Birthday Redemption

So my sweet husband had a birthday a few weeks ago. See here...

{carter - "yeah, yeah, yeah, where's the cupcakes?}

But this is not the reason for this post. 

For the record... Happy Birthday, dear. You damn men just keep getting better looking while we just start costing more money to make ourselves look "less old." It's hardly fair. 

So. The point of this blog is to redeem myself for this previous blog from his birthday last year. As you can see, I had some making up to do. 

Last year's cake...

Alternate view...

In my defense, I was just trying to whip up a quick two layer cake and anyone who's ever done this knows that sometimes when you bake the two cakes they end up with a dome on the top of each one. Let this be a lesson to all, #1 cut the domes off. Eat them. #2 Don't place the cakes dome to dome. Otherwise, the cake will crack when you frost it, and fall apart at the table while you sing happy birthday, at the same time your in-laws hang and shake their tisk-tisking heads at you. It's glorious. 

So this year I was going all out. For my ego husband. I was going to redeem myself for once and all. 

I think I did it.  See....

Now that's much better.  Ahh, Happy Mama! 

Oh and props to my local Papa Johns who agreed to get a little arty with the pepperoni for the occasion! 

And yes, we ate salads and diet water for the rest of the week. :-) 

C. 

God Bless America!

And I say that the same way I would say, "whew, that was close!" Because without the following, life for me would be more like living in a dark and dirty closet with a peep hole.

So this Independence day let's celebrate the things that wouldn't be without American Inventors.

In no particular order...

1. Computers/Internet/email -- WHEW! Where would I be without this. I can't even think about it.

2. Diet Coke - I would be so dehydrated.

3. Toilet paper - (obviously)

4. Frozen foods - my family wouldn't eat their veggies without this.

5. Zippers - because buttons just take too long.

6. Air conditioning - I live in the south. Some days I'd give up all of the above just for this.

7. Sunscreen - Being partial vampire makes me like this stuff. Yay- I can come out in daylight. Boo- I turn into a tomato just when sitting next to a sunny window.

8. Dishwasher and Washing Machine - duh.

9. Denim jeans - I thank you Levi, 4 or 5 times a week.

10. Airplanes - without which I couldn't take my vacation that's coming up. Ahhhhh!

Ok, off to eat some burgers and dogs! Happy 4th! Wouldn't want to live anywhere else!

C.

end of naps

I see it coming. I want to run and hide. I know he's 4 1/2, but I don't care. It's the end of me naps.

I know, I know, I should be grateful that he's napped this long, but I NEED that hour of silence to scrape dried cereal off the table in peace.

This is what we did today instead of napping...

See what I mean. It's going to be a long night. And if I have to look at another Fresh Beat Band Member I may start drinking..... more.

Back to Bloggin. Jonah and Tae Kwon Do!

Yay! I am now properly equipped to get back into this blog thing. I took a break, regrouped, re-technologied up and now am back in business. 

Jonah has been taking Tae Kwon Do for the past couple of months. He is really having a blast and learning lots of fighting skills to use on his brother and dog. He can count and say things in Korean that I have no clue what they mean or reference to, but he does and that's all that matters. 

The bow! "thank you sir!" 

"if do right, no can defense."

Yes, that's a Karate Kid quote. 

Elbow. Or as his brother calls it, "elmo." 

Some days are harder than others.

But there is always time for goofing off with Master Harris!

The beginning of class meditation is somewhat of a challenge. 

That's one massive side kick. 

Last wednesday we had our first testing and graduation. Jonah moves from a white belt to a high white belt. He passed his test with flying colors. He got to break a board. It was a bit of a challenge this time, but Master Harris helped us pull through and Jonah could not stop talking about breaking (with a lot of help) the board all night.  Jonah was the youngest and smallest at testing and he was such a champ to hang in there with all the big kids. 

Good job J! 

By the way, I could not be happier with Martial Arts University. They are such a wonderful family operation and Master Harris has such a wonderful way with all the kids. If you'd like to check them out give them a call at 704-364-1880.  They will let you try a few classes for free, and even offer free Birthday parties for members. 

I'm glad to be back on the blogging train! More to come soon!

-Cody

Dear Adenovirus, I hate you.

It's called adenovirus.  And I wish it would die. I wish it would die a slow miserable death.

For the past month this virus has embedded it's nasty teeth in every member of our household and refuses to let go.

Symptoms of adenovirus:

• fever
• shards-of-glass like feeling in your throat
• the look of smoking an illegal substance in your eyes ("I swear officer, I just have pinkeye!")
• general feeling of wanting to take a bath with the hairdryer or take a nap in a running car with the garage door closed.
• all the time, nonstop, continuous coughing repeatedly day and night
• adverse reaction to children (especially ones infected with said virus) 
• unusual and extremely short temper (children and adults) 
• troubles in the bathroom, to put it nicely. 

Now... when nearly everyone in your house has this at relatively the same time. It can and will get ugly. 

We in the Chase household are emerging from the death grip of this virus this week with our heads held high. We will no longer be subjected to this vile creature. And I will wear eye makeup today for the first time in 9 days. Oh yes I will. 

My poor boy....on the first day of the pinkeye stage. He was the first to get this, and little did I know that it would only get worse and then spread to the other eye. 

He missed a whole week of school, but bounced back with style the first day back.

Carter is bearing the brunt of it now. But mom and dad are doing better and are able to properly care for him, and themselves for that matter. 

And I was so positive in my last post....... jinxed it.

To better days!!!

Cody

because I needed this...

Because it's been a rather rough couple of weeks in the Chase house hold...

Because I've stepped on one too many miniature Spider-men...

Because I would like to kick Elmo in the teeth...

Because I have an almost two year old who won't stop crying for no reason, and a 4 year old that's super sick...

Because I don't understand how I can be so tired, mentally exhausted, and spent but at the same time be so incredibly bored.

And because of all this I'm questioning my qualifications for being a mother.....

I found this, and it made me feel better. I'm up and dressed today even though I'm taking the sick one to the doctor. I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Holstee Manifesto:

If it weren't so long I'd have this tattooed on my arm. 

I'm coming back from the dark! (and now I'll have that song in my head all day) 

Peace.

C. 

Happy New Year randomness

As I am currently living in an igloo, I wish I were kidding, and we are going on day 3 of not being able to leave the house and I might soon go crazy, I thought I could write a little update of life.

So, first of all, Happy New Year. I thought 2010 was pretty good for our family, and so I can only hope 2011 continues the streak.  We are still trying to forget 2008, and so far the electroshock therapy is proving well worth the pain and money.

My New Year's Book Resolution list is wonderful!! I even have a small crew following the list too, which is both motivating and just awesome. Here is the updated list with a order by month in case you too would like to tag along:
January:
#1 Little Bee by Chris Cleave  
February:
#2 Interview with a Vampire, Anne Rice 
March:
#3 East of Eden, John Steinbeck 
April:
# 4 One True Thing, Anna Quindlin 
May:
#5 The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
June:
#6 My Spiritual Journey, Dali Lama 
July:
#7 Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell 
August:
#8  Dead Reckoning, Charlaine Harris
September: 
#9 The Constant Princess, Philippa Gregory 
October:
#10 Persuasion, Jane Austen 
November: 

#11 Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 

I hope this is a huge success and me and my tiny crew are dreaming of ways we can all meet together and discuss them all. Next year we will plan the list together! Fun! 

My sweet boy turned 4 yesterday.

I can't believe it. Thinking about life when he was born is odd. We lived on the other side of the country in California. We had a small apartment. Different jobs. A different life. Our parents had to book a flight to come out for the big arrival and trying to plan that trip was just a shot in the dark. We picked a day, two days after my due date and hit the jackpot. Our parents were in the air all day coming from AL to CA, and I couldn't tell them that I was at home laboring away. When they landed we started calling and calling and calling just waiting for someone to turn on a cell phone. I'll never forget finally getting someone on the phone, I believe they were waiting on luggage, and telling them, "glad you made it, but we're heading to the hospital now." They were so excited. That was the day my life changed. After that everything looked different. Everything was a potential hazard to my tiny new life and I was a tad nervous.  P.S. 9lbs 1oz, is not that tiny. I know that now. 

But we made it and he's thriving! And we even did it again! Ha!

So Jonah had a white birthday, and a white Christmas for that matter. I love to watch snow fall, and I like to see it on the ground. For about 2 hours and then it can go away. Please. Jonah got a couple of new Spider-man toys and thank god for those because it kept him pretty much occupied on a day where we couldn't leave the house. 

So that's us. I hope everyone who's snowed in isn't going mad. We southerners don't know what to do with ourselves in the snow. But I'm learning just to bunker down and pad the walls. 

I snowed pretty hard all day, and I didn't get many pictures because my camera was getting soaked. And we can't have that now can we? Maybe next time... (but hoping there is no next time)

You know these are the perfect murder weapon right? Yep, we need to get out of this house for sure. 

Love,

C.