This is so funny. I think we all know someone a little like this.

SNL Skit

Hey Bobbye!

I just remembered that I should have told you to click the link on the post below (just click the "click here"). I want you to see this because it will make you laugh. Hope you check this!

Love,

Jessica

I just couldn't resist!

Thanks for sending the link, Christy...

Click Here

Break

I am taking a break from my blog for a little while, but here are a few pictures to tide you over (for those who come here to see pictures of my babies). We will still be updating Adam's Photography Blog over the next few weeks. We will be weeding through some of his photography from the past few years as we are trying to pick stuff for our walls and hang some things!

Don't you just want to brush her hair out of her face? I do it all day!

I am looking in your window!

Adam and I moved to Fondren just before Morgan was born. We knew we wanted this house since the beginning of the year and though it didn't seem as it would work out, we ended up with it anyway (sound familiar Maggie?). Adam needed a little convincing to look at it again this summer and I know he is glad that he did! I think we put it to rest in our minds once our original contract fell through. We have ended up with wonderful neighbors that are very involved in the community. So we get weekly updates on the local happenings, as we see each other in our yards. That is how it is around here. Everyone walks or runs and they work in their yard. You won't drive down the street without seeing someone out in the evening pulling a weed or sitting outside with their puppy. One thing that Adam and I have noticed is that you can see inside people's homes as you drive by. This satisfies a secret love of mine - seeing how other people live. I am not trying to sound like Oprah, I promise. I think that there is something inviting about a house that has its shades open. It looks like someone lives there and they are welcoming guests! This area seems to have a lot of that and I think that newer homes are forgetting about that. The houses are closed up tight so you can't even tell if someone is home. We didn't know any of our neighbors in our old neighborhood and now we have hopes of actually socializing with them. This inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and try to meet some new people in the area. I went to the Fondren Ladies Auxiliary meeting, which is a purely social event. I say that to show that I was not there to help plan anything (though they hold several events throughout the year), I was just there to introduce myself to people. It was so different from church events, which is where I usually would meet someone, if not through someone else. People aren't "church friendly", though they were friendly. Some people didn't introduce themselves at all. I had to make up little ways to remember all the names and I had to approach some and get a conversation going. What a great exercise for someone who stays home all day with kids. I forget how to socialize in the real world sometimes. It is easy with my friends, because we can always talk about something or nothing at all. I am glad I did it. They did have short update on neighborhood security, which made me feel better. I see the private security company that the area has hired drive down my street throughout the day, but I didn't know all the services that they offer. They will actually meet you at your house and walk you to your door if you call them and say you are coming home and they will even inspect the perimeter or inside of your home for you. And they can be at your house within minutes if there is an emergency. Not bad at all.

Last night, we went to Fondren Unwrapped. All the local businesses stay open and have food and wine. Unbelievable amounts of food and wine. I didn't get to eat as much as I would have liked because we decided to make it a family event and take the kids. Our hopes of staying together with our large group diminished within the first few minutes. Our friend, Will, ended up roaming the street alone for half the night and he still had a great time. That shows you how fun it is. People are all so friendly (it may be all the wine). Morgan even got a little kiss from one store owner and an offer for a trade from another. The weather was great. Not too cold. We went in a few of the stores that I normally wouldn't go in (like some of the interior design studios) because I hate to pop in look for two seconds and then leave during a normal day. There was no shame in doing it last night though! Most had music and tents outside. One place that I will forever remember as the "chocolate palace" had truffles and I am ashamed to say that I ate several in a row without hesitation. The eye glasses place had crab cakes (the best I have ever had) and my next door neighbor had tomato basil soup (which I think was from Basil's and is my fav.) among other things at his interior design place. Several of our friends had booths with their art and it was neat to see them out. Adam parents came with us and helped with the kids. You know how it is, you bring the stroller but it ends up just carrying the bags. This is just one example of some of the cool things that Fondren does. I am going to put a link to the website so you can find something fun to do in this area too.

JC Penny

I don't know if any of you watch Oprah, but I at least record it in case it is a show that I am interested in watching. A few days ago, she had a show on the winners of her decorating contest. You had to have done it yourself (no decorators). The first house she showed was so unbelievable. Not all the houses were what I might want for my home, but I liked them all and appreciated the different styles. That is what I like about visiting other's homes. You get to enjoy a different style for a little while. If we all liked the same thing then it would be so boring. So back to JC Penny. I knew that they had good drapes and curtains (I love the ones that Adam's parents have and if I needed that color, I would sneak them in our diaper bag on our way out...they would be too entranced with the kids to notice me doing it), but I had no idea that they had so much else that I should see, like, and buy all before 8 AM this morning. It started with seeing the bed coverlet that I have been looking for on Oprah. Once I saw that it was on "closeout", I had to buy it. I should have waited and asked for it for my b day or something, but it was a DEAL. Sadly, so were the wall lamps that bought. They too were the perfect solution to a few problems we have in our room: No room for lamps and no lamps. Do any of you out there have any experience with faux finishing? We were considering painting our iron bed black, but now I am thinking that it may be too harsh. I wondered if I could pull off doing a bronze or copper look.

Christmas Card Pictures

Adam is offering Christmas card pictures (or other kinds) this year. Check out the blog I set up for him here.

Vocabulary Lesson/Silly Moment

This is the time of year when I often get the chiggles. Let me explain. My friend, Sarah, and I came up with this term to best describe getting the chills and the giggles at the same time. You will know them when you get them, but to help you out in identifying moments when they are most likely to appear I will give you some examples of situations when they would be appropriate.

A) Someone mentions Christmas and you imagine in your mind the cold air and all the merriment to come and it makes you draw up your shoulders, squinch your nose, close your eyes and grit your teeth in excitement as you let out little giggle.

B) You are out having a fun time shopping with your friends and it is cold so you jump in the car and huddle up as girls get to do with out it being strange.

I am trying to rack my brain and think of another situation that makes you act like a school girl and nothing but Christmas comes to mind. Oh, ok if you are in high school and you hear that a boy is asking about you and this is favorable to you might get the chiggles. Maybe if you are in Junior High and it is actually cold at the Fair and you are having fun with your friends and your Mom is hanging back a little so you "look" like you are there by yourself and you "think" you look old enough to be there by yourself. Obviously, there aren't many occasions when as an adult you get to have the chiggles. So, I ask that you embrace those moments and become a fellow chiggler.

Going, going, gone.

Last night, I tumbled down our back steps into the carport. I guess technically I fell off the side of one of the lower steps because there was a chair in the way and ended up flat out on the floor and wearing only one shoe. Keeping the shoe on would have saved me from breaking (or at least severely injuring) my pinkie toe. I am not letting this get in the way of my trip to Mistletoe tomorrow. I have suffered many a year in uncomfortable shoes so I could feel Christmas-y while I shopped. Seriously, Mistletoe Market is one of the few things I look forward to every year. It sort of launches the season for me. This year, Adam is attending with me. I have talked about it so much that Adam wants to experience the madness first hand. My one goal this year is to get a stocking for Morgan that matches Sydney's at Orient Expressed. They have more of a selection than they do online. Mostly, I like to see how many times I can say "I could make that myself" and then never do it.

Speed of Light

I have often wondered how days home with children can seem super long, yet it feels like time is passing by so quickly. I think that I have decided that I don't need Mother's Morning Out next fall. Please understand that I do need a morning or two out, I just don't think that it is long enough for me to actually get things done. I would do better with a babysitter one day a week. I just haven't found a consistent solution (or even a inconsistent one, which would help too). There are so many things that I need to do and it seems like I just can't get them done in the time that I have to myself. Naps never seem long enough to pull out the projects. Feedings are too unpredictable to count on any span of time. I only dare to take the kids to places that have shopping carts, though I don't try it often. When we moved into the house, I thought I would be able to just put our stuff in here and live. Now, I see that there are projects around every corner. Some are fun projects, like finding something to hang on the kids walls. Some are not fun, like installing a back door. The list is so long and when I try to prioritize it all, I realize how long it is going to take us to do things ourselves. For that very reason, I took the fabric I bought for our bedroom curtains to someone else to sew. The 4-6 week turn around was what was keeping me from doing it, but I realized that it would take me that long to finally complete it and there is no way it would look as nice. I do think that I will have a stab at the kids curtains. I will update you on my progress. For now, help me out by answering the survey above...

Big Sister

Sydney keeping Morgan entertained during his floor time.

Halloween

This was our attempt at Halloween. Morgan was a horse and Sydney was a Princess or a Medieval Lady - I am not sure.