Ha Ha Ha ... Not

So yesterday (I think it was yesterday), I asked Laney if she knew all of Lindsay's name.  Meaning, did she remember Lindsay's middle name.  This was a significant question because Laney is very proud of knowing all of her name and she thinks her name is beautiful and just the best thing EVER.  I wanted to know how she felt about Lindsay's name, to see if it her feelings were the same.

AND then,

Laney says to me, "No".  So I tell her all of Lindsay's name is Lindsay Anne K.

AND then,

Laney says to me, "Why is it Lindsay Anne K.?  That doesn't make any sense.  Her name should be Lindsay Elizabeth K.  Like mine is Laney Elizabeth K.  That would have been better.  And then we could have been twins"

AND then,

I sighed.  Because you know what, I wanted Lindsay's name to be Lindsay Anne K., so there would be part of Taylor's name carried on in the family.  And Arlin wanted Lindsay Elizabeth because he thought that was the only thing that made any sense.  But, he deferred to my decision and since I fill out the forms, or in this case was there to tell the nurse what to put on the form (after making her leave and come back an hour later so I could decide), I chose Lindsay Anne.  Well, now we all can see what a bad decision that was since half the family has already told me how it doesn't make any sense at all, and we should have gone with the Lindsay Elizabeth. 

Sigh.  At least Lindsay's not old enough to vote, so only half the family thinks I picked the wrong name...

Moving Prep

Here it is time to move and I've been busy, sorting, gathering, trashing, selling, and donating.  I've gathered the majority of our things in the basement storage room

I'm now moving furniture to common areas so it will be easier to load the truck.  My dad is going to help us this time so the move will be A LOT cheaper.  Gas money really.  No moving van to rent.  What a dad!

I think we're just about ready to go.  We're back to living out of boxes in a temorary home, but I'm so grateful and excited to be returning to my home and to have the chance to set it up and resume life.  Lindsay's never been to Texas and I know she's going to love it.  Laney's pretty excited and Arlin and I are too.  Next item on the agenda is to land our employment.  We're working on that too.  Millions of resumes out, a phone interview down and hopefully two face to face interviews for me next week.  We're praying for both me and Arlin to get the things we need going and we're excited the Lord is watching over us still.  We certainly couldn't make this crazy life work any other way!

Our Happy Girl

Lindsay is the happiest baby I have ever met.  EVER.  She has a lot of her dad in her.  She's never met a stranger, and she makes you feel like a million bucks.  We're lucky to have her, and so lucky she's in our family. 

She's also a smart cookie and has lately been studying the bars on her crib to figure a way out.  This concerns me as Laney figured out how to jump out of the crib at 18 months.  I hope Lindsay doesn't follow in her sister's footsteps with that.  Have you ever tried to get an 18 month old to stay in a toddler bed?  They don't...

And finally a very recent picture of me and Arlin.  Actually this was his idea, and I'm happy he thought of it.  There's not many photos where we're both together.  I can't believe it's been 8 years since we've been married.  That makes me feel a little old ...

Why You Don't Leave Brandy Home Alone ... or Otherwise in Charge

This is what will happen to you or rather your homes, my friends, if you leave me in your home, alone, and in charge ...

Yep, that's what you think happened.  On a not too windy day, the top half of the chimney blew off the house.  Now how many of you can say that when you were at a friends' house and they left you alone for a bit, you watched their chimney blow off their house?  I bet not too many of you!

In my defense, I called them before it blew off, to try to convince them the chimney was LEANING and about to go.  Of course, being that something like this doesn't happen a lot, they thought I was crazy until, in the middle of my feeble attempts at convincing them, they heard, "Never mind.  There it went."  And I think it was the large crashing noise that convince them after all, not me.

My poor friends.  To their credit, they still let me come over, and even to be in the house alone.  Brave them!

I'm going to add this to my list of things I've seen and experienced right from the Twilight Zone that I don't know anyone else who has...

1. Chimney blew off house while I was watching home for my friends

2. Husband's car accident resulted in 3 months of complete memory loss - yes complete short and long term memory loss, and no he didn't remember me or you

3. 3 for 3 in premature water breaking while pregnant, with the final pregnancy resulting in my water breaking while we were in the ER for Arlin.  At least I picked the location well.  lol

4. Daughter had concussion from falling face first and hitting her chin (yes, her chin) on concrete at ripe old age of 4

5. Snowed out of town during great snowstorm of the year only to finally get back in town and then get snowed in 5 miles from home at a friends' house

I know there's more, but at this point, odd is par for my course and I just can't remember them to post them up here.  Those 5 are odd enough considering I'm only talking about events of the last 8 years.

Here Comes the Laney Bunny

Arlin purchased a bunny costume for the shop.  Laney found it one day in the bedroom and decided to check it out.

Lindsay wasn't quite sure what to make of the Laney Bunny.

A Loss of Innoncence

So Laney is 6 this year, soon to be 7.  Up until now I was pretty sure she was the most helpful, best behaved, smartest and cutest kid around (no offense to you other mothers out there, but it's true).  I've learned this past year, this year of first grade and being six, that there is some type of disease you catch from turning six.  It's a I know everything, I can tell you how to do it, and I'm still a kid so I don't know how to add coins or sets of 3 yet.  It's a very confusing contradictory time in a kids' life and I'm just the mom.  I'm not even the poor kid.

This year it seems Laney has a real loss of innoncence.  She has started misbehaving at school - nothing serious, nothing constant, but even to get the "Laney was not paying attention" note was a real shell shocker.  She's started spending time with a confirmed "naughty" girl in her class and a boy who gets in trouble a lot.  I've had the be careful about your friends talk already and I don't even think she understands all the vocabulary words in the sentences I'm using, or following my train of logic.  We've had talks and talks and talks.  And her grades are good when she feels like paying attention.  I know she comes by the talking gene naturally so I'm trying to be patient with that one, but I have to admit I feel I'm at a wall.  AND I'm scared.  I mean, she is only six!?

Can you tell me when kids typically have the loss of innoncence?  At what time does their naughtiness go from cute and annoying to worrisome and stressful?  When should I think she's getting started down the wrong path, and when should I remind myself she's six and this is not her life choice?  I hear bossy, picky six year old girls are pretty standard and run of the mill.  Girls who want to talk to their little girlfriends and who begin to think about having boyfriends (when boys are yucky)... But should I be panicky right about now?

Recent Pics

We been busy since Lindsay has come to town...NICU life, Christmas, New Year's, the great snowstorm of the century, moving, spring, life, the salon.  BUT, we do love our newest addition, and here are some pictures to prove it!

We just love our happy baby girl!