Death by Cute (and Watermelon)

We discovered that Ben loves him some watermelon.  Here are some pictures that confirm. 

Do you see how he has one leg up? Baby abs are crazy strong.

Tell me that didn't make you smile.  Cute overload.

Oh what a night!

 I wrote this Wednesday, but had issues with pictures.  Events occurred Tuesday night.


Y'all, I had one crazy night last night.  It does not involve any adult beverage or illegal substances.  Instead, one of my favorite things in the world, Rangeres baseball, and one of my greatest fears, severe weather/tornadoes.


My dad, my brother, and two of my brother's friends from the seminary came into town in the afternoon so we could catch a game.  The weather forecast was pretty bad, but we remained hopeful that Arlington would be spared anything severe and with a willingness to endure a rain delay if needed.  When we arrived at the game around 6:30 or so, it was sunny and relatively clear.

Not too long after getting to the Ballpark I received an automated phone call for a severe thunderstorm warning for Denton, where we actually live.  I sent a text message to Travis to let him know about it and said a quick prayer for safety.  The game got started and things were looking pretty good for us.  I received another phone call for a tornado warning at home.  I sent a text to Travis to check on him, and didn't hear from him, and was a little worried.

At 8:00 we were told to move from our seats in the upper level to the lower level due to high winds.  I had seen lightning in the area while standing in line for food, so I was not totally surprised.  I finally heard from Travis that they had a tornado touch down at a high school a couple of  miles away.  My in-laws' house was hit, a bag of sand or soil was lifted and then dropped through the roof right over the bathtub they were about to seek cover in!  We are so grateful that they are okay. This was the sky around that time.

My dad and I decided to leave our seats and hang out under the cover of the upper levels, I wanted to stay dry and my dad wanted to avoid potential hail.  The rain was really coming down and then my brother and friends joined us.  We were all staying in touch with various people and checking weather apps and so on.  It is amazing that we were able to get messages out when you think about all the people using cell phones and the weather.  I took pictures of the sky over right field and left field.  It was very eerie.

Staying in touch with Travis I knew that Arlington was under warnings and that things were ramping up again at home.  Travis ended up making two more trips to the closet with the kids. Around 9:00 we had to go under the stadium itself, two levels below ground, for precautionary purposes.  It was very scary, but I also felt very safe with all that concrete above me and around me.  Eventually we went back up and waited around for more baseball.  The game resumed around 11:20 and we stayed for the whole thing, leaving around 1:30.  The Rangers lost, but it is definitely a game we won't forget.  It was my brother's friend's first ever major league game!  It was hard to be away from Travis and my kids with all the severe weather going on.  I'm so, so grateful that we are all okay.  And next time I guess I will believe the weather reports.

Time to Help

I plan to write this week about our blessed weekend.  But first I want to help spread the word about an opportunity to help those affected by the tornado in Joplin, MO.

I read This Heavenly Life regularly. Sarah has two beautiful girls and is expecting a baby boy.  Thankfully she and her family were spared harm.  But we all know that is not true for so much of the town.  Bigger Picture Blogs is hosting an online auction this week, Wednesday through Friday,  to raise funds to give to the Salvation Army to help.  You can read the post there for all the details. Items are being offered from Gussy Sews, Shining Stones, Dayspring/Incourage and many others.  Please consider helping.

People who don't write blogs or "get" Twitter might not understand this post. But there is a great sense of community out there on the internet and it is time to see that community in action.

My Life is Not Glamorous

I can't stand the blog languishing for a week with no new content, yet I feel as if I am in the same place as always lately, with nothing to say.  I'm doing what any mom does, whether she stays home or works outside the home.  I'm making breakfast (most mornings anyway) and lunches and snacks.  I'm changing diapers and finding shoes and putting clothes on kids who need help with that kind of thing.  I'm trying to come up with something for dinner (I still sort of plan meals for the week, but need to be more disciplined) and make sure the living room and kitchen are at least neat before Travis comes home. 

I am doing something fun and new for me, but I don't want to write about it for a couple more weeks.  Travis is excited about it too, since it means my being online might have a purpose some of the time.

I'm still exercising, though not every day.  I missed Easter Sunday and ever since then it has been hard to do it every day.  Most weeks I still go to the gym or do something at home at least four days a week, but I need to up the intensity.  I've hit a plateau and want to get past it and back down to the weight I was at before I had Benjamin.

We're having some discipline issues with the kids, so I'm working on that.  I did a really good job of keeping my Lenten fast regarding the internet, most of the time, but I've fallen back into old habits.  Things were better when I was more intentional with my time. So I guess I've written my way into acknowledging I have nothing new to say because I'm not living enough life to have stuff to share.  Hmmm.

This is kind of a downer of a post.  So here is a silly picture.

Straight Up Gangsta'

Seriously.

One is Fun!

Our Benjamin bubbykins is one!  Okay, he will probably hate the bubbykins part in a few years, but right now I can say it as much as I want. And so I do.  On the day of his birthday he was cutting teeth and adjusting to life without a bottle.  So our little photo shoot had very mixed results.  He was happier on the day of his party. Hooray.



I am still in love with his very chubby baby hands.



He is very patient with the attention of his big sister (also a preview of his future old man face maybe).



He shares his birthday with our nephew, son of Travis's brother.  He is also a happy birthday boy.



And finally, cake.

Self-imposed Difficulties

Well, y'all sure did come out of the woodwork to sing of your quirks.  Thanks for making me feel slightly less weird.  So yesterday was about quirks and today is about things that are not so much quirks as they are little problems I have.  Apparently I have decided this week is good for confessions. 

I am currently avoiding the library.  This is a problem because I really like to read.  I get a little panicky when I don't have a book waiting to be read.  But I am also really terrible at turning things in on time or renewing them on time.  So I have some fines waiting to be paid.  We'll see how long I can resist.  Does anyone have any fool-proof way to avoid this problem? Because pretty soon you'll be seeing the Nicole branch of our local library opening if I don't get this under control.

I love clothes.  Unfortunately, it seems a vast majority of the clothes I like are not going to work for me.  The baby doll style, the tunic style, the empire waist--all off-limits.  They have a tendency to  make me look pregnant. And when you've had six kids there is no better way to start a rumor than to show up at church wearing something that even hints at the possibility that you might be hiding a little bump.  I mean, really, I would be hearing congratulatory words the minute Mass was over if I wore some of the things I would like to wear.  So sad and frustrating.

I didn't exercise this morning and the longer in the day I wait the harder it will be to talk myself into doing it.  I have missed three days after going 113 days in a row.  I manage my time poorly sometimes. And then I get all mad at myself.  But I have not gone more than two days in a row without exercise, so I don't know why I am so hard on myself.  Gah, I'm silly. 

Benjamin turns one on Thursday.  Please anticipate sappy photos and musings on the passage of time and the joy of a baby and other nauseating sentiments.

Quirks R Us

Hello!  I might be the worst blogger on the planet. 

Recent conversations and events have brought some of my quirks out of the woodwork.  And since I want you readers to feel like you really know me, I figured I would share them with you.  You may never read here again, but at least you'll feel like you really knew who I was.

First, and of most interest to people it seems, I have food issues.  They are really kind of diverse and hard to explain.  The most obvious is that I don't like most of my food to touch.  I don't want crumbs in my ice cream and I don't want soggy cake.  I don't like the juice from my vegetables to run into my mashed potatoes or my roll.  Travis tells people I drink hot water and pour coffee beans into my mouth instead of drinking coffee, which is obviously ridiculous but perhaps telling.  I try to keep my issues to myself though.  I have major texture problems.  It means I skip out on a lot of food that is probably delicious.  I don't do shellfish or just about any seafood.  I have started at least trying things to be sure I don't like them.  Someone asked if my kids have these same issues, especially the food touching.  I said I didn't know because I always prepare their plates and I make sure nothing touches!  I might be setting them up for their own issues. 

When Travis and I were dating he was in a band.  I would go to the shows because I was lovestruck and thought it was cool.  After the shows the guys would naturally want to go eat.  Many times IHOP was the only option.  My food issues really showed up there.  I wanted a bagel and a soda, but those things don't go together.  So I also ordered french fries (to go with the soda) and a coffee (to go with the bagel).  Weird.  But if we were to eat out together in a restaurant most of you might never know of my issues. And if I was a guest in your house you definitely would not know about them if I could help it. I do have manners after all.

I am also particular about how I take my soda.  I prefer to drink Coke Zero, poured out of a cold can over no ice in a glass cup, unless it is mixed with something and then over ice. I really don't like drinking soda over ice from a bottle or can if it is not already cold though.  The only exception to this is sometimes Dr. Pepper, but I rarely drink that anymore.  I pretty much don't like soda from a bottle at all.  And iced tea must always be brewed and unsweetened, not ever from a fountain.

What else makes me quirky?  Whenever I finally get around to taking a shower, I must put on makeup and blow dry my hair.  It might be 7:00 p.m. and I might have no intention of leaving my house, but I will go through the whole getting ready process.  The only time I don't do the makeup is if it is very late at night, but I will still blow dry my hair.  I can't wake up with hair that dried overnight--total disaster, even if I know I will not leave the house the next day.  And let's be honest, I'm leaving the house most days at some point, with six kids and four sports teams and so on. 

Oh, here is an old man quirk (I say this because my dad does it).  If I'm taking a nap in the afternoon, I like to have the television on at a very low volume.  I really only have it on if there is a baseball game though, otherwise I am normal and just turn the darn thing off.

I don't think this is a quirk so much as an addiction but I get a large unsweetened iced tea at Sonic every day before I pick up the kids.  Every day.  I don't know if I could get through the afternoon without my giant cup of goodness.

I know there is more, but I can't seem to think of it right now.  What quirks do you have?  Do you own them proudly or try to hide them?