A Great Book....

As most of you know, I am always reading. And because Weiss absolutely LOVES Sesame Street, I got the new book, "Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street." It had received good reviews, and I agree: I cannot put it down!!! Being a former teacher, during my training, most of the educational material would praise Sesame Street and what it has done for children's television programming. It was originally conceived for urban minorities (hence, the more urbanized setting and the colorful cast). I love it because Weiss is learning from the characters, he is being exposed to people who are different from him, different languages, and even children with disabilities. AND Sesame Street is not unbearable for adults to watch; I get a kick out of the humor adults can catch, the celebrity guests who modify their music to teach a concept to the kids (a few seasons ago, Norah Jones was on and sang "Don't Know Y"), and the continually bantering duo of Bert and Ernie.

So I knew I would just HAVE to get my children to watch Sesame Street! And now, Weiss is obsessed with Elmo and his new favorite, "Yellow Bird" (aka Big Bird). (He cycles through favorites---one week it will be Cookie Monster, another week it is Bert, etc. His mainstay, however, is Elmo.) I do know he is learning from the shows (we don't really watch TV, only DVD) because he can count to ten, recognize all of the numbers from 1 to 10 and knows some letters at this point. He has most of his colors nailed, and we are working on shapes. I give much of this credit to Sesame Street shows AND products. He has some Sesame Street place mats with numbers and colors, and he looks at these several times each day. I really enjoy seeing him learn at this age.

I have always been a Jim Henson fan; as a young child, I loved the Muppets (Miss Piggy especially) and "Fraggle Rock." Unfortunately, the television stations in West Texas did not offer PBS, so I never really saw Sesame Street unless it was in a book or on VHS. (We finally got PBS when we got "Primestar" satellite---do any of you products of the 1980s remember this??? However, by that time, I was too old to enjoy learning from Sesame Street.) If you are a Sesame Street fan or want to know more about the "hows" and "whys" during its making, read this great book.

This Week's Recap.....

We've had a relatively laid-back week. With Weiss and I coming off of the stomach bug, Daddy got some yucky flu-like stuff when he got home from Dallas. He missed work on Monday because he had a high fever and was achey all over. I put a child-proof lock on our bedroom door during the day and Logan camped out there in the bedroom. I know he could still hear the shrill squeals of a happy toddler during the day, but he was a good sport about it. He is finally feeling better, but the junk sure did hang on for awhile...

It was so cold this week Weiss and I didn't really get out much, only to go to the grocery store, library, and a little trip we took yesterday to the McKenna Children's Museum in New Braunfels. Weiss absolutely loves it there, and he had a great time. He saw two newly hatched baby chicks, and he played for over two hours. We got to New Braunfels and ate lunch at Chick-Fil-A. He had chicken noodle soup and a fruit cup; he doesn't really like their awesome French fries or any of the breaded chicken. But he LOVES the soup!!!! We then went to the children's museum. He had a great time. Last night when we got home, Logan and Dickey had gone into Austin for a conference, and I had Cinda over to eat French onion soup I had made. 

This evening Weiss is spending the night with Dickey and Cinda so Logan and I can have a date night!

Another Adventure...

This weekend has been not so fun for me.... As of yesterday, Weiss is over his stomach bug. He only threw up on Friday, but still had some leftover tummy trouble until about 1 PM yesterday. Although I stayed in my PJs (because I was scared to expose anyone to the virus, including the babysitter--I had to cancel my movie night with Kelley), I felt great and got some cleaning done, some laundry, and some other things. Hannah knew I couldn't leave the house (because of Weiss's continued tummy troubles and Logan being gone), so she brought me my new favorite drink from Starbucks. Thanks so much!!! Weiss didn't take a nap because I didn't want to sit down with him and cause him to get upset. He was feeling so much better, and I was worried if he would cry, he would possibly get sick again. So by about 6 PM, he was falling asleep in my arms. I gave him a quick bath and put him down to bed at 7. He was a bit fussy, but by this time, my stomach was, too.

Well, that was perfect timing, because at 7:15, I began to get sick..... YUCK..... Thank goodness Kelley and I didn't go to the movie; that would have been AWFUL....I was sick on and off until about 11:30, but my stomach churned all night, and I couldn't sleep. I got on Facebook at 4 AM this morning because I was bored in bed. I slept from 6 AM to 8, though. I hated to miss church because the choir was singing several songs today and there was a brunch, so I wish I could have been there.... Anyway, Weiss basically watched movies all morning and had Goldfish (I was still worried about him eating "solid" food) while Mommy was a zombie. Sweet Royann Williams brought Weiss and I some food after church; thanks so much, Royann--it made my day! Weiss loved his Schlotzsky's pizza! 

This afternoon, Weiss and I took a LONG nap!!! (We slept from 1 to 5 PM---YESSSS!) Now, I am starting to feel better.... This afternoon I had to miss the Mom to Mom spring semester kickoff, which I was really looking forward to! However, I would not want to expose anyone to this fun stuff we've had! Logan is currently on his way in from Dallas, and he doesn't want the gunga, either......

Adventures in Motherhood (Day 2)......

Well, today started like any other day. I didn't go to MOPS in San Antonio because, quite frankly, I didn't want to make the long drive there and back with a two year old. (I have a guilt complex of him "tethered down" in his carseat, even if he is watching a movie...) I also started teaching piano lessons again, so I was anticipating my student this morning. However, her mom called and said she and her sisters had a fever and sore throats. So Weiss and I decided to get some work done around the house. We read some books, played in his room, and stacked some blocks for awhile. I needed to run to Home Depot right before lunch to get some new light globes for the half bathroom I am painting, so we made a quick run there and stopped by Arby's and got roast beef sandwiches to take home. 

After we ate lunch, Weiss and I did our typical afternoon nap. However, I noticed he slept much later than usual--three hours instead of the normal one or two. I got up to do a few things and then sat back down in the recliner with Weiss. All of a sudden, without warning, he began getting sick. (WARNING (again): If you are squeamish, you may not want to read this!!!) I caught most of it with the blanket, and it was a lot!! It got on the floor, on the leather chair, all over Weiss, and all over the blanket. I immediately took him to the bathroom for a bath. By this time, he was saying, "Hands, hands!" (He doesn't like his hands dirty.) We ran two sets of bathwater--one to clean off the gunk, and the other for him to play in. However, he threw up in the bathwater, as well. So I took out all of the toys and put some "fresh" ones in the bath. The yucky ones were going to soak in a bleach water bath before their next use....

Weiss seemed to be feeling okay, so I called Logan (who is in Dallas for a dental convention), Cinda, and my mom to tell them the news. All the while, Weiss was happily playing in the bathtub with me watching. 

After I got Weiss out, I felt brave enough to venture to Walmart for some Pedialyte, snacks, and a movie. I usually don't let Weiss watch a movie in the car when we are in town, but I let him watch Veggie Tales. He seemed happy, even though I put a big towel in his lap in the car and in the basket in the store. We got home with no incidents! He wanted some Ritz crackers, so he had a "dinner" consisting of crackers and Gatorade (it was already in his cup before I had the Pedialyte). Weiss played, I read to him, brushed his teeth, and he went down easily. I checked on him a few times throughout the night, and he was doing well. I finished painting the half bath, and it looks great. I really like the color.

Anyway, this morning, Weiss got up, greating me in his bed, jumping up and down, going "Boing, boing!" He had Elmo juice, Goldfish, and some more Ritz crackers. However, he still must have a touch of virus because his diapers are not "solid," if you know what I mean. So Kelley, I'm sorry to call off our movie night! I was really looking forward to seeing a movie and hanging out! We'll take a raincheck! (Kelley Homeyer and I were going to have a girl's night out, and Kaili Dellinger was going to babysit for me....) I have been frantically cleaning the "germy" house---doing laundry, vacuuming, dusting, mopping, you name it! So it has been a good day to play catch-up! 

Adventures in Motherhood.....

Weiss throwing food to a big bison.....

Weiss and the zebras....

The exotic deer kept nibbling him at the petting zoo, but he thought it was funny...

Sophia and Weiss----how cute!!!

Yesterday (Thursday) Weiss and I had a lot of fun..... I woke up and ran with Lexy for the first time since the marathon; I feel pretty much fully recovered now!!!

Later in the morning, Weiss and I went to the Exotic Animal Zoo with Hannah, Sophia and Gabriella, right outside of Johnson City off Highway 281. We've always passed by it, but I'm glad we actually went, because it was really fun, and we all plan to go back and stay in the cabins there. Anyway, we all arrived at about 11:15 AM and had a sack lunch with the kiddos. In the play/eating area, you can walk around and see lemurs, a big male turkey and a female, and a large pen of African pygmy goats with plenty of cute babies. Sophia and Weiss really enjoyed walking around and checking out the animals. After we ate, you can go in a large pen--the "Petting Zoo." There were plenty of exotic deer (which were tame), llamas, and goats. There was the cutest baby llama that was only one week old.... Weiss really liked it, and he enjoyed petting the animals. He laughed when they would come up to him and nibble on his clothes, which smelled like food! After this, we loaded up in a modified trailer behind a Kubota tractor to go see the BIG animals!

Right after we crossed the cattle guard, there were HUGE buffalo. We had a large bucket of feed, and so we had plenty of treats to give them.... Their tongues were very long, slimy and raspy, kind of like a giraffe's (for those of you who have been to the Abilene Zoo and fed the giraffes). There was also a camel named "Goober" which followed alongside the trailer and stuck his long neck inside to get another person's feed bucket. He knew all the tricks of the trade.... There were plenty of exotic cows and llamas, emus and gazelle. We also had the opportunity to see an ostrich egg, which had been laid out in the pasture. The guide said it was the first one of this year. I enjoyed seeing the ostriches---they were SO BIG!!! Typical of the animal world, the male was the "beautiful" one--his name was Elvis. The two mature females were Priscilla and Lisa Marie. There were some juvenile ostriches running around, but they were smaller. There were also African goats and a type of Indian cow, which was cinnamon in color and hairy, with small horns. We also saw zebras, which immediately ran up to the trailer for food. The guide explained they are very social and LOVE food and a good back scratch. Hannah, the girls, Weiss and I had a good time!!!!

Weiss and I made it home in time to see Daddy off to Dallas. He had a dental convention and continuing education this weekend, so he'll be gone until Sunday. After Logan left, I decided to re-pot some small plants in the kitchen while Weiss was laying in the floor watching Sesame Street. I had just changed his diaper, and I could see him laying there, quietly. In a few minutes, however, he ran up to me, saying, "Hands, hands!" 

(WARNING: If you are squeamish, do not read on....) He was wearing a onesie, and stuck his hands in his diaper, which he had just pooped in. He had poo all over his hands, and had touched his feet, as well. I immediately stuck him in the bath. It was really gross. Aaaahhhh, the joys of being a mom..... I cleaned him up, and we went to Home Depot to get some more rose bushes and flowers.

Since Weiss didn't have a nap, he fell asleep on the way home. I let him sleep with the car running while I ran in to heat some brie to take to dinner at the Homeyer's. We were celebrating a late "birthday" dinner for Matt Homeyer. Logan was disappointed he didn't get to make it... Kelly made HOMEMADE chicken-fried steak, and George and Karen Gurganus and kiddos Anna and Clayton were there to play with Weiss. We had a great time.... Logan and I  always love spending time with these two families, who where some of the first people we met here in Marble Falls! Anyway, Weiss and I left so he could get in bed. I stayed up late, painting the first coat of paint in our half bath. (I have been recently inspired to begin painting....) 

All in all, it was a very fun day! As a mom, I have learned you take the good with the "bad." I would much rather have poop on the hands than a cranky, unhappy kiddo. (For some of you, this may sound absurd, but a mom knows....)

Fun Weekend in Houston!!!

           I'm about to cross the finish line.....YIPPEE!!!!

Logan's view of the finish line......

Running the first half of the race (I didn't know Logan saw me....)

The DQ Cowboy pumpjack at Luling, TX. (There were pumpjacks EVERYWHERE!!!)

We had a fun weekend in Houston! Friday night, Logan's parents and my parents came in and we all had dinner together here at our house. And sure enough, Dad had to turn around and leave early Saturday because of work. Mom stayed with Weiss all weekend and left today (Monday), so that was a big help because I am sore after the marathon, but nothing Tylenol won't help! Anyway, Logan and I left for Houston Saturday about 10:30 AM for Houston and stopped in Lockhart for lunch at Smitty's Market (it had been recently recognized in Texas Monthly BBQ edition). And it was REALLY good! We had brisket, he had sausage, and I had ribs, which I had been really craving. YUMMO! We then stopped at Luling for softserve (me) and an Oreo Blizzard (Logan). He will randomly pull off the road when he sees a DQ because Logan always says "Texas stop sign!" Anyway, we finally made it to Houston and to the Marathon Expo, where I picked up my number and shirt. They also got my pre-race weight, which there's more on that later!

We then went to Urban Outfitters in Rice Village, got some Jamba Juice, and looked around a bit. I wanted Ethopian food, so we looked the closest restaurant up with a program on Logan's phone. We drove to the location, and of course, it was in a ghetto part of town, next to a Dollar-King store ("Everything $1.09 or less!"). Needless to say, we'll just go to the place in Austin....We went back to the Galleria and ate at Kenny and Ziggy's, a New York style Deli. And it WAS really authentic; it had a Yiddish menu where we had to do a Wikipedia search on our phones before we placed our order! I had chicken soup with a matzo ball and a kreplach. He had a corned beef sandwich, and it was HUGE! Very good place, by the way! There are only two locations: the one at the Galleria and downtown Houston. Anyway, afterwards, we went to Barnes and Noble, looked around, and bought some books! Great date night! We then went to our hotel room and I went to bed pretty early (10:30 is early for me!). 

We woke at 5 AM and got ready to go downtown for the marathon. Logan dropped me off, where I made my way into the convention center before the marathon and dropped off my gear. The race started at 7 AM, but my heat was at 7:10. (It was a MUCH better way to start than San Antonio's marathon, where we had to stand in place for more than an HOUR behind the starting line!!!) Anyway, I LOVED the route and all of the beautiful neighborhoods through Rice Village and the Tanglewood area. I drank at nearly every water stop because I was thirsty and it was unnaturally warm for a January marathon! I had to stop at the Port-O-John at mile 10ish and mile 21, so I was "well hydrated!" I saw Lexy and her family at mile 18, and Logan at mile 20! I told him I felt good, and I was, at the time. It's amazing how quickly you can change, however. My pace started out better than normal, but I really slowed down about mile 21... It started getting really hot (they posted a runner's heat advisory) and I was running out of steam because the course at the end really wasn't shaded. And to top it off, there were 3 or 4 underpasses on a major road we had to overcome, which is difficult at the very end of a marathon! So my time was about 5 minutes later than my last! But I DID have a great time, and I would love to run Houston again in the future!

Anyway, I crossed the finish line and they took my post-race weight. Most people lose about 4 lbs., but I had gained 2!!!!! So the medical team wanted to ask me some questions. Some of the answers I gave made them ask for a blood and urinalysis, and they ran some lab work. They said I had "mild" hyponatremia---I was over hydrated (which may have also kept me from running optimally, as well). This can actually be life-threatening if it is extreme, but mine was more like when you feel "water logged." My sodium was a bit off, as well. I was worried about becoming dehydrated during the route, and my body was also thirsty, so I kept drinking!!!

We left from the convention center to come home and stopped for "Billy's BBQ" and DQ at Bastrop. We came into Marble Falls at about 6, where Mom was keeping Weiss! He was asleep (late nap) when we got there.... Anyway, it was a fun weekend, and marathon #2 is now under my belt. Next stop: the Austin Half-Marathon!

Houston is Almost Here......(gulp)

Hello, all! I hope you are finding yourself warm and cozy this week; it has been some crazy weather! It's so cold in the morning, and yet it's warm enough for Weiss to go outside or to the park comfortably in the afternoons.... bizarre! That's Texas for you, though!

We've had a pretty low-key week so far; Weiss and I went to the Marble Falls Library for the first time today with Hannah, Sophia ("Phia" as Weiss calls her) and little Gabriella. We used to go to our local San Antonio Library nearly every week, and it really spoiled us (and ME), because you could get anything under the sun from all the availability of the SA library network. However, the Marble Falls Library was okay, and we'll be back, for sure! Weiss was in a rambunctious mood today in the library (very loud and running everywhere), so I don't know what I would have done without Hannah helping me when I was registering for a library card! Anyway, we went to HEB and then to Hannah's house to play for a bit. Last night, I got to watch the ONLY reality show I succumb to: AMERICAN IDOL!!!! I was sooooo excited for it to be back on, but since Logan and I don't have DVR/TiVo right now (just basic cable---yuck!), we can't record/rewind to critique the songs/rewatch. It's not so cool right now, but hopefully, before the finals, we'll have some "other" arrangement.... I will definitely be tuned in tonight....I am going to speed home from choir practice!!!!!

Naptimes are back to normal! HOORAY!!!! I am so happy.... That was a big challenge, and although Weiss still fights them, I fight back.... he desperately needs his daily nap or he is Mr. Cranky Pants later in the evening!!! My parents are coming down this weekend to keep Weiss when Logan and I go to Houston early Saturday morning. They are coming on Friday and staying until Monday. (Or at least Mom is for sure---they are taking separate cars in case Dad gets busy in the funeral home. I know that may sound weird and morbid to some of you, but get over it!!!! Haha!!!) I am running in my last marathon for a while---the Houston Marathon. I am excited, but somewhat nervous. It will be fun to people watch and experience the race, but it IS 26.2 miles, so I am a bit apprehensive. So if you are reading this, I could use some prayers Sunday morning from about 7AM to noon.......(Thanks!) I'll keep you all updated and send some pictures your way.... I know I've been bad about posting pictures lately.... :(