Up, Up, and AWAY!

As many of my blogging friends have already done this weekend we made it out to the Plano Balloon Festival this afternoon. Haley invited us to go with her and the kiddos (Rob was out of town) and it was great!

We loaded all the little ones up in a couple of strollers for the mile hike to the festival grounds. I'm just going to go ahead and count that as my exercise for the week.

We made our way to the kids area where they ripped parents off by requiring tickets for inflatables. I mean really, two dollars to spend 10 minutes in line and 15 seconds going down a slide? Please.

Of course we weren't aware there would be charges for these activities until AFTER we'd dangled the promise of raucous fun in the bounce house in front of the kids ("Yes, this is a long walk but we're going to the BOUNCE HOUSE! Yippie!") and they'd laid their eyes on all the brightly colored, oh-so-fun activities.

Sigh.

They enjoyed the bounce house.



I thought the evening was going to be a disaster because Bennett was being terribly cranky and clingy.

But apparently some festival-food sustenance was all that was needed to cure the babies' crankiness and the older ones' disappointment over not being able to go down the Spiderman AND Batman slides.

Corn dogs are yummy!

The funnel cakes were a hit too. This mama does love her some funnel cake so I joined in the skirmish for my share.



Soon after we'd settled down with our artery-clogging dinner the balloons started to go up. It was really fun to watch!







As interest in the hot air balloons waned, Charly combed Bennett's hair with a corn dog stick. I think he enjoyed the attention from her. She's such a sweet big-sister figure to him.


I'm so excited that Bennett gets to grow up with such special friends as these.


And I just have to include this picture of Haley and Charly because they are so darn cute.


After all the balloons had flown off into the sunset (except for one cool-looking rain forest one that never got off the ground) we packed up for our trek back to the car. I'll count that as next week's work-out.

That's fair, right?


All in all I'll say the Balloon Festival was a hit! We'll definitely plan on coming back next year. Although next time I'll bring more water (we were parched!) and will also consider packing a picnic dinner and limiting promises of unlimited inflatable fun.

I've Done It

I've finally made my first cloth diaper purchase.

I first considered cloth diapering when I was pregnant with Bennett. One might ask, "Why would that ever cross your mind?" There are a few things (in no particular order):

* I can appreciate lessening our impact on the environment by forgoing disposables.

* I like the idea of having less chemicals constantly in contact with my baby's bum. (Since B was born we've noticed that he has had reactions to certain brands of diapers.)

* I personally prefer cloth underwear to paper, so I can concieve that they could be more comfortable for a baby.

* I'm not terribly intimidated by the "gross factor" or extra laundry.

* I've heard rumors that cloth-diapered kiddos potty train earlier on average because they can feel that they are wet.

* Let's not minimize the fact that I LOVE the prospect of saving money.

* Cloth diapers have come a LONG way since I was a baby (no pins necessary!) and some of are pretty darn cute to boot.

But when I began to look around the world-wide-inter-global-net I became completely overwhelmed and confused by all the lingo and options - prefolds, wraps, pockets, all-in-ones, liners, doublers, snappis...yikes! Do I need organic cotton, bamboo or hemp? Indian or Chinese prefolds? Whisperwraps or Bummies? Do I buy from a big online outlet or support a work-at-home mom who makes her own product? Not to mention there seemed to be a million varied opinions on the best way to wash and dry the diapers.

It made my head spin.

With the impending birth of our first child giving me enough to think and worry about I decided to just let it go. I could always look into it later.

I started to seriously reconsider cloth diapering again probably six months ago. Jeff is supportive of trying it out (the saving money argument is not lost on him) so that makes me feel good. This time there wasn't a rush to make a decision. I have had plenty of time to research online and even talk to some real-live mommies that make it work (thanks Chrys!).

We're starting with the BumGenius 3.0. They are a "one size pocket diaper". That means that the outer cover can be adjusted to fit various sized children (hypothetically should work for both Baby Dos and Bennett) and has a pocket which I will have to stuff an absorbent pad into. Once they are stuffed and ready for use they are very similar to a disposable with velcro tabs - no pins or anything like that.

We should recieve our shipment in about a week. I'm excited to get started and see how it goes. After spending much of the day peruising cloth diaper sites I'm even inspired to try to make some of my own reusable wipes.

I'll keep you updated on the great cloth diaper experiment of 2008. Wish us luck!

Thank God For Paint

As most of you know we've owned our new home for eight months now. We've been through a number of stages of "move-in" since we closed in early January.

1) Empty House Stage - Our beautiful new house sat empty except for deliveries of goods such as our fridge and new mattress until a couple of weeks into February

2) College/Camp-Out Stage - As our condo was still on the and market we wanted it to remain "staged" we left the majority of our furniture there. Also the whole double-mortgage thing meant we were watching our pennies and not buying ANYTHING new for the house.

During this time Bennett slept in his Pack and Play in our closet and our furniture consisted of a borrowed couch, our TV sitting on a side table, a mattress on the floor, a card table and folding chairs for dining, and camping chairs for any extra guests.

It was lovely.

3) Sick and Tired Stage - I just new that the second we sold the condo I was going to head full-force into home decorating mode. We would have our (limited) furnishings back and room in the budget for acquiring a few new things. I had big plans!

Except that we closed the sale of the condo right about the time I turned up pregnant. Suddenly, unpacking, shopping and decorating were the very last things I wanted to do. It was all I could manage to feed my child a few times a day and try to convince him that it was way more fun to lay on the floor and play with blocks than go to the park and swing.

4) Current Stage - Suffice it to say until about a month ago boxes of non-essentials sat unpacked, all walls were bare and we were still sleeping on a mattress on the floor. As my energy returned and puking subsided I began to finally focus on getting this house to feel a little more like a home.

My goal is to be totally moved in (which means NO MORE boxes anywhere...not even neatly hidden in closets) and all rooms (with the exception of Bennett's "big boy room" and maybe the formal dining room) sufficiently appointed so as not to feel cold and bare by the time Baby Dos makes his or her appearance.

We're making progress! We've gotten great deals on a kitchen table and chairs and a bed for the master bedroom. In trying to stretch our "home" budget dollar I decided last week to attempt to create bedside tables for our bedroom out of two sad specimens that have been hanging around.

Here are the pathetic little tables before I got started.



First I sanded them down real good. It was a glorious almost-fall afternoon and I scrubbed away at those ugly ol' things as Bennett cut the grass with his new plastic lawn mower.



I bought a few supplies from Lowe's and made a few minor repairs.


Next came the painting. I got to work while cheering on the Cowboys during Monday Night Football. Not a bad way to spend an evening if you ask me. One coat of paint and they are already looked much better.


A few coats of paint, some new hardware and a new door to cover the gaping hole in one and...tada! (Forgive the horrible lighting I took the picture inside tonight with the flash...maybe I'll get some better photos outside tomorrow.)

Now it's not Pottery Barn quality or anything but I'm pretty happy with how they turned out considering that it cost about $18 in supplies and a few hours of work.

What do you think?

And here's a peek at some planing I was doing today for my next project. This one is significantly larger and will require the help of my husband, mom, dad and sister. I'm really excited about it!

Remembering September 15

I know September 11, 2001 is a date that changed our country and, in ways big and small, each of us as individuals. It is not a date I will forget any time soon.

But there is another September date that I will also never forget. One day that stole the lives of dear friends, threatened to bury loved ones in grief and hopelessness, redefined my faith and rocked me to my core.

September 15, 1999.

It has been nine years since a sad, deluded man walked casually into my church and unloaded his hurt, anger and confusion on innocent men, women and youth. My mom, sister and brother were there and faced a terror that no one should have to know, especially from the hallways and pews of the place they had worshiped for a lifetime. They saw bullets fly and friends fall. They tried to run, tried to hide, tried to warn others and find help.

I, a college sophomore, wept helplessly in Waco upon hearing of the shooting. I quickly learned that my family survived but seven beautiful lives had been lost. Seven others were shot but survived.

I still don't have all the answers. I don't believe I'll ever comprehend completely. But I did learn a thing or two about faith.

Faith is trusting that God is good when everything around you shrieking otherwise. Faith is understanding that it is okay to not understand. Faith is screaming, crying, questioning and hurting but still holding on. It is knowing that you are being held on to when your grasp weakens.

Before September 15, 1999 I never understood longing for heaven. I hadn't truly experienced the fullness of Romans 8:26. I had not ever been so desperate for the peace that transcends all understanding.

I believe that God was not absent from Wedgwood that night. I believe that this story is part of a greater story that points to God's glory, his love, his provision and his Son.

Kristi Beckel, Shawn Brown, Sydney Browning, Joey Ennis, Cassie Griffin, Kim Jones, Justin Ray, I remember you. I look forward with great joy to the day we meet again.

A Counter Post From Mom

Let it be known that if Bennett had been able to stay up to watch Monday Night Football he would certainly have learned to say "Go Cowboys!" (or some variation thereof).

Was that game awesome or was that game awesome?

Whew...I'm worn out!

A Post From Dad

September 14, 2008 will go down as an important day in the Parker household. I recognize three important birthdates for Bennett and future children. (1) Their actual birth date (2) Their acceptance of Christ as Savior and (3) The day they become Broncos fans.

Today, a new Broncos fan was born. As the Broncos-Chargers game went down to the wire, Bennett started eying the TV closer than he ever has. Sure, you could say he was interested in what his parents were interested in but it would soon evolve.

The Broncos were down 7 with only 30 seconds left and scored on 4^thdown prompting a loud cheer by me. Bennett was a bit startled by my cheer but Stacey picked him up and soon he too seemed interested in the game. As the Broncos made the irrational decision to go for two, I paced the floor and Bennett excitedly shouted “Go, Go, Go.” When they converted the two point to take the lead Bennett was excited, clapping enthusiastically and yelling “Yay!” (possibly somewhat prompted by Dad).

There were still a few nerve-racking plays left as the Chargers got the ball with seconds remaining in the game. I was focused on the TV saying “Let's Go Broncos.” From Stacey’s lap, erupted a “Go Gunk-Oh, Go Gunk-Oh.” Bennett was GLUED to the game clapping and cheering along with me to the happy ending. Even well after the game, Bennett kept saying “Go Gunk-Oh, Go Gunk-Oh” repeatedly and unprompted.

I grew up cheering for a gunslinger QB name John Elway. Bennett will grow up cheering for a gunslinger QB named Jay Cutler (or as Bennett says “Day”).



I guess you can call it the circle of life.

We Interrupt Hurricane Ike Coverage For An Important Announcement

I have found it!

Or rather, my friends Clint and Lisa Miller have introduced me to it. I feel that after the impact this discovery has made in my life that they are worthy of a title more befitting than simply "friends". Maybe kindred spirits? Bosom buddies? Heroes?

"It" is simply the most delectable, divine, perfect combination of texture and flavors to ever cross my lips.

Thursday night started out innocently enough. Dinner with friends. A derth of tempting dessert options in my house led us to suggest the guys make a quick trip to Paciugo to pick up some gelato. As we discussed our preferred flavor combinations the Millers suggested I might enjoy a new flavor they recently discovered. In a fit of fateful insanity I, a decidedly picky and uncourageous eater, decided to forgo my no-fail chocolate and mixed berry combo and attempt something new.

When the boys returned with our treats I took my first taste of Mediterranean Sea Salt Caramel gelato. At that moment the heavens opened and grace rained down on me. Along with the promise of fifteen extra pounds.

It might sound a little odd (a salty ice cream?) but it simply makes my tongue happy. And combined with a small amount of Fondente, the extra-dark chocolate flavor, it is just about enough to bring me to tears.

Just trust me on this one. Try it. Love it.

And feel free to bring some by my house.

Wherein I Jinx Myself

I need to watch my mouth or start knocking on wood or something.

Within the last few days Jeff and I had a conversation about how nice it is that when we put Bennett down at night we can be confident we won't hear a peep from him until morning. Once he's had his story, prayer and song he is done. out. down for the count. I don't think we've had anything even close to resembling a "difficult" night with him since he was about seven months old and trying to readjust to Texas time after a trip to Maui.

(Yes, I know we are spoiled and I'm fully prepared for Baby Dos to kick our rears and render us sleep deprived zombies who only faintly recall that glorious rumor called "sleeping through the night".)

So I was surprised last night to hear B crying at about 10:30. I waited for a minute but he sounded truly pitiful so I picked him up, snuggled for a bit, sang a few songs and put him back down. He didn't feel feverish or anything so I figured he'd had a bad dream or something. I left his room thinking how sweet it was to get to hold and comfort my sleepy boy like that. We don't get a lot of quiet snuggle time these days.

After Jeff and I climbed into bed we heard Bennett crying again. Jeff trudged up stairs to attempt to settle the restless child. I soon followed him when through the monitor I heard "Oh, no" and "Uh...Stacey?". I immediately measured his tone and accurately surmised the problem. Even before I smelled it.

As I headed to the nursery I mentally kicked myself for recently talking about how Bennett hasn't ever thrown up and hoping out loud that he inherited the "iron stomach" from my mom's side of the family.

Well, I don't think there is a blank for this one in his baby book but I'll record the milestone here. First barf: September 9, 2008.

And it was everywhere. He managed to not only heavily soil his sheet, bumper and bed skirt but he hit the wall and the floor and created a nice pool in the crib that he opted to lay in. Poor little guy was covered. Jeff took the sad, stinky child to the tub while I began operation clean-up.

Once puke had been removed from his hair, ears and belly button and the washing machine was running we decided to bring Bennett to bed with us. That's what you do with sick kiddos, right?

You know, so that way they can puke all over you and your bedding.

Which he did.

More bathing, more laundry. We only have one sheet set that fits our bed so we lay out whatever towels and extra sheets we could find and after two am finally collapsed onto the haphazard pile of linens.

Bennett crawled all over me seeking just the perfect position to settle down and sleep. Apparently it was pretty darn comfy to lay sideways across my chest, knees jammed up in my ribcage and entire upper body wedged incomprehensibly between my chin and collarbone.

To accommodate this sleeping arrangement I was required to stay flat on my back with my head awkwardly tilted back as though attempting to ponder the intricacies of our headboard. As his body weight was crushing my esophagus, I attempted to breathe deeply and slowly and enjoy the moment. I do miss sleeping with a soft, sweet-smelling baby curled close to me. Despite my efforts to the contrary, Bennett gave up on shared naps almost six months ago when he stopped nursing.

Since I was no where near comfortable enough to go to sleep I soaked up the scent of his hair, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest against mine, the feel of his still-baby-smooth skin. All at once he seemed so big (and heavy!) and yet so small and in need of my protection.

But as my neck began to cramp and the lack of oxygen caused me to feel lightheaded I decided that I absolutely must move. The wee one did not appreciate the shift and we spent the next half hour negotiating a sleep compromise. A peace treaty was reached only once he was back in his crib (with new sheets and a towel) and I was in my bed.

The rest of the night (er...morning) was uneventful and Bennett woke up chipper as could be at eight am. Does this look like the yogurt-covered face of a sick boy?





After intensive research thinking through what I fed my child in the last 24 hours I believe I have discovered the source of the upset tummy.


I decided not to eat my salad last night because I didn't like the ranch. I thought it was just due to trying a different brand, but looking back the flavor did seem a bit sour. Bennett on the other hand LOVED the dressing and dipped everything he could find in it, resorting to dipping and licking his fingers once his pizza, carrots and Craisins were gone. That bottle has now found its way into the trash.

Rest assured, dear friends, I am not seeking any sympathy as I know this type of night is par for the parenting course. I have no doubt that it is simply the first of many vomit-filled adventures in our future. I simply wanted to record the moment for posterity.

Beautiful Day!

We're playing in the front yard (also known as watching and waving to
construction workers and each passing car) and I just can't get over
the huge, gorgeous Texas sky streching out over my neighborhood.
Thank you God for such a lovely day!

God Bless This Mess

Bennett had tomato soup and a toasted sandwich for dinner the other night. Thanks to his recent discovery of the joys of dipping and attempts at self-feeding it was not the neatest of mealtimes. But he enjoyed every bite and we enjoyed that. And he makes a pretty darn cute orange disaster if you ask me.