Introducing Butterflies

Today Scott had to work today so Ryan and I decided to go out and have some fun. We went to the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens so I could introduce Ryan to butterflies. The butterfly exhibit was great. When we got there, Ryan went in and didn't know what we were looking at at first. Then a couple of beautiful blue and somewhat large butterflies flew right in front of him and the chase was on. He followed different butterflies throughout the exhibition.

At the end of the exhibition we saw a very large moth. This moth was approximately two hands wide and was spectacular. It is hard to imagine the size of this moth. Just to give you an idea the tree it is on was about 12" in diameter. It was such a magnificent creature.

After chasing the butterflies Ryan wanted to go outside and look at the flowers. Unfortunately he couldn't keep still long enough for me to take a decent picture. This just means we will have to go back again sometime. We both like it there so I'm sure we'll make it back again soon.

Our Little Designated Driver

Since getting married and having Ryan, Scott and I don't get out and "party" like we used to. We currently joke about going to Happy Hour. Of course, the Happy Hour we are referring to is the one at Sonic for half priced fountain drinks. This particular afternoon we met Poppy and Mimzy at Happy Hour so they could see Ryan for a little bit before they had to go back to work. While the adults were chatting, Ryan was playing in Mimzy's car. He liked it so much he started crying when we had to leave.

On the way home we took Ryan to the park. He liked the wooden truck at the park a lot that day too. This got us thinking...maybe we could get Ryan to be our designated driver when we go to Happy Hour! (I can still dream can't I ?)

The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2007

Julie is an old and dear friend of mine. I have known her since 8th grade (and I'm now almost 40 years old!) She has a 9 year old daughter, Josie, who was just diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. When we heard that Josie was sick we wanted to do anything we could to help. Unfortunately, all we could do was pray for Josie and her family. Then I found this information online. Please take a few minutes needed to help and then spread the word to increase awareness.

There is legislation in the Senate right now for the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. This will provide 150 million dollars over 5 years dedicated just to childhood cancer in order to expand childhood cancer research, create a national childhood cancer registry to track pediatric cancer, and increase services to patients and families affected by the disease. There are 52 senators that support this bill right now and we need 8 more to reach 60, which would make a majority to help pass this landmark legislation.

Please honor Josie, as well as those children that have been fighting for their lives for years by taking 5 minutes to e-mail your senator. If you go to this site:

http://www.curesearch.org/support_curesearch/raise_awareness/index.aspx?id=5442

There is a link that says "Send a letter to your Member of Congress..." On the next screen click "Send a letter to your elected officials", type in your zip code and click "Go", then click on "The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act S911" link in the Action Alert box. This will bring up a form email that you'll be able to personalize as you wish.

Thanks for your support!

Mommy Chaos

1st Time Out on the Boat

Saturday we went out on the boat for the first time since Poppy had it fixed. As a gift to us for Christmas, A & D put the boat in a slip at Joe Pool Lake. The weather was so nice this weekend that we thought it would be a good time to take it out. It didn't take Ryan long to get used to being on it. He was a little impatient while waiting for Scott and Poppy to get the boat filled up with gas. But once we were on our way he was fine.

Mimzy and Poppy were nice enough to get a loaf of bread so we could all feed the ducks. At least that was the idea. When we got the bread out to start feeding the ducks, Ryan decided to have a slice. By the time it we got back to the marina, Ryan had eaten almost 4 slices!

Since I had never been out on the boat before I got an idea of what to expect. It was nice and fairly relaxing to be on the lake. Although it was a bit chilly out on the water, I could picture being out on a hot sunny day. I can't wait, I may actually be able to get a tan this summer!

AIDS Walk April 6th

This year in memory of my brother Stephen, Scott and I are participating in The Tarrant County AIDS Walk on April 6th benefiting the AIDS Outreach Center. The AIDS Outreach Center is the leading organization in Tarrant and eight surrounding rural counties serving men, women and children with HIV and their families, educating the public about HIV prevention and advocating for sound HIV public policy. Although Stephen lost his battle with AIDS 15 years ago, I still think of him everyday. I don't want another person to go through what my brother and our family had to. This is why your support would mean so much.

Please sponsor me online. Any donation would be greatly appreciated. You can make a donation by clicking one of the links next to the picture on my page, a link to which is below:

http://www.firstgiving.com/mommyschaos

Thanks very much for your support, it means a lot. Both AIDS Outreach Center Inc and I thank you in advance for any support you can give.

Best Wishes,

Mommys Chaos

Happy Easter

Ryan went on his first Easter Egg hunt yesterday. It was held at the church that Ryan goes to school twice a week. Within the church is a courtyard with a playground and that is where the eggs were hidden. Ryan knows his way around the church so I thought he would be more likely to participate since he would be in a familiar place.

Once the hunt began, he didn't seem to understand what the big deal was. After picking up his first filled plastic egg he decided to open it and play with the egg itself. After some coaxing I got him to pick up two more eggs.

After that he decided it would be more fun to play on the play ground. He played and played and played.

We all enjoyed the Easter egg hunt and even though I like all the eggs, chocolate, and the Easter Bunny, I am looking forward to the day that Ryan can understand the real meaning of Easter. Until then we'll just let him be a very blessed and loved little boy.

Why I Love my Husband

Today I went to the doctor to have a procedure done to reduce the pain in my back. I had an MRI which showed that I have little cartilage between a couple of vertebrae in my lower back. This causes me a lot of pain in my back and hips. The doctor first gave me three shots to help block pain, then he put a needle in my back that sent radio waves (for 60 seconds) directly to the nerves near the vertebrae causing the pain (3 different nerves). The radio waves will basically kill the nerves for a while until they grow back. All I know is that it felt like I was being stabbed for 60 seconds with a hot sharp knife.

After the procedure I got a couple of perscriptions (for pain) filled. When I got home Scott was playing with Ryan. Scott told me that he would watch Ryan for the day so I could take my pain meds and relax. He is so nice to me!

I know this act of kindness wasn't a big deal to Scott but it was a very big deal to me. It gave me a chance to relax (like the doctor ordered) and helped me to get the pain under control. If he hadn't done this I am sure I would have overdone it which would cause me to be in even more pain. This is just another reason why I love my husband!

Home Sweet Home!

I survived a short spring break road trip with a toddler! To make a long story short....

The hotel screwed up our reservation and gave us a single room with a king sized bed instead of a suite. Ryan had to sleep with Scott and I so none of us slept very well. Ryan was fussy more than usual during the trip because he is teething and the lack of sleep. We ended up leaving a day early because of the sleeping arrangements and it was raining.

The trip wasn't a total loss though. We did take Ryan to the Riverwalk. He seemed to like the boat ride and all the people. Ryan really is a "people person".

After the boat ride, we stopped to get some dinner. It was getting late and Ryan was starting to get a little cranky. Luckily, after a little fussing Ryan decided he would act silly instead. He thought it was cute that he could hold a spoon in his mouth while shaking his head from side to side.

The next day we took Ryan to Sea World. He watched as I fed the dolphins (he was somewhat intimidated by their sheer size).

Ryan wanted to do some running around so we found a good spot for him to have a snack and roam around.

I think all the excitement wore us all out. The next day on the trip home Ryan slept almost the entire time (a little over 4 hours)!

Spring Break Toddler Style

Spring Break officially started today :) Scott & I are feeling a little adventurous so we are taking Ryan on a short road trip to San Antonio. We thought we could take Ryan to Sea World and check out the Riverwalk, etc.

Little did I know when I planned this trip what planning would have to occur in order to go. We will only be gone 4 days but I am feel like I am packing for a 10-day overseas journey. When I was single I would go to Europe once a year (twice if I was really lucky). When I would go it would be for weeks on end. Even then it didn't take me as long to pack and plan.

I am taking a break right now from packing. I'm just about finished, just waiting for the last load of clothes to dry. I am so tired that I just want to go to bed and finish in the morning but I know that would be a huge mistake. Ryan will be up at the crack of dawn so I have to get everything done tonight or else it may never get done. Let's just hope I don't forget anything important. I'll let you know in a couple of days. Wish us luck...looks like we may need it ;)

Draggin' Ass

Last night I went to bed at 9pm (again), with the hope that if I got plenty of sleep I would feel better in the morning. Sounds simple enough, huh? Well, Scott decided to stuff the Easter eggs for the church Easter egg hunt at midnight. Our bedroom is fairly close to the kitchen where he was busy stuffing plastic eggs. He didn't realize how loud he was being and accidentally woke me up. I was able to go back to sleep easy enough.

Then at 1:30 am Ryan woke up crying. I went in to see what was wrong and since he's not talking yet I played the guessing game. Dirty diaper? No. Want a drink of water? No. Hungry, ahh, of course. He is on steroids (to help his ear infection, sinusitis and bronchitis) which increase his appetite a lot! I fed him and finally got him back to sleep.

When I went to go back to bed it was 2:30 am. Then Ryan woke up again at 5 am. This time Scott told me that Ryan was asleep and just making noises (Ryan does that sometimes, he'll just yelp and when you run in to see what's wrong he is sound asleep. Ryan finally woke up for good at 6am. I don't have any idea how much rest either of us actually got. All I know is that I am draggin' ass (as Scott would say) and it's only 10am!

Is everyone this damn tired or is it just the mommies out there?

We're All Falling Apart Over Here

As you know Ryan has been sick the past several weeks. First with pink eye, then an ear infection, then the flu! Well, on Friday Ryan woke up wheezing and I knew something was wrong. I took him to the doctor again. Our regular pediatrician was out so I had to take him to Cooks Children's Clinic. After several chest and sinus x-rays Ryan was diagnosed with sinusitis, bronchitis and an ear infection! They immediately put him on breathing treatments for his bronchitis, antibiotics and a steroid for his ear and sinus infections. My poor little man. I feel so bad! I should have known something was wrong. I just thought he might still have the flu so I didn't think much of it until he started wheezing!

If that wasn't bad enough, I woke up Saturday with a major ear ache, sore throat and cough. Scott teaches on Saturday mornings so I had to call in the troops (aka A & D). They were nice enough to come over to watch Ryan (who was zinging around like a toddler on speed thanks to the steroid). I went to a doc-in-the-box and two hours later found out that I have sinusitis and an ear infection! They gave me a steroid shot and sent me home with a script for an antibiotic. We're just all falling apart over here!

Last night I didn't fall asleep until almost 2 am (thanks to the steroid shot). I had to take not one but two sleeping pills to finally fall asleep. Ryan was up at 6:30 am! Scott fed him and then needed help with the breathing treatment. Have you ever tried to hold a toddler still with something over his face for 5 minutes? It should be a test on Survivor! Then I had to give him his speed....I mean medicine. I just wanted to go back to bed. Scott was sweet enough (after some coaxing) to take care of Ryan so I could get some rest.

I just woke up and Scott took Ryan to meet Poppy and Mimzy (A & D) for lunch. When he gets back he has to go fix a tenants sink in Dallas so I will be on my own for a couple of hours with Ryan. Hopefully the medicine's speed like effect will wear off by then. All I know is Ryan goes to bed around 7 pm and his Mommy will be in bed by no later than 7:15 pm!

Some Crazy Texas Weather

Yesterday it was like spring at 68° F and today it's snowing!! Here in Texas when it snows it is a major event. Everything shuts down, it's great! Since Scott didn't have to work tonight thanks to the "snow" he thought it would be fun to introduce Ryan to snow. Ryan was memorized!

People who live where it snows must think we are a bunch of sissy's. I think they are just jealous because they have to work, go to school, etc., when it snows and we don't. Just one reason to love being a Texan :)

Something to Share

Those of you who know me know how much I like finding good deals. That being said, I recently found 2 things online I just have to share.

http://freepeats.org/ Here you can get gently-used baby, kid, and maternity items like clothing, high chairs, bouncers, swings, bikes, and toys for free from other parents who have finished with them. It's also a way to get rid of baby cast offs without having to load up the car (and the kids) and take them to the thrift store.


http://www.jbfsale.com/home/ This is the website for Just Between Friends. Started by Shannon Wilburn and Daven Tackett in September of 1997 with the hope and dream of making a little extra money and clothing our children as well. Just Between Friends gives moms the opportunity to sell their children's gently used clothes, furniture, equipment, toys and even maternity. Not only can they sell their things, but it is a great place to purchase great items at unbelievable prices.

I just love this stuff! Please let me know what you think. Also, feel free to send me any great deals you know of and I will share them on this post.

Mommy C.