Great Works

A Plea

2010-01-06T11:15:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is J. Hogan's first day back to Mom's Day Out. Please Mr. Weatherman, tell me it won't snow until after 2 p.m. "He" will be VERY upset if school is closed all day tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Dana

A Mom with a Long To-Do List

Who?

2010-01-05T15:15:00.003-05:00

My blessings, my inspiration, the keepers of my heart, my smile, my laughter, the apples of my eye, my comics, my world, my rock stars, my love of today, my hope for tomorrow, my answers to prayers, my huggers, my kissers, my silly boys, my sweet men, my team, my family, my fans, my happiness, my loves.

Happy New Year! May 2010 be filled with greatness.

Return of the Mack

2009-10-30T21:01:00.016-04:00

I just got Peanut to sleep and since this is the first time in four days I have been more than like two feet from him, I decided I would blog. J. Hogan has been a little under the weather this week and therefore VERY clingy to me. I am little exhausted, but really, I'm okay with it. He will be asking me to drop him off around the corner before I know it.

I thought I would fill you guys in on our week last week. I had not mentioned it on this blog due to my crazy safety OCD and did not want many people knowing we would be out of town. These feelings were only exaggerated since our beautiful cousin Lauren was house/pet sitting for us and I did not want her to be bothered by having to report a break in.

So last Saturday morning, Chris, J. Hogan, and I picked up our good friends Chad, Debra and their six year old daughter and began vacationing... or fleeing some sort of danger. I'm just not sure. Why else would you leave at 3:00 a.m.? But, we had more fun than you can imagine. The kids were awesome and I do believe J. Hogan will forever have a certain kind of love and admiration for that six year old sweetie pie.

I won't go into too many details... right now. I mean I could tell many tales on this blog and I might just continue this for weeks to come. I'll just give you some of the highlights.

First we spent one night in Cocoa Beach, Florida. That evening we gathered the crew and ended up at a place called Fishlips. Hmmm... That was my first thought too. It was great. We ate upstairs on a covered porch and had some wonderful seafood and ice cold beverages and all the while a great band entertained us. It was a lot like college minus the wonderful seafood, oh and I now have a child to chase. So here is the highlight - J. Hogan picked up his first girl. I mean THE BOY PUT THE MOVES ON A LITTLE GIRL AND WON!!! Here is how I think he will remember it -

"It was a cool fall evening at the beach. The band was playing "Brown-Eyed Girl." She was an older woman (a mere two days come to find out). I spotted her from across the room. Her dance moves were irresistible. I casually danced my way to her and once our eyes met, she never wanted me to leave her. Parting was such sorrow, but I will never forget her"

And that is pretty much how it went. I have it on video and thought about posting it, but I need to do some editing first. We all laughed so hard. He is such a mack daddy.

So on Sunday, our 12th wedding anniversary mind you, we hopped on board a cruise to the Bahamas. This is our sixth cruise, but the first for our friends and J. Hogan. Honestly, the week leading up to our trip, I began to panic about taking a 20 month old on a cruise, but I just reminded myself that we love to travel and will not be the "leave the kids at home" kind of parents. Well, not all the time... maybe a few trips a year.

So the verdict - IT WAS AWESOME. Well besides the last night feeling like the boat was going to tip over from the rough seas. No really, I was actually in bed with J. Hogan and I suddenly found myself thanking Jesus Christ that we had a balcony room and asking him to give me the strength to swim through the door and to the surface with Peanut in my arms. Needless to say, the boat was arockin' and not in the good kind of way your mind just went to.

We had a blast. We visited Port Lucaya just outside of Freeport and had the BEST conch salad ever known to man or beast. We then went to Atlantis in Nassau which all I can say about is PURE PERFECTION. Chris and I promised all of the staff and the many pools and water slides that we would be back next year for a long stay. And that is a promise that I am just not comfortable breaking.

Other ship highlights included a great little Halloween party for the kids where J. Hogan won his very first trophy by winning the costume contest that might I add, he was technically not even old enough to be in. But he won - of course, because he is a mack. All in all, it was a great cruise - great cruise, great entertainment, great food, great ports, and most of all - great friends.

So Thursday we got off the ship and headed to the mecca of all happiness. No, I am not talking about the Burberry Store, but that place does make me cry a little every time I visit. There's just so much goodness. No, no... we went to Disney World!!!! We got to the resort around 12noon and tried our best to get the kids to rest - Chad and Debra 1 Reeves 0. Then put on our Halloween costumes and headed to the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. It was magical. I think I actually cried at one point. I mean not every kid gets to trick-or-treat for the first time at Magic Kingdom. I know he won't remember a thing about this trip, but we will, and the memories will be incredible.

If you are not familiar with Mickey's Halloween party, I urge you to go immediately to the website and book your next trip. The best way to describe is it is what you imagine Disney World to be like. They only allow 1/4 of the number of guests into the park during this time and therefore there are no lines. Did you hear that? THERE ARE NO LINES!!! We met tons of characters and walked on almost every ride. Chris and I have been to Disney many times, but never with kids. We were so surprised to find out that J. Hogan could ride almost every ride at Magic Kingdom. He had a ball... and a power nap... then another ball.

We played at Magic Kingdom on Friday too and then headed back to reality on Saturday. BOOOOO (I am using way too many CAPITAL letters in this post). These are just a few photos I thought you would enjoy out of the 393 I took... and I think the Debra took twice as many as I did. I will post more later. They are just that good, and I want to tell you so much more, but "The Mack" just yelled for "Ma-mee". That would be me - proudly me.

Recycling

2009-10-06T23:09:00.003-04:00

J. Hogan has decided he is a big boy and will only sit in a regular chair. Unfortunately, that poses a problem when you are less than four feet tall. His booster seat was in the car and I was just too distracted to get it, so I came up with a solution.

It worked and it made me feel good about finding a use for the phonebook.

Speaking of recycling (random lead in), J. Hogan gets the "Earth Friendly" award. We always recycle in our house so it is just a part of his life. So now, you can give him a piece of trash and he will take it to the garbage can and you can give him something like paper and he will take it to the recycling - without prompting. So readers, no excuses for not recycling - even a toddler can do it... and his mom... with a phonebook.

Just a Little Off the Sides

2009-09-15T10:36:00.005-04:00

J. Hogan had his first haircut.

I'll give you a moment to stop laughing.

Yes, I know he is the baldest 18 month old ever, but his curls in the back had grown into a mullet and there is one thing my child will never have besides Kool-Aid, and that is a mullet.

So we headed to a little place called Tiki Cuts for Kids and "got his do done." I was shocked at his cooperation. Grant it, he is the most even-keeled toddler known to man, but lately he has been testing the waters. But he was perfect and they even shaved his little neck. Apparently you should start getting him used to it now so that someday his neck doesn't look like a chia pet when he develops a fear of vibrating knives approaching his head. I actually don't see that being a problem though since his dad can't grow a small moustache and I only have to shave my legs once a month.

All bragging aside, here is the final result.

And trust me, he knows he is stylin'. He is sassy and not afraid to show it. Next thing you know he will be wanting Kool Aid.

I Need to Find a Teeny Tiny AA

2009-08-23T19:04:00.003-04:00

I have learned so much lately. Don't worry about jumping up to grab a pen and paper. It really is just a bunch of crazy stuff that will probably not enhance your life at all. Well, maybe if you ever find yourself in a plague of locust or a knife fight.

The other night I learned toothpaste and saliva will take blood stains out of clothing. I know what you are thinking - did I actually cut myself while brushing my teeth? Well, no. I was getting ready to put clean sheets on our bed when J. Hogan ran in and thought the sheets were pillows and did a triple lindy into them only to split his upper lip open and lose enough blood that caused me to worry vampires would be knocking on my door.

I will give you a moment to pull yourself together.

Our tragedy ended rather quickly. He is a tough little guy. And when the smoke cleared, or rather when the screaming ended, he was left with a fat upper lip and blood stained clothes. I then began screaming since I realized that my brand new J. Crew tank that I just cut the tags off of, was covered in blood. So I composed myself and did what any red-blooded girl would do and went straight to the Internet. And that is how I learned that saliva and toothpaste would remove blood stains. And yes sports fans, it works... really it works. Technique is not important and therefore I will spare you the gory details.

While on Google I remembered that I also needed to find out how to get rid of a couple of elusive gnats that had setup residency in my home. I am a clean fanatic and I cannot tolerate any unidentified flying objects in my home. To save you time, there many ways to get rid of them that does not involve harmful chemicals - from sucking them into the vacuum cleaner (what!?!?) to trapping them with rotten fruit (gag). I chose a method that seemed to be fairly humane and strangely similar to how Chris and I met - trap them with wine.

The instructions were as follows -
1. Poor approximately 1/2 cup of wine (preferably red) into a bowl.
2. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
3. Using a fork, poke holes in plastic wrap.
4. Leave on counter overnight.
5. Dispose of wine and gnats that have lost their life to consumption.

Unlike the spit-toothpaste blood removal of 2009, this did not work and I am fairly upset over the loss of wine. I actually watched a gnat enter the bowl, land and fly out.

Apparently instead of building a trap, I just built them an all-inclusive relaxing vacation spot. I am thinking of setting up a little mariachi band for them tonight. If you can't kill them, at least be a good hostess.

Who Knew

2009-08-14T21:11:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was a BIG day in our home. It was J. Hogan's first day of school, or rather Mom's Day Out. Yes, I know that about a year ago, I posted an entry about J. Hogan's first day of school, but this REALLY was his first day of school. And here is how I know - I woke up really early and packed his lunch, I packed his backpack, I put him in the car, I drove him to our church, I walked him inside, I put his things in his cubby hole (adorned with the cutest name tag), I kissed him goodbye, and I left... for 4 1/2 hours... him there... with his teacher... alone. Sure there were other kids, but he's my baby. (sob, sob, sob)

The fact of the matter is, he did great. He hardly knew I was gone. He played on the playground, he made friends, he ate his lunch and he took a nap. I could not believe it when I walked in to pick him up and HE WAS THE ONLY ONE ASLEEP! I'm not bitter, I mean I love the 20 minute naps he will take for me at home.

I don't know if I should be jealous or suspicious.

One Guilt Riden Blog

2009-08-09T20:17:00.007-04:00

Well, school starts soon so I guess it is time to get back to blogging. Actually, I don't know what those two have in common, but it just made me feel like less of a slacker. I had not thought too much about blogging until my good friend Ginger sent me a guilt ridden email from her igloo in Alaska that made me realize it's been a while - try a few months - okay like six. So this one is really for you Ginger and I promise the next one will not be delayed.

This summer has been a bundle full of fun and activities. We have been on the go since May and what fun we had. Unfortunately it has not been documented on this blog, but has in the golfer's tan J. Hogan has developed. So here's the recap - we swam, we traveled, we went to zoos, we went to waterparks, we rode ducks, we had sleepovers, we went to Kindermusik, we did art projects, we played, we went to a million birthday parties, oh and we said goodbye to good friends.

Ginger, we really miss you guys. Chisel your way out of the frozen tundra and come back for a visit soon!

One Is the Loneliest Number... Whatever!!!

2009-03-02T10:00:00.012-05:00

Hi, my name is Dana and I have a one year old. Sometimes I do feel like there should be some kind of support group for moms when their babies make the leap into the world of one.

All in all, we had an amazing first birthday experience. We started Thursday on his actual birthday. We woke up early and I made J. Hogan pancakes for the first time (no syrup of course... I am still "me" after all). He LOVED them. G'Mo and Pa came down about lunch time and we headed to the aquarium. Pa stayed at the house and worked on monkeys for the party. It sure is nice having an artist in the family especially at birthday time.

As usual J. Hogan had a big time at the aquarium. It's funny how he notices different things with each visit. This time his favorite were the Hyacinth Macaws. We watched them for probably 20 minutes which translates into adult time as four hours. We had a wonderful time. Once we were back in the car, he collapsed into a much awaited nap and we headed home.

That evening we had our own little private family celebration complete with spaghetti. That boy loves some spaghetti.

His birthday party was on Sunday afternoon at our church's Christian Life Center (aka - gym). Illness unfortunately kept several of our friends from joining in the festivities and we missed them no doubt. But we celebrated and had a "monkey" good time. There were monkeys on the door (Thanks Pa!), monkeys on the tables, monkeys on the cake, monkey treat bags, monkey crafts, oh and a monkey soundtrack for your "monkey dancing" enjoyment. Oh I forgot to tell you he had a monkey party - just in case you were wondering.

With a one year old, you never know how he will react when 60 of his closest friends gather around and sing to him while mommy brings him a cake with flames coming out of the top. Well, I will tell you how he reacts, with huge smiles, moments of laughter and clapped as everyone sang. We had been practicing blowing out candles and he gave it his best effort. Now I am not big on giving my child sugar, but can I just say, "THE BOY LOVED HIM SOME CAKE!!!" He dove right in and ate with determination and stamina that only a fellow sugar addict could be proud of.

He got gifts, and more gifts, and then a few more gifts. I am always overwhelmed at the thought of how many people love my child. That is a blessing to a mom. I appreciate everyone who was there (and those who were feeling under the weather - I know you were there in spirit). I am so glad all of you joined us to celebrate J. Hogan's first birthday party. It was a blast.

Next year, hmmmm... oh what will I think of next. Maybe a beach theme, on location, in the Caribbean, where it is warm and sunny. Yes, I do believe that will be what he wants.

So now I am off to scarf down a piece of leftover birthday cake. And yes, I will be eating it in much the same manner as my little peanut ate his. One - what a great age, what a great kid.

Dear Year...

2009-02-25T20:53:00.003-05:00

Dear Year,

Where did you go? Just this time last year I was checking into the hospital in the middle of labor. That does not seem twelve months ago, maybe one month, but definitely not twelve. I end this day, my final day with a child under the age of one, with such a roller coaster of emotion. I embrace every moment - the good times and the bad. I now look back and understand the importance of sleepless nights. I have my whole life to rest, but I only have a short moment to hold my son in my arms and watch him drift off to sleep. I realize now why nursing was so painful for so many months. It made me stronger, prouder for not giving up. And though this time last year I said I would not allow my child to sleep in the bed with me, I would not trade those mornings when I a gentle kiss on the cheek and the sound of "mama" was my wake up call.

I have no regrets. There is nothing I would change. Every moment you have given me has been better than the last. Tomorrow is creeping up on me like a thief threatening to steal my baby and turn him into a toddler. Year, I won't let you bring the tears tomorrow. I only have room for fun and happiness. I can't let you have the day, because you just took 365 of them, curled them in your hand and hurled them at me with speed only a mother knows. No, tomorrow is a day of celebration because I know it only gets faster. I don't want to blink, I think I shall keep my eyes wide open on you year. Your greed can't be trusted.

Revelation

2009-02-05T23:15:00.002-05:00

I just realized what makes babies so cute. It's their wonderful self-esteem. I have never seen one try to hold in his stomach when you walk into the room or one try to hide her thigh cellulite from the other babies. They are the happiest when they are naked and they don't care who sees them.

So maybe if we all act this way our world will be more beautiful. Uh, second thought, let's leave out the happy naked thing. Oprah naked - 'nuf said.

IT SNOWED!!!! now when is spring coming

2009-02-02T21:17:00.002-05:00

Today was a snow day. I woke up to a cold, wet, rainy day. Not just a gentle rain, but one of those where you can't even use an umbrella because the rain hits you anyway. I just wrote the day off to a gloomy stay-inside kind of day.

Then it all changed. I put Peanut down for a nap and hopped in the shower. After about 30 minutes of intense beautification, I peaked outside to see not just snow, but a downpour of snow. I was so excited.

This is really J. Hogan's first real snow. In the end, we had about 1/4 of inch on the ground and it melted within minutes, but for about 2 hours it snowed - like is snows in Colorado - continuous - big flakes. It was wonderful.

J. Hogan woke up and just sat in his room for about 20 minutes staring out the window. When I got up there I explained the crazy phenomenon to him and to my delight he belted out a hardy "ow". That's J. Hoganese for snow.

I bundled him up and we went to play.

Then I came inside to hear Punxsutawney Phil said we have six more weeks of this garbage and that just deflated my happiness.

Oh sweet springtime, please don't wait. I long for your sunshine and warm days.

Lost... and not going to look for it.

2009-01-22T22:13:00.002-05:00

From day one, I have been a HUGE fan of Lost. Last season, I had to catch up with episodes online since I had the audacity to have a child in the middle of the season. During the catch-up, I noticed that my interest in the storyline was fading. I just chalked it up to the tiny baby that wanted to nurse every 30 minutes, my post pregnancy loss of brain cells (yes it does happen), and I basically new how they ended when friends would discuss the episodes in front of me prior to my review.

Last night I eagerly awaited the arrival of the new season. I did my bedtime routine two hours early and cuddled into the bed for my reunion with a long-lost love - LOST.

I appreciated the recap that was on before the show. It freshened the storyline and gave me even more excitement as to what was about to happen.

In the next statement, I will probably alienate many readers of this blog who are "Lost Crazies". I thought the storyline last night was the dumbest, most hard to follow, mish mosh of ideas I have ever seen. I am starting to think the writers are either writing about bizarre dreams they have or they are consuming some illegal narcotics.

Based on last night's premier, this is one Lost fan that the show just, well... lost.

No Turtles Were Harmed in the Writing of This Blog

2009-01-12T22:30:00.006-05:00

It was so cold today that I just did not want to leave the comfort of my warm home. J. Hogan and I spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon chillin' in the crib. (I am second guessing the use of the words "chillin'" and "crib". Do you think I can pull it off?)

Peanut took a good long nap this morning and woke up ready to play. I on the other hand was in the middle of reducing our never-ending pile of laundry. So I combined the too and well, he sat in here and played for about 20 minutes. This is the child who HATES his pack and play, but give him a laundry basket and he is Mr. Happy.

For those of you who are wondering, yes that is a turtle in his mouth... by its head. I think it is safe to say I don't see any pet turtles in our future.

Camera Crazy Mom Seeks Attentive Audience

2009-01-08T21:39:00.011-05:00

I took a few new pictures of J. Hogan earlier this week and I thought I would share them with you - just in case you haven't seen enough pictures of him.

I know you all see this picture and think "wow, she must really be a huge football fan since it is the big championship week." Sorry. This is just one of my absolute favorite shirts of his and if it is clean, he wears it. The reason I took this picture is that I realized I did not have any of him in it and that would make me sad in say six months or so when my mind drifted to that sweet blue eyed sports fan. I got this picture in just under the wire. If you look closely, the sleeves are just about too short. Yes, he has his mother's freakishly long arms.

This is his new chair that he got for Christmas from his G'Mo and Pa. When I suggested this gift I figured he would probably be able to climb into in a few months. Surprise! The day we brought it home and put it in the floor, he crawled over and climbed in. I love to see him sitting in it. He looks like such a big boy.

Oh and this is his 10 month old picture. And yes that is the 12-18 month old onesie we use every month. And yes, that would be his chubby belly challenging the sturdy craftsmanship of Pottery Barn Kids clothes.

I call this one "Can You Do This?" No seriously, I am taking a poll - can you do this?

I took this picture because of the conversation he was having with the yellow "Spot" dog on the ottoman. It went something like this -

J. Hogan: Ma Ma, Daddy, Da Do (that's Elmo), thank you, no no, duck... along with lots more J.Hoganese that I have yet to interpret.

Spot: (silence as he stared lovingly at such a remarkable child)

There was also some pointing, clapping, and other lecturing hand gestures. That was J. Hogan, not the dog.

J. Hogan loves this little Spot. His Aunt Joy gave it to him for Christmas and it's been a big hit.

And this was his reaction when he found out I was listening in on his conversation. Can't a boy get some privacy.

This is J. Hogan playing with a Christmas card that G'Mo and Pa sent to him. He loves it and looks for it first thing every morning. It has Elmo on the front and you press a little button and Elmo sings Jingle Bells... every time you press that button Elmo sings Jingle Bells... over and over and over again. Oh did I mention Christmas was over two weeks ago. I believe it's time for Elmo to stop dashing through the snow and find himself a sunny spot on the beach.

Happy New Year

2009-01-07T11:03:00.002-05:00

I was trying to think of some cute catchy title for today's blog - the first of the new year. I just could not come up with a thing that did not make me sound like a writer for Regis and Kelly and thus make me want to vomit. So I stuck with the simple yet eloquent "Happy New Year". And so far it seems to be pretty jolly.
Chris and I have never been big on New Year's Eve parties. We just don't like being on the roads after midnight with those who enjoy the New Year's Eve parties. This year we went to dinner at our good friend's the Malones and then back home by 9pm and well, I hate to admit it, but I was fast asleep by 11:15pm. I have always heard that what you are doing when you ring in the new year will be what you will be doing during the upcoming year. I will take the notion of sleep all the merry year through. I do believe in that saying. Two years ago I was holding a friend's baby when the year began and guess what sports fans - six months later I was pregnant.
So here are some things I really want to do in 2009. Not resolutions - just desires. I will spare you the usual - exercise more, do more community service, etc. That's always a given every year. Here goes -
I want to...
visit friends in Vancouver.
organize my home office.
pick out furniture for my living room and complete the remodel of it.
go to the aquarium at least once every two weeks.
go to the Creative Discovery Museum (once Peanut is walking).
see the Jim Henson exhibit in Atlanta.
go to the beach.
go to the Master's.
throw J. Hogan an awesome 1st birthday party.
have dinner (and lunches) with my girlfriends more often.
continue eliminating high fructose corn syrup from my diet.
install new flooring in eight rooms of the house (well at least pay someone to).
grow some sort of edible something in my back yard.
have friends over for dinner more and introduce them to our various groups of people.
potty train J.Hogan (just the thought brings tears to my eyes - he's a little young, but I can hope).
introduce J. Hogan to the joy of art projects.
go hiking.
re-read two classic works of literature along with new works.
use less paper towels (that one's for you Chris ;) you can wipe the tears away).
take more pictures.
blog more often.
If I think of others, I will sure let you know. Oh and I just did - sleep more!

Dana 1 - Nana 0

2008-12-30T22:20:00.005-05:00

So J. Hogan and I were in the grocery store the other day. Pretty typical shopping adventure with Peanut - he was touched by way too many sweet older ladies, laughed at a few older gentlemen, and was entertained by a few youngsters. But then we approached the checkout lane and everything changed.

It was here we met "Nana". I only know she is "Nana" because of the red and green sweatshirt adorned with one rather unfortunate looking angel and the LARGE billboard atop said angel's head that read "Nana's Little Angel". Side note - the date of this engagement was December 28th which is probably why I can tell you in detail what the shirt looked like. I will not tell you the real name of this "little angel" to protect his innocent self. We will just call him Oscar.

I quickly glanced over my options for checkout and chose the lane which looked like the least threatening. As I settled into my spot behind Nana, she quickly turned and said hello to J. Hogan. I will now give you a script of the conversation -

Nana: Well, aren't you the sweetest thing?

Me: J. Hogan, can you say hello?

J. Hogan: (smiles at Nana)

Nana: How old is he?

Me: He is 10 months.

Nana: Oh my grandson Oscar is the same age. Is your son waiving bye-bye? My Oscar is.

Me: Yes, he is waiving bye-bye.

Nana: Is your son crawling? My Oscar is crawling.

Me: Yes, he is crawling.

Nana: Is your son saying, "Da-Da"? My Oscar is.

Me: Yes, he says Da-Da. (At this point my patience for this game of "your son can't be smarter than my Oscar" is wearing thin.)

Nana: Is your son pat-a-caking? My Oscar is.

Me: Yes, he is pat-a-caking.

Nana: Well, your son is a cutie.

J. Hogan: Thank you. (It was the clearest, most perfect "Thank You" he has ever said.)

Nana: (solemn look on face as you could hear the crickets chirping) Did he say "thank you?"

Me: Of course he did. He is 10 months old.

Nana: (returns to her car speechless.)

Hello - Yes, It's Me Again

2008-12-28T21:46:00.003-05:00

So it's been awhile since my last post. Okay a VERY long while. No big excuse, just life. From Thanksgiving until Christmas is always a ball of chaotic activity, but throw in a child and you have complete exhaustion; add teething to that child and you have "nearing the institution crazy"; couple that with the whole family having a cold and you might just have the apocalypse.

Okay so I exaggerate. It wasn't THAT bad. We all were stricken with the common cold. So this year's theme for Christmas was "Merry Christmas - please pass the tissue." I really can't complain. We are a very healthy family. This is the first time J. Hogan has EVER been sick and he is 10 months old. This cold wasn't really that bad for him. He never got too bad and bounced back quickly. I am very proud of him. This is also the first time Chris or I have been sick since J. Hogan was born. But we were a team this time. You know the old saying, "the family that prays together, sneezes together."

Christmas was nothing short of remarkable this year. I keep telling people I always thought our Christmas celebrations were always so much fun and wonderful, boy was I wrong. They apparently were boring and mediocre. This year was more than I ever imagined. J. Hogan took in all that the season had to offer - caroling, gift giving, Santa, the lights, the tastes, the sounds. He even learned how to say "thank you" just in time for the big day. And yes, it is the cutest thing ever when he says it.

Chris and I continually reflected at how much difference a year makes. This time last year, I was seven months pregnant; did not know if I was going to have a son or a daughter; still working at Lee; and let's face it - terrified of the responsibility I was facing. Now, we have an incredible 10 month old son and that scary responsibility, well, my heart embraced it the moment I touched my son's face. It is now an unshakable desire to make him his best self. It is now a since of duty and honor to protect him - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is now a love that shatters all definitions of the word. It is reality. Don't get me wrong. Sometimes the fear is still there and it is then that I have to remind myself that fear is a worthless emotion. We are not in control here, He is - God is. I am so very thankful for that.

Last week I was visiting my parents and my aunt stopped by for a visit. Her husband just passed away one short year ago. She said something that has stuck in my mind and my heart. She said, "give what you need." That is going to be my theme for 2009. I can only imagine what this next year will hold for me. I am sure it will be an adventure.

Warning - Cuteness Below

2008-11-14T14:35:00.003-05:00

I don't have anything meaningful or grand to say today. I just downloaded this picture from a couple of weeks ago and I could not stop laughing at it. J. Hogan had just gotten out of the bath tub and we were taking his 8 month old birthday pictures and he kept putting his giraffe head from Halloween on - so I went with it. Notice his lack of ability to sit still. I just thought you all might get a laugh too!

Books

2008-11-10T14:46:00.003-05:00

I love books - all books. I love books with content I love and books with content I hate. I find beauty in the written word. I love the imagination that it evokes. I love the feel of books. I love the way the pages sound when I turn them. I love the way a library book who has been read by many fans smells. There is something intoxicating to me when I pick up a library copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird" and I flip through the well-worn pages and inhale that musty smell of the stacks.

Which brings me to my purpose for this post. I recently saw a product on Oprah which at first I was really excited about and close to adding it to my Christmas Wish List. It is an electronic book reader called the Amazon Kindle. It can hold up to 4,000 books and even will tell you the definition of word you may not know. Since Oprah is a fan, I am sure millions will be sold this holiday season. Many will buy them and decide they could never live without them. Well... not me. In researching this product, I realized that an important part of the wonder of books for me is in the physical book itself.

Which brings me to my final purpose. Don't stop reading books. I fear J. Hogan will grow up never having the joy of sitting in a library for hours scouring the stacks for the perfect read. I love technology, but come on Amazon, does this particular device not take out the joy of one of the simplicities of life. I just can't imagine curling up to my Kindle for a nice relaxing evening. I am boycotting this product and Oprah, just in case you read my blog (wink, wink), retract your statement of admiration for this product and urge all who watch your show to go to their local libraries and check one out!

Perfect Pumpkins - Perfect Day

2008-10-27T17:55:00.006-04:00

Saturday was one of those perfect fall family days that you just have to document somewhere. During the morning we just worked around the house and J. Hogan surprisingly took an extra long nap. We then picked up our good friends the Malones and their daughter and headed north to Riceville, Tennessee, to the Gutherie Farms pumpkin patch.

It is a really great small town farm complete with a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayride, petting "zoo", and many places to take some great pictures. Peanut loved every minute of it.

After the pumpkin patch, everyone was hungry so we began our trek back south stopping in Cleveland for dinner at Jenkins. When I was growing up in Athens, we had a Jenkins and I loved it. It's basically bar food done right! I had my favorite veggie burger of all time.

We then headed home and watched a little football and then off to bed at a decent hour. Like I said - perfect day!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2008-10-22T22:19:00.003-04:00

So today was one of those days mornings that you just want to crumple it up into a tiny ball, throw it on the ground, stomp on it twice and then bury it under several layers of rock and soil. Okay so maybe I am being a little dramatic.

First of all, for those of you who do not know J. Hogan personally, he does not sleep. He is way to busy and far to wise to fall for any tricks to get him to take a nap so don't bother with the suggestions. This morning was just extraordinarily bad. He REALLY needed a nap in the worst sort of way. But instead of napping, he was just completely happy fussing at me about EVERYTHING. So I then grabbed my phone and looked at my calendar only to realize that I mistakenly thought J. Hogan's pictures with the best photographer ever were today and not tomorrow as it was booked in my head. I then began to scramble to iron clothes and pack all we needed for the photo shoot. In the midst of packing while holding a tired child, I got scratched in the eye by a stray fingernail and therefore was sentenced to wearing my glasses all day.

I finally got everything in the car, the dog locked in his kennel, my glasses on my face, the kid in the car and began to back out of the garage. Side note - we bought a brand new car two months ago that I drive. I put the car in reverse and began my journey into the world. Side note - depth perception in glasses is not that great. As the car began leaving the garage, I hear a SCRAPE. I get out of the car to see that I have just hit the basketball goal. Side note - we have not played basketball in oh two years. I see the damage, but it's not too bad. Just a few scrapes. I get back into the car and pull forward to remove the car from the basketball goal and then hear a CRASH. I hit the garage with my passenger mirror. GOOD MORNING!!!

I then head off to Cleveland for J. Hogan's pictures convinced that it was going to be a disaster. Well, I can happily say, I was wrong. It was wonderful. Carrie is so amazing and it was so nice just hanging out with the little man outside acting silly.

I can now laugh about the car. I mean, it's just a car and it can be fixed. But I just hope and pray tomorrow is better.

House Guest

2008-10-17T15:24:00.004-04:00

So this week we have been hosting a very important house guest. Her name is Coconut and she is a gecko. She belongs to a brilliant, adorable, fascinating 10 year old who is currently vacationing with her family.

Coconut is pretty cool. She is nocturnal so she does not do much during the day, but she occasionally comes out of her cave or tree log to see what's going on in her world. At night we have to feed her crickets - live crickets. When I first learned of this fact, I wondered what I had agreed to, but it is really no big deal. And believe it or not, I have yet to cry over the loss of a cricket or release any into the freedom of our yard. I guess it is all part of life.

So to let you all know, geckos are a really neat pet. I highly recommend them and will miss Coconut when she goes back home on Sunday.

Sneak Peek

2008-10-15T10:57:00.003-04:00

I almost did not want to post these pictures, but then I realized it is not like a wedding dress. J. Hogan will not have bad luck if you see him in his Halloween costume prior to 10/31. I will post the full costumed effects later. I just wanted everyone to see how adorable my little giraffe was.

Vacation - A Success

2008-10-06T21:39:00.012-04:00

First I have to say that I promise to get to the "Not in the News Today" posts. Time, uh I mean vacation just got in the way.

So here I am just returning from a week in Destin, Florida, with Chris and J. Hogan - our first family vacation. It was wonderful. We played, we ate, we went swimming, we ate, we shopped, oh did I mention we ATE!! Workouts begin tomorrow. But all kidding aside, life was wonderful as a family of beach bums.

J. Hogan loves vacation. I know you are all dying to see pictures, and I will post more at the end, but for now let me show you a little bit of our life as travelers. This picture illustrates that when you are on vacation you are allowed to do things that you are not typically allowed to do at home - like eat your breakfast while sitting on the counter. Oh and did I mention my husband is a HOTTIE!!!

What you also will not realize about this picture is that you are witnessing a new love for J. Hogan. Before vacation, he did not like bananas, after vacation he LOVES bananas! It must have been the salty air.

Another thing you typically don't do at home is photograph your child when he/she is pitching a fit, however, on vacation you do - because the sun is setting fast and you need the right light. Here are a few attempts at taking beach photos when J. Hogan has not napped and is ready for dinner.

Oh and did I mention my husband is a HOTTIE!

Which brings me to my favorite part of the trip - the ocean. Chris and I are both lovers of all things water and much to our delight, so is our son. J. Hogan LOVED the ocean. He swam, he jumped in the waves, he splashed, he road in his float, he had an amazing time. I am so proud of our little fish.

So I will write more about our trip on later posts. But until then, here are a few more pictures.

Not in the News Today

2008-09-26T12:58:00.003-04:00

So I was watching the news last night and received my daily dose of which presidential candidate accidentally said the wrong thing and whose feelings got hurt by it; how the housing industry is just about ready to hit rock bottom; the ever climbing gas prices; and what American corporation we as taxpayers are going to have to rescue next due to their bad business ethics. That's when it hit me. What about the good news today? Any of that hanging around the old newsroom? In such a distressed world, what about a news segment that highlights getting it right? So I waited... and waited... and waited. Okay so it never happened and therefore, I have decided to start a new segment on this blog entitled "Not in the News Today." Enjoy!

Busy, Busy and Sad

2008-09-17T10:45:00.002-04:00

Okay so I have not updated my blog in about three weeks. Things have been really busy. So I just wanted to give you a brief update on, well, life.

First of all, I have been battling with Samsung over my brand new range. To make a long story (and painful one) short... I called Samsung on JULY 22, to report that my BRAND NEW range was sparking and would not work. After MANY phone calls and MANY empty promises from the company's customer care team, I finally received a replacement range on SEPTEMBER 8 only to find out that the electrical outlet was FRIED when the original range shorted out. Therefore, September 9 was the actual day (after a visit from a kind electrician) I had a working range. The moral of this story, DON'T BUY SAMSUNG - EVER!! ... and PS Customer Care VP, day 7 and I am still waiting for you to call me back.

Wow that felt great.

I have also been trying the past couple of weeks to get ready for our first family vacation. That's right, Peanut is going to the beach. Which brings me to Motherhood Realization #114, it was much easier traveling prebaby - all together. I am continually amazed at how much stuff a small little 18 pound person requires. I know all of you experienced moms are saying, "Come on, you don't need all that stuff." Well, I just think you are lying and you have probably blocked that horrible trip out of your head when you forgot the portable swing. I have tried to eliminate as much from my "To Take" list and I now have it down to the bare minimal, but it is still a lot of stuff! So much stuff, we bought a bigger car to carry it all in. My how your life changes and frankly, I don't know how I survived without my little man.

So we were scheduled to leave on vacation Saturday, September, 13, for three days in Orlando and then on to Seaside for five more days at the beach. I am not posting this from Seaside so that brings me to my sad note.

On September 11, 2008, my uncle passed away. Uncle Donald was a wonderful spirited man. He was very tall (I am guessing 6'3" or 6'4") and therefore always made me fill small when I got one of his bear hugs. He was such an encourager. When I was in seventh grade I played basketball and many times I would look up in the stands to see him cheering me on. That year, I made the All-Tournament Team for the first time and he was there to see it. The next day at school, I got he most awesome bouquet of balloons sent to me with a simple note that said "Job well done. I am proud of you. Love, Uncle Donald". I still have that card. It meant the world to me.

At his burial yesterday, a poem was read. Part of it said, "Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned and remember only the smile." I'm going to do that. I am going to put away my tears from the past few days and focus on all the smiles and laughter he blessed my life with. The minister yesterday also said something that I found very comforting and had never really thought about. If we as Christians believe that Christ lives within us, and we also believe that to be absent from the body is to be with Christ, then Uncle Donald is not very far away from us. That makes me smile.

1st Day of School

2008-09-02T15:57:00.005-04:00

For those of you who do not have children, please allow me to indulge in a bit of "mother melancholy". Those of you who do have children, please join me in this moment through reflection.

Today was J. Hogan's first day of school. No, he is not going to daycare, mom's day out, or any other daily centers of activity. He started Kindermusik today. I know it's just one day a week for 45 minutes, but it IS his first classroom setting and to me that's worth writing about.

I have been "chatting it up" to him for the last three days just to prepare him, and reality was no disappointment. There was music, there was clapping, there was parading, there was waltzing, and there was even a ride in a buggy (well a laundry basket of sorts). You are right, I was the one doing most of the work, but he LOVED it. He is the youngest in the class and the rest are over a year old, but I am certain he is the brightest. (-;

I took this picture just before we left and you can see by the look on his face he was excited. On the way to class I began thinking about how many times I will drive him to school in his life - the first day of preschool, kindergarten, high school, and then moving him into the dorm at Duke where I promise not to linger like a helicopter parent. I want school to be grand for him. I want him to love his teachers, read everything he can get his hands on, do well in math, make lots of friends, be a good school citizen, and mostly never want to stop learning - ever.

So after class on the drive home, with J. Hogan sacked out in the back, I began praying for his future teachers - all of them - from Sunday school to college. I pray they are eager to teach and passionate about what they know. I pray they encourage my son to try the unknown and marvel in new discoveries. I pray they delight in his successes and direct him in his failures. I pray they teach him the lessons to be learned both in the classroom and on the playground.

Maybe someday I will look back on this blog when he leaves the house driving himself to school, and I will think about that sweet baby boy in his navy and white t-shirt, in my arms meeting his first teacher, Ms. Anne and doing nothing but giving her the biggest smile a six month old can give. Thank you Ms. Anne! It's been a good day.

Happy Half Birthday Peanut!

2008-08-26T23:07:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe my baby boy is six months old today. I am typically not a very emotional woman, but the past week has been full of tear fighting moments for me. First of all, on Wednesday, I went to have Peanut's new big boy car seat installed. That's right folks, no more infant seat for him. He is just too long for it - imagine that. I thought this errand would be a "no big dealer". Boy was I wrong. After the kind store owner installed the seat in the scorching heat, I buckled Peanut in and sat in the back seat just staring at how big he looked. I fought the tears all the way to my mom's group.

The next emotional episode came the next evening when my parents came down for a visit. Hubby and I needed to test drive a car and let's face it, it's much easier without the little one. Mom and dad kept Peanut. After the test drive, Hubby and I went to dinner - just the two of us. We go out to eat fairly often, but usually it is a party of three or more. A baby started crying two tables over and then so did I. As a breastfeeding mom with a son that will not take a bottle, my outings without the little sidekick are few and I would not have it any other way.

Which brings me to today. My baby is half of a year old. Where did my little newborn go? He is so big and so smart and so funny. I just love the personality that is coming out in him. He is so sweet and eager with the smiles. He LOVES toys - especially his piano. I am entertained with numerous concerts throughout the day. He sits up, stands up, eats lots of fruits and veggies (and LOVES them), drinks from a regular cup, says "ma-ma" when he wants me to pay attention to him, and the latest - he can waive bye-bye. Life is good. My life is awesome. I kiss the two most wonderful men goodnight every night.

The Olympics Are Coming

2008-08-07T21:36:00.003-04:00

I am so excited about tomorrow - 08.08.08. No, I am not into that whole Chinese luck thing. I am excited about the Summer Olympics. I LOVE the Olympics - especially the opening ceremonies. I just can't wait. For those of you who don't know, I just looked it up and it starts at 7:30pm on NBC.

I am also excited because this is J. Hogan's first Olympics. Yes, I know he is only 5 months old, but you never know what kind of influence or inspiration he may find tomorrow night. He might just be the next Michael Phelps. He was doing some amazing kicks in the bath tub tonight and finds it totally funny when he splashes water in his eyes. I have no expectations though. I just want him to be happy, healthy and kind.