tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184046032011-09-14T08:41:51.098-04:00This is a place for family and friends to stay in touch and watch Emma and Allison grow up. It's all happening right before our eyes under Our Shady Tree.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.comBlogger1721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-58641694140257277172007-05-08T12:10:00.000-04:002007-05-08T12:12:30.474-04:00

Every Saturday morning we have a young woman come to the house to watch the girls so we can get things done around the house. E is currently working on a MFA in Writing Children’s Literature. She let us borrow some books to read to the girls. These books were amazing even though they were a little above Emma and Allison’s comprehension level. One of the most interesting and creative of those

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-40116498191061417572007-04-19T10:51:00.000-04:002007-04-19T10:57:13.194-04:00

There were five other couples in our adoption home study group. Our common struggles and hopes for having a family brought us close together. L & M were the first of us to bring a child home. E, their son, was such a beautiful baby and is now such a handsome little boy. I knew that Lisa worked for Virginia Tech. She took that job after E was born. She was so excited about it. One of her

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-12284805732287021682007-04-18T12:09:00.000-04:002007-04-18T12:13:04.501-04:00

You cannot destroy our spirit. You cannot kill our souls.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-7003487651811256262007-04-18T06:37:00.000-04:002007-04-18T06:43:19.731-04:00

I wondered which of the 2008 presidential hopefuls would take the tragedy that took place at Virginia Tech and attempt to make some political capital. I must say, though, that I'm outraged at the way in which this happened. Comparing the sadistic slaughter of innocent lives to the "verbal abuse" of Dom Imus? Is he serious? Is he so lost inside of his own intellect that he cannot see reality

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-67446107146789574952007-04-17T11:11:00.000-04:002007-04-17T11:12:30.828-04:00

Outside of Blacksburg I doubt that there is no place more dedicated and devoted to Virginia Tech than the Roanoke Valley. Traffic is a mess during the football season when there is a Hokie home game and there is no where you can turn where you don’t see a Virginia Tech flag, car magnet, sticker, or article of clothing. One of my wonderful neighbors played for VT in his day and you can’t help

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-49088223849052295262007-04-04T22:25:00.000-04:002007-04-04T22:37:07.149-04:00

I'm taking an extended vacation from blogging. I'm not sure when I'll post here or on The Jennifer Tree again. What I feel like writing most of the time I don't feel like making available to the world (boy, do I think highly of myself, eh?) I'm thinking that signals a time for introspection without considering what other people might say. I'll still be dropping by your blogs from time to time

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-37048353592526608602007-03-27T11:15:00.000-04:002007-03-27T11:18:11.140-04:00

When someone gets hurt at Emma and Allison’s daycare, the child is given a piece of ice wrapped in a paper towel or a sterile glove. So, when the girls get hurt at home, often they want to get one of the ice packs out of the freezer. The ice is rarely used for long. The mere presence of it seems to sooth them ~ or at least provides acknowledgement of their injury.Last night, Emma twisted her

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-67383400341667420082007-03-21T16:26:00.000-04:002007-03-21T16:27:33.763-04:00

I am not what anyone would consider a confrontational person. Every personality test I’ve taken has indicated that I am a supportive person who finds consensus more valuable than fighting for my point of view. I am a Libra for crying out loud. My dad simply summed it up at one point by telling me that I am a “pleaser.”That’s not the case when it comes to my children. We went to a birthday

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-37603563849028846052007-03-12T17:33:00.001-04:002007-03-12T17:33:44.017-04:00

For quite some time now, Emma has been calling Allison “baby” or “Allycat” when she is mad at Ally or otherwise wants to get a rise out of her. Allycat is actually one of Allison’s nicknames, but for some reason, Emma’s not allowed to use it. Either baby or Allycat does the trick and has her crying that she’s not a baby or she’s not an allycat. You would think that Ann Coulter was in the house

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-22179366846480781572007-03-02T18:06:00.000-05:002007-03-02T18:22:53.507-05:00

Recently, both girls have been playing Mommy a lot. They love their babies, ask Danny and me to baby sit and help calm down a crying baby, change, dress, and even put them to sleep. As a sign of how mature she’s getting, last weekend Emma spent a good two and a half hours quietly caring for Kelsey and Alicia, her two babies. I’m sure that for Emma that some of this playacting is due to our recent

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-68213696766565455542007-03-01T18:04:00.001-05:002007-03-01T18:04:53.613-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I fixed the link to 52 Books or Bust. You can actually get to it now if you are interested.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-53018903768440755082007-03-01T17:55:00.000-05:002007-03-01T18:03:48.652-05:00

Knowing that Heidi had been born made Emma and me want to get there as soon as we could. Thankfully our drive to Charlotte (Emma only mentioned how long the drive was 50 times during the 2 hours and 45 minutes) and our two flights went smoothly. The only thing that I could kick myself about was that I forgot to bring a camera. I didn't get any pictures of Emma at the airport or on the plane.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-68935184463748901132007-02-22T17:30:00.000-05:002007-02-22T17:40:44.415-05:00

Heidi Barbara was born to my sister, Donielle, and her husband on Saturday, February 17. She weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces and is 20 inches long. We received the phone call from Donielle just five hours before Emma and I were scheduled to leave for Chicago to visit her family. It was perfect timing.Heidi is gorgeous and is such a good baby. I got off the hook pretty easily. I had very

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-9417901531034385912007-02-14T10:08:00.001-05:002007-02-14T18:08:14.115-05:00

We just found out this morning that Ryan O'Hara, Danny's second cousin, was killed in a tragic car crash. Ryan was one of three brothers in a very close knit family. He was a college student with a bright future. Please pray for Ryan, his brothers, and his parents, Barbara and Terrence.Ryan, may you be in peace with Christ.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-72730351701329396102007-02-08T16:37:00.000-05:002007-02-08T16:57:53.466-05:00

Updated at the endLast night, when I picked Allison up from daycare, Allison had just gotten over throwing a fit. When A, the evening daycare teacher, last changed her, Allison through a fit because she wanted to wear a pull up, not a diaper. For the next hour she cried for me and kept saying that I would come with her pull ups. A. felt very bad for her. This is the first recorded 60 minute fit

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-79766562443249181702007-02-05T16:24:00.000-05:002007-02-05T16:30:28.674-05:00

While getting ready Saturday morning, Emma decided that she had to wear the skirt Grandma gave her for Christmas and a t-shirt. Since it was too cold to go outside, I let her wear what she wanted. Allison, which should come as no surprise, followed right behind her. At some point after I'd put in their "hair bows," Emma told Allison that "if you want to wear a skirt, t-shirt, hair bows, and

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-11877583498645862272007-02-01T15:02:00.000-05:002007-02-01T15:12:23.796-05:00

A local grocery store sponsored an in-doors carnival at the Civic Center. Danny, the girls, and I joined our friends and had a great time. The kids seemed to have fun on the rides, but you can't tell that by these pictures (which I couldn't get full-sized). Emma is on a boat in case you can't tell. BUT, they certainly enjoyed the cotton candy! This was Allison's first encounter and her messy,

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-19663109861871062632007-01-30T16:02:00.000-05:002007-01-30T16:03:28.951-05:00

Let’s say you have the following matching items that you would like to sell from the nursery set that your two daughters used: the comforter, crib skirt and bumper, two sets of sheets, three wall hangings, the lamp, the bouncy seat, the mobile, and one almost complete roll of matching wallpaper and a three foot segment from a second roll. Let’s go even further and mention that all of those items

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-18858787589353724882007-01-26T17:12:00.000-05:002007-01-26T17:18:27.040-05:00

Last night Emma had all of us sit in a circle to listen to her Care Bear tell the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It was pretty funny to have her pretend to be a bossy, yet caring teacher. While the bear was reading the story, I looked around at us and Allison was sitting in a way that we used to call Indian style. Now they call it criss-cross applesauce. This was the first time I've

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-90323230334761520832007-01-25T12:36:00.001-05:002007-01-25T12:36:38.277-05:00

Allison has started to tell us that she loves things. After I got back from my whirlwind Michigan weekend, I gave her the Dora hat that my mother sent back for her. “I love my hat!” she cried immediately upon seeing it. She’s pretty happy to wear it and also enjoys sleeping with it at night. There is no doubt that she really does love that hat. She also loves different articles of her

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-6691790269929965022007-01-25T12:35:00.002-05:002007-01-25T12:36:21.334-05:00

Last weekend we had a great time together. The kids were well behaved and we all just enjoyed playing together and being in each other’s company. Due to inclement weather, my company opened two hours later than usual. We had a good morning getting ready at a much less frenzied pace. Danny put a new copy of Raffi in the DVD player and the girls, especially Allison, were singing away to “The

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-33049817294367202742007-01-25T12:35:00.001-05:002007-01-25T12:35:49.474-05:00

We recently moved Allison permanently into Emma’s room. For the first week or so it was relatively smooth sailing. We had incidents with Emma getting up and coming into the living room, but given the fact that we previously stayed with the girls individually until they were asleep, this was a vast improvement.After a while, the vast improvement no longer felt that way and we were on the verge

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-66777186142854838172007-01-24T17:39:00.000-05:002007-01-24T17:45:53.169-05:00

DD!After much deliberation, I've created and named the newest addition to my blogs: The Jennifer Tree. Although I batted around several ideas (Mark and Danny were so close to getting the candy bar and dedication together with Chainsaw Therapy), I followed DD's advice and connected the name of my personal blog to this one.It is with pride that I announce the birth of The Jennifer Tree.Hopefully

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-78086229243768551092007-01-17T15:54:00.000-05:002007-01-17T15:56:15.956-05:00

The idea behind Our Shady Tree was to keep everyone up-to-date on my family. This blog really ended up being more about my struggles with life, depression, anxiety, weight issues, therapy and other things that have happened that are far removed from my family-life. I would like Our Shady Tree to finally be what it is intended to be: stories, pictures, joys, and struggles of raising my daughters

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-42474678640762779212007-01-10T17:08:00.000-05:002007-01-10T17:10:59.524-05:00

I’ve been doing a lot of reading recently. Most of my reading has been taking place around 2 or 2:30 in the morning. For whatever reason, I always wake up at that time. If I don’t immediately fall back asleep and I’m involved in a book, I go into our master bathroom (it’s huge), sit down in the rocking chair and read for an hour or so. You might think that losing sleep like that would exhaust

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-77358193287278236982007-01-10T16:38:00.002-05:002007-01-10T16:41:23.332-05:00

There has been so much going on since Christmas. I actually wrote down a list for my therapy session this morning so that I wouldn’t forget. A vast majority of them dealt with one loss or the other: loss of regular routine; loss of patience; loss of opportunities to rest; loss of trust in a priest and institution; loss of a wonderful employee; loss of a good friend at work; the loss of family

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-90790299116531420242007-01-10T16:38:00.001-05:002007-01-10T16:38:39.494-05:00

Eunice, my mother-in-law, has two best friends: Myrtle and Martha. Myrtle is her cousin and is Martha’s mother. Martha lives with Myrtle and cares for her. She also is there to help my in-laws when Danny and I are unavailable. On Monday, Myrtle passed away. She was 97. Although it’s sad that she’s gone, she had a good quality of life until the very end. Martha died of a heart attack at 4am

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-21023744487424754632007-01-08T16:54:00.000-05:002007-01-08T16:57:02.282-05:00

What a busy holiday season! Although I didn’t have as much to do at the last minute as I have in the past, I don’t feel like Danny or I have been able to rest since the weekend of Thanksgiving. Today I feel weary and I know that I won’t find any relief any time soon.I really shouldn’t even mention being tired. My family has been quite blessed this Christmas. The girls, especially Emma, were

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-3360505904878971882006-12-15T15:40:00.000-05:002006-12-15T17:56:48.999-05:00

It doesn’t happen very often any longer, but last night was one of those nights where Emma waited to tell me that she had to go to the bathroom after I got Allison strapped into her car seat and we were on the way to put her in the car. I remained patient. I got Allison back out and went back into the daycare building. As per usual, Emma had to go Number 1 and Number 2. If there was a competition

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-91365888969743418422006-12-14T17:45:00.000-05:002006-12-14T17:51:00.213-05:00

Emma had her first Christmas program Tuesday night. The three preschool classes performed together in front of JCPenneys at the mall. I found out about it the morning of, so I had to run to Wal-Mart during lunch and pick up a red shirt. I was excited. It’s a preview of coming attractions. Kindergarten is only a one and a half school year’s away.At dinner before the performance, Emma kept

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-64488160382060255892006-12-14T17:31:00.000-05:002006-12-14T17:44:25.141-05:00

Thirteen Things about Michigan, its People, and its Places1. We have absolutely no accent (assuming you're not from the UP).2. It's the only state that allows you to use a body part to show outsiders where you grew up (assuming you're not from the UP).3. It has the best fresh water beaches along the west side (Lake Michigan).4. It's one of the only places Madonna won't go.5. School isn't

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-44237114087596381982006-12-12T17:24:00.001-05:002006-12-13T02:22:34.237-05:00

How many people do you allow to look inside the darkest part of your heart? Have you ever even acknowledged its existence? Can you be honest with yourself about it? Can you really know a person without knowing that dark place? Are people capable of hiding the evil that lurks within or do others simply ignore clues out of fear of where they will lead?__________________________My father called me

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-60730464301443723632006-12-11T18:20:00.000-05:002006-12-11T18:22:09.772-05:00

We found out that E selected us to be her baby’s adoptive parents on a September afternoon. That night, it occurred to me that my Grandma D would never meet my children. I don’t know if it was the height of my emotional state to begin with, but this thought made me very sad. There is always the hope that she sees my family from heaven. I thought about it that way to get back to the joy I

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-55246054379040696132006-12-08T10:41:00.000-05:002006-12-08T10:42:10.778-05:00

It’s about that time when you inevitably think about what your life is going to be like during the New Year. I’m not making any New Year’s Resolutions for 2007. I can’t ever remember one that I’ve completed successfully anyway. It may be the thing to do, but I’m checking out this year. Instead, I’ve been thinking about ways in which I want to shape my life. Here is a list of some hopes and

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-75615528496589324952006-12-07T16:13:00.000-05:002006-12-07T16:26:45.339-05:00

Ho! Ho! Ho! We're getting ready for Christmas.Santa visited at Danny's office yesterday. I took the girls by after work. It's a nice time to visit with the children of people we are close to there. You don't realize how much difference a year makes until it comes around.Ally wasn't interested in seeing Santa. "Mommy, I like Santa more." [trans. I don't like Santa anymore] For the price of a

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-47423047167213316982006-12-03T19:58:00.000-05:002006-12-03T20:02:32.414-05:00

Right now I'm sitting at Danny's computer with Ally on my lap. Since all my favorite blogs are linked to on my page, I go there any then branch out from there. Every two seconds, Ally either wanted to look at my signature picture or another picture of other children. Even as I type, she's poking my face saying, "Do gen! Do gen!" Now, to add to the excitement, I'll have Allison type y'all a

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-84177806837091117392006-11-29T23:36:00.000-05:002006-11-29T23:47:47.601-05:00

Today I read a couple of posts about adoption from the perspective of the other sides of the triad. I first read a post written by Third Mom in response to a recent study that suggested that more care should be taken with parents (mainly mothers) who place a child for adoption both before and after the adoption takes place. Third Mom is an adoptive mother with a heart for first mothers. They

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-89718523178078926932006-11-21T14:31:00.000-05:002006-11-28T09:29:01.897-05:00

*Update*Emma loves bugs. She loves to look at them. She loves to hunt them with her Daddy. She loves to kill them herself when they are in the house.Allison is also interested in bugs - from a distance. Actual bugs don't seem to bother her much, but imagined ones are quite frightening to her.A couple of Saturdays ago, Danny was giving the girls a bath. Allison saw a piece of lint in the bath

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-206277457015098652006-11-20T17:23:00.000-05:002006-11-20T17:35:55.221-05:00

Our family was invited to a bonfire at the church attended by one of the girls’ daycare teachers as well as someone I know from my 9 to 5. We all ate well and had a great time. While we were there, I kept thinking about how nice their community was. Oh, I’m sure that there are squabbles and disagreements just like there are at any congregation. That night, there was really a sense of togetherness

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-19539416769259354842006-11-17T17:42:00.000-05:002006-11-20T17:28:16.101-05:00

Update at the End... in every young child’s life when are caught breaking the 8th commandment. For one young four-year-old I know, that time is today.Friday is my standing lunch date with Emma. I picked her up to take her to JC Penneys to get some knit pants. She fights having to wear anything else most of the time and I’m tired of fighting that battle. On the drive to the mall, Emma announced: "

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-38691287373202727852006-11-15T23:26:00.000-05:002006-11-16T00:20:19.078-05:00

I am finally posting about the girls' birthday party. We had a great time. Emma was very excited about her costume. Allison's didn't last long. As for the hostess, I wouldn't wear another Halloween wig for two hours again to save my life. Ahh... the sacrifices we moms make... We couldn't have asked for better weather at the end of October. The sun was out and it was nice enough not to wear

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1163027065982080522006-11-08T18:03:00.000-05:002006-11-11T13:32:30.979-05:00

We had a cross departmental meeting this evening to go over a project that was just released into production. Our VP led the meeting. While waiting for the last person to arrive, he welcomed back one of my co-workers from her maternity leave and asked about her baby. I happened to be sitting next to this co-worker. After he finished talking with her, he looked at me kind of funny. Then he

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1162853526558670722006-11-06T17:51:00.000-05:002006-11-11T13:32:30.641-05:00

I haven’t had much of a chance to write since my last post. I just wanted to thank every single person who has supported me over the past two years. I couldn’t have made it through without you. I appreciate all of you and pray for you every day.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1162421587498169962006-11-01T17:49:00.000-05:002006-11-11T13:32:30.456-05:00

After Danny and I found out that I was pregnant, we agreed that if we had another girl, Grace would be part of her name. We were first struck by that name before the pregnancy while watching an Adoption Story. If I remember correctly, a subtitle after a commercial break contained that word in a beautiful statement. Once I became pregnant, that name fit even better for me because I felt that this

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1162245535370326322006-10-30T16:40:00.000-05:002006-11-11T13:32:29.905-05:00

On our way to daycare and out of the deep blue sky, this morning Emma announced, "I just pooted (passed gas) with my vagina."I always assumed that I would be able to talk about any such topic with straight forward facts. No problem, right? If I hadn't been driving, I might have tried to run away. I'm not sure why this embarrassed me.I didn't want to leave her statement unanswered. It felt like

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1162181703130689312006-10-29T22:55:00.000-05:002006-11-11T13:32:29.583-05:00

In an attempt to stop the bickering over the baby from Emma's Barbie nursery set or the Tinkerbell cell phone, we took the kids downstairs for a change of scenary this afternoon. Thankfully, it worked. They played on the beanbag and played on the slide. They took turns and had a much better time.At one point, Allison dumped out the pieces of one of Emma's puzzles. After a few minutes, she went

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1162180513713166412006-10-29T22:47:00.000-05:002006-11-11T13:32:29.050-05:00

Yesterday was My Shady Tree's first anniversary. As per usual, I'm late in celebrating... So be it.I can't say that it's been a great year, but who cares? I made it through. If this month is any indication, life it changing with the time. This has probably been one of the best months of my life.I wish that I had the time and energy to fully explain why, but I've witnessed first hand how

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1160172213591054132006-10-06T18:01:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:28.718-05:00

Y'all might think I'm crazy for the way that I reacted to the man with Buffalo Bill's voice, but it's time for you to think again. The danger is real!http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/10007206/detail.html

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1160170906386847622006-10-06T17:38:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:28.426-05:00

As much as I don’t like the idea of turning 35, it has been good to me so far:My lovely sister, Donielle, sent me Weight Watchers’ new Walking Kit. I love it! It has a DVD for walking inside, a CD for walking outside and a book that includes a program. It is truly wonderful.My other equally lovely and talented sister, Meridith, sent me my presents from both herself and my parents. She put a “Do

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1159999979456789692006-10-04T17:59:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:28.154-05:00

Today I got my first listen to The Killers new CD. Although reviews are mixed, I'm loving it! That being said, the first single is entitled, "When You Were Young." I think that someone is really trying to tell me something. ;)I've discovered that Adobe FrameMaker has saved my life (figuratively, of course). I can't tell you how much I love it. I'm beginning to feel a little bit like a nerd

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1159913652853804722006-10-03T18:07:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:27.865-05:00

One thing that I’ve always prided is my clear skin. In high school, if I had more than one pimple at a time, it was a major crisis for me. I remember faking a stomach ache one day during my Junior year because I had three zits. I just couldn’t face the public.Jump to the present… Not long after I went on my medication for anxiety in June, I noticed that the skin on the sides of my face started

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1159452876960688942006-09-28T10:10:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:27.530-05:00

This morning, as I walked into the lobby of my building, I noticed another person at the other end. My first thought: The woman looks like a cross dresser – too tall, weird hat, broad shoulders, etc. We met in the middle of the lobby just before I was to turn right to head to my office. This person most definitely was a cross dresser. This unfortunate man put a lot of effort into looking like a

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1159066532376937612006-09-23T22:54:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:27.285-05:00

Update: Danny's mother is doing fine. They checked to make sure that the arteries in her neck weren't involved. Thankfully they were not. Thank you so much for all of your prayers. I'm sorry for not posting this update sooner!We got a call about an hour ago from Danny's father. Eunice's blood pressure had gone sky high and the paramedics were there. Danny is with them now and I believe that

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1159066283295474362006-09-23T22:51:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:27.035-05:00

Thank you so much to all of you who responded to my last post and/or kept me in your prayers. My appointment with Susan went very well. I read my post to her, cried a lot, and worked on where to go from there. I left there feeling even better than I did when I finished writing the post that morning. A good portion of what I'm going through can be attributed to the changing seasons, but we've

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1158741295192019462006-09-20T04:03:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:26.770-05:00

I have an appointment with my therapist tomorrow morning. My assignment for the meeting prior was to write a letter to my body. I wrote that letter and it was less than pretty. Quite honestly, my body did not deserve such a vicious attack. It's just an easy target. My assignment for this month is to write a letter from my body to me. Thus far, I've been unable to do that. I can't relate to my

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1157990089774796342006-09-11T11:54:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:26.430-05:00

Five years ago today it was a Tuesday. It was an absolutely gorgeous early fall day in southwest Virginia. Out of courtesy, the day should have been more like it is today: foggy, misty rain, and dark. A warning. An invitation to remain in bed and remain innocent just a little while longer.I remember the cell phone call from Danny letting me know that a plane had hit the Twin Towers. My

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1157775018328656752006-09-09T00:05:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:26.067-05:00

[Melissa has been posting 5 blessings every day for a while now. I'm not quite that energetic. I'll start with 5 weekly blessings - in no particular order]1. The weather has grown cooler and less humid.2. I was able to read "Feeding the Hungry Heart" by Geenen Roth.3. Despite the resignation of one of my employees, I'm really enjoying my job these days.4. Danny turned the TV on at just the right

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1157774649221031302006-09-08T23:36:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:25.817-05:00

[Insert the beautiful song of the angels of heaven] Allison is a joker, a prankster and always on the lookout for games. She is always thinking ahead to what she can do next to amuse herself. She has such a spark of life in her that her smile or devilish grin can light a room and warm your heart. I love this very much about her. In junior high and high school, I wished to have three boys just

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1157772953367920722006-09-08T23:24:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:25.592-05:00

Some people would not link the words "spontaneous," "fun," and "Sam' Club" together. Oh, they are soooo wrong! I needed to go to Sam's today to pick up a prescription. The idea popped into my head, "Why not pick Emma up and take her with me?" And so I did (spontaneity). When she saw me come into her classroom, she jumped up and ran to give me a hug. I told her we were going to Sam's Club to get

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1157419847339139672006-09-04T21:23:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:25.375-05:00

Danny usually eats part his breakfast in the office. When he walked out this morning, I asked him if there was any news. Watching The Wiggles and Higgly Town Heroes doesn't keep you up on the world's happenings. He hadn't checked anything other than email. Danny went back into his office and our attention returned to Playhouse Disney. Not long afterwards, Danny came back out and said that

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1156734984966010532006-08-27T22:46:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:25.097-05:00

Emma:1) She's getting very close to tying a bow. She can make the first loop and brings the other string around. It's pulling the string through to make the second loop that's getting in her way. When Danny had her show me her new talent, I was amazed!2) She's getting much better at coloring in the lines. She's very proud of this and should be. I can't believe how she's growing up.3) While

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1156732240872630312006-08-27T22:03:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:24.744-05:00

Blogging has not been my thing this month. I've had several drafts written in Word or in my head, but they never made their way here. I guess they just weren't that important. Mostly I thought better of them before I aired them to the public - probably for the best. A couple of wonderful mommy-blogger posts sent me flailing to a place that not one of my dear readers should ever have to go -

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1155674412355617582006-08-15T16:26:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:24.464-05:00

Situation: I went to visit a friend in the hospital the day after she delivered her baby. During my visit, her doctor walked in the room. He was so attractive I could hardly believe my eyes. After he left, I told my friend that I couldn't believe how hot he was. She said that she didn't really think about it. I gave it some thought and I just don't think that I could see an OB/GYN that I

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1155331379709260082006-08-11T17:21:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:24.218-05:00

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1154490213801983482006-08-01T23:21:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:23.898-05:00

Night 2 - not so pleasant as night 1. I lost sleep for sure, but I reasured myself that this was better than the alternative of getting no sleep while Allison screamed, wailed and convulsed.Night 3 - the best night yet. Allison's new bedtime arrangements and routine really seem to suit her. She was up twice, but I was back in bed within 5 minutes both times. She doesn't want to have her

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1154309944690096582006-07-30T21:29:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:22.933-05:00

I hope to not be speaking too soon, but we've had a bedtime success in our house over the weekend. Ally did not sleep for one second in my bed last night (although at 6:30 I went in there hoping that she would sleep with me...)Our original plan was to put her crib downstairs in the guest room. I would sleep on the futon and "let her cry it out" until she slept by herself through the night. Danny

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1154025906128210762006-07-27T14:44:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:22.628-05:00

S. had her biopsies today and the doctor knew for certain that it was an abscess. He was able to drain it in his office. Now they just need to find out why this keeps happening to her.Thank you so much for your prayers!

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1153852448666595552006-07-25T21:04:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:22.147-05:00

Where is my sense of responsibility to my loyal readers? I’ve used my blog to celebrate the arrival of my two nephews and I know that one and all have rejoiced with me. I did not even think about providing you with pictures. For this, I apologize!Here are pictures of my two beautiful boys – Trent and Caden. Trent and his adoring family (and isn't Mallory a doll, too?) Peaceful CadenA special

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1153856309145932162006-07-25T15:36:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:22.425-05:00

Trista has recently started a feature on her blog called Mom2Mom Tips. Her first post was about rewarding your children inexpensively. One of her suggestions was to give high fives. I started using that with Emma this weekend and it has been great. On Sunday we were invited to go to the swimming club that our friends have joined. Emma and I get together with Charlie and his family as often

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1153851985019745392006-07-25T14:25:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:21.973-05:00

I have a friend who is quite in need of prayers. For the past two years or so, S has been very sick with one infection or the other. She’s had three surgeries during that time and the level of infection increases with each one. They have found that her lymph nodes are flooded with infection and she’s started to have a lot of inflammation over the past couple of weeks. Since then, a mass of

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1153766523230015472006-07-24T14:40:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:21.737-05:00

While the entire family gathered at my parent’s house after Grandma’s party, we got to talking about having babies and finding out the sex prior to the baby’s birth. Being in a room with a newborn and a VERY pregnant woman, those topics are bound to come up. Both Rob and Erica and Meridith and Derek chose not to learn the sex of their babies until they were born. Meridith was curious to find out

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1153575819800660082006-07-22T09:41:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:21.522-05:00

Trent James was born last night at just before midnight. He is the son of my sister, Meridith, and her husband Derek. He was 7 pounds even and 19 1/2 inches long. Our family is so very blessed. I am on cloud nine to have two nieces and now to have two nephews. Please join me in saying a prayer of thanksgiving for my beautiful nephew Trent.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1153537015549984572006-07-21T22:54:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:21.296-05:00

Check out this post from a new blog I've found thanks to Danny. You won't regret it. I would kill for this woman's genius.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1153515798135153252006-07-21T17:02:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:21.008-05:00

Today is the last day that Ms. A. will be working at the girls’ daycare. She was Emma’s teacher between the ages of 24 months and 32 months. She was wonderful and I looked forward to chitchatting with her everyday. She’s moving to Florida to live near her family. As much as I hate to see her go, I can very well understand the pull that being near home can have. During my lunch break I went

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1153511122222404612006-07-21T15:44:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:20.728-05:00

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. Last week we were in wonderful Grand Rapids, Michigan visiting a new nephew, family and friends. The kids traveled well and we had a great time.I was treated to an entire afternoon of pampering. Trista generously split her day long gift to the spa with me. I will be forever in her debt. We had full body massages, pedicures, got our hair styled (after

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1152191718569543442006-07-06T09:13:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:20.526-05:00

I am proud to announce that Caden Koinonia was born last night at quarter to 10pm. He is the son of my brother Rob and his beautiful wife, Erica. I cannot tell you how thrilled we are to have a new member of our family. It's a joy to have a nephew.Please join me in saying a prayer of thanksgiving for Caden and Co. today.It's a beautiful day!

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1151703456779876392006-06-30T17:33:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:20.274-05:00

Ever since colic and post-partum depression struck, I have – in true Dutch fashion – been busy plugging holes with my fingers (I’ve only got 10 that can’t span very far) instead of taking the time and energy to rebuild and refurbish the dam. Patching the smaller breaches as they pop up allows you keep yourself in denial. It allows you to overlook the fact that the ultimate source of those

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1151691927354711822006-06-30T14:23:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:20.065-05:00

* Reprinted from various email messagesFirst #1) Allison came down with diarrhea. Although there have been occasional instances that could qualify as diarrhea in the past, our first case of multiple, consistent diarrhea started Saturday morning.First #2) On Saturday afternoon while Allison went down for her nap, I told Emma that she could avoid taking a nap herself if she played quietly in her

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1151009913327363612006-06-22T16:57:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:19.769-05:00

Today marks the 20th 22nd day of the month since Allison Marie Grace joined our family. I can’t tell you how much I love her and cherish her. What got off to a rocky start has turned into a warm breeze of a ride along the beach at sunset. She is growing everyday into a more charismatic and loving daughter, sister and little girl. I am astonished that someone so beautiful, joyful and unique

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1150977921708690372006-06-22T08:01:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:19.438-05:00

I got this idea from my brilliant friend - who does not drink Diet Coke or Coke of any kind... Thank you for thinking outside of the box for me.I am collecting Coke Reward Points this summer. If you drink Coke products and get Reward Points and do not claim them, I would be so happy if you sent them my way. They are under 20 ounce and 2-liter drink caps and on the inside flap of 12 pack cases.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1150917258090555442006-06-21T15:09:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:19.159-05:00

Here are the pictures I promised of Nick and Emily Maximiv's adorable flower girl...She may be heading in the wrong direction, but Emma's spreading flower petals perfectly. Thomas and Emma take a break on the grass while waiting for their pictures to be taken.Emma shares her first slow dance with Thomas. Nick's grandmother taught them where to put their arms and how to sway. It was too cute.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1150144279600847572006-06-12T16:30:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:18.843-05:00

** Pictures to follow later **Nick, one of my employees, got married on Saturday. He and his wife Emily asked Emma to be their flower girl. So, Emma took her second jaunt down the aisle in just under two short years. By all accounts, Emma was beautiful and perfect. You don’t need to take my word for it. Still, you will have to believe my hearsay… :)Saturday morning I had Emma practice spreading

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1149733548778927692006-06-07T22:22:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:18.525-05:00

On the drive back home from Emma’s picnic, I thought about the moments E spent with Emma before we came to the hospital the day after she was born. Almost immediately after meeting E, P and S, Danny and I decided that we wanted to remain involved with them. Letters, email and pictures wouldn’t be enough. We would miss them if we never saw them. We spoke to the social worker about arranging

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1149644255278683072006-06-06T21:07:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:18.152-05:00

Saturday marked Emma's fourth annual picnic with E, her birthmother, and Grandma (P) and Grandpa B (S), her maternal birth-grandparents. It was a wonderful time for us all. As much as E, P and S feel blessed by our continued physical contact, our family is blessed tenfold. I cannot tell you how life affirming those times are for us. I am looking forward to the day when Emma has a better

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1149642411660027012006-06-06T20:48:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:17.891-05:00

Sunday afternoon I dropped Allison off at Danny's parent's house so that I could do a little shopping in peace. It was a nice couple of hours all to myself (finding a cute outfit at Target for under $20 was icing on the cake). When I went to pick Ally up, Granny had some wonderful news: Allison told them that she had to pee. They set up the toilet seat trainer for her, stripped her down and

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1149641209993071722006-06-06T20:39:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:17.569-05:00

I haven't been able to do nearly as much blogging and reading as I would like to these days. Things at my 9 to 5 are becoming increasingly unsettled. We only have dial up access at home, so I used my breaks and lunch time to do most of my posting and surfing. That won't be the case any longer. If I haven't visited your site in a while, please don't think it's because I'm too busy for you. That's

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1149627154898973582006-06-06T16:50:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:16.928-05:00

I scrapbooked three pages for Emma last night. I finished the Ft. Sumter and Children Museum pages. They turned out really nice. Once I finish the ocean pages from our trip she'll be caught up to Allison. Whoo Hoo!

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1149126357115072032006-05-31T21:06:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:16.390-05:00

We missed you, Mark!Up until last Thursday, the weather had been cool and miserable for someone desperately waiting for warm weather. Trista, Abby and Ethan were set to arrive for a Memorial Day weekend visit and I wanted the weather to be a pleasant change from Michigan. Well, the temperature far exceeded my expectations. As they say... be careful what you ask for. It was so hot and sticky

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1148325725355702042006-05-22T15:20:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:15.980-05:00

When I first moved to this area, Danny joked about how he ran into someone he knew just about every time he went out. Where I live now is smaller than where I grew up, but not that small. Turns out you can’t even be robbed by someone here who isn’t somehow connected to you. Danny called me Thursday afternoon. As it turns out, the 18 year old who stole my credit card is the friend of Danny’s

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1148004220475928632006-05-18T21:25:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:15.658-05:00

Danny recently wrote an interesting post about the upcoming release of Ron Howards' "The Da Vinci Code." It is a hot topic this summer and there are strong opinions on both sides. My history with this subject is very limited. When the book first came out, my sister read it and enjoyed it. Her email about it convinced me to get on the waiting list at my local library. I tried to read it, but I

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1148001860256623732006-05-18T21:06:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:15.342-05:00

Emma and Allison are like a unit that has always been together. Every day they become closer and closer. It's a sweet thing to watch.Tonight we went to Burger King for dinner. Emma picked the restaurant. Apparently, just with Taco Bell, Charlie likes to eat there. It just so happens that our local Burger King has a small outdoor play area. I'm not sure how, but I got them to eat inside the

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1147979737602460732006-05-18T15:11:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:14.999-05:00

Ever since I’ve gotten back from Las Vegas, Allison has really started touching me with her words. It happens mostly when she awakes in the night and wants to come into bed. I’m not exactly sure what this says about me, but I’m thankful that my attempt to teach her to sleep through the night by herself never went anywhere.Not too long after I went to bed the first night back, Allison started to

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1147815474481346402006-05-16T17:28:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:14.016-05:00

I am coming a little late to Her Bad Mother’s contest to love the heck out of other MommyBloggers you call friends. Over the past 19 months, I’ve experienced the worst lows of my life. The upside to that is that I’ve discovered just how lucky I am. Blogging and reading other blogs has been therapeutic. I’m not sure what I would have done without them. I’m adding my Ode to the post-Mother’s Day

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1147725139099089902006-05-15T16:30:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:13.571-05:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful, relaxing Mother’s Day.My gift from my children and my husband was seeing “Mamma Mia” in Las Vegas. Still, I had a nice, leisurely day that felt so wonderful. During Allison’s nap I started reading a book entitled Light on Snow by Anita Shreve. I picked it back up after Allison went to sleep for the night. By the time I went to bed, I had finished the book

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1147712181680124002006-05-15T12:55:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:13.343-05:00

Emma has become obsessed with bugs – ants in particular. When we’re outside, you’re more likely to find her crouched down with her face near the ground than you are to see her walking upright. Saturday she spent a good 45 minutes in our yard in an area where there are/were a lot of ant hills. At one point she showed me the ants she had caught. There were three or four in the palm of her hand.

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1147711639963962632006-05-15T12:46:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:13.155-05:00

Allison is watching everything that Emma does. Last night during their bath, Emma started to wash herself. She’s really good at taking her own bathes and does not like any part of the bath that she cannot do herself (don’t ask about getting her hair washed). As Emma washes her body parts, Allison makes the same gesture on her own body. It is really cute. I told Emma that she was Allison’s

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1147711471904388942006-05-15T12:43:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:12.889-05:00

There is a Taco Bell at the intersection we go through every day to leave daycare. In recent months, Emma has been pointing that out to me on an almost daily basis. The Friday before I left for Las Vegas, I decided to take the kids there to eat. This intersection is also the through way used to get to the local Wal-Mart. It would not be an understatement to say that this intersection is a

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1147469883869972332006-05-12T17:37:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:12.567-05:00

Earlier this year my VISA card was stolen. As this was not the main card that I used, I didn’t notice that it was gone until the credit card company called us about some suspicious charges. One of those charges was for over $4,000. Danny and I worked with the credit card company to detail what was and what was not a valid charge. They credited our account for everything that we did not

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1147449957831287682006-05-12T12:04:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:12.264-05:00

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed Las Vegas. The conference was educational and enjoyable. The other attendees that I met were very helpful to me – especially as we are looking into purchasing new “tools of the trade.” Thankfully I attended this conference before we purchased anything. It was definitely enriching to me where I am today and where I want to go in the future. I attended

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18404603.post-1147105566124012932006-05-08T12:13:00.000-04:002006-11-11T13:32:11.993-05:00

I am here in Vegas at the Paris hotel and loving every minute. My first conference isn't until 11am Vegas time so I'm checking in while I have the chance. We got in last night/this morning around 1am Eastern Standard time. I got a second wind that lasted until I finished unpacking. I had the most wonderful peanut butter crepes for breakfast this morning. It was so rich that I'm going to have

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15988244502155885428noreply@blogger.com1