Some Days Are Better Than Others!

fussy guss, originally uploaded by amydell.

Nuff Said! ;)

Memorial to today

CIMG7843 Originally uploaded by amydell.

10 things I loved about this morning-with you- my love bugs: 1.) Watching you both get jiggy on some DMB 2.) Watching you both 'hop on pop' repeatedly 3.) Listening to you squeal in delight as we pointed out your boo-bah's and tickled you. 4.) The smell of daddy's pancakes and syrup on your breath when I sauntered into the kitchen at 0930. 5.) Your sticky fingers on and up my nose- while you tried to push my nose up and oink at me. 6.) Waking up next to you in your bed and seeing you stare out the window in amazement- and whisper "agua-outside" over and over. 7.) Seeing how tired you get when you need a nap- but can’t seem to budge from the playground equipment. 8.) Listening to you run through the downstairs- from upstairs, and knowing how lucky I am to hear that sound. 9.) Hearing you say "pretty girl" to me when I put your hair in a pony tail and seeing your delight as I affirm that "yes- you are the prettiest girl, in the whole wide world!" 10.) Carrying you up for a nap, while you sleep on my shoulder. You are my reason for getting up most mornings. The small things are much bigger now that you are with us. War, crime, violence, immigration, taxes, income, preservatives, Sugar, Whole wheat bread, cursing, clothing, vehicles, gas prices, neighbors, neighborhoods, friends- they all take on new meanings for me because I know that you must live in, around, with and for some of these things. It's my job to make all of these things the best I can for you both. But how do I achieve Motherhood Martyrdom- and make you independent, loving, wonderful, non-codependent people?

The Beauty of Brooke's "Bling"

CIMG7937 Originally uploaded by amydell.

What is it about jewelry that makes every girls heart go pitter patter? Even at TWO my munchkin has an affinity for picking out the prettiest and shiniest pieces in my jewelry box. There are plenty of places to pick up some cool bling in Houston- some of my favorites include 'Wish', Nordstroms and Neiman Marcus. Here is what is making my heart pitter patter this month- maybe i'll find a way to swing it and grab one of these? Or these? (Because you know, my dears, that bling is much more than jewlry! ;) Oh- to be two again and happy with plastic and shiny beads! They are much cheaper- and made me just as happy at that point!

Geeky but Cool!

Okay- my DH just sent me this URL for a neat new doowacky thing: Check it out! http://tinyurl.com/o7eru

Thanks Daddy!

Our 2 year old kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Hermann Park- More importantly, the train! They cannot walk past without saying "Choooooo Choooooo!" and "Thomas!"-- It costs a family of four TEN dollars (GASP!) to ride around the park for the three minute ride. It's almost unspeakable! I know that there is a ton of upkeep that must have to be done to keep these trains running- but it still seems pricy! This past week- when I was walking (alone) to the water pad (ACROSS the park) from the zoo parking lot-I had two babies- (Did I mention they are two?) a cooler on wheels (thank you Jesus for rolling coolers!) and various bags, backpacks and toys that "had" to be brought along for their enjoyment-(which they never used.) :-) "So there I was,-IN THE CONGO" and moving at an alarmingly slow pace- to get past the parking lot without one of them getting squashed by a passing vehicle and I decided to put Brooke on the rolling cooler. Yep- you guessed it- she fell off-! IN FRONT of the train! - NOT The tracks, but the ticket house-- I knew better-- but the GASPS and hushed whispers that I got-while slothing by were the most shaming I've gotten in recent history. (I'm totally expecting the "mother of the year" award this weekend, next to my pancakes in bed, which I won’t be holding my breath for!) So- I promised her we would ride the train later if she just stopped sobbing of front of the angry mob. This is her ---> with her "better judgment" daddy, safe and not riding on any ice chests. Thank you, Daddy- for the $$ train ride and for helping me get them to their birthday party- relatively unscathed.

My First Beater :)

CIMG7895 Originally uploaded by amydell.

When I was 3, I remember vividly- my mother bringing me into the kitchen and letting me help her make something chocolate- (Bryce was helping me make pudding, here) I think it was brownies or fudge- I can't remember. I was wearing a navy blue dress with white polka dots. I'll look for the picture. It was precious! I, much like Bryce here, had chocolate from head to toe- and was licking it off of a large spoon. It was delightful! I remember spending a lot of time with my mom in the kitchen. I hope B&B will do the same. Making cookies for school, pancakes on a Sunday morning with daddy, mac N' cheese- PB&J sammiches. All part of my childhood-all part of theirs too.

And Then it Happened

CIMG7755
Originally uploaded by amydell.

You turned Two-
-- I will never be the same.

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Lemon Herb Chicken

CIMG7839
Originally uploaded by amydell.

So- Bill called home last Friday night at 7:45 and said "I'm on my way, and I'm hungry!"-- Whats new? Anyhow- I had planned to grill chicken for dinner and grabbed three chx breasts out of the freezer- thawed and cut some fresh Texas Genovieve Basil and quartered some fresh lemons. Covered the chx in penzeys Florida Pepper spice and wrapped in Tin- Oh, dont forget a quick spray of Lemon Pam- to keep everything from sticking! It was fantastic! AND- doesnt everything taste better when it's from your own garden? (Everything but the yard bird that is!)

Dios Bendice a los mexicanos que permanecen en México

Ahhhhhh.. you knew it would happen. I have to share my opinions on today’s "day w/o an immigrant" situation. It is several things, in my opinion: 1) Unorganized 2) a slap in the face to employers 3) A good example of people only hurting themselves. This being said- I want to tread lightly- because I, myself employ a full time-Hispanic nanny/helper in my home. She, for all intents and purposes- helps me raise my children. She allows me to continue to work and be a productive member of the workforce. Unlike some of the articles I've read recently- she is not "cheap" labor, nor is she an illegal. She's a Texas-born, U.S. citizen who has two Texas-born grown boys. (one married to an illegal-living here illegally) We pay her well- (over 20K a year) and she deserves every penny! Our first nanny was white. My Lawn guy? White. So we're the exception- not the rule, for employing illegal immigrants. So, when you ask me "how did ""a day w/o an immigrant" go in Houston, for you?" It hasn't made much of a difference. (Although- its only 11:30-as I write this-- the day is only half over!) I walked outside with the kids and a cup of coffee this morning- and as I watched them play in the yard- I heard Garbage trucks drive by (Hmm.. garbage p/u wasn’t "halted" as expected?) I could hear people speaking Spanish in my neighbors backyard- and working going on- (They are putting in a new brick pathway), My other neighbors were getting their lawn cut by a "troop" of trailer pulling-lawn cutting extraordinaire’s- and much as I expected, life goes on! I dont happen to be one of the people who think that our economy would come to a standstill- if we chose to round everyone that is not a U.S. citizen up- and ship em out. But out of the other side of my mouth- I think that they provide a stream of income into our economy that actually helps boost our spending and buoys our per capita income, allowing us as Americans to spend less money on say- building our homes and more money on labor to help us "keep" our home. Where does the money go when we pay people to keep our homes, cut our lawns and take care of our children? Straight back into the U.S. economy? Not always- it's also bolstering the Mexican "economy" as well. People are able to send money back to their families and support them in ways that they can’t if they remain in Mexico. This is an issue for me as well- Is this right? I don’t know- but the flip side is paying an American worker- (more you can be sure) and them spending all of those dollars here in the U.S. , on housing, clothing, food, etc. I had a real "eye-opener" when I was on bed rest with the babies at Memorial Herrman Memorial City- I was there for 31 days- and I saw things the "average" American probably doesn't see much of. For one- I saw a CONSTANT influx of illegal immigrants being checked into anti-partum (that’s the "don’t have the baby yet" wing-) and getting free treatment. These girls and their boyfriends, spouses etc, were being checked in and refusing to speak ANY English- and demanding free health care (never having had ANY prenatal care) as well as free delivery of their "anchor" babies- which as most of us know- makes their children U.S. citizens. This is WRONG, Wrong, wrong on so many levels. The cost of this indigent care is in the BILLIONS- and DRAINS our businesses and schools (hospitals, schools, healthcare clinics) of dollars they might otherwise be spending on U.S. born- "Aunt Clara" who cant afford health care. Illegal aliens have cost billions of taxpayer-funded dollars for medical services. Dozens of hospitals in Texas, New Mexico Arizona, and California, have been forced to close or face bankruptcy because of federally-mandated programs requiring free emergency room services to illegal aliens. Who pays for this ultimately? We do- the U.S. Tax payer. We absorb the wear and tear on our schools and hospitals and feed the welfare recipients. We feed the children who's mama's continue to utilize the WIC programs. They are not thrown out on the curb as most people will tell you- the numbers don’t lie. Now before I get flamed by all of my dear readers or inundated with feedback (which-by the way, I love- so please post your replies!) I must say that I realize that Mexico still needs to overcome many structural problems as it tries to modernize its economy. They MUST raise their living standards. Some of it's real ongoing economic problems include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution (top 20% of income earners account for 55% of income), as well as immigration (mass exodus of a real segment of the economy that could help their economy immensely-by keeping their pesos in Mexico!) How do we solve the problem? I don’t know entirely- but the issues and drain that illegal's impose on our economy far outweigh the rewards. I feel like illegal’s are standing in our streets, wrapped in their Mexican flags and screaming while they bite the hand that feeds them. It’s all kind of absurd!