Circus

So, we got a call last Sat with an offer for four free tix to the Circus (with a parking pass- hooray!) so I called up Sassy's dad and asked to borrow her (she was with him for the weekend- remember- we're a blended fam) and off we went! We had thought about taking Cutie since we only had him for the weekend, but does a 23 month old really understand the circus and would he sit still in a seat? So, free tickets- we are going! Thankfully our tix were in a suite so Cutie could get up and run if needed. Great times and Sassy LOVED the cotton candy with the hat, the trapeze artists and the tigers, oh my! Cutie was just pumped to get in and out of the folding stadium seat!

See Cutie with his "paci"? Well, we were doing so well with only have paci at nap and night-night, but- he has been teething, etc and I caved in last week. I started back on my plan this week and poor Cutie has been in major mourning. He sometimes just cries out "PAAACCCI" "AH WAN PAAACCCI". Poor baby! He even made up his own little song that he sang the other night when he played drums "AH PAAACCCI, AH CUP...PAACCI, CUUPPP". Speaking of drumming, cutie is GOOD! Sometimes I cannot tell if it is him or Funny Pants drumming... I HOPE to get a F lip camera for my bday (hint, hint Funny) so that I can start uploading videos to the blog cause I want to capture his drumming. We have a great digital video camera, but it doesn't directly upload through a USB and my CD drive was broken by cutie.

We have really been feeling the residual effects of the Carbon Monoxide. I just can't bring myself to read about the long-term effects of chronic poisoning, but I read what Funny Pants sends me and it isn't good. The past few days have been a blur because of the brain fog. Today is better. Sassy has been very Sassy, so I don't know if she is feeling bad either. She says her head hurts, but she may have just heard me say it. Cutie has been energetic, but this poisoning can cause brain damage/learning disabilities, etc.. and it is just yet to be seen what will happen. Such a shame. I have had trouble remembering the simplest things- like how to spell the word "wet". I kid you not. I seriously couldn't remember. Yesterday, I really couldn't speak because I couldn't think of the words that I needed to use. Last night after we put the kids to bed, Funny and I talked about how we felt yesterday and we have very similar odd symptoms. Too strange. Funny pants says that he read on patient forums that your symptoms after low level chronic exposure (remember- we breathed it for 3 months without knowing) that some people feel worse when certain weather pressures are present. I don't know anything about weather, but Funny says that there was a lot of pressure here b/c of the snow, etc... But, I am determined to stay positive today! I feel better- am more alert and am thankful to God for that!

Already?

So, last week Sassy told me that she had given out my cell phone number and her daddy's cell phone number to a few friends at school so that they could call her. Smirking and thinking that it was so cute that she wants to talk on the phone at such a young age, I really didn't think that we would be hearing from anyone anytime soon.

Today, I picked up Sassy at school and then we had snack, after snack, after snack, after snack (yes, 4 snacks: maybe it is a growth spurt, but girl is eating like crazy), my cell rang and a sweet little voice said, "May I please speak to ****?" I said, "yes, may I ask who's calling?" Little voice: "Aleigha."

Sassy and Aleigha spoke for about 3 minutes and Sassy didn't really say much, so I suspect that sweet friend Aleigha ran the conversation. Here are photos of Sassy during her first phone conversation.

I've been hit by the blog tag!

My sweet friend Jess just tagged me to find the fourth album in My Pictures file and then find the fourth photo in the file and publish it and tell the story. Well, this photo was in the 4th folder and it was entitled "Christmas"- I think that this was around the time of Christmas... Anyway, it is from 2006 and look at this sweet baby girl at 3 years old! Sassy LOVES Bug Juice. Now called Tum-Yums...

Now, Josh H and Mary Bea- you're it!

Waste Not...Want Not...

I have a facebook account. I have about 140 ish friends on there. Why? I don't have nearly that amount of friends in real life (quality not quantity is so much better) I find myself wasting HUGE amounts of time clicking and looking and reading and then going to blogs, reading comments, etc... and getting into the lives of some that I don't even know anymore. While facebook is a great way to connect with people currently in your life and a great way to re-connect with some friends that you have commonality with and that well, even know that you have children, facebook also is a huge waste of time being nosy. I have decided to change my account so that I will not receive emails when I am forwarded, invited, commented on, etc.... so that everytime I open my email I am sucked back into the drain of facebook time. Those are my thoughts for now... I am going to use my time wisely and actually use it for good.... not facebook...

We had an awesome trip in NOLA! I'll post pics later!

"Outta" the mouths of the Napier bunch babes...

Cutie's vocabulary is definitely growing and he amazes me with his quick understanding. Here are a few of his cute words...

" ah sum"= I want some

"I Ah SUM"- I really want some and will take you down and throw a fit until I get it!

"Hol chu"- Hold you, please pick me up now!

"ah chuchu"- I want to play with my trains

"ah dum"- I want to play drums and will wake the dead with how loud I can play!

"ah bu's cu's"- I want to watch Blues Clues right this very second or once again, I will completely melt down!

"Tahmi"- Thomas the train

Sassy's favorite phrase was:

"A dunin?"- What are you doing?

Sweetie's favorite command was:

"DADOO"- her phrase for a bottle or sippee cup

Funny and I are headed to New Orleans tomorrow to visit the city (his hometown) and see his dad. I love New Orleans this time of year. It is nice weather and we just love to walk through the beautiful French Quarter and admire the architecture and the charm of the places, people and things. We visit one charming little out of the way boutique every year and I really hope that it is still in business this year! I find the coolest estate pieces there! I have an 100+ yr old onyx ring that was from a New Orleans' socialite's collection back in the day from this sweet store. I purchased some vintage cufflinks for Funny a couple of years ago too. So, we are excited to have a little time together. Most of our time together involves children, home, or work in some way- so it is great to be able to just be "us" for a few days. I am really, really sad to leave Cutie & all the others (Sassy, Sweetie and Smarty are at their respective other parents homes as we are a blended fam). Cutie and I are together ALL the time and he is like a barnacle to my side most of the time. Little boys lovvvvee their mamas...Here is a pic from last January's trip...

One more thing this am about Cutie... my thoughts are all over the place today (need more coffee) when Cutie opens his eyes in the morning, he IMMEDIATELY starts screaming- Waaaaah- Holchu, holchu, mama- mama- holchu!!!!!! I have never heard anything like it. Sassy always woke up and cooed and sang little songs, etc... he just completely starts screaming. Despite it being a tad stressful, it is kinda funny.

We also met with our builder yesterday and he was a little confrontational, but also quite nice. So, I am hopeful that this situation can be resolved.

Also...I am going to re-launch my site and my PR biz soon. http://www.nashvillepr.com/-

ch-check it out.

Love, peace and blessings...

Holiday Re-cap

Wow! It all went by so fast.... it feels like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's happened within a few days of each other. Christmas was wonderful! I had dinner with my dear childhood friends on 12/23! We have been getting together at Christmas (as well as about every other month) for 13 years! L used to live nearby and would cook a wonderful meal for us every year, but now that she remarried and lives in Hville, we went to dinner and then dessert at J's house. It was a lot of fun to catch up and laugh with each other!

The Bunch started out on Christmas Eve by going to Meme and Boppa's for dinner and we continued our traditions that they started a few years ago with our stocking prayer and birthday cake for Jesus. I think that this is Sweetie pants' favorite part of Christmas. She stalks that cake until we are ready to light the candles and would eat three pieces if we let her! LOL! We decorated cookies for Santa and the kiddos loved their gifts from Meme and Boppa.

We left with a just a little energy left to set out cookies and milk for Santa on our special plate given to us years ago from nana and also to sprinkle the reindeer food in the cold and wet backyard. We also had to say bye to Peyton the Elf as it was time for Santa to take him back to the Northpole!

Oh! On the way home from Meme and Boppa's, Sweetie lost a tooth- so we had Santa AND the tooth fairy in our house on the SAME night! Boy, oh boy! The Tooth Fairy left Sweetie 3 dollars and accidentally shed one of her gorgeous feathers and left one of her itty bitty earrings on the floor. Smarty Pants and I just imagined that Santa and the Tooth Fairy must have high-fived when they were in our house!


Funny and I went to bed very, very late. Since we got home later than normal, we had to make sure that our sleepy kiddos were completely asleep...I don't see how Santa does it. So, Christmas morning and most of the day are a blur from the fact that I hadn't really had more than 5 hours of sleep a night for more than a few days. (thankfully, I have slept better since then...)




We awoke at 530a on Christmas morning and waited to hear the first rustle in one of their rooms. Sassy was up and ready by 6a, so we knew it was time to peel ourselves out of bed! Santa brought great toys for the bunch! Cutie got DRUMS (and a train table from us)! Sassy got a camera, fluffy factory, and a bunch of girlie stuff, Sweetie got the amazing skating puppy, digital art studio, and a bunch of girlie stuff, and of course smarty got legos and some battling helicopters (that have crashed and broken numerous times!) FUN! My funny pants did way too much for me- clothes, jewelry, ipod converter thingie, movie, really cool ring! Thanks funny.

After a quick breakfast, we jetted to Mama Lene's and had great food and the kids received some great gifts from Ann, Kay and Mama Lene. Adorable dolls, books, cute plates & cups, trains, etc... We had a great time at their beautiful new house on the "lake". Funny, Smarty and Papa played football in the front yard and had a great time! Aunt Jen, Funny and I had a great time teasing Aunt Ann with re-arranging her Merry Christmas letters to spell random words. Hee!

We then went to Nana and Papa's and had Christmas with them and Jen, Steve, Audrey & Caroline. We always have a huge haul of gifts that come from Nana's house and this was no exception! The kids got clothes, toys, candy, and more and by the time we left- the ole volvo was so loaded down! We had a great time with everyone! I just wish that we had more time with each house! We stayed 4 hours at Meme & Boppas, 4 hours at Mama Lene's and 4 hours at Nana & Papa's. I also wish we could have taken more photos, but with 4 kids- it is PURE chaos!

We spent New Year's Eve with dear friends down the road that also have 4 children. We had a blast playing cards, eating a ton of sweets and drinking diet mt dew. My how times have changed! Funny and I came home at 9p and watched Honeymooners marathon until midnight and we sipped champagne (how can just a little give you a headache like we have today? dunno)and toasted to a great 2009. May God Bless and protect us all in 2009! Love to you!

PS- Our house is carbon monoxide free now and we are starting to feel a little better. We have good days and bad. Sassy had a good appt at the endrocrinologist this week and that doc told me to give Sassy dimetapp to help with eyes and throat. We are still going to have to deal with the builder, but I am not involved. Funny is going to deal with that one... thanks for your concern!