A place to have show-n-tell of our "minor" happenings day to day. Both of our families, and lots of close friends are hundreds of miles away - so this is a great way to keep everyone updated and letting them have a front row seat in watching our kids as they grow up! Enjoy, and let us know you stopped by!
Well today's Friday - but have been known to have lots of silly fun no matter what day of the week it is ;) Today the little ones helped me with laundry again... this is their favorite thing to help me ith - that and also "slide mopping" the kitchen floor - but I have no photos of that... yet. ;)
After the belly blowing - they spotted two of big sister's swim suits that I had hanging up by the dryer and they begged me to wear them. Sure why not - it's Friday... who cares, they're only 2 for a little while longer...
These will make great blackmail photos later don't cha think? :P
One week as a matter of fact. This morning I think Nora was still half asleep as she posed for this photo - not too more getting up early mornings left as the school year is almost over for Nora. She will graduate Kindergarten next Wednesday and I'm already getting emotional about it! aak! I will be a mess next week.
David hasn't mentioned it - but I bet he will miss his "jammin" buddy too! His drive to work will not be nearly as much fun without her.
I just spotted my first sighting this year of those pesky Love Bugs :/ I didn't take this photo but for those of you who have never heard of them - or seen them... here is what they look like. Always Partnered up together........always. Hence the name "Love Bugs"
Click HERE to read a funny blog post from 2004 by another blogger... the bug Southerner's love to hate... we'll I would not say I hate them - after all they do not bite like mosquitoes do - now that is a bug I could say that I hate. But the article does have a funny poem at the bottom of the page....
I had never heard of them growing up in KY - I first found out about them when we lived in Augusta, GA.... but I think they are worse here in Texas - they sound like hail hitting your car if you are driving during their peek... and they love WHITE cars best! Thankfully they do not bite like mosquitoes do. so I can deal. It is almost impossible for me to get all 3 of my kids in the van and buckled with out at least a dozen of these getting into the car while the door is open... but like I said at least they don't bite ;)
Monday night I was reading Facebook and noticed that one of my mom friends had written on her status that she and her children had visited the park that day...
She also said that after climbing up the castle tower to look for any trash - (something we mom's ALWAYS do before letting the kids play freely)
at the top of the castle, which has become a popular hangout for local teenagers, she made a DISGUSTING discovery!
At the top, in front of the slide she found condoms and a "big ole pile of POOP"
YUCK!
Tuesday, I called and spoke with the Parks Department Manager and told him all about this and how upset my friend and her children were that they could not use that area of the park b/c of the poop.
When I was there to take these photos I could still SMELL THE STINK even though the poop had been removed. There was still traces of it left on the wood! So a proper clean up was NOT made - still leaving the tallest slide unusable in my opinion to my children. I don't want them sitting in it and their hands touching that contaminated area.
I knew I just had to involve myself in this b/c when I read about it on facebook Monday night, it really upset me and I just couldn't let it go. I changed my facebook status immediately to
CALLING MOMS -we must stand up to the punks who are RUINING our local parks! Raise your hand if you are interested in helping me take back the Lion's Den park in Orange, TX I want to organize a letter writting/email/calling compain soon to bring attn to the disgusting & nasty condition. Also would like to see KBMT-12 get involved!
Also under that I provided several City official's contact information and it wasn't long before several of my friends both local and long distance started leaving comments supporting this idea and also telling of their findings at the park.
Tuesday I contacted and spoke with 2 people, left voice messages with 2 others while also writing several emails to each of them. I also contacted the local news channel and was asked if I would be available to meet a reporter at the park the next day.
When I woke up Wednesday, I found a very lengthy reply email in my In-Box from the Chief of Police and was very happy to hear what he had to say.
I wanted you to know that I have your message regarding Lion's Park. I appreciate, and share, your concerns. We are going to go through your note line by line and see (from the police department perspective) what we can do to address those issues. Many things are easily done. I too drive by the park at night and find it open and cars and/or people there. I will stop, clear the park, and have it locked up for the night.
It used to be easier for us when the fire station was adjacent to it. That presence, along with cameras on that building directed at the park, really went a long way toward security at the park. I have instructed our patrol division to increase our patrols and vigilance at the park.
I will get back with you as I explore some other options regarding cameras to be placed in the park that we can monitor at the police department. We have that at the boat ramp off of Simmon's drive and they have been very beneficial in maintaining security and for other issues related to the river and surrounding area. We were able to get those funded through the Economic Development funds that created that facility.
I believe that what is now a more reasonable cost for cameras would make it so that we could absorb the cost in our current operating budget. That seems simple but after two hurricanes we are like so many families in that we have seen a declining revenue because of the hurricane damage to taxable property. But I think we can handle the cameras and I am sure the City itself will absorb the cost of the dedicated phone line that it takes for us to monitor the cameras.
While I hate that our citizens have to encounter the things that you do I have to say that I appreciate people like you who will take the time to bring those issues to the forefront. We all get consumed in the totality of all of the issues that we have to deal with and sometimes we neglect something as significant as this. I apologize for what you have encountered. We will do our best to address your concerns.
I will be getting back with you soon to let you know what we have come up with as a plan to address your concerns. I have called my senior staff for a meeting this morning and we will discuss your note and move things forward. Some things we can do immediately and some we will have to either get with outside vendors or other departments in the city to arrange.
I just heard from the City Manager and he asked that we meet as well to discuss your concerns. I know I did not respond to everything in your note. I will do that shortly. I want to meet with everyone before I do that so I can provide a workable response.
Thanks again for taking the time to write. Please feel free to call, come by, or email me directly anytime.
I'm so glad I received such a FAST response and that he shares my concerns. It also pleases me that they are meeting the same day of receiving my letter! Increase paroling of the park area after hours is something they can do immediately and I look forward to hearing other plan of action they come up with.
I'm also glad that I received this before my interview with the News Reporter, so that we could be sure to state that we are happy with the city's eagerness to find a solution and have made addressing our issue top priority.
and speaking of - top priority - I was surprised to sit down tonight to the watch 10:00 news (when they said it would air) and see that the park reporting was their very FIRST story of the night! WOW! ;) awesome! Special thanks to Stacy and Shelby for coming to the park today with me, and for the many others who helped support this through their comments and letters.
if you'd like to see it -click on the logo or her to their video pageand today it's the fist one, but is updated daily - so if you need to look for it look for "Orange County mother makes a disturbing discovery at local park" with the small photo of a concrete Lion.
Reporter Michael Seiden and his camera man did an excellent job representing our concerns! So, stay tuned, I'll be and share followup of any progress made by the city. ;)
As I watched this online and thought about how fast I was able to make a complaint and get a response, as well as media to raise awareness, it reminded of the song we sing at church .... Go make a difference, we can make a difference, go and make a difference in the world...
and as a Mom isn't that what we want most? to make a difference in this world in how we raise and bring up our children? ;) Yes, Mom's we can make a difference - and to our children, WE DO make a difference! ;)
Nora had play date today with a little girl from her class. Lilly's mom picked her up after chruch today and they played for a few hours before I went to go pick her up and bring her home. :) She came home with all kinds of exciting stories ;)
Olivia and Paul Thomas loved laying down so I could draw their outlines on the driveway - isn't this a cute one - they were holding hands and laughing ;)
The most popular drawing request - Mommy make Mick Mouse!! ;)
Everyone - busy at work...
including David. Here he's on the phone with our HVAC guy who is giving him step by step instructions on what to try... the downstairs unit is not cooling :(
We discovered this yesterday after we got home from Flat Screen TV / furniture shopping all day. Good thing we needed to wait and take a few measurements of how tall our ceiling was before writing out the check - looks like the TV & furniture may get put on hold depending on the diagnosis of the AC...
which by the way we did measure and the cabinet I la,la,loved most is 9 inches TOO TALL :(
that stinks. b/c I was so in love with the red.
But I'm more in love with my kids... and hubby. ;) so I'll deal.
and guess what they love ... running barefoot! ;) I think they get that from me. :P
Mmmm - David, you didn't get the AC working so how about we use the grill instead of heating up the kitchen?! ;)
He also used the side burner to warm up some of Aunt Nell's Green beans - a favorite at this house! But while he was wrapping things up and bring everything into the house - the kids just could not wait....
so I gave them each a banana for their appetizer. :P
Aren't Paul Thomas' safety glasses just TOO TOOT!?! Love em!
and look a here - Mmmm! Rib-eyes!
Love them too! ;) Thanks for cooking supper David!
Its hard to be consistent and its hard work to study all there is on helping your children become compassionate adults.
Its hard work to weed out the stuff that is fluff and worthless too.
Its hard work to be an example at all times that is good.
But worth the work!
Mother's Day 2010
About me
In 1997, I married my high school sweetheart and kissed my hometown in Kentucky good bye. Now 14 years, and a dozen addresses later (thru five states) – we've found ourselves settling down along the Gulf coast in SE Texas.
We never meant to "get a late start" of making a family, but that was God’s plan for us. Now, in our mid 30’s we are discovering the wonderful world of parenting and are thrilled to be the parents of a 6 year old daughter, and g/b twins that just celebrated their 3rd birthday in June!! What amazing blessings they are – so worth the wait!!!
Of all the things I have accomplished in my life, motherhood ranks at the top of the list! I'm so grateful that God made me a Mommy!
