On Saturdays....

..we get really hungry.
So we go
to
Ihop!

We stand and wait
since there are no empty seats in the "waiting area"
until they finally call our name.

Cox, party of 2!?

We scour the menu like we've
never
been
to
Ihop.



I ponder getting an omelet.
Or maybe those loaded potato things.
Or french toast.
But then I decide on the classic (as usual):
buttermilk pancakes.
But all I really want are cheesy eggs and hashbrowns
with lotsa ketchup, please!

I get a coke to sip on
because their water tastes
like tap water
which tastes
like
toilet bowl water.
Trust me.






Then we go shopping
at our favorite jumbo mall.
We do lots of looking
and no buying
and we sit and sip lemonade
and talk for a really long time.
Like, an hour passes.
and I drink nearly an entire large
Auntie Anne's
lemonade
(which is the best!)

We pay our $1 for parking.
Because in big cities, you have to
pay
to
park.
Wicked, eh?

We leave.

And we drive by big Navy ships:



We pass by the scenic ocean
and I spot my future home



Just kidding.
We could never afford that.

So we keep on driving
and through the under-ocean tunnel we go:





we come back home
and I snuggle
under the blanket Mark bought me
for VDay 2007
and I snuggle
with our puppy
she's so happy
and so am I!

And on Sundays? Lotsa: church, commissary'n, cereal-eatin, cleanin, loungin, tv-watchin, dog-pettin, relaxin fun.



And Monday? Well, reality sets in.

So overrated.

There are so many overrated things in life. Just too many to name. But I'd like to point out a few, in my humble opinion:

• Lady Gaga: I'm not sure how she became popular. Her wacky outfits make her seem to be crying for attention. I just saw a picture where she has two branches emerging from her head. I mean, really? It isn't cute. Or stylish. And no one is following her weird trend. And her music? It sounds like jibberish from Hudson. Her "music" is horrid, and I'm appalled that it even sells. I might sound a little mean, but I can't wait until the world wakes up and realizes that she's got no talent.
  

• iPods: Oooh, watch out -- I feel like I might step on some toes. I don't get the point of iPods. While Mark was away at BMT, I had his iPod. I listened to it at work, and it helped me feel closer to him, since I was listening to a few of our favorite songs. But that's about it. I don't see why people feel like they have to be "plugged in" at all times. I mean, really? Do you need to ALWAYS listen to music?? Is it too hard to just sit in silence and maybe think or pray? Silence is golden, and our society is much too fast-paced. iPods are a bad idea. Plus, it's proven that they're terrible for your hearing, even if you listen at a reasonable volume [sound that close to your ears = bad news in the future]. Plus, they're overpriced. No one was this music-obsessed in 1995. Yet we still made it. Sure, there were little cassette tape players, but no one was glued to their music. It's a big old fad. At least I hope it is, because I can't stand iPods.

• The super-straight hair cut. You know, the one where people flat-iron their hair until their hair basically is lifeless, old keratin hanging on their skull? It really irks me. Especially when super-straight, too-long bangs are involved (think Ashley from Y&R!) I cannnnnot stand this hair craze. But I think it's on its way out, thankfully! Everyone must know that a little body to your hair style is always preferred. Right?

• Winter Olympics: Oh thank goodness they're almost over. I can't even begin to explain how boring the winter olympics, to me, has been. Night after night of skiing and ice skating. And, seemingly, the same event. Over. And over. And over. Until one person falls, and they show the clip over. And over. And over. And just now? I've seen the clip of the super duper Korean figure skater about 5 times in the last 10 minutes. I get it. She was great. But there is seriously more news to show! Besides, I think it's safe to say that most Americans are dead-sick of snow. So watching the winter olympics just isn't fun.

• The Bachelor(ette): OH my gosh. I hate this show! SO MUCH! It's a disgrace to marriage and true love. I'm not even kidding. It's terrible. It's a mockery of what real love is. "Oh, let me share a man with 12 other girls, make out with him after 12 other girls just made out with him, and INSIST that I'm in REAL, true love! And the fact that he was just seen making out in a hot tub with two girls? That doesn't matter, because we're destined to be together." PUKE. Yet, they're on their 100th season or something. I'm so perplexed as to how this show continues to air. And everyone continues to watch it. It isn't real love. And I know, I know. That Trish & Ryan (?) made it and have a family now. Good for them. But the show is still despicable. Plus, it's disgusting. Just disgusting. Please don't watch this show. At least try to guard your little eyes.

• TVs/DVD players in cars: I get that they might be neato for long car trips. But popping in a video of Dora the Explorer on your way to the grocery sore? Unnecessary. And it trains your child to be glued to media. I can't stand it. No child needs to watch that much television. And if your child can't sit still in the backseat long enough for a quick trip, then you have serious problems. Maybe, just maybe you could... I don't know.. TALK to your child?! Sing songs? Have your child color? Play car games (such as I Spy, which can be played child driving). There are a host of things which can be done to "entertain" a child in the car -- none of which include a video. I will admit that those minivans with the dvd players do look very spiffy -- but *I* would limit the usage to big trips ONLY.
  

• American Idol: Ack! Don't stone me! So many of my friends love this show. And, for the life of me, I cannot understand why. These people are mediocre singers. The judges get paid to be rude and spout off pithy comments. And it's just bad. There's no way on earth that I could sit through an hour (or is it two?!) of singing. No. Way. It would need to be a daggon good singer to get my attention for that long. Season after season of AI comes and goes, and this show still remains popular. And now that Ellen is on? Don't get me started. But I will say: What does she really know about singing? Honestly. I have no place in publicly judging someone's voice capabilities, because I'm untrained. She's a comedian with a talk show - so what does she know? Sigh. Overrated. I truly hope this show goes off the air. And soon.
  

• Those overpriced "modern" baby clothes: Gag. Puke. Hurl. I love when I go to a "modern" baby clothing website, and I see a onesie with a giraffe. Priced at $30. Are you freakin kidding me?! Why would any sane person pay that much for one ONESIE? Because it says it's modern? It's a total fad and nothing more. The best part? It says it's SOLD OUT. Parents jumping out of their skin to pay for an over-priced piece of fabric, probably made in China, when they could have gotten it for $4 at Carters. It blows my mind.
  

I think that pretty much sums it up. For now. I'll try to keep an on-going list on my phone of things I believe to be overrated! I would hate for my dear viewers to be swept up in big, nasty fads. Be on the lookout. And the next time you catch yourself wearing skinny jeans with a Bump It in your hair, question yourself: Is this a fad?! Because it probably is. A big, nasty fad.


Whew.

swords & guns?!

Clayton is all boy. Give him trucks, balls, guns, and anything sport-related, and he's a happy kid! This boy even brought a foam sword to the hospital when Hudson was born. So it was no shocking thing that, when we toured Williamsburg, he immediately saw a wooden musket (?) gun and begged me to buy it.

And who am I to say no?

So I bought the over-priced thing, and he loved it. Still does. I'm a firm believer that boys will be boys, and there's nothing wrong with providing fun [toy] guns and [play] swords for little ones. This kid was building "guns" out of giant Legos as a toddler with his vivid imagination, so he was going to play with a gun one way or another.

And Hudson will even create a make-shift gun with his fingers. He takes his thumb and pointer finger, taps them together, and says "pow pow!" like he's shooting a gun. It's very odd, cute, and hilarious. Guns must be in the blood of boys.

And when you have a little brother, a little year & a half-old brother, what could be more fun than a sword fight?





I know, I know. It looks bad. Truth be told, it wasn't. Hudson was crying because he lost the sword fight, and Clayton got the sword out of his hand. He wasn't hurt. He got right up and was fine. What kind of aunt would I be if I allowed my baby to be slayed by a sword? Hmm? Not a very good one ;]

But have no fear, because Hudson is here! He may not be a pro at sword-fighting, but he is a pro at a water gun. Watch as he shoots and "kills" his big brother.

POW POW! This video isn't for the faint of heart:





I'm unsure if there's anything cuter than Hudson totting along with a gun in his hand, trying so desperately to keep up with Big Brother. Oh wait. There is. Him screaming, "POWWWW!!!!" takes the cake!

Sometimes I wish I could bottle up my nephews into this sweet stage. Yesterday, my mom asked Hudson if he missed "Pipuh." He said "uh uhh" (meaning: no). I can't wait to see the personality of my newborn nephew emerge. Will he be independent and strong-willed like his oldest brother? Or will he be sensitive and soft, like his older brother? Whatever Munchkin proves to be, one thing is for sure: He won't be participating in any slays or gunfights for quite some time.


At least, I hope not. Mwhahahaha.

I bub ooo!

Oh, my little Hudsie. He has the most charming personality I've ever seen. The differences in Clayton and Hudson are pretty overwhelming -- they were raised by the same parents, but they're so different.

Clayton is, what we lovingly referred to as, the hard-headed, strong-willed type. He knew what he wanted, and he was going to get it. As a toddler, he had a permanent bruise in the middle of his forehead from banging his skull on the hardwood floor when he didn't get his way. He was sweet, adorable, and my little best friend, but he was also independent and free.

note the bruises on the forehead!

Hudson? Hudson wants to be held. Cuddled. Kissed. When Hudson is disciplined (and I do mean lightly disciplined), his feelings are hurt, and he cries. He wants to do whatever Clayton does, even if it means being slayed in a sword fight (tune in tomorrow for that!) But mainly he wants to be in someone's lap, safe and warm.

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

I feel like so much has happened, and I haven't blogged about any of it. We left Kentucky on Tuesday morning and stopped in a teeny town in West Virginia mid-way. And we finally arrived "home" yesterday around 230pm. Since then, we've just been relaxing. Well, Mark returned to work today, and I have to clean the house. So.. not really "relaxing" after all.


Our best friends are joining the Air Force! And, since about 96% of my readers are Air Force Wives, each of you should stop by their blog and congratulate them on their new, exciting journey! Each of you is chuck-full of experience and good advice -- He's now in the DEP program (which some of you are super familiar with!), and I know they'd love any info you have for them! Thanks in advance. We're praying they get sent to Langley with us -- but we'll see! I have so many friends around the world; they're bound to end up at a base with ONE of us! Exciting!


Mandy's husband just graduated from tech school today (yahoo! Way to go, Matthew!), so you should hop on over to her blog and congratulate them during this exciting time!


Not too much else is going on. I do have quite a bit to blog about, and I will in due time. I promise!

Not My Dog Monday Wednesday

As you know, I was on my death bed Monday morning. After 11 rounds of puking, I had just about had it. I was looking forward to writing a Not My Dog Monday, but I never got the chance.

Until now!

Better late than never, rightyo? Taking Piper to Kentucky is always an experience. Somehow, my family is not very good with animals. Piper is more like a cat than anything, yet they still have issues with her. So here we go:


Upon entering Kentucky, Piper did not become a daddy's girl. She did not cling to Mark like a desperate child, holding onto his leg and whining like a baby. And when he left to run out to the car, or left to go to the restroom, she did not run to the door, scratch like a crazy lunatic, and cry. Her little cries weren't hoarse and pathetic. Nope. My dog isn't a baby at all. Not my dog!

When Piper first saw Hudsie this time around, she did not instantaneously think, "Mmm. Baby!" and run up to him, sniff his diaper, and run around him like a circus dog. She did not scare my poor, wittle Hudsie so much that he scurried around, fell on his back, and "let" Piper lick him all over. My dog? Scary? Nevah. (Note: By the end of the week, Hudson was blowing kisses, shouting "Piiiiipuh!" over and over, and petting my dog. They became little buddies. Swear it.)


In Virginia, Piper never tries to "escape" us. Not since she was a little puppy. But when we crossed the boarder into Kentucky, something snapped inside her. She was determined to slip out of our front door at any given chance. So, when my mom leisurely walked outside one morning, Piper did not squeeze through the door and bolt across the yard. I did not have to get up, run outside in my pajamas & socks, and try to catch her. I was not caught screaming, "Piiiiiperrr!!!!!!!!" super loud in the neighborhood like a crazy lady. And this scenario did not actually happen TWICE. Nope. After the first stern talking-to, my dog would never try to pull a stunt like that again. Nope... surely not... (although, let's thank our lucky stars that Mark is an expert dog-catcher!)


And, finally, this past weekend we went outside to enjoy the balmy weather with our dog and nephews. Piper did not kick into her Westie-ness and decide to dig,dig,dig until the cows came home. She was not caught scrambling in the dirt, getting her precious, perfect white face all dirty and ugly. Nope. My beautiful baby girl would never be caught looking like this:

Nope! Not MY dog!

sick.

Brittney and I are extremely sick. She's in the hospital (with the stomach flu) and I'm nearly on my death bed. After vomiting all night, I am so weak and can barely move.

Please pray for the both of us.

oh hi!

I haven't blogged in days. I feel bad about it, but I've been so busy. Yesterday was Mark's grandpa's funeral. Chris & Brittney came too, and we all hung out for the entire day. It was great. We ate at Panera Bread, and I had an amazing chicken salad sandwich that changed my life. Later, we gathered around the television and ate fried chicken with our fingers. A trip to Starbucks and a drive around town completed our fun day together.

My sister moved into a bigger house (because of her growing family) a couple days ago. Yesterday we went over to see Clayton's completed bedroom. He has a new shower head that makes the water shoot out at his level. He thinks it's the coolest thing ever -- he even sticks his foot out and says, "Look! The water tickles my feet!" Hudson is having lots of fun walking up and down the stairs. Clayton doesn't like to really sit on my lap in front of people, but he will in private. Last night he reassured me that I would "still be his favorite" when he turns fifteen. I told him that, somehow, I doubt he'll want me kissing him on the neck and patting his little butt when he becomes a teenager. He said I was wrong. He promised I was wrong.

We shall see ;]

Mark and I are having a blast with Kentucky food. Zaxbys (hallelujah), Kyoto, Samurai, Linzies, home cooking.. seriously?! I never want to go back to Virginia now! Just kidding. Kind of. Piper is 100% "used" to being in Kentucky now and has become a close companion to my dad and Clayton.

I'm unsure what we'll be doing today and Monday, but we're going home on Tuesday. I'm definitely not looking forward to the 12 hour drive back to Virginia. It drags on and on and I swear it feels like it takes half a day to get back to Langley. Snicker.

Get it?

12 hours. Half a day. Haaaaa.

Doctor D

Doctor D is in,
wearing his monkey shirt
with a stethoscope 'round his neck
to see if you're well or hurt

Thermometer in his hand,
Sticks it in his mouth and ear
No shots from Doctor D
He only brings good cheer!

So if you're sick, step right up
Doctor D is in the house
He might not have a PhD,
but he's cuter than a mouse!

Sesame Street, doctor, cuddles, Wendys, time with granny, nap, playplayplay, pick up Clayton from school, go outside to play, take photos, more cuddles, charades, matching games, funfunfun, Samurai, Couples Retreat, BLOG!

^ my fun day


Hope your Thursday was as good as mine!

not a fan

Guess who isn't...



...a fan...



...of Piper?

Yes, it is true. Hudsie is not a fan of Piper. He blows kisses from afar, calls out "doggie!!!" .. but that's about as far as his Westie-love goes. His big brother, on the other hand, has become Piper's best friend. From bouts of tug-of-war, to fetch, to kisses and cuddles in the back seat, Clayton has become a little buddy for our puppy.

I can hardly believe it -- because, just a few months ago, Clayton did not like Piper. My sister still refuses to believe it!

Until then, you can find Hudsie being held by one of the four adults in the house! Play in the floor? No way, Jose! Not while "Pipuh" is around!


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

Interested in seeing C&H have a gun fight? Interested in seeing Clayton slay Huds with a sword? Interested in hearing the many, many words Huds knows? Tune in later, because I have many videos!

and now I present:

Hudson's body parts 101: Brought to you by Hudson himself.

H his 16 months old and, quite frankly, he's really special. And not in a weird way -- but he really is incredibly verbal and already knows so much. On Valentines Day, we heard Hudsie finally say my name (He's back to calling me sh*t, for the record), but he also wanted to show you that he does know his body parts.

Hudsie is just the cutest thing on earth. I'm sure of it.

Shannie!

Something big happened yesterday. Something really big. We were all gathered in the living room, and I had my video camera ready. I'd decided to video tape Hudson a little (you'll see more later) -- when, suddenly, my sister asked him to say my name.

And something miraculous happened:




I'm so proud of him. What a fun end to a great Valentines Day! Although someone already asked me to be their Valentine, Hudsie is the love of my life, as well.

Valentine, O Valentine...

Hope you didn't forget Valentines Day!

'Cause this year I got the best..

I asked her to be my Valentine...

... and my Aunt Shannie said yes!

Love,
C

HOME!

I'm HOME! In Kentucky! And it feels great! The drive home was long. Hours and hours of nothing but interstate. Twelve hours, really. But it was well worth it when I opened my sister's front door to see this face:

and this face:

I got lots of hugs and kisses. Lots of sticky fingers and faces. Lots of updates from Clayton on what Hudsie can & can't do. Piper was really excited to see the boys, and it was pretty evident! After Hudson drank out of Piper's doggy dish, and Piper found a piece of Valentine chocolate on the floor - ate it - and threw up, it was officially called a successful day!

Clayton even showed me a thing or two he learned recently:

Watching Huds "play" with Piper was a real treat!

And, yes, if you were wondering -- Hudson did say my name. His version of it. And we got it on video. He says "Moc" with ease, puppy, chocolate, anythinghewants.. except Shannie.

Tomorrow? Church. Hanging out with my loves. Soaking up the kisses, adoring the warm hugs, and encouraging Hudsie to "say Shannie!" so we can laugh some more*

Saturday Snapshots obviously didn't take place today -- but I will make up for it! Until then, I'll be relaxing at home with my family! Enjoy your Valentines Day -- I know I will!



*He calls me a curse word that rhymes with "pit"

update:

Mark should be back any minute now. I think. I hope. The northeast blizzard has caused his route home to be slow and traffic-filled. Very stinky. I intended on scrapbooking a lot while he was gone. But, thanks to Kodak being insanely slow, that never happened. I ordered *five* photos on Sunday. Today, I got an email saying that my order was completed, and it would be shipped shortly.

Uh, what?!

I ordered 490 photos from Shutterfly last month, and they arrived within two days. It's ridiculous. It must be super hard to print and ship five measly photos. Good gravy! Anyway. So, due to a family emergency, we'll be heading home tomorrow. I am excited to see the boys and things. It'll be a good trip. When Mark comes home, he'll know how long his leave was approved for.

I'm already totally sick of the winter Olympics. I can't stand how television is taken over by one event. The only Olympic sports I enjoy are: swimming, gymnastics, and diving. And sometimes ice skating.

I'm totally dreading on riding with Piper for 12 hours. I hate it. Oh well. We'll be home by tomorrow night, and can anyone say Kyoto!?

I'll take a #6 medium rare, please! And bring on the "clear soup," as Clayton calls it!

One time.. we were bad.

Mark & I went to college together, and it was THE most fun time ever! (Well, being married and living by the beach is fun too -- but in a different, more responsible way)

But back in our college yeas, we were bad. Irresponsible. Doing whatever we wanted. Like, seriously. He hated class, he hated studying, and he never did his homework. I loved class, loved writing papers, and it was my mission to get the highest grade in the class (depending on the class -- NOT science or math!)

One time, we skipped Micro-Economics and decided to go fly kites. He drove me to Walmart, and he bought a $1 Superman kite, and I got a $1 Nemo one. Afterward, we drove to our favorite park and I flew a kite for the very first time. A few days later, we skipped again and flew kites some more. Bad..


And one time, we skipped class and went to feed ducks at the park. My Facebook album notes that, before heading to the park, we stopped at Cracker Barrel and ate Mama's French Toast. So, not only were we unhealthy, but we were bad students. But at least we were feeding wildlife! (Is old bread even good for ducks??)


Sometimes, we would skip class to play ping pong. We are both really aggressive when it comes to game play, so playing ping pong really got heated (if you recall, I fractured my foot playing ping pong against Mark).. We were way obsessed with ping pong. And, a couple Valentines Days ago, I got him a brand new (NICE!) ping pong paddle.


On multiple occasions, we skipped class to take naps. I don't know why, but I was always tired during my college years. And high school years. Like, I don't think I could have functioned each day without a nap. I think 1/3 of our courtship years were spent napping together...


With all that being said, it's nothing short of a miracle that I graduated college! I can't be sure, but I'm pretty sure that Mark's favorite thing about college wasn't the awesome education and lectures from teachers. It was the fettuccine alfredo from Garret with lots of crushed red pepper*


Can I get an Amen?!



*If you didn't go to WKU, you won't understand. Which is like nearly all of you. Oops!

three things:

You should know by now that my most favorite thing to do is research baby products. What's cute. What's safe. What's in. I can't get enough.

So today, I'm doing a post on What Works. These things aren't the cutest products by any means, but they (by far) get the very best ratings on the market. Which, in my opinion, is the most important thing.


1. Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat:





This is, by far, the absolute safest car seat out there. Britax is known world-wide for being the safest company - with the amazing side-impact protection. This carest is pretty pricey, but not really. It holds a baby from 5 to 65lbs. I'm not joking. It keeps your itty bitty newborn super safe, and it will last until your child is well past 5 years old. A regular car seat runs about $150, but your child will easily outgrow it by the first year (especially if you've got a long baby!). Then, you'd need another car seat for the next couple years - another $120.. and, finally, a booster seat for the preschool years - another $20. Britax lasts forever, and it's reportedly super easy to clean with the best material. It isn't cute at all, and black isn't my favorite color, but it serves its purpose and proves to be the best deal. It works!


2. bumGenius 3.0

What you're seeing is actually one diaper, not four. bumGenius has a genius snap system which makes your child's diaper grow with your child. It features a set of snaps on the back-side to adjust the size. For smaller babies, obviously, you'd snap it to the smallest setting. This way, you're saving money in the long run and don't have to continue buying more diapers when your child outgrows the size. They fit babies 7lbs-35lbs (or newborn to potty training) and the cloth inserts can be buttoned down to fit your newborn (so no need to buy multi-sized inserts). Users say that it's the best cloth diaper out there and it's basically impossible to get a leak. It's the #1 CD in the nation, so that does speak volumes..


3. WeeMan Potty Training Urinal:


If this isn't the coolest & neatest thing ever. Every little boy wants to be just like daddy, but toddlers can't reach the toilet! So, ba-da bing, a clip-on urinal for boys! Genius, I tell you! Once it's used, you just dump the urine right in the toilet. Teach your boy to stand up (which they'll want to do anyway) and avoid a big, bulky potty chair in your bathroom. Too cute for words! $18.95 on Amazon and worth it, in my opinion!