the Four Little Bear Cubs

Stephen Wayne Cooney Obituary: View Stephen Cooney's Obituary by Tyler Morning Telegraph

2011-11-15T15:39:00.000-06:00

Stephen Wayne Cooney Obituary: View Stephen Cooney's Obituary by Tyler Morning Telegraph

Tad spelling bee

2011-06-06T22:39:00.000-05:00

Busy Bees —

HIGGINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

2011-02-10T09:20:00.000-06:00

Check out Tad in the newspaper:
HIGGINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Poisonous animals

2011-01-21T00:14:00.002-06:00

This is a powerpoint Tad & another boy did for class. I don't think they quite finished it, but I thought it was cute!

Mamapedia Sweet Deal: $8 for $16 from KidsSocks.com

2011-01-20T02:39:00.000-06:00

You may have already seen this site before, but I just purchased 1 voucher for $16 Worth of Socks, Leggings and Tights from KidsSocks.com. It is a great deal and 5% of the price goes to your school:

$8 for $16 Worth of Skechers, True Religion, Puma and all your Favorite Brands of Socks, Leggings and Tights from KidsSocks.com

Go here to check it out!

Thanksgiving '10

2011-01-20T01:53:00.001-06:00

I love Thanksgiving ~ the fall weather & colors, food, family, & giving thanks!! We went to my grandma's house for a yummy lunch the Saturday before Thanksgiving & had a fun visit with the family. The kids love jumping in the leaves.......

On Thanksgiving day we had a leisurely day at my parent's house with yummy food, family, football, & laziness!!!

Parents magazine subscription $1 for 1 year!

2011-01-20T01:28:00.000-06:00

I just ordered a 1-year subscription to Parents magazine for only $1! Right now you can get a one year subscription to Parents Magazine for just $1 at Barnes & Noble. Just use code K9B9J4H at check out to lower the price from $9.97 to $1. Alow 6-10 weeks to start getting your first issue.

Happy Halloween '10

2011-01-16T10:18:00.000-06:00

The kids costumes were soooo cute! The big kids had a halloween party at the neighbor's house, and we went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood Halloween night & got tons of candy! Zoe was Hermione from Harry Potter, Tad was Harry Potter, Sophie was a fairy princess, and Kalli was a fortune teller!

TONY'S® PIZZA 99 DAYS OF MORE

2011-01-15T04:53:00.000-06:00

TONY'S® PIZZA 99 DAYS OF MORE, enter to win!

Free Head & Shoulders Sample

2011-01-13T10:45:00.000-06:00

Free Head & Shoulders Sample from All You / P&G!

Complementary Subscription to Health Magazine

2011-01-13T10:24:00.000-06:00

Go here to try for your free one-year subscription to Health magazine- 1st 500 respondents! freebizmagazine.com

Super 1 Foods Deals 1/12-1/18

2011-01-12T07:11:00.000-06:00

Here are the deals at Super 1 Foods this week:

Eckrich Smoked Sausage - $1.97

Ground Beef 5-lb chub - $1.47/lb

T-bone steak super pack - $4.77/lb

Grapefruit 10-lb bag - $2.98

Iceberg head lettuce - $.88

Farmland sliced bacon - $2.27

Bar-S jumbo meat franks - $1.07

Smithfield lunchmeats - $2.27

Boneless bottom round steak super pack - $2.77/lb

Hormel super pack boneless pork chops - $3.57/lb

Hormel chili no beans - $1.38
Use $.55 off 2 coupon here
$1.10 each after coupon

Food Club vegetable oil - $2.28

Cook’s half ham - $.97/lb

Doritos - $2.48

Hot Pockets, Lean Pockets, or Croissant Pockets – 4/$5

Hawaiian Punch - $1.97

Post Cereal – 2/$4

Ranch Style Beans - $.65

Van Camp’s pork and beans - $.65
Use $1 off 4 coupon from Jan All You
$.40 each after coupon

Hormel microwave meals - $1.88

Guerrero white corn tortillas – 2/$5

Minute Maid orange juice – 2/$5

Suave invisible solid anti-perspirant deodorant - $.88

Food Club bath tissue – 2/$12

Viva paper towels – 2/$12

Alley Cat cat food - $7.47

Gravy Train dog food - $7.47

Russet Potatoes 5-lb bag - $1.98

Sweet Potatoes - $.78/lb

Cherries - $3.98/lb

Navel Oranges - $.78/lb

Top Care Omeprazole - $14.88

TRESemme mousse or hair spray - $2.98

Walgreens Trip 1/8/11

2011-01-08T10:36:00.000-06:00

Had a great shopping trip @ Walgreen's today! Good deal on Chex Mix & for my local friends Oak Farms Milk!

Chex Mix
Buy 5 get $3.50 RR
Use $.99/3 in Jan. Coupon Booklet (since I got 5 saved $1.65!)
Used 2 $.50/2 coupons & 1 $.50/1 chocolate chex mix
Select flavors on sale 3/$4.99; spent $12.99 for 5 bags of different flavors
Total saved with coupons = $3.15 + $3.50 RR = $6.65!!

Oak Farms Milk
2% & Whole on sale @ Walgreen's on the corner of Troup & Loop every Sat & Sun in Jan & Feb for $1.99!!

Go Wilcats!!

2011-01-07T05:54:00.000-06:00

The kids had lots of fun this past football season! Now that they are getting older, they are enjoying going to the games & hanging out with friends. The Whitehouse Wildcats also played a great season!

Kalli went to a Little Ladies lock-in where they learned a routine that they got to perform with the First Ladies drill team at a football game. Here are some pictures of her marching onto the field with the drill team & doing their routine on the field.

We also went to the homecoming game. Theo painted a wildcat on the girls' faces. I thought he did a pretty good job. We had lots of fun at the game & the wildcats won!

Sophie & Tad in the paper

2010-12-20T11:08:00.001-06:00

Food Drive Exoected To Feed About 900

broken bone

2010-12-08T00:01:00.000-06:00

Still playing catch-up!

September 22, 2010 - Sophie was playing @ Nana & Papa's house. She fell off the back of the couch & hurt her arm. Theo took her to DirectCare where they took x-rays to show that she had broken her arm! She had a "green-stick fracture" to her radial bone. They splinted it for the night & the next day I took her to get her a cast in her favorite color purple! She wore the cast for 4 weeks, & besides a few complaints of itching, she tolerated it great! Now, you would never know it had been broken!

cute presents I found!

2010-12-07T23:41:00.001-06:00

EB Brands Bear Eyeglass Holder - Bealls Florida Department Store

EB Brands Lion Eyeglass Holder - Bealls Florida Department Store

Also, if you love Beall's, you can get 20% off your entire in-store purchase here @ Texas Beall's

Gymboree 50% off all tops! & more!

2010-12-01T01:28:00.002-06:00

Gymboree has 50% off all tops! This includes outerwear, hoodies, fleece, sweaters, woven shirts, & more! Limited time only, regularly priced styles only! Also take 20% off all sale items, for a total savings of 60%! Free Shipping on all online orders over $50! Plus earn $25 GYMBUCKS for great savings later!

playing catch-up

2010-12-01T00:50:00.000-06:00

I have been very behind on my blogging lately! Why? I started graduate school & got a 2nd job.
Graduate school is really hard! I am taking Biometric Methods (statistics) & Nursing Theory.
My 2nd job, which is over for this semester, is adjunct clinical faculty @ UT-Tyler. This semester, I helped with a clinical group for Competencies, which is 1st semester nursing school students. We were on a neuro floor, so I was really out of my comfort zone of mother/baby nursing. I LOVED my students though, & got a refresher on some nursing skills that I haven't used since nursing school. We met every W ednesday. I still worked my regular full-time night job on mother/baby, so some Wednesdays I had to work 20 hour days! Next semester I get to help with Family Nursing, which is Labor & Delivery, NICU, post-partum, & pediatrics, so I should feel much more at home! & the schedule is a little more flexible with my work schedule (I hope!).

Now for some catch-up blogging....Kalli's birthday! Kalli turned 8 years old on August 19th. We had her party @ the Faulkner Sprayground. She had a blast & several of her friends came. Here's some pictures.....

the first Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T09:10:00.002-06:00

Third graders shed light on first Thanksgiving

Smile.ly—Be Heard. Be Happy.

2010-09-30T16:07:00.002-05:00

Smile.ly—Be Heard. Be Happy.
Do you ❤love❤ to try new things? Have you ever tried a new product and thought, "This would be so much better if…" Well, as a Smile.ly member, you can provide positive or negative feedback directly to the source. Your opinion matters. And as a fringe benefit, you'll earn status in the Smile.ly community, which has its own rewards, perks, and opportunities. Check it out!

Utah Vacation '10

2010-08-30T02:32:00.005-05:00

Saturday

We got up bright & early around 4am. We got everything loaded, said a prayer for a safe trip, & we were on the road by 5am. It was kinda nice because the kids & I just went to sleep for much of the morning. Sophie had several tummy troubles, but we kept her loaded up on dramamine. We decided to try a different route this trip, so today we drove west across Texas through Amarillo, through the corner of New Mexico, then into Colorado. We stayed in a hotel in Pueblo, CO & arrived early enough to let the kids swim for a little while, which just made their day!

Monarch Pass Summit

Sunday

We again got up bright & early, which turned out to be earlier than we had planned since Theo's phone did not change to the new time zone....so 3am we got up & were ready to go by 4am. Still worked out fine because the kids & I slept for a while. While driving through the Rocky Mountains we were up on Monarch Pass Summit @ 11000 feet, we saw some snow flurries! Sophie continued to have tummy issues & did throw up once, but we make it. After a while we made it to Utah --Welcome to Utah, Life Elevated! While driving though UT, we hit 100,000 miles on the mini-van. We arrived @ Theo's parents' house early afternoon. Theo's brother Jordan's family were there, so the kids were very excited to have their cousins to play with.

the Nackos kiddos at a rest stop

100,000 miles!

cousin's fort

Monday

I walked with the kids to the park. There are 3 parks within walking distance from Theo's sister Lisa's house, which is where we were staying. In the afternoon, Theo & I took the kids to the Payson Pool which has water slides & a lazy river. The kids had a blast.

the cousins playing pool

Tuesday-Tuesday

We spent the week at Aunt Delaine's cabin in the mountains. Almost all of Theo's family was able to come up. There was 4-wheeler riding, shooting, fishing, roasting marshmallows on the bonfire, a talent show, hiking, exploring, boat races, crafts, and bubble blowing,.

kiddos on the ski lift

Sophie in Pigtails

Nackos Family

cousins ~ Isabella & Kalli

dandelion wishes

Nackos kiddos

Kalli looking kool

roasting marshmallows

Kalli won the boat race!

The Talent Show Itenerary

roasting weenies on the back porch

Wednesday & Thursday

The kids had more cousin time @ Grandma & Grandpa's house. Grandpa flooded the yard & filled up the pool so the kids could swim & splash. The kids also put on a puppet show!

cousins swimming @ Grandma & Grandpa's

The Puppeteers

kiddos @ the Bean Museum

Friday

Theo & I took the kids to the Bean Museum. You may be thinking, as the kids did, that it was a museum about beans! It is actually the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum. We also trekked across the BYU campus to see Grandpa's sculpture "The Tree of Wisdom".

Sophie looking at the birds

check out those animals!

Sophie on a safari

The Tree of Wisdom

Saturday & Sunday

We had a pretty uneventful ride home. We were glad to be home, but we really missed the cooler temps!

World Wide Web Applications

2010-08-10T22:48:00.001-05:00

I finally finished the last assignment for my 1st graduate school class World Wide Web Applications. It was a hard class, but I did learn a lot! Our last assignment was to make a web page on a lesson you would teach in a class once you graduate. Here is mine:
http://edci.uttyl.edu/web/wwwapp/sum10/ven/breastfeeding.html

Cost Plus World Market Eat Pray Love Home

2010-07-17T04:53:00.004-05:00

Enter this sweepstakes from World Market for a chance to win a dream trip for 2 to Italy, India, or Bali!
Cost Plus World Market Eat Pray Love Home

Tad's 10th birthday party!

2010-07-06T07:23:00.004-05:00

May 8th, 2010
Tad had his 10th birthday party @ the Skateplex actually on his birthday! We had cake & pizza and had a great time! Most of his presents were Bakugan since that's his thing right now!

Smarty Pants!

2010-06-01T01:23:00.004-05:00

5/26/10 - Zoe had her 5th grade award assembly.
The awards she received are:

Highest GPA in Language Arts in her class
Highest GPA in Math in her class
Highest GPA in Science in her class
Outstanding Academic Achievement

5/28/10 - Tad had his 4th grade award assembly.
The awards he received are:

Academic Excellence - they give this award to the two students who have the highest overall GPA in their class
"A-B" Honor Roll

Can't leave out Kalli's award she received:
Laffy Taffy Award ~ This student is very sweet and is always laughing.

Cowboys and Pirates...Oh My!

2010-05-28T22:19:00.004-05:00

April 13, 2010 - Kalli was in the Higgins 2nd grade Texas musical. Her class danced to "Tideo".

May 20, 2010 - Tad was in the Higgins 4th grade production Pirates the Musical.

Zoe's 11th birthday party!

2010-05-04T05:52:00.005-05:00

Zoe turned 11 on March 30th. The weekend before her birthday she had her birthday party at Tyler Skateplex with a few of her best friends. We had pizza & cake, skated & skootered ~ lots of fun! She got a soccer ball, basketball, Webkins peace puppy, zhu zhu pets, Harry Potter book series, & video games! Happy 11th birthday Zoe!

No diaper bag!

2010-05-01T03:56:00.003-05:00

That's right! For the first time in 11 years (with a tiny break between Kalli & Sophie) I don't have to carry a diaper bag everywhere we go! Miss Sophie is potty-trained!! She still wears a Pull-Up at naptime and bedtime, but it is dry about half the time.

How did we potty-train her? It was very difficult, probably our most difficult child yet. We just had to wait until she was finally ready. We let her choose whether she wanted to go on the baby potty or the big potty with a potty seat on it. Once she went on the potty several times, we put panties on her regularly, and she would go on the potty more often until she had no more accidents. Even now, if I forget to put her panties on right away she will still pee in her Pull-Up, but as long as she has her panties on she goes on the potty!

The main thing we have learned with 4 children (though it was hard to remember during the hard times) is that all children have a different time table, and it was finally Sophie's time to potty-train!

Just me and you kid!

2010-04-25T03:06:00.005-05:00

My youngest child Sophie is very lucky because she gets the majority of my one-on-one time. Her older three siblings are all in school, so she gets to stay home with me while they're at school. I try to make the most of our time together because in a couple of short years she will start school too! Here is one of our recent fun outings to the Caldwell Zoo:

Spring Break '10

2010-04-24T01:08:00.009-05:00

Yes I am consistently late on posting about the events of my family!!

Spring break week, Theo took off work one day so the whole family could go somewhere together. We decided to go to the Oil Museum in Kilgore, and were pleasantly surprised at how fun it was! First they take you in a room and have you watch a movie about the history of oil in East Texas, which was kinda interesting, but was not keeping the children entertained, and I began to regret our decision to spend the day here. Luckily, the kids were more interested once they were able to walk around and do some hands-on stuff! Our favorite part was the old-timey town. They had shops to look at, an old-timey theater that played a much more interesting movie about the history of the oil boom in East Texas, and an elevator ride to the center of the earth! Fun and learning was had by all!

We're bad parents?!?

2010-04-19T04:49:00.004-05:00

We all have moments or days where we feel like we're not good parents. But sometimes your child (not meaning to) reaffirms these feelings & you wonder how could God have entrusted me with these fragile lives? My son's class had to write a story about their lives to be published. He brought it home a few weeks ago for us to proofread. I can't remember the story word for word, so I'm just gonna paraphrase it:

I woke up in the morning, turned the light on, and walked in to snore-filled living room. I said "Dad, can I watch TV?", he didn't answer. Then I screamed "Dad, can I watch TV?" Dad said "NO!". Just then my mom called out "It's time for lunch". I walked in the kitchen and asked my mom what we were having. She said "Whatever you can find!". I looked in the pantry and there was nothing in there but year-old peanut butter. I looked in the refrigerator and there was just an old sandwich. I decided to eat that. I took one bite and it wasn't very good. I just wish I had some pizza!

The End! I began to get tears in my eyes that my son chose to right this story that depicts us as such bad, uncaring parents. We talked to him about it for awhile, and I honestly think he didn't realize that there was anything wrong with it. We told him we were afraid his teacher would report us to CPS! We talked him into picking another topic. So we shredded this story and he began writing about when we went to Goblin Valley in Utah.

I can't speak for Theo, but this incident did make me think about how I am doing as a parent, I definitely think I need to work on my parenting skills!

Texas Winter Wonderland

2010-02-14T05:39:00.009-06:00

December 24 we had some snow ~ normal Texas snow that doesn't stick. Little did I know we would get even more snow in February! It startes snowing on Thursday Feb 11th & snowed most of that day into the night, & when we woke up on Friday everything was covered in a thick blanket of snow! Theo grew up in Utah so this isn't very exciting to him, but to me having always lived in East Texas it is a dream come true! I love to look at the snow, but mostly I like to see the looks on my kids faces when they see it & go out to play in it!

Christmas 2009

2010-02-13T01:39:00.006-06:00

Trying to play catch up! We had some problems with our internet ~ it wouldn't work when it was too cold outside, which means it wouldn't work in the middle of the night when I do most of my blogging!

Christmas eve we went to Nana & Papa's house to open presents:

Christmas morning was lots of fun! The three big kids' favorite gift was their Nintendo DSi & I think Sophie loved her puzzles!

Ouch!

2010-01-25T22:31:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Tad was exploring at my mom's house when he stepped on something that went through his shoe & into his foot. We aren't sure if it was a nail or a piece of wire from a cage. My mom doctored it up & put a bandaid on it. Tad didn't even cry...until they told him he might have to get a tetanus shot! When they got home & told me what happened, I called around & found out he did indeed need a tetanus booster, so we headed to the DirectCare clinic.
When we finally got to go to a room & see the dr, he told us that 1 out of 4 times when the object pierces the shoe, it pushes rubber from the shoe or cloth from the sock into the foot that would increase the risk of infection! OMG ~ I never even thought of that. The dr was so good & told Tad everything he was going to do. He told him he was going to numb up his foot & that it would hurt, then told him he was going to have to dig in the wound a little to make sure there was nothing in it. Tad got a little tear in his eye when the dr was explaining it, but when he actually numbed it up he just grimace a little - he was so brave. When the dr was through he showed a tiny black speck that was probably a piece of rubber from his shoe! Tad also had to have an x-ray to make sure there was no metal in his foot. The x-rays showed that there wasn't ~ hooray! While we were waiting in the room , I showed Tad the smiley-face pain scale from 0-5. He said when the dr numbed his foot it was a 3, & now it was about a 2 so he'd probably like some pain medicine when we got home. They gave him his tetanus shot which he also took like a champ, then we headed home. He just has to do warm soaks with soap & water to keep it clean & help with healing. Luckily everything looks good so far!

Sophie's 3rd birthday party

2010-01-16T04:38:00.005-06:00

December 20th we had a party to celebrate Sophie's 3rd birthday. She wanted everything Dora, so we did our best! We had the party at Dairy Queen so the kids would have a playplace. Dairy Queen made a Dora cake & we had Dora balloons, plates, and napkins. We had a good turnout & everyone had alot of fun! She got tons of presents~ shopping cart & food, Littlest Pet Shop house & pets, clothes, hair accessories, princess dress-up, My Little Pony, Dora backpack & more!!

Sophie had alot of helpers to open her presents!

the Christmas tree farm

2010-01-12T09:12:00.006-06:00

A couple of weeks before Christmas every year we take the kids & go pick out a real Christmas tree! The last few years, since the kids are older, we have been going to a Christmas tree farm to cut down our own tree. We found a great place we like called Plantation Pines. They take you on a hayride to the field to find your tree! Here are some pictures of our fun times this year:

The bigger kids wanted to take turns trying to cut down the tree:

After we cut down our tree, then they took us back to have some hot chocolate & get warm!

Snake Encounters

2010-01-10T22:17:00.006-06:00

On December 6th, we took the kids to the Snake Encounters show at the Discovery Science Place. It was awesome! The guy that does the show is named Daryl Sprout. He is so funny and makes the show so interesting. He taught us lots of stuff (not that I can remember any of it now - it was over a whole month ago LOL!) We all had a really good time!

He also includes the audience in his show. So Zoe got picked to go up on stage! She was so super excited!

Since we are Discovery Science Place members, we got to go back-stage and get pictures made with Daryl and touch some creatures!

Here's a link to his website for more info: Snake Encounters

Happy 3rd birthday Sophie!

2009-12-21T07:09:00.001-06:00

In January 2006, Theo & I decided that we wanted to have another baby. So I had my IUD yanked out & we started trying to get pregnant in February. No luck that month, & we decided we should skip trying in March so the baby wouldn't be born at Christmas time. We planned to resume trying in April, but instead found out we were pregnant in April ~ oops! I had several pregnancy tests with faint lines on them, so we weren't for sure at first. I needed to stop taking my Effexor if I was pregnant (by the way DO NOT stop taking Effexor cold turkey!), so my dr drew a blood test that showed I was indeed pregnant! HOORAY! The kids were so excited to have a little sister or brother. We thought it would be cool to have a boy so that we could have 2 of each gender, but would be happy either way!

This pregnancy started out quickly to be the least fun! I was in my 30s now as opposed to my 20s like I was with my other pregnancies. I had extreme morning sickness & couldn't eat so I was very weak. I went to the dr for an ultrasound to make sure the pregnancy was right on track, she prescribed transdermal Phenergan, & took some blood to check my Progesterone levels. The Phenergan helped some so I was able to eat enough to get by on. My progesterone levels were low, so I had to do a suppository every day ~ this was very unpleasant but since it helped my stay pregnant it was definitely worth it.

Happily the 2nd trimester came along, so no more suppositories - HOORAY! My nausea did not go away completely, but it got a little better. The baby started moving & occasionally the kids could feel. A little after 20 weeks we had an ultrasound. Everything looked great & we found out we were having another girl!! We surprised the kids with gifts when they got home from school, Zoe & Kalli were excited, but Tad was a little disappointed it was not going to be a boy :(.
On to the 3rd trimester: still had some nausea, but it was bearable. Had lots of Braxton-Hicks contractions, especially at work. My friend SuAnn was opening her business Stork Vision, so I was super lucky to have a couple of ultrasounds done there to help in the training process. The whole family got to come in and watch!
Around 34 weeks I began feeling really worn down, turned out my blood pressure was getting high. We watched it for a week and it got worse, so I was put on bed rest ~PRAISE THE LORD! I was having a hard time at work so I was very happy to get to rest. As much bed rest as you can get with 3 other children & Christmas coming up! But I definitely felt better! My blood pressure did not get much better though, so Dr. H decided she needed to induce me at 38 weeks which was Friday, Dec 22. Dr. H really wanted to move it up a day, so when a space opened up, we changed it to Thursday, Dec 21. I was dilated to 3cm already, so it should be pretty easy & quick! The kids got the flu the week of the induction, so they had to miss some school & we were worried about them being able to see the baby.

The big day arrived ~ Thursday December 21. The kids stayed at Nana & Papa's house, Tad & Kalli were well so they went to school, Zoe was still running slight fever so she had to stay home. We got to the hospital around 4am so they could start my Penicillin since I am GBS+. They started my pitocin at 6am. My blood pressures were high on my back, so I had to stay on my side to get good readings. Things moved a little more slowly with this induction than with Kalli, but that is OK because the pain came on more slowly. Theo had relaxing music playing on his laptop to help me breathe. Dr. H broke my water after 8am & my contractions got a little more uncomfortable and since I was now 4cm I got my epidural. I thought I would deliver about the time I delivered Kalli which was 1015, but that time passed on by. This little girl was not going to make her entrance into this world until she was darn good and ready! A little before noon I started to feel pressure, so my nurse checked & I was complete, but Dr. H was doing another delivery. Being a L&D nurse I could hear the baby's heartbeat dropping. The nurse was in the room turning me, putting oxygen on, and checking me. She called for Dr. H to come in ASAP. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Dr. H arrived. The nurse lowered the bottom of the bed to put me in stirrups, but I guess miss Sophie was now darn good and ready to be born now, so she started coming out before Dr. H could hardly get her gloves on!

Sophia Noelle Nackos was born on December 21, 2006 at 12:06pm. She weighed 6#8oz. She had gorgeous dark blue eyes and a little brown hair. She was absolutely perfect! The kids got to come see her after a little bit, but poor Zoe had to wear a mask because she still had fever. At last our family was complete!

Now at age 3 & the baby of the family, Sophie runs the house. What she wants, she gets. We just can't resist that sweet smile, & crazy curls! She can be a lot to deal with at time, but it's definitely worth it! She has us all wrapped around her little finger!

Thanksgiving week 2009

2009-12-07T14:17:00.020-06:00

The Saturday before Thanksgiving, we went to my Grandma Eaton's for lunch. We had a yummy food & a nice visit. Theo & the kids raked all the leaves into a giant pile for the kiddos to jump in ~ they had a blast!

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Tad & Kalli had parties at their school.
Tad had a breakfast feast in his class.

Kalli's class did a harvest play ~ it was so cute! Kalli was a pilgrim! After the play we had a yummy lunch.

On Thanksgiving, we had lunch at my Papa & Big Mama's house. The food was yummy, including Theo's green bean casserole & funeral pototoes, & lots of family came. We took our kids & my cousin's twins Valerie & Victoria for a hike in the pasture & took some fun pictures!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T21:40:00.009-06:00

We had a great Halloween! First we went to the FBC fall festival where we played lots of fun games, bounced in the bounce house, & got lots of candy and goodies! Then the big kids (Zoe & Tad) had a Halloween party at the neighbors' house. Tad decided he wasn't happy with his costume though, so he ended up being a party pooper and missed out on all the fun :(! I took the little kids trick-or-treating around the neighborhood which was lots of fun and they got lots more candy!

Sophie the kitty cat

the kitty's tail

Kalli the poodle

Zoe the hippie

Tad the phantom

Kalli lost a tooth!

2009-10-20T22:16:00.003-05:00

Kalli had been very upset because she was one of the last children in her class to lose a tooth. She had a couple of loose teeth, but they were taking a very long time to come out. Last month, she slipped in the shower, fell against Zoe's leg & drug her two front teeth down Zoe's leg before hitting the ground & VOILA! ~ lost her first tooth! Not quite the way she wanted to lose it, & luckily Zoe found her tooth on the shower floor so Kalli could put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy. A few weeks later she lost her second tooth, so now both of her top teeth are gone!

Kalli's birthday party

2009-10-14T05:58:00.003-05:00

It's late I know!! At the end of August we had a small birthday party for Kalli. She wants to be big like her sister Zoe, so we let her choose what she wanted to do. She chose to go out to eat @ Applebee's and go to the movies.

We let her choose a few close friends to take. A couple of little girls in the neighborhood showed up! Lexi (4 years old) and her sweet grandpa, and Torry (3 years old). I must admit I was a little nervous to take a 3 & 4 year old, along with my 2 year old on this outing.

We had dinner at Applebee's before the movie. Kalli opened her presents here ~ she received Littlest Pet Shops and Barbie. The girls did get a little rowdy at times, but I was very impressed and relieved. They even ate pretty good.

Then we headed to the movies. We saw G-Force in 3-D, which the kids loved, but unfortunately put me to sleep! The kids were well behaved here also and only had to go to the bathroom once!

My famous kids!

2009-10-13T22:16:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we took the kids to the Discovery Science Place since they were out of school. While we were there CBS 19 showed up to do a news story, and Zoe & Tad got filmed! You can see Zoe (in the pink shirt with the pink headband) playing @ the magnet table. Tad is blurry, walking in a green shirt & jeans! Every time Theo & I saw the news crew coming we ran away ~ it's not as much fun to be filmed when you are an adult!

My diagnosis

2009-09-09T06:40:00.002-05:00

Last week, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It all started because I had excruciating right sided pain, & Dr. H did an ultrasound that showes that I have this crazy syndrome. What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), you ask?

poly-: prefix meaning much or many
cystic: relating to, composed of, or containing cysts
ovarian: of or pertaining to the ovary.
syndrome: A set of signs and symptoms that tend to occur together and which reflect the presence of a particular disease or an increased chance of developing a particular disease.

Now it's clear as mud right! Maybe this will help

What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (say "pah-lee-SIS-tik OH-vuh-ree SIN-drohm") is a problem in which a woman’s hormones are out of balance. It can cause problems with your periods and make it difficult to get pregnant. PCOS may also cause unwanted changes in the way you look. If it is not treated, over time it can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (or PCOS) is common, affecting as many as 1 in 15 women. Often the symptoms begin in the teen years. Treatment can help control the symptoms and prevent long-term problems.

What are hormones, and what happens in PCOS?
Hormones are chemical messengers that trigger many different processes, including growth and energy production. Often, the job of one hormone is to signal the release of another hormone.
For reasons that are not well understood, in PCOS the hormones get out of balance. One hormone change triggers another, which changes another. This makes a vicious circle of out-of-balance hormones. For example:

The sex hormones get out of balance. Normally, the ovaries make a tiny amount of male sex hormones (androgens). In PCOS, they start making slightly more androgens. This may cause you to stop ovulating, get acne, and grow extra facial and body hair.

The body may have a problem using insulin, called insulin resistance. When the body doesn't use insulin well, blood sugar levels go up. Over time, this increases your chance of getting diabetes.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms tend to be mild at first. You may have only a few symptoms or a lot of them. The most common symptoms are:

Acne.

Weight gain and trouble losing weight.

Extra hair on the face and body. Often women get thicker and darker facial hair and more hair on the chest, belly, and back.

Thinning hair on the scalp.

Irregular periods. Often women with PCOS have fewer than nine periods a year. Some women have no periods. Others have very heavy bleeding.

Fertility problems. Many women with PCOS have trouble getting pregnant (infertility).

Depression.

Most women with PCOS grow many small cysts on their ovaries. That is why it is called polycystic ovary syndrome. The cysts are not harmful, but lead to hormone imbalances.

What causes PCOS?
The symptoms of PCOS are caused by changes in hormone levels. There may be one or more causes for the hormone level changes.
PCOS seems to run in families, so your chance of having it is higher if other women in your family have PCOS, irregular periods, or diabetes. PCOS can be passed down from either your mother's or father's side.

Hopefully that helps explain it better. Now I'll tell you how this syndrome is affecting me. I have many of the symptoms listed: weight gain, extra hair on my belly, thinning hair on the scalp, depression. Praise the Lord I didn't have the fertility problems!

They think I may have insulin resistance, so I am scheduled to see an endocrinologist in November. I'll keep you posted!

First day of school '09

2009-08-24T22:53:00.004-05:00

Today was the first day of school! We go to Higgins Elementary & Main Street's 2 lanes expanded into 4, so the traffic was a little better. Sophie & I took the kids to school this morning and walked them to their classes. Sophie wanted to be like the big kids & insisted on carrying her lunch box (she starts back @ Mother's Day Out on Wednesday):

Zoe is in Mrs. Moore's 5th grade class
Tad is in Mrs. Booker's 4th grade class
Kalli is in Mrs. Chambless's 2nd grade class

The kids had a good day & really like their teachers! I think it's gonna be a great school year!

Happy 7th birthday Kalli!

2009-08-23T23:14:00.006-05:00

In December 2001, we were on vacation in Utah, where I took a pregnancy test & found out we were going to have another baby! We were very excited to have an addition to the family & that we had waited a little longer between these babies!
I still had 2 kids in diapers, & I absolutely refused to have 3 kids in diapers! So we got Zoe potty-trained by her 3rd birthday in March!
I swear that the summer of 2002 was the hottest summer in history! Or maybe it was just that I was giantly pregnant & due on August 25?!? My sweet friends at work had a baby shower for me & since we knew we were having another girl we had lots of cute little pink clothes!
At 37 1/2 weeks I was dilated 2cm 50% & at 38 1/2 weeks I was still 2cm, hot, & miserable, I had never been pregnant this long before (having delivered in the past @ 37 1/2 & 38 weeks) so Dr. H was so sweet to let me be induced at 39 weeks ~ Hooray!
Monday, August 19, we arrived at the hospital bright and early at 4am (Zoe & Tad had spent the night with Nana & Papa) for my induction ~ we arrived early so I could make sure to get 2 doses of Penicillin before delivery since I was Group B Strep positive. At around 6am my pitocin was started & I was still 2cm 50% ~ I wonder how long Kalli would have waited to be born if I was not induced haha! I was already hurting pretty bad by 7am! I was 4cm & had my water broken at 8am & got my epidural ~ YEA! I was completely dilated by 10am! When Dr. H arrived, they put my legs in the stirrups, & her head started delivering before the Dr could even get her gloves on so my nurse SuAnn delivered the head!
Kallista "Kalli" Jane Nackos was born 8/19/02 @ 10:15am, weighed 6 lb 13 oz & was 20 inches long. Kallista is Greek & means "most beautiful", Jane is after my dad's mom Bettye Jayne. She was a very beautiful baby with a tiny bit of light brown hair & big blue eyes! Her big sister & brother liked her too (as much as a 2 & 3 year old can)!
Now at age 7, Kalli is absolutely beautiful, smart, bubbly girl who loves to help, talk, & be right in the middle of everything! She's very dramatic with a big smile & a big heart! I love my little Kalli-Balli!

Free Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich!

2009-08-23T22:34:00.004-05:00

Go to this site to do the Chick-fil-A Chicken Wave: http://www.chickenwave.com/ & sign up to get a FREE chicken sandwich! Only first 250,000 people, so you better hurry!

Thanks Little People Wealth!

Utah Vacation 2009

2009-08-13T17:37:00.006-05:00

Saturday - We got up bright and early in the morning to get our journey started! This year we got new phones with GPS capability, so this trip was gonna be easy, breezy! We got kolaches & chocolate milk on our way, and everything was going well.......until less than an hour later Sophie threw up her chocolate milk all over herself, her carseat, & more! We stopped & cleaned everything up the best we could, but the smell still lingered! We just dealt with it & kept on going! We had several tummy aches throughout the day, but thankfully no more puke! Everyone was doing so well we didn't stop in our usual town in Kansas for the night, we went ahead to Colorado to a small town called Stratton, so small in fact this town had 1 fast food place - Dairy Treat! Luckily we had found that out early enough through our trusty GPS, so we stopped to get food in a different town! We stayed @ the Best Western & it turned out to be a nice place. They even had laundering facilities, so Theo could have Sophie's smelly clothes & car seat cover - Hooray!

Sunday - Up & at 'em, ready to get to Utah! The hotel had free continental breakfast, but we skipped it beacause of our little white lie we always have to tell at hotels that we only have 2 kids so we don't have to get 2 rooms! This day we drove through the breathtaking Colorado Rockies, then into Utah! After a total of 953 stops to go to the bathroom, we actually made it to our destination in good time ~ Grandpa & Grandma's house in Payson, UT! We had a little dinner party with some family when we arrived- Theo's sister Lisa & her 4 kids, other sister Alina & her 4 kids, Theo's brother Reno & wife Star (with baby Wren who we met for the 1st time today!), & Uncle Charlie! It was good to visit with everyone & we had yummy food! Theo's brother Matthew came a little later to show off his tan (he was so tan he looked like some other ethnicity!) I was so exhausted, I excused myself early to take a nap, so I really don't know what went on after that!

Monday - We went swimming at the Payson pool with many of our cousins! It was super fun even though the big slides & lazy river were closed. We were just deciding to leave when the lifeguards whistled for everyone to get out of the pool because there was a floater - yuk!

Tuesday - It was $2 Tuesday at the dinosaur museum in Thanksgiving Point, so we decided to take the kids & meet Alina kids there. Of course, every other family in the area decided to go there also, so it was a little crowded! We still had fun though ~ they had alot of cool exhibits & hands on things for the kids to do like the erosion table & digging for dinosaur bones. Then we saw a 3D movie about dinosaurs. Grandma & grandpa filled up their pool so the kiddos got to do a little swimming.

Wednesday - Miss Sophie had a little tummy virus today, so we just hung out at home.

Thursday - We packed up & headed to Goblin Valley State Park. We took cousins Alexis & Athena with us. I got to drive the van with the 5 girls (drama mama!) since everyone else had to drive the campers. They kids got to hike, explore, & climb on the rocks & trails, it was way cool! This was the kids favorite adventure of the vacation! That night the kids roasted marshmallows & hot dogs on the campfire. We took both the campers with us so we could camp overnight. The camping facilities were really nice with little gazebos with picnic tables & restrooms! Since I am not a very outdoorsy/camping kinda gal, I was a little uncomfortable without A/C, but I was very grateful for the restrooms & RV to sleep in!

Friday - This morning the kids did some climbing & exploring in the mountains around the campsite. They also decorated hats with Grandma. Then we headed over to the goblins for one last hike. After we left the park, we headed to Moab to visit Uncle Brian, Aunt Alina, & cousins. She has 4 boys which is great for Tad who has been stuck with all girls the whole time! They took us to a beach on the Colorado River not far from where they live. The kids did a little swimming, but the water was very cold. So they spent most of their time digging in the sand. Then one last night of sleeping in the hot camper (I am so spoiled to my A/C!).

Saturday - In the morning all the kids went to play at this really wonderful park down the road where they have great playgrounds & even musical instruments! That afternoon we headed back to grandpa & grandma's house.

Sunday - Church with Grandma & Grandpa, then a nice relaxing day at the house! The kids made box animals with Grandma.

Monday - We went to Salt Lake City to Uncle Reno (Aunt Star was out of town) & cousin Wren's house to visit with them and Uncle Milo, Aunt Mary, & cousin Stella (who we met for the 1st time!) We went to a little park around the corner to play & chat for a little bit before Milo & Mary had to go back home to Seattle. We spent the afternoon at Reno's watching movies, eating yummy grilled hamburgers, & spoiling baby Wren! That evening we headed back to Payson.

Tuesday - For lunch we met a friend of Theo's named Tara for lunch & had a nice visit. That night Theo & I had a date night at the movies where we saw The Proposal.

Wednesday - We had planned on another overnight camping trip, but ended up deciding on a day trip instead. Reno & Wren joined us for the fun. We went to Maple Bench up in Spanish Fork canyon. We had a great day - there was a lake where the kids waded in the water & we took a walk around it. We then had yummy sloppy-joes at the campsite & roasted marshmallows on the campfire. The potty amenities left a lot to be desired & when the outhouse door was open, the smell wafted over to our campsite -- so I am really glad that I have a nurse's bladder & had no problem not using the outhouse for the 5-6 hours we were there!

Thursday - We planned a surprise birthday party for Kalli's birthday - we took the kids, Alexis, & Athena to Jumpin' Jacks in Springville. The kids had a blast, & Sophie wanted to be as big as the big kids & go down the big slide all by herself! We then had cupcakes & a few presents back at the house. We spent to evening at Aunt Lisa's where we had yummy dinner & haircuts - Kalli & Zoe got cute cuts for school & Sophie, who didn't want to be left out of the fun, had her 1st haircut (just a trim).

Friday - Grandpa & grandma flooded the yard to water it, so the kids splashed & played in the water & even put some plastic down for a slip 'n slide! That night we started packing to leave the next morning.

Saturday - Began our first day of our journey back home. We were sad to leave! We had an uneventful drive (we gave Sophie some dramamine this time) until we were almost out of Colorado where we just barely missed a really bad storm! We stayed at the Best Western in Hays, KS.

Sunday - Slept in a little later this morning. We had to give Kalli the dramamine today, but didn't give Sophie any until it was too late, but luckily we made it outside of the van this time! We made it home to sleep in our own beds that night - hooray!

Sophie-isms

2009-08-05T14:21:00.005-05:00

I honestly don't know where she gets this stuff (ok maybe the last 1 I do)! Here are a few of the super-cute things that have some out of my 2-year old's mouth recently:

She has named her hands! 1 hand is "Mip" (I think it is the right hand) & 1 hand is "Mamy" (pronounced like the name Amy). I have no idea where she came up with these names! If you ask what someone else's hands names are, she says the same thing.

She has a cute little stuffed puppy that I got her on clearance after Valentine's Day that she has named "Elbow". I thought maybe she was saying Elmo, but she has made it perfectly cleat that it is indeed Elbow!

Now I think she probably learned this last phrase from the kids, but it just sounds so funny coming from a 2-year old. If someone tries to make her do something when she wants to do something else, she says for example "I'm trying to get in the van, gosh, you idiot!" She sounds just like a little teenager when she says it! I do get on to her for the name-calling after I've had a little chuckle!

Summer 2009

2009-08-03T22:53:00.004-05:00

Ok, so it's been awhile since I posted anything! This is what the kids have done this summer: played with their friends in the neighborhood, sleepovers with friends & nana and papa, ate @ chic-fil-a, went swimming in the kiddie pool in the backyard & with friends, & for the past 2 weeks 3 children (not at the same time, thankfully) have had hand foot & mouth disease which is highly contagious so we have not been able to go anywhere!

I, this summer, have worked, worked, & worked some more, tried to keep my sanity being @ home all day with 4 children while I tried to sleep so that I could go to work, & dealt with all the "I'm bored"s, "Can I go ___ with ___"s, & "______ is being mean!"s!! Also nursed sick children! So (I hate to say it cuz it makes me feel like a bad mom) I'm ready for the kids to go back to school!!

Here are some pictures of our swim adventures:

Grandpa & Grandma visit

2009-06-22T03:07:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago Theo's parents, Frank & Kaylene, flew down to spend a little over a week with us. We had alot of fun! The kids just LOVE their grandparents!

Saturday, they went to the library & the park (mommy had to work that day)!

Tad climbed the tree to pick some magnolias for grandma.

While mommy had to work, sleep, & deal with a back injury from a fall at work, the kids had lots of fun with Grandma & Grandpa!

On Wednesday mommy, Grandma, & Grandpa took the kiddos to the Discovery Science Place!

The next Saturday, we had a cookout at the lake!

Award Ceremonies

2009-06-07T21:47:00.009-05:00

May 29, 2009

Tad's Awards:

Excellent Behavior
Reading Achievement
Superior Achievement in Science
All A's and B's Honor Roll
Computer Lab
Best Sportsmanship

Zoe's Awards:

Computer Lab
A Honor Roll
Academic Excellence
Outstanding Student
Excellent Behavior & Study Habits

Zoe & Tad I'm very proud of you!!

Mother's Day Appreciation

2009-05-12T00:11:00.003-05:00

I absolutely love the wonderful gifts the kiddos made me this mother's day. I just had to share some of the things they wrote to me!

Zoe wrote me like 6 stories, so I'll probably share them all with you later!

This is a song from Zoe:

The Mom Song
You are the best~
You beat the rest~
I love you the most~
You make some good toast~
You're a very good nurse~
I love your purse~
Hope you like this card~
Making it was hard~
P.S. It was so hard I hit myself in the head with a marker
~This sign means ba na na na as a guitar

This is a book from Kalli:

My favorite thing about mom is she gives my lots of hugs & kisses.
The best thing mom cooks is speggetti with meatballs because it is very tasty.
Why my mom loves me is I am very helpful and I give her hugs.
Something mom taught me is to say pleas and thank you.

Tad said he started a card for me, but he messed it up so he threw it away. He just wished me Happy Mother's Day! What a perfectionist!

Happy 9th Birthday Tad!

2009-05-11T22:38:00.009-05:00

In September 1999, when Zoe was only 5 months old, I found out I was going to have another baby! Oops! We knew we wanted more kids, but maybe not quite this soon. I was not very happy about being pregnant again so soon & didn't think I could love another baby as much as I loved another baby. All the comments from everyone about me being pregnant AGAIN & don't we know how this happens (HAHA) didn't help me feel very excited. But we soon got used to the idea of having children 13 months apart & made the best of it! It was kind of a family tradition anyway since my brother & I are 13 months apart and my mom & her brother are only 11 months apart.

My OB Dr. P was no longer delivering babies so I had to pick a new doctor Dr. H. We decided to find out whether we were having a boy or girl this time, so halfway through the pregnancy we were excited to find out we were having a boy!

I did pregnancy aerobics throughout the pregnancy to help try to control my weight gain since (obviously) I had not lost all my baby weight from my prior pregnancy. After one night of pregnancy water aerobics I started having alot of regular contractions at only 35 weeks - I had been having irregular Braxton-Hicks contractions for weeks now. I laid down, but they did not go away. So we headed to the hospital. I was having contractions on the monitor, but was only a fingertip dilated. An hour later, however, I was 1 cm so they stared an IV & gave me several doses of Brethine (which I must say the shots sting very badly & it makes your heart beat out of your chest, so now I could empathize with my patients now!) gave me a sleeping pill & after awhile the contractions slowed down & I did not dilate anymore so they sent me home. Over the next few weeks I dilated to 2-3cm 70% effaced & was definitely ready to have this baby since I had been pregnant for like 2 years now LOL!

On Monday May 8, 2000, I woke up having very regular & a little bit painful contractions, so I called the dr office to see if they could change my afternoon appointment to the morning. We took Zoe to Nana & Papa's house, loaded the suitcase (just in case), & headed to the dr around 10am. When I got there they put me on the monitor & I was having regular contractions & was 3cm dilated, so Dr. H sent me to L&D to have a baby - hooray!! We went straight there, they got me admitted, then I walked for 1-1.5 hours & made it to 4cm. Dr. H broke my water, but I wasn't hurting badly enough for my epidural yet -- until I had like 2 more contractions & then I was ready! I rested for a few hours & we discussed a name for the little guy since we had not for sure decided. We were thinking about Thaddeus, but I was not completely sold until my Big Mama told me I had a great-great-grandfather named Thaddeus. A little before 4pm I started feeling the urge to push, I was 10cm! When Dr. H arrived, I pushed once & had a baby! He had a knot in his umbilical cord, but was born breathing & crying with no problems - praise the Lord!

Thaddeus "Tad" Ilia Nackos (I picked the nickname since Theo picked the name) was born 5/8/00 @ 4:11 pm weighing 7 lb 8 oz & was 20.5 inches long. And you know the part I talked about not being able to love another baby as much as my 1st baby, well those fears went away as soon as I held him in my arms! He was such a cutie-pie - pretty much bald with blue eyes. He was perfect! Zoe wasn't too impressed though, she was much too busy for all that! He breastfed so easily like every 2 hours 4 or 5 times, then slept for 8 hours. What more could a new mom ask for?!? It didn't take long for Theo & I to get used to being parents to 2 kids only 13 months apart!

Now at age 9, the only boy of the family, he is a great guy! He is so smart, curious, & adventurous which can be frustrating at times - like when you open the refrigerator to find a toy in the milk ("I just wanted to see if it would float & turn the milk a different colors"), toys in the syrup (also to see if it would float), or soap bubbles in a cup in the freezer (to see if they would freeze)! He keeps us on our toes! I love having a crazy boy in the midst of all the girly drama!

Busy month of April

2009-04-27T03:07:00.008-05:00

We have had a very busy month!

Easter was fun. The kids all had Easter Egg Hunts & parties @ their school except Zoe (I guess they think 4th graders don't need any fun!). On Easter Kalli & I went to visit First Baptist Church - Whitehouse. The service was held @ the high school so there was more room. We enjoyed it very much! We then had Easter dinner @ my parents' house & relaxed!

I have had a ganglion cyst for over a year & haven't had any problems, but recently it has been causing a lot discomfort. It is pretty small & on my right wrist. I had it looked at by Dr. M & she referred me to an ortho doctor Dr. L. The appt is next Monday & Dr. M thinks they'll try draining it first. Ouch! I'm very nervous because I don't tolerate pain very well. Seriously I don't - I get light-headed, nauseous, & feel like I'm gonna pass out. I will have to have someone on stand-by to come get me if needed.

Last Wednesday night & Thursday morning Sophie could not walk on her right foot. Theo took her to Dr. M-pedi & she couldn't find anything wrong with it. Throughout that day she just slowly started to walk on it & by that night she was running & jumping like normal. Weird huh?!

Birthday parties, birthday parties, birthday parties!!! We went to birthday parties for 5 children this weekend! The first was my dear friend London's son & niece's combined parties @ Kids Depot 2000. That afternoon we went to birthday parties of friends from Kalli's & Tad's classes at school. But get this, they were at the same time, at the same place. How cool is that?! They were at the Skateplex. I normally don't mind the place but the air conditioner was broken! Anyone who knows me knows I don't like to go very many places without my air conditioning! It was also really muggy since it had rained that morning. The kids had fun though so I guess that's what matters!

Now for the most important part of the post...........My birthday!!! It is Tuesday April 28th & I'll be 34 - I'm not too ashamed to tell you that! Last night Theo & the kids took me out to dinner to my favorite restaurant Outback. I got my usual - Aussie Cheese Fries with ranch, the Victoria's Filet medium well with A1 sauce, baked potatoe, & house salad with ranch YUMMY! Left no room for dessert darn it! We then went to Target to buy diapers, but ended up buying my birthday present in addition - DISHES!! They're by Orla Kieley & I just love them! I didn't get all the pieces shown, but you get the idea what they look like. I am on-call on my birthday so hopefully *fingers crossed* I won't get called in!

We will end with: Cute thing Sophie said this week
Mommy "I love you"
Sophie "I love you"
Mommy "I love you too"
Sophie "I love you three"

Zoe's Birthday / Mom's Day Out

2009-04-03T09:50:00.003-05:00

Just to start, I am such a dingbat that I forgot to bring the camera to take pictures of Zoe's party & then tried to take pictures at home when we had cake, but the battery dies. Therefore I only have this 1 little pic to remember Zoe's 10th birthday! We had her party the Friday before her birthday. She wanted to invite a few friends to go out to eat & see a movie. Two girls from her class came & a neighbor. She got to pick the restaurant & she chose Applebee's. Since she's 10 years old, she did allow Theo, her sisters, & I to come along, but we sat at different tables. (Tad didn't want to come, so he stayed with the neigbors) While we are sitting waiting for a table, one of the girls started to talk about how she sneaks drinks from her uncle's beer & once she even drank the whole thing! Are you freaking kidding me!! She then added that it tasted gross - thanks for adding that, maybe now the girls won't ask us to buy them beer with their dinner. I then added that we don't drink until we're 21 & maybe we shouldn't be talking about this! So Theo got to have a talk with Zoe later that night about drinking. I didn't think we would have to be talking about this kind of thing at age 10!

We told the girls that they could order from the adult menu if they wanted to. One girl got so excited & decided to order steak! When asked by the waiter if she wanted a 7 or 9 ounce, she said 9! I was a little upset because I figured there was no way she could eat it all & it would go to waste. Boy was I surprised when she cleaned her plate of that steak & a baked potato! Zoe got 2 little burgers off the kids menu & I don't think she finished 1. I'm not used to kids eating this much! Theo even only got the 7 ounce! The Applebee's waitstaff came & sang happy birthday to her & gave her a little dessert. She also opened her presents there. Lots of fun so far & we're not even halfway through!

We then headed to the movies to see Race to Witch Mountain. We told the girls we would get them a popcorn & drink for them to share since we had just eaten dinner. One of the girls wanted cotton candy & had brought her own money & she was going to buy 1 for another girl too, so I said whatever! When we got to the register to order, she had lost her money. It wasn't a big deal for us to pay for it, but these girls were just getting me a little flustered now! We let the girls sit by themselves in the row in front of us. Now it was Sophie getting me flustered! She doesn't understand how to whisper, so when she had something to say she said it very loudly. "That's a big movie, mom!", "That's green!", "I want to sit in your lap, dad!", "I need a popcorn!"! I could feel the other people in the theaters glaring at me! I ended up taking her out for breaks so she could get some energy out & I could try to remain sane & calm! Anyway, the movie was good (the part I saw of it) & Zoe had a blast!!

Yesterday I dropped Sophie off at Mother's Day Out (which I usually only do when I need to sleep for work) & actually had a mother's day out! First I had my eyebrows waxed & pedicure. This was only my second one ever (the first one was given to me for my birthday a couple of years ago from some girls at work) because I always feel like there are so many other things I should use that money for, but it was really nice! Then I did some shopping at Goodwill (I felt like I needed to do something frugal) & found several good things for the kids. After that I went to the eye doctor so I could get more contacts. For the big finale I went for my annual haircut! I got my hair highlighted to cover up my ever-multiplying gray hair & got it cut for the summer. Maybe I'll get brave enough to let Theo take a picture of it so I can post it! It was a very busy, but also very fun day!!

Prayers are still needed for my friend's son Braden (a few posts back), he is gearing up for a bone marrow transplant. His motto is F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely on God)!!

Happy 10th Birthday Zoe!

2009-03-29T06:41:00.006-05:00

August 1998, at age 23, I found out I was pregnant with my first baby & I was absolutely ecstatic! Theo & I decided we weren't going to find out whether it was a boy or girl. During the next several months, we bought all the essential baby things we needed. The nursery was done in navy blue & gold sun, moon, & stars. We had alot of outfits in gender neutral colors.

Sunday, March 28, 1999 I had my baby shower with wonderful friends & family.

Monday, March 29, 1999 I had an appointment with my ob doctor, he said I was 1cm dilated - woohoo! Theo & I went to Target to pick up the essential things that I didn't get at my shower. Then he had to go to work. I spent my night at home alone, putting baby furniture together & organizing the nursery (as you will soon see I was "nesting"). I was still awake when Theo got home so he made me nachos, then we went to bed.

Tuesday March 30, 1999 (at only 37 1/2 weeks), at 4:15am, I was awakened to my water breaking all over my bed. At 4:30 my contractions started so we left for the hospital. When we arrived, they verified my water was indeed broken & I was dilated to 2cm. It kinda gets a little blurry after this, but at some point I had some Stadol & shortly after got an epidural. By 10am I was completely dilated & started pushing. At 10:33am the baby was born & Dr. P said "It's a girl!" I was so excited & not shocked at all because I'd had a feeling she was going to be a girl. They asked what we were going to name her, & even though we hadn't decided 100%, I shouted, "Zoe!"

Zoe Elaine Nackos was born 3/30/99 @ 10:33am, weighed 6 lb 1 oz & was 19 inches long. She was absolutely the most beautiful baby I had ever seen with lots of dark hair & blue eyes! I fell head-over-heals in love!!

At age 10 she is the big sister of the family & is great & motherly in that role. She's also smart, cute, funny, friendly, & I absolutely adore her. I cannot imagine life without her!

the new blog & more

2009-03-17T03:03:00.002-05:00

I have officially started my new blog to sell my kiddos outgrown clothes! Check it out http://bearcubtreasures.blogspot.com/!!

Also I am proud to say that my Tad has passed the TAKS & will get to move up to the 4th grade next year - WOOHOO!

the Spring Break Thursday

2009-03-13T12:56:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a yucky, cold, rainy day so Theo & I took the kids to the Discovery Science Place. Here's some pictures..........

the JCPenney deal

2009-03-11T12:02:00.005-05:00

You can get $10 off $10+ purchase when you use coupon code: BUDDING online.

Get an additional $5 off $5+ for signing up with JcPenney Rewards HERE. Use source code: 3008. Registering your credit card is required to get the $5.

These two offers can be used together on a purchase of $15+, since the $10 is a promotional code and the $5 is a rewards certificate. Thanks Moms By Heart!

the Spring Break Tuesday

2009-03-10T16:44:00.006-05:00

It was such a beautiful day today! I took the kiddos +1 neighbor kiddo to the Caldwell Zoo where we had a blast! Here are some pictures.......

the Blackberry Storm

2009-03-07T22:01:00.006-06:00

Here are some good websites with good informations, cool apps to download, & some tips I've learned or figured out...........

Websites
http://the-blackberry-storm.net/
http://www.blackberry.com/blackberrystorm/
http://crackberry.com/
http://www.blackberryforums.com/
http://www.blackberryfaq.com/index.php/BlackBerry_FAQ
http://blackberry-planet.com/

Cool Free Applications
These are all OTA link (stands for Over the Air link which means you can download it by clicking this link on your Blackberry Storm browser)
Storm Piano
StormSketch like etch-a-sketch
Slacker internet radio
Weather Bug get weather updates
Flycast another internet radio
TalkLock (not OTA link) locks the screen during phone calls to prevent accidental key presses
Twitterberry Twitter updates
YouTube

Tips & Tricks

When typing on the touch keyboard, use both thumbs
When using the keyboard, to get the number screen to stay up hold the button down for a few seconds until you see a lock on it. The same works for the capital letter button.
When using the menu, whatever selection is highlighted you can press the menu key again to go there
To keep battery charged longer on your phone, make sure your GPS & Bluetooth are turned off when not in use

That's all I've got for now!

the bloggity blog

2009-03-07T20:07:00.007-06:00

Sorry I haven't felt very "bloggy" lately, but here goes........

I had a meeting with Tad's speech teacher this week & he will get to graduate from speech at the end of the year - HOORAY! He still has a slight lisp when he doesn't think about it, but if he tries he can control it. So I just need to be more diligent in reminding him & the speech teachers are going to send me a packet home with sentences so I can continue working with him at home this summer. Tad isn't as happy as I though he would be about graduating - he says he likes being able to get out of class!

I am thinking about starting another blog to sell some of my kiddos clothes they have outgrown. I got this idea from my friend's blog Crew's Closet. Not sure how it will work, but hopefully I can get it started this month sometime & see how it goes!

We got our tax return last week so I got a Blackberry Storm! I love it! (sorry about the blurry picture!) Verizon Wireless had a buy 1 get 1 free sale, so Theo got one too! He picked out my pinkish-purple cover & he got one with tire tread. It was a little hard to get used to at first, especially typing on the touch screen or accidentally pushing buttons with my face when talking on the phone. I learn something new about it everyday! There are alot of good websites I've found with good information, so I will post another blog later with some links in case someone out there has a Storm already or is thinking of getting one.

I am very proud of Theo. He deals with the food banks with his job & has to go check on them several times a week. He has been most impressed with The King's Store House near downtown Tyler. They had some shelving that was falling down, so he built them a couple of new shelves & donated them. He is quite a shelf builder, I was very impressed. I went to visit them there the other day & they took me on a tour. It is pretty cool & they help alot of people.

Hope everyone is doing well! God bless!!

the free samples

2009-02-22T03:13:00.006-06:00

Get free sample of Tide total care here (thanks Attention Target Shoppers)
Get free sample of Always here
Get free sample Huggies baby wipes here
Get free sample Prilosec OTC here
Get free sample Quaker true delights here (thanks Moms by Heart)
Free tacos @ Jack in the Box 2/24 coupon here
Get free sample Viva paper towels here
Get free scissors here
Get free potty training DVD from Pull-Ups here
Get free sample Selsun Bluehere
Get free Eat Better America booklet packed with coupons here

the pigtails

2009-02-19T06:25:00.002-06:00

the Valentine's Day 2009 & more

2009-02-18T21:20:00.005-06:00

I didn't post anything about Valentine's Day because not much happened. I had switched nights at work planning to go to the kids' valentine parties at school, but Sophie had a stomach virus so we weren't able to go. I had to work on Valentine's day, so I gave the kid's their gifts, hugs, & kisses & that's about it. The only really cool thing was Zoe's teacher sent home a construction paper hershey's kiss for the parents to write something to their child to let them know how much you loved them & how special they were to you. Then each child got to read it in front of the class at the valentine party. Here's what I wrote to Zoe from Theo & I:

From the moment we first laid eyes on you and held you in our arms, we knew you truly were a gift from God and that we had never loved anything this much
before. We have watched you grow up to be such a beautiful, smart, and
special girl and we are so proud of you! No matter what happens, you will
always have a special place in our hearts.

We love you so much Zoe!

Love, Mom & Dad

Awwwww! How sweet!

I did finally get a picture of Miss Sophie in her pigtails! What a cutie-patootie! We met Theo for lunch at the Jalapeno Tree. Talk about "Terrible Twos"! Every little thing that didn't go exactly her way she would scream "Wah-hah-hah", put her hands over her eyes, and arch herself backwards in her chair in order to be as dramatic as possible without actually crying tears. Then to make her happy after she ate about 3 bites of her lunch, we went to look at their cool saltwater fishtank. This went great until a little boy probably not even a year old was brought over to look at the fish & that was it! Sophie screamed no & started over towards him to push him away, but thankfully I grabbed her up in time! Uggggh! The boy's mother looked over at me with disgust & I just wanted to shout at her, "Just you wait! Your time is coming soon!" LOL! Afterwards Sophie & I had a nice one-sided talk about sharing, it was great! She also started another great new thing - when she asks for something & I say no, she repeats it in a devil voice! Seriously you can almost see her eyes glowing red & everything! But doesn't she just look so sweet & innocent in her picture?

the prayer request for Braden

2009-02-17T22:43:00.003-06:00

I found out last month that a friend of mine I used to work with @ ETMC, her little boy was diagnosed with leukemia in December. I'm sure she won't mind me posting a link to her blog, they are thankful for all the prayers they can get. They are living in the Dallas area, but she & Braden are in Tennessee for the next several months for treatment, away from the other members of their family. Here is the link to their site:

http://caringbridge.org/visit/bradenallard

the first week of February

2009-02-07T03:16:00.004-06:00

Well, work is sucking more & more every time I go. I guess the economy is affecting hospitals too so we have to do the jobs of 2-3 people while we are there! The worst, I mean absolute worst thing that happened at work this week was they say we have to use the revolving doors at the front of the hospital instead of the side door because it screws up the temperature in the lobby - whatever! I have a phobia of the revolving door, don't know if it has a name but I like to call it revolvadooraphobia! I've heard stories about people getting killed in these things & I'm not planning to be the next one! I am going to break the rules & use the side door & no one better try to stop me - HAHA!

Sophie has enough hair to put little pigtails on top! SO CUTE!! I wish I could have gotten a pic, but she pulled them out before I could!

Yesterday I had a parent/teacher conference with Kalli's teacher. She wants to refer her to the gifted/talent (GT) program at her school. Our older 2 have gotten similar referrals, but we have not put them in because we had not heard good things about the program for example they would have the kids do such outrageous projects that the parents would pretty much have to do the whole thing. Their teachers have still been good about encouraging them to read more advanced books, etc. She said they have changed the program where there are about 5 GT children in a class that are given more advanced work & then they go to a different class like 1 afternoon a week to do some more advanced study. Sounds good, so she is putting in the referral & we will have to fill out more paperwork later. I'm not trying to be braggy, I am just so proud of her!

Afterwards we met my friend London for lunch at Chick-fil-a. Her son Joshua is 2 & daughter Atalie is 4 months & weighs 17lbs - she is such a cute little butterball! Sophie doesn't play well with others since she thinks she is the princess of the whole Chick-fil-a, so she & Joshua didn't really play too much together, but I had fun seeing them anyway!

the time for the next Not Me! Monday

2009-02-01T22:58:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I didn't not have a clue who was playing in the Superbowl until today when I saw it on my homepage when I got on the Internet, & didn't choose to watch other shows like House instead!
I definitely have not watched all the episodes of the OC & didn't actually enjoy every single episode because I am a 33-year old woman & no longer a teenager!
I certainly haven't been going through withdrawals the last few days because my email is messed up & I'm not getting any of my very important hundred emails I usually get every day!I also didn't dread calling my internet company because I thought they would not be helpful (which they weren't) & I would feel like an idiot (which I did)!
My 8-year old son did not come in the house smelling like a campfire yesterday because he watched the neighbor catch various things in the yard on fire with a lighter because we have definitely taught him better than that!
I really didn't not get any laundry done this weekend & am not praying that I have enough undergarments to get me through the next 3 nights I have to work!

What did you not do this week?

the last week of January

2009-01-31T20:47:00.006-06:00

I'm thinking I'm not enjoying 2009 very much! Much to my dismay, a few of our lice friends decided to stick around, so we're still working on that issue. We've also had colds & pink-eye. I'm training to be charge nurse at work & am definitely not enjoying that very much. The rules change every day, so I'm having trouble knowing what I'm supposed to do! I also have assertiveness issues, so I tend to get walked all over alot of times. I'm also a little freaked out by the recession because we have alot of debt & have not been very good at getting out. I think both of our jobs are safe, but the ability to get any extra hours/overtime is becoming limited. Lastly, I am not getting any of my emails, which is driving my a little crazy because I just know there is something important in one of them I am missing, even though I rarely receive anything that important!

Now for some less dreary talk. I have officially watched every episode of the OC! I started watching episodes when I worked @ ETMC my friend Tracy's daughter had all the seasons on DVD so we watched them on slow nights. When I quit there, I was happy to find all the episodes airing on SoapNet, so thanks to the DVR I began watching where I had left off & finished this week. I have also gotten caught up on Lost & Grey's Anatomy. I guess there is a perk to not getting extra hours at work after all ;)!

I bought a purse on eBay this week. I have been looking for a new one for awhile because the lockers at my new job are 1/3 the size of the lockers at my old job & I'm having trouble squeezing my giant purse in there. I looked on Fossil.com & loved many of the purses on there, but not the price, so I searched eBay & was able to find NWT Fossil purses for much cheaper! This is the purse I chose - a Fossil black & white tote. I'm very excited, I hope it comes soon & I hope my friend Camillia approves! I also hope it fits better in the locker & I can fit all my stuff in it, all of which I assure you is necessary that I have - LOL!!

Cute Sophie talk of the week - when she is watching Dora the Explorer on TV, if you ask her what she is watching she says "Du-du-du-du-du-Dora" like in the theme song. She is such a cutie-pie! But she won't even think about sitting on the potty, so potty-training isn't going too well!

I bought a study guide for the MAT which is the test I need to take to get into graduate school. If I can take this test in the next couple of weeks, I may have time to try to get accepted for the fall, otherwise it will be next spring.

I bought a couple of other books to read for fun. I've not had an interest in reading very much since nursing school, but I'm trying to get back into it. My friend Jamie got me interesting in the Shopaholic series which I have read the 1st two, so I bought the 3rd one now. I'm also excited that they have made the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic! The other book I got is The boy in the Striped Pajamas which I started reading one night at work I was sitting in the nursery with a baby & the mom had left the book on the crib so I picked it up & before I knew it I had read 6 chapters so I just had to buy it & finish it. I've heard this book also has a movie coming out. These may be the 1st 2 movies where I have actually read the book 1st!

That's all for now, hope everyone is having a good 2009 so far!

the not so good Monday

2009-01-20T00:25:00.008-06:00

I was hesitant to post about this because, even thought I know it's not true, I feel like we are the only people who have ever had this & it means we are not a hygienically acceptable family, but here goes. (whispering) we have lice. I would like to post about this not only so that we can have laughter in this not so funny time, but also to offer some words of advice to anyone that this may happen to in the future.

I bought a 3-step lice ridding kit: step 1 - lice killing shampoo, step 2 - lice & egg comb-out gel with comb, step 3 - home lice control spray. We started the delousing process by having the girls wash their hair with the lice killing shampoo (step 1) - you apply thoroughly to dry hair, let it sit for 10 minutes, then lather & rinse it out. Then onto step 2 - I found a place with good light which in our house is our desk lamp. I sat in the desk chair & had Zoe sit on a pillow on the floor. She has thick hair like her mommy so I knew she would be the hardest so I wanted to get her out of the way 1st. I separated a small piece of hair out, coated it with the gel, & proceeded to comb through it with the little plastic comb that came in the kit. Guess what I began to notice at this point - THE LICE ARE NOT DEAD! So step 1 was pretty much a waste of time & money - we found out during some reading on the Internet that the lice are becoming resistant to the pesticides in the shampoo! That's OK because I was determined to make step 2 work. By the way, Theo did step 3 during this time, washing the kids bedding & spraying their beds, pillows, etc. I look at my comb & all that is on there is the gel that I put in her hair. So I go on to another strand & I can see a louse (I guess that's the singular form of lice). So I comb through that strand, but cannot seem to get the little guy onto the comb. I keep working for several minutes & finally get it - YEA! one down, one million to go. I go to put it in a plastic baggie, since this is how the kit suggested we do so we can throw them out, but I can't get it off the comb. I tried using a tissue, but Theo brought me a brush that I used to finally get it off the comb & into the bag. So now after maybe 10 minutes I have 1 louse in the bag. Still OK because now I've gotten some practice & it's going to go faster! I repeat this for several more strands & was going a little faster & had about 4-5 lice in the bag. Then I noticed a louse on the strands I've already done. This is when I began to LOSE IT! (Theo says I had already lost it at this point). Theo found a video on the Internet with instructions on how to comb the lice out of the hair - it had a few good points, one thing I noticed was they were using a metal comb instead of a plastic comb, so Theo went to the store to see if they had any different combs (& to pick up McDonald's because I sure the heck was not going to make dinner tonight)! While he was gone, I continued the combing out process & by the time he got back I had like a dozen lice in the bag! We took a break to eat, but I was feeling a little nauseous from looking a crawling lice so I didn't eat too much.
At the store, Theo did find a comb kit Acu-Life Ultimate Lice Comb. It has 2 sizes of metal combs that you can interchange on a handle with a magnifying glass on it, tweezers, & a brush. He also bought some hair clips to separate the hair. I tried the metal comb on Zoe's hair & it definitely worked better. It actually got more than 1 lice at a time with the eggs - hooray & the clips worked great too! We also tried another thing they did on the video which was to use a cup of hot water to dip the brush in to get the lice off. It worked better than the Kleenex-plastic bag plan. Theo also decided to try brushing through Kalli's hair with the long brush & see what he got, no separating into strands or clipping. He got tons of lice out of her hair after brushing through it several times. So we decided to try that on Zoe's hair, while I did the separating, combing, & clipping routine on Kalli's hair to make sure to get the rest. We had also seen on the video to use olive or vegetable oil to coat the hair (instead of the gel), we tried olive oil which worked so much better! I decided to use the smaller comb to comb through Kalli's hair. There were only 2 lice left on her hair after Theo combed through it. Some nits, but no more lice jumping back onto the parts I had already done. Theo also tried heating the water to boiling in the microwave with a little soap to cut the olive oil, which made it easier to get the lice & nits off the comb & kill the lice. We had finally found a plan that worked after more than 2 hours of trial & error, it was almost the kids bedtime but it was definitely moving faster now. Kalli is completely done after a mere 30 minutes. Then I did Zoe, which took a little longer because she has so much more hair, but to my pleasant surprise there were no live lice left in her hair! Theo did Tad's because Theo had already shaved his head down to 1 inch long to try to make it easier. Next we had to wash out the olive oil. Last we put bedding back on beds & tucked them in hopefully lice free.
Now we had to do Sophie, mom, & dad. Luckily Sophie thought what I had been doing to the girls looked pretty interesting, so she didn't fight us too much. 1 of us entertained her while the other 1 combed & then we switched. She didn't have too many lice in her hair so it was easy. Theo did mine & I only had a few, then Theo only had a couple - WE WERE DONE!
I should have taken pictures of our adventures, but I was too stressed out to think of it.

Now to summarize what worked for us:

Supplies:

lice-killing shampoo
metal lice comb, 2 sizes preferred
olive oil
cup of hot water, with a small amount of dish soap
Kleenex or towel
hair clips or bobby pins
plastic Ziploc bags (optional)
home lice control spray

Instructions:

even thought it didn't seem to work, I still recommend using some kind of lice-killing shampoo to start - you can only use this once then repeat in 7-10 days
coat the hair at the scalp with olive oil, as you comb through the hair it will bring the oil down to the ends of the hair
comb through the hair several time with the long comb to get the bulk of the lice out, dip the comb in warm water, then wipe the comb on a Kleenex or towel
in a bright lighted environment, separate the hair into small portions approximately the size of the comb, comb through the hair, dip the comb in warm water them wipe it on a Kleenex or towel, clip or pin the hair out of the way
shampoo the hair twice to wash out the olive oil
wash all bed linens & recently worn clothing
spray any bedding that can't be washed, pillows, mattresses, furniture, etc.
wash all lice removal equipment in hot water or soak in cup of hot water & dispose of any Kleenexes or disposable cups in plastic bags or outside trash can
check affected family members daily, if any lice or nits seen repeat above steps excluding the 1st step

Hope this is helpful to someone! Have a great lice-free day!

the fun Saturday night

2009-01-18T00:10:00.004-06:00

Hubby & I went out on the town tonight, did some shopping, some eating, some more shopping! The kiddos were having a sleepover @ Nana & Pawpaw's. I know I definitely had more fun than he did!

First we went to Target. We browsed the clearance racks & endcaps and found a few good deals. They had alot of 75% off, but most of the stuff we found was 30% or 50% off. I was very proud of my Christmas panties for 75% off that I can wear year-round & no one will know - teehee!

Next we went to the Children's Place. I had a $10 coupon from my Place Perks, 15% off my entire purchase coupon, shopped the monster sale 30% off already reduced merchandise & save a bunch! They are having a $1000 sweepstakes here, you can enter once daily & you can join the birthday club where they will send you coupons on your birthday & your children's' birthday.

Then we had dinner @ On the Border where we threw caution to the wind & saved absolutely no money, I even got a grande margarita! & they didn't even card me, I guess I look so old now with my gray hairs!

Last we went to CVS where they have their bonus deals such as double packs of Cheerios, Cheez-its, Mrs. Fields cookies, etc. with some coupons & extra care bucks so we saved bunches!

Want a free sample of Quaker True Delights? Go here. Enjoy!

Just to throw in a funny about Miss Sophie - a car was coming towards our road, but turned before it got to our house. Sophie said "That was close - whew!" rubbing her had across her forehead! What a cutie-patootie!

the dr. appointment

2009-01-12T08:57:00.002-06:00

Miss Sophie had her 2-year check-up with Dr. M last Tuesday. We had a long wait in the waiting room in which I had to deal with the antics of my very spoiled daughter. She told children that were trying to play in the vicinity of her that this was her toy or to "Go away!" If any children or adults tried to sit by me or talk to me she would yell out "That's my mommy!" I of course got onto her many times using her full name "Sophia Noelle", but have wondered how I have let her become so bad! I, along with the other members of my family, have created a monster! I do keep telling myself we have also created a little girl who is so darn cute & smart!

She weighed 26 lbs which in in the 50th percentile, I can't remember her height but it was in the 75th percentile. I am actually relieved that she is in the 50th percentile because she eats like a bird! She only had to get 1 shot, the Hepatitis A vaccine.

the time for another Not Me! Monday!

2009-01-12T08:33:00.005-06:00

Let me try to remember some things I didn't do this week:

I did not absolutely insist that I didn't want to get put on stand-by @ work (that means I have to stay home but can get called in if they need me), then when they told me I had to be put on stand-by actually get excited about it, only to get absolutely crushed when they called me back an hour later to tell me I had to go ahead & come in!
I certainly did not sulk & whine at work because they told me I had to go ahead & come in & it was my 4th 12-hr night shift in a row & had a really crazy busy patient load acting like I was the only nurse EVER that this has happened to only to have many of the wonderful people I work with jump in & help me so I wouldn't have a panic attack or a nervous breakdown! I would not ever do these things because I am normally such a calm, cool, & collected person!
I definitely have not spoiled my 2-year old to the point of her not letting any other children or even adults sit by me or talk to me without yelling out "That's my mommy!"
I really did not just yesterday finally get my Christmas tree out of my house still having other Christmas decorations up when it's almost the middle of January!
I really, really did not sleep almost 24 hours straight after the above mentioned horrible night at work & was STILL TIRED so had to take a long afternoon nap!

the time again for Not Me! Monday

2009-01-05T06:49:00.003-06:00

It's that time again to blog about all the things I did, I mean did not do this week:

I did not get really excited thinking about my older 3 kids going back to school today because they are driving me absolutely crazy!!
I definitely did not tell my co-workers I would call & see if they needed any help last night, & then when I woke up did not call partly because I was not feeling very well but partly because I just really didn't want to go to work!
I really did not contemplate leaving my Christmas decorations up for another week because I dread having to take it all down & try to make it all fit in the storage containers again!
I certainly did not unsubscribe to a email newsletter like I resolved to do this year only to subscribe to 3 more in it's place!

What things did you not do this week?

the New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-01T19:31:00.003-06:00

OK, so I do this every year & I don't think I actually keep any of them but I'm doing it again anyway!

2009 New Year's Resolutions

Probably the #1 resolution everyone says: Lose Weight! I'm not really sure how I'm gonna do it, but I have a couple of ideas I'm gonna try - drink more (or actually any) water. I go through a 12-pack of diet coke in a couple of days, so I think I'm gonna have to cut back! I also need to cut back on sweets, & french fries. So that's a start I guess. Also I'm hoping this next resolution will help with this one......
Exercise! I actually have a membership to Curves, so now I just have to go! See how easy that is......
Next is Go To Church! I need to find a church home, drag myself out of bed on Sunday mornings, & go.......
Another big one is Finances. With the economy questionable, my overtime hours @ work are questionable, I need to be frugal. I already do coupons & search out good deals, but I just need to cut back on some things like french fries (see above)......
I have already mentioned on previous posts how many emails I have in my inbox, so I need a plan for this too. Unsubscribe to newsletters that I don't read......
Get My House Organized! This is hard because it is SO disorganized I can't figure out where to start, I think I just need to try to do a little bit every day.........

So here's the daily plan: unsubscribe from newsletters, drink a glass of water, do some cleaning, , drink some water, cook some healthy food at home, drink some more water, go to Curves, followed by more water & some more cleaning unless it's Sunday then I need to add some church in there & picking up the Sunday paper to get the coupons.

That sounds a little overwhelming right now, but it's better than the news crews doing a story about the morbidly obese lady whose house has fast food bags all over the floor & then she has to file bankruptcy.................

the New Year's Eve party

2009-01-01T08:14:00.008-06:00

Several years ago we started a family tradition at our house of an annual New Year's Eve party that includes staying up all night, lots of food, & movies. The kids absolutely love it & I have come to look forward to it myself every year! It is also better than having to get out on the road.

This year I let the kids each pick what snack food they wanted. Zoe picked cookies to bake, Tad wanted ice cream, & Kalli decided on M&Ms. I wanted chips & dip and threw in some baby carrots for good measure. We rented 3 movies - Kung Fu Panda, Horton Hears a Hoo, and Journey to the Center of the Earth. It was a great party! We had pizza & chickenstrips (the kid's favorite) from Papa John's for dinner, then watched movies & snacked for hours! The carrots actually got finished off - Sophie insists they're beans, that girl sure can argue! We watched the New Year's Rockin' Eve countdown & blew bubbles @ midnight. As far as staying up all night - Kalli went to sleep @ 1am, Tad & Sophie @ 2am, I could have stayed up later since I am a night shift worker but I decided to go to bed @ 3am & left Zoe & Theo to duke it out to see who won (they are both still asleep right now so I'll have to let you know who won later)! I just love partying with my little party animals!

the Christmas past

2008-12-28T06:01:00.005-06:00

I just wanted to show you how my kids have grown in the past couple of years, especially Miss Sophie!

Merry Christmas 2006

Merry Christmas 2007

Merry Christmas 2008

the Christmas post

2008-12-28T05:31:00.001-06:00

I would like to start by saying I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas. I LOVE Christmas music, Christmas decorations, the look of pure joy in the kids' eyes when they open their presents, the fact that it is Jesus' birthday, & receiving presents of my own (who doesn't haha), but I hate that I don't have the time to do everything like I want to which leaves me feeling rushed, anxious, & exhausted, the commercialism of Christmas, the fact that the kids' get so many presents that they open in 1/2 a second & then ask "is this all", spending SO much money to make it all happen, & the fact that I work in the hospital which never closes so I always have to work Christmas eve night or Christmas night. Now that I've got all that out of the way, let me tell you & show you my family's absolutely wonderful Christmas!!

Christmas eve I was off work (YEA!), but I did have to work the 2 nights before, so I had a hard time getting everything done that I needed to do because, after all, I did need to try to squeeze in a little sleep so I could at least moderately function! About 6pm we headed to my mom's parents' Big Mama & Papa's house. We usually just bring stuff to snack on there, & since I didn't have time to cook anything I was lucky that Super 1 had deli trays 50% off, so I got a cracker/ meat/ cheese tray to take
which was a big hit. We also had sausage balls, chips & dips, cookies, brownies, etc. Quite a few aunts, uncles, & cousins came so it was a full house & my grandparent's keep their heat on like 80, but luckily I thought ahead this year & wore a short sleeve shirt. My grandparent's give us money to buy the kids' presents from them, so we got them all Fur Real Friends newborns that make little noises & move when you feed or pet them - so cute! & the kids loved them!

After that we went to my mom & stepdad's Nana & Pawpaw's house for the kid's to open presents there. They had a blast! My favorite present that they got were sock monkeys, they all got a different colored striped one. Kalli's favorite was My Little Ponyville. Zoe's favorite was Littlest Pet Shop fitness center. Tad's favorite were pirate Legos. I think Sophie's was Dancy Dance Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba. They played for a little bit, then we headed home. I always get the kids coordinating pajamas so they''ll look good for the Christmas morning pics. I used to wrap them & let them open them before they went to bed, but they would get upset because it wasn't a toy, so this year I just gave them to them right before bed. It took awhile to get them settled down to go to bed so Santa could come & I was so tired since I didn't get much sleep that day so I fell asleep for awhile. Theo & I got up at 1am to get Santa stuff ready. We always wrap about 1/2 the presents & just put labels on the rest & distribute them under the tree that way it takes them a little bit longer since they have to find their presents before they can open them.

Then it was Christmas morning. We had told the kids they couldn't wake us up until 7am & I think they actually slept until 7:45. We put up a blanket between the living room & bedrooms so they can't see anything until we are ready. Then we let them loose like a herd of cattle to the Christmas tree. Wrapping paper was flying everywhere! Sophie was a little slow to get started, she had a low grade fever & had just woken up. Kalli's favorite was her cat Webkinz she named "snowy". Zoe's favorites were Littlest Pet Shop figures & Littlest Pet Shop game for Nintendo DS. Tad's favorite was Funkeys plush. I think Sophie's favorite was her singing Wow! Wow! Wubbzy. Then they looked in their stockings & saw that the plate of cookies we left for Santa was empty except for a few crumbs. Then comes the really, really fun part where mom & dad have to open all the boxes of toys with all the twisted wires that had my fingers all twisted up in knots after about 5 minutes. After all the presents I reminded the kids what today was all about - the birth of Jesus. Luckily I just HAD to take a nap since I had to work that night, which was great because I was absolutely exhausted after all that fun!

the time for Not Me! Monday

2008-12-22T12:09:00.005-06:00

Here are a few of the things I did not do this week:

I did not plan my 2 year old's birthday party the morning after I was on-call @ work from 7p-7a, not have anything ready ahead of time, then get called into work & by the skin of my teeth they found someone to work so I could go home and actually get everything ready for her party & get a good night sleep because that would be absolutely absurd!
I most certainly do not enjoy watching Rock of Love Charm School & record it on my DVR because it is full of a bunch of non-wholesome women with no morals or values & every other word is bleeped out!
I really did not wait until last Saturday night to finish my Christmas shopping & still not have anything wrapped or ready with Christmas only 3 days away!
I definitely do not refuse to take my 4 kids into the store for short trips like picking up prescriptions so I leave them in the van, lock them in, & run in really quick praying that nothing bad will happen to them or they will kill each other while I'm in there!
I really, really did not never get around to sending out any Christmas cards this year because I'm so darn busy & maybe a little bit lazy!

the elves

2008-12-21T02:28:00.005-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Make sure you turn off the playlist at the bottom to get the full effect! Enjoy!

the busy week before Christmas

2008-12-21T00:31:00.008-06:00

Tuesday was Tad's 3rd grade musical "Snow Biz". It was very cute! He had a small part as a fisherman, but we are so proud!
Saturday morning was Sophie's 2nd birthday party @ McDonald's. We had a great turnout & with only a few small 2-yr-old fits I think she enjoyed it! The snowman cupcake cake was made by the wonderful Brookshire's in Whitehouse.

the Christmas tree

2008-12-16T21:16:00.012-06:00

Last night we went to cut down our Christmas tree at Plantation Pines. It was FREEZING - literally it was 32 degrees, when it was like 70 degrees the day before, so of course we wait to go when it's freezing outside! This really was the only day we could go that I wasn't working or we had other plans, so we bundled the kids up & went. It was so cold, I don't think the kids enjoyed it too much, they ran off pretty quick to check out the play equipment on the farm. I think the part they enjoyed the most was going inside & eating a snack! Sorry the pictures are blurry, I was shivering & hurrying!

Theo cutting down the tree (before)

Here's the decorated Christmas tree (after):

the early morning

2008-12-12T05:21:00.006-06:00

I guess we did have a few snow flurries, but I think they were after dark & I missed them! Boohoo!

I went to my mandatory meeting yesterday @ work, but before the meeting they were having a Christmas party where I won a really nice wreath, so I guess it was worth it to go to my meeting dragging miss Sophie along all the way. I guess she could have acted alot worse - when I picked her up she yelled "let me go mommy", then she grabbed an apple off the tray, sucked the juice out of it, put it back, & grabbed another one, & she was a little loud during the meeting, but at least I won a wreath!

After the meeting we trekked to the mall in her tiny jacket to buy a bigger jacket so CPS won't take her away from me - haha! We went to The Children's Place where she got this great reversible coat that was $39.50 on clearance for $14.99 woohoo!

Last night I went to CVS for some great deals!
-Huggies diapers jumbo pack - buy 3 /reg. 12.49 on sale for $10/buy $25 of featured Huggies get $5 ECB/-$1.50 coupon mailed from Huggies x3 = $6.83 each
-Powerade 32 oz reg. 1.69 on sale for $1.59 / $1.59 ECB = FREE (limit 1)
-Buy $15 of featured Gain, Tide, or Duracell get $5 ECB -- Tide laundry detergent 100 oz reg. 14.99 on sale for $12/-$1 coupon = $11 + Duracell AA batteries 4 ct reg. 5.29 on sale for $3 /-$.75 coupon = $2.25 for total of $13.25-$5=$8.25 for both

the cold winter's day

2008-12-10T09:42:00.007-06:00

Snow flurries in the forecast for Whitehouse, TX! Where are they, I have yet to see a flurry. It's probably for the best because many people here think chance of snow flurries = blizzard, freak out, & stock up on groceries to last til the new year!

We started charting on the computer last night @ work instead of paper charting - I just started working there 3 months ago & was just getting used to the paper charting - go figure. Luckily it's similar to the charting @ my old job, so maybe won't be so bad. Then I see a sign in the break room "Mandatory staff meeting tomorrow @ 8:30am". So what happens to me if I don't go - will I be fired, will I be forced to read about it on paper? Are the consequences worse than bringing my almost 2 year old to the meeting for who knows how long? I have a very important decision to make before tomorrow morning. HAHA! I'll probably just go to the meeting until my child is so bad they will ASK or BEG me to leave, maybe even offer to let me leave & stay on the clock & continue to get paid!

The other day I had on my wonderful polka-dot flannel pajama pants. Sophie came up & pointed at them & said "polka dots". I respond excitedly "Yes, polka dots, good job!" - I mean every girl's gotta know about polka dots, it's essential! Then she says "I smell them" & she starts sniffing my pants. Where in the world do you think she picked that up? So I asked how they smell? "Smell good mommy!" Well, that's a relief!

I am gonna get my Christmas decorations up this week even if it means I have to throw out my back lugging in all the storage containers from the storage room myself! Maybe that will be a good excuse to miss my mandatory staff meeting!

the another Not Me! Monday

2008-12-08T01:58:00.015-06:00

I did not laugh hysterically at my almost 2-yr-old daughter when she yelled at the TV "stupid dummy TV" because commercials were on instead of her beloved "Wow! Wow Wubbzy!" before telling her that was not a very nice thing to say

I really do not still not have my Christmas decorations put up & it's definitely not partly because hubby won't bring the storage containers inside from the storage room

I definitely do not have over 4000 unread messages in my email inbox & have never ever had that many unread email messages & it's not because I subscribe t0 every newsletter known to man

I certainly did not procrastinate taking my son to get his hair cut that hubby had to finally cut it himself (he actually did a pretty good job though)

I really really really did not still have Halloween cookies in my freezer that I baked for the kids Saturday night

Now let me tell you some things I really did do this week:

I learned how to french braid on the internet

I had a laundry folding party with the kids & didn't freak out that they didn't fold everything just perfect

I worked 6 out of 7 nights 12-hour shifts (actually overlapped some into last week)

I changed my blog template to Christmas theme - so even though my house is not decorated for the holidays, my blog is!

the good deal week

2008-12-02T03:01:00.010-06:00

I have come across alot of good deals this week:

Target
-Rayovac batteries 4-pk in the $1 section -$1 off coupon here = FREE! (thanks Attention Target Shoppers)
-Huggies baby wipes 320- or 384-ct. on sale for $8.49 -$0.50 coupon = $7.99

Walgreens
-$5 off $25 valid 12/1-12/2 here
-Reach Ultra Clean toothbrush or floss reg. 3.99 on sale for 2/$6 -buy 2 get $6 in register rewards =FREE! (limit 1 RR so use it for floss OR toothbrush)
-Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste 6oz reg. 3.49 on sale for $2.99 -$1.50 coupon here (thanks i heart wags ) -$2 in register rewards =FREE! (limit 1 RR)
-Excedrin Express Geltabs 40ct reg 7.99 on sale for 3/$15 -$2 coupon here (thanks Moms By Heart ) -buy 3 get $8 in register rewards = $1 for 3 (limit 1 RR)

Update: I just went to Walgreen's & apparently you can either use coupons OR get register rewards, not both

the coupon organizer

2008-12-01T11:48:00.006-06:00

It took some trial & error to finally find the coupon organization that works for me. I tried:

accordion file
premade coupon organizers
small picture album
keeping the inserts together & filing by date

These did not work out well for me, but I finally found the best way for me. I got a 2-inch binder with sheet protectors & 2-pocket photo holders, & dividers.

In the front section I have sheet protectors for store ads & booklets divided by store. This way I can also put coupons, receipts, etc. from that store there too.

In the middle section is where I have all my coupons sorted by category. I have dividers with the main category, then the photo holders with the sub-categories. The categories & sub-categories I use (which I do tweak from time to time):

Health Aids
-pain/cold/sleep
-stomach
-vitamins/other meds
-health products (includes bandaids, diet foods)

Beauty Aids
-hair products
-make-up/facial
-deodorants/fragrances
-soaps/lotions
-teeth products
-shaving needs
-eye care
-feminine needs

Paper Goods
-paper products (includes tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates)
-trash/storage

Cleaning Supplies
-candles/air fresheners
-laundry
-dishes
-other cleaners/supplies

Canned Goods
-soups
-other canned

Pasta/Rice
-pasta/boxed meals
-rice/sides

Frozen Foods/Meats
-pizza/dinners
-desserts/veges
-breads/breakfast
-meat (includes frozen or refrigerated meats)

Bread/Cereal
-bread
-cereal/cereal bars

Snack Foods
-candy/gum/mints/cookies
-crackers/chips/popcorn/fruits/nuts

Dairy Aisle
-dairy products/eggs
-biscuits/refrigerated cookies

Condiments/Drinks
-condiments
-drinks

Baking Goods
-mixes/frosting
-staples (includes spices, sugar, cooking oil)

Baby Items
-diapers/wipes
-other baby (includes diaper rash ointment, baby wash/lotion, baby foods, formula)

Pets

Clothing/Miscellaneous (includes batteries, film)

Stores/Restaurants

The last 3 categories I have in sheet protectors. I also have a pencil pouch that I keep scissors, pen, highlighter, & sharpie. I try to take my binder with me to every store for those impulse buys. I try to keep my coupons with the earliest expiration dates @ the front so I can see what I need to use & makes it easier to throw them out once they've expired.

the next Not Me! Monday

2008-12-01T08:40:00.007-06:00

It's that time again - Not Me! Monday!

I did not get upset with my hubby because I had to fix all the children's plates on Thanksgiving all by myself.
I also do not still have Thanksgiving decorations up while the Christmas decorations are still in the storeroom.
I definitely did not buy 2 bags of Dove Chocolate candy & not share it with my hubby or kiddos.
I certainly did not let my baby go to bed without a bath Thanksgiving night because I was soooo tired.
I really, really did not sit in my bed on Black Friday & buy Christmas presents on the internet in my pj's.

I think I feel better now!!

the Thanksgiving day

2008-11-27T18:50:00.004-06:00

We had such a great day! We went to Big Mama & Papa's (my mom's parents) where we had a fabulous Thanksgiving lunch including our famous green bean casserole! We took these wonderful pictures of the kiddos there. Then we went to my Aunt Janice & Uncle Charles' house to visit with my dad's side of the family. Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

the Thanksgiving thankful list

2008-11-27T02:33:00.002-06:00

I am thankful for:

not having to work on Thanksgiving this year

food to eat

overflowing closets

a roof over my head

2 vehicles

4 healthy & smart children

a laptop to write this blog

my job & my husband's job

health insurance

my husband who helps out alot with the kids

cheap gasoline

electricity & running water

wonderful friends to read this blog

television with DVR to help me keep up on my shows

cell phone with unlimited texting & long distance included

myspace & facebook to reunite & keep up with old friends

my extended family members who are always there for me

living in a wonderful neighborhood & wonderful people that let my kids run in & out of their house everyday

loving God to praise & His Word to read

the first Not Me! Monday

2008-11-26T04:06:00.006-06:00

OK so I know it's not Monday, but I just found this, it's a Wednesday, & I'm ready to start now!

I did not tell my children that they could have whatever they wanted for snack if they would just leave me alone so I could take a nap before work!
I did not drink 4-8 diet cherry cokes per day!
I did not ask my children to sign me up for something easy on the Thanksgiving feast list so I would not have to make anything, so we could only bring paper plates (I did get cute Thanksgiving plates), dill pickles, & nuts!
I did not let the answering machine screen my calls for me because I was tired & didn't feel like talking to anybody right then.
I did not feed my 2-year old a cold hot dog weenie for lunch even though she loves them & runs around the house screaming "weenie" until you get her one!

This is a kind of short one since I'm kind of new @ this. Really made me think though - hmm!

the day before Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T01:10:00.012-06:00

I have been working every other night for the last week, so needless to say my sleep schedule is a little erratic! Today (or yesterday for all of you who keep a normal schedule) I slept from 5pm to 12am! Now it's 1am & I'm awake for who knows how long!

Theo's birthday was Monday. We went out to eat Sunday night to Applebees. He got a shirt from http://www.lifeisgood.com/. I really like this website & there are a few things I would like here for myself (hint, hint) haha!

Sophie sang me her rendition of Rain, Rain Go Away today, & until I can actually catch it on a recording, I'm going to try & type it out, her goes:

"Yain, yain, doe away
Tum adayun anoder dayu, anoder daaaaaaaaaaaay!

I think this captured it pretty well!

I don't normally cry at songs unless I am pregnant (which I promise I'm not) or since I have been taking the worderful invention called the anti-depressant, but everytime I hear the song "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman I ball like a baby! This is partly because his daughter died. It also makes me think about my own life. I am always so busy with work, housework, trying to fit in sleep, etc. that when my kids come to me with something I don't always stop & take the time to listen to what they are saying let alone actually look at what they are doing & participate in it. I need to realize that these things are not as imporant & meaningful as my family & what they are doing & interested in right now. My kids are getting older & busier, so I need to take advantage of the time that I have with them now before they get even busier & have less time for me. The time I spend with my kids is so precious & I often don't treat it like it is! (I feel like there were alot of run-on sentences in this paragraph, but I hope you get the gist of it.)

Prayer request - My husband's aunt has a tumor on her thyroid. She will be having a biopsy soon to find out if it is malignant or benign.

Hope everyone has a happy & safe Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for my thankful list coming in the next couple of days (hopefully).

the hubby's birthday

2008-11-24T06:46:00.005-06:00

My husband Theophilos Ilia Nackos is turning 34 years old today!
Happy Birthday to a wonderful husband & a terrific dad!

the funny video

2008-11-22T12:00:00.002-06:00

This video is so funny!

Beautiful Nail Salon

the bragger

2008-11-21T09:53:00.005-06:00

I have to brag. My sweet Zoe's teacher Mrs. Alexander called us to tell us what a great job she's doing in school, getting her homework done, & helping out in class. She said she thinks we did a good job raising her!

That's so nice to hear! I worry everyday that I'm not doing a good job & I'm gonna end up with one of those kids that drop out of school, get pregnant, do drugs, among other things. This just made me feel like maybe I'm on the right track.

Sophie didn't wanna give me kisses & hugs before I left for work yesterday. I was kinda sad so I said "Why?" to which she replied "cuz". What kind of reply is that for a 22-month old to make? I'm sure she learned it from her big siblings!

Deals of the week @ Walgreen's

Chex Mix 8.7 oz / original 3.19 / sale .99 / coupon -.50 = .49
Almay One Coat Mascara .4 oz / original 6.99 / coupon -1.00 / rebate -6.99 = -1.00

That's it for now! Later peeps!

the cuteness

2008-11-15T09:23:00.006-06:00

I would first like to say that when I got gas the other day it was $1.90/gal, which means that I cannot get enough gas to charge the required $35 needed to save 5% off groceries @ Super 1 Foods - WOOHOO!!

The cuteness that is Sophie - when i cough, she says "bess you mommy"; she gives hugs & kisses & says "I lud you mommy", she waves bye-bye & blows kisses "muaw".

The not-so-cuteness of Sophie - everything she touches, whether person, place, or thing is "mine"--"my tootie" = cookie, "my piddow" = pillow, "my mommy", "my shide"= slide, etc. because she is the princess of the entire world!

Savings of the week brought to you by http://www.thegocerygame.com/.

CVS Pharmacy

Kellogg's Fruit Loops // original $4.39 // sale 2/$4 // -$1 coupon = $1
Nabisco Oreos Cookies // original $4.59 // sale 2/$5 = $2.50
Garnier Fructis Hair // original $3.99 // sale $2.99 //-$1 coupon // $2 ECB = FREE
Crest Pro-Health 4.2 oz// original $3.49 // -$.75 coupon // $3.49 ECB = FREE + $.75

I have a new niece!! Her name is Wren Leona Nackos. Congratulations Reno & Star! Can't wait to meet her!

the ear infection

2008-11-11T11:59:00.005-06:00

Miss Sophie has not been sleeping well the last few nights, finally last night she told me her ear hurt. I knew something was wrong, but couldn't figure out what it was. This morning we went to see the pediatrician & she has a double ear infection, so we are getting her started on some antibiotics today & maybe we will be able to sleep through the night again - YEA!

On a happier note, Sophie got her first freckle! It's on her left hand. I just love freckles on my little girls!

I was on-call last night @ work, which usually guarantees you are going to work, but I didn't get called in. So I actually had 4 nights off in a row - WOOHOO! I didn't get as much done as I needed to, but I caught up on Grey's Anatomy & a few episodes of The Office, you know, the important things in life - HAHA!

the tag, you're it!

2008-11-10T00:41:00.007-06:00

My friend Jennifer tagged me like 2 weeks ago - so I'm a little slow! (which is exactly how I would be if I was playing an actual game of tag - haha!)

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is UP

Here are 6 non-important things about me:

I like to watch soap operas. I currently watch 5 - Young & the Restless, Days of our Lives, All My Children, One Life to Live, & General Hospital. I record them on my DVR & watch them when I'm trying to go to sleep. I don't have time to watch them all every day, so I watch each show a couple of times a week - which is you've ever been soap watcher you know this is enough to stay caught up.
I use coupons. I get a newspaper every week & cut out the coupons (my mom, Big Mama, & cousin Carmen also save their coupon inserts for me). I have a notebook organized by category (dairy products, frozen foods, etc) that I put them in. I use http://www.thegrocerygame.com/, along with other coupon websites to help me find coupons & deals.
I have 4,120 unread messages in my email inbox. I think I need therapy for this - people who are obsessed with signing up for every newsletter that comes their way, refuse to delete any unread email, & don't have the time to read them all anonymous!
I keep up on all the entertainment news. Also something I don't have time to do, but I love to surf the web to find out the latest about celebrities.
I don't like bananas. I haven't heard of too many people who don't like bananas so I think this makes me pretty unique. I can taste or smell bananas in anything that has bananas in it, has been near bananas, or has been made using something with bananas (like the blizzard machine @ DQ). YUCK!
I cannot cook. Or I should say I cannot cook very many things & definitely not anything complicated. I can brown ground meat so I can make Hamburger Helper, tacos, spaghetti, etc., I can throw together some casseroles, & can microwave like a pro! I cannot cook a turkey, make desserts from scratch, or make fried chicken & anytime I have tried hasn't had good results. My didn't teach me to cook (probably more because of my lack of willingness to learn rather than her willingness to teach) & didn't take home economics.

OK, here are the lucky tagees:

Liz
Hope
Alina
Kelly

Sorry, I only have 4!