The Boyfriend...Part 2

Olivia and Cooper

My Little Princess

Princess For A Day

Olivia's good friend Logan turned 3 yesterday. The party was so much fun. Snow White was the special guest and the girls LOVED it! Each girl wore her "best" princess attire and got to visit with Snow White while she sang songs, painted faces, made balloon art, and gave away candy. It was a little girl's dream and great for the parents too. She kept all 10+ toddlers engaged for close to an hour. Whew!!! Now that is what I call MAGIC!













And as Snow White was preparing to exit the "ball", the dads (who were inside catching up on some college basketball) caught her for a special photo opp...

Zoo Pics

For all of you that have been anxiously awaiting...

I have finally gotten the zoo photos ready to post. I had to take the disposable camera to Target and have them put them onto a CD. The quality is not very good, but what do you expect? They are from an ancient disposable type camera. The kind from the good ol' days before everyone had a digital!

Cancer as a Criminal

My mom got her CT scan results back yesterday after enduring 40+ radiation treatments, 6 rounds of chemotherapy, 5 blood transfusions, a kidney operation (due to the harsh effects of chemo) and about 150 blood tests. (Ok, the blood test count might be an exaggeration, but the rest of the numbers are right on!) Anyway, the good news is that the scan was clear, but here is where it gets "criminal."

There are 2 types of crimes, pre-meditated crimes and crimes of passion. A crime of passion takes place generally once. A situation gets heated and someone does something that he/she probably would not have done had they not put put into a specific "situation." The criminal is punished for his/her act of violence and then in most cases he/she does not repeat his/her crime. (Unless you are Drew Peterson and then you are just an idiot--but that is neither here nor there.) Anywho, someone who plans their crime often does it over and over again as long as he/she can get away with it. They get a "high" from committing their offense and continue over and over again even after being punished. Only a small number of pre-meditating criminals become reformed. Most continue to commit their crimes as long as society will allow them the freedom to do so.

You say: "How does this relate to CT scans?"
I say: "Glad you asked. Let me tell you..."

(***The above statements are generalizations made by someone who has done no research and knows very little about criminology.***)

The way I see it, there are 2 kinds of cancer: "cancers of passion" and "pre-meditated cancers." Most cancers fall into the "cancers of passion" category. They come into our bodies, ravish them, make us sick, and once punished (surgery, radiation, chemo, etc...), they go away, never to come back. Remission.

My mom's cancer is a pre-meditated cancer. The crime is committed. The cancer is punished. The body gets torn apart by surgeries, radiation, and chemo. But, the cancer pre-meditates. It could come back to commit another crime. If it does, it will come back again and again to wreak havoc on its' victim, never learning a lesson. There will be crime after crime until the body cannot take it anymore.

So, here is where our friends and family come in...

You say: "What can I do?"
I say: "Thanks for asking! I was just about to tell you."

You pray for reform. You pray that this cancer criminal has done his time and has learned his lesson. You think positive thoughts. Send positive energy and ask God to let this cancer be gone from my mother's life...never to return. You keep saying these prayers day after day, month after month, and year after year. And for this I say, THANK YOU!!!

Sidewalk Chalk Art Volume 2

Olivia received a lot of sidewalk chalk for Easter, so yesterday when we returned from Houston, we got to work on several more masterpieces. Olivia likes for me to draw the characters from Dora the Explorer. Adam eggs me on by telling me how great my chalk art looks. (He has no clue how easy it is to draw with sidewalk chalk!) So, I completed 4 characters on the driveway yesterday before Olivia got bored. If the pictures come out, you should be able to see Dora, Boots, Diego, and Swiper the Fox. And of course, there is a photo of Olivia admiring my creations!

Haven't Had The Time....

This week has been very busy with travel to and from Houston, so I have not had much time to post. In lieu of a witty article, I thought I would insert some photos documenting our trip.



Reagan got to meet her cousin Ivory at Grandpa's Memorial Service.


I think that they will grow to like each other!


Brian and Grandma. She finally pinned him down for a photo!


Aunt Debbie, Grandma, Elissa, and Baby Reagan. Bonding.


Grandma has wonderful friends.


Chit Chat...

Tubee

I have had several people ask me about "Tubee." For all concerned, Tubee is fine. Still hanging out. The Easter Bunny even left him a little gift yesterday.

Easter 2008

Grandpa Fink

My Grandpa Fink passed away yesterday (Saturday, March 22nd) after a short, but courageous battle with cancer. Grandpa was diagnosed in November shortly after is 88th birthday. He underwent chemo and radiation knowing that the cancer he had was incurable. He was willing to endure the pain of therapy in hopes of prolonging his life. Unfortunately the cancer was too strong and Grandpa passed away peacefully in his sleep sometime early Saturday morning. I am deeply saddened to have lost my Grandpa, but I am also so thankful for the 30 1/2 years that I got to spend with him.

Adam and I went to visit Grandpa in the hospital last month and he was just as stubborn and funny as ever. When we got ready to leave, I leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. I said "I love you Grandpa!" And his last words to me were "I love you too!" He was not the type of man to show his emotions outwardly so, I am comforted and ever so thankful that our last exchange was one of love and compassion. As we left the hospital that day, I promised that I would return in a couple of weeks to give him a pedicure. (He was in desperate need of some exfoliation and a toe nail trim.) Unfortunately, I didn't get back to Houston in time for that last pedicure, but I know deep in my heart...he wouldn't have liked it anyway!

Brilliant Ideas

I received a Starbuck's gift card for V-day (Thanks Mom!) and registered it on their website. I wasn't really sure why they wanted customers to register gift cards since I am sure most just use the balance and toss them, but I was curious. The process was fairly simple and I even decided to add a couple of dollars to my card balance--just for fun. It has been about 3 weeks since I registered and so far, I have received $5.00 added to my card for free from Starbuck's. I have to say, registering the card was worth it just for that latte and a half that the $5.00 got me!

Anywho, the point of all of this is that I now get periodic e-mails from Starbuck's. Today I got an e-mail with a link to a Starbuck's Idea site. They are asking customers to go online and submit ideas about how to improve their coffee, distribution, stores, etc... I quickly decided that I must submit an idea. (Really I am just hoping that they add another free $5.00 to my account. You know, as a "thank you" for my brilliant idea!) Since I had not posted on the blog yet today, I figure...I will share my idea with all of you as well...

And if you really want to show me love, go to: http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/home/home.jsp
And VOTE for my idea!! *You never know? Those votes might get me more free coffee!

Below is a copy of my Starbuck's Post

Starbuck's Vending Machines-Be Your Own Barista

I think that Starbuck's would make lots of money and make many customers happy of course, if they offered Starbuck's vending machines. Insert $$$, select size, select drink type and flavor, and Whaa La...a hot Starbuck's coffee. These would be great in office buildings, hospitals, train stations, airports (though most have a Starbuck's these days), schools, banks, dorms, and shopping malls. Some would say that you see a Starbuck's on every corner these days, but it seems that when I need one most...there is no barista to be found. These vending machines would ensure that coffee lovers everywhere could get caffeinated almost anywhere!

Bye Bye Amanda O!

In previous posts, I have mentioned that Adam, Olivia, and I make a family night out of watching American Idol on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We have our favorites (We love you Cheesy!) and we have our singers that we love to hate! I have to say that last nights cast off, Amanda Overmeyer, was someone that we COULD NOT STAND. We could not love or hate her, just pure feelings of indifference. How did she even make it into the top 24? Yes, I give it to her, she is different. But... I think that I could go on stage with a hoarse throat, skunk hair dye, and leather pants while screaming into the microphone and be just as good!! (Ok, maybe not, but you must "get" what I am trying to say here.) When Ryan Seacrest announced that Amanda was leaving us, Olivia said "I no like her!" Sorry to all of the Amanda fans out there, but the Shingleton fam will not be purchasing her album or missing her throaty yelping that the Idols Live concert this summer! Adios Amanda! Or should I say "Peace Out!"

Olivia & Reagan

Precious Little Girlies!

Mid Day Check-In

So, who was I kidding? Like I wasn't going to call and check on Olivia at her new school. I held off until I thought it had been long enough...you know, long enough not to seem CRAZY! I called around 12:30 p.m. (That was about 5 hours of me wondering how she was doing!) I was quickly transferred to Miss Tracy who told me that Olivia was having a great day. She said that Olivia was VERY well behaved. (Thank you! Thank you! I will take credit for that!) She also said that the only "disaster" (yes, there has already been a mishap!) had happened when the kids sat down to eat lunch. They do not allow the kids to drink from sippy cups or any cup with a lid. So, Olivia spilled her milk all over her jeans. Miss Tracy said that she "freaked out!" I am not sure what Miss Tracy's version of "freak out" is, but I am picturing big, crocodile tears with shrieking followed by breathy gulps and sniffles. Anyway, the kids are required to bring a change of clothes every day so Olivia got into her clean dry clothes and was back on the saddle! I asked if she was upset about the milk spilling (I pictured her very embarrassed in front of the other kids with her pants wet), but Miss Tracy assured me that she was more upset about being wet and dirty than what the other kids thought about her. That's my girl! So far, so good!

First Day

Olivia started at her new school today. She wouldn't let me take her picture but she looked so cute. She wore her blue jeans and "I love to play" t-shirt. We carefully packed her new purple pack-pack (backpack) last night with her nap mat, extra clothing, and pink teddy bear. When we got to school, her teacher was waiting at the classroom door and welcomed her with a big "Good Morning Olivia!" (This impressed me since she only met Olivia once, about 2 weeks ago!) We took her things to her cubby and she was off to play! I did manage to get a little hug before she ran off to join the other kids. New school is definitely harder on mom...in my opinion!

Olivia & Reagan

Olivia got to meet her cousin Reagan over this past weekend in Dallas and she is in love! Elissa and I dressed the girls alike for the wedding we attended and they looked adorable. (Photos soon to come!) Yesterday we dropped Elissa, Steve, and Reagan off at the airport and Olivia was shattered. She could not understand why they didn't just come back to Austin with us! HINT! HINT! HINT! Anyhow, I was glad to see that Olivia loved her cousin and was not jealous of her at all. We can't wait to see the little lady again!

Men...Ugh...Sigh!

I know I spent a majority of yesterday's post ranting about my husband's inability to maintain our bathroom, but today's "rant" has nothing to do with Adam. (He'll be glad to hear that!) I was driving home from work yesterday evening listening to my favorite pop radio station when the DJ comes on and says the most stupid thing EVER! Ladies...I think that you will agree with me on this. He starts talking about Eliot Spitzer's wife and how she stood stoicly by his side during his apologies and resignation. (If you don't know who Eliot Spitzer is or what he did...you must have been living in a hole for the last week!) He goes on to say that if it were he who had committed similar "crimes," that his wife would not be found by his side. He states that we would find his wife in their attorneys office (ok, makes sense) or in their front yard bbq'ing his Xterra. WHAT? Who cares about his Xterra? That is the dumbest comment that I have ever heard. I am sure that if DJ Tony's wife had been listening she would agree with me. Has he lost his mind? Does he really think that she cares about his car enough to set it on fire? It must be one fancy X-terra to make him think that she would consider demolishing it if he cheated. How the heck would she kick him out of the house with no means of transportation to send him on his way? I really think Tony needs a reality check. ***I can assure you of this: If Adam decides to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars (or even $1 dollar for that matter) on escorts, you might find me in an attorneys office but if I am caught bbq'ing anything...it will not be his Pathfinder. And I give my warning now, if I am bbq'ing after such a scandel, be very wary of my hot dogs! They just might not be Ballpark Franks!

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On a lighter note, I went to HEB yesterday. 11 items...8 bags. $&*#????

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And for those of you concerned about Tubee, he is still hangin' tough.

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And finally, for all 2 (Hi Mom! Hi Dad!) of my regular readers...I have enabled comments. You should no longer require a sign-in to comment on any of the posts.

Loose Ends

After re-reading my last post, I feel as though I may have left some of you with unanswered questions that could lead to stinky, nasty assumptions. If I left you hanging, (I am not referring to you, my Tubee--hanging there all alone! Sigh...) I apologize. You must be wondering...if Adam has not changed the toilet roll in 2 1/2 weeks then how "disgusting" is La La? Come on people! We have another bathroom where I stock the toilet paper regularly. I am just making a point about our bathroom. It continues to amaze me that my man will walk across the house to use the bathroom, but is too lazy to change the roll in the bathroom that is 2 feet from where he rolls out of bed every morning. Hence, the experiment! As for me, I have my secret stash of TP but I cannot reveal all of my "potty" secrets in one day!

The Husband Experiment

***ATTENTION READERS: This blog entry contains confidential information not to be shared with any other members of the Adam Shingleton household because scientific data is being collected. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!***

I have been doing a little "science" project at home. Here is how it all got started: Adam NEVER replaces the toilet paper roll. I hate going into the bathroom and finding an empty roll, but about 2 weeks ago I decided to see how long it would take him to finally bring more tissue into the bathroom. Yes, you read that correctly...2 weeks ago. Last night as I laid awake clinging to the edge of the bed trying to win my place on the mattress against a fat orange cat, a beagle, a little girl, and my snoring husband, I started really wondering how long it would be until he put new paper on the roll. I was betting against myself. Would it be this morning? Another week? Ever? I finally put myself to sleep (thank goodness!) but awoke this morning to find the old brown, cardboard tube staring at me as I went to start my shower. Tubee (that's toob-eee) and I are becoming old friends. I will almost be sad to see him go when Adam does finally decide to change the roll. Tubee never criticizes my stretch marks or cares if I use all the hot water. He just hangs there quietly minding his own business and observing our daily hygiene routines, all the while knowing that his time in our bathroom is limited. (Or should be!) Though I will miss my little Tubee, I am hoping that my little experiment will work out in my favor. If so, I won't be making friends with many more cardboard tubes and this one will go quietly into the trash without protest. I love you TUBEE!

The Bella, Banjo, & Andy Photos from Tuesday Night

Olivia at "Crocodile Lake"

Olivia loves Idol

Adam and I have gotten into the habit of watching American Idol. From my previous posts, you all know that Olivia loves Dora. Well...last night she asked us if we could watch "Idol." Not Dora, but Idol. That makes a momma proud. We have found something else that grabs Olivia's attention. She did speak Spanish to us through most of the broadcast and did ask to watch Dora when it was over, but we are making progress! Adam and I like to rate each contestant and imitate the judges so Olivia has started doing that as well. She hasn't quite gotten the "It was just alright for me, dog" or the "That was karoke and caberet," sayings down yet, but she does say "Mommy, I no like her!" And she sings along. Last night was John Lennon and Paul McCartney night. It warmed my heart to hear Olivia singing "Let It Be."

For those of you wondering, we are fans of:
Chikezie (or "Cheesy" as he is known at our house)
Jason Castro
Brooke White
and mom's fav...Michael Johns!
And there is no doubt that David Archuleta is good, but last night..."STINKER!"

Random Thoughts Time Again...

This is my random thought for the week. (I say "week" but I have these random thoughts quite randomly!) I go to H-E-B regularly and when I say "regularly," I mean at least 7-10 times a week. Sometimes twice in one day, like on Saturday. Anyhow, my thought is: Why do sackers, both young and old, think it necessary to put each item in its own bag? Seriously? Last week I purchased a total of 22 items and came home with 18 sacks. Is this a new rule or something? It happens every time. I see why environmentalists want to ban plastic sacks. There is a gross overabundance. Can't they train the baggers to put at least 3-5 items or more per bag? Sometimes I think it's a game or a challenge for the person doing the sacking. "How many bags can I send her outta here with?" I know the easy answer to this dilema is to bring by own canvas grocery sacks. And I have good intentions. I have several of these fancy, shmancy eco-friendly bags, but it is so hard to remember to bring them with me.

Speaking of eco-friendly, Adam and I switched our electric company to a more eco-friendly provider and we have changed all of our light bulbs to the energy saving kind. It's a start for us and it was his idea after all. Now, if I can only get him to turn of the lights and t.v. when he leaves a room...***

On another note, I put the memory card back in my camera and took some adorable pictures of Adam, Olivia, Bella, Banjo, and Andy all cuddled up on the couch together last night. Guess what? Didn't download them yet. More to come...

Olivia's Weekend Adventures

Adam woke up yesterday with adventure on his mind. He suggested a picnic in the Hill Country, a wildlife park in New Braunfels, or the Zoo. We decided to take Olivia to the San Antonio Zoo. The drive is almost 2 hours, so I made sure to pack a backpack (or packpack as Olivia says) with all of the essentials. I even remembered the camera! I was in super-mom mode and of course super proud of myself...that was until we got to the zoo and I whipped out the camera. After 4 pictures, the camera gave me a message that said "memory card full." I just knew this was a mistake. We have a memory card that holds 1000 pictures and I'd just erased everything last week. We should have at least 996 more shots. (Hmm! Last week...did I put the card back in the camera?) Ugh!!! There was no memory card in the camera. I noticed this right as we were making our way into the zoo, so I ran over to one of the 4 billion gift shops and guess what? No memory cards. Anywhere. I had to buy a disposable camera for $14.00 to take my 27 pictures. So needless to say, I will not be posting any adorable photos of Olivia with the flamingos or Olivia petting the baby goats. Nope, super mom will have to take her disposable over to Wally-World to get the pictures developed...old school style. Do they even develop film anymore? (HAHA! Just Kidding!)

Even though I don't have any pictures (right now), we had a great time. Olivia's favorite animals were the monkeys and the hippos. I have to admit that I really liked the zoo too! Olivia had so much fun and was so worn out that she fell asleep before we even got out of the parking lot. We had a quiet ride home. I think that we were all pretty worn out.

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When we got home from the zoo last night, Olivia told me that she wanted a baby sister. Her friend Logan's mom just had a baby and we see them at ballet every Saturday. Olivia has decided that this is really cool, so she wants one too. I told her that mommy and daddy would love for her to have a baby brother or sister and that maybe one day mommy would have a baby. She looked at me so seriously and said "Mommy, I am gurl." (Yes, that's GURL). "I could have the baby." That is no joke. She really said that. She is 2! I am somewhere between proud and shocked. Proud because she realizes that she is a girl and will someday have babies (if she chooses) and shocked that she is 2 and realizes that she can have babies. (Not now of course! I know how puberty works.) I told her "You are right. You can have a baby when you are 35 and married!" She agreed. (Thank Goodness!) Several of my friends mentioned that their children started requesting a sibling around 2 1/2 but I didn't think that Olivia would since she prides herself on being "mommy's baby." The jokes on me! Time will tell, I suppose...

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We are on our final count down for school...Olivia cannot wait. 4 1/2 more days...YEE HAW!

School Daze

I took Olivia to visit her new school and meet her new teacher today. She loved it. I pretty much had to drag her out of the classroom when it was time to leave. I am hoping that she loves it as much on her first day. The teacher seems really nice. She has been with the school for 7 years in the same class and has an 8 year old daughter. She seems to love children and takes a strong interest in each child in the classroom. Olivia even gave her a hug when it was time to leave. So all-in-all, I think that we are making the right move.

Speaking of school, Adam is teaching a kindergarten class all day as a part of Washington Mutual's volunteer work with Junior Achievement. Anyone that knows Adam will see why I think this is such a great story. Adam and 20+ little kids in a classroom together all day long. He was doing his lesson plan last night. He is teaching them all about the bank and money. He had a story book, money stickers, little banks, and workbooks for each of the kids. (Don't think that he went to the trouble of getting all of the materials--they were provided. He's good, but not THAT good!) Anyway, I have to say that I am proud of him for doing it. I am sure that he will have a lot of funny stories to share when he gets home tonight. Lucky me!

Long Nights

Last night was a really long night. I have these LONG nights about once a week. (I think it has to do with a toddler, cat, and snoring husband in my bed--oh and occasionally 2 beagles too.) I wake about 1 a.m. and have big trouble falling asleep again. I laid in bed for over an hour last night before taking my pillow and favorite throw blanket and getting in Olivia's "big girl bed" or BGB. I actually fell asleep for about an hour when I heard Olivia calling for a pacifer. (Oh yeah, she was sprawled out in my place in my bed!) I guess Adam assumed that I was still in bed. I thought for sure that he would turn over and get the "bop." Nope! She called over and over again. I finally stomped into the room flinging the door open and let out a huge S-I-G-H! He looked up and said "Where were you?" Sleeping of course! AGGGHHH! I rescued the bop and got it safely back into Olivia's mouth and laid back down next to her. AWAKE. At least another hour. I hit snooze at least 4 times this morning.

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On another note, one of my co-workers brought in a huge box of Mary Kay make-up products that her daughter was to sell and never did. That meant that all of the ladies in the office got to go on a make-up shopping spree. And it was all FREE! (So it wasn't really shopping! Even better!) Anyway, that sort of makes up for my tiredness. A little silver lining! Or should I say dusty pink lip liner?

School Days

With mixed emotions, I accepted Olivia's place at a new daycare/school yesterday. I say with "mixed emotions" because I am sad to think that my little baby is going to be going to school. I know that it really is "daycare," but she will have a folder, do projects, have a cafeteria menu, etc...All of the things that big girls have for school. She has been going to Sarwat's house since she was 9 weeks old. She has been raised with most of the children there. Sarwat has been an excellent "second mommy," teacher, and caretaker, but it is time. Sarwat is expecting a baby in May and will be taking some time off. And Olivia really is ready for more structure in her learning. I think that she will enjoy meeting new kids and adding more routines to her day. The new school is quite a distance from our house, but on my way to work. So I will take on the task of taking her and picking her up daily (Adam and I alternate currently). I am taking her to meet her new teacher, Ms. Tracy and see her new classroom Friday. I know all of this is a good thing, but change is always hard. I expect that even though she is excited about school, she will miss Sarwat and her friends. She will, no doubt, have to adjust to the school routine as well.

Maybe, just maybe, it's silly to have put so much thought into this daycare thing. I need to adjust to the fact that my little baby is growing up. She will probably handle things just fine and LOVE school. Me, well, I am not so sure. Time flies. That is for certain.

Martha Shingleton? Lauren Stewart?

I got a little crazy last night and decided to make several recipes out of a new cookbook that I picked up at HEB last week. (Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook) I made pumpkin pancakes, strawberry crepes, sesame shrimp stir fry, and THE BEST EGG SALAD. (All made with low-fat, low-cal substitutes) I have never been a huge egg salad fan but I thought that I would give it a try. It sounded good last night. I was bored without American Idol on T.V. I am channeling Easter or something. Anyway, I am going to have to put a padlock on the fridge to keep Adam out. As I explained to Adam this morning (while he was scarfing an egg salad sandwich), it is only low-fat if you watch your portion size. The small little bowl is supposed to make 6 servings. In "Adam World," the bowl was one portion...for him.

Even if you are not an egg salad fan, I would suggest giving this one a try. You won't be disappointed.

Special Egg Salad
(shout out to Judy Nissen who submitted the recipe to the above mentioned cookbook)

3 oz. reduced fat or fat free cream cheese (*This is the key, I think!)
1/4 c. fat free mayo
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in mayo, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Fold in eggs. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve on toast, crackers, etc...

Yard of the Month Club

Sunday afternoons, for me, usually consist of long naps, hot baths, reading, maybe a little yard work or a walk...apparently not for my husband. Last Sunday I woke up from a nap and found his car parked in the front lawn with a cable tied on one end to his trailer hitch and the other to leafy, green bushes in our front yard. Yes, in Hank Hill fashion, he was pulling the bushes out one by one. I said nothing, although I was somewhat fond of those bushes and definitely sad to see them go.

Fast forward one week...

AND...

Yes, you are seeing the chain of events as they unfolded...Hammer? Check. Brick wall collapsed? Check. All bushes and plants removed and in trash? Check.

I have no idea what was going through Adam's mind when he decided to uproot our entire garden. I am not asking questions...just hoping for the plant fairy to come deliver something beautiful in my broken down garden. Does anyone know a good brick doctor?

Still Sick

Olivia woke up this morning assuring me that she was fine. She did not have a fever or get sick during the night. She asked me if she could go to ballet and so I gave in...We went to ballet. We were home less than 15 minutes when she began vomiting again. It has been a long Saturday, but she seems to be feeling better now.