14 Day Gluten-Free Challenge

About a year ago, Chris was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. He was first diagnosed with IBS by a colon doctor and then diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis by a general physician. It wasn't until he went to a stomach doctor that both diagnoses were re-confirmed- because he has Crohn's.

So for the past year or so, he has been on medication, for his IBS and RA, and things have been significantly better for him. When he was diagnosed, he wasn't given any food restrictions- they assumed the medicine would be enough to control his symptoms.

Do you and your spouse talk about bowel movements freely as if you're just giving directions to the store?! Ha. Maybe it's just us. :)

However, he still isn't 100%, so to speak... and the more research we did, the more that led us to this Gluten-Free point. A high percentage of people diagnosed with Crohn's also have Celiac Disease. It took a lot of reading for me to determine the difference between the two. From what I understand, and I could be wrong, but Crohn's can be controlled with medicine, while Celiac is controlled mainly by a GF diet.

So..... for the next two weeks, Chris, Haven, and me- are going 100% GF. I'll post recipes we try and then I'll be posting a review at the end. We just gotta see what all of this fuss is about! :) I don't want him to eat different from Haven and I, so we're doing this together.

This might be more difficult for us than what we're assuming. We are not adventurous eaters... We don't like quinoa, weird kinds of rice, and any kind of cheese besides Kraft slices. Ha. But our goal is to stick to this for two weeks... and share more poop stories. :)

If you're thinking about going GF, check out these blogs!

Celiac Family

Simply Gluten-Free

Gluten-Girl and the Chef

Elana's Pantry

Gluten-Free Mommy




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Toy Story

Look familiar? It’s Haven acting out the last scene of Toy Story 3 when Andy leaves the toys at a new kid’s house. Haven plays the kid who gets the toys and I always have to play Andy. It’s an acting stretch to pretend to be an 18 year-old kid who cries when he gets rid of toys before going to college.

But, I channel my pixar powers and say my line, “Bye guys” then start to cry before leaving the toys.


How could I deny Toy Story as a topic? Haven’s life (and ours) is Toy Story. Toy Story clothes, food, toys, games, movies, and diapers. I am surprised that Disney has not somehow patented Toy Story air because kids would only want to breath with Buzz and Woody. Ha. Hopefully they think of something fast; they need the money!

The Potato Heads have always been Haven’s favorite. For years after we leave this house people will still be finding the Mr. Potato Head parts in nooks and under the floorboards.



However, no matter how many times we watch the movies, they are still good, which is a tough task. So, I’ll take obsession of this movie over a lot of others.

What are your kids obsessed with?

Olive Stanfield- 20 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

We're halfway there!! It was a fun week being able to tell everyone the gender of our little girl. :) I mentioned my friend Lindsey before... She was the one who was told she was having a girl, but instead is very much having a boy. Well, we hung out on Friday and swapped some clothes. Olive is set on onesies and pajamas for the first 6 months. She even gave me a brand new pair of pink Converse's. :)



How Far Along: 20 weeks down... 20 to go.

Total Weight Gain: +6. This may be due to the Rice Krispie Treats I made this past weekend, twice.

Maternity Clothes: Still rocking the Be Band and just wearing my normal tops.

Best Moment of the Week: Spreading the news that we're having a girl! And swapping clothes with Lindsey... and eating sweets all weekend without shame. Also, big news, Haven is completely potty trained, so I'll have a little break in buying diapers.




{He thought the clothes I brought home were for him}

Gender: Olive Noel. Olive, like an olive tree or olive branch- just meaning a peace offering/victory. And Noel after my sister and Christmas, which also means peace as well as competitive game player, food critic, spolied baby of the family, and Aunt of the Year.

Food Cravings: The Rice Krispies got the best of me this week.




What I'm Looking Forward to: Cleaning, purging, and shopping. I've made 10 lists in three days. The Diana in me is starting to come out... "Purge the hangers!!"

Tuesday Randoms

A new McDonald's opened by our house and they had a huge Ronald McDonald out front. Every time we'd pass this location, Haven would go, "WHOA!!" So on Saturday for breakfast, we went up there and got some hotcakes. He loved it.

Someone I know is having a birthday this week, so I made some muffins to send her. I bought these super cute kitchen tags from Jenn on Etsy. They were only a few dollars and they come with the twine attached. I've already ordered some gingerbread ones for my Christmas baking. Then, after I ordered them, I was like, "What the hell were you thinking, Holly?" I am going to be 40 weeks pregnant. Only a miracle of God will get me baking.

I made Chris bring up my tubs of Christmas ornaments. Sometimes, throughout the year, I just like to go through what I bought after the holiday. Chris thinks I've lost my mind.

These are a lot of my new ones. I think the tree is going up on Halloween so that I can enjoy it before the baby comes and I'm bed rested... or acting like I'm on bed rest so that no one expects anything from me... like Christmas presents or dinner. :)

Also... I know that I have mentioned Sarah from Clover Lane before.... But if you need to potty train your child.... or clean/declutter your house... Please read her articles. We just potty trained Haven (even at night) and it only took us about two weeks. Her 40 bags in 40 days is what her family does during Lent. We started doing it about two years ago... and I do it multiple times during the year. I'm getting started again this weekend because I'm running out of ways to drive my husband up the wall.

Comic-Con, Blog Mom Style

Incase you missed it, (or haven’t been on twitter where every flippin person is talking about it) this weekend was Comic-Con in San Deigo, CA. The national festival of everything geek. As I am a lover of all things nerd, I was glued to my electronic devices following the happenings of the event.

But what is Comic-Con? A HUGE convention relating to everything comic book, super-hero, sci-fi, vampire, ect. Companies show off the new movies, games and books. Fans come dressed as their favorite character like storm troopers or Batman and go nuts when they see a shoe that was used in the movie Robocop.

The main things that happen revolve around super hero movie news and previews. Usually the stars of the movies sit at a panel and discuss totally unnecessary items about a film. (On a new personal nerd level) I have been following people who blog throughout the panel.

During one panel about the Spiderman movie that comes out NEXT summer, there was a heated discussion about whether it was believable that Spiderman has the ability to sew his costume given the new materials that are used to make his outfit. The main point wasn’t that Spiderman couldn’t sew the uniform, (everyone knows he is a great seamstress) but that this new costume material would beyond his ability level….I know….it’s a sad life. Haha

But this got me thinking…what if there was a Blog-Con? All of the mom writer’s would gather in Oklahoma and use most of the state’s electricity to power all of the crock pots.

There would be panel’s about painting cabinets white, baking bread, and sanding down furniture.

One booth would be close up pictures of food in kitchens.

Our costumes…no question. Pioneer Woman and Marlboro Man.

It may seem silly, but I think the two groups are similar. They are both constantly updating information on the Internet, they have their own languages, and each group has their own customs. I guess bottom line is that it’s nice to share something you love with other people who love it.

I love my dog, Chauncey.

Baby Stanfield- 19 Weeks It's a... GIRL!!

Pregnancy Highlights:

This was a big week for us! We're almost half way there... and now, I'm ready to nest. Chirp, chirp. And shop!

I would have posted a photo, but that would entail putting down my cereal.

How Far Along: 19 weeks. :)

Total Weight Gain: +5. So if I don't gain 65lbs in the next 20 weeks, I won't beat my previous record.

Maternity Clothes: I bought two shirts and the BeBand... The BeBand is just this elastic band that you put around your pre-pregnancy jeans so that you can wear them unbuttoned. Genius. When my thighs start busting out at the seams of my pants, I'll break down and get some jeans.

Best Moment of the Week: Our doctors appointment yesterday was perfect... but I was most looking forward to lunch at one of my favorite places. Some people look forward to the weekend, I look forward to lunch.

Gender: It's a GIRL!!! We will name her Olive Noel (my younger sisters name) or Olive Estella. If Haven was a girl, he would have been named Stella, it means winter star... and both are fun for a December/Christmas baby.

Food Cravings: Top three favorite foods this week are pancakes, popsicles, and Honey-Nut Cheerios. I did get my famous Frisco melt- Holly style- again.

What I'm Looking Forward to: Getting the co-ed nursery going. We have three bedrooms, but the one downstairs is used as Haven's playroom. We all need to be on the same floor, so I'm going to check out Pinterest. It will only be for 6 months, but I would like to do a colorful ABC theme since Haven just got new bedding.

Interviews and Potty Training

The past 2 weeks I have been watching Haven at home and going on teaching interviews. This means that usually when I am getting ready, he has a red popsicle and is attempting to get it all over me. I always think, “Why did I give him the popsicle?”

This is what Haven and I do in the morning…practice for future glamour shots sessions. Ha. He’s going to be a star!



Also we have been working on potty training. Haza. The first day was rough and much of the floor is stained but, he got the hang of it pretty quick. I give him fruit snacks if he does good, so he sits on the toilet with his mouth open, ready for the reward.



I get ready for my job interviews and give myself the stare down in the mirror as Chumbawamba, “Tubthumping” plays in the background. My icy stare demands that employers fear and respect me as a professional.



The mornings with Haven help set the tone for the day and get me in the mindset to get a job. As I’m doing my introductions at my job interviews I reflect on how, just moments before, I was fishing fruit snacks out of the toilet.

Gender Guesses

On Wednesday, when I do my weekly pregnancy saga for you, I will reveal the gender of little Stanfield. :)

In the beginning, I really wanted to be surprised and wait until delivery. I also really wanted to have a gender reveal party for our family and friends. But, honestly, there is no way I could make it until December without knowing. Also, in the event that we have a girl, we have some friends who could really use our boy reserve that we've saved {I'm thinking about other people, ok?} I want to do the full on nesting... wash a bunch of clothes, buy cute monogram items on Etsy, and finally call this baby a name! :)

Then, there was the idea for a gender reveal party... But then I quickly squashed that. It would be different if our parents lived closer to us... But making people drive 3+ hours just to announce what we're having seemed obnoxious.

So... any last minute guesses?

Here are a few facts:

The heart rate at my 11 week appointment was 178.
The heart rate at my 15 week appointment was in the high 160's.
I've gained 4-5lbs since March.
I had brutal morning sickness from week 9-15.
My Chinese birth chart says boy.
I have a really cute boy name picked out, but I need a girl in the house.
Even our dog is a boy.
The peach fuzz on my stomach makes me look like Lotso the Bear.

What's your guess? :)

The Perfect Mess

Since summer school is out, I am a stay at home dad (sahd) until school starts again next month. But I’m not “sahd” about it…(ok, I’m back up on my chair from laughing so hard) This means having fun with Haven and keeping the house together. When Holly is heading home from work, she is thinking, “I wonder if the house is destroyed? Did Chris do fun things with Haven? Did Chris do educational things with Haven?” While I am mostly thinking, “I wonder if there is enough sliced cheese left for myself, Haven and the dog?”

So, I have devised a system of cleaning the house but leaving just the right amount of clues so that she knows I “did stuff.” It’s like when your boss walks by at work. You don’t want to have a totally clean desk. When I did sales, I always used to make copies of the quote for my one customers and put them all over my desk like I was crazy busy. “Oh, hi boss, no time to hear about your hemorrhoid or how your annoying daughter got a C in history because the teacher doesn’t like her…I’ve got all these sales lined up! Busy busy busy.”

Back to the system: I wait until 10 minutes before Holly will be home and clean like a mad man. Running around, throwing things, and cursing in Spanish. Then, I organize Haven’s art projects in an easily visible pile. Also, I make sure that when she is walking in I am folding the last of the laundry as I simultaneously start the dish washer. My greeting nod when she walks in the door says; all in a day’s work for a sahd guy like me.

Tattoo Link Up!

I can't believe I am posting this.

Ashley at I Love You More Than Carrots posted here about her new tattoo. She asked fellow bloggers to link up and show off their ink {and any meaning behind it}.

Just a little background before you realize that I lost my freaking mind:

In 6th grade, I was 12 years old (1997?), and Bill Clinton was the President. I don't know why, but I loved him. I grew up in a very conservative house where on every car ride we were summoned to listen to Rush Limbaugh... and mentioning anything about Bill Clinton was comparable to abomination from the family.

So maybe I liked him so much because my crazy family despised him {which is the same reason why I don't like Elvis, porcelain dolls, strawberry decorations, hamburger, and the St. Louis Cardinals}? I can remember a Christmas when my brother and I were in junior high and we opened in our presents in other rooms because we couldn't stop fighting about politics. What kind of obnoxious weasels were we?!

Anyway, so that is where my love came from... and I carried it all the way through to college where I studied Political Science and fell in love with the history on the Presidency.

One night after a few unnecessary rounds of beer pong, I get the grand idea to get Bill Clinton's autograph tattooed on my wrist. Really genius. Not. I printed out a signature off the internet and we went up to the ink shop.


Fast forward two years later... I apply and write a paper to attend the Clinton Global Initiative for university students in New Orleans. I get accepted... I drive down to New Orleans... and I got to meet Bill Clinton!! Everyone that I had met earlier that day kept asking me if I was going to show him my tattoo... Um, heck no! I don't want to be sent on the crazy plane back to Illinois!

Looking back now, I definitely wouldn't have got the tattoo {and will never get another one}. But, I don't know if I will ever go through the pain of covering it up. I'm still a big fan... but I'm a fan of most President's.... and it's one of my wacky stories.

Baby Stanfield- 18 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

The last few weeks have felt the same in terms of my appearance and appetite. :) After next week, I'll probably post every other week so that I'm not boring you guys with a self reflective pregnancy saga.



{Holy blonde, Batman!}

How Far Along: 18 weeks!

Total Weight Gain: Still +4 - We go swimming every night and I do the elliptical daily for at least 30 minutes. I think it's slowing down the inevitable.

Maternity Clothes: Not yet... Although, I did bust out my "fat jeans" so that I'm more comfortable at my desk and don't look like a muffin top.

Best Moment of the Week: We went to Babies R Us to browse... We are debating if should get a double stroller or not. Haven will almost be 3 years old by the time the next baby comes... and he doesn't really even use his stroller now. Also, will I ever have to take two kids under the age of three out in public by myself?! Denial. Denial. Denial.

Gender: I still feel like Baby Stanfield is a boy. A quick funny story, though... My friend, who is due five days before me with her first baby, went to one of those ultrasound places you can go at 14 weeks to find out what you're having before your doctor does your sonogram. It was over $150, but it's the 3D/4D viewing and she gets two visits 14 weeks & 30 weeks to see the baby. Well, they told her she was having a girl. So, my friend picked out a name {Harlow} and over the last few weeks, has been buying bedding and going to garage sales, etc. In the meantime, my friend has been having kidney problems, so yesterday at her 19 week appointment, they had to do another sonogram. The first one the ultrasound people said a girl... but then yesterday, they realized that little Harlow is actually a boy!

Movement: Yes :)

Food Cravings: Twice in the past week, I have gone to Steak N Shake and ordered a Frisco Melt without the meat {but keep the cheese and sauce, please!} with onions and tomato on it. Nom, nom, nom. Just a glorified grilled cheese on sour dough with 1000 island.

Aversions: I drank a protien shake on Saturday morning before my workout... and it all came up in the parking lot. I'm not craving meat this pregnancy, so I'm trying to do something else besides eat tubs of cottage cheese.

What I Miss: Nothing really. We were going through the basement and I have tubs and tubs of Haven's old clothes. I told Chris that I am really going to miss these little shirts if I don't get to use them again.

What I'm Looking Forward to: Where are we going for lunch, girls?!

Behind the Blog Name

We've got a few questions recently about how we came up with the name of our blog. I was trying to think of a witty, creative story for you, but I don't have one.

The characters Jack and Sally are from the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton. And there is a line from a Blink 182 song saying, "Where we can live like Jack and Sally, if you want to... Where you can always find me... And we'll have Halloween on Christmas..."

It's just about two cooky people. The song always gets stuck in my head... So when I created my own blog, I just ran with it.

How did you come up with the name of your blog? Do you ever think about changing it?

Service with a Smile

I was a bad wife last night and didn't feel like making dinner. After running errands, we went to McAlister's... and after looking over their menu, nothing sounded good to me so we left.

Chris made dinner last night. :) And here is his post. Husband of the Year.

----------------------

I’ve been reviewing other blogs to see what people write about. Usually the blogs contain multiple pictures of food being made or eaten in an artsy way. Pictures are usually something like an extreme close up of a potato. (present blog included)

Oh thanks for the pic, I wasn’t sure what a potato was when you talked about it in your first sentence.

But, I now find myself creating a story with the same graphic obviousness.

As I was making dinner, Holly requested the food be served in a certain way. This made me think about the difference between men and women. No, not the body parts, that’s for another post. Specifically, the fact that a man can eat a meal without any plates or utensils... and presentation is important to women.

This is my meal. Eaten off the counter. Yes, I am rocking a 4th of July American flag napkin. They are still in season. And we just used the last of the ghost napkins from Halloween. Anyway, food was good and easy.



But, my wife has some disillusion that we live in a fifties diner or a cutsie DQ. She bought these baskets and checkered liners to go in them. Also, her food has to be arranged like she was being served and I must wear a bowtie and apron when I ask her if she wants to sit in the nonsmoking section of our kitchen.

See that poor version of a sandwich? It’s a cheese, mayo and mustard. However, the mayo can’t touch the mustard (even though it mixes in her mouth when she eats it). She also wants to use the bowl that says “soup.” I’m not sure if this is because she gets easily confused when eating liquids out of bowls. The serving style and sandwich requirements seem insane to me.



Men may just be lazier. On more than one occasion I have just eaten a spoon full of mayonnaise when eating a sandwich so that I didn’t have to do all the work of putting it on the sandwich. Or maybe we are worrying about other things like what’s on tv or what will be on tv tomorrow.

It is entirely possible that plate or bowls make food seem better, but the less work I can do in any situation outweighs the taste of any food.

I feel that Haven had the best dinner.

Monday Randoms

I have some pictures to post but Chris was doing a clean on the laptop last night, so I will put them up later. :)

1. I got my haircut on Thursday. I was going for the summer breeze style of Jennifer Nettles... but I really just look like a blonde Madussa. My mom owns a salon and I was always cringed when people brought in photos of what they wanted their hair to look like. Usually, because the hair was achievable, but the face and complexion change was not. I was THAT person at the salon...

2. We bought a 2nd car on Saturday. We sold my beloved JEEP back in March and have been a one car family since. It hasn't been an inconvenience really at all, but we knew we were going to need something else before Chris' school year started up next month. We bought my step dad's Subaru Outback. I feel like I should be wearing hiking cleats and a fishing vest when I drive it, but I love it so far. It cost me less than a months pay and I could just hear Suze Orman yelling "Holly, you're approved!!" ... As opposed to what she would be yelling if I financed the Jetta that I really wanted.

3. Do you know how much it costs to have a toddler and a newborn in daycare? Yeah, I found out last week when I got put on a waiting list... Talk about wanting to lose your bowels at your desk. Ay ya yah.

4. It's going to be 102 degrees in St. Louis today with a heat index of 118 degrees. I'm skipping my afternoon walk at work... and will probably be skipping it for the next three months.

5. We are trying to think of Christmas names in the event that we have a girl. The name would be the middle name, but so far, we haven't agreed on anything. My name is Holly (Hello, nice to meet you) and my younger sister is named Noel. I would personally like to use Noel as a middle name... but Chris hasn't been persuaded. The only other middle name I like is Joy... But then she would be O.J.! If you have a Christmas name suggestion, please feel free to leave it. :)

6. We started for-real potty training yesterday. We have fiddled with it in the past, but since Chris is home for the next 6 weeks, this is how he is earning his dinner. :) Yesterday Chris was mopping the kitchen and I was on the bed watching Toy Story 3 for the 1,289,673th time with Haven. All of a sudden Haven got up... I just thought he went to get a drink. So about three minutes later, I get my butt off the bed to find him. Where was he? In the bathroom LICKING the toilet bowl brush. I SHRIEKED!! I yell for Chris... He is not grossed out in the slightest. What were we going to do? Call Poison Control? So, we brush his teeth and have him gargle Listerine... Instead, he swallows the Listerine. I panic again. Chris assures that it was only a little bit and compared to what he just ingested, he will probably still live. Just another day where we earned the Parent's of the Year award.

My Husband Has Joined My Blog!

Who are you?


You all know Holly, well based on what she says about herself on here…which is way off from the real thing…just kidding. So, I thought I would do a quick intro now that I have been tapped for the big leagues of blogging. I’m a high school teacher, I like super heroes, comic books, food, food tv shows, and anything else a 10 year boy likes. I’m fresh out of teaching summer school and my tolerance for people has been built up to the maximum limit, so now it must be released.


How did this blogging experience come about?


Well thanks for asking, Chris. My wife sends me a text saying, “We should do a blog together!” Which is like getting a text saying, “We should clean out the basement together!” But my craving for attention and secret aspiration to be the next Marlboro Man leads me to agree so, here were are. My pledge is to be careful not to be like married people who join their Facebook pages. Or people who make every event in their lives sound amazing. “O wow!!! You and your hubby picked up leaves!?!?! That’s the perfect Fall activity!!!”


How will this work with two people blogging?


Please don’t imagine that she types one letter then I type the next. (That would be crazy….or would it?) We do however take turns kissing the space bar for cuteness. Also, we aren’t wearing matching turtle necks while we high five each other about how deliciously sassy our blog posts are. Well, I will be doing all of those things, but Holly won’t.


Well, if you’re not being adorable when you work on the blog, what’s the blog dynamic?


Who wears the blog belt? Well funny enough the blog is like real life in which a woman asks what the man thinks and then does whatever the hell she wants. Like when my wife asked me to write the “about me” section and I gave her 5 hilarious options. After reviewing my work she decided to write one herself. I see my participation on this blog comparable to when the Brady Bunch brought in Cousin Oliver. No one really likes him, but hey it’s a fresh face. Oh, you’re too young for the Brady Bunch? Ok, how about Two and a Half Men when they brought in Aston Kutcher?

Baby Stanfield- 17 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

This is the first week that I actually feel pregnant. It also seems like the weeks are coming by faster this time around. When I was pregnant with Haven, it was an extremely stressful time. I was borderline depressed, ate, ate, and ate, and didn't feel like doing much of anything except sulking. This time around feels completely different; I feel more healthy, take-charge, and happy. It's a good feeling to have and one that I appreciate since I vividly remember how it was before.

How Far Along: 17 weeks! I definitely have that 2nd trimester energy boost.

Total Weight Gain: +4. I don't know why this question is even in the Pregnancy Highlights questionnaire, but I am only keeping it in here for accountability. Like I mentioned before, I gained 70lbs with Haven... I never weighed myself or worked out. I would like this pregnancy (and labor) to be easier for me and Baby Stanfield, so mama is taking care of herself (and talking in 3rd person like a creepy nut-case).

Maternity Clothes: My sister and I went shopping over the weekend and my goal was to get a pair of maternity jeans. I look like a muffin-top who doesn't know what size jeans they should be wearing. Anyway, the only pair I liked that weren't completely grotesque were $78. I refused. I don't spend $78 on a pair of normal jeans. So I passed. Instead, I got out my "fat jeans" and have been living the good life today with the feeling that they are still baggy. It's a mental, right?

Best Moment of the Week: Deciding, for sure, on the two baby names we picked out. The middle name for a girl is still under debate, but I'll win. I'm just going to save my battle for when I'm 38 weeks pregnant, bed rested, and miserable. He won't be able to argue about it then.

Gender: I'm still feeling like a boy. We can find out this month... and so far, I'm feeling the need to know.

Movement: Yes. :) But only at night when I'm turning over. It feels like a goldfish with arms and legs.

Food Cravings: Plums and popsicles. And anything Chris will make me... like a bowl of cereal. :)

Aversions: We are taking the car to be detailed... I'm convinced there is something rotting underneath the car and it's coming through the vents.

What I Miss: Nothing... everything is eerily perfect, or very close to it.

Sleep: Crazy dreams that I usually only get if I eat deviled eggs, but now I'm getting them regularly.

What I'm Looking Forward to: My next meal.

Symptoms: The morning sickness if officially over. Party time!

Happy Weekend

I haven't used my camera since Friday. I went the whole weekend without documenting anything. What was I doing? Nothing, but enjoying my sister's company, watching television, thinking about my next meal, and looking up baby names.

It was a happy, happy weekend.


{See the big pile of clothes behind him? That is where my sister dumped her belongings}

Yesterday, my family and in-laws came over for a 4th of July cookout. My mom and brother bought Haven a Slip and Slide. He had the time of his life, even though the water from the hose was 50 degrees. My sister got him dried off and dressed and then he went back outside. While Chris was out there cooking burgers, Haven took off his shorts and jumped in again... slowly taking off his diaper and shirt until he was completely naked, covered in dirt and grass, jumping in and out of the pool/slide. Such a freedom that only a 2 year old could get away with... :)



My brother, who I could share stories about all day, went up to the fireworks stand and bought some "entertainment." Chris' family very much enjoyed the entertainment.... My family on the other hand stood inside, behind a door, and watched from the distance. My family enjoys fireworks, but my family does not enjoy watching my brother light off the fireworks. I went back and forth between two feelings of frayed nerves, wanting to cuss violently, and feeling like I might lose my bowels. Nothing caught on fire and no one was injured. The stress might have taken 10 years off my life, but it was a fun afternoon.

I'm going to add some pictures when the family posts them/emails them to us.

It's a 3 day work week.... It's a 3 day work week... I can make it throught... I will make it through. :)