A tribute to a stroller, moms' best friend

I woke up today with a zest for life, so I think it is time to blog.
We had our coziest Thanksgiving ever. Thursday morning we went down town to see what turned out to be a very impressive parade.
We missed our families on this day. In Levi's 5-year-old mind our family of four was too small for such a holiday. and he voiced it. I love Thanksgiving with my family. My Mom makes the best home made rolls and we always play games and laugh a lot!
I love the Thanksgivings we have had with Richard's family. They are full of elegance and great food.

We had a challenge on our hands living up to what Levi has become accustomed to.


Richy cooked our Thanksgiving feast while I took a nap, not sure how I got so lucky. He made a fantastic tofurky. Although our Thanksgiving was quaint it had all the elements of a perfect holiday, cute kids, great food, and memories.

Anyone one who knows me knows I have an odd and even boarder line weird fascination with the kicker position in football. Richard and I decided to try our foot at some field goals. Before setting out for a family activity of field goal kicking, I did some homework on proper techniques and records. Did you know Tom Dempsey was the first to kick a 63 yarder, early in the 1970's? and he was born with only half a foot! Surprisingly the responses to this fact has been apathetic at best. Sadly my field goal attempts were fruitless. Richy's kicks were so good you would think he only had half a foot.

When I stop to think
about all of the things I am thankful for my mind is taken to this picture

Everyday I am amazed that I have these three in my life. Each of them bring me love and fulfillment that is unmatched by anything else in life.I know that sounds sappy, but this Mom gig has turned me into a sap!

I am thankful for how smooth our transition to St. Louis has been. I was so worried about it. We had been away from family before while we lived in Texas and it was horrible for me on many level. I had prepared myself for this move saying I did not get the luxury of being depressed because my little family needed me to be happy. I know my prayers were heard and I can honestly say I am happier than ever. I never would have picked Missouri as a desirable place to live, but now that I am here I feel cheated that I only get 4 years here.

I am thankful for all of the time I had with Richy's family before moving out here. Our close relationship help me not to feel so far away.

Hard and annoying things do come my way, it is not all sun shine and glitter.

On Monday two of my sources of transportation took a literal hit. First I was on my way to drop Levi off at school when I was stopped at a stop sign. I was hit from the back pretty hard. It pushed my dainty little car forward. As my chest hit the steering wheel I started to panic, I heard what i thought was glass crashing onto my sweet little boy.(Naomi was at home with Richard) I jumped out to grab Levi. Luckily the window had not shattered, but rather the change console had strung open sending my parking meter money every where. I ask Levi if he was okay, his smug reply was "That is why you wear a seat belt". The fofo as we call it did sustained some body damage and a broken trunk.

Upon checking Levi into the office at school late, I told them I had been hit. The secretary ask if I had been hit on High School street by a high schooler? I was surprised she knew, she said this was a common occurrence on that street.
While it is impressive the boy wanted to get to school in a hurry, I was less impressive when he told me he has a broken collar bone from another recent accident he had caused.
On Monday it was sunny, but deceptively cold, which is why I drove. On my way home I decided I would bundle up and push Naomi in the stroller to pick Levi up from school. I pulled into my parking spot and noticed my stroller was missing . I looked down the street to see the garbage truck. I quickly ran down one of the only hills in Missouri to see if the garbage man had absconded with my stroller. He in fact had, claiming it was garbage. I use it almost everyday I explained. His defense was unwavering as he continued to tell me it looked like garage, this was also Richard's response to the incidence. While it is true the 9-year-old hand me down stroller from Richard's sister had seen better days in its strolls through over a dozen states, its best days WERE still ahead of it. I loved the stroller, not just because I liked to think of it as a family heirloom, but because it worked and I hate to be wasteful with something that functioned the way it was intended to.
I ask the man to give it back to me as I could see its wheels protruding from the back of the truck. The man lifted a heavy lever to expose the top half of the stroller mangled and destroyed from the lever. I gasp as if I had seen a puppy run in front of a car (I air on the side of dramatic). I won't lie my initial thought was pinterist has to have ideas on how to fix garbage truck induced stroller accidents. I then remembered my pinterest account is inactive, so it was time to say good-bye. I did not mean to turn my post into a tribute to my stroller, but I really did liked that thing.
These pics are from the 2009 March of Dimes in Austin.

RIP rickety old stroller.

I do not want to end on a depressing note, so here are some pictures of Naomi after I straightened her hair.

I used to tell my friend Bianca while she was in medical school,Friends don't let friends go to medical school. She was always busy. Somehow I forgot to take my own advice when it came to my husband. He was so excited and motivated to get here. I even took on the tittle of calling myself his Medical School Campaign Manager. The application process became very interesting to me. I remained in this role until I resigned in disgrace do to the nature of my relationship with Richard.
The long hours he spent studying for the MCAT was only the beginning of it all. Levi's almost 3 year old self used exclaim "Daddy all done study the OCAT". Now that Richy is in school he does a great job making the kids forget he is in school. He does not study at home, so when he is home he is home! But I still remember. The kids always get him first, which means he is exhausted by the time it is just he and I. I never knew you could miss some one so much that you live with.
I love this man more everyday.

I feel blessed that we have had many visitors to help pass the time. Recently my good friend Emily and her mom were in town. It was nice to see her. We went to the zoo!)

Emily can make me laugh like no one else can, which is probably why we have been friends for so long. It was sad to see Emily leave, I know it will be a while before I get to see her again. The day after Emily left Hillary and Scott arrived.

I showed them the things I have come to love about St. Louis, the museums, the beautiful houses, and to try and win them over ME, the vegan took them to barbeque TWICE!
I love having visitors. I have more coming in a couple weeks.
I know someone who is happy the elections are over. Before I show you this next set of pictures, let me say this is the same little girl I caught sitting on my bed this summer CLAPPING as she watched the Republican national convention by herself.

I think she has switched teams in support of Levi's second amendment right to bear arms. I am in favor of strict gun control, especially. squirt guns in the house. I am not sure what it is about sweet little boys that turns them into gun enthusiasts. The other day Levi bit his toast into the shape of a gun and started shooting Richy at breakfast.
Luckily Levi has other interests besides toy guns. Levi has been learning to read and I love it. He is a smart boy. It took Levi a full year and a half to warm up to the idea of having a little sister, Naomi on the other hand has always been smitten by Levi. Yesterday Levi said "I want to stay home and play with Naynay all day". Tempting, but no. Naomi walks around while Levi is at school and says "Levis come back". I do the same thing but I add Richard's name as well.
This past weekend in 81 degree weather the kids and I collect fall leaves for what ended in a failed art project, but the good news is I took some cute pictures.

I guess that is all I have for now, because I am too heart broken over the Beavers lose this past weekend to blog about it. Richard had to take me on a mini shopping spree to calm me down. I am that person who yells at the tv and well I will leave it at that.

Happy Missouri Halloween

Halloween has all the elements of a perfect holiday, dressing up and eating candy. These are two things Levi asks for daily.

Levi requested we "spook out" the house. He had a great idea to turn our white curtains into ghosts.

A scary bat was a must for Levi. It's wing span was the same as mine. We positioned it to be right in your line of sight as you enter. I did not even want to touch the eerie thing..

Naomi loved swinging her little hands at the hanging spiders

Here in St. Louis we had been enjoying unseasonably warm weather in the 80's!, I thought Richard's idea of Naomi being Marilyn Monroe was brilliant, so I sewed her this dress

Unfortunately the weather took a dip into the 50's which sent me to the craft store to make a costume change for Naomi. As I looked around the store, I caught Naomi with her shoes off trying to put on these glass witch shoes.


Levi wanted to be something scary. SPOOKY ALERT!



It was hard to get a pictures of this ghost. He just wanted to run off with his friends

The cutest ghost and the sweetest witch.

We had a fantastic Halloween. My sister Hillary and brother in-law Scott were here to share it with us. Our neighborhood here is pretty much the cutest neighborhood ever. Many houses had lawn chairs set up around fire pits in the drive way and what is the point of a fire without s'mores? The houses were "spooked out" with music, orange lights, and plenty of scary creatures. It was a great way to get to know our neighbors and warm up our hands.


Here are some pictures from the past couple Halloween.
2011 Walle and a Bee

2010 Levi the Grandfather clock

Halloween is one of those days I especially love being a mom. Everyone is happy and at their cutest, however the day after with it's sugar highs and sticky EVERYTHING proves to be a challenge for me.

Trip to Oregon and pumpkin patches of the past.

The morning after my sister's wedding the kids and I boarded an Oregon bound plane. I am thankful the opportunity to see both sides of our family came so soon after our move to St. Louis.
Upon landing in Portland my good, no my great friend Stacy picked us up. I love Stacy as if she were my biological family member. We met while working in student government in college. This is a picture from last Christmas.

She and I both HATE Oreos and LOVE the Beavers. While with Stacy we went to one of my favorite stops in Oregon, Cafe Yumm and the southwest tofu wrap! We listened to the Beavers beat UCLA. I cannot believe I have a friend like her. She is one of the things I miss most about Oregon. On a side note ironically I have been eating Oreos through out writing this post. We have the orange stuffed ones left over from our Beaver party this last weekend. Sorry Stacy, they were disgusting as always.

Next stop, The Dalles and the kids visiting Grandpa Larry at work.

It was so nice to see Richard's parents. After spending a year with them it truly felt like going home to be in The Dalles.
When Richard and I started dating in the Fall of 2003, he told me Autumn was his favorite season. This was so perplexing to me. How could anyone like a season that meant the end of sunny days and freedom? Well it turns out he was much deeper than me. He likes the colors of the leafs changing, the weather getting cozy, the natural succession of the Earth's rotation, and of the apple cider. Richy is blessed with a Mother who has instilled in him a love for Autumn. Cindy helps ease the transition of the fun of Summer to the tranquility of Fall. It is not only the leafs out side that change colors, but also the decor in her house. I love the smells and the food that comes from her house. It is no wonder that one activity Cindy planned for us while in Oregon was going to the pumpkin patch.

This is perhaps my favorite picture of the trip. Levi and Naomi making wishes with dandelions.

Levi and Naomi had so much fun going on rides, until some one had to fall off.

My sweet little Naomi

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”
― Henry David Thoreau



Thanks to Richard I have come to genuinely love the Fall. Here are some of my favorite past pumpkin patch pictures(say that 10 times fast, okay stop).
2010

2011 Naomi's first trip to a pumpkin patch 10 months she is so bald just one year ago.

Our time in Oregon and this trip down memory lane were fun. It came time to make the long flight from Oregon to Missouri. The kids did pretty well.

Naomi could not get comfortable in her seat or on my lap, she decided to try the floor out.

It was so nice to see Richard after being away from him for a week. I think Levi was the happiest of all. Richy surprised Levi and painted his room and turned it into the ultimate Optimus Prime hang out.