Phone Talk

Today, Sydney and Sabrina were having a phone conversation.

What did they use as their phones?

Sydney had a feather duster.

Sabrina had a tv remote.

New York: The Ultimate Immersion Therapy

This past weekend I got to go to New York City and take part in the wedding of this lovely lady:

Alexa, Susan, and me. The original 3 Muska-sheep (what we called ourselves in 3rd grade).

It was so amazing to be able to see my friend of almost 20 years get married to the nicest and most genuine guy ever (he is standing right behind us with his back to the camera).

It was a beautiful wedding and I was so glad to be there, especially because getting there was pretty momentous for me.

The past 6 months have been full of major ups and downs after I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. I have always been a very energetic person, but the energy started to take a downward spiral after I had Sabrina. It was a relief to get the diagnosis and to talk to a therapist about the racing thoughts in my head, the panic attacks and my fear of enclosed spaces.

I wasn't really sure I was going to be able to go to the wedding. It involved flying (something that I had started to fear soon after giving birth to Sabrina) and lots of different public transport. I had been avoiding buses for a few years...I remember being terrified of getting on a shuttle bus with Kirk when I was pregnant with Sabrina, and beating myself up about it afterwards. I didn't understand why my brain was firing off these emergency signals when I wasn't actually in an emergency.

Thank goodness for therapy. Thank goodness for the book Don't Panic. And thank goodness for Susan asking me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. I knew that I really wanted to show my friend how much I cared about her, and this was a perfect impetus to really get me to face my fears.

I had some adrenaline pumping through my body at the beginning of the two flights to New York, but with both flights once the plane lifted off I calmed down. I had the same adrenaline rush on the first flight back, but I started to realize that the source of the adrenaline was really me being afraid to relax...I would start to relax and a thought would go through my head "How can you relax when being stuck in this plane??" and then the adrenaline would pump again.

But in the airport waiting for my last flight back to Houston, I realized that you really can only think one thought at one time. So if my brain was going to revert back to fearful thoughts, I was going to put something easy in my head to repeat over and over and over again. So as I waited on the last plane for the doors to close, I just repeated this song from Spamalot in my head again and again again. (Seriously it was probably like 50 times).  "Always look on the bright side of life." *insert whistling* With that song repeating in my head and the distraction (and fun) of playing Dr. vs. virus on my phone, I was able to push away those fearful thoughts with something cheery and positive. There was no room in my brain for anything else!

After the plane took off, I was filled with so much gratitude towards God for helping me through this. I had prayed pretty hard in the airport to find something to fill my mind with, and this was the song that popped in my head. It was such a an amazing feeling to once again be filled with the wonder of flying, and to have no fear. I had been filled with so much fear for so long, and to have it gone...to not be afraid to let it go...was simply exhilarating.

Well after that long explanation, here are some pictures of some fun times in New York City!

1st pizza in New York. It was actually not that great and I burned my mouth, but I was still excited! 

Kirk and I in Tiffany's. Oh.my.goodness. So much prettiness there. 

I forced Kirk to pose for this picture in the Nintendo store. He still got a shirt there, so he can't be too embarrassed. ;)

As a lover of 30 Rock, I was pretty happy to see the NBC stuff. Who cares if they are the worst-rated network right now? I am a loyal fan. 

Fuzzy picture of Kirk and I at Nice Work, If you Can Get it. Matthew Broderick was amazing! 

Susan's awesome center pieces. Michelle is the woman in the background, someone I hadn't seen since high school!  

Jess, Beth and Alexa. It was so fun to get to know Jess and Beth on this trip. They know Susan from college and I totally understand why Susan loves them! 

I pretty much wanted to jump my husband every time he wore this vest on our trip. Can ya blame me?? He's dead sexy in it!

I love Susan's expression in this as she's about to cut the cake. I took more pictures of her and Sam but they ALL turned out super fuzzy. 

Alexa's hot nostrils. Sexy! 

Cute Video to make up for lack of Nina Pics :)

New Orleans, aka "Where Tiana lives"

Here are some pics of our awesome New Orleans trip last weekend. Kirk had a little time off after taking his Step 1 exam, so we decided to take a drive down with the kids and Kirk's parents. It was great to see the house where Kirk lived from the ages of 1-7 (in Slidell), and to eat the YUMMY food in New Orleans. We also got to have lunch with my cousin Ben (who I hadn't seen in 7 years), but I forgot to take a picture!! And of course our cute little Nina was in New Orleans as well, but none of the pictures of her turned out.

Kirk and Me in front of Oak Alley 

St. Louis Cathedral & the statue of Andrew Jackson

Oak Alley

I loved that the azaleas were in bloom! They are in Houston right now as well, but they were absolutely gorgeous in New Orleans. 

Oak Alley 

Raelene at the Court of the Two Sisters. I love this picture of her!

Jackson Square street musicians 

Fountain at Court of the Two Sisters

Grandpa and Sydney :)

Aaaand this is where we start with the iphone pictures, since my camera died our first full day there. Of course! I think this pic is funny though, because you can see Kirk and my reflections in the mirror. 

Sydney wanted to use Mommy's eye mask at the hotel. 

Kirk in front of the house that he lived in in Slidell. Apparently his family designed and built the house! Kirk has a super strained grin here because he was uber paranoid that the owners of the house would come out. 

In front of the Mississippi River!

A nice jogger offered to take this picture of us. Look at all that fog on the river. Super awesome. 

Absolute favorite part of the Audobon zoo--the parakeet exhibit!! They made you pay 1.50 for a stick with a tiny bit of bird seed on it but it was so worth it. This is just one of the many pictures we took. 

Yes, Kirk ended up getting pooped on. 

I was jealous that the birds kept landing on Kirk. I finally got a bird to land on my arm. 

12 fictional characters every girl should know

Here is the link to the article: 12 fictional characters every girl should know

SALT LAKE CITY — The books in our childhood have a powerful influence on the kind of person we grow up to be.

In a powerful essay on the impact of childhood reads, titled “When Books Could Change Your Life,” Tim Krieder wrote, “Books for children and young people are unashamedly prescriptive: They're written, at least in part, to teach us what the world is like, how people are, and how we should behave.”

Krieder also wrote, “When we're children, all the books we read are handed down to us, like the Ten Commandments, by grownups, who seem like, and sort of are, a different order of being from ourselves. They're the gods of childhood, bigger and older and more experienced; they know more than we do, imparting what wisdom to us they think we can bear, empowered to tell us what to do.”

My mom handed me almost all of the books that changed my life and shaped me as a person. Those books and their enduring characters are on this list. Now I hand them to my own daughters and keep watch for other books that might provide them with that magical, enlightening moment of connecting to something inside the soul while reading the words in a book.

As there are many, many good characters for girls to read, it was hard to narrow this list down, but here are my top picks.

Characters for little girls (0-8)

1. Princess Elizabeth, “The Paper Bag Princess” by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Michael Martchenko

Princess Elizabeth is a champion of girl power. When tragedy strikes, she does what needs to be done and does it with style, even though she’s wearing only a paper bag. She is clever, a little feisty and smart — smart enough to know when the guy she thought she liked is actually “a bum.” A good lesson for all girls.

2. Freckleface Strawberry, “Freckleface Strawberry” by Julianne Moore and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Freckleface Strawberry has freckles — a lot of freckles. She tries to scrub them off, cover them up, but they just won’t go away. But that’s OK. She learns that those brown speckles make her special, and even make her cool. Freckleface learns to be comfortable in her own skin, a lesson every girl needs.

3. Fancy Nancy, “Fancy Nancy” series by Jane O’Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

No one is as fancy as Nancy. Everything from her bed to her socks to her sandwiches are elegant and sparkly. Nancy teaches every little girl to love being a girl and that being fancy is just too much fun to pass up.

Characters for young girls (8-13)

1. Matilda Wormwood, “Matilda” by Roald Dahl

I love everything about Matilda. She is quiet, observant and small, but she reaches far beyond her petite size with her intelligence, love of books and clear understanding of what’s right. She projects confidence, power and makes us all believe in the magic of our minds.

2. Sara Crewe, “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Odd little Sara Crewe. Her story is a shining example of finding the good in any situation and having the will and faith to endure. In Sara’s world, “every girl is a princess,” but not a simpering, spoiled brat; instead, a solid, smart and kind person.

3. Anne Shirley, “Anne of Green Gables Series” by L.M. Montgomery

Anne with an "e" is one of the most endearing characters in literature. Anne may be spunky, awkward and talkative, but everyone falls in love with her passion and fire. Anne isn’t afraid to stand up for herself or say what she thinks, and no one’s heart is as giving and pure as hers.

Characters for girls in their early teens (13-16)

1. Leslie Burke, “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson

I read this book multiple times as a young girl. Leslie is a free spirit. She can outrun the boys, wears whatever she wants and is the queen of imagination. Leslie exudes vigor, life and all things exciting. Leslie is amazing.

2. Stargirl, “Stargirl” by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl is another incredible free spirit. In the early teen years it’s hard to feel comfortable with who you are. Characters like Stargirl and Leslie Burke show girls that it’s a glorious thing to be who you really are and to ignore the status quo.

3. Meg Murry, “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle

Meg doesn’t fit in at school, gets into fights and wears glasses. She feels like an outcast, like she can’t do anything right, but deep down Meg is a hero. In Madeleine L’Engle’s classic series, girls see the triumph of the underdog, the beauty of using our potential and how each person has important strengths.

Characters for older teens (16-21)

1. Kit Tyler, “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” by Elizabeth George Speare

Kit travels from her beautiful home in Barbados to the cold shores of America in Puritan times. Kit’s strength and strong opinions shock her new community, but she never strays from what is right. With innovation and a pure heart, Kit finds a way to befriend someone no one else will and adapt to the bleak situation presented to her.

2. Liesel Meminger, “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak

Liesel endures the most awful of circumstances, but comes through tough and strong. Many girl characters have a mother figure to help guide them through troubles, but Liesel has a foster father. Their relationship is a stunning example of the importance of a father to a girl.

3. Jane Eyre, “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte

Every girl should get to know Jane Eyre. Jane possesses a quiet strength and knows her own heart. She never deviates from what she believes in and is willing to work hard. Jane may not be traditionally pretty, but her spirit is gorgeous. Jane is a champion of the downtrodden and a queen of enduring the bad to get the good.

What other fictional characters would you add to the list? There are so many! Come share on my Facebook page.

Don’t worry — I’m not leaving the boys out. Next time: Fictional characters every BOY should know.

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Baby Kisses

It has been a long day. Crisis after crisis from start to finish. But this little one made it all worthwhile. As I was getting her ready for bed, I was kissing those chubby cheeks of hers.

I asked her if she would give me kisses, and for the first time ever, she planted kiss after kiss after kiss on my cheek. They were snotty and drooly...
                                              

                               ...and amazing. 

Potty Training

Today was Day 1 of the 3-day naked potty training. To be honest, I was TERRIFIED. Sydney had been showing signs that she was ready to do it the past few months, and I used my Hawaii trip as an excuse to delay doing it until the new year. :) Also, I knew Kirk would be able to help out because he is at home studying for the next few months. Yay for helpful hubbies!

I have to say, despite my apprehensions, it was not nearly as bad today as I thought it would be!

This morning we put all of Sydney's diapers into a garbage sack (Sydney helped) and I told her that "[She] was going to be naked all day!" and "Diapers are for babies! You're a big girl!" {Insert LOTS of enthusiasm in every sentence that I am uttering}.

We had bought this potty for her:

and set it in the middle of the tarp-covered living room.

Today we gave her about 6-7 sippy cups full of juice, lots of salty snacks, one m&m for pee in the potty, and 2 m&m's for poop. We spent the entire day watching tv and chanting "Pee pee in the potty!! Pee pee in the potty!" when Syd went in the potty. There was lots of wiping, hand washing, and m&m eating.

Sydney was definitely ready for this. She only had one accident, and that was at the beginning of the day. She even pooped in the potty! (Which I have heard is harder to train your child to do).

I was debating about trying to  potty train her for naptime and bedtime. We let her take her nap naked, laying on pee pads on her bed and with the potty in her room. I think she got the concept of peeing in the potty (there was pee in it when I came to get her), but didn't completely understand that you have to KEEP the pee in the potty. Pretty sure she dumped the pee out... So we'll probably just be doing pull-ups for now during bedtime and naptime. Which is fine by me. I was a late bed-wetter and it's normal for kids to not be night-trained until age 5. It's not ideal, but it's better than cleaning up pee every time she goes to sleep!

Here's to hoping days 2 and 3 go as smoothly! So proud of my Sydney-bear. :D