tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41683839868474933022011-11-27T18:23:32.067-05:00Anna Marienoreply@blogger.comBlogger961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-18920855858481472412009-04-09T17:27:00.005-04:002009-04-09T17:34:32.115-04:00

I am heartbroken that Madeline Alice Spohr passed away on Tuesday. She was a bright, beautiful child whose huge eyes and toothy grin never failed to make me smile. She will be sorely missed by her parents, Heather and Mike, and by thousands of others across the country and world.If you'd like to donate to Maddie's fund, Please click on the link to the right. We love you sweet girl.

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-2660055693258193222008-12-08T10:49:00.003-05:002008-12-08T10:56:54.431-05:00

So we are back from Key West and, except for needing a new liver things are back to normal. Oh, and there is the black eye Hubs is sporting after this ONE CONVERSATION we had in the car while inching along I-95 South in Georgia...Him - This is ridiculous. Check the map and find another road we can take to Florida.Me - Hmmm. (Carefully checking the map for roads branching off of 95 that

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-87962938889575046192008-11-17T14:01:00.009-05:002008-11-18T16:09:23.322-05:00

Here at Casa de Hinnant we only use our mobile phones for communication. We have no landline. In a house this small we don't need a landline since we can hear our mobiles ringing no matter where we are. I used to have a flip-phone. Two years ago when I first got it, it was cool. It took pictures, I could text, it fit in my pocket, AND, best of all, it entertained my daughter. Emmie could

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-85900686741861496532008-11-14T09:42:00.002-05:002008-11-14T09:49:59.263-05:00

Can I just say that the combination of a sick 3 year-old and a busy 18 month-old is not conducive to good writing? Because it isn't. It is not even conducive to mediocre writing.Poor Thomas has had a fever all week and I have finally made him a doctor's appointment for this afternoon because he was awake all. night. long. And when I say awake I don't mean whining and coughing and being

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-47872275907463994132008-11-10T15:29:00.011-05:002008-11-10T15:55:18.781-05:00

Whew. It's so NICE to have all the election brouhaha behind us, isn't it? I love being able to watch TV without being bombarded by political ads and I discovered that CNN actually has stuff to talk about other than Sarah Palin and her wardrobe. Oh, and it's football season. How'd you like that segue?Hubs and I went to the Carolina homecoming football game this weekend. (For those of you

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-66042500254911209362008-11-05T09:48:00.004-05:002008-11-05T09:58:46.754-05:00

Scuse my SQUEEEING, it's just that I'm still a little breathless from the election. How YOU Doin'?I'm excited that my children will probably never understand what a HUGE deal it is that America has elected a black man to be president. I'm ready for our country to start putting racism and bigotry behind us. I'm also praying we can forget the last 8 years and move forward into a time where the

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-1824377360023302502008-11-04T13:59:00.001-05:002008-11-04T13:59:33.767-05:00

Go VOTE!

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-43658842915282383762008-10-31T13:39:00.003-04:002008-10-31T13:56:59.588-04:00

In spite of my love of Halloween, I have to say that my first preschool Halloween party knocked me to my knees this morning.This morning at O:Dark-Thirty (when is the TIME CHANGING??) I got Thomas dressed in his pirate costume, put a cute Halloween t-shirt on Emmie so she wouldn't feel left out, and dragged both kids to Thomas's school for his "Fall Festival". I had planned to stay to help out

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-52668009180857703872008-10-28T14:23:00.004-04:002008-10-28T14:53:10.738-04:00

I LOOOOOOVE Halloween and it really wasn't until I had kids that I truly started appreciating this day. I mean, it was fun in college, another excuse to get stupid-drunk and an EXCELLENT excuse to wear a sheet to a party, but honestly, I love it so much more now that I can find the innocence in it again. I adore the little people running around the neighborhood dressed as ghosties and pirates

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-35261060006212572502008-10-24T15:51:00.005-04:002008-10-24T16:02:29.758-04:00

Last night was one of Those Nights and thus today has been one of Those Days. We all slept in after having a sleepless night and I wandered around the house in my pajamas until 10:00 am. I finally decided it was time to get it together so I washed my face, brushed my teeth and changed from my pajama bottoms and a t-shirt into...sweat pants and a t-shirt. The transformation was less than

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-74000661495218008082008-10-21T14:01:00.003-04:002008-10-21T14:07:28.122-04:00

Thomas is going to be a pirate for Halloween this year. It will be noted that he was a pirate LAST year as well. When you are born without your left eye it sort of dooms you to dressing as a pirate every year until you can protest otherwise.The costume I bought him this year has a hat with yarn-hair attached - the sole reason I chose it. Ohmyhell it is so cute. For a moment I tried to think

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-16160096953526295972008-10-17T09:35:00.010-04:002008-10-17T16:39:02.591-04:00

No matter how many books you read while pregnant, no matter how many childbearing friends you have, you can't possibly know what you are getting into when you have children. I mean, I knew that babies don't sleep much at night. I knew there would be lots and lots and LOTS of diapers to change. Lots. And lots. And in my case I was a first-time Mom twice.Thomas was so sick when he was born and

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-84254711188585852002008-10-16T09:17:00.002-04:002008-10-16T09:28:15.296-04:00

Hubs took the dogs for a walk last night. Since it was after dark and the vision of a large man walking two large dogs is, in his mind, not enough of a deterrent to muggers on its own, he took the canister of pepper spray. We bought the pepper spray for our 100 pound babysitter to carry when she takes the kids for a walk.About 10 minutes after he got back he started complaining about his

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-84167941694202014792008-10-14T10:20:00.014-04:002008-10-14T13:47:20.518-04:00

This weekend was Punkin-pickin' time. It will be Thomas's fourth Halloween and Emmie's second, and I was really, REALLY excited about taking them to pick out our punkins - yeah, I said punkinS because who can really stop with just one? I had visions of me carrying Thomas while Emmie toddled around pounding on various punkins, both of them just thrilled to be outside and helping me ready the

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-35856733412675312902008-10-09T09:49:00.002-04:002008-10-09T10:05:58.128-04:00

Emmie has been babbling for months in that weird, Latvian dialect that only she understands. I mean, Thomas apparently only speaks Chinese, so obviously HE can't figure out what she's saying and we as adults have no memory of the days that we made up our own language and happily rolled with it, pointing and shouting lbulabulwhmfumleebullatablut! Weehblazoomak!But day before yesterday she was

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-34602917073030904072008-10-07T14:22:00.004-04:002008-10-07T14:31:21.712-04:00

You are asking "What on earth happened to that child? Did you smack her in the head with a baseball bat?"Did she take a header down the stairs and land flatfaced on the flagstones below?""Did her brother finally get fed up with her antics and bop her a good one?"Nope. Her mother left the screen door open and let a whole HERD of mosquitos inside and one proceeded to feast on her small child's

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-75891975771249289152008-10-03T15:34:00.005-04:002008-10-03T19:26:31.300-04:00

Yesterday was the 21st anniversary of the day that Brenna, SuperNanny, was born. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Brenna's parents, by the way. About a week ago she asked me if I would accompany her on her first-ever visit to the liquor store on her big day and I thought sure! Why not! It'll be a field trip! So first thing yesterday we loaded up the kids and the double-stroller and headed off

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-56264649304703317452008-10-01T13:51:00.005-04:002008-10-01T14:01:46.861-04:00

And NOT because it's my birthday month, because now that I'm of a certain age I am not as fond of my birthday as I was when I was, say, eight. Remember when you wanted so badly to be older? You were 8 and a half, then 8 and three-quarters...I love September because the ungodly heat and humidity of August is a memory and cooler air is arriving...even if it isn't quite here yet it's on its way

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-39752778779679909012008-09-26T08:53:00.006-04:002008-09-26T09:22:14.579-04:00

Where on earth have you been? Who, me? Why, I've been hanging out on the sofa, eating bon-bons, watching DVR'd episodes of Friends and Magnum PI! I certainly haven't been blogging...Seriously? Wanna know what I've been up to this week?Well, Thomas has a cold. Let's run the numbers on your average cold in this household:Number of times I've wiped Thomas's nose - 273.Number of times he yelled

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-48208338335642780432008-09-22T14:57:00.007-04:002008-09-22T21:00:30.006-04:00

After weeks of standing up and refusing to take a single step without holding onto something no matter what we tried to bribe her with or how encouragingly squeaky our voices got (into the range of only-dogs-can-hear-it is how squeaky they got) Emmie decided today that she is ok with walking. Now from all around the house you can hear

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-41858762724403263822008-09-21T14:05:00.003-04:002008-09-21T14:16:21.569-04:00

I realize I haven't done this in a while and I think partly it's because the Ol' Man was out of town for several weeks so I wasn't cooking, and no one wants a recipe about nuking a frozen dinner.The NY Times has been running a series on roasted eggplant - no, seriously, they have! - and here is one of the recipes they featured. I haven't tried it yet but as soon as I make it to the store I will

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-14351450811593932632008-09-19T13:28:00.009-04:002008-09-19T13:59:00.029-04:00

The other day I opened the fridge to get some salad makings out of the crisper drawer and Emmie, seeing her chance to get in some trouble, immediately crawled over to climb inside. When she saw the open drawer she started rummaging around in it like she knew what she was looking for. I threw some lettuce into bowls and turned around to check on her.She was happy and quiet so I wasn't about to

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-5132504593953357052008-09-17T14:33:00.005-04:002008-09-17T17:47:03.233-04:00

When we were in the mountains over Labor Day we visited a small tourist-trappy shop in Blowing Rock that had racks and racks of bumper stickers and they were FUNNY and some were DIRTY and actually had little pieces of cardboard in front of them with the words "adult content" printed on them so as not to sully the minds of the young people wandering the shop. I took a picture of one that made me

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-32405511996609362982008-09-15T09:05:00.003-04:002008-09-15T09:41:40.515-04:00

The bulldog, Jake, is an incomparable creature. He is loving, friendly, sweet, TOTALLY thinks he's a lapdog and is fiercely loyal...to my husband. I, on the other hand, can't do a thing with him. One thing we've learned over the years about Jake - that there dog either has the highest pain threshold EVER, or he just doesn't feel pain at all. And it seems recently that he has been happily

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-88674977680456922022008-09-11T13:52:00.006-04:002008-09-11T14:27:03.873-04:00

When Hubs discovered he had no clean underwear this morning (well, no clean DRY underwear - there was plenty in the washer!) I mentioned that it might be prudent, it's just a suggestion really, but doesn't he think it's time to buy some new underwear so he has more than FIVE DAMN PAIRS because how often does he REALLY expect me to do laundry??That's how I found myself in Target this morning

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-57535716784555537562008-09-09T13:20:00.006-04:002008-09-09T14:20:20.756-04:00

This is the sound I made when we woke up Saturday morning to clouds and wind, a portion of our fence laying on the ground and horrors! our cable draped across the backyard. No TV. Worse - no INTERNET. Gah! Tropical Storm Hanna had visited us in the middle of the night. I immediately called TimeWarner and spoke to a woman who assured me that someone would be out on Sunday to fix our cable. We

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-47618117726047754912008-09-04T08:00:00.002-04:002008-09-04T08:00:00.864-04:00

Thomas's oral aversion started when he was first born. He was intubated for more than a week in the PICU, then had a tube stuck up his nose and down his throat for feedings. Add to that severe reflux and Sensory Processing Disorder, and the poor kid decided that anything in his mouth was bad. REALLY, REALLY bad. He had a g-tube placed at 8 weeks and we've been trying to convince him to eat

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-46649485065448398562008-09-03T07:00:00.002-04:002008-09-03T07:00:01.062-04:00

The first thing we noticed when we arrived at the cabin this past weekend was Claude. Claude was a tiny little snake curled up on the gravel in the driveway. We were a little hesitant to approach him at first since we didn't know exactly what KIND of snake he was, but Hubs quickly decided he was non-poisonous and that meant I could mess with him.I fear spiders. LOATHE them. But I love me some

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-53590402134795775852008-09-02T20:56:00.012-04:002008-09-02T22:02:24.005-04:00

For my *gulp* 40th birthday, my sweet, sweet husband took me to the mountains for the weekend. We stayed in a cabin on the top of a hillside and played tourist, and because we were playing tourist he got me the Canon Rebel XSi and I managed to take over 400 photos. They are posted here.Ok, seriously? I did take over 400 photos, but we were on vacation! And I deleted a bunch of them! I

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-40219607726748840462008-08-28T10:30:00.005-04:002008-08-28T10:53:27.670-04:00

The kids and I are traveling. Again. This time we headed down I-95 into South Carolina and, if you have EVER traveled the I-95 corridor in either direction in Virginia, South Carolina or Georgia (or anywhere else on the Eastern Seaboard, for that matter) you have seen these:They have proliferated like mosquitos after a hurricane up and down the interstate. They are a persistent and annoying

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-74456884709946019932008-08-27T07:00:00.008-04:002008-08-27T07:00:01.135-04:00

After I wrote this post a few weeks ago, I sat down and had a meeting with myself about my goals for Thomas, how to handle bureaucracy without pissing off the People Who Make The Decisions and what to do about the whole school mess. Then, I made some phone calls and sent an email to the PWMTD. Here is an excerpt:Dear {PWMTD}, I want to follow up on our conversation yesterday with an email to

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-63288838985671281902008-08-26T07:00:00.002-04:002008-08-26T07:00:00.440-04:00

This is my daughter.Letting you know just exactly HOW SHE FEELS.

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-84552371366480040402008-08-25T08:44:00.004-04:002008-08-25T09:05:50.098-04:00

"Studies have shown". Heh. Don't you love that phrase? Whatever follows seems a little more boring because suddenly you sound like an NPR announcer. But seriously! Studies have shown! That dads tend to play more roughly with kids than moms do!Last night post-bath and toothbrushing we had both kids on our bed to start winding them down for bedtime. Emmie considers exploring the bed the most

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-86422693195465735652008-08-22T14:34:00.010-04:002008-08-22T15:03:43.678-04:00

Following are a bunch of things that, by themselves, probably don't warrant a full post so I've just thrown them together here.First, we have a (blurry) photo of the newest member of our household. I've tentatively named him Henry and, since he STILL won't eat, I'm trying not to get too attached. My stupid f&@$ing camera wouldn't focus on the fish so this is what I like to call an artist's

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-43442244742626063532008-08-21T12:04:00.009-04:002008-08-21T15:21:49.473-04:00

Thomas had a doctor's appointment yesterday at the Pediatric Specialties Clinic at the hospital. It was a visit with the GI to discuss ongoing issues with his gagging and retching - something that his feeding therapist suspects is contributing significantly to his oral aversion. But more about that in a minute. Right now I want to talk about the other clinics that shared a waiting area with

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-57496198598573171872008-08-19T16:08:00.005-04:002008-08-19T22:14:38.393-04:00

When Hubs and I moved in together, we created a blended family. I had two cats, Alex and Stella, and he had two dogs. Two BIG dogs. The cats had never been around dogs, and vice versa. We knew it was gonna be interesting.We tried a test run before I actually moved in. I took Stella, the younger and friendlier kitteh, over to Hubs' house to see how everyone would react. I carried her in the

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-29401529943395931672008-08-17T20:53:00.013-04:002008-08-18T07:58:44.525-04:00

I try to keep my morning routine fairly simple because frankly, until about 8:30am, I'm just not all there. Some would argue that I'm not all there at ANY point, but whatever.I usually wake up to Thomas talking in his crib. I lie in bed for a while with the pillow over my head trying to get back into whatever dream I was having, then I face up to reality and haul my carcass out of bed. Once I

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-28769513267681322082008-08-15T10:30:00.015-04:002008-08-17T20:01:13.531-04:00

It's summer and that means it is HOT and HUMID and SWEATY and therefore there must be water to play in. Either the beach or a pool. Hell, on a really hot day a puddle will do. This spring on the very first day it was warm enough, I pulled out the baby pool. Wow. Really small. Too small for anything but funny pictures of nekkid baybees. It was fun for about 3 minutes and then Thomas leaned

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-89028069435652332432008-08-13T11:08:00.010-04:002008-08-13T16:05:32.170-04:00

My kids are both mortally terrified of the vacuum cleaner. They go into screaming, shaking fits when I turn it on, and then it takes a lifetime to calm them back down. This morning in the kitchen Emmie grabbed the handle of the little Swiffer vacuum, pulled it over and accidently turned it on. Oh the shrieking! The wailing! The gnashing of teeth! Emmie screamed, scuttled sideways like a

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-74244514892303305472008-08-12T11:41:00.003-04:002008-08-13T15:12:55.185-04:00

This showed up today addressed to my husband. I'm not sure whether to be concerned or amused:On the other hand, I was FASCINATED to discover that the Jonas Brothers like to watch movies on their tour bus! And Nick drinks 4 diet cokes a day! OMG they are SOOOO cute!

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-2284739120698551132008-08-11T07:00:00.001-04:002008-08-11T15:45:35.135-04:00

I love my son. I LOOOOOVE him the way I love oxygen - I need it to live. And I breathe him in the way I do oxygen because I love the way he smells. My favorite thing in the world is to sit on the sofa with him and breathe in his breath. Even when he just wakes up and he has a little bit of morning breath it's the most beautiful, wonderful scent in the world. I know. I'm just weird like

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-271042229948601822008-08-10T14:43:00.002-04:002008-08-10T14:53:30.381-04:00

This recipe is from my mom and I'm not sure where she got it, but it's so good that it will make you cry. She makes it for people when they are sick, or when they are well, or when they have family visiting, or when they just need a REALLY GOOD DESSERT to serve. At one point she was making it so often that the guy at the liquor store knew her by name, and if you know my mom that sentence will

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-79185798104637656442008-08-09T08:37:00.005-04:002008-08-09T09:06:25.430-04:00

The Hubs took a half-day off work yesterday. We left the kids with a sitter. Bye guys! Mommy and Daddy are going to the Dentist. We would NEVER go to the beach without you.We went to the beach. It was just us, the sand, the water, the seagulls, the breeze...and about 10,000 other people. Gah! What the hell are you people doing on my beach?In spite of that it was a lovely day. I swear I

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-65773591503454066312008-08-07T14:51:00.002-04:002008-08-07T14:56:37.572-04:00

You know, I really don't have much to say about this pic, only that it cracks me up. I can't put my finger on it though - is it the look on the guy's face? Is it the way they spelled "guyz"? Is it the fact that there is a whole LINE of grooming products for bald men? (That's what the tiny writing says by the red dot - "Grooming Products".) It must be a combination of all of those because

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-75996711707260183112008-08-06T20:06:00.003-04:002008-08-06T20:11:42.520-04:00

The girlchild is orange. I took this picture while we were at my parents' house because it was such an AWWWW moment. They were holding hands! No one was crying! For a few, brief seconds, peace reigned and my children were cherubs.Then I downloaded the photo and realized that Emmie's love of cantaloupe might have reached a dangerous place. A place that might warrant it's own episode of "

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-35920712415705121032008-08-04T09:14:00.008-04:002008-08-04T10:05:55.054-04:00

Whew! I don't know which was worse - the internet withdrawal or the exhaustion from packing up our stuff...which begs the question: if you've been living without it for 6 months do you REALLY need it?When we moved back to the coast we rented a house that is considerably smaller than the house we were living in, so we only packed and brought the stuff we really use every day. We figured once we

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-74003458931300477542008-07-28T14:24:00.002-04:002008-07-28T14:25:52.700-04:00

We are renting out our old house since we can't sell it in this God-help-us economy. Therefore I will be offline for a few days while I sort out the stuff we left there and ready everything to be moved to a storage unit. I'll be back next week!

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-28271828172145564422008-07-25T15:54:00.005-04:002008-07-25T20:13:11.518-04:00

Thomas currently has a persistent, low-grade fever. This fever has been especially fond of him and has stuck around for 3 solid weeks. 2 weeks ago, a mere 7 days after the fever started, I took him to our pediatrician. Let me first remind you just how much Thomas hates going to the doctor. The poor kid has seen WAY too many of them in his short lifetime and it takes only the sight of a

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-91478564071321375612008-07-24T12:11:00.004-04:002008-07-24T12:14:16.499-04:00

Yesterday I ventured to the grocery store here in the town where my parents live, a town firmly seated in the buckle of the Bible Belt, and as I walk back to my car in the parking lot I see this:And I think "Heh. Tattletale."

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-24894613934889862822008-07-21T14:41:00.004-04:002008-07-21T14:57:27.089-04:00

Yesterday my parents, the kids and I traveled to a family reunion that my mom's cousins hold each year. There were stories, wonderful food, small children running everywhere, more food... There were relatives from Texas that we didn't know, and weren't sure if we are actually related to, and the uncomfortable political discussions that arise when you have several generations in close quarters.

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-15485918820236475572008-07-19T09:00:00.004-04:002008-07-19T09:00:02.461-04:00

We are traveling to my parents' house today. They live on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina - a fantastic spot - but it's a looong way from where we live. On travel days we pack up the car with all the stuff that the kids will need - sleeping bags, food, 2 suitcases of clothes and swimwear, toys, stroller, portable high chair, diapers, wipes, lovies - and the stuff we'll need - 1 suitcase - and

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-40044665825321775612008-07-18T09:36:00.004-04:002008-07-18T09:44:29.595-04:00

My camera phone is my very favorite accessory. It takes crappy pictures but somehow that just makes them better, you know? I love that grainy, fuzzy quality that only 1.3 megapixels can impart. I have a real camera, an Olympus point-and-shoot that takes pretty good pictures, but for some reason 90% of the photos I take are shot with my phone.So here is my first Phone Photo Of The Day. Or, as

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-69924334121300404312008-07-16T14:55:00.004-04:002008-07-17T07:12:02.413-04:00

Well, it's happened again. I let my guard down and someone came in and stomped all over my ideas of What Will Be. Thomas is supposed to be going to preschool in the Fall, and I let someone else do the decision-making. I was not The Decider and things are not. going. well.There are two special-needs preschools in town and I really wanted Thomas to go to the UCP Center. It started as primarily a

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-43507141950568082302008-07-15T12:50:00.015-04:002008-07-16T07:29:39.221-04:00

A good friend of mine invited us to join her and her kids today at the Country Club Pool (spoken with a bad English accent), so we met her over there this morning. This is one of the perks of being a stay-at-home mom. The experience, however, was an unexpected culture shock. I remember going to the pool when I was young. We were skinny, crazy kids running around everywhere and our moms were

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-36946735415772401582008-07-14T15:26:00.005-04:002008-07-14T15:43:44.072-04:00

We were invited to a 40th birthday luau on Saturday night and were asked to bring an appetizer. I googled "Hawaiian Appetizers" and got eleventy-billion recipes calling for poi, fake crab or Spam. *shudder* Then I found it. The most delicious, mouth-watering, eat-them-all-before-you-get-to-the-party sweet and sour meatballs:1 13 oz jar Heinz Chili Sauce1 12 oz jar grape jelly1 8 oz can

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-12151678555743118192008-07-10T15:35:00.008-04:002008-07-12T12:51:10.046-04:00

Thomas has 4 therapists visit him every week. Yup, four people coming in and out, and in and out, and in and out of my home to work with my child. I used to feel the need to straighten up, maybe sweep the floor, even change out of my pajamas before any of them showed up. It was the hostess in me. "Can I offer you some tea? Anything to eat? How's your Mom?" No longer. Now they are lucky if

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-88671454912091233162008-07-08T16:22:00.015-04:002008-07-08T21:09:12.322-04:00

I had to take Emerson for the last of her one-year vaccinations today. You see, just before she turned one I bought a Very Popular Book by a Very Popular Pediatrician which recommends spacing shots out and delaying some until the child is older. I watched all the talk shows and read all the headlines and by golly, I was NOT going to let the doctor poke my baby over and over and over and over...

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-63124887162637947892008-07-07T14:53:00.009-04:002008-07-08T21:00:45.105-04:00

I was all set to go to the gym one day last week, but I had misplaced my iPod armband. I was bummed - that armband makes me feel so cool. So workout-y. It sorta makes me look like I know what I'm doing, which I definitely don't. So I had to improvise.I got on the treadmill, punched in a preset workout and stuck my earbuds in my ears. Then, not really knowing what else to do with it, I stuck

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-63231822242205039322008-07-06T15:08:00.003-04:002008-07-06T15:19:09.813-04:00

I love shrimp. I LOVE those yummy pink curled-up mouthfuls of tasty goodness. Except that one time they were jumping out of the water biting me ShutUpI'mSerious. They do that. I was floating on a raft in front of a dock on the Intracoastal Waterway and suddenly my legs were stinging. I looked down and these tiny, translucent BITEY things were hurling themselves out of the water and on to me

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-19526468586827967702008-07-02T20:52:00.010-04:002008-07-08T21:02:29.566-04:00

Sigh. It finally happened. The thing I used to joke about when Thomas first got his prosthetic eye. We were at Target. My Mecca. My Reason for Being. Thomas was in the cart and Emmie was in the seat up front. BECAUSE, if I put Emmie in the cart she starts climbing out and I am SO not a fan of head injuries. I figured that Emmie in the seat, with a seatbelt, was the choice that would keep

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-48462961413651708502008-07-01T12:02:00.013-04:002008-07-01T20:27:53.158-04:00

When I started this blog I wanted it to be about my family, one of whom has special needs. What I didn't want was a Special Needs Blog. I realized though, that to ignore Thomas's story altogether means that there are things I can't say because they wouldn't make sense. So here you go.When I got pregnant with Thomas I was considered high-risk because I was 36. My ob-gyn suggested that I have

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-71278406270553977902008-06-30T20:18:00.012-04:002008-07-01T13:10:47.044-04:00

Duuude, the first hit is free. Honestly, if you look at this picture you can totally believe that she fingered that ice cube straight out of my vodka-tonic. She loves the stuff and has no hesitation eating it off the floor. It's been proven as a law of nature that any time you retrieve ice from the freezer a cube or two will escape and make a run for the next county. It happens EVERY TIME. And

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-3526097119022657552008-06-29T12:21:00.003-04:002008-06-29T15:01:42.127-04:00

Do you ever go through spells where the idea of cooking dinner is just...beyond you. You don't want to cook anything you usually make because you are SICK TO DEATH of every single recipe you have. You don't have the energy to go through dozens of cookbooks to find something NEW AND EXCITING the whole family will eat. With that in mind, I thought I would institute a recipe-of-the-week column to

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-75546002826636188242008-06-27T18:28:00.013-04:002008-07-04T14:58:58.714-04:00

I've never been much for working out. I'll go in spurts, sign up at a gym and work out for a few months, but something always distracts me and I miss a few days, then a few days more, then suddenly it's been 6 months and at that point, really, what's the point of starting back? Come on, you know you've been there.This past January when we moved back to the beach, Hubs wanted to get a family gym

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-66071876756122034282008-06-24T20:38:00.005-04:002008-07-01T13:09:43.303-04:00

Emerson has started this new...I'll call it behavior, but I'm hoping it's just a phase. When I put her on her changing pad to change her diaper or get her dressed she works desperately to twist away from me. I mean, this kid is MAD to turn over and get away from me, stark naked. When I pick her up to reposition her she arches her little body away from me. I'm pretty sure it's just a game for

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-2240404644405391472008-06-23T14:47:00.005-04:002008-06-23T21:31:49.541-04:00

We met my parents yesterday at a restaurant half-way between our respective towns to pick up Thomas. I was so happy to see him that I squeezed and squeezed him until he started trying to squirm out of my arms. Then I squeezed him some more. He may not have missed me but I missed the hell out of him. I know the boy had a mah-velous time while he was there because the look on his face when he

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-64636166527434025032008-06-19T12:52:00.002-04:002008-06-19T12:57:10.509-04:00

Hubby called just a few minutes ago to tell me he was having lunch on the pier and it was gorgeous at the beach. 82 degrees, sunny, the water is calm, just GORGEOUS. I hung up and looked around the house.There is laundry in the washer.There is laundry in the dryer.There is laundry on the bed waiting to be folded. The bed is unmade.There are dishes on the counter waiting to be put in the

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-10891515726618710092008-06-18T16:48:00.007-04:002008-07-01T13:09:31.646-04:00

Thomas is staying with my parents this week. They adore him and he adores them right back. Thomas's time with them is what Hubs and I like to call Summer Camp. They keep him busier than any other 5 people could and it's all FUN. Boat rides, playing in the pool, strolls around the block, he gets to do it all. I'm pretty sure when I call to talk to him he's thinking "Mom? Mom who?" Oh, how I

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-15477366757230465072008-06-16T07:23:00.009-04:002008-06-16T14:16:23.286-04:00

We were in Hilton Head this weekend and the Hubs and I got to go out for a real, Adult Dinner WITHOUT CHILDREN and WITH wine and everything. Or should I say Beverages, because that's what the server kept saying. We had dinner at a restaurant on the harbor at Palmetto Dunes which had a lovely view, the breeze was perfect and the humidity, surprisingly enough, was low. Our server came over to

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-88186168901706445382008-06-11T09:36:00.002-04:002008-06-11T09:53:37.850-04:00

We have two dogs - an English Bulldog and a Yellow Lab. The bulldog is usually the bane of my existence. He's stubborn - he ONLY listens to my husband and when I tell him to do something just looks at me as though I am speaking another language or something. I mean, I KNOW he speaks human. He stinks - all those wrinkles on his face collect nastiness and said nastiness creates a stench that

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-90961011676175606982008-06-11T07:49:00.006-04:002008-06-11T08:21:05.023-04:00

My brother lives in the UK and has frequently mentioned that they don't seem to have a "serious" newspaper to read. Nothing that simply informs on issues of the day. What they do have is a serious paparazzi problem and a whole mess of gossipy, trash-filled tabloids. Even the weighty matters are treated lightly and given outrageous headlines. I love reading them. In lieu of an actual post, I

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-57338598657966009622008-06-09T13:57:00.008-04:002008-06-09T14:15:52.242-04:00

I found this site the other day and OH MY GOSH was it fun. I wasted practically a whole naptime at this site. You simply upload a photo of yourself, answer a couple of simple questions (whether you are male or female, how old you are) and then start clicking. The first one I tried was "young adult". It gave me this:What on EARTH???? I look just like my BROTHER!!SEE???I have NEVER thought

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-81994186535169362072008-06-07T15:43:00.005-04:002008-06-07T15:53:16.837-04:00

Summer is here. The temperature is 90, the humidity is 150%. The dogs have to stay inside. Ah well, that means we get to explore indoor activities for the kids for a while. Today we were invited to a tile painting for the new pediatric hospital opening up in August. (Another cool month.) I discovered my kids are burgeoning Picassos. The theme the hospital was going for was undersea

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-25453485899980847902008-06-05T08:24:00.008-04:002008-06-05T15:31:05.519-04:00

Pardon the bad '80's allusion. I'm not even old enough to remember that song when it first came out. Heh.I had to fire another CNA yesterday. It's getting really ridiculous around here. The whole point of the wonderful program that Thomas is part of is that I get 12 hours a week of help from a CNA (Certified Nurse's Aide). This is someone who, in a perfect world which is CLEARLY lightyears

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-70562991323666435062008-06-03T13:38:00.005-04:002008-06-03T13:50:42.916-04:00

This is Emerson. She is eating her bib because she is SO HUNGRY. STARVING, actually. When she wasn't chewing on her bib she was yelling at me to HURRY WITH THE LUNCH. At least, that's how I interpreted the monotonous, repetitive Huh! Huh! Huh! she was yelling at the top of her lungs.I bought her one of those toddler dinners - it had mac n' cheese and peas and carrots in a nifty little divided

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-66141317341354128022008-06-01T13:51:00.010-04:002008-06-30T21:48:53.574-04:00

Ok, raise your hands if you've ever taken small children, plus all their stuff, to the beach. Uh-huh, ok, you can put your hands down. NOW, raise your hands if you've ever taken small children, plus all their stuff, to the beach TWICE. Yup. That's what I thought. UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE is what it is. We loaded up the car this morning. Towels, the sun tent, chairs, the wagon, diapers, juice,

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-24338833121258298262008-05-29T13:39:00.009-04:002008-07-01T13:10:02.344-04:00

Emerson turned 1 on May 23rd, and I am still in shock. How did a whole year go by? Never mind that the year included my husband changing jobs and the family moving back to the beach, it just doesn't seem possible that Emmie should be 1. As the days counted down to the 23rd I would say to myself "a year ago today was the day I went to the doctor thinking I had a bladder-control problem."

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-4002830296615023622008-05-28T20:55:00.007-04:002008-05-29T10:38:49.854-04:00

We visited my parents this Memorial Day weekend and had so much fun. They live on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina and have a boat, and my dad loves to cruise around on pretty days. I am the first to admit that I am a FREAK when it comes to my kids and water. Last year I was completely obnoxious about the kids having flotation devices when we were out on the lake, so this year for their

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-37440248578562715002008-05-21T12:46:00.007-04:002008-05-22T12:35:51.078-04:00

One of the first sentences my parents recall me saying was "girl do by self". This has followed me my entire life, and with good reason. I am CONVINCED that with the right tools and a little work I can fix, install, remove, repaint, unwallpaper, adjust or wire ANYTHING. Sometimes I am right about this. When we first moved into our rental house I was anxious to get the washer and dryer up and

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-22700986330281517102008-05-19T12:25:00.005-04:002008-07-01T13:10:16.428-04:00

He's sitting on the counter because it's safe there. His sister can't get to him when he sits on the counter and he gets to keep me company while I cook. Never you mind those ginormous kitchen knives just to his right, he's safe, SAFE I tell you!

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-19208051594284105812008-05-18T14:46:00.006-04:002008-05-18T14:54:14.933-04:00

It seems it's been a while since I posted new pics of the kids, and I know a couple of sets of grandparents who are undoubtedly getting a little antsy, so this one is for you guys!*sigh* She ONLY wants the toy Thomas is playing with. If you're happy and you know it pat your head...Deciding which dog to torment firstAnd here is Jake, who ALWAYS goes after the ears. Always. Hope you had a great

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-22351338218024878832008-05-17T21:27:00.004-04:002008-05-18T14:58:23.146-04:00

Saturday was one of those days where nothing was planned but plenty was accomplished. Probably because both kids got up before 7:00 am. Hello? It's SATURDAY! Unfortunately, since neither child is in school yet the whole notion of Saturday morning is lost on them. Beh.We played outside on the deck, we discovered that Emmie REALLY LOVES grilled cheese samiches, we went to swing in the park...

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-81902880194266095932008-05-16T14:21:00.004-04:002008-05-16T18:27:50.073-04:00

The other day I found this site. You type in your name and it tells you how many people in the US have that same name. Interesting stuff. Of course I entered Thomas and Emerson's names to see what came up. This is what Thomas's said: - There are 2,102,724 people in the U.S. with the first name Thomas. - Statistically the 11th most popular first name. - 99.78 percent of people with the first

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-4337485339978769352008-05-15T12:30:00.006-04:002008-05-15T12:59:20.895-04:00

I remember when Thomas had his one-year checkup. I had forgotten to ask for our regular doctor, Dr. Sarah, and so was stuck with whoever was available. Don't get me wrong, he was really nice. And really cute. But that's another story. He looked Thomas over, gave him a couple of vaccinations and told me that soon Thomas would be crawling around putting things in his mouth, and to watch out

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-1967740651185273512008-05-13T12:49:00.013-04:002008-05-13T13:08:46.403-04:00

Yesterday was Thomas's THIRD BIRTHDAY. Yup. My little man is 3. You know what that means, don't you? CAKE. Or, in this case, cupcakes, because I'm on Weight Watchers and it's a lot easier to eat only one cupcake than it is to eat only one [reasonably-sized] piece of cake. So without further ado, I bring you the cupcake photos:Oooh - icing!Really getting into it now...Wow - someone go start

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-2829029677665162252008-05-10T16:30:00.007-04:002008-05-10T19:08:41.898-04:00

No child has ever, in the history of creation, loved a stuffed animal the way Thomas loves Bartleby. I have no idea where I came up with that name, by the way, my brain just works in strange and wonderful ways. At naming time it was obviously just working in strange ways. At any rate, as soon as I spoke that name it stuck. Thomas's love for that bear is a pure, unadulterated love, the kind

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-74025200767730284092008-05-08T19:52:00.001-04:002008-05-08T19:53:59.597-04:00

We call Thomas Crazy Monkeyhair Boy. This is why.

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-1818631395694351422008-05-07T19:24:00.005-04:002008-05-07T19:44:40.036-04:00

Sometimes Thomas's PT is almost as hard on me as it is on him. Last week was like that. He screamed the whole time, didn't want to work at all, made it seem like we were amputating with a plastic knife. Pam finally gave up and took her toys and went home. Today was much better - he worked hard and actually had some fun. We read him stories between sets, made him giggle, showed him he could

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-42370381422753201652008-05-06T16:08:00.006-04:002008-05-06T20:11:54.084-04:00

Emerson is starting to eat table food and I am constantly on the look-out for stuff I think she'll like. One thing she LOVES is juice, but pediatricians and other know-it-all busybodies concerned parties will quickly tell you that juice is NOT GOOD FOR BABIES. It has SUGAR and HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. It will rot their teeth, cause diabetes, obesity, schizophrenia and male pattern baldness.

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-44214060198597586532008-05-04T20:19:00.002-04:002008-05-05T12:21:45.099-04:00

Me - Oh. dear. God.C - What?Me - she's sitting in a puddle of water eating cat food out of the bowl.C - well, it does smell pretty good.

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-62658085298267109802008-05-04T14:41:00.013-04:002008-05-06T16:34:56.223-04:00

It was a beautiful weekend and we spent every minute that we could outside. Thomas and Emerson are learning to play nicely together, but she still terrorizes him frequently and I have to referee. GrandNana bought Thomas a swimming pool for his birthday and I'm happy to say, it's a little larger than the last one. Naturally, Jake wanted in on the action. I underestimated the chilliness of the

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-43581097822921845632008-04-30T10:11:00.004-04:002008-04-30T10:25:54.602-04:00

The other day I was at my local grocery store - the one so close to my house that if I drove a stick-shift I wouldn't even get to 3rd gear before pulling into the parking lot. I love that store. Anyway, I am cruising down the aisle marked "canned meats, pasta, rice" and I see this:I mean, what GENIUS decided to add cholesteral, nitrites and huge amounts of sodium to a product already loaded with

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-61444911003246539192008-04-29T16:53:00.001-04:002008-04-30T10:02:31.564-04:00

There is really nothing funnier than watching kids and animals interact. The cats have learned to run from Emmie when they see her approaching. The dogs have learned that she usually tastes like FOOD. Thomas is still wary of Jake and Mason but they are so gentle with him that I don't worry. I have yet to get a good pic of Jake licking the remnants of Emmie's lunch off her face, but here are some

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-75878577968050446392008-04-29T12:09:00.001-04:002008-04-29T16:47:02.271-04:00

Harris Teeter has replaced their plastic shopping carts with metal ones. This situation would not normally bother me, but this morning Emerson was in the seat of the new-style shopping cart and I had safely buckled her in like a good mom should. I knelt down to pick out 40 or 50 jars of baby food to feed said hungry child for the next few days and when I stood up she had turned around, gotten her

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-90223531868698547072008-04-28T18:30:00.000-04:002008-04-28T15:57:36.920-04:00

Ok, so I'm figuring out this whole "posting" thing. Sort of. Here is my second post in as many minutes...Emmie is crawling. She thinks it is SO MUCH FUN. Thomas does not agree. She tackles him, pulls his hair, she's even taken out his prosthetic eye once, and since he can't get away from her he is sort of at her mercy. I'm thinking that this might be the push he needs to really start working on

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4168383986847493302.post-72690404083507041452008-04-28T15:13:00.001-04:002008-04-28T15:51:28.368-04:00

We have spent tons of time outside this Spring. Last week it was really warm and I remembered that Thomas had received an inflatable pool for his birthday last year. What I didn't remember was how small it was...

Anna Marienoreply@blogger.com1