Moore's Powerful Statement." What bothers me about this and so many other high profile marriages ending the same way is how the media describes the woman (or man) who leaves as strong and it implies that the one who stayed is weak. Let's be honest, it must take a strong person to get through that type of betrayal either way, but doesn't it seem like it might take an even stronger person to forgive and faithfully honor the vows they made even when their spouse didn't? And I'm sure lots of factors come in to play when people are choosing how to move forward, like abuse, the presence of children, the nature of the betrayal, the unwillingness of the spouse to be faithful, etc., but when spouses choose to forgive and honor their commitment, I don't think they're weak. Do you? Think of all of the wives of politicians who've stood by their husbands at press conferences, only to be labeled by the world as weak, stuck because the're financially dependent, or easily manipulated, while women like Jenny Sanford, South Carolina's former first lady, are applauded and cheered. Shame on us.

Sorry, guess that turned into a soap box shpeel. But in other news... I have a new best friend. My pocket calculator. Since moving to a cash-envelope system for groceries and toiletries, I get to the cashier with exact change before they tell me the total. I love the look on their faces.

You know when musicians on TV say that they've been singing since before they could talk? Do you roll your eyes, too? Well, I won't be doing that anymore because we've got proof. Charlotte, who barely says anything (especially words you specifically request) is constantly singing, humming, and making melody. It's a pretty cute sight and if I could ever sneak a video of her, I'll prove it.

Getting your phone out of a guitar's hole is pretty difficult, but putting it in is quite easy. Ask Charlotte.

Making things make life better: Baby Carriers

2011-11-20T16:39:00.001-06:00

I made these doll carriers for the girls for Christmas. I would link to a tutorial, but I just kind of winged it. Charlotte's carrier (the one without pink...) was made first and should be a bit taller. I might add a piece at the bottom to lengthen it. But either way, I think they'll like 'em.

Oh, and Charlotte might not be wearing it properly, so real baby-wearing mamas, please don't jump on my case... ;)

Yes, I just used an emoticon.

Making things make life better.

2011-11-18T15:11:00.000-06:00

Meet Evelyn. She's the sweet little red-head that I take care of everyday.

She's turning one on Monday and since I'm off next week, she got her birthday present today.

I repurposed one of Jude's old sweaters into a hat with ears.

I think she likes it.

And because it would be a crime to hide all that red hair under a cap...

Why do I feel this way?

2011-11-13T13:26:00.000-06:00

*Mom, I know you'll be reading this, so please don't take offense.

Anyone who knows my mom, knows she goes above and beyond what most people would expect of her. She's generous, selfless, and seemingly numb to sacrifice. We're talking the I'll drive 7 hours on Monday to babysit while you go to dinner and drive 7 hours home on Tuesday kind of generous.

Sometimes I feel like I'm taking advantage of her willingness.

Sometimes I feel like I'm giving her the greatest gift, accepting that willingness.

Sometimes I feel like a neglectful parent, letting my 1.5 year old spend the night somewhere else for a week or so, and enjoying that time away from them.

Sometimes I feel like a confident parent, raising a perfectly secure 1.5 year old that can thrive under someone else's supervision for several nights.

We trust my parents, we trust Jude's parents. We know that when our children are with them, they are being treating with love and surrounded by safety and they honor our parental wishes (most of the time - chocolate before dinner? I don't want to know.). But for whatever reason, this internal dialogue is going on.

Maybe it's because I can often remember spending the week at my grandmother's house in the summer, but Jude never did. But, he lived in the same town as his and saw them often. Mine lived in other cities. Maybe it's because I don't know many friends who send their kids away overnight. Even my sister is hesitant to send her children to MS with my parents when they're coming for a visit. Maybe it's because I'm a well-adjusted product of parents that both worked and utilized daycares and babysitters, but now I'm a full-time mother responsible for the large majority of the caregiving.

It seems like my gut is saying, "It's fine. You love your children and are comfortable with the people they're staying with - what's the problem?" And my all-to-aware self-consciousness is saying, "But they don't do it, they don't do it. They're your kids - you should be taking care of them."

I don't really know what I'm looking for here - someone to affirm my gut or lists reasons why they agree with the opposite. Just typing it all out has already helped a little. But feel free to chime in on the discussion. I'll try not to worry too much about what everyone else is doing, although it sure would be nice to hear, "Oh, Alisha, you're not a terrible mother," from someone else besides my gut. Though, she's usually right...

Nothing worth sharing

2011-11-11T14:04:00.000-06:00

Jude and I are going to see The Avett Brothers play for free tonight in Starkville. And particularly on this Veteran's Day, certain lines from their song, "Murder in the City," speak to the incredible sacrifice so many military families have made for the safety and comfort of my own. In case you don't want to listen to the whole song, the beautiful lines:

Make sure my sister knows I loved her
Make sure my mother knows the same
Always remember, there is nothing worth sharing
Like the love that let us share our name

A "thank you" seems lacking.

Sisters

2011-11-10T15:00:00.000-06:00

Everyday, I'm so thankful that these girls have each other.

To see more photos like this, click here!

Verbatim. One of the sweetest.

2011-11-03T15:45:00.000-05:00

"Momma, I want freckles all over my body."
"You do? Why?"
"So I can be a mommy."
"You don't have to have freckles to be a mommy. Do you still want them?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I love you."

I'm glad that's over.

2011-11-02T21:37:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad to be done with Halloween. You know you've gone to too many costume-wearing events when you've had to wash the costumes at least once before real trick-or-treating even begins. It started with the Pumpkin Palooza event downtown (you've already seen those photos here), followed by costume day for Joan's class, a Saturday Halloween party for the entire school, Trunk-or-Treat at St. Joseph's, costume day at the library, and finally the real trick-or-treating.

Halloween shouldn't be this big of a deal. Next year won't be for the Landry's. Promise.

But still, these photos sure are cute, huh? (You have to click "photos," remember...)

Sauteing sucks.

2011-11-02T17:21:00.000-05:00

Why can't I do what should be the most simple kitchen task (other than boiling water), sauteing?!

Too much butter or oil? Too little?

Too high of a flame? Too low?

Cooking too long? Too short?

What's the deal, people! Send me your suggestions on how to successfully saute onions and such before cooking. Why do I keep ending up with crunchy and sometimes crispy ones? And give me specifics.

And Kristi, if you're reading, I tried really hard - for like 30 minutes on low heat - to get those veggies soft. I hope they're ok...

Happy All Saints Day!

2011-11-01T20:36:00.000-05:00

This day was a little low-key for us because it was my first day taking care of a friend's little girl full-time. But we made sure to get some halo donuts this morning before Pop left for work.

Before Evelyn came over, I cut Joan's hair short - you know, like St. Joan of Arc probably had it (minus the bow, of course).

(Yes, she's holding a bag of Whoppers.

How do you think I was able to cut 3 inches off in a straight line...)

For night prayer, we lit four candles for our deceased family members, friends, clergy, and those forgotten and we watched this short litany of the saints video that Bonnie posted on our tv (a nice feature of having our computer connected to it). Joan just loved all of the images and by the end of the song, she finally started singing, "Pray for us."

I'm not really sure what's planned for tomorrow. Maybe something will come by Divine Inspiration.

My Sweet Cloth Diapers,

2011-10-30T19:16:00.000-05:00

What has become of us? We used to be so in love. Remember when we were gonna change the world - make it a better place? What happened?

I know I messed up with the Desitin in the very beginning, but I was young and naive. I thought you had forgiven me. Why do you keep punishing me with your stench and leakiness? Can't we just get past it?

I don't know what else to do to show you that I'm in it for the long run. I've tried, and tried, and tried. The ever changing detergents, experimental washing routines, Dawn stripping sessions for countless hours, and intense scrubbing baths have done us no good. Remember when I even tried to spice it up with calgon and vinegar, you didn't even notice.

I'm not saying we're over. I still want it to work. But you have to meet me half way - you've got to do your part. I think we should just take some time and think about things, maybe see other people for a while.

But I'm serious, if we decide to try it again, and you don't straighten up, you're gone and you can be someone else's problem. I'll talk to you next week. Don't try calling.

Sincerely,

Alisha

Verbatim

2011-10-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

I don't really have a great St. Jude Feast Day sort of post because all we did was go bowling and eat pizza per the request of our very own special resident, Jude. But we all know it's almost a hopeless cause to try to break a 100 when you let your 1 and 3 year olds push a pink 8 pounder down the ramp. Even more so when you forget to ask for bumper pads...

"Momma, what's this?"
"That's a credit card."
"Aw. Is it broken?"
"No, we cut it up."
"Why did you do that?"
"Because we don't want to use it anymore to buy stuff. We want to use our real money - like from the piggy bank."
"Oh, ok... I'll take your money, then."
"Don't worry. You already do."

"Look, Charlotte! It's the light of America, the Sun!"

"Mom, when they're ready for me, I can go to high school. Is that cool?"
"Yeah, Joan. But I don't know if high school will ever really be ready for you."

"Do you know how boo-boos can come off? They come off in a few weeks."

"I said hi to the cat, but he didn't answer me because I'm in the car and cats can't talk."

"Momma, there's not gonna be any 'thank yous' today."
"What do you mean? Why not?"
"Because Charlotte's never gonna learn."

"Joan, please pick up all of these colors."
"But I can't. With all my heart, I can't."

"I'm the new queen of America. Nice to meet you, y'all."

"Oh, Joan - your toenail polish looks pretty. Papa did a good job. But he didn't paint your fingernails?"
"He did. I just licked them off."

Cautiously Optimistic

2011-10-26T20:29:00.000-05:00

That's what we are right now.

We received an offer on the house Tuesday (the 4th one we've accepted), and for a while I was thinking that we'd keep it to ourselves in the hopes of keeping our emotional roller coaster in idle, just in case things went sour.

But we realize that your care, concern, prayers, and encouragement have been such a vital part of our sanity (or lack thereof at times), and we'd like for you to keep it up in the very near future - unless of course this is all too much for you. You are free to hop off at any time... the loan, after all, is not in your name.

So yeah. This is the beginning of what could be the end. But first, we have lots of paper work, hardship letters, financial statements, and other dead trees to fill out. It could be a few months of all of this and then a big fat, NO!

And so we remain, cautiously optimistic.

Just another evening with Those Landrys.

2011-10-25T18:55:00.000-05:00

Look familiar?

Honestly, this sort of stuff happens every night without my prompting. It's very easy to "catch" this Papa in such a moment.

Making things make life better.

2011-10-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

Wee-Wee Wigwams for my friend who had her first baby boy after three little girls.

It makes me want to change a boy's diaper.

A tail gating dress for little Liza

I desperately wanted this comforter for the playroom and I shuffled around money in my haircutting budget to pay for it. (One of Jude's design students cut my hair for free this month.)

I found it at Dirt Cheap (a crazy weird, and messy discount store) and there was only one for a twin mattress. I cut off the sides of the original khaki bedspread and sewed it to my new one to widen it for our double bed. Voila!

And just in time for cold, fall weather... a bright, cheerful, ruffled apron dress for Joan. I guess that's what long-sleeved undershirts and tights are for...

I had lots of issues with this dress and this little tie in the back was the best and most feasible solution. I'm calling it done, even though it's not exactly what I envisioned.

Ruffles were meant for twirls, right?

The tutorial for the wee-wee wigwams and the inspiration for the ruffled dress were found on my go-to repurposing blog, Make It and Love It.

For just $24.95,

2011-10-20T14:15:00.000-05:00

3.5 years worth of photo keepsaking has been restored! I just renewed our Flickr account and thankfully it saved all of the sideshows and videos I've loaded throughout the years. (And Kaitlin, this means that your videos should also be working.)

But I still think I'll be linking to a facebook album in the future - you can view those images larger and my slideshows don't let you do that and I only have to load them once.

That's it. I just thought I'd wipe my forehead and say, "Phew!" in front of everyone.

Let's try something new.

2011-10-17T14:32:00.000-05:00

Some of you who have blogs and who frequent your Facebook accounts, know how difficult it can be to share photos on both. It takes forever to load, edit, tag, and give descriptions. So I'm going to condense the two and send everyone to a Facebook link where you can view all of the photos I'd normally put on here. If you're hesitant to follow yet another link on someone's blog, let me entice you...

There's more where this came from, but you have to go here.

(And a sad side note, in the attempts to find pennies in our budget, we didn't renew a Flickr pro account that we've been paying for and in doing so, I think it took all of the photos from the last 2 years off of my blog... sniff, sniff. Now I have to find a way to republish all of them again. So if you're looking for photos or videos from years back, you probably won't find them for a long while. Ugh.)

Another reason why we're married.

2011-10-13T08:28:00.000-05:00

I went to Jude's car this morning to get a spare yellow notepad that he keeps in the door side. The top sheet read:

Kill two birds...
and you'll hear from PETA.

Don't count your chickens...
without a calculator.

When life hands you lemons...
hand them back. You didn't want them, remember?

Finishing well known phrases with a bit of skepticism and sarcasm? Just another game we play. Everyone should be so blessed to marry their best friend and the person they like hanging out with most - marriage is a lot of hanging out.

I'm taking suggestions for the title of this game. Suggest away and happy playing.

Verbatim

2011-10-11T14:31:00.002-05:00

"Papa, who was that?"
"A man to help us sell the house."
"Why do you sell it?"
"Because we don't have enough money to keep it."
"Maybe you can buy a house with money in it."
Genius.

"There's no game today, Joan. We're gonna watch MSU on the television."
"What's a television?"

Quickly crossing the parking lot towards the Wal-Mart entrance,
"Run Momma! Run your errands!"

"Mom, can I watch a movie now?"
"No. You already watched one and sometimes you watch too many. It's better for your brain to play or read. Did you know that?"
"Yeah - but my brain is not in my head anymore, so now can I watch a movie?"
Genius. Definitely still a brain in there...

"Aw, Joan - are you ok? You hurt yourself but you're not crying."
"Well, my tears are not coming out of my eyes because they can't come until next week."

Let me catch you up to speed.

2011-10-09T14:46:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, we listed our house for $99,900 in the hopes of going through with a short sale. Our short sale negotiator is in contact with the lender and it seems like they're at least willing to move forward with this option fairly quickly. We have yet to get an offer, though. How does a house lose $40,000 (or more) in 4 years?

Monday, Jude and I drove to Birmingham to see FLEET FOXES live at the Historic Alabama Theatre. Yes, in our minivan. They were uh-mazing. 3-4 guys singing harmony at any given time - just beautiful. It was making me all nostalgic, reminiscing about our quick trips to Houston or Chicago to see great music and rushing back for work in the morning, minus the whole kids part... But, we sat next to a middle-aged couple (50ish) from around the area that go to concerts on almost a weekly basis - they totally gave us hope. We were running late, so we only got to eat at a quick chain restaurant (Moe's Southwest Grill, which reminded me of Bloomington...) and we drove back after the show. Big thanks to Gigi, who came for the weekend to watch the girls while we were gone!

On Thursday, I got my implant. Well, the beginnings of it, anyway. I met with the oral surgeon who sliced up my gum to put in a little screw. After this heals, and a few more appointments, the dentist will put on a replacement tooth. I've always had a missing molar on the bottom that never grew in and soon that'll be filled in. I've never been under the "laughing" gas before and I totally get why people do drugs. I do. I felt like I had just been given a massage and accidentally fell asleep on the table instead of getting dressed like the masseuse asked me to. The oral surgeon politely asked me, "Who's here with you today?" and because I thought he was trying to check how under the influence I was, I responded with, "Just you." He laughed and asked, "Is anyone here to drive you back?" And because I'm so smooth, "No. Are you going to drive me home...?" Yeah, I liked the laughing gas.

Also on Thursday night, we went to our weekly Dave Ramsey class that our church is hosting. I know that some may be a little skeptical or hesitant of popular money saving/making strategies or philosophies out there. But I assure you, the practical, old-school view that Dave is reminding us about has already started to pay off. Literally pay off. No more student loans! Only that beautiful minivan that drives us to amazing concerts... that's it. (We're not even acknowledging the house at this point...). It makes me so thankful for our parents' examples of living frugally, giving, and saving because I know we'd be so much worse off. But the practical application of saving up for something over the course of 12 months, filling out a budget every month, and allocating extra money to areas you most need it has really been great for us. We finally feel like we're telling our money what to do instead of being surprised by expenses as they happen.

On Friday, I took the girls to a pumpkin patch with our group of friends. Hayrides, tire swings, corn kernel sandboxes, trackers, and picnic lunches. I haven't looked at the photos yet, but they'll be on their way soon.

And now you're up to speed.

The Second Reading

2011-10-02T13:13:00.000-05:00

Apparently, today's Second Reading was for me. Thanks, St. Paul.
(I bolded the text particularly striking for me)

"Brothers and sisters:
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you."

Philipians 4:6-9

I've been thinking a lot lately about how to logistically live in peace, when surrounded by junk. And St. Paul says something really obvious, but really profound for me, "... whatever is lovely... worthy of praise, think about these things." I'm so bad at focusing on the problems. Poor Jude, he knows. And since I can't count on my circumstances to ever get better - no one can - I must, by the grace of God, recognize the lovely, those worthy of praise, and I must make conscious efforts to do this daily.

This reminds me of a passage from one of my favorite texts written by Thomas Kempis, The Imitation of Christ:

"Do no think, therefore, that you have found true peace when you feel no grief, or that all is well with you when you have no adversary, or that all is perfect when everything happens as you desire, or even that you are great in God's sight or especially loved by Him because you have great fervor in devotion and great sweetness in contemplation. A true lover of virtue is not known by these things, and the true perfection of man does not stand in them."

True peace is independent of all of this. Good times or bad, peace remains. And a virtuous life, fruitful and honorable, is the road to that peace. I can't remember if it's in The Imitation of Christ or Introduction to the Devout Life, but one of the authors reflects on the importance of this inner altar or tabernacle that holds the presence of Christ within so guarded and protected that it is unaffected by outside conditions. Even favorable conditions mean nothing because the presence of Christ within is unchanging, it is Truth.

I must come back to that practice, kneeling before Christ, present in the living tabernacle of my heart, and resting in His peace, whether it's raining or shining outside.

(And it's also probably a good idea to keep running and eating better... must keep that living tabernacle pumping...)

21 Questions

2011-09-28T17:28:00.000-05:00

First, let me say that I have truly felt your thoughts and prayers over the last couple of days. My days have been better, and I appreciate your concerns.

Now, on to lighter topics... My friend Amy did this with her son, Will, and I thought Joan might have some funny answers, too. So here are Joan's responses to questions all about her Momma:

1. What is something Momma always says to you?
"Camera!" and "Say my manners." (The two most important things, right?)

2. What makes Momma happy?
Smiles.

3. What makes Momma sad?
Being mad.

4. How does Momma make you laugh?
You trick me.

5. What was Momma like as a child?
Like being friends. (Not sure...)

6. How old is Momma?
Three.

7. How tall is Momma?
[arm stretched high] Big.

8. What is Momma's favorite thing to do?
Well, I like to play with my camera and you like to play with that fan. (I'm not really that interesting I guess.)

9. What does Momma do when you're not around?
Hide. (it feels that way sometimes)

10. If Momma becomes famous, what will it be for?
It will be for Jesus! (Aw, I hope so!)

11. What is Momma really good at?
At playing games.

12. What is Momma not very good at?
Writing books. (Great. My life's ambition... Would this be a good time to tell her about Ruby Makes Do?)

13. What does Momma do for her job?
Play the computer. (uh-oh!)

14. What is Momma's favorite food?
Salad.

15. What makes you proud of Momma?
Saying her prayers. (So sweet.)

16. If Momma were a cartoon character, who would she be?
A pie maker. (You know, because I make all those pies...)

17. What do you and Momma do together?
We play and be best friends.

18. How are you and Momma the same?
Tall. (guess we need to work on what "the same" means...)

19. How are you and Momma different?
My hair is wet but yours isn't.

20. How do you know Momma loves you?
Being my friend.

21. Where is Momma's favorite place to go?
To the park. (Apparently getting to the park everyday is for my sake.)

Well, that seems about right.

2011-09-25T20:36:00.000-05:00

If you've talked to me recently, you know that I'm in a pretty bad funk. So bad that I wanted to write a post all about it, listing every synonym for funk here for you to see (because, you know, writing funk once can't possibly convey the message by itself.)

Funny little thing though. Thesarus.com refused to load the page for funk. And in fact, the mouse cursor stopped working and I couldn't even find the arrow on my screen.

And that's about right.

I feel like every day there's one (but usually seven) small moments of trial that I'm met with. Things rarely seem to go smoothly for me when I set out to accomplish something - from sending a package in the mail (almost three weeks ago that still hasn't gotten there), to consistently missing the return phone call of the insurance agent who instinctively calls when I'm putting Charlotte to sleep, to the technical difficulties of Skype that keep us from video chatting with family.

I know these things happen to everyone everyday and it seems silly to get all in a frenzy about them - but gosh, they add up. My coping skills are maxed out from normal daily life with 2 small ones and the extreme financial strain we're under at the moment (Dave Ramsey, your Financial Peace University has its work cut out) - I can't take these little dramas. I have no more resources or skills to pull from and I think I'm drowning.

I mean - we brought our girls to the church nursery today before Mass even started. If you know us, you know that's a big deal. I really needed church. I really needed Jesus, and joy, and peace, and silence, and grace. Oh, grace - God grant me grace.

Maybe I need counseling (or no more calls from the mortgage lender), because really - what good am I if I break down balling at every burnt piece of toast or warm tub of yogurt placed on the pantry shelf instead of in the refrigerator?

And the worst part to me about feeling like this (other than feeling like a terrible wife and mother) is that I have no energy for others. I don't feel like calling them, checking in on them, wishing them happy birthdays, commenting on their photos or blogs, making them dinners or handmade gifts, or writing them cards or emails. And if I've done these in the recent future, I'm faking it. I really just feel like sleeping, standing in a hot shower, or eating bread and butter. That's my pity-party. (And I'm sorry you had to show up.)

I know the problem is at my core. I can't depend on my circumstances to be ideal everyday, no one's are. I need to be at peace within, solid through and through, so that these random acts of madness don't get at me. I just don't know how to get there exactly - healthy diet and exercise? more prayer? acts of selflessness and generosity? all of those?

Dear God,
Please help me get there,
or if nothing else,
just stay with me here.
Amen.

Verbatim

2011-09-20T20:14:00.000-05:00

Today was a pretty rotten day. I won't upset you with all of the details, instead, let's slap on a Verbatim and pretend it wasn't that bad.

"I wish our door was pink and purple."

"Momma, I need a baby brother to stay at my house. So when Charlotte is gone, then I can have my brother."
"No, honey, Charlotte doesn't have to leave, you can still have a brother with her here, too."
"Well... no. I can't until Charlotte is gone."

"Papa, you be the coach - I'll be the winner."

"Is Disney World in Heaven?"

"C'mon, Joan. You need to keep eating."
"Oh sorry, I was counting my nose."
"Counting your nose? Well, how many do you have?"
"Just the one."

"I wish there was a rainbow in Mississippi. Don't you?"

"Does Mississippi have karate?"

"Are you done feeding Charlotte breasts?"

Three More Days...

2011-09-18T12:49:00.001-05:00

So, Jude left for Minnesota today (because he's a famous graphic designer, having his own exhibition and giving fancy lectures to college students) and as we were leaving the airport, I told Joan that Papa would back in just three days. Her response, "Can we listen to the three more days song, then?"

Yes, darling, we can.

The Resurrection of the Tree Swing

2011-09-17T09:06:00.000-05:00

Remember this? Well it has been replaced!

Thank you Nanny, Uncle Brandon, Emily, and Madelyn!! (And our amazing landlords who allowed us to put the swing in their "jungle.")

Making things make life better. Update

2011-09-13T17:05:00.001-05:00

Ok, I'm ready to retire from dressmaking. At least for the next week.

I wanted two tailgating dresses each for the girls (you know, for when my housekeeper doesn't stay on top of the laundry. [side note: yesterday I did 9 loads of laundry. Nine. Sure, it included sheets and a round of cloth diapers, but still, nine.]).

What I love about this dress? It looks effortless and simple.
What I hate about this dress? It was difficult and complicated.
But I'm only referring to the braided collar. I made three different braids of varying color and width, hand stitching them all and finally settling on one. Then I made a cute little bulldog paw to stitch on the dress, but decided against it. I'm obsessed with the final product and am now jealous that I can't fit into it...

** I originally forgot to link to the tutorial that I used for this. Make it and Love it is also where I found inspiration for Joan's braided dress.

It's somebody's birthday...

2011-09-12T08:44:00.000-05:00

Making things make life better.

2011-09-10T17:50:00.000-05:00

(These are already on facebook, so if you've seen them, sorry.)

I've been having a little artsy itch in my belly recently - it's probably the beautiful weather we've been having that just makes me want to do something pretty. So here's what I've been up to...

This was a random adult's shirt that a friend passed along to me.

It is now a great tailgating dress.

This is my first attempt at ruffles. And after many hours,

I finally figured them out.

The skirt was also a friend's old shirt. Thanks, Ted.

I finally made something for Charlotte to wear tailgating - and from scratch (I have to say, I really patted myself on the back for this one.). This dress really made me want to take sewing lessons or actually open up a pattern and learn how to use them.

Life might be a little easier afterward...

It looks like you could actually buy it in a store!

I even used the fake bow to hide snaps!

Oh this? I just found an old beat up bookshelf on the side of the road and freshened it up.

And this was purchased at a thrift store. The yellow makes it funky.

I hated the way this shirt fit me. But I love the way it fits Joan!

Jersey braids? My new favorite thing.

They might just be the cutest little girls at Davis Wade Stadium.

Gosh. I want these dresses for me...

Go State! (But really, you should have won today.)

Happy Belated Birthday, Mother Mary!

2011-09-09T16:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks for waiting until I could make it to the store to get your cup cake stuff!

I can't believe it's already been a year since we started celebrating life more liturgically. It's been such a blessing and hopefully very memorable for the girls.

Isn't Joan just so precious?!

A blogger invite

2011-09-08T22:39:00.001-05:00

Bonnie invited me to answer a few questions for the handful of you who read my blog. Here it goes.

What is your occupation right now? Wife and mother, aspiring to be a true seamstress and children's book author, (if I always use the word, aspire, it won't matter if it never happens, right?). But in another life, I would have been a graphic designer, fashion designer, interior designer, screenplay writer, or photographer. (Well, don't those make me sound so artsy? Maybe I'll do one of 'em when I retire.)

What are you listening to right now? NBC Sports football commentary for the Saints game online. Have you met my husband, Jude? I've got his football game on the left side of the screen while I type this post in a separate window on the right. We're sitting beside one another. Marital compromise at its best. (But if you mean current music, it's Fleet Foxes on repeat - preparing for the awesome show next month!!)

What was the last thing that you ate? An oatmeal cookie at a photography exhibition's opening reception. Black and white photos of the 1930's. So beautiful.

How old are you today? 27

What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Football. But I really love to watch hockey live.

What is your favorite drink? Sangria. Definitely on a sangria kick right now. And though I've stopped drinking cokes everyday, Cherry Coke will always be near to my heart.

What is your new favorite song? "Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes

What is the last movie you watched? The Killers with Ashton Kutchur and Katherine Heigl. Definitely a bust. We made so much fun of it the entire way through and I strongly suggest you skip this on Netflix Instant. (We should have gone with that Dorian Gray flick like I suggested. Has anyone seen it?). Oh wait, the 3rd season of True Blood came in the mail and we watched that yesterday.

Favorite day of the year? I don't really know. But I typically like Fridays.

What was your favorite toy as a child? Ok. This sounds weird. But my cousins had this life sized stuffed doll with yellow yarn hair and ruby red lips that I think my aunt Gisele made. They used it in a talent show while lip-syncing to The Beach Boys "Barbara Ann." They gave it to me and my sisters when it was over and we played all kinds of stuff with that doll. I also liked to pass time with my Skip-It.

What is your favorite season? Fall. Silly question.

Cherries or Blueberries? I'm sure my foodie friends would disapprove, but I love maraschino cherries and pride myself on the ability to tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue... But to eat fresh cherries or blueberries? No thank you. However, I love any baked good with either.

When was the last time you cried? A few days ago. I'm worried about possible thyroid issues and symptoms.

What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes.

Who is the friend you have had the longest? Lori. It feels like I've been friends with Jude, though, my entire life.

What did you do last night? I took Joan and Charlotte to get a free cookie at Zaxby's to celebrate her first day of school while Jude was at a meeting. Then I watched True Blood with Jude.

What are you most afraid of? That Jude will either die or become severely disabled, leaving me responsible for it all. Also, Hell.

How many states have you lived in? 3: Louisiana, Illinois, and Mississippi. I wish I lived in the physical town of Bloomington-Normal, just as it is with its stores, parks, churches, schools, and activities (minus the weather), but with Mississippi State University replacing Illinois State for Jude to work at, and located in Lafayette, Louisiana, close to family. Why can't I have my cake and eat it too?

What is your favorite kind of flower? I'm not really partial. But I kind of hate carnations.

Poor Jude. He's been a good sport. Now it's time to give him the full screen, just in time to see them lose.

Verbatim

2011-09-07T21:15:00.000-05:00

"Ok, Joan, let's go to Columbus."
"But I'm tired."
"You can rest on the way. It's kind of far."
"But do they have a bed for me in Columbus?"
"Ha, ha. No."
"Ok, well I'll close my eyes, take a deep breath, and go to Columbus."

"Hey, Charlotte - Are you talking about Willis?!"
(Whatcha talkin' 'bout Willis?)

"Joan, please don't blow your spit on me - that's gross."
"No, it's just a splash and will make you be warm."

"Joan, if some of the kids at school aren't being nice or they're being too rough, I want you to tell them, 'No thank you. That hurts my feelings.'"
"Ok, but they'll be nice to me, Momma. Don't worry."

"Hey! Can you show me the way to Flynn Ryder's castle?!"

"Joan, please stop hitting us with the blankets. It kind of hurts."
"But they don't have swords on them..."

Loudly in the dressing room,
"Oh! I like that skirt, Momma! And it matches your panties!"

"Momma, can you lay with me tonight?"

"No, sweetie. The angels and saints will lay with you."

"But they can't because they're working."

"Working?"

"Yeah - on the barn because the pigs and everyone don't have enough food. And that's why they're working. So you have to stay tonight."

"Nice try."

And this post wouldn't be complete without photos from Joan's first day at school. She'll be going 4 hours, twice a week to a little preschool at a family resource center in town - and it's free! She had a great time today and the only "on the verge of tears" we saw was when we showed up to take her home... oh well...

Dear A&E,

2011-09-05T09:36:00.000-05:00

Is 3 years old too young to be on Hoarders or Intervention? Because Joan is starting to worry me...

And it looks like her tendencies might be genetic...

I think Joan needs "The Talk..."

2011-09-02T10:04:00.000-05:00

... on the Moral Implications of Cloning.

Football is here!

2011-08-31T21:37:00.001-05:00

Alisha's currently in the living room sewing, so I (Jude) am hijacking the blog tonight. Sure, we can't sell our house and our credit will suffer for years, but none of that matters. Know why? Tomorrow the first game of the college football season starts when Mississippi State plays Memphis. You probably know that I'm nuts about football, especially when it comes to Mississippi State. If you didn't know, my office is about a one minute walk from Davis Wade Stadium. I have to drive past Davis Wade everyday to get to work - how could I not think about football all the time?

I thought I'd share a few things here on the blog, both past and present, about Mississippi State football from my point of view as a fan.

1. ATMOSPHERE

Tailgating last fall with the whole family.

One reason I love Mississippi State football is the game day atmosphere. I went to Louisiana Tech, where there wasn't much in terms of tailgating or rivalries. Here in Starkville, though, game day is a big deal. Did you know our stadium holds over 55,000 people, but only 25,000 people live in Starkville? It's crazy to think how many people travel to our little town every other weekend in the fall just for football. Before the game, we hang out, eat, drink, and play games. It's a great time to relax and spend time with good people. Once we get inside for the game, it's a great show, regardless if we win or lose. Planes fly overhead, the band plays, the team plays of course, and we have one of the largest high definition screens in the country. That sounds stupid as I write it but it really is cool. I live in a small town, and I'm getting old, there's not much to entertain me around here.

2. TRADITIONS
There are several interesting traditions that are important to Mississippi State fans. The first is that we call our school STATE for short. It's easier than yelling out all the syllables in Miss-iss-ipp-eee. Plus it's the word that differentiates us from our rival, the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Another new tradition is that we never refer to our rival by their name, so we call them "The School Up North" (TSUN for short). Our mascot is the bulldog, our colors are Maroon and White, and we ring cowbells at the games. I won't spend time explaining it all, so if you're curious about these traditions, Click Here.

3. HIGHLIGHTS (If you don't want to watch videos, then just scroll down)
Below, you'll find a selection of my favorite STATE videos from YouTube. They are all from the last two years, from the time I've been an employee at Mississippi State. We didn't win all the games in these videos, but they're great to watch nonetheless.

This run is ridiculous. They couldn't tackle Dixon is because they were trying to strip the ball out instead of bringing him down, but I'm still amazed that he stayed on his feet. Look for my boy Sam Krusee at the 0:22 mark, the blonde guy with the L on his chest.

Why is this awesome? Well, Florida was ranked #1, our coach is their former offensive coordinator, and they were about to score before halftime until this pick-6 changed the momentum of the game. Plus, it was off of Tebow. We still lost the game, but we beat them the next year! My favorite part? The look on the Florida girl's face at 0:26!

Check out this clip from the Gator Bowl, especially the great block by Brandon Heavens that takes out two Michigan defenders. Too bad Perkins didn't get the TD.

This shows two great plays by our quarterback Chris Relf against Arkansas. Fun Fact: Chris Relf and I share the same birthday, May 26. Coincidence, or fate?

There's nothing I love more than a pick-6 (When a player intercepts the ball and returns it for a touchdown). Corey Broomfield has done this many times but I enjoy his swagger in this one against Houston.

No one likes Cam Newton, so it feels good to watch him get intercepted by Nickoe Whitley.

Vick Ballard transfered to Mississippi State from a Junior College last year, and he made quite an impact by breaking the school record for rushing touchdowns in a season. I love this guy.

4. 2011 PREDICTIONS

Last year we went 8-4 in the regular season, plus a big bowl win over Michigan. I expect us to do better this year, so I'm going to go with a 9-3 season. If I had to guess where those 3 losses will come, I'd guess Georgia, Arkansas, and Alabama. If we go 9-3 in the SEC, that's an excellent season. We are currently ranked 20th in the country.

Chris Relf will throw for 2,300 yards, and Vick Ballard will break the 1,000 yard rushing mark.

Our defense will once again be a top 20 team in terms of points allowed.

Chad Bumphis will return a kickoff for a touchdown AGAINST an SEC team.

WE WILL BEAT LSU IN TWO WEEKS.

5. Everything Else
Last year, one of our defensive players, Nick Bell, passed away from cancer at the age of 20. I recently finished this illustration of him as a way to honor his memory and contributions to Mississippi State. Click on the image to see it larger.

To wrap up, I'm thrilled about this year for many reasons. We have season tickets, so we'll easily be able to see all the home games. Tailgating is a lot of fun, and we have to thank the Whatley family for inviting us to tailgate with them last year. Their love for Mississippi State has definitely influenced me and Alisha. The buzz around our program this year is infectious. The SEC is the best football conference in the country, and I'm glad to be a part of it. Let's wrap this up with the fight song:

Hail dear 'ole State!
Fight for that victory today.
Hit that line and tote that ball,
Cross the goal before you fall!
And then we'll yell, yell, yell, yell!
For dear 'ole State we'll yell like H-E-L-L!
Fight for Mis-sis-sip-pi State,
Win that game today!

GO STATE!

So this is the end, yet only the beginning.

2011-08-30T17:35:00.000-05:00

I'm not really sure where this post will go, I'm kind of raw right now. So buckle up...

We're walking away from the house. The house in Bloomington that we've been trying to get rid of since February 2009. Technically, there's a year in there somewhere when we had a renter (you, know waiting for the market to "rebound.") but we all know how that ended. Either way, this burden has been pretty heavy for the last 2.5 years.

There's a dilemma within me - wanting to explain everything, analyze everything, re-do everything and at the same time forget everything and not think of it ever again. There's a part of me that wants to list all of the things we did to try to get it sold or all of the disasters that have happened since we've tried to sell it, as if having your sympathy or pat-on-the-back would make me feel better. But I'm striving to be a little more like St. Gerard this year... (I'm not that great at it...)

The hardest thing about walking away from it is that honestly, I thought it was going to sell before we moved to Starkville (August 2009). Then I thought we'd sell it by the time Charlotte was born (July 2010). Then I thought we'd sell it by the end of this summer (August 2011). I had real, authentic faith that God was going to take this from us in a very normal way, a closing date at a bank somewhere. I was even able to let go of the desire for profit, and trust that even having to pay at closing, God would find us a buyer. I'm not saying those years were void of blessings. God knows we still lived very well and learned a ton about prayers and petitions, suffering and redemption, patience and faith. But in the end, I thought the house would sell after we "got" it all.

I really have some issues to work out between me and God, because honestly, I'm a little heartbroken things didn't work out differently. I'm not sure how to process all of this disappointment for the past 2.5 years without a seemingly good resolution. I hope that in 5, 10, maybe 25 years, hindsight will be my best friend. But I've come to the understanding that even then, this whole mess might not make a load of sense and maybe never will in this lifetime. All I can hope for is that at the hour of my death, I won't have to suffer anymore and God'll say, "Remember that house? Yeah... come on in." (Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.)

And on top of the disappointment, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of the implications people will draw from our circumstances and push further from God. I'm afraid of the next possible steps - short sale, foreclosure, bankruptcy - and the effects on our lives years from now. I'm afraid that though this is the end, it's really only the beginning. And I'm kind of tired - I'm not ready for a whole new year's worth of struggle.

I just want someone to rip the band-aid off already. You know?

I'm not sure if I'll revisit this topic again, or if I'll keep you posted on how this really wraps up in the next few months or year. You might be just as tired of all of this as we are and would rather read Verbatims. I don't blame you. But please know that we have only made it through this somewhat sanely thanks to your prayers, concern, support, and encouragement. Thank you ever so much.

Just call me Dorothy.

2011-08-24T15:27:00.000-05:00

(I know, Kaitlin. You think I should wait to put these up as a surprise in October, but how could someone have all of these cute photos on their computer and not share them...)

We seemed to have stumbled upon this year's Halloween ensemble for Joan, all from friends' hand-me-downs. Now we just need to find a little black dog costume, size 12-18 mos...

Just call me Dorothy.

My house just fell from the sky.

You say that Oz is this way?

And I just need to find the yellow-brick road?

But it doesn't quite look yellow to me...

Let me check again...

Oh, if I could only get the hang of this heel clicking.

Now, where did I leave Toto...?

Hmmm, the other side of that rainbow?

Well, if he's not here by the count of three...

Music to my ears

2011-08-23T14:21:00.000-05:00

You have no idea (or maybe you do if you live in a city like Starkville, MS) how excited I am by the amazing shows we'll be attending in the very near future. In October we're going to Birmingham to see Fleet Foxes (Their song Helplessness Blues should be playing above right now...)! And in November, The Avett Brothers are doing a show in Starkville. Yes, in Starkville! Did I mention it's free?! (Play their video for I and Love and You when Fleet Foxes is done.)

All this good music at such close proximity makes Jude and I feel like we're in college again, or that we still live 2 hours from Chicago. Either way, I'll take it. It's good to feel cool again.

By the way, if you're my friend in town and want to carpool with us to Birmingham... you know my number...

Queen of Heaven

2011-08-22T15:31:00.001-05:00

We put this crown on the picture of Mary to celebrate her Queenship today. It was easy as pie and Joan loved it. I just made an outline of a crown with a sharpie on contact paper, let her fill in the drawing with tissue paper and foil, sealed it with another piece of contact paper and cut it out.

We know her crown is kind of big, but being the Queen of Heaven is kind of a big deal.

Our Lady, Queen of Heaven,

Please pray for us.

We have fun.

2011-08-20T15:55:00.000-05:00

And here's how we do it.

Visiting the new chickens at our friends' houses.
Washing up in the sink.
Playing at the park.
Taking photos of friends.
Playing dress-up by ourselves.
Playing dress-up with friends.
Stealing pacifiers from unsuspecting Cabbage Patch Dolls.
Using the Learning Tower to make pigs in a blanket.
Using said tower to watch crazy screen savers in matching outfits.
Face painting.
Destroying boxes of kleenex.
Going to birthday pool-parties (i.e. crying in the pool).
Taking more photos of friends.
Giving "sweet eyes" and saying, "Papa."
Walking like babyzilla.

(Just so you know, there are more than 5 pages of slides, keep hitting the next arrow.)

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

This makes me want a Target even more, Starkville.

2011-08-17T07:53:00.001-05:00

Even more denim...

It's somebody's birthday...

2011-08-16T17:26:00.000-05:00

The Assumption of Mary

2011-08-15T18:34:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Mary's assumption in to Heaven, both body and soul, today with colors, glue, and popcorn.

And for every kernel placed on the glued paper, two went into a small little mouth. She was also pretty emphatic about all of the cherub angles at Mary's feet having rusty brown hair.

We heart games.

2011-08-13T21:10:00.001-05:00

And we don't care if you think we're corny. Jude and I can pass the time by playing silly little games we've made up. We're not opposed to store bought board games (Except Monopoly. I hate Monopoly.), but sometimes you can't play with just two players and sometimes you just don't have a game handy.

So if you ever find yourself in that situation, play along with us:

The Sing-along:
The first player thinks of a song that the second player probably doesn't know. The first player begins to sing that song and the second singer tries to sing the same words in the same melody at the same time, and it helps to make dramatic faces while you sing - it's sure to bring many laughs. (Jill, we did a version of this in college, remember? Except I think you used to make up songs...)

The Sharpie Shift: (This doesn't have to be done with a sharpie, but that's how the game originated for us and so for tradition's sake, we use a sharpie.)
The first player takes the sharpie and writes a short statement - whatever comes to mind first and passes the sharpie to the second player. The second player responds to the statement and passes the sharpie back. A silent, but written conversation follows. The normal rules of writing (i.e. starting at the top left of the page and writing from left to right, up then down) do not apply in this game. (As I read the directions, it doesn't sound that fun, but we always end up cracking up at our conversation.)

The Button Game: (This game was actually made up by our friends Pete & Janet in IL and we don't take any credit for it. Jude, however, despises this game and hates when I try to play it with him - I think it's because I always win... I hope I can get these directions right. It starts to get kind of complicated.)
Within a normal conversation, one player has to say at least 3 words of a song (i.e. "I've got a feeling") and the goal is to make the unsuspecting person start singing that song or fill in the rest of the lyrics (i.e. "that tonight's gonna be a good night..."). If the second player accidentally starts singing it, the first player yells "Button!" and essentially wins. But if the second player realizes that they've been set up, they yell, "Reverse button!" and win. If however the first player thinks that they've been found out and will be exposed, they can say, "Deactivate" before "reverse button" is called and the game is neutralized. I like this game. Jude does not.

Pronounce it:
Go to dictionary.com and choose words to have the computer pronounce (you've all seen the little speaker icon that you can click on, right?). If you're in fifth grade like us, you'll stick with bathroom humor or just stick with the word of the day. Today's: holus bolus - to cleanse.

The Magazine Point:
This usually needs to be played with an art magazine, furniture magazine, or even a clothing magazine with several items on one page. Taking a few seconds to look the page over, count to three and at the same time, point to your favorite item on the page. This usually turns into either a sappy, "Ah... this is why we got married... (wha, wha)" or a short debate, "What! That? Why?!"

The Comment Copy:

Go to any website and read reviews on products, hotels, water parks, events, songs, movies - whatever - it doesn't matter. Just read them aloud and crack up because the people commenting about whatever it is are hilarious. Sometimes we can't even get through one review because people are so insane. And if you read them with different voices - even better... Here's just a little preview of what you'll find: "Well i rate geyser falls a 100 precent great water park. i have never been to geyser falls and planning on this summer and would really like for people to stop giving it a bad rep."

Yep. Never been to it, but Vonda Kay Whitt gave this water park 5 stars. Also, she wanted to remind people to leave their personal belongings in the trunk.

Happy playing.

Happy Feast Day St. Clare!

2011-08-11T13:22:00.000-05:00

Since we weren't all together (and I didn't prepare anything to send with Joan) for St. Joan's feast day, I wanted to really celebrate St. Clare's with the girls the best we could.

It started with monstrance pancakes for breakfast, (St. Clare warded off soldiers trying to invade the convent by holding up the Eucharist in a monstrance (or something similar))

followed by a letter C shirt in her honor.

Then they colored St. Clare pictures (aka ate crayons)

and then we ate at Chili's for lunch (C for Clare + C for Coupon = C for Chili's, $9 to feed all four of us!). We'll finish up with Mass tonight and maybe something from youtube if I can find anything.

God of Mercy, you inspired St. Clare with the love of poverty.
By the help of her prayers, may we follow Christ in poverty
of spirit and come to the joyful vision of your glory in the kingdom of heaven.
We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

St. Clare, Pray for us.

I'm a little embarrassed

2011-08-10T19:01:00.000-05:00

I had to youtube how to eat kiwi before I took these photos. Oh well.

Yes.

2011-08-08T13:18:00.000-05:00

Yes. This is Joan at her first birthday party.

Yes. This is Joan today, 2 years later.

Yes. It's the same shirt.

And while we're talking about 1st birthday party outfits, here's Charlotte's adorable cupcake dress that Nanny and Uncle Art bought for her. We didn't have any good photos of her at the party wearing it, so here's a record of the beautiful frock!

My soap box, or lack thereof

2011-08-05T19:45:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned that Jude and I practice Natural Family Planning and that Charlotte and Joan are breastfed babies?

Not recently? Well, oops. Apparently last week was NFP Awareness Week and this week is World Breasfeeding Week and I've neglected a good opportunity to share our experiences and offer our encouragement for any out there needing it.

But sorry, you won't find that here today. (If you've read my blog in the last few days, you should give me a break. Plus, we've been painting Jude's office everyday with two little girls, Elmo dvds, snacks, an exersaucer, water bottles, and toys in toe. The half-a-gallon of paint spilt on campus carpet should give you a good indication of what life's been like... Why does Louisiana have to be so far away?!) And even though many ladies are doing great jobs at promoting both of these things, I'm even too lazy to link to their blogs. (You ladies know who you are, anyway!)

Just because I'm not singing their praises from the roof tops, I hope you know that we have been very blessed by choosing both. Sure, at times they can be difficult, confusing, inconvenient, or just plain annoying. But our choices have brought so many benefits and rewards - physically, spiritually, and emotionally - these have always outweighed the sacrifices.

I encourage you to google, chat, and pray about both Natural Family Planning and Breastfeeding and if you want a candid perspective on them, let me know. There's lots of info out there, and I know that can be overwhelming. Good luck.

This might have had something to do with it.

2011-08-04T16:19:00.001-05:00

I know yesterday was kind of yucky. Today was a bit better. I'm thinking the taking of this picture had a lot to do with my funk. (Right, Lisa?)

It was no easy feat to get this picture. I had problems with almost every one that we took out at the president's house in the early morning. So by the afternoon, I begged Jude to give it one last try on our own couch and we finally scored a picture worth a frame.

I have to laugh when I look at this photo. Don't we all seem nice and happy, kind and loving? But behind the scenes - yikes! "You will smile for that camera or you won't get any M&Ms!" and "Charlotte! Stop touching the tripod!" It took a portable DVD player strategically placed below the tripod to get that little girl to even glance in the direction of the camera. So just know, she's not really photogenic, she just likes Elmo.

I do wish Jude and I looked a little more affectionate, but the rushing back to the couch after setting the timer put a kink in that plan. And Jude has emphatically stated, "NO!" to the idea of another shoot. At least for this week.

Anyway, family members, let me know if you want any prints of these photos for your house, because I can't promise anymore good whole-family portraits for the rest of the year...

Is it just me?

2011-08-03T18:27:00.002-05:00

Or is everyone aggravated?
Stressed, irritable, impatient and exhausted?

Is everyone's fuse about 2 centimeters long, like mine?
Anyone else letting their children watch way too many Elmo dvds to pass the endless day in peace?
How about feeling the need to go to confession everyday, like me?
Who else is having to apologize profusely to their husband or children for the mini tantrums you're throwing?
Am I the only one thinking, what's wrong with me?

Someone - tell me it's not just me. But if you get on here and tell me you're fine and actually quite pleasant - be careful. I might just tell you to shut up.

So, in the hopes of relinquishing all personal responsibility for my emotions and actions, I've created a list of possible explanations for their depreciation:

Satan (everything bad is probably his fault, right?)
This crazy 100+ degree summer (hmm, that also sounds a bit like Hell)
The Law of Gravity (What goes up must come down, i.e. a great vacation is surely followed by a less than ideal daily life)
The purchase of new concrete floors poured into the garage of a house we can't sell
That last bit of baby-weight that refuses to leave your side
A three year old girl who's discovered the meaning of sass
A day void of Cherry Coke because you've basically given it up altogether
Paying utilities for a house you don't even live in

Surely these have at least a little to do with my rising blood pressure, right? Or is it just me?

Stop by tomorrow. Maybe my post will be a little less dramatic.

Our weekday get-a-away

2011-08-02T14:41:00.002-05:00

After Charlotte's birthday party, Jude and I left the girls with Tootsie & Big Poppa and Gigi & Papa John for four days while we visited Galveston and Houston four our 5 year anniversary. We were blessed to have your help - we really needed the time away and enjoyed every second of it (minus the times I was vacationing at 'Moody' Gardens, right Jude?).

Anyway. Here's what we did.

Day 1:
We drove from Sulphur straight to Schlitterbahn water park in Galveston. It was small and manageable, but really nice and fun - except for when we waited in line for 45 minutes to boogie board and the waves scooped us up in 2.5 seconds - watch the video. We ate lunchables for lunch and Schlitterbahn pizza for dinner. That night we walked from our hotel to Brick House Tavern and listened to a country singer play the steel drums. Yeah, I don't know... And we walked back along the shore, holding each other's hand in one, and sandals in the other. (Say it with me, "Aww.").

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Day 2:
We ate granola bars for breakfast and headed out for shopping in downtown Galveston. It was pretty quaint. We ate lunch at a little cafe, The Lunchbox, and enjoyed freshly cut taffy at the candy store. In the afternoon, we went to the beach which is right across the street from our hotel (shown in the photos). We went to Gaidos for our fancy anniversary dinner - and let me tell you, the enormous crab and crazy logo outside couldn't be more disconnected from the inside atmosphere of this fine dining establishment. They were celebrating their 100th year of family owned service and we loved our mahi mahi and shrimp dishes. After dinner we drove to the Kemah boardwalk about 25 minutes away to ride roller coasters and walk along the boardwalk.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Day 3:
Granola again. We packed up and drove to Houston for our museum tour. We saw 7 different art museums in their Museum District - all free, mind you - including a Byzantine Fresco that was so beautifully preserved in a specially built chapel, as well as contemporary photography, craft, and fine art museums. And since Jude wasn't allowed to take photos inside the museum, he resorted to taking lots of photos of me. I'm only vain enough to put up a few... We also made it to an awesome backpacking store to buy the girls new Klean Kanteens (thanks for the coupons, Mandi!). We had Chinese for lunch and in the evening we walked around The Galleria. I know it's silly, but we had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe there because I've never eaten at one. There. Scratch it off my list.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Day 4:
Granola (although we debated room service... maybe for our 20th.). We packed up and headed to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston because they were having a free general admission day and we also checked out the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston right next door. For lunch we split a $5 Footlong at Subway and munched on home-brought snacks and water. Vacation was clearly over. We drove back to Sulphur, just in time for dinner with the girls and to watch Charlotte do this:

Re-watching this, I can tell Joan seems a bit bothered by the attention Charlotte's getting...

Birthday Bug!

2011-07-31T17:46:00.000-05:00

Charlotte's first birthday was so cute! And I'm sure her favorite part was that first taste of chocolate cake. I had to open all of her presents because she was much more interested in the sugar... (Special thanks to Tootsie, Jude, and Joan for helping me with the cupcakes!)

Thank you to everyone who traveled to New Iberia for her party. It was so nice spending the weekend with you all!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

This video is dark, so it's not just your computer...

Jude assures me that he had a good time and was excited for Charlotte, even though this video seems otherwise. I also had a cute video of everyone pulling the strings of the pinata, but blogger won't load it for some reason... booo...

Enjoying her new Sophie giraffe

This is Ours.

2011-07-29T09:03:00.002-05:00

This, our wedding song. (It was hard to decide between putting this one on here or Forever My Friend by Ray LaMontange which has become our song over our married years together. You should still go listen to it because Ray is pretty amazing.)

This, our verse.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God.
1 John 4:7

This, our burden.
3003 Geranium Dr., Bloomington, IL

This, our joke.
"Riddikulus!" "Quidditch!"

This, our show. (Parks and Rec, you're a strong contender.)
The Office

These, our hobbies.
Art, Music, Football, and Film

These, our names.
Judebaker, Alisha Pie, Babers my Neighbors, Jumunji, and Hun

This, our joy.

This, our life.

Happy 5th Anniversary, Jude. I love you and I'm blessed to share these with you.

We also want to wish Big Poppa a very Happy Birthday today!

Good morning,

2011-07-23T21:46:00.000-05:00

and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.

Don't be too disappointed when you check back here and find cobwebs for the next week. Most of you know, Jude and I are headed to Galveston and Houston to celebrate our 5 year anniversary with waterslides, beaches, restaurants, museums, and uninterrupted conversations. Ah.

In the meantime, Charlotte will turn one tomorrow and that ladybug party is gonna be da bomb (just trying to get out any lingering "corny parent-talk" before we start acting like cool 20somethings again. Booyah... ok -done.) and she'll also probably start walking while we're gone...

Joan will celebrate the anniversary of her baptism and maybe learn how to eat in a timely manner. I'm hopeful at least.

And you might just get an ealier update on our vacation because we're toting along my dad's new iPad (thanks Dude! - ok, seriously, that was the last one...)

1 year and 3 year portraits!

2011-07-19T09:31:00.001-05:00

Attention: grandparents, aunts, and uncles - let us know which picture(s) you'd like, how many, and what size and we'll get 'em to you!

**** All of the photos with stars under them can be cropped into a vertical photo if you like (just let us know).

We plan to make a ton of wallets of this one to pass around to extended family members

****

The strip of wood in the background will be photoshopped out soon

**** (wood will be photoshopped out)

****

Verbatim

2011-07-18T17:23:00.001-05:00

Sorry, but I just haven't had much to say on the blog lately. I guess I'll let Joan do the talking...

"Joan, why is your hair so wet? Is it sweaty?"
"Well, it's wet because I've just been outside for forty days."

"Sorry, Joan - I'm dripping all over."
"Yeah, you dripped it because you're getting old."

"Joan - isn't Charlotte so mischievous?"
"Momma, what does chi - bus mean?"

"That's a big ol' cookie, Joan has there. It might give her 'the runs' tonight."
Shaking her finger, "No, no, no, Papa. We're not going running tonight."

"Papa, I think I tooted somewhere."
"Where did you toot?"
"In my bottom."

"Joan, you see these Harry Potter books - you're gonna read them all one day. But they have a lot of words."

"Ok, but do they have hairy words?"

Geysers in Philly?

2011-07-13T21:33:00.000-05:00

That's right. Those Landry's went to see some geysers in Philadelphia.

Alright, maybe it was just a waterpark in Philadelphia, MS called Geyser Falls, but so what. We went and it was fabulous. It was our family vacation this summer and it was super cheap. Super.

With the discounted tickets from our pepsi cans, eating our picnic lunch and snacks from home, and the cost of gas for only 140 miles roundtrip - this vacation was right for our budget, as long as you exclude the cost of the speeding ticket somebody got 5 miles away from the park... That person shall remain nameless and you will have to speculate for yourselves...

And while this was our family vacation, Jude and I are planning a romantic weekend getaway for our 5 year anniversary in a few weeks. No, it's not as great as last year's 2nd honeymoon trip to NYC, but Galveston, TX can't be all bad, right? I mean, there's a waterpark and it's only 3 hours from generous babysitting grandparents... Thank God for I-10 (except the strip through Baton Rouge).

Verbatim

2011-07-10T19:26:00.001-05:00

Usually I save Verbatims until I have a few stored up. But this quote takes the cake and is deserving of its own post. You're welcome.

"Joan, sit back so your pee stays in the pot."
"Hahahaha. The pot. Why did you call it that?"
"Oh, that's what some people call it. We should probably just call it the toilet though."
"... Ok, I'm done. Hey look - it looks like gumbo in that pot!"

My newest creation

2011-07-09T13:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Tripp!

This is getting out of hand.

2011-07-08T18:11:00.000-05:00

I need your help.

Joan's eating habits are really starting to become a problem for me. (And I say for me, because maybe I'm the one that needs the work. Maybe you'll all tell me she's normal and leave it alone. We'll see.)

I understand picky-eaters. I'm kind of one of them. Jude is definitely one of them. We like normal stuff (you know, the stuff that you just made for dinner minus all the veggies and exotic spices).

And so I can deal with that. I puree loads of good vegetables, hide them in our foods and still serve a helping of "normal" veggies with our meal. But fruits - well, they don't get much attention 'round these parts.

But my issue tonight is not, "how to trick your family into eating healthy." It's that I cannot get Joan to eat the very normal, easy food at a normal rate. The kid literally needs to be reminded to continue eating pizza. Pizza. Left to her own devises, she took over an hour to finish half of a turkey sandwich.

Tonight I made chicken and black bean quesadillas and it took everything within her to chew those bites - even though I know she doesn't despise chicken, or beans, or cheese, or tortillas. She's eaten all of these before and a long while ago, she would have eaten this with little or no help.

I can't tell if she's bored, full, or just not liking the taste. She mostly seems willing to take the bites but she will keep chewing food indefinitely. We just can't get her to focus and finish. We give her dessert incentives, time limits, and the occasional food game (i.e. "I'll drop this bean from up high and you catch it and eat it."). But this is exhausting and doesn't really even seem to speed things along.

So, how do you approach your slow eater? Have you heard of something someone else has done?

If not, I'll have to seek out Dear, Abby. Is she still around?

Verbatim

2011-07-07T18:55:00.001-05:00

"Hey Joan, do you want to try one of these candy popsicles?"
"Oooo, yeah... [chew, chew] Yummm... [chew, chew] Wait, but these taste like berries! Eww!"
"Ok, just go throw it in the trash can. Here's a small blue one with icy stuff inside. You might like it better."
"Ok.... Ugh, no - it's the same!"
(I guess this 3 year old can't be tricked into eating frozen grapes or blueberries)

"Oh, Joan. Who made you so beautiful?"
"I just did it by myself. I learned it, you know."

"Aw, man. I got egg on my face."

Pointing to her k-nine tooth,
"I have knives in my teeth."

"Joan, are you ever going to leave me?"
"Yes."
"You are? When?
"Tuesday."

"And Joan, do you remember Isabel? She's going to be there."
"Oh yeah... but what's her face look like."

Running into the kitchen,
"Momma!!! You love God!! You remember that?"

"Momma, how long is it to Tootsie's?"
"It's pretty far, but we're not going there. We're going to Stephanie's."
"Oh. Haha. I just made a mistake."

"Momma, I like these watermelons in the granola bar."
"No, Joan. That's a marshmallow."

"We don't have a lot of money, Joan."

"Why?"

"Because Mom doesn't have a job."

"But I have a job!"

"You do? What is it?"

"To play and take care of Charlotte."

I hope this won't make you mad.

2011-07-04T20:44:00.000-05:00

If putting your child to bed takes a ton of work, or your child wakes constantly during the night, or maybe you dread the nighttime routine, you may not want to read this. It may make you envious or a bit resentful, and I don't want you to feel that way at all... I'm not trying to rub anything in your face - I only hope to encourage you. There is light at the end - something will eventually work for you and your family. Yep, it might take a loooong time - but it could be next week. So here's how ours is going. I pray it only brings you hope.

Old Routine:
I was in charge of Charlotte. Jude had Joan.
I change the diaper, put on the pjs and rock Charlotte in the dark while nursing to sleep or almost asleep.
I very carefully put Charlotte in the crib and roll her to the side, strategically giving her a blanket to hold.
She quickly falls asleep. Hopefully.
Meanwhile, Jude is putting pjs on Joan, brushing her teeth, and taking her to the bathroom. Then he reads her a story in the guest bed and says prayers with her there.
Once we are sure Charlotte is asleep, he carefully brings Joan to bed in the dark and tip-toes out.
I then creep back into the room right before my bedtime and "top Charlotte off" with a quick nursing. This was to hopefully tied her over until morning.

This routine made us feel like less of a family. Everything was scattered. Charlotte never got a book, nor did she get her teeth brushed (Do you brush your infants teeth? I'm honestly curious.). And I never got to say prayers with Joan. As soon as Jude got home, we both wanted something more out of our bedtime routine.

New Routine:
I change Charlotte and Jude changes Joan and takes care of the hygiene stuff.
While I'm feeding Charlotte in the girls' room with the lights on, Jude is reading Joan a big girl story in the guest bed.
After Charlotte's done, I brush her teeth (with the recommended stuff for her age) and then I bring her into the guest room.
Joan's book is just about done and then we read a board book as a family for Charlotte (who actually dislikes books at the moment).
Then we all go into the girls' room, kneel beside Joan's bed and say prayers as a family.
We turn out the light, rock Charlotte a little while as Jude lies beside Joan and we sing a song of her choice.
Charlotte is placed in the bed, almost always awake, And we continue singing as we creep out of the room.
I no longer go in at my bedtime to feed Charlotte, and she hasn't woken up for a feeding until morning. (That's kind of a miracle.)

This has a few more steps, but makes us feel like an intact family. And sometimes Charlotte stands up and whines a few moments, but she soon settles down, maybe because having Joan right next to her is comforting.

And sometimes I hear laughter and squealing from both of them for a good while (like almost an hour). But this warms my heart and I like knowing that they fall asleep together, as little girls should, sharing their memories and their room.

Good luck to you and your littles tonight, and sleep tight.

July 1, 2011

2011-07-01T20:40:00.000-05:00

Today we did laundry. One load consisted of cloth diapers.

Today we cooked. We ate grilled pork fingers, peas, and roasted potatoes.

Today we ran. The girls sat beside one another in the jogging stroller.

Today we watched Netflix. We laughed at a stand-up comedian.

Today might seem like a normal day to you, but to us, it was a big deal.
Today, Jude was home.

It takes a village

2011-06-30T14:23:00.001-05:00

I was lucky. Blessed, really. I didn't have to take care of two girls all by myself for the 40 days that Jude was gone. I had really great help from a few people and I had a few things that made my time away from Jude bearable. So here goes the thanks, I couldn't have done it without you:

My mom & dad - watching Joan the first week & a half for me, then mom driving here to stay another week, then driving back to LA with me to help with the girls for another 10 days, for the foot rubs, baths, and feedings.
My mother & father-in-law - for helping me with the girls for a total of 11 days, for encouraging Joan to eat (every. single. bite.), bedtime stories, baths, and food.
Stephanie and Lillybug - for giving up your bed (and maybe your sanity) when we slept over.
Chloe & Art, Amy & Brandon, Mark & Sara (+Ryan) - for your visits and your laughter

Also deserving of a bit of thanks...
skype
white wine
netflix
facebook
blogs & good blogging friends
wireless internet
pandora
elmo
m&ms
cherry coke
sound machines
water parks and swimming pools
united states postal service
online bill paying
realtor, john armstrong
disposable diapers
manicures & pedicures
lands end & dirt cheap
8pm bedtimes
bravo tv, hgtv, & the food network
sewing machines & fabric
landlords, wallace & christina
cellular phones & text messaging
bohnanza
zoomba & wii's just dance
mr. gatti's pizza
a darrell's special with everything on it

And I know I'm making light of it all right now, but really, I'm so thankful to get my husband back tonight. My prayers and my heart goes out to those whose spouse isn't coming back or those without the help and resources I had. God be with them, as He was with me.

And thank you Jude, for the box of beautiful flowers found on my porch this morning! All those years of delivering flowers finally paid off - I think my arrangement came out quite nicely.

We have fun.

2011-06-29T20:58:00.000-05:00

And here's how we do it.

Playing in drapes. Dancing. Singing.

Sing it, Ray.

2011-06-28T07:21:00.000-05:00

That's right, Jude gets home on Thursday! This song just might be on repeat as I make my way back to Starkville today.

Three More Days by Ray Lamontagne
**Update: I just saw that Jude put this same video on his blog. We talked about how I would be listening to this song all the way home, but I think it's pretty cute that we both blogged it...

And it only took 4.5 years.

2011-06-25T10:22:00.000-05:00

We moved to Illinois in the fall of 2006. And ever since our first Christmas of that year, we've tried to take a picture of any drive-thru daiquiri shop in Louisiana for our friends up north. They (specificially the Herr's, Gesterling's, and McGraw's) always thought it was crazy to give drivers alcohol (even if in a sealed container...). Jude and I joke about how for over 4 years, we've always forgotten to take that picture, post it on facebook, and tag them all. I was not going to let that happen again. So this post is for Jude and our friends up north. Cheers.

This is what happens...

2011-06-24T09:37:00.000-05:00

...when you don't allow your daughter to walk before her papa gets back from Italy. She improvises.

Poor Jasmine

2011-06-23T16:57:00.000-05:00

I wonder if she'd be picked last in kickball, too.

Keeping busy

2011-06-21T17:06:00.000-05:00

22 days is a long time to be away from your home. I knew working on a few sewing projects would help pass the time and I'm pretty proud of what I've done. Not only did I get a chance to repair some clothes and take in a skirt, but I actually made some dresses for the girls and their cousins. This is the first time I've ever sewn a dress from scratch. I didn't have a pattern, but I did look at a few tutorials online. I would link up, but I never really found one that I liked. So I made it up as I went and I think it turned out great. But the tutorial for the t-shirt dresses can be found on my blog here.

Little sun dresses with elastic straps and collars

t-shirt dresses

I guess I have to stop telling people, "I don't really sew..."

Dear Dads,

2011-06-19T17:04:00.000-05:00

(and by Dads, I mean my kids' Papa, Papa John, and Big Poppa. Maybe I should change the title to Papas...)

I'm afraid I don't have any great poetic words today for the celebration of your role as father. I've tried writing a bunch of stuff here for each of you and I just end up deleting it 20 seconds later.

So, I've decided on this: You bless us.

Though the phrase is simple, its meaning is grand. And so are you.

Happy Father's Day!

Who - not what

2011-06-18T21:06:00.000-05:00

Today I was having a conversation with God in my head. It went a little like this,

God, I know it would be really nice and easy on us if we could just get rid of that house - but I also really want it gone so that You may receive glory.

I mean, it would have been such a great witness for our unbelieving friends to see the power of prayer and faithfulness, or to our non-Catholic friends who misunderstand novenas or the intercession of saints.

I really wanted us to be that family with the amazing story of "One day after the novena, our house was sold," because I truly want others to see how mighty You are, what great deeds You do. Maybe we could have brought souls to You or back to the Church.

And yeah, I understand the whole 'suffering is redemptive' perspective, but to other people it could just look like you're forgetting us, and that's hard to explain to others who are already having a hard time with You - no offense...

And I immediately thought of my friend Bonnie as an example. Her son was born without a heartbeat for over an hour and spent a good while in the NICU. Doctors, nurses, specialists - all gave predictions of the worst for him. But her family immediately called upon family, friends, and strangers for prayer for his complete healing. (And in no way do I mean to compare the potential of losing our house and money to that of losing a child. The similarities exist in the way we've approached our very different crosses. And she's probably done a better job at it than I have.) But through the faith and prayers of Bonnie and those she loves, I believe God healed James. It was truly a miracle that we were able to witness. And now, her story - James's story, gives glory to God.

And for a moment, how foolish of me, I thought that somehow God missed a great opportunity to use us. So foolish, I know. But in weakness, I thought, how discouraging our story could be for someone already struggling with God's presence in their lives or struggling with prayer or Catholicism.

And as quickly as I thought it, God revealed something great to me. It went a little like this,

I know the plans I have for you. Yes, you are called to carry this cross, as Bonnie was called to hers. But your roads are different. I am restoring faith in the hearts of people through healing My son, James. But for you, I am asking that you remain faithful to prayer and hope and sacrifice even without the rewards for the time being. This is so that others may see not just what I can do, but Who I am. I am not just the Healer, Creator, Miracle Worker, Protector, or Provider.

I Am God. And that is enough.

So family and friends - strangers who read this blog and know our house-hell story - I hope that I've in some way been a fraction of what God needs me to be, so that I may testify to His unconditional love for me, and you, even when the circumstances seem otherwise. Forgive me in my failings and encourage me in my weaknesses. God bless you and may praise and glory be to the Blessed Trinity.

Huh?

2011-06-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

Great job random sign in south Louisiana. You couldn't have been more ambiguous.

Our Engagement Story

2011-06-16T16:06:00.001-05:00

Betty Beguiles is collecting engagement stories and sharing them on her blog, so here's our whole story - from beginning to end. I'll try to keep it short. You can do this, too.

In 2002, I was a freshman in college and attending daily Mass. Looking at everyone’s reflection in the glass behind the altar, I thought, Oh my, I guess I could meet my future husband at any moment now...

After Mass, I met some older students on the steps outside the chapel. Jude was one of them and introduced himself as this year’s president of the campus ministry. He was so handsome, friendly, and Catholic… so, you know… I began my crush.

We quickly became good friends through our involvement in the campus ministry and praise band. But as my attraction for him grew, he started dating someone else.

They dated for about a year and a half and we remained friends throughout this time. We just got along so well and were so comfortable with one another. And I was even in and out of crushes on different guys (I’m sure you remember this, Jill…).

When he broke up with her, he came to me for support. And a good while after their relationship ended, he developed feelings for me and shared them with me. I however, was right in the middle of a crush that actually had potential.

But we were always honest with each other. He shared with me his feelings and actual love for me, and I told him I was confused. Poor thing. He continued to pursue me, I mean really pursue me - letters, gifts, surprise visits, and writing me songs.

During this time of crushing and pursuing (the spring of 2004), I was elected as president for the following school year and decided to remain single to be more devoted to the students. And over the spring and summer, my feelings for the other kid eventually faded.

But my feelings for Jude basically exploded. And since I was trying to be single and I wasn’t sure if the feelings were solely because of his affection, we began discerning if we were meant to be in a relationship.

I realized over the summer that I did love him, and I shared this with him, too – all before being together we were both saying ‘I love you.’ But then, trying to be single became more of a distraction than just being in a relationship with him and having his support.

So on Thanksgiving, he came to my parents’ house and told them that he would be asking to court me soon. They said, “Uh, what does that mean? Are you engaged?” We assured them that it just meant we were taking dating very seriously and it could lead to a quick engagement.

On November 29, 2004, he made me dinner, bought me presents, sang me a song, and asked to court me. And thank God, because life got easier (and better) after that.

It soon became clear that we were called to marriage. He asked for my father’s blessing and picked out a ring, all with out me knowing.

And on October 14, 2005, he proposed.

We were leaving town so that I could sing in a wedding and we stopped by the Catholic center so that I could make copies of the music first. After getting out of the car, he said, “Actually, I already made the copies.” While I was asking why and what we were doing, he led me to the steps of the chapel and reminded me that this was the very place he met me, the beginning of our friendship, the foundation of our courtship and spiritual connection. And in front of Christ in the Eucharist, and he knelt down and said, “Alisha, I want to serve Christ with you for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”

And on July 29, 2006, I married him.

     1.5 years of solid friendship
+   9 months of discernment
+  11 months of courtship
+   9 months of engagement
--------------------------------------------
5 years of marriage that I’m very grateful for

Great. This didn’t make me miss Jude at all.

She's got tricks up her sleeve

2011-06-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

Here's the latest of what Charlotte can do:

Talking on the phone.

Making weird jaw-faces without any noise. It's kind of bizarre.

Playing peek-a-boo.

Licking her lips (even if I can never seem to capture it).

And best of all, sharing.

You are my sunshine

2011-06-13T14:18:00.001-05:00

You may need to turn the sound up for this.

Try not to get upset. Try not to get upset.

2011-06-10T17:33:00.000-05:00

Try not to get upset. Try not to get upset.

But when you get this feedback from an agent showing your house,"That garage is bad no one will buy it with that floor. Makes you wonder about the house," wouldn't you get upset?

Try not to get upset. Try not to get upset. Try not to get upset.

[Italian] Cafe

2011-06-09T18:21:00.000-05:00

If you knew Jude and I in college and watched our relationship form, then you'd know that Marc Broussard started it all. He's basically why we got married. See, Jude and I were great friends and he introduced me to the music of singer/song writer Marc Broussard from Carencro, Louisiana. It was our first real connection and bond as friends.

I still remember the first time we went to see Marc play in Lafayette. I went, Stacey went, Jude went, and Drea went. Who's Stacey? Oh, she's my friend who eventually married my cousin. Who's Drea? Oh, that was Jude's girlfriend at the time...

And now, tonight, I'm going with Stacey to see Marc play - sans Jude and obviously sans Drea - full circle, kind of...

Music has always been a huge part of my relationship with Jude. And it's interesting to see the evolution of our tastes from then to now (always at the same time). No, Marc Broussard is no longer playing over and over in my car as it once was, but his riffs still give me chills, especially in this tune, French Cafe. I'm sure Jude's somewhere in Italy, loving me from some little cafe, too.

Lyrics, because I like to know them when I listen,

Friendly people
But I can't make out all the words
Melodies so sweet through all the trees
From different birds

All around me
Sights and sounds and songs I've never heard
Swearing I'll be back again
One more week might do me in

And I stop to catch my breath
On the slippery steps of Angouleme
And with my little finger
Across the town I write your name

I can't stop drinking the wine
Can't stop counting the days
A world apart, an ocean away
Just loving you baby
Sittin' here, loving you
From this little French cafe

Oh, yeah
Turn the bed down, baby
Pray that jumbo plane's gonna bring me back
Got roses and bazaracs
Six Bordeauxs all in a sack

We may know some scrapes
But some things we won't ever lack
All the fields of Beaujolais
Couldn't buy you anyway
Couldn't buy you babe

All the oysters in Marennes
Whole French army and Charles de Gaulle
A million Francs wouldn't phase me at all
From loving you baby
Sittin' here loving you
From this little French cafe

Sittin' here loving you
From this little French cafe

Verbatim

2011-06-08T15:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was not a great day. But it helps to have a husband who is so concerned about me. (If you were on facebook and saw his status of, "say a prayer for Alisha, she's not doing well," no - I'm not in the hospital and I wasn't diagnosed with any terminal diseases. But I thank you all for your calls, emails, text messages, and facebook posts making sure that things were ok.) So now, let's start this day off right, with one of our faves, Verbatim.

"Joan, why did Jesus die on the cross?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, He died so that we could go where?"
"Everywhere we need to go."

And sometimes Joan just says things that are slightly the wrong word or the wrong way to say it and it's just as funny:

"Momma, I need to put this money in my penny banky."

"Momma! My eggs are patching! They're breaking up with birds!"

"What did you said?"

"What clock is it?"
(what time is it)

"I love mizzerts."
(desserts)

"Can I have a ol-da-bart?"
(granola bar)

"Hi Momma. What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Oh. I thought you were breasting."

(breastfeeding)

"Momma, tell me a story about Jesus."
"Why don't you tell it to me instead."
"Well... He was there and was playing with His friends, but then,
uh-oh, He was breaking the bread..."

By popular demand

2011-06-06T09:30:00.000-05:00

Lots of people were asking me for this on Facebook, so here it is.

I got this tutorial from Kaitlin, but I had to improvise a little because my skirt fabric wasn't jersey and I didn't have quite double the fabric to make it more ruffly. But I still think it's cute. And it changed Liza's shirt with a hole in the bottom into a cute little dress. I see many more of these in my future...

Sorry for the cruddy photos, but you know who is still in Italy with our fancy camera. Apparently St. Peter's Square, the Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and other stuff like that is more important than my weekend sewing projects.

Whatever.

Those Landrys

Verbatim

Project Pinterest Play Kitchen

Well said, Kaitlin

I like the bandwagon. It's scenic.

Making things makes life better: Birthday Gifts

To the Mothers of Picky Eaters

We have fun. But I'm too lazy.

Verbatim

If it's not too late,

The St. Joe Stalkers

Why I sew.

Our Christmas Angel(s)

This is your Christmas Card...

Since everyone in the world doesn't have Facebook

Verbatim (The second one of the day...)

Verbatim

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

St. Nick's Day!

Making things makes life better: Repurposing Momma's clothes

I don't even know what to type here.

Let me just catch you up to speed.

Making things make life better: Baby Carriers

Making things make life better.

Why do I feel this way?

Nothing worth sharing

Sisters

Verbatim. One of the sweetest.

I'm glad that's over.

Sauteing sucks.

Happy All Saints Day!

My Sweet Cloth Diapers,

Verbatim

Cautiously Optimistic

Just another evening with Those Landrys.

Making things make life better.

For just $24.95,

Let's try something new.

Another reason why we're married.

Verbatim

Let me catch you up to speed.

The Second Reading

21 Questions

Well, that seems about right.

Verbatim

Three More Days...

The Resurrection of the Tree Swing

Making things make life better. ** Update **

It's somebody's birthday...

Making things make life better.

Happy Belated Birthday, Mother Mary!

A blogger invite

Verbatim

Dear A&E,

I think Joan needs "The Talk..."

Football is here!

So this is the end, yet only the beginning.

Just call me Dorothy.

Music to my ears

Queen of Heaven

We have fun.

This makes me want a Target even more, Starkville.

It's somebody's birthday...

The Assumption of Mary

We heart games.

Happy Feast Day St. Clare!

I'm a little embarrassed

Yes.

My soap box, or lack thereof

This might have had something to do with it.

Is it just me?

Our weekday get-a-away

Birthday Bug!

This is Ours.

Good morning,

1 year and 3 year portraits!

Verbatim

Geysers in Philly?

Verbatim

My newest creation

Making things make life better. Update