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.

Pumpkin Patch: A commentary.

We went to the pumpkin patch and had the best day! Here are a few pictures of us enjoying the day! You believe me don't you? When I got home and looked at the pictures, I was almost convinced that we had fun too. The trip was to a great place, was well organized and I totally appreciate the work that went into planning it, but for me it was not what I was imagining. I can now find humor in it and since I love to laugh I can say it was worth it to me. It serves to remind me that as I flip through the pages of the recently received Pottery Barn Kids Christmas catalog I should understand that ordering the cute pink kitchen set doesn't guarantee that my child won't slam her finger in the refrigerator door or that ordering the perfect bedding doesn't make my child want to stay in the bed all night. I seem to forget that when I see pictures of cute kids named Taylor and Madison standing outside of their ski lodge with all their monogrammed luggage. In our world, we would lose a piece of the luggage or one the kids would plummet off of the lodge porch and break his arm. I, being a planner and a dreamer at the same time, usually set myself up for disappointment. You get my point I think. Well, here are the pictures.

PBK (Pottery Barn Kids) Version: Just a fun group on a farm having so much fun.
Reality: Standing in line in the blazing sun only to end up facing the sun (notice the squinting) while someone takes your picture with a fun saver camera.

PBK: Sydney frolicking amongst the pumpkins as she tries to pick the perfect one.
Reality: Sydney tripping over roots and uneven ground as she cries, not caring about the pumpkins.

PBK: The cool breeze was so nice, look at how my hair blows across my face! The perfect day for jeans and corduroy. I am glad I have Morgan close to me so I can keep him warm from the cool weather!
Reality: My hair wasn't blowing anywhere. It was actually stuck to my face due to the sweat from the heat of the blazing sun and carrying a 16 pound baby on the front of me. Glad I forgot my sunglasses!


Ok, I do love this picture because she loves animals and it just shows her excitement upon seeing a turkey. (Note that the sweater was on for the very beginning pictures) Sydney basically ran from us most of the time and as the guide lady said "some of you may not be accustomed to forming lines".

PBK: Pumpkins for sale!
Reality: Free kid with purchase of pumpkin.

PBK: I want this one!
Reality: I just fell for the 5th time.

PBK: Let's get a bunny for Easter!
Reality: First we should find the bunny from last year and then we will talk.

PBK: Having kids is so great!
Reality: Having kids is so great. Even when you have a rough day or two.

Reformation Party

Here are some pictures from our Party at church. Sydney and her cousin, Mara Brantley, wore Medieval gowns for the occasion.

Fun in the Barn

Crafty Copy Cat

Ragan and I have planned for some time now to make shadowbox art for our kids' rooms. I have to tell you that we got the idea (ok, ripped off the idea) from Maggie. Thankfully, I don't remember what hers exactly looked like so I had to come up with my own stuff. The one thing I do remember is that Maggie used cardboard for the letters (by peeling the top layer off a piece of a box), but it was too cute and perfect for a boy to not copy that part. So thanks Maggie for your inspiration. I wish you could have seen me and Ragan crafting away and making a huge mess. It was fun though and I think we are going to make craft night a regular occurrence. Anyhow, here are pictures of my shadow boxes.

As you can see, I opted for a transportation theme in anticipation of a quilt that Morgan is getting for Christmas. The train, car, and letters were all drawn and cut out by hand. It was not as hard as I thought it would be. You can't tell from this picture, but each one has a three dimensional element to it with either the cardboard and by using raised stickers on the back of the train, hence the need for the "shadow box". Ok, so you can tell I am excited about this. I just really needed something for his walls and I am so glad that this worked out!

Crazy is the new Black

I think we can all agree that since it is 4 AM, I should be sleeping instead of obsessing over how I should spend my Saturday. My plan is to run a 5k this morning though the only reason to do it is that I have made plans to do it with myself. I don't have anyone else depending on me to be there. A friend is having a garage sale this morning. In fact, her whole street is. It is the perfect time for me to make some money and get rid of a huge box of things that we cleaned out last Monday. So make money or spend 18 dollars to get a t shirt that basically says that I followed through with plans. I feel like I will be disappointed either way. Miss out on a garage sale (I just can't have my own. Our street is so narrow and our driveway is too. My mom is too overloaded with stuff to even think about having one.) or back out on a goal. I guess not doing the 5k doesn't mean that I can't run 3 miles. This is crazy! I should have looked around my garage and noticed that getting stuff together for a garage sale was much more important to my well being than running yet again. I guess part of the problem is that the last garage sale I participate in on left me with $40. I left there and ate lunch and then spent the remainder getting things monogrammed down the street. I guess I didn't have good enough junk. I really feel like I have some good stuff this time and that I can make a little money. Maybe I could run after the garage sale and Adam could present me with a t shirt or something. I guess technically I would win first place in my own race. Ok, garage sale it is. Now, to price my stuff... or should I run...

Now, I bet I could make money on the fact that you will return to this site to see which one I did.

Budgy's Campaign

Does that title grab your interest? Let me tell the story of how "Budgy" came to be his nickname around town and why you may hear the phrase "Budgy McBudgerson for Governor". Budgy comes from Budgy Pudgy, because that is just what he is. Naturally, Budgy needs a last name so McBudgerson made sense since Sydney was Lovey McLoverson (I say "was" because we eventually start calling them by their intended names. Ok, sometimes we still use her cute names.). Adam and I are pretty silly when it comes to the kids. We make up songs, names, and sometimes even commercials. Very early one morning I, in a delirious state, remembered all the campaign commercials I had been watching during the late night feedings and holdings and came up with a commercial for Budgy. It went something like this..."Hi, I am Budgy. Budgy McBudgerson - for Governor. I care about Mississippi. It seems like yesterday I was just born here. Vote for me Budgy McBudgerson." (then in a quick voice overhead) "Paid for by the friends of Budgy McBudgerson for Governor." Ok, so just to amuse my family, who have found the thought of him running for Governor pretty entertaining, we took a few campaign shots of him wearing what is absolutely the cutest hat I have ever seen (given by Morgan's Great Aunt Tracy. There is actually an entire outfit, but he doesn't fit in it yet...give him a few days). I can promise that there will be many more pictures to come in the hat, because Adam has a hat just like it (though plaid) that I bought him last year from Banana Republic and I want Morgan to wear the entire outfit for those pictures. Sigh. It is just all too adorable for me to handle. Anyway, here he is in a onesie that I just had to buy for him a few weeks back. Ok, enough silliness. Enjoy.

Hallelujah...Paci!

We are making strides, I repeat, we are making strides. Morgan has been harassing me daily around noon to eat again...or so I thought. He just ate two hours ago and you can see that this is frustrating to me. I just tried the paci and he has had it in his mouth for at least ten minutes. It just fell out and he accepted it again. This really means something to me. It is like he is saying "Hey, I get it. It isn't ALL about me. I CAN meet you half way. You and Sydney have lunch and then I will have mine. " Amazing that just taking a paci can say all that, isn't it. He even took 2 ounces of formula for me last night too - from a bottle! I need a night out without him and without Adam at home having to hold him all night or call me 7 times. Maybe we will get there. Yes, I believe we just might.

She plays

Sydney and I built a tent using Morgan's play mat and her chair. Why is this so fun? Speaking of playing...On a side note, I of course stepped on the scale this morning as I always do (at least 3 times a week). I try not to let it discourage me earlier in the week, but as Tuesday approaches (that is my official weigh day) I start to worry. This morning I was down 3 pounds from yesterday morning. Either I have not hit a plateau (which Adam says can only be considered when one has not been able to lose for at least a month and they are doing all they should/can - again, a skinny person's definition) or Sydney has been playing on my digital scale again and has essentially broken it to my favor. I considered the latter at first so I tested it with a five pound weight added to mine and it seems to be ok. Is that an accurate way to test it? Not sure, but I choose to believe that it is real. So maybe no plateau for now, but I still need to be good today. Good thing we have nothing that I would want to eat in the house.