"I didn't hurt her too bad"

When you hear this comment coming out of Levi's mouth, a million things go through your mind.

Thankfully, when I ran into her room, this was all I found:

Levi thought Kara needed to wear her new cowgirl hat (souvenir from San Antonio) while she drank her bottle. I loved it!

He did give her a binder clip later which I found her mouth - I don't know how I'm going to keep Kara alive with all she puts in her mouth! Levi never did this!

In other news, I finally opened my iPod last night. Can I get an "Amen"?!?! I wanted to run with it last night, but I quite possibly had the worst run I've ever had and now I associate my iPod with evil. It is going to have to redeem itself. I was very happy I chose the smaller 8G as I probably would have thrown anything bigger at the ground last night!

Finally, go give some blog love to one of my frequent commenter's...Kimberly! Welcome! She finally caved to the pressure!

Product Review: Sit & Stand Stroller

Jason asked me about our stroller a few days ago, and since we just used it every day for several hours, I feel that I am now an "expert" on it. Plus, several of our friends are venturing into the land of "child #2", so hopefully this will help answer some questions. I have yet to push this bad boy around without getting at least one comment or question from someone.

My Sister-in-Law, Keri, is the first person to introduce me to the Sit & Stand Stroller. She loved it and now I love it.

Let me start by explaining what this stroller is: The front of the stroller is designed 2 ways - to hold a infant carrier or to use as a regular stroller seat. The back is designed for a child to sit facing backwards or to stand forwards. There is also an awning that goes over one or both children.

We got this stroller right before Kara was born and it was the right decision for us. Levi had (literally) just turned two when Kara was born and so he was of the age where he likes to walk by himself everywhere. The stroller was perfect because he could hop on and off as he wanted (or as we wanted) and we don't have to worry about strapping him in.

Pros:

• Extra tall push bar. If you are tall like us, you know how uncomfortable the low arms are. This stroller will not disappoint!


• You can buy an attachment that holds drinks - a wise investment.


• Levi can hop on and off very easily unassisted.


• Storage basket for things you don't want to carry (although it is on the small side)


• Large canopy to shade both kids


• Much smaller than most double strollers

Cons:

• It is very long when folded (especially with the infant carrier attachment on). It fits in my CRV just fine though. Most double strollers are longer than this though (unless they are super expensive!).


• When you have the infant carrier on the stroller, it makes it difficult for the child in the rear to sit comfortably because the front seat is "reclined". However, it is possible and Levi rarely rides sitting down anyway. This isn't a problem when Kara is just sitting in the stroller as opposed to her infant carrier.


• The storage area could be a little bigger

As I was looking for the link to post, I noticed that they have SEVERAL models available now including a triple Sit & Stand and a lightweight version (although much more expensive). Anyway, I highly recommend them for parents of two kids.

Anyone else have one and want to make a comment?

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity, Jig

We made it home! Although, last night we had our doubts. We logged on to check our flight and it was delayed. Thankfully though, it was only an hour and a half and allowed us to sleep in a little more and not have quite such a long layover in DFW. The kids were AWESOME for another day - I couldn't believe it! We've decided that Kara just loves doing something new and different every day. We quite possibly had the best 5 days in a row that we have ever had with her!

I would like to take a moment to personally thank the genius (seriously) who decided to put playgrounds in airports. They have saved us on more than one occasion! Here are a few pictures I got of them today:

It's getting late and I am so ready to crawl into my own bed. I was trying to think of what I could say about San Antonio in closing. It really has something for everyone, so if you are looking for a quick weekend get-away, I highly recommend it. The only negative thing was the heat - I was totally not ready for that!

The icing on the cake is our two-day work week! Gotta love that!

We loved San Antonio so much...

...that American Airlines (sorry, Jason) decided to let us stay one more day! So, we arrive at the airport with a little under an hour to spare and see a very long line to the AA ticket counter. Hmmm, this is not looking good. About 15 minutes into it, I decide that I better go check the departure list. Sure enough, all the flights into DFW have been cancelled due to weather.

Since we rarely ever pay for a ticket due to Garet's airline status, we of course were on non-revenue tickets which means: We get the last pick. The lady at the counter was really nice considering what I am sure she had already gone through that day. We were put on flights leaving out tomorrow morning with a long lay-over in DFW. We already knew we were going to have to foot the bill for the hotel since it was weather related, but apparently airlines have "deals" with hotels in the area for "distressed passengers" (we both got a kick out of that title). Therefore, the bill was only $40 tonight and I can deal with that...one more day of vacation and time with my family!

The day started out at a VERY leisurely pace - we didn't leave our room until the 11:00 AM check-out! Levi, of course, had to have one last time in the pool (or so we thought). We then went over to RiverCenter to meet The Gibson's. The food was nothing special, but we had a great time talking and hanging out. I do so miss all of our Auburn friends!! Both kids got a quick nap while we were eating (little did we know the airport adventure to come!). Here's Levi asleep and Kara with me than Holly:

We then headed out to the airport, said good-bye to the mini-van (which Levi was sad about too!), and began the adventures above. I do have to mention that the kids were crazy good today. While we were waiting in line for an hour and a half, more than one person told us how good they were. I was quick to point out that we were amazed too - right in the middle of nap time at that! Here were the kids in line:

We ended the day at Applebees where we treated ourselves to dessert for enduring the day. Thankfully our hotel had a pool, so Garet got to take Levi one more time.

Hopefully there will not be anything more to our San Antonio adventure than to tell you that we are safe at home tomorrow!

San Antone

Today we did "all things touristy" in downtown San Antonio. It was (you guessed it) HOT, but we had a great time. The kids had an absolutely stellar day...I am hoping this continues tomorrow on the flights home!

We started the day at The Alamo where we were finally able to meet up with our friends Josh, Holly and Jude. Wow, we are all parents - yikes! Here we are at the entrance to the Alamo (I think). I got sidetracked talking to the lady at the desk about stamps for Levi & Kara's National Park Books and missed what it was we were actually looking at.

In classic Garet style, we couldn't leave without a few fun shots (Notice a theme?):


On to RiverWalk! This is seriously one of the coolest places I have ever seen. It is kinda like Venice (except clean and modern). I was not expecting it to be so beautiful! We of course rode the riverboats. I didn't get any great pictures on the boat, but here we are anyways:


We ate at our first Mexican Restaurant of the day on the RiverWalk....Casa Rio. It was OK. It was more fun to just talk to our friends.

Watch out Jude, she's an older woman by 6 weeks!

Since I am all about holidays, the kids were dressed for Memorial Day in their Red, White and Blue. Thanks to everyone that is serving or has served our country in the past!
Before naps, we got a quick pool break. This picture of Kara in her new float and swimsuit is classic Kara...lounging around, making sure everyone is focused on her! After naps, we headed down to Market Square...the best way I can describe it is "Little Mexico" like "Little Italy" in NYC. We ate at Mi Terra (our second Mexican Meal of the Day) and it was much better. The picture below makes me realize I'm getting older. Who would have thought 8 years ago in Auburn, these two guys would look like this in 2008:

The "Giddy Gibsons". Note the argyle socks...Normy really hasn't changed folks!
The whole family - we'll never get a picture of all of us looking at the camera, but that's OK!
We ended the night with another stroll around the River Walk and of course some ice cream. It is quite romantic (even if you are pushing a stroller around)! Maybe next time, Garet and I will come by ourselves.

Taco?

Levi likes to push the buttons on the elevator. We often say, push the "star" button or push the "number 1 button". Today, Garet asked Levi what the button was with a "bell" on it (BUT, not to push it).

Levi promptly replied: "That's the Taco Button"

We eat out way too much....

SeaWorld Adventures!

I so wish that I had scanned in a picture of myself as a little girl at Sea World CA, because today took me right back to when I was a kid! Let me preface our trip to Sea World TX by saying that when you go to an amusement park with a 2 and a half year old and a 7 month old, you don't have high expectations - you just can't or you will be so disappointed. Having said that, we had one of the best days I think we could have had! Not perfect, but memorable!

We arrived first thing at 9 AM, got a great parking spot and headed into the park. Our first stop was the dolphin pond. Levi did NOT want to be around them, he wanted to see the smaller fish. I didn't like where this was going...

After a tour through some "smaller fish" aquariums, Garet wanted to ride a roller coaster, so we headed over to the Steal Eel. I missed taking a picture of him, but here is Levi & I waiting on Daddy:

The whole time Garet was gone, Levi wanted to go ride "his roller coaster" - this little Shamu ride. Unfortunately, it turned out that Levi was too short. Thankfully, a ride in these "eggs" sufficed for the day.

Next, we ventured over to see Shamu! Garet had never been to a Sea World before, so this was his first experience too! It is just amazing to me to watch people interact with such huge animals. I have to admit that I got some goosebumps during the performance! We chose a seat near the back for fear that Levi might REALLY not like the "big fish". He liked Shamu though and it was smooth sailing the rest of the day. Whew!

Have I mentioned that it is HOT here?!?! Oh my goodness, it is hot. Luckily, we stumbled upon an indoor cafeteria for lunch where we could let the kids cool off. Kara was so hot that we took her outfit off and here she is "lounging" at lunch. She cracks me up!

The next show we saw was the dolphin, begula whale, synchronized swimmer, trapeze artist, diving, clown show. Quite entertaining. Garet used to tell people that his mom was an award-winning synchronized swimmer, so that is all I could think of during the show. You have to know Garet and his humor to appreciate that one. Anyway, if you look beyond Garet and Levi in the last shot, really small you can see a dolphin in the air.

Here is what Kara looked like during the dolphin show. At least she got her nap!
After one last stop at this kiddie water park, we said good-bye to Sea World. We made it to 3:30 PM which was AMAZING for not getting good naps the day before either! Here is one last shot on the way out - we were tired! Of course, it is a classic shot of the kids...just imagine Levi's eyes open and that you can actually see Kara.

We came back to our hotel to meet Josh & Holly, but unfortunately the kids schedules didn't work out, but we will see them tomorrow!

Deep in the Heart of Texas

We made it! This afternoon, we loaded up all 5 bags, 2 car seats and a stroller and headed off to the airport to fly to San Antonio. The total trip from 1st plane taking off to 2nd plane landing was only 4 hours, so we had high hopes for today. All in all, everything went smoothly, but I am always glad to arrive at our destination!

Here is Levi on the plane. We decided that the cost of our portable DVD Player and the Backyardigan DVD we bought, paid for themselves in one hour...seriously. This was his 4th time to fly, but first with the DVD Player. It made a huge difference.

Here is Kara on her first plane ride. Note the outfit - she no longer owns it. Shortly after this picture was taken, she pooped so bad that it got all over her outfit, a burp cloth, my jeans and a magazine. Of course, this happened about 20 minutes before we landed which meant we had to sit through it. As soon as we landed, everything went in the trash! She cried a little on the first take-off, but did remarkably well.So, technically this is my 3oth birthday trip (although I'm still claiming the Dominican Republic - we are just going next year), so I think the Lord wanted to make this trip special for me. After renting a full-size car, we got to the lot and the only thing they had was a mini van! Woo hoo! I know the attendant thought I was crazy, but I was pretty excited.

A lot of people tell me that I'm crazy for taking the kids all over the place, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Last July when we were touring a mansion in Newport, RI, a lady stopped me and told me to "Never stop taking your kids to new places - even if they are young". I really needed to hear that. Levi won't remember ever going to that mansion (and probably not this trip), but I guarantee that my kids are going to remember the times we spent as a family on vacation - wherever that may be. They will start remembering at some point! So, here's to a new adventure - we hit SeaWorld tomorrow. If I'm not too exhausted, I'll post pictures tomorrow night!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My dad has been quoted as saying, "I can't wait until the grandkids can factor polynomials". That might explain why this video will mean so much to him. We've had a lot of help from our favorite new CD: "They Might Be Giants - Here Come the 123s" I highly recommend it!

We went to Shogun last night to celebrate. Levi did NOT like it and he sat facing away during the entire production. I felt so sorry for him - he really was scared.

Then, he decided he had to have his hand over his mouth while he ate - not sure why.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Dad! Enjoy a few shots of the kids recently.

Future Soccer Player??

Beautiful Big Princess Eyes!

Diet Caffeine Free

I am a Diet Coke (as in "soda" or "pop") drinker. I always have been. That is all I had growing up and so thankfully I have never developed a taste for the "loaded" soft drinks. I have had just about every diet drink out there at one point in time or the other, but my favorite diet drink of choice is Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi - hands down. I also enjoy a Diet Sunkist as well.

Since the above are not found in restaurants, I always drink a Diet Coke/Pepsi. However, having been either pregnant or nursing for the better part of the last three and a half years, I have had to watch my caffeine intake. I also cannot drink caffeine after about 3:00 or I'm awake forever at night. Now, let me say that I have never been over-the-top addicted to caffeine, but I do like my cokes. Also, I am not a hard core "never drink caffeine while pregnant or nursing" - I limited myself to one a day which is appropriate from everything I've read.

If you followed all that, you may have said to yourself: 1) She likes diet drinks and 2) They need to be caffeine free. Here's the question: Do you realize how FEW restaurants serve such a commodity? When I find these special places, I take note and are always high on priority lists of places to eat.

For those of you still searching, I've compiled a list:

1. Chick-fil-A - This has always been the most consistent place (state to state). Let's just say that we usually spend money here once a week...we do it for Levi (right?).
2. Sam's - Could we expect anything less from one of the greatest shopping places ever?
3. Macaroni Grill - Not my favorite Italian, but everything tastes better with a diet coke!
4. Target - A great place to grab a bite when your 1 hour shopping trip with 2 kids turns into an all-day "event"
5. Nothing but Noodles - I don't know what they do to their machine, but they make their fountain drinks extra good here.
6. Oh Bryans - Local Place - Excellent Food
7. 5 Guys - Already have the best burgers, PLUS, they have cherry coke and I can splash my Diet Caffeine Free Coke with a little cherry flavor!
8. Subway near the hospital - This is right near where all the childbirth classes take place, so I choose to believe that they have this just for them.

As you might notice, this list is very short (sigh). If you ever run across any other places, please let me know. I need to start making restaurants more aware of the need for Diet Caffeine Drinks. Do you have a favorite drink that is hard to find at restaurants?

This made me smile

In response to seeing a guy on a motorcycle:

Levi: There isn't a lady on the back of that motorcycle. Just the man.

So apparently there are supposed to be ladies on the back of motorcycles. Maybe you had to be there to hear how he said it....

The Roomba

As I posted yesterday, I FINALLY opened my new Roomba on Friday. Josh had told me that he just opened his up, pushed the button and it went. My experience was not quite that easy. I got it out, pressed the button and nothing. Hmmm... I read all the instructions, looked online and even called the customer support people - nothing. I thought for sure this was my punishment for leaving it hanging in the box for so long. I decided to just let it sit on the charger and see what happened. About an hour later, it starts talking to me..."Error 5, Error 5, Error 5". I look it up online and it turns out that when I pulled out the plastic to make the battery connection, a small piece remained inside and messed up the connection. I fixed it and it was time to Roomba!


Having never seen a Roomba in action, I didn't know what to expect. It is different, that's all I can say to describe it. It starts out in a circular pattern and then as it "runs into things", it starts a very random pattern. We have a lot of toys in our house and so the Roomba had a lot of "distractions", but it seemed to have a method to its madness. The Roomba does GREAT on our laminate flooring, and it goes seamlessly onto our rugs and carpet (although it goes a tad bit slower on carpet).

Monday I put it to the test though. Levi has a rice table at school and so I thought I would let him play with some rice at home. Yea, it didn't go so well and I had rice EVERYWHERE in my living room. This was a test for the Roomba! I set the thing down in the middle of the mayhem and let it go to work. And work it did! Except for the very edge of the wall, it picked up the rice. Levi had spilled A LOT of rice though and so I did have to empty the chamber 3 times, but it got it up.
Note: That middle pile is where I opened the chamber and I spilled some of the rice.

I still haven't tried the automatic programming yet. I'm letting it run around the house while I'm home because I want to make sure this doesn't happen while I'm gone:


I also need to learn to set up these "lighthouse" things which keep the Roomba in a certain room for a certain amount of time. Right now, it goes all over the house and it can't do the whole house before it returns "home" (or "parks" as Levi says) to recharge.


If you have solid surface floors or pets (which we don't - not an animal lover here), I think it is worth the investment. Otherwise, you might check with someone who has carpet. I'll post updates as I encounter them.


Now, I'm going to see how many days I can go without vacuuming - probably not too long as Levi loves to play with play dough! Oh, and Levi had Spiderman and The Incredible Hulk ride around on the Roomba - pretty funny.

Crazy Weekend

It's Monday, and I'm exhausted! This weekend was a roller coaster! Friday Night, we had our friends Dan & Ellen and James & Miki over for dinner. The kids had a blast playing and we had a great time talking - adult conversation is a beautiful thing!

Saturday, I loaded up the kids and took them to Bill & Melodie's Garage Sale. They posted how much they made - WOW! Garet met us there and then took the kids home around 1. At 3, Levi woke up and got sick over and over and over. I came home for a little bit and then headed out to see Jim, Jaime & Kids. When I got home, Kara got sick at 8 PM...this wasn't looking good. It hit me at 10 PM. Garet was standing strong until 4 AM. Yuck. It kinda reminded me of that scene in the movie Stand By Me...I won't go any farther.

Anyway, Sunday we were dead to the outside world. Garet would feel better just about the time I started to feel worse and vice versa. Thankfully we weren't all doing bad at once or I probably would have cried! Everyone seems better today except me, but I feel A LOT better than I did.

I FINALLY opened the Roomba on Friday ("Hallelujah") and I have lots to say about it (with pictures), but I am going to save them for tomorrow - I need to take a nap. Stay tuned.

Sweet Home Alabama

Tonight I was privileged to be a part of a very special time for our friends, Jim & Jaime. They arrived in Alabama with their 3 children that they recently adopted from Columbia. Bill, Melodie (who by the way had an AMAZING yard sale today) and I were able to meet them upstairs a little while after they landed (their flight got in early, so we were a little late!), but it was still a WOW moment - they have 3 kids - whew! It was a little surreal, because if you have been keeping up with their blog, you feel like you know these kids already. Their personalities match their pictures exactly! Enough writing - on with the pictures!

First Glimpse of the new Boyachek Five!

We got the kids Winnie the Pooh Balloons and here is Jaysa with her Tigger.

The group heading towards baggage claim.

Proud grandparents!

Catalina with Jaime's Mom.

Me, Jaime and Jaysa. Levi finger-painted a sign for the kids to welcome them to Alabama! The kids couldn't come with me tonight because they are both sick, so Garet stayed home with them. Otherwise, we all would have been there.

The Duncans sent a snack package with us and I think it was almost gone by the time the kids got in the car. John was especially excited about it!

The kids all strapped in and getting used to American car seat rules! As an expert "car-seat-putter-inner", I was able to save the day and teach Jaime how to strap the seat in and adjust the belts. They will be pros themselves in no time!

Driving Away to their new home!